Game Week Thread Week 2, 2024: Texas at Michigan

[closetojumping 62549]

Here's a regular segment on the Michigan defense versus the upcoming opponent's offense with Vance Bedford from The Michigan Insider. I've spoilered it due to length, but here are a few items that are helpful in reminding me, at least, why Vance Bedford is no longer getting coaching gigs:

-Steve Sarkisian is apparently a "gadget guy" because he uses screens and RPO in his playcalling. 

-Texas no longer has speed at WR.

-To his credit, he does pick Texas to win 27-17, so he doesn't go full heel.

Spoiler

Every Tuesday from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST, former Michigan defensive coordinator Vance Bedford and I come together on The Michigan Insider for the "Defensive Breakdown." Each show offers a deep dive into Michigan's game the week prior from the perspective of a man who was once responsible for setting up and calling the defense as the Wolverines' defensive coordinator.  

In this week's episode we broke down Michigan's 30-10 season opening victory over Fresno State and previewed the matchup with Texas.

In the following transcript excerpt Vance and I discuss the zero blitz that surrendered a Fresno State touchdown, the matchup between Michigan's D-Line vs Texas's O-Line, and the keys to slowing down the Longhorns' RPO game.

Sam Webb: "People kept (comparing Wink Martindale to) Don Brown saying he runs all this man, and he runs all these blitzes, and he was like, 'listen, I'm not Don Brown.' I think he even said that at one point, 'wait a minute, I'm the OG of this whole thing… this defense that y'all been seeing. I'm the one who started this whole thing, so stop it!' And then he comes out in the game, and it looked real familiar Vance. We didn't see him run a whole lot of man in the game. Am I wrong about that?"

Vance Bedford: "No. To be honest I was one of those guys that was concerned. I was concerned that he was going to play a lot more man and zero blitz all over the place. I had my concerns, and he came to this ball game and for the most part used a lot of zone and simulated pressures like they have done for the past three years. And we had a lot of successful plays off of that. So, he called a tremendous game. I think the defensive staff did a great job. So, I'm excited to see going forward how he continues to build from what he did in his previous ball game.

Sam Webb: "There are a lot of people who want to know about that zero blitz which you'll get into a little bit later in the breakdown and we actually covered it in the film study. By the way, be sure to check out the film study. That will answer the question and (that play) sticks out. One of the reasons it sticks out is because they didn't do a lot of it."

Vance Bedford: "So, Jesse and Mike did run zero blitz. They would drop out the tackle, the defensive ends, and give them somebody to help in certain situations. And one time versus TCU we were in a zero blitz and they did all crosses and went for a 65-yard touchdown. Something (Mike Macdonald) hadn't done. So, we hadn't done a lot of just straight zero blitz in the past. But again, it's a play for all of them. As a defensive coordinator you've got to call what you feel comfortable with and know what the kids can do. And I think Wink is figuring that the college game is different from the NFL game. But again, I thought he called a tremendous game, and the kids played hard."

Sam Webb: "A lot is going to be said about the Texas offensive line coming into this game versus the Michigan defensive line. Who has the advantage in that matchup in your opinion?"

Vance Bedford: Last year, because of the depth that we had, we were a lot better. Michigan was just a lot better. I'm just being honest. This year because of lack of depth I'm concerned about us wearing down if our offense doesn't move the ball. I think that Michigan's D-Line is better again. I look at Texas, they're huge when they come out there. It might be the biggest offensive line they'll see the entire year. Those guys are 325 to 365. And when you look at those guys, you say, they're going to be physical. But they're not a physical football team. They're a finesse football team. They go lateral. They pass a lot. They run gadget plays. They don't sit down and just be old-fashioned Big 10, 'I'm going to come on the power and the counter and knock you off the ball.' They sprinkle that in. And if they can lay on you, being that big, they can affect you. But they haven't seen guys that punch you straight in the mouth. When my man big Kenneth Grant and my man Mason Graham start punching these guys in the mouth and knocking them back… they haven't seen that in the Big 12. Now, they went to Tuscaloosa last year and also beat (Alabama). But you know who's not there. Xavier Worthy. Worthy ran by those guys like cones. They don't have those guys. They lost, probably their four best skilled players. But the offensive line is back, and the quarterback has been in the system for three years. So, when I look at it up front, the d-line has an advantage playing at home against that huge offensive line."

Sam Webb: "And a veteran quarterback as well who is going to take some shots. The thing that stuck out to me… and I talked about this in the post-game… there were a couple of times, Vance, where (Fresno State) found holes over the middle. It was RPO where they hit them over the middle and I thought about you immediately because you have talked a lot about Texas being a heavy RPO team. I saw that play and I was like, 'this seems like it might be something for Michigan to watch for.' If Fresno was able to find a hole like this, you wonder if that might be something that might be more concerning against a team like Texas?'

Vance Bedford: "I am concerned because Sark, I call him a gadget guy. And the Texas fans are going to be mad. They look at this and say, 'Vance, you're a Texas (alum), you can't talk about us like that.' Well, you know what? I talk about everybody the same. I don't care who you are. So, you're going to see screens early. You're going to see RPO early, and it's going to be two or three deep shots in the first 20 plays. That's what he's done for the past three or four years in Texas. So, RPO is big. Anytime you are to the side of the back, that's where the RPO occurs. Either a zone read play or a counter play. Then you either got a slant or hitch on that particular side. So, for a linebacker playing zone football, you have what is called a run pass conflict. He's getting a run read, but yet it's a pass. Well, my philosophy sitting out for the past seven and a half years as I studied football… your front has got to take care of that. To the side of the back, if you're playing zone, that linebacker has got to sit there and hold that slant or that curl area. If you do that, you are going to get a sack because it's not a true RPO, it's more a play action pass. The quarterback is not riding and taking it to the corner, he's riding it  dropping straight back.

Sam Webb: "One of our viewers said, 'Fresno seemed to find a crease behind our linebackers. Should this be a concern for us this year?" He's paying attention, Vance. This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's not like it was this glaring thing… it was only a few plays. But this is the kind of thing that a team like Texas seems like they could possibly exploit."

Vance Bedford: "You're going to see it. Be honest. That's what (Sarkisian) does. You're going to see it. They destroyed Colorado State with RPO's. They have a concussion from the amount of RPO's they got hit with. That and screens. So, I'm going to go back to this... they say he (Sarkisian) scripts his first 40 plays. I don't believe it… but in those first 20 plays you're going to see three or maybe four RPO's, and three or four screens. You're going to see that. And if that linebacker in zone coverage steps up, they're going to hit a slant for a big play because if you miss a tackle, he's going to go for six. They're not going to catch him. Or it's going to be a quick out off the RPO. And I'm going to go back to this again…in zone football, the linebacker to the side of the back should slow to roll… hold the area and be late to run fit. Let your front destroy and stop the run with your front. If you don't, there's going to be holes in there. That's going to be an entire year. And the best thing about the conference is that there's not a lot of teams that run RPOs in the Big 10, except for USC does some, Oregon does some, and Washington does some."

 

For more, watch the full video on The Michigan Insider's YouTube channel: CLICK HERE

Contents of the Video and show notes:
00:00 - Start of Show

Sam mentions film studies will be on the Autograph App which is free to download and use on both IOS and Android and belongs to Tom Brady.

Sam mentions both bye weeks will have Ohio State breakdowns.

07:20 - Vance Gives His Thoughts on Fresno State

Vance mentions Fresno's 9 to 10 game win average the past few years.

Vance says Wink showed a lot of the same formations as last year and some more man too.

11:00 - Texas offensive line vs Michigan defensive line

Vance is worried because of depth. As long as we don't wear down, we will be fine.

Sam and Vance talk about Texas being a heavy RPO team and concerns for Michigan.

15:28 - On Fresno State Finding a Crease Behind Michigan's Defense.

Vance talks about how Texas will exploit that if given the opportunity.

18:50 - Question and Answers

Vance discusses the zero blitz and says that it was one play. Both Jesse and Mike ran zero blitz. The timing wasn't wrong because Michigan was trying to get them out of field goal range. Player didn't execute

Vance says to beat Texas you have to score at least 24 points.

Vance likes the linebacker group and specifically Barham. Says they did a tremendous job.

Vance says Jyaire Hill had an excellent game and expects to see a lot of good things from him. He liked the big hit and the secondary in general.

Vance grades the defense as a B+ because of some execution and technique issues. Vance believes if we clean those things up. We can beat Texas with this same style if the offense does well enough.

Vance gives his score prediction. Vance thinks if we eliminate the big gains and get in the backfield we will win. Says based on the first game, he predicts Texas will win 27-17.

48:50 - End of Show

 

Edited September 5 by closetojumping

[The Dog 44019]

Debated where to put this but here's the prediction thread from MGoBlog: https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/michigan-v-texas-predictions

Other than some silly homer takes these seem...reasonable? They're obviously biased but I think those who are picking Michigan in their thread have plausible scenarios to a Michigan victory. Many are picking Texas. 

