Michigan vs. FSU, Orange Bowl, 8pm, ESPN, Game Day - Post Game Discussion

[Rocky Bleier]

Jeff,

It ain't whining if it's true. Bob Knight once said a woman being raped should just lie back and enjoy it. Apparently, you join those who believe we should shut up and take it without lubrication. Nothing will change the outcome of yesterday's game, but perhaps a rule change will keep the same sort of ripoff from happening again. I won't join you in your posture above the fray.

[hack]

You can whine about the past or inquire about the future. OSU won, and that's that. But we should want to know.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I agree that the conferences should make the officiating crew selection process transparent. I have no problems with that. I do have a concern that officials could be targeted after controversial games. Some of that goes with the territory but there has been a lot of very scary incidents over the years regarding officials being harassed after games. It is a concern...but the process of selecting by the conference I don't think is a problem...or at least shouldn't be.

[hack]

It probably isn't, for the most part. But people are going to wonder, especially when you hear about guys working this game who were fired in the past, or that in-state guys weren't allowed to work The Game in the past. I don't think it's right for coaches to name names. Transparency can protect everyone and put a stop to that by funneling blame up to the conference executives if/when there is a policy and it isn't followed.

[AlabamAlum]

I have now seen every controversial play in the game getting M fans irate and .....meh. One bad call and several borderlines and a coin flip call.

You guys would have strokes if an SEC crew regularly called your games.


While I think this is a Harbaugh construct to have a stronger argument of being included in the playoff, I think we should talk about this for weeks. Maybe months. Mainly just to see Jeff lose it and to unveil the new WWAMC Club I'm forming.

[hack]

About 10 of them. If one or two went our way and only 8 or 9 went theirs, I'd take that.

[Jeff Buchanan]

http://genuinelysarcastic.blogspot.c...dio-banks.html

I love Other Brian so much.

This IS good.

Most of the issues The Other Brian brought up about interpretations of specific calls have been shown to be "could have gone either way" calls and I'm pretty sure Wiz has looked at these and has confirmed that. The one exception is the missed PI call on Grant Perry that would have extended an M drive. Basically though, I was done with all this yesterday evening. Obviously, it won't go away and I respect that.

What I like best about this piece is how he has illuminated the shitstorm that is M's OL brought about by Hoke's horrible recruiting in this area. It has fundamentally disallowed Harbaugh's "dream" of how he finished games at Stanford and how he wants to finish games at M. The list of failures to do this since he has been at M when all M needed was a couple of first downs, by running the ball behind a dominating OL is absolutely impressive; no, it is astounding.

Think about the osu loss. M is protecting a 10 point lead mid way through the 3rd quarter and in control of the game. Everyone is complaining about JH's getting too conservative. Well, that's his MO ...... and it's a good one if his OL could have delivered. It didn't. Here's the story ......

What did M's OL do against a good but not that good osu DL? Churned out something like 1.9ypc run game in a game when M was up by ten and absolutely needed it and couldn't get it. This wasn't about Speight. It wasn't about Evans or Smith.

If I remember correctly, it was about the time in the 3rd, about 9 minutes left, when M went three and out and punted. You'll remember this too. It was when we fans started thinking, I can feel this slipping away. Then, osu had their drive ended by an excellent (again) defensive stand, osu made a great punt inside M's 5 and, on first down, the offensive cabal called the deep throw from the EZ where Speight got hit by a free rusher and McMillan got the pic-6. Was this call made because the play callers knew the OL could not get the push to allow Smith or Evans to break a big play for a first with osu putting 8 in the box? My guess is yes, that is exactly why.

So, I think everyone whose been looking at this for the last 2d know this game and the loss isn't about officiating and shouldn't be about officiating. It's about a not very good OL that made it nearly impossible for M to close out a tough game on the road and forced play callers to throw on first and second and third down a lot more than they wanted to but had to because ..... well, you know.

The good thing about this is Jimmy Ballgame is angry. I think a lot of his antics on the field were a result of him just boiling inside that his OL wasn't delivering like he needed them to deliver. He is dangerous when he is angry. When osu blew out his team in AA last year rampaging the defense with big plays, he fixed that by hiring Don Brown who absolutely delivered all season and in this game in particular. You saw it. The highest scoring O in the land, the most efficient offense, the slipperiest QB in CFB was hemmed in, looked rattled and, in their house, the offense was held to 10 points in regulation.

Until the D just flat out got tired by being on the field too long, they were dominant. They were brilliant. samuel does't make that 8 yard gain in 2OT that made the 4th and one possible, that made his game winning scamper to the EZ possible if M's D just isn't broken and tired. Sad.

The OL is going to get fixed. Count on it. HARBAUGH!!! is angry.

[AlabamAlum]

Please do not use the "blew out his team in AA" line again, Jeff. Thanks in advance.

[hack]

Absolutely. Brighter days ahead. I still feel bad for the kids on this year's team who might have gotten screwed, but it won't last this way. No doubt about that.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I rather like the double entendre.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

Absolutely. Brighter days ahead. I still feel bad for the kids on this year's team who might have gotten screwed, but it won't last this way. No doubt about that.

Amen. If the football Gods are just, let there be a rematch of The Game in the playoffs. We shall call it "The Game 2: Michigan's Sweet Ass Revenge"

Hopefully all this talk of refs being one sided and biased doesn't get this thread closed...

[AlabamAlum]

I have a good friend who is a M grad who is calling for a rematch. Reminds me of 2006.

[WM Wolverine]

If M had made one more play and beat Iowa, they'd be a near lock for the CFP.

[THE_WIZARD_]

And if AA's Aunt had balls she'd be his Uncle.

Wait....I think she does...

[AlabamAlum]

Aunt Tyrone? Well, sure.