This team is interesting…

[RedTillDead]

This year I wanted us to beat the teams we should and put up very competitive efforts/win one against the top teams on our schedule. These would be MI, USC, PSU; I fully expect to be 7-1 but no worse than 6-2 heading into USC.

 

[V-Doub]

Dylan played well enough to win and this is in no way an indictment of his play. However, given our Oline issues, his lack of mobility is going to cause us problems all year long. Our tackles have been exposed and he cannot penalize the rush with his legs effectively enough. Ends are going to pin their ears back on us every game.

We have to establish a running game and stick with it to give him some protection. We ran the ball with some limited success early against UM, but they went away from it. A couple of other gripes....

I'm not a fan of continuing to go back to all of the empty sets given our vulnerabilities on the line.

And please.... for love of all that is pure and holy.... do not throw another fade pass this millennium.

Edit...We are a 7 or 8 win team which is what I thought after seeing us against Cincy. The two weeks of scrimmages had me wishing for 10. I hope I'm wrong.

That’s the thing with Dylan’s lack of mobility. It’s not much of an issue if we could protect him. Like you said he played more than well enough for us to be 4-0. But his lack of mobility is greatly amplified by our shitty blocking on the edges.

 

[V-Doub]

I would HOPE that NU has SIGNIFICANTLY more money than IU for anything and everything related to football.

To me it looks like we are spending like that of a top CFP/5-10 team in terms of coaching salaries, support staff salaries, recruiting operational expenses, nutrition (might be the biggest budget in all of CFB), best facilities, and best recovery.

None of the above matters sadly IMO if our NIL isn’t top 15 or better YOY.

That’s what I’ve been saying for the last 2-3 years. Sure we can spend more on facilities, stadium upgrades, coaches, analysts, recruiting budget and player amenities. But if you’re getting out spent on talent/players, non of that other stuff means shit.

 

[V-Doub]

I think you and everyone else can save yourself some heartache if you give up on the playoffs.

This isn't a playoff team.

If we could've gotten one more season to combine Ty Rob, Nash, and Bullock with 2nd year Raiola and these receivers, they might have had a shot.

I’ve never thought of said this was a playoff team. Just throwing out an unlikely possible outcome that aligns with your Michigan winning the B1G theory.

 

[CornFed Gregger]

I’ll be shocked if a big program doesn’t throw a shit ton of money at cignetti at this point. If I was Clemson, I’d be all-in

 

[ThomOsborneMD]

That’s the thing with Dylan’s lack of mobility. It’s not much of an issue if we could protect him. Like you said he played more than well enough for us to be 4-0. But his lack of mobility is greatly amplified by our shitty blocking on the edges.

Need Satt to get in Holgos head to run screen plays over and over to slow down the rush

 

[Cash68847]

I would HOPE that NU has SIGNIFICANTLY more money than IU for anything and everything related to football.

To me it looks like we are spending like that of a top CFP/5-10 team in terms of coaching salaries, support staff salaries, recruiting operational expenses, nutrition (might be the biggest budget in all of CFB), best facilities, and best recovery.

None of the above matters sadly IMO if our NIL isn’t top 15 or better YOY.

I thought IU was doing pretty good NIL wise for football.

 

[Flabio]

I would HOPE that NU has SIGNIFICANTLY more money than IU for anything and everything related to football.

To me it looks like we are spending like that of a top CFP/5-10 team in terms of coaching salaries, support staff salaries, recruiting operational expenses, nutrition (might be the biggest budget in all of CFB), best facilities, and best recovery.

None of the above matters sadly IMO if our NIL isn’t top 15 or better YOY.

Post of the day

 

[Carm]

That’s the thing with Dylan’s lack of mobility. It’s not much of an issue if we could protect him. Like you said he played more than well enough for us to be 4-0. But his lack of mobility is greatly amplified by our shitty blocking on the edges.

Mobility wouldn't have helped much yesterday. The OTs ceded ground which allowed Michigan to collapse the pocket from multiple sides. There was nowhere to run.

 

[djw004]

good points.

what haunts me is those 2 first drives. we go up 2 scores and it couldve forced meatshitgan to play into our strength.. huge if.. but let me cope.

Underwood cannot yet carry the load himself. We’d have seen a completely different game in your scenario for SURE

 

[Quint]

No. Just don't understand why it wasn't fixed in the portal

It’s not that simple.

I also think Rhule thought Juedy and RVP would take a step neither has taken yet. Juedy had a solid game, but I’m expecting more from RVP. Development over this season will happen, but we’re still an 8-9 win team at best.

On the OL, we bring in two portal guys, one is likely our best lineman. Pritchett has been all over the board, which is why he split time last year at Alabama.

It’s not as easy to say ‘Go get a stud Nose, great DE and lights out LT and we’re good’. Everybody wants those guys. Everyone that has them, wants to keep them.

 

[Quint]

Mobility wouldn't have helped much yesterday. The OTs ceded ground which allowed Biff's Butthole Surfers to collapse the pocket from multiple sides. There was nowhere to run.

