January 1st, 2020 at 4:49 PM ^
They played their guts out against a team with twice the talent. The last drive was just guys trying to strip the ball, fwiw. The offense fuck them over again.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:44 PM ^
Glad you saw and wrote that. I saw it the same way. Jeudy is on a different level. They are much bigger on the line of scrimmage. Their punter is a pro. We had our chances. It was a competitive game for 54 minutes and our QB had an off day when going into the game I thought he was our one talent advantage. Nice game by Nordin as well. Turnovers were most of the difference today, but Alabama has loads of NFL talent.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:57 PM ^
Bama's RB just ran right thru the D in the second half- carrying 5 people with him!!!!!!!
Can anyone tackle?
January 1st, 2020 at 6:05 PM ^
The entire last Bama drive was guys trying to keep Najee standing and strip the ball, if that’s what you’re talking about.
January 1st, 2020 at 6:25 PM ^
That was really just on the last drive when the D was probably worn down/demoralized. Until then I thought the rush D hung in there pretty well considering our personnel situation.
January 1st, 2020 at 7:32 PM ^
I thought our talent showed quite well...
January 1st, 2020 at 4:51 PM ^
Didn’t play stellar, but certainly played good enough to win.
January 1st, 2020 at 4:51 PM ^
For the most part they played well. After Patterson threw the pick they packed it in.
January 1st, 2020 at 4:52 PM ^
Same D as always. Still leaving a safety 1 on 1 vs the other teams best wr
January 1st, 2020 at 5:10 PM ^
This is the problem with DBs scheme. It’s an issue that he doesn’t seem to learn from. A majority of OSU and Bama’s yards and TDs came from receivers getting open behind an overmatched CB. Just mind boggling that he doesn’t adjust
January 1st, 2020 at 5:41 PM ^
This may be a legit gripe in some games we've played, but I don't really know what else he could have done today. All their WRs are studs - there was pretty much a guaranteed mismatch on every snap. And their QB was dealing, making some inch-perfect throws.
The main thing you can do is hope to pressure the QB a lot. I thought we actually did decently at this considering how shorthanded we were at DT, but the QB kept unloading it a split-second before the pocket collapsed.
January 1st, 2020 at 7:01 PM ^
Maybe bring in 4 corners or play some cover 2/3
January 1st, 2020 at 11:57 PM ^
You don't let a reciever like Juedy get a free release off the line, and then expect a true freshman safety to start covering him 15-20 yards downfield when Juedy is in a full sprint. It's the same stupid defense we saw against Hamler and PSU.
January 1st, 2020 at 6:18 PM ^
Should he have had a safety play 70 yards deep?
January 1st, 2020 at 7:04 PM ^
Nope, just need to do one of two things:
1. recruit faster corners and safeties
2. play softer in the secondary to allow a “bend, don’t break” type of D.
you don’t have to agree and my opinion, along with everyone else on this board, means nothing in the scheme of things. It’s just hard to understand how Minnesota is able to adjust to slow Auburn enough to win, while Michigan repeatedly gets curb stomped by talented teams like OSU and Bama.
I guess I’m just tired of making excuses for DB. I was thrilled when he arrived in AA, but the shine has wore off for me.
January 2nd, 2020 at 8:43 AM ^
So do we hit them off the line or play them soft?? F'ing internet geniuses who aren't football coaches for a reason.
January 2nd, 2020 at 10:48 AM ^
I mean your comparing apples to oranges, Auburn's offense does not have remotely the same talent that Alabama's does. I mean garbage last td aside the d allowed 28 points (really should have been 24 without the garbage roughing penalty) when the game was still winnable, Minny allowed 24 to a worse Auburn offense. Not really sure what your point is.
January 1st, 2020 at 7:15 PM ^
I think the bigger issue is DB recruiting. It’s been a concern and I don’t see it getting better.
January 1st, 2020 at 4:53 PM ^
This time Don Brown didn't have the chance to perform his regular backbreaking collapse, Shea beat him to it. But make no mistake, 28 points on the first 40 plays is still bad.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:11 PM ^
If those 40 plays happen in the first half, yes. But when it takes Bama until the 4th quarter to run its 40th play and reach 28 points, I'd say that's actually really good.
Let's not forget that Bama scored 41 and 45 in its two losses this year.
January 1st, 2020 at 9:06 PM ^
You do realize that’s because we gave up one 1-play, 85 yard drive, and our offense was keeping them off the field with our run game and then St. Gattis stopped doing that. Seriously, what the fuck, did Charbonnet get hurt? He averaged 6.5 YPC with a long of 12, but he only got 13 carries. Nice game plan Gattis, eschew the Harbaugh/Warinner run game to prove what an offensive genius you are. Check Shea’s completion percentage under Pep and Gattis. The difference is stark.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:37 PM ^
28 points on 10 possessions against Alabama is good, and as well as anyone did this year against them. Of course they burned us a few times, they have world-class athletes that we don't have.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:59 PM ^
Bama's RB ran right thru us- no leg tackling at all- carried 5 people with him for 8 or 9 yards
This is a well coached defense?
January 1st, 2020 at 7:02 PM ^
Are you retarded? He was carrying 5 people because we were trying to strip the ball because a fumble was our only hope of winning at that point.
