2018 Sunday AM Quarterback

OK Sunday PM Quarterback. I stayed up with some friends getting polluted & watching MSU……

Michigan 49 Western Mich 3
Harbaugh has Michigan back to where they are beating handily the teams they should beat now just need to get over the hump & start getting victories over the better ones.

I didn’t watch most of the 2nd half and assume it was played with the backup boys.

The first half:
1st series for Mich started off bad & I thought WTF?
I’m not going to elaborate on x’s & o’s or jimy & joes – there’s plenty of other’s who are better at it than me and much has already been written & said.
BUT! This half despite the score wasn’t much different than the ND game:
Same Michigan Offense & Same Michigan Defense.
Only things different was playing at Home, Western’s Offense instead of ND’s and Western’s Defense instead of ND’s.

Michigan was able to gash Western in the run game with the same plays that never worked against ND……
And ND’s deep passing attack torched Michigan’s defense while Westerns QB kept overthrowing by 5 yards……
Michigan never had to go 5 wide ’cause they weren’t down 21-3 but if the first 2 games are any indication expect other teams to run up the middle on Michigan’s defense and throw deep. The precedent seems to have been set.

So which of Michigan’s future opponents have a good run game, good deep threats, good QB play and good defenses?? Look for Michigan to struggle mightily against these teams.

SMU up next – should be more of the same as what we saw against WM
INTJohn

Michigan 45 Southern Methodist 20

This game started out so slow for Michigan but at least they didn’t join many of the other B10 teams this day and get beat by seemingly inferior competition.

Anyway the Wolverines took care of business, winning handily for the 2nd game in a row by scoring Touchdowns. The Patterson effect seems to be coming around as Michigan is showing they have some semblance of a passing attack. DPJ looked like an integral part of that attack……

On the running the ball side, however I became frustrated with the coaching staff making call after call for Evans to run the ball into the line on 2nd & 1, 3rd & 1, 4th & 1, etc for IDK maybe half a dozen times? Evans isn’t the kind of back that can get those tough short yards by running him into the line. When they handed off to Mason at the goal line I thought “why aren’t you using Mason instead of Evans? On those other plays?

Anyway that was my only bitch, really on how the offense played out. Defense didn’t look sharp and I’m still wondering how SMU scored 20 points on it; but then maybe the over hundred yards in penalties on the Wolverines had a lil bit to do with it?

Overall tho, a good win, a boring win but it beats an exciting, upset loss like much of the rest of the B10 teams this day….. I’m ready to do a major revision regarding some of the Wolverine’s future opponents after this Saturday’s play. Maybe the Wolverines going 10-2 isn’t so unattainable after all; not necessarily because Michigan is THAT good but because much of the B10 apparently really does suck!…..INTJohn

Michigan 56 Nebraska 10

Its difficult to predict a blowout win against a team with the tradition of the Cornhuskers but my intuition kept telling me it might be the case. I was thinking around a 3 score victory for the Wolverines (17 to 20 points) but tried to restrain myself from being over come by ‘giddy optisim’. Nebraska is a team that is more talented than what they displayed at The Big House but they are defeated psychology and no matter the talent & potential, if ones heart & mind isn’t into it……….well such is Nebraska.

On to Michigan. A great win vs a conference opponent and my main criticism of this game is once again the flag/no flag calling by the refs. Pathetic officiating and I won’t go into specifics we all saw them. Michigan will need to continue to win games with margins that refs’ bad calls or bad noncalls have little meaning. In a close game, the Big Ten refs will ALWAYS screw Michigan.

From a fan’s perspective one couldn’t have asked for much more and this game left me with the feeling of the old days. I’m sure there are specifics regarding the need for improvements & tweaks that those with a more refined ‘coaches’ eye could reveal in Michigan’s play but from my perspective I will continue to enjoy watching this team play & grow as a good team with good players and good young men. My joy has returned in simply watching Michigan Football……….INTJohn

Michigan 20 Northwestern 17

This was an exciting game that kept me on edge all 4 quarters. Many thought this might be a semi easy game for the Wolverines BUT! I thought this would be a hard fought game IF Northwestern, playing at home, put together a near mistake proof effort and especially if the Wildcat QB – Thorson didn’t turn the ball over.

Fitzgerald is a damn good good coach with smart players, playing at home and I thought the NW defense would come out very motivated to keep Michigan from putting 40+ points up on em in their own stadium…….. The Wildcats certainly played their best game of the season to date; tho in a losing effort.

Michigan finally has shown me some grit & backbone by being able to tough it out against a good well coached team on the road; being able to grind out a come from behind victory; bit by bit methodically, shovel by shovelfull digging their way out of the double digit deficient hole they had dug themselves into……

Last year this game would have been a loss and I’m taking this win with pride, so will Harbaugh and the rest of the Team.

