#17 Michigan @ #100 Michigan State University

[MichiganCardinal]

1 hour ago, romad1 said:

U-Chicago's essay question is pretty fun (paraphrased as):  "People say something is as easy as pie, is that so?"

Stanford had a few fun short response prompts too. One of them asked to name a historical event you would return to, one asked to describe yourself in five words, one asked what you did last summer, one just asked for favorite books and movies.

Their big essay though is "what matters to you and why?"

[gehringer_2]

Agreed - the difference in the undergrad experience is not what is offered by the curriculum or faculty (which at any of the big research institutions is seldom deeply engaged with undergraduate ed anyway) - the difference is in the student body and the intellectual peer challenge and social networking/social capital is it possible build from that (if a student is so inclined), and then secondarily the amount of leverage the undergraduate degree will give you getting into the graduate program of your choice if graduate study is the objective.

That is sort of the myth of it. It's the great students that make the great schools, not the schools that make the students. It's sort of chicken and egg. Once a school has a good reputation, it is relatively easy to maintain it because you will get you choice of the best students and they will keep your institution strong. That is why the schools understand the importance of the ratings even if they don't like them.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

I have to say, I do give Harbaugh credit for the positive turnaround this year. But more than any sort of general credit given to him, the real key is that I think he has potentially made the best hire of his Michigan tenure in Mike McDonald as DC. Gone are the days of Dr. Blitz Don Brown, blitzing for the sake of it, and leaving your Corners out on an island to get torched in coverage. I have really liked watching what McDonald has done with this defense and the balance he has brought to the play calling. So kudos all around to Harbaugh for listening to his brother and hiring the guy and of course to McDonald for the solid coaching so far.

In a game of two evenly matched teams, I think his play calling and the positions he puts his kids in could end up being the key to this game for Michigan.

Edited October 25, 2021 by Mr.TaterSalad

[djhutch]

13 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

I have to say, I do give Harbaugh credit for the positive turnaround this year. But more than any sort of general credit given to him, the real key is that I think he has potentially made the best hire of his Michigan tenure in Mike McDonald as DC. Gone are the days of Dr. Blitz Don Brown, blitzing for the sake of it, and leaving your Corners out on an island to get torched in coverage. I have really liked watching what McDonald has done with this defense and the balance he has brought to the play calling. So kudos all around to Harbaugh for listening to his brother and hiring the guy and of course to McDonald for the solid coaching so far.

In a game of two evenly matched teams, I think his play calling and the positions he puts his kids in could end up being the key to this game for Michigan.

Agree. I remember reading a quote from the QB at Indiana last season where he said M was running the same play every snap on D. Once they figured out how to beat it once, they just kept doing it.  At least McDonald mixes up zone/man coverages & brings pressure from different places.  I think both teams are overrated right now, but M's D is next level. When this is the case I usually would opt for the safer bet at QB to keep turnovers down .. but it's incredibly frustrating watching so many long balls fall incomplete.

[RandyMarsh]

ESPN announced that GameDay will be coming to East Lansing for the game.  That was a bit surprising since Fox is doing the game and their kickoff show will already be there but I suppose it's the only worthy game this week. 

[buddha]

1 hour ago, RandyMarsh said:

ESPN announced that GameDay will be coming to East Lansing for the game.  That was a bit surprising since Fox is doing the game and their kickoff show will already be there but I suppose it's the only worthy game this week. 

penn state ohio state and georgia florida the only other contenders, i guess.

[Hongbit]

Championships since 1950:

Detroit Lions: 3 (1952, 1953, 1957)

Michigan State University:  2 (1952, 1966)

University of Michigan: 1 (1997)
 

Incredible to realize that both of these programs suck worse than the Lions. 

[buddha]

4 hours ago, Hongbit said:

Championships since 1950:

Detroit Lions: 3 (1952, 1953, 1957)

Michigan State University:  2 (1952, 1966)

University of Michigan: 1 (1997)
 

Incredible to realize that both of these programs suck worse than the Lions. 

michigan 7-0

michigan state 7-0

u$c 3-4

its amazing that a program that so blatantly cheats can STILL suck so bad in the worst power 5 conference in the ncaa.

[MichiganCardinal]

35 minutes ago, buddha said:

michigan 7-0

michigan state 7-0

u$c 3-4

its amazing that a program that so blatantly cheats can STILL suck so bad in the worst power 5 conference in the ncaa.

I think the Big 12 is worse top to bottom than the Pac 12. The Pac 12 is just more evenly distributed in talent level than any other conference, so they perpetually beat themselves out of contending for anything.

But please, don't let that stop your U$C hate. I'm always here for it. 🍿

[romad1]

5 hours ago, Hongbit said:

Championships since 1950:

Detroit Lions: 3 (1952, 1953, 1957)

Michigan State University:  2 (1952, 1966)

University of Michigan: 1 (1997)
 

Incredible to realize that both of these programs suck worse than the Lions. 

compare winning percentages over that time?

[Hongbit]

49 minutes ago, buddha said:

michigan 7-0

michigan state 7-0

u$c 3-4

its amazing that a program that so blatantly cheats can STILL suck so bad in the worst power 5 conference in the ncaa.

[buddha]

9 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

 

[Hongbit]

[romad1]

The hubris pendulum has swung fully to MSU.  Pride goeth. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

18 hours ago, djhutch said:

Agree. I remember reading a quote from the QB at Indiana last season where he said M was running the same play every snap on D. Once they figured out how to beat it once, they just kept doing it.  At least McDonald mixes up zone/man coverages & brings pressure from different places.  I think both teams are overrated right now, but M's D is next level. When this is the case I usually would opt for the safer bet at QB to keep turnovers down .. but it's incredibly frustrating watching so many long balls fall incomplete.

