• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

scUM player haunted by loss

Buckskin86

Moderator
http://www.mlive.com/sports/aanews/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1103454666326292.xml

Carty: Jackson still can atone for OhioSt. loss
Sunday, December 19, 2004
BY JIM CARTY
News Sports Columnist
In the weeks since losing to Ohio State, Marlin Jackson has relived the worst parts again and again, looking for what went wrong.

The senior cornerback watches Ohio State's receivers beating him in one-on-one coverage, beating him more in one game than receivers from 10 other teams combined had beaten him all season. Jackson has seen his buddy, safety Ernest Shazor, blow deep contain coverage on the Buckeyes' first touchdown and then miss tackle after tackle.

They've talked about it, more than once.

About how they played their worst games in the University of Michigan football team's biggest game of the season so far.

" about what went wrong," Jackson said. "I've looked at the tape a lot. It's a lot of little things: a step here, a move there, technique it really eats at you. You wish you could take those moments back.

"Especially at Ohio State."

Jackson's not putting all of the blame for the 37-21 loss on himself and Shazor, but he took a lot Wednesday. He seemed to embrace the first real embarrassment of a dominant four-year career, turning it over and looking at it from all angles, as if to make sure he figured it out, so it didn't happen again.

"As a man, you've got to deal with it," the senior said. "It's the truth. There's no reason to sugarcoat it. We didn't play well. Our two All-Americans on defense didn't play well. If your All-Americans don't play well, it's going to be hard to play good defense."

It's going to be near-impossible on Jan. 1 in Pasadena.

The game plan for beating Texas and its dominant rushing attack in the Rose Bowl is simple: Pack the line of scrimmage with tacklers, abandon Michigan's usual zone pass coverage and ask Jackson - and sometimes Shazor - to single-cover the Longhorn receivers and tight ends.

While everyone else gangs up on tailback Cedric Benson and shifty quarterback Vince Young, the defensive backs have to do their job alone.

No help. Nowhere to hide.

Prior to Ohio State, there would have been no worries.

Jackson was having one of the most boring senior seasons in college football because teams were afraid to throw to his side of the field. When Michigan assigned him to a single receiver, Purdue's Taylor Stubblefield, Jackson held the Big Ten's all-time receptions leader without a catch until the game's final minutes.

Shazor was arguably better, chasing down quarterbacks, causing fumbles with crushing hits and breaking up passes as the last line of defense.

Until that trip to Columbus.

Going into the game, Michigan was a feel-good story, surprise Big Ten champs despite starting a freshman tailback and quarterback. Jackson and Shazor seemed bulletproof.

Four quarters later, nobody felt real good or real bulletproof.

But at least there's one more game, Jackson said.

Four more quarters to make it right, for the All-Americans to play like it. It's the last chance for Jackson in a Michigan uniform, maybe for Shazor, too, if the junior decides to take advantage of his sky-high NFL draft stock.

And they've both been around long enough to know how things are judged in Schembechler Hall. Rose Bowl champs, that trumps everything, even a season in which the Wolverines lost to both Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Anything less, well, it'll really eat at you.

Just a nice read to start the day :scum4:
 
And they've both been around long enough to know how things are judged in Schembechler Hall. Rose Bowl champs, that trumps everything, even a season in which the Wolverines lost to both Ohio State and Notre Dame.

I don't buy that at all...that's just the most available sugarcoating for now.
 
Upvote 0
And they've both been around long enough to know how things are judged in Schembechler Hall. Rose Bowl champs, that trumps everything, even a season in which the Wolverines lost to both Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Anything less, well, it'll really eat at you.


1st off thats bullshit...like 21 said its all they have to cling to at the moment.

2nd, think what its gonna feel like if they lose. :biggrin:
 
Upvote 0
The senior cornerback watches Ohio State's receivers beating him in one-on-one coverage, beating him more in one game than receivers from 10 other teams combined had beaten him all season. Jackson has seen his buddy, safety Ernest Shazor, blow deep contain coverage on the Buckeyes' first touchdown and then miss tackle after tackle.

Music to my ears. I think I found my Christmas card.
 
Upvote 0
The senior cornerback watches Ohio State's receivers beating him in one-on-one coverage, beating him more in one game than receivers from 10 other teams combined had beaten him all season. Jackson has seen his buddy, safety Ernest Shazor, blow deep contain coverage on the Buckeyes' first touchdown and then miss tackle after tackle.
That made me smile.
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top