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Michigan Football Podcast — Process over Prize – Game 5 Michigan 45 Nebraska 7

Phil @pcallihan and Clint @Clint_Derringer discuss Michigan’s 45-7 victory over Nebraska. With J.J. McCarthy, Roman Wilson, Trevor Keegan, and Jim Harbaugh.

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Podcast Summary

  • Michigan’s dominant victory over Nebraska.0:00
    • Phil Callihan and Clint Derringer discuss Michigan’s convincing victory over Nebraska, with Phil expressing confidence in the team’s performance from the start.
    • Clint Derringer highlights the team’s quick start, methodical drives, and key turnovers that led to a 45-7 victory.
    • Michigan’s defense is dominating, swallowing up opponents’ run games.
  • Michigan football game with analysis of players’ performances.4:45
    • Michigan’s secondary struggles with deep passes, allowing explosive plays.
    • Michigan coach Phil Callihan praises second-string players’ success in blowout win.
  • Michigan Wolverines’ football team’s performance and upcoming games.9:06
    • Depth players have gained significant experience, providing comfort for Michigan in competitive stretch.
    • Michigan football fans are experiencing a mix of emotions during games, including excitement and frustration.
    • Clint Derringer and Phil Callihan discuss the potential risk of Michigan being unprepared for the second half of the season due to a softer first half schedule.
    • They mention the importance of simulating competition in practice to prepare for when the talent gap closes.
  • Michigan football’s performance in a windy game.15:38
    • Clint Derringer analyzes the Quarterback’s performance in high winds, noting overthrows and a lower completion percentage than usual.
    • Michigan’s offense was efficient and balanced in their win, with a mix of rushing and passing plays.
  • Michigan Wolverines’ football team’s strengths and weaknesses.19:46
    • Michigan’s success on both sides of the line (offense and defense) has been key to their recent success.
    • Phil Callihan observes that Michigan’s schedule is structured to prioritize the second half of the season, including the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoffs.
    • Jim Harbaugh and Clint Derringer discuss the team’s approach to load management, with Derringer expressing concern about keeping their best players fresh while still performing at a high level in every game.
    • Michigan defense held Nebraska to 9% success rate on run plays, while Michigan run plays had a 57% success rate.
  • Michigan Wolverines football team’s defense and offense.26:07
    • Phil Callihan notes that the defense is “a meat grinder” and “coming in waves,” with players like Josiah Stewart and Mason Kg making big impacts.
    • Braiden McGregor calls the no name defense a “great way to put it,” highlighting its strength and potential to be a major factor in games.
    • Braiden McGregor: Trust built through defense mentality, with players looking to each other for support and leadership.
    • Roman Wilson: Confident in his abilities, Wilson brings swagger to the team and has answered the call, staying healthy for more than half the season.
  • Michigan Wolverines football team’s defense and offense.31:40
    • Clint Derringer highlights potential weaknesses in Michigan’s defense and how Ohio State can exploit them through the air.
    • Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh emphasizes the importance of players loving the game and taking every opportunity to maximize their potential.
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By the Numbers: Game 5 @ Nebraska

LAST WEEK RECAP

The Wolverines stood tall after Rutgers came out swinging in the B1G opener.  Michigan scored 31 unanswered points after a poor start and salted the game away in the 4th quarter for a 31-7 victory over the Scarlet Knights.

NEXT UP: @ Nebraska: SP+ 59th, 1.9

PREGAME SP+: Michigan by 22.3, Michigan Win Probability 90%

While Michigan has climbed to the top of the SP+ rankings, Nebraska has a very similar profile to the Rutgers team that was just in Ann Arbor.  The Cornhuskers are also carried by a legitimate defensive unit and find themselves sitting 10 spots ahead of Rugers, for now.

Michigan Offense (13th) vs. Nebraska Defense (28th) 

For a second consecutive week, this matchup will likely play the biggest role in the final outcome of the game.  Nebraska has a stout, 3-man defensive line.  They also utilize a similar 3-3-5 scheme that has caused some blocking issues for Michigan’s run attack this season and last.  While the Cornhuskers have put up impressive defensive stats, Michigan’s offense will be the first significant test in the ground game. 

Through the air, JJ McCarthy had a solid bounce back performance last week.  Sherrone Moore schemed up a few beautiful chunk plays through the air early, but put those back into the garage almost immediately.  I think it would be wise to utilize the best designed plays early in this contest.  A couple early scores would be extremely valuable to take some of the starch out of that passionate Nebraska crowd. 

