NOTE: This is a ridiculously busy week for me, and sometimes you just have to punt. I have a couple family members with medical issues, a bunch of stuff going on with football, and other stuff.
ROSTER NOTES
- Illinois players recruited by Michigan include: OL Verdis Brown, RB Mike Epstein, TE Luke Ford, LB Dele’ Harding, WR Josh Imatorbhebhe, QB Brandon Peters, WR Trevon Sidney, LB Khalan Tolson, QB Isaiah Williams
- Illinois QB Brandon Peters (questionable) transferred from Michigan
- Illinois LB Dele’ Harding (56 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 INT, 1 TD) was committed to Michigan in the 2016 class
- Michigan players from the State of Illinois include: LB Jordan Glasgow, RB Danny Hughes, OL Trevor Keegan, QB Michael Sessa, TE Will Sessa
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED
- On October 22, 2016, Michigan beat Illinois, 41-8
- Illinois QB Jeff George, Jr. completed 4/15 passes for 95 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Karan Higdon ran 8 times for 106 yards and 1 TD
- 14 different Michigan players ran the ball, and 11 different Michigan players registered at least one reception
PREDICTIONS
- Joe Milton throws and runs for a TD
- Josh Uche gets 2 sacks
- Michigan 38, Illinois 13
You need to login in order to vote
so youre predicting milton starts this weekend? not the best sign but itd certainly be interesting
You need to login in order to vote
For the record, I’m NOT predicting that Milton will start, but I do think he will play.
You need to login in order to vote
I don’t think the will score 13. Even with Peters, they were getting worse, every week
I do remember the 2016 game. We came back out after the half, really flat. When we didn’t look hot against sparty, and then started slow at Kinnick, my negativity kicked into high gear
You need to login in order to vote
“even with Peters” haha
You need to login in order to vote
I know, right? He’s been pretty awful. But still, Robinson can run a little bit; cannot throw at all
You need to login in order to vote
Thanks for what you have time to do.
I would love for the offense to look like it’s “hitting it’s stride.”
You need to login in order to vote
Thanks for reading! It’s fun to write whenever I have the opportunity.
You need to login in order to vote
A matchup of 2 former NFL head coaches; both having lost Super Bowls and both whose on field FBS results have been disappointing. Smith ranks No1 as the most overpaid HC in the B10 with imo Harbaugh as No2. With going on 9 years B10 coaching between them; neither has an FBS or B10 Division or conference championship of any kind.
B10 HC’s who do have FBS championship of some kind:
Ferentz, Chryst, Fitzgerald, Fleck, Frost, Brohm;
Dantonio, Franklin. All of these coaches make less than Harbaugh and most make less than Smith. I find it interesting that the 2 most overpaid per results coaches in the B10 both came directly from the Professional $$$$ ranks.
About the game matchup I don’t know what to say about it for sure. Its a game Michigan should win. But being on the road and Harbaugh’s history of road games its sensible to think that Michigan won’t play well even tho not playing well against Illinois should still be good enuff for Michigan to win. BUT if the Wolverines play really bad (allah Wisky) and lets say Illinois plays really well – at least well for Illinois standards and being in Champaign………? Hmmmmm?
I don’t expect the Wolverines to lose this game but the way their offense has played so far this season? I think a loss is more likely against the Illini than Michigan winning next week against PSU.
As I See It…………Intjohn
You need to login in order to vote
Good luck with football and family.
Go Blue.
You need to login in order to vote
Thanks, man! One surgery down this morning that the doctors said went well. Another procedure coming soon.
You need to login in order to vote
Hoping to see progress from the offense. Neither Rutgers nor Iowa were awesome better than Wisconsin nonsense. At least there was some balance in the offense.
I am still optimistic the run game will come around and generate some big plays. When was the last time Michigan had so few runs over 20 yards 5 games into the season. Even 2008 had a half dozen or so. Makes me doubt my RB mantra a tiny bit.
You need to login in order to vote
So long as we don’t run the QB, there’ll be a crashing, unblocked defender to deal with. That means modest gains—even against the likes of Illinois, since M will likely be even less inclined to risk running the QB. The run game is practically designed to not break big plays.
You need to login in order to vote
I agree. Michigan doesn’t need the triple threat on every play but they need to have an offense that shows QB runs, RB runs, and passing over the course of a game. Some shades of the Lloyd Carr ‘scoring offense’ in how Michigan is (not) deploying QB runs until they have to.
