Big Ten Network analyst Marcus Ray joins the pre-game podcast, talking about Michigan-Rutgers, and more.
Topics on the table include rub routes, Penn State-Ohio State, quarterbacks and Ray's own tough-love approach to evaluating the Wolverines.
Here's the podcast…
Here are some podcast highlights, including Ray on…
• Michigan getting back on track versus Rutgers: "It looks like the situation Michigan faced a few weeks ago, coming off the Michigan State loss and going into the Indiana game. It's a game Michigan should win, talent-wise, coaching and on paper, but that doesn't mean it will be easy.
"Michigan can work on some of their deficiencies in the run game, especially with their offensive line, and try to get back on track with that. I see Michigan perfecting the run game, improving on the seven sacks.
"I hear a lot of people hollering for a quarterback change. Michigan has allowed 23 sacks this season. That's tied for the most in the conference, and they've given up 51 tackles for loss, second-most in the Big Ten.
"It doesn't matter who you put back there. Those are the types of things you have to clean up. Maybe they'll clean them up schematically, maybe because of personnel changes, or maybe they'll clean them up because they're playing a team that's not very good."
• Rub routes, and defending them: "If you're trying to defend those shallow, cross, pick routes, if you're a man team, the only way to try to truly defend it is, if you get a trips formation, three receivers on one side and they're bunched up, sometimes you'll just take the nickel back and put him on the guy that's in the middle. We call him the point man. Then you just in-and-out on that outside receiver and the third receiver.
"The other thing you can do is bracket routes. We used to call it combo coverage. If Charles Woodson was covering Tim Dwight, Charles would line up outside of him. I would read the run first, and then if Tim Dwight ran a shallow cross, I would cut it, from my position on the hash. That would free Charles up. You can pass off those routes.
"You can also play a little more robber coverage, with an underneath free player. It could be a safety. I think [junior safety Tyree] Kinnel tried to do that a couple of times. He was out of position.
"Penn State's receivers did illegally pick, on Michigan defenders. But it took too long to develop, and the ball came out, so that's why the refs didn't call it. One of them is when Saquon Barkley dropped it. That would have been a touchdown across the middle. It was wide open, early in the game."
• Penn State versus Ohio State: "I think Ohio State's going to win the game. Ohio State can score with Penn State. They have the athletes, and they have the scheme. Ohio State's front seven, or the front six, in my opinion are the best in America.
"They have guys who can get to the quarterback without it being a stunt or some type of twist. They can just put their hand in the ground and go get 'em. Penn State's run [blocking] is not very powerful. Ohio State is going to try to take [Penn State quarterback Trace] McSorley out of the mix, defensively, and play a defense that is going to limit Barkley.
"It's not Barkley you have to stop. It's McSorley. Iowa found that out. Michigan found that out. You can do some great things with Barkley. His presence gives defensive coordinators nightmares.
"But on the flip side of that, Penn State's defense is the best in this conference. I really do think we're about to see the best two defenses go against one another…
"I've watched Penn State and what they do. They have the right pieces … they gave Michigan seven sacks, and that's nothing to sneeze at.
"It's going to be a great one."
• On what he'd like to see out of Michigan tomorrow: "The defense needs to eliminate the big plays and pitch a shutout. Rutgers' offense isn't world-beating. They don't have a mobile quarterback. The quarterback has only thrown for about 175 yards in his two starts this year, one touchdown.
"Don't expect Rutgers to try and come in and air it out. It will be hard for them to duplicate what Michigan State, Indiana and Penn State did. It's a different animal.
"I would like to see Michigan cut down on the tackles for loss and negative plays. It's just reminding me of 2013, when Michigan led the nation in negative plays from scrimmage. It's just not good enough.
"I want to see improved offensive line play. I don't care who plays quarterback. I want to see [junior tailback] Karan Higdon get a ton of carries, and the offensive line pushing some guys back.
"And every now and then, I'd like to see Michigan connect on a deep ball, outside or across the middle. Just a big play. to flip the field.
"We're talking explosion plays on offense, better offensive line play as far as the negative plays, and a defense that can shut a very pedestrian offense out."
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @AndrewVcourt and @Balas_Wolverine
• Like us on Facebook
