I'm a Bears fan and the last thing I wanted to see was JJ in this division. If he acclimates well to the NFL (which I think he will), the Vikings are gonna be a bitch to play
It's maybe not the most surprising because of the hit rate on NFL QB's, but I was shocked Denard didn't have a bigger impact. He was basically Lamar Jackson, with maybe not so great passing skills. But I thought even as a RB that he would have a longer career than he did, but I can also understand that injuries robbed him of some of his potential. But still, I thought for sure a guy as fast and athletic as Denard would carve out a decent little NFL career
I've been watching Michigan football since 2002 or so. This 3 year run has been so far and above any other stretch of my fandom so far. I'll be forever grateful that he came back and got back to the mountaintop.
Imagine overcoming tons of adversity and winning a national championship at your alma mater just to have the NCAA or Warde Manuel hanging over your job like a sword of damocles because of the actions of low level staffer.
I don't blame him one bit for wanting a little bit of protection, especially if you can have NFL offers on the table which mean never having to hear about the NCAA ever again
Yeah, I've never thought this was about money. It's 2 things: Jim wants another shot at a SuperBowl, and he doesn't want to coach at Michigan if his job depends on the NCAA and Warde Manuel. I think that's fair and I don't begrudge him either way
Yeah, he probably has a much easier job replicating his offense at Bama than doing it again at Washington. Their recruiting class in the 30's or something, and Michael Penix-type QB's just don't grow on trees. At Bama, he's got Milroe and a billion 5 stars to play with, and all the NIL money he could ask for to throw at other elite players.
He might get run out of there in 3 years for not being Saban, but it's also likely an easier job than restocking Washington in the B1G would be
File him under the CJ Stroud, JT Barrett, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zeke Elliot, JK Dobbins, Braxton Miller and co file of "OSU players I'm glad we never have to play against again"
Every team has to fight to stay relevant. If not, people forget you were ever that good. Look at the teams who regularly won championships 100 years ago: Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech
We've held onto 1997 so hard for so long because it's all we had to cherish in terms of reaching the mountaintop in our lifetimes. Now we have so much to celebrate and relive for decades. This 3 year span will go down as one of our best eras ever.
That's one of the best parts of everything. Nothing hurts anymore. Not App State, not the Spot, not Shawn Crable, not Toledo, not Shane Morris, not "aware, but not fully aware", not the 2pt conversion that wasn't, not John O'Korn, not Trouble with the Snap, not Spartan Bob, not 27 for 27, nothing.
Michigan ruled college football for 3 years and you can never take that away. Our last title is no longer "split". Nebraska vs Michigan doesn't matter anymore. We no longer have to revere 1997 as the only perfect season since most of us were alive. This is football nirvana.
That's actually quite true, someone from Michigan twitter said that this news coming out when it did was actually the worst possible time for say, Ohio State, because it gave Michigan plenty of time to prove it on the field, repeatedly and decisively, to the point where even the great Nick Saban trotted off into the either unperturbed
Penn State so embarrassed they fired their OC a week after our game
Sent Brian Ferentz out with a donut on the scoreboard to cap a horrible career
Retired Saban after beating him in the Rose Bowl
B1G & National Championship
Harbaugh just reeked havoc on the CFB landscape this year. We're like 1 Tony Petitti resignation away from almost completely jettisoning his enemies from the sport lol
Of all the years to have a hard schedule, this is probably the best time. Just won a National Title, so no urgency to go win it all and we'll be clearly rebuilding, which takes more stress off. If we go 8-4, I'd be fine with that due to the difficulty and new players (and potentially new head coach).
If we go 9-3 or better, then I'll be over the moon
I agree, Ohio State and Washington were clearly the best offenses, but Washington had zero balance with no running game whatsoever. Ohio State has one, even if they kept abandoning it because Ryan Day is a terrible play caller. We beat Penn State, Washington, and Alabama on the road or a neutral while playing sloppy or one dimensional. Only Ohio State had to compete on our turf and they nearly went blow for blow with us despite us playing nearly perfect. I made fun of McCord all year but I was actually really impressed with his poise and accuracy given the pressure he was under. And Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best player we defended, although Odunze is close.
Same. Ohio State was the only team where I'm not confident we'd win a rematch, or at least if we played 10 times, we'd probably split the series 5-5. Washington is just too mismatched in the trenches, Alabama can't pass protect and Milroe is not experienced enough to withstand that much pressure, Penn State has no offense and no one else really comes close. Ohio State, to their credit, played us to the end on our own turf and didn't get routed in the trenches unlike almost everyone else.
