The Michigan Insider

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz preview the Michigan football team’s road trip to take on Rutgers, and what the Wolverines need to show in what is expected to be a confidence-building game.
They open with a look at the keys for Michigan’s offense. They discuss the benefits of an establishing a rushing attack against a bottom-tier run defense, but also the potential value of getting Tommy Carr comfortable with tougher opponents waiting. They then discuss how long, if Michigan has success Saturday, it should keep the first-string offense out there and playing aggressively, as opposed to taking the win and limiting snaps for key players.
In the second half of the episode, they look at keys for the defense, and which players they want to see more of in the game. They close with final thoughts and score predictions for the matchup.

Michigan football returns to the birthplace of college football as it meets Rutgers at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights have their own issues at quarterback and remain one of the nation's worst defenses, but they'll lean on a solid rushing attack and human highlight reel KJ Duff this weekend.
Bobby Deren of 247Sports' Scarlet Nation joins the show to give us an inside look at Greg Schiano's program and his prediction for Rutgers vs. Michigan.

Michigan's defense delivered a performance worthy of victory against Indiana. Its offense couldn't deliver a touchdown. On this edition of The Michigan Insider's Michigan Football Breakdown, former Michigan coordinators Al Borges and Ron English join Sam Webb to dissect the Wolverines' frustrating 13-6 overtime loss, the questionable offensive strategy that squandered a stellar defensive effort, and the changes needed to get Michigan back on track. Borges takes a hard look at the play-calling, including the disastrous 3rd & 1 call from the goal line that may have cost Michigan the game—and explains why the decision looks even worse upon closer film review. The trio also examines the continued reliance on the Rhino package, the lack of offensive diversity, and Tommy Carr's first start, separating the freshman's execution from the schematic and personnel issues limiting the offense. English breaks down Michigan's outstanding defensive performance, highlighting the physicality, discipline, and adjustments that kept Indiana's dangerous offense in check. Finally, the coaches explore how Michigan can better utilize its talented running backs, create more explosive plays, improve offensive line execution, and establish a more effective, balanced attack. With the Wolverines' offensive struggles persisting despite a quarterback change, the central question is unavoidable: What must Kyle Whittingham and his staff change to stop wasting championship-caliber defensive performances?
(00:00) Sam Opens: Michigan at a Crossroads After the Indiana Loss
(01:11) Al Borges Joins the Show
(01:51) Sam, Al and Ron Open With Lions Talk and a Fourth-Down Decision
(05:13) Ron English Breaks Down Michigan’s Defensive Performance Against Indiana
(07:19) Ron Praises Jay Hill’s Blitz Timing and the Corner Blitz
(09:14) Ron on Field Position and Holding an Elite Defense to a Standard
(11:28) Ron Warns Against Complacency With Five Games Left
(12:04) Sam Says Accountability Is Not Evenly Dispensed
(14:44) Michigan Has Scored Three Points on 27 Possessions Not Started by the Defense
(15:24) Al Says Throwing to the Rhino Is Only Part of the Problem
(17:59) Al Charts Tommy Carr’s First Start: 14 Plays With Every Receiver Covered
(18:40) Carr’s Fumble, His Mistakes and Playing the National Champions
(20:37) Al Says Scheming Receivers Open Is the Coordinator’s Job
(21:17) Michigan’s Eight Naked Passes and How the Run Game Was Used
(24:27) The High-Leverage Situations Michigan Had to Make Good On
(25:05) Why Michigan Keeps Using Rhino Without Scheming Anyone Open
(27:02) Breaking Down the Third-and-One Goal-Line Boot
(30:38) Al Explains How He Would Coach That Goal-Line Play
(36:10) Whittingham Calls the Play a Bad Call
(38:51) Al on Head Coach and Coordinator Communication
(50:30) Al’s Goal-Line Approach: Run, Wedge and Make Them Prove It
(56:49) Why Are We Still Talking About the Guy Being Open?
(58:07) How Do You Keep a Bad Call From Going In During High-Leverage Moments?
(1:05:43) Ron Grades the Defensive Front
(1:09:38) Sam and Al on the Coach and Media Relationship
(1:15:11) Viewer Q&A Begins
(1:17:44) Al on Collaborative Play Calling and Whittingham’s Role
(1:19:40) Coaches Calling Coaches During the Week
(1:23:57) Does Michigan Start Games Sharp and Then Become Predictable?
(1:25:12) Vance Says Coaches Must Adjust to the Big Ten
(1:29:13) Al on the Offensive Line Without Both Starting Tackles
(1:33:18) Moving the Pocket and Its Effect on Receivers
(1:35:12) Can Whittingham Take Over Offensive Play Calling?
(1:42:05) Al on a Head Coach Telling His Coordinator “Don’t Run That Play”
(1:43:57) Why Whittingham’s Public Bad-Call Comments Matter
(1:47:16) Does Michigan Have Four- or Five-Receiver Sets It Believes In?
