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Michigan at Notre Dame (via ESPN Insider)

User Blog Post By BTwrestle04 -08 September 2010
2 Comments

Unit Match-Ups

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST	Coach
Mich	ND	ND	Mich	ND	Mich	ND	Mich	ND

Michigan offense vs. Notre Dame defense
• QB Denard Robinson is not yet operating coach Rich Rodriguez's triple-option offense as seamlessly as Pat White once did at West Virginia, but Robinson is catching up in a hurry. In the triple-option, Robinson has an option to hand off to the running back inside, keep the ball and run it himself, or swing the ball out to a wide receiver on the perimeter if a defensive back comes crashing off the edge. Robinson now knows exactly what he's reading and is reacting rather than thinking (or sometimes even guessing). The game is slowing down in his mind, which is allowing him to play faster.

• Robinson's performance is garnering most of the attention, but his offensive line was just as responsible for the success versus Connecticut. This group finally looks like a Rodriguez offensive line. The unit, as a whole, is slimmed down and much quicker than a year ago. The scheme requires the line to be active with lots of pulling, angle blocks and second-level responsibilities. The assignments will be slightly different versus Notre Dame's three-man front this week, but the philosophy remains the same. If Michigan's offensive line knows its assignments, takes good angles and works hard to finish as it did in the opener, the results should be similar on this side of the ball.

• Notre Dame's defense needs to play with exceptional discipline in order to limit the Wolverines' chances for big gains. While the triple-option is the foundation of Michigan's attack, it was actually the quarterback-lead draw that led to Robinson's three longest runs versus Connecticut, while a play-action pass accounted for his longest completion (43 yards). All four of those long gains were aided by undisciplined safety play. If Notre Dame is to limit Robinson's big-play production on Saturday, safeties Harrison Smith and Jamoris Slaughter need to be the hardest-working players in the film room and then need to transfer that film study to the field. Diagnosing plays early, remaining disciplined despite play-action and misdirection, and tackling well in space are the three areas in which Smith and Slaughter must excel.

Notre Dame offense vs. Michigan defense
• One bright spot from Notre Dame's opener was the play of RB Armando Allen. The senior looks comfortable in the new zone-read option and he's showing more shiftiness than ever before. Allen is a patient runner who does a nice job of waiting for his blocks to develop. He also shows good burst through the line when a crease develops. Allen's backup, sophomore Cierre Wood, also showed flashes of big-play ability in the opener. The tandem combined for 151 yards on 25 carries, which is surprising production for coach Brian Kelly's offense. Michigan's run defense is improved from a year ago but is still a middle-of-the-road unit. This group seemed to wear down as the game progressed last week, surrendering 48 of Jordan Todman's 105 rushing yards in the fourth quarter. However, this trend makes sense, considering the lack of depth along the Wolverines' defensive front. Notre Dame doesn't need to pound away at this unit to wear it down. Instead, look for Kelly's offense to ramp up the pace. The faster QB Dayne Crist can get the Irish from one snap to the next, the better chance the Irish have of wearing down Michigan's thin defense by the fourth quarter.

• Notre Dame's offense had moments of brilliance, but it needs to be more consistent in its execution. At this point, Crist is not as accurate as Kelly needs him to be in order to operate the passing attack at its highest level. That's a big reason why (in our opinion) the Irish were more committed to the ground game than expected in the opener. It will be interesting to see if Kelly takes a more aggressive approach with Crist and the passing attack against an injury-riddled Michigan secondary. The Wolverines had already lost their best defensive back in Troy Woolfolk (ankle injury) for the season, and now it is likely that freshman Carvin Johnson will be sidelined by a knee injury suffered against Connecticut. The Wolverines play a lot of zone coverage on defense, and they will not give up many big plays vertically because they're conditioned to give cushion and keep receivers in front of them. Cavities can always be found in zone coverage, but Michigan's conservative approach and its injury issues in the secondary should provide Crist and his receivers even more room than usual to attack.

• A couple of things need to happen for Notre Dame to take advantage of Michigan's vulnerable secondary. First, Crist needs to get into an early rhythm and improve his timing as a passer in order to fit the ball into tight windows. Second, Notre Dame's talented group of pass-catchers must consistently find soft spots in the zone coverage and do a better job of securing the ball in traffic. Senior WR Michael Floyd is not a great route runner, and he lost a fumble while heading in for a score last week. However, he is still the team's best perimeter weapon and he does a great job of using his big frame to shield defenders from the ball. Per usual, look for Floyd to be targeted on the perimeter on a lot of fade routes and skinny posts. Kelly is also doing a nice job of keeping TE Kyle Rudolph involved in the passing game, using him both as an in-line tight end and flexed out in the slot. If Floyd and Rudolph hold up their end of the bargain early on, it will lead to more operating room for secondary receivers such as freshman TJ Jones and sophomore Theo Riddick, who combined for five catches and 54 yards in the opener.