Michigan Defense (1st) vs. Nebraska Offense (85th)

As a program, Nebraska is going through a major transition as Matt Rhule tries to leave the Scott Frost era in the past.  Part of that transition appears to include a return to leaning on a running quarterback, and even some option looks.  In the first two games, both losses, turnover-worthy plays plagued quarterback Jeff Sims. Heinrich Haarberg has now taken over to lead the new QB rushing attack.

I would expect Michigan to be tested on the edges in this game.  I can’t imagine Nebraska trying to man up and block Kris Jenkins and the other defensive tackles.  Instead, look for the Cornhuskers testing Braiden McGregor, Josiah Stewart, and the other edge players with various option looks.  The three Wolverine linebackers will also be tested when Nebraska spreads their formation to isolate Haarberg with the LBs on draw plays. 

PREDICTION: Nebraska’s similarity to Rutgers is striking.  They want to lean heavily on a rushing attack that features the quarterback.  This is likely to keep the clock running, shortening this game yet again.  When there are fewer plays over the course of a full game, then the less talented team has a better chance to catch lightning in a bottle a few times to stay competitive.  

In terms of scheme, gameplan, and talent Michigan will have a huge advantage in each phase.  However, I do expect to see a somewhat sluggish start in the Wolverines’ first road trip.  In the past we’ve seen Michigan struggle early on the road, especially when moving out of the noon time slot.  This 3:30 kickoff in Lincoln poses the first mental challenge of this kind in the 2023 season.
Michigan 28 Nebraska 7 (PRESEASON Michigan 34 Nebraska 13)

MICHIGAN RESUME UPDATE 09/25/23, 4-0

  • SP+ Overall: 1st (↑2), 26.7
    • SP+ Offense: 13th (↑3), 36.8
    • SP+ Defense: 1st (↑1), 10.4
    • SP+ Special Teams: 16th (↓11), 0.3
  • AP Poll: 2nd (same), 1445
  • Coaches’ Poll: 2nd (same), 1495
  • CFP Rank: N/A
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Michigan Football Podcast — J.J. McCarthy, “Road Games Are My Favorite” – Game 5 Nebraska Preview

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Phil @pcallihan and Clint @Clint_Derringer preview the game vs Nebraska – SP+ analysis and score prediction.

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Podcast Summary

  • Michigan’s upcoming game vs. Nebraska.0:00
    • Michigan players excited for road game against Nebraska, with J.J. McCarthy citing atmosphere as a key factor.
  • Michigan Wolverines’ defense and their ranking in SP Plus system.0:54
    • Clint Derringer: Michigan’s defense is similar to Michigan’s, with a focus on physical play and winning the field position battle.
    • Phil Callihan: Nebraska is in a rebuilding mode, with a new model of play inspired by Michigan’s success.
    • Clint Derringer: Michigan’s defense is top in nation in SP plus, with focus on efficiency, explosiveness, field position, and penalties.
    • Michigan’s defense ranks first in power rating and efficiency metric, while Nebraska’s offense ranks 59th.
    • Clint Derringer analyzes Nebraska’s performance, noting they started at around 50-60 in the preseason, overperformed against Minnesota, then lost to Colorado and held serve against inferior opponents to climb back up to around 59th overall.
    • Derringer also highlights Nebraska’s strong defense, currently ranked 28th overall, as a significant improvement from their previous ranking and almost top-25 level.
  • College football team rankings using SP Plus.10:42
    • Phil Callihan and Clint Derringer discuss the SP plus rankings in the Big Ten, highlighting how they can help compare teams with different common opponents and provide insight into a team’s performance.
    • They emphasize the importance of using actual data from the season to understand a team’s strengths and weaknesses, rather than relying solely on preseason assumptions.
    • Phil Callihan: Michigan, Ohio State top Big Ten SP plus rankings, with Maryland surprisingly high at fifth.
    • Clint Derringer: Rutgers climbing up rankings, potentially switching spots with Nebraska, while Northwestern and Michigan State typically fall.
    • Clint Derringer expects Michigan to cover the spread against Indiana, despite a low-scoring game due to the clock rules change.
    • Derringer compares the two teams to Nebraska, with both relying on defense and a run-heavy offense.
  • Michigan Wolverines football team’s performance and expectations.19:38
    • Phil Callihan wants to see Michigan’s offense find its rhythm and control the game from the start, particularly in the second quarter, to demonstrate their improvement and gelled offensive line.
    • Callihan hopes to see more explosive plays, such as a 50-yard run ending in a touchdown, from Blake and Donovan to build confidence and showcase their abilities.
    • Clint Derringer compares last year’s and this year’s team performance, finding similarities in run game efficiency but differences in passing game output.
    • Clint Derringer believes Michigan’s running game has potential but is not living up to last year’s performance, with Donovan Edwards struggling to find explosive plays despite similar early season statistics.
    • Derringer worries that Michigan may be holding back its running game too long, potentially leading to a lack of explosiveness in the season.
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Michigan Football Podcast — We Bully Bullies – Game 4 Michigan 31 Rutgers 7

Phil and Clint discuss Michigan’s 31-7 victory over Rutgers. With Blake Corum, Junior Colson, and Jim Harbaugh.

