2021 Orange Bowl: Georgia 34, Michigan 11

Tag: Aidan Hutchinson


1Jan 2022
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2021 Orange Bowl: Georgia 34, Michigan 11

Georgia LB Nakobe Dean forces a fumble by Michigan RB Blake Corum (image via Zimbio)

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Never underestimate recruiting rankings. I listen to Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman’s podcast pretty regularly, and Mandel made the point that usually in these playoffs, the more talented team wins. Winning as an underdog in the CFP is very, very tough to do. Georgia has one of the top few classes every single year, while Michigan seems to be anywhere from about #8 to #25 on a yearly basis. So when walk-on center Andrew Vastardis gets obliterated by the #22 player in the country (6’5″, 275 lb. Travon Walker) on a pull . . . yeah, that’s what happens. This isn’t Rutgers or Indiana or Northwestern with 250-260 lb. 3-star defensive ends. The bottom line is that Georgia is the more talented team, at almost every position.

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28Dec 2021
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2021 Orange Bowl Preview: Pass Defense vs. Georgia Pass Offense

Stetson Bennett (image via AJC)

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MICHIGAN
Michigan is #22 in pass defense (194.7 yards allowed/game) and #11 in passer rating defense. They have allowed just 6.0 yards per attempt, which ties them for #6 nationally. Only four teams have topped even 200 yards passing against them.

The primary reason for Michigan’s good pass defense is the edge rushers. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson set a school record with 14 sacks, and outside linebacker David Ojabo wasn’t far behind with 11. They often line up wide and come tearing off the edge with reckless abandon, but they’re athletic and disruptive enough to make quarterbacks do things they don’t want to do, such as step up in the pocket and make quick decisions.

On the back end, cornerback Vincent Gray has had a bounce-back season after an abysmal 2020, and counterpart Christian Turner has turned into Michigan’s best cover guy with 2 interceptions and 7 pass breakups. Safety/nickel corner Daxton Hill (2 INT, 8 PBUs) has been taken advantage of by some slot fades against quick slot guys, but overall, he has also been very good.

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26Dec 2021
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2021 Orange Bowl Preview: Rush Defense vs. Georgia Rush Offense

Zamir White (image via The Athletic)

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MICHIGAN
Michigan is #20 overall for giving up 121.5 yards per game this season. They’re tied with Ohio State (and CMU and PSU) at #23 for giving up 3.52 yards per carry, and they’re tied at #15 for giving up 11 rushing touchdowns this season. They are a good rushing defense bordering on elite; the only team that had sustained success was Michigan State with Kenneth Walker III almost exclusively doing the damage.

Michigan’s leading tackler is middle linebacker Josh Ross with 95. Safety Daxton Hill (65) and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson are the closest, and they’re not close. Michigan does a good job of containing the edge and funneling things back inside by playing Hutchinson and outside linebacker David Ojabo wide, letting Ross, Hill, and safety Brad Hawkins (54 tackles) clean things up inside.

The Wolverines have not produced a ton of tackles for loss this season with 69, which is tied for #74 in the nation. That’s despite getting a ton of sacks from Hutchinson (14) and Ojabo (11); in other words, sacks from those two have accounted for 36% of the team’s tackles for loss. I mentioned above that they’re tied at #74; what I didn’t mention is that they’re tied with Arizona State, Ball State, and Illinois, which is not exactly a murderer’s row of defenses.

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12Dec 2021
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Michigan’s National and Big Ten Award Winners

Charles Woodson (image via Heisman.com)

I thought about putting together a post for each of the national awards that Michigan players have won, but that would be a bunch of different posts and a lot to keep udpated. Instead, I’ve decided to compile a bunch of national awards into one post while listing the Michigan winners and their season.

NOTE: If there are any awards you think I should add, please let me know.

NATIONAL AWARDS

HEISMAN TROPHY

  • 1940: HB Tom Harmon
  • 1991: WR Desmond Howard
  • 1997: CB Charles Woodson

AP NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR

  • 2021: Jim Harbaugh

BROYLES AWARD (Best Assistant Coach)

  • 1997: DC Jim Herrmann
  • 2021: OC Josh Gattis

LOU GROZA AWARD (Best Kicker)

  • 2021: Jake Moody

TED HENDRICKS AWARD (Best Defensive End)

  • 2006: LaMarr Woodley
  • 2021: Aidan Hutchinson

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5Dec 2021
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Big Ten Championship: Michigan 42, Iowa 3

Donovan Edwards (#7) and Roman Wilson (#14) (image via USA Today)

BIG TEN CHAMPS!!! A lot of people doubted this Michigan team – including yours truly – but they’re right where almost everyone wishes they could be. They beat the brakes off Ohio State and then the Big Ten West opponent, and now they’re headed to the playoffs. I thought they would be 8-4, so I certainly didn’t think they would be 12-1 and in this spot, but I also never lost faith in Jim Harbaugh’s ability to coach. That 2-4 season in 2020 made a lot of people forget that this guy turned around two other college programs, returned the 49ers to the Super Bowl, and made a 5-7 team into a 10-3 team immediately upon arriving in Michigan. He now averages 9.8 wins per season at Michigan if you give him a full year.

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