Sep 22 | Michigan

[Black Irish]

I think the difference this year will be FOCUS. This team is getting more intense looking every game. I believe that they will come into this game with a fire that will sustain them through 4 quarters of hard fought football.

 

[irishfanjho15]

It's ESPN's way of saying, "We'll get ratings from your misery".

Watched ND/UM 1982 Tuesday on ESPN Classic. First night game ever at ND.

 

[ACamp1900]

Bama's O line is made of a bunch of future NFL all-pros and their scheme/style is much different... I don't think any team on Michigan's schedule can compare their run game to Bama's in all honesty

 

[irishfanjho15]

Espn Classic is playing a fourpack of ND/Michigan games on friday starting at 11 am eastern.

games include '91, '86, '99, '11.

Wish they'd play '87, '88, '89, and '90.

 

[ACamp1900]

Was it the 98 game where ND just stormed them in teh second half??? If so I would love to see that one again.

 

[irishfanjho15]

Was it the 98 game where ND just stormed them in teh second half??? If so I would love to see that one again.

Yes and they were the defending National Champs (well, kind of).

 

[Buster Bluth]

Did you mean Notre Dame here? I was under the impression that they weren't going to be able to run on us? (Except Denard's scrambling)

Yeah, my bad.

MISTAKE!!!!! MISTAKE!!!!! MISTAKE!!!!!

Have a nice day Buckeye.

You f*cking contrarian.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

After the banner
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[BobD]

I wouldn't mind if we were up 37-10 with the ball and 15 seconds left on the clock in the 4th. ....go into a victory formation like we're gonna down the ball, but instead sneak someone around the outside and toss them the ball to score another TD, then have Kelly give Hoke the big Harbaugh back slap after the handshake.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

My prediction after all of this?

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All you need to know. BROLIC. Who's got it?

 

[TheTeam16]

It wasn't good against Navy and Purdue, but it was massively improved last week against the Spartans. Russell, Jackson and Shumate were taking heads off on the edges. Michigan shouldn't have scored more than 20 last year, and this year's ND defense is miles ahead of last year's squad. My only concern is Kelly utilizing the run game properly. I like that he's giving Golson a lot of opportunities, but Alabama taught everyone that if you run the ball on Michigan, they're good as f*cked. From what I saw, the gameplan to contain Denard looks legit and should work with the size and speed ND has up front. Michigan doesn't have much at WR to threat the Irish secondary. If the CB's are on it like they were last week, it's gonna be a LOOOONG night for Shoelaces and the Skunkbears. ND 31 Michigan 14

I say this with all affection...if you think you can run the ball on our D-Line like bama did, I feel sorry for you. The key to bamas running ability lies in their INCREDIBLE o-line and zone blocking scheme. They have some great running backs, but Barret Jones & Co. are just freakin insane. I agree you will be able to gain yards on the ground, but nothing like alabama did.

 

[The Polish Irishman]

I think Michigan has more pressure on them than ND. If they lose, they fall to 2-2. We were not expected at the beginning of the season to go 4-0. They were suppose to be a top ten team.

Interested to sees how this team responses if they fall behind.

31-27 Irish

 

[ACamp1900]

I think there is a ton of pressure on both teams... the last three years will weigh heavy if the same type of game begins to play out for th Irish... and it would be a huge statement to go 4-0... Michigan... well yeah, Polish hit on that.

I do agree with our skunkbear here, no team on Michigan's schedule will run like Bama did.

 

[nsideirish]

I say this with all affection...if you think you can run the ball on our D-Line like bama did, I feel sorry for you. The key to bamas running ability lies in their INCREDIBLE o-line and zone blocking scheme. They have some great running backs, but Barret Jones & Co. are just freakin insane. I agree you will be able to gain yards on the ground, but nothing like alabama did.

Bama averaged 5.5 ypc this year on you guys. We averaged 6 ypc last year on you guys. And you've lost your best DT.

Just sayin'.

 

[RuntheBall]

Gentlemen: in the interest of maintaining IE population by avoiding pre-game suicide, I say to you --- We run the ball, and then we win.

Mighty Michigan is 104Th out of 120 teams at stopping the run. They have given up 211 ypg and a 4.26 ypc. We are 23rd out of 120 teams at stopping the run. We have given up 96 ypg and a 3.04 ypc.

