What have you noticed on your rewatch?

Submitted by Beaublue on November 28th, 2022 at 8:57 AM

Like many (most? all?) I have rewatched the the game.   For me it has been twice over the weekend and I am sure I will watch it a few more times this week.    

What have you noticed on your rewatch that you didn't notice watching live (or in person if you were there)? 

Fun thing:   CJ (I think) was knocked down on Loveland TD pass.   He got up and signaled TD while the ball was still in the air.

Football thing:   On the MS TD breakup it is amazing how far he came to make that play.  He was positioned on the left side of the defense and must have made up 20 yards to make that play.   I'm not so sure it was even his guy.  

StellaBlue

November 28th, 2022 at 9:18 AM ^

Upon rewatch, I am struck by how tight the game was until Edwards broke it open.  His 2 touchdowns really padded what was a close fought game until just under 8 minutes left.  As others have noted, Sainristil's 4 point play was HUGE, but it was still just a one score game after that.  If you just look at the final score and the highlight reel of Michigan players running wild, the game seems much more lopsided that it actually was for 3.5 quarters.  I know I did not really breath easy until the second Edwards run.    I just love how the momentum started out all OSU and then sloooowly swung our way and then BOOM!   I also just love Herbstreit's 4th quarter comment about a fear factor "arominating" from the crowd.  Great new word for what happened to that crowd.

los barcos

November 28th, 2022 at 1:40 PM ^

The old adage that the game is never as bad or as good as it looks -- make no mistake about it, we dominated the second half, but definitely got some breaks along the way to be able to do so.  My wife, who came in at the second half, was shocked to see the rewatch of the 1st Q.  Looking back it, if just one or two things don't go our way at that time, it's possible it's a blowout the opposite direction.

 

(FYI this is not a critique against M - just a note that the margins are so thin in these games. Hence why I would hate to ever have a rematch - it's just really hard to beat the same team twice.  Just ask Bama, for godsakes).  

buddhafrog

November 28th, 2022 at 9:19 AM ^

play after play after play mental toughness

Good or bad, mentally tough

No foolish plays. Very few penalties. Constant effort on D to pursue the ball. Confidence on offense. Poise. Belief. Joy

This is a culture thing. Everyone was having the best day of their life out there. Harbaugh knew. Harbaugh knew what was coming

ThadMattasagoblin

November 28th, 2022 at 9:19 AM ^

Also, the OSU wideouts are a little overrated. Harrison is a dude and the other guys are just guys. In the preseason, I said that the other guys would not be as good as Olave and Wilson were last year. They didn't get many targets last year even though most games were blowouts. In the Rose Bowl, Utah was playing a converted RB in the secondary. I just didn't see it with Egbuka, Fleming, and Babb last year but everyone said that they would not take a step back when they started this year. Obviously, JSN would have made a HUGE difference this year but I didn't get the preseason hype that some had OSU as the number one team in the country when they lost Olave and Wilson and had a sieve of a defense in 2021.

buddhafrog

November 28th, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^

The biggest this I noticed is that just like last year, we broke them. They were too confident and based their confidence not on work but on the belief that they deserved to be the best. We broke them.

They were afraid. We played with no fear

The Homie J

November 28th, 2022 at 10:10 AM ^

I've never seen a Buckeye team play worse with every quarter this one.  Usually, we lose because no matter whose on the field, they play lights out in the 4th quarter.  Think Cardale Jones in 2014 stepping up huge, or Dwayne Haskins ripping us apart in 2017 when JT Barrett went down.  There was no reason for them to look so bad that 2nd half, but all I can trace it back to is a lack of toughness.

They faced adversity and it kicked their ass so badly they quit on the spot.

M-Dog

November 28th, 2022 at 10:12 AM ^

In their heart of hearts, they thought that last year was a fluke. 

They spent the whole year indignant and offended.  They were going to restore the natural order of the universe and reclaim what was rightfully theirs, at home, in the sun.

When it started to become clear that it wasn't just a fluke, they choked.  My, did they choke.

They weren't ready for a street fight when Michigan punched back after an easy Ohio State first quarter.  It caught them by surprise and stunned them.  We were NOT supposed to do that.

bighouseinmate

November 28th, 2022 at 11:15 AM ^

They are like the highly talented, technically superior boxer that finds himself caught up in a brawl with a powerful bruiser. Sure he can score points in bunches, but once he gets hit in the jaw he’s done for and then it’s just a matter of time before he’s knocked out. 
 

It’s one thing to out talent opponents, and even have a bunch of knockouts on those lesser talented and experienced opponents. It’s quite another to find yourself in an anything goes street fight where your superior boxing skills just don’t matter. 

mgobleu

November 28th, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^

Live, I thought it was Edwards’ 2 big TDs that sealed the game. OSU was only down 1 score much of the second half, and even after JJ’s rush TD, I didn’t feel like they were out of it, what with “punches in bunches” and all that.

Loveland’s TD proved to be all the offense we needed, but the real backbreaker all along was the second half defense. Maybe Day’s timid playcalling didn’t help but they still had hope, until the real nail in the coffin which was probably Sainristil’s denial of Stover. After that, all the fight was gone. 

 

victors2000

November 28th, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^

The attitude.

