JonnyHintz

December 30th, 2016 at 2:37 AM ^

Liufau didn't do anything after the first quarter. Montez didn't either, but Liufau was shut down.

Here, I'll help you.

2nd quarter until he left with injury.

6/14 101 yds, 1 TD*

*70 and the TD were one play. So that's 5/13 for 31 yards otherwise. That's being shut down.

Add in 12 carries for 9 yards for their team. Shut. Down.

They didn't play us tough. They played a great first quarter and then we made them our bitch.

huntmich

December 30th, 2016 at 8:59 AM ^

I hate this argument about that game. Liufau couldn't play the second half because he was broken by our defense. Not by dirty hits and not intentionally, but by repeated contact. In football, if an O-Line can't stop defenders from hitting the QB, odds are that guy isn't going to finish the game. It isn't like he came up limping on a non-contact scramble or something.

ijohnb

December 30th, 2016 at 3:28 PM ^

all of this misses the point of the OP. Colorado gave us a little run and then got beat down, but the point of this thread is that Ok. St. destroyed Colorado also, and the Big 12 did not sniff the playoff, and Washington skated while losing to the only real test they had. Perhaps the committee missed the boat on the Big 12, because CU was not on Ok. St.'s level last night.

JonnyHintz

December 30th, 2016 at 2:38 AM ^

Exactly. Aside from the 70 yard bomb right when he got hurt, Liufau didn't do shit after the first quarter.

He was 6/14 passing with 101 yards and a TD. Now remember 70 came on one play. So in a quarter and a half (minus 1 play) he went 5/13 for 31 yards. I REALLY fail to see how that is picking us apart. He was completely shut down after the first quarter.

Also of note, between the beginning of the second quarter and Liufau getting hurt, Colorado ran the ball 12 times for a total of 9 yards.

So with the exception of the 70 yard bomb, that's a whopping 41 total yards in the second quarter and half of the 3rd. On 25 plays. 41 yards on 25 plays in a quarter and a half WITH THE STARTER.

Please, someone tell me again how he picked us apart. They played ONE good quarter of football. One. That's it.

JonnyHintz

December 30th, 2016 at 2:55 AM ^

You're missing the whole point. Michigan came out flat without our best corner. Happens. Colorado played an excellent first quarter. That's it.

What did they do after that? Nothing.

Liufau had one meaningful play the rest of his game. It came with a bum leg, and Michigan sold out to stop the run. Nobody expected Colorado to pass, let alone attempt a deep pass, with their QB hobbling around on one leg. They got us. Great play. Nobody saw it coming. It's not "picking us apart."

Stringer Bell

December 30th, 2016 at 1:52 AM ^

I'd have to disagree with that.  OSU and Michigan are almost universally regarded as 2 of the top 3 teams in the country in advanced metrics, with Washington and USC both outside the top 5.  PSU (and Wisconsin) are also ranked ahead of Colorado.  The Big Ten is better at the top and deeper.  IMO there's no comparison between the two conferences.

taistreetsmyhero

December 30th, 2016 at 1:59 AM ^

which conference is better at the top. i expect usc to roll penn st, and i'm betting on washington to cover the spread against alabama and surprise a lot of people.

but, big ten has already proven head-to-head that it's deeper (7th best big ten team beat 6th best pac-12 team, 9th best big ten team lost to 5th best pac-12 team in the last minute).

i'm not arguing pac-12 is comparable to big 10, i just don't think they're "bad."

Stringer Bell

December 30th, 2016 at 2:11 AM ^

I think USC will roll Penn State too.  But then again, I think USC is the best team in the Pac-12 and probably the 2nd most talented team in the country that finally put it together over the final 2 months of the season.  But the top of the Big Ten is stronger than any other conference with 4 teams in the top 8, and the middle of the conference is pretty darn strong as well with teams like Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana.  The Pac-12, OTOH, is the 2nd weakest power 5 conference IMO and not as strong as it's been in recent years, so "bad" in the relative sense.

taistreetsmyhero

December 30th, 2016 at 2:18 AM ^

just think it has much to prove this bowl season at the top.

i'm predicting clemson to beat osu, penn st to get crushed, and wisky to either outright lose or only squeak by WMU. Think Michigan will take care of business.

I don't think penn st or wisky are particularly good teams. OSU is not a great team.

But, I could obviously be wrong on each of those accounts and big ten shows out, so we'll see.

taistreetsmyhero

December 30th, 2016 at 1:48 AM ^

though i will say that knowing your players are unavailable the week prior to the game helps tremendously.

look at how much better colorado's back-up played the following week. our defense is great, but i'm going to give a healthy amount of credit to a week of practicing as the #1 qb.

JonnyHintz

December 30th, 2016 at 2:44 AM ^

Maize glasses?

1st quarter, 21-7 Colorado.

Liufau leaves: 31-28 Michigan.

Michigan outscored Colorado 24-7 in a quarter and a half while Liufau was still the QB. Colorado also gained a total of 110 yards in the entire second quarter and half of the 3rd, and 70 of those came on one play. 40 yards in their other 25 plays.

It wasn't a game anymore. The score may have been close, but it was over. Colorado was shut down offensively and couldn't move the ball worth a damn, Michigan had the lead and the momentum.