T1B

But all I would say in it is:

-forget how each team has played up until this point...this will be a tough game for PSU to win.
-PSU fandom is abuzz with talk about the Referines. It's clear to me that PSU's only chance to win this game is to show a marked improvement on offense, and to do the unexpected...like USE THE FIELD BETWEEN THE HASHES IN THE FUCKING PASSING GAME.
-Quarless, PSU's TE, is out of the doghouse. He's the key to the offense, the only guy that Morelli seems to be able to find and hit consistently. If he's productive early, PSU will be able to work in other aspects of their offense.
-PSU will lose the game if they stick with the slow-developing runs and the short flares.
-UM knows how to defeat PSU's basic gameplan on both sides of the ball - so do something different already.
-PSU's defense is very good, but not perfect. UM will get yards ni this game, no doubt.
-IMO, Justin King has begun to believe his press clippings a little too much. He's a very good corner, but he's not as good as everyone things he is. I expect Carr to go right at him, and find some success.
-If PSU gets beat some on defense, then Joe needs to stay aggressive, instead of going into a shell. That will ensure a loss.

I really don't know what to say on this one. If the game is close, UM will win. If PSU has a productive showing early on offense, then they could win comfortably.

I'll go PSU: 20, UM: 19

I am really amazed by the lack of confidence that Penn State fan has. Penn State is a good looking team, and this might be the worst Michigan team in over 40 years.

I would like to think Michigan can win this game, but I think Penn State will win easily.

I still think that UM has great talent at the skill positions so anything can happen. They also just might have remembered how to score after last week.

I'm going upset special....

UM 24
PSU 21

Michigan has renewed life from the shellacking of ND. The rest of the sports world may not consider that win to mean much, but those players view a win over any ND team as a pretty big deal, I'm sure.

I think that, along with the game being at Michigan makes it somewhat close, but PSU pulls it out.

Penn St 27
Michigan 17

Who is starting? Henne or Mallet?

RumpleForeskin wrote:Who is starting? Henne or Mallet?

Most likely Mallett.

Lloyd is saying that Henne might play, but I think it is just smoke and mirrors.

In that case, Penn St. will win with relative ease. They will put 8 in the box and make the true freshman beat them with his arm.

i'll say michigan wins, but only b/c it's a home game, and they're nearly unbeatable in aa.

PSUFAN wrote:I really don't know what to say on this one. If the game is close, UM will win. If PSU has a productive showing early on offense, then they could win comfortably.

I'll go PSU: 20, UM: 19

by close you must mean half a point.

PSU's sos is embarrassing. The highest rank team they've beaten is over #100, their opponents have combioned to win 1 game, which is how many Michigan has won...I know. Stay with me here. This means we know very little about this year's PSU team. Oregon and App. St. would have the same record as PSU playing the same opponents. Not PSU bashing here, just saying that they've proven nothing. What Michigan has proved is that they will be exposed by a precision spread attack. If it's what you do, you stand a wonderful chance of beating UM. If you try to implement it this week, you're done (s'up Chuck).

It's alleged that PSU has a helluva defense. I cannot argue. I don't know if this was the case before the season started or if beating, Fl. Intl., Buffalo,or ND, led the media to this conclusion. This series has been shockingly one-sided. I've been waiting for PSU to pull one out for five years or so. This is the best chance they'll have had. Our defense is suspect (understatement of the year candidate). Our offense may be led by a true frosh, going against the strength of the Lions. All signs point toward a PSU victory.

Not so fast my friend........

UM has been backed into a corner. I expect the team to fight like hell this week. You will not run the ball successfully against us straight up. If there's trickeration in the playbook, I suggest you pull it out. Our D has bitten too hard on first action, fakes, mis-direction etc. Hopefully English has made some adjustments. As for the offense, the only thing that can stop Mike Hart is Lloyd Carr or Mike DeBord. Put 8 in the box, go man to man with Arrington, Matthews, and Manningham. Whether it's Henne or Mallet, or me, it'll be a long day. That's the beauty of a well balanced attack, pick your poison.

UM is better than they've shown so far. The D may be awful, but the offense has plenty of weapons. I like us in a shootout, but if it's a defensive battle I'd be worried.

Either way I'm saying...

UM 27
PSU 17

M Club wrote:

PSUFAN wrote:I really don't know what to say on this one. If the game is close, UM will win. If PSU has a productive showing early on offense, then they could win comfortably.

I'll go PSU: 20, UM: 19

by close you must mean half a point.

I realize I contradicted myself.

At any rate, rack Steve's post. I pretty much agree with the whole thing. I could type a few pages about this, but I just would be restating one basic point: PSU will lose if they aren't aggressive with the playcalling on both sides of the ball. Why? Because we've seen them lose to UM that way over and over and over.

