Game Thread THE GAME, 11/26/16, 12pm ET, ABC

[TampaBuckeyes]

Reading the scUM boards is a Sunday morning treat.

They actually believe they'll take a step forward next year and that somehow they have the better coach.

http://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/michigan/91119
This is showing 12 starters for different formations, but:
They have 8 seniors and rs seniors starting on offense, plus 2 juniors (not counting peppers). In addition their 2 deep possesses another 6 seniors. Let's break this down by position.
At QB they keep Speight, lol.
Their 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th string running backs are all gone. (Putting Peppers in as the #2). Both full backs are gone. Evans (Freshman) does have over 500 yards this year and has looked pretty good. This is really the only position that could do well.
On the OL they return 2/5 starters, and 4/10 on the 2 deep.
They loose both starting wide outs but return the slot receiver Perry (13 receptions for 183 and 1TD in 7 games played this year). So Perry will be their leading WR as the 3 backups (according to this depth chart) have a combined 9 receptions on the year. This is hilarious, Darboh and Chessun are both NFL quality guys and they leaned on them a lot.

Every single starter on their defense is a senior or Peppers who is gone.
They loose all 4 starters on the line, and 2 of the backups.
They loose all 3 starting linebackers and 1 of the backups.
They loose all 4 of their starting secondary, but keep all 3 backups.

This is assuming all of the juniors other than Peppers stick around. I've never seen a team loose an entire starting defense. I'd bet they will struggle out of the gate next year.

 

[Dryden]

http://breakingt.com/products/good-spot?rfsn=60676.bef39

 

[HorseshoeFetish]

http://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/michigan/91119
This is showing 12 starters for different formations, but:
They have 8 seniors and rs seniors starting on offense, plus 2 juniors (not counting peppers). In addition their 2 deep possesses another 6 seniors. Let's break this down by position.
At QB they keep Speight, lol.
Their 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th string running backs are all gone. (Putting Peppers in as the #2). Both full backs are gone. Evans (Freshman) does have over 500 yards this year and has looked pretty good. This is really the only position that could do well.
On the OL they return 2/5 starters, and 4/10 on the 2 deep.
They loose both starting wide outs but return the slot receiver Perry (13 receptions for 183 and 1TD in 7 games played this year). So Perry will be their leading WR as the 3 backups (according to this depth chart) have a combined 9 receptions on the year. This is hilarious, Darboh and Chessun are both NFL quality guys and they leaned on them a lot.

Every single starter on their defense is a senior or Peppers who is gone.
They loose all 4 starters on the line, and 2 of the backups.
They loose all 3 starting linebackers and 1 of the backups.
They loose all 4 of their starting secondary, but keep all 3 backups.

This is assuming all of the juniors other than Peppers stick around. I've never seen a team loose an entire starting defense. I'd bet they will struggle out of the gate next year.

Don't forget that 11th year senior Jake Butt. He has to be gone right?

 

[buckeyboy]

Is that you @WolverineMike?

 

[Jaxbuck]

Watched the first half.

-It confirmed my in person thoughts that there were 2 potential passing TD's missed. One for #21 and one for #4.
-First of many big plays in this game; Sam Hubbard tackling the most dynamic player in college football in the open field and preventing a likely TD (it was too late to prevent the STD) and forced tsun to kick the FG.

 

[OSUK]

None of them seem to grasp that Penn State is a mediocre team that lucked into the Big Ten title game and will be absolutely whooped by Alabama or whatever other playoff team they encounter, if they are selected.

Just like Mich St last year.

Granted, our [Mark May]ty offensive play played a large and tragic role in putting them in this position

The following comments are a football opinion and should not be construed as an endorsement of that despicable school in the state to our east:

I think that team has gotten healthy and improved into a really fine football team since they lost to Pitt and got destroyed by scUM. They are playing well in all 3 phases. If they win next week, they will have earned it by improving and taking advantage of the opportunities that presented to them. If they win the division based on their record and the tie-breakers, I can't deny their legitimacy.

That said, I would rank them behind Ohio State, scUM, and Wisky in the B1G based on talent, stats, and overall performance - but I believe they are capable of beating those 3 teams if, say, they block 2 kicks and score 10 points off of them.

The thing that chaffes me over that loss in Happy Valley - and it's not an excuse, just something that should be noted but never is - is that Ohio State played 2 consecutive road night games and BOTH TEAMS had byes the prior week. Thanks B1G. Appreciate that. We need to ask those BWI freaks how that fits into their conspiracy theories. Another thing is that when you play Wisky, you are still feeling them 7 days later. I'm pretty confident that no other team on the playoff discussion had a 2 week stretch like that.

 

[Jaxbuck]

The following comments are a football opinion and should not be construed as an endorsement of that despicable school in the state to our east:

I think that team has gotten healthy and improved into a really fine football team since they lost to Pitt and got destroyed by scUM. They are playing well in all 3 phases. If they win next week, they will have earned it by improving and taking advantage of the opportunities that presented to them. If they win the division based on their record and the tie-breakers, I can't deny their legitimacy.

That said, I would rank them behind Ohio State, scUM, and Wisky in the B1G based on talent, stats, and overall performance - but I believe they are capable of beating those 3 teams if, say, they block 2 kicks and score 10 points off of them.