The analysis and football breakdowns here are second to none. I've looked and looked for other team related blogs to find similar levels of content and not once has anybody come close. This site is world class and I can't thank the staff behind this operation enough. We appreciate you guys!
I watched some film, and while he has great timing and puts the ball right where it needs to be a la CJ Stroud, he often threw right into coverage and his amazing WR's bailed him out all the time with incredible contested catches. I didn't think we'd expose him, but in the back of my mind, I was wondering if he was just getting lucky with all those shots or if they actually just thrive on contested catches.
Turns out, that strategy wasn't sustainable against an NFL style defense
Reading every butthurt comment from Buckeye/Sparty fans is like winning the National Championship over and over again. "But cheating?!!" "ASTERISK!" "It doesn't count because it hurts my fee-fees!!"
God dammit, I'm gonna savor every salty little comment from these dweebs
Surely Ohio State didn't engage in any nefarious recruiting tactics, after all, I've heard so much from them about why "cheating" is the worst thing in the world.
Apparently he's a locker room cancer, with him leaving entirely due to arguing over his NIL price. He'll fit right in with those mercenaries in Columbus who only care about the NFL and their bags. Haha love it
They have nothing over us. We've won 3 in a row, decisively. 3 straight B1G titles and CFP berths. And now a more recent National fucking Championship. Ohio State is the second fiddle in the conference, and they can fucking stew on it
The simplest predictor of games in football is the trenches. And this matchup is nowhere near as close competitively as Bama/Penn State/Ohio State were, and look how those went
The only people who seem to properly guess our games is Vegas. They had us as favorites against Bama when no one wanted to take that risk, and they think we're even bigger favorites going into this one.
If you don't completely and repeatedly denounce your prior position, this mea culpa garbage is just more of the same (reading the room and saying whatever gets clicks). They know people don't give a fuck about the scandal anymore because it's clear bullshit at this point, but that doesn't make them actually sorry about their earlier message. They're just riding whichever sentiment makes for more clicks. Fuck 'em
Matchups are usually won in the trenches, and Washington does not hold up well there except in pass protection. Teams can run on them, their run game is okay, and they don't rush the passer all that well (we almost double their sack numbers). If Michigan was able to push Bama around and control the LOS yesterday, it's gonna be tough to see how Washington can do any better
In my eyes, they're like Maryland on a steroids. A QB-first offense with a ho-hum run game but lots of weapons in the pass game, and a defense that lets you score nearly as much as you want.
They've escaped a lot of close games, but Penix is the real deal and he alone gives them a chance to win every game. And their coach is legit, DeBoer is a great playcaller taking advantage of a veteran QB. But 8-0 in 1 score games is crazy and eventually that luck should run out, especially against a team as well rounded as our squad
You really wanna highlight this staff's incredible nose for transfers and maximizing their abilities, look no further than Cam Goode. Came here to be a depth guy, many thought he'd barely see the field if at all. And yet here he is, on the field against Bama holding his own (and almost joining the sack party)
Reminds me of how Beilein used to coach circles around the schools who recruited the 1-and-done type players with his collection of diamond-in-the-rough type players
Mike Sainristil is a converted WR, Michael Barrett is a viper turned MLB, Mason Graham/Kenneth Grant/Derrick Moore are sophomores, Josh Wallace was a CB at UMass last year, Rod Moore was a 3 star whodat, MacGregor had to redevelop himself after a brutal knee injury robbed him of several seasons.
This team, and especially this defense, is a masterclass of coaching. The unit is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Recent Comments
I'm a Bears fan and the last thing I wanted to see was JJ in this division. If he acclimates well to the NFL (which I think he will), the Vikings are gonna be a bitch to play
It's maybe not the most surprising because of the hit rate on NFL QB's, but I was shocked Denard didn't have a bigger impact. He was basically Lamar Jackson, with maybe not so great passing skills. But I thought even as a RB that he would have a longer career than he did, but I can also understand that injuries robbed him of some of his potential. But still, I thought for sure a guy as fast and athletic as Denard would carve out a decent little NFL career
I've been watching Michigan football since 2002 or so. This 3 year run has been so far and above any other stretch of my fandom so far. I'll be forever grateful that he came back and got back to the mountaintop.