PSUFAN wrote:PSU will lose if they aren't aggressive with the playcalling on both sides of the ball.

Agreed. If they go in there and try to control the clock, then they will lose. They definitely gotta take some shots downfield and expose that shaky Michigan secondary early and often. PSU should use some short option routes with their backs and TEs to get the safeties to play close to the line of scrimmage, then Morelli can take some shots on some deep routes to Norwood and Butler. Oregon went in there and absolutely obliterated Michigan's secondary which subsequently opened up the running game for the Ducks in the 2nd quarter.

The Nittany Lions must take the same approach.

You mentioned that PSU will put 8 in the box...that's usually something that they avoid doing. In 2003, Jammal Lord of Nebraska won against PSU while throwing only 7 times. It was patently clear that Neb. was going to run the ball. Still, Joe didn't want to load the box - he was worried about Lord beating them with the pass.

OSU did the same thing with Smith the next year.

Sudden Sam wrote:

M Club wrote:i'll say michigan wins, but only b/c it's a home game, and they're nearly unbeatable in aa.

Yeah, sure.

i can't quite make out that little red x, but i presume it's something to illustrate the sarcasm in my post.

RumpleForeskin wrote: Oregon went in there and absolutely obliterated Michigan's secondary which subsequently opened up the running game for the Ducks in the 2nd quarter.

i think michigan's inability to get off blocks, run anyone down, or even tackle anyone is what opened up oregon's running game.

UM looked like an incredibly demoralized football team against Oregon. They seemed to get their fight back against ND.

RumpleForeskin wrote:Oregon went in there and absolutely obliterated Michigan's secondary which subsequently opened up the running game for the Ducks in the 2nd quarter.

If you think PSU's recieving corps should even be mentioned in the same breath as Oregon's, you're on crack.


But I've got a strange feeling Hart might prove a little much, since he's done major damage without any appreciable blocking so far. Just a hunch -- I think UM takes it, guessing around 24-21.

PSUFAN wrote:You mentioned that PSU will put 8 in the box...that's usually something that they avoid doing. In 2003, Jammal Lord of Nebraska won against PSU while throwing only 7 times. It was patently clear that Neb. was going to run the ball. Still, Joe didn't want to load the box - he was worried about Lord beating them with the pass.

OSU did the same thing with Smith the next year.

Doesn't it make sense in this case to stop the run and let Mallett beat you with his arm? He didn't throw all that much in the ND game, but he laid some nice passes in the endzone which was nice, but Michigan dodn't rely on him very much when mobing the ball, hence Hart getting 35 carries.

RumpleForeskin wrote:

PSUFAN wrote:You mentioned that PSU will put 8 in the box...that's usually something that they avoid doing. In 2003, Jammal Lord of Nebraska won against PSU while throwing only 7 times. It was patently clear that Neb. was going to run the ball. Still, Joe didn't want to load the box - he was worried about Lord beating them with the pass.

OSU did the same thing with Smith the next year.

Doesn't it make sense in this case to stop the run and let Mallett beat you with his arm? He didn't throw all that much in the ND game, but he laid some nice passes in the endzone which was nice, but Michigan dodn't rely on him very much when mobing the ball, hence Hart getting 35 carries.

It probably makes sense for PSU to try to get 45 carries for 220 yards rushing.

RF, while in the instances I mentioned I would have preferred to load the box, in this case I don't think it's the right move. UM has shown a real propensity to beat PSU with the medium TE pass over the middle - a soft spot in the cover 2. What I would do instead is bring a safety or CB on a blitz now and again to disrupt the freshman. I doubt that UM will change their essential gameplan - which is generally balanced. Carr is smart, at least where PSU is concerned. He knows that there are holes in the PSU zone, and he will have his QB trying to hit them.

PSUFAN wrote:RF, while in the instances I mentioned I would have preferred to load the box, in this case I don't think it's the right move. UM has shown a real propensity to beat PSU with the medium TE pass over the middle - a soft spot in the cover 2. What I would do instead is bring a safety or CB on a blitz now and again to disrupt the freshman. I doubt that UM will change their essential gameplan - which is generally balanced. Carr is smart, at least where PSU is concerned. He knows that there are holes in the PSU zone, and he will have his QB trying to hit them.

I see you workin', but this will allow Hart to get loose. I'd make stopping Hart my first priority if I was Joe Pa and if the cover 2 is not working out well and those TEs do get open on the moderate routes, then switch it up. Just don't let Hart get off. If he does, then Penn St. will be playing into Michigan's hands as Morelli will have fewer chances in exploiting that suspect secondary of the Wolverines.

Rack PSU taking the Big Ten btw.

I'm less worried about Hart beating the front seven than I am Mallet beating the zone. When he's back to pass, I want Dan Connor in his fucking grill, ala

Like I said....Pick your poison.

like i said, nearly unbeatable. it took a blocked fg to win that game. that's pretty tough to pull off..