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Podcast Summary

  • Michigan’s victory over Rutgers despite early struggles.0:00
    • Michigan defeats Rutgers 31-7, but concerns linger about their performance.
  • Michigan Wolverines’ dominant defense and offense.2:24
    • Phil Callihan and Clint Derringer discuss Michigan’s dominant defensive performance, with Callihan highlighting the opening score as a potential outlier.
    • Clint Derringer highlights Michigan’s defense, stating they were dominant despite giving up 200 total yards.
    • Derringer notes that Michigan’s offense also played well, using run concepts to keep the clock running and move the ball despite limited yards.
  • Michigan Wolverines’ offensive performance in a game against Rutgers Scarlet Knights.6:42
    • Clint Derringer notes that Michigan’s performance wasn’t as dominant as expected, despite holding a significant time of possession advantage.
    • Phil Callihan highlights Rutgers’ success in the first quarter, including a nine-minute advantage in time of possession, and wonders if this indicates more about Rutgers’ decent play than Michigan’s dominance.
    • Phil Callihan highlights Blake Corum and notes the increased passing to receivers, including Barner and Morgan, who scored a touchdown.
    • Clint Derringer agrees that the offense did a good job staying efficient, using their base plays and saving more complex plays for later.
  • Michigan Wolverines’ game strategy and player performance.11:31
    • Michigan’s offense relied on physical strength and power to grind out yards against a tough defense, with a key play being a back shoulder fade to true freshman receiver Semaj Morgan in the endzone.
    • Clint Derringer and Phil Callihan discuss Michigan’s game strategy and balance between running and passing plays.
    • Clint Derringer believes Michigan has already achieved their objectives in the non-conference games, as they are successfully ticking off items on their list and showing improvement in key areas such as balance and explosiveness.
    • Derringer notes that Michigan is 50% run and pass in non-garbage time, with a higher success rate and greater yards per play compared to last year.
  • Michigan Wolverines football team’s performance and player analysis.18:25
    • Coaches prioritize player health and balance in offensive game plan.
    • Phil Callihan highlights JJ McCarthy’s impressive touchdown catch and confidence, despite an outlier game versus Bowling Green.
  • Michigan football team’s performance and coach Jim Harbaugh’s return.22:04
    • Clint Derringer explains that Michigan’s offense is averaging 12 fewer plays per game this season, resulting in fewer yards and points scored.
    • Blake Corum and the team are focused on improving each week, despite their success, and are excited for the opportunity to take over on the road.
    • Blake Corum and Clint Derringer discuss Coach Harbaugh’s return to the sidelines and the team’s relief and happiness at having him back.
    • Coach Harbaugh’s energy and playfulness are noted, and the team’s excitement is evident in their comments.
  • Football game strategy and team resilience.27:53
    • Jim Harbaugh is proud of his team’s resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks, as seen in their 94-yard drive and the way they didn’t flinch after a tough play.
    • Clint Derringer notes that Harbaugh’s demeanor has changed from lighthearted to serious as the game approaches, but he’s still happy and proud of his team’s performance.
  • Michigan football team’s success and coach’s demeanor.30:46
    • Callihan reflects on Michigan football’s success and camaraderie, despite Harbaugh’s suspension.
    • Phil Callihan observes that Ryan Day’s demeanor after a big win doesn’t match his success, contrasting with Jim Harbaugh’s joyful reaction.
    • Jim Harbaugh praises the officials’ decision to waive off a penalty, citing good sportsmanship and mature play.
  • Michigan Wolverines football team’s culture and improvement.35:45
    • Phil Callihan praises Coach Harbaugh’s authenticity and enthusiasm, feeling the team has hit a rhythm under his leadership.
    • Coaches prioritize creating a positive team culture, leading to improved player performance.
    • The hosts believe the team is building towards something positive, with a strong foundation and potential for growth, despite some losses.