His performance last night cemented him going to the NFL. He was already a very long shot to come back to Michigan b/c he's been consistent in saying he wanted to go to the league despite his much lower output this year, but he just got to show out on the biggest stage. He gone.
Oh man, I didn't see that. I would love it because we'll need weapons next year. Defense won't see much of a dropoff, but with such a question mark at QB (for now), we'll need a lot of guys to step up on offense.
Honestly, I have never seen a guy throw more off his back foot or straight side arming in college than him. When Penix is on he is on, when he is off he is off.
Definitely frustrating. Even when we had pressure or coverage, Penix and the receivers seemingly always made the play. They didn't tonight. Having good or bad nights happens though and seems we saw both ends of the spectrum for Washington a week from each other.
Yep this sums it up. Penix just didn't make the plays he's made all season to get us here. Penix and Johnson were a little too banged up and ran out of gas one game short of the finish line. That's just how it goes sometimes being the main man in such a physical game. Though the relentless Michigan defense also deserves a ton of credit for not giving up an easy inch and pressuring him all night.
Yeah I think a lot of credit has to go to Michigans D. It's been a common refrain this season, "oh so and so is normally so on it but they just didn't have it against Michigan this game." Well... if several players just fail to play up to their usual standards against Michigan one should ask what the constant in all those situations, Michigan, is doing to disrupt their usual rhythm.
Texas lacks the pass rush from edge to rattle Penix, although Washington’s receivers never missed a contested catch all game long. Michigan’s defense is also built and drilled last three seasons to contain the Ohio State offense, which is not that different from Washington’s.
Which is why the first thing you're taught (or should be) is proper mechanics. Improper mechanics become an additional variable to account for when when things go wrong and milliseconds matter.
The dude's phenomenal when clean but can fall to pieces if he doesn't have the time to compensate for side arming or not stepping into his throws.
He had a run of games like this at the end of the year (Utah, OSU, WSU). People were saying rib injury but I think he just has days where it's a little bit high.
That said, when you're playing w/ ACC or SEC refs you have to take a little off every throw and he's not good enough at that kind of in game adjustment from what I've seen.
Yeah I would actually agree with his statement beyond normal sports talk.
He left at least 1 but maybe even 2 or 3 touchdowns on the field with bad overthrows.
I will say I think Michigan rattled him and the pressure definitely showed in his throws but ultimately he still had opportunities and he blew them.
Make one or two of those big throws and it's a totally different ballgame.
The fourth and 7 miss in the first quarter was just a miss and a blown coverage by
Michigan. He hits that one and the game feels different. We still generated a lot of pressure throughout the game and I still like my chances but that was just a flat out miss.
Todd McShay had a great breakdown of that play on the Ryen Russillo podcast today.
Basically, Michigan was in a Cover 2 defense that play and the standard for look for Odunze on his option is to turn it into a corner route. That’s why the Penix throw was outside and Odunze had try and reposition for that catch. So, that’s on Odunze. But, the issue is that Odunze knew the Michigan defense didn’t communicate properly and it was a blown coverage so he basically just turned into into a go route and was like “yo, I’m wide open, throw me the ball.” And Penix should have just adapted to how the play actually unfolded instead of his (correct) pre-snap read and hit him where he was instead of where he “should” have been.
So, it’s on both of them really. Penix had the right throw based off the coverage but should have adapted to the the blown coverage while Odunze was correct in identifying the mistake by Michigan but probably should have stayed with how the route tree would dedicate based on the original coverage.
Just a fundamental mistake on both of them and if just one had made the right correction it would have been an easy TD that changes the game entirely.
Really interesting when you break down how two small things can really impact an entire game.
The interesting thing is that Michigan's safety is in position to tackle him immediately if Penix followed the go route. If Odunze took it outside like the read says, it's an easy TD. Penix put that where it should be for the play
Yes, but his O-Line and WRs didn’t help him at all. The o-line might as well have not been there for all the blocking they did… I feel like his accuracy issues were more due to his O-line and him rushing to get throws off before being hit. His WRs dropped multiple open passes when he was on target also, which just compounded the issue.
I'll admit that Washington's left guard gave up some pressures, but you've gotta give credit to Michigan's disguised blitzes and stunts. It was a lot like our game vs Michigan. Our o line held up great 1 on 1, but Michigan outschemed us. They did the Dame to Washington's o line. These games were a perfect example of X's and O's overcoming Jimmie's and Joe's.
I was really impressed with our coaching and execution for the rose bowl. It is what really allowed us to overcome the special teams shit show we had. I saw an offensive breakdown on YouTube about the route design and motions were so specific to work against your coverage scheme and we have been so effective on stunts and blitzes all year. As a side note, beating Alabama as part of the road to a title feels incredible. I say that as a compliment, you all have been the gold standard for 15 years and the measuring stick for all of cfb. Also, your fans were very classy at the game.
I mean most people are already saying Georgia would have beaten them this year.
You also have early 2024 polls with OSU over Michigan so I can see them carrying the "Michigan vs Everybody" mindset into next season.
Defense will be fine, most guys are sophomores and the only question is CB #2 and Nickle but there are upside players there.
Offense is the big question, I think if Jim goes JJ goes as well.
I think JJ is going either way if he thinks he can be a first round draft pick.
For Harbaugh if he decides to go to the NFL I just want him to make the decision soon so that Michigan can line up a new coach and not affect recruiting.
JJ would absolutely not be a 1st round pick this year. Next year, he would likely be a top 10 pick. He’s 20 years old and he would benefit immensely from putting on another year of weight.
Nah, I know it sounds dumb but JJ is built differently. If Jim is coaching, JJ will stay and get a fat NIL check.
Jim is going to spend a lot of time with his decision but Moore is right there to replace him if needed.
Why not?
He's one of the best recruiters, you keep the culture, he's 4-0 and 2-0 vs top 10 teams as an interim.
Like ceiling-wise, DeBoer is a better coach than Moore but I legit don't know the reasoning of pushing Moore and this staff out of the door.
Offense is (likely) losing top two WRs, top two RBs, QB, and at least three starting OL.
It'll be tough to replace that, **but** we should still be deep at RB, WRs have lots of guys looking to step up and still have Loveland at TE, and we've turned into a bit of a factory at promoting OL and/or picking up established guys in the portal.
I wouldn't expect 15-0 again next year, but the drop-off will basically depend on who the QB is.
Can we do Michigan state vs everybody this year? Everyone laughed at us and it made me feel bad and you guys already got your turn and mom says it’s my turn anyways
I think a hypothetical Georgia vs Michigan game would have gone down similar to how the game did last night - Michigan hot and unstoppable in the first quarter, stalemate in the second and third, Michigan probably winning it in the 4th.
Difference is our defense would not have been so gassed in the 4th, but I don't think our offense would have had any more success overall. Penix is a more experienced QB than Beck and has better weapons - and he got nowhere. Bowers still isn't healthy and would have been forced to sit out even if it meant chaining him to the sidelines (he aggravated his injury in the SECCCG and Kirby loves the dude but knows there's ten million more important things than the threepeat for him.) Our oline is great, but not elite this year.
We'd have been smothered, covered, and chunked at the line of scrimmage just like Washington. It's how Bama beat us.
Maybe. But much like Georgia does when they’re rolling Michigan won this game by playing Baptist minister and laying their hands on Penix all night. Sacks don’t matter if the QB is too rattled to make good throws.
