Never Felt So Hopeless

[Eric]

Congratulations on the win Saturday, Spence!

I haven't felt this helpless in this game since Rich Rodriguez's first season at Michigan. It'd be one thing if Peters was starting and Ohio State looked as shaky recently as they did against Iowa. But, considering we have O'Korn slated to start and Ohio State has decided to go on a rampage, I'm tempted to not even watch the game. Even with all of the futility recently (and sans 2008), I always felt an inkling or a shred of hope. "Maybe Michigan can really shock the world!" "Can't count any team out in a rivalry game!" "It has to end at some point.....Doesn't it?" "It'll always feel like Michigan can never win, until they finally do. This has gotta be the year."

Nope, not this year. Michigan has lost the ability to surprise anybody. We beat everybody we're supposed to and lose to everybody we're supposed to. This has been a totally lost season thanks to our incompetent offensive players which falls on the incompetent coaching staff. I see some Michigan fans all over the Internet still clinging on to hope, although there's a palpable sense of dread. I'd say it's 80% "we're going to get freaking slaughtered" and 20% "I'm supporting Blue no matter what!"

45-3, final score. Michigan loses to Stanford in the Foster Farms Bowl or Kentucky/Missouri/South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.

[Eric]

The spread in this game is 12 points. That's absolutely absurd. If Peters can play, we might, MIGHT, score 17 points. If O'Korn is in we won't find the end zone. I'd rather have Malzone play QB over O'Korn. He is the worst starting QB I can ever remember for Michigan. Much worse than Nick Sheridan.

And no matter how Michigan's defense is rated coming into this game, they just get sliced and diced by Ohio State's spread every year, so just throw out run defense efficiency stats and whatever else have you. They'll just run an option and Dobbins will take it for 40 yards. See, Ohio State is smart because they play college football the right way.

This is going to be a total laugher. Michigan is going to get run out of their own building and it'll crater any potential momentum we want to believe in heading into 2018. This was just an unfortunate timing for the coaching staff because we should have been getting the big wins over the last 2 years when we had a more talented roster. We didn't catch any breaks, and usually a new coaching staff's magic year is supposed to be in Year 3. But our roster just wasn't suited for that to be the case, for whatever reason. Too many young players and a terrible offensive line to really shoot for anything big. I always did say 8-4, although I thought we'd lose to Florida instead of Michigan State, which means that they had a worse season than I predicted .

2018 should by any rational measure be a better season, but the team is totally losing its mojo and that will be reflected in the recruiting for next season. We're already on track for an underwhelming class and that's because nobody wants to be a part of this above-averageness. Look at the people Ohio State is drawing in, we're not even competing with them right now. Although Milton, that QB Harbaugh got from Florida, will finally be "the guy." McCaffery might have more potential and raw skill, but I think this is the guy that could get Michigan over the hump.

It's just going to be another 3 years of Lloyd Carr-esque 9-3 seasons

[collegefbfan-8898]

Uh yeah, what that guy^^^^ said.

[Spence]

Congratulations on the win Saturday, Spence!

I haven't felt this helpless in this game since Rich Rodriguez's first season at Michigan. It'd be one thing if Peters was starting and Ohio State looked as shaky recently as they did against Iowa. But, considering we have O'Korn slated to start and Ohio State has decided to go on a rampage, I'm tempted to not even watch the game. Even with all of the futility recently (and sans 2008), I always felt an inkling or a shred of hope. "Maybe Michigan can really shock the world!" "Can't count any team out in a rivalry game!" "It has to end at some point.....Doesn't it?" "It'll always feel like Michigan can never win, until they finally do. This has gotta be the year."

Nope, not this year. Michigan has lost the ability to surprise anybody. We beat everybody we're supposed to and lose to everybody we're supposed to. This has been a totally lost season thanks to our incompetent offensive players which falls on the incompetent coaching staff. I see some Michigan fans all over the Internet still clinging on to hope, although there's a palpable sense of dread. I'd say it's 80% "we're going to get freaking slaughtered" and 20% "I'm supporting Blue no matter what!"

45-3, final score. Michigan loses to Stanford in the Foster Farms Bowl or Kentucky/Missouri/South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.

This game has rarely been about offense. It won't be this year. You don't give your defense enough credit. Peoples-Jones can make plays on the other side - and most of all Ohio State "ain't all that" this year. I expect a close game with either QB playing. I think Peters can win........I almost choked myself saying that.

