FORMATION NOTES: Le beef.

Michigan almost entirely ditched the 3-3-5 and ran Barrett out as an OLB on most snaps. A two deep shell, seen here, was still Michigan's primary mode of operation until later when they started going one high so they could have another guy in the box, for all the good it did.

SUBSTITUTION NOTES: With Paye out, Kemp moved out to end. Jeter and Hinton were the starting DTs; Welschof and Speight backed them up. Upshaw and Vilain rotated at the other end spot.

Back seven was the usual. Paige got nickel work. DJ Turner got in briefly when Green got shaken up, and delivered the usual blindingly obvious PI as per the ritual.

[After THE JUMP: meh]

Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	D Pack	Front	Cover look	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yards
O34	1	10	I-Form	4-2-5	4-3 over	Press two high	Run	N/A	Lead zone	Ross	9
This will be a theme: M doesn’t set an edge. Ross(-2) runs up into the fullback and gets stalled out, edge. Upshaw(-1) turned inside and gone so this wasn’t going to be great either way but McGrone has a better shot at tracking this down it if it doesn’t bounce. Also hampering McGrone: Jeter(-1) fired back a long way by a double and he’s unable to make a quick decision because there are multiple failure areas.
O43	2	1	I-Form	4-2-5	4-3 even	Press two high	Run	N/A	Iso	Gray	0 (Pen -5)
A gap iso with both DTs getting doubled. RB has it if he just slams it ahead with Hinton(-1) offering little resistance but he tries to bounce, and then he has it but tries to bounce around Gray(+1); Gray is able to hit him short of the sticks. Two men in motion brings it back.
O38	2	6	Gun trips tight bunch	4-2-5	4-3 over	Off two high	Pass	4	Flat	Hawkins	5
Simple pass in the flat that Hawkins(+0.5) comes up and tackles on. RPS -1.
O43	3	1	Ace tight	4-2-5	4-3 over	Off two high	Run	N/A	QB sneak	N/A	5
I’m not going to RPS this but M widens out Hinton presnap so there’s no one in the A gap.
O48	1	10	I-Form twins	4-2-5	4-3 over SAM	Press two high	Pass	5	PA scramble	Ross	2 (Pen offset)
Vilain(+1) is able to come through as the RG seems to set wrong and a tackle has to pick him up late; this gives Ross(-1, pressure +2) a free run around the edge; he misses the tackle(-2) on a blindside sack and the QB is able to go get a couple. Offsetting penalties: one hold on Vilain and then a terrible defensive holding call on which Green is hurled to the ground by the WR and ends up stumbling/panic-tackling the WR, justifiably. Refs -2.
O48	1	10	Pistol offset	4-2-5	4-3 even?	Off two high	Run	N/A	Lead zone	McGrone	3
McGrone(+1) blasts into the LOS and runs through an OL trying to come off Smith, cutting off frontside gaps. Kemp(+0.5) holds up well; Smith(+0.5) is able to come through that double after McGrone deletes half of it. Back cuts all the way to the bounce, where Barrett(-1) loses him outside, making an ineffective diving tackle attempt. Hawkins is able to clean up.
M49	2	7	Gun 3-wide	4-2-5	4-3 over SAM	Half press one high	Pass	4	Slant	Gray	Inc
Open enough to convert here; mostly a drop. Gray gets a little yank in and is in okay position. Push? He may influence this incompletion a bit.
M49	3	7	Gun 3-wide	3-2-6	Okie	Half press two	Pass	4	Flare screen	Barrett	Inc
M extremely lucky here as UW catches man coverage; TE flanked out a couple yards from the T seal and pancakes McGrone(-2); Barrett(-2) does not read this block and runs way out of the play, failing to crack replace. This is going to be a huge play, and QB airmails it. (RPS -2)
Drive Notes: Punt, 0-0, 11 min 1st Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	D Pack	Front	Cover look	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yards
M33	1	10	Ace trips tight bunch	4-2-5	4-3 even SAM	Press one high	5	N/A	Corner	Green	Inc
Deep shot after TO is fairly predictable and M kind of in trouble here as Green(-1, cover -1) gets off track as WR takes one step to a post and then breaks back outside of him. Ball is off; Mertz got a little pressure as Upshaw(+0.5) is able to put an OL back into Mertz’s feet.
M33	2	10	Ace 3-wide	4-2-5	4-3 over SAM	Press two high	Run	N/A	Reverse	Upshaw	30
Upshaw(-1) could probably do better here once he realizes the back doesn’t have the ball; he goes vertical instead of trying to contain the reverse. I’m not sure that would have helped much because M’s defense is wiped. Ross(-1) runs hard to the other edge, almost passing McGrone. Gray(-2) goes upfield of his block and gets pushed to the ground. Green eventually pushes it OOB. RPS -2.
