Blue By Ninety - Blue By The Numbers: Michigan Heads Into Bye Week With Big Win

Episode Date: September 22, 2025

Brian and Tanner talk about Michigan’s impressive Big Ten debut.

All right, welcome back to Blue by the Numbers. I'm Tanner, joined by Brian. Brian, how are you? I'm doing good, man. It feels good coming off of a solid win on the road and get back on track a little bit and heading to Dubai with the W. It feels good. Yeah, I said this on our, I'm good, man. You know, it was a good weekend.

Nice to see Michigan get it done in a game that three-point differential never felt that close. So some self-inflicted wounds. You know, Justin and I did the Blue By 90 podcast on Monday morning. I got that out on YouTube. If you haven't watched it, I go check that out. But I made the point, if you came to me late August and said, look, Michigan's going to lose a game before the buy, right? They're going to be three and one, but they're going to lose a game.

Which would you prefer for them to lose? And I would probably take the Oklahoma game because it's a big 10 game. This is a big 10 win. You're 1 and 0 in the conference. This sets you up now. We looked at the schedule. Outside of USC, there's no rank. opponents until the Buckeyes come to town on November 29th.

So this schedule sets up for a team that feels like they're ascending and built off of that loss against Oklahoma, took what they did against Central Michigan, and kind of built upon it against Nebraska. So I think you're at a point where you, it's early, but you can kind of start projecting out a little bit. Like if this team continues to improve, some of the adjustments they've made defensively with moving Barham to edge, the kind of. a rival of Cole Sullivan, Derek Moore, Rayshaw and Benny, these guys starting to play the way

we thought they would, you're starting to look at a team that with a true freshman quarterback who's only going to get better at a run game that seems to just pop explosives at the flip of a coin. I really do. You're starting to think, okay, right? Because a lot of the comparisons to this team coming in were to the 2021 Michigan team that went 12 and 2, went to the playoffs, won the Big Ten, Beatle, Ohio State. Right. And a lot of people, I remember seeing this specific comment, if Bryce can just be as good as 2021K, if you put 20, 25 Bryce Underwood on that 2021 team, I don't know if they beat Georgia, but I don't think they lose a regular season game. No. So I think you have a quarterback who is on the rise, who's going to continue to get better. Despite his stats, I thought Bryce Underwood played really well. His receivers did not help him.

McCulley tried to. Heck of a catch by McColley, but you know, if a drop touchdown, we've got a couple other drops underneath that maybe would have extended some drives. What were your thoughts on Bryce in another true road environment, you know, coming off the Oklahoma game to now? I think he made some big, big jumps, in my opinion. You know what? I'm very happy with where he's at. I don't think we've seen that freshman moment yet, and I hope we don't.

But he never looks panicked. He never, you know, it seems like. like the offense operates really well. There's never seems like, I shouldn't use the word never, but almost never. Do you see pre-snap issues where he's struggling to get the play in? When they have to audible, he gets everybody in the right spot, seems composed. You know, doesn't, I mean, have we had to lay a game penalty yet this year? Maybe we have, but I don't think, you know, it just seems like he operates the offense well. And then, you know, everything breaks down, you know, he doesn't always turn him into positive plays, but he doesn't do that dumb

stuff that so many young quarterback veteran quarterbacks do, try to do too much when it's not there. Like, you know, I don't mind him running for a one-yard loss or a two-yard gain as opposed to throwing it into triple coverage. And, you know, we saw, he did that a game ago. But I think all in all, you know, people that are running his stats and anyone that listened to our podcast last week, I said, hey, don't look for him to have big stats next week because they're going to run like crazy. And that's exactly what they did. I mean, over, you know, what was it, 300 yards rushing in this game? So he's not going to put up big stats. But I thought, he managed the game really well and you take away, you know, the few drops in that game,

bad drops, in my opinion, and his stat line looks a whole lot better. Yeah, no, absolutely. I thought he made some big-time throws, you know, that throw to Channing Goodwin. I'm very much catch the ball. It would have been a great catch. I mean, it would have been a had to have been a fingertip grab, but you've got to help your quarterback out there. I mean, he puts it on the money.

I don't think I want him throwing any other type of football right there. I thought that was a great throw. It should have been six. Samaj had a drop. Samaj did have some moments, especially in that last drive or that last real drive that Michigan had that went like nine minutes, 16 plays, where he makes a guy miss gets a first down. So you have no Hogan Hanson, which we talked about before the game. We texted each other.

that I think is maybe your best hope for an outside receiver. I know he's a tied-in, but I think that's your best hope for an outside guy to emerge this year along with Andrew Marsh because I think at this point, I'm not giving up on these guys, but I just think, I don't know, I mean, you've got to hit the jugs machine. You can't keep dropping balls and ruining drives, right?

Like that is a problem that Michigan has continued to face this year. And, you know, Bryce hasn't been 100% perfect, but been damn close. I mean, he rarely does he throw a ball that I don't feel is going to be completed. So I think you've got to help your freshman out. And I think that's the one weakness on this team that if they had, if they were able to go into the portal last year and get, you know, three top 50 portal receivers, I think this team is a lot more dangerous. Alas, that did not happen.

But I think to your point, the run game is certainly going to help that. I mean, 31 carries 2090 yards. Pretty good. Pretty good. It's not bad. So, yeah, I think the receiving, I mean, I think the fan base is in consensus on the biggest struggle with this team being the receivers. And it's a really tough thing to disagree with. I do think I am not in the camp that many people that I associated with on Samaj Morgan.

I think he's one of the more polarizing guys of the last 10 years of this fan base. I think, you know, he played 38 snaps against Nebraska. Between the tight ends and wide receivers, only McCauley played more. I think the Samaj Morgan that really helps our team is like fifth in snaps. And we use him specifically in the role that he thrives and those screen passes. And, you know, that third down that he made the guy miss and almost ran over that dude. Like, you know, he has his moment. So I think he has a lot of value.

I just don't think he's an every down type guy. And it appears like Marshall, the coaches are comfortable with throwing swing passes to Marshall and to Haynes. And so if they're comfortable throwing those paths to them, that decreases Samaj's role even more. So I think, you know, if he plays 38 snaps Saturday, I think a better number for the overall success of the team and maybe even his own individual success. is more like 26, 27, right? And spring, bring Marsh back. I think we've talked about before, you know, in the slot, depending on situations, he can play this slot and so can Hogan Hansen.

It's a different look, but in that slot. And I think that change of pace can serve this offense a lot of good, you know, because I feel like it, when everything breaks down, you know, a big target like Hogan Hansen or Marlon Klein or something like that, you know, really helps us out. And then as it comes and then, and then Cheney good, when he's a prototype, I mean, he's kind of a prototyp type wide receiver. You know, I don't watch it closely enough and have him broke down the tape well,

but I know everyone rames about his route running. He's the best route runner on the team. So let's just say that's true. I haven't studied it enough to know. But at he's 6-2, he's got good hands. Like, he gets good blocking grades from PFF. He just needs to catch a damn ball, you know? And he's got to be as frustrated, but he's a young guy.