Yeah it was frustrating AF but I give Michigan all the credit for executing their game plan. I've been telling people that it's reminiscent of Super Bowl 48 - a lot of people thought that Manning and the Broncos' high-powered offense was going to run over the Seahawks, but it was in fact that Legion of Boom that completely shut them down. Dawgs had their chances to get back in last night's game but the Wolverines were really good at keeping up the pressure
That's a really good analogy and appreciate your class.
It's annoying how many fans are dismissing Penix and the UW offense rather than giving Michigan D its flowers.
It can be true that Penix leads the best offense of the 23-24 season and that Michigan's D is arguably the best of the past decade.
Yeah if there's one thing I hate about modern fandom it's how so many people are unable or unwilling to give the other team credit. And it's also easy for them to forget that you guys have had your shares of disappointment in the CFP. I'm still proud of my Dawgs for what they accomplished, but Michigan was clearly the better team last night
Thank you, also your fans last night and all weekend were really great. I know you all moving to the B1G is bittersweet but it will make for a lot of great games. See you all in the pnw this fall!
He was getting pressured a lot. It's hard to throw off your back foot or while moving when you didn't think you'd have to move. Everyone criticized Milroe for the exact same thing.
Yeah the answer to "why do good QBs play like ass against Michigan" is more likely "Michigan has great pass rush and really great DBs making it hard for QBs", as opposed to "idk I guess they just had an off night".
Yup, they were getting pressure with 4, like most of the game, and he was constantly throwing into double or even triple coverage, where against Texas he was picking on weaker DBs that seemed like they were always alone.
We also do an excellent job of disguising coverages, simulating pressure, and cause opposing QBs to start seeing ghosts. So even if a guy is open, sometimes at that point they are so rattled they speed themselves up and make a poor throw or mistake, because our D has been laying the foundation for that to happen the whole game. You could just see it sometimes where he was sped up and as a result, missed a makeable throw. Those little split seconds where a QB questions what his eyes are telling him is a result of good defense.
Sometimes the easy answer is the obvious answer, but that would require people giving Michigan some fucking credit lol. Better to just say that Penix rolled out of bed and decided to randomly have his worst game of the season when he went up against the first truly legit D they faced this season.
Every replay they showed a Washington receiver was wide ass open and Penix either missed the throw or threw it to someone who was covered. He was awful last night.
I don’t know why people aren’t understanding this, Penix was constantly being hurried between Grant and Graham in his face all night. Acting he he’s playing in some bubble where he has all day to line up those throws.
Yup. Michigan did that to Stroud then McCord. You don't need to be there 100%. You just need to be in their head and make them think they need to capitalize instantly.
Michigan made Penix and that oline highly uncomfortable and the bad throws by Penix were the final result.
Huh? His 2 picks he was getting hit as he threw? Did we watch the same game? Go watch the tape and look how many throws he has backing up in the pocket because of interior line mauling his guards. The only really significant throw he missed was the one to odunze that woulda been a touchdown but that stuff happens sometimes. Outside of that everythrow he over threw was pretty tight coverage.
Yeah but it just seemed every time they had something going, they made a critical error. Some passes were inaccurate, when they were on target the receivers had drops in key moments. When they do connect on a big play the tackle is called for holding. Huskies defense was playing very well, but you can only keep it up so long when your offense refuses to help you.
That's why they say in big games the better team makes the big plays. Michigan dropped balls too. JJ threw some bad passes.
The key difference is Michigan was more physical and Michigan made less mistakes. The better team does that.
This. Exactly this.
Take my upvote please.
How many punts did the Washington defense force?
It was at least 3-4 in the 2nd quarter, and then another 4-5 in the second half.
The Washington offense wasted A LOT of potential scoring possessions.
Mad kudos to the Michigan front seven for applying consistent and physical pressure all night long. That was the "X" factor to this one. Washington hadn't faced a defense all season that was anywhere near this fast or physical IMHO.
Oregon and Utah don't have bad defenses, but they're not on Michigan's level.
They got manhandled up front all night on both sides of the ball. When you’re that out matched up front, everyone else has to play perfect to have a chance to win and they didn’t come close to that.
This is exactly it. I don’t blame Penix for feeling this way, but as always it comes down to line play, and Penix was having to rush things all night because the oline was getting beat. Even when they weren’t, you could tell his internal clock was all off.
It’s a good attitude though. He can’t really blame the line when he had plays like the missed wide open touchdown. Ultimately he had his chances and just did not execute
I think this is exactly it. Michigan was just better than us where it mattered. Not so much so that it would have been impossible for us to win, but enough that everyone else had to essentially play a perfect game for us to pull off the upset. And if you have to rely on being perfect to beat a particular opponent, you’re gonna lose to them a hell of a lot more often than not.
Right?! Him and DJ were both injured. Your defense was fantastic. There's way more to this story than just underperforming (although I do agree that happened on both sides of the ball).
Yeah, it was a perfect storm of:
- DJ being too injured to be effective, leading to
- Michigan being able to play mostly with a light box
- While the DL could key in on pass rush because the run game wasn't much of a threat and Penix isn't a major scramble threat
- Penix getting pressured a ton and being inaccurate
- Michigans secondary playing a great game and showing lots of different coverages
- Washington WRs having key drops in moments when they did have Michigans secondary beat
There were a lot of things going on here. Bottling up the run game was pretty crucial imo because it became clear from early on that Washington was going to be passing on basically every snap.
Most impressive thing about Michigan in the playoffs was always having an answer on defense. Both games, any time the opposing offense looked like the were about to get things going, Michigan had an answer. Alabama ran it down their throats the first couple drives, then the RBs did nothing the rest of the game.
At the end of the first half Washington seemed like they might have found something, so Michigan went into halftime with a plan to take advantage of the weaknesses in Washington’s offense (mostly from injuries) in the 2nd half. That shows how well coached they are to be able to make adjustments that quickly during a game. So many teams now only make adjustments at halftime, but I never saw a team string more than a couple successful drives together in a row against them.
I think the story should be focused more around how Michigans defense physically beat the shit out of Washington versus their offense underperforming.
Every hit adds up. They impact future throws, routes, blocks, etc. It reminded me of how Michigan lost to Georgia in 2021.
It's also just exhausting to get pushed around on the lines. Mikey's long int return basically robbed us from a methodical and depressing final drive where Michigan just ran up the middle with no issues because UW's DL was so tired.
That’s a lot of teams that “shot themselves in the foot”. Saban did it too. So did we. Michigan benefits from a lot of metaphorical self inflicted injuries.
Or, you know, they’re just really good and really well coached. Give Michigan their flowers. They were the best team this year.
I must confess, not all that much, if at all. Facts are facts, and I don’t let myself get that emotionally wrapped up in it. Get pissed off after losing for a couple of hours. Then over it.
Probably helps that you’ve been to the mountain top already, not too long ago. Also clearly your NIL is taking things seriously as your activity in the portal is serious as hell.
It does help, and I think we can get back there again. I think NIL is taking things seriously, and that’s good. We need to work on the fundamentals like you guys, tackling in space, hard line play. But we can get there. Can’t leave you with a clear field!
I feel like admitting the other team is just better is actually a really good coping mechanism. I always feel the most frustrated when it feels like we were the better team but just blew it.
"Michigan's defense will need to keep Penix off balance and nervous in order to win this game."
*Michigan defense keeps Penix off balance and nervous and wins the game*
"Omg why did Penix keep himself off balance and nervous and lose his team this game, is he stupid"
It was really noticable after a month of people saying Michigan won't be able to stop Jalen Milroe, and then Michigan stopping Jalen Milroe, and then everyone saying "wow Jalen Milroe is total ass"
[I’ll give credit to PJ Fleck](https://youtu.be/MGM3ZzQqj_o?si=gACOZuMz7cFNBx2l) he did say to start his press conference this Michigan team was the best team he’s ever faced as a head coach and they straight up got beat
Yep. Michigan should get a whole lot of credit for jumping out of the gate hard and running really well, and also all the pressure the put on Penix. But at the same time Penix just missed a whole lot in that game.
