The Michigan Insider

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Four questions for Michigan before Notre Dame test Oct 24, 2019

Show notes

Previewing the No. 20 Michigan football team's matchup against No. 8 Notre Dame, we look at four key questions we think the Wolverines must answer to come away with the win, then offer our predictions for the game.

First, we look at whether the Michigan offense's solid second-half showing at Penn State is indicative of what's to come, or just a flash in the pan due to the Nittany Lions holding an early lead. In the discussion, we also look at why Shea Patterson and the offensive line improved, and what Notre Dame's defense brings to the table.

We then consider how concerning Michigan's big-play defense is, and if the Wolverines can avoid lapses against a pretty balanced and dangerous Fighting Irish offense. Our final questions center around Michigan's challenge of emotionally bouncing back from a virtual title-eliminating loss, as well as why the Wolverines seem to show up so much better in big home games than big road games.

Finally, we close with our over-under predictions and our final projections for how the game will shake out.

Unpacking Michigan's loss at Penn State Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

Ditching our normal format to focus on Michigan's 28-21 loss to No. 6 Penn State, we break down the key questions after the game, grouped under four main categories.

First, we discuss why Saturday's game was the latest in the long line of road issues for Michigan under Jim Harbaugh. We hypothesize why the Wolverines start so slow on the road, and why comebacks can be hard to pull off in raucous environments.

We then look at the relatively impressive comeback and fight that Michigan showed, including a breakdown of which position groups impressed. Of course, we also take a peek at which position groups regressed, and held the Wolverines back from finishing the job.

We take a moment to discuss officiating, whether Jim Harbaugh was right to say there was a disparity and what we would do to clean up officiating in college football.

Closing our podcast, we discuss what Michigan has left to play for this season, what could be considered a successful season, if anything, and what the loss means in terms of the big picture of the Wolverines' program.

Preview: Can Michigan overcome odds at Penn State? Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

Previewing the Michigan football team's matchup at No. 7 Penn State, we break down some of the key storylines from the week and look at the matchup through the lens of our weekly over-under predictions.

First, we discuss why we think the Wolverines' fans may be going overboard with their pessimism on Michigan's chances, though we also break down why the mindset is validated. We also dig into some of the more notable comments the Wolverines made in availability during the week and what can be read from them.

The second half of the episode is devoted to our weekly over-under predictions, as we dissect what we expect to see from Michigan's passing game, ground game and defense. We close with our final assessments of the matchup and score predictions for the game.

Breaking down Michigan's win over Illinois Oct 14, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, we look at two game balls, opine on four lasting takeaways and discuss seven questions stemming from the No. 16 Michigan football team's 42-25 win at Illinois.

Our game balls, as is usually the case, are split between the offense and the defense. Our offensive MVP is a surprising skill position player who had by far the best game of his career, while our defensive standout is a player who had a lot of excitement around this season and hasn't been bad, but had something of a breakthrough in Saturday's game.

Our takeaways include thoughts on Michigan's fumbles woes, a reassessment of the ceiling of the Wolverines, a take on why the way Michigan collapsed could be concerning for future games and a look at a breakout player.

Our questions center around Ambry Thomas' NFL Draft stock, a defense that was spotty Saturday, what worked and what didn't for Shea Patterson, a concern meter after the game, midseason MVPs and position group rankings and what Michigan needs the most to beat Penn State.

Michigan-Illinois preview and predictions Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

Working without Steve Lorenz due to a scheduling conflict, Zach Shaw breaks down what he expects to see in Saturday’s matchup between Michigan and Illinois.

Threading the podcast’s traditional over-under game throughout his preview, Shaw looks at Shea Patterson’s situation, and why the senior quarterback needs more than just a get-well game. He also looks at Michigan’s running backs, how the Wolverines can make progress and more on the Fighting Illini’s woeful defense.

He also digs into Michigan’s potential to work in backup players such as Joe Milton and Hassan Haskins, and other reasons that a fast start can be beneficial.

On the defensive side of the ball, Shaw explains why he expects the Wolverines’ defensive line to continue to improve, why stopping Illinois’ serviceable run game is important and what to look for from the Fighting Illini’s pass game with backup quarterback Matt Robinson likely to start.

Shaw closes with things Michigan fans should watch in the game, and offers his prediction for the matchup.

Previewing Michigan-Illinois with Illini Inquirer Oct 09, 2019

Show notes

After receiving strong reviews from last week’s joint podcast, we once again invite an opposing beat writer to join us, as Michigan beat writer Zach Shaw and Illinois beat writer Jeremy Werner discuss the key storylines for both teams heading into this week’s game.Acknowledging that the game itself is rather predictable and that neither team is using the game as a measuring stick, they instead begin by breaking down how each team has fared to expectations. Werner notes that Illinois’ improved team talent has yet to translate to better on-field success, and that that falls on coaching, while Shaw opines the weird spot that Michigan is in with a clearly improved product, yet not full satisfaction with Jim Harbaugh and the team's 4-1 record. The go back and forth, looking at each team's offenses so far, what the primary struggles have been and the key playmakers who might be in or out of the game. They also break down defenses. Finally, they close with the discussion of what can be gained or lost from Saturday’s game beyond the result for both teams, and how the matchup can set up the rest of the season.

Analyzing Michigan's win over Iowa Oct 07, 2019

Show notes

Breaking down the Michigan football team's 10-3 win over No. 14 Iowa, we look at two game balls, four lasting thoughts from the game and answer seven user questions from listeners.

Both of our game balls went to the defense, as we handed them out to two disruptive pass-rushers who had maybe the best games of their careers. We also acknowledge runners-up on the defensive line, the secondary, and linebacking corps.

Our lasting takes included two thoughts on Michigan's stellar defense and two on the Wolverines' offense. We note at how the process of week-to-week improvement and development are working on Michigan's defense, and how the opposite seems to be true for its offense. We also discuss the Wolverines' lack of offensive identity, and what could have been a breakthrough game for Michigan's defense.

Finally, we answer questions tackling the Wolverines' quarterback situation, why the offense seems a more horizontal than expected, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis' tenure in Ann Arbor so far, fans' aspirations to move on quickly from quarterbacks and what Michigan can do to show progress against Illinois.

Previewing Michigan's home test against Iowa Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Lorenz and Shaw use their weekly over-under segments to preview the Michigan football team's matchup against No. 14 Iowa and offer their final prediction for the game.

First, they look at how well Michigan might be able to pass on the Hawkeyes mostly inexperienced pass defense, and why that might be the key to breaking a statistically elite overall defense that Iowa brings. After that, they dissect what can be read about Michigan's run game woes, Iowa's run defense and how the Wolverines are splitting their carries. We also take a peek at Michigan's offensive line, Nick Eubanks and what kind of game plan Michigan might utilize.

Then, we break down how Michigan's defense stacks up against the Hawkeyes. We break down Nate Stanley and Iowa's new-look passing attack, the Hawkeyes' experienced running backs committee, and what strengths and weaknesses Iowa has along the offensive line. We break down some of Michigan's emerging players on defense, who will be tested more than in previous seasons and how disruptive the Wolverines can be.

We close with our final assessment of the matchup and prediction for Saturday's game.

Michigan-Iowa crossover preview with Zach Shaw and David Eickholt Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

This podcast, a special crossover episode between The Wolverine247 Podcast and Hawkeye Insider’s Swarmcast, featured a discussion between Michigan beat writer Zach Shaw and Iowa beat writer David Eickholt about both teams. First, both discuss the teams’ respective starts to the season. Eickholt looks at Iowa and how much can be taken away from blowout wins, while Shaw digs into why the Wolverines have struggled to click right away. Then, the two look at how each offense has settled in with new faces and schemes. Eickholt looks into the Hawkeyes’ stronger-than-expected defensive front, and why there might be some struggles in the secondary. They also look at key players that could step up and other strengths and weaknesses.

Both writers close by discussing what each team can do to win or lose Saturday's game, offering insight into what they think will happen in the matchup.

Rapid reaction to Michigan's 52-0 win over Rutgers Sep 29, 2019

Show notes

In a rapid-reaction episode, we break down Michigan's dominant, 52-0 win over Rutgers. Sticking with our typical 2-4-7 format to postgame podcasts, we give out two game balls, offer four lasting takeaways and field seven questions from listeners.

In our game balls, we give one to a member on each side of the ball, noting two successful starters who played arguably the best games of their careers Saturday.

In takeaways, we break down a mantra the team is relying on after last week's loss, debate how opponents-neutral Michigan's success was, look at talented, ascending players on Michigan's defense, how the Wolverines' offense seemed to fit Shea Patterson better and more on the significance of the game.

Listener questions sparked discussions on the run game, Josh Gattis coaching from the sideline, pick plays, Patterson's health, Artur Sitkowski's recruitment, struggles in the trenches and Cameron McGrone's solid game at linebacker.

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