You need to login in order to vote
Well thanks to a freshman starting at Qb for the Illini and making numerous freshman qb mistakes & errors, Michigan was actually able to steal a victory here. I give Illinois a lot of credit for making a game of this in the 2nd half and not quitting (as apparently Michigan did) as on paper and in terms of overall top to bottom talent; they were completely out manned.
Well like the Rutguers game, itsa win for the Wolverines but as has been displayed all season, I see absolutely nothing from this team that tells me they can beat any of the MOP State Universities or ND. In fact this road game play by Michigan against a really really outmanned if not bad Illini team now has given me doubts about whether they can even beat Indiana and maybe Maryland gives them fits like The Fighting Illini did today.
For a team that some picked to be in the playoffs with all of their talent & experience and many picked to win the Big 10, half way thru the season now this team has played dismal football – even in victory.
With this continued display by such a talented team IDK what the future is for this program with Harbaugh at the helm.
As I See It…………..INTJohn
You need to login in order to vote
Our offense is worse than we thought
Illinois was deflated. Their D gave up in the 1st Q. Only difference was our O reverted to their awful selves. Mistakes added up, and nothing could hide Shea getting worse. That was the morale boost Illini needed at home
We’re in trouble. This is 2013 all over again
You need to login in order to vote
Yes this offense is bad, very bad but it was there to see form the Middle Tenn St game – we all just wanted to believe there would be ‘improvement’ and many after 6 games still cling to ‘hopes’………
One of the realy bad things about this game that willl never show up in any stats is the fact that Milton was unable to get any reps what so ever and this will show up negatively for Michigan sometime into the future. INTJohn
You need to login in order to vote
No backups on O did, except Schoonmaker… #speedinspace my booty
This is why we don’t develop depth
You need to login in order to vote
Its not just ’13 all over either but much of Michigan football history over the last 10 years.
’09 start off 4-0 then collapse
’10 start off 5-0 then collapse
’13 start off 5-0 then collapse
’16 collapse last 3 of 4
’17 start off 5-1 then collapse
’19 start off 5-1 then ??
And the first part of the season is when Michigan generally plays mostly cupcakes padding the record and then fall apart when they play tough teams who apparently improve thru the season while Michigan does not and the above history includes 3 different coaching regimes……………..
Why is this? How can Michigan football be so elite, so dominate so everything great about college football for over 100 years and in the last 12ish years????
I don’t get it…………INTJohn
You need to login in order to vote
I really don’t want to dive too deep into this debate because there’s just no real point, but most top-level teams start off the season well and with a great deal of hope and then falter down the stretch. That’s the nature of scheduling. You play your easy games early, and then the matchups get tougher late in the year.
If you’re surprised that Michigan is beating CMU, WMU, Appalachian State, Air Force, etc. early in the year and then losing to the likes of PSU, OSU, MSU, etc. late in the year, then you’re a person who’s easily surprised.
You need to login in order to vote
Actually there’s ALOT of points:
most ‘top level’ teams……… This is an assumption that michigan is a ‘top level’ team. Its not and I’m not referring to this season but the last ‘many’. Top level teams close out in winning fashion most of the time and Harbaugh’s Michigan teams haven’t done this and there’s ALOT of reasons for this, some of which have nothing to do with scheduling. Thats the point along with the metaphore.
Top level teams/programs beat their rivals once in awhile and win a championship once in awhile, close out a season againt tough competition once in awhile – this doesn’t happen anymore at Michigan cause its not a top level program and it might be time for Michigan’s ADept to acknowledge this and start paying its staff accordingly and begin psychologically conditioning the fan base to a lowered level of expectation along with a lowering of Coaching staff salaries.
Just cause Michigan’s football program has the $$$ doesn’t mean it needs to waste it on an inferior product but this is what many people will do when they have more money than what they have Brains!
Personally, unlike many Michigan fans I REALLY DON’t CARE if Michigan wins anymore championships or ever beats OSU again as long as I witness well coached & well played football for the $$$$ spent. If Harbaugh & staff are going to continuously produce non championship caliber products they should be paid accordingly. Michigan is paying for a Lexus but getting a Chevy……..
IF Michigan was paying for a Yugo & getting a Chevy that would be a great bargain……… and Chevy’s aint all that bad If the price is right.
Course Michigan can afford to buy a Lexus so why does it continue to pay Lexus Price for a Chevy ride?????
INTJohn
You need to login in order to vote