Will We Win Another Game?

Submitted by Steve Breaston… on November 8th, 2020 at 1:35 PM

I hate thinking this, but looking at our schedule, and how other teams are playing (as terrible we are playing), I’m honestly not sure. 
 

What are your thoughts? Should I just skip every Saturday from here on out? I just don’t see this team “being close” after the last two weeks.

Teeba

November 8th, 2020 at 1:56 PM ^

Rutgers was +4 in turnovers against MSU, but only won by 11. If we can win the turnover battle, I think we’ll beat Rutgers. But that means we have to get our opponent to make some. Neither MSU nor IU turned it over against us. The Hawkins deflection that prevented Daxton’s INT epitomized the game.

If we’re 2-6, we get a winnable 9th game. If we go 3-5, we probably lose the 9th game. Give this team 3 non-conference cupcakes and you’re looking at the typical floor season of 6-6. The one bad season Bo had was 6-6 when Harbaugh broke his arm. They both bounced back the next season.

Emotionally, I’m ready to move on with a whole new coaching staff. Practically speaking, though, I think Harbaugh gets next year to show if this season was an aberration or the continuation of a downward spiral.

jmarsh22

November 8th, 2020 at 2:21 PM ^

If Michigan doesn't extend Harbaugh or work out an exit and goes into next season with Harbaugh as a possible lame duck coach, that'll be all the evidence I need that Warde Manuel is in over his head. That is not how you operate at a big boy program, you would torpedo recruiting for a year.

Mercury Hayes

November 8th, 2020 at 1:50 PM ^

I think the team will beat Rutgers, and will likely sneak another one out against a better team, whether that be a depleted Wisconsin, Penn State or inconsistent Maryland.

So I would put their final record at 3-5, or possibly 3-4/2-5 if a game is canceled.

Not going to make predictions about the crossover game, but would be confident they could beat Illinois and outside of that it would come down to how they perform between now and then and COVID cases on both sides.

So I think a realistic ceiling of 4-5, 4-4ish depending on how many games are played.

The Geek

November 8th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^

Maybe Penn State if the wheels really fall off in Happy Valley, but that’s a big if. Frames will need to beat Michigan to salvage his season, and we’re down big time  

  Rutger and Maryland are for real and those are both close losses. We’ll end up playing Nebraska for 12th place or some bullshit in the crossover game, and probably lose that one with a McCaffey shredding our defense (his brother has all the goods)  

OSU is going to be brutal and although it will be our Bowl Game, Harbaugh won’t have the team ready for a rivalry game. OSU will drop >70 on us with ease and with 3rd stringers in the 2nd half. This program needs an entire culture change, but Jimmy will be back next year. 

DGM06

November 8th, 2020 at 2:00 PM ^

Unlikely to win again unless Harbaugh is removed and Gattis is given the chance to prove himself. I’d really like to see what he can come up with if he’s auditioning for the head coaching position. Gattis would at least make it fun to watch; the awful play calling of late has  Harbaugh’s fingerprints all over it. 

zachjand

November 8th, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^

Yes. Regardless of what's happened so far and what you think of Harbaugh the team isn't that bad. The only way to get over 4 wins though will require some major improvement or changes that are unlikely unfortunately. Really disappointing in year 6

chunkums

November 8th, 2020 at 2:40 PM ^

I disagree that changes are unlikely. At least on offense, Harbaugh has been pretty aggressive with his firings in recent years. He gave Pep and Drevno the boot and replaced them with Warinner and Gattis, who seem to be improvements in coaching and recruiting. Changes need to be made on defense--especially when it comes to recruiting. I would not be surprised if he makes them. 

chunkums

November 8th, 2020 at 2:37 PM ^

Yes. I think our extremely inexperienced offense that didn't have spring practice and that had a short fall camp will get better as the season progresses. Bill Connelly did a study a while ago where he found that returning receiver production is the greatest predictor of offensive success. We have a new quarterback behind a new OL throwing to mostly new receivers. Regarding defense, yikes. Based on the abandonment of man defense in the second quarter yesterday, I think they may have finally gotten the message. I don't think we will be great, but we'll eke out a couple more wins. 

uofmchris2

November 8th, 2020 at 2:38 PM ^

To put things into perspective:

Rutgers scored 27 points against Ohio State - on the road.

Michigan couldn't even score 27 points against MSU at home and Indiana on the road.

THIS TEAM IS HOT GARBAGE. The answer to your question is NO. 

But according to our 8 million dollar coach... This team is close. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

Go Blue in MN

November 8th, 2020 at 3:30 PM ^

No team in the BIG stands above the rest except OSU.  Wisconsin is Tier #2 but probably not by next week given their Covid issues.  Everyone else is somewhere between bad and average.  I see us beating Rutgers, while all the other games (including the cross over game at the end) could go either way.  If we split those four games, that would make us 4-5, not counting any bowl game.  But if this thing spirals even more out of control and the team quits, even Rutgers could be an L for us. 

trustBlue

November 8th, 2020 at 3:33 PM ^

The problem is this team doesn't do anything consistently well. There are flashes of occassionally great plays but there is no consistency anywhere on offense or defense. For every great play, there is another where somebody blows a coverage or drops a ball or makes a dumb penalty. Granted, this is a young team, but elite teams seem to have no problems getting young players ready to play early. 

This feels a lot like last years team in terms of lots of mistakes that didnt get ironed out until late in the season, without the benefit of out of conference tomato cans to work out the kinks. Unfortunately the schedule doesn't get any easier from here and I have a hard time seeing us go better than 5-5.