Wisconsin Starting True Freshman at NT
In a 3-4 defense, this can/should be exploited all day. #optimism
September 16th, 2019 at 2:05 PM ^
Cesar salad baby!
September 16th, 2019 at 2:41 PM ^
Cesar’s going to throw him around, that’s a tossed salad
September 16th, 2019 at 3:49 PM ^
Does he prefer jelly or syrup?
September 16th, 2019 at 5:15 PM ^
Syrup might make him think he's not eatin ass.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:05 PM ^
I like the idea of a true freshman going up against Ruiz.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:35 PM ^
Ruiz was true freshman equivalent at IMG. Charbonnet could have a big day!
September 16th, 2019 at 9:17 PM ^
Big Mike is gonna snack. Nom nom
September 16th, 2019 at 2:09 PM ^
This young lad is about to face off against the best center in the country, under the lights of the midday sun, on Fox's marquee Saturday event, BIG NOON FOOTBALL.
Good Luck with that.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:41 PM ^
Honestly, the best center in the country might be on the other team.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:46 PM ^
Of course! Best in the nation is quite subjective. Ruiz and Biadasz both deserve to be in that conversation, imo, and since this is a Michigan blog I can proudly proclaim that our guy is #1.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:54 PM ^
Ruiz... best center in country?
Pass the bowl please...
September 16th, 2019 at 5:22 PM ^
Is Ruiz really having that good of a year?
September 16th, 2019 at 10:16 PM ^
Comment of the past two weeks -- "we'll know more after Wisconsin."
September 16th, 2019 at 8:55 PM ^
BIG NOON!!!!!!!!! LFG!!!!!!!!
September 16th, 2019 at 2:10 PM ^
Can we borrow him?
September 16th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
Hey now, we haven't seen our DTs play yet this year. They should both be back in action on Saturday.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
And they're also down a starting safety.
Again, I think Wisconsin is a good team and will likely get to 10+ wins this year. But they aren't a juggernaut (despite smashing CMU and USF), and Michigan should be right with them on the road. What got Wisconsin last year was they didn't have a ton of depth defensively, so when starters went down it hurt them a lot.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:17 PM ^
Wisconsin is better than last year. They're not as good as they've looked so far this year considering they've played two of the worst FBS teams. I also doubt Wisconsin gets to 10 wins based on schedule alone. To win 10 they'd have to win at least 4 of vs Michigan, vs MSU, @ OSU, vs Iowa, @ Nebraska and @ Minnesota. I really doubt that happens.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:09 PM ^
I can absolutely see them beating anyone on that schedule, including OSU. But even if they don't, going 5-1 against Iowa, Nebraska, Minny, Iowa, UM, and MSU (the latter two at home) isn't so huge lift. Anyone who thinks NU, Minny, or MSU have looked like world beaters must be watching a different series of teams.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:37 PM ^
Good for this game but, dang, hate to see a Cub go down for the season, get healthy Scott.
September 17th, 2019 at 6:03 PM ^
Tough in Madison. Worst hillbilly fans in the world.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:25 PM ^
I don’t want to know what that brown juicy substance is trickling over the side...
September 16th, 2019 at 2:44 PM ^
No you don't.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:04 PM ^
Hint: It's not Whoop.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:58 PM ^
GRAVY
September 16th, 2019 at 6:47 PM ^
Must be canned....
September 16th, 2019 at 8:34 PM ^
It's the bottom word.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:17 PM ^
Good news for the run game.
I think the bigger question is: Will Michigan do anything that makes sense on offense?
September 16th, 2019 at 2:29 PM ^
For this two week stretch, I've defended Gattis & Patterson based on the assumption that our offensive playcalling against Army (lack of QB keeps/pulls & also lack of quick hit passes to our WRs who had soft coverage at the LOS), was based off of some unknown strategic reason--desire to preserve an injured Shea, certain counters hadn't been installed yet, etc.
But I will say this--if Wisconsin's response to starting the freshman NT in a 3-4 defense is to give him help by stacking the box, then we CANNOT see a repeat of what we saw in the 2nd half against Army.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:05 PM ^
Oh boy! Harbaugh is licking his chops. ZC is going to get 35 carries up the gut this weekend.
Speed in space will be pushed back until Rutgers.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:07 PM ^
Dear god please don’t let ZC have 35 carries this week.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:26 PM ^
If that gets us a win, then yes, please.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:49 PM ^
If that's what get's us a win, that means Shea has been broken by Wisconsin and DCaff is unprepared after two years.
September 16th, 2019 at 5:21 PM ^
Not necessarily.