If he starts, if he's, if you have a guy that's blocking well, runs the right routes, you know, you got to hope that comes. Yeah, turn that jugs machine up to 100%, right? Throw that thing on 80 miles an hour. I don't know how fast you get up to now. Yeah, right, right, right. Yeah. It's kind of like, you know, a guard, you know, getting a crossover, getting to the rim,

and just missing a bunny, right? Like, that's what it feels like because he does a great job on that corner route in the end zone. Needs to catch. I mean, again, it would have been a great catch, but he did everything, finish the play. And it's six points for your team, and you're on your way, right? So, yeah, I think with, I think Marsh has to come through, right? I think you need Marsh to grow up. I don't think he played much on offense.

He played on special teams. I don't know. I'm not looking at them right in front of me. You might have them, but I don't know. He's 10 snaps. Yeah, and Michigan had, what, 60 something, 60 something? We had 56, offensive snaps. 56, yeah.

46, yeah. 46 past, 30 run. Yeah, so he's in there, you know, once every five, six plays. So you kind of need him to continue to develop. I think this is a big week, and we're going to have a show next week to talk about what we want to see coming out of the biweek, especially against a bad Wisconsin team. And it's a bad. That's a, that's a, they might have a coach when they come to be in Harvard.

But I think there's a lot of room for improvement. And I think with the younger plays, you'll probably see that too, right? Like, this is typically under Jim Harbaugh. I don't know for Sharon, but under Jim Harbaugh, there was a lot of scrimmages for the young guys, right? Like, you're getting live action against a lot of the younger guys, giving your starters a break, letting them get back physically, getting back their health a little bit.

It's a long season. Does Michigan have two-by-weeks? Are we in a two-by-week environment now? I think that's probably going to be pretty consistent moving forward. So, you know, you have another opportunity to, I think it probably works out perfect. I don't know what the second buy week is, but, you know, in the NFL you hate getting the week five by,

but I think right now this team's banged up. I think it's perfect time for the buy, man. Yeah, and then you get another one later on in the season. So I think that's going to be a good thing for this Michigan team. So, yeah, man, offensively, you know, there was, you know, there are some drives that, you know, petered out a little bit, but I really liked what I saw, man. Well, and, I mean, I felt like, I think I texted, you know, you had some stuff going on, but I texted you and my friends like that first, I thought Chip Lindsay had just a master,

class of play calling in that first half. I mean, you know, if, you know, we were picking on Samajal a little bit earlier, but, you know, probably his biggest problem in that whole game is he's no Donovan Edwards, right? Like, he's out in the, out, gets the, gets to throw the pass, and McCauley is as open as anybody could ever be. And like, you'd think, like, you're a Division one scholarship athlete, dude, like, and you practice that play, you can't throw it anywhere near him, you know? But, yeah, I love the play calling. I mean, your point about the offense kind of, going and they're going to get better. Bryce is going to get more comfortable. The receivers are going to gel.

Hopefully, you know, Browder, Washington, who am I forgetting? I mean, you got a margin of service for last year. Like, I haven't adhered up. And Anthony Simpson, they set out a great camp, right? So, like, yeah, he's a guy who in 2023 had like 900 yards for UMass. I mean, a different competition level, but, man, you'd think you'd be able to contribute. Yeah. Respectfully, you know, if Bridget Moore and Kendrick Bell played a ton of stamps for us last year

and weren't that effective. If we come back and they're the guys at the top of the depth chart, that's a problem, right? Like, we have more talented guys in the roster. So, you know, all due respect to those guys, if those guys are playing a bunch of snaps, that's not good for us. No, we need somebody to emerge. Man, if we were able to see Michigan have a true number two wide receiver opposite McColley, I think McColley could have 1,000 yards this year because he is playing some really good football.

For all the negatives I said about the wide receiver course so far, McColley is not that. I think he has been better than advertised, but I think defenses are able to really just bracket him and take him out. And then it's like, all right, well, this guy might not catch the football. Even if Bryce gets it to him, he may not catch the ball. We're going to get off the field. Yeah, I don't know if we're going to throw enough for any of our receivers to get 1,000 yards,

but he's got 200 through four games, so he's going to have to get on a poor pace. That's what I'm saying, though, because, you know, if he had somebody to take the pressure off him in the past game, because, you know, Michigan has thrown it, what, an average of 25 times a game? so far, give or take, right? So that's more than Michigan's throwing it historically. Maybe I'm off there. I don't know what they did with JJ, but certainly compared to last year,

throwing it a lot more and able to keep defenses honest a little bit. So, yeah, I just think if you had, if Hogan, again, because if those guys can be healthy, him and Klein, because Klein can be your in-line-tight end. And Marshall did flash a little bit, I thought, in the game. I don't remember any run-blocking pluses or any if they ran the ball with him in there, but he did have a catch on a crosser.

He caught the ball, so that's awesome. But I think you can probably just, you know, I think Hansen being, you know, lining up around the outside and the perimeter is probably going to be your best bet to have a true number two outside guy opposite of McCulley. Because we've seen Hansen be able to do that,

even as a true freshman, when he wasn't playing a ton until the Ohio State game. We saw it against Central Michigan. That was just, did he, I don't, did he play against Oklahoma? Maybe a little bit. Hanson? No.

I have right here a week. That was week two, right? Yeah. Either way, I think he's a guy that, you know, unfortunately has a lot of passes here. Yeah, he was limited. Yeah, he was limited. Yep.

Played a lot more against Central Michigan. Had some nice catches. He had the big catch on third down. I guess a wheel route, you know, climb the ladder. We talked about it last week. So I think Hanson is more of your, you know, route running tight end. He's not Colson-Levelin, but I think he can be Colson-Levelin light

in terms of you can line them up at different spots. again i think him or marsh ideally both happen uh because then if both i mean that then you're looking at all right well now we've got three guys that can line up outside that we can we know we can get the ball to and then again goodwin and samage can still be guys that could be sprinkled in there i like the ball in samaj's hands he's a player for sure for sure got to get there first all right just like the rose bowl a couple years ago he drops a slant he has a drop on another play Good one has, I think, one or two drops. And we've already seen the drop issues with Fred Moore this year.

That's why he hasn't been getting a lot of burn. So, yeah, maybe Anthony Simpson in the by week, you know, in one of these scrimmages turned some heads. I don't know. I don't know what it looks like in practice or playing these guys for a reason. But I just, again, I think the way this offensive line is coming along, the way the run game's coming along, Bryce is getting better. I really don't think he's been overwhelmed.

I know Oklahoma was a tough outing, but they're doing that to a lot of guys. We have a lot of older quarterbacks. So I don't know how much of that I'm putting on Bryce Underwood. I just feel like this offense is close to, and again, they scored 30 points, but, you know, had an opportunity to score even more and just, they're close, but, and maybe this is just something they've got to recruit the problem. Like, you got to go and spend some money. I told Justin this, though, earlier, I think that price tax coming down for these receivers

to come play at Michigan. You're not going to have to pay them an exorbitant amount of money to get them to play with Bryce Underwood, they may drop their asking price a little bit because this kid's, I mean, again, I'm so impressed with him. I think the future is very, very bright. I just don't know if it's going to be resolved this year. Yeah. Well, sad.

