As much as iI hate to say it........

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

We made Michigan look exponentially better than they are by refusing to make them face a healthy QB. Our defense played well enough to at least make the game close.

Last year's team would have beaten this year's Michigan team because of the multiple physical mismatches they would have had to deal with. Trace was healthy, and our receivers and Barkley could catch the frickin football.

Trace's throws have been a little off, or the patterns have been a little off, or both. That's been a big part of the "drops" for all but #10. Some have been just tough catches to make, but guys like Hamler and Dotson have been making them.

Don't know if I can ever remember a receiver lose his hands in such dramatic fashion, but it's happening this year with #10. Why he still plays so much is mind-boggling. Time to move on with a different pursuit in life. There should be no shame in that. Most are not NFL material.

The drops might have caused a drop in Trace's confidence, and thereby a drop in his accuracy. Compound it now with injury. All we do know is that changes need to be made, somewhere.

As for Franklin, by being unwilling or unable to adapt, this is how you can lose a team. This is a critical time. Saying we are great does not make it so.

 

[mn78psu83]

A well-oiled machine on offense? They barely made it in and were playing a 3rd-string QB in his first start.

Won't address the point about barely making it in. That has nothing to do with their offensive production down the stretch.

Wrong. He had started in the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin. Anyway, that's the point. It didn't matter. He was a well-prepared replacement part. Did you ever look at what their offensive production was in the games leading up to the championship? They had complete balance on offense leading up to that game. Talk about an offense with an identity. They knew exactly what they wanted to do and were executing.

Against MSU with Barrett at QB they had 300 yards passing and 268 yards rushing.

Against Minnesota they had with Barrett at QB they had 200 yards passing and 289 yards rushing.

Against IU with Barrett at QB and had 320 yards passing and 225 yards rushing.

Against UM with Barrett at QB they had 183 yards passing and 233 yards rushing.

In the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin, with the replacement part Cardale Jones at QB, they had 257 yards passing and 301 yards rushing.

Alabama, with Cardale Jones, 256/281

Oregon, with Cardale Jones, 242/296

That was Meyer, with all the right parts, at his finest. Alabama had not faced anything comparable during the regular season either.

 

[RU31trap]

I seriously doubt Penn State as an institution would be allowed to recruit many of the kids who play for Alabama. Not sure if anyone caught this during last years NC game. But during a kick off a special teams player on Alabama was called for a penalty (maybe a late hit?). On the sidelines the ST coach shouted something at him. The player literally went crazy and tried to get at the coach. Finally he was restrained by 3 or 4 players. Saban (who I believe has become a product of that environment) was within an earshot of this entire fiasco and did absolutely nothing.

During last night's game I saw late hits, a hard forearm to the head on the LSU QB after a sack on the 1 yard line, an open handed shot to the face mask on an LSU WR on an incomplete pass. Multiple chip blocks after the whistle was blown. Where do we (NCAA) draw the line?

 

[Omar81]

Trace's throws have been a little off, or the patterns have been a little off, or both. That's been a big part of the "drops" for all but #10. Some have been just tough catches to make, but guys like Hamler and Dotson have been making them.

Don't know if I can ever remember a receiver lose his hands in such dramatic fashion, but it's happening this year with #10. Why he still plays so much is mind-boggling. Time to move on with a different pursuit in life. There should be no shame in that. Most are not NFL material.

The drops might have caused a drop in Trace's confidence, and thereby a drop in his accuracy. Compound it now with injury. All we do know is that changes need to be made, somewhere.

As for Franklin, by being unwilling or unable to adapt, this is how you can lose a team. This is a critical time. Saying we are great does not make it so.

There is a strange double standard between running backs who fumble once or twice (see you next season — go sit at the far end of the bench) and receivers who drop 2-3 passes EVERY game yet continue to play. I don’t know if it’s simply an upperclassman/underclassman thing, but it has to be demoralizing for the rest of the team to see guys drop pass after pass when you have a Dotson sitting on the bench (the guy who lit things up in camp and when he gets in just continues to get open and make tough catches). Same with a guy on defense who is constantly badly out of position and can’t tackle yet plays the majority of snaps when far more talented players (who couldn’t be MORE out of position, but could make plays) sit on the sidelines.

Mind-boggling.

 

[AuthorJoe]

Michigan would beat ND now .... they aren’t close to Bama or Clemson

Nama is in a class of their own. Clemson is playing better but still suspect. A Notre Dame Michigan rematch would be interesting and by no means would a Michigan victory be guaranteed. The Irish have a very solid defense and their offense has also improved since week one when they faced Michigan without their best running back and what is now their backup QB. I’d rate a rematch pretty much a tossup.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Don't know about this year vs the Browns, but Bama has come north in November and kicked PSU's ass.

October yes, November I don’t think so. If it happened, it happened once 30+ years ago.

 

[IANit]

October yes, November I don’t think so. If it happened, it happened once 30+ years ago.

Nov. 15, 1981. 31-16, 24-3 at the half. Warner hobbled with a hamstring injury. Two weeks later we beat #1 Pitt 48-14.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Nov. 15, 1981. 31-16, 24-3 at the half. Warner hobbled with a hamstring injury. Two weeks later we beat #1 Pitt 48-14.

Great recall IANit.....I should have remembered, I was unfortunately there. First year of about 25 that I had season tickets even though I live in Chicagoland.

If I recall correctly, PSU took the second half kickoff right down the field and then failed to score on maybe 5-6 plays inside the 5. Included a defensive penalty for a first down, still couldn’t score.

Then Bama’s first play from the 1-2 yd line gained maybe 10-15 right up the middle.

Y U C K !

 

[step.eng69]

seriously doubt Penn State as an institution would be allowed to recruit many of the kids who play for Alabama

It’s clear in the video Davis starts throwing left and right hooks as soon as he gets the Missouri lineman on the ground. The defensive lineman will likely get an earful from his coaching staff, and it remains to be seen whether or not the SEC will step in and take any action. Throwing punches is enough to get a player suspended, even if a flag was thrown when it happened.
Raekwon Davis throwing a few blows. #MIZZvsBAMApic.twitter.com/0ztcSdlfcs
— Kyle Walker (@MrKyleWalker) October 14, 2018

 

[auxgym]

I started saying this a few weeks ago. There is absolutely no excuse for this Michigan team to fall short of the conference championship. That defense is very impressive.

They won't be nearly as impressive when a team starts hitting wide open receivers down field.

 

[Connorpozlee]

They won't be nearly as impressive when a team starts hitting wide open receivers down field.

Wide open receivers are missed sometimes because quarterbacks start feeling pressure that isn’t there because they’ve been getting it all day. That’s what I saw yesterday.