When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5.

Last week we saw this week’s opponent, Michigan State, shut down Ohio State on the road, while Notre Dame blew out an overmatched Purdue squad in West Lafayette.

The Irish and Buckeyes are going in opposite directions. Notre Dame has rebounded from two losses to start the season, while Ohio State can’t find its offense with Joe Bauserman at the helm and has turned to relying on freshman Braxton Miller.

Michigan State, meanwhile, is chugging along after falling to Notre Dame in Week 3, and heads into this week’s matchup fresh off a bye week. So how did the teams far on Saturday?

Ohio State: Lost to #14 Nebraska 27-34 Record: 3-3 For three quarters it looked as if Ohio State had risen from the dead and was poised to continue Nebraska’s rude Big Ten awakening. But when Miller went down in the third with a sprained ankle after guiding the Buckeyes to a 27-6 lead, Bauserman came in and erased any hope OSU had of returning home above .500. Miller wasn’t outstanding – he completed 5-of-8 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 91 yards on 10 carries – but he wasn’t awful like Bauserman either. The Husker comeback started when Miller fumbled, allowing Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez to score the Big Red’s first touchdown of the day. There was no looking back from there as Martinez threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Quincy Enunwa and a 30-yarder to Rex Burkhead to tie the game. Ohio State punted it back to Nebraska and Burkhead ran for the winning score a few plays later. Bauserman assured himself a big fat spot on the bench the rest of the season with a 1-for-10 performance for just 13 yards and an interception. Miller’s just a freshman and prone to making mistakes, but he at least gives Ohio State a viable run/pass threat on the reins. If he’s not able to go due to injury, Ohio State is as good as dead. One thing Michigan fans can take away from this one is Ohio State exposed Nebraska’s defense much like Wisconsin did a week prior. The Buckeyes rushed for 243 yards on 5.9 yards per carry. That bodes well for Michigan when the Huskers come to town in mid-November. Next: Saturday at #16 Illinois (6-0, 2-0) – 3:30pm on ABC Prediction: Illinois 31 – Ohio 17 A dejected Luke Fickell leaves the field after blowing a 21-point third quarter lead (photo by Nati Harnik, AP)

Michigan State: Bye Record: 4-1 (1-0) Michigan State got a week off to prepare for this Saturday’s battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. With Mark Dantonio in East Lansing, MSU is 1-1 after the bye week, narrowly beating Purdue 35-31 last season, and falling to Penn State 49-14 in 2008. Next: Saturday v. #11 Michigan (6-0, 2-0) Prediction: Check back for my game preview on Friday morning

Notre Dame: Beat Air Force 59-33 Record: 4-2 Notre Dame exhibited probably its best offensive performance of the season on Saturday with a 59-33 win over Air Force. The Irish stormed out of the gates to a 35-9 lead and led 42-16 at the half thanks to four Tommy Rees touchdown passes. ND flashed near perfect offensive balance with 294 passing yards on 36 attempts and 266 rushing yards on 29 attempts. Rees finished 23-of-32 for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Most importantly, he didn’t commit a turnover that plagued him at the beginning of the season. Andrew Hendrix led the Irish in rushing with six carries for 111 yards, while Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood split the rest with 69 and 66 yards, respectively. Gray scored a pair of touchdowns and Wood scored one. Notre Dame’s defense, which completely shut down Purdue a week earlier, was the sore spot, giving up 565 total yards including 363 on the ground. Much of that was in garbage time late in the fourth quarter, however, as Air Fore scored two touchdowns in the final four-and-a-half minutes. Notre Dame is blossoming into the team it was projected to be at the start of the season. With a fairly soft schedule remaining, it’s likely to have just one or two more tough games. USC is entirely beatable two weeks from now, while Navy will give the Irish a test the following week and a visit to Stanford is the least winnable game left. As hard as it is to do so, Michigan fans should root for the Irish to win out and move its way into the polls. It will only help Michigan’s BCS standings the rest of the season, especially if Michigan beats Michigan State this Saturday, who Notre Dame beat convincingly. Next: Saturday v. Air Force (3-1) – 3:30pm on NBC Prediction: Notre Dame 34 – Air Force 24 Notre Dame is feeling the love after four straight wins (photo by Michael Conroy, AP)

We’re halfway through the season and continue to have new weekly winners. This time it’s Hazel Parker who finally cracked the winner’s circle in convincing fashion. His deviation of 108 was 18 better than a three-way tie for second place between KleinoRhino, TrueBlue88, and Maize and Go Blue.