[Burt Macklin 19020]

I’ve seen a variety of takes on just how good Michigan’s defense is this year and how the Texas offense might attack it, but I’m going to reserve judgment until I can see what Ian Boyd has to say about this matchup. 

[South Austin 52448]

9 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Here's a regular segment on the Michigan defense versus the upcoming opponent's offense with Vance Bedford from The Michigan Insider. I've spoilered it due to length, but here are a few items that are helpful in reminding me, at least, why Vance Bedford is no longer getting coaching gigs:

-Texas no longer has speed at WR.

[TrashMaster G 17543]

12 minutes ago, Pancho said:

Since this isn’t a neutral site, the officials should be SEC refs. When Michigan comes to Austin in 2027, it should be Big10 refs. (If for some reason we do end up with a Big 10 crew, then we will have an SEC crew in Austin in 2027.)

 

That’s how it’s supposed to go. 

It's supposed to go how the contract is written.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18547]

Say what you will about the Michigan writers being homers (and who isn't that covers college football), but they put out more real football content than any opponent I can remember. It's refreshing and appreciated.

And they do have a point about their DTs. We saw last year what a dominant duo up there can do to an offense. To me, that's the ballgame. Handle those two, don't turn the ball over and don't do stupid shit on special teams and get the fuck out of there with a W.

[Funk Doctor Spock 12177]

5 hours ago, immamac said:

Sark looking svelte. I need to get on the sark plan. 

Are you married? Get a divorce

 if single, get to a gym. 

$7.95 plz

[Texas Flood 1356]

8 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I’ve seen a variety of takes on just how good Michigan’s defense is this year and how the Texas offense might attack it, but I’m going to reserve judgment until I can see what Ian Boyd has to say about this matchup. 

Cruisin’ with Ian Boyd: Why Jahdae Barron Should Be the Offense’s X Factor to Attack Michigan

[alincoln 2371]

Bedford makes a great point about Michigan’s lack of depth this year on D.  It was one of their greatest strengths last season and no longer exists.  

[Native Horn 3498]

6 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Say what you will about the Michigan writers being homers (and who isn't that covers college football)

Kurt.

[closetojumping 62549]

TMI does a similar thing with the offense and Al Borges akin to the defensive side and Vance Bedford. Not much Texas talk, but a good examination of the Fresno game.

-Borges cautions about the need for time together in real games before you can truly expect an OL to gel. The Michigan guys are all sort of desperately hoping that there is an enormous jump in OL performance between week one and week two, which Borges doesn't buy.

-Borges reinforces their hope that the playbook was held back. He calls it "vanilla Michigan" and then says the lack of a reverse or flea flicker indicates this. They're so myopic in their worldview that they all seem oblivious to the notion that vanilla Michigan is Michigan. No one is sandbagging an offense due to not running a single reverse or gadget play. That's idiotic. They ran their running plays out of various formations, but those are the Michigan running plays. 

-A lot of the mistakes can be corrected because "they were technique errors", so, you know, just get that technique right in 7 days after spending all offseason working on such matters. 

-Borges graded the overall offense a C+ and that's largely because he's being paid by a Michigan site for the output. He didn't have a whole lot of conviction in that grade.

Spoiler

Sam Webb: "I think the film disproves this notion that Donovan wasn't seeing holes. I didn't get that feeling at all watching the tape. I felt like, for instance, on that punch play where he should have been one-on-one with the safety... I felt like there were some calls miscues up front."

Al Borges: "Well, there was a free corner in the hole. I did not have Donovan Edwards missing any reads. He has in the past. I'll say that. I've had a few (games) where I've said he should have run there and didn't run there, and then three plays later he ran for a touchdown… so he made up for it one way or the other. But I don't think that was really an issue with him. He is a guy that has to be involved, and he's going to be the main back for the most part, it would appear anyway. But the next thing I said… and I wrote this down too… is get him more involved in the passing game because he is a magical receiver. He's a reliable entity for the quarterback. You can throw some high percentage stuff to him, and you can throw some low percentage stuff to him. But what's been proven over the time he's been here is if he gets enough chances in the passing game, something good is going to happen."

Sam Webb: "I said this in my "three things" after the game, getting him more involved in the passing game (is important). And not just on swings and Texas routes, more vertical routes, like wheels, (also) splitting him out and sending him down the field. Plays where you're getting him vertical, giving him some shot plays, because Donovan can do that too. I think he's their most explosive offensive player."

Al Borges: "He can be a receiver. He can play receiver. He's good enough to do it. So yeah, you've got to explore everything he brings to the table, and they will. I'm sure you're going to see more of that as they play more. This was the first game and they're still getting their sea legs, but I think you're going to see schematically as they play more, you'll get a more creative look from their offense. Because they've shown they do that in the past. I don't think it's going to change any, but the only thing that changed was the players from one year to the next. So, they're still kind of getting their feet on the ground. And then hopefully as you gain confidence with your execution, you can expand your playbook."

Sam Webb: "I know one of the questions that's coming up pretty frequently here already, and I'll just kind of get it to you now. As a coordinator, Al, how much did you get the feeling watching this from a game plan perspective that Michigan was holding a lot back in this game?"

Al Borges: "I don't think they did squat. I think they just ran a base run game. I know they did, because I wrote all their stuff down. They ran their duo play, they ran their open zone, but they did not run a reverse, and they did not run a trick play. And they always seem to run a trick play, and they seem to always run a reverse. Those are two simple guidelines. But it was pretty much a standard Michigan game plan, almost right out of spring football. They ran five duo plays, they ran six open zones, that punch play you talked about, Sam, they ran three times. They ran four insert zones, they ran three split zones. They've run the tackle wrap a couple times. They dropped back past 18 times. They naked bootlegged twice. They threw two screens, two play pass shots, and they moved the pocket three times with sprints or dash type stuff. That is pretty much Michigan, but no frills. No frills. Like I said, there was no reverse. There was no gadget play or flea flicker of any kind. The misdirection was somewhat limited. I just think they wanted to keep it simple so there wasn't a lot of air, so guys could play fast. And for the most part, I think they succeeded in that. I don't believe there were a million assignment errors where guys just didn't know who to block. (The errors had to do with poor technique). There may be a couple (assignment errors) here and there, but I don't think there were a lot. So yeah, I think it was pretty close to the cuff in the first game."

Sam Webb: "I know you hate cliches like 'arm talent.' You hate that. Do you hate the cliche, if you got two quarterbacks, you have none? Sherrone gave the impression that we could be seeing more Alex Orji moving forward. Do you get the impression that if you sprinkle more two-quarterbacks in, down the line that it could be disruptive to both of them? What do you think about that notion?"

Al Borges: "I don't think so. I think they can continue to use (both). If they decide that Davis is the guy… and let's just assume that's the case because so far it has been… I think using Orji is fine. He brings something to the table, but you've got to be creative because that stuff gets tougher as the season goes on because people get a beat on what you want to do with it. They check defenses with no. 10 under center to overplay your run game. That's what happens. So, what you do with him… it can't be just runs. There's got to be something in there that explores safeties coming up or the linebackers playing too aggressively inside. You've got to have something other than just running him all the time. And then you've got to decide how much you're going to play him. And I think he played a little more than he played last year in this game. I don't know. I didn't break that down, but it seemed like he was in there a little bit more. But I don't see any problem with that. When you run into problems is when you try to play them both equally the whole season. Because now you subject yourself to one guy having a bad game, the other guy having a good game, and then the next game it flips. And before you know it, half the locker room thinks this guy should be the quarterback, the other guy thinks this guy, and you got problems. I think that could be what (some folks) are saying… 'if you got two, you got none.' I've seen that happen. I've always preferred to pick a quarterback, and then use another quarterback for situational stuff. That usually works out fine. And for the most part, most quarterbacks don't mind that. Most starting quarterbacks don't mind that. So, I don't see any problem with Sherone's approach."

Sam Webb: "I was a little surprised that they did the one play at a time thing with Alex. It seemed to contribute to that bounce pass that he threw. If there's a change, I would think it's going to be that. That they'll give him more of an opportunity to have more than one play at a time. A series type deal."

Al Borges: Here's the question. Again, the magic question is always this. If we played Orji in that game… the whole game and let him go, would we have scored more than 30 points? That's assuming the line wouldn't have blocked much better (and )they still would have gone through a lot of the same pains. But Orji might be able to create something here, create something there. I'm not saying that he would. I'm not saying that he wouldn't. I don't know. But that's the question when you're in your coaches' meetings you're saying, 'do we give Orji a start? Let him go. Let's see what he can do.' Knowing that he may miss some throws, but he'll compensate by doing something else creative and improvisational that'll help us score a touchdown that we may not have scored otherwise. I don't know. But these are always the things that dictate your fate."

For more, watch the full video on The Michigan Insider's YouTube channel: CLICK HERE.

