Team 136 - Game 12 - Michigan vs Ohio State
/Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way
Will. It’s a crazy thing. The noun form, that is, not the boring future tense that simply accompanies other, more interesting, nouns …and, no, not the kid from Boston either. I’m talking about that intangible quality that has the ability to deliver success. It’s the dominant attribute in Jim Harbaugh’s genetic makeup, and it reared its head once again last Saturday in Happy Valley, when Harbaugh’s Wolverines beat the Penn State Nittany Lions 28-16. Will delivered.
The boys boarded the Big Khaki Bus and headed back to A Squared to spend the week preparing for the Big One – no, not Redd Foxx’s final calling to visit his beloved Elizabeth, the Wolverines’ annual match-up with the degenerates from Columbus. Nobody thought Coach Jimbo would have a shot at taking down the mighty Buckeye when the campaign began back in August … nobody thought the guy in khakis would do a fraction of what he’s done in just 11 short months on campus … then again, nobody thought that the Donald would be a serious Presidential candidate … I digress … yes, this weekend Coach Harbaugh has the chance to do what few thought possible – those Bucking Fuckeyes are in sight, and the mission is clear. Where there’s a will, there’s a way … bring on OSU. Oh yeah, right … sorry, gettin’ excited and hard to contain … let’s recap the PSU W, and then … LET’S DO THIS!
Michigan vs Penn State - The Recap
More than 107,000 people packed Beaver Stadium on Saturday for Senior Day, and the place looked whiter than Mike Huckabee’s Thanksgiving dinner table. When the final buzzer sounded, Michigan became the first team to beat Penn State at home this season, and the win caps a perfect road season for Coach Harbaugh. Big Blue went 4-0 away from the Big House this year, and that’s a number that can’t get better, so let’s stop for a minute … namasate … and appreciate it.
The last time the Maize and Blue went undefeated on the road was 1977 – by the way, under Coach Bo, that team went 10-2 (7-1 Big Ten), was Big Ten Co-Champions and finished the season with a 27-20 loss in the Rose Bowl to Washington but still a #8 ranking in the Coaches Poll (#9 AP). Harbaugh has brought a Bo focus back to this program, and we’re seeing results earlier than most expected. There’s a focus right now that’s reminiscent of the good old days … and it permeates Schembechler Hall. For fuck’s sake, this team is already 4 wins better than last year’s squad, with mostly the same boys suiting up on Saturdays. 4-0 on the road in a tough Big Ten Conference under a first-year Head Coach? Well slap my ass and call me Sally! Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
The Michigan Offense
The Michigan offense was strong against Penn State … not dominant in a way that instills confidence heading into the OSU game, but good enough to get the job done, and that’s what counts on the scoreboard. But don’t get me wrong … the run game has stalled and it needs a giant dose of Wake the Fuck Up before Big Red arrives in A Squared.
QB Jake Rudock went 25-38 for 256 yards and 2TDs – the first-ever Michigan QB to throw for at least 250 yards in 3 straight games (granted, for like 50 years we had an offensive mindset of run it behind the fucking big guy and QBs threw fewer passes than Kobe Bryant in an NBA game … yes, a small number. But still, Jake has proven consistent, has gotten smarter and once again he played mistake-free football except for that one first-quarter INT.
While he’s not stealing airtime on SportsCenter through flash and dash, we can’t complain with his performance these last few weeks, and he seems to be hitting his stride at just the right time. This guy is boring, relatively skilled at his craft and difficult to critique other than to say that he’s not wooing the public and gracing the covers of mainstream media —then again, the last time we had that was a guy who didn’t know how to tie his shoes and was more unpredictable than that random country-club Thanksgiving buffet … ah, appreciating being with family and in a comfy home for one of the best American holidays on the calendar – ok, a little too full after the absolutely unnecessary extra helping of stuffing and a few drops more of that glorious Staglin ’01 Cab, but can’t complain about such high-class problems and thankful for so much in life … health, happiness, Mrs. Go Blue, amazing kids, extended family, business, lifestyle, living in a warm climate and, that’s right, Coach Harbaugh. I digress … if given the choice, I’ll take Body by Jake every day of the week and twice on Saturday.
Offensive Coordinator Timmy Drevnor brought a diversified passing attack that saw none of his receiving corp hit 100 yards on Saturday, but the ball made its way around the field effectively and efficiently. Darboh caught 7 balls for 68 yards and a TD … Chesson pulled in 4 catches for 69 yards ... and I Like Jake Butt contributed from the TE slot with 5 grabs for 66 yards and a score. Rudock moved the ball well and found his open receivers, looking comfortable in the pocket and performing exactly how Coach Harbaugh expected when he brought the 21-year-old to Ann Arbor from Iowa for his final year of eligibility.
