Michigan v TCU

[Derek]

Ok. Looks like we were all wrong. Didn't see this being a close game.

[Spence]

It isn't. Go Horned Frogs!

[Derek]

We've got a slugfest going on.

[Spence]

I can sleep good tonight no matter what knowing that the skunkbears are heading home with no chance to play in the championship.

[Cane from the Bend]

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Drab-Dabbit!!

I knew I should have taken TCU. I was going to change that prediction so many times, and foolishly left it alone.

Congrats to the Horned Frogs, for a well played game, and well deserved win.

Gotta say, though ...

With the rules written the way they are, that was targeting.

Forcible Contact created with the crown of the helmet. According to the way the rule is written; Any contact where the player initiates contact with the crown of the helmet, is designated as Targeting. It does not have to be contact with the head or neck area.

Either way, what a long shot it would have been. 15 yards closer, but only 25 seconds left on the clock.

I assure you, the Blue Bonnets will be complaining about it for several years to come. Watch how often they bring it up.

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[Derek]

No question that was targeting. Not sure why they let it go.

[Eric]

Thought I would check beck in on my favorite message board to see how everyone was doing after this weekend

Too bad I didn't stop by sooner, I could have told you TCU would win the game. My analysis all year on Michigan football is that a) they haven't played a schedule that would prepare them for this moment b) they rely too much on bulldozing teams like Rutgers and Indiana to work out kinks in the passing game and get J.J. McCarthy with the proper chemistry with the wideouts and c) they are massive choke artists.

Regarding Point A, the Big 12 was seriously underrated and given no respect. The fact that TCU ran the table, which included test after test after test on a weekly basis, is seriously impressive. I doubt Michigan, Alabama, or Ohio State would have finished undefeated after a conference championship game in the Big 12. There aren't any world beaters in that conference outside of TCU, but everyone is at least solid, even Iowa State and West Virginia who failed to qualify for a bowl game (because of a 9-game conference schedule). Those two teams are better or equal to a handful of B1G teams that went bowling. And the B1G has 4 absolute dregs (Indiana, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Rutgers). How the national media missed this, I have no idea, but the B1G continually leans into hype because they have more more $$$ and bigger fan bases. Pac-12 and Big 12 were flat out better top to bottom and barely got any credit for it, because they exist in smaller media markets.

Regarding Point B, their offensive scheme has been whacked out since the day Harbaugh set foot on campus. His first style of offense which was complete pro-style was effective at running the football, but had a 0% chance of winning a shootout. He had to adjust in order to keep up with Ohio State because he also had trouble attracting pro talent at QB and WR. They made a horrible attempt at modernizing the offense by hiring Josh Gattis when I could have named 50 better candidates to run some type of Air Raid / misdirection / spread option offense that 70% of college teams run now (because they correctly understand that it maximizes their talent; if you aren't running this offense or implementing its schemes into your offensive system, you are losing ground). Michigan shields their skill players because they think it puts the game in jeopardy when they can rely on the running game and coast to victory. It's sort of made Michigan upset-proof in a way that Harbaugh & Co. don't lose to teams like Maryland or Indiana, but they struggle in big moments because they haven't been tested.

Regarding Point C, they are choke artists because the general attitude that permeates the Michigan program is one of entitlement. They want to be an elite football program but they don't have the results to back it up. If you compare our football product with Iowa over the last 20 seasons, we're pretty darn close. Imagine Iowa going around telling people how amazing they are because of what they did in the 1940s and the mid-90s and see how the rest of CFB would react. Our fan base thought we would steamroll TCU because the sports media was absolutely in the tank believing our BS and the winged helmet and because TCU has funky uniforms, has a nickname like the "Horned Frogs", and played in C-USA 20 years ago. TCU has been an elite football school for over a decade now and people should have had time to adjust their expectations, but the Michigan fantasy still has pull for a lot of people. None of this is to say that Michigan isn't better, we had better football players, but they were unprepared by an unserious amateur coaching staff and the players themselves arrogantly bought into their own hype. TCU hit us early while Michigan joked around running Philly Special on the 2 and handing the ball off to a converted LB (when the Bush Push is legal now--Hello!!). Sonny Dykes coached the game like an adult and we lost.

We're in a weird spot because Harbaugh is why we are here in the first place, but he has a tendency to make insane, catastrophic decisions that burn us. And after all of this, Michigan isn't going to learn anything for 2023. We have a tougher road schedule, but another easy non-conference schedule. We'll lean on the running game to get us out of jams. I'm excited about our incoming transfer class and the position coaches will have a lot to work with. I expect to see a lot of progression at the new O-lineman and the pass rushers and the secondary. But we're going to head into 2023 as probably the B1G favorite and if we somehow get past Ohio State at home and that tougher schedule, we're going to ride into the CFP high on our own supply AGAIN. McCarthy isn't helping by pretending to be the second coming of Tim Tebow. It's pretty embarrassing that he's still talking a big game and not eating humble pie after throwing two erratic pick 6's. Oh well.

