Blog Archive

In a post echoing Peter Bigelow’s argument that Michigan needed polish and poise I had this to say:

Illinois is the next yardstick.  If we can’t beat up on the worst team in the league like everyone else then 1) the hole from last years “the horror” is deeper than I had thought and 2) it is going to be a long rest of the season.

Welcome to the long rest of the season.

This game was the polar opposite of poise and polish. The defense started immediately by allowing the Illini to mark down the field and score.  The offense countered with their own.

After that it seemed like the defense settled down and the offense was looking to get into some sort of rythym.  But as everyone knows by now, Michigan didn’t score on a long pass play and failed on four tries to get it in the endzone from the one.

From that point on both sides of the ball made critical mistake after critical mistake and the game turned into one of the most unexpected blowouts I have ever watched.

Michigan fans have to simply admit to themselves that this is not a good football team.  For whatever reason, instead of rising to the occasion like they did earlier in the season they now fade and falter at critical moments.

The defense is absolutely horrendous. Constantly out of position and unable to make critical tackles.  They stiffen on occasion, and play decent in spots, but give up big play after big play with mind numbing regularity.  But that is to be expected to a certain degree.  The talent simply isn’t there and the defense is too young and not athletic enough to make plays.  But I really can’t say I expected this kind of spanking.

But the offense is now in the same position.  It doesn’t seem to matter who it is there are critical mistakes at important junctures.  It seems like every single time there is a big play (like a blocked punt or a good defensive stand) the offense turns the ball over or fails to capitalise. What I had hopped would keep this team competitive has become painful to watch.

The offense can’t get into any rhythm because of dropped passes, missed assignments, or penalties.  And the turnovers have once again returned in epic fashion.  This team is not good enough to win unless they score points.  And you can’t score points when you are giving the ball away consistently. The red zone has become a twilight zone of miscues and turnovers.

Tate Forcier has gone from looking like the quarterback of the future for Michigan to a confused and dispirited player.  He is forcing things and making stupid mistakes instead of taking what the defense gives him.  And yes he seems to have picked up Denard Robinson’s fumbling habits (two fumbles inside the 20 today).

Over at MGoBlog - the premiere Michigan sports site on the planet – the debate is raging over this team (Brian even had to take some draconian measures to try and avoid mass banning).  Many are discouraged and disgusted by the team and wonder if things will/are getting better. Others insist that the teams is just going through the growing pains that are the reality right now.

I am a little bit in the middle.  I don’t think Michigan should fire Rich Rodriguez or even believe that hiring him was a mistake.  I am not jumping off the bandwagon or employing any other cliches.

But it is clear to me that this team has regressed in the last few weeks and without significant changes will lose the rest of their games and miss a bowl game.

I don’t care how bad Purdue is – and they got smoked by Wisconsin today – Michigan will not beat anyone with the way they played in the second half today.  You can not turn the ball over time and time again.  You can not give up big plays over and over again.  You can not drop passes, miss assignments and make critical errors and expect to win.

Purdue has the offense to score points and until we prove we have the ability to consistently score points I can’t see us winning any more games.

Some people seem to want to tie rooting for Michigan to not recognizing the actual strength or weakness of the team.  I am never going to stop being a Michigan fan.  But that doesn’t mean I have to ignore the fact that in back to back weeks this team came out and played with an incredible lack of poise and discipline.

To quote Dave Birkett:

Michigan is a bad, bad football football team right now. And that’s being kind.

This team is dysfunctional.  It has not show the ability to play good football in some time.  And even when it was playing well against Iowa it continued to make huge mistakes and turn the ball over far too much.

As I said above, until they prove otherwise you have to assume that this is what this team is; a team with some talent a huge amount of youth and inexperience and a complete lack of discipline.