My preliminary analysis of Bama vs Michigan...

[Isaiah 63:1]

Hey all, Michigan fan here, as you probably figured out. I always like to join the forum of the team we are going to play in a bowl, just for fun. I can tell you a couple things about this game from our perspective. First, we are expecting a very close game, probably lower scoring. This might be our best team in my lifetime (59), and while you guys are a very good team, you aren't the hellbeast you were a few years ago. So, tight game. Second, the things we are most worried about are your mobile QB with a big arm and Saban having 4 weeks to prepare for us. Usually we have the coaching advantage, but not this time.

Welcome...

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I'm no expert on Mich at all but the few times I've watched them they seem to have a pretty efficient offense.

McCarthy doesn't turn the ball over a lot and he has a high Comp% while also spreading the ball around to several targets.

I've also seen him make some WOW throws at times so he does have the ability to make some difficult throws.

Their RB Corum doesn't have the eye popping numbers he did pre-injury but he is still very effective for them in the running game.

To me they do seem very UGA-like and I also expect it to be a tough low scoring game.

But I've also learned that I can't accurately predict how Bama plays this year, so I'm not predicting anything wrt to how we will play Mich....lol

 

[dWarriors88]

Can you do something similar for both team's redzone efficiency?

 

[dWarriors88]

Hey all, Michigan fan here, as you probably figured out. I always like to join the forum of the team we are going to play in a bowl, just for fun. I can tell you a couple things about this game from our perspective. First, we are expecting a very close game, probably lower scoring. This might be our best team in my lifetime (59), and while you guys are a very good team, you aren't the hellbeast you were a few years ago. So, tight game. Second, the things we are most worried about are your mobile QB with a big arm and Saban having 4 weeks to prepare for us. Usually we have the coaching advantage, but not this time.

Georgia fans thought the same thing too.

 

[dWarriors88]

I'll never go into any game expecting anything.

Ole Miss, I expected to lose, we won.

TAM, I didn't know what to expect with Milroe on the road, we won.

LSU, never expected our D to stonewall them in the second half....we won.

Auburn, I thought the team may have turned a corner, we very nearly blew it, but we won.

Georgia, I hoped we could win, we won.

I thought we would beat the brakes off Tenn but it took a great effort to turn that around

 

[Cruloc]

I thought we would beat the brakes off Tenn but it took a great effort to turn that around

Any time I got positive, we played poorly. Any time I went into it negative, we exceeded my expectations.

So, I'm a pessimist this year....expect the worst, hope for the best. Stay in the complaint thread.

And I do hope in the off season, Milroe works on his mechanics.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

I thought we would beat the brakes off Tenn but it took a great effort to turn that around

I mean we did beat the breaks off of them.......In the second half. LOL

 

[CajunCrimson]

before this gets out of control. Can we not have a separate thread for everyone’s opinion of the game? Please add yours to this thread, and it will be a catchall. Otherwise, we end up with 10 threads, all saying the same thing.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Hey all, Michigan fan here, as you probably figured out. I always like to join the forum of the team we are going to play in a bowl, just for fun. I can tell you a couple things about this game from our perspective. First, we are expecting a very close game, probably lower scoring. This might be our best team in my lifetime (59), and while you guys are a very good team, you aren't the hellbeast you were a few years ago. So, tight game. Second, the things we are most worried about are your mobile QB with a big arm and Saban having 4 weeks to prepare for us. Usually we have the coaching advantage, but not this time.

One thing you have to understand. We have the most talent we’ve ever had on one team, ever. I do believe that Coach Saban has had to adapt to learn how to coach modern teenagers. The progression this year, has come from his adapting, previous styles, with new ones, while revisiting old ones, all in some brand new style.

expect the next game to be the best one we’ve played all year long

 

[CB4]

before this gets out of control. Can we not have a separate thread for everyone’s opinion of the game? Please add yours to this thread, and it will be a catchall. Otherwise, we end up with 10 threads, all saying the same thing.

You mean I can’t start a thread because my preliminary analysis is that Alabama is at a distinct advantage because our road uniforms look better than Michigan’s home swag? Dang, I hang already composed at least 12 paragraphs….

 

[rolltide7854]

You mean I can’t start a thread because my preliminary analysis is that Alabama is at a distinct advantage because our road uniforms look better than Michigan’s home swag? Dang, I hang already composed at least 12 paragraphs….

So no discussion of white helmets????????????

 

[sanjosecrimson]

The defensive adjustment that helped Alabama stymie Georgia in SEC Championship


I also don't know what AU was doing and why Bama failed to adjust, but hope we are as quick to fix problems in the playoffs as we were in the SECC instead of being out of position and missing tackles.

The poor tackling and bad angles you mentioned was very frustrating to watch. Our MLBs were out of position as well. Thorne should not have been that successful on his two QB draws.

 

[Amaizing Blue]

does your defense analysis factor in the sign stealing?

