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Random Thoughts
ROOFDOOGINS
Member Posts: 266
Michigan's defense is really fast. I thought we called the right plays a few times and they blew it up before we could get to the next level.
O-line was probably the biggest disappointment of the game. After a good showing against Texas, they got pushed around most of the night.
Penix was definitely missing some throws. Maybe he was injured but sadly not his best game. (Still love him).
Refs were bad. (Not the reason we lost). I think they tend to not call much in these games and I think Michigan used that as strategy somewhat.
Proud of the defense for stepping up after the first quarter.
Everyone wants us to be TCU. I see most people ranking us 20-25 in early rankings next year.
Overall glad we kept it close most of the game. The game was in reach but we didn't capitalize when we needed to.
O-line was probably the biggest disappointment of the game. After a good showing against Texas, they got pushed around most of the night.
Penix was definitely missing some throws. Maybe he was injured but sadly not his best game. (Still love him).
Refs were bad. (Not the reason we lost). I think they tend to not call much in these games and I think Michigan used that as strategy somewhat.
Proud of the defense for stepping up after the first quarter.
Everyone wants us to be TCU. I see most people ranking us 20-25 in early rankings next year.
Overall glad we kept it close most of the game. The game was in reach but we didn't capitalize when we needed to.
Comments
I'm sure Michigan fans could cite a call or two that went UW's way, too.
Overall, though, Michigan shoved UW's shit in all night long.
Everyone knows DeBoer is no Sonny Dykes
Deboer has done a really good job at getting the most from the guys he has, he looks like a real coach and MIGHT actually be a legit QB whisperer, but hopefully he now realizes that this isn't Soux Falls or Fresno St. he has to put some energy/focus on getting better players now. He also needs to really think about how to help out his loyal buddies, Morrel and Grubb.
Grubb has had some really strange questionable calling, even if yesterday was mostly fine. Grubb's recruiting, given the perceived success of his offense has been pretty bad... Even more now that UW doesn't really have to compete with Stanford or Cal for "smart" OL/TE recruits.
Morrel obviously needs lots of help... The 1st quarter roll out of our base defense while watching Michigan run for 188 yards was retarded... The defense also very clearly just doesn't have the guys to play at a high level. But he still makes wierd coaching decisions like not playing Bruener against the run, light boxes... UW needs to be transfer raiding the MWC for 1-2 big DL/Edge every year.
Unfortunately at the moment recruiting seems to be more about money than relationships. We are behind Oregon and usc out west in that regard and it's not particularly close.
(I put UCLA here cause we always seem to do dumb things against them)
I can see it happening but we should not assume as much. Won’t be easy. It’s probably the hardest schedule for us in the B1G of the 5 year cycle, unless you view playing Ohio State as significantly tougher than what we have next year.
UW started classes on Jan 3. Michigan started on Jan 10.
How much does this make a difference? Imagine being on a football team and you don't have to worry about homework and going to class. You can completely 100% focus on the national championship game. Does that make a difference? Should UW adjust it's scheduling?
I knew it was an issue before, but yesterday is was really pounded home how slow our defense is. There is very little high caliber D1 talent anywhere in the D backfield especially.
Watching the CB and safety have an angle on the big runs and not even get a hand on the guy as he cruises by was painful to watch.
Coaching up 3 stars is great. But Deboner really needs to upgrade the raw talent.
I will hopefully be able to go back and figure out if Michigan flew back home overnight from the Rose Bowl or the day after. We just played "tired" and tired. Yes I know the B1G schedule next year will be similar but regular season you fly in the day before the game and don't have all the media stuff that Natty game requires.
The other part, and I'd be curious what players think, but for big-time bowl games the charter flight will usually be a wide-body with lay flat business class. I've seen that fairly frequently. Google says Michigan flew to Houston in this:
The Wolverines have had a busy travel week. They left Pasadena for Ann Arbor in the hours after their Rose Bowl win the night of Monday, Jan. 1.
Alaska pays us a good amount of money I assume to sponsor our stadiums and our players. And we naturally fly them to games, which is fine for the regular season usually. But playoffs, with so much else gong on, spending 5 hours on Tuesday and then 5 hours on Friday crammed into coach seats, that matters to peak performance. Meanwhile Michigan's dudes are sitting in business class and got back a day earlier.
It wouldn't change the result but I think you compound everything crammed in that week and you can see why we weren't very sharp.
Jackson, Dixon, Tupitala, Powell, Hampton all had clunky movement that cost them on plays.
I hope Asa returns. He's not ELITE but he raises the floor. Becky London might be the best DB on the field next year. Pay Muhammad. Banks had sizzle and I have hope for him.
3 or 4 really talented guys and a lot of jags. I think they are all tough kids though.