Aside from the way that Greg Mattison’s defense played and some good kicking by Brendan Gibbons, there weren’t a lot of positives to take away from Saturday’s game against Nebraska. The offense without Denard was stale at best and made a much-maligned Nebraska defense look like the Blackshirts of old. Even before Denard went out with an elbow injury, the offensive line looked slow and unable to block effectively against Nebraska’s front seven. Again, as has often been the case this season, there was no running threat aside from Denard in the Wolverine backfield.

The injury to Denard showed just how valuable he is (photo by the Detroit News)

Denard’s injury was unfortunate, especially given the timing. We all knew that losing Denard would have major impacts on the effectiveness of the offense. With the lack of any other major offensive threats on the team, we all got a taste of reality while watching Russell Bellomy struggle through the second half. The reality is that there is still a lot of work to be done to get this Michigan offense back where it needs to be to compete for championships every year.

Quickly, let me say that I don’t fault Bellomy for anything. Yes, he made some poor decisions, but the guy is a redshirt freshman who had thrown all of a handful of passes prior to entering for Denard on Saturday. Also, the Nebraska coaches turned the dogs loose once they saw the wide-eyed Bellomy come in.

Offensive Coordinator Al Borges didn’t do Bellomy any favors either. When the defense is bringing pressure every play, the offense is required to adapt. This means slowing down that pressure through the use of screens and draws and passes to the backs out of the backfield. And no, I don’t mean wide receiver screens. The play must be run to where the pressure is coming from. Nebraska was bringing the blitz from the linebackers, so a screen to Fitz Toussaint or Vincent Smith would have worked. Or how about this? Remember that impressive tight end Michigan has named Devin Funchess – the guy who has barely touched the ball the last few games after looking like a real weapon in the beginning of the season? How about a screen to him right in the spot where the linebackers just vacated? At a time when Bellomy was obviously in over his head, some simple play calls like this would at least have moved the ball and have given Bellomy some confidence. If not in this game, but in future games.

So where does that leave Team 133 in their hopes for a Big Ten Championship? The simple answer is, not in a good spot. In the Legends division, they are now tied with Nebraska with one loss in the conference. However, Nebraska now holds the tiebreaker over Michigan, which means Michigan must win out and hope that Nebraska loses another game.

Brady Hoke has some work to do to achieve his goal of a Big Ten title (photo by the Detroit News)

Nebraska has four more Big Ten games. This coming week’s game at Michigan State may be the best chance for Nebraska to get tripped up. Following that, they have two homes games against Penn State and Minnesota and finish the season at Iowa.

Michigan’s road is tougher. The Wolverines travel to Minnesota for a rivalry game in the battle for the Little Brown Jug. Minnesota may not be much on paper and they are not in the conference title race, but it’s a rivalry and teams play tough in trophy games. Plus, Minnesota is looking for bowl elgibility, so they can’t take this one lightly. After that, come two home games against Northwestern and Iowa. Northwestern is a team who is still in the title hunt with two losses, but they need Nebraska to lose two more. Iowa has had a poor season, yet because of the lack of quality in the Big Ten, they too are still in the title hunt with two losses. And as mentioned above, they still have games against the three teams in front of them: Northwestern (this weekend), Michigan, and Nebraska. Then the Wolverines travel to the all-important Big Game in Columbus. Unlike what I did this past weekend when I changed my preseason pick and called for a Michigan win, I won’t be changing my Ohio State pick. With the way that both teams are playing, and given the fact that this will be OSU’s bowl game, I think Michigan loses by two touchdowns.

So this past weekend’s game was a bad loss. It hurt to witness a Michigan offense without Denard. It hurt to lose ugly. It hurt to lose a big game, one which would have set up the Wolverines nicely in their run for the Big Ten championship. Michigan’s key this weekend will be to not let last week’s opponent beat them twice. The road to Indianapolis begins again this weekend against Minnesota and the team must be focused on winning each of their last four games, one at a time.

Last week, none of us were correct with our score prediction, but Justin finally picked up his first win of the season. And what a week to get it. He was 12 high on Michigan’s score but just three high on Michigan State’s. Sam correctly predicted that Michigan State would score 10, but he was way too confident in Michigan’s offense. This week, Michigan takes to the road for its first trip to Lincoln, Neb. in 101 years. It’s a nationally televised night game in a tough place to win, so it should be fun to watch. At least the World Series won’t interfere…oh, wait.

Justin (1): Like Chris below, I pegged the trip to Nebraska as a loss prior to the season starting since Michigan would be coming off an emotional win over rival Michigan State. That’s exactly what could happen, but I just don’t think Nebraska has the defense to keep Michigan out of the end zone, while Michigan’s defense is good enough to slow down Nebraska’s high-powered offense.

Both teams will look to run the ball, so whichever defense is able to slow down the other’s run game will win the game. Offenses like Nebraska’s are the types of offenses Greg Mattison’s defense thrives on (see: Nebraska and Northwestern 2011, Illinois and Purdue 2012).

It will be closer than last year’s matchup for most of the game as Nebraska will put up some points. It’s too good of an offense not to. But I don’t see the ‘Huskers scoring at the level they have been all season. I attribute a lot of the gaudy numbers to a very weak out of conference schedule.

As I said in the game preview and this morning’s Friend vs Foe feature, Al Borges will employ the same gameplan he used against Illinois and Purdue: a run heavy attack with a few passes sprinkled in to keep the defense honest. Due to Nebraska’s good secondary, expect Borges to keep the passing game simple with high-percentage pass plays to keep Denard from making the mistakes he made against Alabama and Notre Dame.

Michigan should be able to run up 200-250 rushing yards and 100-150 passing yards with either Denard or Fitz Toussaint (or both) having a big game. And I expect Devin Funchess to lead the Wolverines in receiving. Michigan will pull away late to sieze the Legends division.

Michigan 42 – Nebraska 24

Chris (1): I have been going back and forth on this game all week. As I said in my preaseason preview, when I looked at the schedule before any of the games were played and the team was still in two-a-days, I thought this would be one of Michigan’s toughest games all season. At the time, my view on this game was that Michigan would be coming off an emotional win against MSU, and to go on the road the following week and play in a hostile environment in Lincoln, was going to be a tough test. Especially against a physical team like the Cornhuskers.

Michigan's ability to slow down Martinez will likely determine the outcome (photo by Charles Rex Arbogast, AP)

Well, that’s exactly where we are at. The Wolverines came away with a stunning last second win and now have to avoid the letdown on the road against a decent, but not great, Nebraska squad. It’s a Nebraska team which has been up and down all season. In their games against tougher competition, they haven’t put together two good halves of football yet this season. One half they might come out and score in bunches and the next they give away turnovers and points (see Wisconsin on Sept. 29).

The Nebraska offense can score behind the athletic Taylor Martinez at quarterback. Running back is an unknown for this game, as the starter Rex Burkhead re-injured his knee and may be out. But the offense doesn’t lose anything with backup Ameer Abdullah (5.9 ypc, 7 TD) filling in. They can also score a lot, as they are averaging just over 41 ppg and are the sixth-best rushing offense in the nation. Along with that, Martinez is having one of his most efficient years passing with 15 TD, 4 INT, 162.8 rating.

Statistically, the Michigan pass defense is one of the best in the nation. That may not be the case after last week when MSU found some holes in the coverage, however Michigan has been able to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks and cause a few turnovers. If they can do that again this week, and keep a ‘Spy’ on Martinez so he can’t run away from the rush, then he will throw bad passes like he did at Ohio State.

Aside from the offense turning the ball over frequently, the Nebraska defense has not been very good. They are the 71st-ranked scoring defense as they are giving up almost four touchdowns per game. I think this bodes well for the Michigan offense, especially after facing an MSU defense which was much better than what they will see on Saturday.

I have been convinced that Michigan was going to lose this game since day one. But after seeing Nebraska play a few times this year, and even though they are playing at home at night, I am changing my mind. I think Michigan wins the game behind a well-balanced attack on offense and by creating some turnovers on defense. The key will be to avoid thinking about last week’s win and not getting rattled by the Nebraska crowd early and having quality offensive possessions. They don’t need to score every time they have the ball early, but they need to show that they can move the ball. Defensively, the key is Martinez. If they can confuse him with pressure and different looks in coverage, then Michigan will be alright. Michigan wins a close one.

Michigan 28 – Nebraska 25

Josh (2): As mentioned in the game preview, this is a must win game for both teams. While Nebraska fans are hospitable and not complete jerks like some of our other foes’ fans, Lincoln will not be a friendly place to play come Saturday evening. Al Borges has pared down the play book and has taken a conservative approach that has worked quite well recently. Denard is not being asked to do things he cannot do and while Fitz hasn’t been the Fitz of 2011, he is still a threat that cannot be overlooked by opposing defenses.

Jake Ryan and the Michigan defense has a tall task at hand to slow down the Big Ten's top scoring offense (photo by Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

Taylor Martinez has been a hot or cold player his whole career, he can go off for 340 yards passing with 4 TDs or he can throw 4 picks. I’m just not sold on him as a leader or a solid quarterback. Denard may not be a good passer but he is a great leader and no one can deny what he can do with his feet.

For me, this game’s key is Michigan’s defense. No one is talking about them, and I have no idea why. They are No. 10 in total yards allowed per game and No. 3 in passing yards allowed per game; since the Air Force game they’ve only given up an average of 10 points per game with no one scoring more than 13. Those are damn good numbers, but the beat down at the hands of Alabama has given the media the perception that this team is no good. Regardless, this Michigan defense is good and they do what needs to be done.

Nebraska has been running the ball very well this season and Rex Burkhead is the leader of that rushing attack. Burkhead is a beast but it looks like he won’t be available this weekend. With their top back most likely out the 6th ranked rush offense in the country will be lacking significant firepower. With more of the load to be shouldered by Taylor Martinez I think the pressure gets to him and he doesn’t produce like Husker nation hopes.

Wisconsin is Nebraska’s only win of note and their out of conference schedule was weak at best. They were destroyed by Ohio State lost to a decent UCLA team on the road and had to come from behind against Northwestern last week. Great academic school, not so great at football. Not to take anything away from what Pat Fitzgerald is doing in Evanston, but the Wildcats are not exactly a top tier team. Michigan has been tested by two top five teams (ND may be overrated but they still have a solid defense) and has dominated its conference schedule thus far.

Nebraska is a two point favorite, home field after all, and the over/under is a whopping 57.5 points. Odds makers obviously think this is going to be a shootout. I, however, do not. Nebraska gives up only three points less than Michigan scores, so it should be no problem for Michigan to put up some points on the Huskers. Michigan, as we all know, has not given up a lot of points to anyone other than Alabama (yes, AF scored 26 but they’re a wonky offense and that can be overlooked). I expect Greg Mattison’s defense to keep Martinez in check as they did last year and the offense should provide a heavy dose of Denard, Fitz and hopefully Thomas Rawls.

Brady Hoke said last year was not a success because they did not win a Big Ten title. They have made that their one goal and Hoke has said every week is championship week. They’ve been playing lights out since conference play started and I expect nothing less from our boys in Maize and Blue on Saturday night. They win and all but secure their spot in Indianapolis.

Michigan 31 – Nebraska 13

Matt (2): I remember being so nervous when we played Nebraska last year. The outcome ended up being a great one (if you are a Michigan fan anyway). Will we see the Wolverines beat the Cornhuskers again, in Nebraska this time? It’s definitely possible.

Michigan has been playing well. Their offense hasn’t looked bad, and their defense. Oh their defense! It’s incredible how much better our defense has gotten in the past couple of years. Honestly, I think I’m more impressed by our defense than our offense. Nuts to think how the last rushing touchdown we have given up was against Notre Dame.

Taylor Martinez is going to be looking to lead the Cornhuskers to their jest victory of the Wolverines since joining the Big Ten. And he will have Ameer Abdullah in the backfield. Ameer is a good running back, that has crushed why Fitz Toussaint has rushed for this year, but is also about 300 yards shy of Denard’s rushing yards this season.

I think the biggest story of this game is going to be either Taylor Martinez versus Denard Robinson, or Taylor Martinez vs the Michigan defense. If we can keep pressure, cause mistakes, and force some turnovers, we can make a repeat of last year’s game. Although I don’t see it being that much a dominant performance. Although stranger things have happened.

Nebraska’s offense isn’t something to squawk at. They are ranked higher in rushing and passing than Michigan. But the big difference is defense. Michigan is ranked higher on defense, and seems to have the better defense obviously.

That’s going to be the key Saturday. I see this one being high scoring. I see big plays from both teams, and I see a combined score of near 100 points. Michigan pulls it out, in a hard fought battle.

Wolverines by 10. If this is a low scoring game, I’m done for the year!

Michigan 52 – Nebraska 42

Sam (1): Now seven games into the regular season, and three into Big Ten season, teams are starting to show their identities. Michigan is a team that relies on another stout defense under Greg Mattison and an offense led by the legs of Denard Robinson. The Wolverines still haven’t given up more than 13 points in five straight games, an impressive number in college these days, and while the offense struggled last week in a 12-10 barn-burner win over Michigan State, it has thrived throughout the season, averaging a solid 30.7 points per game. Robinson continues to make the offense click, running for 128.6 yards per game on his own and throwing for 180.6 more per outing with 15 total touchdowns.

Kenny Bell is Nebraska's playmaking receiver (photo by Rebecca S. Gratz, The World-Herald)

Nebraska is not much different, running for a whopping 279 yards per game, good for sixth in the country. Sensational dual-threat quarterback Taylor Martinez is third on the team with 403 yards running on the season and his passing numbers have been unexpectedly brilliant after a rough 2011, throwing for 230.7 yards per game and 15 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Returning starting running back Rex Burkhead has 405 yards of his own on 8.6 yards per carry, but he is doubtful to play this weekend with a leg injury. Enter speedy sophomore Ameer Abdullah, however, and the Cornhuskers have had little problem replacing Burkhead’s success. Abdullah actually leads the team in rushing with 615 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 15 catches for 129 more yards.

