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Michigan Wolverine Football Podcast — Natty or Bust – Rose Bowl Alabama Preview

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Phil @pcallihan and Clint @Clint_Derringer preview the Rose Bowl vs Alabama – SP+ analysis, commentary, and prediction. With RB Blake Corum, QB J.J. McCarthy, and WR Roman Wilson.

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Podcast Summary

  • Michigan Wolverines’ Rose Bowl preview.0:00
    • Michigan football players discuss Rose Bowl preparation and expectations.
  • Michigan’s football team’s unexpected success.1:50
    • Michigan football is in the best position to fulfill offseason promises with top seed and Rose Bowl berth.
  • College football playoff rankings and Michigan’s chances against top teams.2:57
    • Phil Callihan: Excited to face Alabama, wishes it was Washington for old school nostalgia.
    • Clint Derringer: Michigan tops SP plus rankings, favored by at least a touchdown against other playoff teams.
    • Michigan has been focused on beating the best teams, including Georgia and Alabama, and has been preparing a similar game plan to utilize against Alabama.
    • Alabama has had struggles throughout the season, including a close win over Auburn and a tough game against Georgia in the SEC championship.
  • Alabama’s season, strengths, weaknesses, and Michigan’s potential strategy.9:17
    • Alabama’s talent is unmatched, but they’ve struggled against lesser opponents.
    • Phil Callihan analyzes Alabama’s season, questioning their inconsistency and luck in close games.
    • Phil Callihan notes that Florida State’s offense is not explosive, but their defense has shown improvement in recent games.
    • Callihan wonders if Michigan will stick with their run-heavy attack or switch to a more balanced offense against Alabama, given the Tide’s strength against quarterbacks.
  • Michigan football’s strengths and weaknesses in the CFP championship game.16:27
    • Clint Derringer highlights Alabama’s talented secondary, particularly outside cornerback McKinstry and Terry Arnold, as a strength and a potential matchup advantage for Alabama.
    • Derringer believes Michigan will focus on the run game to control the clock and measure possessions, with Blake Corum expected to carry the load, and the interior offensive line and tight ends potentially providing exploitable matchups.
    • Clint Derringer and Phil Callihan discuss the potential for Alex Orji to disrupt Alabama’s defense by running on the edges, particularly early in the game.
    • They also note that Alabama’s offensive linemen are large, which could be a challenge for Michigan’s defense.
  • Alabama-Michigan football game strategy.22:21
    • Phil Callihan: Michigan defense matches up well against Alabama’s strengths, but Alabama will try to scheme to exploit weaknesses.
    • Clint Derringer: Alabama quarterback Jalen Millrow’s athleticism and arm strength pose a threat, so Michigan defense should utilize safeties, zone coverage, and motion to make reads more difficult.
    • Clint Derringer analyzes Alabama’s offense, highlighting the importance of neutralizing defensive tackles Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Chris Jenkins, while also emphasizing the need for disciplined pass rush to force Jalen Nogo into mistakes.
    • Derringer believes Michigan’s defense is built for this strategy, with the ability to keep Ohio State at bay by not letting them be explosive and making them take the short passing game in front of them.
  • Michigan and Alabama’s mindset heading into the college football playoff.27:37
    • Michigan and Alabama players express chip on their shoulder ahead of championship game.
    • Michigan should embrace their number one ranking and play with confidence against Alabama.
  • Michigan football’s preparation for the College Football Playoff.31:12
    • Phil Callihan: Michigan has pressure to avoid first-round exit in college Football playoffs after three consecutive appearances.
    • J.J. McCarthy: Quarterback emphasizes teamwork and poise, citing coaches who prioritize collective success over individual accolades.
    • Michigan players and coaches acknowledge the need to reduce turnovers and execute cleanly on offense to beat Alabama’s high-scoring offense.
    • Both teams have highly rated special teams units, with Michigan focusing on protecting their punter and Alabama executing 10-12 play drives.
  • Michigan vs. Alabama football game with insights from analysts.36:30
    • Clint Derringer predicts Michigan will win with a score of 27-24, citing the team’s ability to contain Alabama’s offense and make big plays in the passing game.
    • Phil Callihan predicts Michigan will win with a score of 24-21, highlighting the team’s strong defense and potential for big plays from JJ McCarthy.
    • Phil Callihan and Clint Derringer discuss Michigan’s chances against Alabama in the Citrus Bowl, with Callihan highlighting the team’s defensive line and Derringer emphasizing the importance of a grinded-out game.
    • J.J. McCarthy and Roman Wilson discuss their preparation for the game, with McCarthy focusing on being present in the moment and Wilson noting that the coach asked for input but was not provided.
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By the Numbers: Game 14 CFP SF vs. Alabama @ Rose Bowl

