pin and pull

10/7/2023 – Michigan 52, Minnesota 10 – 6-0, 3-0 Big Ten

A couple years ago I watched Michigan beat Ohio State for the first time since the paleolithic era and I couldn't really commit emotionally. I fundamentally could not let myself believe they would win. This feeling extended into the distance; even after it was clear they were going to win I did not feel the same kind of thing it appeared other people were feeling all around me.

The same thing happened last year. While I've made the argument that the postgame success rate/"it was just five plays" takes were bad, it is true that the nature of the game lent itself to believing OSU was far better down-to-down, at least through 30 minutes. Michigan was bleeding OSU down the field and relying on their short-yardage deficiencies to prevent points; Ohio State was maniacally determined to not let Hassan Haskins 2.0 happen to them. So you're watching this and it feels like Michigan is hanging on by a thread. Only in the aftermath do you realize that Ohio State decided to throw it to their tight end 30 yards downfield on fourth and two and played zero coverage on which two Michigan players could have scored easy touchdowns. Meanwhile OSU has the #2 pick in the NFL draft and Marvin Harrison Jr, etc., etc.

Michigan felt like an underdog.

Michigan is not an underdog anymore, to anyone, after comprehensive dismantlings of mid-tier Big Ten teams that featured Jack Tuttle snaps in the third quarter. It is deeply unfortunate that Georgia woke up after a sleepy start to the season and hamblasted Kentucky, because otherwise it would not appear that any team in the country is anywhere near Michigan. Other teams have bits and pieces: USC has Caleb Williams, Penn State has an elite defense, Ohio State still has Marvin Harrison Jr. But USC's defense can't do anything, Drew Allar has the lowest depth of target in the Power 5, and OSU just ran for 1.9 yards per carry against Maryland.

But, yeah, Georgia. And maybe Oklahoma. Michigan is a complete team but seems to lack a game-wrecker on def—

Let’s see how Mason Graham’s doing with that cumbersome club on his hand after missing the last 2 games.

Dear God. pic.twitter.com/kjU7fe4kz8

— Due# (@JDue51) October 8, 2023

Oh. Mason Graham is the #2 DT in the country to PFF, and he's a true sophomore, and he's wearing a club, and he's getting better every time we see him. You could say similar things about Derrick Moore, and maybe Josiah Stewart. On offense Michigan is settling into what looks like the long term answer on the OL. Hiccups in the secondary have another month to get smoothed over.

Michigan is this good, and it still feels like they've got another gear. If Corum gets back to where he was, if the arc read game comes back in important spots, if Derrick Moore continues to Ojabo, if Rod Moore gets all the way back, etc. These are usually the ifs you have when you're scuffling a bit. The ifs you have when you're undefeated but haven't played anyone and escaped a close one against a Nebraska or a Minnesota. It is almost literally impossible for a college football team to play better than Michigan… but Michigan can play better.

I have unlatched all the gates and pressed the button that says DO NOT PRESS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. I glance over to Ohio State getting outplayed badly by Maryland until Maryland Marylands itself, and look at the teams across the nation and I think "Michigan can take these guys." It is possible that by the end of the season that everyone proclaims is wide open, it turns out it wasn't that wide open after all.

Just four more weeks of waiting before we start finding out for real.

AWARDS

Known Friends and Trusted Agents Of The Week

[Barron]

you're the man now, dog

#1 Mason Graham. Led the team in tackles as a DT. Had a thunderous, drive-stalling TFL and two sacks, one of which he was robbed of by a horrendous spot. Seems like breaking his hand has only made him more powerful. Ol' Murderglasgow is ascending to Mo Hurst tier.

#2 JJ McCarthy. A casual 10 YPA despite three drops, plus two rushing touchdowns where he juked tacklers, stiffarming one to the turf. Apparently did not get a sideline kiss, though, so there are areas for improvement.

#3 Will Johnson. Only did two things but the first thing was a tone-setting pick-six.

Honorable mention: Probably should throw in Kalel Mullings here for cumulative short-yardage success and a mansome blitz pickup. Keon Sabb also had a pick six. The Offensive Line kept McCarthy clean and led Michigan to 5.8 YPA. AJ Barner continues to mash face. Cornelius Johnson had a drop but also a circus catch on a deep ball, plus his blocking was improved. Josiah Stewart is getting after it.

KFaTAotW Standings.

(points: #1: 8, #2: 5, #3: 3, HMs one each. Ties result in somewhat arbitrary assignments.)

