Running to a Re-match?

The “Game” is over. An overhyped defense of underclassmen wearing Scarlet & Gray was overmatched. However, another more overhyped defense was on the field, which just happened to be wearing Maize and Blue.

Troy Smith…*in his best Pavel Bure voiceover*

“I make Michigan defenses look like Swiss Cheese.”


Quotable…Bo would be proud….

“Ohio State’s defense played good, but they’re not as good as people thought. We didn’t put enough points on the board. There’s nothing special about that
defense.”

- Mike Hart

This will be the first thing that goes up on the bulletin board, if there is a re-match. I would be willing to put money down now that Hart doesn’t get 75 yards the next time he plays OSU, if there is a rematch. Mike, we thought you were classy. I guess respecting your opponent isn’t a part of the Michigan Man’s credo these days. I would imagine that Troy Smith could have made a better case on which team’s defense was “less” special…

Leaning on the Big Play…

Lamar Woodley stated that it was big plays that would be corrected by UM’s defense, if there was a rematch. You know the kind of silly mistakes that equate to 2 huge running plays for touchdowns and then a dagger on a play-fake by Smith to cap the second quarter. Let’s take a closer look at how the UM defense gave up its yard and points to OSU…

1st Touchdown = “Sustained Drive” 14-Plays 69 Yards.
2nd Touchdown = “Big-Play” 52-Yard Touchdown Run (2-Play Drive)
3rd Touchdown = “Big Play” 39 Yard Touchdown Pass (4-Play Drive)
4th Touchdown = “Sustained Drive” 9-Plays 80 Yards
5th Touchdown = “Big Play” 56-Yard Touchdown Run (2-Play Drive)
6th Touchdown = “Sustained Drive” 11-Plays 83 Yards (w/Questionable PF Call)

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that not only did the UM defense “take it like a champ” with big plays, but they also caught the money shot in the eye with all of the sustained drives that Troy Smith and Company put up on the supposedly “vaunted” UM defense. I guess what I am trying to say is that it made “no” matter, which way the OSU offense scored. They scored whenever they wanted and absolutely dominated one of the “best” defenses in the country.


Leaning on the Turnover….and Penalties

UM had some fireworks of it’s own to start off the game by abusing Antonio Smith on the first drive, but without assistance from the “stripes” and poor OSU snapping (How in god’s creation do you snap the ball behind the left tackle? I didn’t think this was physically possible) this game is no closer than two touchdowns..

1st Touchdown = “Sustained Drive” 7-Plays 80 Yards
2nd Touchdown = “Big Play” 37-Yard Touchdown Pass (w/Questionable PI Call)
3rd Touchdown = “Sustained Drive” 5-Plays 60 Yards
Field Goal = “Turnover” - Rivas Donut Power (Branch Interception = Forced Turnover)
4th Touchdown = “Turnover” 1-Yard Touchdown Run (Fumble Recovery = Unforced Turnover)
5th Touchdown = “Sustained Drive” 11-Plays 81 Yards (w/Questionable PI Call)

Looking at the UM scoring drives, it was obvious that they have some firepower on the offensive side, but without the help of three questionable penalties (PI calls on Jenkins and O’Neal were absolutely ridiculous..and don’t get me started on the Splitler penalty…pathetic)…UM wouldn’t have even been in this game. Doesn’t it seem like OSU finds ways to get penalties called on them every year from the dust-laden section of the rule book. Last year, it was the defenseless player call against Indiana and this year…the hit of a center when he snaps the ball. Now, I understand if you hit the guy in the neck or take a cheap shot at him, but Spitler nudged his shoulder…and it should have never been called. OSU gets the ball without that awful call and there is no doubt that OSU goes for the jugular on that the defense. Do you have any doubts that OSU scores a touchdown on that drive as well?

Troy and his Trophy

This is a foregone conclusion. It doesnt even matter what Brady Quinn does against USC.

Handling a loss with class…

Each one of the OSU captains gave UM a sincere Tip o’ the Hat for a good game between two heated rivals, which is what we would have expected from these guys win or lose this year. This senior class has been special…seems like we say this every year.

As much ribbing as I like to give Chad Henne for his Lloyd Christmas look-a-like pictures and that he is “more smarter” this season, the guy was all class in his post-game interview. He played a good game and gave credit where it was due.

Mike Hart needs to take a note from Chad Henne on handling a loss with some class. I mean he has already done it three times now to OSU, and he finally had a good game against an OSU defense. I believe that there was some frustration on his part, but he did nothing but ensure that OSU will be all over his arse if there is a rematch.

Handling a win with class….

I let my UM brethren at the M-Zone tell you their tales of powdered donut dodging and other various classless acts that had been witnessed throughout the day. I am done trying to fight it. Scottish Soccer Hooligans have got nothing on us. I saw my fair share of idiots on campus, in Port Columbus on Sunday, and even in Sea-Tac on Thursday evening….and they were wearing both team’s colors. Apologies to Yost and Benny for the behavior issues…

I am sure that there will be millions of stories of ritual sacrifice and maximum carnage, which seems to be the MO of our fans win or lose. I am sure there will also be some exaggerating and some stories that are right on target.

Lloyd’s Calling…and Complaining…Again

Lloyd griping about the personal foul on Crable was to be expected. It was helmet-to-helmet…and TS might have already been out-of-bounds, and it doesnt matter if he was scrambling. He was in the throwing motion when he was smacked in the head. If the play would have been in the other direction, I don’t think Lloyd would have been complaining, but….this is Lloyd we are talking about here, and when has he lost and not complained about something. Lloyd should take some solace knowing that if he doesn’t get his two PI calls, his teams loses by double digits. He should also some take comfort in knowing that if that ridiculous defenseless center call doesn’t get pulled out of the doldrums, his team is down by 21-28 points going into halftime.

The Rematch?

UM is probably the second best team in the country…probably.

UM and its fans will tell you that they want a rematch. If you guys watch this game again, do you really want a rematch? Are you going to bet on Troy Smith having a bad game? He already trunk-f**ked the UM defense once this season. Any doubt that he wont do it again? Has the UM defense reached it’s peak? I see a lot of upperclassmen on the defensive side of the ball for UM, and they aren’t going to get much better in the next 50 days. Do you think that the OSU defense is going to get better in the 50 days? Do you think that the OSU staff will not utilize Mr. Hart’s slip-up to create some motivation for the next time these two teams meet up (whether it is January or next November?)?

OSU played one of its worst games from a penalty and turnover standpoint. What happens if Datish learns how to snap again? What happens if a non-Big Ten officiating crew is brought in to call the BCS game? Michigan lost a game where it got almost all of the calls and had three turnovers on OSU’s side of the field gift-wrapped for them…and they still lost.

So they can call for a rematch all that they want but the fact remains…they were given a golden opportunity to win and yet…the game was never really in doubt after the second quarter. On top of all of the mistakes….UM only led the game for 9 total minutes.

They only lost by three points, but it looks like that 500+ yards of offense wasn’t supposed to happen against the “English Majors.” Mike Hart needs to take a good look at his own defense that was shredded all day on Saturday, instead of ripping on the OSU defense that made stops when it needed to throughout the day.

Think about that while you are watching USC hammer Notre Dame next weekend…and then try and say that UM will provide a challenge to the OSU title hopes in Glendale.

Herringbone...