[Eric]

Spence, you're just setting yourself up for failure in case it happens! You know you have a 99% chance of winning, so if the 1% happens, you won't be quite as disappointed if you figured Ohio State will lose

Have you watched much of us this year? Our supposed vaunted running game wilts when we play against any defense with a pulse. We will probably average 3 yards per carry with hardly any explosive plays on the ground. O'Korn might be the worst QB in major college football, up and down the depth chart. I don't even know who this guy would be, but I would trade UT San Antonio for their backup QB over O'Korn. Assuming a normal distribution of talent, he would have to be a better QB

I've just seen enough over the years to know that this is going to be a brutal beatdown. Regardless of Michigan's defensive numbers heading into the game, they have still gotten ripped to shreds by Ohio State's option game because they can't tackle them in space and they get loose and break it down field. I don't even remember the last time Michigan held them under 200 yards rushing. 2015 Michigan had the #1 ranked rush defense and Elliot and Barrett ran for 350 yards. Our defense does amazing against crappy pro style teams or teams with no offensive talent and we wilt against superior athletes. There's no middle ground. We have never had a game where we faced an offensive juggernaut and we actually got the best of them. We always give up between 30-35 points. Which is better than your average defense against those teams, but the point is we just hold our own. We never come out on top and play a superior game by shutting them down. Which should happen from time to time, but it never does.

[Eric]

I'm dead serious about the score, by the way. If Peters plays, it might be like 35-17, best-case scenario. If O'Korn plays, a mixture between field position and exhaustion and possibly a pick-6, will mean the score will be closer to 45-3. The spread should be 20 instead of 12, no matter who is behind center.

Just saw a stat that Michigan is 1-18 as an underdog since 2012. That's the reason why this program has given us so little to actually be excited about. Michigan State, by contrast, is 11-9. Ohio State is 6-0. Iowa is 7-19. Northwestern is 13-17. Wisconsin is 5-9. We are so pessimistic about major games because the past hasn't given us an example where we have actually came through. Michigan State can get excited about Ohio State or a New Year's Six game because they've seen it before. We on the other hand come into a game as an underdog and there's no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel.

[Cane from the Bend]

I don't even know who this guy would be, but I would trade UT San Antonio for their backup QB over O'Korn. Assuming a normal distribution of talent, he would have to be a better QB

That would be:

Bryce Rivers --- Season Stats ---

Pass Attempts --- 8
Completions --- 5
Pass Yards --- 43
Rush Yards --- -12 [2 sacks]
Total Yards --- 31
Touch Downs --- 0
Interceptions --- 2


Or 3rd String:

Yannis Routsas --- Season Stats ---

Pass Attempts --- 2
Completions --- 1
Pass Yards --- 3
Rush Yards --- 0
Total Yards --- 3
Touch Downs --- 0
Interceptions --- 0

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[Eric]

OK, give me the 3rd stringer

2 picks though? Who are we kidding, O'Korn would have been just as bad.

[Spence]

Spence, you're just setting yourself up for failure in case it happens! You know you have a 99% chance of winning, so if the 1% happens, you won't be quite as disappointed if you figured Ohio State will lose

Have you watched much of us this year? Our supposed vaunted running game wilts when we play against any defense with a pulse. We will probably average 3 yards per carry with hardly any explosive plays on the ground. O'Korn might be the worst QB in major college football, up and down the depth chart. I don't even know who this guy would be, but I would trade UT San Antonio for their backup QB over O'Korn. Assuming a normal distribution of talent, he would have to be a better QB

I've just seen enough over the years to know that this is going to be a brutal beatdown. Regardless of Michigan's defensive numbers heading into the game, they have still gotten ripped to shreds by Ohio State's option game because they can't tackle them in space and they get loose and break it down field. I don't even remember the last time Michigan held them under 200 yards rushing. 2015 Michigan had the #1 ranked rush defense and Elliot and Barrett ran for 350 yards. Our defense does amazing against crappy pro style teams or teams with no offensive talent and we wilt against superior athletes. There's no middle ground. We have never had a game where we faced an offensive juggernaut and we actually got the best of them. We always give up between 30-35 points. Which is better than your average defense against those teams, but the point is we just hold our own. We never come out on top and play a superior game by shutting them down. Which should happen from time to time, but it never does.

The Buckeye offense isn't all that either. We agree about Blue's offense. They aren't that good. Peoples-Jones being the exception. The game won't be about that. it will be about defense and special teams. The Buckeye defense is ok. The Buckeye special teams are terrible. I agree if Ohio State can score above 28 points that they will win. I just don't think they will. I'm not conceding the game, but I don't believe Ohio State will have an easy time. I think Peters can win. I don't think O'Korn can win, but if his defense can keep him in the game and the special teams can make a play, who knows.

[Cane from the Bend]

OK, give me the 3rd stringer

2 picks though? Who are we kidding, O'Korn would have been just as bad.

Well, how about taking Shea Patterson from Ole Miss?

Patterson has announced that he will be transferring to Michigan, and is petitioning the NCAA to play next season. Things could be looking up for Blue.

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