MICHIGAN @ UCONN DIARY

Michigan @ #1 UConn

Dear diary,

I don't think Michigan stands a chance today. Based on the last few games I have seen, Michigan still takes too many bad three's. It just seems as though they settle too often. Michigan can get a three point shot anytime they want. That's the nature of basketball, the further you are from the basket, the easier it is to shoot. The whole risk/reward theory at it's finest. UConn is too talented to not punish Michigan for their poor shots, UConn's guards will pounce on the long rebounds and get some easy transition buckets. 

Prediction: UConn 75 Michigan 62

All times are Mountain

4:11 PM About to tip in Storrs, but the MSU-Indiana game has to finish first. Why? I’m not really sure, it’s a 27 point game with 2 minutes to play. Remember the good ol days when they would just leave the bad game and go to the good one
4:12 PM update in the corner of the screen says Uconn 3 Michigan 0. This may be the closest we get all day.
4:13 PM 6-1 uh oh. Is it bad to be this pessimistic one minute into the game?
4:14 PM 8-1 according to the corner of the screen. How about a picture in picture ESPN? Just a small one in the corner? For those of us who aren’t super interested in watching walk-ons vs. walk-ons in a 30 point blow out.
4:16 PM 75-47 MSU wins. What a thriller.
4:17 PM First Impression: Uconn center Hasheem Thabeet is enormous. I have seen UConn a few times this year, but golly. He is gigantic. He reminds me of me in 6th grade. Just uncomfortably bigger than everyone else on the court.
4:18 PM great pick and roll type deal, Harris with a great pass to Sims for the bucket. 12-10 UConn.
4:21 PM the color guy just said “Michigan has been really patient on offense” I have seen a lot of Michigan games this year, and patience has never crossed my mind.
4:21 PM yikes UConn visitors locker room…looks like a high school locker room, only smaller.
4:22 PM holy blocked shot batman!
4:24 PM Sims aggressively to the basket right at Thabeet, gets the foul and misses both free throws. Sigh
4:25 PM Harris great wrap around pass to Sims for the layup. Harris and Sims are the only decisive players out there so far. They aren’t thinking, just reacting properly, Douglass and Shepard look lost early.
4:27 PM SIMS! Great skill move down low! Gets Thabeet up in the air and sneaks under for another layup!!! 14-14!
4:27 PM Michigan isn’t hoisting as many forced 3 pointers, and Sims and Harris are both being very aggressive. Gotta love when Michigan plays this way!
4:33 PM Stu Douglass…for thuuuuureeeee! Timeout UCONN!
4:34 PM LeBron commercial. Could LeBron play in the NFL now? Is it really that far-fetched that he could play for the Cleveland Browns tomorrow? I for one, think it is entirely possible. 6’8” 265!!! What position couldn’t he play? Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan all played baseball and football successfully. I submit LeBron could play in the NFL if he wanted to.
4:36 PM 2 fouls on Sims…can Michigan keep it up without him?
4:38 PM Douglass again for thuuuurrrrreeeee. The replay shows textbook form. It makes me want to go work on my jumper…maybe later
4:45 PM Just saw Ray Allen and Donny Marshall. Then the color guy put up his 5 best UConn greats and that had Donyell Marshall on it. As I recall these are not the same person. Color guy is confused…I’m gonna look it up.
4:46 PM Stu Douglass with another jumper! Dare I say…en fuego?