As for the ground game, for another week now, Big Blue was underwhelming, and it’s now cause for concern. De’Veon Smith led the unit with 13 carries for a grand total of 39 yards … yup, weaker than my Grandma Claire pushing an oversized cart through a crowded Costco.
Jabrill Peppers was second in number of carries out of the backfield with 5 touches – fyi, this kid starts at Safety and is arguably more effective out of the backfield than half of the Big Ten’s starting RBs. Uncle Desmond called #5 the best all-around player in college football, and for good reason – and I know, that’s got less credibility than Trump’s Twitter record – for fuck’s sake, Donald, you’re three hairs shy of short-bus status … just put on the fucking helmet and deal with the public scrutiny. After all, when Kirk Herbstreit praises the integrity of OSU personnel, I jump down his throat, so touche. But still, Peppers is among the most explosive player to suit up on Saturdays, and he’s ready for a big showing against OSU, and that likely means offensive production in addition to defensive domination ... that is, after his modeling stint for The Players Tribune.
The Michigan Defense
DJ Durkin’s D allowed 0 TDs on Penn State’s 3 trips inside Michigan’s 10-yard line – PSU came away with just 9 points on those tries – talk about fucking will! This unit has stepped it up all season and has saved the team’s ass on more than one occasion … whether goal-line situations at the end of regulation or simply holding firm in the red zone, the Michigan Defense deserves the hype … almost as deserving as Eddie Murphy’s receiving the Mark Twain Prize for Comedy last week … for those of us who grew up with Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop), Billy Ray Valentine (Trading Places) and Reggie Hammon (48 Hours), we recognize the genius and applaud the industry recognition … after all, it’s better than a banana in the tailpipe.
Taco Charlton – by the way, another off-the-charts football nome de jure – almost as good as Hingle McKringleberry oy, for those who haven’t seen this, it’s a must and there’s a reason it makes the editing cut at some point every year – notched 3 Tackles for Loss and 2 sacks on the day and was a machine set to Robocop mode. His performance was impressive, as were those turned in by Jourdan Lewis, Chris Wormley and James Ross III, evidencing the balanced defensive attack of this squad.
The Big Blue D sacked PSU QB Christian Hackenberg 4 times and held Saquon Barkley to just 68 rushing yards on 15 carries, with 56 of them on the Nittany Lions’ second play from scrimmage. And consider the fact that the Michigan D accounted for 10 of the Wolverines’ ridiculous 14 penalties and this unit really brought the heat in Happy Valley. This unit deserves appreciation for what it’s continued to do all season … save Blue’s ass in times of need.
Michigan Special Teams and Intangibles
Michigan’s 14 penalties for 118 yards was more offensive than that 8am Friday morning Stats 101 Discussion you had Sophomore year, and we gotta believe that Coach Jimbo gave his vocal chords a nice workout this week in chastising those accountable for all the yellow flags (or at least the ones that were well-deserved, as that number certainly appeared a whole lot less than 14). I know, pointing fingers at the officiating crew is an amateur-hour tactic reserved only for low-life types (primarily coming from Columbus), but it was such horseshit that it requires honorable mention in the highlight reel – although the fact that some think officials are tougher on Big Blue because of Harbaugh’s increased scrutiny over yellow-flag fever on his boys is maybe even more offensive than the underlying problem itself. Really? You’re punishing the kid in the front row just because he asks more questions than the other dumbass students in the class? Sorry, I thought this was Division I college football, not ninth-grade Chemistry.
C’mon, Big Ten … in case you haven’t heard, we got a good thing goin’ again with Urban and Jimmy preparing to clash this weekend and a host of other great stuff happening around the league (still can’t believe Iowa is real, but the numbers don’t like and Team Hawkeye certainly has impressed this campaign). We need solid, clean officiating … like, refs who actually understand Targeting and can call an objective game.
And then there’s Coach Jim. This guy is so intense, and it’s so good for the program. Did you see him rip off his jacket at the horseshit pass-interference call against Jabrill in the third quarter? I think Coach nearly had an aneurysm half a dozen times Saturday afternoon pacing the sidelines. He’s all in for every play, every week, all season long, and I fucking love it.
