Over the Hills and Far Away

Ohio State 21, Michigan 10; 5-7, 1-7

	Led Zeppelin - Over The Hills And Far Away
	Found at skreemr.com

So, I took the last 10 days or so off to sort of decompress. Or maybe decompose. Didn't login Blogger, didn't do much of anything, just let the stress of another painful season bleed away. Mostly, I just sat down and enjoyed football again. That's not an easy thing to do when the team you love the most seems hellbent on reserving you a seat at AA meetings years down the line. But it's a process. There are so many other rivalry games around the country I love watching each year. The Backyard Brawl. Texas/Texas A&M. I watched the Iron Bowl, despite my bitter jealousy about how quickly Saban has turned Alabama into the destroyer of worlds, how quickly he's turned the tables on the team Bama fans lust to dominate, how quickly...well, you get my point.

...Oh, the Michigan/Ohio State game. Right.

Well.....it was better than last year. And it was better than 2007.

That doesn't really make anybody feel better, I know. But for the first time since 2006, Michigan showed some semblance of competition against Ohio State. The 2007 game was "close" in the final score only. The 2008 game was...well, yeah. So if you're looking for moral victories, there you go, I guess. The whole "little brother" meme that Mike Hart started with MSU in 2007, as nauseating as it is, applies here. Michigan is, at the moment, the little brother. And try as hard as he could, little brother was held at bay by big bro. We landed about one good punch, when Tate Forcier scrambled around and threw across the field to Vincent Smith, who made a move and scored.

Ohio State responded by imposing their will on Michigan's handicapped defense, running it right down our throats. And when Brandon Graham rose up to blow up two straight plays inside the 10, Tressel did what Tressel has done since 2001 - have the perfect fucking playcall against Michigan. Seriously, there was one play that could've worked against an all-out jailbreak blitz - a screen play. And Tressel called it, and it worked. Game, set, match. We've seen this story before. All the blood, sweat and tears put in by one of the finest warriors to wear a winged helmet, erased in a matter of seconds. If Brandon Graham were any less of a man, he would lay waste to those who play behind him. But that's not Graham. And that's not Michigan. At Michigan, when you lose, you lose with your head held high.

You can't help but wonder, if the Football Gods exist, what did we do to incur their wrath? Did Bo take some sort of safeguarding aura with him into the afterlife, exposing Michigan football to all the evils and all the pitfalls of the real world? Is it fate that two of the more prominent "Michigan Men" in coaching today have also spit on their alma mater, giving many pause as to whether or not either of them could be welcomed back, but at the same time having enough support to create factions inside our fanbase bent on pursuing them? Is it fate that a common occurrence like a player transferring when a new coach comes in turns into a Quisling-like betrayal with said player spewing diarrhea from his mouth while his father - also a "Michigan Man" - sanctions and funds his son's defection to the Dark Side? Is it fate that when Michigan secures a studly five-star running back from their backyard, he endures a career of disappointment, while when Ohio State secures their own five-star back from their backyard, he spends three years laying waste to those who oppose him before jetting to the NFL?


It's a cruel mistress, this game we call football. One minute, she gives us that "come hither" look, a certain gleam in her eye that promises so much more than we can imagine. Promises of roses and winged helmets raised to the sky as the sun fades away into the Pasadena evening. And the next minute, she is the ice queen bent on castrating us, causing us so much pain we just want to curl up and wait for it all to end, because we just can't handle any more disappointment, and any more close calls, and Manningham breaking free in Columbus, and Hart slipping on Ohio State's shredded field, and App. State, and Oregon, and a painkilling shot gone awry, and the last two years of endless agony. It gets to be too much, and we try to stay even-keeled, but we can't, because we've invested so much love into these people whom we don't know, it drives us mad to see them suffer.

It drives us mad to see an uncorruptable smile with so much anguish behind it...



...and it pulls at our heart strings to think what horrors the next set of smiles may have to endure.


Rich Rodriguez loves Michigan. Not like you and me do. He doesn't sit back in his chair in the middle of the day and see Charles Woodson in his mind's eye, running down the sideline while David Boston clenches his fists, knowing his nemesis has vanquished him. He doesn't go on YouTube for the hell of it just to watch some of Wolverine Historian's work. No, Rich Rodriguez loves Michigan in the sense that he understands what a special place it is, and he wants nothing more than to bring the glory we all strive for back to Ann Arbor. Why? Because, and some fans somehow don't grasp this, he wants this more than any of us do. 8-16, 3-13 in two years is a garbage record that stinks so badly it's covered in flies. And nobody wants to change that more than Rich Rodriguez does. He's not a politician, he's not a poet, he's not anything complicated or even deep. He's just a football coach. He just wants to be left alone and do his job. He knows he hasn't delivered like he has to. But all the "negative" qualities people have heaped upon him - things like cussing in practice and screaming at players and coaches in games - these are the qualities of someone who has a passion deep in his gut, the qualities of someone who loves what he does and wants nothing more than to be the best at it. He's a simple man doing a complex job at an abstract place, and whether or not it can work yet hasn't been determined. We'll know better in a year. For now, Rich Rodriguez is going to do what he has to do - he's going to sell the dream to young men across the country. The dream that we all know to be a reality, even if it's gotten blurred lately.

So for now, let the hatred subside. Acknowledge that we're in a bad place now - but also acknowledge that the man in charge wants to be the first one out of it. Salute those who have put in the work. Nod in appreciation to one of the finest players we had the privlege to watch take the field in the Maize and Blue. 268 pounds of twisted blue steel.

Shelter from the Storm

Team X ___, Michigan less

	Bob Dylan - Shelter from the Storm
	Found at skreemr.com

So.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm supposed to say more? I figured just listening to Bob Dylan would've been enough. What would like me to say? The offense is young, and will be good. The defense is terrible, just as it was last year, and honestly, nothing has been shown from anything or anybody to suggest that anything will be different moving forward. For the third straight year, Ohio State will lay an aborted Michigan season to rest. All the crybaby Ohio State fans bawling and moaning about Tressel and his conservative approach to football: shut the fuck up. I hope one day you're in our shoes, where the Michigan/Ohio State game doesn't bring anticipation and excitement, but the sweet release of the end of the season so you don't have to dedicate your Saturdays to watching your team harm you in ways that seem almost deliberate. Boo hoo, Tressel played it close to the vest and got us another Big Ten championship and we're going to the Rose Bowl, waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. Sit on it and rotate.

Okay, here's some new material: Jay Hopson and Tony Gibson should not be back next year. One of these is a no brainer. Hopson is not an RR guy, and the two players he's responsible for - Mouton and Ezeh - have been terrible all year. They were bad last year too, but showed marginal improvement at the end, giving us reason to be hopeful for 2009. Didn't happen. They've been consistently bad almost every week with no sign of getting any better. Whether that means Hopson's style of teaching just doesn't fit in Robinson's scheme or if Hopson is just out of his element coaching linebackers is irrelevant. He has to go.

Gibson, on the other hand...we're going to see what our head coach is made of. Gibson is Rodriguez's boy, on the level of Debord and Carr. This was supposed to be one of the positives about Rodriguez, that he was so obsessed with winning he put personal allegiances aside and put the best man for the job in charge. Well, and West Virginia fans (the sane ones) warned us about this, Tony Gibson ain't the guy. Unlike Hopson, Gibson is one of our better recruiters, so if you want to shift him to recruiting coordinator, fine, but he cannot return as DB coach. He's just bad at it. And you better believe Greg Robinson knows it. So after the season, when Robinson goes into Rodriguez's office and says "Look Rich, if you want this thing to work here, you have to let me make some changes...I know Tony's your boy, but we need to get somebody else in here", Rodriguez better listen. If he decides to ignore his defensive coordinator's advice, this thing is destined to fail.

Last year I wrote about how I never wanted to experience this feeling again. Well, here we are, a year later, and the same shit. The feeling of inevitability, of helplessness. That sick, cold feeling deep in your stomach? I have the same one. It's the one that says Ohio State's coming into our house on Saturday, and at the end of the game, for the 6th year in a row, they're going to have shown us just how large the gap is. The rational, logical side of me says that this obviously won't last, eventually the day will come that we beat Ohio State again, that we return some semblance of balance to the rivalry. But the pessimistic, devil-may-care side of me says "When the fuck is that going to happen, huh?" And when you look at the disaster on the field, you truly have to think...how are we going to reach their level?

I'll leave that for more positive people to debate. For now, I'm just going to sit back, put on some Blood on the Tracks, and wait for the sweet relief of the offseason.

Run Chart: Purdue

Could've sworn I set this to be posted this morning. Ugh.

Your offensive line: Ortmann - Schilling - Moosman - Omameh - Huyge.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	10	Huyge, Omameh, Shaw	-
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Shaw	Zone read dive	2	-	Ortmann, Omameh
1-10	Shotgun split slot right	Minor	Zone read stretch	29-TD	Ortmann, Schilling, Shaw, Roundtree (+2)	-

1st and 10: Shaw is the "fullback" here, and he's kind of reckless as the lead blocker, but he obstructs the linebacker enough for Minor to zip through. Huyge turned the strongside DE away, and Omameh showed the good speed he's been hyped for getting to the second level.

1st and 10: Snap is a bit high, but not detrimental. What is detrimental is the DT shedding Omameh with ease and meeting Shaw as he gets to the line of scrimmage. The weakside DE also bursts inside against Ortmann, leveraging past him to finish the tackle.

1st and 10: Beauty right here. Ortmann turns the DE outside, giving Minor a hole to hit as he follows Shaw. Shaw does another decent job of obstructing, and Minor's at the second level. Schilling wildly dives at a pursuing linebacker and gets just enough to cut him down, and Minor cuts back against the grain. Downfield, Roundtree absolutely blows a motherfucker up, just sprays his gray matter all over the field. From there, Minor rumbles to the pylon and stretches for the TD.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	5	Huyge	Minor
1-10	Shotgun split slot right	Minor	Triple option pitch	-5	-	Forcier

1st and 10: I'm probably being very unfair on this play. Huyge stands up the DE, allowing Minor to go through and eventually fall forward for five, but there was an enormous, absolutely gaping hole right up the middle. The OL creased the defensive front obscenely, and the linebackers were split far apart. If Minor saw it and made a cut, he probably rumbles for a first down. With that said, there are very, very few backs who have this kind of vision. So I'm probably being nitpicky.

1st and 10: This design of this play bugs me. Well, first, Forcier misreads it, as the read end stays at home. This should be given off to Shaw up the middle, but to my point - why is our speed back the dive man and our power back is the pitch man on the perimeter? Seems backwards to me. Minor excels bursting right up the gut. Granted, even Shaw isn't going anywhere on this particular play, but the basic premise is backwards.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-6	Shotgun split slot right	Robinson	Zone read stretch	-3	-	Minor (?)
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Zone read dive	8	Ortmann, Schilling, Omameh	-
1-15	Shotgun split slot right	Minor	Zone read stretch	55-TD	Ortmann, Schilling, Moosman, Mathews, Kev. Grady	-

2nd and 6: Eh...I'm not too thrilled with this, but okay. If we plan on expanding Denard's role and putting him at RB, or slot, or wherever, I think we should start with faking it to him. The defense expects him to get it when he's in there. Anyway, on this particular play, the linebacker knifes in immediately and blows it up. I can't tell whose responsibility he was. Minor is the lead blocker and just runs right past him without looking, and Roundtree is coming in from the slot; that seems wrong that the slot receiver would be responsible for the linebacker who's showing blitz all the way. Minus to Minor.

1st and 10: This looks like the "pin and pull" play. Ortmann turns the DE inside out, and Schilling blocks down, creating a sizable gap with Omameh as a lead blocker when he pulls around.

1st and 15: This looks almost exactly like Minor's long TD vs. Purdue last year. Ortmann blows the DE out, Schilling nudges the DT and then bumps the linebacker while Moosman finishes the DT, and Grady leads the way, popping the safety, which coupled with Mathews' block on the corner turns Minor loose for the touchdown.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Ace 2 WR	Minor	Off tackle left	-1	-	Schilling, Omameh
2-10	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	QB draw	18	Kev. Grady	-

1st and 10: Guards fail here. Schilling gets to the second level but misses the block, Omameh isn't quick enough getting to the second level, and the linebackers they were responsible for get the TFL.

2nd and 10: Generally QB draws aren't conducive to much charting because it's a deceptive play by design in that the OL is pass blocking. That's the case here, but Grady gets a nice block downfield for Forcier.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Smith	Zone read stretch	7	Huyge	-

1st and 10: The blocking actually isn't that great here, in fact Huyge gets away with holding the playside DE, which allows Smith to get to the edge.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	???	Minor	???	6	Moosman	-
2-4	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	3	Kev. Grady, Omameh, Moosman	-
3-1	Ace 3 WR	Forcier	QB sneak	2	-	-
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	0	-	Schilling, Shaw
2-10	Shotgun split slot left	Forcier	Triple option fail	fumble	-	Forcier

1st and 10: Jesus I hate BTN. We miss the start of this play because BTN is showing us the empty luxury boxes. Amateurs. I see Moosman basically piledriving a guy, so yay for him.

2nd and 4: Grady submarines a linebacker, Omameh zips to the second level, Moosman pins the DT inside....and inexplicably, the refs don't give Minor a first down.

3rd and 1: First down.

1st and 10: Shaw gets blown up by a blitzing corner, disrupting the stretch play a bit. Schilling is too slow getting out to the linebacker, and said linebacker tackles Minor on the perimeter for no gain.

2nd and 10: Same as before, for some reason Shaw is the dive man and Minor's the pitch man. I'm actually hesitant to minus Forcier here at all, it's just a great instinctual play by the Purdue guy to get a hand on the ball when it's pitched. Ugh turnover.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	???	Minor	???	1	-	-
2-3	Shotgun slot right	Minor	HB dive	3	Huyge, Omameh, Koger/Schilling	-
1-G	Shotgun twin right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	6-TD	Webb, Forcier	-

1st and 10: The Big Ten Network can suck it.

2nd and 3: No read here, straight handoff with Schilling pulling. He doubles the DE with Koger, which gives Huyge free release to the second level while Omameh blocks down well.

1st and goal: Good read as the unblocked end crashes down on Minor. Webb blocks the readside linebacker, and Forcier twists and wiggles in (and then comes up limping badly). And you know what, it's not part of the chart, but Olesnavage gets a -10 for missing the PAT. Inexcusable, and costly. Fuck my Michigan-loving life.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Forcier	Zone read keeper	1	Forcier	Forcier

1st and 10: End crashes down, correct read, except there are still three guys unblocked around Forcier while a great hole was opening for Minor. Whatever.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun trips right	Minor	Zone read dive	3	Omameh	Moosman
3-3	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	QB keeper	4	Minor, Schilling	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	HB dive	0	-	Omameh
2-10	Shotgun trips left	Minor	Zone read dive	21	Ortmann, Schilling	-
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Smith	Zone read stretch	4	Shaw	-
2-6	Shotgun split slot left	Smith	Zone read stretch	1	-	Schilling, Smith

1st and 10: Omameh shoves the DT aside, but Moosman is a step slow to the next level, and the linebacker easily tackles.

3rd and 3: Minor lead blocker, Schilling nice push...whatever. I've made my issues with this type of playcall known. I'm not going to harp on it like a lunatic.

1st and 10: Straight handoff with Omameh pulling...except he ends up in the ground after doing nothing, and the play is stuffed.

2nd and 10: Whewwwww. This is a textbook zone play. I'll give Ortmann and Schilling the props for sealing it off and Minor runs through an arm tackle. This isn't a knock on Minor, but a faster back on this play, like Brown or Shaw (provided they could run through the arm tackle like Minor did, which isn't a given) blazes to the endzone with ease.

1st and 10: Lead blocker Shaw does a good job at the point of attack. This is just an average play, held down by the safety coming down into the box.

2nd and 6: Schilling whiffs on the cutblock on the linebacker...but for some reason Smith cut upfield instead of following his lead blocker (Shaw) all the way to the edge. Huyge did a nice job on the end, and Omameh got to the SAM linebacker on the second level. Poor judgment by Smith.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-8	Shotgun 4 WR	Brown	Pitch	6	Roundtree	-
3-2	Shotgun 5 WR	Forcier	ISQD	1	-	Huyge (-2)

2nd and 8: I like this play. Roundtree gets enough of his guy to give Brown room to pick up six.

3rd and 2: Gee, didn't see that coming on 3rd and short with five wide on the field. Doesn't help that Ryan Kerrigan throws Huyge aside like he's nothing.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun trips left	Minor	Zone read dive	11	Schilling, Moosman	-
1-10	Shotgun trips right	Minor	Penalty	-10	-	Huyge (-2)

1st and 10: Schilling stymies the DT, Moosman gets to the second level, Minor picks up 11. Textbook.

1st and 10: Holding on Huyge prevents a big gain from Minor.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split 2 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	2	-	Omameh
3-1	I-form heavy	Minor	Power O	1	Kev. Grady, Schilling	-
1-G	I-form heavy	Minor	Power O	1-TD	-	-

1st and 10: I'm being speculative here. Speculation #1: It seems like Omameh was supposed to get to the second level here and got caught up in the wash and couldn't do it. Speculation #2: This might've been a handoff all the way, because this would've been an easy keeper for Forcier here if he's reading anything.

3rd and 1: Schilling pulls and leads the way for a first down along with Grady. If one of them had picked up the corner, Minor probably scores, but after last week's fiasco, getting a yard down here cannot be frowned upon.

1st and goal: Same thing. Schilling actually trips as he pulls, but it's a mass of humanity and Minor dives ahead. Charting ceases, as this is Michigan's final run of the day.

Game Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	4	1	3
Schilling	7.5	3	4.5
Moosman	4	1	3
Omameh	5	4	1
Huyge	4	3	1
Koger	0.5	0	0.5
Webb	1	0	1
Kev. Grady	4	0	4
Mathews	1	0	1
Roundtree	3	0	3
Minor	1	2	-1
Shaw	3	1	2
Smith	0	1	-1
Forcier	2	3	-1
TOTAL	40	19	21

Some thoughts:

• A good performance all-around, making the end result even more disappointing. Omameh held his own in his starting debut, at least run blocking. Excited to see him in the future.
• Honestly...go fuck yourselves, Big 10 refs. There's no goddamn way Brown's pitch to Huyge was indisputably forward. It was called a lateral on the field, and none of the replays conclusively showed that it was in fact a forward pass. Botched call, FU.
• My guess is Minor sees limited (or even no) time against Wisconsin and they save him for Ohio State. Yeah, that worked wonders in 2007. Whatever.
• Off-topic from the Run Chart, but in a league where there are quite a few douchebag coaches, Danny Hope might be the biggest. What a complete and utter clown. RR's a better man than I, I probably would've slugged Hope in the jaw for that bushleague shit he pulled after the game. Tool.
  