The Huskers sit at 5-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play after a fourth quarter comeback last week over middling Northwestern to return to Huskerland with a 29-28 win. And while any win is a welcome takeaway for any team, Bo Pelini has to be concerned with the play of his defense lately, having given up a whopping 39.3 points per game over the last three contests, including 63 to Ohio State in a beatdown in Columbus.

Nebraska’s pass defense has been great, ranking 10th overall in passing yards allowed, but the run defense has hemorrhaged yards at a clip that leaves them ranked 90th in the country in that category. Unfortunately for Nebraska, running the ball is exactly what Michigan does well.

Last year’s matchup between these two teams in Ann Arbor saw the Wolverines romp the Huskers in a 45-17 victory that featured 238 yards and four touchdowns on the ground for Michigan, including 138 and 83 for Fitzgerald Toussaint and Robinson, respectively. Toussaint has obviously struggled in the early going and is still looking for a breakout game. Again, I think this could be it.

Martinez’s much improved accuracy needs to be on display this Saturday if Nebraska is to cover the 2.5 points they are giving up to Michigan in the spread, or to simply win the game in general. In last year’s blowout, Martinez managed only 122 yards through the air on a rancid 9-of-23 attempts and just 49 rushing yards on 16 carries. Burkhead didn’t fare any better, averaging only 3.6 yards per carry on 10 rushes.

Michigan’s secondary is a little banged up, and Mattison is certainly praying that Raymon Taylor will be 100% after coming out of last week’s game. The Cornhuskers boast an array of receiving threats, led by Kenny Bell and his 26 catches for 540 yards (good for an eye-opening 20.8 ypc) and five scores. Michigan should be able to contain the running game as Jake Ryan continues his domination of opposing offenses, but if Martinez starts to find receivers down field, it could be a long night.

Luckily for the Wolverines, Greg Mattison’s bend-don’t-break philosophy has been a great success in his two seasons leading the defense. Bell might have a couple catches for 20-plus, but I would be surprised if he went for more than 75 yards. Abdullah will create some trouble with his speed, but I expect Michigan’s front seven to show up and have a big night again.

Finally, you heard it here first – Fitz Toussaint will eclipse the 100-yard mark in a game for the first time all season, going for 125 and a pair of touchdowns. Robinson will be his usual self and run for 100-plus and throw for two touchdowns and the defense will hold the Huskers to under 20 again in a 34-18 win.

Michigan 34 – Nebraska 18

Katie: Michigan and Nebraska head into the weekend with the same record, although the Maize and Blue are sitting a bit more comfortably because of their undefeated conference play. The Huskers on the other hand are tied for second place in the Legends division with Iowa. Both teams have one loss, and Iowa is facing the Northwestern Wildcats that gave Nebraska so much trouble last week. So with the Hawkeyes potentially falling to a 2-2 record, the Cornhusker fans know how big a win at home is for their team. If all goes well for Nebraska they will end the week tied for first, of course, not if Michigan can help it.

Denard hopes run all over Nebraska like Braxton Miller did (photo by Jamie Sabau, Getty Images)

The Wolverines just came off of a close call to their instate rivals.  Their touted offense put up only 12 points. Thankfully though, the Spartans posed the biggest defensive threat that Michigan will face in the second half of the season. That is until they visit that team down south who should never be underestimated, especially not when they have home field advantage. As for Nebraska, the combined records for the teams they have beaten is an unimpressive, 18- 20, the number being saved only by Wisconsin and Northwestern, who the Huskers beat by 3 and 1 respectively. So when it comes down to numbers the total offense tallies heading into the game this Saturday are pretty even. Red Zone scoring is within one percentage point, but then again Nebraska lost to the only ranked team they have played thus far, and while Michigan has the same track record to opponents ranked in the top twelve the Buckeyes are a far cry from Alabama and are edged out by Notre Dame. Not to mention the fact that Ohio State has been on the ropes two weeks in a row to low caliber teams. That being said Michigan’s record is more impressive at 5-2 than is Nebraska’s and they should prove it with a win this weekend.

However, the Huskers have an impressive run game with a senior back Rex Burkehead coming in at just under 400 yards, and a sophomore leading the way with 514. That’s without the starting quarterback Taylor Martinez’s 459 rushing yards. So the ground game is pretty solid, and Martinez’s pass percentage is respectable. If there’s a potential downside it’s in the passing game. He’s got a favorite. Kenny Bell has about 300 yards more than anyone else in the receiving core. If Michigan can shut him down it will probably bode well for them to stick tough and remain perfect in Big Ten play.

On the other side of the ball Michigan has seen steady improvement since their first game. And while Will Compton is a force for Nebraska with 53 tackles, Michigan’s own Jake Ryan is only one short of the statistic. Our boys in the winged helmets have also amassed thirty more take down’s than their next opponents, and while playing a tougher schedule. Needless to say I’ve yet again picked the Wolverines to bring home the victory.

Michigan 31 – Nebraska 20

Memorial Stadium  -  Lincoln, Neb.
8pm EST  -  ESPN2
______________

Nebraska Head Coach: Bo Pelini (4th season)
Coaching Record: 44-18
Offensive Coordinator: Tim Beck
Defensive Coordinator: John Papuchis
Returning Starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense)
Last Season: 9-4 (5-3)
Last Meeting: Michigan 45 – Nebraska 17 (2011)
All-time Series: Michigan leads 4-2-1
In Lincoln: Tied 6-6 in 1911
In Memorial Stadium: Have never played
Current Streak: Michigan 1

Rushing Attempts: 22 – Denard will pass Tyrone Wheatley for 6th in career rushing attempts.
Rushing Yards: 50 – Denard will pass Tyrone Wheatley for 4th in career rushing yards. With 161, he could pass Missouri’s Brad Smith (2002-05) for 2nd in NCAA FBS history. With 265, he could pass Jamie Morris for 3rd in Michigan history.
Rushing Touchdowns: 1 – Denard will pass Mike Hart for 3rd in career rushing touchdowns.
100 rushing yards: Denard will pass Jamie Morris for 4th in career 100-yard rushing games.
Pass Completions: 23 – Denard will pass Tom Brady for 5th in career completions.
Pass Yards: 266 – Denard will pass Elvis Grbac for 3rd in career passing yards.
Total Yards: 271 – Denard will pass Illinois’ Juice Williams (2006-09) for 6th in career total yards in Big Ten history.
Field Goals: 1 – Brendan Gibbons will tie Hayden Epstein for 7th in career field goals made. With 4 he will tie Bob Bergeron for 6th.

