B1G Week 5 Preview

Thankfully the B1G season kicks off this weekend.  For the next 9 weeks, at least 5 B1G teams will win a game.  Since most teams have been embarrassed at least once already, the conference games should be pretty competitive and interesting.  The B1G title is wide open, so let’s try to enjoy the quiet next few months until the “top” teams will get rewarded by being double digit underdogs in their bowl games.

Indiana (2-1) @ Northwestern (4-0) Saturday 12:00pm

Indiana is beginning to understand their head coach’s high powered passing attack, but the problem is its Indiana and they have little talent to speak of.  Northwestern has improved in their first 4 games, and have become a legitimate B1G threat.  The two Wildcat quarterbacks should be able to attack the weak Hoosier secondary.  Indiana might be able to score a few points in this game, and maybe even hang around for most of the game.  The problem is Northwestern will just end up scoring more.

Penn State (2-2) @ Illinois (2-2) Saturday 12:00pm

The records of these two are the same, but they are trending in opposite directions.  The Nittany Lions are coming off of back to back wins, and the offense is staring to click.  If McGloin doesn’t turn the ball over, Penn State could actually cause some issues in the Leaders Division.  Illinois is coming off of a blowout loss to Louisiana Tech, at home.  The Illini turned the ball over 6 times, and as Michigan fans found out, that makes it hard to win a game.  There will be a lot of talent on both defenses, but I just can’t see Illinois bouncing back this quickly after the debacle last weekend.

Minnesota (4-0) @ Iowa (2-2) Saturday 12:00pm

The Golden Gophers are undefeated, yet the underdog as they head to Kinnick Stadium.  Iowa has looked confused and just flat out bad in the first 4 weeks of the season.  Minnesota has been one of the nice surprises in the B1G so far, but Gray hasn’t fully recovered from the high ankle sprain.  He will likely be unavailable this week.  As bad as the Hawkeyes have looked, I think Vandenberg and the passing attack bounces back a little this week and Weisman has another good game on the ground.  Also, I think Iowa’s defense will be a little upset after giving up over 30 points to a terrible MAC team.  Iowa wins in a close game and takes the hog back.

Marshall (2-2) @ Purdue (2-1) Saturday 3:15pm

Wolverine fans might be interested in this game to get a better feel for the Boilermakers before next weekend.  Purdue still has one remaining tune up game against the Herd.  Marshall throws the ball around the field with a lot of success, but Purdue’s pass rush will be able to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback.  Look for Johnson or Allen to record at least one interception in this one.  Purdue will put up some big offensive numbers again and roll in this one.

Ohio State (4-0) @ Michigan State (3-1) Saturday 3:30pm

Well since College Gameday will be in East Lansing for this one, I guess I have to pick it for the marquee game of the week.  This game should tell us a lot about two of the favorites.  Braxton Miller really struggled last season against Sparty, but he looks like a completely different player at this point.  I am also interested in seeing how the Bucknut defense is able to stop Le’Veon Bell.  I think the talented OSU secondary gives Andrew Maxwell problems all game, and Michigan State will be one dimensional again.  The problem here is the scarlet and gray front seven is better than Boise St and Eastern Michigan.  Miller makes enough plays through the air and with his feet to get Ohio State in the 20s which will be enough to beat the inept offense in green and white.

Wisconsin (3-1) @ Nebraska (3-1) Saturday 8:00pm

I already talked about this one in the upset alert.  The Wisconsin defense is talking some trash this week about Taylor Martinez, and while I agree with most of the comments, it is not a smart thing to do to the quarterback of the best B1G offense.  The Huskers will face the best defense they have played so far, but Nebraska’s offense is better than anything the Badgers have seen either.  It will be a fun matchup to watch.  I happen to think the guys in red and white from Madison will make enough plays to help their struggling offense.  However, if Nebraska gets to 30, Wisconsin could be in trouble.  Even without Ball, Nebraska will struggle to stop Wisconsin’s running attack.  I think the Badgers sneak by the current Rose Bowl favorite.  Another thing to watch for is both teams are wearing alternate uniforms for this one, and from what I have seen, they both look awful.

Week 5 Upset Alert

Most of the non-conference games have come to an end and the conference slate will be in full swing in week 5.  We take one step closer to finding out who are the real national title contenders and which teams have been over rated.  There really aren’t any marquee games this week, but there are a few that I can see the favorite struggle.

Stanford @ Washington 9:00 pm Thursday

I keep thinking Washington is going to be a team to cause problems in the Pac12 this season, and I was interested to see how they would fare against LSU in week 2.  They traveled across the country and got pummeled like most do against LSU or Alabama.  They were no match for the physical play of the Tiger’s defense and the Washington defense was too under-sized to match up against the battering ram of LSU.  I think they will fare better on Thursday night against the Cardinal.  Yes, the Stanford defense looks to top the conference, but I think Washington has enough speed to score some points. 

Tennessee @ Georgia 3:30pm Saturday

Well the Volunteers blew a big opportunity to move into a contender role in the SEC East when they blew the game against Florida.  The test is much tougher this time around, but a win would mean nearly the same thing.  It will be interesting to see how Tyler Bray handles the pressure from Jarvis Jones and company.  If he get enough time in this game, I think he will be able to find his talented receivers down the field.  Murray will look to have a big game through the air as well.  I think it will be tough to win between the hedges, but Tennessee could make things more interesting than expected.

Wisconsin @ Nebraska 8:00pm Saturday

I have been very critical of the Badgers so far this season, but none of their struggles matter in the non-conference.  They have the talent to go undefeated through this terrible B1G.  Nebraska looks like the current top pick to represent the conference in the Rose Bowl, but the Husker defense has been a major disappointment so far.  They really struggle against the run, and Wisconsin happens to be pretty good in that department.  Yes, Wisconsin has had offensive line issues and Montee Ball might not play in this game.  The Badger defense is still the best Nebraska has faced this year, and they likely will not be rattled in the surroundings.  I think Martinez will fall back on some bad habits under pressure, and the Badger line backing unit will be able to slow down the high speed rushing attack.  I am looking for Wisconsin to make a big statement in the opening weekend of conference play.

Oregon State @ Arizona 10:00pm Saturday

The Beavers are coming off of a hard fought win against UCLA last weekend, but they could run into a bit of a trap game this week when they head to Tucson to take on the Wildcats.  I don’t think the RichRod led offense will be slowed to a stop in this one.  They should be able to put up some points against the decent defense.  Also, Oregon State’s offense will not offer nearly as tough a test as the Ducks last weekend.  I also think Oregon State is one of those over-rated teams right now. 

B1G Week 4 Recap

Why wouldn’t week 4 be another embarrassing outing for terrible B1G.  After the non-conference season wrapped up Saturday night, it looks like nobody wants to take the role of favorite.  The top teams have so many issues that really 9 teams have at least a small chance at a division title.  I will try to be positive in saying that at least the race for Indy should be exciting.  The conference has lost all credibility, and will not have a chance to regain any until bowl season starts.  Thankfully we are still a couple months away from that embarrassment.

Good surprise:

Penn State gave Bill O’Brien his first winning streak as a head coach in their win against Temple.  Matt McGloin actually looked like a real quarterback on Saturday.  After these last two weeks, I think Penn State has a real chance at making some noise in the Leaders (rhymes with cheaters) division.

This isn’t really a surprise, but LeV’eon Bell looked back on track to compete for the B1G’s Offensive Player of the Year.  If Michigan State does head to Pasadena (I just threw up in my mouth), Bell will be the biggest reason why and should win this award hands down. He put up monster numbers against a terrible defense and Dantonio seems to like to play with fire by running Bell for half of the teams plays.

I guess I will reach to find a 3^rd good surprise, but Iowa walk-on running back Weisman put up his second big game in a row in the disappointing loss to Central Michigan.  It looks like the running back problems could be solved for the Hawkeyes, but take care of your ACL’s Weisman.

Bad Surprise:

Where do I start.  How about with Illinois, who welcomed in one of the top scoring offenses in the nation to Champagne on Saturday night in Louisiana Tech.  The Illini turned the ball over 6 times and got punched in the face to the tune of 52-24.  The self-stated “best front 7 in the nation” did not leave up to its own hype, and suddenly the blue and orange look like conference cellar dwellers.

Andrew Maxwell struggling against Eastern Michigan was very surprising.  I know he is the quarterback, and will get more of the criticism, but I don’t know how much is him struggling under pressure or the horrible play from the receivers. 

Iowa Hawkeyes as a whole.  They look terrible so far on the season after losing at home to a bad MAC team in Central Michigan.  I don’t know how this team rebounds after this.  It will likely take a major turnaround just for Ferentz to keep his job after this.

I would say that my conference rankings are as follows:

1.       Ohio State (no change)

2.       Nebraska (Up 4)

3.       Northwestern (up 2)

4.       Purdue (no change)

5.       Michigan State (down 2)

6.       Michigan (down 4)

7.       Penn State (Up 2)

8.       Minnesota (down 1)

9.       Wisconsin (Up 2)

10.   Iowa (no change)

11.   Indiana (Up 1)

12.   Illinois (down 4)

Week 4: Notre Dame Recap

It has taken me a bit longer than usual to recap the Michigan vs Notre Dame game, partially because of a busy work schedule but mostly because I had to compile my thoughts.  The Michigan Wolverines have had two chances this season to take the next step toward being nationally prominent again, but they have crashed and burned both times.  At this point, Hoke has one more shot at taking this program a step in the right direction, and we will have to wait until January 1^st to see if it even comes about (playing in the Rose Bowl or maybe the Capital One Bowl).  I think it is still too early to think whether the tire fire that was Alabama and the turnover bakery of Notre Dame pushed the program back at all.  Anyways, after a great day of tailgating and seeing Doug Fister collect his first ever complete game shut-out, my hopes were high as we tuned in to NBC Saturday night.  I really believed Denard would take a step forward and continue to prove himself as a passer.  I thought the receivers would gash the horrendous, inexperienced Irish secondary.  I thought the defensive line would struggle against the run, but the secondary should have a very good game against unknown receivers.  I thought Al Borges’ play-calling with Denard at quarterback was actually starting to mesh.  Wow, was I let down.  I couldn’t watch the final seconds tick away in a game where all of my previous thoughts were so wrong. Where my team completely out-played a “better” team, on the road, but still found a way to win.  I began realizing how Irish fans must have felt after 2009 and 2011. 

There honestly wasn’t too much that I liked from this game.  Some people wanted to cheer me up by saying the defense was impressive, but in reality that just made me more frustrated.  Seriously, how do you lose a game where you punt one time?  I will try to find some pearls in the pig pen, but it will be difficult.  I was impressed with the defensive line at times.  Michigan is still not creating any pressure with their front four, but at least they held their block long enough to give the linebackers open lanes to make tackles.  We finally saw glimpses of hope from Morgan and Demens.  I know the interior of Notre Dame’s offensive line is not comparable to Alabama, but it was good to see the Wolverine front four actually look like an average unit.  I already mentioned this, but the line backers played a very good game.  Jake Ryan is quickly becoming one of the most fun players to watch in the B1G, Demens did very well in coverage and tackling, and Morgan wasn’t forced to run sideline to sideline too much since some running plays were actually funneled to him.  On offense I was impressed with the running game.  The offensive line seemed to take a big step forward against the 2^nd best front 7 we will face this season.  Michigan averaged over 5 yards per carry.  Fitz was able to find some holes, especially in the 2^nd half.  He is starting to look more like 2011, which is great news with the B1G season starting now.  I also thought the receivers did a decent job of running routes and getting open (and making tackles, ugh).  Of course Denard couldn’t hit crap if he was standing in East Lansing, but the receivers are not looking like a weak point of Team 133.  I can’t think of anything else.

Since the things I didn’t like could make up its own post, and if you watched the game you know, I will keep this as concise as I can.  Where do I start?  How about with the senior quarterback who didn’t just make bad throws that resulted in interceptions like we know he is prone to do, Denard made bad decision after bad decision that resulted in the worst game I have ever seen him have (this includes MSU 2011, and any game in 2009).  Notre Dame did a good job of getting pressure in the face of the terrified senior, and instead of using his legs to get some scramble yards, throwing the ball into the crowd, or just taking the sack, Denard thought it would be a good decision to throw the ball into double coverage time after time.  This is not high school football, and if you throw into double coverage with average receivers the ball will be intercepted.  It is a good thing we have a bye week this week because I did not like what I saw from Denard after the game.  Yes, he apologized and was in total shock, but he didn’t look like a guy who was going to lead this team to a bounce-back win this weekend.  He didn’t really look like a guy that was going to lead this team to do anything special this year at all.  Enough of that, everyone saw how bad number 16 was .  How about the play-calling.  The game started well with the wheel route to the full-back from Devin.  But why would you put the ball in the hands of a running back to make a fade throw with pressure in his face.  Yes, Smith should have thrown the ball earlier, and yes Dileo was wide open if the ball was thrown to the back corner.  But this is not the play to run at the 10 yard line, even if it tricks the defense (like it did on Saturday night) 10 yards is not enough room for the receiver to get past the safety to where it doesn’t matter how bad the throw is since it will still result in a completion.  The offense averaged over 5 yards per carry, why not line up and punch the ball in the end zone.  The first drive of the game wasn’t the place to get cute in the red zone.  How about continually running play-action passes out of the I formation, did we even run the ball out of that set?  Play-action only works if the defense thinks you will actually run the ball.  On some of those interceptions, Notre Dame only rushed 3 or 4 guys and dropped everyone in coverage, they were not biting on the fake.  Al Borgess took a giant step back in my book with the game plan against Alabama and the crap on Saturday night.  I know he wants Denard to be a west-coast passer, but he just isn’t and he never will be.  I don’t understand why against inferior teams (Air Force and UMass) the play calling seems to fit Denard’s abilities more than in the games where Michigan needs the quarterback to feel as comfortable as possible (ND 2011 & 12, MSU 2011, VT, Alabama).  I just don’t understand.  After 2 interceptions in a row, why not run a simple screen pass or slant to get some of that confidence back?  Instead, lets line up in the same formation and make Denard throw the same pass again.  As a college coach for so long, Borges better learn to adapt to his star player because it is obvious Denard is not adjusting to him.  If the OC can actually do that, this Michigan team SHOULD be in Pasadena on January 1^st.

I could talk about the secondary, but I have ranted enough.  You also just read a statement that might make you scratch your head, after 2 terrible games this season how can I say “should be in Pasadena on January 1^st?”  Well first, and probably most importantly, the B1G might be the worst AQ conference this year.  The next 9 weeks should be exciting to watch, and the race is wide open, but the quality is horrendous.  Saturday saw the B1G lose its last challenge until bowl season, a team lose at home to a terrible MAC school, the preseason “favorite” struggling against EMU, and the rest of the teams just not impressing.  Yes, Michigan has a tough schedule ahead with road games against Purdue, Nebraska, and Ohio State, and the grudge match against MSU still upcoming.  But all of these teams have giant issues, which the Wolverines should be able to exploit.  If Denard can limit turnovers (at this point just one per game would be something to cheer about), Michigan should be heading to Indianapolis in December.   

Week 4: Notre Dame preview

This week Michigan faces its second game this season where they are the underdogs.  They are one of the only top 25 teams that can make that claim at this point in the year.  The Wolverines head to South Bend to take on the stinkin leprechauns of Notre Dame.  The Irish are fresh off their complete dominance over Michigan State, on the road, and now have the nation’s interest yet again.  In just a 3 weeks time the golden domers have gone from unranked to national title contenders (in some people’s mind).  Just like Alabama’s strengths aligned with our weaknesses, so did Notre Dame’s against the Spartans. While I do think the Irish are a more complete team at this time, I do not think they will have as much success against Michigan as they did last week in East Lansing.

Notre Dame run offense against Michigan run defense

This appears to be the Wolverines biggest weakness of Team 133.  They did a better job against UMass last weekend, but it was UMass.  This will be one of the most important battles in this game.  Nobody is giving Michigan much of a chance to slow down the Irish’s deep rushing attack of Wood, Riddick, Gholson, etc, but nobody really knows how good this defensive line is yet.  Alabama makes every defensive line look like stuffed animals, and Air Force makes every team look like a deforestation project.  There are still a lot of question marks in this area with the Michigan defense, but this game tomorrow should help answer some of these.  I think the front 4 look less inept in this game, but still get pushed back a few times to spring the Notre Dame backs for big gains.  Advantage Notre Dame.

Notre Dame pass offense vs Michigan pass defense

Gholson impressed some doubters last weekend when he completed some throws against a very good defense. He looks like a college senior when he throws on a roll out.  I will expect Brian Kelly to run more plays this week to get Gholson on the move and out of the pocket. While in the pocket, however, Gholson’s passing is a different story.  He over threw receivers time and again, and looks constantly rushed back there even when Michigan State did not bring a blitz.  The matchup to watch here is how effective Frank Clark and Jake Ryan can be in keeping Gholson in the pocket and also just getting pressure on the quarterback.  Notre Dame is also breaking in a stable of new receivers, and they do not have the down field threat they have had in past seasons.  Gholson’s number one option will be giant tight end Tyler Eiffert.  He will likely be double covered for some of the game.  Michigan State blanketed him last week and Gholson could not complete one pass to him.  I doubt Notre Dame will make as many attempts down field as last week because the intermediate passing attack could be very effective against our line backers and 2^nd cornerback.  If Mattison’s designed blitzes can actually force some bad decisions from Gholson, Michigan could control this game.  I don’t think the pressure will be consistent enough, and the play action passing will be effective at certain times so the Irish will move the ball down the field. Advantage Notre Dame.

Michigan run offense vs Notre Dame run defense

The strength of the Notre Dame defense is right up the middle.  Their front seven will be one of the best we face all season.  The Michigan guards have really struggled so far this year with run blocking.  Fitz was able to get positive yards last week, but mostly when he ran off Lewan.  I doubt many yards will be gained from Michigan running backs between the tackles this week.  Notre Dame interior linebacker Te’o is the best in the nation, so even if the guards can get some push up front, big number 5 will be waiting.  The x factor here is Denard’s legs.  He has dominated the Irish the past two seasons, and will likely be needed to do it again tomorrow night.  Denard will need to continue to improve as a scrambling quarterback and not just a running QB.  If he can tuck the ball and run instead of forcing a couple of throws, the offense will likely eclipse 150 yards on the ground.  Advantage Notre Dame, if only counting running backs.  Advantage Michigan with Denard added.

Michigan pass offense vs Notre Dame pass defense

This might be the most lopsided matchup of the game.  Notre Dame has lost two preseason starters in the secondary, and now they lost a third for the season.  They are going to start 2 former receivers who are in their first season of playing defense.  Denard has shown improvements in the passing game so far this year, and this should continue tomorrow.  Of course, the Irish pass rush can greatly even this difference. I don’t see Notre Dame being overly aggressive, since they need to worry about Denard running.  The Michigan offensive line has been very good in pass coverage so far this year, and I think that continues this weekend.  Hopefully Denard can limit his bonehead throws.  If Denard does not have any turnovers I find it very hard to think Michigan won’t win this game.  Advantage Michigan.

Special Teams

Michigan’s special teams have been very good so far this season outside of punt coverage.  Hagerup has 11 punts on the year and 5 of them have gone for over 50 yards.  It looks like he is finally back to being a consistent punter.  It looks like both teams are happy to kick the ball out of the end zone for touchbacks.  It looks like both groups are close to even, the problem though is the Wolverine’s punt coverage has been so bad that Notre Dame has the athletes to get a big return.  Overall I would give neither team the advantage here.

I was not overly impressed with Notre Dame last weekend against Michigan State, it was a pretty tough game to watch.  I do think they were able to exploit Michigan State’s weaknesses on both sides of the ball which makes it easier to win the game.  In this game I expect both teams to be able to attack weaknesses, and I would be shocked if less than 40 points combined were scored.  I think Michigan has enough weapons on offense to stretch the field to give Denard and company some running lanes.  The question here is, which mistake-prone quarterback cracks first? I like Denard to continue his lore against the Irish tomorrow night with a mature but moderate performance.  Michigan 27 Notre Dame 24. 

B1G Week 4: Preview

10 of the conferences teams are in action this week, gearing up for the start of B1G play.  Most teams are playing inferior opponents to get some game speed practice and to get younger players valuable experience for if/when their number is called when the games matter more.  There are a couple of intriguing this games week, however, so lets take a look around the league.

UAB @ Ohio State 12:00pm

This one is a bit of a mis-match since UAB is terrible.  Ohio State should be able to get their younger defensive linemen in the game, and continue to work on their tackling.  Braxton Miller will put up huge numbers, and probably will be able to take a seat after 3 quarters. The Bucknuts shouldn’t have any problems this week.

UTEP @ Wisconsin 12:00pm

The Miners gave Oklahoma all they wanted in the season opener, and only gave up 24 points to the Sooners.  It looks like the Badger offense is just bad.  O’Brien has been benched for Stave, so Wisconsin looks to build confidence in the signal caller position before conference play. I don’t see UTEP being able to score more than 10 points in this one, so the Badgers should be able to escape with a low scoring victory.

Central Michigan @ Iowa 12:00pm

The Hawkeyes seemed to get some offensive struggles worked out last week, and should be able to continue that progress against the terrible Chips.  This is a much needed game for Iowa who will be looking to put up some big offensive numbers at home.

South Dakota @ Northwestern

Northwestern is shaping up to be a contender in the Legends Division, and likely would be the favorite in the Leaders right now.  They will get a chance to continue to work out their quarterback situation on Saturday.  South Dakota beat a terrible Minnesota team a couple of years ago, but I doubt they will be able to hang around very long in this one.

Eastern Michigan @ Michigan State 3:30pm

Well, Michigan State has finished their two real non-conference games and are going back to stomping all over the MAC.  The Ron English led Eagles have no chance in this game.  Sparty should be able to work out some younger, athletic, real receivers than the bums they started the season with.  Maxwell will bounce back and put up a lot of yards.  Bell will likely run wild as well.  This one will be over at the coin flip.

Idaho State @ Nebraska 3:30pm

Another snoozer.  The Huskers get Rex Burkhead back and will likely enter him back into the offense slowly.  Abdullah will get enough carries to go over 100.  Nebraska could have 3 100 yard rushers in this one.

Temple @ Penn State 3:30pm

Penn State is coming off their impressive win over Navy.  They seemed to mesh well on offense and look to continue against the Owls.  Temple has never won in Beaver Stadium, but this week might be their best chance ever.  This looks to be a close game, but I like the Nittany Lions to give O’Brien his first winning streak.

Syracuse @ Minnesota 8:00pm

This has been highlighted as the game of the week.  Of course the Notre Dame vs Michigan is the high profile game this week, but I will cover it in depth tomorrow.  The Golden Gophers are coming in at 3-0, while the Orange are 1-2.  Syracuse has a very good passing offense that put up 41 points against Northwestern.  I think Syracuse is the better team in this matchup, especially with Minnesota QB Gray out for a couple of weeks with an ankle injury.  Look for Nassib to put up big numbers against the Gophers. 

Louisiana Tech @ Illinois 8:00pm

Illinois doesn’t get much of a break this week before B1G play.  LaTech is the highest scoring team in college football so far, and will likely be able to move the ball against the Illini.  It will give the defense a very good test.  The Illinois linebackers have said they have the best front seven in the nation, well they will need to show up big Saturday night.  I think Scheelhasse’s return will help the Illini outscore the Bulldogs in this game, but it could make for an exciting watch.  

Week 4 Upset Alert

Week 4 is normally the final week of the non-conference season, which usually means each team plays a final glorified high school to tune up before the draining conference schedule.  That is the case for most B1G teams this year, but outside of that there are some major conference matchups around the country.  We are going to start getting into the time of year where multiple top 25 teams will lose every week, and possibly 1-2 top 10 teams.  All of the key matchups this week seem to be late afternoon or night games, which makes it tough for fans to choose which game to actually watch.

Missouri @ South Carolina 3:30pm

The Gamecocks are a top ten team at this point, but I have not been that impressed so far.  It seems like it is only a matter of time before they lose their first game of the year.  Missouri was impressive for the first half of the their SEC opener against Georgia, but that was at home.  I am excited to see what energy they come out with in this one.  Marcus Lattimore continues to slide down the Heisman watch with sub-100 yard games.  Will he be able to break out in this game?  I think South Carolina should win this game, but the final score will be closer than they would like.

Kansas State @ Oklahoma 7:50pm

I really have no idea how good either of these teams are.  Oklahoma struggled with UTEP in their opener and then Kansas State blew the doors off of a terrible Miami team.  I don’t see a lot of defense being played in this game, and will likely come down to a battle between the quarterbacks (Colin Klein and Landry Jones).  Jones has been prone to turning the ball over in big games, but he returned to school for his senior year to continue to improve his decision making and mistakes. Klein is a one man wrecking crew and likely will need to have a big game to knock off the top 5 team on the road.  I just don’t trust Jones, partially because who is named Landry, but also because I think he will have at least one bonehead play to keep the Wildcats around.  Klein can put up big numbers against this defense, and Kansas State is a difficult team to come back against with their control the ball style of play.  Just the way the season has gone so far, I like K-State in this one.

Syracuse @ Minnesota 8:00pm

Minnesota is coming into this game with a 3-0 record, compared to the Orange’s 1-2.  Syracuse has played a little tougher competition so far though (Northwestern and USC).  I don’t think the Golden Gophers can score enough points, without Gray, to keep up with the Nasib passing attack.  If he can limit his turnovers, this game might actually get a bit ugly by the end.

Clemson @ Florida State 8:00pm

I don’t know how much of an upset this can be with 2 top 10 teams meeting for the national game of the week, but since FSU is the pretty pick to make a national championship game and they are at home, a Tiger win would be an upset in my book.  These two teams seem to be mirror images of each other over the past 5-7 years.  Both continually get top 10 recruiting classes, and both continually under-achieve in actual games.  There will be a lot of NFL talent on the field in Tallahassee, but I just don’t see either team running the table and going undefeated.  Clemson has a high powered offense and Florida State has a very good defense.  But since these two teams have scheduled such “difficult” teams in the first 3 weeks (by difficult I mean it was a challenge scoring on every possession and they both might have punted a combined 4 times this season), we have no idea how good these teams really are.  I think Clemson will be able to score points on the Seminole defense with Taj Boyd and Sammy Watkins, and I don’t think the FSU offense will be able to match the Tiger fire power.  Look for this to be an exciting game played in the 30-40 point range.  

B1G Week3: Recap

While week 3 of the season didn’t get any worse for the already terrible conference, they did little to gain back any national respect.  The lone top ten team in the B1G welcomed Notre Dame to their own stadium and then dropped a giant stink bomb on national tv.  This is the 3^rd week in a row that a different conference team has played a night game on national tv, and the result continues to be the same: embarrassment.

Good surprise:

Well Penn State got back to their winning ways with a complete dominating effort against Navy.  I don’t think the Nittany Lions are really that good, but it was nice to see them putting together a solid game to get their first win. 

Braxton Miller continues to impress early in the season.  The Bucknut defense played terrible against an average Pac12 team coming across the country, but Miller put the game on his shoulders and led the Scarlett and Gray to a win.  The OSU vs MSU game to open the conference season should be one of the best games of the B1G season.

My other surprise would be Minnesota beating Western.  I picked them to win in a close game, but MarQueis Gray was injured in this game and a back up QB led the Golden Gophers to the victory.  Minnesota is looking very good to secure their first bowl invite under Jerry Kill.

Bad Surprise:

I am not sure where to start with this section because there is too much to choose from.  I will start with the marquee game of the week.  I will be honest, I thought Michigan State was head and shoulders better than Notre Dame.  Well Sparty didn’t show up at all for their Saturday night game and got blasted.  The Michigan State offense looked ready to struggle in the MAC, and the defense looked susceptible to the deep pass.  Andrew Maxwell actually looked like the least of their offensive worries, he delivered pass after pass on the money.  The State receivers look beyond bad at this point.  They couldn’t get separation from the decimated ND secondary, and when they did get some space they would drop the pass. It looks like Sparty is completely 1 dimensional right now.  Notre Dame did not respect the deep pass, and therefore put 8 or 9 guys in the box.  I don’t care if Bell can hurdle one guy, he cannot escape 3 unblocked defenders.  A lot of changes need to happen in East Lansing for Michigan State to really be a top 10 team again.

Wisconsin continues to look horrible on offense.  I put the Badgers on my upset watch, and looking back on the game, Wisconsin should be 1-2 at this point.  The biggest question with these clowns is, how are they still ranked in the coaches poll?  Wisconsin needs to improve a lot in the next week before they head to Lincoln to open B1G play.

The Ohio State defense gave up over 500 yards of offense to the Cal Bears.  California traveled across the country to play at Ohio State, and they played the game at 12:00pm (9 am in California).  The team should have been sluggish and possibly a bit overwhelmed in front of the 105,000+.  The Bucknut defense struggled to wrap up during tackles all afternoon.  They allowed more big plays than Meyer wanted to see all season.  The scheme changed to get more of a pass rush, but with the added aggression the edges could not keep contain like they should have.  Good thing the B1G is lacking on offensive talent, otherwise they could get gashed.  

I would say that my conference rankings are as follows:

1. Ohio St (Up 1)

2. Michigan (Up 1)

3. Michigan State (Down 2)

4. Purdue (no change)

5. Northwestern (no change)

6. Nebraska (no change)

7. Minnesota (up 1)

8. Illinois (up 1)

9. Penn State (up 1)

10. Iowa (up 1)

11. Wisconsin (down 4)

12. Indiana (no change)

Week 3: UMass Recap

Michigan did as expected on Saturday blowing out UMass 63-13.  As usual there were some things to like and some definite room for improvement.  I still think this game was much needed for Team 133, it basically was an extra practice against an uncommon opponent.  Both sides of the ball were able to work on some weaknesses, and it was nice as a fan to know the outcome was never in doubt. 

Like I said on Friday, we likely would not gain any positive knowledge about this team from a game against UMass.  I still think the question marks are there.  I was hoping that the defensive line would be able to dominate an inferior opponent, but they continue to struggle with any penetration.  Outside of Frank Clark, this unit continues to look average at best.  It appears that Desmond Morgan will remain in the starting lineup when he returns from a head injury, but both freshmen will get a lot of playing time.  The secondary struggles in run protection, but we still don’t know how good they will be in pass coverage against a decent team.  The defense is still struggling to force any turnovers.  I think this starts up front.  If the defensive line cannot get pressure, the likelihood of a turnover to happen greatly decreases.

On the offensive side of the ball, I am still discouraged by the push up front by the offensive line.  It seems like they are still struggling in run blocking, but are looking very good in pass protection.  Fitz looked more like himself on Saturday, but he did not have many running lanes to exploit. Denard seems to lose focus a few times a game, and during these times it is when we see the horribly thrown ball usually resulting an in interception.  When Denard is not under pressure and can concentrate on his mechanics, he looks extremely difficult to defend.  Denard got into a rhythm during Saturday’s game, but then becomes lackadaisical and makes a few bad decisions.  It will be interesting to see how he responds against a better, more aggressive defense this week at Notre Dame.

I was encouraged by a few individuals on defense.  Specifically, Frank Clark, Joe Bolden, and Mario Ojemudia.  Clark seems to have picked up where he was at the end of last season, and is quickly shaping into one of the best pass rushers in the B1G.  It also looks like he will lead the team in pass breakups, which is unheard of from a defensive lineman.  Joe Bolden and James Ross are fun to watch.  We know what Kenny Demens and Desmond Morgan are at linebackers (above average B1G LBs), but the two freshman behind them have the potential to be anchors of one of the best linebacker units in the country moving forward after this season.  Folks, these guys are good.  They are extremely good athletes, they play fast, and hit hard.  The problem right now is that they are freshman.  They are still learning the defensive system and have a tendency to give up big plays.  They are high risk, high reward type guys, which might be the direction this defense needs against tough offenses.  Super Mario got more playing time on Saturday than he did the first two games.  He already has the makings of a very good defensive end.  It looks like Michigan will continue to use him as a pass rush specialist, but he will need to add 25 pounds to be an every down guy.  I have been impressed with his ability to read an offensive play.  There were multiple times that big number 53 was making a tackle 7+ yards down the field.  He reminds me of Frank Clark last season, but he seems to be further along in the technique and football IQ than Clark was at this point last year. 

Looking ahead, Michigan faces its 2^nd major test in the first month as they head to South Bend to take on the Irish. This game should be a little more fun to watch than the Debacle in Dallas. Notre Dame will be favored in this game after they went into East Lansing and pummeled the Spartans. 

NFL Week 2: Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49ers

I have to be honest, I was not able to watch a single snap of Detroit's opening week win against St. Louis.  I was enjoying my hometown country fair, thats right people.  On a side note, I did correctly pick the Grand Champion Steer... again.  Anyways, I am glad the Lions got the first victory out of the way because this week they head on the road to face everyone's new favorite team.  I did catch some of the SF game in Green Bay, and I came away impressed just like everyone else.  Especially now after the Packers just took a dump on Jay Cutler and the Bears.  These two teams met last year and it was one of the most exciting games of the season.  The Lions were on the wrong side of a 4th down touchdown pass that gave Detroit their first loss of the season, but it was still an entertaining football game.  This year, the game is getting a lot more hype.  The 49ers made the NFC Championship game and were a few plays away from making the Super Bowl in Jim Harbaugh's first season, and we all know about the Lion's impressive year.  Jim Harbaugh has taken over a stout defense that he has infused with his aggressive style and a solid offense that he has turned into one of the deepest and toughest to game plan against.  I would say that is pretty good after 1 season.  This team does look primed to take over Green Bay's roost as the NFC's best team. 

So after that little hype up, do the Lions actually have a chance in this game?  Well with Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson you always have a chance, but this week might be a relatively small chance.  This will be a very important game for Detroit's national image.  Here in Michigan we think Detroit is better than Chicago and one of the top 5 teams in the NFC.  If Detroit can manage to go into Candlestick Park and pull out their 2nd win of the season on Sunday night, Detroit might become one of the favorites in the NFC.  While yes, this is just another regular season game, and Detroit likely needs to get to 10 wins to make the playoffs, this game could do a lot to boost confidence. 

San Francisco run offense vs Detroit run defense
This matchup will be the most important to watch on Sunday night.  This battle will have a big impact on the Lions having a chance to pull out a victory.  Last week the front 7 for Detroit did very well against Jackson and the Rams running attack.  If they can replicate that success, Sunday night will be quite the football game.  However, the 49ers are not the Rams.  They boast one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and a run first coach.  They also have a stable of good running backs, any of which would likely start for Detroit (Gore, Fuller, Jacobs, and LaMicheal James).  Their 4th string running back was who most of Detroit wanted to draft in the 2nd round and with Leshore's suspension would be thrown into the starting role.  He likely will not see a carry on Sunday.  Detroit's solid 8 man defensive line rotation will be strained on Sunday.  I am very excited to see the Lions interior line against the 49er guards and center, if Suh and company can get some pentetration, Detroit has a chance of slowing down the offense.  I would also like to see the defensive ends be more productive than last week against the Rams average line.  Advantage San Francisco.

San Francisco pass offense vs Detroit pass defense
Alex Smith will never be confused for Matthew Stafford, but Jim Harbaugh has turned him into quite the game manager.  Smith is the NFL version of the Alabama quarterback.  He is there to not lose the football game.  If the running game is working well, the 49er passing game will be opened up.  They use mainly play action passing  with Alex Smith, and last week it worked well against Green Bay considering he completed almost 80% of his passes.  San Francisco has added loads of skill players to put around Smith to make him feel more confident in the passing game.  Their current pass catching threats could be the best in the NFL.  See a pattern here, running backs and receivers/tight ends?.  They picked up Manningham and Moss in free agency.  They drafted Illinois star AJ Jenkins in the first round.  They have added these guys to Crabtree and Vernon Davis.  Yikes.  The Detroit pass defense all hinges on the defensive line's ability to get pressure on the quarterback.  The secondary is already depleted with injuries, and the line backers struggle in space to cover athletic tight ends.  If the line cannot force Smith to get rid of the ball quickly, I think Davis will have a monster game against the Lions.  There is just nobody on the roster who can cover him.  With all of the injuries for Detroit, they likely will be in zone coverage most of the night, which is pretty easy to pick apart if you have time to throw the ball.  The only thing that will help Detroit is if they are able to force some turnovers.  The problem is the once turnover-prone Smith has not thrown an interception in 8 straight games.  Also, remember he completed 77% last week agains the Packers who just forced Cutler into 4 interceptions and 7 sacks.  Double yikes.  Advantage San Francisco in a land slide.

Detroit run offense vs San Francisco run defense
Detroit is still missing their top 2 backs this week and will need to rely on Kevin Smith and Keenan Willaims again.  If Smith can stay up right for this game I think he is an above average running back, but the key here is can the Detroit offensive line run block as well as they did last week?  The history says no.  The Lion's offensive line is at their best when they can pass block, so Detroit's running game might look like a lot of screens and draw plays this week.  The 49er front line is very good again, and like I said earlier, Harbaugh plays an aggressive style.  They will bring the line backers or a defensive back on a blitz quite often.  This leaves them vulernable to long pass plays, but they will not have to worry about a homerun threat in the back field with the Lions.  At best the Lions can pick up a few short yardage first downs, but I doubt that the running game will be able to get more than 70 yards on the game.  Advantage San Francisco.

Detroit pass offense vs San Francisco pass defense
This matchup will be very fun to watch.  the 49ers will draw up one blitz after the other to knock Stafford around and get his confidence rattled.  If the offensive line can offer up any sort of resistance, Stafford will be able to find open receivers.  The problem here is the SF line backing unit might be the best in the NFL with Willis and Bowman.  Willis is very good in coverage and in run support.  Detroit will need to use Pettigrew's size advantage in this game, so Stafford is going to have to put the ball in tight windows.  The Packer line struggled with the all out blitz coming up the middle, and Rodgers was not able to get rid of the ball in time a lot last Sunday.  I think San Francisco will limit the blitzes a bit in this game because of the Calvin Johnson worry, but the offensive line will have their hands full still.  Stafford will need to pick apart the 49er secondary, which might be the weakest unit on the entire team, but still above average.  If he in not running for his life, there is no reason to think he can't throw for over 300 yards again.  I also think the 3 interceptions in one game will not happen again either.  Look for Stafford to hit Calvin for their first TD connection of the season, and possibly a few big plays.  Advantage Detroit slightly. 

Special teams
The San Francisco kicker, David Akers, just drilled a 62 yarder last week in Green Bay.  Hanson is consistent, but no longer has the length strength like that.  Field position will play a key role in this game as well.  If Detroit is starting close to their own end zone a lot, look for SF to bring the heat over and over.  Last week the field position battle was won by Detroit, and it likely won them the game.  Advantage push.

As much as I want to see the Lions go to the west coast and get their 2nd win of the season, I just don't see it happening.  Detroit has too many holes on defense, and SF has too many weapons to exploit those issues.  I do think Stafford makes some big throws to keep Detroit close, but in the end the Lion defense cannot get off the field enough and San Francisco pulls out a 31-21 win. 

Week 3: Michigan vs UMass Preview

It is finally Friday afternoon, which means it is time for my weekly preview of the Michigan football game.  The Wolverines showed some high powered offense last week against Air Force, but still left little to be desired on the defensive side.  This week, against possibly the worst FBS team, Big Blue will need to stiffen up on that side of the ball.  Some encouraging notes, however, most people forget how much the defense struggled in the first 2 weeks of the season last year, and only remember where it was when the team finished in the top 10.  This year, the expectations might have been a little high with the preseason number 8 ranking, but it was unfair to believe this defense would be able to pick up where Team 132 left off.  We also do not know how good this defense really is after playing Alabama and Air Force, and we likely will not know any more until after we head to South Bend.  Alabama's offensive efficiency will likely be one of the best in all of college football, while Air Force's offensive system is one of the most unique in all of college football (and they run their technique to perfection).  Am I concerned about the defensive line not holding blocks well? Yes.  Am I concerned that our starting LB's have slow lateral movement and struggle to contain the edge? Yes. Am I concerned that our cornerbacks struggle in run defense? Yes. Am I excited to see them play a normal offensive system with little to no talent?  Hell yes. This defense should be hungry to destroy someone, and this week should give them an opportunity to look dominant and gain some confidence before playing Notre Dame. So even though this week will not likely show us fans how good this defense truly is, I think it can go a long ways in helping the group improve.

UMass run offense vs Michigan run defense
The Minutemen have a name well known around Ann Arbor in their backfield.  Mike Cox is a 5th year transfer for UMass.  If you don't remember his name, no worries as he did little to nothing while in the winged helmet.  He couldn't beat out Vincent Smith or Mike Shaw for the starting job, and that alone should tell you all you need to know.  UMass is going to be overmatched in the Big House this week.  It is not 2010 when they managed to score 37 on the Maize and Blue.  So far against two terrible teams (UConn and Indiana) UMass has scored a total of 6 points.  The defensive line should be able to get penetration in the backfield and blow up many run plays.  Currently, the Minutemen are averaging less than 3 yards per carry.  Michigan's defense should be able to hold them to that for a 3rd straight week. Now, if the front 4 for the Wolverines struggles this week, we will have strong reason to be concerned for the rest of the season.  There really is no win situation for this unit this week.  If Michigan holds the Minutemen to 50 yards rushing, fans shrug their shoulders and say we still know nothing.  If UMass manages to get to 100+ yards, fans will push the panic button with both hands, and next week will not be fun in the blogosphere. I think this week will be a good opportunity to get the youngsters some more significant playing time to continue to add to the rotational depth as we head into meaningful games.  I also think this group has too much pride to get pushed back or cut down this week.  Look for 2+ sacks to come from this unit.  Advantage Michigan.

UMass pass offense vs Michigan pass defense
If UMass drops back into passing situations, it could be the best practice for any Michigan defensive position group.  They were only tested a handful of times last week.  I think the lose of Blake Countess hurts Michigan a lot, but the Wolverines will not face a dominant pocket passing quarterback/ receiver tandem the rest of the season.  I believe Raymon Taylor, Courtney Avery, JT Floyd and whoever else gets some reps as cornerback will be good enough this year.  It will also really help for experience purposes for 2013 and beyond since Taylor and Avery will get so much playing time this year.  This unit could be really special moving forward.  UMass has very little talent in this area of offense, but they do like to try and stretch the field for some big passing plays.  Most of these will come from play action.  I wouldn't be surprised if Michigan gives up at least 1 long passing play, but for the most part this group should shut down the Minutemen.  I am also excited to see how the pass rush will fare in this game.  They managed to get to the quarterback a few times against Alabama and again against Air Force at the end of the game.  I think Jake Ryan will continue to impress, and someone from the Clark/Roh/Ross/Ojemudia group ends up with a big play. Advantage Michigan.

Michigan run offense vs UMass run defense
I doubt we will see so many designed running plays for Denard in this game.  I also doubt we will see Denard for 4 quarters.  The Michigan offense needs to get Fitz going.  He missed some cutback opportunities last week, and also was the recipient of some back blocking in front of him.  Look for the offensive line to have a dominant game, and for Fitz to get as many carries as he needs to get over 100 yards.  This game will also be a good chance to get Rawls, Hayes, and possibly even Norfleet some carries in the 2nd half.  I think Michigan will end up with close to 300 yards rushing in this game. Advantage Michigan.

Michigan pass offense vs UMass pass defense
I doubt Al Borgess will call too many passing plays in this game, but I hope we do.  Other than getting Fitz going on the ground, I would like to see Denard's improvements in the passing game. He has looked decent this season as a passer, and had some very good throws in the first two weeks.  We know what we have in Denard's legs, so I would really like to see some more work in the passing game.  I might be the only one, but I get really interested when we call passing plays.  I don't know if I want to say excited, but I want to see Denard's reads, touch, arm strength, and decisions.  Hopefully he can go a game without an interception and can work on his TD to INT ratio some.  The other interesting thing to watch for is honoring Ron Kramer, the hall of fame TE from Michigan.  His number 87 jersey will be the Legend Jersey this week.  Will freshman Devin Funchess get this honor, or will it go to a defensive player? Advantage Michigan.

Special Teams
Should not matter in this game, but I would like to see Norfleet take a kick return to the house.  The problem is he might only get one chance.

Intangibles
Michigan has only forced 1 turnover so far this season while losing the ball themselves 4 times.  It will be good to see the defense force some turnovers tomorrow, while the offense gets a clean slate.  Last year the Michigan defense surrendered a lot of yards in the first two weeks, but they forced a lot of turnovers.  If this year's unit can do begin to the do the same, people will start to feel better about the questionable defensive line.

There is little to gain as fans from a game with a line of 45.5 points, but I can guarantee you the coaches are glad this one is on the schedule.  Last week I thought Michigan would play angry and punch Air Force in the mouth, but their defensive scheme was ineffective and they had an untimely turnover.  I was impressed with how the offense played.  This week look for both units to look dominant and for Michigan to finish off the Minutemen in a lopsided final: 52-6.

B1G Week 3 Preview

I don't think the conference can look as bad as it did last week, especially in Week 3 also known as Cupcake City.  Most B1G teams will use weeks 3 and 4 as tune ups for the conference schedule.  While there are some marquee games this week, the majority will be close to unwatchable after kickoff.  As always the game of the week will be bolded.

Western Michigan @ Minnesota 12:00pm
Minnesota has impressed me so far this season.  They will not be contending for the Legend's Division title, but I think the Gophers can get back to a bowl game this season.  Western's QB Alex Carder will test the Minnesota secondary, but MarQueis Gray should have another big game against this defense.  I think he continues to make just enough plays to get the Golden Gophers to 3-0.

