Michigan 52, Rutgers 17 Post Game Discussion

[Jeff Buchanan]

Too early for odds but the spread should be in the low 20s favoring M with the OU in the mid to upper 50s. Rutgers will be coming off a shut-out delivered by PJ Fleck's (God he's annoying) "Row the Boat" Golden Gophers. Ibrahim just paved Shiano's run D supposedly pretty good (for Rutgers of course) - middle of the B10. The Gopher D ham-blasted Rutger's offense. The stats are eyepopping.

We know M's MO in Harbaugh's 2022 team. It's explosive runs under-utilized passing game with the underlying reason for that being, "why pass it when your winning with your ground game (FG's for TDs don't matter." Fans are scratching their heads on the nearly inexplicable RZ TD rate given M's elite OL and a run game the rest of the B10 would like to have.

This one should be a blow-out win but the final score is unlikely to satisfy M fan's unrealistic desire to have JJ McCarthy look like CJ Stroud and Cornelius Johnson to play like Marvin Harrison, Jr. What will almost certainly happen is Blake Corum will have several 20+ yard runs, score at least two rushing TDs and Harbaugh will be completely satisfied with that keeping JJ cuffed.

[iam416]

Oh, M is going to road grade Rutgers. It'll be a 35+ point win. Line will be around 28.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Road grade? Possible for sure. My recency bias probably discredits M's approach to the passing game. It is what it is and M is 8-0. M football is good.

Todd Blackledge observed that the Harbaugh's - Jim and John - have identical approaches to football. Physical OL play that facilitates an inside run game that over-power opponent's defenses and wears them down. That's complemented by a TE oriented short passing game whose intent is to keep the opponent's Ss from regularly stepping down into the box plus challenges the opponent's edge defense to keep them from crowding the interior with DEs and LBs. IOW, M fields an NFL type, 11/12 personnel, run oriented offense with a smattering of passes that are low risk throws to move the chains and scrupulously avoid trunvers. It works - mostly.

That approach isn't flashy, rejects the typical CFB expectation of need to play like that and relies on pounding opponents. We both agree that when 2022 M is faced with NFL level QB and WR play, they can neither consistently defend against it or mount an offensive response in kind to keep up.

Meanwhile, M will likely head to c-bus to meet it's match there with an 11-0 record. Missing the pass-rush M had in 2021 that slowed Stroud's passing, I still give the edge to the buckeyes playing at home.

[lineygoblue]

This is not going to go well for Rutgers. They're going to be facing a pissed off M team. I wouldn't be shocked to see M lay 60 on them. They should have had at least 50 against sparty last night.

[klondike]

Nah. Schiano will keep it close. And by that I mean his offense won't score more than 10 and his defense will control UM's run game relatively well. This is a game that Harbaugh must work on improving the passing game if he wants to beat Day again.

[lineygoblue]

M is going to win this by multiple touchdowns. Schiano hasn't got crap to stop M at this point.

M has a game coming up where they will be seriously tested before C-bus, and that will be Meathead's Illinois team. They're going to give Michigan a fight, and not the kind that MSU craves. They'll do it within the rules.

Illinois will be a typical trap game.

osu will beat M by at least 14, but that's for another day.

[AlabamAlum]

Rutgers is absolute trash.

Rutgers lost by 17 to Iowa, by 39 to Ohio State, by 31 to Minnesota, and even dropped a close game to the moribund Huskers.

They did beat a bad Boston College team by 1, a very bad Temple team by 2, a bad Indiana team by 7, and beat up on Wagner. Wagner (1-7) is one of the worst FCS teams in the nation. The Mighty Seahawks lost yesterday to Central Connecticut State by a final score of 34-7.

Anyway, the M Deathstar will absolutely obliterate the Scarlet Knights. It’ll be a 50-10 kinda game.

[klondike]

I agree if Michigan doesn't overlook RU they should handle them. But with two big games coming up Will they not overlook them. I thought Schiano even played OSU pretty good on defense considering the talent discrepancy.

[lineygoblue]

the death star will be obliterated in c-bus.

and then all will be well with the universe.

[AlabamAlum]

I agree if Michigan doesn't overlook RU they should handle them. But with two big games coming up Will they not overlook them. I thought Schiano even played OSU pretty good on defense considering the talent discrepancy.

Well, Rutgers did “hold” Ohio State under 500 yards of total offense, but honestly, it was 42-10 at the start of the 4th and it looks like the Bucks just shifted into autopilot.

[Hannibal]

Rutgers has a good defense and our red zone troubles will keep the score down. I’m going with 30-10 UM.

[klondike]

Well, Rutgers did “hold” Ohio State under 500 yards of total offense, but honestly, it was 42-10 at the start of the 4th and it looks like the Bucks just shifted into autopilot.

Stroud had an uncharacteristic poor performance with 150 so yards passing. Williams did run for 189 and they had 254 yards rushing so maybe UM can grind out another Bo type game for a 34-10 win.. just don't get your hopes up for another 77-0 type win.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Even UNL can make fun of Rutgers.

[Jeff Buchanan]

M is -24.6 v. Rutgers. O/U is 45. I doubt M will change it's MO so, I can't disagree with the O/U though it seems low.

There are several factors mitigating against a 50+ point blow out win in Piscataway that M fans crave: (1) Even if Corum gets a rest (he should get one) and carries only 15-20X, M can comfortably control the game flow and still score in the 30s. (2) Why change to a pass-heavy offense when you're blasting opponents by sitting on them, getting some breaks with hihg leverage plays and yes, even kicking FGs.

Sure, if M is playing flat or Schiano dials up some kind of exotic defense that produces turnovers and holds M's run game in check, open up the playbook if for nothing else but keeping the momentum. It's been noted that M's opponents, except Allen's blitzy IU defense, have almost all played hybrid versions of C-3 - meaning they are using 4 man fronts and playing around with the Ss and LBs. Supposedly this is to limit the threat of McCarthy's legs and M's favorite throws underneath invited by C-1 or versions of it where LBs and Ss. play close to the LOS and there's a heavy blitz flavor to the opponent's D - both Sanistril and Schoonmaker can beat coverage by just guys with screens and slants that McCarthy is enjoying success with. So, pound the rock. M's run game featuring Corum has been successful doing that.

M 34-6

Here's the TV/Times and the rest of some of the odds:

aa Rutgers.jpg

[Hannibal]

Purdue — lay the points

Maryland — take the points

Minny — lay the points. Mo Ibrahim vs the worst rush defense in the conference? Yeah that ain’t gonna go well for the Cornholers.

OSU — JFC lay the points — what’s the spread supposed to be there — for the first quarter?

Illinois — lay the points

PSU — lay the points

Michigan — take the points + the under— expect a repeat of the MSU game

Georgia — lay the points. The Vals aren’t ripe yet. They might achieve elite status someday but not this year.