Comprehensive chart:

	WMU	ND	EMU	IND	MSU	Iowa	Ill	Pur.	TOTAL
Ortmann	5.5	1	6	7.5	1	6.5	2	3	+32.5
Schilling	0.5	-1	8	7	-1	3	1	4.5	+22
Molk	1	6	2	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+9
Moosman	5	6.5	N/A	3	0	8	1.5	3	+27
Ferrara	N/A	N/A	4	N/A	-1	N/A	N/A	N/A	+3
Huyge	2.5	4	6.5	2	-2	0.5	0	1	+14.5
Dorrestein	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	-2	3	-1	N/A	+2
Omameh	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1	1	0
Koger	0.5	2.5	1.5	3	-1	1	-1	0.5	+7
Webb	-2.5	0	7	-0.5	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	+5
Kev. Grady	3	-1	5	N/A	N/A	5	-3	4	+13
Kel. Grady	-1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1	N/A	N/A	-2
Moundros	N/A	1	N/A	3	N/A	N/A	5	N/A	+9
Mathews	N/A	1	2	1	N/A	1	-1	1	+6
Odoms	1	-1	N/A	1	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	+2
Stonum	2	-0.5	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-2	N/A	-1.5
Hemingway	1	N/A	N/A	2	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	+4
Savoy	1	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+2
Roundtree	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	3	+4
Shaw	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	+3
Minor	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	-2	-2	N/A	-1	-4
Smith	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	-1	+1
Brown	-2	N/A	-1	N/A	-1	N/A	0	N/A	-4
Forcier	0	-1	2	-2	2	-2	-2	-1	-4
Robinson	N/A	N/A	0	-4	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-4
Sheridan	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1
TOTALS	18.5	17.5	46	28	-6	24	0.5	21	+149.5

You Never Hear the Shot that Kills You

Purdue 38, Michigan 36; 5-5, 1-5

From my seat 87 rows up in one of the endzones at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, I noticed a curious little phenomenon before the game. There was a very noticeable lag between the impact on the Purdue drum when the band members hit it and the actual sound of said impact reaching my seat. Like almost a full second. I dunno, I just thought it was interesting. My father commented, "Well, you never hear the shot that kills you."

Roughly three and a half hours later, that was the main quote going through my mind. I mused to myself that I should give a shoutout when someone else provides me with a title for a blog post. Thanks, Dad.

So. Here we are. Prospects of a bowl game look bleak, as Michigan will be heavy underdogs in their final two games, and they have shown nothing that makes any of us think they are capable of putting a full game together. If it's not the offense (Michigan State), it's the defense (Illinois). If it's not the defense (Purdue), it's the special teams (...Purdue). Sometimes it feels like this team, and program as a whole, is secretly out to inflict pain on its followers. They find the most perverse and heinous ways to lose. We scored five touchdowns on Saturday, the offense hummed for most of the day, and even when the defense was gouged, slashed, gashed and chopped to itty bitty pieces again, there it was, the game right there for the taking, just like the MSU game, and just like the Iowa game. And what happens? We miss a two point conversion that we had to go for because our kicker missed an extra point earlier in the game and our head coach went for it on 4th down with 5:00 to go down by eight.

I might be a bit unfair with that last point. In hindsight, it's easy to criticize RR for going for it on that 4th down. If we make it, we might go in for the TD. If we kick the FG and Purdue goes right down the field and scores to make it 45-33, it's game over and RR is criticized for trusting a defense that is entirely untrustable. And let's be honest...who here trusts this defense? The weird thing is, this defense has gotten stops in the 4th quarter against Notre Dame (HT: Pear Bryant), Michigan State, Iowa and Purdue, all while trailing. It's a schitzophrenic unit, and I don't blame Rich Rodriguez for not exactly having faith that we could've just kicked it and counted on the defense to not give up points.

For me, it breaks down like this. There are certain things that fall on the head coach, and certain things that don't that are blamed on him anyway because that's the nature of being a head football coach. Things like clock management are almost always on the coach. I didn't like that they let Purdue kill the clock at the end of the first half. There were around 30 seconds left, and it was 4th down. At least make them punt, maybe we block it. At the same time, it's never a bad idea to go into halftime up two touchdowns. There was also the "fiasco" of rushing the punt team onto the field on 4th and 1 in the 4th quarter. I was aghast at first, but after calming down, there is no fiasco here. The fiasco would've been going for it or wasting a timeout to preserve five yards. Whether it's 4th and 1 or 4th and 6, that was a punting situation.

Things that AREN'T the coach's fault are things like your kicker shanking an extra point. Save all the nonsense about "it's the coach's job to prepare the players." Okay, that's bunk. The kicker is asked to do only a handful of things. Making an extra point should be basic, and when it fails, it falls on one person: the kicker. Olesnavage yakety sax'd the PAT. That's on him, and him alone. The coaches didn't rush them out there, they didn't have to scramble to get it off because the coaches didn't have the right personnel on the field or anything like that. It was a good snap, a good hold, and a shanked kick. It happens, and it cost us.

It's also not Rich Rodriguez's (or Greg Robinson's) fault that this defense sucks like it does. At least not 100%, because the whole Shafer debacle does factor in to an extent. The whole "Lloyd left the cupboard bare" argument has returned with a vengeance in recent weeks, and guess what? It's hard to argue that it isn't true. They're operating with what they have, and what they have isn't much. The coaches were left with linebackers who are slow to react, can't shed blocks, and blow assignments. The coaches were left with safeties who are slow and can't tackle. They were left with a situation that puts a walkon on the field when a cancer is removed from the team. Guys like Emilien and Turner are waiting in the wings, and their time will come. But if they aren't ready, they aren't ready. Robinson, and Hopson and Gibson, even with all the ire directed at them, don't just sit around twiddling their thumbs at practice. They coach their asses off with the kids they have available to them. In a year, they'll have more, whether it be Cullen Christian and Dior Mathis and Tony Grimes and Aramide Olaniyan and Josh Furman and Marvin Robinson or whoever else comes along. They inherited a hot mess of garbage, and the results are such. If Rodriguez is wise, he'll give Greg Robinson free reign after the season. Robinson has been in RR's ear for months now about defensive recruiting, and RR has gotten the message. If Robinson says changes need to be made on the defensive staff, so be it. That will be a test for Rodriguez, to see if he employs Lloyd-like cronyism.

A week ago I was in a black hole of despair, and penned this. It was mostly out of frustration and breaking the 24 hour rule. At the same time, I chuckle at some of the comments I left unpublished. Like I care what someone who doesn't even leave their name thinks about my credibility. Don't be popping off when you're too cowardly to say anything under the "Anonymous" veil. That's weak fucking shit. WEAK.

So yeah, I was a sad panda a week ago. This week, I'm a bit more stable. So to the "fire the coaches" crowd, I ask: And do what? Can you name a defensive coordinator who would do better with this roster? There just isn't much to work with. When Robinson plugs one hole (run defense was solid against MSU and Iowa), another one opens (wide open receivers on playaction). He simply doesn't have the talent or experience on that side of the ball to put together a sturdy unit in all phases. And the offense...well, remember what Beilein said about the roller coaster last year after Michigan basketball was BACK against UCLA and Duke? When you're rebuilding, there will be ups and downs. Penn State and Illinois were downs. Purdue was an up. The offense did its job on Saturday.

People can talk all they want about how "this is MICHIGAN" and all that jazz. These same people held masturbatory orgies over Stanford's game against Oregon on Saturday. To this, I say: hypocrites. You exult the virtues of this university, the tradition and excellence of this football program...and then you suck off a man who took a big steaming shit on all that. Maybe you people don't remember what Jim Harbaugh said. Well, I guarantee you the people in the athletic department in Ann Arbor remember.

And Les Miles? Ask Lloyd Carr what kind of a man Les Miles is. Or better yet, ask Gary Moeller. There's a reason Bill Martin was conveniently out of contact when Les's agent tried to reach him during the coaching search. It's a puzzle, but it's a pretty easy one to solve. Go back to Excalibur in 1995 and connect the dots from there. Les will never be the Michigan coach. Deal with it.

RR's the guy. Whether or not that's a good thing or not cannot be determined yet. That doesn't mean I'm "accepting" what's going on or that I'm not really fucking depressed. It just is what it is. Saturdays aren't very fun for Michigan fans right now. But misery today doesn't necessarily mean misery tomorrow.

Run Chart: Illinois

Doing this one first to coincide with MGoBlog's Offensive UFR. Penn State Run Chart will follow either Thursday night or sometime Friday.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-5	?	Brown	Off tackle?	3	-	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	Zone read keeper	4	-	Forcier
2-5	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	10	Dorrestein	-
1-10	Shotgun split	Brown	Zone read stretch	4	Schilling, Ortmann	-
2-6	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Brown	Zone read stretch	5	Schilling, Moosman (.5)	-
3-1	I-form heavy	Brown	Power O	3	Schilling, Moundros (2)	-
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	QB keeper	4	Brown	-
1-10	I-form twins right	Brown	Off tackle (power O?)	-1	-	Schilling, Kev. Grady
1-G	I-form heavy	Brown	Zone right	2-TD	Moundros, Koger, Dorrestein	-

2nd and 5: ABC's game coverage has gradually degenerated into shit as the year has progressed. They almost completely miss this play.

1st and 10: This might not be a mistake I guess. I can't tell where the read is, as the normal readside end is blocked here, while the backside end is uncovered. If Brown gets the handoff, he's going full speed against a defensive end who's flat footed. Instead Forcier keeps and has to wiggle to pick up four.

2nd and 5: Dorrestein escorts Clay Nurse away from the play on the zone block, and Huyge clears out Ian Thomas, giving Brown an alley to cut into.

1st and 10: Huyge pulls around from RG, but doesn't really do anything. Schilling stalemates and then squashes the playside DT while Ortmann scoots to the second level to get the linebacker.

2nd and 6: Schilling goes heads up against Corey Liuget here, and Liuget eventually gets inside of him to shed the block, but Schilling got him long enough for Brown to get past him. At the second level, Moosman's cut block on the linebacker isn't really successful, but it holds the LB up enough for Brown to get close to the first.

3rd and 1: Schilling pulls around here and pops the linebacker, but Moundros is the star here, as he submarines Garrett Edwards and destroys him, allowing Brown to easily get the first down.

1st and 10: Brown picks up the blitzing linebacker, which probably saves Forcier's life and allows him to squirt through, but I mean.....bah. Whatever. I've made my thoughts known about the relative wisdom in sending our 180-pound already-dinged-up freshman QB up the middle for opposing defensive linemen, linebackers and safeties to lower their helmets at. Hopefully when Devin Gardner does this, defenders are afraid instead of salivating.

1st and 10: It looks like Schilling is trying to pull around on a Power O again, but he is too slow around the line this time. Grady is the fullback here, and does not impress like Moundros does. Somebody should ask RR what the deal is with the fullbacks. Grady's been pretty good, but Moundros has been a beast whenever he's been in there. I know he got shaken up in the season opener, and I think it was a concussion, so maybe they're playing it safe with him? Beats me.

1st and goal: Speak of the devil. Moundros returns at FB and leads the way in, while Dorrestein seals the inside and Koger kicks the end out. Brown walks in.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Brown	Zone read stretch	8	Smith, Ortmann	Stonum
2-2	I-form twins right	Brown	Iso	4	Moosman	-
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	2	-	-
2-8	Shotgun 4 WR	Brown	Pitch	2	-	Brown

1st and 10: Vincent Smith (!) is the fullback here, and he really sticks the blitzing nickel. Ortmann once again shows good foot speed getting to the second level, springing Brown, who is then tripped up by the corner who shed Stonum's block. Brown would've gotten 10-12 if Stonum was able to hold the corner. Not charted here because it didn't affect the play but was still pretty badass: Roy Roundtree with an excellent cut block on the safety.

2nd and 2: "Meh" play. Moosman nudges the DT enough and gets to the linebacker, and Brown falls forward for the first. Seemed like it was just designed to move the sticks.

1st and 10: Eh. Ok. Our rock, their paper, as they have two uncovered defenders just waiting at the mesh point, making this an easy one to kill. Why have we gone away from the scrape exchange counter with Koger as the H-back countering against the formation to KO the read end? It seems like it's been weeks since we used that.

2nd and 8: This isn't on Roundtree; he's a slot receiver, and is not expected to bury the man he's supposed to block. This is on Brown for trying to stretch this out when he should just run straight up field. He gets 3-4-5 yards if he runs straight. Instead he strings it out and gets two.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	5	Omameh, Roundtree	-
2-5	Shotgun split slot left	Smith	Zone read stretch	4	Smith	Omameh (-2), Stonum
3-1	I-form heavy	Brown	Power O	2	Moundros, Ortmann	-
1-10	-	Brown	-	-	-	Mathews
1-10	Shotgun split slot right	Smith	Zone read stretch	-1	-	Smith
2-11	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	Zone read keeper	5	-	Forcier

1st and 10: Welcome to the Run Chart, Patrick Omameh! Our highly touted (in practice) redshirt offensive lineman makes his debut, replacing Perry Dorrestein at right tackle, and on his first play he turns the playside defensive end outside, giving Brown an alley to hit while Roundtree occupies the safety.

2nd and 5: ....Blergh. On his second play, Omameh whiffs totally on Clay Nurse, and the corner charges in and beats Stonum. Improbably, Smith stays up, spins away and somehow picks up four. Note to stargazers: Martavious Odoms is one of the best, hardest working players on this team, and Vincent Smith is showing flashes of Mike Hart every time he's in the game. Both of these guys were given a resounding "and?" by the recruiting services. They are undersized and lack elite speed, and I'll take them on my football team every day, and twice on Saturday.

3rd and 1: Ortmann mashes Antonio James inside, but again, Moundros is a sight to see here. He doesn't engage with Ian Thomas; he just pushes him and Thomas basically explodes. Moundros is an awesome fullback.

1st and 10: Holding.

1st and 10: Looks like a misread in vision by Smith here. He seems to give up on the stretch too soon and tries to cut upfield, but cuts right into a tackle behind the LOS.

2nd and 11: Once again: It's Carlos Brown in motion against a flat-footed defensive end if Forcier hands it off...

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read stretch	-7	-	Moosman, Ortmann
3-1	I-form heavy	Brown	Power O	3	Moundros, Schilling	-
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Brown	Zone read stretch	5	Moosman, Huyge	-
2-5	Offset I 2 WR right	Brown	Off tackle	1	-	Huyge

1st and 10: Dios mio. Doug Pilcher and Josh Brent destroy Moosman and Ortmann here. Losing seven yards on a standard running play, jesus.

3rd and 1: Seriously, it's Moundros again, sticking the blitzing Ian Thomas at the point of attack as Schilling pulls and Brown gets the first with ease.

1st and 10: Moosman walls off the defensive tackle, making the cutback an easy one for Brown. Huyge battles Josh Brent to a stalemate, springing Brown ahead for five easy ones.

2nd and 5: Huyge is demolished here by a redshirt freshman defensive end, just completely driven back and then buried. This blows up the entire play.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Ace 2 WR	Brown	Off tackle	-2	-	Koger (-2)
1-G	I-form heavy	Brown	Iso	FAIL	-	Schilling (-2)
2-G	I-form heavy	Brown	Power O	FAIL	-	Kev. Grady, Dorrestein (-2)
3-G	I-form heavy	Brown	Zone right	FAIL	-	Webb, Dorrestein
4-G	I-form heavy	Minor	Off tackle	FAIL!	-	Kev. Grady

1st and 10: Koger completely whiffs on Thomas, who tackles for a loss. Blah.

1st and goal: Liuget eats Schilling alive, basically lifts him up and throws him at Brown. For some reason, Kevin Grady is the fullback.

2nd and goal: Once again, Grady is the fullback (...), and he misses the block on Aaron Gress, who wraps up Brown's legs. Meanwhile, Liuget mauls Dorrestein this time, who is back in at RT. Destroys him. Mashes him backward so much he takes out the pulling Schilling too, just totally sprawls him out.

3rd and goal: The interior OL - Huyge, Moosman and Schilling - actually gets a great push here. Why? Because Liuget is on the outside this time, and has blown up the stretch play. When I think of the ideal zone play on the goalline, I think of the final play of UM's opening drive in Columbus in 2006. When executed properly, the corner is wide open and the running back walks in untouched. Here, Webb and Dorrestein get blown up, taking away the corner, forcing the running back to cut right into backside and blitzing help.

4th and goal: Kevin Grady doesn't block Garrett Edwards, who hits Minor and causes his elbow to hit the ground before the ball breaks the plane. I'm trying my goddamndest to avoid being one of those guys that questions everything the coaches do, because I hate those people and I want to fight them....but why? Why did Moundros not see one play on the goalline? I don't have a problem with four straight runs. I don't have a problem with Brown on the first three carries, or Minor on the fourth...but Moundros blew motherfuckers up everytime he was in the game. Why does he not get in? Why does the universe have a vendetta against Michigan football? FUCK THIS SHIT.

I'm killing this goddamn thing here, because for all intents and purposes, the rest of the game consisted of decapitated Michigan chickens chasing Illinois around the field uselessly. Sue me.


Game Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	3	1	2
Schilling	4	3	1
Moosman	2.5	1	1.5
Huyge	1	1	0
Dorrestein	2	3	-1
Omameh	1	2	-1
Koger	1	2	-1
Brown	1	1	0
Kev. Grady	0	3	-3
Mathews	0	1	-1
Stonum	0	2	-2
Roundtree	1	0	1
Smith	2	1	1
Moundros	5	0	5
Forcier	0	2	-2
TOTAL	23.5	23	0.5

Some thoughts:

• Not much to say. A great first drive, some bumbling and sputtering afterward, one of the most infuriating sequences in history, and a bunch of irrelevant nonsense after that because the team mentally checked out. Just....ugh. A bad team lost to a bad team, and at this moment I honestly question where the 6th win comes from. If they lose to Purdue, we're staring 5-7 right down the barrel.
  