4:47 PM Michigan up 26-21
4:47 PM Anthony Wright for THUUUURRRREEEE! 29-21. Should Michigan stop the game and take a picture next to the scoreboard? A la Lee Corso and Indiana football against Michigan in 1976.
4:49 PM I was right, color guy was wrong. Donny Marshall and Donyell Marshall are two different people. On the wikipedia page it even says, “not to be confused with Donny Marshall”
4:52 PM I jinxed Douglass, he missed a layup. His fuego is out.
4:53 PM Update: Color guy is Stephen Bardo. He played at Illinois, graduated in 1989. Played a couple years in the NBA.
4:56 PM 31-31 UConn’s guards are really good. Price, Dyson, and Walker are all well-rounded. They can shoot, pass, drive, finish in the lane and defend.
4:57 PM Douglass airball, followed by Douglass thuuurrrreee from “Hartford.”
4:57 PM Thabeet put back slam. This first half has been incredibly entertaining!
4:58 PM HALFTIME
5:16 PM Second half underway!
5:19 PM Novak fouled shooting a three and makes all three free throws. If only he was born earlier, he could have been on Saved by the Bell or something. I could see him being the college kid who comes in for an episode and sweeps Kelly Kepowsky off her feet. Zach Morris would then see Novak kissing some other girl at a party. He would tell Kelly and she would accuse of him of being jealous, and then find out the hard way that Zach was right. Wow sitcom writing is not as hard as I thought.
5:22 PM Thabeet another dunk, 39-39.
5:23 PM I desperately want to talk about the potential tournament hopes of Michigan if they win the game. But I don’t want to jinx it…so I’ll hold back…for now.
5:29 PM Harris finds Sims under the basket for another easy bucket. Michigan up 4, timeout UConn.
5:34 PM Danger zone…Thabeet puts down a huge slam on a great pass from Price. 43-43. The crowd is into it, UConn is feeling superior again. This is make or break time for Michigan. Time to throw a punch, a clutch shot. Who’s it gonna be?
5:37 PM Dyson to rack for 2, Dyson to the rack for 2 more plus the foul. Michigan in jeopardy of going down 5.
5:41 PM Harris gets the bucket and the foul on Thabeet. Explosive to the basket!! Just what Michigan needed. Though making the free throw would have been helpful.
5:43 PM Michigan needs to go on a run while Thabeet is on the bench.
5:44 PM Dyson for 3, UConn up 6. Thabeet checks back in. My hope is slowly turning to despair…
5:49 PM Goodness, another couple blocks for Thabeet.
5:50 PM Michigan down 10
5:51 PM Harris throws up a silly 3 pointer, it goes in.
5:51 PM A stop on the defensive end, and another quick score would give Michigan a shot of momentum.
5:52 PM Douglass from deep!! 57-53
5:58 PM Michigan settling for some poor shots. A couple quick 3’s at a time when Michigan needs a good look at some points.
6:03 PM Another ill-advised 3 point shot followed by an airball 3 pointer. Really poor offense for the last 4 or 5 minutes.
6:04 PM Douglass hits another deep 3. He has 17 points, with 5 three pointers. Besides Douglass, Michigan is 3-19 on 3 pointers…YET, everyone continues to huck!
6:06 PM 1:00 to go, Austrie hits the dagger. 64-56.
6:06 PM Douglass hits ANOTHER 3. 64-59, too little too late I’m afraid.
6:08 PM Harris tries to dunk on Thabeet, Thabeet will allow no such thing. Foul.
6:09 PM 66-61 UConn. 31 seconds left. UConn on the stripe.
6:10 PM Harris misses a 3. That will do it. 69-61 UConn wins.