Contents of the Video and show notes:

00:00 - Start of Show 

      Sam mentions film studies will be on the Autograph App which is free to download and use on both IOS and Android and belongs to Tom Brady.

      Sam mentions both bye weeks will have Ohio State breakdowns. 

06:10 - Al Borges recaps Fresno State and gives his broad brush 

      Al talks about the growing pains, especially from the offensive line as Michigan replaced 5 guys. 

      Al mentions a lot of issues were first game experience mistakes and technique and fundamental issues. 

      Al mentions that there weren't any explosive plays. However, watch the film study as Al and Sam explained there are some very correctable items that could have led to more explosive plays and touchdowns. 

     Al mentions dealing with loaded boxes and potentially using the pass game or more rpo. 

11:45 - Sam and Al discuss loaded boxes

      Sam mentions they left some meaty plays on the field. 

      Sam and Al say the film shows that Donovan Edwards did not miss any holes. It was more on mistakes upfront.

      Al mentions getting Donovan more involved in the passing game. 

      Al expects more creativity schematically as the season continues. 

19:10 - Sam asks Borges about holding the playbook back. 

     Borges mentioned that they held the playbook back. He says it was a very standard playbook right out of the spring game. 

     Al believes Michigan would have succeeded on most of its plays if not for assignment misses. 

21:00 - Sam asks Borges about playing two Quarterbacks

     Borges says using Orji will be fine. But you will have to be more creative if Davis is the starter and the guy. But both guys can't play evenly without potential problems. 

     Sam was surprised about 1 play at a time and the potential effect on the bad pass for Alex Orji. 

24:30 - Is the O Line just not capable of blocking loaded boxes?

      Borges said they need to play a while before that assessment can be made. 

      25:35 - Al Borges gives his grades.

      Borges says Davis managed the game very well. Graded as a C+. Tight Ends got a B+ because of blocking issues. The offensive line received a C-. Wideouts received a C. Running Backs received a B because of limited opportunities. Overall grade was a C+. 

28:25 - Time for Question and Answers

      Borges dispels the myth about Donovan not being able to run up the middle. He is a good inside runner. 

      Borges confirms the Interception was thrown late and as a result ended up short. 

      Borges confirms offensive line development takes the longest. And realistic expectations for improvement from week 1 to week 2. 

      Borges discusses points of emphasis if he were coaching up the O Line this week. 

57:36 - End of Show

 

[BrazilHorn 6586]

7 minutes ago, TrashMaster G said:

It's supposed to go how the contract is written.

As long as no fucking Big 12 crew gets anywhere near this game. 

[ClubWhatever 12120]

3 minutes ago, alincoln said:

Bedford makes a great point about Michigan’s lack of depth this year on D.  It was one of their greatest strengths last season and no longer exists.  

It's also partially wrong.  They are deep on the DL.

[Plorant 799]

Colston Loveland really pops out at you when watching Michigan.  He's really good.  What do we think we can do to contain him and not let him dominate the chains?

[closetojumping 62549]

8 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Say what you will about the Michigan writers being homers (and who isn't that covers college football), but they put out more real football content than any opponent I can remember. It's refreshing and appreciated.

And they do have a point about their DTs. We saw last year what a dominant duo up there can do to an offense. To me, that's the ballgame. Handle those two, don't turn the ball over and don't do stupid shit on special teams and get the fuck out of there with a W.

Agreed regarding content. I think the Texas sites, as a whole, are similar with the key difference between the actual quality of the content. Someone as voluminous as Brown, Boyd, Nahlin, Wells, and the Orangeblood dipshits but producing informed and provocative thoughts would be fun for us. What we mostly have is OTF and a few guys like Scipio and then all of the idiot gibberish.

One thing to remember regarding the DTs is that Grant is still a tub of goo when it comes to conditioning. He can't stay on the field all game. Graham might have to, and that isn't helpful in the second half for them, either. The guys behind those guys aren't proven and even the Michigan writers do not see them as formidable. I expect Texas to get a healthy serving of the two starting DTs for what the Michigan staff believes is Sarkisian's script run, likely the first two drives. 

[Sal 1088]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

Conner and Majors have never been good runblockers, but the same shit was said last year ahead of the Bama game. Bama will bully Texas, Texas won't be able to run the ball, Bama will dictate the game outcome by owning TOP, etc. Hell, maybe all of it is true for Michigan this time, but I doubt the Texas OL, or any unit, isn't amped up for this game and ready to get hats on hats and move the ball. 

Serious question for those who know OL: On the current roster, what group of OL is ideal for the hybrid pass and run blocking needed to run Sark’s offense? I’m mainly thinking about OG since we have a number of at least competent players there, and the 9.95ers have at times acted like Neto, Hutson, etc. could be better than DJ and Conner. Do guards who are great to elite at both run and pass blocking even exist at the college level?

[JBJ 3654]

7 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Borges reinforces their hope that the playbook was held back. He calls it "vanilla Michigan" and then says the lack of a reverse or flea flicker indicates this. They're so myopic in their worldview that they all seem oblivious to the notion that vanilla Michigan is Michigan. No one is sandbagging an offense due to not running a single reverse or gadget play. That's idiotic. They ran their running plays out of various formations, but those are the Michigan running plays. 

I watched this already (it's not worth it in spite of Borges being on the show).  But this part made me hit the replay button.  They have a different definition of vanilla than everyone else does.

[HenryJames 66037]

2 hours ago, Juicy said:

If you want some super nerdy breakdown from the Michigan perspective on Texas' offense. Alex gets really deep into the mechanics. 

https://mgoblog.com/content/fee-fi-foe-film-texas-offense-2024#read-more

If you don't want to get too deep in the weeds, here is a cheat sheet for Michigan's Defense. 

Ewers gives off major Baker Mayfield vibes in terms of a shorter QB with some mobility and a live arm

[Josef Pwag 1738]

5 minutes ago, Plorant said:

Colston Loveland really pops out at you when watching Michigan.  He's really good.  What do we think we can do to contain him and not let him dominate the chains?

This is the whole deal. We are going to stack the box and blanket Loveland with LBs & Safeties. We are going to force Michigan's disgrace of a QB room to beat us. 

Every talking head gets nervous about the 7 1/2 point spread (which isn't moving) when making their prediction. Everyone thinks Michigan can score with Texas to keep this close, but no one can articulate why they think this. Unless QE gets the yips and is firing INTs all over the place, do people really think the Michigan D can account for 2 TDs? Michigan has to get to 24 points or more to feel good about things and I don't think their one-dimensional offense can do it (since we know what is coming). 

[JBJ 3654]

6 minutes ago, Sal said:

Serious question for those who know OL: On the current roster, what group of OL is ideal for the hybrid pass and run blocking needed to run Sark’s offense? I’m mainly thinking about OG since we have a number of at least competent players there, and the 9.95ers have at times acted like Neto, Hutson, etc. could be better than DJ and Conner. Do guards who are great to elite at both run and pass blocking even exist at the college level?

They don't even really exist in the NFL.

[closetojumping 62549]

Here's a pretty good write-up about the positional match-ups from a TMI writer:

Spoiler

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan football team didn't have to wait long this fall to put its championship aspirations to the test. After easing in to the last two seasons with blowout wins over non-conference opponents, the 10th-ranked Wolverines host No. 3 Texas Saturday (Noon ET, FOX). Coming off a 12-2 season and returning their head coach, coordinators, starting quarterback and several key pieces from last season, the Longhorns look primed to make the College Football Playoff for a second season in a row.

Below, we break down what Texas brings to Saturday's matchup on offense, defense and special teams, as well as Michigan's keys to pulling off the upset in our scouting report preview.

Texas passing offense vs. Michigan passing defense

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Longhorns personnel

Quinn Ewers (QB) — 20 for 27 passing, 260 yards, three touchdowns, one interception

Isaiah Bond (WR) — 7 targets, 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown, 26 yards after the catch, one drop

Jaydon Blue (RB) — 6 targets, 3 receptions, 37 yards, 50 YAC, one drop

Matthew Golden (WR) — 4 targets, 3 receptions, 50 yards, 2 touchdowns, 28 YAC

Johntay Cook (WR) — 3 targets, 3 receptions, 56 yards, 37 YAC

Ryan Wingo (WR) — 4 targets, 4 receptions, 70 yards, 42 YAC, 1 contested catch

What Texas brings

The Longhorns were tasked with replacing their top five receiving options from last season, But thanks to an aggressive approach in the transfer portal, strong high school recruiting and a returning quarterback everyone wants to play for, Texas is truly in reload mode here.

Ewers returns after a much-improved, well-rounded 2023 season. The former No. 1 overall recruit has always had a fantastic arm, but looked more refined last year, ranking in the top 20 in passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt and most other efficiency stats. Notably, he was strong compared to his peers under pressure (11th among FBS starters in yards per attempt under pressure according to Pro Football Focus, 32nd in a clean pocket) and on throws 10-19 yards downfield (5th in passer rating on such throws, compared to 52nd on passes of 20-plus yards and 72nd on passes 0-9 yards downfield.