That's my yearly rant to cap another funny Michigan failure. See you next season!

[Mountainman]

Michigan has no one to blame for that loss but themselves……. Two pick sixes, a missed handoff by the QB that resulted in a lost fumble on the goal line, and whatever the hell that ‘scramble’ play was on TCU’s goal line early in the game.

Do the math, 28 points due to Michigan’s own doing.


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[Spence]

They probably shouldn't have had the chance to fumble on the goal line, but other than that I agree.

[Mountainman]

They probably shouldn't have had the chance to fumble on the goal line, but other than that I agree.

You got a point, but here’s where I’ve come down to on those 2 plays……. it looked like a catch to me, but like targeting, I don’t know how those calls are determined once they hit the replay booth, it’s just is whatever it’s called and so be it. But, when a team has the ball inside the one yard line, 1st and goal, if they don’t score a touchdown, that’s on them, and has nothing to do with how they got there, only that they didn’t score the TD.

The only thing I could come up with on that call was, where was the ball when he was ruled down……



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[Spence]

They probably shouldn't have had the chance to fumble on the goal line, but other than that I agree.

You got a point, but here’s where I’ve come down to on those 2 plays……. it looked like a catch to me, but like targeting, I don’t know how those calls are determined once they hit the replay booth, it’s just is whatever it’s called and so be it. But, when a team has the ball inside the one yard line, 1st and goal, if they don’t score a touchdown, that’s on them, and has nothing to do with how they got there, only that they didn’t score the TD.

The only thing I could come up with on that call was, where was the ball when he was ruled down……



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Oh, I completely agree with that. You should be able to punch it in. Still it shouldn't have come to that point. Targeting is a personal foul. 15 yards or half the distance and a first down.

At the end of the day, though just like Ohio State, they didn't get it done. One play doesn't lose the game. The Ohio State kicker didn't lose the game. He just didn't win it. The no call on Harrison didn't lose the game, although that had an impact on the rest of the game. Ohio State has a whole bench full of 4 and 5 star guys to sub into the game. They just didn't get it done and Georgia did. So did TCU.

[Mountainman]

They probably shouldn't have had the chance to fumble on the goal line, but other than that I agree.

You got a point, but here’s where I’ve come down to on those 2 plays……. it looked like a catch to me, but like targeting, I don’t know how those calls are determined once they hit the replay booth, it’s just is whatever it’s called and so be it. But, when a team has the ball inside the one yard line, 1st and goal, if they don’t score a touchdown, that’s on them, and has nothing to do with how they got there, only that they didn’t score the TD.

The only thing I could come up with on that call was, where was the ball when he was ruled down……



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Oh, I completely agree with that. You should be able to punch it in. Still it shouldn't have come to that point. Targeting is a personal foul. 15 yards or half the distance and a first down.

At the end of the day, though just like Ohio State, they didn't get it done. One play doesn't lose the game. The Ohio State kicker didn't lose the game. He just didn't win it. The no call on Harrison didn't lose the game, although that had an impact on the rest of the game. Ohio State has a whole bench full of 4 and 5 star guys to sub into the game. They just didn't get it done and Georgia did. So did TCU.

Both defenses gave up way too many points, and set the stage for that kind of finish. Gotta admit, both games were fun to watch for a fan without a dog in the fight.


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[Spence]

It was a fun game for me to watch. Until the last play. Not pretty, the Ohio State secondary got gashed all year. That game was no different.

[Mountainman]

Spence, ever since we’ve been posting on this board you have been very consistent in your thoughts and thinking about football……… and you know as well as I do that TCU’s defense was the deciding factor against Michigan and that Ohio State’s defense was the deciding factor in their game with Georgia.

TCU had two pick sixes and two goal line stops, and the Buckeyes had a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter, but couldn’t hold that lead.

I’m looking forward to watch the Bisons and Jackrabbits play for the title…….


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[Spence]

Spence, ever since we’ve been posting on this board you have been very consistent in your thoughts and thinking about football……… and you know as well as I do that TCU’s defense was the deciding factor against Michigan and that Ohio State’s defense was the deciding factor in their game with Georgia.

TCU had two pick sixes and two goal line stops, and the Buckeyes had a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter, but couldn’t hold that lead.

I’m looking forward to watch the Bisons and Jackrabbits play for the title…….


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I agree. I thought Georgia would beat Ohio State, I just thought they would win by more. It actually proved something I had thought for a while - CJ Stroud was playing not to get hurt, because when he wanted to, he balled. Ohio State came out on the wrong side of a good game when he did. The Buckeye defense just has too many holes in the backfield.

I thought Michigan would beat TCU because of defense. I didn't see Michigan putting the game in McCarthy's hands. I thought they would use Edwards and the tightends to pound TCU. In my opinion Harbaugh did the best thing he could for TCU to win. McCarthy isn't a great QB. Against Ohio State he threw up some prayers that worked out and the Ohio State defensive coordinator called a bad game.