You know, the one thing that always gives me optimism is, you know, there's a lot of people that get in front of a microphone are paid to give opinions and you hear what they say and you think they're morons. But it seems like every former quarterback I see talk about Bryce talks about how special is and I put a lot of stock in that you know if you're a talking head that sits behind you know and doesn't know a whole lot about football other than you watch every week and you're paid to talk about a little bit and you you're critical not that I've really heard anyone be critical about Bryce but it seems like every quarterback or quarterback guy out there just raves

about him right and so that validates what I believe I'm seeing right like I believe I see I'm seeing something special so yeah I think I think the sky's the limit for him and I think trust is a big thing in football and everything and I feel like if you're the play caller and I don't think it's on Bryce it's the drops it's running the wrong routes early in the game that long passed on the sidelines where McCulley and Goodwin are standing right next to each other on that deep ball like you know that wasn't in the route tree you know that wasn't the play design and so you know I think one of the things holding back this passing game is is that trust word and I really don't think the trust issue is with Bryce you know I think a little bit is

you know the the moving around of the offensive linemen and not trusting them to really hold up for two and a half seconds three seconds they can make a play clearly guys aren't running around or outs we have what four six nine drops already this year that's a lot in four I think it's 11 I think BFF credit 11 or yeah nine and wide yeah not 11 nine from the wide receivers two for the tight ends I was only um oh okay and uh uh no one from a running back one from a tight end and nine from the wide receivers but in any case i think that trust issue they have to resolve right and i think i feel like the offensive line here even in our tough years does get better over the year we shouldn't get el hadi back i don't know he back after the break sounds like he's you know he's banged up

pretty good but i thought the guy's played pretty good against nebraska you know what i mean i thought I thought they played, you know, not amazing, but, you know, there was some amazing moments. There was an amazing moment. I touched on this earlier, but Greg Crippin, you know, on that stretch play, he crosses over, gets to the defensive tackle, and then he gets him out of the way, and then he's off to the linebacker. Well, the other backside player, I don't know if it's a backer or a safety or what is coming,

and he just runs into the Nebraska player that Crippin's blocking. So he essentially gets three guys on one block and one play, and Marshall's gone. And then on Haynes, 75-yarder, they run a stunt, and he crosses over to the left side, and he picks him up, takes him completely out of the play, and then Haynes is one-on-one with his safety, who got benched after, by the way, Marcus Buford. And he just, little hesitation and gone. And so there's been a lot of people, even leading up to this game, and even after the game, they're like, well, if you just take away the, you know, 300 yards that have been an explosive play

and Michigan's run game is not how it works. It's not how it works. Explosives are baked into offenses, man. They'd happen. At this point, Michigan has been consistent getting explosives through four games. Every single game, they've had multiple explosive plays in the run game. Now it's a pattern, right? It's not just a coincidence or Michigan got lucky because they're playing X, Y, and Z. And I know Nebraska is not a great rush defense by any stretch of the word or the term. but I think when you look at the way Michigan's been able to, you know, Haynes is a home run hitter. We're finding out. Yeah.

And he's third in the country. You know, I just, I don't think you can take it away. This is you cannot take it away. You can take it away. That's what Chip Lindsay wants. And when your offensive line blocks it to perfection, and instead of going on a, you know, 10 play 75-year-drive drive, you're going to one-play 75-ray drive. I mean, yeah, it's just so dumb, Michael. By the way, I thought.

Tom Brady's record setting you. here, let's take away all those plays to Randy Moss, and it wasn't that going to be there? You know what? It's like, don't, come on. So don't. So I think if you, if you look at Saturday, too, caveats apply. I mean, you know, I think Cincinnati had a lot of success.

We talked about that a little bit, or at least I did on some of the other shows I was on this week. Last week was busy week, man. We had multiple podcasts. We had our show. We were on our friends at No Block, No Rock's Live show. And, like, the thing that I, I just, they're not a good rush. defense. We've established that. But I think you saw there were multiple times where Michigan had had to have it third downs or plays in that game where, you know, Jordan Marshall, I guess

it was a first down, so it wasn't a had to have it. But, you know, Jordan Marshall's got a guy draped over him, arms wrapped around him. A phobia keeps blocking. I think Jay Doe pointed this out on Twitter. We always shout out Jay Doe. His recaps are awesome. Former Michigan player. The guy's awesome. Great guy. Go follow him on Twitter. But he keeps blocking. And that allows Marshall to get a stiff arm and bounce off and, you know, get eight yards instead of two. Or, you know, that last drive, was it Marshall in it at the end of the game or was it Haynes? I can't recall. 22 and 23 is tough.

And I'm watching it on a phone at a wedding. And I watched a replay a couple of times, but not as intently focused as I would be during the actual game. Either way, you know, bounce outside, make a guy miss. You know, Haynes had the run on the screenplay on third and nine that ended up getting Michigan a first down. He broke a, you know, I don't know if it was a broken tackle, but he got out and he got the first down. He had a great move. He went to 10. Third and 10 had to have it. Nebraska thinks, man, Michigan's probably going to throw this. Nope. And the blocking on,

that's another one that due posted. For the backside of the play, you can just see the blocks develop. I mean, Samaj is getting his nose in there. And then I think Cripping comes and helps him. And, I mean, Haynes almost busted that thing for about a 45-year-out touchdown. and sets it up at the 20. Next play, Bryce, I think, is the quarterback power to the bottom side of the field. He gets a first down, gets a stiff arm in. I mean, that should have been a 15 play, however many yards plus to the goal line, because that should have been a touchdown on that third and goal with Bryce.

Bryce didn't see that he had the pylon, but linked completely with. That's one negative from that game that was like, how did you miss this block? Because Bryce should have scored that. it would have been the most manliest man-ball drive of all time, at least that I had seen in a long time. But Michigan kicked their ass up and down that field in the last drive. Yeah. And it wasn't an explosive.

Yeah, I've seen that play like five times now, and two things can be true. Link totally whiffed. Bryce, if he was just a little bit patient, walks in. Like, he doesn't have to be Superman. He just sees me let that block come and just keep working the pile on. He had 10 yards to the boundary there. But, yeah, that was a great drive.

I said, you know, the people I was watching the game with him. We need like a 10-12 play, 10-12 play, 6-7-minute drive here. And that's exactly what we got. Well, can I interest you in a 16-play, 9-minute? Yeah, right, right, right. Like how frustrating that was two weeks ago? Yes. Infinitely just the best as a football fan when, you know,

Michigan did that to Ohio State in 2023, right? It wasn't to make it a two-score game, but it did make them have to drive the field and go and go down to score. In Michigan, they took like six minutes. I think Ohio's got the ball 50 seconds left. So, you know, when you have those opportunities to close out a game, that's the boa constrictor. Yeah. That's what Joel Klatt talks about.

