Finally got through the game last night. Here's my thoughts as I nibble on lunch - if I can keep it down.
- The lineup we rolled out on offense might have been the most inexperienced unit I've seen rolled out on the field in a lifetime of watching Michigan football. I'd actually like folks to check me on this. Do you remember one younger? I don't. Something like 8 career starts on our oline, one guy with experience playing a position they've never started at. A first year starting qb. One returning receiver with more than 8 catches from last year. This amount of inexperience is a major problem for just about any program in the country. And they were going against a veteran, physical D whose calling cards is multiple looks. Implication? Well, the defense needs to have a good game - that's the implication.
- Sticking with the offense. Our first two drives were both stopped largely because of the same reason. A slot receiver couldn't make a block (Ronnie Bell once, Wilson second) on an aggressive attacking corner. This is not an easy block. This is not a long term calling card and not something we have a lot of looks at and our practice looks are against bad corners. Spread running attack isn't exactly our years long bread and butter. We don't have a calling card - our systems are evolving significantly all the time. This is a continuing problem. As I watched this, I thought of Jim's comment about liking the kids, having young talent and letting it rip. They know what they are up against. Minnesota provided a false sense (maybe even to the staff) of where we are in this progression. But its a tall task for this green group to execute this offense with high efficiency against competent foes - that's the case even with Hayes and Mayfield...without them. Yikes.
- Bottom line, I get where we are at on O. I wish we found more ways to get our backs involved. I wish we didn't have run plays that required a slot receiver to get blocks on solid aggressive corners but we need experience and there's only one way to get it - let it rip. Hopefully we are moving towards a solid identity and things we do really well. Because we haven't had a solid identity in a long time. We are on a path to somewhere and we are really, really young. As long as we stay on this path (for once :|) I am hopeful it will pay off.
- Defense. What a mess. Not having seen the full game nor looked as close I'm suprised there isn't more talk of the ineffectiveness/relative invisibility of our backers. Thought to be a strength coming in they look mediocre at best. Plenty of negative talk about the d-line and its all deserved - outside of Paye. Little to no impact there. Cornerbacks are obviously struggling and playing below whatever their talent is. That MSU game was a huge blow to their confidence and that put us in a bad spot entering Bloomington. So many plays where they were right there and either didn't make the play on the ball or interfered with receivers they didn't have to because they have zero trust in themselves right now. Zordich says he'll get them on track and that seems possible if not probable, but it might take a bit.
- Zone. We are miserable at it. We have Don Brown trying to be something other than he's always been and with young personnel - oh and without a guy with a lot of zone experience that he brought in to assist. Not a good formula. In a huge moment of the game, we grab momentum courtesy of Joe and Ronnie and pull within 10 at 24-14. Indiana gashes our bad zone en route to a near back breaking score. After that you can see Don saying "to hell with this" and going aggressive man for the most part (my read). His comfort zone. Here's a theme that has persisted throughout at least the back 2/3 of Jim's time here. Identity issues. A team that doesn't know who they are or feel comfortable with what they are doing, won't be good, let alone great. We all know we are in the process of creating a new identity on O. To feel like the same is going on with the D and seeing it stumble, is discouraging and doesn't bode well for the immediate future. The choices seem to be, experience more pain as Don tries to get these guys competent with a lot of zone or, go with the old Brown and hope we have a different result against OSU. Both choices seem to suck.
- At some point the leaders in your program have lead in critical moments. The relative advantage we had coming into this game is Don Brown vs. Nick Sheridan. Nick is a first year OC. Indiana had the worst third down conversion rate in the Big Ten and fifth to last in the country. Yes they clipped Penn State but were outgained by a ton. Despite this at halftime Indiana had close to 300 yards and 24 points. We had jumped offsides at least 4 times. By games end an awful 3rd down offense so far was 9/18 on third downs. AND, despite putting the ball in the air 50 times we had ZERO sacks, very limited hurries and ZERO interceptions. We gave up a back breaking 96 yard drive to close the half and a 75 yard drive after we pulled within 24-14. This was a bad performance by what is looking like a bad defense that doesn't have a strength at any level - particularly now that Hutch is out, although Hutch and Paye while looking fine, weren't looking like a dominant aspect of the defense by any means.
- We're not in a good place on either side of the ball right and not a good team. There isn't a lot of schedule left to become one. Hopefully Wisconsin is rusty because right now, a competent team with good talent, good coaching and KNOWS WHO THEY ARE should be able to take it to this Michigan team right now.
I think this offense will be really good by the end of the year and elite next year. I don't know what to think of where the defense is and where its going. Don Brown has bad games but has never had a bad season here so I got to think he's going to stabilize this thing - but to what outcome and to what result beyond this year - if applicable - I don't know.
- The lineup we rolled out on offense might have been the most inexperienced unit I've seen rolled out on the field in a lifetime of watching Michigan football. I'd actually like folks to check me on this. Do you remember one younger? I don't. Something like 8 career starts on our oline, one guy with experience playing a position they've never started at. A first year starting qb. One returning receiver with more than 8 catches from last year. This amount of inexperience is a major problem for just about any program in the country. And they were going against a veteran, physical D whose calling cards is multiple looks. Implication? Well, the defense needs to have a good game - that's the implication.
- Sticking with the offense. Our first two drives were both stopped largely because of the same reason. A slot receiver couldn't make a block (Ronnie Bell once, Wilson second) on an aggressive attacking corner. This is not an easy block. This is not a long term calling card and not something we have a lot of looks at and our practice looks are against bad corners. Spread running attack isn't exactly our years long bread and butter. We don't have a calling card - our systems are evolving significantly all the time. This is a continuing problem. As I watched this, I thought of Jim's comment about liking the kids, having young talent and letting it rip. They know what they are up against. Minnesota provided a false sense (maybe even to the staff) of where we are in this progression. But its a tall task for this green group to execute this offense with high efficiency against competent foes - that's the case even with Hayes and Mayfield...without them. Yikes.
- Bottom line, I get where we are at on O. I wish we found more ways to get our backs involved. I wish we didn't have run plays that required a slot receiver to get blocks on solid aggressive corners but we need experience and there's only one way to get it - let it rip. Hopefully we are moving towards a solid identity and things we do really well. Because we haven't had a solid identity in a long time. We are on a path to somewhere and we are really, really young. As long as we stay on this path (for once :|) I am hopeful it will pay off.
- Defense. What a mess. Not having seen the full game nor looked as close I'm suprised there isn't more talk of the ineffectiveness/relative invisibility of our backers. Thought to be a strength coming in they look mediocre at best. Plenty of negative talk about the d-line and its all deserved - outside of Paye. Little to no impact there. Cornerbacks are obviously struggling and playing below whatever their talent is. That MSU game was a huge blow to their confidence and that put us in a bad spot entering Bloomington. So many plays where they were right there and either didn't make the play on the ball or interfered with receivers they didn't have to because they have zero trust in themselves right now. Zordich says he'll get them on track and that seems possible if not probable, but it might take a bit.
- Zone. We are miserable at it. We have Don Brown trying to be something other than he's always been and with young personnel - oh and without a guy with a lot of zone experience that he brought in to assist. Not a good formula. In a huge moment of the game, we grab momentum courtesy of Joe and Ronnie and pull within 10 at 24-14. Indiana gashes our bad zone en route to a near back breaking score. After that you can see Don saying "to hell with this" and going aggressive man for the most part (my read). His comfort zone. Here's a theme that has persisted throughout at least the back 2/3 of Jim's time here. Identity issues. A team that doesn't know who they are or feel comfortable with what they are doing, won't be good, let alone great. We all know we are in the process of creating a new identity on O. To feel like the same is going on with the D and seeing it stumble, is discouraging and doesn't bode well for the immediate future. The choices seem to be, experience more pain as Don tries to get these guys competent with a lot of zone or, go with the old Brown and hope we have a different result against OSU. Both choices seem to suck.
- At some point the leaders in your program have lead in critical moments. The relative advantage we had coming into this game is Don Brown vs. Nick Sheridan. Nick is a first year OC. Indiana had the worst third down conversion rate in the Big Ten and fifth to last in the country. Yes they clipped Penn State but were outgained by a ton. Despite this at halftime Indiana had close to 300 yards and 24 points. We had jumped offsides at least 4 times. By games end an awful 3rd down offense so far was 9/18 on third downs. AND, despite putting the ball in the air 50 times we had ZERO sacks, very limited hurries and ZERO interceptions. We gave up a back breaking 96 yard drive to close the half and a 75 yard drive after we pulled within 24-14. This was a bad performance by what is looking like a bad defense that doesn't have a strength at any level - particularly now that Hutch is out, although Hutch and Paye while looking fine, weren't looking like a dominant aspect of the defense by any means.
- We're not in a good place on either side of the ball right and not a good team. There isn't a lot of schedule left to become one. Hopefully Wisconsin is rusty because right now, a competent team with good talent, good coaching and KNOWS WHO THEY ARE should be able to take it to this Michigan team right now.
I think this offense will be really good by the end of the year and elite next year. I don't know what to think of where the defense is and where its going. Don Brown has bad games but has never had a bad season here so I got to think he's going to stabilize this thing - but to what outcome and to what result beyond this year - if applicable - I don't know.