The question that won it for Hazel Parker was Michigan’s total yardage. He predicted 528, just 13 yards short of Michigan’s total of 541. The next closest on that question was newcomer KleinoRhino, who was 39 away. Fellow newcomer tooty_pops was the only contestant to correctly pick Northwestern receiver Jeremy Ebert’s receiving yards.

Three contestants, jtcho78, bomoho, and goobot, correctly predicted the amount of fourth quarter points, 28.

For his win, Hazel Parker gets a t-shirt from The M Den. Click here for last week’s results and here for the overall standings.

This week, Michigan travels to East Lansing for a reunion with Little Brother. Michigan State features the nation’s third-best scoring defense, allowing just 10.2 points per game, and top-ranked total defense, but its offense ranks 62nd averaging 28 points per game. The Spartans haven’t faced an offense like Michigan’s yet.

Here are this week’s questions:

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4.

We’ve already seen Ohio, Michigan State, and Notre Dame lose this season and it has been fun to watch, especially since Michigan is currently 5-0 and ranked 11^th nationally.

Notre Dame seems to have found its bearings after dropping its first two games of the season. Tommy Rees is entrenched as the starter the Golden Domers could be looking at a 9-3 season.

Michigan State beat a pair of cupcakes to open the season but got crushed by Notre Dame in Week 3. What we’ve seen so far is a team with an experienced senior quarterback and a solid defense, but holes in the offensive line and a lackluster running game.

Ohio State whooped up on Akron and Colorado and squeaked by Toledo, but showed absolutely no signs of life in a 24-6 loss to Miami. The defense is pretty solid, but offensive woes have plagued the Buckeyes. The offensive line is horrendous and neither Joe Bauserman nor freshman Braxton Miller has separated himself as the starting quarterback.

So how did the three rivals fare last weekend? Let’s take a look.

Ohio State: Lost to Michigan State 7-10 Record: 3-2 At times last Saturday Ohio State looked almost incompetent on offense in a 10-7 loss to Michigan State. It wasn’t even that close, as the Buckeye had to score with 10 seconds left to avoid a first home shutout loss since 1982. The offense totaled just 178 total yards, the lowest since a 2004 game against Iowa. Bauserman and Miller combined to complete 12-of-24 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. That stat wouldn’t be horrific if the Bucks had a solid rushing day. However, OSU ran for just 35 yards on 39 attempts. For those not good at math, that’s less than a yard per carry. Those stats are somewhat misleading, however, since Bauserman and Miller were sacked nine times. Starting running back Jordan Hall carried 18 times for 45 yards and Carlos Hyed rushed five times for 33 yards, so the two combined for 3.4 yards per carry, which still isn’t good. Ohio State’s defense kept the team in the game, holding Michigan State’s rushing attack to just 71 yards on 31 carries, and forcing three turnovers, but it wasn’t enough. It still allowed B.J. Cunningham to have a monster day with nine catches for 154 yards and the Spartans’ only touchdown. The five players that were suspended for the first five games were supposed to return this week when the Buckeyes travel to Lincoln, Neb. for the first meeting with the Nebraska Cornhuskers as Big Ten foes. However, receiver DeVier Posey and running back Boom Herron had their suspensions extended at least one more week as new allegations surfaced of accepting too much money for summer a summer job from a former OSU booster. Those guys were supposed to give the Buckeye offense a shot in the arm, but instead, Ohio State only gets back left tackle Mike Adams. He will help solidify the line, but he won’t be enough. Ohio State also lost its second-leading receiver, Verlon Reed, to a knee injury. Nebraska is 4-1 and fresh off a “welcome to the Big Ten” spanking by then-No. 7 Wisconsin. Head Coach Bo Pelini played defensive back for the Buckeyes in the late 1980s and he’ll have the ‘Huskers revved up for the team’s first home game as a Big Ten member. This game will be interesting for Michigan fans to watch because of Nebraska’s offense. While it’s not the same as Michigan’s, it features some of the same elements including quarterback Taylor Martinez who is just as adept with his feet as he is with his arm. Ohio State’s defense has played pretty well against traditional offenses so far, but how it will handle Martinez should give Michigan fans some hope for the end of November. Next: Saturday at #14 Nebraska (4-1) – 8pm on ABC Prediction: Nebraska 24 – Ohio 13 One of the many times an OSU quarterback was sacked on Saturday (photo by Kirk Irwin, Getty Images)

