NCAA FB 2023

[mister d]

I can't imagine me ever getting tired of his name.

[DaveInSeattle]

Everytime I see Michael Penix play qb I marvel that 3 qbs are considered ahead of him for draft purposes. he throws such a damn fine ball.

I'm pretty convinced that the people who didn't vote for Penix for the heisman never actually watched him play.

This was the first time I actually sat and watched UW play, and something about Penix' throwing motion just seems "off". Maybe its because he's a lefty, but it seems like there's a hitch in his delivery or something. The guy puts it into some tight spots though, for sure.

And wow...did UW try their absolute best to give that game away. They were rolling until they tried that goofy ass trick play, which seemed to wake up Texas.

[Brontoburglar]

Everytime I see Michael Penix play qb I marvel that 3 qbs are considered ahead of him for draft purposes. he throws such a damn fine ball.

I'm pretty convinced that the people who didn't vote for Penix for the heisman never actually watched him play.

well actually

[Brontoburglar]

the rationale for Daniels over Penix was pretty simple: JD led the nation in Y/A, YPC, and was the only QB to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards. he led Y/A by a full yard and YPC by over a half yard. He also had a pass efficiency rating 20 points higher than Bo Nix, the man who just set the single-season record for completion percentage

Penix meanwhile, finished the regular season with negative rushing yards and averaged 2.5 yards fewer per attempt. With both players throwing to NFL-caliber receivers (Nabers and Thomas for Daniels, Odunze, Polk and McMillan for Penix), Daniels rushing gave him a deserved edge.

[HaulCitgo]

In control for sure. I agree the motion is hitched and arm isnt a plus. But he sees it. I also like the legs and escape. Wouldnt say he looked for runs but what I saw seemed decisive. Some are saying hes broken and all that sliding makes me agree and he agrees too if that ability has negative running yards on the year.

[tennbengal]

[Nonlinear FC]

Mich/Alabama has been a fantastic game so far (posted just into start of second half with Mich up 13-10)

That was almost a safety to end the game!

helluva job by the UM player to get on that after the muff and not fumble on the hit. OT now.

It's too late in the cycle for me to ramble on about this game, but I'll have a few points to make tomorrow while I'm pretending to work.

Preview: Michigan's MVP was Alabama's center. Wowsers.

[Nonlinear FC]

One quick nugget: The MI team wasn't at the Michigan hotel after the game to celebrate because they immediately got on their plane and flew back after the game. They took the stance that if they won that game, they wanted to hit the ground running on Tuesday with a relatively short turnaround to game plan for whoever won the Sugar.

[Nonlinear FC]

So, just a few thoughts:

* - The Rose Bowl is absolutely incredible, just from a visual and aesthetic perspective. I know I'm not breaking any news here, but I've been fascinated with the venue since I was a little kid... To step into that bowl was stupefying.

* - As I mentioned above, Alabama's inability to get the snap back to the QB in crucial moments was one of the key differences in that game, including the final snap where Milroe seemed to kind of panic and plow straight forward when he could've slipped out to the left (I think? maybe right) and had much better odds. I watched the game over the next day and it was pretty clear he had a blocker and then a 1v1 match-up if he took the edge instead of plowing forward.

There was also the botched snap that put them at something like 2 and 25 on what looked like a promising drive. There were others, but those 2 in particular stood out. (Oh, and I think I read last night that dude is in the transfer portal... good move. I'm sure he's not enjoying campus life in Tuscaloosa at the moment.)

* - MI fans have become rather complacent when it comes to our special teams. At a minimum, you could count on fair catches, made FGs and booming punts. What we saw on Monday was a game that very easily could've been lost by special teams and I can tell you, the reaction in the stands was utter shock. Putting your faith in a FR punt returner on that stage is ballsy... It almost cost the game. Even the steady eddy guy (Thaw) that they put back there at the end almost produced the most MI nightmare way to lose of all time.

And MI's punter has been incredible all year. He pretty much won the MD game, for example. I hope he sorts it out.

* The Corum run in OT is something we haven't seen all year and it was one of the best runs of his career. The way he cut out of the tackle and into a new gap was stunning. And then he gets all Tasmanian Devil to get home. Incredible.

* The other play that feels like never happens in MI's favor was the tipped pass that Roman Wilson had to sky for and went from a likely INT to 1st and 5. The fact that the tip didn't disrupt the spiral meant the AL defender's angle got botched, and then the other AL defender seemed stunned by Roman's reception and ran right by it, giving Wilson enough room to get down to the 5.

* M's defense was absolutely incredible and did just enough to bottle up Milroe when it mattered. But, man, Milroe is fucking FAST. Seeing it in person... guys just grasping at air as he jetpacked all over the damn place. Frightening.

* Last thought... All in the run up you had opposing B1G coaches, SEC coaches and the media telling you MI couldn't handle Bama's elite speed, their offensive weapons were better than our former 3* defenders, etc etc and so on. And I know the MI vs. Everyone is a bit contrived and all of that... But to walk out of that game with a W is one of the most cathartic things imaginable.

[Nonlinear FC]

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that The Athletic has yet another article with anonymous coaches saying MI doesn't stand a chance against their up coming opponent. Now he line is MI can't deal with Penix and his NFL-caliber receivers. JFC.

I don't think folks understand what happened to turn things around at MI. It wasn't some bullshit sign stealing, it was the hiring of Mike McDonald and then Jesse Minter as Defensive Coordinators from the Ravens. After the COVID season, Jim turned to his brother and asked for the best and brightest on the Raven staff. His entire goal was to get someone in that could figure out OSU. John had him interview Minter and McDonald, Jim couldn't pick btwn the 2... John says "you need to pick" and he went with McDonald. Then, after Minter got experience at Vandy, he comes up north and now he's producing arguably the best defense in the country.

CJ Stroud and 3 NFL caliber receivers got boat raced last year. MI can't cover the Huskies? GTFO with that noise.

It's going to be a great game. But I'm very VERY tired of hearing about what this MI team can't do.

[Brontoburglar]

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that The Athletic has yet another article with anonymous coaches saying MI doesn't stand a chance against their up coming opponent. Now he line is MI can't deal with Penix and his NFL-caliber receivers. JFC.

what

Michigan’s bruising play along the lines and run-heavy offensive style will square off with Washington’s high-flying, pass-first attack at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday night. The Athletic spoke with 10 head coaches, coordinators and assistants who have faced either Michigan or Washington this season to gauge their thoughts on the matchup, granting them anonymity to discuss both teams candidly.

No coaches leaned toward Michigan or Washington winning big, but a majority picked Washington to win as an underdog. One coach was shocked to learn Michigan was a four-point favorite. But another assistant said Michigan may be the better team in all aspects.

“It’s hard to go against Michigan, but I just think Washington is more battle-tested, and they find a way to do it one more time,” said one head coach.

[mister d]

Now he line is MI can't deal with Penix ...

image.png (58.27 KiB) Viewed 723 times

[sancarlos]

Gawd I get tired of everybody I know from Michigan constantly playing the “nobody respects us” and “the refs and media persecute us” cards. Heard it all the time on Detroit radio, and from co-workers when I traveled to Ann Arbor on business, whether it was in regard to the Red Wings (when they were good), the Lions, and the Wolverines.

Every location does it occasionally, but nobody has it perfected like Michigan.

[Nonlinear FC]

No, no... you're right and I'm clearly from that culture. I don't buy the refs are out to get us (2018 OSU game notwithstanding), but guilty as charged on a lot of the media coverage riling me up.

(With that said, I'm not gonna go through the entire Athletic article, but there are some outrageous "takes" in there. And the Alabama preview was 10x worse.)

[mister d]

Washington is +160. So is UM like the Patriots where any time the media doesn't say the other team simply cannot win, its disrespect and Wolverines vs the World nonsense?

[Brontoburglar]

No, no... you're right and I'm clearly from that culture. I don't buy the refs are out to get us (2018 OSU game notwithstanding), but guilty as charged on a lot of the media coverage riling me up.