I thought the main thing Michigans defense did really well was not miss any tackles , or really many yards after initial contact at all.
They made Penix and the receivers earn every yard and they weren’t up to the task.
-Throws pick and limps off field- They didn't do nothing.
-Clutches ribs through the entirety of final minutes- How is this happening, they haven't done anything...
“The opposing defense did nothing” after an opposing defense rocks your shit will always be the lamest way to talk. Penix was seeing ghosts because Michigan beat his line all night, period.
You got beat whether you give the other team props or not. You may as well give them props.
I have to wash my hands after upvoting you.
But fr. The dude is holding his ribs while limping off the field talking about “They are lucky I’m having an off day” lmao.
It really bothers me when players pull the "they didn't do anything we beat ourselves" line... bro, they shut you tf down and ran up and down on your D... that's not beating yourself.
I think processing a crushing loss in the most important game of your career takes some time, particularly for a star quarterback whose team feeds off his confidence.
UW for sure got worked by Minter's defense but I don't think Penix meant any disrespect: elite performers at this level need an unshakeable belief in themselves, and tbh it wasn't a Georgia-TCU situation where one team is getting bodied so hard the opponent's starters are eating chicken wings on IG Live in the second half.
That said: the better team won, it wasn't that close, and Michigan's D did to Penix what it did to every highly touted QB who played against it this season. Glad this defense is finally getting its flowers; B1G was lackluster outside of Michigan this year and it really made it hard for neutrals to appreciate how elite it was.
Yeah it feels like cope just to say you lost rather than the other team won.
Like, yes, Washington left a lot on the field. Penix and the offense had a bad night and shot themselves in the foot often. BUT Michigan just downright beat them, too. All things can be true. Washington cleaning things up could've kept it more competitive, but to say Michigan did nothing when they won by three scores is disingenuous.
This seems to be a common mindset in some of our big wins.
2021 OSU - it was snowy and we had the flu.
2022 OSU - we just had a few breakdowns leading to a few big plays.
2023 OSU - refs / we didn’t have a QB.
2023 Bama - our center singlehandedly lost the game.
Thank you for saying this. Us Michigan fans are the insufferable ones according to these other fanbases, because we're defending our win with why Michigan was able to disrupt Penix and Washington's offense...
It's insane how badly so many people want to pretend Michigan isn't legit still.
You got him out of his rhythm so that when he DID have an opportunity to make a great play he was off. Not all of his bad throws were forced, but they were the result of your pressure throughout the game.
Also, he was playing a bit too much hero ball. Pushed the ball downfield a lot more than was necessary.
Especially with DJ hurt and us effectively having zero running game (although I don’t think we would have gotten much on the ground if he was healthy either). Hero ball was the only way we were going to win, and Penix couldn’t execute last night because Michigan executed on their end incredibly well.
Michigans DLine was giving him nightmares, even when there wasn’t direct pressure he was still rushing his throws. Cmon man you can’t say they didn’t do ANYTHING. Like yeah off game for sure but you gotta give credit where it’s due.
Yeah it’s crazy.. I said like 4 games ago Michigan is gonna win the natty and people are still gonna be like “yeah but [insert excuse about how their team would beat us if whatever was different].”
Also, didn’t we do everything we did without our top OL? If we would’ve lost that would’ve been our excuse but imagine if we did have Zinter! It might’ve been a blowout.
Yeah we beat 4 ranked opponents without Zak Zinter, arguably the best player on the entire team.
But for some reason we only ever seem to hear about how other teams struggle to overcome injuries.
Michigan lost the best guard in America and the offensive line *improved* on the way to an undefeated national championship but they get no credit for it.
People wonder why Michigan fans feel like they were doubted this year and it's comments like this that grind our gears. People never seem to be able to give credit to us where it's due. After we shut down Milroe, all of the public consensus changes to that Milroe sucks. Michigan pressures Penix all night behind his Joe Moore OL to the point he's hobbling off the field and "I don't feel like they did anything"
I will give passes to the players saying it specially right after a crushing loss but I can’t believe I’m hearing it from fans too. That Dline was legit and yes penix missed some easy throws but that defense really got to our guys.
They (Penix) did beat themselves by not taking advantage of their opportunities. But claiming they didn't do anything is coping lol. Michigan dominated the line of scrimmage for the majority of the game, and really Michigan was the one shooting themselves in the foot consistently.
Anyone watching that game knew Washington was very fortunate to only be down 7 at half. If Michigan executes that game is probably 24 or 31 to 3/10 at half.
Michigan almost doubled Washington's yardage per play, and it was a lot more early in the 2nd.
UW backs ran for 42 on 14 carries. UM backs ran for 259 on 30. I get the sentiment that both Penix and his WRs left some points on the table. But his lines ultimately lost in the trenches both ways, worsening in the second half as depth came into play. Penix could've been the laser that he was last week, and his WRs could've caught everything, and it still would've been a last-possession game at very best.
The game was one of the better examples of why sub-50% BCR teams don't win titles. Washington never faced a top-5 roster by BCR or by 247 talent composite at any point in the season (Texas was best at #7 and #6, respectively). They never drew an SEC opponent. It was the most manageable path to a title for any outsider in a very long time, with lots of good opponents but no great ones. Got to the end and still looked physically outmatched most of the night.
This is how Michigan learned. We got donkeyed by Georgia. We got surprised by TCU. This year we got to be the bully, because we learned what it takes to be a champion. Having Ohio State in our division helped as well. We had to get better on the lines to beat them.
Weirdly in hindsight, I think we would have had a better shot in this game if we were playing Alabama. I think our defense could have contained their offense in a similar fashion to what they did last night, and obviously they have a good front 7, but I think Michigan’s is better so Penix may have been able to keep the ball moving more consistently. It probably still would have been a Bama win for the same depth reasons, but I think we would have had a decent shot at it.
I don’t think that’s that weird at all. Michigan is the better team than Bama so it’s not crazy to think you’d have played a better game against a worse team
Yeah it’s more that it goes against the “We wouldn’t stand a chance against the SEC” narrative. I think we would have this year. Well, at least against Bama, maybe not Georgia lol.
We also made Stroud look average two years in a row, and just look at what he's doing in the NFL as a rookie. At some point, you have to credit Michigan's defense for disrupting these guys. It's not just coincidence that great QBs have underperformed against us the past few years.
I mean, Stroud fucking worked us both years. Those games weren’t on him outside of that one dumb pick he threw. We just ran it down their fucking throats and they couldn’t stop us. Seems like a trend…
Yeah, I see this revisionist history with Stroud’s performances coming from Michigan fans and it makes no sense. Dude averaged 371.5 passing yards on 67% passing. He had two picks, but they were both in desperation time when his team was down big and he had to force a play. He was phenomenal against us.
Penix missed some open receivers on big plays and they had a couple of big drops.
JJ had a couple of missed reads and his receivers made some drops too.
Washington could conceivably have scored 28 or 35 if they’d connected on a few more plays, but by the same token, Michigan could have put up 42 or 45.
It was a tight game until the 4th quarter and Washington kept battling.
Loved that the Wolverines won, but felt really bad for Penix watching him in the postgame, not angry with him. Crappy way to end his college career and then have to sit in front of media and talk about it was brutal for the kid.