LAST WEEK RECAP

Michigan shut out the Iowa Hawkeyes 26-0 in Indianapolis to secure their third straight B1G Ten Championship.  The offense didn’t put up flashy statistics, but the defense only allowed Iowa one scoring opportunity that ended with a fumble recovery for the Wolverines.

NEXT UP: vs. Alabama: SP+ 7th, 23.7

PREGAME SP+: Michigan by 8.4, Michigan Win Probability 69%

Michigan maintained the #1 SP+ ranking, and added the top ranking in the CFP poll, AP poll, and Coaches’ poll.  According to SP+, the Wolverines would be favored over any of the other three playoff teams: Texas (6th, 24.6); Alabama (7th, 23.7); Washington (11th, 18.6)

Michigan Offense (10th) vs. Alabama Defense (9th) 

The Michigan offense and Crimson Tide defense square up pretty equally on paper.  However, the SP+ model cannot factor in the season ending injury to All-American guard Zak Zinter.  Since the injury in the second half of the Ohio State game, senior Karsen Barhart slid inside to guard to backfill Zinter, and Trente Jones entered at right tackle.  This configuration allowed four sacks to Iowa in the B1G Championship game, and only mustered 106 rushing yards.  The Wolverines need a huge bounce back performance from the offensive line group to keep Alabama edge rushers Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell off JJ McCarthy.

The strength of the Alabama defensive unit resides in the secondary.  Both corners Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold will play in the NFL soon.  In order to attack the Crimson Tide, Michigan will have to look for match up advantages in the middle of the field.  Center Drake Nugent and guard Trevor Keegan will need decisive wins on the interior to pave the way for Blake Corum between the tackles.  Then JJ McCarthy should be able to find Colston Loveland and Donovan Edwards covered by linebackers and safeties who first have to respect the interior run threat.  Running QB Alex Orji could also play a key role in creating a run game advantage by running option plays.

Michigan Defense (1st) vs. Alabama Offense (11th)

The Wolverines defense should have an advantage over the Alabama offense.  The strength of Michigan’s defensive line will create problems for Alabama’s blocking scheme.  I expect Bama to utilize double teams on the interior against DTs Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.  The resulting single blocking on the edge must be exploited by Jaylen Harrell, Josiah Stewart, Derrick Moore, and Braden McGregor.  In my eyes, the edge rushers are the largest key for this game.  Alabama QB Jalen Milroe can make plays with his legs, and throws the deep ball very well.  However, he will also make a handful of big mistakes in each half, very similar to Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa.  The pass rush must be disciplined by staying in their rush lanes without providing an escape alley for Milroe.  The Wolverines can create big plays by making him read the downfield coverage from a collapsing pocket as often as possible.

The Crimson Tide are not as explosive in 2023 as they have been in years past.  After a string of Heisman winners on the offensive side of the ball, this year’s Alabama squad doesn’t have the same dominant superstar playmaker.  Wide receiver Jermaine Burton is the most dangerous threat in my opinion, averaging 22.2 yards per reception and pulling in 8 touchdowns on the season.  In the backfield, Bama had three players carry the ball over 100 times.  Running back Jase McClellan should be the secondary focus for stopping the running attack, after the QB Milroe.  We saw Alabama’s late-season opponents dedicate one, or sometimes two (!), players as spies to follow Milroe on the ground.  We can expect Jesse Minter to utilize a similar plan by keeping safeties over the top of Burton, and using linebackers Michael Barret and/or Junior Colson to chase the quarterback on scramble plays.