The thing that chaffes me over that loss in Happy Valley - and it's not an excuse, just something that should be noted but never is - is that Ohio State played 2 consecutive road night games and BOTH TEAMS had byes the prior week. Thanks B1G. Appreciate that. We need to ask those BWI freaks how that fits into their conspiracy theories. Another thing is that when you play Wisky, you are still feeling them 7 days later. I'm pretty confident that no other team on the playoff discussion had a 2 week stretch like that.

They definitely improved as the year went on. That OT win over Minny really got them going.

As far as the offense goes it kind of reminds me of the old Raiders with Lamonica. It's either a run or a play action bomb. The QB looks like he has terrible completion % but they are all deep balls. He's 50+% on home runs.

It's actually a fun offense to watch (if you can fool yourself into ignoring that it's PSU running it). I'd love to see their reaction if we could poach their OC.

 

[Thump]

The following comments are a football opinion and should not be construed as an endorsement of that despicable school in the state to our east:

I think that team has gotten healthy and improved into a really fine football team since they lost to Pitt and got destroyed by scUM. They are playing well in all 3 phases. If they win next week, they will have earned it by improving and taking advantage of the opportunities that presented to them. If they win the division based on their record and the tie-breakers, I can't deny their legitimacy.

That said, I would rank them behind Ohio State, scUM, and Wisky in the B1G based on talent, stats, and overall performance - but I believe they are capable of beating those 3 teams if, say, they block 2 kicks and score 10 points off of them.

The thing that chaffes me over that loss in Happy Valley - and it's not an excuse, just something that should be noted but never is - is that Ohio State played 2 consecutive road night games and BOTH TEAMS had byes the prior week. Thanks B1G. Appreciate that. We need to ask those BWI freaks how that fits into their conspiracy theories. Another thing is that when you play Wisky, you are still feeling them 7 days later. I'm pretty confident that no other team on the playoff discussion had a 2 week stretch like that.

No excuses, we shit down our leg at Happy Valley and they clawed back and beat us fair and square.

 

[OSUK]

They definitely improved as the year went on. That OT win over Minny really got them going.

As far as the offense goes it kind of reminds me of the old Raiders with Lamonica. It's either a run or a play action bomb. The QB looks like he has terrible completion % but they are all deep balls. He's 50+% on home runs.

It's actually a fun offense to watch (if you can fool yourself into ignoring that it's PSU running it). I'd love to see their reaction if we could poach their OC.

McSorely is the next and latest McMoxie - except with real moxie. Guy has shown an uncanny ability to make plays with his feet and move the chains. He is going to give a lot of teams fits while he is there.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Don't forget that 11th year senior Jake Butt. He has to be gone right?

He was only there 4 years: however, since he actually played all four it did seem like it was longer. Yes, he will be gone.

FWIW, on scUM's offense I counted Smith RB, Hill FB, Butt TE, Magnuson RT, Kalis RG, Braden LT, Chesson WR, and Darboh WR as seniors; and Cole C, Bredeson LG, and Speight QB as underclassmen.

http://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/michigan/91119

Another comment (or 2) on Speight;

1. his play makes you wonder if he actually did break his left shoulder 2 weeks ago as reported by the Detroit paper.

2. scUM was only in the game due to his passing, i.e. a very respectable 23/36 for 219 yards and 2 TDs. However, the irony is they lost the game because of his 2 interceptions and 1 fumble.

 

[HorseshoeFetish]

He was only there 4 years: however, since he actually played all four it did seem like it was longer. Yes, he will be gone.

FWIW, on scUM's offense I counted Smith RB, Hill FB, Butt TE, Magnuson RT, Kalis RG, Braden LT, Chesson WR, and Darboh WR as seniors; and Cole C, Bredeson LG, and Speight QB as underclassmen.

http://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/michigan/91119

Another comment (or 2) on Speight;

1. his play makes you wonder if he actually did break his left shoulder 2 weeks ago as reported by the Detroit paper.

2. scUM was only in the game due to his passing, i.e. a very respectable 23/36 for 219 yards and 2 TDs. However, the irony is they lost the game because of his 2 interceptions and 1 fumble.

Yeah I know. It did feel like he has been around 4 a long time though.

 

[Jaxbuck]

McSorely is the next and latest McMoxie - except with real moxie. Guy has shown an uncanny ability to make plays with his feet and move the chains. He is going to give a lot of teams fits while he is there.

I'm always leery of those guys who chuck the ball deep and let the WR's win the jump ball **cough Henne is a bitch**cough

we shall see how he does if he loses any WR talent

 

[Tanner]

http://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/michigan/91119

Every single starter on their defense is a senior or Peppers who is gone.
They loose all 4 starters on the line, and 2 of the backups.
They loose all 3 starting linebackers and 1 of the backups.
They loose all 4 of their starting secondary, but keep all 3 backups.

This is assuming all of the juniors other than Peppers stick around. I've never seen a team loose an entire starting defense. I'd bet they will struggle out of the gate next year.

That is crazy. I knew they had a lot of seniors but I didn't realize every starter on their defense was a senior (except Peppers.)

 

[Dryden]

 

[Redhawk]

Looks photoshopped. [/s]