If running ZC up the gut gets us the win, it may be because that's what Wisconsin gave us & we obliged, which is totally fine by me. I'm among everybody else in that I'd love to see "speed in space", but a huge part of that scheme is to simply take what the defense gives you.
The reason seeing ZC run up the gut against Army was so rough to see wasn't because running up the gut is always inherently bad. The reason it was bad against Army is because that is NOT what they were giving us, and we did it anyway. Which is why I said, "IF" Wisconsin stacks the box to take away the interior run, I don't want to see us run up the gut like Army.
But if Wisconsin decides to take away the QB pulls & the passing game, and instead plays us soft up the middle, then you're goddamned right I want ZC & our OL interior to run it down Wisconsin's throat.
In fact, in that circumstance, stubbornly trying to get the edge or get them through the air in spite of Wisconsin covering all of that just because we want to see "speed in space passing game" would be just as stupid as running it inside against a stacked box.
September 16th, 2019 at 6:48 PM ^
I agree and I sincerely hope you're right. I want to take what the D gives us. Though I'd personally rather see speed in space work to such an extent that Wisconsin can't stop it because it's generally more fun to watch.
September 16th, 2019 at 7:32 PM ^
Another reason why it was so painful running ZC up the gut is because I literally predicted 5 plays before the snap as a ZC up the gut and was correct on 4. That is a sign that we are being too predictable.
September 16th, 2019 at 6:20 PM ^
September 16th, 2019 at 6:10 PM ^
True... but at least we'll have the ball more than 7 times... I hope...
September 16th, 2019 at 2:18 PM ^
There's a part of me that almost wishes our coaching staff doesnt hear about this. If we're truly going to run "speed in space" the fucking NT should be as about involved in making the play as the back-up punter. The only way the NT gets involved is if we decided to run the same plays we dazzled Army with.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:33 PM ^
If our "speed in space" offense is real, then it's possible the NT will actually become very relevant, albeit indirectly. If Wisconsin is forced to dedicate extra players to stack the box to help the kid out, it *SHOULD* make our alleged desire to space everything out that much easier.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:33 PM ^
Agreed. The only thing we want to hear about the NT in this game is how ineffective he was in shedding Ruiz in pass protection.
September 16th, 2019 at 2:55 PM ^
Dude. The NT is going to be very involved, no matter what offense you run. A big part of the reason you want "speed in space" is so the other team has to empty the box to defend it, and you double that freshman NT out of the hole for your 6-yard run whenever you want.
September 16th, 2019 at 3:00 PM ^
This is 100% correct. #SpeedInSpace is about forcing the defense into decisions about what they're going to expose; the NT is part of any of those equations because he's so close to the ball.
Every coach and every team want to be able to run effectively up the middle. It's the most efficient path to production. The spread is designed to force defenses to choose between allowing inside rushing or attacks on the edges.
September 16th, 2019 at 3:05 PM ^
Agreed, hence my point of "Wisconsin *should* be forced to "pick it's poison" when M is on offense" comment later down the thread.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:12 PM ^
I’m not sure how anyone knows what “speed in space” is “about”, since we still haven’t seen it.
September 16th, 2019 at 8:40 PM ^
You definitely don't.
September 16th, 2019 at 10:35 PM ^
100% This.
Its is simple math that the shortest & fastest way to the end zone is a straight line. That line runs from the QBs nose to the goal line. The ONLY reason to spread the field horizontally is because that straight line is too well defended. Going horizontal is 10X as stupid as running into a stacked box if the former is not working. The penalty for failure in the “speed in space” plays is too great to justify its use unless the middle is being taken.
Watching teams like Army, even more so HS teams, run their systems is absolutely as beautiful and cool to watch as the spready shredy air raid whatever. Unless your a total novice and can only watch the ball. Using traps, counters, off tackle & power sweep to play RPS is so damn effective they changed rules just to try and kill it. And they still couldn’t.
Point being, the middle is and should always be your ultimate goal. Even Urban realized that as he(Wariner?) revised his O to the power based spread that had as its base staple a pretty damn traditional draw/trap/counter package run with various spready formations that are just window dressing used to empty the box.
September 16th, 2019 at 3:44 PM ^
It is really sad that we've devolved to the point of hoping to see logical football. Common sense strategy has been elusive for the team for way too long (years).
All I want is to see Michigan maximize their talent for once. And if Shea is a choker (as Braylon alluded to), then sit him down.
September 16th, 2019 at 4:45 PM ^
Brandon Watson gets scorched repeatedly and no adjustment; 3 plus NFL caliber receivers and they are not featured; opponents' apparent weaknesses are not attacked. For a school that promotes leaders and best it really is a downer to see our team being outcoached regularly.