Massey of Buckeye Commentary gives his weekly Wolverine Commentary.
What I saw/heard/read: More than the game itself, I started seeing/hearing/reading a palpable drumbeat of disdain for this team. Yeah, we (you and me) see it all over the Interweb, but most people do not troll the Information Superhighway like we do. The masses consider John Saunders a font of information. So, when I saw Braylon Edwards wearing a Penn State shirt a red flag went up. I am aware that some people believe it is a tradition to wear the opposing team’s logo/shirt/something the week before the game, but considering Edwards earlier confrontations with Rodriguez, most people likely see this as another flank in the passive aggressive Michigan revolution. To top it all off, Michigan AD Bill Martin came out and said Rodriguez has his full support. No shit, the guy has only coached six games. But, Martin would not say that if he had only received a handful of complaints from long-time-fans-first-time-callers. He must be getting it from all sides. This is unbelievable.
Michigan is not good this season. So what? They were not going to be great with Carr either, which is why I am so bemused by fans’ collective response. I suppose this reaction is a testament to Michigan’s incredible, consistent success over the last 30-plus years; the idea of one poor season is cataclysmic.
Believe me, Michigan football will be more than fine. Saban lost to Louisiana Monroe last year and The Tide seems to be doing okay this season. The greatest current threat facing Michigan fans is developing an over-inflated sense of entitlement ala South Bend.
What I did not see: Any reason Nick Sheridan should play besides Threet’s injury. Even then, it might not be warranted. Man, was I sooooooo wrong about him claiming the starting spot before this season ended. Sorry about that one. I also did not see Justin Feagin, which after seeing Interception Pants, truly surprised me. What could possibly be holding Feagin back? Has he been injured? Struggled with the playbook? Mouthed off to coaches? It is time to burn that redshirt in the name of hope and progress – in the name of 2009.
Who I watched: Once he came in, I watched Nick Sheridan. I was so prepared to be vindicated for my previous position. Yeah, how did that one work out? In the end, I got tired of watching Nick Moore catch more passes than anyone I have ever seen and look better than all of Ohio State’s receivers in the process. Yeah, Moore is from Columbus. [/Loud thump heard in distance]
What I expect next week: I have no idea. I could say “a total thrashing beyond all Michigan fans’ wildest nightmares,” but I do not believe that. I know they are 24-point-ish underdogs but the Wolverines played their best game against their best opponent to date, Wisconsin. I do not think it will be 31-0 at the halftime. Honestly, I really don’t. Penn State is good – the best team in the league by a country mile – but Michigan has yet to roll over and I actually think playing on the road will help them. No more home fans booing and cascading debris upon error. No more walking to and from the locker room seeing dejected faces in the stands. Something has to help, right?
What this tells about The Game: If both teams play relatively decent defense, the first team to 10 points wins that game. In case you missed it, the USS Pryor ran aground against the league’s WORST defense. It is only slight hyperbole to say that Ohio State’s offense is almost as bad as Michigan’s. Statistically speaking, the difference is 30 yards/game. If you brought someone back from the dead who died in the mid-70s to watch that game there is a very good chance the game would kill them.
Posted under Football
Tags: across the border, toledo
Good review and agree about Sheridan. We are told that Feagin is not ready, but may see action in the slot. Video from sping game showed a way below average arm, so he might run it OK, but now one would need to cover more than 10 yards downfield.