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Just now, romad1 said:

It was a placeholder for all the others 

Including literally none of the ones called on UM, I’m assuming?

That “hold” was huge, though. Killed another minute of clock. Not enough time and the OSU defense can’t stop UM. Worst OSU DL in decades. 

Lol not even remotely a hold 

OSU is going to go for it. But why in the hell is Day running up the middle with his 2nd string back on 3rd and 6??! He’s completely lost right now. 

8 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

Lol, reverse jinx, it’s not. But if Michigan keeps picking up 5 or 6 yards on 1st down rushes I like the chances. 

Honestly, no, this game is beyond over. UM is completely dominating the line of scrimmage. Wolverines look more fired up and confident. Stroud looks scared. OSU WRs dropping a bunch of passes. Day is getting completely outcoached by Harbaugh. People forget, Day has only coached against UM once and he had Fields. 

This game is over. 
 

Sincerely - congrats UM fans! Way overdue. I’m honestly glad this is a rivalry again. Harbaugh figured it out. This is gonna be fun for the next decade. 

2 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

I was so confident this was going to be an absolute blow out, and I still could be of Ohio State adjusts at halftime. That said, a great first half and way better than I ever dreamed of.

The moment Vegas had it at -6.5 you should have realized this wasn’t going to be a blowout. 

Absolutely huge to hold OSU to a field goal to end the half. I think that is going to win this game for UM. 

I wonder how much Ryan Day is about to get

40 minutes ago, djhutch said:

The law of averages tells you eventually OSU has to fall. Has to.

M - 33

O - 31

Jake Moody wins it.

I can see it, the fact Vegas put the line at -6.5 and 75% of the bets so far are for OSU and the line hasn't moved much tells me Vegas might know something everyone else doesn't. One thing I have learned as an adult watching sports: very rarely is Vegas wrong. They had the line at -20 against MSU because they had a feeling what was coming, I think they know something about this match-up, and I think it is the year Harbaugh gets a W. 

19 minutes ago, 4hzglory said:

I think Ewers will stay as he is still so young and all he needs is 1 year of playing to be a top pick.  I do think Miller and  McCord are likely to transfer as it's unlikely they get any real playing time.

Miller is definitely gone. I bet he transfers to Arizona or Arizona St. 

Will be very interesting to see what McCord does. He has looked quite mediocre in his snaps. I know he is a true freshman, but he does not look like a 5* to me at all. 

Ryan Day has the philosophy of recruiting a top QB recruit every single class. When asked why he does this instead of someone like Dabo's philosophy of recruiting top QBs every 2 years, his response was simply "Because what if you miss?"

I think McCord is a miss, and in a perfect world Ewers would absolutely stay next year as the back-up and starter for 2023. However, I simply am not convinced he will ride it out like that. Day is going after Devin Brown, 5th best QB in the 2022 class, Dante Moore in the 2023 class (13th overall croot out of Detroit), the top QB in the 24 class, im blanking on his name, and actually already offered top QB in 2025 class out of Findlay, OH - Montgomery. This fits his overall philosophy, but the push for Brown tells me he knows Ewers is gone and he sees McCord as a bust. 

2 hours ago, buddha said:

i think ohio state and bama and clemson and the sec schools realize what college football really is in 2021: the minor leagues.  and they have worked within the current system to take advantage of it.  

and im not saying "they all cheat and michigan is pure", i dont believe that for a second (although i think most of those schools do pay players and michigan probably has boosters who do too), but rather those schools can deal more effectively with their admissions and university to get marginal kids in and smooth over some of the rough edges on kids.  i think theres part of harbaugh that still thinks michigan "doesnt play those games and kids are here to go to school" (as evidenced in his comments about michigan when he was stanford's head coach) and that might be the right thing to do for the kids, but is probably not the best way to get a top 5 recruiting class and keep them.

Yep, although I would like to point out OSU football players actually do graduate at a solid clip. Even the ones that go to the NFL. Cardale Jones, who infamously said "We ain't come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS" actually graduated from OSU after being drafted into the NFL. Most overlook that, which I get, it was a really dumb thing to tweet out and easy to make fun of. However, I think there is a lot of truth to that statement for many players at the top football programs. He just said the quiet part out loud. 

With regard to paying players. You don't even have to do that anymore because of NIL. Quinn Ewers, the top recruit in the 2022 class, re-classified to the 2021 class last summer and showed up on campus a year early. Why? Well, he signed a $1.5 million NIL deal with some local company in Columbus. The crazy part is I do not even know if the football program was involved with it. Reading between the lines I do not think Ryan Day was particularly happy with Ewers showing up a year early. You cannot really blame the kid, though, when I was a junior in high school, if someone said to me "hey, the moment you register for classes at the University of Dayton, I am going to give you a check for $1.5 million" you bet your ass I would have graduated early and registered for classes. Fast forward a few months its looking like CJ Stroud has cemented himself as QB1 for the 2022 season already. I highly doubt Ewers is going to sit another season, so he will likely transfer to Texas. The NIL stuff is a double edged sword. I think you are going to start seeing more and more kids re-classify a season early and show up on campus unprepared and coming to the realization they are likely going to have to sit at least 1, maybe 2 seasons until they see playing time. Then their ego-maniac self will transfer to an easier situation. I actually think this is going to help programs like UM. Might be able to get their hands on recruits they would have not been able to in years past. 

With all that said, yes, top college football is absolutely a minor league system for the NFL. If you are trying to be a top 5 program and you are not recruiting with that in mind, you are doing it wrong. 

19 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

People just don't get the difference in what OSU football means to OSU vs what UM football means to UM. I'm working with a GSI who graduated from OSU last year. She was telling her freshman UM students about how during OHIO state week legions of OSU students fan out across town to duct tape out the M's on all the signs they can find. Regardless of whether you think it's good or bad, it's just fact that that kind of energy does doesn't exist at Michigan. I was here from the the first big win in '69 and even then it was never that intense. 

Ohio State has put themselves where they are because it's important to them - it's another reflection of the same set of circumstances that make Ohio HS football the best recruiting in the midwest. And as Buddha says, the structure of the playoff has only stabilized the differential between playoff contenders and everyone else.

Great post! I completely agree with everything you said. I actually think it is kind of embarrassing how over-the-top OSU fans get about this rivalry and football in general. However, you can tell it works. I was watching an interview with Denzel Burke, the freshman CB that has quickly turned into one of the best defensive backs in the B1G. He is from Arizona. The reporter was just asking him generic questions about the rivalry, however, he was asked if he knew what this rivalry really meant before he hit campus in the spring, and he said "No, I really didn't. I knew it was big, but once you are on campus you quickly realize how big of a deal it is. They say its 365 days and I didn't really get what that meant until I was here, it truly is 365 days a year we focus on TTUN. Every day we have to do something to prepare for the TTUN game. We cannot wait for this game, we live for this game. It is going to be so much fun." 

I think that is the biggest difference, OSU players and coaches respect the hell out of UM. It might not seem like it from UM POV, because of how lopsided it has been recently. But, they take UM sooooooo seriously. That is why it was crazy when Harbuagh said it was just another game to him and the team a few years ago. That is the absolute polar opposite of how OSU coaches and players view UM. It is absolutely not just another game to them. It is the super bowl. Winning a national championship/going to the CFP is just a potential cherry on top. Any given season is won or lost by how the UM game goes. A loss = season is a complete failure. A win = season is a complete success. 

27 minutes ago, buddha said:

how did the msu game get out of hand early?  they were up by double digits in the 3rd quarter.

and really, i love how you hope michigan fires a guy who wins 10 games in hopes that they can hire a guy who will win 11.  the last time michigan lost a successful coach they hired rich rod.  and then brady hoke.  what gives you any hope that they will hire the next nick saban?

your ideas for what michigan should be do not conform with the reality of the 2021 college football landscape.  yes, they could be marginally more successful, but they arent going to be ohio state until they open the playoff to more teams.  and even then i doubt they go to the lengths osu goes to ensure they have a winning college football program.

honestly tater, you might just want to consider rooting for another team.  its obvious you get no pleasure out of michigan anymore.

I think he is referring to the OSU/MSU game getting out of hand early

2 hours ago, mtutiger said:

Four years seems long for Matz

Totally agree its long for Matz. With that said, its the Cardinals, he will likely win 2 Cy Young awards. 

OSU is not the most talented team in the country. 
 

They are third most talented behind Georgia and Alabama according to the 247 talent composite, which I think is right on this year. 
 

Also, I find the O$U thing being used funny, they all can and should be taking advantage of NIL rules. Michigan is too. 

Not sure about this game.

My brain says OSU is going to win by 21 points or more. 

My gut says UM is going to make this a game and maybe win. They are certainly due. 

I am an OSU fan and have watched every game this year. The only real way to beat OSU is to rattle Stroud early. If Hutchinson sacks him a couple times in the first quarter and/or Stroud throws an INT I think UM has a solid chance at winning. 

If I were UM I would absolutely take the ball first if given the chance. The worst thing you can do is let Stroud and the WRs get into a groove early. If OSU starts with the ball and JSN, Wilson, and Olave are moving the ball with ease, Stroud is throwing dimes, and the defense gets 1 stop the game is over IMHO. 

Also, Wilson and Olave get most of the press, and deservedly so, but in my opinion Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the best WR on the team, and that is just crazy. 

The OSU defense dominated MSU and Purdue (I know Purdue scored 31 points, but most of those were after OSU put in their 3rd string and walk-ons). However, there have been multiple games this year where the OSU defense just cannot get off the field on third down. The pass rush is not remotely as good as it has been in years past. Even in the MSU game, the defense was getting the ball moved on them early, but MSU had two terrible fumbles (one was inexplicably called an incomplete pass). If it wasn't for those two fumbles I think MSU would have scored a few TDs in the first half. It wouldn't have mattered because OSU's offense was going completely off, but I am just saying the defense is not great. 

With that said about the defense, I would expect it to be great next season. Sawyer, JTT, and Williams are going to be a dominate defensive line, the LBs are going to be much better next year with the emergence of Chambers and Hicks hitting campus. Burke is going to be an all-american candidate next year at CB. The safeties are a bit of a question mark, but Hickman has turned into a very solid player.

What I am trying to say is: UM better figure out a way to win this year because I don't think they will have a chance to do so for a few years if they do not. 

As for Harbaugh: I don't like the guy as an OSU fan, but the idea that someone like Matt Campbell is a better coach is looney tunes. 

Wow, great signing. 

He had a high ERA last year, but his FIP was 3.32. In fact, he has not had a FIP over 4.00 since his age 23 season in 2016. Last year had a 10.6/2.7 K/BB ratio. Thats fantastic. At 28 is just entering his prime. 

32 minutes ago, 1776 said:

I won’t believe Avila has signed anyone of significance until after the ink dries. 
I see DeSclafani as a possible Jordan Zimmerman 2.0. He had a great year for SF and was huge in their success. I don’t believe he can come close to replicating 2021. That’s just my opinion. 
Jon Gray is a much more interesting conversation. 

Disco actually had a couple solid years for the Reds as well in 2015, 2016, and 2019. He was bad in 2018 and horrible in 2020, though. 2018 was coming off TJ and 2020 was, well, I cannot really hold 2020 stats against anyone. It was 9 games. 

I do not think Disco is as good as he was in SF last year, but I certainly think he is a solid MOR starter. 

I would rather have Gray as well, but he might cost quite a bit more. 

You all probably do not remember me, but I used to post on the old motownsports pretty regularly about 10-15 years ago. I definitely recognize a lot of the names in this thread. Grew up in Toledo going to Mud Hens games and have been to a bunch of Tigers games, so that is why a Reds fan used to post on here. I randomly had the thought to check motown and see what you folks were saying about the Barnhart trade and it is some gambling site? Wtf?

Anyways, here are my thoughts on Barnhart none of you asked for:

He is excellent at throwing out baserunners. Just a cannon for an arm. He is solid at blocking pitches in the dirt. He is not good at all at framing pitches. In my opinion he is pretty overrated defensively. Certainly not bad behind the plate, but, and maybe this is just random it seemed like the pitchers responded much better to Stephenson than Barnhart. Castillo particularly. Also, Sonny Gray refuses to pitch to him for whatever reason. That is why Curt Casali started nearly every game behind the dish while he was on the team for him. 

Now, with the bat: he is decent for a C. He will go on stretches, usually earlier in the season, where he tears the cover off the ball. He has this really long swing that when he connects its leaving the park, any park. Most of the time its a strikeout, though. When his bat is not on fire, he is an auto-out. 

Some Reds fans are upset they did not pick up his option. He is a good team leader, great clubhouse presence, and all around good ol boy from Indiana, somewhat local player according to those fans. For some reason that matters to them.

Also, his wife is hot. 

Also, I follow the draft pretty closely every year so I know Quintana is a nothing, haha.

Good to see all these familiar names! I might pop around here and there to see what is up with the Tigers as the Reds are an absolute dumpster fire and the Tigers look like they are going to be fun to watch the next several years!