That's imposing your will on another team, and there's nothing that Nebraska can do about it. They got Michigan in a third down to go situations. They were one of ten at that point, or one of nine. And guess what, they got three in a row on a had-to-have-it drive to close that game out. Because I don't – it's 30 to 20. You score the minute left. I don't care. is getting the onside. You're not getting the onside. You're not doing a Colorado. You're not

getting a Hail Mary. We'll talk about that. The game's over. It's a garbage time touchdown. Don't care. Michigan goes down, kicks your ass up and down the field, you know, gets a field goal, and the game's over. Came over, yeah. Yeah, I was impressed. I mean, I felt like big players made big plays, you know, whether it was Samage or Justin Haynes. And, you know, the one thing that At the end of the game, the play that sealed it, the Jordan Marshall run, he could still be running. Yeah. I thought that was such a, I mean, I don't have touched on it because it's always

hard to tell where the angles are at. But, I mean, he did run for another 20 years. You got to think, because they probably were, if you go back and look, they probably got 11 guys within 10 yards. I'd love to see, like, Y'all 22 on that, you know, yeah. He probably could have scored, but you know what, team play, right? Go in, get the kneel downs, get out of there with a win. One thing that I will say, too, about Bryce Underwood, because you wonder, you know,

12, 22, 105 yards, you know, you know, has a little, rushing. We even talk about his touchdown. 21 miles an hour, 21.3, just two-tenths of a second slower than his teammate, Justice Haynes, on the 75-yarder. I don't know. I don't know what you say about that. Great play design on his draw right after the pick, which we'll talk about it on the defensive side. You know, Marshall goes in motion. They bring somebody down to Blitz. That other backer goes with him, and it is. It was just, you know, it's a different play because it was a scramble, but the Red Sea parted, just like it did in 2023 and JJ ran it right up the middle. It was the same look, just a different play call. One was designed,

one was a scramble. But man, I'll tell you what, the moment Bryce hit five yards. That's a touchdown. He's gone. I knew he was athletic, Brian. That's a different element. Real analytics is a good Twitter follow, but every week they break down the fastest top end speeds in the nation, and Justice Haynes was number four, and Bryce was number six at 21.5 and 21.3 miles an hour. That's moving. And typically, you don't think of a six, four quarterback doing that or, you know, a running back. It's typically a wide receiver or a corner or a punt returner or something that puts on the burners on that. I think Ryan Wingo at Texas was number one. And, you know, it's impressive, man. It's fun. I will give credit to Nebraska.

They clean that up because as wide open as that was, they tried to run. on that a similar type play two other times, and they had two guys in the whole weight for them. So they addressed that issue quick. So, um, and I would imagine other teams will scheme that up to, you know, always kind of looking out for that. But then that's, that's where Chip Lindsay, I thought, again, you know, you talk about, um, I know it was a miss, but the, I mean, because they'd run that bubble all year long. Yeah. And then to have that turn into a pass, which it doesn't get completed, but the creativity, the ability to put something on film multiple times and then, oh, we're going to burn you with this and it should have been a touchdown. That gives me

a lot of excitement for later in the year. I'm watching these QB powers, and I'm like, it's got to be some sort of throwback, right? And obviously, you know, the, you know, the low-level staffers and stuff at other schools are, you know, watching that and they're writing their notes and stuff before the head coach views the film. They're clearly going to see that, too, if some guy in, you know, on a podcast is seeing it, right? But, man, you just, it gives you a lot of excitement because I don't know, even winning the national championship, there was some, you know, some cool stuff and some trick plays, but I think this team with Chip Lindsay, I think they're just making some things in that are going to burn some people

later in the season, maybe in late November. I don't know. So, you know, it was a great performance. I go back to what I said about Brian's Center with him. I don't think he cared. I saw the post-game video with Ed Kingerski. By the way, some friends said they saw him at a rest stop in Iowa. Can we get Ed on a plane, man?

Can we get him with the team? This guy is a legend, you know? We love Ed of Congerski. He's our only form of fall camp stuff. But Bryce, man, he looks stoked. He was hyped with his team. He's taking pictures with the bus with Taylor Loewan. You know, Will Compton's bald head.

He looks like Conner Stallions now. But so I think there's probably a lot of people like, well, is Bryce going to be happy? That kid was a win, first and foremost. And I think he has an understanding of the greater plan at play here. That is, it's not just now. It is building towards. I think even next year, I still think this year this team can make the playoff. And then who knows what happens.

Yeah. But I think it's building towards 26, towards 2027, and ultimately he's going to go number one in the draft. I'm just going to keep saying it until it happens because it's going to happen. Yeah, very exciting, very good stuff. Anything else offensively? Bryce did fumble, you know, I think that first drive, you almost broke out of that and picked up a first down. I think he probably felt he could do the same thing. and sometimes you just kind of go down.

He's got to eat it. That leads to, you know, defense does their job, leaves the three points there, but unnecessary. But I thought it was a good play by the Nebraska defender too. I don't think it was anything crazy from Bryce trying to like, you know, the ball wasn't, you know, ball was tucked. I think he maybe seems to, you know,

two hands on that sucker and just fall down. So otherwise I thought it was, you know, ultimately a clean game for Michigan offensively. You know, we seem to say this about Shea all the time. I remember JJ having the issue much, but I didn't run it. You know, it's kind of like the, RPO look where they put the ball in the running back's belly and sometimes they give it to him

and sometimes they don't feel like he ran into they ran those running backs into just two three defenders for two three yard losses where you know I don't know what I don't know exactly what the reed is there but with his athletic he gets more than two or three yards and his running back doesn't get nearly decapitate him so I think that's another area that he can improve on but to your I think you said it really really well he seems to be mature beyond his years understanding the grand scheme and doesn't seem to be wrapped up in personal stats. I mean, you don't really ever see him on the sideline sulking or, you know, does he just walks off the play?

There was that kind of sideline argument that first week. But other than that, you know, he seems to be everything we want, everything we hoped for, right? He's been fantastic. I can't believe people thought that was more than it was. I know. I can because we're just dumb as a society. We're getting dumber every moment.

So right now is every dumbest we've ever been. Ben, and social media just amplifies it. I mean, for sure, you know. People are agreeing against him, right? Of course. I mean, I see people like, Michigan paid $13 million for this, and it's the box score. And so, yep, right.

Yeah, I know you didn't watch a game. Right. Which is a surprise because a certain team in Ohio had a buy week. I'm sure they, I'm sure Columbus will be the number two, uh, viewing, you know, on the, on the playlist for that game. For sure. For the ratings. Um, a couple more things offensively, Jake Gornera.

Again, continues to impress me, really like his game. Max Bredison is a dog. I mean, we wouldn't say that anymore. He just, he just does what he does. And, you know, he just, I feel like you don't even notice him because it's like, oh, there's 44 doing exactly what he needs to be doing to break a gain of whatever. So, yeah, I really like the offense and it was explosive. It was fun to watch.

It was dynamic. They incorporated Bryce's legs as well as they could have. I think, to your point, Nebraska was pretty intent on not letting him get up to 21 miles an hour ever again this game. But again, even late in the game, you know, his legs were a problem for them. I mean, again, they should have scored on that last drive, but should have coulda woulda. We don't want to sound like in a, you know, some other fan bases about this game. Defensively, I thought, I'm going to do this again, should have coulda whata. I thought there was one drive that Nebraska really had what they wanted.

And that was the first touchdown drive. Because that first drive of the game, they get a, you know, 15-yard run. okay they don't they run for 41 yards right so michigan shuts them down that's that that's that's sacs included but even without that um i think emette johnson you know he had a 15-yard game in the first play and then he had finished with 61 yards um wasn't a great yards per carry average so i thought that first drive michigan really wreaked a lot of havoc i thought barham at edge is a huge win for this program and i i think cole solvin coming on as as much as he has man i love that i think that allows you to play barham at edge full time yeah no doubt because roder's

playing well solvin's playing better uh but you got two guys that are you know i mean you got one guy i think he's a superstar i don't know how two four seven thought he was a 75 best lineback on the country i don't know how because even my my idiot self could watch that film like that kid's going to play football at a high level um he's got a weird he's got a weird he's got a weird frame i i can see where he's rangy yeah but he's got kind of a weird lanky frame and that showed up in the side. Yeah, he's ranging, he's lanky, but I think that helps him. I do.