Comprehensive chart:

	WMU	ND	EMU	IND	MSU	Iowa	Ill	TOTAL
Ortmann	5.5	1	6	7.5	1	6.5	2	+29.5
Schilling	0.5	-1	8	7	-1	3	1	+17.5
Molk	1	6	2	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+9
Moosman	5	6.5	N/A	3	0	8	1.5	+24
Ferrara	N/A	N/A	4	N/A	-1	N/A	N/A	+3
Huyge	2.5	4	6.5	2	-2	0.5	0	+13.5
Dorrestein	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	-2	3	-1	+2
Omameh	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1	-1
Koger	0.5	2.5	1.5	3	-1	1	-1	+6.5
Webb	-2.5	0	7	-0.5	N/A	N/A	N/A	+4
Kev. Grady	3	-1	5	N/A	N/A	5	-3	+9
Kel. Grady	-1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1	N/A	-2
Moundros	N/A	1	N/A	3	N/A	N/A	5	+9
Mathews	N/A	1	2	1	N/A	1	-1	+5
Odoms	1	-1	N/A	1	N/A	1	N/A	+2
Stonum	2	-0.5	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-2	-1.5
Hemingway	1	N/A	N/A	2	1	N/A	N/A	+4
Savoy	1	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+2
Roundtree	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	+1
Shaw	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1
Minor	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	-2	-2	N/A	-3
Smith	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	+2
Brown	-2	N/A	-1	N/A	-1	N/A	0	-4
Forcier	0	-1	2	-2	2	-2	-2	-3
Robinson	N/A	N/A	0	-4	N/A	N/A	N/A	-4
Sheridan	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1
TOTALS	18.5	17.5	46	28	-6	24	0.5	+128.5

Like I said, PSU Run Chart will be out either later today/tonight or sometime Friday.

Stop Error

Illinois 38, Michigan 13; 5-4, 1-4

Dictionary.com defines the Blue Screen of Death (or stop error) as such:

Definition: a bright blue screen displayed by the Microsoft Windows operating system when it cannot recover from a system error; abbreviated BSOD Example: The blue screen of death almost always means the computer has frozen and requires rebooting.

The parallel I am making is obvious. Michigan football is Microsoft Windows. And a system error has caused it to freeze, crash, and reboot. The problem is, stop errors aren't random, flukey occurrences. They happen when something has become fundamentally broken or corrupted, and they continue to pop up until you go in, spend an eternity sifting through your computer and find what's fucked up and fix it.

Michigan experienced a horrifying stop error on Saturday. Against a team that had not stayed within 10 points of any I-A opponent, Michigan lost by 25, and in a sport full of subtleties that often escape the eyes of those untrained to watch for them, the turning point on Saturday was blatant, obvious, and horrifying. Failing to obtain one yard on four straight plays cannot be pinned on coaches, on players, on training staffs, on playcalls. It is pinned on all of the above. It is a fundamental failure on all levels of football when you have four chances to get three feet and fail every time. It's an indictment on everything you've done to prepare yourselves for the moment. It's an indictment on Roundtree for being inexplicably caught from behind, it's an indictment on the offensive line for not being able to create one measly hole, it's an indictment on the running backs for not being able to push the pile 36 inches, it's an indictment on the coaches for waiting until 4th down to put the power back in the game, and it's an indictment on everyone for what transpired afterwards.

For the past 22 and a half months, I have had a spot on the Board of Directors for the Rich Rodriguez Defense Corporation, somewhere next to Brian Cook and Rick Leach. I've shouted down naysayers at Michigan Stadium, played the e-bully on the internet toward people who micromanaged and nickeled and dimed every little fucking thing. I've constantly linked to material from MGoBlog which perfectly illustrates how the predicament we're in cannot be pinned solely on Rodriguez but on like a dozen different people over the past five years. I've stepped back when I needed to step back because wolves have to have a deer to hunt, and I've lashed out when I needed to lash out because sometimes ignorance must be called out for what it is.

At some point, "all in" becomes blind devotion. At some point, all true believers find themselves questioning that in which they have invested so much. For me, I reached that point some time around 6:00 Saturday evening, sometime between Illinois's 70-yard touchdown and Michigan's 10 trillionth fumble in the last 21 games. So now I'm stuck in no man's fucking land. I'm not about to plunge myself off the cliff and join the people I've spewed virulent hatred at for the past year plus...but I may need to take a leave of absence from the Board of Directors. I keep telling myself about the freshmen at QB, the walkons on defense, the abysmal linebacking situation, the absence of depth in the secondary...and it offers no comfort, because we just lost by 25 points to a team whose only prior win was against a 4-4 I-AA team. When faced with that reality, there isn't much to say that will make anybody feel better.

I'll be at the game on Saturday against Purdue, and I hope like hell that we win, because 6-6 seems like the best case scenario at this point, and good luck getting to six against Wisconsin and Ohio State. Other than that....whatever. I got nothing to say.

A programming note

An issue has arisen on my home laptop, preventing me from doing certain things, such as the Run Chart. Said issue is expected to be resolved either Sunday or Monday, so next week will feature the Run Charts for both Penn State and Illinois. Sorry for the delay.

Attention, Brilliant Football Coaches of the Internet

Penn State 35, Michigan 10; 5-3, 1-3

If you think I'm going to stop, you are as sorely mistaken about me as you are about that which you bitch about so much. I take no pleasure in this, and I cannot say the same for those I am addressing, because these people are indeed taking at least a little bit of satisfaction in believing they have been proven right.

The in vogue phrase tonight on the increasingly insufferable Michigan message boards is "poorly coached." Michigan gets blown out, so it automatically has to mean the coaches are just a bunch of bumbling invalids. What exactly does "poorly coached" mean? Is it the amount of excessive penalties they're committing? Oh, five for 33 yards today.

The following is a post from a prominent Michigan message board, posted by someone who no doubt coached high level football for 20 years and is in a position to accurately judge.

I have totally jumped the fence. I'm telling you, during the coaching search RR was one of those guys in that top, top tier of my personal preferences (but I dismissed the notion because I thought he wouldn't change jobs). When UM landed him I was so happy. To have gone through the stupid crap with Miles and to actually end up with a much better hire! Wow! I was giddy. For weeks I was giddy. But halfway through his second Big Ten campaign - I'm over it. I understand the need to be 'all-in', the natural desire to believe this is just pain on the way to the top. But I do not believe that because: This team is terribly coached. The losses don't bother me as much as the certain knowledge of how badly coached this team is. I chuckle at the 'three things' did this team in notion (followed by an article which categorizes 60+ crappy plays into three things). This team is terrible at the fundamentals, haphazard in terms of scheme, pathologically deficient on special teams, and simply sloppy at every position on the field. They look like just the sort of crap can team that would spike a ball on 3rd down with ten ticks left on the clock. (By the way: Did UM really just blitz their asses off in the red zone against a team that Iowa proved can't succeed against zones in the red zone? And get beat like a drum every time? Yes they did.) Just look at the product on the field. Let all the other stuff go. No 'all-in', no Rosenberg, no in-fighting, just the product on the field. Remove the colors from the jerseys and just watch. UM is, by good measure, the worst coached football team in the conference. Period. A lot of it is basic fundamentals, so a lot of it is on the assistants, but ultimately, it is on Rodriguez. I never thought this would be the case. UM is terribly coached. And today, they reverted so far, that just like game after game last year, they quit. I apologize for this. I will not post regularly because I don't want to become that guy. But as for this coach - I no longer believe he can produce a Big Ten Quality team. (Of course, I'll be hoping like hell he immediately proves me wrong.)

Terrible at fundamentals? Like tackling? Because overall, this team has tackled better than most Michigan teams over the past few years, excluding 2006.

What does "haphazard in scheme" even mean?

Pathologically deficient on special teams? Our field goal kicker has missed one kick all season, our punter is the best in the nation, we blocked a punt today, we have two kickoff returns for touchdowns in basically 15 years, and one of them came this year, and the muffed/fumbled punt fiasco of a year ago has been almost completely eliminated.

Here's another gem:

the team is just not getting better. If we lose and play well then we just lose. PSU could have scored 50 today had they wanted to - the UM offense was so inept that PSU probably knew at half time that they already had enough points to win. This team is currently a train wreck and I believe this coaching staff is dangerously close to losing this team. To see Bruce Tall and RR go at it like they did on the side lines is not good for the moral of this team.

Wait, you mean the youngest team in the Big Ten regressed against the second best team in the conference with the best defense and a fifth year senior quarterback? The best defense in the conference, the one so many of our fans lust over what they want Michigan's defense to look like, confused and crushed our freshman QB, and somehow this reflects poorly on the coaches? Did Rich Rodriguez go out there and stomp on Molk's leg and I missed it?

And the meme circulating that RR and the coaches need to calm down on the sidelines is getting more and more comical everytime I hear it, because it's so painfully obvious the people complaining about this never played football (or any other sport). Or maybe they got so used to Lloyd's ho-hum nature on the sideline that they just assumed that was the way it's done everywhere. Well, here's a little newsflash for you: This is football. It's not chess. It's not ballet. It's not a trip to the grocery store. It's a violent, passionate, emotional game, and things get heated. Players yell at coaches. Coaches yell at players. Coaches yell at other coaches. None of this means jack fucking shit, and you need to shut up about it already.

Oh, but it gets even better. Here's that same moron from the previous post:

You my friend are in total Denial, You can try and spin this any way you want to try and make yourself feel better, but to say that the coaches getting in to heated arguments on the side line does not effect morale is ridiculus.It looks like RR and Tall almost went to blows over something as minor as 12 men on the field and you obviously did not look at the faces of those kids on the sideline as the two of them were going at it. PSU ran a basic offense at about the midway point of the 3rd qtr-open your freakin eyes.

"Something as minor as 12 men on the field".

By the way, that was on 4th on 4. You know, as in, if there had been a penalty called, Penn State would've had a first down instead of a field goal try. So, yeah...that's pretty fucking major, just like the timeout we had to use that we could've used at the end of the half.

And yeah, I'm sure the players were trembling in fear, shocked and appalled that their coaches might raise their voices.

It must be so comforting for idiots like this to pass judgment from the comfort of their couches, knowing no important decisions involving this team will ever fall on them. They get to preach about how they know all that ails this team without being in any sort of contact with any of the coaches, players, trainers, anybody. These people are no doubt preparing their resumes so they can deploy their brilliant knowledge on the football field when it counts.

I'll try and explain this, one more time.

1. Our quarterbacks are freshmen. Apparently people aren't accepting this excuse anymore, which is rather amusing. Just so you know, there is no light that magically goes on for freshmen quarterbacks. They're still freshmen in October and November, just like August and September. And for some reason, they often play worse late in the season than they do early on. This could have something to do with the fact that they're playing better teams and better defenses, but hey, I'm not the expert here.

2. Our defense is operating under its third different coordinator and system in three years. I guess this isn't being accepted either. Apparently it's supposed to be easy to learn something complicated in three different ways three years in a row.

3. There are walkons in the two deep at all three levels of defense. Jordan Kovacs is a great story. Will Heininger and Kevin Leach are gamers, I'm sure. But when they are backups who are asked to contribute significant time in real games and not clean up duty at the end of blowouts, there is a problem. How many times does this need to be said before people start listening? Er, scratch that. It's starting to become clear that it doesn't matter how many times it's said.

4. The transitive property does not apply in sports, EVER. People were operating under the following assumption. Iowa mauled Penn State up front. Michigan mauled Iowa up front. Therefore, Michigan will maul Penn State. This doesn't work. Each game is independent and stands alone. Previous results and trends can be used as a rough outline of what may transpire in the future, but there are never absolutes.

I mean...I don't know, man. I'm pretty close to my wit's end when it comes to arguing with these people. A year ago Michigan lost to MSU by two touchdowns to fall to 2-6. We're 5-3 now. We're nowhere close to where we want to be, and that seems to be the only thing these morons want to see. They refuse to acknowledge that while we're still far from the sky, we've risen from the sewers.

Even when the man who metaphorically tucks them in at night finally voices his support...

"Rich is a young guy, (and) he's got a great background for such a young guy," Carr said Saturday during his interview with Frank Beckmann and Jim Brandstatter. "What we're seeing here offensively throughout this season is a great thing for the future of Michigan football. "The transition a year ago you could expect it (the struggles) because what they were looking for in a quarterback. Certainly what we have here is exciting. I'm excited for the future."

...Well, I suppose that isn't good enough either?

I thought after the pleasant start to this season, it'd be possible to finally just sit back, watch some football and enjoy the growing process. And now we have one bad day - imagine that, a young football team being overwhelmed - against a really fucking good team, and it's time to run around with scissors, screaming and setting shit on fire because chaos is really fucking cool, man.

It's like pissing into the wind, trying to debate this over and over again with the same dense, close-minded people. You feel relief and you feel like you're getting something done, and then you realize you're just covered in waste now and you smell like urine.

Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

Run Chart: Iowa

Preface: It has been my goal all along to get the Run Chart out late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning as a prelude to Brian's Offensive UFR. For the second time, real life reared its ugly head and delayed things again. I am not happy about it, but sometimes hobbies have to be pushed to the backburner in order to deal with things that are more important. Sorry.

Again, O-line was once again the same as last week: Ortmann - Schilling - Moosman - Huyge - Dorrestein.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	9	Forcier	-
2-1	-	-	Penalty	-10	-	-
2-11	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Delayed draw	1	-	Huyge

1st and 10: Easy read...sort of. There's nobody on the line that is unblocked and being read here. There's a linebacker out on Odoms who naturally goes with Odoms at the snap...maybe he's the read man? Either way, there's nobody there, so Forcier makes the right move by keeping the ball.

2nd and 1: Normally penalties on running plays get negged...but this is fucking ridiculous. Schilling pancakes his man, and Predictably Incompetent Big Ten Official interprets this as holding and throws his flag like an asshole. I believe Molk (or Moosman?) got called for a similarly awful call in the opener against Western.

2nd and 11: Huyge gets blasted back by Ballard, to the point where he nearly buries Minor as he receives the handoff. This forces a cutback, which pretty much ruins the whole play.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	9	Schilling, Moosman, Huyge	-
2-1	I-form 3 WR	Minor	Iso	9	Moosman/Schilling, Ortmann, Kev. Grady	-
1-10	Ace 4 WR trips right	Minor	Zone	-1	-	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Shaw	Pitch	5	-	Odoms
2-5	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	Zone read keeper	1	-	Forcier
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Smith	Zone read stretch	2	-	Schilling
1-G	Shotgun split 2 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	3-TD	Koger, Ortmann, Kev. Grady	-

1st and 10: Good stuff by the interior OL here. Moosman occupies the DT long enough for Schilling to neutralize him, and he (Moosman) then gets to the linebacker, while Huyge escorts Ballard away, creating a crease for Minor to zip through, flip the safety (literally), and pick up nine.

2nd and 1: Moosman and Schilling double the DT, Ortmann walls off the DE, and Grady the fullback pops the linebacker, easily springing Minor past the LOS, where he rages for several yards after contact.

1st and 10: There's really no minus here, Clayborn just crashes in unblocked (by design). Hard to minus any of the OL when the unblocked man on the DL is on top of your running back in less than two seconds. Michigan's rock against Iowa's paper here; if it's a playaction fake, Forcier has all day.

1st and 10: Conversely, this is Michigan's paper against Iowa's defensive rock, in the sense that this play doesn't really work like it should, but still picks up five because of the defensive alignment. This is the debut of the new pitch play, which I am a big fan of. Odoms completely whiffs on his cut block though, which holds it down. In the future, perhaps this year but probably not, I envision a play where this pitch is faked, and the safeties (and corners...and linebackers) bite up, turning a wide receiver loose for a wide open walkin touchdown. Or maybe even some shenanigans where Denard Robinson is the pitch man and has the option to throw off it. Lots of fun possibilities with this.

2nd and 5: Argh. The end is blocked here, but the linebacker stays home, and this is a crappy freshman decision to keep the ball. Meanwhile, a perfect seam was created by Ortmann and Schilling, which Minor would've zipped through with ease if he had the ball.

1st and 10: Random Vincent Smith appearence. Schilling gets owned by the tackle here; Klug completely sheds him and hauls Smith down near the LOS.

1st and goal: Ortmann and Koger double the defensive end and plow him into the endzone, which also washes out the safety Greenwood. Grady the fullback erases Tyler Sash, and Minor falls forward into the endzone.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	8	Moosman, Huyge	-
2-2	Shotgun 4 WR trips left	Minor	Pitch	2	-	Kel. Grady

1st and 10: I should probably come up with a new name for this, as it isn't really a stretch play to the outside. Regardless, Huyge and Moosman double the DT and drive him backwards with ease, giving Minor an easy cutback, which he hits and zooms through for eight.

2nd and 2: Whaaa? Kelvin Grady runs right past the safety who's going balls to the wall toward the line of scrimmage to shut this play down. Inexperience? Well, it gets him a tongue lashing from Rodriguez on the sideline.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	7	Huyge/Moosman, Dorrestein, Kev. Grady	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	Zone read keeper	6	-	Forcier

1st and 10: Huyge and Moosman double the playside DT again (but not as devastatingly as last time, so only +0.5 for each), Dorrestein drives the playside DE off the ball, and Grady the fullback leads the way for Minor.

1st and 10: This is all on Forcier - the good and the bad. The good: he dekes out the defensive end and is able to turn a negative play into six yards. The bad: that defensive end stayed home, and Forcier made the wrong read. Minor should've gotten the ball here.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot right	Minor	Zone...something	-3	-	Minor

1st and 10: Beats the hell out of me. Minor cutbacks as he gets the handoff, which makes it look like this is some sort of counter play, despite what appears to be a hole forming up the middle. Maybe I shouldn't subtract from Minor for this? I dunno.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	12	Kev. Grady, Huyge, Moosman/Schilling	-
1-10	???	Minor	???	2	-	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Minor	Zone read stretch	-1	-	Schilling, Minor (-3)

1st and 10: The playside DT here stunts himself out of the play, which allows Huyge to easily reach the linebacker while Moosman and Schilling double the other tackle. Grady the fullback pops the strongside linebacker too. The safeties are back, and this is an easy dozen yards.

1st and 10: We miss this play while ABC talks about slippery balls. *middle school high five*

1st and 10: Schilling is turned inside out by Klug, who then strips Minor and recovers the ball. Absolutely devastating turnover.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	2	-	Huyge, Forcier

1st and 10: The DT sort of outmaneuvers Huyge here to hold this down, but this seems like another misread by Forcier. Michigan is blocking the backside DE, and there's no linebacker staying at home. Maybe this was a handoff all the way, but if not, Forcier made the wrong read and should've kept it.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-9	Shotgun 4 WR	Shaw	Pitch	4	Odoms	-

2nd and 9: Odoms keeps the linebacker from making the play, but the safety sniffs this out from the start. Still picks up four yards.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	6	Moosman/Schilling	-
2-4	Ace 4 WR trips left	Minor	Zone	5	Schilling/Ortmann	-
1-10	I-form 3 WR slot left	Minor	Iso	9	Ortmann, Schilling, Moosman, Kev. Grady	-
2-6	I-form 3 WR slot left	Minor	Zone right	7	Dorrestein	-
1-10	I-form twins left	Minor	Zone left	4	Ortmann, Schilling	-
2-6	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Minor	Pitch	12	Koger, Mathews, Odoms	-
1-G	Shotgun split slot left	Shaw	Zone read stretch	7	Moosman, Schilling, Ortmann	-
2-G	I-form tight 1 WR	Minor	Iso Rage	1-TD	-	-

1st and 10: Moosman and Schilling sort of double the weakside DT. It's enough to create space for Minor to just drive forward in a mass of humanity for six.