This story continues below.

Catching the ball this year is a host of talented wideouts, none of whom contributed much for Texas last fall but all of whom can do so Saturday. Leading the group is Bond, who had four catches for 47 yards on five targets in last year's Rose Bowl with Alabama. A projected top-50 pick in next year's NFL Draft, Bond has similar speed and inside-outside ability as Roman Wilson (10.48-second 100-meter dash in high school), and only had two drops compared to 49 receptions last year with the Crimson Tide. Bond was about 50-50 in the slot and out wide last fall at Alabama, but the 5-foot-10 receiver is expected to be mostly an outside threat in Austin.

Golden, a Houston transfer, was next in snaps last week, and is coming off a 77-reception, 1,003-yard tenure with the Cougars over two seasons that saw him rack up plenty of yards after the catch (5.9 per reception) and broken tackles. Silas Bolden (one catch for five yards last week) is an Oregon State transfer starting at slot, while former top-50 recruits Wingo and Cook give the Longhorns a lot of playmaking depth at receiver.

Blue is taking on a larger running back role than expected this fall, but showed in Saturday's win over Colorado State that he can be a threat in the passing game, too.

Additionally, Texas's offensive line is all 315 pounds or bigger, includes four starters from last season, sports projected first-round offensive tackle Kevin Banks Jr. and allowed just three quarterback pressures on 35 drop backs last weekend.

Keys for Michigan

Stay on task. What makes Steve Sarkisian stand out as a play-caller is his ability to use pre-snap motion, shifts, misdirection, play-action, RPO and other efforts at deception to create mismatches. Michigan prides itself on being among the smartest, most disciplined defenses in college football, and Saturday will be a big test for that. Michigan's linebackers, edge defenders and safeties will be challenged with eye discipline, following their assignments and properly executing any late adjustments.

Generate pressure. As noted above, Ewers was actually a solid passer under pressure last fall, but this is still a critical opportunity Michigan can't miss on. Bond, Golden and Bolden are not the same kind of speed receivers that Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell were last fall, so Ewers likely won't have the same luxury of heaving a pass where only a receiver could get it. And if there's one reason Ewers isn't a surefire top-10 draft pick right now, it's decision-making and going though his progressions.

Generating consistent pressure can also minimize Ewers' impact in the play-action game. Last year, his completion percentage dropped from 75.0 percent to 61.3 percent when not in play-action, his yards per attempt dropped from 10.0 to 7.4, and his passer rating dropped from 21st nationally to 57th.

Keep your feet in the secondary. Whether it's on screens or short and intermediate throws, Texas once again has a game that can do damage after the catch. Last week, the Longhorns recorded 257 of their 355 receiving yards after the catch, per PFF, good for more than 10 yards after the catch per reception. Texas may air it out more on Saturday, but either way, Michigan avoiding slippage, missteps or missed tackles in the secondary can reduce the impact of the Longhorns' shorter pass attempts.

Texas rushing offense vs. Michigan rushing defense

Longhorns personnel

Jaydon Blue (RB) — 11 carries, 57 yards, 44 yards after contact, seven forced missed tackles, three carries of 10-plus yards

Jerrick Gibson (RB) — 10 carries, 67 yards, 1 touchdowns, 29 YAC, two carries of 10-plus yards

Quintrevion Wisner (RB) — 5 carries, 22 yards, 1 touchdown, 13 YAC

What Texas brings

After a lengthy passing breakdown, this rushing breakdown will be shorter. Due to injuries to lead back CJ Baxter and others in the running back room, Texas entered the season thin and inexperienced at the position. In fact, the Longhorns added SMU transfer Velton Gardner on August 22 — about as late as a transfer can be added — speaking to their concern level here.

Still, Blue is a dynamic running back and a former four-star recruit. The 6-foot, 200-pound former four-star recruit can catch passes and line up in the slot, but also has legitimate speed (10.7-second 100-meter dash in high school) and shiftiness that helped him average 6.1 yards over his 65 carries last season. 

Gibson and Wisner back up Blue, and form one of the faster running back rooms Michigan will face all season.

Despite this, Texas struggled running the ball even in last week's blowout win over Colorado State. At halftime, the Longhorns had 61 rushing yards on 4.1 yards per carry. The Texas offensive line is experienced and big, but is known more for its pass-blocking than run-blocking.

Keys for Michigan

Bring the physicality early. Texas is pass-first when the game is in the balance, but relies on the run game to set up play-action and more favorable down-distance scenarios later on in drives. Additionally, this running back room seems speedier than strong. If Michigan can set a physical tone in run defense early, the Longhorns may have a hard time getting what it wants on the ground.

Be ready outside the tackles. In addition to the speedy backs listed above, the Longhorns' longest run play last week was a 25-yard end-around by Bond. As noted above, Texas wants to create mismatches and a wealth of options opponents must be on guard for. This room has the speed to do damage outside the tackles, and Michigan will need to diagnose and attack the play to avoid a major letdown.

Texas pass defense vs. Michigan passing offense

Longhorns personnel

Malik Muhammad (CB) — 3 tackles, 0 receptions allowed on 2 targets, 1 pass breakup, 0 missed tackles, 0 penalties

Jahdae Barron (CB) — 1 tackle, 0 receptions allowed on 1 target, 1 interception, 0 missed tackles, 0 penalties

Anthony Hill Jr. (LB) — 4 tackles, 1 reception allowed on 1 target, 1 yards allowed, 1 quarterback pressure, 1 missed tackle 

Barryn Sorrell (DE) — 1 tackle, 1 quarterback pressure

Vernon Broughton (DT) — 3 tackles, 1 batted pass, 2 quarterback pressures

What the Longhorns bring

Arguably the weak link of Texas's team last season, the Longhorns are hoping more experience and depth in the secondary can yield better results. Muhammad returns after an encouraging freshman season (31 tackles, one interception, one touchdown allowed, four pass breakups), and Barron is a third-year starter and fifth-year senior at the nickel spot (60 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception, two touchdowns allowed, six pass breakups last fall). Touted transfers Andrew Mukuba (42 tackles, two tackles for loss, six pass breakups at Clemson last fall) and Jay'Vion Cole (38 tackles, three interceptions, 10 pass breakups at San Jose State) help round out a secondary that was vulnerable last season.

Up front, Texas loses star defensive tackles Byron Murphy and T'Vondre Sweat, who combined for 74 tackles, 76 quarterback pressures and seven sacks last fall. But returning starting edges Sorrell and Ethan Burke (66 pressures, 9.5 sacks combined last season), bringing in UTSA transfer Trey Moore (14 sacks last season) and with some promising pass-rushing returns from first-time starter Broughton as well as veteran linebacker Hill, there's some juice here. That said, the group did not record a sack last week.

Keys for Michigan

The keys for the Wolverines in these next two sections are going to be largely internal due to last week's struggles. Michigan will play into any matchup it gets, but also simply needs to play better on its own to have a chance Saturday.

Make them blanket Loveland. It's pretty well-documented that Michigan leaned heavily on Colston Loveland last week. He had eight receptions and 87 yards on nine targets, while the rest of the team had eight receptions and 34 yards on 18 targets. Texas will likely be more equipped to cover Loveland this week, but linebacker and safety coverage was arguably a weak point last fall for the Longhorns. Not many teams at the college level have a player that can truly cover Loveland on their own all game; Michigan should try to find out if Texas is among them.

Get moving after the catch. It's hard to buy Michigan's passing game as a downfield threat after last week (1 for 6 passing on attempts 10 or more yards downfield), but if Michigan's pass-catchers can be found with room to operate, open-field tackling was a struggle spot for many of Texas's returning back-seven players. The was more of an issue in coverage at linebacker and safety, suggesting this could also be a game to get Donovan Edwards more involved in the passing game.

Avoid the big miscue. Texas picked off 16 passes last fall (including two at Alabama) and two last weekend. With the way the Longhorns' offense looks, Michigan may not be able to afford cutting its drives short and handing momentum to the Longhorns. The Wolverines will need to take their shots, but have enough other ways to move the football that they shouldn't need to be reckless — at least early on.

Texas run defense vs. Michigan rushing offense

Longhorns personnel

David Gbenda (LB) — 4 tackles, three run stops, 1.0 TFL

Hill (LB) — 5 tackles, two run stops, 1.0 TFL

Jaylon Guilbeau (S) — 8 tackles, 1 run stop

Burke (DE) — No stats last week, but 13 run stops and the team's No. 3 PFF run defense grade last season

What Texas brings

Maybe the biggest mystery of the Longhorns' team right now is how Texas will fare stopping the run with Sweat and Murphy gone. Texas has defensive tackles that it likes in Broughton and Alfred Collins, but both were known more as pass-rushing tackles last fall than run-stoppers. The Longhorns return a lot at edge and linebacker, but outside of Gbenda and Burke, no one returning was regarded highly against the run. Even Gbenda had a missed tackle rate of 15.0 percent in run defense last year.