M3	1	G	Goalline 2FB	Goal line	Goal line	Press zero	Run	N/A	FB dive	Speight	1
Speight(+0.5) and Hinton(+0.5) dig in and give little ground.
M2	2	G	Goalline 2FB	Goal line	Goal line	Press zero	Run	N/A	Iso	Green	2
Maaan, I’m not gonna minus this. Green gets sucked into a LB spot and bravely charges at the fullback, making contact in the backfield. He gets obliterated. Hinton(-0.5) gives a little too much ground to prevent the TD.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-7, 9 min 1st Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	D Pack	Front	Cover look	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yards
M14	1	10	I-Form Big	4-2-5	4-3 even	Off one high	Pass	4	Waggle deep out	Gray	Inc
PA, two man route. Hawkins(+0.5, cover +1) on the flat. Gray(+1, cover +1) covers the WR’s comeback route. Mertz throws a very bad idea pass too far inside that gets PBUd. Just +1 because this was a real bad throw that led to a PBU.
M14	2	10	Offset I	4-2-5	4-3 over	Press one high	Run	N/A	Split zone	Hill	3
Hey LBs get to the gap. M stunts; Hinton(+0.5) mostly holds against a double. Kemp(-0.5) loses a half yard more against a single block; Ross(-0.5) runs up and hits the TE and gets turned inside. Hill(+1) is in man on the TE coming across the formation and pops up to thunk the back when his TE kicks Barrett out.
M11	3	7	Gun 3-wide	4-1-6	Nickel even	Press one high	Pass	4	Mesh	Green	10
We can lose vs mesh in man or lose in zone. M sets most of a trap nicely here with Hill following a WR across the formation to indicate man coverage and then they flips to a zone. Green(-2, cover -2) passes off one mesh guy… and then gets a bunch of depth. Other mesh guy open, pitch and catch, first down. Pressure(-1) not coming.
M1	1	G	Goal line	Goal line	Goal line	Press zero	Pass	N/A	Waggle FB flat	N/A	1
They get it.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-14, 6 min 1st Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	D Pack	Front	Cover look	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yards
O40	1	10	Ace	4-2-5	4-3 even	Half press one high	Run	N/A	Jet sweep	Kemp	18
Kemp(-1) goes so vertical no one actually has to block him. Hill(-1) gets cracked; Green(-1) does not replace effectively. Ross(-1) knocked over. Hawkins(-1) eats a block and gives about eight yards. RPS –1.
M42	1	10	Gun 2RB	4-2-5	4-3 over	Half press one high	Pass	4	Stop and go	Gray	Inc
Pressure not great but Jeter(+0.5) gets a fair amount of push and if Mertz isn’t throwing this he’s probably got to start moving. Attempt to get Gray(+1, cover +1) to bite on a double move doesn’t work; he’s in phase and pushes the WR over legally; ball is off.
M42	2	10	Pistol 3-wide tight	4-2-5	4-3 even SAM	Off two high	Pass	4	PA waggle TE Flat	Ross	14
PA, Ross(-2, cover -2) ignores the TE flowing across and rushes the QB right next to Vilain, cheap conversion.
M28	1	10	Ace tight	4-2-5	4-3 even	Off two high	Run	N/A	Iso	Newburg	3
OT passes up Newburg(+1), who dives inside the TE and drives across the formation. RB bangs into the TE’s back. Smith(-2) gets ejected by a double; McGrone(+2) is able to shed a TE/FB inserting as the iso lead block and get to the ballcarrier.
M25	2	7	Gun trips tight bunch	4-2-5	4-3 over	Half press one high	Pass	4	Flat	Green	8
Again this looks like man for Green as the rest of the defense runs zone. Green(-2, cover -2) has a guy running a slant and runs him until he’s next to Hill/Ross, flat wide open.
M17	1	10	I-From Big	4-2-5	4-3 even	Off two high	Pass	4	Drag	Gray	7
PA, four man rush, M brackets the two deep balls (cover +2) and should have the dink drag route that is the last option. Gray(-1, cover -1) takes a bad angle and blows a tackle to turn three yards into seven. Pressure(-1) not coming and no edge allows Mertz to roll out but this is 7 v 4 and the coverage should make this work.
M10	2	3	Pistol 3-wide	4-2-5	Nickel even	Press one high	Run	N/A	Split zone	Ross	0
Speight(+0.5) able to swim past a double a little and sort of insinuate himself on the LOS. Ross(+1) shoots up to bang the other guy on that double back into the backfield. Upshaw(+1) stacks and sheds the RT to make it count.
M10	3	3	Ace tight	4-2-5	4-3 even SAM	Press one high	Run	N/A	Jet sweep	N/A	9
