Pretty close on my pregame call. Only four points off. We actually almost had a chance to tie the game.
Almost only works in horseshoes and hand grenades.
How can a team be pretty much be out of the game the entire game, but have better stats that the winners. In so many categories our stats were better: Total Yards, Rushing Yards, Passing Yards. In many categories we were worse: Turnovers, Interceptions, Penalties and a blocked FG attempt that Iowa converted into a touchdown shortly afterwards. And of course the score.
It's because our defense can't stop anyone from scoring. After our short lived lead in the first quarter, Iowa scored four unanswered touchdowns. And it's also because the offense turned over the ball 4 times including 3 interceptions. For anyone watching Michigan the past three seasons years this isn't new.
Our coaches stubbornly try to run this cockamamie 3-3-5 defense. We have good personnel and a couple of stellar ones. But this defense doesn't work and tier one football teams. We stubbornly keep trying to run it because it's the one RichRod loves. But instead of installing something that will work with the players we have we keep at this one. This doesn't do anything for the team. It just demoralizes the players.
Don't give me the nonsense that the players are young (which is probably true). RichRod claims he needs his kind of players for both the offense and defense. He's had three years to get them and teach the existing ones how to play it. No progress. I would say our defense is worse than last year. He sticks with it prove he's right.
The coaching staff coaches a system, not the team. They don't adjust the systems to the players we have. Michigan football has always been about coaching the team.
Denard Robinson lost any chance at the Heisman today. And maybe his starting position. Under Tate Forcier the offense looked sharper than under Robinson. Under Robinson the offense has become one dimensional, that being Robinson. He's still exciting to watch and gets 10 yards when you think he can only get 5. But he can't break the big run against big time defenses. I noticed that with Forcier at QB, the receivers run better more difficult pass routes with more energy than when Robinson is at the helm. The recievers seem restricted to patterns that are limited to Robinson's passing ability. We finally completed a post pattern(Forcier to Hemingway) for a touchdown. The receivers know that Forcier can get the ball to them many different ways. With Robinson, he can pass and has a strong arm, but he can't deliver to the more difficult patterns, and only when he show run first and the db's commit leaving a receiver open.
Maybe Robinson should be playing running back with Forcier or Gardner at the helm. At quarterback he's pretty much playing running back anyway. At least today he was. It was getting predictable.
With our bye week, we won't have to worry about losing next Saturday.
We don't have a chance at victory against OSU or Wisconsin. We have "maybe" victories against Penn State, Illinois, and Purdue. But can't count on any of them. I'm backing my season projections down to 6-6.
Hope we are actively recruiting a coach that coach and lead can whichever players he has and makes them play their best. Instead of ones who coach a system like the ones we have right now. Next week I'll blog on that subject. And why this makes selecting the next Michigan Coach really difficult.
Still,
It's always good to be a Wolverine.
Go Michigan, beat the Lions (Nittany).
PS. Go Wisconsin, keep beating the Buckeyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment