Former All-Big Ten offensive lineman Doug Skene and former U-M defensive lineman Ryan Van Bergen revealed their thoughts and biggest takeaways from Michigan's blowout loss to Ohio State yesterday.
Doug Skene:
Overall takeaways: "The offense only scored 19 points before the game was decided, and field goals in this rivalry are almost the equivalent of no points at all. If you would have told me Michigan would score 30 and lose by 30, I would have bet $1,000 that that would never happen. [Junior Shea] Patterson was the quarterback who looked rattled and uncomfortable, and when that happens to a quarterback, it changes the entire game."
Missed opportunities and mistakes: "The field goals are killers when your offense stalls. Let's not erase the mistake where [sophomore cornerback] Ambry Thomas fielded the kickoff around the 10-yard line and then went out of bounds. Your margin of error in Columbus is next to zero — you're allowed maybe one mistake, but that's about it. Patterson kept throwing the ball short, and guys kept catching the ball short of the first down markers. I don't understand what happened there."
Patterson's play: "Patterson reminded me of a quarterback who was playing in his first Michigan/Ohio State game. The moment was big, and I was wondering if that's why he was short on so many passes. Yes, he made some good throws, but overall it wasn't good enough to win down there."
Lack of defensive pressure: "The defensive line was ineffective and couldn't get pressure, and that's what killed Michigan. OSU was running simple crossing routes early on and [redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne] Haskins has such a quick release. Michigan failed to get hands on him and make him uncomfortable, and that was the difference in the game."
Defense: "Don Brown said earlier this year this was the fastest defense he'd ever coached. If that's the case, Ohio State must have aliens as their wide receivers. What does that say about the athletic gap between OSU's skill position players and Michigan's defensive guys? That's the biggest thing that stood out to me, and it scares the [heck] out of me."
Ryan Van Bergen:
Biggest takeaways: “It was a tough game. You’re not excited what you saw if you’re a Michigan fan. They had a good year, but it’s always a stained year if you can’t beat that last team. OSU saw weaknesses in the defense and exploited them well, and beat Michigan fair and square.”
Defense: “OSU's coaches found matchups in man coverage and found the guys who had the best advantages speed-wise. When a guy catches a ball versus man coverage and the defender covering him doesn’t make the play, it’s going to be a big gain, and that’s the risk you run. I got nervous and disheartened when Michigan started mixing in zone coverage, because it’s not their identity, but I understand you have to try something different. Ohio State was ready for it though. Man coverage doesn’t work if you have a huge disparity in speed.”
Offense: "The offense actually didn't play poorly. In hindsight, you can say it should've taken more shots because [sophomore wideout] Nico Collins was a bright spot out there, and [sophomore receiver Donovan] Peoples-Jones caught all the balls he got his hands on. Patterson didn't have much time though and was constantly scrambling. Michigan put up a decent number of yards, but it wasn't enough because it seemed like Ohio State was scoring every time they had the ball."
Lack of pressure: "We talked all week how Michigan needed to get pressure, but Haskins may as well have been throwing the ball from a recliner. He was never moved from the pocket, and had plenty of time to set and throw. I don't know why Michigan wasn't able to get pressure — Maryland and Purdue were able to get pressure on him. I can't remember a year where Michigan went sack-less against Ohio State. One of the real glaring issues was the lack of pressure on Haskins the entire game."
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