There was no overwhelming stress. This game took place against the Buckeyes at the 'Shoe in front of a horde of ravenous Buckeye supporters. The game started out perfect for them. The first half of the first half we took their best shot and were unable to give them ours, yet the composure was amazing. They were calm and collected, and not too many penalties due to the moment. They were ready for the moment. It was the Buckeyes that weren't. I think this team is ready for big, big things.

M-Dog

November 28th, 2022 at 9:26 AM ^

We finally got a fair whistle in Columbus.  

There are always calls / no calls that you could gripe about, but this felt like an honest and diligent attempt by the ref crew to be neutral and just call what actually occurred. 

Especially against Ohio State, there were some momentum-killing calls that the refs made, that were accurate and appropriate, that you would never see in previous Michigan - Ohio State games.  Buckeye crowd be damned, the refs stepped up and made them.

I thought for all the world that the PI call against OSU at the back of the end zone would not get called because the refs would claim it was uncatchable, even though the Michigan WR got a finger on it.  That feels like a call they would have let slide in the past.   

 

M_Born M_Believer

November 28th, 2022 at 10:47 AM ^

I believe you are half right.  I believe the ref was in that mode and blew his whistle too soon.  Once he realized that he made a mistake, he covered his butt by claiming forward progress had been stopped.  Technically true, but in the intent of the rule no.

By claiming forward progress had been stopped, the play could not have been reviewed.  On a side note, Upshaw should have picked up the ball anyways.  It is ironic that a couple of weeks ago another color commentator (a former defensive player) noted that his coach always stressed his players to pick up the ball no matter what.  This would have been one of those instances.  Had Upshaw picked up the ball, we would have had a clear recovery.  But without it, there was nothing for the replay ref to "resolve" the play.  Replay showed clearly that Stroud's knee knocked the ball out before his butt (or any other part of his body) hit the ground.  A clear fumble, but since no one picked up the ball, there was no clear resolution to the play.

Too bad the ref went into "Get this game over with mode", and scoop and score would have been so much fun to watch......

Oh well, we will just have to settle for a 22 point beatdown....

killthereds

November 28th, 2022 at 2:00 PM ^

I agree that it was more fair than expected. I did notice one situation that didn’t end up mattering but was a bit annoying.

On the first OSU drive, the 3rd down conversion to Harrison on the back shoulder fade, it looks like their right tackle and guard jumped because they though we were offside. Maybe they still get the first down if they try again or go for it on 4th, but probably feel better about the 1st half if that gets called.

WolverineHistorian

November 28th, 2022 at 9:26 AM ^

This is a dorky historical observation (yes, user name checks out) but for those who joyously remember Drew Henson destroying OSU’s defense at the Horseshoe in 2000, JJ looked an awful lot like him.  Also, look at the stats….

Henson: 14/25 for 303 yards, 3 touchdown passes and a 4th quarter TD run.

JJ: 12/24 for 263 yards, 3 touchdown passes and a 4th quarter TD run.

Henson’s screen pass to Anthony Thomas, who took it to the house for our first TD was much like JJ’s first TD to Johnson, along the same sideline.    Also the first TD.  

JJ's TD run in the 4th quarter looked to be in the exact spot Henson ran the bootleg in.  

M_Born M_Believer

November 28th, 2022 at 10:52 AM ^

Same end zone, but Henson was a walk in untouched bootleg holding the football high in the air in triumph to seal the win cause OSU sold out on the dive play AGAIN....

Ironically, I was telling my boys about that exact play and that I was pretty sure that Michigan would have some counter ready for this game for a key 3rd and short play.  Today it was Mullings pass. 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 28th, 2022 at 9:27 AM ^

Not exactly a re-watch item but more an epiphany that poster treetops got me thinking about.

Ohio State wasn't a juggernaut this year.  They weren't the Terminator with laser eyes and volcano breath that BiSB posted about in Opponent Watch.  They weren't the second-best team in the country.  They looked like one and I fault absolutely nobody for thinking it because they have a ferocious passing attack and that means running up huge scores on overmatched opponents before it's even halftime.  They're very good, not great, in the other three phases of the game.  Michigan has a better run offense, run defense, and pass defense than they do.

We should've realized it, in 20/20 hindsight.  Where's their Chase Young or Joey Bosa?  Denzel Ward or Jeff Okudah?  Ezekiel Elliott?  Where's their ferocious pass rush, shutdown corner, or thumping linebacker?  Or power running back with lightning speed?  They don't have that this year.  I'll venture to say that if Penn State were given Ohio State's still-legitimately terrifying passing attack, and OSU had Sean Clifford, Penn State would be 11-1 right now with a close loss to Michigan, and Ohio State would be 9-3 at best.

It could very well be that in the coming years, Ohio State regresses to where Clemson and Oregon are now, or even Texas.  Ryan Day was born on third base.....and is trying to steal second.

Amazinblu

November 28th, 2022 at 9:29 AM ^

I have expressed concern about B1G officiating on several occasions.  To their credit, I think it was a fairly called game.

Though, I do believe there was a fumble by Stroud where he was ruled “down”, and - upon review (which was, again - I believe) a non-reviewable play - that should have resulted in a Michigan ball / possession / turnover.

Sione For Prez

November 28th, 2022 at 9:48 AM ^

You are correct. If they called that the runner was down on contact and turns out he fumbled and there was a clear and immediate recovery (all of which would have applied here) Michigan would have gotten the takeaway. However, determining forward progress has stopped is deemed to be a judgement call and judgement calls are all non-reviewable.