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Week 10 Trend Report
Previously, Week 8 and Week 9 Trend Reports.
Trending: the good.
It’s a Michigan Defense! It’s like celebrating a birth, or re-birth. From MZone:
How improved is Michigan’s defense this year? Well…
In order to give up as many points as they did last year, Michigan would have to average 101 points against them in its remaining three games (the two regular season contests and then the bowl game).
Yes, read that again: Michigan would have to give up over 300 HUNDRED POINTS to equal the carnage of 2010. Even last year’s defense might not be able to do that.
Seriously, damn. Michigan now has the nation’s 5th best scoring defense – allowing 15.5 points per 60 minute outing and has is ranked 16th IN THE NATION in total defense. Simply amazing.
Ryan Van Bergen is doing work, son. So is the entire defensive line. I’m talking about you, too, Mike Martin. The senior defensive tackle is making his presence felt on the reg. RVB had three sacks and seven tackles in his latest outing earning him B1G Co-Defensive POW honors. Said the front was barking at the freshman Illinois had in for a series:
“We were barking at the freshman (quarterback) when he came in because he was looking kind of wide-eyed.”
Mike Martin led the team in tackles and is the main reason Michigan seems to stop every 3rd or 4th down and short conversion.
Martavious Odoms gets to the promise land of orange field turf. It was a pleasure watching Tae O grab a couple receptions and netting a score on his latter reception. Odoms is one dude that you feel proud of as a Michigan fan. Look at all that he has gone through: the 2008 debacle; all that is bad as a result of RR; injured in 2009; injured in 2010; injured and not played much in 2011. This from Hoke in Monday’s press conference:
Brady Hoke: On Martavious Odums getting more playing time lately. “One thing Tave’s done is he’s come to work every day.” Also said the limitations of a hairline fracture to forearm suffered in fall camp set him back at the beginning of the year.
From Touch the Banner:
Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Martavious Odoms. Odoms was struggling to see the field earlier in the year, partly because he was recovering from a broken bone in his forearm. It was frustrating to see a key player from the past few seasons end his career by barely seeing the field. Luckily, that trend appears to be ending. He got what seemed to be the most playing time of the season against the Illini, when he had 2 receptions for 46 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown reception from Devin Gardner to go up 24-7. Odoms was also wide open in the endzone early in the game, but Denard Robinson overthrew him.
Not surprised Denard over threw Odoms in the end zone when he was wide open, as Denard was rolling out and running toward the line of scrimmage by the time he released the ball.
JT Floyd was in…beast mode? I went back and watch some of JT’s afternoon and he was right there all day long and if you paid attention to JT throughout the course of the game – his interception wouldn’t have been a surprise. This is from yours truly in the Game Recap:
JT gets verbally abused by most Michigan fans – as his tackling has been poor and he is most known for giving receivers ginormous 10-15 yard cushions prior to the snap. Floyd played a hell of a game. JT showed two things yesterday, (1) that he, at this point in the season and his career, can run and not get beat deep and (2) that he has the speed and quickness to break on the ball and make a big play. His interception was crucial as Illinois had an opportunity around mid field to pull within either three or seven points of Michigan.
TEAM, TEAM, TEAM. Football games are won and lost by a TEAM, not a single unit on the football field. Hence, Michigan’s monstrous struggles for three years with one to one-and-a-half out of three units of the team playing with any level of competency. So here we be, ten games under the new direction of Brady Hoke and Michigan won a road game because they are much more of a complete TEAM. When the offense eats a bad peanut, the defense is there to turn things around.
Trending: the not-so-good.
Denard’s inability to find open space with his legarooskies. This is unfortunate for college football fans, specifically those with feelings involving emotions towards Michigan, as Denard is a joy to watch when he is healthy and running in space.