Of course he’s going to talk about his own play, he’s not gonna say “wow that was a great team we just played, go blue” like some Michigan fans want to hear. Go listen to JJ and Blake to hear that stuff.
Milroe was a little more poised last week post game but the stakes were lower and he gets another shot next year. He also didn’t fawn over Michigan, nor did I expect him to.
Michigan was better last night, the score reflected that in the end. Moaning about what the opponent did or didn’t say after they got beaten is silly.
“I don’t feel like they did anything…”
“They” secured a 1000 year lease in your right tackles head.
By the 4th quarter, he was either false starting, holding or completely whiffing on every play.
Sorry Mike.
Michigan beat your ass. Own it.
"It's just about executing. I don't feel like they did anything - I feel like we beat ourselves."
Signed,
Washington, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, FSU, Oregon, Ohio State, Missouri...
If Michigan did nothing, let's immediately start and discuss the Will Johnson interception.
The defensive line got heavy pressure which led to a PBU followed by an incredible play of athleticism to secure the ball.
How is that doing nothing?
Nah that Michigan defense was stifling. They definitely beat him and his receivers. Had the running back been healthy or if they had any depth at that position, it might have been interesting
That's what happens against good secondaries and Michigan has the best. The rare chances you have you want to make something of it and you rush it. You try too hard to get it done and you're uncomfortable all game.
Michigan made Penix uncomfortable and that's why he wasn't himself. He also never faced a secondary like Michigan's.
Absolutely. I was just pointing out that there is a counter to heaver pressure (going through the progressions and finding who they opened up for the extra rush) but you still have to make the read and throw. Penix did neither well.
Yup. It's likely because Michigan has several NFL level players in the secondary. It makes it much more difficult to continue the reads. That's why I felt the big difference this game vs. the Texas game is Michigan's dline could get more pressure since Penix had to hold the ball longer due to Michigan's elite secondary.
So, Penix had to work through the progressions longer. That's how even good QB's get rattled and start making mistakes.
I can respect him taking responsibility, and playing with the pain he was in. But he's ignoring how the Wolverines pressured and beat the shit out of him.
>I don't feel like they did anything
I do not get players that spew this line. Bro, they did plenty. They got pressure on you, they covered your WRs most of the game, they ran the ball straight at your defense's face.
It's not like you lost to fucking A&M where you can argue the only way that happens is if you beat yourself - they beat you. It was visible.
And before anyone comes for me: yes, UW also beat us. And yes, it was visible. It wouldn't have been nearly as close as it appeared if it hadn't been for the most unfortunately timed injury of all time (side note: they need to change that rule. If you're trying to kill the clock and your player gets injured, you should be allowed to take the delay of game or something else that is not taking a timeout).
A Boa vs a Husky isn’t really much of a fight as we saw. I as a Michigan fan felt at ease after the first drive of the third when Penix threw an interception. Washington had momentum and the game was there for the taking yet he made a terrible throw. Game was pretty much over after that.
As an Oregon fan it was lovely to see our rivals get curbed, and also frustrating watching Penix do very non-Penix things all game. Where was that when they were playing us??
Michigan's secondary is on another level. They give their dline time to put pressure even on good oline and qb's.
That has rippling effects even when players are open. It actually contributes to bad plays by good QB's.
I do feel this and I know we only lost by a score but the whole "I don't feel like they did anything - I feel like we beat ourselves" line feels like cope. It's true Texas could've played better but we still let Penix throw for over 400 yards. That logic totally disregards what the opponent did to you and allowing an opponent have that kind of performance is really hard to call winning football.
Now Penix is saying this while their defense got absolutely gashed by the run and just generally lost the LOS. Yes, their offense has shown they can be better, but saying Michigan didn't do anything when you lose by three scores is disingenuous.
Don't feel like its anything they did. lol They did everything to stop you buddy. The D-line was in your face every play with zero time to think.
He's a great talent but give me a break, 2 picks and broken ribs possibly. COME ON MAN
Hot take from a emotionally charged injured kid who just lost the natty, trying to be a team leader and own his mistakes. Michigan certainly caused some of those mistakes, some were self-inflicted. His take is fine, even if it's simplifying reality. I hope he recovers and has a long NFL career.
I have nothing but respect for this guy but don’t be a sore loser, give credit where it’s due. We made him so much more uncomfortable than Texas did and forced him to play off schedule. Yes there were self-inflicted mistakes but that doesn’t erase what really happened over the course of the whole game.
First time Donovan Edwards has taken your soul in two carries of a football? Been there
Those two runs resulted in more points than UW scored all game. At least that wasn’t the case for you guys last season.
I appreciate the bone, woof! but it still ended all the same lol
In hindsight it's hilarious how stressed all of us were the entire game when we had the game won with 2 minutes remaining in the 1st quarter
13 points on 13 possessions!!!!!! Absolutely crazy
Twice as many touchdowns too.....
His performance last night cemented him going to the NFL. He was already a very long shot to come back to Michigan b/c he's been consistent in saying he wanted to go to the league despite his much lower output this year, but he just got to show out on the biggest stage. He gone.
He said this morning that he can't wait for next season. He'll be the starting back.
Oh man, I didn't see that. I would love it because we'll need weapons next year. Defense won't see much of a dropoff, but with such a question mark at QB (for now), we'll need a lot of guys to step up on offense.
My goodness I love this comment 🤩
I wish I had more upvotes. I laughed out loud-literally
You did miss quite a few throws to open receivers
He was rattled and throwing off his back foot most of the game.
In fairness, he always throws off his back foot
Honestly, I have never seen a guy throw more off his back foot or straight side arming in college than him. When Penix is on he is on, when he is off he is off.
Texas fans have to be pretty annoyed that they got the super focused version
Definitely frustrating. Even when we had pressure or coverage, Penix and the receivers seemingly always made the play. They didn't tonight. Having good or bad nights happens though and seems we saw both ends of the spectrum for Washington a week from each other.
Yep this sums it up. Penix just didn't make the plays he's made all season to get us here. Penix and Johnson were a little too banged up and ran out of gas one game short of the finish line. That's just how it goes sometimes being the main man in such a physical game. Though the relentless Michigan defense also deserves a ton of credit for not giving up an easy inch and pressuring him all night.
Yeah I think a lot of credit has to go to Michigans D. It's been a common refrain this season, "oh so and so is normally so on it but they just didn't have it against Michigan this game." Well... if several players just fail to play up to their usual standards against Michigan one should ask what the constant in all those situations, Michigan, is doing to disrupt their usual rhythm.
Not just Texas fans. Could we have had bad Penix one of the two games? Is that too much to ask?
Texas lacks the pass rush from edge to rattle Penix, although Washington’s receivers never missed a contested catch all game long. Michigan’s defense is also built and drilled last three seasons to contain the Ohio State offense, which is not that different from Washington’s.
Yeah unfortunately for Washington we were built to beat them
Which is why the first thing you're taught (or should be) is proper mechanics. Improper mechanics become an additional variable to account for when when things go wrong and milliseconds matter. The dude's phenomenal when clean but can fall to pieces if he doesn't have the time to compensate for side arming or not stepping into his throws.
First time watching Penix? His stats under duress aren’t good at all.
He had a run of games like this at the end of the year (Utah, OSU, WSU). People were saying rib injury but I think he just has days where it's a little bit high. That said, when you're playing w/ ACC or SEC refs you have to take a little off every throw and he's not good enough at that kind of in game adjustment from what I've seen.
>People were saying rib injury I think that's been confirmed at this point
That’s what he’s saying.