Colorado State was unable to exploit much against Texas on the ground (118 rushing yards on 3.7 yards per carry, only two carries of more than eight yards and none more than 13). But averaging 4.75 yards per carry between the tackles, it's fair to wonder if the Longhorns are more susceptible to runs up the middle this year.

Keys for Michigan

-Try to assert up front. Though the Longhorns will likely be better against runs up the middle against Michigan, the Wolverines would be wise to try anyways. Michigan's offense has spent all fall going up against its own run defense, which could be the best and biggest in the nation. With another week to develop chemistry and timing up front, the Wolverines will have an opportunity here.

-Lower the shoulder. As noted in the above section, Texas is not the most efficient team tackling the ball-carrier. Last fall, for example, the Longhorns were 76th in PFF's tackling grade. Many of those same defenders are back. If the Wolverines' running backs can embrace their contact courage and greet would-be tacklers with force, there's extra yards to be gained here.

-Get Donovan Edwards going. This doesn't have much to do with Texas's defense, but it's hard to imagine the Wolverines winning this matchup without their team captain running back, who has stated that he shows up most in big games, delivering another signature big-game performance. His 27 yards on 11 carries last week won't cut it.

Special teams

Longhorns personnel

Bert Auburn (K) — 1 for 1 on field goals, 1 for 1 on attempts of 40-plus yards, 7 for 7 on extra points

Michael Kern (P) — 1 punt, 39 yards, 39.0 net punting average, one pin inside the 20, 3.03 seconds of hangtime 

Golden (KR) — 1 kickoff return, 28 yards

Bolden (PR) — 3 punt returns, 34 yards, long of 35

What Texas brings

One week of 2024 stats doesn't necessarily show it, but the Longhorns have solid special teams. Auburn is a great kicker, and is 51 for 62 in his career on field goals, including 19 for 26 on attempts of 40-plus yards. Only two makes of 50 yards or more does suggest his range has a limit, though. Kern is a true freshman, but was a consensus top-five punter in the 2024 class after averaging 46.3 yards per punt at powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas last fall.

In the return game, Bolden has more than 130 punt-return yards and a touchdown on just six career attempts, in addition to 1,058 kickoff return yards on 25.8 yards per attempt. Golden, meanwhile, had 321 kickoff return yards and two touchdowns on just nine attempts last season.

Keys for Michigan

No funny business on kickoffs or punts. Though Bolden and Golden were brought in mainly as wide receivers, their experience and abilities as returners will translate just fine.

Stay ready on punt returns. Kern might have a better week two, but 39 yards and three seconds of hang time is the kind of punt Michigan may want to scheme a return for.

Keep it simple on kickoff returns. On the other hand, Will Stone is one of the nation's better kickoff specialists, ranking 12th nationally in PFF grade, 15th in average field position and 20th in hang time. Barring a windy day, it seems unlikely that a return will yield better results than a fair catch.

 

[alincoln 2371]

25 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

It's also partially wrong.  They are deep on the DL.

They are? Other than Benny, none of the depth pieces have experience outside of pure garbage time and special teams and none were elite recruits.  

[Katfid54 8602]

44 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I’ve seen a variety of takes on just how good Michigan’s defense is this year and how the Texas offense might attack it, but I’m going to reserve judgment until I can see what Ian Boyd has to say about this matchup. 

[closetojumping 62549]

Just now, alincoln said:

They are? Other than Benny, none of the depth pieces have experience outside of pure garbage time and special teams and none were elite recruits.  

Benny is also recovering from a broken angle and is playing tentatively even in practice. They don't have proven DT depth.

[troph 24781]

38 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

TMI does a similar thing with the offense and Al Borges akin to the defensive side and Vance Bedford. Not much Texas talk, but a good examination of the Fresno game.

-Borges cautions about the need for time together in real games before you can truly expect an OL to gel. The Michigan guys are all sort of desperately hoping that there is an enormous jump in OL performance between week one and week two, which Borges doesn't buy.

-Borges reinforces their hope that the playbook was held back. He calls it "vanilla Michigan" and then says the lack of a reverse or flea flicker indicates this. They're so myopic in their worldview that they all seem oblivious to the notion that vanilla Michigan is Michigan. No one is sandbagging an offense due to not running a single reverse or gadget play. That's idiotic. They ran their running plays out of various formations, but those are the Michigan running plays. 

-A lot of the mistakes can be corrected because "they were technique errors", so, you know, just get that technique right in 7 days after spending all offseason working on such matters. 

-Borges graded the overall offense a C+ and that's largely because he's being paid by a Michigan site for the output. He didn't have a whole lot of conviction in that grade.

  Reveal hidden contents

Sam Webb: "I think the film disproves this notion that Donovan wasn't seeing holes. I didn't get that feeling at all watching the tape. I felt like, for instance, on that punch play where he should have been one-on-one with the safety... I felt like there were some calls miscues up front."

Al Borges: "Well, there was a free corner in the hole. I did not have Donovan Edwards missing any reads. He has in the past. I'll say that. I've had a few (games) where I've said he should have run there and didn't run there, and then three plays later he ran for a touchdown… so he made up for it one way or the other. But I don't think that was really an issue with him. He is a guy that has to be involved, and he's going to be the main back for the most part, it would appear anyway. But the next thing I said… and I wrote this down too… is get him more involved in the passing game because he is a magical receiver. He's a reliable entity for the quarterback. You can throw some high percentage stuff to him, and you can throw some low percentage stuff to him. But what's been proven over the time he's been here is if he gets enough chances in the passing game, something good is going to happen."

Sam Webb: "I said this in my "three things" after the game, getting him more involved in the passing game (is important). And not just on swings and Texas routes, more vertical routes, like wheels, (also) splitting him out and sending him down the field. Plays where you're getting him vertical, giving him some shot plays, because Donovan can do that too. I think he's their most explosive offensive player."

Al Borges: "He can be a receiver. He can play receiver. He's good enough to do it. So yeah, you've got to explore everything he brings to the table, and they will. I'm sure you're going to see more of that as they play more. This was the first game and they're still getting their sea legs, but I think you're going to see schematically as they play more, you'll get a more creative look from their offense. Because they've shown they do that in the past. I don't think it's going to change any, but the only thing that changed was the players from one year to the next. So, they're still kind of getting their feet on the ground. And then hopefully as you gain confidence with your execution, you can expand your playbook."

Sam Webb: "I know one of the questions that's coming up pretty frequently here already, and I'll just kind of get it to you now. As a coordinator, Al, how much did you get the feeling watching this from a game plan perspective that Michigan was holding a lot back in this game?"

Al Borges: "I don't think they did squat. I think they just ran a base run game. I know they did, because I wrote all their stuff down. They ran their duo play, they ran their open zone, but they did not run a reverse, and they did not run a trick play. And they always seem to run a trick play, and they seem to always run a reverse. Those are two simple guidelines. But it was pretty much a standard Michigan game plan, almost right out of spring football. They ran five duo plays, they ran six open zones, that punch play you talked about, Sam, they ran three times. They ran four insert zones, they ran three split zones. They've run the tackle wrap a couple times. They dropped back past 18 times. They naked bootlegged twice. They threw two screens, two play pass shots, and they moved the pocket three times with sprints or dash type stuff. That is pretty much Michigan, but no frills. No frills. Like I said, there was no reverse. There was no gadget play or flea flicker of any kind. The misdirection was somewhat limited. I just think they wanted to keep it simple so there wasn't a lot of air, so guys could play fast. And for the most part, I think they succeeded in that. I don't believe there were a million assignment errors where guys just didn't know who to block. (The errors had to do with poor technique). There may be a couple (assignment errors) here and there, but I don't think there were a lot. So yeah, I think it was pretty close to the cuff in the first game."

Sam Webb: "I know you hate cliches like 'arm talent.' You hate that. Do you hate the cliche, if you got two quarterbacks, you have none? Sherrone gave the impression that we could be seeing more Alex Orji moving forward. Do you get the impression that if you sprinkle more two-quarterbacks in, down the line that it could be disruptive to both of them? What do you think about that notion?"

Al Borges: "I don't think so. I think they can continue to use (both). If they decide that Davis is the guy… and let's just assume that's the case because so far it has been… I think using Orji is fine. He brings something to the table, but you've got to be creative because that stuff gets tougher as the season goes on because people get a beat on what you want to do with it. They check defenses with no. 10 under center to overplay your run game. That's what happens. So, what you do with him… it can't be just runs. There's got to be something in there that explores safeties coming up or the linebackers playing too aggressively inside. You've got to have something other than just running him all the time. And then you've got to decide how much you're going to play him. And I think he played a little more than he played last year in this game. I don't know. I didn't break that down, but it seemed like he was in there a little bit more. But I don't see any problem with that. When you run into problems is when you try to play them both equally the whole season. Because now you subject yourself to one guy having a bad game, the other guy having a good game, and then the next game it flips. And before you know it, half the locker room thinks this guy should be the quarterback, the other guy thinks this guy, and you got problems. I think that could be what (some folks) are saying… 'if you got two, you got none.' I've seen that happen. I've always preferred to pick a quarterback, and then use another quarterback for situational stuff. That usually works out fine. And for the most part, most quarterbacks don't mind that. Most starting quarterbacks don't mind that. So, I don't see any problem with Sherone's approach."