I mean, did you see his little graveyard gesture this week? I shit you not, Harbaugh went so far as to smash a buckeye nut on Bo’s grave as a symbol of the intensity and passion surrounding this week’s contest and the fire inside our native-son’s belly.
Who’s ALL IN FOR MICHIGAN? Sorry, but I need a Giddy-Up? That’s right, Uncle Fuckeye is comin’ to town, and it’s time to greet him that warm Big House hospitality.
Michigan vs Ohio State -The Preview
The Game, as it’s called … according to some, the greatest rivalry in sports – hard to argue it’s not at least the greatest rivalry in college football … and its significance returns this weekend as Coach Harbaugh takes his first shot at the Ohio State Buckeyes. So relevant that HBO produced its first sports documentary on the subject, this year’s installment seeks to cap a regular season in college football that has amazed, inspired and frustrated all at the same time.
Michigan brings a heavy dose of Uncle Mo to the Big House this weekend in search of its 5th in a row … and, of far greater significance, its first conference championship since 2003. Big Blue has 11 national titles, 43 Bowl Game appearances, and 42 Big Ten Titles … all in 136 years of Michigan football. Hot Damn! Yet none of that counts this weekend.
Far more than numbers in record books, Blue Nation wants more than another check in the win column against its biggest rival … nope, this year it’s about something different … it’s about restoring a sense of equilibrium to Big Ten football … to righting the recent wrongs in this great rivalry … to formally returning Michigan football to its deserving place in the top tier of college football.
Ohio State has dominated Michigan of late, winning ten of the last eleven in the series (four of the last five in Ann Arbor), and Coach Harbaugh wants to put Big Blue back on the map when it comes to the greatest rivalry in college football. It’s time to reverse the trend.
As for Coach Jimbo, he went 2-0 against OSU as a starter when wearing the Maize and Blue (including his “victory guarantee” before The Game in 1986, a comment which still burns in Columbus). The Harbaugh-led Wolverines were ranked #2 in the nation and upset by unranked Minnesota, thwarting UM’s national-title hopes – Jimbo told the world that his team would beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten title en route to Pasadena. Balls. Yup, much-macho cojones. Some thought Bo would take him out to the woodshed for the comment; instead, the legend simply remarked that Jim was a QB and they’re cocky sons-of-bitches at their very best … I believe his specific remark was, “Everybody thinks I’m upset. I’d have said it myself if I had any guts.”
Yup, it was this same guy who busted a buckeye nut on Bo’s grave this week that made that snarky remark back in November of 1986. His teammates backed him up then in the 26-24 victory at Ohio Stadium that saw Jamie Morris run for 210 yards and two TDS and OSU kicker Matt Frantz miss a field goal wide left. Jimmy went 19-29 for 261 yards and led his team to a conference championship and the right to represent the Big Ten in Pasadena.
Jimbo enters this game older and wiser, but certainly no less confident or optimistic as that arrogant kid nearly 30 years ago. And boy is he ready for Coach Meyer and his pack of high-priced, juice-ridden criminals. Last year’s game saw Michigan push the Buckeyes to the limit, but ultimately fall 42-28 in a better-than-expected contest in Columbus, a loss that stings for many on Team 136 … one that all of Blue Nation hopes to revenge on Saturday.
Speaking of Saturday, Coach Meyer brings a wounded squad to the Big House … a team whose playoff hopes vanquished at the Horseshoe last weekend when OSU fell to Michigan State 17-14 for its first loss in 23 games. The defending national champs lost at home to a conference rival to end its win streak and likely end its playoff hopes for this year … a repeat champ we will not have!
Yes, it was a thing of beauty to watch defeat visit Columbus last weekend (and even more fun watching Buckeye students and alum trying to figure out how to spell D-E-F-E-A-T … whole different issue, but let’s just say that, fortunately for America, most of the mad intelligence that lives in Columbus chooses to remain in and ultimately die in that Midwest dirt-hole). But it’s no surprise that OSU lost to Sparty – while talent-laden as always, OSU had failed to perform to its potential all season. It fell to a 13-point underdog playing with two backup quarterbacks, and the kids from Columbus lost for the second time in three years as a heavy favorite against Gang Green. This Buckeye team is vulnerable, and I’m gettin’ excited.
