Maryland Game- Why bad punt coverage on first punt?
Watching the Maryland game was stressful- Michigan coulda, woulda pulled away but didn't.
First, if you believe (hated) ESPNs win probabilities, Michigan wasn't really at that much risk. 
Much better than this:
That is OSU's win probability last year vs Georgia- OSU had over 90% win probability at times and was up 5 with 2 minutes left. I'm mad that Notre Dame blew their lead versus OSU but if the cosmic balance requires that so that OSU wasted their chance against Georgia- I'm ok with the trade.
First- Michigan played a solid first half. Some key plays that changed things:
1) Michigan's punt- ball is fielded at the 10 & returned to 25- why? there is an obvious block in the back that takes out one of Michigan's gunners that opens up the right side
Next frame- after being blocked from behind-
Obvious call that was missed- Maryland started at the 25 when they should have started at the 5 after the penalty (ball fielded at 15, 10 yard penalty).
Overall the refs weren't terrible but this was a big miss that likely resulted in +3 points for Maryland.
November 20th, 2023 at 7:40 AM ^
The worst no call was the snap infraction on Maryland's last tush push. After everyone was set, center moved the ball forward into the endzone, ref even stepped in to move it backwards instead of throwing the flag. That's a 5yd penalty, and tush push is no longer in play.
November 20th, 2023 at 7:56 AM ^
I missed that but rewatched and I think you are right.
I think the B10 should be transparent in reviewing calls after the game- seems to me like teams should be able to send in film where the refs made a mistake and the B10 refs should have to respond in a public forum explaining if the call was incorrect and if so why it was missed.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:19 AM ^
"... should have to respond in a public forum explaining..."
LMAO!!! Getting the refs to explain things will never happen. It never happens at any level, and college certainly won't be the first! Accountability for refs? LMAO!!!!
Nonetheless, teams can send in game film and question/complain about specific calls. Theoretically, the offiating office takes a look and responds. On exceedingly rare occasions they have issued a public apology. Not that such a thing helps if the reason for the apology had ost a team the game.
November 20th, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
I have held a perspective for a while - which is, the B1G should hire "professional" officials. So, the officials are actually conference employees. They are evaluated / graded by both teams after a game. The "highest rated" officials will call conference championship - and, possibly, CFB / NCAA playoffs / championships.
Cross train the referees so they can officiate multiple sports.
The amount of money in college sports through media agreements would certainly make this possible.
November 20th, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
Duplicate - deleted.
November 20th, 2023 at 7:57 AM ^
I was surprised both Punt (Bry_Mac) and Counterpunt (Internet Raj) went with win # 1,000. Trap game, sign stealing disadvantage, substitute HC, distractions, yada, yada, yada.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:27 AM ^
...and what Maryland did to us in the Big House last year. At home in MD, that might be a different game - which almost happened.
November 20th, 2023 at 9:49 AM ^
Maryland scored late last year to make that game look closer than it actually was.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:07 AM ^
"... OSU wasted their chance against Georgia ..."
Thank goodness for that. I'm not sure I've ever wanted another team to lose that badly.
November 20th, 2023 at 6:21 PM ^
Also remember the fact that Ryan Day handed TCU our signs ahead of our Semifinal game with them & we ended up barely losing to them.
Can you IMAGINE if Ohio State hadn’t shanked that last second field goal & found themselves playing TCU for the National Championship?
Georgia absolutely hole-pounded TCU. It’s not unreasonable to assume Ohio State would’ve beaten TCU too. In which case, not only would Ryan Day sharing signs with TCU have screwed Michigan out of the NC game….it would have basically delivered the National Championship to his own Ohio State Buckeyes too.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:15 AM ^
Well that game,"is" over. However, if you're telling me that this call was remotely the worst call missed then, Roman Wilson is a head above the rest. Take the win and move on. The week before the game unfortunately, is most always a Donnybrook. We will win and advance.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:26 AM ^
Feel free to neg if you must, but I might be the only Michigan fan that isn't upset about targeting not being called on Wilson. We've all seen targeting called so wrongly it was unjust, very often. Intent was taken out of the equation because they get it wrong so much. But in this case, they made a gutsy call to not call it - and it was correct (IMO).
First, both players were up tall waiting for the ball. Had Roman stayed up and tried to run after the catch (what the DB must defend against), that hit would have been beautifully timed and a slobberknocker. But because he went down, the DB turned away to avoid a more dangerous hit. It was shoulder to shoulder, with the side of the helmets colliding, and the DB pulling his head out so far as he could. The DB turned away, rather than leading with the helmet. It was a good, hard hit that we would love to see from Johnson in a similar situation.