Don't forget S. Herrone M'oore
Imagine overcoming tons of adversity and winning a national championship at your alma mater just to have the NCAA or Warde Manuel hanging over your job like a sword of damocles because of the actions of low level staffer.
I don't blame him one bit for wanting a little bit of protection, especially if you can have NFL offers on the table which mean never having to hear about the NCAA ever again
Yeah, I've never thought this was about money. It's 2 things: Jim wants another shot at a SuperBowl, and he doesn't want to coach at Michigan if his job depends on the NCAA and Warde Manuel. I think that's fair and I don't begrudge him either way
It's national title or bust for them next year with all this. If they can't buy their way to a title, I'm gonna laugh my ass off for years
I can't be bothered by football for like, another 2 decades. Being national champ takes all the stress away when stuff like this happens
Iowa fans only wish we had driven their head coach away lol
Yeah, he probably has a much easier job replicating his offense at Bama than doing it again at Washington. Their recruiting class in the 30's or something, and Michael Penix-type QB's just don't grow on trees. At Bama, he's got Milroe and a billion 5 stars to play with, and all the NIL money he could ask for to throw at other elite players.
He might get run out of there in 3 years for not being Saban, but it's also likely an easier job than restocking Washington in the B1G would be
I'm not sure Herbert's style would work in the pros
Yeah I'm prepared for just having Sherrone Moore back next year as HC. Minter-Harbaugh make a great pair, and Harbaugh loves having a close trusted DC
File him under the CJ Stroud, JT Barrett, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zeke Elliot, JK Dobbins, Braxton Miller and co file of "OSU players I'm glad we never have to play against again"
Every team has to fight to stay relevant. If not, people forget you were ever that good. Look at the teams who regularly won championships 100 years ago: Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech
We've held onto 1997 so hard for so long because it's all we had to cherish in terms of reaching the mountaintop in our lifetimes. Now we have so much to celebrate and relive for decades. This 3 year span will go down as one of our best eras ever.
That's one of the best parts of everything. Nothing hurts anymore. Not App State, not the Spot, not Shawn Crable, not Toledo, not Shane Morris, not "aware, but not fully aware", not the 2pt conversion that wasn't, not John O'Korn, not Trouble with the Snap, not Spartan Bob, not 27 for 27, nothing.
Michigan ruled college football for 3 years and you can never take that away. Our last title is no longer "split". Nebraska vs Michigan doesn't matter anymore. We no longer have to revere 1997 as the only perfect season since most of us were alive. This is football nirvana.
I can't imagine a more painful phrase to read for every scandal truther among our rivals. Has to be utterly demoralizing
That's actually quite true, someone from Michigan twitter said that this news coming out when it did was actually the worst possible time for say, Ohio State, because it gave Michigan plenty of time to prove it on the field, repeatedly and decisively, to the point where even the great Nick Saban trotted off into the either unperturbed
Their scandal thread is gonna be a goldmine, if you're into that sorta thing
I think it's a 3 way race between Lanning, DeBoer and Kiffin, or maybe Sark
Bit of a low bar, that one
Put…
What a damn season:
Harbaugh just reeked havoc on the CFB landscape this year. We're like 1 Tony Petitti resignation away from almost completely jettisoning his enemies from the sport lol
Of all the years to have a hard schedule, this is probably the best time. Just won a National Title, so no urgency to go win it all and we'll be clearly rebuilding, which takes more stress off. If we go 8-4, I'd be fine with that due to the difficulty and new players (and potentially new head coach).
If we go 9-3 or better, then I'll be over the moon
With how Jim is wired, something like this would actually be super convincing I think. He'd love that
I agree, Ohio State and Washington were clearly the best offenses, but Washington had zero balance with no running game whatsoever. Ohio State has one, even if they kept abandoning it because Ryan Day is a terrible play caller. We beat Penn State, Washington, and Alabama on the road or a neutral while playing sloppy or one dimensional. Only Ohio State had to compete on our turf and they nearly went blow for blow with us despite us playing nearly perfect. I made fun of McCord all year but I was actually really impressed with his poise and accuracy given the pressure he was under. And Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best player we defended, although Odunze is close.
Same. Ohio State was the only team where I'm not confident we'd win a rematch, or at least if we played 10 times, we'd probably split the series 5-5. Washington is just too mismatched in the trenches, Alabama can't pass protect and Milroe is not experienced enough to withstand that much pressure, Penn State has no offense and no one else really comes close. Ohio State, to their credit, played us to the end on our own turf and didn't get routed in the trenches unlike almost everyone else.