2nd and 4: Quicker tempo makes this harder to read. The weakside DT appears to be slanting, which can disrupt the blocking. Schilling sort of gets enough of him to prevent him from tackling, and then gets out to the second level, while Ortmann doesn't really block the linebacker, but obstructs his path to the ballcarrier. The backside DE is unblocked, but arm tackles don't bring down Brandon Minor.

1st and 10: Bo would be proud. Grady the fullback cuts the linebacker to the ground, freeing up Minor to hit the seam created by Ortmann and Moosman, while Schilling scoots to the second level to block the other outside linebacker.

2nd and 6: ...Debord would be proud here (?!). The playside DT stunts out of the play here, which is beneficial to Michigan. Dorrestein does a good job on the end, giving Minor a lane to cut into and rage from there. This isn't the OL's best play, more on Iowa for getting caught.

1st and 10: At this point Debord is laughing and saying "How do you like me now" before finishing a cigarette and going to bed, as we zone left. Again, not much in the way of execution here, but Ortmann and Schilling get enough push to pick up four for Minor. Iowa is keen to what Michigan's doing at this point.

2nd and 6: Continuing the theme of old coaches who would be proud, if for some reason he watched film of his team's defense, Soup Campbell would enjoy this play, as the wideouts each get blocks that produce a dozen yards from Minor.

1st and goal: Moosman buries the playside defensive tackle with a pancake block (what, no holding). Schilling and Ortmann obstruct the backside, and Shaw flies through, landing at the one.

2nd and goal: Rage.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Ace twins left	Minor	Zone right	0	-	Schilling, Minor

1st and 10: Schilling lets a defender inside of him...but WTF is Minor doing? It's a zone play, and he runs straight ahead as if it's an iso.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-15	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Delayed draw	1	-	Huyge

2nd and 15: Huyge gets dominated here. 0-for-2 on this play on this night.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 3 WR slot right	Robinson	QB draw	8	Minor, Huyge	-
2-2	Shotgun 3 WR slot right	Robinson	QB keeper	2	Dorrestein	Huyge
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips left	Robinson	QB draw	5	Minor, Ortmann	-
1-10	Shotgun 3 WR slot left	Robinson	QB keeper	3	-	Koger, Ortmann
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	QB keeper	7	Moosman, Schilling	-
1-G	Shotgun 4 WR	Shaw	Zone read stretch	1	-	Ortmann
2-G	Shotgun 3 WR slot left	Robinson	QB keeper	5	Ortmann, Moosman	Schilling
3-G	Shotgun 3 WR slot right	Robinson	QB keeper	3-TD	Minor	-

1st and 10: Minor as the lead blocker pops the linebacker, who grabs Robinson anyway, but it's upfield instead of at the LOS. Huyge seals the DT inside.

2nd and 2: Dorrestein contains the DE inside, but Huyge is discarded by the linebacker, who tackles.

1st and 10: Minor as the lead blocker again, and he pops the linebacker again, this time with better results, giving Robinson an alley as Ortmann turns the DE outside.

1st and 10: Both Ortmann and Koger lose the men they are supposed to block, almost simultaneously. Jeez.

1st and 10: Moosman seals the DT inside, and Schilling releases onto Angerer. He blocks him, but Angerer still manages to tackle; he's pretty good. Brian noted this in his UFR (link above) - Kevin Grady is the lead blocker here, and if he doubles Angerer with Schilling, Robinson is one on one (two) with the safeties. Instead Grady runs past toward the safeties while Angerer manages to make the tackle. No minus for Grady, as I don't think he blew an assignment or anything, and you generally trust your left guard one on one against the MLB.

1st and goal: Not much push from the right side, or Moosman, and Shaw cuts back. Schilling is stalemating (sort of) Angerer, and Shaw tries to spin away, and gets blown up by the backside defensive end, who schooled Ortmann. Otherwise Shaw goes to the endzone.

2nd and goal: Ortmann turns the DE outside while Moosman seals the DT. If Schilling gets Angerer, Robinson probably zips in for six. He doesn't.

3rd and goal: Iowa knows it's coming, but Minor gets a piece of two separate defenders, which is enough to allow Robinson to dive for the goalline and the TD.

Game Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	7.5	1	6.5
Schilling	7	4	3
Moosman	8	0	8
Huyge	4.5	4	0.5
Dorrestein	3	0	3
Koger	2	1	1
Minor	3	5	-2
Kev. Grady	5	0	5
Mathews	1	0	1
Kel. Grady	0	1	-1
Odoms	2	1	1
Forcier	1	3	-2
TOTAL	44	20	24

Some thoughts:

• Great performance, and pretty inexplicable considering the MSU suckfest. I don't know if that can be attributed to Moosman still settling in at center or MSU being much more amped up for that game. If it's the latter, that better be fixed, because that can't happen again.
• Should be interesting if Molk is back for Penn State. We will learn nothing about the OL this weekend, and Molk obviously gets his job back when he's ruled healthy enough to play...but will there be more adjusting needed when he returns and Moosman and Huyge shift back to their normal positions? Going up against Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu is not a good time to be adjusting.
  

Comprehensive chart:

	WMU	ND	EMU	IND	MSU	Iowa	TOTAL
Ortmann	5.5	1	6	7.5	1	6.5	+27.5
Schilling	0.5	-1	8	7	-1	3	+16.5
Molk	1	6	2	N/A	N/A	N/A	+9
Moosman	5	6.5	N/A	3	0	8	+22.5
Ferrara	N/A	N/A	4	N/A	-1	N/A	+3
Huyge	2.5	4	6.5	2	-2	0.5	+13.5
Dorrestein	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	-2	3	+3
Koger	0.5	2.5	1.5	3	-1	1	+7.5
Webb	-2.5	0	7	-0.5	N/A	N/A	+4
Kev. Grady	3	-1	5	N/A	N/A	5	+12
Kel. Grady	-1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1	-2
Moundros	N/A	1	N/A	3	N/A	N/A	+4
Mathews	N/A	1	2	1	N/A	1	+6
Odoms	1	-1	N/A	1	N/A	1	+2
Stonum	2	-0.5	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.5
Hemingway	1	N/A	N/A	2	1	N/A	+4
Savoy	1	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	+2
Shaw	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1
Minor	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	-2	-2	-3
Smith	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1
Brown	-2	N/A	-1	N/A	-1	N/A	-4
Forcier	0	-1	2	-2	2	-2	-1
Robinson	N/A	N/A	0	-4	N/A	N/A	-4
Sheridan	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1
TOTALS	18.5	17.5	46	28	-6	24	+128

I Hate Being a Michigan Fan

Iowa 30, Michigan 28; 4-2 (1-2)

Okay, not really. I don't really hate being a Michigan fan 90-95% of the time.

Tonight just happens to fall into the other 5-10% when I do.

Not because of what happened on the field. There have been worse losses than this, and there will be worse losses than this in the future. So why does this stand out? Because just like Michigan State fans being unable to handle prosperity, Michigan fans cannot handle adversity. One coaching decision, of which the average fan has almost zero real knowledge about, and the Michigan internet burns like it's 2008 all over again. I suppose in some way allowances should be made. Michigan has never been "bad" before. Essentially every fan, irregardless of age, is used to Michigan being a good team. So after 3-9, everyone's a little fucked up in the head, and every misstep from here on out is cause for alarm and cliff jumping and general insanity on the internet. Nobody wants to hear about the youth that still dominates this team, or about the patchwork defense that is still shuffling people around, trying to find a combination that works. Everyone who watches the game from the comfort of their couch with a beer in their hand is an elite head coach who has a 1.000 winning percentage, and to see something transpire on the television in front of them that they don't agree with is abominable and unacceptable.

The truth is this: Nobody - not you, not I - was on the sideline tonight in Iowa City. Not a single person passing judgment right now knows what went on when Rich Rodriguez talked to Tate Forcier on the sideline, what he saw in his body language, or what he saw when he looked him in the eye. I don't want to hear any of this crap about how Forcier led three game winning/tying drives to date. Coaches, in every sport, cannot base decisions on anything other than what is happening right in front of them. And what happened in front of them is this:

Passing         Cmp-Att-Int Yds TD Long Sack
--------------------------------------------
Forcier, Tate     8-19-1     94  0   35    0

He played terribly. He looked rattled, turned the ball over twice, did his usual thing of throwing into coverage, and above all, he looked like he was sulking on the sideline. Denard Robinson, on the other hand, went into the game for the first time and led a 59-yard touchdown drive. What's that cliche about "the meaning of the word 'insanity'"? Something like, insane is when you try to do something over and over and expect different results. Tate Forcier had shown nothing in this game to make the coaches believe he would suddenly snap out of it and lead a game winning drive. Using his performances against Notre Dame, Indiana and Michigan State as justification doesn't work. None of the above are Iowa. This was the best defense we've faced this year, and Forcier played like it. If Rodriguez had put Forcier back in and he threw an interception in double coverage, or yakety sax'd the snap, then everyone's getting their torches and pitchforks out about RR going away from the QB that just scored a touchdown for us and instead putting in the one who played badly all night long. It's a no-win situation.

Look, I understand. The basis of all this goes above and beyond Michigan Football. It's a sample of where we're at in society as a whole, really. We all demand immediate results immediately, and anyone who fails to deliver flawlessly must be ridiculed and berated to the point of humilation. I'm not saying coaches should be above reproach. Not at all. Hell, I criticized some of the playcalls last week. But there are people literally making complete fools of themselves tonight. Was no one versed on the 24 hour rule? In the wake of a disappointing loss, do yourself a favor and unplug your computer. Go for a walk. Go binge eat chocolate. Go sleep it off and then come back tomorrow. Posting stupid shit like "If Tate is not injured, I'm not sure how much longer I want RR", "RR lost this game for us" and "RR IS TRYING TO RUN TATE OFF" makes you look foolish. RR lost the game for us? Really? The team was poorly coached? Really? I saw a Michigan team control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball for the majority of the game, stuff the run and score three rushing touchdowns on a team that hadn't allowed one in almost a year. I saw a secondary composed of a corner-turned-safety-turned-corner, two strong safeties - one of which being a walkon - and one superstar play about as well as it can.

This is a flawed team. People have been saying this for a long time now, and the masses still feel the urge to PANIC when the flaws are exposed. I saw Michigan finish -4 in turnover margin, suffer a couple total breakdowns on defense on the road at night against the #12 team in the country...and lose by two points. A year ago, Michigan loses this game by four touchdowns. I'm not big on moral victories at all, but if you're blinded by anger to the point where you can't see the progress this team has made because of one close loss, then I question your fortitude. I question your foresight and your ability to see the big picture, because every fan screaming about "that hillbilly Rodriguez" was screaming about John Beilein benching Manny Harris seven months ago at Iowa, leading to an overtime loss with Michigan's NCAA chances teetering on the brink of destruction.

One of the cornerstones of Rich Rodriguez's program is that your job is never safe. We've celebrated that philosophy for 22 months now. We embraced the thought that you better work your ass off and you better do your job correctly, because the guy behind you will never stop gunning for you. And then we see that very philosophy being practiced right in front of our eyes tonight, and everyone keels over and wretches. Tate Forcier didn't do his job, so he was replaced, and his replacement executed brilliantly.....and nobody's happy. I guess everyone subscribed to the thought of results-based employment in theory only? Me personally, I'd rather see the guy doing a better job in there. It didn't work tonight. Shit happens. Everyone involved is going to be better for it. If the price of teaching our freshman quarterbacks a lesson they need to learn is one isolated loss in their second road game ever, then I'm buying.

Of course, I don't expect this to ease anybody's pain. I just hope that when the alcohol wears off and the anger fades away, some people possess the capability to stand back and look at the bigger picture.

Run Chart: Michigan State

The advantage of the run game being a complete non-factor: charting it is quick and easy.

O-line same as last week: Ortmann - Schilling - Moosman - Huyge - Dorrestein.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read dive	-1		Huyge

1st and 10: Oren Wilson shoots inside from the defensive tackle spot, getting inside of Huyge and blowing this play up. From my entirely amateur perspective, I'm a big fan of throwing right to the endzone off a turnover, especially when that turnover puts you in the redzone. Oh, and MSU was in their base 4-3 here, leaving the slot receiver at the top of the screen uncovered except for the safety. But that's just me.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Brown	Zone read dive	2	-	Ortmann

1st and 10: Ortmann is a step slow getting to the second level and can't get to Greg Jones in time, but really this play develops too slowly and Colin Neely crashes down unblocked (by design) from his defensive end spot.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun ace slot left	Robinson	QB keeper	1	-	Schilling
1-10	Ace 2 TE twin WR left	Minor	HB dive	2	-	Minor
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Yakety Sax	-4	-	Minor, Brown
2-9	Shotgun 4 WR	Brown	HB draw	6	-	Huyge

1st and 10: Jones is again too quick as this time it's Schilling that doesn't get to him in time. Doesn't help that this play was obvious. This is a double edged sword. More later.

1st and 10: I honestly have no clue what Minor is doing here. The OL zone blocks to the left and does it well...and for some reason Minor cuts back (or stumbles, perhaps?) right into unblocked Michigan State defenders. There was a hole created by the zone blocking, and I can't figure out why Minor cut back. Baffling.

1st and 10: This is just terrible. Minor and Brown, both flanking Forcier, both think they're getting the ball and run into each other. Plays like this (and the botched snap two plays later on 3rd down) stand out like an ugly sore when looking back at this game and seeing how many opportunities Michigan left on the field due to stupid mistakes.

2nd and 9: I'm probably being a nitpicky douche here, but this is a run chart, and four of the five offensive linemen are selling the pass by pass blocking here. The six yards here are a result of a great playcall. Huyge pulls around and is shed mercilessly by Greg Jones. Fun fact: Did you know Greg Jones grew up a Michigan fan and UM whiffed on him? Awesome.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-17	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	-1	Ortmann	Koger

2nd and 17: Ortmann does a good job kicking out the DE, but Koger inexplicably runs right past Eric Gordon. Linebackers usually excel at stuffing plays when they are unblocked.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	7	Ortmann	Minor (-2)
2-3	Shotgun split slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	2	Minor	Dorrestein
3-1	Shotgun slot right	Forcier	QB keeper	0	-	-

1st and 10: Ortmann kicks out the end again, and this honestly might go for a 93 yard touchdown - if Minor doesn't totally blow a block on Rod Jenrette. Go watch this again. Hemingway has the corner occupied. If Minor blocks Jenrette, there's no one between one of Michigan's fastest players and the endzone. Disastrous.

2nd and 3: Minor actually sticks Gordon pretty good here, but Dorrestein's cut block on Jerel Worthy fails, allowing Worthy to continue down the line untouched to tackle.

3rd and 1: I have hatred in my heart for this playcall. There are no missed blocks or assignments by the OL...it's just a shitty call, in my opinion. It's fundamentally flawed. If you need a yard, give it to your 216-pound running back. If Brandon Minor is healthy enough to be in the game and serve as a lead blocker, he's healthy enough to carry the ball on 3rd and 1 (and if he isn't, he shouldn't have dressed). Give it to him. Or go into the I and run a FB dive with Kevin Grady. I don't like calling a designed run with your 180-pound quarterback, not just because there were better options, but because it exposes him to unnecessary contact. I'm not saying you take plays out of the playbook to protect Tate from injury - you can't do that. But pick your spots. A designed run on 3rd and short when they're already expecting run and have been stuffing it all day - I hate it. I'm one of the biggest "trust the coaches" people around...but I hate this.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	3	-	Dorrestein, Ferrara

1st and 10: Ferrara in at RG for Huyge, and he can't get to Gordon. Dorrestein gets blown back by Trevor Anderson, who then spins off and chases Minor. The right side of the line is not good.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Odoms	Reverse	-4	-	-

1st and 10: There's really nobody at fault here on offense. Reverses depend on the defense losing contain. MSU did a good job staying at home on this play.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
3-1	Shotgun 4 WR trips left	Forcier	Zone read keeper	11	Forcier	-
2-1	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	Zone read keeper	14	Forcier, Hemingway	-

3rd and 1: THIS is the kind of QB run that is a great call on 3rd down. MSU sells out 100% on the running back, giving Forcier ample running room after he keeps it.

2nd and 1: Exact same thing, with Hemingway giving a nice block on the perimeter.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	5	Forcier	-
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	Zone read keep/dive	4	Minor	-
2-6	Shotgun slot left	Minor	Zone read dive	1	-	Forcier

1st and 10: Simple again, an easy decision to keep as the end sells out on Minor.

1st and 10: This is a bizarre play. Forcier keeps it on the zone play, but it's instantaneous and he follows Minor right up the middle. Minor delivers a good pop as the lead blocker. This looks designed, similar to a play Robinson ran against Indiana, but I dunno.

2nd and 6: Misread. If Forcier pulls this out, it's a pass to the flat and a walk in touchdown for Koger (or a TD run for Tate if Koger blocks the safety). I suppose it's possible there was no read here and it was a run to Minor all the way, but then Koger would've blocked the read-end when he countered back from the H-back position instead of scooting past him into the flat.

Game Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	2	1	1
Schilling	0	1	-1
Moosman	0	0	0
Huyge	0	2	-2
Ferrara	0	1	-1
Dorrestein	0	2	-2
Koger	0	1	-1
Minor	2	4	-2
Brown	0	1	-1
Hemingway	1	0	1
Forcier	3	1	2
TOTAL	8	14	-6

Some thoughts:

• This is one of the most frustrating Michigan games I've ever seen, because we were so badly outplayed, and yet it was right there at the end. So many little mistakes: failing to score after the INT, Minor and Brown running into each other, Moosman's low snap, the crappy playcall before The Worst Decision by a Punter Ever, The Worst Decision by a Punter Ever, the ill-fated Denard series in the 4th, Stonum's fumble, the whole two-point debate, the questionable runs in OT, and finally the INT and defensive meltdown. So many mistakes. I guess it balances out, since at the end of the day the team that played better for the vast majority of the game was the team that won.
• On Denard: It is truly a double-edged sword. You have to keep giving him touches and working him in the offense so he gets comfortable...but at the same time, he just isn't enough of a passing threat to keep teams honest, and more often than not right now, we're wasting plays with him in there. It doesn't matter how electric he is, when the opposing defense knows what's coming, it's not going to work.
• It's really gutwrenching watching the final drive, because it was borderline legendary, and ended up just delaying some agony.
• Molk's absence cannot be understated. He is one of the most important players on the entire team, and that was shown in brutal fashion last Saturday.
• While I agree with the thought that the defense did well overall.....the first quarter drive was a killer in every way possible. A 10-minute drive that ends with a touchdown is exactly what Mark Dantonio wants every time. By not making any kind of stop (despite MSU doing its best to help with some personal fouls), we allowed MSU to set the tone for the entire game. Getting dominated in time of possession is not a bad thing - if you're scoring 70 yard touchdowns. If you're getting dominated in TOP because you can't run the ball and can't get first downs and your defense can't get off the field, you're in big trouble.
  

