Michigan Monday: corn futures are down

Each fanbase has a similar pocket of fans with a similar view of their team's likely demolition over the other.

I don't know.  I don't feel like Gerdeman knows this Michigan team except in the context of his own expectations.  He seems to think we're trying to hit big shots and that we aren't getting them, running game included.  That all we can do is grind because we can't hit big shots.  But to me, the grinding is very much by design.  If we wanted big shots in the running game, they'd go to the QB run package that gouged the hell out of Penn State.  He also states that the lack of deep passing success has led to Corum being less productive on the ground as teams don't have to fear our deep game.  That's not what I've seen on the offense.  I've seen very little need to stretch the field when games are over in the 3rd quarter and the running game cannot be stopped, and therefore very little attempt to stretch the field.

Also, his notion that we don't get sacks outside of obvious passing downs, and that we'd better fix that if we plan to stop Stroud.  I think the plan to stop Stroud is to keep receivers in front of us, tackle hard, and then prey on OSU's lack of a physical running game in the red zone.  We're not going to go all out to sack Stroud.  We're going to make him work long and hard to get down the field and make their offense hold up physically and make touchdowns.   

Perspective and benefit of the doubt. think most of our board feels that Michigan is legit and that we can’t fairly assess Ohio State since they ain’t played nobody. But how many times has OSU lost 62-39? We have two decades of material for the media and opposing fan bases to use as confirmation bias.

I'm guessing that all the criticisms of our passing game and their run defense and everything else probably don't really matter and The Game will be determined by turnover margin and a few huge penalties or breaks to keep drives alive. You just hope those things go your way on that day. We can run it. They can pass it. We both have, at-worst, competent defenses. We play in their stadium. At this point, it's just time to see what plays out. 

They’re proud of the ND game now that their “quietly 7-3”

Long may it continue.

I do enjoy reading his MM write-ups more often than not. He doesn’t write like an 11W slappy who just completely writes off Michigan from Day 1, and he’s usually good for a great one liner or two in every piece (He wrote a line after the Hawaii or UConn game about how watching that was akin to paying to watch rich people hunt other humans for sport, and I got a really good laugh out of it), but what I feel like I’ve noticed since last year is the following trend.

1) He’s usually complimentary at the start of the year, almost overly so, when Michigan is beating up on CSU, WMU or UConn, but it has a feel of “Aww look at you guys beating up on tomato cans, that’s adorable.” tone to it. Like he’s just waiting for the October implosion that we were all conditioned to wait for for so many years.

2) Then, when Michigan doesn’t start losing and looks to be on the path to set up a winner take all game in the last weekend in November, his writing takes on a slightly more annoyed tone, like he’s wondering why that proverbial shoe hasn’t dropped yet.

Kinda reminds me of Herbstreit*. He would throw Michigan a bone or two in terms of compliments when he knew they looked decent but were still going to get destroyed by Ohio State. Has been a lot bitchier about them since last year.

*Though I do also remember the Herbstreit of the '90s, who used to always pick Michigan on College GameDay, but of course that was back when Michigan owned Cooper

So what he’s really saying is, “OSU isn’t good enough to win a national championship.”

I’d be worried as well and am worried about OSU. OSU fans seem to discount what we wanna do and think our physicality won’t be an issue. That’s as crazy as discounting Harrison Jr and saying he won’t go off against us. The thought of that guy matching up with our secondary scares the shit out of me. Hopefully at the half we’ve had the ball for around 20 minutes and it won’t matter. 

Current forecast for Columbus, 42 degrees, with chance of rain.  Enjoy that passing game Bucks.  I'll enjoy watching Corum disappear in the frothy scrum and spit out 8 yards later.  Over and over.  

I could see it being 70% pass 30% run all the way up to 80-20. But they can't abandon the run game. 

Their schedule is exactly the same but sub Wiscy for Illinois and add a sad-sack one-dimensional Notre Dame offense led by Tommy Reas.   We'd crush the Irish like 2019 if we played them.  

Agreed.  OSU gave up 206 yards against the 10th ranked rushing offense in the conference even when they knew it was coming.  

Our best rushing game was against our hardest opponent.  

If they abandon everything and just pass, that plays into our hands and we'll wear them down.