That helps him get the interception. Yeah. Has he missed a tackle this year? I don't know. I could look at the next job. Has he missed an assignment? Like, I don't ever watch a replay and I'm like, oh, Cole Sullivan busting that. Yeah, right, yeah, right.

Like, shout out, I love Jr. Colson. I could see Junior Colson's bust on the replay. No doubt. I'm not seeing that with Cole Sullivan, man. So, you know, in that first drive, you know, Rial is. does a great job. I mean, again, the Mahomes stuff, he is, I think he plays similar to Mahomes. I think we're, I'm not going to talk about this anymore after this, but I think, you know, the cosplay stuff's weird. But I don't think it's a bad thing to emulate Patrick

Mahomes. And I think there's things that he does in his game that are very much like Patrick Mahomes. His escapeability, now he did get sacks seven times and that's not really a lot of his fault. But he did on that first drive escape, make some plays, get the ball out, right? How many times on that first drive? They had two missed sats. They could have had nine sacks, 10 sacks in this game, but his escapeability, I thought that all, it's your scripted drive, but it all, I'm going to be in all script. And so I never felt like Michigan got got on that drive, except for maybe a couple plays, and then you stuff them on the fourth and two because you can't run the ball.

So you're going to do, by the way, the little shovel to Kelsey with your tied end, and it gets stuffed. Trey Piers makes a hell of a play, Trey Pierce. And then your offense is backed up. You have a horrible role on the punt. and we'll talk about special teams. I didn't think it was as bad as I thought it was initially. Just an unfortunate bounce.

You get the ball to 30. Defense gets a sack to miss a field goal. And then you go down with a pretty good drive, get a field goal, and then you get a turnover. Score. And again, I thought that drive, what were your thoughts on that third and eight? I don't know if Michigan was trying to disguise something. They were in a shell or something.

They had Brandon Hillman running back on that third name. Meck half totally blew the coverage there. I don't know what it was. If we're talking about the same play, like I think the touchdown on the third night's on the post. 100% yeah, the seam route. Matt Calf totally blew the assignment.

I watched that three times now. He totally blew the assignment. And that's tough because he's been playing really well. And I'm glad he's in Michigan. Oh, he's been awesome. Justin and I talked to TJ and Tavis Metcalf. And the one thing, because I don't know if TJ played a lot of nickel, that is the toughest job on the defense.

Oh, yeah. Because you got to know everybody. in the secondaries job. So, you know, if he's going to have a bus here, there, I can live with it. We're so used to Mike Sainer still and Dads Hill, two guys who are, you know, good NFL Nichols that, you know, we don't maybe realize how rare it is to not have hardly any bus. So, and I think Rod playing, you know, I don't remember him making an impact. But I think it was good to get him on the field before the buy.

But he didn't make an impact, but you didn't see him two things. one he didn't see it was a quiet 12 snaps like but sometimes it's right right um you know and let me just say this about because you said something that was smart about t j medcap and the nickel's responsibilities of knowing where else to my eye not knowing what the play call was and what was every responsibilities there were to me it looked like metcalf totally blew it but i'll leave room to be wrong and someone was supposed to pick that up that didn't because he was peeking in the backfield and he was just lost and then Jayer Hill had to kind of get over there and try to pick up for it. But yeah, he's been, he's been great.

Well, let me play devil's advocate because I think normally you could be like, well, that's typically how a defense should play a specific coverage. I've seen Wink Martindale just not have anybody line up over the center guard. He does some strange stuff for sure. Not DiRiola, but Dill and Gabriel just ran right through it. So Wink can do some weird stuff, man. I think though, you know, I don't know if they were. wanted to go cover zero there. I think you just drop, you know, three safeties.

We didn't blitz. So it was just a weird look. I think it was a blown cover. It must have been a miscommunication. But that was the one drive that they really, I felt, got Michigan a little bit. Otherwise, you have, let's talk about it, because it's not just the defensive players here. It's not just Wink. And Sharon suspended. He had his comments on that today. I don't think he was very happy with that. But we've also seen some game management issues last year. So what, it's third? Well, you're going into the play, and it's third and 16 with 50 seconds left,

and you don't call a timeout. I don't like that. They can't throw the ball. They can't pass block. Drop eight, you're getting pressure with three. You get the ball back. Like, yeah, I know you want to go to half because you get the ball at half. I think you have to call a time out there.

All right. If you don't want to call the time out there, you certainly need to call the time out with 20 seconds left on fourth and 14 instead of letting them get a free. Hail Mary so that they have to punt, and then you can run out the clock. It was just a comedy of errors that compounded upon each other. Yeah, I get so frustrated with the hindsight fan base reaction on things of, but in this particular case, no, in the moment, I'm freaking out. I'm freaking out.

Why aren't they calling a time out here? It seems so obvious. And I don't think that I know that much. I mean, you know what I mean? But it seems so obvious. Like, why aren't they calling a time out? I play Madden. And I know that, right?

Like, get a, you know, Mgo Blog always jokes about this on their podcast. hire the best madden player in the world and have him do your clock management you take control right like calling timeout says you know it cast doubt in it to them and it leaves room for should there be a bad snap should there be something weird that happens give yourself a chance should you go another 75-year touchdown run right right i just had one right i just ah i mean that was just so stupid and then let's talk okay so let's talk about all right so you know what you screw up Hail Mary low percentage play tj guy is what are we doing can i say that about that the minute we saw them coming out i immediately thought i i wound my tv and i thought who's out there right

we have a six five safety in mason curtis why is he out there if you're going to have a defensive edge an edge dropping coverage don't we have a six nine in lugard and dock bay whatever Yeah. How did you? Yeah. But if that's what, why do we not have our 6-5 safety back there to knock that down? I think Payton O'Leary back there. Who?

Payton O'Leary, let him go back there. Sure. Yeah, that's fine. I mean. But router back, I mean, I don't know how they practiced that, but I have to manage. Did they practice it? Do they know how to defend that? I mean, we had five guys back and four.