Last week, we all underestimated both teams’ offenses, although UMass’ lone touchdown was a defensive one. Matt nearly hit the score on the head with his 56-13 pick. Michigan’s final touchdown ruined his perfect pick, but it was a good one nonetheless. Games like that are always hard to pick because you never know how long the starters will stay on the field and how soon the coach will ease off the gas pedal. This week should be better. We’re all familiar with Notre Dame and nobody expects a blowout in either direction. Let’s take a look at our picks:

Justin: What’s that? Is that an echo I hear emanating from South Bend? The Irish, who have been largely dormant for the better part of a decade, if not more, have set off BCS buzz following their first 3-0 start since 2002. ND ventured to its homeland to crush Navy, and may have found a bit of luck that had escaped the fighting leprechauns of late. It carried over once back in the States, holding of pesky Purdue and dominating a top-10 Michigan State squad on the road. Now, Lou Holtz isn’t the only one clamoring over the postseason possibilities for the Blue and Gold. A win tomorrow would snap several years of misery and likely propel the Irish into the Top 10.

But you know what? To hell with Notre Dame. All the talk surrounding the Irish is just that. Talk. Sure they beat a Navy team that got trounced by Penn State. Sure they kicked a late field goal to hold off Purdue. Sure they won convincingly against an overrated MSU squad that has very little offensive firepower. Michigan has the trump card in the form of Denard Robinson. His exploits against the Irish have been well documented this week, and the fact is, Notre Dame is terrified of him because he has single-handedly ripped out their hearts, poured out their lucky charms, and stolen their pot of gold each of the last two years.

Notre Dame has a vaunted front seven but a MASH unit in the back. Michigan’s receiving corps is rapidly becoming the best it has had in years, which no one foresaw entering the season. As I said in this morning’s game preview, Michigan will come out firing and make the front seven back off in order to open up the run game. And Notre Dame’s offense doesn’t have the firepower to keep up. It will be close and Michigan will have its share of struggles, but Denard will pull it out and celebrate his 22nd birthday in style.

Michigan 33 – Notre Dame 27

Chris: This week the Wolverines face a tough test when they travel to Notre Dame Stadium to play the Fighting Irish in an Under the Lights game Part 2. ND has been tough to gauge after three weeks of the season, after a close home win vs Purdue and a fairly dominating defensive win against Michigan State in East Lansing. ND quarterback Everett Golson looked good last week, but the ND offense struggled to convert 3rd downs as they went 1-14, an issue that could prove to be a problem on Saturday. Defensively, ND has looked faster than expected, especially up front, where sophomore nose guard Louis Nix (6’3″, 326 pounds), and senior inside linebacker Manti Te’o, control the inside. To me, this looks like the best ND team that has been in South Bend since 2006.

Tight end Tyler Eifert will be tough to stop (photo by Michael Conroy, AP)

At the beginning of the season, ND was set to return 14 starters from the 2011 squad. Then starting cornerback, junior Lo Wood, was injured. This past Saturday, ND lost another starter, senior Jamoris Slaughter, when he tore his Achilles’ tendon. This could be an opportunity for the Michigan offense if the offensive line can keep the pass rush from putting too much pressure on quarterback Denard Robinson. MSU was supposed to have one of the best offensive lines in the Big Ten this season, however the ND front seven pressured the quarterback all game and also held the running game to 50 total yards. The key for Michigan offensively will be how they handle this group and whether they can keep the rush off of Denard long enough for him to pass or make a play with his feet. The Michigan offensive line has improved in each of the first three weeks, but this will be a tough task. I do believe that ND will get pressure on Denard for the majority of the game, so it will be imperative that Denard not try to stand in the pocket and force passes to his receivers. Running lanes will be there and he will need to use his running ability to pick up yardage and move the ball. To counter this, I expect that ND will use one of the linebackers to “spy” Denard all game in an attempt to tackle him before he can get too many yards.

The ND offense is stronger this year as well. In addition to Golson, ND features the running back tandem of junior Cierre Wood and senior Theo Riddick. They are fast and strong and can pile up yards quickly. They also have a good offensive line which did well against an MSU defensive front which was predicted to be very good this season. Junior tight end Tyler Eifert will create match-up problems for the Wolverine defense, as linebackers are generally too slow and defensive backs are too small to cover him. I expect ND head coach Brian Kelly to use him similar to how Michigan’s Al Borges has used Devin Funchess this season and I think the potential is there for Eifert to have a big game. I think Michigan will come out and try to pressure Golson with a number of zone blitz schemes which defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is famous for. The goal will be to create turnovers by forcing Golson into making mistakes, as he is just a sophomore playing in this rivalry for the first time.

I believe that Michigan will face a tough scene at ND on Saturday. In addition to this being a night game, this will also be a revenge game for ND, as they try to return the favor to Michigan after they blew a 24-7 lead in the fourth quarter and gave up the game-winning TD with two seconds left on the clock last year in Ann Arbor. Michigan has improved as a team in Brady Hoke’s second season, but the inconsistent play by the offensive and defensive lines has me concerned for this game. That, combined with a raucous atmosphere in South Bend tells me that ND may have the advantage in this game. I think the game will be back and forth the entire time, but ND will win in the end.

Notre Dame 30 – Michigan 27

Josh (1): Ah, Notre Dame week. It doesn’t quite have the ring of Ohio week but it is a big game nonetheless. This game has a little more meaning for me this year, not in a ‘intra-family rivalry’ way like Justin, but in a ‘I live about a mile from Notre Dame stadium and see their fans everyday’ kind of way. Notre Dame has looked good, and bad, thus far. Michigan has looked bad (though who doesn’t against ‘Bama?), OK and finally good. I usually just go out and pick Michigan because they’ve owned the Irish recently but this year I’m not so sure. Notre Dame’s fronts (on both sides) took care of business last week against State’s lines, and those guys are big and physical. This worries me more than a bit. Michigan is heading in the right direction and I think they’ll be in the national title hunt come 2015, but at the moment they don’t possess Big Ten size and strength up front.

Defensive end Stephon Tuitt already has five sacks this season (photo by Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

Notre Dame has seemingly solved their QB questions and Everett Golson is entrenched as the starter. While he he hasn’t put up really eye popping numbers he has played well and makes plays when needed. Reminds me of someone, less than stellar passer, comes up big when he’s needed. Now I am in now way shape or form comparing Golson to Denard (well, I am) but he has a similar skill set, though he doesn’t use his legs quite as often.

Michigan “righted the ship” last week, if you will. And got their offense back on track as they dominated an overmatched UMass team. Notre Dame is not UMass, but they are not the Notre Dame of old either. Notre Dame is putting up 30 points per game and only allowing 10, Michigan is putting up 36 and allowing 26; something has to give. Both teams have fairly balanced offenses. I think Notre Dame has the better passing attack but Michigan has the better ground game.

