I Don't Even Care at This Point

[Eric]

I'm really numb to Michigan football. I watched the game today with what would best be described as mild amusement. It's crazy that the younger players are getting worse as the season progresses. I have to blame the coaching staff at this point for not preparing their players. Michigan's offensive line gets shoved around by defensive lines with a pulse and they are absolutely clueless on how to pick up blitzes. I think Devin Gardner is playing hurt; he takes 15 good shots per game and has been slower to get up every game. Some of the plays are high school material, which is why it's so frustrating. It's not fundamentally sound. They can't even complete bubble screens. Michigan's offense probably leads the nation in "almost-interceptions". This season just needs to get over with and they need to clean house with the offensive coaching staff. It's ridiculous.

Well Spence, have fun next week when the Buckeyes win by 30. I can't say I'll even watch the game. I'll catch bits and pieces of it, but considering that Michigan has roughly a .008% chance of winning, I can't really say I even care. I'll guess that with maybe 8 minutes left in the first quarter, Michigan will do something irredeemably stupid like a turnover or a huge sack or a shanked punt or a busted coverage that will put the game away for good.

Rationally, you would have to think that Michigan will improve quite a bit heading into next year, but from what I've seen, they're just a lousy team. An absolute crap team. Maybe 8-4 is our ceiling next year. Hoke might be out of his league. All I know is that we'll finish with a 3-5 conference record and a bowl loss against Kansas State or Texas Tech or (God forbid, considering the defensive line talent) an SEC team in the Gator Bowl will just be the cherry on top.

[Spence]

You would think it would be fun, but it isn't. The rivalry isn't a rivalry when the other team doesn't hold up their end.

Given the state of Ohio State's defense, Michigan can make is a game if they come out playing. Hoke isn't the coach I thought and Borges has been inept. He shouldn't be coaching even the bowl game. No rivalry thread this week.

[Eric]

Borges is terrible on every imaginable front. The offensive line is the fault of Hoke, Borges, and our O-line coach. But the playcalling falls completely on Borges. It took him all season to find out that Fitz Touissaint can't pick up a blitzing LB. It took him all season to find out that Gardner is better on the run (better is of course a relative term). And it took him all season to at least try something to neutralize their horrendous, FCS-caliber line play.

This season stings worse than any I experienced during the Rodriguez years. It feels like a long and lengthy decline considering Michigan has gotten worse every year under Hoke's tenure. I don't think it's premature to say he is playing for his job if Michigan finishes with fewer than 9 wins. Sure the recruits are coming, but he's not doing anything with them. I had high hopes for Gardner who reminded me a little of Vince Young as far as his skill set went. He was great for the remainder of 2012 and then in the first two games of this season. But now he's making those high school kind of mistakes. Not securing the ball. Making floating, up-for-grabs throws that you would see a high school QB make. Not setting his feet. Being gunshy to run. Running, getting pushed back, and then going forward again to lose forward progress. It's just general screw-upiness (I'll be copyrighting that word ).

[Spence]

What has always made Michigan a great team has been a good pro style QB and a very good defense. It is no surprise to me that since they abandoned that formula they have been bad.

[billybud]

My dad would have been raving.....

Michigan has all that it takes to have 10 win seasons...money, fans, facilities...recruit class rankings (#5 2013, #7 2012, #21 2011)...

[Spence]

My dad would have been raving.....

Michigan has all that it takes to have 10 win seasons...money, fans, facilities...recruit class rankings (#5 2013, #7 2012, #21 2011)...

The problem is the also have the guy who ran Domino's into the ground as AD. They need coaches. Bo would be turning over in his grave if he could see what Hoke and RR did to that program.

[Old Ducker]

In our case, I think it was the players who didn't care. Arizona came to play (and did very well) while the Ducks would just rather have stayed in Eugene. From a few tweets, it seemed they didn't care about the Rose Bowl. Now they got their wish. Lil Brother looked absolutely horrible last night against washingten. Next Saturday should be interesting...