PREDICTION: These two blue-blood programs will meet in the Granddaddy of them All, the Rose Bowl, for the first time.  With the B1G Ten, SEC, and College Football Playoff all expanding in 2024, this may be one of the last hurrahs for nostalgia and tradition to bolster the high-stakes CFP atmosphere.  I expect this game to be dictated by both defensive units, and potentially a few special teams plays.  The scoreboard could stay tight for the entire duration, but in the 4th quarter I think the experience and poise of JJ McCarthy and the Wolverines will lead to a decisive play to clinch Michigan’s first CFP victory.
Michigan 27 Alabama 24

MICHIGAN RESUME UPDATE 12/17/23, 13-0

  • SP+ Overall: 1st (same), 32.1
    • SP+ Offense: 10th (↓1), 37.6
    • SP+ Defense: 1st (↑1), 7.4
    • SP+ Special Teams: 4th (↑1), 2.0
  • AP Poll: 1st (↑1), 1539
  • Coaches’ Poll: 1st (↑1), 1535
  • CFP Rank: 1st (↑1)
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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #09 – 12/25/2023 – Another Close Loss

Merry Christmas, to all who celebrate it.

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game this past week, and they lost it.  On Tuesday (12/19/2023), they lost to Florida 106-101 in double overtime.  The game was played in Charlotte, NC, as part of the Jumpman Invitational.  The loss lowers Michigan’s record to 6-6 (1-1 in Big Ten).

What Happened?

Michigan has lost six games this season, and five of them have been close enough that either team could have won.  The lone exception was the game against Texas Tech in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas before Thanksgiving.  All the other losses have been by 8 points or less, or in overtime (or double overtime):

  • 11/17/2023 – Long Beach State: 94-86.  Michigan was only down 2 points (87-85) with 30 seconds left.
  • 11/22/2023 – Memphis: 71-67.  Michigan was only down 2 points (69-67) with 10 seconds left.
  • 12/02/2023 – Oregon:  86-83 (overtime).  The game was tied (83-83) with 25 seconds left in overtime.
  • 12/05/2023 – Indiana:  78-75.  Michigan was only down 1 point (75-74) with 35 seconds left.
  • 12/19/2023 – Florida: 106-101 (double overtime).  Michigan was only down 4 points (105-101) with 18 seconds left in the second overtime.

Those are all games that Michigan could have won.  They have to get better at winning “crunch time”.

Game Flow

Michigan had the lead for most of the 1st half.  UM was up 8 points (15-7) with 13:53 to go in the half, and kept the lead in the 5-7 point range for the next 10 minutes.  At the 3:32 mark, Florida went up 31-30, and the lead went back and forth until halftime, when Florida led 38-37.  Michigan should have led at halftime, and they had a 2 point lead and the last shot, but they threw a lousy alley-oop pass that was intercepted, and Florida hit a half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer to lead by one.  Sigh.

Once again, Michigan led for most of the 2nd half.  With 17:19 left in regulation, the game was tied, 44-44.  Michigan went on an 11-2 run, and they were up 9 points (55-46) at the 15:06 mark.  They kept the lead in the 4-6 point range for the next 5 minutes, but Florida slowly clawed back into it, and the game was tied (63-63) with 9:57 to go.  The lead went back and forth for the rest of regulation, with neither team able to get more than 4 points ahead.  The game was tied at 65-65, 69-69, 72-72, 74-74, and 81-81.  Florida took the last shot in regulation, but missed it.  The score was 81-81 at the end of regulation.

Michigan led for most of the first overtime, but never by more than 3 points.  The game was tied at 83-83, 84-84, and 89-89.  This time, Michigan had the last shot, but missed.  On to the second overtime, tied up at 89-89.

Michigan finally ran out of gas in the second overtime.  The score was tied at 91-91 and 93-93, then Florida went on a 9-0 run to go up 102-93, and that was the ball game.  It’s a shame, because Michigan played well enough to win, but they just couldn’t hit the key buckets.

Stats

The game stats            were pretty good.  Michigan shot decently overall (34-for-76 = 54.4%), they shot 3-pointers very well (10-for-22 = 45.5%), and they shot free throws well (23-for-29 = 79.3%).  They lost the rebounding battle badly (54-43), and tied in the turnover battle (16-16).  They lost this game with poor rebounding and too many turnovers.  They gave up 21 offensive rebounds.  Ouch.

Who Started?

The starters were Nimari Burnett, Dug McDaniel, Olivier Nkamhoua, Tarris Reed, Jr., and Terrance Williams II.

Who Looked Good?

McDaniel had another monster game, with 33 points and 8 rebounds.  33 points ties his career high, which he set back on 12/02/2023 vs. Oregon, in another road loss in overtime.

Nkamhoua also had a very good game, with 24 points.  He also had 11 rebounds, for a double-double.