Green(-1) gets blocked out of the play by his WR. Hill scrapes over this to find a fullback unimpeded at about the sticks and has to climb over this to tackle. Vilain(-1) quickly flanked. LBs gone for RB fake the other way. RPS -1.
M1	1	G	Goal line	4-2-5	Goal line	Press zero	Run	N/A	FB dive	N/A	1
They get it.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-21, 14 min 2nd Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	D Pack	Front	Cover look	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yards
O26	1	10	Ace trips tight bunch	3-3-5	3-3 stack	Half press two high	Pass	N/A	Waggle cross	McGrone	Inc
McGrone(-2, cover -2) bites super heavy on this and is nowhere near a wide open receiver; Mertz misses.
O26	2	10	Gun 3-wide	4-2-5	4-3 under	Half press one high	Run	N/A	Split zone	N/A	18
Just look at this nonsense. Giant gap between NT shaded to right of C and a nine technique DE. Wisconsin runs at it. M blitzes Barrett off the backside and McGrone gets stuck in man on the TE so he leaves the area. Hinton(-1) slanting but just in a terrible spot and gets reached; Ross gets double teamed. LINEBACKER DOUBLE TEAMED ON SECOND LEVEL. RPS -3.
O44	1	10	I-Form	4-2-5	4-3 even	Press two high	Run	N/A	Iso	Upshaw	7
Ross(+0.5) does a solid job to run up and set the edge at the LOS; relatively narrow gap that Upshaw(-1) is not in at all as he just fights with the OL the whole play; McGrone(-0.5) is a little late getting over and only initiates a tackle four yards downfield.
M49	2	3	I-Form	4-2-5	4-3 over	Press one high	Pass	4	PA Y cross	Green	19
PA, two man route. All day (pressure -2). Green(-1, cover -1) beat by a yard or two and can only tackle on the catch. This is the LBs holding hands play.
M30	1	10	Gun 3-wide	4-2-5	Nickel over	Off one high	Run	N/A	Split zone	Ross	5
Ross(+0.5) blitzes to set the edge; Vilain(+0.5) dips inside to clear some space. Small space between them; both guys come off to tackle. Back is able to grind out an impressive amount of YAC and also there is no support from the LBs. McGrone hit an OL free releasing to him as the DTs twist; Barrett again taken out of play by man coverage on TE running split flow action.
M25	2	5	Pistol 3-wide	3-3-5	3-3 stack	Off two high	Pass	4	Fade	Turner	Inc (Pen +15)
Turner’s in with Green sidelined. Turner… (-2, cover -2) flat out tackles a guy running a fade.
M10	1	10	Pistol 3-wide tight	4-1-6	Nickel even	Press two high	Run	N/A	Power O	Welschof	10
Well, one, they have a nickel package in on first and ten. Two, Welschof(-3) gets obliterated. Three, the jet fake takes Hawkins out of the equation and has Turner running backwards at the snap(RPS -1). McGrone(-1) put in the endzone by a guy coming off Welschof.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 0-28, 10 min 2nd Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	D Pack	Front	Cover look	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yards
O1	1	10	Ace TTE	4-2-5	4-3 over	Off one high	Run	N/A	QB sneak	Jeter	3
Jeter(-1) and Hinton(-0.5) get dumped yards downfield.
O4	2	7	I-Form	4-2-5	4-3 over	Press two high	Run	N/A	FB dive	Upshaw	6
Upshaw(-1) gets put three yards downfield by a single block. Hinton(-0.5) gives ground and can’t come off his guy to make meaningful contact; Hill blitzes and makes contact from the side.
O10	3	1	I-Form Big	4-2-5	4-3 even SAM	Press two high	Run	N/A	Iso	N/A	4
DT twist just runs Hinton out of the area. Ross and McGrone try to fill as fast as possible but Ross has an OL and McGrone is coming from far away. They’re not going to shut this down even if they play it perfectly.
O14	1	10	Ace tight	4-2-5	4-3 even SAM	Half press one high	Pass	N/A	Waggle cross	Green	20
Jet fake, M likely busts as Gray rotates back to S and points, which no one reacts to. Lucky it’s a fake; Green(-1, cover -1) again beaten on this crossing route but he needs some help from outside leverage and no one is offering it. Gray(-1, cover -1) the likely culprit.
O34	1	10	Pistol 3-wide	4-2-5	Nickel even	Press two high	Run	N/A	Counter GT	Vilain	5
Vilain(-1) moves down to spill and can’t hold up. McGrone(+0.5) swims past one block and absorbs a second; Ross(+0.5) is able to come through a mess to tackle.
O39	2	5	Gun 3-wide	3-3-5	3-3 stack	Half press two	Pass	4	Slant	Green	Inc