The loss of Blake Countess should rear its ugly head Saturday night and I fully expect Golson to try and take advantage of either Courtney Avery (we all know my comfort level with his coverage ability) or Raymon Taylor (he’s young and inexperienced but he has good upside and hey, a true frosh stepped up last year at CB). On defense, as always, the name of the game is stop Denard. And this will be no different. If the Irish can force Denard into a passing QB under duress or on the move (neither are his forte) then they have a great chance of winning this game.

Michigan will most likely employ some pressure via blitzes and hope to make Golson move around and force him into some bad throws. Golson can make plays with his legs but that is not his game, so if Michigan can get him out of his comfort zone they can force him into some poor decisions. On offense the Wolverines need to build on their momentum from last week. Fitz needs to be heavily involved and the receiving corps needs to continue to make strides.

Denard has had success against the Irish, with both his arm and his legs, and I expect to see more of the same come Saturday night. While the passing game has been much maligned and his struggles well documented (and those with faith in Denard’s arm dwindle in numbers) he is not an awful passer. He just needs to make better decisions and not throw off balance. With the emergence of Devin Funchess at WR/TE and the crazy athleticism of former QB Devin Gardner, Denard now has two big (literally) time receivers to help him out. I don’t advocate the jump ball, but if you’re gonna throw those 50/50′s those two guys are nice to have out there, not to mention their after the catch ability.

Notre Dame is at home and while they’re not the Notre Dame of old, it is always a tough place to play. Their fans are passionate and loud and they hate Michigan. The Irish should be playing with a little extra passion and vigor, they’re fresh off a big win over Michigan St. and they’re looking to not make it 4 straight losses to a bitter rival. A feeling we know all too well.

If Notre Dame can control the line of scrimmage it will be a long night for Michigan but I don’t expect them to come out and dominate like they did last week. I don’t expect them to roll over and die either. Last year the Irish lost the game with their numerous mistakes on which Michigan capitalized. Golson has only thrown one INT so far but he only has 5 total TD’s in three games, so I don’t think we’ll see as many turnover opportunities as we did last year.

Theo Riddick scored two touchdowns against Michigan last season (photo by Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

For me, in the end it comes down to line play for both teams. Whichever team comes out and controls the LOS is going to create opportunities for big plays. This one should be another great game and it could really go either way.

I’m not very confident about this pick but it’s tough for me to pick against the Maize and Blue, at least when they’re evenly or only slightly overmatched. Michigan wins another close one and the Irish’s 4-0 start is derailed.

Michigan 27 – Notre Dame 23

Matt (2): Well here we are. Notre Dame week. And I have to admit, I’m probably more nervous for this game than any other Notre Dame game. It’s a big rivalry, and I have to say, they are tied for my  second least favorite college football team alon with Michigan State (obviously Ohio State takes the number 1 spot, but more about them in November).

Michigan started out the season not lookin great. Getting clobbered by Alabama and beating Air Force by only six points. After that we beat up on UMass, but…it’s UMass.

Saturday at 7:30 we play Notre Dame in South Bend. And I tell you, the Fighting Irish look good this season. They gave Navy a good beating. Beat Purdue by three, and last week sort of embarrassed Michigan State. Did I already mention I’m nervous?

Anyway, Denard hasn’t looked terrible, although he is still over throwing wide receivers. Devin Gardner hasn’t had a whole lot of chances to prove how good he is at wide receiver, although I think he is going to prove that this year. One of the biggest offensive weapons we have been surprised with this season, is tight end Devin Funchess. Keep your eye on him in this game. Also keep your eye on Denard (obviously), as I think he’ll break a few nice runs.

It will be hard to follow up last year’s heart attack of a football game last year, and I don’t see it being quite as entertaining, or high scoring. Both team’s defenses have improved.

I think Notre Dame will come out with a couple of scores like last year, and seem to have our number. But I see Brady Hoke rallying the troops, and Michigan coming back for the victory.

Last week I almost hit the score square on the head. Let’s see how I do this week.

Michigan 38 – Notre Dame 31

Sam: For the Michigan Wolverines, this weekend presents a lot of firsts for the season: the first night game, the first (true) road game, and, of course, the first rivalry game. For star quarterback Denard Robinson, however, this Saturday will be the last game of his career against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, the team he has loved playing against more than any other college in the country.

You see, over the past two seasons as a starter, Robinson has absolutely feasted on the Golden Domers, rushing for 366 yards and three touchdowns and throwing for 582 yards and five touchdowns in 28-24 (2010) and 35-31 (2011) Michigan nail-biters. Michigan has won the past three matchups between these bitter rivals, but to extend it to a fourth straight under the lights this Saturday, Denard Robinson is going to have to make one hell of an encore.

Brian Kelly said in his weekly press conference that Shoelace will be the best player on the field, a statement that seems obvious. I’m not sure it’s as clear cut as most would say, however. Notre Dame’s hulking middle linebacker, Manti Te’o, is an All-American who likely would have been a first round NFL draft pick this year before deciding to come back for a final swan song, and perhaps a chance to taste victory against the Maize and Blue. Not only will Te’o be playing to avoid being shut out in his career against Michigan though; he will also be playing with a heavy heart and a head of steam as he continues to mourn the loss of his grandmother and girlfriend, both of whom died last week.

Hopefully we'll see more of vintage Brian Kelly tomorrow (photo by Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

What is obvious is that Notre Dame’s whole defensive game plan will be to stop Denard Robinson at all costs, and that starts by keeping him bottled up in the pocket. It was Robinson’s arm that led Michigan to victory in the fourth quarter last year, and it will have to be his arm once again this year if Michigan is to have any chance. Sure, he will break a couple runs over 10 yards, but Te’o will have his eye on him the whole game.

Luckily for Michigan, Denard has been notably more accurate this season and will be testing a very inexperienced Notre Dame secondary. Kelly has already lost starting corner Lo Wood and starting safety Jamoris Slaughter for the season and will be starting freshmen in their places.

Having said all this, I still think Fitzgerald Toussaint is the key. If he goes for over 100 yards and finds the end zone, Michigan wins. That will not be an easy task, though, as Te’o and company come off a dominating performance against Michigan State in which the Spartans never made it past Notre Dame’s 30-yard-line and put up a total of three points on the scoreboard.

Unfortunately, I think Michigan’s defense has proven to be a bit weaker this season, especially up front. Freshman quarterback Everett Golson has been solid so far, throwing for 611 yards and three touchdowns while completing 58% of his passes through three games and will have weapons Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood in the backfield with him. Notre Dame hasn’t had any standout receivers thus far, but tight end Tyler Eifert is very good over the middle and could present some matchup problems. If Notre Dame’s offensive line is getting half the push Alabama’s did, say goodbye and good night, because Michigan’s not winning. If the Wolverines can at least contain the run, they should be in good position at the end.

Like the past three years, this game is going to be very close and shouldn’t be decided until late in the fourth stanza. And as much as I would love to see Michigan spoil Notre Dame’s night once again and as much as I know Denard Robinson loves playing against the Fighting Irish, I’m worried. Notre Dame pulls it off in the end, 27-24.