The no-call on Graham's hit was the exact same thing, and also called correctly.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:31 AM ^
Totally agree. I think the review officials saw the Graham hit was the same shoulder to shoulder hit as the one one on Wilson, with the helmets closer to a glancing type contact. They had to call the second one the same way as the first.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:41 AM ^
I agree. I thought it was targeting until I saw the replay, you can all but see the DB trying to at least minimize the helmet to helmet contact.
November 20th, 2023 at 9:15 AM ^
Michigan dodged a bullet with the (correct) no-call on Graham. It seems like one of those thiings we would've been screwed on in the past. Missing him for the 1st half of the OSU game would've been bullshit.
I was watching Inside Michigan Football last night and Jansen thought the roughing call on Graham was a bad call. I'm not so sure. To me it seemed like one of those that could've gone either way. Need to avoid those situations next weekend because we can't afford to give OSU a free 15 yeards on penalties.
November 20th, 2023 at 9:22 AM ^
In jest I literally only commented on what I thought was a missed call. I saw helmet to helmet contact, with your eyes and your assessment you thought it was not. Like I said in my first response, that game is now over. Please let's move on and crush the useless juice out of these poisonous nuts!!
GO BLUE
November 20th, 2023 at 10:07 AM ^
Klatt said it correctly. Reversing it was the wrong call but the right outcome.
That is how dumb targeting calls have become.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:54 AM ^
I’m hopeful that Roman is okay (and I expect he is based on comments), but I’m ultimately glad it wasn’t a penalty on Maryland. If it was, then I expect Graham’s hold have also been targeting (assuming refs were consistent) and that would have been devastating.
edit: ha. it seems many of us feel the same!
November 20th, 2023 at 8:16 AM ^
Maryland would have gotten the ball at their 15 in this scenario. Illegal block calls on all types of returns are spot fouls, unless the tackle is made short of where the foul occurred.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:27 AM ^
I believe they would have taken possession of the ball at their 7.5 yard line as the block in the back is enforces "from the spot of the foul". In this case the returner fielded the ball at the 15 and the 10 yd penalty can only go half the distance to the goal - 7.5 yd line.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:38 AM ^
If he had fair caught it, they would enforce from the 15 and spot the ball at the 7.5.
But since he returned it to the 25, they would enforce from the 25 and spot the ball at the 15.
The actual foul occurred outside the 25
November 20th, 2023 at 8:52 AM ^
comment redacted
November 20th, 2023 at 8:39 AM ^
It is the spot of the foul. Not "the spot of the ball carrier when the foul occurs".
November 20th, 2023 at 9:09 AM ^
Yes- I wasn't sure how it would have been enforced and I tried googling it but did not find a good answer. Fifteen is a much better defensive position than Maryland starting on the 25.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:21 AM ^
To me, the key play in the 1st half was a self-inflicted one. Michigan is up 23-3 and about to put the game away. They just stopped Maryland for no gain on 1st down. Maryland gets a completion for about 3 yards on 2nd down but Josh Wallace misses the tackle and they pick up 14. As soon as that happened I said out loud to no one in particular “if they go down and score we might have a ballgame”. Well, they went down and scored, JJ threw the interception at the end of the half and you know the rest. I truly felt that if they get that stop there we’d get the ball and go score to make it 30-3 and the game would effectively be over.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:32 AM ^
I hated that missed tackle so much. Plus Barrett's injury doesn't happen if he makes the tackle
November 20th, 2023 at 9:07 AM ^
Yes- that was awful coverage by Wallace- he gave so much cushion that by the time the ball is caught the receiver can make a move and he misses the tackle. After this game I'll be surprised if Wallace is starting- I'm not sure he's the guy you want in there with the level of athleticism that Michigan will be facing at WR this weekend.
November 20th, 2023 at 10:13 AM ^
Everytime I see McBurrows make a play, it’s an aggressive destruction of the ball carrier. Maybe he should get more play.
November 20th, 2023 at 8:52 AM ^
The obvious delay of game no-call was pretty infuriating.
November 20th, 2023 at 9:11 AM ^
That was frustrating, but it shouldn't have mattered. They still need to make that stop on 3rd and 11.
I just went back and rewatched and Quinten Johnson made a mistake. Sainristil did a good job holding outside contain forcing the receiver back inside. But Johnson's initial move is also to the outside instead of shooting at the receiver. If he had gone right for the receiver, that would've forced him right into the rest of the defense that are flowing toward the ball, but were just a split second late getting there when he cut straight upfield.
Play starts at 10:04 (embed should start with that play).
That's the way I saw it anyway.
November 20th, 2023 at 10:25 AM ^
The delay of game would have made a difference. Their receiver didn't gain 16 yards on the play.
(Yes, they may not have called that screen on 3rd and 16. But I highly doubt any other call would have converted.)