Devin Gardner’s knack for running horizontal, not vertical. It’s frustrating watching Devin carry the football. Does he not just want to bounce everything outside? I’m sure that worked in high school and he was able to turn the corner with success – well this ain’t high school anymore and he’s not going to have any success doing that. I have two beefs with Gardner when he’s running (1) is that his first instinct is to bounce it outside and (2) when it’s time for contact, he typically turns his shoulder and does this little side jump thing in to the defender. If you’ve watched Michigan all year – you know what I am talking about. However, Devin did his part in managing the game and putting 14 points on the board (really 7, the other TD was all Toussaint). My beef on display (that reads funny, please keep that in context):
Devin should have cut this up field when he was at about the eight or nine yard line. Since it was 3rd and goal – Michigan was forced to line up for three instead of potentially six if Gardner is the aggressor. In the 4th, there was a play (video link) where Devin shows some nice ability to quickly react and get out of the pocket / up field. So, that was nice to see.
With Michigan’s defense and special teams playing key roles in the victory – the shocker isn’t that the two negative points in the trends are in regards to Michigan’s two quarterbacks. You have to complain about somethings, it’s mandatory you know.
Around the B1G
Ohio State mystified by Purdue, loses 26-23 in OT. Seriously, Danny Hope is 3-0 against the Buckeyes?! Damn. So, Ohio State put together three conference wins in a row – two of which came at the hands of Illinois (who has now Ron Zooked it’s way into an average at best season) and Wisconsin. Ohio State a la one week prior vs. Indiana spots their next Indiana foe a 10 spot. Towards the end of the game, Ohio State was on the fortunate end of an improbable touchdown late in the 4th quarter. Oh but wait, the extra point was blocked. From Eleven Warriors:
Six and four. That’s where the Buckeyes stand after inexcusably starting the game in a daze for the second straight week allowing the opponent to jump out to a 10-0 lead, putting extra pressure on an offense that struggles to get first downs let alone score points.
Of course, that problem was magnified by a defense that despite holding Purdue to three points in the 2nd half, simply couldn’t make the big plays when needed especially on third down in what is becoming an all too familiar trend.
It wasn’t pretty for the Buckeyes.
Nebraska slides by Penn State 17-14, but who watched? Seriously, Penn State games are brutal to watch this season – and Nebraska isn’t too far behind. The two teams combined for fifteen freaking punts in a battle of punts. Nebraska did jump out to the 17-0 lead, so Penn State made it somewhat exciting towards the end. No doubt, it was a different game given all of the scandal related issues Penn State experienced last week. From Corn Nation:
I thought Nebraska came out and played fairly well in a difficult situation. Not perfect, mind you. A blown coverage in the secondary led to Penn State’s first touchdown and a seemingly blown officiating call led to the second. It’s hard to say what the game would have been like if the horrific allegations hadn’t blown up in the past week. But it’s a win against another top 20 foe on the road; note that Husker critics don’t bring that stat up anymore.
Should be a fun watch this Saturday in the Big House.
Michigan State avenges last season’s throttling in Iowa City 37-21. Iowa kinda sorta handed this one to the Spartans via giving them the ball via turnovers. Not that I’m taking away credit from Michigan State, but Michigan State didn’t have to do a whole lot to earn those points off turnovers. From BHGP:
It’s hard to take a whole lot away from a game where Iowa craps the bed on a grander scale than at any other point in the season. Sure, it was going to be a tall task to beat Michigan State, and I don’t want to give the impression that the Spartans didn’t earn the victory; clearly, they did. It’s just… what’s there to take from a game where Iowa’s -3 in turnovers and all three had a major effect on the scoreboard? That the Hawkeyes shouldn’t turn the ball over three times? Of course they shouldn’t. That the Hawkeye defense needs to do a better job at keeping the opposing team out of the end zone with a short field? Clearly, yes, but good luck making demands like that, you know? The point is, the turnover margin was both Michigan State’s best and Iowa’s worst of the year, and every now and then, those games are going to happen.
Damn you, Michigan State. I’ll be rooting against you, forever.
I think Northwestern played, I think. Yes, Northwestern in fact played Rice. In a game that is essentially meaningless in the B1G – and sans a strength of schedule argument this game was meaningless to Michigan’s outlook. So, Northwestern won 28-6.
Wisconsin does what it’s supposed to do against Minnesota, winning 42-13. Obviously, this was expected. Wisconsin is getting back on track, but the sting of those two heartbreaking losses has to sit with this team and fan base.
Easily the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I'm pretty sure it can be in MVP talks if they appear only in the fourth quarter every week and somebody comes out with a win. i can inform you all to access http://www.tebowformvp.com/ thanx.