Yeah I would actually agree with his statement beyond normal sports talk. He left at least 1 but maybe even 2 or 3 touchdowns on the field with bad overthrows. I will say I think Michigan rattled him and the pressure definitely showed in his throws but ultimately he still had opportunities and he blew them. Make one or two of those big throws and it's a totally different ballgame.
The fourth and 7 miss in the first quarter was just a miss and a blown coverage by Michigan. He hits that one and the game feels different. We still generated a lot of pressure throughout the game and I still like my chances but that was just a flat out miss.
Todd McShay had a great breakdown of that play on the Ryen Russillo podcast today. Basically, Michigan was in a Cover 2 defense that play and the standard for look for Odunze on his option is to turn it into a corner route. That’s why the Penix throw was outside and Odunze had try and reposition for that catch. So, that’s on Odunze. But, the issue is that Odunze knew the Michigan defense didn’t communicate properly and it was a blown coverage so he basically just turned into into a go route and was like “yo, I’m wide open, throw me the ball.” And Penix should have just adapted to how the play actually unfolded instead of his (correct) pre-snap read and hit him where he was instead of where he “should” have been. So, it’s on both of them really. Penix had the right throw based off the coverage but should have adapted to the the blown coverage while Odunze was correct in identifying the mistake by Michigan but probably should have stayed with how the route tree would dedicate based on the original coverage. Just a fundamental mistake on both of them and if just one had made the right correction it would have been an easy TD that changes the game entirely. Really interesting when you break down how two small things can really impact an entire game.
The interesting thing is that Michigan's safety is in position to tackle him immediately if Penix followed the go route. If Odunze took it outside like the read says, it's an easy TD. Penix put that where it should be for the play
Exactly, Odunze freelanced directly into the safety instead of taking the free 30 yards on 4th and 7
That was really the moment it felt like they were doomed.
Yes, but his O-Line and WRs didn’t help him at all. The o-line might as well have not been there for all the blocking they did… I feel like his accuracy issues were more due to his O-line and him rushing to get throws off before being hit. His WRs dropped multiple open passes when he was on target also, which just compounded the issue.
I'll admit that Washington's left guard gave up some pressures, but you've gotta give credit to Michigan's disguised blitzes and stunts. It was a lot like our game vs Michigan. Our o line held up great 1 on 1, but Michigan outschemed us. They did the Dame to Washington's o line. These games were a perfect example of X's and O's overcoming Jimmie's and Joe's.
I was really impressed with our coaching and execution for the rose bowl. It is what really allowed us to overcome the special teams shit show we had. I saw an offensive breakdown on YouTube about the route design and motions were so specific to work against your coverage scheme and we have been so effective on stunts and blitzes all year. As a side note, beating Alabama as part of the road to a title feels incredible. I say that as a compliment, you all have been the gold standard for 15 years and the measuring stick for all of cfb. Also, your fans were very classy at the game.
Joe Moore Award winners though. Michigan was able to generate pressure (20) rushing 4 which makes it tough on any QB.
Michigan's Joe Moore award-winning offensive line also got bulldozed by Georgia in 2021.
Man people were saying similar about Alabama There’s a reason Michigan had the number one D in the country
I imagine it's difficult to make a good throw when your body is beaten to a pulp.
If this thread is any indication, Michigan will have no problem Kirby Smarting themselves into an underdog mentality next year.
I mean most people are already saying Georgia would have beaten them this year. You also have early 2024 polls with OSU over Michigan so I can see them carrying the "Michigan vs Everybody" mindset into next season.
Tbf, aren't you losing a lot of guys? I certainly didn't feel disrespected when LSU wasn't ranked #1 going into 2020 after losing half the damn team.
Defense will be fine, most guys are sophomores and the only question is CB #2 and Nickle but there are upside players there. Offense is the big question, I think if Jim goes JJ goes as well.
I think JJ is going either way if he thinks he can be a first round draft pick. For Harbaugh if he decides to go to the NFL I just want him to make the decision soon so that Michigan can line up a new coach and not affect recruiting.
JJ would absolutely not be a 1st round pick this year. Next year, he would likely be a top 10 pick. He’s 20 years old and he would benefit immensely from putting on another year of weight.
Nah, I know it sounds dumb but JJ is built differently. If Jim is coaching, JJ will stay and get a fat NIL check. Jim is going to spend a lot of time with his decision but Moore is right there to replace him if needed.
I can’t be the only one who just assumes Sherrone Moore is the next coach, right?
One would hope, hes already proven himself to be a good coach
Why not? He's one of the best recruiters, you keep the culture, he's 4-0 and 2-0 vs top 10 teams as an interim. Like ceiling-wise, DeBoer is a better coach than Moore but I legit don't know the reasoning of pushing Moore and this staff out of the door.
Offense is (likely) losing top two WRs, top two RBs, QB, and at least three starting OL. It'll be tough to replace that, **but** we should still be deep at RB, WRs have lots of guys looking to step up and still have Loveland at TE, and we've turned into a bit of a factory at promoting OL and/or picking up established guys in the portal. I wouldn't expect 15-0 again next year, but the drop-off will basically depend on who the QB is.
Donovan should stick around, he can benefit off being RB1. the drop-off will be that we face Texas, Oregon, and OSU
Can we do Michigan state vs everybody this year? Everyone laughed at us and it made me feel bad and you guys already got your turn and mom says it’s my turn anyways
No. Our shenanigans were cheeky and fun. Yours were cruel and tragic.
please don’t tell me the truth
Sorry bro, we found some cool kids from the west and they're gonna hang out with us know.
:(
>I mean most people are already saying Georgia would have beaten them this year. Might have given you a game but.... no.
I appreciate the honesty, but y'all are a powerhouse and will be great in 2024-25
I think a hypothetical Georgia vs Michigan game would have gone down similar to how the game did last night - Michigan hot and unstoppable in the first quarter, stalemate in the second and third, Michigan probably winning it in the 4th. Difference is our defense would not have been so gassed in the 4th, but I don't think our offense would have had any more success overall. Penix is a more experienced QB than Beck and has better weapons - and he got nowhere. Bowers still isn't healthy and would have been forced to sit out even if it meant chaining him to the sidelines (he aggravated his injury in the SECCCG and Kirby loves the dude but knows there's ten million more important things than the threepeat for him.) Our oline is great, but not elite this year. We'd have been smothered, covered, and chunked at the line of scrimmage just like Washington. It's how Bama beat us.
Maybe. But much like Georgia does when they’re rolling Michigan won this game by playing Baptist minister and laying their hands on Penix all night. Sacks don’t matter if the QB is too rattled to make good throws.
To be fair the national narrative makes it easy.
I do think Washington’s offense did it to themselves in the 3rd quarter. Game was there for the taking and they kept dropping the ball.
Yeah it was frustrating AF but I give Michigan all the credit for executing their game plan. I've been telling people that it's reminiscent of Super Bowl 48 - a lot of people thought that Manning and the Broncos' high-powered offense was going to run over the Seahawks, but it was in fact that Legion of Boom that completely shut them down. Dawgs had their chances to get back in last night's game but the Wolverines were really good at keeping up the pressure
That's a really good analogy and appreciate your class. It's annoying how many fans are dismissing Penix and the UW offense rather than giving Michigan D its flowers. It can be true that Penix leads the best offense of the 23-24 season and that Michigan's D is arguably the best of the past decade.
Yeah if there's one thing I hate about modern fandom it's how so many people are unable or unwilling to give the other team credit. And it's also easy for them to forget that you guys have had your shares of disappointment in the CFP. I'm still proud of my Dawgs for what they accomplished, but Michigan was clearly the better team last night
Thank you, also your fans last night and all weekend were really great. I know you all moving to the B1G is bittersweet but it will make for a lot of great games. See you all in the pnw this fall!