Key Individual Match-Up

Michigan lead blockers
vs.
Notre Dame ILBs
Manti Te'o and Carlo Calabrese

As previously mentioned, Robinson's three longest runs versus Connecticut came on quarterback-lead draws. It's a simple play that features Robinson getting the ball on a direct snap, pausing for a quarter-count to buy his blockers time and then attacking the line of scrimmage while playing off of his lead blocker. Michigan will send either a tight end (Kevin Koger or Martell Webb) from the backfield or use one of its running backs (Vincent Smith or Michael Shaw) as the lead blocker on this play. If Notre Dame is to limit Robinson's production on lead draws -- and on any running plays, for that matter -- Te'o and Calabrese need do diagnose the play early and then quickly disengage from the iso-block. If Te'o and Calabrese are late to get in position and/or struggle getting off blocks, it will provide Robinson with just enough daylight to explode through the line of scrimmage. Once he hits the second level of a defense, Robinson becomes a nightmare to track down.

Scouts' Edge

Neither defense stacks up very well in this matchup. Crist should be able to exploit the Wolverines' vulnerable secondary by spreading the ball around the field to his strong corps of weapons, including Floyd and Rudolph. Notre Dame should also find some balance on the ground. However, Michigan's offense is playing at a different speed with a confident Robinson as its triggerman. The Irish simply do not have the athletes or depth on that side of the ball to contend. As a result, we like Rodriguez's Wolverines in a shootout at South Bend.

Prediction: Wolverines 41, Fighting Irish 34

2 comments

Miami (FL) at Ohio State Preview (via ESPN insider)

User Blog Post By BTwrestle04 -08 September 2010
12 Comments

Unit Match-Ups

QB	RB	WR	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST	Coach
Oh St.	Miami	Miami	Oh St.	Miami	Oh St.	Miami	Miami	Oh St.

Miami offense vs. Ohio State defense
• Hurricanes QB Jacory Harris has an opportunity to shine in this game. The Buckeyes lack elite speed along the defensive front, which leads defensive coordinators Jim Heacock and Luke Fickell to blitz more than they would like. They will occasionally utilize a zone blitz with a defensive lineman dropping off into underneath zone, but more often they simply bring extra pressure with a linebacker charging through one of the gaps. Harris' effectiveness in recognizing the blitz, finding his hot reads and making accurate throws with pressure in his face likely will determine the outcome of this game.

If he deals with it well, Miami has too many weapons at wide receiver -- including Leonard Hankerson, Travis Benjamin, LaRon Byrd and Aldarius Johnson -- for the Buckeyes' secondary to hold up, especially with starting cornerback Chimdi Chekwa nursing a sore hamstring. However, making quick, smart decisions while under pressure -- particularly on the road -- has been Harris' weakness to date. If the Miami quarterback has not made significant strides in this department, he will be exposed in Week 2.

• Ohio State's stout run defense is anchored by DE Cameron Heyward. The Buckeyes are big and strong up front, and they do a very good job of protecting MLB Brian Rolle and WLB Ross Homan. Rolle and Homan diagnose plays quickly, take solid angles in pursuit and wrap up in space. Considering Ohio State's experience advantage in the trenches -- with the exception of Miami OT Orlando Franklin -- and its excellent linebacker play, it won't be surprising if Miami's rushing attack sputters. If Miami RB Graig Cooper were at full strength it likely would be a different story, but Cooper played sparingly last week and does not appear to be close to 100 percent following offseason knee surgery. The Hurricanes still have some talent at running back, but Damien Berry is not nearly as elusive or quick as Cooper, and while Mike James is a bit faster than Berry, he lacks the experience to consistently anticipate creases and make the proper cuts.

• The Hurricanes can gain an advantage on special teams, where Ohio State is unusually vulnerable due to inexperience. First year PK Devin Barclay had a field goal attempt blocked by Marshall last week and it was returned 61 yards for a score. The kick was a bit low, but LS Jake McQuaide was mostly to blame for giving up too much ground as a blocker. In addition, kickoff specialist Drew Basil appears to have a strong leg, but the freshman is inconsistent with his distance. Basil's third kickoff in the opener was too short and Marshall RS Andre Booker took advantage with a 63-yard return. Miami, on the other hand, has one of the most versatile and dangerous kickers in the country, Matt Bosher, who handles the place-kicking, kickoff and punting duties. In addition, the Hurricanes have potential game-breakers in the return phase in Travis Benjamin and Lamar Miller.

Ohio State offense vs. Miami defense
• In his past two outings (wins over Oregon and Marshall) Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor has appeared more comfortable in the pocket and is making quicker decisions. He is still a threat to run, but Pryor can do more damage by making proper reads and distributing the ball to his underrated supporting cast. As he showed last week, Pryor will still lose the strike zone on occasion, and he continues to struggle with his accuracy on quick-hitting underneath throws. He simply needs to learn to take some zip off his fastball. But Pryor's accuracy continues to improve and he is showing much better anticipation. His first-quarter completion against Marshall to Dane Sanzenbacher -- Pryor delivered the ball in between the linebacker and safety against a Cover 2 zone -- is a throw he likely would have missed last year at this time.

• Keeping Pryor comfortable in the pocket will be a challenge for the Buckeyes. Their offensive line as a whole has good size, adequate mobility and above-average experience. However, LOT Mike Adams and ROT J.B. Shugarts are the least experienced of the bunch, with only 16 combined starts, and they face the toughest challenge versus Miami's potent defensive end duo of LDE Allen Bailey and RDE Oliver Vernon. Bailey is a versatile lineman with great power and quickness for his size. He won't threaten Shugarts with speed around the corner, but he has an array of power moves that will keep Shugarts guessing. On the opposite side, Vernon is fresh off a 3.5-sack breakout performance in the opener, and he has the explosive speed and athleticism to make Adams' life miserable. Look for the Buckeyes to frequently give one or both of their tackles help in pass protection. If that's the case, Pryor needs his three best pass-catchers -- WRs Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey and RB Brandon Saine -- to consistently separate from coverage and make plays, because the QB won't be getting as much help as usual from a No. 3 receiver or tight ends.

• The Buckeyes are using a two-back rotation of Saine and Dan "Boom" Herron and will occasionally have them on the field at the same time. In our opinion, the more touches for Saine the better, because he's a true difference-maker. Saine shows good patience waiting for his blocks to develop, and once he sees a crease he shows great burst to get through the line of scrimmage or bounce the run outside. Saine is also a natural pass-catcher with route-running savvy and reliable hands. In Week 1, the Buckeyes clearly worked to get the ball to Saine more often as a receiver out of the backfield, and we expect that trend to continue versus Miami and beyond. It will require a great deal of discipline from Miami's linebackers -- particularly MLB Colin McCarthy and WLB Sean Spence -- to keep Saine in check. The Canes cannot afford to have their "space" linebackers get overzealous when filling gaps versus the run or play-action.

Key Individual Match-up

Miami LOT Orlando Franklin vs.
Ohio State DE Cameron Heyward

These are two of the best players in the country at their positions. Heyward will move around the defensive line at times, but the majority of his snaps are spent at right end, which is where he will go head-to-head with Franklin. Heyward does not possess elite top-end speed, but he is big and powerful, does a good job of anchoring versus the run, and also has the quickness and power to generate consistent penetration with an array of double moves and bull rushes. Franklin might be the best offensive tackle Heyward faces this season, though. The 6-foot-7, 312-pounder has quick feet for his size, consistently gets into good position, and shows the lower-body strength and balance to limit Heyward's push as a power rusher. If Franklin can keep Heyward quiet as a pass-rusher, it will force Ohio State to blitz more often than it likes, and then it will be up to QB Jacory Harris and his receivers to communicate and connect against a vulnerable back seven.

Scouts' Edge

These programs have combined for 12 national titles and accounted for 80 first-round picks in the past 25 NFL drafts. Ohio State's controversial 2003 Fiesta Bowl win over Miami -- which won the national title for the Buckeyes -- will also generate a great deal of buzz leading up to this showdown. However, the history and tradition of these two programs won't matter when they take the field. What will matter is the play of Pryor and Harris. Harris is the better pure passer, but Pryor is making significant strides in that department. Plus, Pryor is developing into a better decision-maker, is the better athlete and has the built-in advantage of playing this nonconference showdown at home. The Hurricanes are much-improved from a year ago, and we expect them to battle Ohio State for four quarters. But coach Jim Tressel's Buckeyes know how to win close games and will take control in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Buckeyes 27, Hurricanes 24