January 1st, 2020 at 10:18 PM ^
he's not retarded, just a monkeytroll.
January 1st, 2020 at 4:55 PM ^
DB great job. Kept Bama to its lowest offensive score all year, including the TD they were gifted after the missed intentional grounding that should have set up 4th and 25 at the 45 vs 1st and 10 at the 12 for roughing the passer (also debatable even if it wasn't intentional grounding, which negates a roughing call).
January 1st, 2020 at 6:01 PM ^
Bama was playing their back up QB who didn't throw very well mostly- it would have been so much worse under Tua
January 1st, 2020 at 7:15 PM ^
Jones played quite well. He made good throws on the two deep touchdowns, and he avoided sacks by getting the ball out quick. Also, the throw that Ruggs knocked himself unconscious on should have been caught.
January 1st, 2020 at 7:43 PM ^
Jones played quite well. He made good throws on the two deep touchdowns, and he avoided sacks by getting the ball out quick. Also, the throw that Ruggs knocked himself unconscious on should have been caught.
January 1st, 2020 at 9:55 PM ^
There were 4-5 completions where we had pressure or were actively tackling the QB when he released the pass. Bama's WR's just made a few really athletic catches.
January 1st, 2020 at 10:46 PM ^
Jones played well, not sure what game you were watching.
January 1st, 2020 at 4:57 PM ^
Brown's defenses allow too many big plays. It requires his defense to be perfect every time or for the other team to make a mistake when they aren't. One of the myriad of reasons why they keep losing these games, like when UM allowed a long TD to PSU after they got within a possession this year that put the game just out of reach.
January 1st, 2020 at 6:01 PM ^
Bama's #22 RB blew threw our line like butter
January 1st, 2020 at 5:00 PM ^
The D line was much better than I thought they would be. But then they gave up yards and 3rd down conversions when they needed stops in the second half. I don't know, I was sort of pleased with the D. I think the offense was more of our problem today.
January 1st, 2020 at 7:32 PM ^
Indeed. True frosh and walk-in started at DT against an NFL OL. Guys played hard. The only downside was a couple of blown coverages (not really fair since Jeudy just ran away from guys as the best WR in CFB).
Great effort.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:02 PM ^
Can't put this on the defense, they played well enough to win. They held serve the handful of times you need to compete with Alabama. That is all you can ask.
The offense has to score more than, you know, one TD.
January 1st, 2020 at 6:02 PM ^
Tua would have ripped up this D
January 1st, 2020 at 5:04 PM ^
It would be nice to have a complete talented defensive line. Recruiting fail after 5 years.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:29 PM ^
Unfortunately we are always missing a few key components of a really complete team that can beat teams like OSU or Bama. 2016 was probably closest, but we didn't have the QB or o-line. This year DT was a problem. Safety was a problem against elite WRs, but Matellus did great against lesser ones. Next year should be a solid team, but I think getting Ruiz back will be important for the interior o-line and obviously the QB will be a key question mark. But, the skill positions look really strong. The DEs and LBs look strong. I like the safeties with Hill. Can Johnson or a freshman like Moten or Paige contribute? I'm not sure we have enough talent at CB to compete with OSU unless someone like Perry, Green, or Faustin break out. But, the schedule does not look too daunting with Wiscy & PSU at home and Taylor & Hamler going to the NFL. It's hard to see less than 10 wins and 11 seems like a possibility.
January 1st, 2020 at 6:07 PM ^
I’d say we didn’t have the QB this year either.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:06 PM ^
They played considerably better than I expected. Bama didn't convert a 3rd down until the 4th quarter. They gave the offense chances and it failed to capitalize.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:07 PM ^
The coaching on offense was not the problem, Shea’s crappy throwing stalled the offense.
On Defense, I’m ready to see UM move on from Brown. He knows how to statistically dominate cupcake teams, but Michigan never shows up in big games. I was Done with Brown at the OSU game, but now am completely ready for a more competent D. cord.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:18 PM ^
Not sure how you can say the D didn't show up today. Bama had no 3rd down conversions for three quarters and finished with a season low in points, even after scoring that Kenpom time TD at the end.
January 1st, 2020 at 6:04 PM ^
b/c you were playing against Bama's back up QB- that's why it was close
January 1st, 2020 at 6:28 PM ^
He played against Auburn and they put up 45 points.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:08 PM ^
They played well. Dax got smoked by Jeudy right off the bat and then the refs gave Bama 4 points with that extremely generously roughing the passer penalty and those were both big factors in the final score. They did so so much better against the run than I expected. Najee really didn't get anything consistent until it was garbage time
January 1st, 2020 at 5:08 PM ^
Once again we fail to get a sack, a turnover or to make the FG kicker put his helmet on.
You can’t win if 100% of red zone trips are touchdowns.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:14 PM ^
Do you think the roughing-the-passer penalty was a good call?
Without that call, Bama is kicking a long field goal.
January 1st, 2020 at 5:16 PM ^
It was roughing the passer but it should've been offset with intentional grounding. Jones ran straight backwards and threw the ball away, he never left the tackle box
January 1st, 2020 at 5:26 PM ^
No way was that roughing the passer. Hutch hit him a millisecond after he released it.
But it definitely was intentional grounding.