1/1/2020 – Michigan 16, Alabama 35 – 9-4, 6-3 Big Ten, season over

Well, that could have been worse.

The last time Michigan played Alabama I was rapidly drinking a beer in the second quarter because that was the obvious thing to do. I think it was the second play from scrimmage when Roy Roundtree tried to run a route up the sideline and the Alabama cornerback blasted him five yards into the sideline. The outcome was never in doubt, only the exact nature of the humiliation.

This, by contrast, was a football game. It was a football game despite early indicators that it would be another ritual spanking. Michigan had a halftime lead, and it felt like they should have had a bigger lead. This was a correct take since Michigan scored zero second-half points and Alabama covered easily. But until Shea Patterson threw an interception directly at Josh Jobe, it was worth your time.

Yes, this is a low bar to clear. I love low bars to clear. I love stepping over a six inch obstacle and celebrating like I have cured polio. I have successfully breathed in and out several times while writing this paragraph and am high-fiving myself madly. I am an accomplished individual. I clear bars. Do not ask where they are located.

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And heck, almost everything that's relevant for next year was pretty good. Josh Gattis came out with an excellent gameplan that saw Michigan put up nearly 300 first half yards before Alabama adjusted and Michigan had to rely on out-executing the Tide with a crew of people who are mostly not five stars. Zach Charbonnet got a lot of work done on the ground and in one memorable pancake in pass protection. Giles Jackson popped out for downfield completions, and by the end of the game Alabama was popping kickoffs to the 35 to prevent him from getting the ball. Chris Hinton survived as a lone nose tackle, mostly.

If the point of a bowl game is to encourage you about the next season this was about as good as a win. If the point of a bowl game is to win it, well… that was not as good as a win.

This is because the loss largely went back to Patterson, who threw zero passes longer than 15 yards that a receiver could touch, let alone catch. As documented on this site, Patterson's late-season yardage surge was always a false dawn based more on Josh Gattis giving him eight-yard RPO throws that Michigan turned in to great piles of yardage. But even at his meh-est, Patterson was always a guy you could rely on to throw an arcing deep ball that gave his receivers a chance. This was in fact his greatest strength.

By having a 51.9% adjusted completion percentage on deep passes last season, Shea Patterson leads the returning contingent of B1G Quarterbacks. pic.twitter.com/MlfUfxF31B

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 8, 2019

In this game his deeper throws were weirdly flat and always off. Early, Nico Collins beat a Josh Jobe jam badly enough that on a ball that hit him in stride Jobe was either going to make a shoestring tackle or give up a touchdown; Patterson zinged a rope that the king of catching radius couldn't get a finger on. And that was pretty much his day until he threw it right to Jobe right after Eubanks had turned his route up at the sideline, wide open. That was the ballgame in a neat little bow.

To a large extent it also was the season. Michigan had two other major issues—defensive tackle and Gattis transition costs—but Patterson dropping from a guy PFF ranked ahead of Dwayne Haskins to a guy nine slots behind the noodle-armed dude Michigan played in the opener (as of week 12) was the biggest single factor in a disappointing season and the one most emblematic of the frustrating spot Michigan finds itself in. A lot of TV stats are weird, cherry-picked, and meaningless, but Michigan going 0-20 against top 15 teams in road/neutral games since Lloyd Carr retired does actually say it all about where it's at.

And while I said it badly right after the Ohio State game, the thing that sticks with me after this season are the two relevant quotes from the OSU/Michigan rivalry. Justin Fields is in the football building so eternally that he described the campus where he is nominally a student like it was a European city he'd like to visit some day. Josh Gattis on Patterson before the season:

"I was a little bit worried about him coming into camp, because he spent so much time on the golf course this summer," Gattis told media Wednesday in Ann Arbor.

Michigan has a recipe for a nice little program that never beats anyone of import.

Michigan is the Papa Doc of college football. Pretty good at its subject matter. Rolls deep. Excellent at beating up on the Cheddar Bobs of the world.

Fundamentally, though, Michigan is named Clarence and went to Cranbrook. They'll let some guys into school but not other guys. If they're bagging they're the worst school in the world at it since they managed to turn the Michigan money cannon into zero guys ranked higher than 92nd in this class. The culture of the program is such that the starting QB gets called out for golfing too much.

Then they pretend to some sort of nobility. But there's no such thing as halfway crooks.

[After THE JUMP: Gattisization complete though]

AWARDS

when not chasing Jeudy it went well [Barron]

Known Friends And Trusted Agents Of The Week

you're the man now, dog

#1 Jordan Glasgow. Everywhere when Alabama tried to go horizontal, which they did far too often until it was four-minute drill time. 10 tackles, one for loss, and several others at or near the line of scrimmage to set up long yardage situations. Generally not liable for what happened with the WR crew.

