2 Observations from the Oregon - Mich game

[Bearcat_DF]

1) I can't wait for UC to get a QB recruited by BK for the spread offense. The Oregon QB - Dixon was incredible and I had visions of how exciting the UC offense will be in the near future!!

2) I was trying to make sense of how the perceived no. 1 defense from 2006 went down hill so fast. Could it be that Michigan's D isn't really that bad, but that college football is seeing one of those significant shifts in coaching innovation/philosophies? Does anyone think that a traditional Big 10 defense can defend the new era offenses like App State and Oregon ran against Michigan? How well did Ohio State stand up against that type of offense last year in the NC game? Urban Meyer/Florida made OSU look as bad as UM looked Sat.

I am thinking there is more to the story than Michigan is a bad football team. Matter of fact, I bet U of M still plays well in the Big 10.

I'm just glad we have a coach who appears to be embracing the new innovations rather than one who is still trying to win with the old ones.

Go Cats!
DF

[jkwuc89]

Two words: speed kills

UC's defensive is very quick to the ball. Oregon State's coaches and players and the ESPN announcers all commented on how fast UC's defense was. That is why UC's defense was so effective against the Beavers.

Michigan's defense is not quick. Their young DBs are getting easily beat on simple streak patterns down the field. If you have quick WRs, you can easily get behind the Michigan DBs.

[London 'Cat]

I was trying to make sense of how the perceived no. 1 defense from 2006 went down hill so fast.

I am thinking there is more to the story than Michigan is a bad football team. Matter of fact, I bet U of M still plays well in the Big 10.

It probably has mostly to do with Michigan having lost SEVEN starters on defense. Even with those seven starters, five of whom are playing on Sunday now, Michigan got torched by Ohio State and Southern California their final two games of 2006. Michigan may play well in the Big Ten but will not win it. They will likely lose at least three times (Penn St., O$U and Wisc.) and maybe a fourth (Mich St.) in the Big Ten. The puzzling part is how awful their offense is this year with Henne, Hart, Manningham and Arrington. They should be scoring 40+ points per game and keeping their defense off the field.