WTKA Roundtable 10/22/2026: The Game of Vibes

Things Discussed:

• Sometimes your hyped starter is making too many mistakes and playing a young guy just gives you a spark, and that's what happened last week when Michigan made a change at right guard. :)
• Tommy Time: Penn State's reaction was to make things easier on the freshman, which was kind of insane. Tommy has so much more poise than Bryce; we all agree he's the QB to start against Indiana.
• Bryce struggled more than you realize (interfered slant was wrong read, second interception was at least five yards off). Great at zone reads, terrible at throwing downfield.
• Carr will get a reality check from IU.
• Still have major Beck problems. Two-man route on 3rd & 4, RPO pop pass on 3rd & 8, what are you doing?
• Stretch: They got three explosives from it. They still had it; error rate was very low.
• Seth likens it to the USC/Washington stretch last year when Wink got so obliterated he had to find humility.
• Craig: We suggested pistol and they got the Kuz run from it.
• Josh Gattis's Army game running arc without split zone. Split flow blocker provides so much.
• Execution and Tactics: The bloggers told you to run pistol, split stretch, dagger (coulda been), and you've got too much rhino. When the bloggers know better, you've got a problem.
• Going back to that USC game last year: you saw Rod Moore have his worst game, you saw them unable to defend the edge of power—when the vibe is bad things unravel in this game.
• Do you have any confidence in Beck to run basic stuff and be competent? I don't. Indiana has the best coaching staff in the country right now—kept both of their coordinators after the natty.
• Expectations for Tommy? Good thing we know next to nothing about what he's good at so IU can't take it away.
• Defense? Cornerbacks had a really bad outing vs PSU. A lot of that was OPI, but you're not going to get many calls for pushoffs in this league. Those fades do not require any pass pro because the ball is aloft before the
• IU plan: how are you getting outside? How are you beating man? Where's your QB run game? Sam says they have to pass out of play-action.
• How many times are you running Tommy?
• IU is the best team M faces this year. Run a lot of RPOs. A lot of unknowns; Hoover got hurt, isn't Mendoza. Worried about the front, both PSU and Minnesota went on long drives because they're not able to create a lot of havoc. Marsh and Becker can win jump balls; rather have IU score relatively quickly.
• Seth's turn in the BPONE, predicts 30-10 Indiana because IU feasts on turnovers. Good teams expose weaknesses you didn't even know you had, and other than Oklahoma's defense Michigan hasn't been playing good teams. Worried that we've played our cards now and things could unravel.