That's another advantage we have, a QB who limits turning the ball over. Cade might not be flashy and I do feel we need to stretch the field more than we're doing. But if Cade can protect the football and our defense can create turnovers, Thorne or otherwise, I think we can succeed this way.

[djhutch]

I'm a Jim Harbaugh fan, but I saw this today & it reminded me of every press conference he's ever done.  😅

 

[romad1]

1 hour ago, djhutch said:

I'm a Jim Harbaugh fan, but I saw this today & it reminded me of every press conference he's ever done.  😅

 

He’s an odd duck to be sure

[gehringer_2]

9 minutes ago, romad1 said:

He’s an odd duck to be sure

It's like he has the disposition to be witty, but just doesn't have enough command of the language for his mouth to get to where his brain would like it to go.

[romad1]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

It's like he has the disposition to be witty, but just doesn't have enough command of the language for his mouth to get to where his brain would like it to go.

He’s clearly on some spectrum.. 

[gehringer_2]

5 minutes ago, romad1 said:

He’s clearly on some spectrum.. 

Just hope for his sake it's not the CTE spectrum.

[RandyMarsh]

I kinda said this in last week's game thread in tongue and cheek but I think there may be some truth to it and that's that Harbaugh is still saving McCarthy for when he needs him. I think he feels that McNamara is steady enough as the "game manager" that there is no reason to put JJ out there at the moment and expose more film on him or risk him getting hurt but now that we're getting into the meat of our schedule he just may unleash him more and catch opponents by surprise. 

[gehringer_2]

59 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

I kinda said this in last week's game thread in tongue and cheek but I think there may be some truth to it and that's that Harbaugh is still saving McCarthy for when he needs him. I think he feels that McNamara is steady enough as the "game manager" that there is no reason to put JJ out there at the moment and expose more film on him or risk him getting hurt but now that we're getting into the meat of our schedule he just may unleash him more and catch opponents by surprise. 

I don't think so. What you are seeing is what you are getting. They are playing JJ to give him experience but there is no secret plan to give him the job unless/until McNamara starts to fail in more ways than he is failing now - which could of course happen. But I think the fans and media are projecting the play some of some of our really bad previous QB (like Patterson) onto McNamara. There is a difference. Despite the deep misses, McNamara makes a lot of good throws around the rest of the field and that coupled with a low turn-over number is worth more IMO than the talking heads give it credit. The truth is as long as the O moves the ball, you only have to throw the deep ball to keep the D honest - you don't need to complete them as long as you can continue to get 1st downs, and the M offense has been able to do that. We all assume it's going to get more difficult, but it has to play out.

So we are likely to see how much Harbaugh really channels Bo. Bo would lose before he let game conditions dictate his choice of players and given the way Harbaugh stuck with a Patterson who was far less effective than NcNamara makes me think Harbaugh takes the same approach. 

Not saying I'm a fan in any of this, but that's my guess about it.

And of course the worst possible outcome is that the outside pressure gets to either Harbaugh or McNamara and they start trying to force throws that result in INTs.

Edited October 27, 2021 by gehringer_2

[djhutch]

14 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

I don't think so. What you are seeing is what you are getting. They are playing JJ to give him experience but there is no secret plan to give him the job unless/until McNamara starts to fail in more ways than he is failing now - which could of course happen. But I think the fans and media are projecting the play some of some of our really bad previous QB (like Patterson) onto McNamara. There is a difference. Despite the deep misses, McNamara makes a lot of good throws around the rest of the field and that coupled with a low turn-over number is worth more IMO than the talking heads give it credit. The truth is as long as the O moves the ball, you only have to throw the deep ball to keep the D honest - you don't need to complete them as long as you can continue to get 1st downs, and the M offense has been able to do that. We all assume it's going to get more difficult, but it has to play out.

So we are likely to see how much Harbaugh really channels Bo. Bo would lose before he let game conditions dictate his choice of players and given the way Harbaugh stuck with a Patterson who was far less effective than NcNamara makes me think Harbaugh takes the same approach. 

Not saying I'm a fan in any of this, but that's my guess about it.

And of course the worst possible outcome is that the outside pressure gets to either Harbaugh or McNamara and they start trying to force throws that result in INTs.

Harbaugh does not strike me as the type of coach to play those kinds of games. What you see is what you get.

[buddha]

i just dont think harbaugh is the sharpest knife in the drawer.  he's a football coach, not a philosopher king.  most of these guys arent geniuses, theyre just former great athletes who can use motivational tools to get kids to play a game hard.

harbaugh is bo 2.0 without the talent advantages bo had over 90% of the teams he played.  not to take anything away from bo, but his inherent conservatism cost the team at least one national championship, and probably more than that in the big picture.

part of that was the overrated nature of the big ten and the cockamamie way they determined a "national champion" in a sport where the best teams never played each other, but it is also a testament to bo being a really good coach.

harbaugh is conservative to a fault too.  look at the rutgers game.  cant make it work?  keep pounding away and dont turn the ball over.  that's why mcnamera will stay the qb until and unless he starts to make mistakes or mccarthy really forces their hand.

which wont come until next year.  that's when mccarthy takes over and mcnamera leaves.

[gehringer_2]

10 minutes ago, buddha said:

which wont come until next year.  that's when mccarthy takes over and mcnamera leaves.

yup - I hope Harbaugh is recruiting a good QB hard this year because one way or the other one of McNamara or McCarthy is gone next season and you don't want to be left with no backup. That is apparently how it's going to be from now on. Win the job or move on, win and then lose the job, move on.