Monday, October 16, 2017

TGFH and Upset Friday & Saturday!


Today will be brief on the re-cap.  When there isn’t a lot of good to comment on, I don’t like to kick a team when they won.  And AWIAW.  That is, “A win is a win”. 
I should have thought of this for the FMQ, but it’s still a classic and we should honor the Ufe every time Michigan plays the Hoosiers:


Back to today’s entry title:  what’s the TGFH all about? 

Thank God For Higdon

He was the lone bright spot (200 yards rushing) in what was otherwise a pretty un-remarkable game for the Michigan Wolverines.  The defense sputtered, O’Korn is out of his depth when he’s a starter and Michigan is literally receiverless.  10 out of 20 for 58 yards passing yards against INDIANA????  And with a little less than 2 minutes to go in the 1st half, Michigan managed to run- get this – they ran TWO PLAYS for 7 yards!!!  That’s some 2-miute drill, donchathink?  Oh, and on the first series coming out of half time, Michigan went an all TOO FAMILIAR 3 AND OUT!!!!  If anyone asks:  This was approximately the time when I lost my mind and began drinking heavily

Did I miss anything?

Oh yes:  I almost forgot.  Michigan did set a school record with a whopping 16 penalties on Saturday!  3 on ONE SINGLE Defensive PLAY ALONE!

Wait Mr. MMQ – There HAS TO BE SOME Bright Spots? 

Uh, let’s see….they won?

The coaching was better regarding play-calling, but Michigan seems to telegraph their intentions when they get to the line of scrimmage.  I was mentally trying to call what Michigan would run (on offense) and I think through the first half I missed about 4 plays…

Again, that’s a problem.  I could offer my services to every B1G team that Michigan plays from this point going forward and sit next to the opposing team’s D-coordinator during the game and tell him what’s coming.  And it would make me a valuable commodity.

So, Penn State looms and a QB-less Michigan goes into a night game in Happy Valley.  However, I absolutely hate throwing Peters into that showcase and have that team and that crowd turn him into a shell of a human being

Problem is – I don’t think O’Korn fares any better.  He’s just not a starter.  Great off the bench when he hasn’t had a week to think about it, but craps his diaper when he’s going to be “The Guy”.  It’s gonna’ be ugly in Happy Valley.  The 10.5 early point spread is a gift and might creep up to the 14-point rangeIF you’re laying the points, jump on the 10.5. 

What to do?  I don’t like coming back to this, but I expected more out of Harbaugh at this point.  Penalties are a sign of a frustrated team.  This team is exactly that.  I expected that Harbaugh would have taken his NFL hat off and realize that sometimes you need to go away from the standard vanilla NFL style offense that keeps you in a game and go to a “surprise” approach in order to keep opponents on their toes. 

What does it mean for PSU?

It means it’s going to be a long night in Happy Valley and while Michigan has sort of, kind of owned Penn State, I have a feeling all those years of misery that Michigan was dumping on Lions may come hauntingly back to roost

Of course, the last time PSU was ranked in the top 5 and came into the Big House and no one gave Michigan a chance to win the game, this happened:


So, we have that going for us, which is nice…

The Rest of the Mess

YHMA You Have My Attention

Bryce Love:   The 2nd place (soon to be first if Michigan’s D can contain Saquon Barkley) Heisman candidate has 1,387 rushing through 7 games this season.  He didn’t even play in the 2nd half on Saturday due to a minor injury and Shaw simply didn’t need him.  Love’s all-purpose yards stand at 1,406.  Assuming he keeps that pace, he could possible hit 2,500 yards for the season.  That’s incredible!

Cal:  Completely and utterly dominated Wash State on a Friday night GD Pac 12 AD game.  (That’s “God Damn Pac 12 After Dark” as those late games are ruining my weekends.)  Cal looked very impressive in the dismantling of the Coogs.  I watched a completely different team a week ago defeat USC.  I guess the old saying is accurate:  You have to show up every week.

Bama:  I guess it’s the world against Satan at this point.  Alabama looked like an extremely complete football team on Saturday.  They lack nothing.  They are truly a Death Star…that is favored by 38 points in a rivalry game against the hapless Cremesicles.
NC State:  Now, go into South Bend and validate this season!

TIYFC - Turn In Your Football Cards

Cornsuckers:  I was hoping you might at least be competitive.  But as they say:  Hope in one hand and you know what in the other and see which one fills up faster.  The Huskers hired AD Moos from Washington State and the Riley re-assignment is probably a foregone conclusion.  Best thing on Twitter on Saturday“Watching Nebraska now is like seeing a once popular band play at the free stage at the State Fair”

Arkan-see-sas:  See Nebraska.  If Bielema somehow survives this season, it won’t be as result of this game.  Hawgs weren’t even competitive.  They sucked.  I think Brett really wants the buy-out at this point. 

