Game Week Countdown - Indiana #3

 The 2010 M-IU game was another that came right down to the end. This time Michigan had Denard Robinson to bail out the defense.

Indiana scored first, and 7-0 turned out to be their only lead on the day. But every time M took the lead - IU came right back and matched them. This was a classic RichRod's defense game.

After the Hoosier TD - Robinson ran for a 72 yard score on the second play of Michigan's ensuing possession. The defense got a rare stop and Robinson lead another TD drive - ending with a pass to Roy Roundtree for the 14-7 lead.

Michigan could have gone up two scores - Robinson hit Roundtree again for a 72 yard gain - but he was tackled at the IU 2. Robinson went under center on first down - rather than his usual shot-gun snap - and missed the exchange - IU recovered to keep it 14-7.

The Hoosiers went 99 yards in 13 plays to tie it at 14.

After Michigan jumped back in front - IU scored on the final play of the half to go to the locker rooms tied at 21.

Michigan started the second half off quickly with another 70 yard strike from Robinson, this time on a slant to Junior Hemingway for a 28-21 lead less than a minute into the 3rd quarter.

The defenses forced consecutive punts, then IU tied it back up another scoring drive.

The tie lasted for less than a minute. Vincent Smith swept around end for a 56 yard score to make it 35-28 with 6:10 left in the 3rd quarter.

The 4th quarter was mostly scoreless. IU mounted a scoring drive with just over 7 minutes left, culminating a 13 play six minute drive with a Ben Chappell TD pass, his 3rd of the day, to tie things back up with 75 seconds remaining.

Three Robinson runs and a 42 yard pass to Hemingway put Michigan on the 4 yard line with 17 seconds left.

 

 Robinson did it again - M wins 42-35. Each team had over 550 yards of offense. IU dominated in time of possession, with nearly 42 minutes. Robinson ran for 217 and passed for 277, threw 3 TD passes and rand for 2 more.

OSU prediction based on it being about damn time

This is a picture of my mother and my Uncle Jim at the 1939 Michigan - Ohio State game. Michigan won that game 21-14 in Ann Arbor. Sometimes it feels like M hasn't won since. Then I remember...

My first OSU game was Jim Harbaugh's 1985 team. Michigan was the better team all day, but the Buckeyes got close late and them Harbaugh to Kolesar put it away. We went down on the field after the game, the north goal post came down and jiMpossible made an effort to grab the flag st the top of one of the uprights. A cop pounded on the upright with a billy club and that dispersed the crowd somewhat.

jiMpossible was Gilligan in the MMB halftime show for the 1986 Harbaugh guarantee game. Bo knew they would miss the field goal because it was his turn.

1991, of course belonged to Desmond Howard.

1993 was the first in a series of M ruining OSU's season, and the last time OSU was shutout.

1995 was the Biakabutuka-ing

1997 was Charles Woodson channeling Desmond 

1998 was my only trip to Columbus to watch the game. We sat in the first row - in bleachers right on the track - this was before they lowered the field. Tom Brady tried to keep them in the game, but the offensive line got no push and Michigan had negative rushing yards for the day.

In 2000 jiMpossible and I watched Drew Henson's naked bootleg ice the game from the TV in my apartment. M hasn't won in Columbus since (and he hasn't watched a game on TV with me since).
That brought Tressel and everything changed.

M won the 100th game between the two schools and my dad was on the field as legends returned to line the tunnel for the team touching the Go Blue Banner.

The 2005 game is when my then 83 year old father was knocked over by a BDBitL cymbal player.

M won again in 2011 with a great effort from Denard Robinson, but a poor pass from Braxton Miller missed a wide open receiver or that game too might have ended in a loss.

There were times this season when I was convinced Michigan had the better team. OSU has had several closer-than-expected games, But these past couple weeks Michigan's offense has been very disappointing. My head says the Buckeyes will win at home and probably make the playoffs. My heart says it's about damn time.

M 17
O 14

M is who we thought they were - kinda

Michigan is 7-2, back in July I had predicted at this point they would be 6-3. Why don't I feel better about their record than I do?

Problems
The offense in general - compare the numbers to last year after 9 games (it is worth noting that the 3-OT games against Illinois is included in the 2010 stats)

Offense	2010	2011
Points	350	294
First downs	218	197
Rushing yards	2461	2090
ypc	6.2	5.6
passing yards	2362	1763
y/a	9.2	8.4
Comp %	65.2	53.1
Interceptions	10	13

Decrease of 1000 yards of total offense
Loss of over half a yard per play
Way too many interceptions (10 is pretty high btw)

But beyond the numbers, nothing seems to work well consistently in the offense. Last year there were several "go-to" plays - from the standard Denard sweep; to some version of the read option (not that the truly optioned much); the play action hash pass pass; bubble screens.
What have been Michigan's most successful plays this year? Toss it up to Hemingway? They seem to have a collection of plays, not an offense.

Denard is obviosly uncomfortable in this offense. The coaches and DRob himself may tell us differently, but I don't believe them. He's been told the offense needs a drop back passer, so that's what he wants to be - to his and the teams detriment. If it isn't there - quit forcing it and run. He's not punishing the defenses for cheating tight on the receivers. If there's no one open - then he MUST be. How many times was he standing flat footed looking to force a pass to his 2nd or 3rd read? RUN!!!

The Devin package seems to have diminishing returns. There really hasn't been too much success from any of the alignments. And if they do have something new - stop showing it against Minnesota and Purdue and save it for a real opponent...

What's wrong with Hagerup? He was a great punter this year. The suspension really seems to have caused him to take a step back. Was it for PEDs? A huge punt played a role in the LSU-Alabama match-of-the-millenium, Michigan needs to get better there.

Where was Thomas Gordon? Against a power runningback like Coker, M benches one of its leading tacklers and substitutes Woolfolk. Woolfolk was a failure at corner and is not a good tackler. And Gordon doesn;t even get in for a snap?

How many times does Desmond Morgan have to get blown up before he comes out of the lineup? I prefer Hawthorne to Morgan, not sure what the coaches see.

How does the 4th down play not include a run pass option? Denard running >>>> Denard passing, Denard passing with the threat of running >>>>> Denard passing from the pocket.

I had Michigan winning 2 of their final 3 games, I would be surprised (pleasantly) if this happens.

Desmond Howard OMG!!!

Former Michigan Heisman trophy winner Desmond Howard spoke at the Black Coaches and Administrators Convention last night. His main topic was the feeling of "Entitlement" he thinks current players have. He does not like their recruitment being treated as a major news story - like an individual player could make or break a program.

He used Denard Robinson in the coaching turnover as an example.

"I'll give you a perfect example: Michigan fires coach Rich Rodriguez. All the noise in Ann Arbor is, 'Is Denard Robinson going to stay or leave?' I'm like, 'Hey, if the kid wants to go, don't let the door hit you on the way out.' You looked fantastic for five games against nobody. That's what you did. I'm not going to deny his talents, but you ain't won nothing in Ann Arbor, son! Not so much we need to worry about if you're going to be here next year or not."

This has caused quite a stir on WTKA, AnnArbor.com and MGoBlog.

Callers and commentors were not happy with Desmond. Questioning if he was jealous of Denard, wondering why he never says anything nice about Michigan. I felt like it was almost tipping towards the way Buckeye fans have forced Kirk Herbstreit to move away from Columbus because of all the complaints and threats he was receiving.

Is anything in that quote not factual? I don't think so. I've seen DRob do some amazing things but his performance was not up the same level against better quality teams.

Is Desmond being somewhat hypocritical - after all he left Michigan early? Michael Taylor e-mailed the show hinting at that in his message. At least he could argue he had WON big games at Michigan - he had won the ultimate individual award.

Ira on WTKA was mostly upset that Desmond had chosen Denard as his example and not Justin Boren. Later Sam defended Denard and to some degree any player who would contemplate leaving in a coaching situation. I wonder if Boren falls under that umbrella? I would guess not...

Here's to hoping that DRob's decision to stay was the right one for him, but more importantly the right one for Michigan.

Robinson's REAL Drew Stanton moment

I don't know if it was audible on the television, especially since you couldn't watch it at home, but when Robinson went down the Indiana student section cheered loudly.

I know Drew Stanton thinks this happened to him at Michigan when he went down in 2004 - I don't remember it this way. But with Robinson there is no denying it. Robinson was tackled - normal cheer. Then after a few seconds when it became apparent he was still down then the crowd went crazy. I've never seen anything like that. It is one thing to think to yourself "wow, that could help us"... it is quite another to cheer lustily about an injured opponent.

Great photo from the Michigan Daily

Denard in action pulls off the Heisman pose

I could never had imagined the performances he's had in the first two weeks. Has anyone had similar two weeks?