And it was just usually, you know, you try to block off the front. we were all behind their guy it was just a mess but i don't know what t j guy is doing back there and i don't know how it's not his i'm not blaming t j guy by the way no no no nobody is right right um yeah so you know instead of being hey 17 10 i'm starting to count the scores i'm like well we get 24 10 we get stop 31 10 you know that's how i do in my head yeah and then it's 17 17 and i'm like trying to keep my cool because i'm in front of my in-laws and i'm in the truck my wife's driving so i can watch the game on the way to the reception hall. And, you know, they come out and they go three and out, or maybe, you know, four and out. I don't know what it was. Maybe, maybe first down and then, you

know, was it three and out? They get a stop, though. So the defense does their job. And then that's when Michigan's able to, you know, start moving the ball again. They get, you know, they get that field goal and the McCulley, no catch, which I thought was, I don't know how they overruled the side judge there. And I still thought there was green in between the, the white and the, and the cleat um but i didn't i didn't feel like nebraska really threatened and they didn't they didn't until michigan shot itself in the foot again with brandon hillman you're fourth and 17 fourth and 17 come on brandon you i love the way you play football man reckless abandonment you don't care about your body i don't know if that's good for you but i

love it as a fan i mean this this kid loves football he's getting better every week yeah i like coming a lot, but he's not to vote on it. Can't do it. Jair was doing it. They were all doing it. You've got to stop that. It's not cool, I don't think. Go celebrate with your teammates. What's cool is getting off the field. Go get a drink of water. Regrouping with your boys. That's cool. Not, you know, doing whatever at the Nebraska sideline when you were 20 yards off the play. So then they get a, you know, that turns into a 55-yard field goal drive. That's the drive or thank God Nebraska's field design guys put the red red outside the white out of bounds marker at the back of the end zone

because I think that probably confused the receiver there and thankfully it's a legal touching. Do you remember we saw that last year, Purdue, Penn State? They did the same thing, black end zone, white out of bounds. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are we doing? Paint that green, guys, just a little tip for you. But, you know, Michigan gets a little lucky.

there was maybe a hold on J. Sean on that play on that third down. They get the field goal. Might be. Might be. He got turned around. I don't know, man. I'm arguing with guys about 150 milliseconds on whether a human being who can, on average, process visual information at 230 milliseconds.

If they can look at the clock being at zero, look to the ball to see it's not stopped and throw the flag. I'm arguing Nebraska fans about that. So I don't want to be too crazy over here, you know, maybe insinuate that that might have been a hold when he's got his hand was basically. touching his undershirt under his shoulder pad. We've jumped the shirt. I've got to be careful.

Man, I've done two podcasts today. Worked eight, nine hours in between. We did the podcast earlier this morning. Then to the gym, I'm wired, man. I'm wired, Brian. I love it. But, you know, and then they don't really do anything until that last touchdown driving.

He had him third and 19, the third and 22, or whatever it was on a sack. And you got three freshmen out there, by the way, which I think, you know, look, the score looks closer, whatever, you know, maybe it gets a little hairy if you fumbled the onside kick. I just, it's fine. But, you know, you give that up. I thought the penalty on Earls, I thought, was pretty weak. But understandable, but understandable.

Yeah. But so you're looking at in the overall, the overarching theme of this game, you know, Nebraska throws for them yards, runs for 40 some yards. So they have about 350 yards, total offense. 50 of those come on one throw on just a self-inflicted wound that Michigan compounded multiple times with poor decision after poor decision. You have a drive where you let them, you know, you're off the field. You know, it was going to be, you know, negative 70-yard drive, well, they end up getting 60,

right? So then in the context of that game, Michigan with self-inflicted wounds, and yes, it still happened. Yes, the game is still 30, 27 Nebraska still put up 350 yards. But there's a lot of things that I think moving forward, defense can clean up because the pressure they got on Dylan Raola made a lot of that I felt bad for him he he I'll say this that's one tough kid he stood in there he got stepped on his head got banged around when he's falling down on his offensive line I walked away from that game impressed with him like he was under constant duress he made some huge you know this happening at

Oklahoma material where we just are all over a guy Oklahoma did it three times all in third down pain. We did it. A handful times too. You know, when we just had him dead to right. And he gets like a 20-yard gain, great throw.

Right. I mean, the kick is sling the rock. Yeah, he's tough. And I think clearly he's on the upward trajectory. I think by the end of the year, probably going to be looked at as one of the, you know, top five quarterbacks in the Big Ten, if I had to guess. Yeah.

So I also came away impressed with him. You know, again, I talk about it. I have a lot of friends from Nebraska, a lot of friends that went to Nebraska. They love Nebraska football. and I see what they see and why they're excited. And this is still a team at Nebraska that can go 9 and 3, 10, and 2. Like their schedule sets up for them pretty well.

And I thought they fought and they battled. I'm glad to see Matt Rule loose. Don't like Matt Rule just, you know, is what it is. But I thought, you know, and again, I think a lot of the, I think a lot, and I've done it myself, so I'm not innocent of this. But I think a lot of the way people, you know, talk about Raola is a little, it's like, he's just a kid. And at the end of the day, he's 19, 20 years old, you know, he's playing college football and playing

to his dad's school and he's having fun. And, you know, so, hey, if he wants to, you know, wear the same number and wear the same headband and all that, whatever, man. I mean, it is what it is. But kick a play. I can go on. I can go on and on about that. I agree.

I could go both. I can see, I could understand, but he's a kid. Every, every, I mean, in as short as I can say it, every kid's, I mean, we were at that age. You're copying somebody. Oh, we're 60. because of Mike Martin. Right. But everybody's copying somebody, right?

And so he just happens to be copying most famous football player on the planet. You know what I mean? Like so. And he happens to look like him and play like him. Bryce sticks his tongue out. Right. Yeah, right. He's wearing Jordan.

I mean, you know, I'm going to grown men and I wear air Jordans. I don't care. You know, so like do what you got to do. I think, again, you know, some of the stuff, I'm like, all right, what are we doing? But anyways, kick and play, Michigan. And he kept battling. I mean, you know, because he made a poor decision. on the interception.

That was, I think, clearly covered, too. I don't think Michigan really, you know, skies months there. And Jairer makes a great play. I thought initially I was mad at Jairair because he had the drop pick against Oklahoma. I'm like, pick it off. But then you see the replay. He makes a hell of a play.

He doesn't really get a chance to catch it. I think if he, even if he did catch it, he probably would have stumbled the way he would have to catch it. And then our boy, Cole Sullivan just makes a hell of a play. Pick number two in the year. I mean, come on, dude. Did he have a sack as well? Or was he in on?

I mean, I know he was in on some stuff. He had multiple. He blew up multiple screens. I think it may have had a half a sack. I don't get a full sack. He blew up multiple screens. I mean, you know, he has a pick in week one. He's a sack in week one.

I mean, the kid. Humber recovery week one. Yeah. So last week, I don't know. We probably talked about it, but I still, it's Central Michigan, but I don't care. Like, he is, he is keying on, like, was it, was an option play?

I can't remember, but he basically's keying on the receiver, and then the quarterback tucks the ball, and he's there in a split. second like this kid is so smart yeah i am so impressed with him he's starting i'm like all my favorite players man man we might get a year and a half of this kid yeah because he is athletic too like that was the thing of him coming out of high school same high school as chase winovich he's athletic i still understand because everywhere else had him like top 300 which i still think was a little underrated but 247 had it 75th like 25th in pennsylvania

let it go dude let it go we got i'm not going to let it go right this guy i mean i'm just again I like what I'm seeing from the defense, you know, whether it's Cole Sullivan or, you know, we're just so deep on the defensive line. What's great about watching this team is, you know, there's been years past where in key situations if Winovich wasn't a field or Quddy wasn't a player, or Uchia was in the field, you're young at screen. Like, where are they? The way Wink calls this and the depth that we have, and maybe it's because we don't have any super, really superstars in the defensive line, per se. John Barham. Barham's coming. But Hini may be the one exception to this rule.

but you're not worried about who's out there. Like you feel like they all can do it, right? And they all showed up. They all showed up. They all made plays. Man, that's just a big fan. Benny had a sack and a half. Derek Moore had a sack and a half.

