UM has got to beat Ohio next week.

Nothing would be better.

I have great memories of Michigan beating Ohio when they are highly ranked and undefeated.

Figure it'll happen again.

Our performance today certainly gives credence to that expectation,
guys. I mainly refer to the extra ulcer/migrain it will give Fickell with
Denard in the game, in the role nature (read: his innate skills) intended
for him, and with Devin, as Fish said, playing like the 5* quarterback
we recruited.

Sure would be better had that frightening freak injury not befallen Fitz, though. He, too, was coming around.

Though not as much as Roy finally is...fortunately.

BUT---let's be honest. OSU is not Iowa, and the outhouse is not the Big House.

Flipping the coin, Iowa didn't have a perfect record to risk losing, nor the pressure of
playing the only game that matters on the face of the earth to their violently insane
fans, either.

Of course I want to win but I have modest expectations about next week.

This is Ohio's bowl game. It will not be easy. I hope we can pull out the win.

couple of things to think about...

Devin has been surprisingly collective under center. I really have been pleasantly surprised with his decision making so far. Our turnovers have been low while he's been in and while turnovers are always key it will be especially important in this game because of how fast O$U can score when they have the ball. O$U is a top 10 team in rushing. I saw that they are averaging almost 250 yards p/game on the ground. You would think that would mean they are wining the time of possession battle but that's not really the case. Their TOP is actually all over the board. One game they will be +10 the next they will be -10. You can contribute a lot of that to the fact they are scoring fast which brings me back to the original point I was trying to make, we can't afford to play from behind because of turnovers.

They will NOT run for 250 on UM but that doesn't mean they won't be successful in the run game either. We all know how we've struggled against the running QB and we all know Braxton has wheels. The key may lie in our safeties and DBs. Braxton can throw the ball far but hasn't been overly successful with passes over 25 this year. I suspect he'll continue with the scrambles that will help open up the 5 and 10 yard dump passes if the D can't keep him contained. It will be up to the safeties and DBs to play solid.

What I'm really waiting to see is how our WRs and TEs match up. The only team that O$U played with a dual threat QB was Nebraska and they don't have nearly the receiving corps Michigan does. I think Devin's ability to scramble, along with Denard being in at tailback and the fact that UM has some really tall athletic receivers will give O$U's defense fits. Their D is going to be on it's heels all day.

I don't particularly feel the punting teams will give either team an advantage because Buchanan is averaging 40 yards per punt and Hagerup is averaging 45. But the key stat to keep an eye on here is that O$U has punted the ball 56 times this year to UM's 28 meaning UM has been much more efficient with the ball. Of course that bodes well for us.

The kicking team is where it could get interesting. Gibbons is 14 of 16 in FGs and is 41 of 41 in XPs. His long is 52. Basil is 4 of 6 but I don't know his long. He's also 54 of 55 in XPs. I think we may have a slight advantage there and in a tight game that gives us the edge.

I could probably write an entire post about all of the things we need to button up before the game and all of the ways O$U can exploit Michigan. I don't want this to sound like too much of a homer post rather, I wanted to give some points to feel good about going into the game.

Let's discuss.

IT'S OHIO WEEK!!

Here's what I like.

SInce Gardner took over look at the length of the drives he's led.

Minnesota 12 91 7:05 TD 2 Devin Gardner 45-yard pass to Drew Dileo

Minnesota 13 90 5:05 TD 2 Thomas Rawls 2-yard run

Minnesota 7 86 3:13 TD 3 Devin Gardner 10-yard pass to Jeremy Gallon

Minnesota 8 79 4:19 TD 4 Devin Gardner 2-yard run (Brendan Gibbons kick)

Minnesota 4 50 2:12 TD 4 Fitzgerald Toussaint 41-yard run (Brendan Gibbons kick)

Northwestern 10 78 5:52 TD 1 Devin Gardner 8-yard run (Brendan Gibbons kick)

Northwestern 10 37 4:57 TD 2 Thomas Rawls 1-yard run (Brendan Gibbons kick)

Northwestern 4 78 2:14 TD 3 Devin Gardner 28-yard pass to Fitzgerald Toussaint (Brendan Gibbons kick)

Northwestern 11 91 4:23 TD 4 Devin Gardner 8-yard pass to Devin Funchess (Brendan Gibbons kick)


8 plays, 10 plays, 11 plays, 13 plays, 7 plays. 91 yards (2), 90, 78, 78, 86, 79!!!

DAMN!

This doesn't include Iowa

I hate to be a wet blanket but Minnesota, Northwestern, and Iowa are not ohio. We'll be playing a team full of professionals and criminals, not hockey players, scholars, and farmers...

This weekend will definitely be tough. Go Blue

I really like what they did with Devin and Denard Saturday. But, Ohio won't be fooled when DR is at QB if he can't throw, they will stack the LOS and he will have trouble finding running room.

Maybe DR can throw and could throw all along on Saturday. He was medically cleared to play early last week. Maybe Hoke wants the suckeyes to think he can't throw, maybe that's why DR carried only with his left arm against Iowa. Wouldn't it be totally cool to blow away ohio with DR throwing after taking the ball from DG? I have a good feeling about this game!

dwoody wrote:

Maybe DR can throw and could throw all along on Saturday. He was medically cleared to play early last week. Maybe Hoke wants the suckeyes to think he can't throw, maybe that's why DR carried only with his left arm against Iowa. Wouldn't it be totally cool to blow away ohio with DR throwing after taking the ball from DG? I have a good feeling about this game!

I love it, but d you really think they would go as far as to tell him to only carry the ball in his left hand?

Who knows? He did it okay on Saturday. I just think it would be a great ploy, go down in Michigan coaching history.

It sure would.

after the triple reverse last week I wouldn't be surprised by much at this point.

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

I hate to be a wet blanket but Minnesota, Northwestern, and Iowa are not ohio. We'll be playing a team full of professionals and criminals, not hockey players, scholars, and farmers...

This weekend will definitely be tough. Go Blue

It's going to be very tough. Braxton Miller's legs scare me the most.

The one thing giving me the most hope is OSU's defense. Indiana put up 49 on them. A crappy Cal team moved up and down the field on the them and screwed themselves with a couple missed field goals. Purdue's offense couldn't cross the street until they played in Columbus.

If we can play well on offense, this could be a 38-35 type game. Hopefully we're the ones with 38.

As long as we keep it close for 3-1/2 quarters, I'll be feeling good...because in a nip-and-tuck sweat-fest that goes down to the wire, the kicking game so often comes into play. And ours has been phenominal**...in all phases, but particularly Gibbons' placekicking and Hagerup's punting.

As WH points out, it's Miller's mobility (mainly in terms of his "escape-ability") that worries me most. We all remember last year's game...but the good part is he won't have Devier Posey (who was by far their scariest
receiver all game last year...right up till the overthrown bomb in the final minute).

**--Cripes, up until last year and esp. this year, I was wondering if I'd ever again be saying that about our ST's.

dwoody wrote:

Maybe DR can throw and could throw all along on Saturday. He was medically cleared to play early last week. Maybe Hoke wants the suckeyes to think he can't throw, maybe that's why DR carried only with his left arm against Iowa. Wouldn't it be totally cool to blow away ohio with DR throwing after taking the ball from DG? I have a good feeling about this game!

I was wishful thinking that too last week BEFORE the Iowa game but that's too much. Although knowing how much Coach Hoke despises ohio I guess it is a possibility. Seems like a lot to do though, a pretty big gamble but who knows? I'll put it this way, the Michigan's offense doesn't concern me at all. braxton miller OTOH, causes ulcer-forming acids to reside in my stomach...