Green(+1, cover +1) able to react on this and get his hand on the ball for a PBU. This rake out takes a long time because the WR almost catches it but it does come out late, causing a fumble call on the field and a correct replay overturn. Most PBUs are +2 but this one is one where the WR has a legit chance to bring it in so just +1.
O39	3	5	Gun trips	4-1-6	Dime over	Press two high	Run	N/A	Inside zone	Vilain	0
Vilain(+1) the beneficiary of a UW bust, probably? RT gets off balance and lunges past him and keeps going as the G doubles a DT. Upshaw(+0.5) given a free run from the back as McGrone comes up to blitz and he’s close; RPS +1.
Drive Notes: Punt, 28-0, 1 min 2nd Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	D Pack	Front	Cover look	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yards
O25	1	10	Ace	4-2-5	4-3 even	Off two high	Run	N/A	Inside zone	Gray	7
Jet fake. Kemp(+1) sheds a TE and burst to the backfield to force this really wide into the boundary—and there was a jet fake right there!--and there is still zero edge. Gray(-2) is bailing the whole play, long after the RB has the ball and meekly accepts a block from the jet fake WR. Ross(-1) and McGrone(-1) both get sealed inside by blocks; Hill runs up to thump the back as the backside S but doesn’t wrap up.
O32	2	3	Ace twin TE	4-2-5	4-3 even	Half press one high	Run	N/A	Inside zone	McGrone	-1
McGrone(+2) reads this and fires hard, zipping past an OL who’s trying to chip Kemp before moving on; he shoots the gap and sticks the guy for a solo TFL.
O31	3	4	Gun 3-wide	4-1-6	Dime under	Press two high	Pass	5	TE out	Barrett	6
Barrett(-1, cover -1) in decent position but can’t get a swipe in even though this ball is behind the TE.
O37	1	10	I-Form Big	4-2-5	4-3 even	Off two high	Run	N/A	Lead zone	Ross	18
Hill(-1) overruns on the outside and never takes on a kickout block; Ross(-2) tries to go upfield of a block and gets wiped; McGrone shot a gap to the interior and can likely tackle if RB is slowed or has to cut back a little. Instead, chunk.
M45	1	10	Ace trips tight bunch	4-2-5	4-3 even SAM	Half press one high	Pass	4	PA deep cross	Gray	Inc
Another two man route M can’t cover. Vilain(+1) actually rips past his guy but gets picked up by a RB. Hill(-2, cover -2) trying to bracket a post and helpless when the WR cuts this to a deep crossing route. WR drops it.
M45	2	10	Offset I	4-2-5	4-3 even	Press two high	Run	N/A	End around	Hill	7
Power look from UW with WR coming around outside of it. M in trouble as they play to spill power so Kemp dives inside and UW can just pass him up. They also pass up Ross(+0.5); Ross is able to chase this pretty wide; Hill(+1) takes on an OL block and is able to get under it and fight to the back to tackle. RPS -1.
M38	3	3	Gun 3-wide	4-2-5	4-3 even SAM	Press one high	Pass	N/A	Tunnel screen	Hinton	Inc
With three guys chasing a flare screen this is a TD if Hinton(+2) doesn’t read the tunnel screen the other way and PBU.
Drive Notes: Punt, 28-3, 9 min 3rd Q.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	D Pack	Front	Cover look	Type	Rush	Play	Player	Yards
M44	1	10	I-Form	4-2-5	4-3 even	Press two high	Pass	4	Sack	Kemp	-3
PA and another two man route. M has three guys back and must cover(+1) both guys reasonably well as Mertz hesitates. Kemp(+2, pressure +2) is able to beat a TE around the corner and sack.
M47	2	13	Pistol trips tight bunch	4-2-5	4-3 under	Press one high	Run	N/A	Jet sweep	Gray	6 + 15 pen
Gray(-1) sits back and accepts a block to open up the corner. He gets shoved back so Barrett has no ability to flow and doesn’t force anything back to help. Hawkins(-2) gets a late hit call.
M26	1	10	Gun 3-wide	4-2-5	4-3 over	Half press one high	Run	N/A	Reverse	Upshaw	12
Upshaw(-1) never finds this; Gray does crack replace but late; understandable since this is a reverse. Hill(-1) comes up too vertical and gets knocked inside by a blocker. RPS -2.
M14	1	10	Ace tight	4-2-5	4-3 even SAM	Press one high	Run	N/A	Power GT	Upshaw	1
Upshaw(+2) swims past the TE, putting him on the ground. He’s able to come around fast enough to tackle the back; Barrett(+0.5) times up a blitz and gets there from the back as well. RPS +1.
M13	2	9	Gun trips	4-2-5	4-3 over SAM	Press one high	Pass	5	TE seam	McGrone	13
Barrett blitzes; McGrone(-1, cover -1) moves over to the TE. TE stumbles. McGrone takes a false step; TE runs a seam route that Mertz hits perfectly; no play on the ball for McGrone despite TE stumble because he took that step.
Drive Notes: Touchdown, 3-35, 4 min 3rd Q. This is enough, I think.

