Carrying on from my earlier Diary entry looking at how our starting offense looks when comparing their success at Michigan to their recruiting rankings. When looking back you can see that success has come from 1. Recruiting well (every starter on O that was recruited by U-M was at least a 4 ), 2. Development (majority of starters outplayed their rankings), and 3. Successful portal additions. As we move on to the the defense a lot of those 3 points hold true, but #2 especially really stands out on this side of the ball. Defense
UFR GLOSSARY is here. FORMATION NOTES: Iowa spent most of the game in 12 personnel. They often went with an empty look with a TE and two WRs bunched outside that I called it Empty 3x2 Bunch. The other weird formation from Empty had a pair of tight ends stacked a few yards wide of the box. They ran this a lot when they were in comeback mode late. I called it Empty Demi TEs. They also had this heavy formation with a guy halfway between FB and TE than I called I-Heavy H. Also I've shortened "Trips 2TE Bunch" to TTEB. SUBSTITUTION NOTES: Line favored the starters Moore, Stewart, Goode, and Benny got the same number of drives but between 9 and a dozen fewer snaps. Starting LBs got 80% of the snaps with Rolder sitting out again to preserve his redshirt. Safety was split like the DL. Cornerback was interesting with Johnson out; Sainristil played about 60% of the time outside, with McBurrows at nickel. Sainristil went back to nickel when they stole a drive here or there for Amor
FIRST OFF: DUNNO. Give or take Matt Hibner, who stopped playing in order to maintain a redshirt and transfer somewhere next year, Michigan is the last P5 team without someone in the transfer portal. This obviously isn't going to last, but I mention it because that fact combined with the peak COVID-shirt year means just about anyone could come back, or leave, for 2024. Michigan only definitively loses six contributors: Cornelius Johnson, Cam Goode, Mike Barrett, Mike Sainristil, Josh Wallace, and James Turner. I'm going to wave a wand and assert that the following players will not be back next year because their eligibility has expired or they head to the draft: QB: Jack TuttleRB: Blake Corum, Donovan EdwardsWR: Cornelius Johnson, Roman WilsonTE:OL: LaDarius Henderson, Trevor Keegan, Zak Zinter DE: Jaylen HarrellDT: Kris Jenkins, Cam GoodeLB: Mike BarrettCB: Mike Sainristil, Josh WallaceS: Rod Moore The following players are in the maybe category: QB: JJ McCarthyRB:WR:TE: AJ B
Michigan agreed to meet Iowa on their proverbial turf and play a nasty game with little offense, where field position has precedence and turnovers/special teams are crucial. Michigan played this Iowa game and in turn, out Iowa'd Iowa. The Wolverines came up with all three takeaways, netting 10 points off of them, and broke off the most consequential special teams play of the game, leading to another touchdown. Michigan beat Iowa at their own game in Indianapolis and thus claimed their third consecutive Big Ten Football Championship, the 45th in school history. Sing it again, Freddie. - The game itself was rather boring, a vintage Iowa slog. Michigan won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving Iowa possession, who promptly went three-and-out. Deacon Hill delivered a decent throw on 3rd down under pressure, but Junior Colson broke it up. Michigan them embarked on a plodding 13 play, 52 yard drive that saw them convert one 4th down (a JJ McCarthy strike to