(With that said, I'm not gonna go through the entire Athletic article, but there are some outrageous "takes" in there. And the Alabama preview was 10x worse.)

nah, you gotta cite what you think is outrageous after posting what you did earlier

[Nonlinear FC]

Washington is +160. So is UM like the Patriots where any time the media doesn't say the other team simply cannot win, its disrespect and Wolverines vs the World nonsense?

Not for me it's not. I'm specifically reacting to The Athletic article and takes from college coaches that are tethered in "feels" as opposed to facts.

Even the quote Bronto pulled is dubious. More "battle tested"? By what metric? It's a silly comment. What vaunted defenses in the Pac12 did the Huskies face this year? On the flip side, while absolutely it is self-inflicted, what team dealt with more distractions than MI. They played 6 games without their head coach.

[Brontoburglar]

Washington is +160. So is UM like the Patriots where any time the media doesn't say the other team simply cannot win, its disrespect and Wolverines vs the World nonsense?

Not for me it's not. I'm specifically reacting to The Athletic article and takes from college coaches that are tethered in "feels" as opposed to facts.

Even the quote Bronto pulled is dubious. More "battle tested"? By what metric? It's a silly comment. What vaunted defenses in the Pac12 did the Huskies face this year? On the flip side, while absolutely it is self-inflicted, what team dealt with more distractions than MI. They played 6 games without their head coach.

Washington has won 10 straight games by 10 or fewer points. It's an AP poll-era record.

The Huskies also beat Oregon twice (9th in scoring defense, top 20 in YPP), and scored the second-most points of any team against a Utah defense that was top-20 in scoring defense. Also, defensive metrics can be skewed by conference. While the Big Ten undoubtedly has good defensive teams, it's also not a coincidence that those teams rank highly in defensive metrics because of the quality of some of the offenses in the conference.

It's two undefeated teams that have played a lot of close games recently. Suggesting that Monday night is going to be a close game or even won by the underdog isn't disrespectful to Michigan.

[Nonlinear FC]

i didn't say calling it a close game was disrespectful and even posted that's what I see happening.

Now, with that said Mr. Ombudsman... I just went back and re-read the article... You are right, nothing in there is truly outrageous. I think what i did here is: 1) read the comments and then conflated that with the article, 2) carried over my annoyance at the Alabama article.

So, there we have it, as sancarlos pointed out... need to get out of that mindset, but it's really difficult having carried that load most of life.

Carry on.

[Shirley]

As an east coaster, I'm baffled by the idea that Michigan fans have a persecution complex. I never would have guessed that. I've always seen them as football royalty and assumed that, combined with their good academic ranking, would make them more like UNC basketball fans - confident and maybe slightly dismissive of any other program. But from the descriptions above, Michigan fans sound more like NC State fans - always aggrieved and very sensitive to even the slightest perceived slight from the media.

[DaveInSeattle]

Gawd I get tired of everybody I know from Michigan constantly playing the “nobody respects us” and “the refs and media persecute us” cards. Heard it all the time on Detroit radio, and from co-workers when I traveled to Ann Arbor on business, whether it was in regard to the Red Wings (when they were good), the Lions, and the Wolverines.

But did you know that Jerome Bettis is from Detroit?

[Nonlinear FC]

The modern MI fan has seen some shit. The last NC was in 97 and even that was shared with Nebraska under circumstances that still have people hating Tennessee. UNC fans have won three titles since 97, including one in 2017 (looked it up). They have also consistently beat their archrivals and hold a commanding lead in the overall series. Up until 21, MI had a dismal record against OSU for over 15 years.

They had a number of really bad coaches, which really messed with the fan base (the post-Lloyd Carr era.) While UNC may have had a few dips, they didn't really have a patch where they looked like they'd never claw their way back to being competitive with Duke.

And, yes, you are talking about fanbase that hadn't had a "bad" season since early in the Bo years, all of a sudden losing to App State (carr era) and devolving into the RichRod - Brady Hoke years of abject failure in many years. We were complacent, arrogant and ready to take a tumble.