Great effort by Michigan. But great efforts with an L next to them don’t count when it comes down to tourney time. Hopefully Michigan can pull it together and finish the Big Ten season strong, including a good showing in the Big Ten Tournament.

Michigan vs. Ohio State - Live Diary

I decided that this would be a good event to diary about. I usually channel surf with the the best of em', but I am gonna stay locked in to this game. I don't anticipate Michigan winning this game, but I hope they keep it close. Just a chance to have a game tying or game winning drive would be a win in my book. (The times from the time stamps are Mountain time). Hope for a great game, hope for a competitive game, Go Blue! 

DIARY:

10:07:33 AM “a great day for pneumonia?” hmmmm, interesting way to get the fans ready Brad Nessler.

10:08:57 AM Does Paul McGuire have a contract that CANNOT be terminated? Does anyone think he brings anything of value to the football conversation? He is sitting in an absurd elevated cameraman swiveling chair on the sideline.

10:09:36 AM and we’re off!!!!

10:10:34 AM did anyone think Pryor would be this good this fast? I hate to think what Michigan’s record would be with him, because he is on the other side now and it makes me sad. But honestly, 7-4? 6-5?

10:11:50 AM big third down conversion throw by Pryor, has a Michigan QB made that throw yet this year?

10:12:30 AM WOOO! Just like I said!! I’m glad Pryor isn’t Michigan’s qb! INT by Stevie Brown!!!!!! A touchdown needs to come of this, a field goal won’t cut it.

10:13:44 AM Malcolm Jenkins is a punk, but he’s great and he plays with swagger. Michigan needs someone on offense with some swagger.

10:14:34 AM ugh, 3rd and 10, false start. Awesome.

10:15:39 AM Missed field goal. An interception in the early going is exactly what Michigan needed. It was a gift. I wonder if Michigan fans understand how bad Nick Sheridan is…put it this way; did you go to high school? Did your high school have a football team? Pick the quarterback from your high school, and Sheridan is probably a little bit worse. Worse. He was a walk-on from a local school. ANYONE could have been Nick Sheridan.

10:21:33 AM 3 and out OSU.

10:22:09 AM fumbled punt return!!! Martavious Odoms fumbles for the 10th time this year. Giving OSU good field position.

10:29:04 AM OSU went 3 and out after the turnover and now M goes 3 and out right back.

10:29:45 AM Hartline for OSU catches a punt while he is diving, same as Odoms. Difference being Hartline catches the ball. I hope Odoms was watching, it’s evidence that a punt can in fact be caught.

10:32:15 AM Brad Nessler says, “1,2,3…kick!” a whimsical Dancing with the Stars plug.

10:33:45 AM Sack Brandon Harrison! OSU 3 and out again! M defense is playing great, now if only Nick Sheridan was a competent quarterback.

10:35:27 AM Sheridan incomplete, short hop by 3 yards, this is going to be painful…

10:37:27 AM Touchdown Beanie Wells. 59 yard run. Less than five minutes ago I got off the phone with my buddy. I said to him, “this game is going to be something like 21-3. Michigan’s offense will do nothing, and Ohio State will get two or three huge plays against Michigan’s defense.” Well I think we can chalk that up to huge play #1. (What kind of stupid nickname is Beanie?)

10:43:35 AM What a telling season stat, M has 51 three and outs this year, most in the NCAA. Is it time to throw Feagin in there? Did anyone else on Michigan’s team play quarterback in high school? Can we go to a wishbone?

10:52:33 AM Paul McGuire, still useless. He must have some dirt on someone at ABC…I have no doubt at this point.

10:53:24 AM Touchdown OSU. Pryor 53 yard pass to Hartline. Huge play #2…maybe my earlier prediction of two or three huge plays, should have been two or three per half. Great throw by Pryor. Stevie Brown is slow. 14-0 OSU…I am beginning to fear the worst. 38-0 blowout type of fear.

10:59:37 AM Everyone together now, 1, 2, 3…AND OUT! Michigan punts again.

11:09:29 AM 4th and 3, OSU goes deep. Incomplete pass. Can Michigan get a drive together? (chuckle), let me rephrase, can Michigan get a first down?

11:11:52 AM What. A. Gift. 1st down! I’ll take it!

11:14:10 AM 4th down and a foot…first down! Back-to-back first downs, now we are rolling!

11:16:23 AM Brandon Minor for season MVP. I hate to beat a dead horse, but if we are going to keep running the zone read, why not put Feagin in for a “real” quarterback run threat.

11:19:23 AM Minor ran out at the 1 yard line. Now its 3rd and goal from the 7 yard line. Oy.

11:20:14 AM 4th and goal from the 1, going for it, Touchdown Michgan! Brandon Minor. His 11th touchdown of the year. 14-7 OSU.

11:22:20 AM Michigan really needs a big defensive possession here, a three and out or a turnover.

11:26:40 AM three and out, big sack by Tim Jamison. 1:09 to go in the half, one timeout left.

