Harbaugh's Record

[bphillips4gg]

I guess it's fitting that a thread on Harbaugh's record boils down to a discussion of whether he can beat OSU this year.

To be fair, he knew what he was signing up for. It's no secret that UM and OSU coaches are judged on one game and everything else is secondary. And it's kind of a pre-requisite to all of his self-proclaimed goals (conference champ, CFP, national champs etc).

 

[byco42]

Cooper was hired in part by OSU because he was the ASU coach on 1-1-87.

This was also the season Harbaugh said about the 1986 M-OSU game: ?We don't care where we play the game," said the senior quarterback early in the week. "I hate to say it, but we could play it in the parking lot. We could play the game at 12 noon or midnight. We're going to be jacked up.?

Link

 

[biggunsbob]

It?s just how did Michigan fall so far behind in talent compared to other top teams like Osu, Alabama, and Georgia, ect, ect. It should never happen.

 

[byco42]

It?s just how did Michigan fall so far behind in talent compared to other top teams like Osu, Alabama, and Georgia, ect, ect. It should never happen.

$$$$$$. $imple as that.

 

[Michchamp]

OSU's offense is great. That said, the QB almost never gets pressured (only been sacked 9 times all year). If UM can get a consistent pass rush on Stroud and UM's offense can run the ball at will, UM will be in this game until the end. If they force a few Stroud turnovers, UM will win.

Looking back at OSU vs. MSU....MSU had no chance in that game. They have no pass rush and can't cover a WR. Even if Walker would have run wild, OSU's offense would have just kept their foot on the gas. Stroud could have thrown 8 TDs in that game if they wanted to.

I don't know if OSU has played a good - or even half decent - defense all season, so... maybe?

I saw a fair amount of bitching from people - not all whom were MSU fans - that early in the game, OSU's DBs got away with straight-up mugging MSU's receivers with the ball in the air. I didn't watch, but am curious if anyone who did can confirm...?

I figure we'll see the same kind of bullshit if OSU's OL can't block Hutchinson or Ojabo without holding. After a couple demoralizing calls or no-calls, we'll lose focus and OSU will cruise to an insurmountable lead, even if it's not a blowout. I don't think OSU's defense is as stout as in year's past, but I don't think it matters. If we're behind the 8 ball, we don't have the playcalling chops to fight our way back into it. We'll see nervous drops or passes in 3rd and 4th downs, and will fall short.

Prove me wrong, Big Ten.

 

[tomdalton22]

I don't know if OSU has played a good - or even half decent - defense all season, so... maybe?

I saw a fair amount of bitching from people - not all whom were MSU fans - that early in the game, OSU's DBs got away with straight-up mugging MSU's receivers with the ball in the air. I didn't watch, but am curious if anyone who did can confirm...?

.

I saw some minor stuff but no "muggings". There is holding on every play...it just depends if you get caught. DBs hold and OL hold.

Looking at the big 10 team stats, it appears that PSU has the best defense giving up 15.5 points per game. Followed by Wisky then UM at 16.9. FWIW, OSU's D is 6th at 19 ppg.

OSU has a good OL but they haven't had to go against pass rushers like they have at UM. Stroud has only been sacked 9 times. If they get to him he will pretty much just take a dive...he won't run.

 

[bphillips4gg]

Michigan can absolutely win this game. They need to be damn near perfect, but they definitely have the pieces to do it. OSU has lost a game and they have struggled in several others.

Honestly it comes down to not giving up long TDs and getting off the field on 3rd down. On the other side, run the ball effectively enough that the defense stays fresh and score touchdowns, not field goals. All easier said than done but they're not impossible.

 

[tomdalton22]

Michigan can absolutely win this game. They need to be damn near perfect, but they definitely have the pieces to do it. OSU has lost a game and they have struggled in several others.

Honestly it comes down to not giving up long TDs and getting off the field on 3rd down. On the other side, run the ball effectively enough that the defense stays fresh and score touchdowns, not field goals. All easier said than done but they're not impossible.

I already got a bet in...UM +8

 

[Michchamp]

What's the deal with OSU's defense?

I assume they got it figured out, but I recall some rumblings of dissent in the ranks after Tulsa kept it within a score until late in the 3rd, and they demoted their DC.

If we had a "dirty tricks" guy on staff... the presumably disgruntled demoted DC would be our target for a little pre-game insight. Which of course we don't act on until it checked out.

 

[Spartanmack]

I don't know if OSU has played a good - or even half decent - defense all season, so... maybe?

I saw a fair amount of bitching from people - not all whom were MSU fans - that early in the game, OSU's DBs got away with straight-up mugging MSU's receivers with the ball in the air. I didn't watch, but am curious if anyone who did can confirm...?

I figure we'll see the same kind of bullshit if OSU's OL can't block Hutchinson or Ojabo without holding. After a couple demoralizing calls or no-calls, we'll lose focus and OSU will cruise to an insurmountable lead, even if it's not a blowout. I don't think OSU's defense is as stout as in year's past, but I don't think it matters. If we're behind the 8 ball, we don't have the playcalling chops to fight our way back into it. We'll see nervous drops or passes in 3rd and 4th downs, and will fall short.