Notre Dame 27 – Michigan 24

Katie: I’m predicting a barn burner. Whether or not it will take place in the fourth quarter I cannot say, but for Michigan’s sake I hope that it starts with a few long rally’s early.  After watching Michigan State struggle all day on offense last week, I’m confident that Michigan will be able to do better with a fleet footed quarterback, but as for the passing struggles, well, Michigan better not reflect its in state rivals productivity. The Wolverines have been doubling the number of points scored each successive week, but that’s only because the opponents have been lessening in rank each Saturday. As for Notre Dame, whose schedule makes Michigan look like a bit like a bear without teeth, they’ve beat a top ranked Spartan team, and a Leaders Division darkhorse in Purdue.  After Michigan the Irish will go on to play at USC and Oklahoma, while playing Stanford at home.  If ND is looking for a nine win season, Michigan is the lowest ranked top team they’ll need to beat in addition to the four unranked opponents that fill out the rest of their schedule.

Notre Dame’s starting quarterback is only a sophomore, but he has been the one under center at the beginning of each of the three games. And while his passes completed is only at 58%, he played a tough Michigan State defense that dropped his stat from the first two weeks which hovered around 66%.  Really though, I should see this as a potential high note.  Denard’s passing stat is a lowly 55%, so if we can keep the youngster Golson to completing around half of his passes it would hopefully lighten the load on the defense which is facing two strong running backs in Theo Riddick, and Cierre Wood. However, Riddick so far has only 190 yards, 107 coming off a thrashing of Navy. As for Michigan, it’s pretty obvious who our leading rusher is. The only issue is that other than Robinson no other rusher has yet broke past the 100 yard mark.  In the receiving game Michigan is slightly ahead with four players over 100 yards, ND only has three.  So if Denard can hit the broad side of a barn Michigan should be able to put up more points that the Irish, but it will be difficult under the circumstances, a night game in South Bend.

On defense Michigan has twelve players that have made 5 or more solo tackles. The Irish defense in its most recent game had 6 tackles for a loss, they also had a forced fumble and a recovery. They have also given up only 30 points total this season, as compared to Michigan’s 79. Granted, Michigan did get trounced by ‘Bama, but one can’t very well throw out those 41 points, especially given that Notre Dame’s only real holes on defense are in its secondary. Manti Te’o is also healthy and determined, and could cause serious problems for Denard who is not a prolific passer, and is definitely not when on the run. I see this being a pretty even match up, with Michigan having the offensive advantage, and ND the defensive. How much sway the home field crowd will have I’m sure will be tangible rather than negligible. I envision a nail-biter, and most tentatively, a win.

Michigan 33 – Notre Dame 30

He’s as good as advertised

Last Friday night I had the chance to go see the nation’s top receiver, and one of Michigan’s top remaining targets, LaQuon Treadwell, play in person. His Crete Monee Warriors played previously unbeaten Glenbard South and came away with a dominating 45-7 win. Treadwell racked up 181 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches through three quarters of play. With such a big lead, he didn’t play the fourth.

Treadwell, center, being watched by Florida's receivers coach (Photo by....should have brought an actual camera)

Treadwell’s team is loaded with talent, most notably linebacker Nyles Morgan, fellow receiver Lance Lenoir, and defensive back Jaylen Dunlap, but it was ever apparent that the offensive game plan could have simply been to throw it to Treadwell on every single play. And it would be just as effective. But in a team sport on a squad with other Division 1 prospects, they have to spread the wealth.

For a high school senior, he has perfect size, good hands, and enough shiftiness to turn a crossing route into a 75-yard touchdown. I was skeptical prior to the game. After all, how good can this kid be? But I was impressed. I guess that’s why the kid has offers from nearly every school in the country. Florida receivers coach Bush Hamdan (far right in photo) was on hand and Oklahoma State will be there this week. Treadwell visited Ole Miss on Saturday and would be a huge pick up if Brady Hoke is able to land him.

Treadwell also plays safety and kicker for the Warriors. At safety, he seemed to shy away from contact, and the one time he tried to make a big hit, he whiffed on the receiver who then ran untouched for an 84-yard touchdown. But that doesn’t take away from Treadwell’s receiving skills as he’s clearly a receiver first and foremost.

His teammate, Morgan, may have been the most impressive player on the field that night. He has offers from Michigan State, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Illinois, and Purdue, with interest from several others, including Michigan and Alabama. He’s currently just a junior, so he’ll be one to watch next season. He visited MSU last weekend. Please don’t end up there.

___________________________________________________________________________________

#EATING

I’ve been meaning to pump the #Eating fundraiser for some time now, but it kept slipping my mind. Now that I’ve remembered, it has already reached its goal. But that doesn’t have to stop you from donating to this great cause.

If you’re not aware of it yet, it’s a project by former Michigan receiver Martavious Odoms. He’s trying to start a community garden in his hometown of Pahokee, Florida to “create jobs and provide job training, as well as provide positive activities for the youth.”

If you don’t know much about Pahokee, it’s a relatively poor town in south Florida with higher than average crime rates, but has produced an astonishing number of big time athletes. Unemployment rates are currently around nine percent and the percentage of college graduates is very low as well. Regardless of political affiliation, this is a cause to get behind since it involves one of our very own Wolverines serving and giving back to his community.

While the goal has already been met, there’s nothing that says Hope for Pahokee doesn’t need more. If you’re leery about where the funds will go, you can read about it on the Kickstarter page. Hope for Pahokee is using Urban Greenworks of Miami, which has successfully installed five urban gardens in Miami, to facilitate the project.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Legends jerseys

Jake Ryan proved that a Legends number doesn't have to go to an upperclassman (Photo by the Ann Arbor News)

We’ve talked previously about the Legends jerseys that will be awarded this season and our view on them. I, like many others, thought Craig Roh was the logical choice to get Ron Kramer’s No. 87, but it was awarded to senior tight end Brandon Moore on Saturday afternoon. The previous week, Bennie Oosterbaan’s No. 47 was awarded to sophomore linebacker Jake Ryan. This clears up a couple of things. First, it doesn’t necessarily have to be an upperclassman. Secondly, with Moore, it doesn’t have to be a star or a player who has made major contributions on the field.

It appears that the jerseys will be sought after by the players who get the distinction of wearing a jersey that commemorates a Michigan football legend and a special locker in the locker room. That means Desmond Howard’s No. 21, which was worn by Junior Hemingway last season and Roy Roundtree this year will likely be given to someone else next year, as will Kramer’s 87 that Moore will done for the remainder of 2012.

The next question is, who will be awarded Gerald Ford’s No. 48 and the Wistert brothers’ No. 11? Since it appears that each of them will, in fact, be awarded, my vote for 48 now goes to senior center Elliott Mealer. Unfortunately, unless Michigan can get the rules changed, which is highly unlikely, it has to go to a quarterback, running back, receiver, defensive back, or linebacker. So how about Desmond Morgan? Like Ryan, he’s a young starting linebacker and plays the type of hard-nosed defense that would make ford, the former center, proud.

No. 11 also falls into the same number classification under NCAA guidelines, so my vote goes to Devin Funchess. Would the coaching staff give it to a freshman? Would they give it to another tight end? I’d say at this point it’s probably unlikely, but given the potential star ability of Funchess, it would be great to see. If not, how about sophomore quarterback Russell Bellomy? He’s likely to be the starting quarterback next season and according to Sports Illustrated, the best player to ever wear No. 11 in the NFL was Eagles quarterback Norm Van Brocklin. But watching the Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald pull down touchdown passes in No. 11, I can’t help but think how great it would look on Funchess before he makes a name for himself in 19.

Week 3 is in the books and Michigan’s game against UMass turned out just how everyone predicted: a dominating win for the Wolverines. Going into the game, I was a little concerned that offensive coordinator Al Borges would see this game against a less-talented opponent as an opportunity to work on his pro-style offense. Yes, he did call some of this, but I believe what we mostly saw was the kind of offense which Michigan will need to use throughout the remaining season – the offense which makes for the best utilization of quarterback Denard Robinson’s skill set.

Photo by MGoBlue.com

What we saw was a lot of Denard in the shotgun, with running back Fitzgerald Toussaint or one of the other backs next to him, running the zone-read option. Off of that, Michigan ran some quick-hitting pass plays, which got the ball out of Denard’s hands quickly and didn’t force him to sit in the pocket and make to many reads. Borges also called a good amount of play-action off of the zone-read, which kept the defense honest. In reality, the offensive play-calling was nothing more than what Michigan has already shown through three games. No doubt, this was by design. Michigan was going to win this game anyway and why show your future opponents, especially Notre Dame, anything more than they needed to? All Borges needed to do was polish things up for next weekend in South Bend and that’s exactly what they did.

Defensively, things were about the same: standard defensive scheme and coverages, with a blitz everyone once in awhile to change things up. It was a week to work on perfecting technique, from the defensive linemen’s pass rush moves to the linebackers reading their keys to the cornerbacks’ man/zone coverage skills. They even held out linebacker Desmond Morgan with a head injury. Could he have played? Probably. But why risk making the injury worse? Speaking of injuries, there were none other than the usual minor scrapes and bruises, so that’s another positive from Saturday’s game.

Now it’s time to move on from UMass and start looking ahead to Notre Dame. Like any good college football fan, I spent all of Saturday night watching the games on TV. I was most interested in the ND-Michigan State game, although I did enjoy seeing Stanford beat Lane Kiffin and USC! I really wanted to see how ND looked after watching them roll over Navy and then scrape one out against Purdue last week. What I saw was the best ND squad I’ve seen in years. Maybe MSU isn’t as good as I thought, as they haven’t looked impressive in any of their games yet this season. But from what I could tell on TV, ND was faster, stronger, and better prepared as a team than any ND team for the last several years. They certainly aren’t unbeatable, but the game in South Bend next week isn’t going to be an easy one.

Here are some of my takeaways from the ND-MSU game and what Michigan needs to do to win:

Devin Funchess caught his second touchdown pass (AP photo)

Michigan on Offense - Notre Dame’s game plan to win the game against MSU was to load up the box with seven or eight defenders on every play to take away the running game and force MSU quarterback Andrew Maxwell to beat them through the air. That makes sense, since MSU’s weakness this season is inexperience at both the QB and receiver positions. MSU also doesn’t spread the field much on offense, allowing the ND defense to pack it in close to the ball and creating favorable matchups for ND. The Irish also brought a heavy pass rush, both from the defensive linemen (which were much faster and more athletic than I was expecting) and from the linebackers. Again, I was surprised at the amount of blitz schemes that were called by ND, as I haven’t seen that in recent years.

Notre Dame’s game plan to stop the Wolverines isn’t likely going to be any different. We saw it last year in the game at the Big House. They are going to try to stop Denard and force him to beat them through the air. However, I like this for Michigan, as long as Borges doesn’t call pass plays which keep Denard in the pocket. If he calls plays like the last two games, where Denard threw the ball off play-action and where he got out on the edge away from the line, then Michigan can have success. This does a couple of things.

First, play-action will keep the linebackers from committing to the run too early, which will give more room for the running backs to run, and secondly, it will allow Denard to make a play with his feet if his first or second throwing option isn’t there when he gets out of the pocket. Michigan has had success throwing the ball this season. No longer do I worry as much when I see Denard throw, as long as he’s not standing in the pocket trying to act like a pro-style QB. This season, the play-calling has been such that Denard has gotten the ball out of his hands quickly, leading to less chance of an interception.

Unlike the MSU offense, Michigan likes to spread the field with multiple receivers, which not only opens up the defense, but also can create favorable matchups for the Michigan offense. For example, we’ve all seen how good tight end Devin Funchess has looked over the last couple of weeks. No doubt he has caught the attention of the coaches as well. His size, at 6’5”, 229 pounds, is a matchup nightmare for linebackers, because they are too slow to keep up with him, and for defensive backs, because they are too small to cover him. Spreading out the ND defense will also limit ND’s ability to bring a lot of pressure. When defenses are forced to spread out to cover multiple receivers and bring pressure, it creates bigger holes for receivers to run to and get open. It’s up to the QB to see this and get the ball into the hands to the receiver who he knows is going to be open where the blitz came from. From what I’ve seen so far this year, I think Denard can handle this.

ND quarterback Everett Golson has been impressive so far (photo by Al Goldis, AP)

Finally, the last thing Borges needs to do is get away from the offense which he polished off this past week against UMass – the offense which takes full advantage of Denard’s skill set. Even if Notre Dame begins the game by taking away Denard’s running lanes, there are enough play-calling options that Borges can use to still move the ball until Denard can run again. These include handing the ball to the running back, play-action, roll outs, and throwing to backs out of the backfield. The answer should NOT be to abandon the zone-read and start attempting to chuck the ball all over the field from the pocket!

Michigan on Defense - ND’s offense against MSU was vintage Brian Kelly. The ND head coach loves to spread the defense with three-to-five receivers and put the quarterback in the shotgun with a single running back in the backfield. He also likes to use one or two tight ends in the formation, depending on the down and distance. Tight end Tyler Eifert presents similar problems for defenses as Funchess. ND ran with a good combination of Cierre Wood, who was quicker than I thought he would be, and Theo Riddick. Redshirt freshmen QB Everett Golson also impressed me for being as young as he is. He wasn’t asked to do a whole lot and he didn’t face much pressure from the MSU defense, but he throws a nice ball, makes good decisions, and manages the game well.