We lost our sign stealer early in the season, and I'm sure didn't dare replace him-even though most programs have them on the sidelines, in the booth, studying film, etc. In fact, several Big Ten teams shared information on Michigan signs last year among each other. That's all legal, of course. What our guy did was pay others to travel to games to get video. That's the entire illegal part. Is that worth a 3-game suspension for the head coach? Would they have suspended Saban for it? No, because your commish would have told Auburn-or whoever paid the PI firm like Day did-to (read our profanity policy) and handle their business internally. That's the last comment I'll have on sign stealing, I'm really here to talk about the game!

 

[sanjosecrimson]

Understand that the entire Michigan offense centers around their ability to run the ball. Almost all of their pass plays rely on the run game to pull up the LBs and safeties in run support. Stop the run and you force their QB to make plays down the field in the passing game, and he is not that type of QB.

Michigan wins by dinking and dunking their way down the field. A negative yardage play most often is a drive killer for them.

So, stop the run and you win. But they are built to run the ball, so it will be harder than you realize. They have a very experienced offensive line and they don't make many mistakes. You are going to have to our physical them at the LOS, and this group takes pride in winning those ugly battles.

I love your breakdown, it just gives our defense more motivation against an experienced oline who likes to bully opponents. Georgia had one of the best oline too, looked what happened there.

 

[Amaizing Blue]

Understand that the entire Michigan offense centers around their ability to run the ball. Almost all of their pass plays rely on the run game to pull up the LBs and safeties in run support. Stop the run and you force their QB to make plays down the field in the passing game, and he is not that type of QB.

Michigan wins by dinking and dunking their way down the field. A negative yardage play most often is a drive killer for them.

So, stop the run and you win. But they are built to run the ball, so it will be harder than you realize. They have a very experienced offensive line and they don't make many mistakes. You are going to have to our physical them at the LOS, and this group takes pride in winning those ugly battles.

Big Tide, you are mostly right. Our passing game is more dynamic this year than last, but our running game has dropped off. I'm hoping that Harbaugh and Moore can fix the OL in the 4 weeks they have, but Zak Zinter was by far our best run blocker-and he's out for the season with a broken leg. McCarthy makes some amazing throws, but he will throw it when he shouldn't at times, and I'm afraid that will bite us against you guys.

 

[KrAzY3]

McCarthy doesn't turn the ball over a lot and he has a high Comp% while also spreading the ball around to several targets.

Someone pointed it out elsewhere, but there's still this weird thing going on with McCarthy.

He's only accounted for one touchdown in his past 5 games. That's JPW type of numbers, and what ever you attribute it to, you have to be a bit concerned about Michigan's approach. Because, if they suddenly find him needing to do more, I'm not sure how easy that switch will be to flip back on.

 

[B1GTide]

Someone pointed it out elsewhere, but there's still this weird thing going on with McCarthy.

He's only accounted for one touchdown in his past 5 games. That's JPW type of numbers, and what ever you attribute it to, you have to be a bit concerned about Michigan's approach. Because, if they suddenly find him needing to do more, I'm not sure how easy that switch will be to flip back on.

He didn't need to pass in the red zone because they could run it in. Even against us.

 

[bamacon]

Big Tide, you are mostly right. Our passing game is more dynamic this year than last, but our running game has dropped off. I'm hoping that Harbaugh and Moore can fix the OL in the 4 weeks they have, but Zak Zinter was by far our best run blocker-and he's out for the season with a broken leg. McCarthy makes some amazing throws, but he will throw it when he shouldn't at times, and I'm afraid that will bite us against you guys.

It will. We have three DBs that will play on Sunday. And one of those comes off the bench.
Should have had FOUR INTS against UGA….4

 

[92tide]

We lost our sign stealer early in the season, and I'm sure didn't dare replace him-even though most programs have them on the sidelines, in the booth, studying film, etc. In fact, several Big Ten teams shared information on Michigan signs last year among each other. That's all legal, of course. What our guy did was pay others to travel to games to get video. That's the entire illegal part. Is that worth a 3-game suspension for the head coach? Would they have suspended Saban for it? No, because your commish would have told Auburn-or whoever paid the PI firm like Day did-to STFU and handle their business internally. That's the last comment I'll have on sign stealing, I'm really here to talk about the game!

welcome. just fyi, the blue is a sarcasm font.

 

[cbi1972]

He didn't need to pass in the red zone because they could run it in. Even against us.

This is what concerns me most, that Bama, having moved away from the ball control murderball offense that exhausts and demoralizes defenses, in favor of an offense that depends on chunk yards that shorten possessions, is vulnerable to the murderball. I was glad to see the running game work against Georgia, but I'm concerned that our O getting behind the chains against a good running defense can end up wearing out our D. I'm hoping to not fall behind, and keep the pressure on Michigan. I'm relieved to not have to worry about a gamebreaker at QB, so as long as we don't allow whatever Auburn did to happen again, I think we'll be ok.