Michigan State Week

  Michigan is 7-0, but they don't feel like they're 7-0. Michigan is the #6 ranked team in the country, but I wouldn't put money on them beating teams 7-25. As a Michigan fan I've been here before, under both Hoke and Harbaugh, I've heard the "we're finally back" comments from the fan base and hype from the sports media in September and early October..... Only to reach the end of October and into November and have my hopes and dreams dashed by the reality of sub-par coaches roaming our sideline and polluting our press-box. 

Hoke getting out coached by the likes of Dantonio and Urban Meyer was not very surprising, but Harbaugh was supposed to be different, he was supposed to be the prodigal son returned to the great University where as the starting Quarterback under the "legendary" (I dispute that title) Bo Schembechler he guaranteed victory over Ohio State.....and then delivered. So far he's not just 0-5 vs the Buckeyes (thanks in part to cancelling the game last year due to "Covid" saving him from 0-6), but he's also a measly 3-3 vs our in state rival and little brother Michigan State. 

And that is where we are today, the first day of Michigan State week. The last time we faced MSU they were coming off of a 38-27 loss to Rutgers, we were coming off of a 49-24 shellacking of Minnesota. Michigan was loaded with talent and a Head Coach starting off his 6th season in style. MSU was depleted with a first year head coach who was already cleaning up "for sale" signs in his front yard. MSU won, 27-24 as 20 point underdogs.....on the road. 

Mel Tucker road out of Ann Arbor, cigar in mouth and Paul Bunyan in his lap. Every Michigan fan knows that no matter the record, no matter the talent gap, MSU is coming into this game with something to prove, they're going to give us their best shot; but it wasn't just losing to MSU last year that left us scratching our heads or breaking our tv's. It was the absolute garbage game-plan that our coaching staff came up with, and even worse they're refusal to adapt or change anything as the game went on. MSU is beating our man coverage or getting cheap pass interference penalties? Nah, we're good, we'll stick with cover 0 and let Rocky Lombardo (now at Northern Illinois) throw for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. His 2020 season totals, for reference, 1090 yards, 8 TDS and 9 INTs. As for the offensive game-plan, Haskins is getting 7 yards a carry? Forget that, give him 8 carries and let's have Joe Milton be our leading ball carrier, oh yeah, and throw for 51 times. Harbaugh and co were outcoached by first year man Mel Tucker, he deserved that cigar after that game. From 1 week becoming the first MSU coach to lose to Rutgers...ever, to being the first MSU coach to beat Michigan in year 1 since a guy named Saban was roaming the sideline. 

Michigan, like last year is favored going into the match up, only by 4.5 pts this time, they have the better collection of talent, everything says that they should win this game. And yet as I sit here and type this I fully expect Michigan to lose and it has nothing to do with the players on the field and everything to do with the coaches on the sideline and in the box. Offensively this Michigan team has the best 1-2 punch I've seen since maybe Tyrone Wheatley and Tim Biakabatuka graced the Michigan backfield. And honestly that may not even be fair to Haskins and Corum. Wheatley and Biakabutuka ran for 1,927 yards and 19 touchdowns combined in '94. While Haskins and Corum have already racked up 1,331 yards and 20 touchdowns through 7 games. The defense, minus a big play here and there is tough at every level and has the best player on the field at any given time in big number 97 Aiden Hutchinson. Special Teams has been lights out, we seem to be a good team in all 3 phases.  

But something still feels off with this team. Maybe it's the predictable and sub-par play calling on offense, or the inexperience in play calling on the defensive side of the ball in first year coordinator Mike Macdonald (admitedly I think he may end up being the best coach on this staff), maybe it's the quarterback who, while a great leader and game manager, throws the deep ball like he's playing jackpot in the back yard. Or maybe it's the fact that in the last 6 seasons Harbaugh coached teams have continued to show out against the also-rans, and forget to show up in the big games. 

Michigan is 7-0 and ranked 6th in the nation, but that's after playing teams with a combined record of 27-25 and needing late game heroics, or better yet blunders from Nebraska and Rutgers (6-9 combined record) after blowing halftime leads. This team has yet to show me anything that screams contender, they're rushing attack looks dominant but that's playing against teams in the middle to back half of rushing defensive rankings. The only team they've played with a good rushing defense was against Wisconsin where they ran for a season low 112 yards and the only rushing TD came from a QB. I don't watch this team on Saturdays and think "that's the team that'll beat OSU." I sit there and wait for the other shoe to drop.

This year's Michigan team keeps telling us they're different though, and maybe they are. Maybe these players, who do play with passion and seem to have great chemistry together can overcome the coaching flaws, maybe they can keep finding ways to win. And maybe, just maybe, they can change the narrative and current history against rivals. Harbaugh was supposed to be different though, that's what people kept telling me when he was hired when I wanted anyone else but him, and it's been more of the same ol Michigan from the last 20 years. We'll find out starting this Saturday if this team really is different or if all of that talk is the equivalent to the "revenge tour" we heard from teams past. As of now I am waiting for someone to put the quarter in the Harbaugh merry-go-round. 

Zak Tillman

Michigan contributor

10/25/2021