I don't have it all up in front of me, but I know Barham influence a lot of plays. He had a sack. I mean... You know the guy that doesn't get talked about when ever... I don't ever see it, but not ever. I rarely see it in the first watch, but usually sometimes sometime between Saturday

and when we record, I'll watch a replay. Sometimes I'll watch like the 30-minute version or sometimes I'll watch the hour version. you know where they break down stuff but uh the guy on our defensive line that i think is putting together a really really solid year is you know what yeah he had a sat he's he dude he's plays he's like the fifth defensive tackle he plays the least of that core group and every time he's out there he's making place seems to always be in the right spot you know so when i notice him he's making good plays i don't i haven't i've yet to notice him seeming way out of position or filling the wrong gap you

A lot of times big runs happen because some guy clearly runs the wrong gap trying to blow something up that's not there. He just seems like he's quietly putting together. I would love to hear our defensive line coach and we talk about him to see if they're seeing the same thing. But he seems like he's putting together. He's behind a bunch of veterans. You know what I mean?

Benny, Payne, Williams, Pierce. I mean, all these guys have been playing football for a while. He's behind those guys. But I think by then the year, we can see him playing a lot more minutes. Can I say that the 2023 class, which is this year's, juniors. I think a lot of people have written off. I have too because you didn't see a lot of contribution in the first two years on campus, but you look at Enoetta, Brandon Hillman, Jaira Hill, got to scroll a little bit now, Brian. I mean, Samaj Morgan, Trey Pierce, a phobie's been

playing better. Evan Lincoln's our starting left tackle, and I mean, he's got some minuses, but I've never been like, oh my gosh, this is as bad as last year. I mean, and the guys is third year in his program, right? Like offensive linemen take three, four years to develop. up and to bake. So, you know, I just think, you know, these guys are late bloomers, but, you know, starting to come on and you need your juniors, you know, to really kind of lead your program and along with the seniors, you know, Justice Haynes is a junior, but he wasn't in this initial class. Thank goodness, we got this guy. But again, I just, these guys are really starting to break out. I mean, that's why you don't give up on players after a year or two years, right?

Like, that's why you don't give up on Editing Link after last year, and he's going to continue to get better, you know, and Sprague hasn't been perfect, but again, he's a second-year guy, and he's getting better every week, and you can see the vision with him. So, you know, this team, to your point, Trey Pierce is breaking out from that group, Ed is breaking out. Man, this defensive line has just been, you know, even against Oklahoma, like, I think that's tough, because you're not going to face a guy like Mitya, the rest of the way. I mean, maybe Miava USC a little bit, and that's that all. I know he's good, but I haven't watched enough of them. He's, He's pretty mobile.

I don't think they're going to run them 20 times, but he can definitely break out of the sack and he can make you pay for it. But the rest of the year, there's not really a ton of quarterbacks that are mobile that really threaten me the way that the tier threatened Michigan. So I think that this defensive line

is going to continue to get better. And when they play a quarterback, again, Ryola can escape a little bit, but he's not looking to run. That's the quarterback that this team really is going to feast on, especially when he paired with a pretty piss poor offensive line. like they did on Saturday. Yeah, you know, it's a little bit of a tangent,

but you talk about that 23 class. You know, what I think about in that is it speaks to, you know, the old school thing is stick around and develop. Like, I look at a, specifically to Eta, like if he gets upset being the five-star kid that's not got a role yet and leaves, he strikes me as the guy that probably ends up bouncing around to two, three programs before it's gone, you know, stay the course. you know, the portal just is, there's so much wrong with the portal.

It helps guys out. Metcalf's a perfect example. He would be playing on the Sari Arkansas team and now he's, you know, one of the best players on a, you know, a top 25 team. So there's benefits to it, but also just stick around where you're at, stay where your feet are at and develop and I don't know. So 12 of their 25 enrollees from that class that transfer. Yeah.

So, you know, that's the world we live in, but tell me one of them that's, and there probably is, but tell me one of them that's doing anything, like that you hear their name anywhere that's starting. I'm not looking at it. Cam Calhoun. Yeah, very good player. Yeah. Otherwise, I don't know Ben Hall, Brian Ishmael.

He transferred so fast, like, he was never going to be here. You know, like, he was, he was. Yeah, yeah. DJ Waller went to Kentucky for a bag last year. I don't know how much he's been playing there. Yeah, there's some other guys here. But anyways, again, I think, you know, there's been a lot of handwringing about coaching and development.

I do think you're seeing it. Like, there was people after week two that were like, oh, we need to get Lamar Morgan out of here. Do you see what this guy's doing, one, on the recruiting trail, but two, these guys are getting better. Jire Hill is getting better. Like, what are we? Again, it goes back to just living in the dumbest.

time. We're dumber considerably than we were 50 minutes ago when I complained about it last time, Brian. You know, we have the obligation. We're 53 minutes in. We have to talk about the best place kicker in America. He was solid again. Devada. I don't want that to pass. I will say 56-yard or? I do now have to say, I feel like you set aside that portion of our special teams. We're four games having the worst special team stretch that I can ever remember. We are, But we are dead last in the Big Ten in net punning, right? Dead last, right? Michigan should not be dead last in any category ever, right?

We have not even had a return that even thought, felt like it was going to go for more 15, 20 yards. We've had some nice little little runs, but they never seemed like, oh, he's about to break it. You know, like, and we've had so many, so many, so many good returners here, right? Recently, you know, five years ago, 10 years ago, 50, and did not even be a threat. Like, every punt returned based on the last couple of years. I mean, I'm wincing like, dude, just catch the ball. You know what I mean? Special teams is an issue.

And there's just no way around it. And so I don't know how you clean that up. I don't know how you turn the worst punter in the Big Ten into an adequate punter midway through the season. And I don't know how you give guys confidence in their turning game. But, man, do you think of our best teams? We get in all phases, you know, and I just don't feel like we're that. Yeah.

I will be curious to see what happens around December, Brian. I think one, you know, take a trip to Australia. Go check it out. What's going on in Perth? What's going on in Sydney? I don't know. They play football over there. The Brascus punter was pretty good, man.

Yeah, man. Because he's giving you an extra two seconds of hang time, just rolling to his left, right? We have had some, you know, PTSD from Australian punters. I think that's probably why we haven't had one in 10 years. I thought Howling back after the first one, you know, I, clearly he's not punning with the, you know, the way that you would punt on the plus 45, right, on that play. But I think he gets the most unlucky bounce, and that thing might have bounced back to him if there was nobody there.

Sure, sure. But take that away, take that play away. If you do take that away, Brian, like some people want to. Honestly, I didn't think he was at, I don't think he was that bad because he gets one now this is a mistake and who knows if it would have hit the if it would hit the turf what it would have done but the Nebraska returner catches it like a three yard line we're there we tackle immediately and there's another one where it looks like he's got some space now our boy col solvins tracking so he might have got there um who made the tackle he hit him on the leg and it tripped

him up and i thought that was i mean great i mean you know you get a little lucky but i also thought it was a great coverage play coming down as the gunner um was it Frederick more I don't know. It was somebody in the number 20s. I can't remember. Dotson, maybe. I don't know. It might have been Dotson.