27: JJ McCarthy (#1 ECU, #1 UNLV, #2 Rutgers, HM Nebraska, #2 Minnesota)
22: Kris Jenkins (HM ECU, T2 UNLV, #1 BGSU, HM Rutgers, #1 Nebraska)
13: Mason Graham (HM ECU, T2 UNLV, #1 Minn)
11: Mike Sainristil (T3 ECU, HM BGSU, #1 Rutgers)
9: Roman Wilson (T2 ECU, HM UNLV, HM BGSU, #3 Nebraska), Blake Corum (HM ECU, HM UNLV, #2 BGSU, HM Rutgers, HM Neb)
7: Braiden McGregor(T3 UNLV, #2 Nebraska), Cornelius Johnson (T2 ECU, HM UNLV, HM BGSU, HM Minn)
6: Kenneth Grant (T3 ECU, T2 UNLV),
5: Junior Colson (#3 BGSU, T3 Rutgers)
4: Ernest Hausmann (T3 ECU, T3 Rutgers)
3: Mike Barrett (HM UNLV, T3 Rutgers), Will Johnson(#3 Minn), AJ Barner (HM BGSU, HM Neb, HM Minn)
2:  Josh Wallace (T3 ECU), Derrick Moore (T3 UNLV), Jaylen Harrell (HM UNLV, HM BGSU), Max Bredeson (HM Rutgers, HM Neb)
1: Tommy Doman (HM ECU), Donovan Edwards (HM ECU), Tyler Morris (HM UNLV), Semaj Morgan (HM Rutgers), Colston Loveland (HM Rutgers), Quinten Johnson (HM Rutgers), Derrick Moore (HM Neb), Kalel Mullings (HM Minn), The Offensive Line (HM Minn), Keon Sabb (HM Minn), Josiah Stewart (HM Minn)

Who's Got It Better Than Us(?) Of The Week

 

Will Johnson picks off the second snap from scrimmage, more or less ending the game 12 seconds in.

Honorable mention: Pin and pull goes for 40, hooray explosives; Johnson hauls in a deep ball, hooray explosives. Sabb pick six. Mason Graham death squirrel sack. Leon Franklin gets his touchdown.

MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.

PJ Fleck's insane clock management at the end of the first half is rewarded with a longshot touchdown.

Honorable mention: Johnson drops a third down conversion so Michigan has to settle for a field goal. Minnesota outside zone does some work on the first two drives.

When Josh Gattis was hired this space got really excited for the incorporation of RPOs into Michigan's power running game. The very first spring game I was like "look at all the backside defenders who can't pursue the run!"

The first game I was giddy over the RPO reads that had been slapped on to every one of Michigan's base run plays, especially their meatiest of meaty running plays, Pin & Pull.

(I also spent way too long drawing on my videos back then)

There were a couple, especially early, but what that mostly became for this program was a gimmick. If they did actually turn on the reads it was for a big game or a rival.

Time and again, quarterback after quarterback, we'd see a Patterson, Milton, McNamara, or McCarthy look at a receiver apparently running a route before handing off. A year after the transition, even the rivals weren't getting it anymore.

By Rutgers last year everyone knew what Michigan was up to. It was a gimmick. A look. They weren't really going to throw it, or burn precious practice trying. As opponents caught on to the ruse, the team gave up on the ruse. Michigan wasn't reading anybody—they just wanted you to think it, and maybe to drive a blogger or two nuts. With the exception of Penn State, nobody thought they were getting read, so nobody stayed backside.

This week I found some guys who were buying RPOs that the offense wasn't throwing. Unfortunately it was our own.

[After THE JUMP: It would seem we're out of practice.]

GO VOTE! I'm out all day working the election. Vote.org has information if you're wondering where/if you're registered. Michigan accepts same-day registration at your Clerk's office. Also your absentee ballot can be turned in there at any time before 8PM today (if you got an absentee but want to vote in person, please bring that). Democracy forever!

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People have been getting the wrong idea about how we feel about Pro Football Focus. I get folks in my mentions wanting to make them out to be utter fools. Au contraire they are an extremely useful site for many things, and I am happy to keep subscribing. The problem we've been having lately is that their run blocking grades are uncanny. They have Michigan's run blocking about on par with Michigan States. These two running games however are not performing anything like each other. It doesn't pass the sniff test.

The problem, I've been led to believe, is that they mark a "0" for a "got the job done" block, with minuses if you mess it up or pluses if you do something extra.

The thing is that's now how blocking really works. If you're completing your assignment every play on the offensive line you are the most incredible offensive lineman who ever lived. The legends of our charting—Long, Lewan, Molk—were guys who were executing things that are hard to do. Offensive line is a HARD job, and that job can change on you so swiftly that you can't process most of it. And offensive line at Michigan is especially hard.

Let me show you an example.

[Hit THE JUMP for the breakdown.]