Comprehensive chart:

	WMU	ND	EMU	IND	MSU	TOTAL
Ortmann	5.5	1	6	7.5	1	+21
Schilling	0.5	-1	8	7	-1	+13.5
Molk	1	6	2	N/A	N/A	+9
Moosman	5	6.5	N/A	3	0	+14.5
Ferrara	N/A	N/A	4	N/A	-1	+3
Huyge	2.5	4	6.5	2	-2	+13
Dorrestein	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	-2	0
Koger	0.5	2.5	1.5	3	-1	+6.5
Webb	-2.5	0	7	-0.5	N/A	+4
Kev. Grady	3	-1	5	N/A	N/A	+7
Kel. Grady	-1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1
Moundros	N/A	1	N/A	3	N/A	+4
Mathews	N/A	1	2	1	N/A	+5
Odoms	1	-1	N/A	1	N/A	1
Stonum	2	-0.5	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.5
Hemingway	1	N/A	N/A	2	1	+4
Savoy	1	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	+2
Shaw	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	+1
Minor	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	-2	-1
Smith	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	N/A	+1
Brown	-2	N/A	-1	N/A	-1	-4
Forcier	0	-1	2	-2	2	1
Robinson	N/A	N/A	0	-4	N/A	-4
Sheridan	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1
TOTALS	18.5	17.5	46	28	-6	+104

House of Horrors

One Game Playoff: Twins 6, Tigers 5 (12)

I don't make baseball a consistent topic here, simply because it's pretty much impossible for an on-again off-again blogger to write about a sport that is always on-again...until the season ends. Until you watch your team gack up a seven game lead in a month. Until for the first time in history, a three game lead with four to play is erased. Until a 163-day stay atop the standings ends on the final day of the season. Until your team makes mistake after mistake after mistake while epically choking away the season.

I like baseball. I like the Tigers. I'm not one of those fairweather douches that magically appeared in 2006. I sat through the 2003 season, one of the worst of all-time, with nobodies like Craig Monroe, Alex Sanchez, Warren Morris, Nate Cornejo and Matt Roney. I've been blessed to see some magical moments from my teams over the years. Four Stanley Cups, an NBA title, a national championship in football. And Magglio's homerun in the bottom of the 9th in Game 4 of the ALCS to sweep Oakland and send the Tigers to the World Series was one of the holiest moments I've ever been witness to.

Despite all that, baseball is probably third on the pecking order for me, behind football and hockey. I know much, much more about the strategies and intricacies of those sports than I do about baseball.

But when you put this in front of me, it doesn't take a genius to reach a conclusion.

• 2006: Swept at home by the 100-loss Royals to finish the season and lose the Central Division after leading it for 147 days; Lost the World Series to one of the worst teams to ever make the postseason in baseball history.
• 2007: Led the division by a game at the All-Star Break...and finished eight games back, a complete nonfactor in the second half. Oh, and then traded a 21-year old pitcher for a 32-year old shortstop whose 12-year career at that point had been entirely in the National League save for one abortion of a season in Boston. That shortstop (Edgar Renteria) lasted all of one season in Detroit while having one of the worst seasons of his career. That pitcher (Jair Jurrjens) just finished with the 5th best ERA in all of baseball at age 23.
• 2008: Traded for Renteria, traded for Miguel Cabrera, traded for Dontrelle Willis. Exactly one of those players is useful. Touted a lineup deemed one of the greatest of all-time and a shooin for 1000 runs. They started 0-7 and finished in last place with the second highest payroll in baseball.
• 2009: Led the Central Division for 163 days before losing it at the very end, thanks in part to going 1-5 against last place Kansas City in the final month.

That's four meltdowns in four seasons. There have been a lot of different players on this team in the past four years. Kenny Rogers, Mike Maroth, Pudge Rodriguez, Chris Shelton, Craig Monroe, Todd Jones, Jamie Walker, Sean Casey, Gary Sheffield, Chad Durbin, Andrew Miller, Armando Galarraga, Jeremy Bonderman, Aquilino Lopez, Nate Robertson. The list goes on. All of the above are either gone or have seen their roles drastically changed. The list of players that have been with the team in a solid capacity for all four seasons from 2006-2009 is short: Polanco, Guillen, Inge, Granderson, Ordonez, Thames, Verlander, Miner, Rodney, Zumaya (I guess). Aside from them, lots of turnover.

One thing has been consistent in each and every collapse in each season: The man in the dugout signing the lineup cards.

Jim Leyland deserves credit. Before he and Dave Dombrowski took over, the Tigers were one of the biggest jokes in sports. It was never a case of injuries or being too young. They were just laughably bad at everything. Leyland and Dombrowski fixed that. They restored some semblance of respectability to the franchise, and brought fans back to the ballpark. But there comes a time when a ceiling is reached, when you've done all you can do.

The ceiling has been reached for Jim Leyland. Another night of inexplicable fielding blunders and maddeningly stranding runners in scoring positions regardless of how many outs there were when they got there, this time in the biggest game of the season. Essentially everything that went wrong for the Tigers last night has happened on a consistent basis for the better part of four years now. It isn't magically going to be fixed.

Four years. Four collapses.

It's time.

Fire Leyland.

The Defense Rests

Michigan State 26, Michigan 20 (OT); 4-1, 1-1

It went exactly as it was planned. Michigan drove the field with ease, Tate Forcier was a gambling psychopath, hitting on 17 and still getting blackjack. Receivers were open. Tackles were missed. Assignments were blown. Touchdowns were scored. The Victors played. MSU's secondary was what we thought it was - entirely mediocre, bordering on terrible.

Except it took 55 minutes for all that to blossom. Before Darryl Stonum strolled into the endzone after a 60-yard catch and run touchdown with 4:03 left, Michigan's offense was totally and completely squashed, thanks to dropped passes, dubious playcalling and an offensive line missing its best and most crucial player. If Tate is UM's MVP, then Dave Molk is 1A (or 1B to Brandon Graham). We were able to tolerate his absence against Indiana (sort of), but against an OK rush defense in MSU, against a team that showed fire, determination and desperation not seen in their previous four games, the offensive line produced an epic fail. Molk is the lifeblood that keeps the engine going. He makes the calls at the line, and his foot injury creates a domino effect. David Moosman should be at guard, not center. Mark Huyge should be at tackle, not guard. Perry Dorrestein, bless his soul, should be on the bench, not at tackle. And on top of all that, Molk is far and away our best run blocker, showing the mean streak, tenacity, awareness and foot work of the prototypical spread lineman. The 4-6 week timeframe for his return will be closer to four, because he will play through the pain, because he sees that his team needs him.

It was detailed at MGoBlog, but I'll echo: at some point, a 2-point conversion should've been tried, either on Stonum's touchdown or the final score. If Michigan had a timeout left, I would've had no problem going for two after the touchdown pass to Roundtree. In fact, I would've encouraged it, and if it had failed, I would've held my head high with a 20-19 loss. Given the circumstances - Tate being completely spent, the rain pouring, and the general chaos that would've ensued from the coaches calling for two when all the players expected one - it's hard to disagree with kicking it. If we go for it and miss, all the pseudo analysts on ESPN and in the MSM laugh and deride Rodriguez for being a moron, when it becomes clearer day after day the people paraded out to talk about football have essentially zero in-depth knowledge about the sport because their target audience is an audience with roughly the same amount, and often less. If UM had a timeout, I would've taken it, given Tate time to catch his breath and focus the offense. Personally, I feel much more comfortable putting the game in my offense's hands with one single do-or-die play rather than reintroducing the defense to the equation. I'll give them credit, they got the stops when they needed to (with a little help from Dantonio playing Lloydball and sitting on the lead). But was anybody really surprised when even after losing nine yards on their first play in OT, MSU still got out of it? I wasn't. Why?

Because overall, when you step back and look at the sum of all parts, Michigan's defense is a black hole of death, and has been for a long time now. This transcends Saturday. It transcends Greg Robinson, Scott Shafer, and Rich Rodriguez. It started pretty much back in 2000, when Northwestern put 654 yards and 54 points on Michigan's defense. Ever since then, it's been a gradual decline into the abyss. Save for 11 games in 2006 with an upperclassmen-laden defense with multiple NFL players - Woodley, Branch, Taylor, Harris, Crable, Burgess, Hall, Adams, and Trent have all stuck around in some form or another - there has been failure after failure after failure in nearly every facet from every coach and almost every player. The 2003 defense couldn't cope with Oregon's speed or get them off the field. They couldn't handle USC's playmakers on the perimeter or generate any kind of pass rush. The 2004 defense gave up seven (!) touchdowns of 60+ yards over the last seven games and served as springboards for Vince Young and Troy Smith. The 2005 defense...nuff said. Even the 2006 defense crumbled at the end against the elite teams. The 2007 defense opened with two of the most embarrassing performances any of us will ever see. The 2008 defense looked worse than it was because of the offense's total ineptitude, but was still an abject failure in virtually every sense. This year's defense is undersized, flawed, shallow, and fragile. It's a result of trying to fix years of terrible fundamentals and years of terrible recruiting.

Consider this. The 2006 recruiting class consisted of the following defensive players (Rivals star rankings included):

• Greg Banks, 3-star DE: A depth player who has never done anything of substance.
• Steve Brown, 4-star S: Spent a year on special teams, two years as a touchdown producer for opposing offenses at safety, and is now one of our best players on defense as an outside linebacker as a senior.
• Obi Ezeh, 3-star RB: A player regarded as a running back in high school is our starting middle linebacker. In his third year as a fulltime starter, he has shown almost no improvement, probably because in his third year as a fulltime starter, he is operating in his third defensive scheme.
• John Ferrara, 3-star DE/DT: Moved to OL.
• Brandon Graham, 5-star LB: Moved to DE and is Michigan's best defender. Teams gameplan around him and scheme to take him out of the game. He is an elite difference maker.
• Jason Kates, 4-star DT: Highly regarded recruit with offers from big hitters (Penn State, Notre Dame, Florida State); did exactly nothing under either regime at Michigan and left the team.
• Cobrani Mixon, 4-star LB: Spent a year at Michigan before transferring to Kent State.
• Jonas Mouton, 4-star S: Was a super recruit, turned down USC to come to Michigan, converted to linebacker, was Michigan's best LB by the end of 2008 and has been terrible so far in 2009. His effort on Kirk Cousins' 41-yard run on Saturday was one of the more egregiously unacceptable things I have seen from a Michigan football player.
• Quintin Patilla, 3-star LB: Transferred to Grand Valley State.
• Adam Patterson, 4-star DE/DT: Really hyped top 100 recruit who has done absolutely nothing to date.
• Quintin Woods, 3-star DE: Left without doing a thing, went the JUCO route and is now at Kansas.

11 players. One star (Graham), one terrible-turned-decent player (Brown), two serviceable players (Ezeh, Mouton), and seven flameouts (six if you discount Ferrara because of the position change). These are players who would be seniors or redshirt juniors on this defense right now, and exactly 27% of them are still here (on defense).

Let's look at 2007:

• Artis Chambers, 3-star DB: Transferred to Ball State, which is a bottom-feeding MAC school.
• Marell Evans, 2-star LB: Could not beat out a fellow sophomore (Brandon Herron) or an undersized true freshman (Craig Roh) at the Quick position. Transferred.
• Brandon Herron, 3-star LB: Sees intermediate time behind Roh at the Quick.
• Austin Panter, 4-star JUCO LB: This is how desperate Michigan was for linebackers. The school that never goes the JUCO route went the JUCO route. Panter never produced a thing on the field in two years.
• James Rogers, 3-star ATH: Recruited as a corner, moved to receiver.
• Renaldo Sagesse, 3-star DT: Currently backing up Mike Martin at the nose tackle spot. Would most likely be starting if Michigan ran a conventional defense.
• Ryan Van Bergen, 4-star DE: Playing out of position as more of a defensive tackle in Greg Robinson's scheme, but he's not a scrub. He's made some plays.
• Donovan Warren, 5-star CB: Living up to every bit of that 5-star hype so far this year.
• Steve Watson, 3-star LB: Listed as a TE by Rivals, he is a backup to Roh and Herron.
• Michael Williams, 4-star S: Currently starts at safety and hasn't committed any egregious errors leading to a huge touchdown, which is, sadly, a huge deal for a Michigan safety.
• Troy Woolfolk, 3-star DB: Started out at corner and is currently starting opposite Williams at the other safety spot. He's in his first year starting, so expectations must be tempered, but the early returns aren't good. Woolfolk was the one who needlessly bit on the playaction in the Western game that produced WMU's only touchdown. Getting caught flatfooted by playing the run when you're up 31 in the 4th quarter and the front seven has swallowed the running back all day is the exact lack of situational awareness Michigan's safeties have suffered from for years. He's also been pretty spotty as a tackler.
  

One star (Warren), three serviceable (and young) starters (Williams, Woolfolk, Van Bergen), and seven who are either backups or gone or playing offense now.

It is still too early to pass judgment on the 2008 class, but let's look at the defensive players from there for the hell of it:

• Boubacar Cissoko, 4-star CB: Consensus super-recruit, courted by several major programs. He's been hobbled by a shoulder injury, but he's also been robbed of all confidence because he's been burnt like toast so far this year, to the point where he barely saw the field (did he play at all?) against MSU. To be fair, he shouldn't have to be in the lineup right now. If Michigan had won some of the recruiting battles in previous years (Jai Eugene, Ronald Johnson, Dionte Allen), Cissoko would be a nickelback and polishing his game. Remember, he's a Detroit PSL kid. These players don't receive the type of coaching in high school that prepares them for early contribution in college. Brandon Graham spent his first year in anonymity trying to figure out if he was a DE or DT. Nick Perry was blessed with eligibility and depth chart issues that allowed him to redshirt at USC. It's the same reason all the people clamoring for William Campbell to be a regular in the rotation need to zip it. These kids are highly ranked based on measurables and potential. They are raw, and need coaching.
• Kenny Demens, 4-star LB: Hasn't been able to get on the field much at all, even with the struggles of Ezeh and Mouton. This is troubling.
• JB Fitzgerald, 4-star LB: See above. When Fitz got in the game against Eastern, he looked completely lost. Plain and simple: Ezeh and Mouton aren't very good right now. The options behind them are worse. More later.
  
• JT Floyd, 3-star CB: I suspect it's only a matter of time before Floyd gets scorched over the top for a long TD, because he's just not that fast, and would probably be better served playing safety...if Michigan had the luxury of moving him there, but they don't, so they can't.
• Taylor Hill, 4-star LB: Committed to Michigan after visitng Michigan State, and then bolted for home in Youngstown after about five minutes.
• Mike Martin, 4-star DT: He's not a true nose tackle, but he's still a monster. I expect MGoBlog's UFR to grade out a monstrous day for Martin from Saturday. He's doing his best, and his best is pretty damn good.
• Brandon Smith, 4-star S: Came in as a safety and blew up to the point where he is now a linebacker. He's one of the most physically impressive players on the team, but it will take time for him to learn his position. Only way he sees the field at linebacker this year is if an apocalyptic string of injuries sidelines Ezeh, Mouton, Kevin Leach, Demens, and Fitzgerald.
• Marcus Weatherspoon, 4-star LB: Waffled back and forth on his Michigan commitment after Rodriguez was hired, and then got shot down with eligibility issues at Michigan, sending him back home to Jersey, where he's now at Rutgers.

The mistakes made in recruiting over the past few years, by Lloyd Carr's staff in particular (we'll know in 2-3 years about RR) have been gaping and appalling. The disaster that was the Scott Shafer hire as defensive coordinator compounded things exponentially. There can be little to no expectation of player development or elite defensive recruiting when this program has three defensive coordinators with three separate schemes in three years. There have been numerous misses in recruiting that are haunting Michigan right now. Instead of having Jai Eugene, Dionte Allen and Ronald Johnson in the secondary, we're starting a corner-turned-safety, a redshirt freshman corner who should be a safety, and have played a walkon heavy minutes over the past four weeks. There is a walkon in the two deep at linebacker because of recruiting misses (Chris Colasanti, Chris Norman) and lack of player development. There is a walkon in the two deep at defensive end.

Simply put, the situation we are in has been building up for a long time now. It cannot be pinned on one single man, nor can it be fixed overnight. I believe that Greg Robinson is the right man to fix Michigan's defense. But he's not a miracle worker. He is installing a new scheme with precious little depth and multiple young players/first-year starters. This is not a good defense. That doesn't mean Robinson is a bad coach, just as last year's offensive offense didn't mean Rodriguez was a bad coach. The keys to fixing this are patience, fundamentals, and recruiting. I suspect RR will have the patience, because continuity is key, and we cannot afford another DC flameout. The fundamentals will come. Robinson is trying his best to fix what gradually rotted into shit under Herrmann and English. And recruiting...well, this must be addressed. Simply put. I am not "stargazing" when I say this: It's not good enough right now. There are players currently committed to Michigan who are not needed simply because their position is overstocked. I'm not going to name names, because that's bushleague. I'm not going to say they aren't "Michigan material", because I'm not smarter than the coaches. And the relative weakness of this class is directly related to 3-9. People were all awestruck and stunned when we signed a Top 10 class in February. My response: You don't understand how recruiting works. The onfield results have little effect on the current class. It affects the class AFTER that one. Just as the 3-9 2008 season has affected our current class, a strong start this year (and a strong finish) will positively affect the 2011 class. Sure, we may get the attention of some highly regarded 2010 kids, but it would be surprising to come out of nowhere and snag any of them, simply because they've been thinking of other schools for much longer. But my overall point remains the same: It's time for Michigan to start getting in on elite defensive players. We need to get in early, stick around, and be the last ones to leave. And Greg Robinson HAS to stay on as defensive coordinator for several seasons. Without continuity, this defense will never improve.

Run Chart: Indiana

Sorry this is late. Real life reared its head this week.