11:29:49 AM Run (?), big pass play (thumbs up), 2 yard bubble screen (?), and then Michigan burns the timeout…color me confused. Punt? That was miserable.

11:32:56 AM Halftime. 14-7 OSU. M still in it!

11:33:29 AM I’m really sick of people dumping on Rich Rodriguez. The “get a life” comment was taken completely out of context. He wasn’t talking to all Michigan fans, he was talking to people who make personal attacks about the players, the people who don’t get it anyway. The crazed fans that don’t understand football or the way things work in the world of college sports. When I see blogs, or facebook posts about “I can’t believe Rich Rod would say that, what a ____” or something dumb like that, it just makes me realize how uniformed and quick to judge some people are. Those people are the ultimate fair weather fans, the classless few.

11:42:06 AM Another thing to note, Rich Rod went 3-8 in his first year at West Virginia. He then proceeded to go 9-4, 8-5, 8-4, 11-1, 11-2, and 10-2. Winning four big east titles. Give the guy a break, how about a chance to show what he can do. If five or six years from now Michigan is still 3-8 then feel free to say that he wasn’t the right guy for the job. But for now, let Rodriguez do his job.

11:59:00 AM Couple first downs in a row by M to begin the second half.

11:59:47 AM Big 3rd down and 7 at the OSU 38. Incomplete pass. Punt. But now M is winning the field position battle. That could be key early in the half.

12:01:33 PM Well that was short-lived, 42 yard run for Wells, puts OSU on Michigan’s side of the field.

12:02:18 PM Wow…that was really short-lived. Dan Herron 49 yard touchdown run. A two play 91 yard drive! 21-7 OSU.

12:04:04 PM Michigan is not a good come from behind team, because they run so much they are limited in their quick strike capabilities. It also doesn’t help that Nick Sheridan has not shown that he can throw a football further than 20 yards.

12:08:35 PM 3 and out. (sigh)

12:09:20 PM Roughing the punter, automatic first down. (sigh?)

12:10:21 PM HEY!! A deep pass! Incomplete, and into double coverage, but hey it’s a start!

12:11:39 PM Sheridan had Matthews WIDE OPEN for a M touchdown. Shockingly Sheridan underthrows it, and Malcolm Jenkins recovers in time to knock it away. (sigh)

12:12:46 PM So M punts again, would that be called a 6 and out?

12:17:36 PM OSU Punts.

12:21:00 PM Big pass play to Stonum! That play has been there all day! (Am I using exclamation points too much?)

12:22:44 PM Another deep pass, this one to Odoms, it was incomplete, but that’s two deep passes on the same drive. Woo!

12:23:25 PM WHAT?!?! 3rd and 15? QB draw??????? And it injures Sheridan??

12:24:24 PM Four Michigan “players” overrun the punt coverage and have no idea where the ball is. Result: 81 yard Punt return by Ray Small to the 8 yard line.

12:25:16 PM Result based on the previous result, touchdown OSU, Robiskie 8 yard catch from Pryor on the first play. 28-7 (double sigh)

12:29:10 PM Feagin is in, and M goes 3 and out. (sigh)

12:29:52 PM If I were a cartoon right now, there would be a thought bubble over my head. And in that thought bubble it would say, “I can’t wait till next year…”

12:32:27 PM Pryor escapes most of the Michigan line, and throws a Sheridan duck, but because his WR is so open, it works anyway. First down OSU. (sigh times 10)

12:33:35 PM Dan Herron down to the 2 yard line. First and goal.

12:34:35 PM End of the third quarter, multiple sighs imminent.

12:39:07 PM Donovan Warren appears to have an interception in the endzone, close call. I think whichever way they called it on the field was going to stand. I assume OSU scores on the next play.

12:40:29 PM Herron touchdown 35-7.

12:44:23 PM Fumble on the kickoff return. OSU ball. (sigh infinity)

This concludes my diary of the game. I don’t want to write anymore. I should do a diary about something with more positive potential next time. While I write this conclusion, OSU scored again 42-7. I hate this. I wonder if this is the real reason Oedipus gouged out his eyes…because I’m getting there.