The Wisconsin Badgers came to Ann Arbor and rolled the Michigan Wolverines, 49-11, Saturday night.
Here's a look around the country at what they're saying following the Maize and Blue's loss.
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Most of Michigan’s players came out of the tunnel for Saturday night’s home game with Wisconsin like they were clocking in for a four-hour shift at a job they didn’t like.
They jumped and touched the ‘Go Blue’ banner like they were afraid to scuff it, loped to the sidelines like they did two weeks ago in a home loss to Michigan State and took their spots like they were preparing to take their lumps.
And that was the highlight of a 49-11 loss to Wisconsin. At least it was 0-0 at that point.
It was humiliating to every loyal Michigan fan — it remains to be seen how much it hurt the players, some of whom seemed to be going through the motions (again) — and every bit as bad as last year’s loss to the Badgers in Madison. And it was embarrassing and a slap in the face to every man who ever wore the uniform and remembered what it meant to wear the winged helmet with pride.
This wasn’t supposed to happen to a Jim Harbaugh-coached team. Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke embarrassments were explained away by “poor fit” or “in over his head” remarks, but Harbaugh was supposed to be the guy to fix it once and for all.
Instead, he has lost a lot of this group in year six, and that’s where it starts. The coach can talk about personnel, how hard they played, how much he likes the kids, etc., but there’s a disconnect somewhere, whether it’s between the coaches or the players themselves. There are also too few playmakers, and on Saturday, there were fundamental flaws exposed that had the Badgers toying with the Wolverines.
On defense, there was often nobody within 10 yards of the ball, especially on the edges with jet sweeps and reverses, and very few who seemed to give a damn when the Badgers annihilated them on both sides of the ball.
4. The Harbaugh speculation will only grow louder
I've said numerous times that I don't believe Jim Harbaugh will be fired, especially during the season. Michigan doesn't like firing coaches at any time, let alone while the season is happening. Neither Rich Rodriguez nor Brady Hoke was let go during the season, and both fared far worse than Harbaugh has to this point. Toss in the fact that we're currently in a pandemic, and I don't see a scenario in which Michigan pulls the trigger on the prodigal son right now.
Nor, however, do I see Harbaugh being fired after the season. There might be a mutual decision to part ways, or maybe one of those NFL jobs everybody loves to pretend Harbaugh is interested in does interest him this year. Whatever the case, he's not going to be fired. But that won't stop everybody from asking if he will be or talking about the possibility of it happening.
John Niyo, The Detroit News: Wolverines are sinking like a stone with no bottom in sight
One yard.
For an entire quarter, that’s all Michigan could muster.
And then when that’s all the Wolverines needed, just to stop the bleeding, they couldn’t even get that.
If you’re wondering how ugly it has gotten, from the “bitterly disappointing” zenith of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure to what we’re now staring at in disbelief — a mess that spilled over in ugly fashion on national television Saturday night — that’s all the measuring stick you really need.
One pitiful yard.
That was the sum total of Michigan’s offensive output in the first quarter of Wisconsin’s 49-11 walloping at the Big House, the Wolverines’ most lopsided home loss since before World War II.
And for a coach whose defining moment as the Wolverines’ leader used to be that controversial fourth-and-one play Ohio State converted in Columbus in 2016, well, here’s the sad, new reality.
Facing fourth-and-goal from the half-yard line Saturday night, and already trailing 28-0 to a Wisconsin team that hadn’t played a game in 22 days thanks to a COVID-19 outbreak, the Wolverines lined up in a shotgun formation. Twice, actually, because Wisconsin first called a timeout to set its defense for what it saw. Michigan didn’t change its play, though, and tried to run a quarterback sneak. But Joe Milton came up woefully short, the Badgers took over on downs and the game was effectively over before halftime, just like it was last season in Madison.
One yard? Is that really asking too much?
John Borton, The Wolverine: Wolverine Watch: No Fire In The Rain
There are more ugly adjectives to describe Michigan’s latest football disaster than there were U-M points on the board Saturday night.
Brutal. Impotent. Horrific. Embarrassing. We’re invoking the verbal abuse mercy rule here, but you get the idea.
