What Did We Learn? - Michigan

We just don't have the talent on the d-line to go without stunting and twisting. When a team with the running game of Michigan blocks it well, it's on our second and third level to make the tackle. Our absence of Big 10 level guys at DT was expected but I really thought we would be better at linebacker.

On the plus side, Raiola is the best QB we've had since Crouch.
I don’t think the linebackers have a much of a chance to make a play sometimes with the level of DL we have
 
I learned, not just from this board but from call in podcasts too, that I feel sorry for anyone that was born on Saturday and just realized that Dylan is a throwing QB and that is how we’re going to have to win games.

And that the final score was not really representative of the game and the ONLY reason we were in it at the end was because of Dylan. It’s entirely his show from now on.
 
I learned if 51 doesn't totally whiff a block on the goal line this is probably a very different game. Also we ran a play late in the game where DR rolled out and then tossed it to 44. 22 was blocking down field. If some time in this season if we dont see that same play with 22 releasing for an easy Td pass I'll be disappointed
 
Good memory! It's from a 1988 schedule poster from Budweiser
Wow, that tracks well now, I remember seeing it at a bowling alley/pub in a really small town somewhere outside of Columbus. My broken clock is right once in a while. Great graphics. Could you send me a picture of it please if possible?
 
I don’t think the linebackers have a much of a chance to make a play sometimes with the level of DL we have

No question that better DLine play squeezes gaps down or even blows plays up, but the philosophy of these overload sets teams like Michigan run is to put the RB on DB's, and Michigan's 3 big runs were unquestionably on the S's & LB's.

Underwood's run was a standard empty set RPO, but both S's disregarded the run option & took themselves out of position to make a play. Also unfortunate NU's stunt opened up the B gap as wide as it did. In retrospect I think Butler would like that stunt going the opposite way to force Underwood towards the short side of the field where the LB & S would be in a better position to make a play.

The 2nd long run was 100% on Buford. Too slow to react, too tentative. That can't be a whiff in any circumstance.

The 3rd, the DT actually does a good job winning to the outside and forcing it inside, it's the left ILB who loses gap integrity, gets trapped inside, & as a result takes the uncovered LB (shavers) out of the play as well. To your point, in a perfect world, McCullough squeezes the outside down more, the DT maintains gap integrity without yielding space, but the left ILB really blows this play, and Guthrie can't be blocked by a WR there as a SS.
 
The 2nd long run was 100% on Buford. Too slow to react, too tentative. That can't be a whiff in any circumstance.
Buford absolutely has to get a piece of the RB, but there was also a stunt that made this one worse. You can't even see McCullough who is supposed to be coming inside of Davis here - this is how our OL needs to deal with stunts, just knock them off the ball because they aren't moving forward. But if McCullough got where he was supposed to go (easier said than done) or we weren't stunting, the back probably has to pick his way through a little slower. He just gets completely washed away, which is kind of understandable as a lighter edge. But I don't think it's necessarily Buford gap by design, the DL didn't get there and then Buford failed to clean it up.
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I know this is an unpopular opinion right now, but after rewatching the game, I think the DL played ok. Our OL was bad in run blocking and our OTs were abysmal in pass blocking.

Raiola looked good and our WRs were better than their secondary. Refs let a LOT of defensive holding go by both teams, which helped Michigan since they could run the ball and stop the run.

Overall, I think we're going to be ok. We'll know a lot more about this team over the next few games.
 
I imagine at Ravens Board dot com this morning people are mashing their teeth about both their lines being dominated.

Lamar sacked 7 times
Lions ran for 224 yards (5.9 ypc) and had runs of 76 and 31 yards
 
Wow, that tracks well now, I remember seeing it at a bowling alley/pub in a really small town somewhere outside of Columbus. My broken clock is right once in a while. Great graphics. Could you send me a picture of it please if possible?

This was the picture my dad sent me of the poster (he cut off the schedule.

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I used AI to make it look better for my profile picture

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I know this is an unpopular opinion right now, but after rewatching the game, I think the DL played ok. Our OL was bad in run blocking and our OTs were abysmal in pass blocking.

Raiola looked good and our WRs were better than their secondary. Refs let a LOT of defensive holding go by both teams, which helped Michigan since they could run the ball and stop the run.

Overall, I think we're going to be ok. We'll know a lot more about this team over the next few games.
Yeah the OTs were treating #1 like he was the second coming of Lawrence Taylor. He's a good player but I think they gave him too much respect. Teddy was bad all night. Overall its disappointing to lose but Michigan has really good athletes across the board and this was this teams first test. Cincy had some decent guys but only one or two were probably on the same level as Michigan. I think the refs missed a couple calls in the 2nd half that could have helped us out quite a bit. Dylan had his facemask grabbed on one of his sacks and EJ got hit a good second and a half before the ball got to him on a pass play that I think would have gotten us a first down. No PI called. Otherwise I'm not too mad. Players gotta make plays.
 
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