25 Questions for the Big House

What is their body of work?

The Falcons make their second trip to the Big House in what could easily be the most trying time in the program's history.  Two straight losing seasons, two straight seasons without a bowl appearance, an outlaw coach who hasn't won the hearts in Ann Arbor yet, and your chief rival is dominating you....this was an important season in Ann Arbor.


This year, they picked up wins over Connecticut (who eventually lost to Temple) and Notre Dame (who lost again to MSU the next week).  Of course, there is the close loss win to UMASS...I'd say that UM has yet to be really tested this year in a way where people can really see what they have.

What is their best recent result?

Their biggest win in the RichRod era was probably the win over Wisconsin in 2008.  Last year, their only win over a ranked team was over an overrated ND team....this year, I'd say the road win at Notre Dame.

What is their worst recent result?

Well, they can't forget the UT loss in 2008 (UT lost to NIU the next week by several TDS), and losing to Illinois by 25 last season cannot be on a highlight reel.

What is their turnover ratio?

Michigan is -22 over the last two years.  They are +4 this season.

Offense:

How is their QB Play?

This is always the first question, because it is the key, and the answer is, very, very good.  Denard Robinson leads the nation in rushing.  He doesn't lead Qbs in rushing---he leads everybody in rushing.  He is not one-dimensional, however.  He is 19th in the nation in passing efficiency, which is a ridiculous one-two punch.  He is a unique player and it will be a treat to see him play in person.

What was their scoring and yards per play?

They are on 37th in scoring offense, but their running yards per play (7.0) is really good.  In fact, you'd expect to see more scoring for a team with 7 yards a play, so we'll check out and see if anything points us to why.

Can they run the ball?

They are #6 in the nation in team rushing.  Besides having the nation's top rusher, they also had Michael Shaw get 100 yards against the Minutemen.

Do they pass the ball?

They are 55th in passing yards, but 19th in passing efficiency, which is normally the profile of a team throwing high-percentage passes and not getting picked.

How is their run/pass balance?

They have run 143 times and passed only 77 (sack adjusted).  In the Bo-era, that would have been the a normal ratio (if not a little too pass-oriented), but this is a completely different beast.

Do they convert on 3rd Down?

50% on the year, which is a Top 20 ranking.

Do they score in the red zone?

They are deadly in the red zone.  11 trips, 9 TDs and 1 FG.  That will get it done.  If anything, 11 red zone trips is not a lot.

Do they protect the quarterback?

They have been sacked only once this season so far.

This is a very good offensive team, led by one of the best offensive players in the NCAA.  They are capable of scoring big points against almost any FBS team.

Defense:

Topline: Scoring and yards per play.

They are in the middle in scoring defense.  They held UConn to 10, ND to 24 and then Umass to 37, which they cannot be happy about.  UMass scored as much as the other teams combined.  They allow 5.9 yards per play, which is pretty high. 

Do they defend the run effectively?

They are giving up 4.6 yards per rush, which is pretty poor.  Fans have focused on their pass defense, but this is not a strong point.

Could they be passed on?

The answer is, yes they can.  They are 102nd (out of 120) in passing yards allowed, but 57th in efficiency, indicating a team that gives up a lot of big plays.

Did they get off the field on 3rd down?

This is a strong point.  They allow only 34% conversions.

Do they defend in the red zone?

They have allowed only 12 red zone trips, but 10 scores, with only 7 being TDs.  This is a pretty strong record.

Do they pressure the QB?

No.  They have only one sack in 3 games.
Special Teams:

Punting?

Pretty uniformly, they are awful at special teams.  They are 106th in the nation in net punting.

Punt Return?

They are last in the FBS in punt returns, averaging a loss of 5 yards on each return.  (of which there have been 2...OK?

Placekicking?

They have only made one FG this season, and that was a 24 yarder.  Students were showing up at practice this week to try out to be a kicker.  This is a real liability for UM.

Kickoff?

Kickoffs have been good.  Teams have been starting on their own 29, which is decent. 

Kickoff Return?

They are 69th in this category, making it the high point of their special teams.  Even with that, they start on their own 29.

Miscellaneous: Overall atmospherics and intangibles.

I think 4 things could play into the game here.

• Huge gameday experience for BG.  How do they react?
• BG is adjusting to a new QB.  How does the offense react, because we will need to score points to win?
• Was the UMass game a wake-up call for Michigan.  Will they be more focused?
• How does BG react to a confidence-winning game last week?