And I don't want to hear "but UofM played Alabama and Air Force!!". We too played an academy and one of the best rushing teams in the nation. And doubtless no one would care to rate Massachusetts greater than Purdue.

We run the Ball. We Win.

As always great points OMM.

I especially agree with the bolded grin:

But really would like to control possession in this game.

 

[TheSunIsRising]

I say this with all affection...if you think you can run the ball on our D-Line like bama did, I feel sorry for you. The key to bamas running ability lies in their INCREDIBLE o-line and zone blocking scheme. They have some great running backs, but Barret Jones & Co. are just freakin insane. I agree you will be able to gain yards on the ground, but nothing like alabama did.

Well, ND ran for a shade under 200 last year, against a better Michigan D-Line. This year ND have more speed in the backfield, although unfortunately miss the power of Jonas Gray. They also have a QB that can run if need be. The ND OLine is probably about similar overall: Golic is a step down from Trevor Robinson, but Z Martin, Cave, and Watt have 1 full year of playing together; Lombard is worst case on par with Dever at this point. Unless ND is behind very early, or unless Mattison decides to stack the box and challenge Golson, I'd be surprised if ND isn't at or above 200yds for the game again this year. If they are, they will be within spitting distance of the 230yds that Bama put up rushing.

 

[Old Man Mike]

To the Michigan fan who thinks that we will not be able to run against them: our line does not have to look like Alabama; Kelly's scheme spreads and sweeps and misdirections and gashes. The lines block very differently. The only way to stop Notre Dame from running is to load the box. Both Hope and DAntonio knew that. Hoke is not stupid, he knows it too. So he has his choice: load the box with lesser defensive linemen at the point of attack than Purdue or MSU can position, or attempt to survive on speed somehow.

I'm betting that Hoke will try to overload most of the time to stop the run [because, again, he is not stupid]. And that will mean a depleted D-Backfield trying to stop the Kelly spread passing game without the benefit of Purdue's or MSU's pass rush. That won't work, so it will be the "compromise" of Mattison trying to outguess Kelly play-to-play with disguised trickery. Kelly's offense, when run properly, is fairly invulnerable to trickery as it employs simple area patterned pass routes with fairly clear keys. Hoke/Mattison will hope that Golson cannot yet run it. But even then, Mattison will call a pass-stop defense occasionally and Kelly will run it. When that happens [Alabama line or not] the Red Sea will open, and whether it's Wood, Riddick, or GAIII, it's a bunch of yards.

There is no sense trying to argue one way or another about Alabama this or Alabama that. The scheme is so different, and so dangerous when properly run, it is far more IMMEDIATELY threatening than Bama's "here we are try to stop us" brute force way of playing. If anyone wanted to say: well you guys are no Oregon, maybe I'd listen to that. Wouldn't be surprised to see Oregon drop 50+ on Michigan though anyway --- so one could be a shadow Oregon and still score 35.

We have to play the game. Insulting our O-Line by saying that they're no Alabama, is both a football-ignorant irrelevancy and, well, an insult. But it DOES fire ME up... maybe we can post such stuff for the locker-room bulletin board material: hey Cave, Watt, Martin --- you're chumps! You can't block anyone on Michigan.

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

OMM for president.

 

[NDinFL]

OMM for president.

He's got my vote

 

[BobD]

OMM for president.

I like OMM. I wouldn't wish that on him.

 

[irishff1014]

To the Michigan fan who thinks that we will not be able to run against them: our line does not have to look like Alabama; Kelly's scheme spreads and sweeps and misdirections and gashes. The lines block very differently. The only way to stop Notre Dame from running is to load the box. Both Hope and DAntonio knew that. Hoke is not stupid, he knows it too. So he has his choice: load the box with lesser defensive linemen at the point of attack than Purdue or MSU can position, or attempt to survive on speed somehow.

I'm betting that Hoke will try to overload most of the time to stop the run [because, again, he is not stupid]. And that will mean a depleted D-Backfield trying to stop the Kelly spread passing game without the benefit of Purdue's or MSU's pass rush. That won't work, so it will be the "compromise" of Mattison trying to outguess Kelly play-to-play with disguised trickery. Kelly's offense, when run properly, is fairly invulnerable to trickery as it employs simple area patterned pass routes with fairly clear keys. Hoke/Mattison will hope that Golson cannot yet run it. But even then, Mattison will call a pass-stop defense occasionally and Kelly will run it. When that happens [Alabama line or not] the Red Sea will open, and whether it's Wood, Riddick, or GAIII, it's a bunch of yards.