Prove me wrong, Big Ten.

there were a couple missed calls a couple close calls but nothing egregious, certainly not enough to have much impact. I'd say their line got away with more holding than their d'backs did in coverage but I don't think it made a difference either way. The kind of stuff where you're like "Jeez, we're down 35 and I know you want to go home but you could have thrown the flag on that hold that went for 33 yards on 3rd down."

 

[Michchamp]

there were a couple missed calls a couple close calls but nothing egregious, certainly not enough to have much impact. I'd say their line got away with more holding than their d'backs did in coverage but I don't think it made a difference either way. The kind of stuff where you're like "Jeez, we're down 35 and I know you want to go home but you could have thrown the flag on that hold that went for 33 yards on 3rd down."

yeah, I didn't know if the supposed no-calls came as OSU was building their insurmountable lead, or after they had established it. I just saw comments about MSU receivers getting hit or tackled before the ball got there, with no calls.

Given MSU's pass defense or lack thereof, and OSU's passing prowess, I would agree with Tom that very little the referees could do would change the outcome. But I figured MSU would at least make more of a game of it.

wasn't sure if the no-calls helped kill possible MSU drives

 

[thewolverines24]

yeah, I didn't know if the supposed no-calls came as OSU was building their insurmountable lead, or after they had established it. I just saw comments about MSU receivers getting hit or tackled before the ball got there, with no calls.

Given MSU's pass defense or lack thereof, and OSU's passing prowess, I would agree with Tom that very little the referees could do would change the outcome. But I figured MSU would at least make more of a game of it.

wasn't sure if the no-calls helped kill possible MSU drives

The game was over in the first 16 minutes. Nothing the refs did mattered at all.

 

[tomdalton22]

What's the deal with OSU's defense?

I assume they got it figured out, but I recall some rumblings of dissent in the ranks after Tulsa kept it within a score until late in the 3rd, and they demoted their DC.

If we had a "dirty tricks" guy on staff... the presumably disgruntled demoted DC would be our target for a little pre-game insight. Which of course we don't act on until it checked out.

The DC is a guy named Kerry Coombs. After the Tulsa game his defensive play calling duties were removed and he was moved up to the booth. The DB coach has been calling the defensive plays since that game.

 

[Michchamp]

The game was over in the first 16 minutes. Nothing the refs did mattered at all.

I figured OSU would feast on their non-existent secondary, but when I saw the score was 21-0 before the first Q was over, I thought I clicked on the wrong game update.

 

[tomdalton22]

I figured OSU would feast on their non-existent secondary, but when I saw the score was 21-0 before the first Q was over, I thought I clicked on the wrong game update.

I watched the entire game and I couldn't figure out what MSU was trying to do. It looked like they were trying to play a soft zone and keep everything in front of them but the OSU wrs were just running free everywhere on the field.

 

[bphillips4gg]

Their pass defense is suspect. They have 5 stars all over on both sides of the ball, but maybe, just maybe never developing 5 star DBs and relying entirely on their natural talent has caught up with them.

It is difficult to really look at OSU's stats and get a feel for how good or bad their defense is. They only allow 105 or so yards a game on the ground but they give up 275 or so through the air. But is it that they're good at defending the run and bad at defending the pass or is it they hang 21 points in the 1st quarter so their opponents spend 3 quarters exclusively throwing the ball? I think their run d is actually good since they are only giving up 3.1 yards per rush. But then again, it's college and sack yardage is taken off of the rushing total so it might be higher but I don't know where to find sack-adjusted totals.

I will say this. Their strength of schedule is comparable, I think OSU at 9 and Michigan at 12. But all of OSU's tough games have been at home whereas Michigan has had to play at Wisconsin, at Nebraska at night (osu played there at noon), at MSU and at PSU. OSU has a freshman QB who hasn't seen a defense as complex as what McDonald will throw at him, let alone as good. He also hasn't played a road game like this yet and the closest he came to one was at Nebraska where he threw 2 picks and fumbled.

I also find it funny that everyone is saying he is a frontrunner for the Heisman based on his performance against MSU whereas they give Cade no credit for throwing for 380 because "MSU has the worst pass defense in the country". Like, in the same article.

 

[Spartanmack]

yeah, I didn't know if the supposed no-calls came as OSU was building their insurmountable lead, or after they had established it. I just saw comments about MSU receivers getting hit or tackled before the ball got there, with no calls.

Given MSU's pass defense or lack thereof, and OSU's passing prowess, I would agree with Tom that very little the referees could do would change the outcome. But I figured MSU would at least make more of a game of it.

wasn't sure if the no-calls helped kill possible MSU drives

It probably has more to do with the quantity and the futility of our offense than the timing - it's not like they suddenly started holding or interfering with receivers once the game was in hand. Even if a drive or two could have been extended for another series with a call in our favor, we weren't getting anything done for it to really matter.

 

[rumseyhouse77]

forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, high of 35, light winds out of the west, 4% chance of precipitation.

Can snow machines be brought in?

 

[Gulo Blue]

No two teams have faced each other, both in the top ten, more times than Michigan - OSU. This is the 24th meeting. It's also 4 of the last 5. The 70's were more concentrated than that, but this is still a really impressive stretch we've got the short end of.

 

[thewolverines24]

Can snow machines be brought in?

We don't want snow. Easier to pass in the snow than it is to defend the pass.

50 mph wind would be good for us.