Looks like Harbaugh was right... we were close.
A little over a month ago when we were still inconsistent on offense and couldn't put 2 drives together Harbaugh said we were close. We rolled our eyes.
Weeks later he said he liked where we were offensively. We again, rolled our eyes.
Clearly he was seeing things in practice that wasn't translating but was an improvement from what he was seeing before. Nonetheless...it is come along and it's here.
Gattis and his "Speed in Space" is here and Harbaugh is 2-0 with two BEATDOWNS over rivals.
Here's to Harbaugh for staying the course and giving us even a liiittle hope that we can pull off an signature win in two weeks.
Anyway, Harbaugh was right...now let's keep it going!
November 16th, 2019 at 11:50 PM ^
There's a sizeable portion of our fanbase that really shouldn't watch sports. They're incapable of enjoying the good, and just wait for the bad to happen so they can bitch.
November 16th, 2019 at 9:15 PM ^
Still in BPONE... feeling. back to back losses coming up. Shea played well but is not that accurate. Lots of easy catches and yards after catch made less do due to his inaccuracy. Still love the kid.
November 16th, 2019 at 10:08 PM ^
Agree.
November 17th, 2019 at 8:56 AM ^
I see you are getting negged heavily but being unable to watch the game-and, just now watching a replay, accuracy continues to be a big issue. I know Shea put up big numbers but he left many yards on the field by making wide open receivers go to the ground and make excellent catches. OSU is going to challenge him here-and he will need to pick up those extra yards for Michigan to win. But receivers finding the openings and Patterson finding the open receivers was surely a very good sign of the potential that is held here
Conversely, while the running game was not prolific, Charbonnet is clearly improving-he is running with increasing authority and finishing off runs. He and Haskins are going to be a dynamic duo next year and with Evans returning and Jackson's speed to the edge and Henning and Corum coming in along with (Roman) Wilson adding more speed to the outside...the future is very bright. I expect the OL to hardly skip a beat-especially if Ruiz returns as its anchor. The 2020 defense is going to be more than fine. This roster is loaded with young talent and there will be plenty of ascending to fill the graduation/attrition holes.
This team had better show up next week. If they do, I expect them to give OSU a full challenge to end the regular season.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:28 PM ^
Lets see after the Ohio State game.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:47 PM ^
Smoking Michigan St has given some false hopes. State couldn't hold off Illinois. They only scored 7 against both Penn St and Arizona St.They might not qualify for a Bowl.
I agree, let's see what happens on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Though regardless of what happens in that game, I am very happy about the offensive line. And that is on Ed Warinner.
There's some talk that Willie Taggart will be on the staff next year coaching RBs. He coached Toby Gerhart. If he does end up here there should be a vast difference in the RBs next year. Warinner and Taggart together is very, very, very promising--if it happens.
November 16th, 2019 at 9:20 PM ^
A couple of guys I know played rb at Stanford with taggert wad the rb coach, they said he wasn’t the strong or organized.
November 17th, 2019 at 2:43 AM ^
Please no Taggart.
November 16th, 2019 at 9:26 PM ^
Where is Jaybaugh going in this scenario?
November 16th, 2019 at 9:59 PM ^
It doesn't matter to people that say things like that. To that crowd, Jay is nothing more than a nepotism hire and will suck at everything he does. They can't be pleased...
I mean, the RB's have played pretty well this year...
November 16th, 2019 at 10:27 PM ^
They have played very well this year and clearly improved over the course of the season. The evidence does not support those who claim Jay can't coach.
November 17th, 2019 at 2:05 AM ^
You are taking credit away from Ed Warinner.
November 16th, 2019 at 10:21 PM ^
Ok now I gotta take issue with this. You see how good Haskins is? Jay found him...Takes skill to identify that and be right. Go read that freep article. I'm glad we have Jay.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:53 PM ^
Need to escape our pain in the ass game next weekend. That will not be easy. Then it's on.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:29 PM ^
And even better if Patterson can get just a little more accurate on those throws where the receiver can catch in stride.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:32 PM ^
Also like to mention that with Minnesota's schedule, we'd be unbeaten, including PSU and even Iowa at Kinnick.
November 16th, 2019 at 9:07 PM ^
Probably same record as Minnesota tbh. We scored 10 on Iowa at home, was not a pretty game. Can't imagine it would be much better at Kinnick
November 16th, 2019 at 9:12 PM ^
Once again, the “when” matters. We were still terrible on offense against Iowa. The thesis is that the team is different now.
Kinnick will never not be tough, but at least Michigan is tough now, too.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:32 PM ^
November 16th, 2019 at 8:33 PM ^
I feel the same way. We are all world class arm chair quarterbacks in a sense. Sometimes we need to be reminded that coaches get paid for a reason. Im as guilty as anyone. ??♂️
November 16th, 2019 at 8:34 PM ^
Close is a relative term.
Seeing Penn St play the past 2 weeks, the Michigan comeback in the 2nd half against Penn St isn't looking as good. And Minnesota losing today is also taking off some glitter from Penn St. There's still just one elite team in the BIG10. Everyone else is just knocking each other off, some getting false hopes that for a couple weeks along the way that maybe they are the second elite team in the BIG10.
