New offense paired incorrectly
My concern with the new offense, going in, was how it paired with what we do on defense (which today wasn’t much). However, our personal and structure on D under Brown is speed and pressure. It’s hard, takes maximum effort and can be exhausting. This has lead to multiple years of top defensive numbers. But, it’s benefited from a safe, ball control offense. We could at least turn a 3 and out into a 10 minute ordeal (20 with commercials). Now, not only are we providing more opportunities against us with a rush of hot garbage, we are also multiplying it with turnovers. Although that can be bad luck, it’s also a factor when you change to a read option offense. It just happens. Ohio state, right now, seems to get it. They’ve found a defense so far that’s fit. Our defensive philosophy would hinder what they do right now.
Now, coaches aren’t blind to it. They did turtle up against Army and realized they had to let being better athletes raise them to a win. It did. But, that means we are half in to both ideas of an offense.
I’d rather see us fail horribly on one side of the ball, committed, and try to find what we need to pair with it. If we pick this offense, we’ll have to look at Brown and say we need something else.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:15 PM ^
It seems that Brown in order to keep up with the spread offense decided to go to more of a 3 man front to get speed on the field .. It’s as if he can’t adjust game to game .. Today and last week we should have employed more run focused defense but he was in that 3 lineman front and Wisconsin just powered us to death
September 21st, 2019 at 5:19 PM ^
My biggest criticism of Don Brown is this, hes unwilling to change his scheme from game to game. A large line was needed today. Iowa, Wisconsin and MSU game plans aren't the same as plans against OSU, Penn St and Notre Dame.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:45 PM ^
Players need to all play well together and know what they are doing. I wish that Michigan hadn't played Army so that they didn't have to work on that at all and could've spent more time on normal offenses. I'm with you on the line. Needed more beef today on the O-Line so that the ends didn't have to crash inside all the time.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:46 PM ^
Think I read somewhere that he has few interior linemen he trusts. Whose fault is that?
September 21st, 2019 at 5:49 PM ^
My issue with Gattis is similar, Nico, Tarik and Peoples-Jones are not “speed in space” more of bigger outside receivers you can throw it up to them (like they started to do in the fourth quarter) let them make a play. He needs to do more of that, their body type doesn’t really fit with the speed in space. I’m not sure Tarik and Nico can get the separation they need for this offense. They are good receivers so throw it up to them and let them make plays
September 21st, 2019 at 6:02 PM ^
I think they’d be great. Imagine if things were clicking and you had those guys both receiving and making blocks down field? #speedinspace is not a bad concept in its own. Shea is a noodle right now and pressing. That hurts. McCaffrey looks uncomfortable too, but, seems can make those safer option plays to keep things moving. I just think we sacrificed a defense for a new offense. And it’s going to be bad. I just hope they realize we can’t keep doing what we are quickly
September 21st, 2019 at 5:53 PM ^
I agree, but, i wonder if that’s unrealistic in college football. You have to be who you are. Would you change the entire offense on a per game basis? I think you have to pick one, be as good as possible with it and figure out what the negatives are from there. Then decide what you are doing on the other side of the ball that helps make up for the negative.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:23 PM ^
I only watched the first Wisconsin drive, and a little of the second. When I saw this, it was impossible to watch any more. Seeing us get our tails whipped up and down the field is just wrong.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:41 PM ^
3 man line prob has a lot to do with the fact we don't have many d tackles.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:17 PM ^
It’s not a fit for our D this season because it’s really thin up front. If we’re rotating 8 or 9 guys on the D Line all game we would be fine. Playing Kemp every snap of the last 2 games is going to ruin him going forward.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:23 PM ^
But look at our recruiting. Size is secondary to speed. Kemp got moved all over today. Great player. He’ll be great in other games, but, against Wisconsin...5 Versions of him rotating does nothing more. We can be grinded against with this defense period. And it means your offense HAS to be electric
September 21st, 2019 at 5:28 PM ^
Electric in what they are doing now. Or. Safe like in previous seasons. Just to clarify.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:36 PM ^
The lack of DL depth is a major problem. We need the freshman to be ready ASAP.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:19 PM ^
Our D was taking a step back this year anyway. The talent loss was too big and I don't see many stars, especially since Hudson has flamed out. It doesn't help with 3 and outs and fumbles.
If October 2018 manball tapes are still around, maybe we need to go back to that with DM as the QB. Other than K, P, and a few WRs, not a single player on this team is doing crap vs. expectations.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:22 PM ^
I honestly think if we never changed the offense, we would have had more success today, kept it closer and gave us a realistic shot. Not win, because we flat out got outplayed, but, a shot.
again, doesn’t mean it’s the right call, just is what it is with the change.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:34 PM ^
What’s up with the DLine gap we’re giving offenses in short yardage situations?
This isn’t the first week it’s happened. I could understand if we’re blitzing, but nobody’s home.
P.S. I really miss Mo Hurst.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:43 PM ^
Yeah. We had to listed to “find the bubble” from klatt during the army game and there it was again. Are we that easy?
September 21st, 2019 at 6:27 PM ^
How does a big time program like Michigan have zero defensive tackles on the roster. Smith andHinton are freshman they want to redshirt. Just another stat that is unbelievable. Let them play and take the lumps now.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:41 PM ^
Why waste the bullets? I think what we’d ask them to do now will change if we continue down a path of a new offense. (Which I’m not against) And they wouldn’t have won us that game. Maybe if the offense clicks, they’d help odds then. When’s that happening though?
September 21st, 2019 at 7:16 PM ^
I think that Fireball pairs well with the offense. Picked some up in the sports medicine department at the grocery store.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:41 PM ^
Unfortunately we came out flat on D from the beginning, and they ran all over us from the start. This wasn't a case of "the D has so much speed and pressure that they players are exhausted" and need the Offense to stay on the field to rest. We got killed from the start.
September 22nd, 2019 at 12:09 AM ^
But there is also no chance to regain anything when your right back on the field. It’s clear they are recruiting for speed on D. We’ve got 40 DE’s and Mazi. And I get it, that’s what’s needed to defend spreads. Not what Wisconsin throws at you. So you have to find a way to make it work for that game too. There is no way it can with this offense supporting it. He’ll. Even if it was clicking it doesn’t. We could have only won today in a shootout. The defense was not winning this game.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:47 PM ^
I had similar concerns seemingly compounded by the unusual lack of DL depth for a proper rotation, and that which has become customary