Sam Webb: "I was a little surprised that they did the one play at a time thing with Alex. It seemed to contribute to that bounce pass that he threw. If there's a change, I would think it's going to be that. That they'll give him more of an opportunity to have more than one play at a time. A series type deal."

Al Borges: Here's the question. Again, the magic question is always this. If we played Orji in that game… the whole game and let him go, would we have scored more than 30 points? That's assuming the line wouldn't have blocked much better (and )they still would have gone through a lot of the same pains. But Orji might be able to create something here, create something there. I'm not saying that he would. I'm not saying that he wouldn't. I don't know. But that's the question when you're in your coaches' meetings you're saying, 'do we give Orji a start? Let him go. Let's see what he can do.' Knowing that he may miss some throws, but he'll compensate by doing something else creative and improvisational that'll help us score a touchdown that we may not have scored otherwise. I don't know. But these are always the things that dictate your fate."

For more, watch the full video on The Michigan Insider's YouTube channel: CLICK HERE.

Contents of the Video and show notes:

00:00 - Start of Show 

      Sam mentions film studies will be on the Autograph App which is free to download and use on both IOS and Android and belongs to Tom Brady.

      Sam mentions both bye weeks will have Ohio State breakdowns. 

06:10 - Al Borges recaps Fresno State and gives his broad brush 

      Al talks about the growing pains, especially from the offensive line as Michigan replaced 5 guys. 

      Al mentions a lot of issues were first game experience mistakes and technique and fundamental issues. 

      Al mentions that there weren't any explosive plays. However, watch the film study as Al and Sam explained there are some very correctable items that could have led to more explosive plays and touchdowns. 

     Al mentions dealing with loaded boxes and potentially using the pass game or more rpo. 

11:45 - Sam and Al discuss loaded boxes

      Sam mentions they left some meaty plays on the field. 

      Sam and Al say the film shows that Donovan Edwards did not miss any holes. It was more on mistakes upfront.

      Al mentions getting Donovan more involved in the passing game. 

      Al expects more creativity schematically as the season continues. 

19:10 - Sam asks Borges about holding the playbook back. 

     Borges mentioned that they held the playbook back. He says it was a very standard playbook right out of the spring game. 

     Al believes Michigan would have succeeded on most of its plays if not for assignment misses. 

21:00 - Sam asks Borges about playing two Quarterbacks

     Borges says using Orji will be fine. But you will have to be more creative if Davis is the starter and the guy. But both guys can't play evenly without potential problems. 

     Sam was surprised about 1 play at a time and the potential effect on the bad pass for Alex Orji. 

24:30 - Is the O Line just not capable of blocking loaded boxes?

      Borges said they need to play a while before that assessment can be made. 

      25:35 - Al Borges gives his grades.

      Borges says Davis managed the game very well. Graded as a C+. Tight Ends got a B+ because of blocking issues. The offensive line received a C-. Wideouts received a C. Running Backs received a B because of limited opportunities. Overall grade was a C+. 

28:25 - Time for Question and Answers

      Borges dispels the myth about Donovan not being able to run up the middle. He is a good inside runner. 

      Borges confirms the Interception was thrown late and as a result ended up short. 

      Borges confirms offensive line development takes the longest. And realistic expectations for improvement from week 1 to week 2. 

      Borges discusses points of emphasis if he were coaching up the O Line this week. 

57:36 - End of Show

 

that's some idoitic nonsense from them if they think one week of additional practice is gonna do it. anyone who has spent even a short amount of time in athletic competition and who has also thought about their play and practice and how it interrelates will know one of the most frustrating parts of competition is taking what you can easily do in isolated drills or in the controlled environment of practice and making that happen when the lights are on and the competition is on.  It can take years for practice competency to fully show up in live competition. And this assumes the competency is already there in practice. $1000 says MI coaches are still teaching fundamentals to that new OL. They are going to improve week over week, but jesus johnny michigan fan, have you ever played a sport and do you have half a brain?

Edited September 5 by troph

[Fud 9551]

31 minutes ago, Plorant said:

Colston Loveland really pops out at you when watching Michigan.  He's really good.  What do we think we can do to contain him and not let him dominate the chains?

You treat him like he's prime Gronk and try to knock the shit out of him on early downs when he's in-line (with a DB having eyes on him flat footed before committing to the run), get into his body on early downs when he's flexed out (again with a DB with eyes on him) and attempt to disrupt his timing, and bracket him on obvious passing plays, and mix in some other stuff throughout the game to make it tougher for them to adjust to 

Over-allocate towards him while staying honest to the run, and under-allocate to their WRs 

[orange dream 1246]

My concern with Michigan's O vs. our D is if they are able to pick us apart in the shallow middle (5-15 yards downfield ) similar to what I recall from OU and UH last year.  Maybe I am not remembering correctly but it seemed like in both of those games we gave up play after play over the "shallow" middle and then couldn't tackle.  I'm hopeful their QB play doesn't allow for them to do it consistently.

[oldhorn2 430]

55 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Say what you will about the Michigan writers being homers (and who isn't that covers college football)

well.....off the top of my head , how about Kirk Bowles and FCB?

[6th Street 6390]

13 minutes ago, orange dream said:

My concern with Michigan's O vs. our D is if they are able to pick us apart in the shallow middle (5-15 yards downfield ) similar to what I recall from OU and UH last year.  Maybe I am not remembering correctly but it seemed like in both of those games we gave up play after play over the "shallow" middle and then couldn't tackle.  I'm hopeful their QB play doesn't allow for them to do it consistently.

Having flashbacks of Jerrin Thompson and Ryan Watts lost in coverage and missing tackles. Hopefully Barron and Muhammad can break up a a few 3rd down passes. 

[JBJ 3654]

35 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Stay ready on punt returns. Kern might have a better week two, but 39 yards and three seconds of hang time is the kind of punt Michigan may want to scheme a return for.

This is just lazy.

[Magus Ossis 2797]

2 hours ago, Frank Drebin said:

You don't need all that shit to get fit.  All you need to do is eat less and move more.  And don't drink calories (unless it is a protein shake you are using to replace a meal).  You will lose weight if you consume less than burn. Eating lean protein and veggies is cheaper than processed shit  (and super cheap if you meal prep in large batches and freeze individual portions).  Not to mention what you save by not drinking alcohol.

No one needs a personal trainer.  Get an app on your phone if you don't know enough about resistance training.  If you don't know how to cook, get on YouTube.  But cooking lean proteins and veggies is not rocket science.  Neither is making a decent salad. You can track your calorie deficit by logging your food and activity with any number of free apps.

I have a home gym buying used equipment I have maybe spent $1500 over the last few years.  And truthfully, I could get by with doing pushups, burpees, pull ups, and other body weight exercises. Running, jogging, walking, hiking, etc. are free.

 

2 hours ago, MotownHorn said:

All you need is a personal trainer, personal chef, unlimited grocery budget, etc.

Sorry for joining the sidetrack-- I'll post once and then leave it.  Our society is perfectly designed to fatten up humans. Those who have said you can lose weight on your own are right for the overwhelming majority of people. Focus on a few simple (yet requiring commitment) rules. If you burn more than you take in, you will lose weight. Most adults reach a point past which exercise in sufficient quantity to affect their weight is unlikely, so the focus should be largely on intake.

1. Only eat at meal time, and stop when you are full. Most people snack or graze at some point.

2. Only eat food over which you have control-- your own from home. The restaurants and food trucks, the sales people with donuts, etc all want to feed your pleasure centers rather than help you moderate your intake.

3. All carbohydrates (except dietary fiber) are sugar. Don't eat sugar if you are watching your weight. You will likely get plenty of sugar even while trying to eliminate it (some people have a medical condition like diabetes or hypoglycemia and need medical supervision on this one). Throw away the sugar in your house from the fridge and the pantry and don't replace it with more. Meat, eggs, greens, and "keto" formulations (the tortillas tend to be edible) are not sugar. Chances are that whatever else you are tempted to buy/eat is sugar or is high in sugar. Fat intake does not lead to the metabolic consequences that make weight loss hard the way that sugar does. Some bacon is OK, but throw away your sugar.

4. As stated above, do not drink calories. Milk is sugar water. Skim milk is sugar water with the delicious fat removed and the sugar retained. Fruit and fruit juice are sugar. Water, unsweetened tea, and unsweetened coffee are not sugar. Artificial sweeteners and diet sodas may increase cravings and impair your satiety signaling, so consume even them with caution.

5. Tell the people around you that you are trying to get in shape. They will be much less likely to sabotage you by inviting you to unhealthy eating and drinking opportunities, and they might even actively support you.

