Yeah, I know. This year was always gonna suck and I have no problem with that. But what looks like 3-9 + all these fumbles and other complete sloppiness all over the place makes me sad. I could live with the lack of talent, but why all the mental mistakes?

The offensive mistakes are easy to explain: abysmal offensive line plus freshman everywhere at key skill positions. Threet throwing off of his back foot constantly (which causes those sailing balls to Tacopants) is a pretty common trait among young QBs, and its also a pretty common trait among QBs who play behind bad OLs and don't have a lot of time to set their feet and throw. Threet is young and has a terrible OL so you should expect and even greater frequency of overthrows and that's exactly what we've observed over the first half of the season. He frequently chooses wrong on those zone read plays (60 yard scamper against Wisconsin a notable exception). He tried to throw over the middle of the field on 2nd and goal while he was rolling out and getting hit. Again, kind of standard stuff for kids without much experience.

And the older guys with some experience like Matthews and Minor have had unfortunate bouts with fumblitis, which is sometimes just variance.

The defense's problems are a little more mystifying but tough to ding them too much on a day like today when they don't give up a TD. The only real poor performance they've had so far is last week. In every other game so far, they've played more than well enough for a non-terrible offense to win.

So yeah abysmal offensive line plus freshman everywhere at key skill positions. Cue the "that sounds like ND 2007" music.

do I get a pass now for comparing Michigan '08 to ND '07 in the preseason?

anyway, it's not as bad as some here are making it sound
6-6 is still possible, but unlikely

it's not quite as bad as ND last year

the FUTURE IS BRIGHT

this is not even close to the Nebraska situation

I would not be too shocked if Michigan gels next year. However I still see '10 as the year they are back competing for the conference title.

Losing to Toledo at home is worse than any of ND's losses last year though, at least Navy and Air Force went bowling. I think they'll be fine in the long run though, Threet and Sheridan are just so bad for that offense.

Ship Toledo +650. Thanks Michigan!

Well Michigan lets be miserable together this week. Both of us took our depleted rosters against opponents that pose a threat about once in 10 years. Running bad sucks.

The problem for Michigan is that the game wasn't a fluke. Any time you see a big school lose to a team like Toledo, you get the feeling if they played 10 times that the small school would only win that game. Not yesterday. If they played again today I still think Toledo wins.

Kind of complicated by the fact that this wasn't a great Toledo. When I was living there a few years back, Toledo was the best MAAC offense team with the most passing yards in the country; they couldn't win all the time because they had no defense, and their own fans ignored them.

But this year they weren't doing very well.

young team sandwich game not end of the world....

just imo.

I see the Penn State line is 23.5. I didn't think I'd ever seen UM a 3 TD+ dog. I am guessing that is the biggest line against UM since...maybe the '68 OSU game? That's before my time, but I am guessing we were a huge dog in that one. If PSU has a chance to run it up, I am guessing they will take out years of frustration in this one.

I hope UM fans will be extremely patient and no more booing. Sure, we are playing horrible. This team is far worse than anybody imagined. However, Lloyd Carr and company deserve plenty of blame. When you can't recruit linebackers with any quickness year after year, or a safety who can make a play, the defense will suffer. No amount of coaching is going to totally disguise those glaring physical weaknesses.

It was no coincidence that the best UM defense in memory was the '97 team with Ian Gold and Dhani Jones at LB. We've had way too many Sam Sword types, that were recruited to stop 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

DRod's name coming up with regards to the Clemson job
He hasn't signed with Michigan yet????!!!!

I think it's totally left field rumor, but interesting to read

That rumor is so far beyond left field, it's past the parking lot and into the next suburb. But funny none the less.

Some day when Rod writes his memoirs, I can't wait to read what his reaction was when he discovered how bare Lloyd left the cupboard. No OL. No LBs worth a bucket of warm spit (Ezeh might be worth cold spit, but that's about it), no depth at DB. No QBs. Heck, name one position where Michigan had top shelf talent ready to step in.