CUD – Complete, Unmitigated Disasters!!!

Clemsoning:   Syracuse isn’t that good but the regular Clemson Tigers didn’t show up.  At least, not the Clemson team that had dominated the college football world through 6 weeks of play.  Everyone who’s lost to Clemson wishes they would have had a shot at the team that was on the field on Friday night.  Yes, losing the starting QB is a problem, but Clemson should have been able to absorb that set-back against the ‘Cuse.  Big upset and great win for the Orange.  Clemson has entered the 1-loss “No Mistake Territory” of the season. 

SOW:   The State of Washington was riding high last Monday and this Monday, they are crawling into work and grumbling around the water coolers and coffee station bitching about what could have been.  The Huskies loss is truly a headscratcher as Arizona State had been giving up 30 points a game and they could only score 7?  Unfortunately, I think both of those losses kind of takes Washington (plural) out of the CFP discussion.
And the QB from Oregon State did this:

Flippin’ Into The End Zone!

Auburnt:  You won that game, right?  I mean, you were leading 20-0 in the 3rd quarter, right?  That’s a lead you can manage and win the game, right?  Malzhan just got back into the Hot Seat lead with that uninspired 2nd half of play.

Louisville:  I know you’ve already been in this category once, but losing to BC at home 45-42 when Lamar Jackson tallies 526 yards is just…well, it’s not good. 

Gatorland:  These are the games that are pissing the gatorland fans off.  COMPLETELY OUT-STATTED Texas A&M (more yards, 1st downs, and TOP).  Still 0-fer against SEC West teams this season…

Cremesicles:  Lost to South Carolina and Bama is on the horizon.  Jones status is dire and the fans have had enough…

CBOTL – Come Back Off the Ledge

These are losses that looked bad, but there’s no reason to panic and sell the season duckets yet.

Purdue:  Almost pulled off the upset of the Cheeseheads.  Brohm is turning into the best hire of the B1G and even though Purdue’s record doesn’t warrant it, Brohm should get some honorable mentions for B1G Coach of the Year.

Utah:  Had the guts to go for a road win and went for 2 with 42 seconds left in the game.  Personally, I thought Utah was playing well enough to take the issue into OT, but Wittingham had other ideas.  I didn’t mind the call, but the play execution was atrocious.  Gottta have a 2-point play that gives you a better than 50-50.

PGL – Pretty Good Loss

Texas:  In a rebuilding year under a new head coach, losing late by a score isn’t terrible, but you’d rather have the W. 

WWB – We Won, But…We Should Be Worried

Michigan:  Saturday night could be a disaster of biblical proportions in the making.  I’m worried.  And if I’m worried, you should be worried, assuming you’re a Michigan fan. 


Miami:  You were beat up and down the field and got a last-minute Figgie to win. I know, a win is a win, but they’re not going to get any easier from this point forward.
And the Rest…

BC @ Louisville:  Formerly winless in the ACC Boston College went into Louisville and beat last year’s Heismann trophy winner 45-42!  LOL!!!

MSU @ Gophers:  Gophers come storming back but it wasn’t quite enough against the Spartans. 

TCU vs. K-State:  TCU is striking me as possibly being the real deal and may soon get my attention.  Normally competitive K-State was NOT Competitive Saturday and TCU dominated.

Akron @ Western:  Didn’t play Saturday because THIS:


They claimed they pumped over a Million gallons of water out of the stadium.  And then lost on Sunday to Akron by a point…Nuts.

The 5 Stages of Slappy Fan Grief

  1. Denial and Isolation Michigan.  We still only have one loss!  The season can be saved!!   
  2. ANGER –Clemson did what they haven’t done in a long time and went “Clemsoning” again in Syracuse.    
  3. Bargaining –Anyone one of the 4 following fanbases:  Clemson, Auburn, Washigton and Wash State…
  4. Depression –Florida...So if you do fire McElwain, how does if fix ANYTHING?
  5.  Acceptance – Gophers and Louisville.  There’s always next year.

Ref NCAA Rants!

I still can’t believe the pussification of the NCAA at this point in timeAcademic fraud is Academic Fraud, by any other name.  I’m pissed that the cop-out of:  Well, yeah, they were “Write a two-page paper classes, but EVERYONE COULD TAKE THE Classes!” somehow gets UNC off the hook.  BTW –TO Everyone that DOESN’T want to pay Student Athletes:  UNC reportedly spent close to $20M (That’s $20,000,000) to defend this case over the last 7 years.  7 Years!  Think that money could have gone to say…hmmm, I dunno, paying student athletes or at least creating better academic classes for student athletes to take?  The Business of Sports?  Instead, it went to a bunch of lawyers and lined their pockets.  And they’re laughing all the way to the bank!
I’m still pissed.  Incredible waste of time, money, and human resources.  If this is your conclusion, why take so long and waste so much money and human effort?  Or is that the NCAA’s way of making you pay when they knew they didn’t have a case?  Make you lawyer up and defend yourself until your bank account feels the pinch. 
If that’s your line of thinking, then strip the titles (initially) and make UNC appeal and waste some more time and dough.

