Baungardner predicts 14-10 win
Basically he says it should be a defensive struggle, but that our defense is better than theirs. The other interesting bit is this:
Of all the tweaks Harbaugh made this offseason, the most important might be how he calls offense in 2018. If it's the Harbaugh who was logical and creative when necessary in 2015 and 2016, Michigan's going to be fine. If it's the 2017 version that tried to do too many things, U-M will get overwhelmed by an active defense in a road environment. Michigan's offense wins or loses this game. Bottom line.
(Link is to FREEP, if anyone still cares about that.)
August 30th, 2018 at 9:31 AM ^
*Baumgardner
August 30th, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
Damn, I was hoping the original spelling was correct and that you had told us what 11 year old Alicia Baungardener in Visalia, California had predicted this morning. Would actually be more interesting and relevant IMO.
August 30th, 2018 at 9:35 AM ^
That’s too stressful. I’d like to add a 2nd quarter DPJ punt return TD and a 3rd quarter Kennel Pick-6.
There, 28-10.
August 30th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
Are the dogs going to be released from the kennel? If they are, Michigan should win easily!
August 30th, 2018 at 10:08 AM ^
If so I’d like to know who made the decision to let the dogs out? Who?
I’m so so sorry.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:35 AM ^
Who, who, who, who, who?
August 30th, 2018 at 10:47 AM ^
Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!!!!!!!!!!
August 30th, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
Who let the dogs out?
August 30th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
Who? Who? Why does it seem so difficult to get an answer on this? Who?
August 30th, 2018 at 11:00 AM ^
Don Brown
August 30th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
Terry Kennel?
August 30th, 2018 at 9:38 AM ^
We haven’t beaten a ranked team on the road since 2006.
It’s about time we do something about that...
btw did anyone find out how Harbaugh delineates playcalling yet or is it still an enigma?
August 30th, 2018 at 9:41 AM ^
Pep said all plays go through Harbaugh. So there’s that.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
All your plays are belong to Harbaugh
August 30th, 2018 at 9:51 AM ^
0-15 since that beat down they put on ND.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:05 AM ^
Yeesh. I know RichRod and Hoke take up 7 of those years...but that's still a pretty disgusting and embarrassing stat.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
Well, we beat #17 Florida in Dallas to open last year. And we probably would have beaten #2 OSU on the road in 2016 if the referees had been anywhere close to competent/unbiased. But in the three years of Harbaugh, we've only played a ranked team on the road four times, so it's not really an astounding stat.
August 30th, 2018 at 9:42 AM ^
I personally have no idea what to predict. I think we'll win, but the score is so hard to pick because we just don't know about the offense yet. If Shea comes out and lights South Bend on fire, then it resets a whole mess of expectations I have for this year.
August 30th, 2018 at 9:42 AM ^
32-7 Michigan
Because we score a touchdown with :06 left and convert a two point conversion so that the delusional ND fans can change their stupid, meaningless fixation from "remember the six" to "remember the two".
August 30th, 2018 at 9:43 AM ^
ND 26-24. Michigan leads 24-19 late in the game but a combination of a very questionable call that goes against us (like they always do in close games there) and a "once in a lifetime" miracle play from the Domers (which also always happens there-especially at night) leads to a last minute comeback from the Irish.
August 30th, 2018 at 9:48 AM ^
I like this guy. Not because you picked against UM, but it appears you don't give a damn what anyone else thinks of you. You march to your own drummer. I can relate.
August 30th, 2018 at 9:48 AM ^
Why do you have to be that way?
August 30th, 2018 at 9:58 AM ^
Why?
1. Cause I'm 59 and have lived through a ton of crushing games there.
2. I read Brian's post yesterday on our offensive line
August 30th, 2018 at 10:18 AM ^
I too am older and remember many screwy happenings in South Bend, but you'd think we are due to flip the script by now. I'm believing regression to the mean will happen this year...fingers crossed.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
3. You're applying sense and reason to your predictions
There's a lot of mental gymnastics going on in this forum in assuming that our offense is just going to be magical while ND's offense is going to fall apart.