Checking in before I head to Ann Arbor...I'll be one of the lucky ones to be in attendance for this one. I haven't been to the Big House for a game since 2003. Going to sit in the student section...should be a lot of fun.

I still don't know what think of Michigan at this point. Mallett is the x-factor because you can't say last week was really a fair or tough test for him. He's going to against a legit conference and possible national title contending team. That Notre Dame game just isn't anything more than a game that helped raised the self esteem of the team but didn't prove they weren't any less inept than what they've been so far. The Irish are just a bigger disaster right now than them. Today is the Wolverines' chance to prove they are still a solid team and have conference title hopes.

The only guy I know is doing what is expected of him is Mike Hart. For a 1-2 team, I'd still consider him one of the most valuable players in college football. His numbers speak for themselves but also his leadership qualities, as brash as they might be, are very important to the team and keeping them focused when the world around them seems to be going to hell. If Penn State can't lock him up today, I give the Wolverines a great shot at winning. I can't see them winning if he's not leading the way.

My brain's pick: Penn State 28, Michigan 21
My heart's pick: Michigan 24, Penn State 21...on a late TD by Manningham :wink:

I'd trust my brain a little more right now since my faith in this team is still a little shaky. A win today would be a great springboard towards a turnaround and this could still be a nice season for this team when it seemed like it was destined for .500 or worse at the beginning. The pendulum on the 2007 Wolverines will swing today based on how today turns out for them. A close loss won't kill this team but a close win would be enormous moving forward. I don't expect anything more than a 7-point bulge either way.

GO BLUE!

Props to Michigan.

Thanks. Camp Randall is going to be a bitch next Saturday. Looking forward to it.

You've got to be fucking kidding me. I just got back from the bar and have to say I would be embarrassed to be a PSU fan right now. When is it going to stop? When is there going to be a better year to finally beat this Big 10 opponent? This, more than the down year a few years ago, tells me JoePa should be gone.

OSU fan should be worried....Carr NEEDS that OSU win to save his job.....I have a feeling they will be riding an eight game win streak going into that one.

Sky wrote:You've got to be fucking kidding me. I just got back from the bar and have to say I would be embarrassed to be a PSU fan right now. When is it going to stop? When is there going to be a better year to finally beat this Big 10 opponent? This, more than the down year a few years ago, tells me JoePa should be gone.

Not sure I get this post.

When has it ever been an embarrassment to lost to Michigan in AA?

Could it be that PSU was rated a tad high?

Could it be that UM isn't as dreadful as previously thought?

It was a hard fought contest, not the type of game to hang your head about. PSU will be fine.

Michigan is more in their element when they play less athletic and dynamic offensive attacks. The Big Ten suits their style of play and they might be the best at that old-fashion football. I don't consider Michigan a national power all of a sudden but this can still be a conference champion in spite of what has happened so far. If they played most SEC or Pac-10 teams, they'd get smoked just because of the speed and the innovative and creative playcalling would be too much for them.

The only sure thing they have going for them right is Mike Hart is a man on a mission. He is the best running back in the country, bar none. I'm convinced he can go for 150+ yards against any defense.

Michigan should be able to roll up these next 5 games and move to 7-2 with the huge finishing stretch of at Michigan State, at Wisconsin and at home with Ohio State. Survive that final gauntlet and they could find themselves in the Rose Bowl.

I have to say, Penn St. did what they had to do against Hart but that didn't stop them from giving him the ball and pwning the t.o.p.. Morelli and the offense could never get into a rhythm b/c they weren't on the field enough. Some of the playcalling on the offensive side of the ball was suspect and I just didn't see enough passes to the backs and TEs for short and medium gaines to get Butler and Norwood loose for the longer routes. Quarless had a couple of nice receptions, but it wasn't enough to get the safeties to play up.

In saying that, I gotta hand it to the Michigan D. They played great yesterday and really shut down the running game with the exception of a couple of long runs. I think Michigan's defensive success had a lot to do with their performance against the Irish last week. Yes, the Irish's offense is a joke, but success no matter who the opponent is breeds confidence.

Props to the Maize and Blue not packing it in this year and coming up big after a terrible start to the season.

Mike Hart is a man amongst boys out there.

Props and rack to UM. They essentially outclassed PSu yet again. I use that term because if you don't have to the ability to place a decent offense on the field, then you're not in the same class as those you fight against.

PSU loaded up on cupcake, which didn't stick to the ribs.

Excellent blog:

http://runupthescore.wordpress.com/

I've read the mgoblog game breakdowns, and like this guy I really don't get how he does it.

The Holtz pep talk streak continues...who's the next unfortunate team to get jinxed by the lisping leprechaun?

Sufferin' succotash!