6. Don't go crazy, but give yourself a meal once a week without all the rules. You won't lose all your progress from one meal, and we tend to do better with occasional breaks.

[Tex Long 4382]

Meanwhile, back at the game...

SIAAAA but whose refs are we going to see?[

[Brandywine 1316]

This has probably been asked, but, If Ewers struggles will Sark go to Arch or let Quinn play through it?

[Js1 85273]

9 minutes ago, Magus Ossis said:

 

Sorry for joining the sidetrack-- I'll post once and then leave it.  Our society is perfectly designed to fatten up humans. Those who have said you can lose weight on your own are right for the overwhelming majority of people. Focus on a few simple (yet requiring commitment) rules. If you burn more than you take in, you will lose weight. Most adults reach a point past which exercise in sufficient quantity to affect their weight is unlikely, so the focus should be largely on intake.

1. Only eat at meal time, and stop when you are full. Most people snack or graze at some point.

2. Only eat food over which you have control-- your own from home. The restaurants and food trucks, the sales people with donuts, etc all want to feed your pleasure centers rather than help you moderate your intake.

3. All carbohydrates (except dietary fiber) are sugar. Don't eat sugar if you are watching your weight. You will likely get plenty of sugar even while trying to eliminate it (some people have a medical condition like diabetes or hypoglycemia and need medical supervision on this one). Throw away the sugar in your house from the fridge and the pantry and don't replace it with more. Meat, eggs, greens, and "keto" formulations (the tortillas tend to be edible) are not sugar. Chances are that whatever else you are tempted to buy/eat is sugar or is high in sugar. Fat intake does not lead to the metabolic consequences that make weight loss hard the way that sugar does. Some bacon is OK, but throw away your sugar.

4. As stated above, do not drink calories. Milk is sugar water. Skim milk is sugar water with the delicious fat removed and the sugar retained. Fruit and fruit juice are sugar. Water, unsweetened tea, and unsweetened coffee are not sugar. Artificial sweeteners and diet sodas may increase cravings and impair your satiety signaling, so consume even them with caution.

5. Tell the people around you that you are trying to get in shape. They will be much less likely to sabotage you by inviting you to unhealthy eating and drinking opportunities, and they might even actively support you.

6. Don't go crazy, but give yourself a meal once a week without all the rules. You won't lose all your progress from one meal, and we tend to do better with occasional breaks.

Take it to the fatass thread.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

12 minutes ago, Brandywine said:

This has probably been asked, but, If Ewers struggles will Sark go to Arch or let Quinn play through it?

It’s times like this when I wish I more social intelligence and could discern sarcasm from honest questions. 

But, yeah, there’s less bait in lakeside stores. 

Edited September 5 by Doc Daneeka

[Hookem2147 21193]

9 minutes ago, Brandywine said:

This has probably been asked, but, If Ewers struggles will Sark go to Arch or let Quinn play through it?

[Herbie Hancock 7344]

Take it to the fatass thread.

Please no

[Dahobbs 17522]

40 minutes ago, orange dream said:

My concern with Michigan's O vs. our D is if they are able to pick us apart in the shallow middle (5-15 yards downfield ) similar to what I recall from OU and UH last year.  Maybe I am not remembering correctly but it seemed like in both of those games we gave up play after play over the "shallow" middle and then couldn't tackle.  I'm hopeful their QB play doesn't allow for them to do it consistently.

I can't imagine being concerned about that after watching Michigan last week. They may improve, but I don't see that passing offense executing anything in the middle of the field consistently. That would be a recipe for multiple picks. Instead, Michigan will keep trying with the run game all game, even if they aren't having much success.  I think the concern is maintaining discipline on running plays and not letting Edwards break a few long runs for TDs amidst those struggles. 

[Herpa Derpa 6123]

1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

I’ve seen a variety of takes on just how good Michigan’s defense is this year and how the Texas offense might attack it, but I’m going to reserve judgment until I can see what Ian Boyd has to say about this matchup. 

He's working on it:

[TotallyLegit 3052]

8 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

I can't imagine being concerned about that after watching Michigan last week. They may improve, but I don't see that passing offense executing anything in the middle of the field consistently. That would be a recipe for multiple picks. Instead, Michigan will keep trying with the run game all game, even if they aren't having much success.  I think the concern is maintaining discipline on running plays and not letting Edwards break a few long runs for TDs amidst those struggles. 

If they dink n dunk us in the passing game, it'll be in the flats because we're playing single high with our corners off.

Edited September 5 by TotallyLegit

[TejasPedro 1857]

Lambos, Western Wear and Attorney Spokesmen, all those big money deals, vs whatever the hell this is 

[Frank Drebin 5655]

25 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

I can't imagine being concerned about that after watching Michigan last week. They may improve, but I don't see that passing offense executing anything in the middle of the field consistently. That would be a recipe for multiple picks. Instead, Michigan will keep trying with the run game all game, even if they aren't having much success.  I think the concern is maintaining discipline on running plays and not letting Edwards break a few long runs for TDs amidst those struggles. 

Just don't be +2 or 3 on turnovers.

[Burt Macklin 19020]

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

TMI does a similar thing with the offense and Al Borges akin to the defensive side and Vance Bedford. Not much Texas talk, but a good examination of the Fresno game.

-Borges cautions about the need for time together in real games before you can truly expect an OL to gel. The Michigan guys are all sort of desperately hoping that there is an enormous jump in OL performance between week one and week two, which Borges doesn't buy.

-Borges reinforces their hope that the playbook was held back. He calls it "vanilla Michigan" and then says the lack of a reverse or flea flicker indicates this. They're so myopic in their worldview that they all seem oblivious to the notion that vanilla Michigan is Michigan. No one is sandbagging an offense due to not running a single reverse or gadget play. That's idiotic. They ran their running plays out of various formations, but those are the Michigan running plays. 

-A lot of the mistakes can be corrected because "they were technique errors", so, you know, just get that technique right in 7 days after spending all offseason working on such matters. 

-Borges graded the overall offense a C+ and that's largely because he's being paid by a Michigan site for the output. He didn't have a whole lot of conviction in that grade.

  Reveal hidden contents

Sam Webb: "I think the film disproves this notion that Donovan wasn't seeing holes. I didn't get that feeling at all watching the tape. I felt like, for instance, on that punch play where he should have been one-on-one with the safety... I felt like there were some calls miscues up front."

Al Borges: "Well, there was a free corner in the hole. I did not have Donovan Edwards missing any reads. He has in the past. I'll say that. I've had a few (games) where I've said he should have run there and didn't run there, and then three plays later he ran for a touchdown… so he made up for it one way or the other. But I don't think that was really an issue with him. He is a guy that has to be involved, and he's going to be the main back for the most part, it would appear anyway. But the next thing I said… and I wrote this down too… is get him more involved in the passing game because he is a magical receiver. He's a reliable entity for the quarterback. You can throw some high percentage stuff to him, and you can throw some low percentage stuff to him. But what's been proven over the time he's been here is if he gets enough chances in the passing game, something good is going to happen."

Sam Webb: "I said this in my "three things" after the game, getting him more involved in the passing game (is important). And not just on swings and Texas routes, more vertical routes, like wheels, (also) splitting him out and sending him down the field. Plays where you're getting him vertical, giving him some shot plays, because Donovan can do that too. I think he's their most explosive offensive player."

Al Borges: "He can be a receiver. He can play receiver. He's good enough to do it. So yeah, you've got to explore everything he brings to the table, and they will. I'm sure you're going to see more of that as they play more. This was the first game and they're still getting their sea legs, but I think you're going to see schematically as they play more, you'll get a more creative look from their offense. Because they've shown they do that in the past. I don't think it's going to change any, but the only thing that changed was the players from one year to the next. So, they're still kind of getting their feet on the ground. And then hopefully as you gain confidence with your execution, you can expand your playbook."

Sam Webb: "I know one of the questions that's coming up pretty frequently here already, and I'll just kind of get it to you now. As a coordinator, Al, how much did you get the feeling watching this from a game plan perspective that Michigan was holding a lot back in this game?"

Al Borges: "I don't think they did squat. I think they just ran a base run game. I know they did, because I wrote all their stuff down. They ran their duo play, they ran their open zone, but they did not run a reverse, and they did not run a trick play. And they always seem to run a trick play, and they seem to always run a reverse. Those are two simple guidelines. But it was pretty much a standard Michigan game plan, almost right out of spring football. They ran five duo plays, they ran six open zones, that punch play you talked about, Sam, they ran three times. They ran four insert zones, they ran three split zones. They've run the tackle wrap a couple times. They dropped back past 18 times. They naked bootlegged twice. They threw two screens, two play pass shots, and they moved the pocket three times with sprints or dash type stuff. That is pretty much Michigan, but no frills. No frills. Like I said, there was no reverse. There was no gadget play or flea flicker of any kind. The misdirection was somewhat limited. I just think they wanted to keep it simple so there wasn't a lot of air, so guys could play fast. And for the most part, I think they succeeded in that. I don't believe there were a million assignment errors where guys just didn't know who to block. (The errors had to do with poor technique). There may be a couple (assignment errors) here and there, but I don't think there were a lot. So yeah, I think it was pretty close to the cuff in the first game."