Williams continued his recent improved play, with 17 points on good shooting (7-for-12 overall, 3-for-5 from deep).

Reed had a pretty good game, with 14 points.

Burnett had a decent game, with 10 points.  His shooting was off: 3-for-11 overall, 0-for-5 from deep.

Jaelin Llewellyn played for 5 minutes, and scored 3 points, going 1-for-2 from deep.  This was all the bench scoring for Michigan: 3 points.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Tray Jackson played for 11 minutes, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Will Tschetter played for 8 minutes, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Who Else Played?

No one else played.  That was a big problem.  The starters played 45, 47, 44, 45, and 45 minutes, and the 3 bench players played 5, 11, and 8 minutes.  The starters were out of gas by the end of the second overtime.

Who Didn’t Play?

The scholarship players who didn’t play: Youssef Khayat and George Washington III.

The Scout Team players who didn’t play: Ian Burns, Harrison Hochberg, Jackson Selvala, and Cooper Smith.

Jace Howard is still recovering from an injury, and not playing yet.  He’s expected back “later in the season”.

What Does It Mean?

In a season where Michigan stood a chance of getting into the NCAA Tournament, this loss would have been a huge disappointment, since it would have been a missed opportunity for a “quality win” on their resume.  Since Michigan is just hoping to get to 0.500 and sneak into the NIT, this loss was just another loss, in a season sure to be full of them.  Until they prove they can win a close game, they are looking more like a 10-21 team than a 16-15 team.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan only plays one game.  On Friday (12/29/2023, 7:00 p.m., B1G+), they play McNeese in Crisler Arena.  This is their last non-conference game.

McNeese is currently 10-2, with an impressive win over Southern Mississippi, and embarrassing losses to Western Carolina and Louisiana Tech.  They do have an interesting win over Mississippi University For Women, 92-23.  That must have been something.  They don’t have any noteworthy players, and they also don’t have much height: no one over 6’9”.  This game could be more challenging than expected, but Michigan should win it if they play a solid game.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!

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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #08 – 12/18/2023 – An Uneventful Non-Conference Game

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game this past week, and they won it.  On Saturday (12/16/2023), they beat Eastern Michigan 83-66 in Crisler Arena. The win raises Michigan’s record to 6-5 (1-1 in Big Ten).

What Happened?

For the first time this season, Michigan played an uneventful game, and they won it.  Part of what made it uneventful was that it was the first game this season with Juwan Howard as head coach, now that he is sufficiently recovered from his heart surgery.  The other part of what made it uneventful was that Michigan played a “typical” game for them.  Not a great game, not a bad game, a typical game.  They were about 17 points better than EMU, and that’s what the scoreboard said at the end.

It may have been an uneventful game, but it was hardly an uneventful week, with all kinds of rumors flying around about a verbal altercation involving Jace Howard, an unidentified student trainer, Jon Sanderson (the strength and conditioning coach), and Juwan Howard.  It resulted in an HR complaint filed by Sanderson, and no disciplinary actions taken by Warde Manuel, the Athletic Director.  The team didn’t appear at all affected by the outside distractions.

Game Flow

Michigan led for almost the entire game.  EMU was up 4-2 early, but UM went up 5-4 at the 18:17 mark, and never trailed again.  They pushed the lead up to 10 points (16-6) with 14:14 to go, and kept the lead in the 7-9 point range for the next 10 minutes.  The lead was still 10 points (37-27) at the 3:46 mark, when Michigan went on a 12-5 run to end the half, up 49-32 at halftime.  Michigan kept the lead in the 14-16 point range for most of the 2nd half, although EMU did creep closer every now and then.  With 10:00 to go, the lead was down to 10 points (59-49), when a flurry of activity in just 22 seconds put the game back out of reach: EMU missed a 3-pointer (9:33 mark), UM made a 3-pointer (9:27), EMU missed a dunk (9:17), and UM tipped in an alley-oop pass (9:11) to push the lead back up to 15 points.  EMU never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way.  It was a solid win against a feisty opponent.

Stats

The game stats were pretty good.  Michigan shot well overall (31-for-57 = 54.4%), they shot 3-pointers very well (12-for-27 = 44.4%), and they shot free throws decently (9-for-15 = 60.0%).  They won the rebounding battle (37-30), but lost the turnover battle (11-5).  They won this game with good shooting and good 3-point defense: EMU shot 2-for-15 from deep, including 0-for-7 by their leading scorer.