Bring on Maryland. GO Blue!……….INTJohn

Michigan 42 Maryland 21

Michigan started out slow, which seems to be their mo, but took care of business with a dominating win.
The first quarter was not good for the Wolverines. I.e TO on downs in lieu of a field goal attempt, etc. and after Michigan kicked a filed goal for the game’s first points, Maryland returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD, taking the lead. Michigan got it together tho with a nice drive ending with Mason punching it in from the 1, I think, making it Michigan 10-7 and the Wolverines never looked back.

Michigna’s defense kept Maryland in check all game and the Terrapins offense never mounted any scoring threats till the game was well in hand.

Down side was injuries to some Michigan players with one being taken off on the cart. This is never good – Dwumfour, I think and hope none of those injuries are serious as the toughest part of the schedule is now looming with Wisconsin next week coming to The Big House. Go Blue!……..INTJohn

Michigan 38 Wisconsin 13

Well, its about time! If this game doesn’t make Wolverine Nation giddy I don’t know what will. I’m not quite ready to loudly proclaim that “Harbaugh Has Michigan Football Back!”; but its definately on the right path and last night took a HUGE step in the right direction……..

This game had a lot of everything in it positive and tho there were a couple serious negatives, now isn’t the time to elaborate as this Team continues to improve, grow gaining more & more confidence.

Cryst obviously has no confidence in Hornibrook’s ability to bring the Badgers back from a deficit as plays for their running back up the middle were called again & again even when trailing by 17 points. This played completely into Michigan’s defensive hands and the lead simplay grew as the remaining time shrank.

Next week is another big test when Michigan travels to EL and the Spartans are coming off a big victory against PSU.

Go Blue!………..INTJohn

Michigan 21 Michigan St. 7

Its a great day this morning!
Michigan won! And is all alone a top the B10 East!
MSU lost!
and OSU lost too! (I think I’ll drink & toast a Boilermaker today! In lieu of my afternoon gin & tonik)

Do I realy need to say any more?
Go Blue!………INTJohn

I swear, everyone I wanted to lose, won.
MSU, PSU I thought were decent bets to again get beat at home but nope! And Northwestern beat Wisky? How did Purdue lose to MSU after notching the upset of the year last week? And that Iowa/PSU game? When’s the last time you saw 2 safeties in 1 game? And the Hawkeyes QB missing a receiver as wide open as possible for a bomb td and then throws 2 INT’s basically to wide open PSU players? Crazy games that seemingly no1 wanted to win…..

Only thing consistent was Dantonio’s Spartans winning ugly, very ugly once again. Northwestern tho has an opportunity against Notre Dame this week in Evanston – this game should be intriguing.

Michigan is on top in the East – apparently far & away too as most of the rest of the conference seems to be wallowing in mediocrity.
With the stretch run upon Michigan they have a 4 games to win and lock up the East – its theirs to lose at this point.
Next up is PSU – Michigan handles them at home. Then a pair of patsies in Rutgers & Indy then its The Game in Columbus.

Meyer commented after the Buckeye loss to Purdue about “glaring weaknesses” of the Buckeyes and how they’ll be corrected. My only response is IF the weaknesses are so GLARING! Why weren’t they already corrected by the Buckeye coaches?? Makes me think that the OSU coaches know they got problems that cannot be easily fixed and Meyer is spewing out presser bs. A Michigan fan can only hope.

Michigan has had problems closing out seasons on a winning note under Harbaugh – not this year. There’s my take on things this AM.
Go Blue!………..INTJohn

Michigan 84 PSU/Rutgers 14

OK better late than never and it feels good to lump both PSU & Rutgers into the same paragraph……..

Michigan is running pretty much on all cylinders and I hope they’ve not peaked to soon.

Next up Hoosiers: Yes I had Indiana as the ‘trap’ game after the game they gave the buckeyes several weex back but thats certainly cooled. Every week is a new data point and with Michigan playing at home and it being Sr. Day AND the way the Wolverines are playing look for this to be another bloodletting to the Football Gods.

Go Blue!……..INTjohn

Michigan 39 Ohio State 62

“When you win say nothing. When you lose, say less.”
Paul Brown

See you next year…….intjohn

Michigan 15 Florida 41

This game was played by a one time one game Michigan team that we will never see again. So many players would not or could not play in this game that were a part of the regular season team and many players, Srs., etc that won’t be on the fall ’19 team.

Another big/bowl game that wasn’t much of a showing for a Michigan football team coached by an over paid staff.

On to MBB & Hockey.
As I See It………..INTJohn