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Week 9 Trend Report
Previously, Week 8 Trend Report. This weeks is a bit shorter as I’ve yet to watch the game in it’s entirety, Saturday morning/afternoon funerals will impact your gameday, unfortunately.
Trending IN
Al Borges, what are you doing!? In Michigan’s two losses there were opportunities to at least pull even with the opponent. In both cases, Michigan squandered opportunities with bad play call on a 4th and 1 play at Michigan State and didn’t manage to find the end-zone from the three yard-line and four plays to work with. From AA.com:
Toussaint received more than two carries on two drives, and Michigan scored on both of them. He got only five carries on the Wolverines’ nine other drives, and the Wolverines scored once.
Maybe he did get hurt. Still. It sure does seem like Michigan’s offense on the road doesn’t make an attempt to stick with what is working in the running game. Moving on to that last drive – my take in the Game Recap was that Michigan shouldn’t have used the timeout right away and ran a play to give Denard a chance to score with his feet. From MZone:
Denard should’ve been rolling out for a play that gave the most electrifying runner on the field a run/pass option rather than calling something in which he had to thread the needle?
Couldn’t agree more, my friend.
Denard not playing all that well. Save a light Purdue team, Denard now hasn’t played well in a handful of weeks. Denard’s final stat line on the day had him going 17-for-37, 194 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, and 1 lost fumble. Towards the end of the game, three to five plays were wasted as Denard fired the ball down field way beyond the grasp of any outstretched Michigan receiver. On top of his issues throwing – it seems as though Denard is moving at about 70% of is max explosiveness and speed, no? I don’t know if he is banged up or if he is being coached in some way that results in him being tentative and never making a play with this feet when he doesn’t find a man down field.
Glimpses of the past three seasons down the stretch. I HATE THIS TREND! I sure do wish it would just go away one of these years. Michigan just cannot get a decent win, on the road, against a B1G team that is barely decent. It is just a massive struggle at times watching this team.
Trending OUT
Thomas Gordon making plays on the field. Does anyone know what the deal is with Gordon? Back in the day this season, Gordan was snagging one-handed picks and forcing three fumbles. Gordon didn’t one single defensive snap in the Iowa game, but did make it on to the field for special teams. This is a mystery to me. Here Touch the Banner’s take:
Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Thomas Gordon. Gordon has had a hand in twice as many turnovers as anyone else on the team (1 interception, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 forced fumbles), but he found himself watching from the bench as Troy Woolfolk started at safety on Saturday. Woolfolk isn’t 100% healthy and should have sat out against a cupcake or two earlier in the season to get ready for the Big Ten, but the coaches sent him out there every week, anyway, and now we’re seeing the repercussions. Gordon needs to be on the field, and Woolfolk ought to be subbing in at corner, safety, or both.
Agree, my friend.
Still trending out from last week…
- Winning the turnover battle. Michigan lost the turnover battle against Purdue last week, and lost it again in Iowa City.
- Denard Robinson’s big rushing days. Longest run vs. the Hawkeyes was 22 yards, while only yielding 55 yards on 12 carries.
- Michael Shaw and Stephen Hopkins seeing important carries. That didn’t happen again against Iowa. It will be interested to see the carry distribution if Toussaint is really banged up going into the final three weeks.
- Cam Gordon’s health. I hope I don’t see Cam on the side of a milk carton, no seriously. What does this guy look like during warm ups? Or, has he been kidnapped and is never to be seen again
Around the B1G
So there was a point in time on Saturday where Indiana was beating Ohio State, Minnesota was beating Michigan State, and Iowa was beating Michigan – WTF was about the only appropriate expression for me at the time.
Bottom line: Michigan’s not-too-shabby 7-2 record is marred by a conference that is borderline futile. There is not a B1G team that has earned the right to be in the top 15.
Michigan State Impresses college football fans all across the country in beating the same (ok slightly different) Minnesota team that didn’t belong in the same stadium as Michigan just weeks ago. So, MSU gets the win, 31-24. Minnesota actually outgained Michigan State in total yards, 415 to 402.
My money would be on an Iowa victory next week. I think Michigan State appropriately fizzles on the road.
Ohio State Impresses too! Indiana jumped out to a 10 – 0 lead before Ohio State rallied. The game was tied at the half and remained close throughout before pulled away at the end with a turnover / late score. Indiana is certainly happy with the effort and Ohio State moves on with yet another win. The end of November is going to be verrrrrry interesting in Ann Arbor. Michigan is going to have it’s hands full with Braxton Miller.
Given the recent turnaround of this Ohio State team – fans of that team are in a bit of a coaching conundrum. This from Eleven Warriors:
Sure, The Hatter is a disgusting “Michigan Man,” but I’m willing to wager that he’s also a Money Man. When Les’ coronation is complete this January, it better be Gordon Gee and Gene Smith’s Replacement leading a caravan of gold bricks down to the Bayou. After watching Michigan fans melting down on Twitter, I would love nothing more than to watch their reactions to Les Miles, bedecked in Scarlet and Grey, making the Big 10 his personal fiefdom over the next 15 years in semi-retirement.
Fat chance.
Nebraska loses to Northwestern. Wait, Nebraska lost to Northwestern? Man, I did not see that one coming. Northwestern was a 17 point dog going into this one.
Nebraska fans seem to think a lot like Michigan fans at this point. Michigan isn’t back, but Michigan is getting closer. The sentiment from Corn Nation:
I dismiss the idea that Bo Pelini’s teams always lose a game they shouldn’t. That being said, many Nebraska losses now come in that category, because most people think Nebraska’s on the cusp of being a contender again. But until Pelini and Nebraska can play more consistently, Nebraska will remain on the outside of that cusp. No, Nebraska’s not back. Not when the Huskers keep losing games like this. It’s not terminal either, unless fans lose patience.
There ya have it.
Wisconsin slugs Purdue 62-17. You just don’t mess with Wisconsin in Madison. They annihilate defenses when they get to play on their home turf. Against Purdue, Wisky’s offense amassed 605 total yards (Michigan wasn’t far from that total vs. Purdue). Luckily, Michigan is not playing Wisconsin this season.