ND returns the majority of the 27th nationally ranked offense, minus a few guys. We return the 105th nationally ranked offense while losing our best O-Lineman. But somehow our offense is going to be dominant and their offense won't be able to move the ball at all??
I'm hoping that our defense can carry us to a victory, but on paper we're staring down the barrel so to speak: We're facing a much better offense a year ago than what we had, it's a night, and an away game. ND has all the intangible advantages in this game at this point, aside from us having a higher ranked defense.
I fully expect a very very very close game, which I hope we win but I'm not "expecting" to come out with a win given the realities of this game.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:50 AM ^
Except mgrowold said that some fluky things will happen resulting in us losing by 2. So he thinks we're going to be the better team and we'll lose because of bad luck or shenanigans. You might as well say "this game between two similarly ranked teams will be a close one."
August 30th, 2018 at 11:21 AM ^
...And...
We picked up a 5-star QB who was better than any of our QBs last year.
D is more experienced.
Necessary and pertinent coaching changes made, particularly on Offense.
Whether the glass is half-empty or half-full is always a matter of personal perspective. I've seen a few games myself, and I've gone into previous seasons very skeptical, but this time I'm buying the hype and looking forward to a good game.
August 30th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
You conveniently leave out that we now have a 5* qb, a new o line coach.
August 30th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
Both are unproven as to how they will actually impact our game on the field. So at this point, it's all just assuming that those two things will magically fix all our issues. Obviously hopefully they do, but until we actually see the team play, we just don't know.
August 30th, 2018 at 12:22 PM ^
He also left out that a big part of the reason ND's offense was ranked so high (aside from their soft schedule which won't help them Saturday, they put up 49 each on Temple and BC, 48 on Wake and 52 on Miami (OH)), was their very good OL, where they lost two guys in the top 9 picks of the NFL draft. Even though I believe those are the only two they lose, losing two top-10 picks from one unit will always result in a massive downgrade to the next year. They also had a TE and a WR drafted off last year's offense and their top RB (by a wide margin) graduated. That's their 5 best offensive players (top TE, RB and WR and two best OL) gone from the 2017 team.
And if I'm not mistaken, ND also lost their starting RB, right? And sure we lost our starting WR, but we also didn't have him last year so it's not like that's a bunch of 2017 production we need to replace.
My point is that comparing ND's 2017 offense to M's 2017 offense isn't really all that useful.
August 30th, 2018 at 9:49 AM ^
'79 and Oliver Luck called to say 'hi'
August 30th, 2018 at 9:55 AM ^
Nice being a contrarian, but this score is impossible. The only way this game is even close (ND comes within 10) is if there are alot of horrible roughing/PI calls on our defense. Only chance ND has to keep this game close is the 13th man (refs).
Michigan blows the fuck out of ND. This Mich team is more loaded than any Michigan team i recall - prob 2006 or 2003 loaded, and if this team wins less than 10 games this year, i will have lost complete faith in Harbaugh. THIS is the year, because after another mass exodus to the NFL, next year will be another 5 loss rebuilding year.
If Michigan misses the playoffs this year, it is a complete waste of elite talent and absolute failure on Harbaughs part. He is pissed and under some pressure from last year. He knows what he has this year and is focused.
Michigan pounds the living shit out of ND Saturday, and only way ND moves the ball consistantly is because big penaltys on our defense.
30 - 10 ish and that is with at night on the road loud crowd refs in their pocket! Were too loaded, focused, talented and well coached.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^
I'll be here after the game. Hopefully you are right and I will GLADLY admit I was wrong.
But one thing I know-if I'm right (and remind everyone of what I predicted) this place will lose its collective fucking mind.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^
I hope you're wrong.
I upvoted your prediction. Not because I agree with it, but I don't think you are just being a troll about it. It is a believable outcome. I think this game will be close either way.
My prediction is 17-10 Michigan.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:30 AM ^
How did you upvote anything? I still don't see upvotes/downvotes on posts and according to the forum sticky, it's still broken.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:46 AM ^
Shruggy emoji
I have little thumbs that I can vote for people. From what I can tell votes don't actually impact a users points right now though.