Anyway, O-Line: Ortmann - Schilling - Moosman - Huyge - Dorrestein.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-10	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read dive	6	Ortmann, Schilling	Koger
1-10	Ace 4 WR	Brown	HB dive	2	-	Schilling
2-8	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	41-TD	Huyge, Schilling, Ortmann, Koger, Mathews	-

2nd and 10: Ortmann seals the tackle and Schilling gets to the linebacker in time, but while Koger counters back from the H-back position to block Kirlew, he actually pushes Kirlew right into Brown. A six yard gain is great, but it could've been more.

1st and 10: This is a "meh" play, as Middleton is keyed in on Brown from the get go and not fooled by the slot receiver faking an end around, but Schilling is discarded by the tackle to stop the play anyway.

2nd and 8: Just perfect. I mean this doesn't get any better. Huyge gets into the linebackers on the opposite side of the play from his right guard spot, Ortmann and Schilling clear the DL, and Koger and Mathews provide perfect downfield blocking. Beautiful to watch.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Ace 2 TE	Brown	HB dive	-1	-	Huyge

1st and 10: Larry Black beats Huyge inside and grabs a hold of Brown before he gets back to the LOS.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-10	Shotgun slot left	Shaw	Zone read dive	2	Koger	-

2nd and 10: Koger does a good job this time countering back from the H-back position to take out the uncovered defensive end, but a linebacker is coming around this way as well, and Shaw cuts back basically right into him. This might be bad vision from Shaw, but there wasn't a gaping hole for him or anything, so no minus.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	5	Moosman, Schilling	-
2-5	Shotgun split slot left	Shaw	Zone read dive	3	-	-
3-2	Shotgun 3 WR 2 TE	Robinson	QB keeper	3	Dorrestein/Huyge	Webb
1-10	-	-	Penalty	-10	-	Moosman

1st and 10: Moosman gets enough of the tackle to escort him away from the ball, and Schilling gets to the second level while Minor just plows ahead.

2nd and 5: Another "meh" play. No real standout from the OL, but I don't think anybody screws up either. The tackler is an unblocked linebacker, but I don't know if one of the linemen was supposed to get to the second level to block him or if he just made a quick read and a good play.

3rd and 2: Dorrestein and Huyge combine to seal the defensive end inside which gives Robinson the edge, but Webb whiffs a block on the second level, which disrupts the play. Robinson falls forward for a first down.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	Yakety Sax	5	-	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips left	Robinson	QB keeper	2	-	Huyge/Dorrestein
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Robinson	QB keeper	7	Dorrestein, Huyge, Schilling	-
2-3	Shotgun slot right	Minor	Zone read dive	12-TD	Schilling, Moosman, Huyge	-

1st and 10: Not sure why I'm even including this play. Robinson drops the snap and then creates five yards all on his own.

1st and 10: This one is tough to read. Huyge releases into the second level, but the guy he released from makes the tackle, and from the looks of it Dorrestein was supposed to get inside of said tackler but wasn't quick enough to do so. I could be wrong in negging both of them.

1st and 10: Great job by Dorrestein here turning the DE outside and away from Robinson. Huyge and Schilling get to the second level, the former sticking a linebacker downfield and the latter giving another linebacker a great cut block from the backside.

2nd and 3: Even with Molk out and Moosman and Huyge shifting positions, this same play that Minor exploded Notre Dame on time and again works like a charm. Moosman mashes the DT inside, and the guards get to the linebackers to erase them while Minor rumbles through into the endzone.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-15	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	QB draw??	7	-	-
2-8	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read dive	-1	-	Robinson
3-9	Shotgun slot left	Robinson	"Zone read" keeper	3 (fumble)	-	Robinson (-2)

1st and 15: I honestly can't tell if this is a called run. The OL is pass blocking and it isn't the usual "one step and go" QB draw. So I dunno.

2nd and 8: I'm wondering if this is a read play at all, because Larry Black crashes down unblocked, but Brown gets the ball anyway and is tackled for a loss. Either Robinson makes the wrong read here, or it was a called handoff disguised as a read. For now I'm going to go with the coaches when they say they don't change anything for Robinson and I'll just assume he made the wrong read here and should've kept it.

3rd and 9: This is actually a new play. Robinson gives the appearence of a read, but he isn't reading anything; he immediately pulls it out and basically follows Brown right up the middle. Florida runs this play with Tebow a lot, it's basically a veer play designed to give the QB a lead blocker right up the gut. Unfortunately Robinson has the ball taken away.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	I-form 3 WR	Minor	HB blast	-1	-	Huyge

1st and 10: Larry Black gets inside leverage on Huyge, busting this play up immediately.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Robinson	QB keeper	8	Odoms, Hemingway	-
2-2	Shotgun slot right	Robinson	QB keeper	5	Huyge, Dorrestein	Dorrestein

1st and 10: Robinson just darts to his left at the snap, and Odoms and Hemingway have provided good blocks on the outside to produce a solid gain on 1st down.

2nd and 2: Good quickness by Huyge getting to the second level to block the linebacker, but a plus and a minus for Dorrestein. He does a good job turning the end outside to provide a hole for Robinson to scoot through, but he fails to maintain the block as the end sheds him and tackles Robinson to prevent a bigger gain.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-11	Shotgun 4 WR	Brown	Zone read stretch	8	Ortmann, Moosman, Koger	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	Zone read keeper	-1	-	Forcier (-2)
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Brown	Zone read stretch	5	Ortmann	-
2-5	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	12	Ortmann, Moosman, Huyge	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Forcier	Yakety Sax	9	Hemingway	Moosman
2-1	I-form 1 WR	Minor	HB Power O	8	Webb/Ortmann	-
1-10	I-form 1 WR	Minor	HB Power O	1	-	-
2-9	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read stretch	5	Dorrestein, Moosman	-
2-pt.	Shotgun 5 WR	Forcier	QB draw	8	Schilling	-

2nd and 11: Textbook blocking from Ortmann and Moosman here, creating a seam for Brown to easily get through. Downfield block from Koger turns three yards into eight.

1st and 10: Not good decision making by Tate here. Kirlew keeps contain, but Forcier keeps it anyway. Then, as Kirlew crashes down toward him, he doesn't throw it out to Grady in the slot. Double whammy.

1st and 10: More of a team effort on this one, but Ortmann stands out, as he does a great job clearing out Middleton.

2nd and 5: Ortmann handles Middleton again, and with Moosman tossing the defensive tackle to the ground, this creates a big hole for Brown to hit. Huyge assists at the second level on a linebacker.

1st and 10: The play is busted by another bad snap by Moosman, but Forcier turns this one into a nice gain with the help of a good heads up block downfield by Hemingway.

2nd and 1: Huyge pulls here, but this is all Webb and Ortmann teaming up to absolutely blow Greg Middleton backwards. They completely demolish him, and there's nobody there to stop Minor.

1st and 10: Exact same play to the opposite side. Nobody's at fault here, this is just a great play by the weakside linebacker to shoot through the gap and trip Minor. If he doesn't make this play, Minor is probably in the endzone.

2nd and 9: Dorrestein turns the playside DE outside, which is key to the stretch play. Moosman muscles the DT down the line on the zone block, giving Brown a crease.

2-pt. conversion: Schilling with the Bush Push!

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	I-form 3 WR	Minor	Iso	3	-	Schilling
2-7	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	0	-	Ortmann, Moosman

1st and 10: I'm probably being harsh on Schilling here. Really good play by the defensive tackle to get through his block and hold this down.

2nd and 7: Ortmann doesn't get to the weakside tackle coming down the line in time, and Moosman is overwhelmed by the playside tackle, and they combine to stuff this.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-8	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read dive	4	Koger	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	7	Ortmann, Moosman, Koger	-
2-3	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Robinson	QB keeper	5	Ortmann, Minor, Schilling	-
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Minor	Zone read stretch	4	Ortmann, Schilling	Huyge
2-6	Shotgun slot right	Robinson	QB keeper	-1	-	Koger, Robinson

2nd and 8: Messiness involving the actual OL, but Koger pops Kirlew when he counters backside from the H-back position. That, coupled with the aforementioned messiness, creates a decent four yards.

1st and 10: Eh. Ortmann excels at turning the DE outside, Moosman holds (perhaps illegally) the tackle inside and Koger (flexed out in the slot) blocks downfield, but...eh. I doubt this is an actual zone read play, because if it is, Robinson can pull the ball and have nothing but a flat footed defensive end between him and wide open pastures. Maybe he just made the wrong decision to hand it off (or maybe even not, since the end kept contain), but I don't think there was any "read" involved here.

2nd and 3: Ortmann and Schilling turn the end and tackle outside and inside respectively, and Minor nails the linebacker while serving as the lead blocker for Robinson.

1st and 10: Ortmann again turns the end out, and Schilling gets to the second level to erase one linebacker. Huyge however, doesn't get to the other linebacker in time, who tackles for a minimal gain.

2nd and 6: Koger whiffs on the DE/LB. It doesn't actually affect the run since the end gets caught inside, but it gives easy room for other defenders to zero in. Robinson tries to bounce it outside when he should just lower his head and try to fall forward for a yard or two.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	I-form 2 TE	Minor	HB off tackle right	5	Moundros, Schilling	-
2-5	I-form 2 TE	Minor	Iso	4	Moundros	-
3-1	I-form 2 TE	Minor	Iso	2	Moundros	-

1st and 10: Woah. Mark Moundros exists! And he makes his presence felt by mashing an OLB here, springing Minor off tackle. Schilling is out there with him providing a great block, and Minor pulls up in order to stay in bounds and keep the clock moving.

2nd and 5: All Moundros again, as he blows up the middle linebacker, giving Minor all the room he needs.

3rd and 1: Moundros again nails the linebacker. This time the safety is shooting in right behind the LB, but the poor bastard gets trucked by Minor. Ballgame.

Game Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	8.5	1	7.5
Schilling	9	2	7
Moosman	6	3	3
Huyge	5.5	3.5	2
Dorrestein	3.5	1.5	2
Koger	5	2	3
Webb	0.5	1	-0.5
Minor	1	0	1
Moundros	3	0	3
Odoms	1	0	1
Hemingway	2	0	2
Mathews	1	0	1
Forcier	0	2	-2
Robinson	0	4	-4
TOTAL	46	20	+26

And comprehensive chart:

	WMU	ND	EMU	IND	TOTAL
Ortmann	5.5	1	6	7.5	+20
Schilling	0.5	-1	8	7	+14.5
Molk	1	6	2	N/A	+9
Moosman	5	6.5	N/A	3	+14.5
Ferrara	N/A	N/A	4	N/A	+4
Huyge	2.5	4	6.5	2	+15
Dorrestein	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	+2
Koger	0.5	2.5	1.5	3	+7.5
Webb	-2.5	0	7	-0.5	+4
Kev. Grady	3	-1	5	N/A	+7
Kel. Grady	-1	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1
Moundros	N/A	1	N/A	3	+4
Mathews	N/A	1	2	1	+5
Odoms	1	-1	N/A	1	1
Stonum	2	-0.5	N/A	N/A	+1.5
Hemingway	1	N/A	N/A	2	+3
Savoy	1	N/A	1	N/A	+2
Shaw	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	+1
Minor	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	+1
Smith	N/A	N/A	1	N/A	+1
Brown	-2	N/A	-1	N/A	-3
Forcier	0	-1	2	-2	-1
Robinson	N/A	N/A	0	-4	-4
Sheridan	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1
TOTALS	18.5	17.5	46	28	+110

Metro Detroit Public High School Football Map

After hearing about the demise of the Michigan Mega Conference I got curious as to what new conferences were formed and which schools went where. That, coupled with my obsession with maps has produced the map below. I marked all the public High School football teams in Metro Detroit by conference. Hopefully the quality is good enough that it can be blown up.

The schools themselves are not marked, because the map would be too crowded and while the dots which represent schools are not necessarily in the correct location, they should be in the correct cities.

Teams can be extrapolated here.

Run Chart: Eastern Michigan

O-Line: Ortmann - Schilling - Molk - Ferrara - Huyge.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Brown	Zone read stretch	30	Huyge, Koger, Mathews	-
2-10	Shotgun split slot left	Brown	Zone read stretch	4	Schilling	Ortmann
3-6	Shotgun 5 WR	Forcier	QB draw	-2	-	-

1st and 10: Huyge contains the DE, allowing Brown to get outside. Koger just DECKS the linebacker inside, and Mathews gives a good block on the corner. A phantom tackle somehow throws Brown off balance and prevents a 51 yard touchdown.

2nd and 10: Kind of a mucky play as the OL just battles the DL down the line. Schilling does a good job getting to the second level and putting his helmet on a linebacker, but Ortmann fails to adaquately cut the read end, who comes down and tackles.

3rd and 6: This would be a -2 or -3 for the coaches if I charted playcalling, because nobody misses a block or anything, the linebacker just makes a great read and shoots in. I really dislike this playcall, partly because I don't like exposing our freshman quarterback - who is the key to an 8-9 win season - to unnecessary damage against a MAC team, but more because it just seems like a give up call, almost as if the coaches settled for three.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips left	Brown	Zone read dive	6	Ortmann, Schilling	-
3-1	I-form twins right	Brown	Power O	14	Huyge, Kev. Grady	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Minor	Zone read stretch	13	Webb, Mathews, Schilling	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Minor	Zone read dive	5	Huyge, Ferrara	-
2-5	Shotgun slot right	Minor	Zone read stretch	3	-	Molk
1-G	Shotgun split slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	-4	-	Brown
2-G	Ace 4 WR	Brown	HB dive	9-TD	Molk, Huyge	-

1st and 10: The mesh freezes the read end, and Ortmann just shoves the tackle away, giving Brown plenty of room. Schilling gets to the second level with ease again, sticking a linebacker.

3rd and 1: This is a staple of the Michigan State playbook where the guard pulls around and serves as another lead blocker on an off-tackle-ish type of play. In this case the pulling guard (Schilling) isn't really needed, as Huyge and Kevin Grady provide great blocks, and Brown cuts back nicely.

1st and 10: More quickness by Schilling getting to the second level, and solid blocks by Mathews and Webb (flexed out in the slot). Note how the wideouts have been infinitely better at downfield blocking this year after being unmitigated disasters a year ago. The teeth gnashing about Soup Campbell's dismissal and the doubting of Tony Dews seems comical now.

1st and 10: Good enough job by the right side of the line here, Huyge effectively seals off the edge on the zone block, and Ferrara gets to the second level. Not as fast as Schilling does, but good enough.

2nd and 5: This one is sketchy. Molk doesn't really lose his guy, but at the same time, he knifed into the backfield and despite having Molk blocking him, it forced Minor to cut upfield, which allowed the read end to come down the line and hold the play down.

1st and goal: I can't figure out why Brown cuts back here. There isn't an exceptional push from the OL here, but Brown doesn't wait the stretch play out, instead choosing to cut back when, as is almost always the case in a zone blocking scheme, there is no backside help. If Brown shows more patience, this is a positive play.

2nd and goal: Lol, Huyge gets away with a blatant false start, allowing him to clear a defensive tackle out. Molk also seals, and Brown zips right through to the endzone. Amazing really that they didn't call Huyge, he clearly moved before the snap.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	Zone read keeper	2	Forcier	Huyge
3-1	Ace 2 WR	Shaw	HB dive	22	Webb	-
1-10	Ace 2 WR	Shaw	HB dive	7	Webb, Ortmann, Schilling	-
2-3	I-form twins right	Shaw	Power O right	5-TD	Schilling, Kev. Grady, Koger/Huyge	-

1st and 10: Correct read by Forcier to keep it, but the linebacker is too fast for Huyge, otherwise this is probably a first down.

3rd and 1: Webb mashes the DE on the inside, but this is almost all on Shaw, who makes a beautiful cut.

1st and 10: Another good block by Webb, while Ortmann mauls the defensive end and Schilling turns the defensive tackle completely away. Oh, and Wayne Larrivee is a clueless twit. "Michigan showing a lot of no huddle here." ORLY?

2nd and 3: Same power O play as last time, only this time Schilling is integral, and he destroys the safety. Grady sticks a linebacker, Koger and Huyge team up to neutralize the end, and Shaw muscles into the endzone.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read dive	90-TD	Molk, Schilling, Ortmann, Webb	-

1st and 10: Ahhh. Webb is the H-back, and counters to the weakside at the snap, where he blocks the defensive end. Schilling basically piledrives the tackle into the turf, and Ortmann and Molk blow up linebackers at the second level. From there, it's the Ron English special, as the EMU safety steps up toward the hole tenatively (at the wrong angle) Brown is hitting, stops, hesitates, and hurls himself uselessly at Brown's feet as Carlos zips past him at full speed. 90 yards later, we celebrate. Nice to be on the opposite end of one of these for a change. Seriously, I don't think Ron English knows what he's doing when he's coaching safeties. The play by his safety here looked exactly like the plays Michigan safeties made time and again under English's tenure as DB coach/defensive coordinator.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	ISQD	11	Shaw, Ortmann	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Shaw	Zone read stretch	-1	-	Robinson, Ortmann, Schilling

2nd and 10: Ortmann does a great job turning the DE outside, providing a big hole for Robinson to hit, and Shaw throws a great fullback-like block to spring him into the secondary.

1st and 10: Oh my goodness. Okay, first, the OL. Ortmann gets muscled backward, forcing Shaw to cut up, and Schilling is actually too fast to the second level, and a linebacker gets past him to make the tackle. But the key to this play....oh my god keep the ball. The defensive end crashes down toward Shaw. If Robinson keeps this, ohmygod open spaces for our 4.3 40 quarterback against MAC players. This is quite possibly a 76 yard touchdown if Robinson pulls it out of Shaw's stomach.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-19	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read dive	14	Webb, Ortmann, Schilling	-

2nd and 19: Webb with another good block as he counters out of the H-back position against the read end. Ortmann also does another good job of escorting the tackle down the line on the zone block, and Schilling sticks the linebacker again on the second level.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	I-form slot right	Brown	HB blast/fake end around	7	Kev. Grady, Ortmann, Schilling	-
2-3	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read stretch	3	Molk	-

1st and 10: The weakside defensive end is left uncovered as Ortmann gets to the second level to handle a linebacker. This is taken care of by Grady at fullback, as he cuts the end to the ground. Schilling escorts the tackle away with ease.

2nd and 3: Ehhh. There aren't really any misses by the OL here, it's just kind of a "meh" play. Molk does get a powerful block. The end crashes down and eventually chases Brown down the line to tackle, but Forcier made the right move handing it off - the linebacker was eyeing him via the scrape exchange.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot right	Shaw	Zone read stretch	-1	-	Molk
2-11	Shotgun split slot right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	3	Forcier	-

1st and 10: Molk is overpowered by the defensive tackle slanting into the backfield, which disrupts the stretch play and allows the weakside end to chase Shaw down behind the LOS.

