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MGoPodcast 15.15: Mountains In The Background Comment Count

BlueBarron January 4th, 2024 at 7:00 AM

2 hour and 30 minutes

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com.

Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, The Phil Klein Insurance Group, Winewood Organics, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, Venue by 4M where we recorded this, The Nose Bleeds, which is the Sklars Bros’ reboot of Cheap Seats on UFC Fight Pass, and Autograph: Fandom Rewarded, who just launched an app where you earn rewards for things like reading MGoBlog and listening to this podcast.

1. Rose Bowl Feels

Starts at 1:00

If Michigan wins the national championship, was the Rose Bowl still a bigger game? It was a real Rose Bowl. There is almost no piped in music so you can actually just hear the ambience of the crowd. It's the most beautiful stadium in America and you couldn't build it today. There are no stadium gimmicks, just the existential dread of playing Alabama in the most important game ever (this is a compliment). Michigan wasn't ready to be at this level two years ago, but now they're The Man going into the national championship game.

[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP]

 

2. Offense vs Alabama

Starts at 21:21

Michigan puts up nearly 400 yards of offense and it feels like they left a lot on the field. Aside from TCU, the only game where JJ had to put up a game winning touchdown drive (featuring the dumbest Roman Wilson penalty of his career). AT LAST THEY RUN PLAY ACTION. Roman Wilson makes up for it by not only having a truly heroic catch but landing on his feet and he keeps going. Michigan had a great gameplan and schemed a lot of open receivers. Michigan didn't run dig but Alabama was trying to account for it. Michigan had counters to a lot of the stuff they've been putting on film all season. How did you feel about the trick plays? Overall, hard to criticize the gameplan. Mullings can catch! Blake's OT touchdown run is insane, shout out to Karsen Barnhart and Trente Jones. Semaj Morgan was probably in his own head a bit in this game but still had four catches. 

3. Hot Takes and Defense vs Alabama

Starts at 1:03:25

Takes hotter than your blood pressure in overtime. You have to go after Milroe and Michigan did it as a team, that's how you stop Alabama. "Khaleke Hudson vs Minnesota" gameplan paid off. Josh Wallace was such a perfect fit for this defense - a senior with a billion snaps who is disciplined. Keon Sabb didn't get to play most of the day and then gets a huge hit. Josiah Stewart looked great. Michigan did a great job on their stunts. 

4. Game Theory, Special Teams, and Washington Preview

Starts at 1:48:48

Jay Harbaugh was suddenly replaced by Parker Fleming. If Michigan lost this game, it would be because of special teams. Jake Thaw should've just let that punt go. Semaj Morgan had the yips, but he's a true freshman playing in the Rose Bowl. Was playing for a long field goal correct after the botched flea flicker? Let's just not talk about the last 40 seconds ever again. We briefly laugh about Ohio State. Brian can't stream a game from his phone in Michigan Stadium but he can stream a game on his phone on a plane. Penix played out of his mind against Texas. Michigan probably matches up better with Washington than Texas. Washington's offensive line won the Joe Moore award via pass blocking, not rushing. Should you blitz Penix or just play coverage? 
 

MUSIC:

  • “Dixieland Delight”— Alabama
  • “Alabama”— Neil Young
  • “Deacon Blues”—  Steely Dan
  • “Across 110th Street”
THE USUAL LINKS:


"One of the guys in the room started talking shit about Keith Jackson, and you were getting dangerously close to talking shit about Keith Jackson."

Comments

1VaBlue1

January 4th, 2024 at 7:32 AM ^

I was SOOOO happy to see this pop up on my phone this morning, I've been looking forward to it since Tuesday morning!  I only had time to listen through the hot takes/Sklar segment, so I'll get started with the defense on the way home this afternoon.

My thoughts on the trick plays, you ask?  I didn't think they needed them.  One or two may have worked better, but Bama was prepared for them, and Michigan didn't execute any of them worth a shit.  I wish they would have stayed with the, more or less, standard game plan based on the counters they were running.  That plan was working like a charm - it was clear Bama was going to have a hard time getting off the field.

I'm all in on the Rose Bowl being the Championship Game for ever and ever...

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127087

Champeen

January 4th, 2024 at 8:20 AM ^

Penix gets the ball our very fast.  They throw a lot of short stuff and WR screens.  I think you mainly play cover, but sprinkle in a few blitzes. And just because Penix never runs, i think he is actually a better runner than Milroe.  Dude can move.