Hey, you stopped early.

Not doing a 14-play TD drive with a running into the kicker penalty in the middle is self-care. Also we didn't learn anything in the fourth quarter that we hadn't learned in the first three. This is a bad football team with bad players who are badly organized. They cannot run man coverage, they cannot run zone coverage, their linebackers don't know where to be, the defensive tackles are lucky to stay vaguely near the line of scrimmage, and the defensive ends are injured.

Does that cover it?

uh… yeah I guess

What's the point of writing a bunch of stuff when I can just post this clip?

I mean, I'm going to write some more stuff but it's going to be a repeat of the things I said the last two weeks except there aren't any sections about Aidan Hutchinson and Kwity Paye trying to bail water out of a sinking boat. Here are your drives:

• Touchdown drives of 75, 74, 72, 60, 44, 33, and 14 yards
• Punts after picking up 37, 37, and 18 yards.
• A four-minute drill that got 33 yards deep before the game ended.

There was a three-and-out in there that got wiped off the board by the running into the kicker penalty. It does not change the overall picture, which is Greg Robinson. Wisconsin rushed for 6.7 yards a carry and passed for 10.6 yards an attempt.

It should be noted that the only drive that could be considered successful (the 18 yarder) was likely to be a scoring drive if Mertz doesn't airmail a screen that is screamingly wide open:

Yikes.

Also one of the other punts came after Hinton dropped out an PBUed a screen that otherwise was probably a touchdown.

The chart is a comprehensive disaster once you account for the fact that a DL at zero is like a LB at –4.

Defensive Line
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Paye				DNP
Hutchinson				DNP
Kemp	3.5	1.5	2	Got a sack.
Jeter	0.5	2	-1.5	Better than last year.
Hinton	3	3.5	-0.5	+2 for screen PBU, was rough on ground.
Welschof		3	-3	Main culprit on embarrassing TD.
Upshaw	4	4	0
Speight	1		1
Newburg	1		1	Drew a hold.
Vilain	3.5	2	1.5	Like Upshaw, flashed but also had several errors.
TOTAL	16.5	16	+0.5	Removing two NFL first round DEs: bad.
Linebacker
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Barrett	0.5	4	-3.5	Vipers in tough against UW
McGrone	5.5	7.5	-2	Job hard because of everything around him.
Ross	3	10.5	-7.5	Doesn't know what he's doing.
Solomon				DNP
BVS				DNC
Mullings				DNP
Mohan				DNP
TOTAL	9	22	-13	GERG time
Secondary
Player	+	-	T	Notes
Hill	2	5	-3	Rough fills on jet sweeps.
Hawkins	1	3	-2	-2 for late hit
Gray	3	7	-4	Beat up on edge runs over and over.
Green	1	9	-8	Vacated zones, out of contact in man.
Paige				DNC
Faustin				DNP
Turner		2	-2	Yeesh
TOTAL	7	26	-19	GERG time
Metrics
Pressure	4	4	+0	Most passes were quick or eight man protections
Coverage	6	19	-13	Yeet me into the sea
Tackling		2	-2	Ross missed sack.
RPS	2	14	-12	jet jet jet jet jet jet reverse

What was good? Literally nothing. What was bad? Literally everything.