[Spence]

In our case, I think it was the players who didn't care. Arizona came to play (and did very well) while the Ducks would just rather have stayed in Eugene. From a few tweets, it seemed they didn't care about the Rose Bowl. Now they got their wish. Lil Brother looked absolutely horrible last night against washingten. Next Saturday should be interesting...

It is a shame they look at the Rose Bowl as a booby prize. Of course it isn't the first choice, but they should still play to the end. The national championship game is a beauty contest. Winning your conference and a berth to the Rose Bowl is real. You prove it on the field. You prove it from playing all the teams and coming out on top. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't hold that goal in high esteem. The guy who said "been there done that" about the Rose, wouldn't play in the bowl game or next week if I am the coach.

[Old Ducker]

In our case, I think it was the players who didn't care. Arizona came to play (and did very well) while the Ducks would just rather have stayed in Eugene. From a few tweets, it seemed they didn't care about the Rose Bowl. Now they got their wish. Lil Brother looked absolutely horrible last night against washingten. Next Saturday should be interesting...

It is a shame they look at the Rose Bowl as a booby prize. Of course it isn't the first choice, but they should still play to the end. The national championship game is a beauty contest. Winning your conference and a berth to the Rose Bowl is real. You prove it on the field. You prove it from playing all the teams and coming out on top. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't hold that goal in high esteem. The guy who said "been there done that" about the Rose, wouldn't play in the bowl game or next week if I am the coach.

Spence, at AddictedtoQuack, the SBNation ducks blog, some were saying this game was the end of an era. I'm not buying it. However it does represent the official end of the Chip Kelly era. This is Mark Helfrich's team now and it's his job to motivate the players and make sure they are prepared. Until yesterday, he could coast on what "The Visor" had built. Chip would never have allowed this to happen. I can't even remember the last time Oregon was thrashed by an unranked team.

[Spence]

I think Helfrich is going to be better than Kelly in the end, but I agree that he shouldn't have allowed that to happen. That was John Cooper's problem at Ohio State. He didn't have full control of his players. Helfrich has to fix that.

[Old Ducker]

I think Helfrich is going to be better than Kelly in the end, but I agree that he shouldn't have allowed that to happen. That was John Cooper's problem at Ohio State. He didn't have full control of his players. Helfrich has to fix that.

Frankly I'm hoping the Ducks end up in the Alamo Bowl. I live in Houston now and San Antonio is just a couple of hours drive from here

[Eric]

I think Helfrich is going to be better than Kelly in the end, but I agree that he shouldn't have allowed that to happen. That was John Cooper's problem at Ohio State. He didn't have full control of his players. Helfrich has to fix that.

Frankly I'm hoping the Ducks end up in the Alamo Bowl. I live in Houston now and San Antonio is just a couple of hours drive from here

This last week just proved how meaningless and useless bowl projections are . If Oregon was selected by the Orange Bowl and Northern Illinois keeps their lead on Fresno State, that would send a ripple effect through the ones I made last week; also, LSU's wins against A&M and Aaron Murray's knee injury will completely change the SEC picture that I drew up.

That said, if the BCS is looking for energetic fan bases, it will be hard to pass up Wisconsin. Wisconsin + Florida in January = Gold. Wisconsin never had designs on a national championship, so they would be thrilled to take on Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Oregon fans would have to travel across the entire country to watch their "disappointing" team.

I think Michigan will be either Texas or Buffalo Wild Wings which probably narrows our opponents down to Kansas State or Texas Tech. The Gator Bowl would be a possibility. Can't say I'm looking forward to the postseason.

[Eric]

And on another note of Michiganian failure, the Wolverines basketball team just got upset by Charlotte in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship game in addition to the lose they suffered against Iowa State. I know in college basketball you can't win 'em all, but it's just another failure to chalk up

[Old Ducker]

And on another note of Michiganian failure, the Wolverines basketball team just got upset by Charlotte in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship game in addition to the lose they suffered against Iowa State. I know in college basketball you can't win 'em all, but it's just another failure to chalk up

I think Michigan is going to get murdered by Ohio State. Sry man.

[Spence]

I think Ohio State will win but Michigan will get yards against the Buckeye D because everyone does. I just don't think the Michigan defense can stop Ohio State. It will be closer than people think.