An upset over MSU or tOSU or Penn State would redeem this lost season. Probably won't happen, but crazier things have.

well, no matter what, this was going to be a rebuilding year for Michigan
last year was the team and schedule built to win the national title with Henne, Hart, Long, Manningham, etc. Lloyd just did not have enough guys to cover a spread in space.

Let's not kid ourselves, though, Michigan still has tons of talent. The turmoil in the o-line is big. Teams just don't get by with that much inexperience in that spot. However, Michigan is loaded up and down the roster with some of the very best out of high school at their positions.

For giggles, I looked at how Michigan's guys rated compared to Illinois in Phil Steele's guide

Out of the 22 starters and the kicker and punter, the Illini had higher rated players coming out of high school at 2 spots
Juice Williams
Arrelious Benn

Almost every single back-up Michigan player is better rated than the Illini starter!

Michigan had top shelf talent at every single position! Every single guy is rated in the top 50 for his position coming out of high school except Ezeh (who was a #80 RB).

Rivals recruiting rankings nationally/big ten
2004 5/1
2005 6/1
2006 13/3
2007 12/1
2008 10/2 (part Carr and part Rodriguez)

The problem last year was injuries. Once healthy, they dominated Florida in the bowl game.

agreed

well, tOSU and Oregon might have been better teams as well

Oregon, when healthy, might have been the best team in the country last year

This has to be hyperbole. You're pulling our legs, right?

To wit:

Illinois: Martez Wilson

Michigan: THIS.

my bad, you're right
Martez is ahead as well, rated #7, while Austin Painter was the #9JC player in his class

You guys want him?
He's the worst player on the Illini D right now.
Martez has struggled to learn assignments.
Martez and the kick return were pretty much the difference between Penn St and Illinois when they played.
It's so bad that I'm starting to lose hope in him.

Bryce McNeal decommitted. Didn't bother looking around to see if he was a likely recommit who just wanted to take some trips or someone who really wants to go somewhere else, but yeah, so there's that. I guess if there's a position to take a hit at for us, WR isn't all too bad, but oh well.

Yup, Henne got that early nick and wasn't right for most of the season. Manningham smoked too much weed, Hart went to skeeps too much. Hart's skeepsascades really pissed me off when he got hurt and I'm not surprised he's hurt again in the NFL.

Meh, they hung in against PSU much longer than I (or anybody, I suppose) expected.


I read on Rivals this week that we may be leading for Eugene Smith. That would make three 4 star QBs in the same class. WOW. I guess Rod is serious about fixing the QB situation.

what a dissappointing game/season.

and the 70 yard screenpass to the house with a minute left, losing the cover in the process, was the ultimate kick in the nuts.

will someone please, PLEASE explain to me why rrod put in sheridan with 8 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter?? on the 10 yard line, in front of the rowdy student section....unless the injury was bad enough to threet that he HAD to, that **** was simply unacceptable...

every week, my heart gets ripped out.

i know going in that i should just watch, and not care, but every week i'm excited by the 2nd quarter, and 2 hours later, i'm depressed...

I was actually impressed with how we looked in the first half, especially coming off the demoralizing loss to Toledo. If we could've just recovered that damn fumble near PSU's endzone it could've been a whole different ballgame, but we executed well for a half, and didn't get the one or two huge lucky breaks that we needed to win that game, and they basically just piled on at the end.

I don't care what the standings or the rankings are, without Spartan Bob on the clock Michigan will always find a way to beat Michigan State.

He put in Sheridan because Threet was having issues with his throwing shoulder/elbow. It's not a change of pace thing; he's not ******ed.

Threet was hurt.

http://www.freep.com/article/2008101...34/1054/SPORTS

I really hope that Threet recovers soon, and not even so that we can win games. Sheridan is so bad that it renders our offense totally ineffective and limits the amount of experience the rest of the kids can gain this season.

BTN = I haven't watched the game in a couple of weeks, just gamecasted it.

Has Threet made any progress outside of the injury? Do we have any bright spots? Was McGuffie injured yesterday, too?

Basically, do we have any chance of being > .500 next year?