2nd and 11: There's no scrape exchange, and the end crashes down, so correct read by Forcier to keep it.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split twins left	Brown	Zone read dive	4	Kev. Grady, Molk	-
2-6	Shotgun split twins left	Brown	Zone read stretch	2	Ferrara	Koger
2-3	Shotgun slot right	Shaw	Zone read dive	18	Koger, Ferrara, Huyge	-
1-G	Shotgun slot right	Shaw	Zone read stretch	0	-	Ortmann
2-G	Shotgun split slot right	Odoms	Reverse	13-TD	Kev. Grady, Ortmann, Savoy	-

1st and 10: Another impressive cut by Kevin Grady on the uncovered defensive end. The tackle seems to get inside of Molk, but Molk manages to turn him away from Brown on the dive play.

2nd and 6: Ferrara does a nice job against the end (while holding?), but Koger doesn't block the linebacker long enough; said linebacker sheds the block and tackles.

2nd and 3: This play is basically the bread and butter of Michigan's running game so far. Koger, lined up at the H-back position, counters to the other side of the formation at the snap, eliminating the read end from the play. Good blocks from Huyge and Ferrara then spring Shaw to the next level. This has worked pretty much without fail so far this year.

1st and goal: BTN misses the snap basically because they have no way to cope with Michigan running the no huddle offense despite always running it....Ortmann is pushed backwards, forcing Shaw to cut upfield on the stretch, which allows the unblocked defensive end from the weakside to come down and tackle.

2nd and goal: Beautiful. Perfectly set up reverse that features a crushing block by Savoy, a good block by Grady (set up by Odoms), and Ortmann all the way out there on the corner(!). This is the old Darius Reynaud play from RR's WVU days.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-10	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read dive	8	Ferrara, Huyge	-
3-2	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	ISQD	13-TD	Schilling, Ortmann, Webb	-

2nd and 10: Ferrara basically carries the defensive tackle away and deposits him somewhere near the sideline. Huyge shows great speed getting to the second level. This play is overshadowed by the (temporary) impending sense of doom that was accompanied with Tate Forcier being crumpled on the field on the previous play.

3rd and 2: The left side of the line does a great job turning the end and tackle outside, giving Robinson a big gap up the middle. Webb just drives the nickelback backwards, and Robinson goes in standing up.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Ace twins left	Shaw	HB dive	5	Ortmann, Schilling	-
2-5	Ace 2 WR	Shaw	HB dive	-2	-	Schilling

1st and 10: Ortmann with good quickness to get to the linebacker on the second level, and Schilling again just mauls the tackle. This is the type of physical dominance a Big Ten team should exert on a crappy MAC team. Of course...

2nd and 5: ...on the next play the tackle overpowers Schilling, Shaw sort of runs into them, and the play is busted.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Smith	Zone read dive	10	Robinson	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	ISQD	36-TD	Huyge, Webb, Smith	-

1st and 10: Backups starting to appear, but the 1st team OL is still in. Vincent Smith shows freakish vision (for a freshman) with a cutback to daylight (/Musberger). Robinson...sort of...throws a block here. It's enough to spring Smith for 10.

1st and 10: Huyge turns the end away excellently, and there's a huge hole. Smith serves a lead blocker and throws a nice pop. Downfield, Webb occupies the corner. Good day from him run blocking.

Four TD lead in the latter half of the 4th quarter against a MAC cupcake = end of charting.

Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	9	3	6
Schilling	10	2	8
Molk	4	2	2
Ferrara	4	0	4
Huyge	7.5	1	6.5
Koger	2.5	1	1.5
Webb	7	0	7
Kev. Grady	5	0	5
Brown	0	1	-1
Shaw	1	0	1
Smith	1	0	1
Mathews	2	0	2
Savoy	1	0	1
Forcier	2	0	2
Robinson	1	1	0
TOTAL	57	11	+46

And by reader request, a cumulative chart:

Chart:

	WMU	ND	EMU	TOTAL
Ortmann	5.5	1	6	+12.5
Schilling	0.5	-1	8	+7.5
Molk	1	6	2	+9
Moosman	5	6.5	N/A	+11.5
Ferrara	N/A	N/A	4	+4
Huyge	2.5	4	6.5	+13
Koger	0.5	2.5	1.5	+4.5
Webb	-2.5	0	7	+4.5
Kev. Grady	3	-1	5	+7
Kel. Grady	-1	N/A	N/A	-1
Moundros	N/A	1	N/A	+1
Mathews	N/A	1	2	+3
Odoms	1	-1	N/A	0
Stonum	2	-0.5	N/A	+1.5
Hemingway	1	N/A	N/A	+1
Savoy	1	N/A	1	+2
Shaw	N/A	N/A	1	+1
Smith	N/A	N/A	1	+1
Brown	-2	N/A	-1	-3
Forcier	0	-1	2	+1
Robinson	N/A	N/A	0	0
Sheridan	1	N/A	N/A	+1
TOTALS	18.5	17.5	46	+82

Run Chart: Notre Dame

O-Line: Ortmann - Schilling - Molk - Moosman - Huyge. Huyge slides to RG and Dorrestein is at RT when Moosman leaves injured.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	-2	-	Koger

1st and 10: Koger serves as a lead blocker from the H-back position, but Manti Te'o is unblocked by him and stuffs this play in the backfield.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	Zone read keeper	8	Forcier	-
1-10	-	-	Penalty	-10	-	Ortmann
1-10	???	Minor	???	2	Koger	Huyge
2-8	Shotgun slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	22	Huyge, Molk/Moosman, Schilling	-
1-G	I-form 2 TE	Minor	HB dive	2-TD	Moundros	-

1st and 10: As is the usual when the QB keeps, there's no blocking involved here to free him up. Forcier just makes the correct read when the end crashes down.

1st and 10: ABC is slow with their camerawork, so we miss the formation and actual playcall. Koger does a good job turning the DE out, but Darius Fleming gets leverage on Huyge and is able to tackle for a minimal gain.

2nd and 8: Huyge muscles Fleming to the outside while Molk and Moosman team up to seal Ian Williams inside, springing Minor on the stretch. At the second level, Schilling cuts Toryan Smith. Nice first level blocking aside, this is a perfect example of a play Michigan failed at spectacularly last year. In 2008, in the rare event that the OL got good blocks in the zone game to begin with, they almost never reached the second level to cut linebackers and safeties and produce big runs like this.

1st and goal: Always hard to single out any offensive linemen down near the goalline, as it's usually just a mass of humanity. Moundros sticks out here, as he picks up Kyle McCarthy coming off the edge and cuts him to the ground. Minor spins off an initial tackle and falls forward for the touchdown.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Brown	Zone read dive	0	-	Schilling (-0.5), Forcier

1st and 10: Schilling gets pushed back a bit, but this is mostly on Forcier. John Ryan crashes down on Brown with abandon; it's a keeper situation, but Forcier hands it off, and Ryan tackles Brown for no gain.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Robinson	ISQD	1	-	Stonum (-0.5)

1st and 10: I'm going to take half a point off for Stonum here, simply because he gives a lazy block that Robert Blanton easily sheds, and he makes the tackle, but there was no surprise here. Forcier motioned out to WR, and Notre Dame immediately stepped forward at the snap. They were expecting the quarterback draw, they got it, and they stopped it.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Robinson	QB keeper	14	Huyge, Moosman, Molk	-
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	Zone read keeper	3	Webb	Forcier (-2), Odoms
2-7	Shotgun slot right	Odoms	Reverse	-4	-	Webb (-2)

1st and 10: This is almost like some type of "QB stretch" play. It's a keeper all the way, but Robinson sort of drifts to his right, waiting for a crease to appear. It does, created by the right side of Huyge, Moosman and Molk. Robinson zips through.

1st and 10: If Forcier hands this off to Minor, it's a huge gain, as Michigan's offensive line creates an enormous hole up the middle. But Tate keeps it, and while Webb, the H-back, peels back to the weakside to take out the linebacker on the scrape exchange (detailed here), Tate then tries to go outside instead of straight upfield. This problem is compounded by Odoms missing a block, which allows Raeshon McNeil to hold this down. Freshman mistake on this play, particularly in thinking he can make it to the corner like he did in high school. These will fade away as Tate's career progresses.

2nd and 7: This is actually going to be a big play. You can see the Notre Dame defense caught by surprise, the left side of the offensive line is at the second level ready to block the secondary...but Webb totally whiffs on the counter block out of the H-back position on John Ryan. Ryan forces Odoms to cut upfield, right into a wave of tacklers, destroying the play. If Webb picks up Ryan, Odoms has only a safety to deal with.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-3	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	QB keeper	4	Minor/Koger	-
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Minor	"Zone read" stretch	16	Moosman, Molk	-
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Minor	"Zone read" dive	32	Koger, Huyge, Moosman, Molk	-
1-G	I-form 2 TE	Minor	HB dive	0	-	Huyge
3-G	I-form 2 TE	Minor	HB sweep	-2	-	Koger, Kev. Grady

2nd and 3: Minor as a lead blocker, helps Koger with the DE, giving Forcier enough room to fall forward for the first.

1st and 10: I put "zone read" in quotes because I believe this is the first play of the halftime adjustments Calvin Magee mentioned where the coaches took the "read" out of Forcier's hands. They wanted Minor to get more touches, so they told Tate to hand it off regardless. He gives the appearence of a zone read, but I think Minor was getting this the whole time. Molk and Moosman excel here, providing a nice hole for Minor to go through.

1st and 10: This is beautiful to watch, really. Koger is the H-back, and peels back to the weakside to mash Fleming, while Huyge cuts off Brian Smith at the second level. Moosman manhandles Ian Williams, and Molk stands up Toryan Smith at the second level. Just excellent execution of the dive play, turning Minor loose for a big play.

1st and goal: Kapron Lewis-Moore gets inside of Huyge here and trips Minor on the dive play up the middle.

3rd and goal: I absolutely hate hate HATE this call here. The point of calling a sweep play, especially in a situation like this where your opponent has loaded up in their goalline set, is to catch the defense off guard with speed to the edge when they expect power up the middle. So while the playcall itself is not flawed, calling it with Brandon Minor is a bad idea. Minor's at his best going north-south. This is a play for Carlos Brown or Michael Shaw, guys with oodles of speed. Minor just isn't fast enough to get to the corner. Kevin Grady overrunning this as the fullback and Koger missing a block help doom this play.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Minor	"Zone read" stretch	6	Huyge, Moosman, Molk/Schilling	-
2-4	Shotgun slot left	Minor	"Zone read" dive	13	Moosman, Molk, Schilling, Ortmann	-
1-G	Shotgun slot left	Minor	"Zone read" stretch	"-1"	-	-
2-G	Shotgun 2 TE 3 WR	Robinson	QB keeper	5	Koger, Huyge	-

1st and 10: Huyge turns the DE out, while Moosman absolutely owns Ian Williams again. Molk and Schilling don't really put their hands on Toryan Smith, but they help clear him out just by being there.

2nd and 4: Moosman again, this time taking out Fleming while Molk gets the honor of mashing Ian Williams on this play. Ethan Johnson gets turned away by Ortmann, and Schilling gets to the second level to neutralize Toryan Smith.

1st and goal: I'm not giving out and pluses or minuses here, because this should've been a 3-4 yard gain, but for some reason the referees ruled that Minor fumbled and recovered a yard behind the line of scrimmage when his knee was clearly touching the ground before the ball came out. Why was there no review here???

2nd and goal: Koger laughably demolishes Brian Smith on this play, tossing him aside like a rag doll. Harrison Smith makes the tackle on this play, but Huyge occupied him at the second level long enough for Robinson to pick up five (before Darrin Walls hit him out of bounds, but I'm not going to complain. This isn't a Notre Dame blog.)

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Minor	"Zone read" dive	1	-	Schilling (-2)
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	4	Forcier	-
2-6	Shotgun slot left	Robinson	QB keeper fake sweep	1	-	Molk

1st and 10: ...YIKES. Schilling gets absolutely bulldozed by Ethan Johnson, blowing up the play immediately. This is startling to watch when you see it. Just completely blown backward and buried.

1st and 10: Well, after handing it off to Minor on the "read" plays all quarter, this is an easy decision to keep for Forcier, but the correct one.

2nd and 6: I think this is supposed to be a fake to Kelvin Grady, who sweeps in from the slot. If it is, Robinson does a terrible job selling it. Regardless, Ethan Johnson gets inside of Molk and tackles.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Ace twins left	Minor	HB dive	6	Koger, Huyge, Moosman	-
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	Zone read keeper	2	Forcier	Forcier
2-8	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read stretch	6	Huyge, Molk
3-2	Shotgun slot left	Minor	"Zone read" dive	-1	-	Schilling (-2)

1st and 10: Koger manhandles Fleming again. Huyge nails Toryan Smith on the second level, and once again, Moosman just pushes Ian Williams around.

1st and 10: Plus to Forcier for keeping when John Ryan crashed down (even though Koger popped Ryan on the counter). Minus for again trying to go wide and get the corner against an opposing cornerback. He'll learn this, but it's still frustrating when he could've gotten 4-5 if he had gone straight upfield but instead got just two.

2nd and 8: Huyge escorts Kerry Neal away, and Molk hammers Ian Williams, allowing Brown to follow lead blocker Koger through the hole. If there was a Notre Dame UFR, Ian Williams would be at about minus a billion.

3rd and 2: Schilling is owned by Ethan Johnson again, and again the play is disrupted in the backfield. Schilling visibly frustrated as he gets up. Can't tell if it's just general annoyance or if he was expecting help from somebody.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-1	Ace twins right	Minor	Off tackle right	5	Webb, Mathews
2-10	Shotgun slot left	Minor	Zone read stretch	-1	-	Huyge

2nd and 1: Webb does a good job keeping Brian Smith to the inside while Minor goes off tackle. Also a good job by Mathews, lined up in the slot, occupying Darrin Walls.

2nd and 10: Huyge gets to the second level, but whiffs on Kyle McCarthy. Minor was stretched all the way to the sideline, but would've gotten a small gain if Huyge had gotten the block.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-1	Shotgun slot left	Minor	Zone read dive	6	Ortmann, Schilling, Molk	-

2nd and 1: Final run of the game, as the Tate Show commences after Minor picks up this first down. Ortmann gets enough of Johnson, Schilling gets to the second level and sticks Brian Smith, and Molk totally outmuscles - who else? - Ian Williams.

Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	2	1	1
Schilling	3.5	4.5	-1
Molk	7	1	6
Moosman	6.5	0	6.5
Huyge	7	3	4
Koger	4.5	2	2.5
Webb	2	2	0
Kev. Grady	0	1	-1
Moundros	1	0	1
Mathews	1	0	1
Odoms	0	1	-1
Stonum	0	0.5	-0.5
Forcier	3	4	-1
TOTAL	37.5	20	+17.5

Thoughts:

• Molk and Moosman were absolutely dominant. Ian Williams was every bit the movable object he was last year. Might as well have been wearing iceskates.
• I have been surprisingly unimpressed with Schilling so far. He hasn't been a huge liability (despite being owned by Ethan Johnson twice), but I thought the move to guard would immediately make him our best lineman. Not a lost cause, obviously.
• Koger is a much better blocker than Webb, both at the traditional TE spot, and flexed out at the H-back position.
• We all have huge expectations for Patrick Omameh, the coaches have raved about him about how athletic he is and how he's caught on in the system, etc...Mark Huyge has been really good so far. Seems logical that Huyge will shift to LT next year to replace Ortmann and Omameh will get on the field at RT. In the short term, assuming Moosman misses a week or two, I wonder what the coaches will do. In the heat of battle with a game-winning drive needed, Omameh obviously was not an option, you had to go with the player who's actually seen time (Perry Dorrestein). But with a full week to prep knowing Moosman probably won't be in there, and considering the relative cupcake-ness of the opponent, do you throw Omameh into the fire at RT while shifting Huyge to RG? Or do you go with Dorrestein? Personally, I'd put Omameh, based on my entirely-outside observations. If the practices reports were accurate that Omameh was just barely behind Huyge in their position battle, why not put him in there to get game experience. But hey, that's why I'm on the couch at home and Rich Rodriguez and Greg Frey make money to make that decision.
• Oh yeah....Darius Fleming, please pick up your jock:
  

Revolution

	The Beatles - Revolution
	Found at skreemr.com

Michigan 38, Notre Dame 34; 2-0

There were many, many good qualities about Michigan Football before Rich Rodriguez arrived. Bowl games were a certainty. Dominance of Michigan State was a guarantee. Breaking even against Notre Dame and Ohio State was commonplace for the most part, and they reached a level of excellence and dominance to the point where they were placed in their own echelon along with Ohio State - The Big Two and the Little Eight/Nine.

And there were comeback victories. Minnesota in 2003 and 2004. Penn State in 1999 and 2005. Michigan State in 2004 and 2007. The one thing about these comebacks though, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing, they seemed...scripted. They seemed robotic. The final 7:30 of the 4th quarter of the 2007 Michigan State game felt as if you were a young boy sitting by the fireplace curled up with some hot chocolate while your grandfather read you a story. The knives that Chad Henne stuck in the Spartans with every single deep out he completed almost seemed predetermined. There will be a wide receiver in this spot, and when he reaches this spot, a ball shall be there. That was one of the subtle and yet dominant aspects of that era of Michigan. There was structure; a strict inside-the-box type of going about things that sometimes made you appreciate the machine-like efficiency aspect and sometimes made you rip your hair out because we were such a bunch of squares and sometimes the oblongs made us look prehistoric. There was never any place for any kind of improvisation.

Well, things have changed. We wanted a revolution. For some of us, we embraced the revolution the moment it arrived. For others, it took some time. Many joined the cause on Saturday. Others remain unconvinced because they don't want to be. These types of people frequent the comment sections on Youtube videos, or yell "down in front" at football games. Well, in case you didn't hear on Saturday, the revolutionaries have the upperhand. And if you couldn't hear...well, you must be Jimmy Clausen, and you must be burning timeouts because the Michigan fanbase has been stirred to life in every facet, and is turning Michigan Stadium into a hornet's nest. At the end of this season, we're going to thank Michael Rosenberg, ironically. His irresponsible witchhunt has galvanized the supporters of this revolution. The silent majority is finding its voice. They were heard late in the second quarter of the opener, and they were heard relentlessly against the Irish, elevating the Big House to decibel levels unheard of (no pun intended) in Ann Arbor.