F’ing Morons….

Idle Thoughts from Saturday

-So Clemson went “Clemsoning”
-As did Wash State
-And that wasn’t even competitive
-How can one team be so high one week and so down the next?
-Game Day!
-Why James Madison?
-I get that FCS schools need love too…
-But FBS should really be Game Day’s focus
-However the crowd really shows up at JMU
-And they couldn’t even find a guest picker?
-ESPN had to turn to one of their own?
-That should really be enough to tell you not to do FCS anymore…
-And Corso scared the JMU mascot nearly off the table!


-Michigan at noon.
-I have a queasy feeling about this game.
-Like Indiana might be sneaky good.
-Play-calling is better
-At least airing it out on 1st down on occasion
-Why couldn’t DPJ get under that ball?
-O’Korn, you have to make that pass
-Higdon a machine right now
-At least were run blocking better…
-Of course, it is Indiana
-Nordin and Higdon are having good games
-Okay – 2 minutes to go in the half
-Let’s do the two-minute drill and-
-Wait - WTF are we doing? 
-DIDN’T HARBAUGH SEE MY POST LAST WEEK?
-Final 5 minutes in the 1st half and 1st 5 minutes of the 2nd half are THE MOST IMPORTANT IN ANY GAME!
-2 F@#$ING PLAYS?  With a Minute and 46 seconds left?
-2 F@@#$%ING PLAYS?????
-I hate you Harbaugh.
-Play the fucking game to win
-Okay start of the 3rd
-March down and score
-something…anything
-3 and out on the first series after halftime?  3 AND OUT???
-3 AND OUT????
-Harbaugh – you’re clearly not reading the MMQ!
-O’Korn is lost out there. 
-Isn’t a good starter.
-Can come off the bench (Purdue)
-Can’t start….
-sigh….
-Defense seems to be slipping a little
-Been on the field a lot
-It’s Indiana, for crap’s sake.
-Stop these guys!
-All right, up two scores in the 4th
-Harbaugh – Would you PLEASE KEEP CALLING PLAYS like you NEED TO SCORE!
-Playing “Not to lose” is a recipe for disaster
-3 and out?
-Punt….
-And there it is.  Big punt return by IU
-And there it is.  All IU needs is a Figgie.
-GET A DAMN FIRST DOWN!
-No - 3 and out…There’s a F!@#$!$%ING PATTERN HERE!
-And there it is
-46 Yard Figgie and we’re going to OT
-I wonder how long this will last…
-TGFH!
-Hold them!
-INT
-Doesn’t feel like a win….
-Feels like impending doom

THE MMQ’s “I DON’T NEED A COMMITTEE!”
Will return when the Committee makes their first ranking!

The Hot Seat

Still looking for Hot Coach’s wives suggestions!

It’s no wonder why Bielema wants his buy-out to get to the beach!  He has an extremely beach-worthy wife!  I would say the Bielema married above his status.  Million dollar contracts will do that….





ZAPPED List
We’ll keep track of who’s gone as the season progresses….
  1. “Holier than Thou” Hugh Freeze
  2. Andersen – Oregon State
  3. Kugler – Texas El Paso 

Electric Chair of Death Seat!
  1. Riley - Nebraska.  Just gonna leave the comment from last week:  As the great Corso says, “Lose at home and it’s okay.  Getting BLOWN OUT at home is a recipe for disaster…”.
  2. Bielema – Not sure how he survives the season
  3. Butch Jones – Ditto…
  4. PETRINO – Lost AT HOME TO BOSTON COLLEGE!!!

The Hot Seat

1.    Fedora – UNC 
2.    Mulzahn – Up 20 and lose on the road?  And out-coached by Orgeron?
3.    OdomMizzou.  Luckily he’s a grad.  Might survive a bad season
4.    Mullen – uh oh.  But he’ll get a job somewhere else.  Too good of a coach.
5.    Sumlin:  Still needs a big Win. 
6.    McElwain Two SEC losses in a row to bad SEC West teams
7.    Ogeron -LSU  slowly moving down the list with wins
8.    Rich Rod
9.    Graham
10. Beatty – Kansas.  They really suck
11. Lovie Smith – Illinois.  Lost the Battle of the B1G Basment
12. Ruhle – Baylor.  Could go win-less

Etc.
Schadenfreude
First we had the squirrel.  Now we have a Jack Rabbit for Heisman!

No comments: