Turnovers, Man

This sums up the last two weeks for the Michigan football program:
Disclaimer: I make it a point to always run a clean ship around here, but sometimes a Lebowski reference is what you really need to make a point. That said...obviously...WARNING! Adult language ahead.


Apologies to anyone who's never heard that word before. If that's true, then person...internet. Internet...person. Consider yourselves introduced.

I think if you want to hurl a bad word around yourself, feel free. It might make you feel better.

But if you want a really bad word, one that probably makes the entire Michigan coaching staff stop in their tracks, and makes then lose sleep every night, even in the midst of a 5 game winning streak, then I've got a word for you.

Turnovers.

$!(&*^(%!!

You looking for something to blame for the last two weeks of miserable football on? Looking for a reason for that terrible feeling in your gut? Want to sound smart in front of all your friends who are yelling "Fire Rodriguez!" or "Fire GERG"? Blame turnovers.

It's a very fundamental idea. Turn the ball over less...offense on the field more. Offense on the field more...score more points. Score more points...win more games. Win more games...slumping pitchfork sales in Ann Arbor.

Chart? Chart.

	Fumbles Lost	INTS	Points For	Points Against	+/- Margin
UCONN	0	0	30	10	1
Notre Dame	0	0	28	24	3
UMASS	1	1	42	37	0
BGSU	2	0	65	21	0
Indiana	1	0	42	35	0
Sparty	0	3	17	34	-3
Iowa	1	3	28	38	-4

I'm not here to say that 3 INTs directly resulted losses, but it didn't help. If you remember back all the way to the MSU game, two of those INTs came in the red zone, where we'd been something like 90% efficient up to that point.

In our 5 wins this year we had a 0 or better turnover margin. Against Sparty -3, Iowa -4. Not gonna say it, but take away those 7 turnovers...or better yet, get a few takeaways while we're at it, and we're 7-0. Okay, so I said it.

2010 > 2009? Nope.
In major losses last year, the turnover margin was equally as bad. @ Iowa -4, Penn State -4, @ Illinois -3, tOSU -4. Maybe not for Penn State, but for the other 3 games, eliminate those turnovers, 8-4 instead of 5-7. Just sayin'.

Yet another 2010 = 2009 argument.

Conclusions?
Yes. Stop turning the ball over = win more games = bowling in January.



Bowling, dude.