There are many reasons things are this bad. One is that players keep making mistakes. Gemon Green is in zone here. He passes off a guy running a crossing route. I cannot fathom a team that has been taken apart by mesh not running a zone that handles mesh on third and seven, but Green backs off to the goal line and the conversion here is even easier than Michigan's usual man coverage:

CB #22 to top

Michigan's zone issues are all mental. This one gives up a wide open throw directly in front of the QBs face.

This is apparently Green running man coverage when he should be playing cover two:

CB #22 to top

I mean.

Also in this vein: linebacker play. Mostly Ross's. Ross is an excellent example of a team-wide regression in knowing what the hell to do. Multiple times in this game he ended up giving up the edge, starting on the first snap when he takes on the fullback and lets the ball bounce outside of him:

LB #12 to top

McGrone is flowing behind that and makes the tackle but nine yards downfield; if Ross sets an edge he saves Michigan a chunk of yardage. This ended up much worse when McGrone blitzed later in the game and Ross tried to go upfield of a block that he very much did not go upfield of:

LB #12 to bottom

This is linebacker 101—see, repeating myself—and it's really dispiriting/alarming that one of the more veteran guys on the roster is doing this more often than not.  Here he is running next to Vilain instead of covering the TE in the flat:

LB #12 to bottom

Michigan is not averaging a bust per play but you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were.

It was actually the one play a linebacker did make in this game that drove the point home. McGrone gets a TFL here by playing downhill and shooting a gap before the OL can get off his double team:

MLB #44

I am watching opposing linebackers do this on a weekly basis against Michigan. This was one of only a few instances in this game. Ross had one too:

LB #12 to bottom

Meanwhile they're not getting anything out of their caution. Wisconsin spent much of their play action time running two-man routes with LBs neither rushing the passer no covering anyone. It's time to play blitzball.

Are there other reasons everything is doomed?

Well, the coaching, and not just because they can't get anyone to play cornerback without this being the result:

Also Don Brown's legendary trickiness has petered out into a whole lot of nothing, with nonsense plays speckled in. One chunk run in the second half was particularly infuriating.

There is one DL to the right of the center. Big hole! Better do something about it. Nope!

Split zone sees McGrone follow the TE away from the hole, and a Barrett blitz does nothing, so Josh Ross gets double teamed downfield. Never seen that before. I swear that if I have no cause to use this one week I won't use it. This is not that week.

Also in what are we doing: jet sweeps. Michigan never adjusted to Wisconsin jet sweeps, which were universally successful and never challenged.

Wisconsin kept running these.

The aforementioned 14-play drive I stopped before features two that are more or less identical to the above: a convoy of Wisconsin guys with one or two Michigan DBs getting snowplowed off the field in front of them. The difference between the above and what happened when AJ Henning got an end-around against cover two…

…just leapt off the screen. Michigan never tried this. They never widened a defensive end. They just kept eating it.

One of these entities is a football team. The other is a sack of wet cats.

The cornerbacks remain an issue?

Gray was miserable on the ground in this game but did keep up with and ably defend an attempted double move:

On the other hand this is a very late looping throw from Mertz and Gray should at least be able to tackle on the catch here.

CB #4 to bottom

He just gets crushed by all blocks.

Meanwhile we've seen Green blow a couple zones. Positweet: Green didn't cause a fumble but he did make a play on that slant.

CB #22 to bottom

If he could just play man he might be okay.

Finally, DJ Turner got in briefly and performed the 2020 rite of cornerback passage by being in solid position and then executing an MMA takedown.

Yup.

Heroes?

No one.

Maybe not so heroic?

Ross, the secondary, Don Brown, the defensive line.

What does it mean for Rutgers and beyond

Everyone is broken and nobody knows anything. These sections keep turning into Modest Mouse album titles.

We're spending a lot of money to make ourselves miserable. Ooh good one.

You have nothing to show for all of your efforts. What were you doing in fall camp?