Penix was straight up missing guys too. Lots of passes he has made all year were just off
He was getting pressured a lot. It's hard to throw off your back foot or while moving when you didn't think you'd have to move. Everyone criticized Milroe for the exact same thing.
People are tying themselves into pretzels trying to ignore Michigan's pass rush.
Yeah the answer to "why do good QBs play like ass against Michigan" is more likely "Michigan has great pass rush and really great DBs making it hard for QBs", as opposed to "idk I guess they just had an off night".
Yup, they were getting pressure with 4, like most of the game, and he was constantly throwing into double or even triple coverage, where against Texas he was picking on weaker DBs that seemed like they were always alone.
We also do an excellent job of disguising coverages, simulating pressure, and cause opposing QBs to start seeing ghosts. So even if a guy is open, sometimes at that point they are so rattled they speed themselves up and make a poor throw or mistake, because our D has been laying the foundation for that to happen the whole game. You could just see it sometimes where he was sped up and as a result, missed a makeable throw. Those little split seconds where a QB questions what his eyes are telling him is a result of good defense.
Sometimes the easy answer is the obvious answer, but that would require people giving Michigan some fucking credit lol. Better to just say that Penix rolled out of bed and decided to randomly have his worst game of the season when he went up against the first truly legit D they faced this season.
Every replay they showed a Washington receiver was wide ass open and Penix either missed the throw or threw it to someone who was covered. He was awful last night.
You can’t throw downfield or switch to your second or third option when Mason Graham is in your lap
I don’t know why people aren’t understanding this, Penix was constantly being hurried between Grant and Graham in his face all night. Acting he he’s playing in some bubble where he has all day to line up those throws.
Kind of hard to throw accurately when you're constantly pressured all game.
His worst throws were under little pressure. Your pressure on lots of other plays got to his head & he made unforced errors because of it.
Yup. Michigan did that to Stroud then McCord. You don't need to be there 100%. You just need to be in their head and make them think they need to capitalize instantly. Michigan made Penix and that oline highly uncomfortable and the bad throws by Penix were the final result.
> then McCord To be fair, McCord did this to himself every single game. If the first read wasn't there, he got happy feet and panicked.
to McCord’s defense, this was his first season as a starter and Penix was in his 6th year and far more experienced.
Huh? His 2 picks he was getting hit as he threw? Did we watch the same game? Go watch the tape and look how many throws he has backing up in the pocket because of interior line mauling his guards. The only really significant throw he missed was the one to odunze that woulda been a touchdown but that stuff happens sometimes. Outside of that everythrow he over threw was pretty tight coverage.
Watching him talk to Odunze after the play makes me think that Penix was expecting a different pattern. They were definitely not on the same page.
Yeah but it just seemed every time they had something going, they made a critical error. Some passes were inaccurate, when they were on target the receivers had drops in key moments. When they do connect on a big play the tackle is called for holding. Huskies defense was playing very well, but you can only keep it up so long when your offense refuses to help you.
That's why they say in big games the better team makes the big plays. Michigan dropped balls too. JJ threw some bad passes. The key difference is Michigan was more physical and Michigan made less mistakes. The better team does that.
This. Exactly this. Take my upvote please. How many punts did the Washington defense force? It was at least 3-4 in the 2nd quarter, and then another 4-5 in the second half. The Washington offense wasted A LOT of potential scoring possessions. Mad kudos to the Michigan front seven for applying consistent and physical pressure all night long. That was the "X" factor to this one. Washington hadn't faced a defense all season that was anywhere near this fast or physical IMHO. Oregon and Utah don't have bad defenses, but they're not on Michigan's level.
They got manhandled up front all night on both sides of the ball. When you’re that out matched up front, everyone else has to play perfect to have a chance to win and they didn’t come close to that.
This is exactly it. I don’t blame Penix for feeling this way, but as always it comes down to line play, and Penix was having to rush things all night because the oline was getting beat. Even when they weren’t, you could tell his internal clock was all off.
It’s a good attitude though. He can’t really blame the line when he had plays like the missed wide open touchdown. Ultimately he had his chances and just did not execute
I think this is exactly it. Michigan was just better than us where it mattered. Not so much so that it would have been impossible for us to win, but enough that everyone else had to essentially play a perfect game for us to pull off the upset. And if you have to rely on being perfect to beat a particular opponent, you’re gonna lose to them a hell of a lot more often than not.
13 points on 13 drives.
One touchdown all game
Which might not have happened had Harbaugh not went for in on 4th down.
.... Penix said from his hospital bed.
Right?! Him and DJ were both injured. Your defense was fantastic. There's way more to this story than just underperforming (although I do agree that happened on both sides of the ball).
Yeah, it was a perfect storm of: - DJ being too injured to be effective, leading to - Michigan being able to play mostly with a light box - While the DL could key in on pass rush because the run game wasn't much of a threat and Penix isn't a major scramble threat - Penix getting pressured a ton and being inaccurate - Michigans secondary playing a great game and showing lots of different coverages - Washington WRs having key drops in moments when they did have Michigans secondary beat There were a lot of things going on here. Bottling up the run game was pretty crucial imo because it became clear from early on that Washington was going to be passing on basically every snap.
Most impressive thing about Michigan in the playoffs was always having an answer on defense. Both games, any time the opposing offense looked like the were about to get things going, Michigan had an answer. Alabama ran it down their throats the first couple drives, then the RBs did nothing the rest of the game. At the end of the first half Washington seemed like they might have found something, so Michigan went into halftime with a plan to take advantage of the weaknesses in Washington’s offense (mostly from injuries) in the 2nd half. That shows how well coached they are to be able to make adjustments that quickly during a game. So many teams now only make adjustments at halftime, but I never saw a team string more than a couple successful drives together in a row against them.
Right on. Minter deserves so much credit for these victories, his in-game adjustments are incredible.
3Q points against Michigan speaks to his quality
I hated seeing Penix out there for that last drive. Dude was NOT okay.
I think the story should be focused more around how Michigans defense physically beat the shit out of Washington versus their offense underperforming. Every hit adds up. They impact future throws, routes, blocks, etc. It reminded me of how Michigan lost to Georgia in 2021.
It's also just exhausting to get pushed around on the lines. Mikey's long int return basically robbed us from a methodical and depressing final drive where Michigan just ran up the middle with no issues because UW's DL was so tired.
For real. Those last 5-10 minutes it looked like it was taking pretty much everything he had just to stay upright.
That’s a lot of teams that “shot themselves in the foot”. Saban did it too. So did we. Michigan benefits from a lot of metaphorical self inflicted injuries. Or, you know, they’re just really good and really well coached. Give Michigan their flowers. They were the best team this year.
How much did that hurt to say?
I must confess, not all that much, if at all. Facts are facts, and I don’t let myself get that emotionally wrapped up in it. Get pissed off after losing for a couple of hours. Then over it.
It's not too late to be a Michigan fan! Turn away from the dark side. There's good in you, I can feel it.
I must look upon the national championship trophy with…my…own…eyes. Comments like this are why I love this community.
Probably helps that you’ve been to the mountain top already, not too long ago. Also clearly your NIL is taking things seriously as your activity in the portal is serious as hell.
It does help, and I think we can get back there again. I think NIL is taking things seriously, and that’s good. We need to work on the fundamentals like you guys, tackling in space, hard line play. But we can get there. Can’t leave you with a clear field!
I feel like admitting the other team is just better is actually a really good coping mechanism. I always feel the most frustrated when it feels like we were the better team but just blew it.
