MichiganCardinal

I think Decker is just misplacing his frustrations. He was 'the guy' on the line, and on the team to a large extent. Then the new regime come in and their first draft pick is a guy who plays your position. Then you get hurt on what was likely a very frustrating injury for many of the same reasons questions were raised, and you can't go for half the season. Then the narrative exiting your first game back is how well that rookie performed in his first game at RT. The fanbase was the easy target for what is likely a lot of internalized frustration over a lot more than what he said.

This, plus the weather forecast for rain/snow mix at 32*... Both teams knew going in it would be a game won (tied) in the trenches and the run game.

A 10-2 Michigan likely goes to the Rose Bowl, where they would stand a good chance of winning against Utah. I understand wanting more, but also..... that's a really good season.

Tucker will follow the money, he's demonstrated that. If LSU will top whatever MSU offers he will leave in a heartbeat. I get why MSU is doing it (they feel like they have to), but I also don't think it's wise of them, as a school or as an athletic program. Even if Tucker stays, I think it is more likely they are looking to buy him out in year three of this massive deal than it is they are winning Big Ten championships. Wise decisions haven't exactly been that school's forte as of late though.

We'll pick which end of the field to defend next week. Should do the trick.

I disagree. If he's performing at this same level next year, I may feel this way about 2023, and may be more on the "let's see (backup)" bus. But I have enough patience to know that we are still filling the crater left behind by Quintricia, let alone to be ready to starting building on top of it.

I think in the staff's mind they understand that replacing Goff is a bell that can't be un-rung. Are we 100% certain all of his struggles are his fault? Without receivers and with a banged-up offensive line, how do we think any of the premier NFL QBs would be performing if plugged onto this team? For that matter, how would Stafford be performing? If we are not competing for a playoff spot, does it really matter how good our QB is, so long as we can get a look at all of our pieces, to know who will and won't be here when we are prepared to turn the corner?

I agree. I think someone needed to step up today and said "you're hurt, we need you next week". But Goff should have then been allowed to trot out next week regardless of Blough's performance.

While Goff may not be a part of the future, he may well likely be the starting QB in 2022. The second you turn your head on a #1 pick for a lifetime backup, you're stamping "no faith" on Goff's back. That's drama you don't want simmering in your locker room for a season-and-a-half.

He likely will be.

I feel like that's a recipe to throw an arm out in conditions like these.

Clearly no one here has seen Bad News Bears and knows they're about to win eight straight.

No one who wants to move upward in the coaching world should go to U$C. Career killing school that can’t win without cheating.

I think if they put in a two-loss Alabama over an undefeated Cincinnati they will basically be announcing this over a loud speaker. I don’t think they want to allow them in, but I think they would if their hand was forced. They’d lose by 30 to Georgia anyway, so it’d be an example the committee could use for the next decade in not letting the next Cincy in.

I think that’s probably the least likely of any scenario, particularly given the beating Ohio State is currently putting on Purdue. But that would likely lead the committee to need to choose between a one-loss Michigan or a two-loss Bama (with Georgia and Oregon at 1 and 2 and Cincinnati at 4), and I have absolutely zero faith in their ability to not put Alabama in the playoff.

I can’t recall a team selling out to win a championship in the NFL like the Rams are this year. Whatever happens, will be interesting to see where the Lions 2023 pick from the Rams lands.

I don't bet but if I did I would put a few units on the Lions +9. Steelers are not good. They've won by 7, 8, 3(OT), 5, and 2. Short week for Steelers Long rest for Lions Decker back, addition of Reynolds both may add some life to the team Steelers playing the Chargers next week in SNF, could be looking ahead Ben Roethlisberger is a walking corpse who should not be in the NFL. This is one of three non-shocking winnable games left (along with Bears and Vikings).

Allen was 2018. I don't think the Browns are upset with Mayfield though, and Lamar was also taken in that draft (though I would definitely put both Allen and Mayfield above him). I'd give it another two years before saying for sure.

I think it is worse now, but a step towards better (that has taken way too long to make another). The ideal of an eight, ten, or sixteen team playoff is not something grand that needs to be invented, it's literally already done by every professional league and the lower subdivisions of college football. The fact that this "step" of going from a two-team playoff to a four-team playoff has lasted eight years though is outrageous. At the same time I don't think the answer is to go back to when you had two teams simultaneously claiming to be National Champions like occurred before the BCS was a thing.

Couldn't just let me have it remain unspoken, could you? 😉

I've largely left college football fandom. I would still call myself a Michigan and Stanford football fan if asked, but truth be told I haven't watched a single snap of college football live this year. I'll likely watch Big Game (Stanford/Cal) and The Game, so long as nothing more important in the real world comes up. It's funny the way you put it (and not all that inaccurate), but I think the reasons everything sucks is more systematic than M's failure to beat a rival. The way the CFP overlords setup their system was to create a system where there is massive disparity. When only four teams of 130 playing FBS football (or realistically four of 65 in the Power 5) make the playoff, only those top echelon of teams (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and a few others here and there) are going to have a realistic shot at reaching it, because that's where the 5*+ athletes who want to have a realistic chance at winning something playing football while in college are going to go. Michigan getting their ass kicked year-in and year-out by Ohio State should not, in and of itself, be the reason Michigan never has the opportunity for a National Championship. As traditionally important as that game is, it is still only one game. In the last ten years, Michigan has finished with a top 15ish team (so top 20-25% of Power 5) on four occasions - 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2018. Yet they have nothing to show for it, not because any of those teams sucked or underperformed, but because that is the way it's setup. Beyond that, even when a team not destined for the CFP manages to squeeze into it, they are destined to get smacked into place by the team that is supposed to (see: MSU in 2016). It's really hard for me to get motivated behind either Stanford or Michigan football, when I know that we have little chance of being a top-four team now or in the near future, and even if luck rolls our way and we chance into a four-seed on an off-year, we'll then need to beat a team cherry-picked to win a championship to actually win anything. When the playoff inevitably expands and talent disperses over the subsequent years to 20-25 teams instead of 4-8, I may come back, but for now I'd rather watch NFL football, where a team like the Browns or Bills (or...... maybe one day....) can realistically win a championship no matter their past ineptitude. Sorry, this got long-winded.

I texted a very similar prediction to a friend tonight. My only difference was ND at 8 over MSU at 9. Cincinnati had a very uninspiring escape against Tulsa today, they don't need to be giving the committee excuses to exclude them, they'll find reasons on their own.

It could, but I think Michigan is the better team than Penn State. Granted, Michigan is also a better team than MSU. I think it's more likely Ohio State and Michigan both enter The Game at 10-1 with a spot in the B1G Championship on the line and Ohio State wins by 40.

It will be fun to see Sparty's head explode when Michigan is ranked ahead of them in the next rankings. Will be interesting to see if Michigan with a win jumps Cincinnati. That would be a real tell as to their feelings on Cincinnati.

MSU is more likely to finish 9-3 than 11-1. Sets it up nicely for Michigan to choke their season away against Ohio State again.