#2 Zach Charbonnet. 84 yards on 13 carries, many of them featuring Charbonnet running over Alabama guys like he was still in high school. Also one murderous blitz pickup and several other good blitz pickups.

#3 Giles Jackson. Michigan's leading receiver with 57 yards, 40 of them on a wheel route catch and run where he popped out of the backfield. Also had an inside zone carry for three yards, which is an interesting wrinkle that helped set up the wheel route. Had kickoff returns to the 50 and 35 and induced Bama to pop another kickoff up to the 35. Should be real fun next year.

Honorable mention: Dax Hill wasn't primarily responsible for the 85-yarder and had 11 tackles of his own, with some almost plays. Quinn Nordin banged through three FGs, including a 57-yarder. Nico Collins had four catches for 48 yards and could have had more if Patterson was more on point. Aidan Hutchinson made several plays on the ground. Cam McGrone had a number of plays in the second half, but did blow a coverage on Bama's TD to go up two scores.

KFaTAotW Standings

NOTE: New scoring! HM: 1 point. #3: 3 points. #2: 5 points. #1: 8 points. Split winners awarded points at the sole discretion of a pygmy marmoset named Luke.

23: Shea Patterson(HM MTSU, #1 Rutgers. HM PSU, #2 MSU, #1 Indiana)
21: Josh Uche (#3 MTSU, #3 Army, T2 Rutgers, #2 Illinois, HM ND, T1 Maryland, HM MSU, #3 Indiana), Jordan Glasgow (HM MTSU, T3 Iowa, #1 Illinois, HM Maryland, #1 Alabama)
19: Nico Collins (HM Rutgers, HM Iowa, #1 PSU, #3 Maryland, HM MSU, #2 Indiana. HM Alabama),  Aidan Hutchinson(#1 Army, HM Rutgers, T1 Iowa, HM Illinois, HM ND, T1 Maryland, HM Indiana, HM Alabama)
18: Zach Charbonnet (#2 MTSU, #2 Army, HM PSU, HM ND, HM Maryland, #2 Alabama)
15: Whole Dang OL(#2 PSU, #1 ND, HM Maryland, HM Indiana).
13: Cam McGrone(HM Rutgers, T3 Iowa, HM Illinois, #3 PSU, #2 ND. HM Alabama), Ronnie Bell (HM Army, T3 Rutgers, HM Illinois, #1 MSU)
10:  Ambry Thomas (#1 MTSU, HM Rutgers, HM Illinois), Kwity Paye (T2 Rutgers, T1 Iowa, HM PSU, T1 Maryland)
9: Khaleke Hudson (#2 Iowa, HM Illinois, HM ND, HM Maryland, HM MSU)
7: Josh Metellus (HM Army, HM Iowa, #2 Maryland), Hassan Haskins (#3 Illinois, #3 ND, HM Maryland)
6: Lavert Hill (HM Army, HM Iowa, HM ND, #3 MSU)
5: Giles Jackson (HM Maryland, HM Indiana, #3 Alabama)
3: DPJ (T3 Rutgers, HM MSU), Mike Danna (T1 Maryland, HM MSU), Dax Hill(HM Rutgers, HM Iowa, HM Alabama)
2: Tru Wilson (HM ND, HM Maryland), Will Hart (HM MTSU, HM Maryland), Carlo Kemp(HM MSU)
1:  Josh Ross (HM, MTSU), Sean McKeon (HM, MTSU),Brad Hawkins (HM Army), Christian Turner (HM Rutgers), Nick Eubanks (HM Illinois), Brad Hawkins (HM ND), Michael Barrett (HM Maryland), Quinn Nordin (HM Alabama).

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

Nordin nails a 57-yard field goal to give Michigan a halftime lead.

Honorable mention: The back half of the first quarter when Michigan was running with abandon and Alabama kept punting. McGrone time.

​MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK.

Patterson throws an interception directly at Josh Jobe's chest to functionally end the game.

Honorable mention: Several people try to pronounce "VRBO" as a word instead of an acronym. Michigan gives up an 85-yard TD on the first snap. Pretty much any Jerry Jeudy thing. Henry Ruggs makes a shoetops catch on which Dax Hill gets a rake in.

OFFENSE

All systems go. The most optimistic thing about the way the year finished: Josh Gattis dialing up several gameplans that were, as the kids five years ago say, straight fire. Gattis straight up dragged Shea Patterson to a finishing stretch that disguised his season-long regression with a ton of RPS+ plays on which he was able to turn short throws into big gains. Michigan nuked MSU's defense in their Super Bowl and had first halves against OSU and Alabama in which Michigan put up nearly 300 yards but did not convert those yards into points efficiently because of execution errors.