The analysis and football breakdowns here are second to none. I've looked and looked for other team related blogs to find similar levels of content and not once has anybody come close. This site is world class and I can't thank the staff behind this operation enough. We appreciate you guys!
I watched some film, and while he has great timing and puts the ball right where it needs to be a la CJ Stroud, he often threw right into coverage and his amazing WR's bailed him out all the time with incredible contested catches. I didn't think we'd expose him, but in the back of my mind, I was wondering if he was just getting lucky with all those shots or if they actually just thrive on contested catches.
Turns out, that strategy wasn't sustainable against an NFL style defense
Reading every butthurt comment from Buckeye/Sparty fans is like winning the National Championship over and over again. "But cheating?!!" "ASTERISK!" "It doesn't count because it hurts my fee-fees!!"
God dammit, I'm gonna savor every salty little comment from these dweebs
Surely Ohio State didn't engage in any nefarious recruiting tactics, after all, I've heard so much from them about why "cheating" is the worst thing in the world.
Apparently he's a locker room cancer, with him leaving entirely due to arguing over his NIL price. He'll fit right in with those mercenaries in Columbus who only care about the NFL and their bags. Haha love it
Guy saves his best for the biggest moments, you gotta give him that
They have nothing over us. We've won 3 in a row, decisively. 3 straight B1G titles and CFP berths. And now a more recent National fucking Championship. Ohio State is the second fiddle in the conference, and they can fucking stew on it
Put it on a shirt, I'll buy ten. Michigan vs Everybody and Michigan fucking won
Will Johnson played his damn ass off this year, especially impressive after coming back from injury
You never know if you'll live to see moments like these, and we just got an epic all time perfect season
I cannot wait for his epic post-win rant. He's had some glorious ones after Ohio State and Alabama. Now is the time for his magnum opus
Perfect endings are hard to come by, but this team did it. There's nothing else like this feeling. God damn Go Blue
HE DID IT, THE MAD MAN DID IT
The simplest predictor of games in football is the trenches. And this matchup is nowhere near as close competitively as Bama/Penn State/Ohio State were, and look how those went
The only people who seem to properly guess our games is Vegas. They had us as favorites against Bama when no one wanted to take that risk, and they think we're even bigger favorites going into this one.
I'll side with Vegas
If you don't completely and repeatedly denounce your prior position, this mea culpa garbage is just more of the same (reading the room and saying whatever gets clicks). They know people don't give a fuck about the scandal anymore because it's clear bullshit at this point, but that doesn't make them actually sorry about their earlier message. They're just riding whichever sentiment makes for more clicks. Fuck 'em
Pound the ball down their throats and keep Penix off the field, it's pretty simple
Matchups are usually won in the trenches, and Washington does not hold up well there except in pass protection. Teams can run on them, their run game is okay, and they don't rush the passer all that well (we almost double their sack numbers). If Michigan was able to push Bama around and control the LOS yesterday, it's gonna be tough to see how Washington can do any better
In my eyes, they're like Maryland on a steroids. A QB-first offense with a ho-hum run game but lots of weapons in the pass game, and a defense that lets you score nearly as much as you want.
They've escaped a lot of close games, but Penix is the real deal and he alone gives them a chance to win every game. And their coach is legit, DeBoer is a great playcaller taking advantage of a veteran QB. But 8-0 in 1 score games is crazy and eventually that luck should run out, especially against a team as well rounded as our squad
You really wanna highlight this staff's incredible nose for transfers and maximizing their abilities, look no further than Cam Goode. Came here to be a depth guy, many thought he'd barely see the field if at all. And yet here he is, on the field against Bama holding his own (and almost joining the sack party)
Reminds me of how Beilein used to coach circles around the schools who recruited the 1-and-done type players with his collection of diamond-in-the-rough type players
Mike Sainristil is a converted WR, Michael Barrett is a viper turned MLB, Mason Graham/Kenneth Grant/Derrick Moore are sophomores, Josh Wallace was a CB at UMass last year, Rod Moore was a 3 star whodat, MacGregor had to redevelop himself after a brutal knee injury robbed him of several seasons.
This team, and especially this defense, is a masterclass of coaching. The unit is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Fuck the refs, play good enough and they don't fucking matter. Win the whole fucking thing, let's gooooo!
Goddammit let's fucking gooooo! Win the whole fucking thing GOOO BLUUUUEEE!!!!
We're all Monkey riding a dog rodeo now, let's fucking gooooo!