He did move…where he could, when he could, but the blocking sleds that are our tackles did him zero favors.

We’ll wait…Teddy did step on him once.

 

[Quint]

People won’t like my take…and I don’t particularly care…

There were a couple of those sacks that were on Dylan holding it long - but the majority of the issue is squarely on our line.

If Dylan has the stat line he did yesterday throughout the B1G and we win 9/10, he will be in New York at end of season for the Heisman ceremony. 75% 300 yds and 3/1 TD/INT

He looked competent until the very end against a good B1G defense. I remember how many games last year he completely shut down in the 4th/OT

There were absolutely a few of those sacks where he held on too long…hoping to make something happen.

That said, I have to wonder what the post game conversation between Dominic and Donny was like.

 

[realbp]

The mobility takes on DR are freaking ridiculous. If you've played QB at any level of football, you will understand that the QB pocket presence is a function of the O-Line and how they are being beaten.

Unfortunately Saturday, the Michigan edge rushers maintained phenomenal discipline by only staying as deep as the QB on their pass rush. By doing that you contain the QB to staying in the "pocket" because he would have to retreat backwards to get outside the pass rush which would give the edge rusher a 1-on-1 chance(he got caught a couple of times trying to do this and took sacks); edge rushers win that 90% of the time. Secondly, the interior of the line while not being drivin back like tackles were not able to move their rushers. The interior of the Michigan D-Line was able to easily collapse the pocket from the inside, thus nowhere to go.

Most of the first drive was only successful BECAUSE of Dylan being mobile and making plays off-script. Dylan's mobility is not even an issue in my opinion. Teddy, while staying in front of his defender, was essentially driven backwards immediately by his edge rusher. The edge rusher didn't have to beat him from the outside to make the spectacular play. He was able to play his techniqe perfectly, maintain outside leverage and move the Tackle into DR's lap. Gunner was...well, Gunner might have had the worst LT performance I have ever seen in my life. He was not capable of staying in front of #1 and the RB, who is one of the worst pass pro blockers from that position I've ever seen, could give him no help.

 

[MaxHuskers34]

No. Just don't understand why it wasn't fixed in the portal

They tried to fix the Oline in the portal. They nailed the interior with Rocco. I still think they got it right with Pritchett but man.... they need to let the guy stay on the field. That false start was a terrible call as the edge is definitely in his peripheral the whole time. Prozchazka needs to react and get the 5 yards.

 

[BluesBucksNHuskers]

I think it’s pretty straight forward this year.

Skill positions and DBs, we’re ready for that jump to the top tier and competing for a playoff spot. Lines and LBs we’re in tier 2/3

LBs I think will develop as the year goes and we’re fine there.

OLine and DLine we need another offseason and some portal additions.

We’re a fringe top 25 8-9 win team which is what we all expected. If we pick up some beef and talent on both lines next year I’ll expect us to cross that double digit win mark.

 

[Carm]

LBs I think will develop as the year goes and we’re fine there.


We’re a fringe top 25 8-9 win team which is what we all expected.

I'm betting that by the end of the year Merritt is the consensus best LB talent in the view of the fans

The tough thing about being a top 20-25 as a member of the B1G these days is that that means a third of the conference is better than us. Fans aren't used to that

 

[Blakejc]

They tried to fix the Oline in the portal. They nailed the interior with Rocco. I still think they got it right with Pritchett but man.... they need to let the guy stay on the field. That false start was a terrible call as the edge is definitely in his peripheral the whole time. Prozchazka needs to react and get the 5 yards.

I don’t think Pritchett is the answer and I hate that they even took him. On top of his proclivity for procedural penalties, Pritchett allowed as many pressures as anyone last year at Bama. He may have all the talent in the world, but I’m not sure why we thought he’d suddenly be this unstoppable force here. Furthermore, his arrest was for something that’s so egregious I’d have made that a non-starter. Despite all that we gave that guy 7 figures. I simply don’t understand the logic.

 

[Flabio]

I don’t think Pritchett is the answer and I hate that they even took him. On top of his proclivity for procedural penalties, Pritchett allowed as many pressures as anyone last year at Bama. He may have all the talent in the world, but I’m not sure why we thought he’d suddenly be this unstoppable force here. Furthermore, his arrest was for something that’s so egregious I’d have made that a non-starter. Despite all that we gave that guy 7 figures. I simply don’t understand the logic.

When you watch our tackles vs Michigan completely collapse and let pass rushers run around them it makes sense why they took him. They’re comically poor.

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

When you watch our tackles vs Biff's Butthole Surfers completely collapse and let pass rushers run around them it makes sense why they took him. They’re comically poor.

Yep. Just because he is huge, I'd play Pritchett at LT and just deal with his issues, move Gottula to RT and go. Just going to have to scheme around it (which sucks) but until USC or PSU you probably aren't going to deal with a crazy pass rush.