(1:48:51) Has Michigan Had to Adjust to Coaching Better Talent?
(1:49:22) Michigan’s Tight Ends Versus the Rhino
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Michigan’s defense played well enough to beat Indiana. Its offense barely gave it a chance. The result was a maddening 13-6 overtime loss at Michigan Stadium that raised even more questions about the Wolverines’ offensive direction. On this edition of The Michigan Insider’s Monday Morning Quarterback, presented by Golden Limousine International, Sam Webb is joined by former Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson and special guest, former Wolverine defensive lineman Will Heininger, for a revealing breakdown of what went wrong and what must change. Patterson dissects Tommy Carr’s uneven first start, including his two costly turnovers, missed opportunities, and the lack of offensive support that made life even tougher against Indiana’s formidable defense. Heininger offers a pointed assessment of Michigan’s struggles in the trenches, the continued reliance on the ineffective Rhino package, and the disastrous 3rd & 1 bootleg that wasted the Wolverines’ best scoring opportunity. The conversation also puts Kyle Whittingham’s game management under the microscope, questioning whether he needs to take greater control of critical offensive decisions. With Rutgers up next, the trio explores practical solutions, from more creative passing concepts and increased tight end involvement to a collaborative approach to offensive game-planning. They also tackle the growing quarterback controversy, explaining why another quick change could compound Michigan’s problems rather than solve them. With a defense capable of keeping the Wolverines competitive against anyone, can Whittingham and his staff finally find an offensive formula that gives Michigan a chance to win?
(00:00) – Shea Patterson and Will Heininger Break Down Michigan’s Loss to Indiana
(02:45) – Shea Says Carr Made Freshman Mistakes but Did Not Receive Enough Help
(04:59) – Michigan’s Goal-Line Boot Becomes the Defining Offensive Mistake
(08:51) – Heininger Calls the Goal-Line Decision “Malpractice”
(12:40) – Michigan’s Passing Game Continues to Leave Carr Without Answers
(14:45) – Sam Says Michigan Is Not Taking Advantage of Its Receiving Talent
(16:17) – Heininger Says Tight Ends Would Give Michigan More Flexibility Than Rhino
(18:37) – Rhino Is Not Producing the Physical Advantage It Is Supposed to Provide
(21:21) – Heininger Says Michigan Looked Unprepared for Indiana’s D-Line Movement
(28:10) – Heininger Says Whittingham Must Take Control in High-Leverage Situations
(33:49) – Shea Says Michigan Has to Identify What It Actually Does Well
(38:12) – Shea Calls for More Rub Routes, Mesh and Receiver Stacks
(39:16) – Shea Explains How Michigan Can Attack Quarters Coverage
(41:05) – Heininger Wants Michigan to Make Defenses Cover the Entire Width of the Field
(45:09) – Shea Confirms Michigan Should Have Identified Indiana’s Boot Responsibility
(48:19) – Shea Says Michigan Should Not Immediately Go Back to Bryce
(49:19) – Sam Says Changing Quarterbacks Again Would Ignore the Real Problems
(51:28) – Shea Says Eventually a Quarterback Has to Claim the Job
(53:21) – Michigan Finally Begins Using the Tight Ends More
(54:28) – Sam Says Indiana May Have Provided the Clearest Argument Yet for Less Rhino
(56:07) – Michigan May Need to Give Andrew Babalola an Opportunity
(58:29) – Michigan’s Second-Half Play Action Shows an Answer Worth Building On
(59:44) – Sam Pushes Back on the Quarterback Job Being Publicly “TBD”
(1:03:44) – Sam Says Michigan Has Not Shown Enough to Judge Carr’s Deep Passing
(1:05:11) – Sam Says the Quarterback Change Was Justified but Did Not Fix the Offense
(1:07:59) – Michigan May Need a More Collaborative Offensive Approach
(1:10:28) – Sam: Michigan Should Consider Calling Trusted Coaches Outside the Building
(1:14:00) – Portal Concerns Become Another Reason Michigan Needs Offensive Progress
(1:16:39) – Sam Says Carr Should Get the Rutgers Start

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz break down the Michigan football team's 13-6 overtime loss to No. 6 Indiana, and the big-picture impact the defeat has on the Wolverines' season.
They open with a look at Michigan's offense in the game, in the latest rough showing for offensive coordinator Jason Beck and his players. They discuss what went wrong for the Wolverines in the loss to Indiana, particularly with the run game, play-calling and failing to finish drives. They discuss how to assess Beck's performance so far, and how to factor in Michigan's youth, turnover luck and the financial cost in deciding the fate of Beck's job.
In the second half of the episode, they discuss what went well for Michigan's defense in the game, including standout performances that kept the game close. They also discuss the squandered opportunity the Wolverines had this season given their championship-caliber defense, which of Michigan's three losses should Wolverine fans be most angry about, and how much Michigan players are on "quit watch" after a third loss.