There is no sense trying to argue one way or another about Alabama this or Alabama that. The scheme is so different, and so dangerous when properly run, it is far more IMMEDIATELY threatening than Bama's "here we are try to stop us" brute force way of playing. If anyone wanted to say: well you guys are no Oregon, maybe I'd listen to that. Wouldn't be surprised to see Oregon drop 50+ on Michigan though anyway --- so one could be a shadow Oregon and still score 35.

We have to play the game. Insulting our O-Line by saying that they're no Alabama, is both a football-ignorant irrelevancy and, well, an insult. But it DOES fire ME up... maybe we can post such stuff for the locker-room bulletin board material: hey Cave, Watt, Martin --- you're chumps! You can't block anyone on Michigan.

I always like to hear what OMM has to say.

 

[In Lou I Trust]

OMM - you and dshans should host an internet talk show about Irish football.

 

[NDinFL]

While dshans corrects the callers pronunciation and grammar

 

[North Buffalo Irish]

Bama's O line is made of a bunch of future NFL all-pros and their scheme/style is much different... I don't think any team on Michigan's schedule can compare their run game to Bama's in all honesty

Then Western Kentucky's D-Line is made up of a bunch of future NFL Hall of Famers.

 

[Crimson streak]

Bama's running style is way different than ND's. bama is the line it up smash mouth football where ND spreads you out and runs. I would also argue ND has the better running back. Nothing against lacy because he's a good back but cierre is better and should get the majority of the snaps this week.

 

[BGIF]

Then Western Kentucky's D-Line is made up of a bunch of future NFL Hall of Famers.

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

 

[ulukinatme]

To the Michigan fan who thinks that we will not be able to run against them: our line does not have to look like Alabama; Kelly's scheme spreads and sweeps and misdirections and gashes. The lines block very differently. The only way to stop Notre Dame from running is to load the box. Both Hope and DAntonio knew that. Hoke is not stupid, he knows it too. So he has his choice: load the box with lesser defensive linemen at the point of attack than Purdue or MSU can position, or attempt to survive on speed somehow.

I'm betting that Hoke will try to overload most of the time to stop the run [because, again, he is not stupid]. And that will mean a depleted D-Backfield trying to stop the Kelly spread passing game without the benefit of Purdue's or MSU's pass rush. That won't work, so it will be the "compromise" of Mattison trying to outguess Kelly play-to-play with disguised trickery. Kelly's offense, when run properly, is fairly invulnerable to trickery as it employs simple area patterned pass routes with fairly clear keys. Hoke/Mattison will hope that Golson cannot yet run it. But even then, Mattison will call a pass-stop defense occasionally and Kelly will run it. When that happens [Alabama line or not] the Red Sea will open, and whether it's Wood, Riddick, or GAIII, it's a bunch of yards.

There is no sense trying to argue one way or another about Alabama this or Alabama that. The scheme is so different, and so dangerous when properly run, it is far more IMMEDIATELY threatening than Bama's "here we are try to stop us" brute force way of playing. If anyone wanted to say: well you guys are no Oregon, maybe I'd listen to that. Wouldn't be surprised to see Oregon drop 50+ on Michigan though anyway --- so one could be a shadow Oregon and still score 35.

We have to play the game. Insulting our O-Line by saying that they're no Alabama, is both a football-ignorant irrelevancy and, well, an insult. But it DOES fire ME up... maybe we can post such stuff for the locker-room bulletin board material: hey Cave, Watt, Martin --- you're chumps! You can't block anyone on Michigan.

Awesome

 

[rocket66]

Bama averaged 5.5 ypc this year on you guys. We averaged 6 ypc last year on you guys. And you've lost your best DT.

Just sayin'.

Lol, this. And this was without any threat of a qb running at all. This year's offense is MUCH more dangerous to defend.

 

[georgia irish]

I think we can beat Alabama,and we should be able to man handle Michigan.

 

[FLDomer]

I think we can beat Alabama,and we should be able to man handle Michigan.

you forgot your italics