August 30th, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^
Weird
August 30th, 2018 at 11:26 AM ^
I still can't see anything for up or down voting either.
August 30th, 2018 at 3:45 PM ^
Based on the people who have said they can't see the voting, I'm pretty sure the new threshold is 500 mgopoints. Everyone that has complained has been less than that.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
Collective fucking mind, is putting it lightly. If that occurs I’m not gonna be anywhere near this place for a few days.
August 30th, 2018 at 11:06 AM ^
Hope you remind everyone you are wrong in the 15 threads we are going to have after the game so we can appropriately neg you. Kidding. Sort of.
August 30th, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
I'll be here and here's what's going to happen:
Michigan wins: I'll get downvoted for incorrectly predicting a M loss
Michigan loses: I'll get downvoted for correctly predicting a M loss
August 30th, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
LOL. +1
August 30th, 2018 at 10:08 AM ^
At what point do we finally join the ranks of elite college teams and start reloading rather than taking a year or two to "rebuild" with 5 losses? I mean, if year 5 of Harbaugh is another 5 loss rebuild year, and if this trend continues this program will feel more like a Kirk Ferentz at Iowa program...which would be quite the disappointment and I'm not going to lie, it would really feel like under-performing.
Also would like to point out the litany of Michigan fans who keep projecting that year 5 is "the year" as Harbaugh came into a "5 year rebuild" when he first got here.
(I realize that YOU specifically didn't say this, I'm addressing the fan base in general)
Well it can't possibly be both so, which is it?
August 30th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
Settle down, buddy. Last year we had three returning starters on offense and two returning starters on defense, our starting QB broke his neck in game 4, and another QB missed several games with a concussion, and we were still competitive in every game but one. If our QB play had even been below-average last year, instead of being some of the worst in the country, we probably win 10 games, and again, that's having to replace 17/22 starters.
Harbaugh inherited a team that was a mess, and has pretty much instantly put us into national contender status, at least when we have a QB. I think perspectives along the lines of "5 LOSSES LAST YEAR OMG THE SKY IS FALLING" are dumb.
August 30th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
I never said the sky was falling. I was replying to the other poster who stated that THIS year was the year because next year we will lose a bunch of talent and will have another 5 loss rebuilding year.
August 30th, 2018 at 11:19 AM ^
Gotcha, my mistake. I'd like to redirect my previous comment to the people who DO think that Harbaugh has underachieved or is on the hot seat or whatever.
August 30th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
I think that hot take is particularly stupid. We had 2 back to back top 10 classes, and the first of those classes would be early entry candidates, which many (most) of them haven't proven themselves sufficiently for early entry. Yes, we lose Gary, and Bush, and probably Hudson. But we have talent rising up as sophomores this year, and we also had a not-complete-trainwreck class last year that will be developing under a world class group of coaches.
The expectation moving forward is national relevance and competition for B1G titles.
August 30th, 2018 at 10:18 AM ^
I pretty much agree with Champeen. This is the most complete roster M has had since probably 2006. I wouldn't say I'd "lose complete faith in Harbaugh" if they don't win the Big Ten or go to the playoff, because the schedule is very difficult and there are still a few weaknesses and question marks (the OTs, the safeties being vulnerable to K.J. Hill types, new players at 3T, WLB, and WR, and some thin spots where an injury could screw us). But on paper, this M-ND matchup should not be a close game. Wimbush is a poor passer, and if they put in Book then ND will have no running game. Good luck with that against this defense. I think ND's only chance is if Michigan shoots itself in the foot with turnovers.
M wins 23-6.
August 30th, 2018 at 11:26 AM ^
I upvoted you. I'm willing to be excited this time, because I agree, next season could be a little rough, comparatively.
It really comes down to this: Can ND's QB present a credible passing threat? If so, it will be a close game. If not, Brown's Boys will crush them. So far I haven't seen anything that suggests ND's starting QB is a credible passing threat.