Also, I did a lot of thinking re: Tate Saturday night. He's struggling obviously, he's a true freshman, he was bound to eventually. But, I think the play calling can help him out a little. Tate's biggest problem right now is he's running into pressure. He's clearly not comfortable in the pocket, even when the OL gives him one. He panics when no one's open right away, runs into a DE, and then the play falls apart. He throws great on the run, though. I think he would benefit a lot if they called for him to roll out more. It would take a little pressure off the OL and it would help Tate a lot imo. If anyone saw the Purdue/OSU game, Purdue did this all day and it neutralized OSU's DL big time.

And Koger/Odoms are only sophomores and they're my favorite players so we're obv set

I love Koger but he's sucked the last 2 or 3 weeks

The WR/TE drops are maddening. Yes, the QBs have been bad, but they're not getting any help. Lot of catchable balls being dropped out there.

Also, speaking of execution errors -- I'm going to guess Michigan is at or near the bottom of FBS in turnover margin for the 2nd year in a row. For something that is such high variance and attributable to luck -- it sure does suck that the college football gods are absolutely ****ing us over again. Obviously the young QBs are partly to blame here, but man that Brown fumble after the Graham punt block was just gut wrenching.

I was at the game, and I mean it was clear to everyone we were getting beaten up, but at that point there was still an element of buzz to it after Graham's block. A "if we can drive this one in, you know, maybe!...get it close? We could!...maybe!" type atmosphere. Then Brown fumbles the ****ing ball and everyone went back to sitting in their puddle. sigh

Did Mike Hart just run good for four years? I don't think fumbling is nearly the variance that people think it is. Coaches dedicate drills towards it for a reason.

I will say that this week is probably something close to a "must-win" for Michigan to keep the atmosphere around the program from turning toxic. If this team just looks like it might miss a bowl game, it's going to be a sick week leading up to the Purdue game. I'm going to have to completely avoid picking up a newspaper and not turn on my radio.

I feel like this is a lot like the Western game: Michigan vs. an ostensibly inferior opponent as the negativity around the program is on low heat and simmering (negativity was a lot worse in the leadup to the opener than it will be this week, granted).

But a loss might bring the pot to boil.

/bad sports pundit euphemisms

Yes, he did.

lol, gotcha

There is variance in it like everything else but its still a skill. I wonder if the people who say it's all luck have ever been tackled.

I think the point is that people who fumble a lot inevitably stop getting the ball. So you can grant that it's a skill, but that once you get to a certain level, lets say FBS college football, if you're still playing RB, you've demonstrated you have that skill. If you still have fumbilitis, you likely won't get carries, so fumbling should likely be random after that. You might still have exceptions, the Rashard Mendhall's of the world or whatever, but again, fumbles should be evenly distributed around college football and not cluster around a team.

It's like if someone claimed kicking 55 yard field goals outdoors in swirling wind is largely luck for NFL caliber kickers, and then you guys come back and are all like "well I wonder if the people who say it's all luck have ever tried kicking an extra point". Yes, carrying and holding onto the ball is a skill, and yes, most people if tackled by the 300 lb hulking beasts that populate college football defenses would not do well holding onto the ball. Most people aren't FBS caliber college football running backs. "Most people" isn't the relevant population to discuss.

Of course "not fumbling" is a skill. But at the highest levels, it's a skill most everyone who gets a chance to fumble, ie, gets a carry, has demonstrated they can do. At that point, it's mostly just a matter of luck who coughs it up and who doesn't.

Also, "fumbling" isn't that costly in and of itself, it's only costly when the other team recovers, and it's another reason why luck plays a huge role in "fumbling", because there's no skill involved in recovering fumbles.

So, yes:

- Holding onto the ball is a skill. No question about that
- Fumbles among the running backs who play at the highest levels, and consequently who recovers those fumbles, is largely a matter of luck.

Mike Hart, blessed be thy name, did run incredibly well. He's also the beneficiary of bizarre stat keeping. We all know "Mike Hart Doesn't Fumble" because he had 1000 carries without a fumble or whatever (before fumbling twice in a bowl game -- variance ftw). But that streak included a carry when Mike Hart fumbled the ball on his own goalline, it bounced out of the back of our endzone, and our opponent (Ball St.) got 2 pts for a safety. And that counted as a carry where Mike Hart DIDN'T fumble, according to NCAA stat-keeping.

Speaking of the college football gods:

David Molk Torn ACL, Out for Season

**** YOU MOTHER****ERS

oy

Medical redshirt one time plz, he only played 4 games.

Ah, ****ing ****:

http://mgoblog.com/content/molk-out-season

I realize there's some aspect of luck involved in fumbling, but Michigan has shown a disturbing trend in fumbling the football the past two years. I don't think it's just one huge coincidence. They need to work on it. I'm sure it's being emphasized.

Molk being out is such a big loss.

*sigh*

Anyone think Hart being tiny might have also contributed to less helmet on ball hits and making it harder to strip since he would be carrying the ball lower than most backs? Just an idea.

And yeah 7-5 and a competitive bowl game would be totally fine by me right now.

I don't give a ****, let's just beat OSU.

Apparently Moosman is going to stay at guard. Khoury or McAvoy at center. I think it's probably a good move. Khoury's always had great reviews in practice. Hopefully it can carry over

RichRod 3-9 in big 10 games so far, lol. We are looking worse and worse. Doesn't look good.

Hey greear, there are plenty of other teams to cheer for, you won't be missed.

lol @ Greear being results oriented. Awesome.

One bad game does not a regression make. Michigan was improving through the Iowa game. Penn State was just clearly better than them, it was bound to happen eventually. The fast start got the fans too optimistic, myself included. If Michigan isn't winning more games next year, there's more reason to worry. Right now, the goal should be to get to a bowl game for that extra month of practice time.

Perhaps this and his overall running style. Hart ran like another RB well known for not fumbling, Barry Sanders. Because these guys can juke you out of your jockstrap, it becomes very difficult to get a direct hit on them or to go after stripping the ball. You have to play more passive and just try to wrap them up, because these guys will use your speed/acceleration against you. I think this is the largest reason why Hart/Barry had such a good nonfumbling record.

i think it's because they had short arms that were perfectly sized to cradle the football point to point

.

ike/wiper i truely could not care less what you two think in terms of me rooting for Michigan. I'm pretty sure I've been to more games then you two combined X3 and I'm only 22. I can get on field pregame toooo niggggahs I got the hook up, dontcha worry though.

Anyways...our defense is absolutly ****ing terrribad and were probably losing our best two defensive players this year. This is RRods 2nd D coordinator....if the defense isnt legit by next year.......HE GAWNNNNNNNN. And hello Les Myles or whoever else. Im not saying I dont think RRod is a good coach...but i mean...you simple can't have one aspect of your team be that bad and get away with it.

And i hate to break it to you wiper....being "results oriented" is what college football today is about.