Second halves in those games did not go nearly as well; even so  Michigan put up an average of 400 yards against the SP+ #2 and #7 defenses. Failing to score the way you should is an issue but Michigan's players spurned tons of opportunities that were there. You can't argue with the approach, just the execution.

This was not the case early in the year, to say the least. But the arc here is very encouraging and should pave the way for a very good offense next year.

[Barron]

The difference. Donovan Peoples-Jones was the #1 WR in the class of 2017. #3 was Jerry Jeudy. DeVonta Smith was #9; Henry Ruggs was #11. All three of the Bama receivers were outstanding. Peoples-Jones had one catch and run for a chunk off Michigan's clever wildcat flea flicker and (IIRC) just one other target, that a deep ball on which he lost the route. Alabama's got some dudes in the secondary, of course, but DPJ was supposed to be the dude of dudes. Bama's guys were getting separation that DPJ hasn't really gotten thus far in his career. Lavert Hill got torched by Jeudy so badly that his intentional PI afterwards was widely regarded as a smart play. DPJ events like that were rare this year.

It's pretty frustrating that Michigan's elite recruits have panned out like Rashan Gary, who was good but some distance from an All-American, and Peoples-Jones (ditto). Even when Michigan's managed to get a big-timer they haven't gotten full measure from them. Jabrill Peppers is the exception.

One potential caveat: I've complained repeatedly about Patterson not taking shots to open guys, and frequently these were Peoples-Jones. Might not be his deal.

burly but not 80 yards fast [Barron]

Need some lightning. Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet both had quality days against the Bama defense. Haskins didn't have the YPC Charbonnet did but had a number of tough interior short yardage runs that are a burgeoning trademark. Both guys are good backs.

But Michigan again struggled to pop chunk runs. Michigan's long on the day was 12 yards. This has been a season-long issue, one that didn't really go away even as the offense started living up to the "speed in space" offseason chatter. A large part of this seemed to fall on the backs. Michigan presented a thunder and thunder approach.

Next year they'll have quite a bit of lightning. Chris Evans is going to return; Michigan adds turbo jet guy Blake Corum as well. Giles Jackson should continue to have a role as a RB/WR hybrid. This should be the year when the "spread H" spot I keep talking about actually emerges into a big part of Michigan's offense.

DEFENSE

Come on. Aidan Hutchinson's terrible roughing the passer penalty was at least a four-point swing; given Alabama's issues in the kicking game it could well have been seven. The officiating analyst seemed as baffled as anyone about that call. Meanwhile a little bit later Ronnie Bell had his head taken off; you could say that Bell was not defenseless but that seemed more like targeting than any call I'd seen this year.

I don't know what to think. Steve Sarkisian got his QB a 13 YPA day thanks to what seemed like a download of Michigan's defense:

Bama had Michigan’s number with the check. Michigan was in Cover 2, versus Y Off they typically invert the Deep 1/2 safety down. Jeudy had the entire field to run away from the other Deep 1/2 safety after the rotation to the Y. https://t.co/muA2axsIPq

— James Light (@JamesALight) January 1, 2020

Exact coverage Michigan was in on the Jeudy TD pass. Eagle (Don Brown Cover 2), rotate to invert vs 2x2 Y Off. Puts the safety in a tough spot versus a two way go for the slot. pic.twitter.com/37ym2gaxIn

— James Light (@JamesALight) January 1, 2020

After that he continued screwing around with outside runs and screens and throws while virtually ignoring Michigan's clear weakness up the gut. There was one power play early in the third quarter that went for a chunk and I thought "okay here we go", and then Alabama didn't bother doing it again until their four-minute drive, which went right into the endzone as Najee Harris clubbed Michigan.

In the end I don't think the approach made a whole lot of sense because Bama ended up with 28 points before that drive; sure, take the shots downfield but if you're not taking shots downfield stop dicking around with anything but power football.

This is not in Sarkisian's nature, so Michigan's weak interior barely got tested.

McGrone doing freshman star things. Michigan got a couple of great plays from Cam McGrone to set Alabama up with third and eleven; Bama converted, got another giant catch and run chunk from Jeudy immediately after, and then McGrone got lost on a delay route from the TE for a 20-yard TD. He's going to be very good; that play was a learning experience.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Good field goals. That one from 57 was good from 58 easy.

Good kickoff returns. Jackson's opening kickoff return was a no no no no YES YES YES moment. His ability to pick down the sideline and then cut back has served him well a couple of times this year. Hopefully a prelude to a breakout 2020.

Not so good punting. Why did Michigan insert Brad Robbins—who I thought was no longer on the team—for a 19-yard punt midway through the game? It's filed as a TEAM punt in the stats so I guess it must have taken a deflection. Still baffling.