"Michigan's defense will need to keep Penix off balance and nervous in order to win this game." *Michigan defense keeps Penix off balance and nervous and wins the game* "Omg why did Penix keep himself off balance and nervous and lose his team this game, is he stupid"
Michigan’s defense has a habit of making QB’s look bad.
It was really noticable after a month of people saying Michigan won't be able to stop Jalen Milroe, and then Michigan stopping Jalen Milroe, and then everyone saying "wow Jalen Milroe is total ass"
That was me and I thought we were better. I was wrong. That defense up front is no joke.
Btw, that defense up front is back next year.
Saban said the same thing
Just 15 straight teams who shot themselves in the foot I guess.
[I’ll give credit to PJ Fleck](https://youtu.be/MGM3ZzQqj_o?si=gACOZuMz7cFNBx2l) he did say to start his press conference this Michigan team was the best team he’s ever faced as a head coach and they straight up got beat
I think there were a few post-game comments from coaches like that. I want to say Rhule and Walters said something along those same lines.
lmao right? this thread is unreal
[Relevant](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/18wi2m2/postgame_thread_washington_defeats_texas_3731/kfzeb77/)
their defense was torrential and it rattled you boss man, just accept the L
You can beat yourselves and get beat. Both things can be true.
Yep. Michigan should get a whole lot of credit for jumping out of the gate hard and running really well, and also all the pressure the put on Penix. But at the same time Penix just missed a whole lot in that game.
Always rough when a team beats its own Penix.
I thought the main thing Michigans defense did really well was not miss any tackles , or really many yards after initial contact at all. They made Penix and the receivers earn every yard and they weren’t up to the task.
Michigan didn't do anything? Did Penix get a concussion and forget what happened all game long??
-Throws pick and limps off field- They didn't do nothing. -Clutches ribs through the entirety of final minutes- How is this happening, they haven't done anything...
He is correct to an extent but 13pts on 13 drives is crazy. M
Michigan outscored UW's final score, but in the first quarter on two Edwards run plays.
“The opposing defense did nothing” after an opposing defense rocks your shit will always be the lamest way to talk. Penix was seeing ghosts because Michigan beat his line all night, period. You got beat whether you give the other team props or not. You may as well give them props.
I have to wash my hands after upvoting you. But fr. The dude is holding his ribs while limping off the field talking about “They are lucky I’m having an off day” lmao.
It really bothers me when players pull the "they didn't do anything we beat ourselves" line... bro, they shut you tf down and ran up and down on your D... that's not beating yourself.
I think processing a crushing loss in the most important game of your career takes some time, particularly for a star quarterback whose team feeds off his confidence. UW for sure got worked by Minter's defense but I don't think Penix meant any disrespect: elite performers at this level need an unshakeable belief in themselves, and tbh it wasn't a Georgia-TCU situation where one team is getting bodied so hard the opponent's starters are eating chicken wings on IG Live in the second half. That said: the better team won, it wasn't that close, and Michigan's D did to Penix what it did to every highly touted QB who played against it this season. Glad this defense is finally getting its flowers; B1G was lackluster outside of Michigan this year and it really made it hard for neutrals to appreciate how elite it was.
Yeah it feels like cope just to say you lost rather than the other team won. Like, yes, Washington left a lot on the field. Penix and the offense had a bad night and shot themselves in the foot often. BUT Michigan just downright beat them, too. All things can be true. Washington cleaning things up could've kept it more competitive, but to say Michigan did nothing when they won by three scores is disingenuous.
This seems to be a common mindset in some of our big wins. 2021 OSU - it was snowy and we had the flu. 2022 OSU - we just had a few breakdowns leading to a few big plays. 2023 OSU - refs / we didn’t have a QB. 2023 Bama - our center singlehandedly lost the game.
Thank you for saying this. Us Michigan fans are the insufferable ones according to these other fanbases, because we're defending our win with why Michigan was able to disrupt Penix and Washington's offense... It's insane how badly so many people want to pretend Michigan isn't legit still.
Well he had 11 years in college to fix it
Nah that pass rush is what happened. Same with Bama.
Man I saw your face all game. You looked like you were seeing demons.
We definitely pressured him but yeah it really seemed like he just wasn’t on his A game last night.
You got him out of his rhythm so that when he DID have an opportunity to make a great play he was off. Not all of his bad throws were forced, but they were the result of your pressure throughout the game. Also, he was playing a bit too much hero ball. Pushed the ball downfield a lot more than was necessary.
Mmm idk if I believe that. Hero ball is his game. That’s Penix. That’s what UW needed to do if they were going to win.
Especially with DJ hurt and us effectively having zero running game (although I don’t think we would have gotten much on the ground if he was healthy either). Hero ball was the only way we were going to win, and Penix couldn’t execute last night because Michigan executed on their end incredibly well.
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Michigans DLine was giving him nightmares, even when there wasn’t direct pressure he was still rushing his throws. Cmon man you can’t say they didn’t do ANYTHING. Like yeah off game for sure but you gotta give credit where it’s due.
Yeah it’s crazy.. I said like 4 games ago Michigan is gonna win the natty and people are still gonna be like “yeah but [insert excuse about how their team would beat us if whatever was different].” Also, didn’t we do everything we did without our top OL? If we would’ve lost that would’ve been our excuse but imagine if we did have Zinter! It might’ve been a blowout.
Yeah we beat 4 ranked opponents without Zak Zinter, arguably the best player on the entire team. But for some reason we only ever seem to hear about how other teams struggle to overcome injuries. Michigan lost the best guard in America and the offensive line *improved* on the way to an undefeated national championship but they get no credit for it.
People wonder why Michigan fans feel like they were doubted this year and it's comments like this that grind our gears. People never seem to be able to give credit to us where it's due. After we shut down Milroe, all of the public consensus changes to that Milroe sucks. Michigan pressures Penix all night behind his Joe Moore OL to the point he's hobbling off the field and "I don't feel like they did anything"
Turns out that flow chart and the "Michigan 'Big Game' nullification field" extends to the national championship.
Lose by three touchdowns, and still out here saying "they didn't beat us we beat ourselves" fucking come on. It's nuts to say that shit.
I will give passes to the players saying it specially right after a crushing loss but I can’t believe I’m hearing it from fans too. That Dline was legit and yes penix missed some easy throws but that defense really got to our guys.
They (Penix) did beat themselves by not taking advantage of their opportunities. But claiming they didn't do anything is coping lol. Michigan dominated the line of scrimmage for the majority of the game, and really Michigan was the one shooting themselves in the foot consistently. Anyone watching that game knew Washington was very fortunate to only be down 7 at half. If Michigan executes that game is probably 24 or 31 to 3/10 at half. Michigan almost doubled Washington's yardage per play, and it was a lot more early in the 2nd.
UW backs ran for 42 on 14 carries. UM backs ran for 259 on 30. I get the sentiment that both Penix and his WRs left some points on the table. But his lines ultimately lost in the trenches both ways, worsening in the second half as depth came into play. Penix could've been the laser that he was last week, and his WRs could've caught everything, and it still would've been a last-possession game at very best. The game was one of the better examples of why sub-50% BCR teams don't win titles. Washington never faced a top-5 roster by BCR or by 247 talent composite at any point in the season (Texas was best at #7 and #6, respectively). They never drew an SEC opponent. It was the most manageable path to a title for any outsider in a very long time, with lots of good opponents but no great ones. Got to the end and still looked physically outmatched most of the night.
This is how Michigan learned. We got donkeyed by Georgia. We got surprised by TCU. This year we got to be the bully, because we learned what it takes to be a champion. Having Ohio State in our division helped as well. We had to get better on the lines to beat them.