Joined: 04/07/2011

MGoPoints: 14967

lhglrkwg

January 4th, 2024 at 9:06 AM ^

Yeah i felt better going first and kinda felt better period about OT. The offense has been moving the ball and the defense had been playing well and it just felt like mistakes were doing us in

When we made it 27-20 it felt like we were on the cusp of it with how we’d been playing Bamas offense and thats how it played out (thanks to a heroic tackle from Rod Moore)

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 87934

Beaublue

January 4th, 2024 at 8:26 AM ^

Little piped in music allowing the ambiance of the crowd to be felt?   Can't have that. 

Did they have an on-field MC?    How about a punt catching contest or 100 yard dash?  

Joined: 09/17/2013

MGoPoints: 4108

smitty1233

January 4th, 2024 at 8:48 AM ^

The worst time ever for Morgan to get the yips still think he is a star in the making and that Rose Bowl may push him there. Been evident all year he has the tools now his mind needs to catch his talent and knowing you had two crucial mistakes may aide in that process. The thing about this team that continues to amaze me week in and week out is the next man up just gets it done. Saab with a huge hit after sitting 75% of the game. This is the deepest Michigan team of my lifetime. Its hard to say this DL is better then 1997 but I don't know how you don't. If my eyes were correct live and with my emotions they may not have been it seemed like Michigan played a ton of two high defensive when this space was saying no way we could get away with that. I am most looking forward to UFR to see if that was true. If they did its a testament to that front! 

Joined: 09/22/2009

MGoPoints: 2690

PopeLando

January 4th, 2024 at 9:29 AM ^

Michigan felt like the better team by far, which was frustrating when the offense went to sleep in the 2nd half.

Now that we’ve won, I’m hoping that everyone - especially the coaches - recognize the need to stay focused and keep the foot on the gas. My greatest fear is the Harbaugh Lizard Brain making an appearance and we go conservative to protect a 7 point lead

Joined: 08/01/2015

MGoPoints: 68305

alum96

January 4th, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^

I don't feel like they went off the gas.  Saban is really good at making adjustments and it hurt the offense.

And yes if not for special teams this is a 10+ win in regular time.  JJ didn't play great for much of the middle part of the game as well. 

Was very happy they did what seems for first time in lifetime, new things in the bowl, off of tendencies vs doubling down.  Think the name on the opponent's sideline helped that.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82515

Swayze Howell Sheen

January 4th, 2024 at 10:05 AM ^

What a year. But now, much like US Hockey playing Finland, UM has to win or they will go to their graves thinking about how they blew it. 

I hope they play with a nothing-to-lose attitude Monday, or, as Brian put so beautifully at the start of the season, they "run like there is nothing in their pockets".

Brian's closing quote, in case you don't click the link above:

"They run like my kids run. My kids do not have keys, or a wallet, or a phone. They do not have objects they carry around every day that represent demands, obligations, responsibilities. Mortgages, credit card balances, texts you have to answer from people you do not want to talk to.

Unlike my kids, they do have all of those objects, and all of those demands, obligations, and responsibilities. They've signed up for an order of magnitude more than their fair share by playing football at the University of Michigan™. But they do not seem burdened by it. They are joyful. They run like there is nothing in their pockets, nothing at all."

Joined: 10/05/2008

MGoPoints: 47107

gbdub

January 4th, 2024 at 10:14 AM ^

The Rose Bowl is amazing, and it does logistically suck.
 

The tunnels and walkways are cramped and circuitous and I have never been that crushed trying to get to or out of my seat, even at the Big House. The bleachers are even more cramped than the Big House, in both side to side and fore and aft directions - you literally *cannot* sit everyone at the same time. After the game the security tried to prevent people from leaving via the tunnel in our section for reasons that still mystify me and nearly caused a dangerous stampede (my best guess is that you could see / yell at the players who were leaving via the tunnel that ran under that exit). 

It takes hours to leave the place, by car or by shuttle bus. It’s surrounded by hills and sidewalk free, unfriendly neighborhoods that make it impractical to walk to town. 

The scoreboards are too small and the stadium announcements are too quiet/unclear. 

But it’s still an amazing place, an amazing game, and every national championship should be there. 
 

 

 

Joined: 02/16/2010

MGoPoints: 26761

ST3

January 4th, 2024 at 10:48 AM ^

As good as it is for the Rose Bowl game, it is that bad for a regular season UCLA game. Just to add to everything you said, we parked in the golf course once. It was nearly impossible to find our car after the game because it was dark and there were no signs anywhere. This was years ago, hopefully they fixed that. The other annoying thing about the UCLA regular season game was the UCLA cheerleader with the microphone instructing everyone what to cheer. There was nothing organic about the experience. It was as if the crowd didn’t grow up living and breathing college football. Go figure.

Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 52560

gbdub

January 4th, 2024 at 2:48 PM ^

The parking signage did not appear to have improved (although we took the free bus from downtown Pasadena)

Minimal lighting and instead of signs they had big floating (UNLIT!) balloons that almost certainly were invisible at night. Plus the parking lots are weirdly shaped. 

Joined: 02/16/2010

MGoPoints: 26761

KodiakGT

January 4th, 2024 at 11:42 AM ^

Pretty much exactly how I feel. I've been there twice (once as a band member once as a spectator).  The first time I didn't really experience any of the problems with the stadium because everything was taken care of.  But as a spectator, it's horrible getting to your seat, the bathroom lines are crazy, the concessions lines are crazy, there are very few TVs/speakers to stay up on the game while dealing with those issues, and getting out after was possibly the most frustrating stadium experience I've ever had.

That being said, everything to do with the actual game itself was great. Really enjoyed our seats and the presentation. Despite being a bowl, I feel like it retains noise better than Michigan stadium (or possibly the crowd was just that much more amped because of the stakes).  That was the loudest crowd noise I've experienced outside of a Seattle Seahawks game.

Joined: 11/04/2013

MGoPoints: 571

gbdub

January 4th, 2024 at 2:54 PM ^

It actually makes me appreciate the Big House (at least the infrastructure) more. You can easily approach it from every direction, the concourse is nice and wide, and the huge scoreboards and excellent sound system are genuinely great when used properly.

Where the Rose Bowl excels is in feeling intimate, the unbeatable golden hour sunshine on the mountains, and “old school” presentation for all the reasons Brian talked about. 

The Big House can’t import the San Gabriels, but there is no reason it can’t do the rest. 

Joined: 02/16/2010

MGoPoints: 26761

moldee_raspberry

January 4th, 2024 at 2:06 PM ^

I watched at least one guy completely lose his temper after being unable to open his digital tickets due to a complete lack of cel reception in the arroyo seco valley. The WiFi the security ushers said was being set never worked. I was honestly surprised that a stadium in one of the most populated areas of North America had zero reception. 
 

Glad I made it in :)

Joined: 11/20/2018

MGoPoints: 2741

WFNY_DP

January 4th, 2024 at 12:23 PM ^

Was coming to say the same.

1. Bama wins toss, defers.

This means they get the option for the second half, where they will choose to take the ball.

2. Michigan has to choose to take the ball.

Technically, Michigan has their "option" and could pick which direction they want to go, but Bama gets to take the ball in the second half because they deferred their "option" (and why wouldn't you take the ball in the second half).

If UM chooses to "not look into the sun" then Bama gets the ball in the first half as well. 

Joined: 02/03/2010

MGoPoints: 2995

J. Redux

January 5th, 2024 at 3:36 AM ^

You are exactly correct -- which, incidentally, is why I've never liked deferring the choice to the second half.  If you win the toss and choose to receive, you also get to choose the direction in the 2nd half.  If you choose to defer, you get to choose the direction in the first half instead -- much less vital.

I know I've read that Michigan messed up the coin toss and kicked off to start both halves once, but I can't find it now.  I do see that Texas did it in 2014 against UCLA, and Kirk Ferentz took the wind to start the game against Illinois, because of course he did.  Iowa then managed to shut out the Illini, meaning that Illinois recorded zero kickoffs in the game.  Now that's a record to be proud of: https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2016/11/19/takeaways-iowa-vs-illinois-taking-the-wind-kirk-ferentz-noah-fant-manny-rugamba/94094758/

Joined: 10/15/2020

MGoPoints: 21468

CaliUMfan

January 4th, 2024 at 12:31 PM ^

I have to admit, us So Cal locals take the Rose Bowl for granted (I Iive about 15 miles from there and the view of the mountains is essentially the same one I have from my house). We hate it. It's impossible to get in and out and most of the seats have a terrible view of the game. I went there for LAFC vs Galaxy on 4th of July and vowed not to return for next years match. I didn't go to Mondays game because of the "cost vs view of the game" equation but you all have me wondering if I made a mistake. I should probably appreciate it more. 

Joined: 03/15/2010

MGoPoints: 3290

alum96

January 4th, 2024 at 1:21 PM ^

It's partly setting and stakes.  Us older folk also grew up watching it as Pac X v Big X all those years and it was the only goal for decades as you played your bowl game and then people vote who was #1.  

Also for most of us in the midwest we don't have mountains in our lives.  They just look great and majestic on tv - especially right aside a stadium.  

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82515