First, let’s begin with Golson. His passing has been good, but nothing spectacular, and he has the ability to hurt defenses with his legs, but he’s not asked to do it very often. If not properly played by the Michigan defense, Golson’s ability to scramble and escape pressure could hurt them. Michigan will not beat ND if Golson is not contained within the pocket. You do this by having your defensive linemen stay in their rush lanes as they try to get to the QB. This means moving straight up-field, not moving to where the QB is standing at the time. This will keep Golson from getting outside and picking up yardage on the edge.

Frank Clark will need to play well against Notre Dame (photo by the Detroit Free Press)

At the same time, the Michigan secondary must COVER! This will be their toughest task since playing Alabama. ND doesn’t have one gamebreaker at receiver this year, like they’ve had in the past with Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. However, they have a group who know how to get open and who make the catch when the ball is thrown to them. I still have questions about the Michigan secondary as we go into Week 4, as do most people. The loss of Countess hasn’t been felt over the last two games, but it would be nice to have him against ND. My hope is that Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison have got these guys ready to go for next Saturday. They will have had three weeks to do it, so there isn’t any excuse other than Michigan is just not talented enough.

The trademark of Mattison’s defenses has always been defensive line stunts and a package of blitzes that keep offenses confused about where the pressure will come from on a given play. Michigan hasn’t shown much of that this season, since it didn’t matter against Alabama, they couldn’t do it againstAir Force because of the triple option, and they didn’t need to against UMass. I like that because it creates some unknowns for Brian Kelly as he prepares his game plan. Michigan will need to bring pressure with the blitz and mix up the coverages in the secondary to try to confuse Golson.  Remember, although he has been good thus far, he’s still a redshirt freshmen, and guys like that will make mistakes when they get uncomfortable.

Michigan is in for a tough task next Saturday. Notre Dame has lost three straight to the Wolverines, each by four points per game. They will have revenge on their minds after last year’s stunning loss in Ann Arbor after they led 24-7 into the fourth quarter. Add that to the fact that the game will be played under the lights in front of a sell-out crowd. Michigan has the personnel and coaching to win this game, but they are going to need an excellent week of preparation and practice to get ready for a talented ND team.

Come back on Friday and check out my prediction for this game in the Maize and Go Blue Staff Predictions!

We were merely freshmen

Rich Rodriguez’s first recruiting classes are now the team’s upperclassmen and they have produced some stars, most notably Denard Robinson. But there are considerable talent and depth deficiencies that Hoke’s first two classes are beginning to fill. On Saturday against Air Force, we saw eight freshmen play considerable roles for the Wolverines and their roles are going to continue to expand throughout the season.

Tight end Devin Funchess had a breakout game with four receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown. Fellow freshman tight end A.J. Williams saw considerable time as a blocking tight end. The pair got thrust onto the field due to an injury to Brandon Moore, but they would have played eventually given the lack of depth at the position following the graduation of Kevin Koger. Funchess has a chance to be an outright star. Prior to the season, I predicted him to be the offensive breakout star this season. He has great length and athleticism to create a mismatch with a linebacker or safety every time he’s targeted. Williams has a much bigger frame, which is more suitable for blocking. My only concern is that opponents will eventually catch on to this and see run every time Williams is on the field an pass every time Funchess is. But Al Borges knows this and will have plays to counter this.

Devin Funchess gives Denard another great receiving threat (photo by Getty Images)

Another pair of freshmen that got significant playing time are linebackers James Ross and Joe Bolden who played much of the second half in the middle of Michigan’s defense. Ross saw time against Alabama, and Brady Hoke said Saturday that Bolden was in because his high school, Cincinnati Colerain, ran the option. Both have done well so far. Bolden was the team’s second-leading tackler on Saturday with 10 tackles, one behind Jake Ryan. Ross added four. Has Bolden supplanted last year’s leading tackler, Kenny Demens? Probably not. He played the whole second half because of his experience with the option, but Demens has several years of experience. If anything, it’s good for the team to have such talented freshmen pushing the upperclassmen for their spots and it creates great depth.

On the defensive line, another duo, Ondre Pipkins and Mario Ojemudia, saw action. Most expected Pipkins to see the field even before the season started, and possibly even work his way into a starting role, but most considered Ojemudia a year or two away. But due to an injury to Brennen Beyer, Ojemudia got in. Hoke and Greg Mattison like to rotate a lot of bodies on the line, so improving the depth with talented freshmen is a good thing.

In the defensive backfield, freshman safety Jarrod Wilson got in. He’s the future of the position for Michigan, but likely won’t supplant Thomas Gordon this season except in certain packages.

Another freshman who has impressed so far is kick returner Dennis Norfleet. He has flashed speed and shiftiness in the first two games, giving Michigan a kick return threat it hasn’t seen since Steve Breaston.

One position that hasn’t seen freshman action yet, but could before too long, is receiver. Devin Gardner has done well in the first two games, cementing his spot as a starter, but no one else has really impressed. Jeremy Gallon had a good game against Alabama, but Roy Roundtree, Jeremy Jackson, Drew Dileo, and Jerald Robinson have a combined seven catches for 64 yards. Roundtree is Roundtree and deserves a spot on the field, but Jackson and Robinson have left a lot to be desired. Freshmen Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson both have qualities that could earn them a chance to step in. Darboh has great size at 6’2″, 220 pounds and wowed teammates in fall camp, while Chesson has track star speed. Gardner will continue to be a threat and so will Funchess from the tight end spot, but Denard Robinson needs at least one more receiver to step up as a consistent threat to keep Michigan’s passing game effective and open up the running game.

As you can see, the amount of players seeing the field who were going to prom just five months ago is higher than most coaches would want it to be, but that’s where this team is at right now. It bodes well for the future since these guys are getting on the job training, but we’ll have to deal with the growing pains along the way.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Rival problems

With one-fourth of Michigan’s yearly schedule made up of bitter rivals, each season inevitably has the “which rival do I root for?” moments. This weekend is one of those. Michigan State hosts Notre Dame on Saturday night and many of us will flip channels or go back to our tailgate spot or find a bar with a TV in it after the Michigan game to do some advanced scouting of both teams. But who will we root for?

For many, the rule of thumb is to root for the Big Ten in out of conference match-ups. But that’s easy when it’s Iowa against Florida. It’s much harder when it involves a rival against a rival. So here’s my two cents: since both of them can’t lose on Saturday, root for Notre Dame.

First of all, Michigan plays Notre Dame next weekend. I wold rather have the Irish enter the game riding high with a 3-0 record and poised for a letdown than pulling together after defeat and looking to take it out on someone. Though Michigan hasn’t always dominated the Irish, it has in the won-loss column the past few years. The same can’t be said for Michigan State. I would rather face an undefeated Notre Dame team in Week 4 than an undefeated Michigan State team in Week 7.

Secondly, the game has implications in Michigan’s postseason. Last season, Michigan State’s loss to Notre Dame was part of what helped Michigan earn a BCS bid. While the loss doesn’t outright affect the Big Ten title hopes since Notre Dame isn’t in the conference, it does even the playing field since Michigan already has one loss on the season.

So join me in rooting on the Irish on Saturday night, as hard as it may be.