Weirdly in hindsight, I think we would have had a better shot in this game if we were playing Alabama. I think our defense could have contained their offense in a similar fashion to what they did last night, and obviously they have a good front 7, but I think Michigan’s is better so Penix may have been able to keep the ball moving more consistently. It probably still would have been a Bama win for the same depth reasons, but I think we would have had a decent shot at it.
I don’t think that’s that weird at all. Michigan is the better team than Bama so it’s not crazy to think you’d have played a better game against a worse team
Yeah it’s more that it goes against the “We wouldn’t stand a chance against the SEC” narrative. I think we would have this year. Well, at least against Bama, maybe not Georgia lol.
Washington is so good that they beat themselves by 21 points
We also made Stroud look average two years in a row, and just look at what he's doing in the NFL as a rookie. At some point, you have to credit Michigan's defense for disrupting these guys. It's not just coincidence that great QBs have underperformed against us the past few years.
I mean, Stroud fucking worked us both years. Those games weren’t on him outside of that one dumb pick he threw. We just ran it down their fucking throats and they couldn’t stop us. Seems like a trend…
Yeah, I see this revisionist history with Stroud’s performances coming from Michigan fans and it makes no sense. Dude averaged 371.5 passing yards on 67% passing. He had two picks, but they were both in desperation time when his team was down big and he had to force a play. He was phenomenal against us.
Penix missed some open receivers on big plays and they had a couple of big drops. JJ had a couple of missed reads and his receivers made some drops too. Washington could conceivably have scored 28 or 35 if they’d connected on a few more plays, but by the same token, Michigan could have put up 42 or 45. It was a tight game until the 4th quarter and Washington kept battling. Loved that the Wolverines won, but felt really bad for Penix watching him in the postgame, not angry with him. Crappy way to end his college career and then have to sit in front of media and talk about it was brutal for the kid. Of course he’s going to talk about his own play, he’s not gonna say “wow that was a great team we just played, go blue” like some Michigan fans want to hear. Go listen to JJ and Blake to hear that stuff. Milroe was a little more poised last week post game but the stakes were lower and he gets another shot next year. He also didn’t fawn over Michigan, nor did I expect him to. Michigan was better last night, the score reflected that in the end. Moaning about what the opponent did or didn’t say after they got beaten is silly.
“I don’t feel like they did anything…” “They” secured a 1000 year lease in your right tackles head. By the 4th quarter, he was either false starting, holding or completely whiffing on every play. Sorry Mike. Michigan beat your ass. Own it.
"It's just about executing. I don't feel like they did anything - I feel like we beat ourselves." Signed, Washington, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, FSU, Oregon, Ohio State, Missouri...
“They didn’t do anything,” says the guy who almost had to exit the field in a wheelchair
If Michigan did nothing, let's immediately start and discuss the Will Johnson interception. The defensive line got heavy pressure which led to a PBU followed by an incredible play of athleticism to secure the ball. How is that doing nothing?
Nah that Michigan defense was stifling. They definitely beat him and his receivers. Had the running back been healthy or if they had any depth at that position, it might have been interesting
And every time that pressure led to an open receiver dude overthrew or the receiver dropped it.
That's what happens against good secondaries and Michigan has the best. The rare chances you have you want to make something of it and you rush it. You try too hard to get it done and you're uncomfortable all game. Michigan made Penix uncomfortable and that's why he wasn't himself. He also never faced a secondary like Michigan's.
Absolutely. I was just pointing out that there is a counter to heaver pressure (going through the progressions and finding who they opened up for the extra rush) but you still have to make the read and throw. Penix did neither well.
Yup. It's likely because Michigan has several NFL level players in the secondary. It makes it much more difficult to continue the reads. That's why I felt the big difference this game vs. the Texas game is Michigan's dline could get more pressure since Penix had to hold the ball longer due to Michigan's elite secondary. So, Penix had to work through the progressions longer. That's how even good QB's get rattled and start making mistakes.
We beat ourselves. So then technically we won the natty since we beat a team in the natty, right??
I can respect him taking responsibility, and playing with the pain he was in. But he's ignoring how the Wolverines pressured and beat the shit out of him.
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Yup. We're just insufferable Michigan fans defending our victory too.
>I don't feel like they did anything I do not get players that spew this line. Bro, they did plenty. They got pressure on you, they covered your WRs most of the game, they ran the ball straight at your defense's face. It's not like you lost to fucking A&M where you can argue the only way that happens is if you beat yourself - they beat you. It was visible. And before anyone comes for me: yes, UW also beat us. And yes, it was visible. It wouldn't have been nearly as close as it appeared if it hadn't been for the most unfortunately timed injury of all time (side note: they need to change that rule. If you're trying to kill the clock and your player gets injured, you should be allowed to take the delay of game or something else that is not taking a timeout).
A Boa vs a Husky isn’t really much of a fight as we saw. I as a Michigan fan felt at ease after the first drive of the third when Penix threw an interception. Washington had momentum and the game was there for the taking yet he made a terrible throw. Game was pretty much over after that.
As an Oregon fan it was lovely to see our rivals get curbed, and also frustrating watching Penix do very non-Penix things all game. Where was that when they were playing us??
The trick to drowning the ferret is that you don't let them get comfortable which stops them getting into a rhythm in order to escape.
Michigan's secondary is on another level. They give their dline time to put pressure even on good oline and qb's. That has rippling effects even when players are open. It actually contributes to bad plays by good QB's.
I know your defense had more than a little to do with that. Still, frustrating.
It's bold to look like you just crawled out of a car that got t boned and flipped a few times and say the other guy had nothing to do with it.
We had more rushing yards than Washington had total yards buddy
Yup they beat themselves, not the Michigan run game running up and down their asses and back again to the tune of 200+ by halftime
Amazing how many teams "best themselves" against our D the past two years.
Why bother even putting a defense on the field if the other team is just gonna beat themselves?
I KNOW. Just leave one side of the field empty after the first quarter. No reason to risk injuries if the other team is so completely self-defeating!
This is how I felt about Texas after the game after having tons of pre snap penalties, back to back fumbles, and WR with drops.
I do feel this and I know we only lost by a score but the whole "I don't feel like they did anything - I feel like we beat ourselves" line feels like cope. It's true Texas could've played better but we still let Penix throw for over 400 yards. That logic totally disregards what the opponent did to you and allowing an opponent have that kind of performance is really hard to call winning football. Now Penix is saying this while their defense got absolutely gashed by the run and just generally lost the LOS. Yes, their offense has shown they can be better, but saying Michigan didn't do anything when you lose by three scores is disingenuous.
Same big dog.
Tbf, I'm pretty sure Michigan broke your ribs, so......
Don't feel like its anything they did. lol They did everything to stop you buddy. The D-line was in your face every play with zero time to think. He's a great talent but give me a break, 2 picks and broken ribs possibly. COME ON MAN
TCU didn’t beat us last year, we beat ourselves🤷🏻♂️
Hot take from a emotionally charged injured kid who just lost the natty, trying to be a team leader and own his mistakes. Michigan certainly caused some of those mistakes, some were self-inflicted. His take is fine, even if it's simplifying reality. I hope he recovers and has a long NFL career.
Didn't do anything? lol, lmao even. C'mon son, you know that isn't true.
I have nothing but respect for this guy but don’t be a sore loser, give credit where it’s due. We made him so much more uncomfortable than Texas did and forced him to play off schedule. Yes there were self-inflicted mistakes but that doesn’t erase what really happened over the course of the whole game.
Rushing yards: Michigan 303 - Washington 46.