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Michchamp
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Saturday, November 18, 2023 @ NOON Eastern, Michigan plays Maryland on FOX. This is going to be the Fox BIG NOON Kickoff, so we'll have to hear from Urban Meyer before the game. :ugh:!! So maybe keep your TV on mute until the ball is kicked.
Line: UM -19
o/u: 50
Sagarin predictor: 20 pt. Michigan win
What's on the line?
For Michigan: a Big Ten Championship, College Football Playoff Berth, and potential 1,000th win of all time.
For Maryland: nothing.
This is the 12th ever meeting between UM and MD; we have a 10-1 record in the series, and are on a seven (7) game win streak.
It doesn't look like I ever did a "Know Your Opponent" about Maryland, so I'll rectify the situation and provide a little background.
pretty campus, but is that a MAIZE BLOCK "M"?
Maryland is a bit of an odd duck, in that it was founded as an agricultural college in 1856, but was not initially a land grant college. It has a tenuous connection to nobility; the founder was descended from Lord Baltimore, and it's the only University to have had Queen Elizabeth II attend one of their football games (here's a link if you're one of those clowns that's into the British monarchy and wants to read more about it).
The University seems to have had a boatload of financial problems through the 19th Century, and then tried to be like Chicago and have its own "Great Fire" in 1912 that burned down most of the campus.
Since then, things have been pretty okay there though. Like all other American universities, Maryland grew fat and bloated through the 20th century, into the sprawling campus it is today. Despite its connections to defunct American nobility, and British Royalty, Maryland is pretty "mid" as far as Big Ten schools go... both in academics and in sports.
Famous Alumni: Curb your enthusiasm... but it's mostly a lot of politicians and government/politico hangers on. I didn't notice any hotties. But they do have...
Larry David!
Jim Henson!
and notable Former NFL Quaterbacks From the 1980's/early 90's Norman "Boomer" Esiason, and Frank Reich!
Okay, yay, now about their current football team.
One thing to know: their OC is former Michigan OC (and persona non grata here) Josh Gattis. It's really baffling why Mike Locksley would've hired him when they seemed poised to take a step forward after their 8-5 2022 campaign. Gattis had just been fired by UMiami after a single disastrous season there, and his troubles in Ann Arbor and rumored poor judgment certainly couldn't have been unknown to Locksley. Plus, Gattis previously snubbed Locksley & a job offer from him a few years ago to come to Michigan in the first place.
Oh well... Maryland has a veteran QB and started the season with a bang, going 5-0 and had three straight blowout wins over UVA, MSU, and IU. And then promptly fell apart in the 2nd half against OSU in week 6, and lost their next three after that, including getting pounded by Penn St. 51-15 at home. And we JUST SAW how terrible Penn St.'s offense is. Maryland managed to eke out a 13-10 win @Nebraska last week to stop the slide. But now they face us.
Is the Gattis Effect in full force now? One can surmise based on their lack of improvement, despite returning their QB (and him being healthy all season).
Here's Mike Locksley's presser. No bulletin board material here... He's pretty laudatory of our program and team, and generally downplays or sidesteps the questions about Harbaugh. He did say they "took precautions" or whatever when they heard about it, and added if one team has signs they all do. So... at least publicly he's not one of the hypocrites and whiners. He's OK in my book.
He's apparently not happy with Big Ten officiating and said every week the league office admits to him that calls against them were wrong.
Stats Watch
Penalties/game: UM 1st; (MD: 38th)
Turnover Margin: UM 6th (+1/game); MD (35th; +0.3/g)
Rush D: 12th (97 ypg); 32nd (121 ypg)
Team PED: UM 2nd; MD 45th
Rush O: 43rd (173 ypg); 108th (115 ypg)
Team Pass Eff: 3rd; MD 54th
Individual passing efficiency: JJ is still 2nd in the nation and Taulia Tagovailoa is 47th. He actually didn't have a great season last year, statistically, and his numbers are comparable in 2023.
As far as I can tell, we're all healthy for this one, and according to Locksley's presser, they are too.
Not sure if Harbaugh will be back, but the hearing is scheduled for Friday 11/17 at [time?]