Who Started?

The starters were Nimari Burnett, Dug McDaniel, Olivier Nkamhoua, Will Tschetter, and Terrance Williams II.

Who Looked Good?

Nkamhoua was the leading scorer, with 17 points.  He also had 9 rebounds, for an almost-double-double.

Burnett had a good game, with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting (3-for-5 from deep).

Williams continued his recent improved play, with 13 points on decent shooting (4-for-10 overall, 3-for-7 from deep).

McDaniel was limited by foul trouble, but he still managed to score 11 points.

Tarris Reed, Jr. didn’t start this game, for the first time this season.  He played well off the bench, with 13 points, and he did start the 2nd half.

Tray Jackson played well off the bench, with 7 points.

Tschetter had a decent game, with 5 points and 6 rebounds.

Jaelin Llewellyn played for 15 minutes, and scored 3 points, going 1-for-2 from deep.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

All the mainstream players looked good this week.

Who Else Played?

Ian Burns played, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Harrison Hochberg played, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Youssef Khayat missed his only shot attempt.

Jackson Selvala missed his only shot attempt.

George Washington III played, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Who Didn’t Play?

Cooper Smith didn’t play.

Jace Howard is still recovering from an injury, and not playing yet.  He’s expected back “later in the season”.

What Does It Mean?

This was a game that Michigan was expected to win, and they took care of business.  If they can continue to play some solid, “typical” basketball, they might stand a shot at a better-than-0.500 record.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan only plays one game.  On Tuesday (12/19/2023, 7:00 p.m., ESPN), they play Florida in Charlotte, NC, as part of the Jumpman Invitational.

Florida is currently 7-3, with impressive wins over Florida State and Pittsburgh, and no embarrassing losses.  They have one noteworthy player: Tyrese Samuel, a transfer from Seton Hall. They also have a lot of height: two 6’10” players, a 6’11” player, and a 7’1” player.  This game will be a big challenge for Michigan, and they will have to play their best game so far this season to win it.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!

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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #07 – 12/11/2023 – Big Ten Split

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this past week, and they lost one and won the other.  On Tuesday (12/05/2023), they lost to Indiana 78-75 in Crisler Arena, then on Sunday (12/10/2023), they won at Iowa 90-80.  Both games were in the Big Ten.  The loss and win leave Michigan with a record of 5-5 (1-1 in Big Ten).

What Happened?

These were two games that Michigan could have easily lost, so winning one of them is a bonus.  Winning a road game in the Big Ten is no easy feat, and Michigan has had a tough time winning at Iowa, so this win is doubly surprising, and doubly sweet.  The Indiana game was close and exciting, and Michigan could have won that one as well.

Game Flow

The Indiana game was close for the whole game, with neither team leading by more than 7 points.  IU led for most of the 1st half, but Michigan kept it close.  With 1:12 left in the half, it was all tied up (37-37).  Michigan scored with 43 seconds to go, and led by 2 points at halftime, 39-37.  The 2nd half was more of the same, except that Michigan led for most of the time.  With 8:59 to go, Michigan led by 6 points, 59-53.  IU went ahead, 60-59, and then the lead went back and forth, with several ties (60-60, 62-62, 64-64, 66-66, 69-69, 71-71, and 73-73).  It was 73-73 with 1:23 to go, when IU went ahead by 2, and Michigan never quite caught up.  As in the Oregon game last week, Michigan missed some key free throws and had some silly turnovers in the last couple minutes.  If they can clean that up, they might win one of the close ones.

The Iowa game was also close for the first 22 minutes, with neither team leading by more than 5 points.  Michigan led for most of the 1st half, but Iowa kept it close.  It was all tied up, 33-33, with 1:52 left in the half, and Michigan made 2 free throws with 22 seconds left to lead by 2 points (35-33) at halftime.  Iowa opened the 2nd half with a quick 4-0 run, for their last lead of the game, 37-35, with 19:13 to go.  Michigan went on an 11-0 run to get a 9-point lead that they never surrendered, 46-37, with 16:38 left.  Michigan pushed their lead to 11 points (53-42) at the 13:36 mark, and then they put the game away with a brilliant 9-0 run over the next 71 seconds.  With 12:25 left, Michigan led by 20 points (62-42), and the game was over.  Before Michigan emptied the bench and let the Scout Team play, Iowa never got closer than 14 points.  The Scout Team played for the last 90 seconds, and they let Iowa make the score look more respectable, but that was a 20-point victory masquerading as a 10-point victory.

Stats

The game stats for the Indiana game were mediocre.  Michigan shot decently overall (26-for-55 = 47.3%), they shot 3-pointers poorly (4-for-17 = 23.5%), and they shot free throws pretty well (19-for-24 = 79.2%).  They tied in the rebounding battle (30-30), and barely lost the turnover battle (14-13).  They lost this game with poor 3-point shooting.

The game stats for the Iowa game were only a little better.  Michigan shot decently overall (29-for-60 = 48.3%), they shot 3-points fairly well (9-for-24 = 37.5%), and they shot free throws          well (23-for-28 = 82.1%).  They won the rebounding battle (41-32), but lost the turnover battle (13-10).  They won this game with shooting and rebounding.

Who Started?

The starters were Nimari Burnett, Dug McDaniel, Olivier Nkamhoua, Tarris Reed, Jr., and Terrance Williams II.

Who Looked Good?

Nkamhoua was the leading scorer vs. Indiana (18 points), and he had 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. Iowa, for another double-double.

McDaniel hit double figures in both games (13 and 11 points), but he had a terrible week shooting: 3-for-14 overall (0-for-4 from deep) vs. Indiana, and 4-for-12 overall (1-for-5 from deep) vs. Iowa.  After his brilliant shooting in the Oregon game, it was painful to watch him shoot and miss so much this week.

Williams was the only other starter to hit double figures in both games, with 10 points vs. Indiana and 13 points vs. Iowa.  He had a pretty good week shooting 3-pointers: 2-for-5 vs. Indiana and 3-for-6 vs. Iowa.  He’s been playing the best basketball of his career lately, and I hope he keeps it up.

Reed was the undisputed star of the Iowa game, with a career-high 19 points, on 7-for-10 shooting.  He even shot free throws well (for him): 5-for-7.  Add in 6 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, and that’s the kind of game Michigan needs from him consistently.  Unfortunately, he only had 5 points vs. Indiana, which is closer to his average.

Burnett had one mediocre game (4 points vs. Indiana) and one good game (14 points vs. Iowa).  He shot poorly vs. Iowa: 4-for-11 (2-for-8 from deep).

Will Tschetter came in off the bench and played very well in both games, with 17 and 10 points.  He was red-hot vs. Indiana (6-for-7 overall, 1-for-2 from deep), and he shot pretty well vs. Iowa (3-for-6 overall, 1-for-2 from deep).

Tray Jackson played pretty well off the bench, with 5 and 8 points.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

All the mainstream players looked good this week.

Who Else Played?

Ian Burns played in the Iowa game, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Youssef Khayat played in the Iowa game, and scored 2 points on free throws.

Jaelin Llewellyn played in the Indiana game, but not the Iowa game.  He hit his only shot attempt vs. IU, a 3-pointer.

Jackson Selvala played in the Iowa game, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Cooper Smith played in the Iowa game, but didn’t attempt a shot.

George Washington III played in the Iowa game, and hit one of his two free throws.

Who Didn’t Play?

Harrison Hochberg didn’t play in either game.

Jace Howard is still recovering from an injury, and not playing yet.  He’s expected back “later in the season”.

What Does It Mean?

It’s great that Michigan won one of their two December Big Ten games, especially on the road against one of the teams they’re expected to battle with in the lower half of the Big Ten standings.  It’s a shame that they let the upset bid vs. Indiana slip away.  Still, they’re looking like the 10-21 team I predicted.  They have yet to win a close game, and they’re likely to see many close games the rest of the season.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan only plays one game.  On Saturday (12/16/2023, 2:30 p.m., BTN), they play Eastern Michigan in Crisler Arena.

Eastern Michigan is currently 5-4, with no impressive wins, and a few embarrassing losses: Butler (94-55), (#10) Florida Atlantic (100-57), North Dakota, and Oakland.  They don’t have any noteworthy players (Emoni Bates was there last season, but he’s in the G-League now), but they do have some height: a 6’11” player and a 7-footer.  This is a game that Michigan should win, but so was Long Beach State.  If UM plays a good clean game, they should beat EMU, but if they start turning the ball over and missing free throws, who knows.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!