Sam Webb: "I know you hate cliches like 'arm talent.' You hate that. Do you hate the cliche, if you got two quarterbacks, you have none? Sherrone gave the impression that we could be seeing more Alex Orji moving forward. Do you get the impression that if you sprinkle more two-quarterbacks in, down the line that it could be disruptive to both of them? What do you think about that notion?"

Al Borges: "I don't think so. I think they can continue to use (both). If they decide that Davis is the guy… and let's just assume that's the case because so far it has been… I think using Orji is fine. He brings something to the table, but you've got to be creative because that stuff gets tougher as the season goes on because people get a beat on what you want to do with it. They check defenses with no. 10 under center to overplay your run game. That's what happens. So, what you do with him… it can't be just runs. There's got to be something in there that explores safeties coming up or the linebackers playing too aggressively inside. You've got to have something other than just running him all the time. And then you've got to decide how much you're going to play him. And I think he played a little more than he played last year in this game. I don't know. I didn't break that down, but it seemed like he was in there a little bit more. But I don't see any problem with that. When you run into problems is when you try to play them both equally the whole season. Because now you subject yourself to one guy having a bad game, the other guy having a good game, and then the next game it flips. And before you know it, half the locker room thinks this guy should be the quarterback, the other guy thinks this guy, and you got problems. I think that could be what (some folks) are saying… 'if you got two, you got none.' I've seen that happen. I've always preferred to pick a quarterback, and then use another quarterback for situational stuff. That usually works out fine. And for the most part, most quarterbacks don't mind that. Most starting quarterbacks don't mind that. So, I don't see any problem with Sherone's approach."

Sam Webb: "I was a little surprised that they did the one play at a time thing with Alex. It seemed to contribute to that bounce pass that he threw. If there's a change, I would think it's going to be that. That they'll give him more of an opportunity to have more than one play at a time. A series type deal."

Al Borges: Here's the question. Again, the magic question is always this. If we played Orji in that game… the whole game and let him go, would we have scored more than 30 points? That's assuming the line wouldn't have blocked much better (and )they still would have gone through a lot of the same pains. But Orji might be able to create something here, create something there. I'm not saying that he would. I'm not saying that he wouldn't. I don't know. But that's the question when you're in your coaches' meetings you're saying, 'do we give Orji a start? Let him go. Let's see what he can do.' Knowing that he may miss some throws, but he'll compensate by doing something else creative and improvisational that'll help us score a touchdown that we may not have scored otherwise. I don't know. But these are always the things that dictate your fate."

For more, watch the full video on The Michigan Insider's YouTube channel: CLICK HERE.

Contents of the Video and show notes:

00:00 - Start of Show 

      Sam mentions film studies will be on the Autograph App which is free to download and use on both IOS and Android and belongs to Tom Brady.

      Sam mentions both bye weeks will have Ohio State breakdowns. 

06:10 - Al Borges recaps Fresno State and gives his broad brush 

      Al talks about the growing pains, especially from the offensive line as Michigan replaced 5 guys. 

      Al mentions a lot of issues were first game experience mistakes and technique and fundamental issues. 

      Al mentions that there weren't any explosive plays. However, watch the film study as Al and Sam explained there are some very correctable items that could have led to more explosive plays and touchdowns. 

     Al mentions dealing with loaded boxes and potentially using the pass game or more rpo. 

11:45 - Sam and Al discuss loaded boxes

      Sam mentions they left some meaty plays on the field. 

      Sam and Al say the film shows that Donovan Edwards did not miss any holes. It was more on mistakes upfront.

      Al mentions getting Donovan more involved in the passing game. 

      Al expects more creativity schematically as the season continues. 

19:10 - Sam asks Borges about holding the playbook back. 

     Borges mentioned that they held the playbook back. He says it was a very standard playbook right out of the spring game. 

     Al believes Michigan would have succeeded on most of its plays if not for assignment misses. 

21:00 - Sam asks Borges about playing two Quarterbacks

     Borges says using Orji will be fine. But you will have to be more creative if Davis is the starter and the guy. But both guys can't play evenly without potential problems. 

     Sam was surprised about 1 play at a time and the potential effect on the bad pass for Alex Orji. 

24:30 - Is the O Line just not capable of blocking loaded boxes?

      Borges said they need to play a while before that assessment can be made. 

      25:35 - Al Borges gives his grades.

      Borges says Davis managed the game very well. Graded as a C+. Tight Ends got a B+ because of blocking issues. The offensive line received a C-. Wideouts received a C. Running Backs received a B because of limited opportunities. Overall grade was a C+. 

28:25 - Time for Question and Answers

      Borges dispels the myth about Donovan not being able to run up the middle. He is a good inside runner. 

      Borges confirms the Interception was thrown late and as a result ended up short. 

      Borges confirms offensive line development takes the longest. And realistic expectations for improvement from week 1 to week 2. 

      Borges discusses points of emphasis if he were coaching up the O Line this week. 

57:36 - End of Show

 

Agree with this. Michigan did run a vanilla offense against Fresno St., but when you have a whole new OL, QBs you don’t trust and WRs who can’t get open, your whole offense is going to be vanilla. I’m sure they can run a gadget play or two and they can get creative with Orji, but since Orji is missing the throwing part of being a dual threat, Texas shouldn’t have much trouble with his creative plays.  I would expect Michigan needs to score at least 21 and probably more like 24 or 27 to win, and I just don’t see their offense being able to approach those numbers. 

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

Agreed regarding content. I think the Texas sites, as a whole, are similar with the key difference between the actual quality of the content. Someone as voluminous as Brown, Boyd, Nahlin, Wells, and the Orangeblood dipshits but producing informed and provocative thoughts would be fun for us. What we mostly have is OTF and a few guys like Scipio and then all of the idiot gibberish.

One thing to remember regarding the DTs is that Grant is still a tub of goo when it comes to conditioning. He can't stay on the field all game. Graham might have to, and that isn't helpful in the second half for them, either. The guys behind those guys aren't proven and even the Michigan writers do not see them as formidable. I expect Texas to get a healthy serving of the two starting DTs for what the Michigan staff believes is Sarkisian's script run, likely the first two drives. 

I hope Sark comes into this game understanding our traditional run game won’t work well in the first half. If he’s stubborn and tries to call too many inside runs, which get us behind the chains and cause three and outs, then I could see Michigan keeping this close into the 4th quarter. If he uses a lot of misdirections, screens, and short passes as runs early to get their DTs running laterally and and we can sustain drives in the first half, then we could get them tired early and run away with this one. 
 

Bottom line, this should be a somewhat comfortable win if Sark lives up to his billing as one of the best offensive minds in college football. 

 

 

Edited September 5 by Burt Macklin

[Foosters 17824]

1 hour ago, 6th Street said:

Having flashbacks of Jerrin Thompson and Ryan Watts lost in coverage and missing tackles. Hopefully Barron and Muhammad can break up a a few 3rd down passes. 

Not surprising. It seems most of your waking life consists of flashbacks to when bad things happened to Texas.

[Fud 9551]

If you're on On3, there's a good poster on their Michigan site who knows his stuff (MrSharkFB) if you're desperate for moar Michigan takes

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

1 minute ago, Fud said:

If you're on On3, there's a good poster on their Michigan site who knows his stuff (MrSharkFB) if you're desperate for moar Michigan takes

So post them?

[Fud 9551]

1 minute ago, BurntOrange&White said:

So post them?

No

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

1 minute ago, Fud said:

No

Well fuck you then!

[Josef Pwag 1738]

2 hours ago, orange dream said:

My concern with Michigan's O vs. our D is if they are able to pick us apart in the shallow middle (5-15 yards downfield ) similar to what I recall from OU and UH last year.  Maybe I am not remembering correctly but it seemed like in both of those games we gave up play after play over the "shallow" middle and then couldn't tackle.  I'm hopeful their QB play doesn't allow for them to do it consistently.

If you have a concern, you must believe the Michigan short passing game has some capacity to hurt us in the shallow middle. What is the foundation of this belief? The abortion we saw last Saturday?

Michigan has one QB who has barely played football (because of cancer & covid) and a running QB who would be starting if he was 50% of DJ U. No matter who starts, he will be playing behind a new o-line comprised of 5 guys who have only started last weeks games. We know they will run and use the TE. 

Just because OU and UH did something last year doesn't mean the worst QB group I can remember Texas facing (since we steamrolled OU 49-0), behind a brand new o-line, can do the same.

[kevwun 15761]

2 hours ago, Brandywine said:

This has probably been asked, but, If Ewers struggles will Sark go to Arch or let Quinn play through it?

This has probably been asked, but are you on the spectrum?