Michigan Monday is Up
https://buckeyehuddle.com/2022/09/26/michigan-monday-season-finally-begins-wolverines/
Another good summary from Tony regarding the team's performance this past Saturday. He provides some valid criticisms while also giving praise where it is due.
September 27th, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^
Say what you will but damn they can be awfully funny (and deadly accurate) in their analysis of us. For example:
But this was actually his first real lesson in being a starting quarterback. Those first three games weren’t even dress rehearsals. They were like pitch meetings in front of your mom.
“Okay, so there’s this guy –“
“Oh, Sweetie, I love that idea!”
September 27th, 2022 at 12:55 PM ^
Downvoted for nothing but a link... Just another rush to post.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:06 PM ^
Everyone on here already knows what Michigan Monday is, and it's like a 5 minute read. Relax.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:07 PM ^
"rush to post" when the article came out yesterday...
September 27th, 2022 at 1:09 PM ^
I countered with an upvote. I would never remember to go read it unless someone posted the link on here and I don't need a summary from the OP.
September 27th, 2022 at 3:02 PM ^
Agreed, I prefer this over the usual Michigan Monday OP treatment: Cutting and pasting half the article and then responding to Gerdeman's critiques with far too much earnestness.
September 27th, 2022 at 5:19 PM ^
I just can't keep up with where Gerdeman is these days. I thought he was still at O-zone, but turns out he went to Buckey Scoop. But now he's at something called Buckeye Huddle, which I assume is a different thing. I'm happy to have someone else do the legwork on it.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:32 PM ^
I don't know if the OP has been edited since your post, but it looks fine to me.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:40 PM ^
Nope I posted with the comment.
September 27th, 2022 at 4:26 PM ^
I mean, do you spend a bunch of time on Buckeye Huddle beyond Michigan Monday and remember to read it every week without a link being posted here? Because I sure don't.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:12 PM ^
Always a good read - thanks for posting
September 27th, 2022 at 1:18 PM ^
Ohio State's offense did look terrifying on Saturday night.
September 27th, 2022 at 2:31 PM ^
It did. Also looked terrifying last year putting up 49 in a half against Sparty just 1 week before we soul crushed them.
They are really, really good on offense and the goal will obviously be to contain them like last year - stopping them seems very unlikely.
That said, I'm not convinced that they can stop a fully healthy UM squad either. Our O-line looks great already, despite the current injuries. Add in Donovan Edwards and some JJ runs (looks which I'm sure we are saving for other opponents) and I don't see them stopping us either. Catching Corum is like trying to run down rabid squirrel. I also don't see JJ missing 4 bombs a game based on what we've seen from him the past two years.
Rutgers gave us trouble last year. We gelled and improved into a run em' over type team as the year progressed. And run em' over is exactly what we did.
Per the defense - obviously no replacing Hutch and Ojabo, but Maryland is a lot better, on offense specifically, than most realize.
TLDR: Maryland is pretty good, UM's problems look to be about time on task and injuries - not talent, I'm still no buying this narrative of the "tough and physical" new OSU defense.
September 28th, 2022 at 9:46 AM ^
I am actually excited to see Maryland vs MSU this weekend. I hope Maryland hangs 50 on them. In the first quarter.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:26 PM ^
The 33-yarder came on fourth down at the end of the first half to give UM their first lead.
Must be some Buckeye Math: He earlier pointed out we scored our first touchdown 8 seconds after the start of the game.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:52 PM ^
Yeah I caught that too… really that was the time Michigan “took the lead for good”!
September 27th, 2022 at 4:28 PM ^
He seemed to forget about the opening kickoff in the special teams section too. Very bizarre.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:31 PM ^
Gerdeman does a great job. Clearly his technical analysis, at least of Michigan, is not on the level of Seth or Brian which is a compliment to this blog.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:35 PM ^
Gerdeman’s alright in my book. The world of the Buckeye beat is such low-quality analysis that it’s an easy bar to clear, but he at least attempts to watch the game and think critically about it.
September 27th, 2022 at 4:34 PM ^
Well, besides the way he covered and commented on the 2018 Urban Meyer-Zack Smith situation
September 27th, 2022 at 1:52 PM ^
I miss the days of Rutgers being marked "Rivalry Game."
One of the funniest subplots of college football was Rutgers beating the Brady Hoke Dead Man Walking Team of 2014, chirping about it, and then getting blown out of the water in subsequent years.
September 27th, 2022 at 1:57 PM ^
Good read. I think this buckeye is way too confident in OSU's offense and defense. Offense I can understand a bit, but I am not sold on their defense. I think OSU giving up multiple rushing TDs is still in there.
Regarding UM's ability to deal with their offense, it is too early to tell. Things weren't too rosey for the Wolverines last year at this time. Heck, none of us thought Wolverines can deal with OSU's offense and then that happened. We definitely need to develop on defense, but I will not rule it out.
September 27th, 2022 at 2:04 PM ^
An excellent column every week. Spot-on analysis and always humorous.
I wish he was on our side. I like him, despite his allegiances.
September 27th, 2022 at 3:47 PM ^
lets pump the breaks here
September 27th, 2022 at 4:12 PM ^
Gotta respect sound analysis, especially from an enemy.
September 27th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^
I like how Tony mentions that McCarthy needs to develop some touch on the ball/dropping balls into zones instead of firing everything into a window, open or not. Meanwhile, on Eleven Warriors' "Threat Level Michigan," there's multiple comments on McCarthy not having enough zip. *Edit* - I think the commenters are smoking crack, but maybe I couldn't tell well enough from the stands while dealing with a toddler if he was off in his throws and not throwing his typical laser beams?
"McCarthy has some of the floatiest passes I think I've seen in some time.. And this is with a conference featuring Sean Clifford"
"He does throw a weird ball. It comes off his hand pretty good but it's like it just doesn't have enough ass behind it. That could be due to JJ only weighing 116 pounds I guess"
September 27th, 2022 at 3:49 PM ^
JJ seems to be able to really control his velocity! He has zip when and if necessary. His high completion rate reveals a catchability of his varied throws.
September 27th, 2022 at 3:53 PM ^
He said he was finally at 100%... and perhaps his strength led to overhtrows. By the end, he appeared to be pushing the ball to WRs to try and put more touch on it, rather than gun sling. I think those late under throws were an adjustment to the overthrows.
Kind of like a pitcher who throws his fastball wild everywhere, so he takes a little off it, but ends up pushing it... and its crushed.
Gotta let it go and adjust arm angle, etc... to account for it. Too much thinking if not.
I also don't understand what our WRs were doing on a lot of plays they showed replay on, where JJ had plenty of time to throw and they all ran very simple routes and then just stopped entirely. Only saw Roman trying to get into space and callf or it. Johnson and others just ran their route and stopped.
September 27th, 2022 at 4:38 PM ^
The pitching parallel is spot on. It's like telling a young pitcher to just pitch. Stop trying to place it or think about it and go through the pitching motion. Trust your muscle memory.
September 27th, 2022 at 3:50 PM ^
10 rushes for 0 yards from non-Corum backs. That's not good. His point on depth was a good one. Now, I THINK and I HOPE that Stokes learns from this and gets back into the rotation lightly, but no Edwards gives us nobody to let Corum take plays off, and no Corum would be a disaster.
I saw this raised earlier in the week... where was Henning? No jet sweeps, no tosses? He seemed completely uninvolved in the offense?? Without edwards, it seemed like maybe putting him back there would at least make the defense think... gash and stokes do not.
September 27th, 2022 at 8:29 PM ^
I agree about Henning, didn't get him involved in the offense at all. He needs a couple touches early to keep the defense honest. Plus he is a threat to break one every time he gets it.
September 27th, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
I also enjoyed this line as it’s very true:
It means that we finally know something applicable about this Michigan team. More importantly, it means that now the Wolverines know it too.
This team can finally go about improving its weaknesses.
After all, it’s hard to find where the leaks are in a boat if you never actually put the boat in the water.
September 27th, 2022 at 10:07 PM ^
I don’t often disagree with him.
And I hope we are running JJ through the running back protect the ball drills.
Tuck it and cover the tip when you decide to run in traffic and are no longer looking to pass.