[mister d]

And also they cheated a lot this year.

[A_B]

Wrong thread! oopsie!

[Nonlinear FC]

And also they cheated a lot this year.

Well, wouldn't that be a similarity with UNC?

Also, pretty sure the vast majority of footage stealing Stalions did was prior to this year, cause it got called out pretty much early to mid-season. At a minimum, you can say that none of Stalions footage was used down the actually difficult part of the season.

[sancarlos]

AB has turned into an anarchist. I kind of admire how he posts anywhere, regardless of thread titles

[A_B]

AB has turned into an anarchist. I kind of admire how he posts anywhere, regardless of thread titles

Definitely fucked this one up. Look more closely on the other one though!

[sancarlos]

AB has turned into an anarchist. I kind of admire how he posts anywhere, regardless of thread titles

Definitely fucked this one up. Look more closely on the other one though!

Yeah, I got the joke.

[A_B]

AB has turned into an anarchist. I kind of admire how he posts anywhere, regardless of thread titles

Definitely fucked this one up. Look more closely on the other one though!

Yeah, I got the joke.

Coo coo coo. Where else did I fuck up then? Because I’m not surprised in the least!

[brian]

If Michigan “cheated” this year it was against the likes of UNLV and Colorado State and I’m going to go out on the limb that it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.

[HaulCitgo]

U on the road? Hope all is well. Michigan sucks and I hope u lose by 50. Couldn't help it.

[Johnnie]

Everytime I see Michael Penix play qb I marvel that 3 qbs are considered ahead of him for draft purposes. he throws such a damn fine ball.

I'm pretty convinced that the people who didn't vote for Penix for the heisman never actually watched him play.

This was the first time I actually sat and watched UW play, and something about Penix' throwing motion just seems "off". Maybe its because he's a lefty, but it seems like there's a hitch in his delivery or something. The guy puts it into some tight spots though, for sure.

And wow...did UW try their absolute best to give that game away. They were rolling until they tried that goofy ass trick play, which seemed to wake up Texas.

Here you go:

[mister d]

I guess I’ve never seen him throw before but that’s a weird-ass motion, right? His elbow is like hip level.

[DSafetyGuy]

With the recent trend toward varied release points, etc., are his (or anyone's) mechanics less of an issue, provided they are not likely to contribute to an injury?

[HaulCitgo]

It does lead to injury. Or at least fatigue which leads to injury. Guy is going late into the season then immediately into draft prep. That motion will get tested with heavy reps.

And it closes windows by half a step when you need to semi windup. Bringing the arm down a no no unless you have huge hands and grip strength. Even then. Prototype is big 6"5' kid who holds it at the ear and throws dart style to outside bounday on a line. Penix doesnt have that in the bag so windup but a little open to me. Like his shoulders should be more parallel to target and he rotates a half beat early. Hear you on the mahomes purdy playground throws but to me that's all after you've mastered the basic mechanics. Maybe that's an unfair barometer for today's QBs.

So I'd say it matters. But you know strengths and weaknesses. Doesn't seem to need big windows and good movement in pocket and throws while sliding or stopping up but maybe that's the receivers and OL.

[Brontoburglar]

it's 2024, not 1994. the "prototype 6-5 QB" is the dodo bird

[P.D.X.]

Ivory-billed woodpecker would’ve been better for 1994

[Nonlinear FC]

I think his delivery is fucking terrifying, fwiw. His release is lightning fast and just gets the job done.

[HaulCitgo]

Was thinking about burrow. Might be that even he is no longer the optimal style. I still prefer enough movement to stay honest and top arm anticipation leadership but Daniels and Milroe bring that higher speed running than I remember seeing of QBs. Some were shifty but they were fast and looked to run

[sancarlos]

For tonight’s game, 49 players are from California, 42 from Washington, and 36 from Michigan. Then, it goes down to 13 from Illinois, then 11 from Texas.

link