Wisconsin toyed with the Wolverines in their own stadium, rolling to a 49-11 win. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Joe Milton’s first two throws? Badger interceptions, setting up touchdowns.
Michigan yards in the opening quarter? Put it this way. The tally matched the Wolverines’ win total this year, the latter figure in doubt of changing anytime soon.
Wait a minute. Isn’t Rutgers next, the game you often call a bye week?
That’s right. But the Scarlet Knights own a pulse right now, enough to beat Michigan State this year — like almost everybody else. Rutgers likely figures it’s ready to win the state championship of Michigan this year, and for good reason.
The Wolverines are lost right now.
Against a good team on Saturday night, they didn’t stand a chance. They’re light years from where they figured to be back in August, when Nico Collins led a deep, confident receiving corps, and Ambry Thomas a secondary that had yet to slip into the abyss.
The Badgers dominated a scrambled Michigan offensive line, with two missing starting tackles and almost everyone else in shuffle mode. When the Wolverines needed a single yard to get on the board in the first half, they lined up in the shotgun, hoping Milton could find some opening — any opening.
His chances disappeared like a sand castle versus a tsunami, when the Badgers came crashing through.
Meanwhile, the Badgers’ typically bruising offensive line looked like Goliath against Michigan’s David, with U-M’s starting defensive ends tandem sidelined. Only this time, David didn’t have a smooth stone to his name.
Penn State and Michigan entered the 2020 college football season as the preseason favorites to challenge Ohio State for the Big Ten championship.
Now, 2020 can't end soon enough for either school. On Saturday, Penn State dropped to 0-4 after a 30-23 loss at Nebraska; Michigan dropped to 1-3 after a 49-11 loss to No. 13 Wisconsin.
That combined 1-7 record might be even more surprising than Indiana's 4-0 start.
Who's having a worse season?
It's a toss-up. By record, it's Penn State. Its season unraveled in Week 1 with the 36-35 overtime loss to Indiana, a game the Nittany Lions had wrapped up with two minutes to play. The 38-25 loss to No. 3 Ohio State the following week was expected, but the back-to-back losses to Maryland and Nebraska are not acceptable.
The Nittany Lions' defense is an issue: It has allowed 30-plus points in every game this season. The offense had 501 total yards and 30 first downs against Nebraska and still lost by a touchdown.
By perception, however, Michigan is having it worse — and it's not close. The Wolverines scored an impressive 49-24 victory over Minnesota on Oct. 24, but losses to Michigan State and Indiana the following two weeks derailed any hopes of a Big Ten championship.
Wisconsin put Michigan on the brink of a losing season. The Badgers jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first half with the help of two interceptions by quarterback Joe Milton. They outclassed the Wolverines in the latest pile-on that raised even more questions about the Jim Harbaugh era. Michigan once more struggled to run the ball in a big game, so the end result was not all that surprising.
Penn State has Iowa, Michigan, Rutgers and Michigan State remaining on its schedule. Michigan has Rutgers, Penn State, Maryland (which is on pause) and Ohio State. A .500 record might be in doubt for both teams at this point. The final answer to this question will hinge on who wins the head-to-head matchup.
Benjamin Worgull, Badger Blitz: Five Takeaways from Wisconsin's 49-11 Win Over Michigan
1, Game was Over After One Quarter
In 47 defensive snaps in the season opener, Wisconsin forced two turnovers against Illinois. They equaled that mark in four plays Saturday. Thanks to safety Scott Nelson’s interception and a tailor-made one to linebacker Leo Chenal, the Badgers scored a quick 14 points off turnovers to put the Wolverines on their heels.
Following an uninspired three-and-out by the Wolverines, the Badgers marched 60 yards in nine plays, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown to on the first play of the second quarter and the game was pretty much over.
The final stat line told the story. Wisconsin held the ball for 11 minutes, 33 seconds of the opening quarter, gaining 129 yards on 22 plays and seven first downs. Michigan ran seven plays in the first quarter and gained only a measly rushing yard.
By the time the Wolverines got their act together in the third quarter, sparked in part by a quarterback change, the Badgers had built too big of a cushion thanks to their opening 15 minutes.
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