M for Mediocre

Through eleven games this season it is pretty clear that Michigan is a mediocre football team.  I have wanted to be optimistic and have gone into every game hopeful that the Wolverines would have a chance to pull it out.  However, after witnessing what Wisconsin did to Michigan today I can’t with any good faith predict Michigan even making the game interesting in Columbus next weekend against the Buckeyes.

Here are just a few things that frustrated me today:

1.     First-Half Offense

This was yet another weekend where the Michigan offense failed to do anything in the first half against a quality opponent.  If you look at Michigan’s games against their “marquee” opponents this year here are your halftime scores:

Wisconsin: 24-0

Penn State: 28-10

Michigan State: 17-10

Iowa: 21-7

I am beginning to become seriously concerned that Michigan’s offensive outputs against quality opponents have been more skewed by being in comeback mode than I originally suspected.  Wisconsin clearly changed their defensive strategy once they were comfortable ahead by 24 and appeared content to give Michigan 10-15 yard chunks of yardage and let the clock keep rolling.  In each one of the games listed above, the staff made great adjustments to get things rolling in the second half but at what point do you start to question what is happening Sunday through Friday that leaves the offense so woefully unprepared in the first half.   Extremely conservative play calling has definitely played a factor in the slower starts to the first half.  The one play where Michigan was not conservative was a poor throw away from turning into a touchdown.  Michigan, after seeing the clear advantage Stonum had on that play, should not have waited until the second half to go back to the vertical passing game.  Rodriguez is going to have to be aggressive with his early game plan against Ohio State or Michigan fans will be booking their plane tickets to Tempe and the Insight bowl by halftime.

2.     Run Defense

The Michigan football team should not be this bad defending the run.  Make all the excuses about youth and inexperience in the secondary but the defensive line and linebackers collectively have enough experience that no unit should ever be able to roll over them like that.  Wisconsin didn’t even have to pretend to want to throw the ball in the second half, as they were able to get whatever they wanted running between the tackles.  The Badgers actually ran the ball 31 straight times to close out the game.  Unbelievable.

The “Front 6” in the 3-3-5 included the following players today:

            WDE: Craig Roh – Sophomore (2 year starter)

            NT: Mike Martin – Junior

            SDE: Ryan Van Bergen – Redshirt Junior

            OLB: Jonas Mouton – Senior

            MLB: Kenny Demens – Redshirt Sophomore

            OLB: Obi Ezeh – Senior

In my eyes there is no way that you can rationalize that group of players not being able to stop the running attack when they know it is coming every single time.  Every one of those players listed above is in their third year with Rodriguez with the exception of Roh.  Every time Rodriguez steps to the podium I keep hearing him preach about how young we are defensively and how we need time to get bigger and stronger on that side of the ball.  I watched two players today, in Mouton and Ezeh, who despite being multiple-year starters looked completely and utterly lost multiple times during the game.  These two physically experienced players both missed multiple tackles en route to startlingly bad performances.

If this is the type of performance that we have to look forward to even once Rich Rodriguez has an “experienced” and veteran defense then Michigan fans might want to come to grips with turning into the next Notre Dame.

3.     Dropped Passes

The receivers absolutely do not make sense to me.  Roy Roundtree can make some of the best plays around but he has absolutely killed drives multiple times this season.  Did anyone else notice that a Roundtree drop today, once again, directly preceded a batted ball interception?  This exact same scenario has played out once already this season and it was just yet another case of the Michigan offense contribution to their bad luck.   When you are struggling to establish a rhythm offensively, simple execution issues are not going to do you any favors and these receivers need to come back with a renewed focus on making the easy plays in 2011.

4.     Special Teams

With the depth we have at receiver, I’m completely baffled as to why Stonum has not been the kick returner all year.  Stonum was one of the best in the Big Ten last year and after watching Gallon continually struggle it is just mind-boggling that the staff has continued to put him back there each and every Saturday.  Yes, Stonum ultimately got hurt on a return in this game, but at the end of the day he would have been a much more valuable asset to this team this year if he had been consistently providing them with good field position all year long.

Oh, about that field goal unit, ha.. ha.. ha…

It is tough to come to grips with but what we have in Ann Arbor is not a good football team and I am actually semi-amazed that they’ve found a way to win seven games this season.  Hate to be a downer but I have a ton of concerns moving forward as to how this team is truly going to get that much better going into next year where anything less than competing for the Big Ten title will be an absolute disappointment.

What are your thoughts on the Big House debacle today?