A quick message to the "old guard", whether they be crotchety old fans, foolish internet loons, know-nothings paraded out on ESPN or other media outlets, or actual people inside the athletic department trying to sabotage this because you're too close-minded to see how good it is and how good it will be: You're not going to win. This is a battle you will be on the losing side of. Why? Because Rich Rodriguez is going to win. Because the quarterback who plays for Michigan is outside of the box you have confined yourself to for 40 years. You will expect him to go one way, and he will go another. You will pressure him, and he will escape. You are Darius Fleming. He is Tate Forcier. And soon, you will eat the dust left in his wake.

(HT: UMGoBlue)

Run Chart: Western Michigan

Preface: The Run Chart returns for 2009. It debuted in 2007 with the swanky "Hart Chart" title, and hopes to return to that one day with Demetrius Hart.

The point of the Run Chart is to serve as a micro-UFR that MGoBlog provides. As the title implies, it is an analysis of Michigan's running game, with special emphasis placed (naturally) on the offensive line. This is actually a lot easier when it's not a zone-blocking scheme being analyzed, but I digress. It's still pretty straightforward: if an offensive lineman gets overpowered, misses a block, is slow to reach the second level, etc, he gets a minus. If an offensive lineman does a good job clearing his man out, shows good speed getting to a linebacker or safety, etc, he gets a plus. These principles are also applied to wideouts and tight ends when applicable.

New this year, and this is in the infantile stage, so it will not be perfect, is QB decision making. If the read-side DE crashes down on the running back and the QB pulls it out, that's a +1. If not, it's a -1. I will inevitably make mistakes in analysis of this along the way, so comments are always welcome.

Annnnd, we're off. O-Line: Ortmann - Schilling - Molk - Moosman - Huyge.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-5	Shotgun slot right	Brown	Zone read handoff	3	Huyge, Ortmann, Forcier	Molk
1-15	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	Zone read keeper	4	Forcier	Forcier
1-10	I-form 3 WR	Brown	Iso, endaround fake	0	-	Schilling, Moosman

2nd and 5: Correct read by Forcier to hand off, and Schilling provides decent enough room inside while Huyge crushes his man on the zone and Ortmann turns the weakside DE away. Molk however, fails to drive the DT off the ball, holding this down. If Molk had blown the DT off, this had promise, as Moosman got to the second level quickly and put his helmet on the linebacker.

1st and 15: Forcier makes the correct read to keep it again, as the read-side defensive end sells out on Brown. However, and I could be wrong here, so if someone with a keener eye can help out, he appears to have the option of snapping it out to Kelvin Grady, who moves out into the flat from the slot. The nickelback who was lined up over Grady shoots into the backfield at the snap, and he tackles along with the inside linebacker.

1st and 10: Schilling and Moosman both get to the second level, and they both fail to get either of the linebackers there, who crash in and snuff this out for no gain.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split twins left	Forcier	Zone read keeper	4	Forcier	-
2-6	Shotgun slot right	Robinson	Slot sweep (?)	0	-	Brown, Webb

1st and 10: This is probably as simple as it gets. The read-side DE crashes down again, but the safety, playing close to the line, stays home. No minus for Tate obviously, as it's his job to just read the end, and in that respect he makes the right decision, and does a little dancing to fall forward for four yards. (Note: "Shotgun split twins left" is my own amateurish, NCAA-way of saying Tate has two backs flanking him and two wideouts to the left.)

2nd and 6: "Slot sweep" is the best I can come up with for this. It seems obvious that there is no read here by Forcier, he just hands it to Denard. It probably would've worked, if Carlos Brown and Martell Webb had blocked the guys who were keying in on Robinson from the get go.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR trips right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	8	Forcier	-

1st and 10: Another correct read as the DE shamelessly crashes down. Tate's general awesomeness (and possession of quickness Steve Threet doesn't have) gets him to the corner and out of bounds for 8.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-15	Shotgun slot left???	Robinson	Yakety Sa-OMG	43	Odoms	-

1st and 15: Normally broken plays or QB scrambles wouldn't be charted here, but this was too good to let go. I'm not sure what the designed play was supposed to be; Odoms was coming in from the slot for some type of reverse or fake, but Robinson dropped the ball and turned Yakety Sax into OMG. Odoms gets the plus because he absolutely clocks the linebacker that (might've) had Robinson cornered after he shed the first tackler. After that, well, yeah. Oh, and I did my best to guess the formation, as ABC/ESPN decided to zoom in on Robinson's shoelaces as the ball was snapped. Something tells me this will happen again in the future...

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Robinson	QB keeper	5	Huyge/Moosman, Koger	Kel. Grady, Brown
2-10	Shotgun slot right	Robinson	QB keeper/fake reverse	7	Brown, Huyge	-
3-3	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	ISQD	2	-	Molk
4-1	I-form twins left	Brown	Off tackle left	6	Ortmann, Koger	-
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	5	Forcier	Huyge
1-10	I-form 3 WR	Brown	Iso/end around fake	11	Moosman, Molk, Schilling	-
1-10	Ace 4 WR	Kel. Grady	End around	11	Koger, Stonum	-
1-G	I-form twins right	Brown	Off tackle right	2	-	Koger, Schilling

1st and 10: I wanted to call this the Incredibly Surprising Quarterback Draw (HT: MGoBlog), but it's really not. There's no selling of anything pass-related, just a direct snap and go. Koger gets through and sticks one linebacker, while Huyge and Moosman team up to crush the strongside defensive tackle. Brown tries to cut the strongside DE, who is laughably crashing in on a zone read that isn't there, but he fails to do so successfully. Kelvin Grady is overpowered by a linebacker, which isn't surprising. This forces Robinson to dance a bit, and he is tackled by the DE that Brown didn't cut.

2nd and 10: Basically the same play with the added wrinkle of faking to Kelvin Grady on a reverse. Huyge does a good job of getting outside of his man while Carlos Brown occupies the safety long enough for Robinson to slip through.

3rd and 3: This is actually perfectly setup. The Incredibly Surprising Quarterback Draw that has tortured Michigan for years is in our own playbook this year, and it would've been a really good play here...if Molk doesn't completely whiff on the linebacker he's supposed to block. Disappointing to watch this on replay.

4th and 1: Ortmann clogs the DE, Koger chips the free safety, and Brown easily has the first and more. Was anyone else stunned when they saw that Michigan led the Big Ten in 4th down conversions last year?

1st and 10: Forcier again keeps it correctly, as the DE again sells out on Brown. Huyge misses the linebacker though, and he gets a piece of Tate before the DE who sold out on the read comes back to tackle.

1st and 10: Moosman and Schilling do a great job of escorting the DTs to the turf, while Molk sticks the linebacker this time, sending Brown into the secondary.

1st and 10: Same play as last time (minus the fullback), except the end around is real this time. Koger turns the linebacker away enough for Grady to get outside. Stonum doesn't really hold his block on the corner, but it's enough for Grady to elude him when he gets free of Stonum.

1st and goal: The strongside defensive end shoots in here, too fast for Koger, and too fast for Schilling, who was pulling. One (or both) of these guys should've had him, but really this was just a good play.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Shaw	Zone stretch right	5	Moosman	-
3-15	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	QB draw	10	-	Webb

1st and 10: This is a handoff all the way, Robinson isn't even reading the end. Molk actually appears to get overwhelmed here, but it leads to the DT overrunning the play, allowing Shaw to cut upfield. Moosman clears a linebacker out, and Shaw just kind of drags ahead for five.

3rd and 15: Generally a mistake is made if there are no "yays" on a 10 yard run, but nobody really stands out when it's a QB draw on 3rd and 15 against a 3-man front. Webb, flexed out in the right slot, isn't quick enough to block the linebacker Pritchard, who significantly stalls Forcier's run.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Ace twins right	Brown	HB dive	12	Huyge, Molk, Moosman/Webb	-
1-10	Ace twins left	Brown	HB dive	6	Ortmann	-
2-4	Shotgun slot left	Forcier	QB keeper fail	-4	-	Forcier, Brown
2-10	Shotgun slot right	Forcier	QB keeper	3	-	Koger

1st and 10: Huyge sort of catches the DT off balance and puts him on the ground, while Molk drives the other DT out. Moosman and Webb hit the second level and double team a linebacker, giving Brown space.

1st and 10: Ortmann muscles the DT away, while Koger coasts into the second level, leaving the DE to grab a hold of Brown, who drags him before going down. Pretty sure Koger didn't whiff here, it looked to be by design, so no minus.

2nd and 4: Legrier (the linebacker) reads this immediately and shoots in. Brown might not have been assigned to block him, but he essentially watched him go right past him. Forcier gets a minus because it's obvious on this one that he has the option of going to Grady in the flat. Grady was watching Tate, hands out waiting to catch...and there was no throw.

2nd and 10: Koger is a step slow getting to the second level, letting the linebacker get to Forcier on the keeper to the right.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Brown	Zone read handoff	3	-	Forcier
3-1	I-form twins right	Brown	HB sweep right	4	Hemingway, Webb	-
1-10	Shotgun 4 WR	Brown	Zone read stretch	7	Ortmann, Savoy	Webb, Schilling (0.5)
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Shaw	Zone read stretch	7	Huyge, Moosman, Molk	-
3-3	Shotgun 4 WR	Forcier	QB keeper	2	-	Koger, Forcier
4-1	I-form twins left	Shaw	Iso	2	Ortmann/Koger, Schilling	-
1-10	Shotgun split slot left	Shaw	Zone read stretch	12	Kev. Grady, Stonum	Huyge
1-10	-	-	Penalty	-10	-	Moosman
2-20	Shotgun split slot left	Sheridan	Zone read keeper	4	Sheridan	-

1st and 10: OL statemates across the board, and Brown fumbles (recovered by Schilling). But I actually think this is the wrong read on Forcier's part. This is another one where I think the DE crashes down too aggressively on Brown. It's not as blatant as some of the earlier ones, but I still think a keeper gets more here.

3rd and 1: I love this playcall on 3rd and short. Webb does a good job stuffing the DE, and Hemingway blocks the way a 230-pound receiver should block.

1st and 10: Ortmann does an excellent job sealing the corner that was never there a year ago, and Savoy drives the corner back. But Webb and Schilling both whiff on the same guy, who tackles Brown. Schilling only loses half a point because he was tripped on his way to the second level, but Webb just nudges the guy and goes past him.

1st and 10: Brute strength from Huyge here, as he just totally clears the DE out, providing a lane for Shaw. I love the play from Moosman here too, he inhibits the playside DT's progress without directly blocking him, and then zeroes in on Pritchard. Molk finishes off the DT (while perhaps getting away with a hold).

3rd and 3: Koger can't get to Pritchard, who makes the tackle, but at the same time, Forcier doesn't follow Kevin Grady's lead block for some reason, instead trying to go wide and basically running right into Pritchard.

4th and 1: Ortmann and Koger team up to mash the playside DE, while Schilling sticks the playside DT. Molk was up and down on this play. He didn't successfully block Pritchard (who made the tackle), but he stalled him enough for Shaw to convert. Side note: I was panicked when I saw Tate come off the field and Sheridan go in, but upon further review (and the knowledge that Tate's shoe had come untied), it's sort of funny. Sheridan didn't even have time to take off the red wristband the 3rd and 4th string QBs wear on the sideline.

1st and 10: The man that Kevin Grady (in at fullback) blocks ultimately makes the tackle here, but Grady gets enough of him to spring Shaw into the secondary. Conversely, Huyge whiffs at the second level, but Shaw sheds the tackle. Nice downfield block from Stonum too, helping to pick up a couple extra yards (and a first down).

2nd and 20: Correct read by Sheridan as the read end again crashes down with abandon, but it appears that the inside linebacker is spying, as he has his eyes on the QB the whole time.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
2-4	Shotgun split slot right	Forcier	Zone read keeper	2	-	Forcier

1st and 10: The read end sort of comes down toward the running back, but much less wrecklessly. That, combined with the fact that Kevin Grady cut him, makes me give Tate a nay here. Should've handed it off.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun slot left	Robinson	QB keeper	9	Kev. Grady, Ortmann, Moosman	-
2-1	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	QB keeper	9	Kev. Grady, Moosman	Molk
1-10	Shotgun slot right	Robinson	QB keeper/fake reverse	-6	-	Webb
2-16	Shotgun 4 WR	Robinson	ISQD	1	-	-

1st and 10: Ortmann seals the tackle while Kevin Grady sticks the end, allowing Robinson to slip through. Moosman shows some great Barwisism by pulling all the way from his RG spot to block Wiggins the free safety.

2nd and 1: Another great lead block from Grady the elder. Moosman pushes the DE Drew Nowak back, giving Robinson more room to slip through. Molk gets to Pritchard on the second level in time, but doesn't block him much at all, otherwise this one might've been bigger.

1st and 10: Webb gets owned by Braska here, who blows the play up. Ouch.

2nd and 16: I can't take anything away here. Go watch this play again. Chris Pyant, the DT, just pulls off a pretty sick spin move at the perfect time. Schilling's handling him just fine, and he spins right into Robinson on the draw. Nobody at fault here, just an awesome move by Pyant.

Down	Formation	Runner	Play	Yards	Yay	Nay
1-10	Shotgun split slot right	Smith	Zone read stretch	1	-	-

1st and 10: Nothing really of substance here. Stalemate by Ortmann, Schilling gets to the second level. Maybe an overrun by Kevin Grady, but eh.

I'm going to kill the charting here, as the remaining runs after this are designed to kill the clock.

So...

Chart:

	Yay	Nay	Total
Ortmann	5.5	0	5.5
Schilling	3	2.5	0.5
Molk	4	3	1
Moosman	7	2	5
Huyge	4.5	2	2.5
Koger	3.5	3	0.5
Webb	1.5	4	-2.5
Kel. Grady	0	1	-1
Kev. Grady	3	0	3
Hemingway	1	0	1
Brown	1	3	-2
Odoms	1	0	1
Stonum	2	0	2
Savoy	1	0	1
Sheridan	1	0	1
Forcier	5	5	0
TOTAL	44	25.5	+18.5

Thoughts:

• I actually thought Schilling would be one of the highest rated on the line.
• With that said...after last year, every lineman being in the green is a great sight to see.
• No eye gouging errors from the receivers/tight ends; only Webb in the red.
• Kevin Grady was really good at fullback filling in for Mark Moundros. Hopefully even when Moundros returns, Grady gets on the field.
• One of my immediate thoughts about Forcier following the game (aside from his general competence at completing the forward pass) was that he had work to do when it came to the zone reads and the running game. The chart reflects that. For the most part, he made the correct decision on the zone read handoffs/keepers, though.
• If the offensive line tightens things up penalty-wise, and the team as a whole makes the improvement everyone always raves about from Game 1 to Game 2...Notre Dame is a winnable game. The strength of Michigan this year is supposed to be the running game, and that will be the key to protecting Tate against Tenuta's blitzes. Case in point:
  
• With that said...Brandon Minor has to be on the field, be effective, and be our leading rusher to win on Saturday, in my opinion.
• Oh, one more thing. THIS is the man I want coaching my football team:

Some Kind of Wonderful

	Grand Funk Railroad - Some Kind of Wonderful
	Found at skreemr.com

Michigan 31, Western Michigan 7; 1-0

When people become accustomed to one thing for so long, it becomes the norm. It becomes the standard upon which all other practices related to it are compared. We develop an attraction towards the most basic things in our lives, and any deviance from the base must either be pre-approved or it must be criticized, critiqued, and eventually broken down, destroyed and remolded until it fits the standard we have grown so fond of.

Last year didn't feel like football for Michigan fans. There was grass, and turf, and helmets, and players, and wristbands and ankle tape and fans and bands and fight songs and even actual footballs, but it didn't feel like football. This isn't a vague way of saying "Michigan Football", either. It just didn't feel like anything remotely resembling the game of football so many of us have grown up with. Football involves blocking, and passing, and catching, and tackling. None of the above were common occurrences for Michigan last year, and the whole thing felt foreign. When the offensive linemen went to block, they often failed, and it looked wrong. When the defenders went to tackle, they often missed, and it looked perverse. When the quarterbacks went to throw, they often scrambled our brains, and it looked broken. In all the football we've become familiar with - not just of the Michigan variety - quarterbacks are supposed to smoothly wind up and deliver. It's not supposed to look like you're asking penguins to defuse nuclear weapons. It's supposed to appear simple and perfect, as if it's second nature. In watching Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan flail through 12 games of horror last year, we lost our way as football fans. We forgot what it was like to see a quarterback accomplish the most basic of tasks in the most basic of ways.

That's why when Tate Forcier rolled to his left and fired a dart to Junior Hemingway for a five-yard completion on his first pass as Michigan's starting quarterback, Michigan Stadium roared. Five years ago, this is met with the generic applause of a generic Michigan's QB completing his generic first pass of the season against a generic MAC school. This time, it was as if Tate had a message for a million Michigan fans across the world: Hello, I'm a real quarterback, and I'm here to help. And the fans heard his message, and reacted with thunderous cheers for one of the most simple aspects of the most complex game the world of sport has to offer us. After a year of wretched absence, the standard base is returning to Ann Arbor.

Perhaps it's fitting that such a generic act was met with grandiose cheers. Because really, this isn't generic. This is not your typical football team. It's a team that has seen the man they've bought into go through a type of odd, twisted hell. People who possess the power of the pen abuse that power to produce illegitimate claims of dishonesty. Talking heads talk excessively about a leader of men who is doing a shitty job of leading. Alums of a mighty school break ranks to perpetuate these lies on national television. It's a firestorm, and the reliability of the flame-retardent suits is dubious. And through the flames, this has evolved into something bigger than football. This is about the pride of a man who just wants to be given a chance to coach football. Ironically, it's about the pride of a man who deflected every question on Saturday about what the day meant to him, instead choosing to give us that sheepish grin that was hauntingly absent on Monday when he had to defend all that he stood for.

It's not going to be perfect. The assassin-like efficiency we saw from Tate Forcier will be off some days. Sometimes he will throw, and the wrong man will catch it. Sometimes the magic we saw from the youngster called Shoelace will simply result in a fumbled snap and a three yard loss (or worse). The....fundamentals (!!!!!!) we saw from Greg (GERG) Robinson's defense won't be as sharp sometimes. Tackles will be missed. Assignments will be blown. There will be losses.

But for now, enjoy what we witnessed on Saturday. It's what people like Brian Cook, myself, and so many others have spent the last year defending. If 2008 was the endless abyss, then the opening act of 2009 was a lifeline plunged deep into that abyss for us to grab onto; a lifeline telling us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that the endless abyss isn't so endless. That sometimes when you're on, you're REALLY fucking on.

So enjoy it. It was some kind of wonderful, wasn't it?