Michigan vs TCU in AZ 4pm

Submitted by schreibee on December 4th, 2022 at 12:38 PM

Welp - the conspiracy theorists & $EC obsessed among us are going to be disappointed by the lack of Thread fodder, but the rest of us will be pretty pleased I think?

Go Blue! 

M Squared

December 4th, 2022 at 2:40 PM ^

I will be there.  Taking the family to Sedona area for a few days then driving south to Glendale for the game - 5 of us decked out in maize screaming our heads off for our boys. I've never been to Sedona, so any recommendations would be welcomed.

One thing that concerns me about the game is that, I believe, we have had zero experience this year playing a game on natural grass, and I believe State Farm Stadium is natural grass (and I believe TCU plays its home games on natural grass).  Obviously, our players have experience at some point in their lives but it's good to have that experience together for timing and coordination purposes.  In my opinion, the play and feel are different between natural grass and artificial turf - the traction, the angle of the field as it declines toward the sidelines, etc.

I know the first instinct is to think that Harbaugh knows all this and will figure it out, and I have the utmost respect for Harbaugh but my memory tells me that we struggle in these situations.  In our 2 year record of 25-2(?), both losses came on natural grass.  In the only other grass game in the past 2 years (I believe), we were down 14-17 with less than 4 mins to go at Penn State.  Those data points are telling given how strong we have looked in all the games on artificial turf (ie, dominant). 

2020 is a bad data point for obvious reasons but we may have unfortunately played each game again on artificial turf.

2019, I believe our record on turf was 9-2 but on natural grass was 0-2.

I don't profess to be an expert on this by any stretch but my understanding is that there are many kinds of natural grass and artificial turf.  I don't know if our artificial turf is particularly different than natural grass that contributes to our struggles in adjusting to natural grass but this is something I've noticed as far back as the Lloyd days (and actually Lloyd's teams performed even worse on natural grass on a relative basis).  Hopefully, we're so much better than TCU that any deficit in this regard does not matter.

 

Joined: 07/02/2009

MGoPoints: 1908

Qmatic

December 4th, 2022 at 12:45 PM ^

Business trip. Columbus to Indy to Glendale all to get to our final goal of SoFi Stadium to avenge last season and become the lineal and undisputed: National Champion of College Football

Joined: 01/09/2013

MGoPoints: 32780

greymarch

December 4th, 2022 at 12:46 PM ^

If you live east of the Mississippi, the 4pm time-slot is better than the 8pm slot.  Game will end around 8pm eastern.  Then you can celebrate NYE in any style you want, while watching GA curb-stomp The Great Evil.

 

#GoBlue

Joined: 02/06/2010

MGoPoints: 4886

micheal honcho

December 4th, 2022 at 12:51 PM ^

That domination over OSU paid off today. Favorable match up for us along with making Kirby potentially have to scheme for OSUs air raid then immediately face the road graters of Michigan

Joined: 10/27/2010

MGoPoints: 2768

Newton Gimmick

December 4th, 2022 at 12:54 PM ^

I kinda miss when all the big games were on New Years Day.  Yeah I know it's maybe bad for TV ratings and such but one semifinal in the afternoon / Rose Bowl late afternoon / other semifinal at night, along with a few other games to turn to, would perfectly recreate one more awesome football Saturday

Joined: 05/06/2015

MGoPoints: 33792

schreibee

December 4th, 2022 at 1:10 PM ^

Well this year NYE is on Saturday, so the semis will be on Saturday. 

But I personally hate them being on NYE as I work in hospitality and that's one of the major days of the entire year. 

I'm very happy Michigan plays at 1pm PST, so I'll be able to watch the entire game before work. Vs Uga I had to start work at halftime (which I was actually grateful for, as the rest of my crew were sticking it out despite how depressing it was!)

I'm hopeful that won't be the vibe this NYE! Go Blue! 

Joined: 11/02/2009

MGoPoints: 21143

greymarch

December 4th, 2022 at 1:02 PM ^

Just used an internet date calendar for the number of weeks between now and the NC game...

 

Corum has 5 weeks and 2 days to heal, if UM reaches the NC.  Can Corum get back in time for the NC game?  I have no idea.  Maybe there's an outside shot of it happening.   *shrug*

 

#GoBlue

Joined: 02/06/2010

MGoPoints: 4886

jmstranger

December 4th, 2022 at 1:13 PM ^

I think it depends on how severe the meniscus surgery was. I had one side taken out and the other side a tear removed right the same time of year in 2014. I was walking without assistance by Christmas (big limp) but could hardly get down a flight of stairs. Obviously I’m not a Heisman caliber athlete with all the support of a major university though. 

Joined: 05/23/2010

MGoPoints: 9450