2021 georgia

Formation Notes: Bowl games tend to get a lot of looks because coaches use the extra time to install more of them. Georgia used a lot of multi-TE sets and varied formations with them to hunt good matchups. I stuck with numeric conventions to make it easier to follow, so for example this is Gun 13 Heavy (shotgun, 1 RB, 3 TEs, heavy formation).

And here’s the next play with the same personnel, which we’ll call “Gun 13 Empty 5w.”

I referred to this defensive setup as “4-4 Zero” because there are no safeties.

The offense is a “Gun 12 Str F Flex’ since it’s a normal 3-wide with the extra guy to the strong side (“Str”) with an "F" (not on the line of scrimmage) TE flexed out.

Finally, this is Bone:

Substitution Notes: TrueBlueinTexas provides. As in the second example above, Michigan tried to have a 5-2 unit that replaced Moore, Ojabo, and the starting DTs with Jeter-Speight-Jenkins-Harrell. It immediately got burned in a matchup problem. They also ran a lot of 4-3 with Barrett at SLB and Dax Hill on the bench.

Formation Notes: UGA plays with a “Jack”—a small DE that I counted as a LB even though he sets up on the line, like below. The offensive formation here is what we call “Fritz.”

This from UGA is “Nickel Odd”—it’s like “Split” but with the DT at a perfect 0 technique. On Michigan’s side, Erick All’s split is what I’ve been calling “demi.”

Substitution Notes: Once again trueblueintexas has us covered. McCarthy rotated in until McNamara went on tilt and JJ finished the game, which works out to 46% McCarthy. Haskins got the start but the other two RBs got more run. All got most of the TE work as Michigan used more spread sets, which got Sainristil on the field more than usual and plenty of work for Henning. Andrel Anthony got on the field after but more often than Daylen Baldwin.

Hat: Instead of new “WRDIS” acronyms each week, from now on when a play didn’t work because the other team MADE PLAYS we’re going to recognize that with a tip of the hat, shortened to “Hat.” Hate hat.

I think I might make a habit out of breaking out things I notice in UFR. That was the origin, after all, of the old MGoBlog feature Picture Pages, which in turn was the inspiration for Neck Sharpies. This one got broken out when I realized I was taking way too long to explain why Georgia’s talent was too much for Michigan’s, at least on this side of the ball.

It’s the first appearance by JJ McCarthy in this game, the first play of their second offensive drive, and a second early sign that Georgia’s incredible collection of talent was creating issues that Michigan hadn’t faced this year—not even against Ohio State:

THE ALIGNMENT

Michigan’s got their two-TE personnel in, which isn’t odd for them. Also not odd for them is covering a tight end to unbalance the line. Refresher of the rules: The offense needs at minimum seven men on the line of scrimmage. The end to each side can be an eligible receiver if he’s wearing an eligible number (0-49 or 80-99), with the interior five ineligible. In this example Joel Honigford (#84) is “covered” and thus must be subject to the rules for linemen. Hayes is also subject to those rules, since he’s wearing #76.

Also McCarthy is in, which is a signifier that the Wolverines are looking to do some old fashioned college crappe, which usually means some kind of read that removes a defender with the quarterback’s eyes. In these situations Michigan expects their opponents to stack the box, bringing at least one safety down because the offense is down a potential receiver. It’s an invitation that few would pass up, since it’s supposed to be an advantage for the defense. If the safety gets optioned by the QB, at least the numbers advantage from the option has been nullified.

It’s also part of how Michigan likes to play offense. The gamble here is the defense can’t do enough with the extra man to significantly alter an outcome: what are they gonna do, have the safety run into Hassan Haskins? On the other hand, a safety down is a chance for a big play, and these Wolverines led the nation in generating such.

That Georgia’s leaving *both* safeties high here is a thing we haven’t seen much of. Knowing that Michigan is likely to run, that McCarthy is likely to option someone, and that Michigan likes to bring material from the backside to overwhelm their numbers at the point of attack, the Bulldogs are saying “bring it.” Their one conceit to the threat of a run to Honigford’s side is they’ve lined up their DE/DT and their SAM (a 235-pound DE/OLB) outside the TE.

That’s saying a thing too. The big gap between the tackles is an invitation to put the linebackers in conflict between a hard-charging Haskins and a quick pass behind them.

In short, the alignment of the two teams here is a threat from Michigan to run 9 guys vs 7, and Georgia is saying “Bring it.” Of course neither team is being honest about their intentions.

[After THE JUMP: This goes down]