Arkansas St @ Nebraska 12:00pm
Ex-Auburn offensive genius Gus Malzahn (helped out by Cam Newton) has relocated to the football power of Arkansas St and has brought his up-tempo system with him.  Nebraska's horrible defensive unit will likely again struggle to completely shut down this attack, but it will be a good turnaround game from the embarrassment in Pasadena last week.  Arkansas St has one of the worst defenses in all of college football, so look for Taylor Martinez to win Big Ten offensive player of the week because you know Pelini will not call off the dogs in this one.

California @ Ohio State 12:00pm
California is likely worse than Central Florida, but they do have one of the best receivers in college football.  The problem is any of their quarterbacks will struggle to throw to him.  We will see if Urban Meyer reduces Miller's rushing attempts after a crazy 27 last week.  He has to realize this will not last through the B1G season.  Will freshman Bri'onte Dunn step up and have a big week?  This game will be more about getting the a 2nd playmaker on offense than an actual test for the Bucknuts because I just don't think Cal is any good this year.  If Meyer wants to get some good experience for a few running backs, this score could be closer than if Miller goes off for 25+ runs again.

Charleston Southern @ Illinois 12:00pm
Illinois returns home after a rough trip to the desert. Nathan Scheelhaase keeps saying he is going to play in this one which makes no sense to me.  A Nick Sheridan led team could hang half a century in this one.  You have too much time on your hands if you watch this one.

Eastern Michigan @ Purdue 12:00pm
It doesn't look like the Eagles are any good this season, just as I thought Ron English was building a decent program in Ypsilanti.  Purdue is coming off a tough loss at Notre Dame and losing one of their quarterbacks.  It might take Caleb TerBush a while to get going, but Eastern should present little resistance on defense. Purdue running back Akeen Shavers should have a big game, along with the Boilermaker defensive line. 

Boston College @ Northwestern 3:30pm
Northwestern is coming off of two completely different styles of games with both resulting in backup QB Trevor Siemian leading 4thn quarter comebacks.  If both the Wildcat offense and defense show up in this game, the final won't be close.  Somehow I doubt Northwestern puts together a complete game in this one.  Boston College will likely hang around for the first half, but the Wildcats have too much offensive firepower to lose this one.

Navy @ Penn State 3:30pm
Somehow Penn State is on ABC for the 2nd straight week, and I am really hoping us in the Ann Arbor area get a different game during this time slot.  The Nittany Lions are bad, and they aren't even a fun bad team to watch.  It looks like 3 yards and a cloud of dust without any talent.  Navy looked even worse against Notre Dame to open the season.  This will be a battle to get the first win in Happy Valley.  As bad as Navy looked, Penn State will likely have enough mistakes to keep this game close.  I still don't know if the Nittany Lions can score more than 17 in this one, but 17 might be enough for the victory.

Northern Iowa @ Iowa 3:30pm
I have gone with Hawkeyes in each of the first two weeks by basically saying the same thing: James Vandenberg will make enough throws to get the win.  It doesn't look like he is going to make enough throws this season, and seems to really be struggling with the new offensive coordinator and without a star receiver.  It will be a struggle for Iowa to get their 2nd offensive touchdown of the year, and after Northern Iowa almost won at Wisconsin I think they will come into Iowa with more confidence.  I doubt the Hawkeyes get anything going offensively again, and Northern Iowa makes enough plays to escape with a close upset.

Ball State @ Indiana 8:00pm
Indiana has already won 2 games this year, and I would favor them to win this one if Tre Robinson wasn't out for the year. Will the new quarterback be able to find any rhythm against the Hoosiers toughest test so far?  I think Indiana will be able to move the ball a bit on the Cardinals, but in the end Ball State comes away with a win.

Notre Dame @ Michigan State 8:00pm
Considering how this is the national game of the week on ABC, it seems like the obvious pick.  For once, as Michigan fans, we will be able to watch the Spartans take on the Irish a week before us.  I think Notre Dame will be a better test than Boise State was to open the year, and if Andrew Maxwell plays anything like he did in that night game the Irish will run away with this game.  I am excited to see how well Gholson can run the offense against the tough Spartan defense, and then how well Le'Veon Bell can pick up yards against a full sized ND defense.  I think Michigan can learn a lot about 2 future opponents in this game.  I think Maxwell looks closer to week 1 than week 2, but the offensive line holds up a little better which will help the Spartan QB.  I think Michigan State will build up a lead against the Irish and be able to use Bell to eat up the clock in a closer score than the stats show.

Utah State @ Wisconsin 8:00pm
Can the Badgers bounce back from two sub-par offensive weeks?  I think they will respond to the new OL coach, but still not look as dominant as many of us expected.  Utah State is coming off of an upset of rival Utah and could surprise ole Bucky, but Camp Randall should be rocking for the night game and Montee Ball makes enough plays to give Wisconsin another ugly win.

Week 3 Upset Alert

The third week of the season usually is cupcake city for the major programs around college football.  This year there are some intriguing games scheduled for Saturday. 

Alabama @ Arkansas 3:30pm
This choice seems pretty crazy after what happened to Arkansas last weekend, but remember they were a top 10 team that got upset by a bad team.  The Razorbacks lost Tyler Wilson in the 2nd quarter with an injury and managed just over 100 yards for the rest of the game, including overtime.  If Tyler Wilson is back under center on Saturday afternoon, this game could be a lot closer than expected.  Arkansas will want to forget last weekend as soon as possible, and they have the offensive firepower to test Alabama's young secondary.  I dont think the Razorbacks have enough to win this game, but I think it will be a lot closer than expected if Wilson plays.

Florida @ Tennessee 6:00pm
Staying in the SEC, this game really wouldnt be an upset if Tennessee wins, but there aren't many games to choose from this week.  Tennessee is 5-15 against the Gators in the last 20 years, and they are currently 0-10 under Coach Dooley against ranked teams. Florida escaped Aggieland last weekend with a hard fought win, but I think they struggle at Neyland Stadium.  I think Tyler Bray will have a big game passing against the Gator secondary. 

Utah St @ Wisconsin 8:00pm
We will find out more about the Badger's struggles this week.  I could not believe how bad they looked last weekend against Oregon State.  Now they head home to face a tough Utah State team coming off a victory against rival Utah.  Wisconsin has the major talent edge here, but that has been the case in the first 2 weeks as well.  Wisconsin is not playing good football right now, will this be the week they turn things around?  I still cannot (or don't want to) believe that Purdue is the favorite to represent the Leaders Division in the B1G championship game.

Texas @ Mississippi 9:15pm
Texas strolls into Oxford the heavy favorites.  Somehow the Longhorns are ranked number 14 in the nation, which I feel is quite high for their level of play so far.  Ole Miss has started 2-0 and has been a surprise team in the SEC so far.  Saturday night's game will go a long ways in telling if they will actually make some noise in the toughest conference and push for a bowl game.  Texas has more talent that the Rebels, but I think they can say that in every game they play this season.