I want to see Pertitti have to hand him another trophy.
So go ahead and make your picks and post some analysis if you so choose, but as always leave the woofing and the barking for other threads!
Line: UM -19
o/u: 50
Sagarin predictor: 20 pt. Michigan win
What's on the line?
For Michigan: a Big Ten Championship, College Football Playoff Berth, and potential 1,000th win of all time.
For Maryland: nothing.
This is the 12th ever meeting between UM and MD; we have a 10-1 record in the series, and are on a seven (7) game win streak.
It doesn't look like I ever did a "Know Your Opponent" about Maryland, so I'll rectify the situation and provide a little background.
pretty campus, but is that a MAIZE BLOCK "M"?
Maryland is a bit of an odd duck, in that it was founded as an agricultural college in 1856, but was not initially a land grant college. It has a tenuous connection to nobility; the founder was descended from Lord Baltimore, and it's the only University to have had Queen Elizabeth II attend one of their football games (here's a link if you're one of those clowns that's into the British monarchy and wants to read more about it).
The University seems to have had a boatload of financial problems through the 19th Century, and then tried to be like Chicago and have its own "Great Fire" in 1912 that burned down most of the campus.
Since then, things have been pretty okay there though. Like all other American universities, Maryland grew fat and bloated through the 20th century, into the sprawling campus it is today. Despite its connections to defunct American nobility, and British Royalty, Maryland is pretty "mid" as far as Big Ten schools go... both in academics and in sports.
Famous Alumni: Curb your enthusiasm... but it's mostly a lot of politicians and government/politico hangers on. I didn't notice any hotties. But they do have...
Larry David!
Jim Henson!
and notable Former NFL Quaterbacks From the 1980's/early 90's Norman "Boomer" Esiason, and Frank Reich!
Okay, yay, now about their current football team.
One thing to know: their OC is former Michigan OC (and persona non grata here) Josh Gattis. It's really baffling why Mike Locksley would've hired him when they seemed poised to take a step forward after their 8-5 2022 campaign. Gattis had just been fired by UMiami after a single disastrous season there, and his troubles in Ann Arbor and rumored poor judgment certainly couldn't have been unknown to Locksley. Plus, Gattis previously snubbed Locksley & a job offer from him a few years ago to come to Michigan in the first place.
Oh well... Maryland has a veteran QB and started the season with a bang, going 5-0 and had three straight blowout wins over UVA, MSU, and IU. And then promptly fell apart in the 2nd half against OSU in week 6, and lost their next three after that, including getting pounded by Penn St. 51-15 at home. And we JUST SAW how terrible Penn St.'s offense is. Maryland managed to eke out a 13-10 win @Nebraska last week to stop the slide. But now they face us.
Is the Gattis Effect in full force now? One can surmise based on their lack of improvement, despite returning their QB (and him being healthy all season).
Here's Mike Locksley's presser. No bulletin board material here... He's pretty laudatory of our program and team, and generally downplays or sidesteps the questions about Harbaugh. He did say they "took precautions" or whatever when they heard about it, and added if one team has signs they all do. So... at least publicly he's not one of the hypocrites and whiners. He's OK in my book.
He's apparently not happy with Big Ten officiating and said every week the league office admits to him that calls against them were wrong.
Stats Watch
Penalties/game: UM 1st; (MD: 38th)
Turnover Margin: UM 6th (+1/game); MD (35th; +0.3/g)
Rush D: 12th (97 ypg); 32nd (121 ypg)
Team PED: UM 2nd; MD 45th
Rush O: 43rd (173 ypg); 108th (115 ypg)
Team Pass Eff: 3rd; MD 54th
Individual passing efficiency: JJ is still 2nd in the nation and Taulia Tagovailoa is 47th. He actually didn't have a great season last year, statistically, and his numbers are comparable in 2023.
As far as I can tell, we're all healthy for this one, and according to Locksley's presser, they are too.
Not sure if Harbaugh will be back, but the hearing is scheduled for Friday 11/17 at [time?]
I want to see Pertitti have to hand him another trophy.
So go ahead and make your picks and post some analysis if you so choose, but as always leave the woofing and the barking for other threads!
