Can we talk about the offensive line and what this means?
When you go through the offensive snowflakes thread you find that 90% of the discussion is around JOK's performance, understandably so. But I have to say that the largest impact this game made on me, beyond the happiness for JOK, was that it appeared to the untrained eye that our o-line is regressing, not progressing. Purdue came into the game with 1.5 sacks- against bad teams, yet there was constant pressure throughout the game. In fact only JOK's feet kept us from disaster a couple of times. If this was Iowa/PSU/OSU fine, you might say those guys are better than our inexperienced guys on the right side. But Purdue objectively has inferior talent on both sides of the ball, and yet: Ulizio continued to get owned. MO was shaky, and the rate of mental busts all over the line looked to me to be the highest so far this year.
I don't know man, not to debbie downer this win but that was concerning. You guys agree or am I too negative?
September 24th, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
because with how poorly the oline and running backs pick up blitzes, Sparty is going to be salivating with their blitz packages.
September 24th, 2017 at 7:35 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 11:10 AM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 2:01 PM ^
Onwenu will be a NT, as he always should have been, perhaps this year, more likely next due to time constraints.
The annoying doomsayer who fired us all up by saying it can't mean anything good that RT was still unsettled as the season approached has proven to be correct. One of the frosh OT should be instilled at RT by sparty game, and maybe Runyan is the better choice at RG?
And the total failures of the RB to both blitz protect AND to secure the ball need to be addressed in an urgent way!
September 24th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
Yea didn't help when Speight was in, who held the ball way too long and can't move, JOK was easily able to move the ball when he was decisive and let it fly.
September 24th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
We are not a power running team that can run first and then throw off playaction. That doesn't work for us. The only time we are effective running is when the passing game is working first or we run in obvious passing situations. We have to be a pass first offense to open up the running game. Which also means we have to have a QB that can deliver short/intermediate passes relatively accurately without turning the ball over. And, we have to have shorter, quicker routes that don't take too long to develop and don't require too many complicated reads for the QB or routes for the WRs. If the coaches vision is to have a power running game, with long slow developing passes, play action, complicated WR routes, and difficult reads for the QB we are doomed for failure. That can't be the style of our current players. They are not ready for that and I'm not sure when they will be, but it probably won't be this year at all. Surely our coaches know this. But, it seems like we are forced into this understanding only after a first half of trying to be something we are not.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:48 PM ^
I actually agreed with everything you said first time, no need to double up! ;-)
September 24th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
We are not a power running team that can run first and then throw off playaction. That doesn't work for us. The only time we are effective running is when the passing game is working first or we run in obvious passing situations. We have to be a pass first offense to open up the running game. Which also means we have to have a QB that can deliver short/intermediate passes relatively accurately without turning the ball over. And, we have to have shorter, quicker routes that don't take too long to develop and don't require too many complicated reads for the QB or routes for the WRs. If the coaches vision is to have a power running game, with long slow developing passes, play action, complicated WR routes, and difficult reads for the QB we are doomed for failure. That can't be the style of our current players. They are not ready for that and I'm not sure when they will be, but it probably won't be this year at all. Surely our coaches know this. But, it seems like we are forced into this understanding only after a first half of trying to be something we are not.
September 24th, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
I don't know how good Purdue's line is. The one guy who was an all state wrestler seemed like a stud. But my overall take was, wow, our O line is not good. I'm by no means an expert or coach but I gotta believe our schemes are not effective at all. There were about 2 holes the entire game (Evans scored on both).
Whatever the issue is, if it doesn't get better by psu, our championship run is in jeopardy.
GO BLUE!!
September 24th, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
And Michigan failed to move on the ground in the first half avg something like 1 ypc and 30 yards.
Horrible.
Don Brown was not the only one making halftime adjustments. Drevno, Hamilton and Frey made some changes.
UM was held to 139 rushing yrds and 3.2 ypc but had 2 rushing tds.
The offense is still behind the defense.
But it will catch up and improve.
MSU got destroyed by ND and now hosts a pissed off Iowa team nxt Saturday.
Michigan gets to heal up, correct errors, watch MSU game film.
The OL is going to be really good by year end if they can avoid injury.
September 24th, 2017 at 11:35 AM ^
I wonder how much the insane heat affected the mental aspect of the game, especially for the big young OL. I sat by the Michigan bench and the sun and heat was insane (Purdue's bench was in the shade the entire time)--making it hard to focus on anything.
Maybe its grasping at straws but they seemed better in the second half.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 12:13 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 1:44 PM ^
Fucking get his name right before you repeat the same post again please.
September 24th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 11:59 AM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 12:13 PM ^
I think we all agree the O-line needs to be better & running backs need to block better.
In what I have seen of the Harbaugh World, the mistakes will provide many learning opportunities. Kids will be getting coached up these next 2 weeks.
Looking forward to a tighter knit O-line after they work on the weaknesses. At this point in the season, the strength and conditioning takes a back seat to honing football smarts. I think they can do it.
We are lucky to be able to lean on the D while the O finds the way.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 7:26 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 12:25 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 12:41 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 1:46 PM ^
we haven't faced any defensive fronts that can test their physical abilities. They aren't getting bull-rushed. They aren't getting dominated by a Gary, Hurst, or Winovich who can rip through them.
Instead, they're just failing to identify the right guy to block damn near every play.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:52 PM ^
Maybe just due to new/less familiar O Korn but I felt like JH was calling that O himself and Pep was not as much.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^
who's been here for a 24-6 record over 2 1/3 seasons. Obviously no better than Funk.
September 24th, 2017 at 2:27 PM ^
September 24th, 2017 at 3:11 PM ^