But I thought it was a great play to get him down because he maybe would have had another 10, 15 yards. Now, in terms of punt returns, at this point, when Samaj catches it, that is a win. And I remember when Jibrill Peppers would return punts or A.J. Henning or even Tyler Morris, right? So it's a little rough. You've got a full time. special teams coach and the special teams outside of your kicker are not great and i know they tried to go get a guy in the portal who ended up i think just going pro in something other than sports i don't know what happened with him uh yeah i don't know what went down there um hudson hollumbeck's a

great kid uh he's a good fit for michigan in terms of the type of person he is um but you know that's a position that needs to be upgraded definitely because you look at michigan state they may had the best punter in the country. That dude's booting it over there. Yeah. So there's no reason that Michigan was not able to do that. Michigan used to block punts, block field goals, return field, you know, punts for touchdowns, return kickoffs to the 50 plus to the 30, whatever.

And I mean, when's the last time you saw a play on special teams and you're like, wow, that was, you know, I remember being at the big house when AJ Henning returned his punt. I remember when Blake Corman returned a kick against Western Michigan to like the 20. People Jones, Jabrilla. Yeah, I mean, dude, it's a long line. I think Ronnie Bell would have had a really good year returning punts if he hadn't got hurt in 2021. But it's a long line of guys. And, you know, the thing with People's Jones is he was not great immediately.

You can see the athleticism when he was a freshman, right? But it took him some time to really kind of pick up the nuance of returning punts. It was a far cry from Gibral who's, I mean, can I say he is the best put returner at Michigan? I know Desmond Howard, but just in terms of. I don't know, Steve for us. I know, but just in terms of, like, the yardage that he saved by just running up to the ball at the last second and catching it and then just gently placing the ball down. We've been pretty spoiled there. Like, I've got a lot more than you.

We've had some really good returners. Even Martavis Otom's, man. Eric, Garrett, Gallaghan, or was a stud. Before my time a little bit. I was pretty young. So, yeah, man, it's just that's three phases to football, right? And when Michigan was winning the big 10, it's because they had great, they had a good offense. they had great defense, and they had great special teams, right?

So, you know, you can get away with two out of three, I guess, but I'd rather have all three. So that's certainly something that needs to be addressed. Yeah, this teaser is next week's show. We can look and see where the state of the program is through week four and what we need to address during the by week, what we'll look for for the rest of the season, right? Yeah.

You know, there's a guy out there. I don't think you'd want to come back to Michigan, though. I think they did him a little dirty, Brian. and he's probably not looking to work under this current athletic department. I'd be honest. And he was leading some damn good special teams when he was in Michigan.

I'll say that. Yes. So I'm sure that bridge has been burnt. Burnt to the ground. Maybe recruited us a guy like Rashon. Gary, some other New Jersey guys. Shout out Chris Partiers, man. I hope he got a ring.

Somebody needs to send that man a ring. No, no. We went an hour. We normally don't go an hour, Brian. But I was fired up. You were fired up, man. We got on a little earlier than we normally do. And this was fun, man.

It's a good win. You want to know in the Big Tenney, going to the buy week, and we'll talk about it next week. But now that trajectory changes on what this team and this season can be. And I'm excited, man. I mean, this is the best time of year. I don't know, not in your neck of the woods, but it's starting to finally cool back down a little bit. We're up in the 80s back into the 70s, getting into the 60s. You know, my truck's a little wet on the windshield.

in the morning. I got to you turn the windshield wipers on. It's getting that time of year. And that's what push comes to shove in football, man. You know, October? Like, yeah, your season goes through November, but October, man, that's when you, you know, that's when the good teams start to separate themselves. So we're getting to that time. Real quick, this weekend, thank God that wedding is not this weekend. Because we got Penn State, Oregon, we got Georgia, Bama. Do LSU at Ole Miss play this week or is it next week? They might. I don't know.

I remember seeing the breakdown of the games. There was good games, but it's, yeah. Oregon, Saturday, 3.30. We are in for a, who's winning that game? Yeah. I think LSU is a truly overrated. No, I think Trinidad. I think LSU is one of the most overrated teams of country.

No, I was at Oregon, Penn State. Oh, I'm taking Oregon. I think everyone's taking Oregon. Penn State's played nobody, and that's what makes me think. That's a Penn State, though, right? I know, right. It's a whiteout. White out, you know, it's nighttime.

I haven't had the little S in the crowd. I got to see it from Aller, man. I mean, I know they won two playoff games, but you know, you beat S and you beat Boise. All right. Yeah. Look at the teams that won national championships who they had to beat the 14 playoffs.

Right. You got to beat Alabama. You got to beat Georgia. You got to beat, you know, Ohio State. You got to beat Michigan. You got to go beat those big-time teams. Right. I got to see it.

Yeah. No disrespect to those programs. But I got to see it from Aller. I've been hearing about it for three years now. I got to see. I see glimpses. No doubt. He's a talented kid.

You see why they love him. Yeah. I got to see him put it together for four quarters, man. I got to see him put it together for a whole season. So I'm going to take. And for Dante Moore in a big game. Like, he's looked really good. He hasn't played anybody.

Yeah, no, he's looked really good. I'm going to take Oregon. I'm going to take Ole Miss and Trinidad Chamblis, actually. I think it's like I said. Yeah, he looks. He's looked great. And I'm going to take the dogs because I still am not buying into DeBores, Alabama, Brian. I'm not going to be fool.

Yeah. yeah i don't think yeah i think georgia rolls well this was fun man i could talk college football all day you know that i know you could too so um i want to say thank you so much to feldman Chevrolet of highland um i did not mention them in the first part of the podcast i'm not to go edit that in there probably but i want to thank feldman um one of our you know very just enjoy partnering with them they're such a fun time at the tailgates they always bring out cool vehicles that i side eye and my wife looks at me and is like no but i look at them and the truck looks at me um so you know if you guys again are in need of a new

vehicle go hit up jason and the guys over at felb and Chevrolet of highlands uh they'll hook you up a lot a lot of the players go through them um you know that's you know maybe our quarterback gets his a super car that makes me nervous uh but hey go get yourself uh one of them c8 corvettes um also want to say thank you to woods and whiskey maize and blitz i left i had snagged two bottles from the tailgate brine to bring home with me and then i did not grab them and so i need to meet up with justin or do something because we're partnered with them and i'm not going to pay for it i want the free so that's the perks you know what i mean i'm not going to go buy it i i would if i wasn't partner with them but the maize and blitz man you talk about you want a really good cinnamon whiskey

in the fall dude that right there that's the best cinnamon whiskey i ever had like it's not like that syrupy, you know, it's like some other, some other, you know, cinnamon whiskeys out there. It's good stuff. Yeah, oh, yeah, it's really good. You know, I typically, I said I wasn't nervous, and I typically will have a Woodson whiskey on the rocks during a game. And when I got a little close to the end, I poured myself another one. Hey, man.

I normally don't. You got to do what you got to do to get through these tense moments, man. That's what makes college football so great. So, again, thank you so much to Feldman, Chevrolet, Highland. Thank you so much to Woodson Whiskey. really appreciate the partnership for us you can follow us at blue by 90 on twitter facebook instagram all social media you can check us out at blue by 90 on youtube and spotify and apple podcast we appreciate you go blue go blue