If Michigan pulls off the upset against Ohio St I will rethink what I see in my Blue.
I'm still not sold on Josh Gattis. And I still think he's isn't targeting Nico Collins enough. I mean really, what is up with that?
November 16th, 2019 at 8:40 PM ^
Nico is great and perhaps he could've been targeted a great deal more in previous games, especially losses, but today Shea threw for 384 yards. I don't care who he targeted most. He made great reads and We won.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:48 PM ^
Winning is a great medicine.
November 16th, 2019 at 10:08 PM ^
And yet people here still find a way to bitch after a 34 point win over a rival we haven't beat at home in 7 years.
November 16th, 2019 at 10:49 PM ^
Call me when they win a game that matters. This game meant nothing. We're not going to the playoff, we're not going to win the conference or even the division. We're going to the Alamo Bowl. Again.
November 16th, 2019 at 11:58 PM ^
This comment is once again proof that games are only big if Michigan loses. If you can find zero big wins since the start of 2015, then you are actively trying to miss them.
November 17th, 2019 at 12:03 AM ^
If you're going to be an overly pedantic downer, at least pick a mediocre bowl game that Harbaugh has actually been to such as the Outback or Citrus. He's never taken us to the Alamo Bowl.
November 17th, 2019 at 8:13 AM ^
Didn’t there used to be a shirt sold here that said “I love to hate the team that I love”?
November 16th, 2019 at 8:48 PM ^
Collins... My own view says that Patterson just doesn't have the arm strength to get it downfield on bombs. They've worked him in on some underneath stuff the last couple of games, which is good. But the downfield throws are always short and end in jump balls (that still result in good plays because Collins is good at football).
November 16th, 2019 at 8:50 PM ^
There was one play Collins was uncovered deep, an out pattern. Bell was like 7 yards or so down field with 2 defenders on him. The ball went to Bell. I don't know if arm strength is the issue. I think it's confidence.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:55 PM ^
There are uncovered receivers all the time on passing plays in football. The QB never sees them all.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:58 PM ^
he seems to find bell a lot.
I think it's a confidence problem.
November 16th, 2019 at 9:45 PM ^
November 16th, 2019 at 10:47 PM ^
Yes. How many times can you remember a receiver beating coverage deep and Shea hitting him in stride?
November 17th, 2019 at 12:16 AM ^
Nico got targeted 7 times today and he draws a lot of attention outside. They threw to him almost every time he was in coverage singled up and his impact goes way beyond the numbers. For the most part this was an excellent game plan.
November 17th, 2019 at 12:52 AM ^
his impact goes way beyond the numbers.
This is the problem. He is being used primarily as a decoy. But he has the best hands on the team. THROW HIM THE BALL!
The play I pointed out, the issue I have is that Bell had 2 defender near him. He was not open. But it went to him anyway. That is on Patterson not going through his check downs. A WR in a crowd should not be getting thrown to. But Patterson goes to Bell anyway.
Explain that.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:37 PM ^
Not all of us rolled our eyes.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:56 PM ^
I'll cop to being one of the eye rollers. I'm happy to have been wrong about that. Of course I am still right about Omaha.
November 16th, 2019 at 9:29 PM ^
You and the doc need to take this fisticuffs. Loser has to move to NE.
November 16th, 2019 at 10:00 PM ^
That won't work. Dr. T fucking wants to move there.
November 16th, 2019 at 10:03 PM ^
Lolol you keep Omaha’s good name out your mouth you shit pig
November 16th, 2019 at 10:44 PM ^
Lots of pigs in Nebraska. Lots of pig shit too. The whole state reeks of it.
November 17th, 2019 at 8:25 AM ^
Hmmm...bacon and pork chops.
November 16th, 2019 at 8:57 PM ^
rah-rah
November 16th, 2019 at 9:08 PM ^
I'm in that group with you Doc, the only thing that left me scratching my head that day in Madison was how we could leave come out so flat after a bye. I admit I was concerned we would repeat that after the Staee TD to go up 7-0 I became more worried but then the Defense clamped down and I knew they would never cross the goal line again.
It seems to me that Shea has gotten into a passing groove and the abductor is mostly healed. Onward and upward!
November 16th, 2019 at 10:05 PM ^
That was unfortunate. Just one of those things where you get a couple errors early and it unravels. Don’t think it was indicative of our true ability nor Wisconsin’s.
November 16th, 2019 at 10:51 PM ^
Unfortunately, they don't count your "true ability" in the standings. Only what you actually do when it counts. Only winning and losing.
November 17th, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
Oh really?
November 16th, 2019 at 8:42 PM ^
I for one didn't think Shea had this game in him this year. I also didn't think Harbaugh could let himself play a "speed in space" offense. I was happily wrong on both counts. I was actually thinking "they should be running more" a few times in this game. Can't believe I am typing that! LOL
November 16th, 2019 at 8:46 PM ^
Notre Dame is not a rival. We won’t see them for ten years. We don’t even register on their list of rivals.