As for how MSU did it, Mark Dantonio’s men controlled the line of scrimmage (especially on defense) and won a hard-fought ground battle reminiscent of the good ol’ days of Big Ten gridiron. Michigan State had no choice, having lost senior QB Connor Cook to a sprained shoulder and having to wing it with a new face under center for the first time in 37 games. QB Tyler O’Connor took the reins and focused on leading a steady ground game in brutal weather conditions. Ohio State had difficulty with the weather as well, and ran only 45 plays from scrimmage in the game (slightly more than half of the number of snaps the team took against Hawaii earlier this season).
When the chips were laid on the table, the Buckeyes didn’t have the will or the way to stop MSU … instead they laid down and took it the uncomfortable way … Mooooon River … whether Dr. Babar or those boys in green and white, OSU took it the hard way and now finds itself in the cheap seats watching the national-title hunt unfold.
Because of the OSU loss, Michigan no longer controls its own destiny … a major bummer, yes, in that had OSU remained perfect and fallen this weekend at the Big House, Michigan would have won outright the Big Ten East and packed up the Khaki Bus to head to Indy to face Iowa in the Big Ten title game. But last weekend’s upset changes the situation – if Michigan beats OSU, Big Blue guarantees itself at least a share of the Big Ten East title, but no chance to head to Indy to face Iowa in the conference championship contest. Assuming Sparty beats Penn State at home on Saturday, Harbaugh and company would share the East crown with 1-loss MSU and Gang Green earns a trip to Indy (because of the debacle that was UMvMSU back in October) and Michigan waits to learn its Bowl destination. What matters, though, is the Michigan performance – a win against the big, bad wolf, and Harbaugh will cap a season that few thought possible.
But back to OSU, the Buckeyes have fallen apart since the MSU loss (which, admittedly, has been entertaining, as it’s always good fun watching a handful of jail-mates run together towards the exit). Junior RB Ezekiel Elliot announced at the post-game press conference that he was turning pro – and that was after he chided the OSU coaching staff for shitty play-calling in the game … yup, that Buckeye class can overwhelm. And then there’s QB Cardale Jones, the unexpected hero of the 2014 season who became a non-factor-turned-backup-again this season – he informed the Twitterverse that he, too, plans to turn pro. People are pointing fingers, and players aren’t responding well … Coach Meyer has to worry about how that may translate to the field this weekend. As for Coach Harbaugh, we all know what happens when he smells blood in the water. And while he likes to downplay the hype, we all know how fired up he is for this one.
This Michigan / Ohio State meeting is without doubt the biggest since 2006 – the Game of the Century, which saw the first time these rivals entered the contest ranked 1st and 2nd in the country. Michigan had won its first 11 games of the season and fell to the undefeated Buckeyes in Columbus, 42-39 in the second-highest-scoring game in series history (the most points was 86 in 1902, which Michigan won 86-0 … ouch). That 2006 game came the day after Bo died, and it was a doozy.
OSU went on to get pummeled by Florida 41-14 in the national-championship game, while Michigan lost to USC in the Rose Bowl in a game that saw QB John David Booty outpace Chad Henne, 32-18, in a game featuring long-forgotten names such as Garret Rivas, Adrian Arington and Steve Breaston (maybe Michigan’s best kick-return guy until Jabrill Peppers showed up in Ann Arbor).
Yes, some consider this the greatest rivalry in sports – an ambitious characterization when you consider our nation’s rich sports history … Yankees / Red Sox … Bears / Packers … Lakers / Celtics … Mighty Ducks / Hawks (who doesn’t love the Flying V?) … Bad News Bears / Yankees (I always love me some Buttermaker) … the list goes on).
But it’s hard to argue that a better rivalry in college football exists today. These teams first squared off in 1897 and have faced each other every year since 1918. It’s been the “de facto” Big Ten championship game on 22 occasions, and the game has affected the determination of the conference title an additional 27 times. Michigan holds the series edge, 58-47-6, and let’s just say the rivalry’s history is rich, colorful and storied, with some of the game’s greatest talents facing off in this match-up, not to mention the coaching prowess that walked the sidelines from 1969 to 1978, when the annual contest showcased Bo vs. Woody. Those two will be smiling down on the Big House this weekend, satisfied that the rivalry remains as meaningful as ever … fingers crossed for their squad to emerge victorious.
As a wise Michigan man once said, “We’ve got big goals … we’ve got big ideas. We’ve got to win this game, and there is no game more important than the one you’re goin’ down the tunnel to play today. Now let’s go!” (at 1:03 of the clip). This one is huge … and Michigan is ready … so let’s get it on.
The early prediction is now in … Michigan 31 - Ohio State 17
Go Blue!