Michigan State: Beat Ohio State 10-7 Record: 4-1 Michigan State failed to show up in its first big game of the season, getting crushed by Notre Dame, but it came out in full force last Saturday in Columbus. While the score doesn’t accurately reflect it, the Spartans dominated Ohio State all game. The defense sacked Ohio State nine times and held the Buckeyes to just 178 yards of total offense, including just 35 rushing yards. Kirk Cousins had a steady game, completing 20-of-32 passes for 250 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. His 33-yard scoring strike to B.J. Cunningham was the Spartans’ lone touchdown on the day. He wasn’t without his mistakes, however. The score could have easily been more lopsided, but Cousins threw an interception in the end zone on a drive that certainly would have led to more points. Le’Veon Bell rushed for 50- yards on 14 carries and Edwin Baker carried 12 times for 36 yards. It was Cunningham who stole the show, racking up nearly as many yards as Ohio State’s entire offense. He caught nine passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. While MSU’s offensive line didn’t allow a sack, it still only paved the way for 71 rushing yards and continues to be the soft point of the offense. Defensively, MSU continues to play well. The Spartans rank first in the nation in total defense and tied for second in scoring defense. If Michigan gets by Northwestern unscathed this week, it will have its hands full staying unbeaten against this defense next weekend. This week, Michigan State is off and gets an extra week to prepare for Michigan. Head Coach Mark Dantonio will certainly keep a close eye on Michigan’s Saturday night game at Northwestern to see how Michigan handles its first road game. Next: Bye Prediction: 2 players arrested B.J. Cunningham torched the OSU defense (photo by Kirk Irwin, Getty Images)

Notre Dame: Beat Purdue 38-10 Record: 3-2 Notre Dame got its easiest win of the season last Saturday, beating Purdue 38-10 in West Lafayette, Ind. Tommy Rees solidified his starting spot by throwing for 254 yards on 24-of-40, with three touchdowns, and most importantly, no interceptions. Rees connected with star receiver Michael Floyd 12 times for 137 yards and a touchdown, a sea change from the previous week when he caught just four passes for 27 yards. On the ground, Notre Dame pounded away at the Boilermakers, rushing Cierre Wood 20 times for 191 yards and a touchdown and Jonas Gray 15 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame outgained Purdue 551 yards to 276. It was ND’s highest offensive output of the season and third time gaining over 500 yards. Most importantly, the Irish committed no turnovers after giving the ball away 15 times over the first four games. It seems as if Notre Dame has turned the corner on its season after dropping its first two games. This week, 3-1 Air Force comes to South Bend to begin a tough three game homestand that also includes USC and Navy. Since Michigan beat the Irish and Notre Dame beat Michigan State, we might as well keep rooting for them to win out. As hard as it is to root for ND, the better it does the rest of the season the better it will reflect on Michigan at season’s end. Next: Saturday v. Air Force (3-1) – 3:30pm on NBC Prediction: Notre Dame 34 – Air Force 24 Cierre Wood rushed for 191 yards and a touchdown against Purdue (photo by AJ Mast, AP)

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan. For a full rundown of our rivals’ games, see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3.

In Week 3, we saw Ohio State literally give up to Miami when head coach Luke Fickell decided to eat all three timeouts when trailing in the final minutes. We also saw Notre Dame salvage a horrific start to its season by dominating our third rival, Michigan State. All three were back in action this past weekend trying to get back in the win column. Did they succeed? Let’s see.

Ohio State: Beat Colorado 37-17 Record: 3-1 Many around the nation, and especially in the Big Ten were wondering how Ohio State would respond to its first loss of the season when it returned home to take on the Colorado Buffaloes. With true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller getting the first start of his career, the Buckeyes passed the test, winning 37-17. Just like his embattled predecessor, Terrelle Pryor, Miller took the reigns of the Buckeye offense in just the fourth game of his career, and it appears he’s not going to relinquish it back to Joe Bauserman. Miller didn’t have an outstanding passing game – it was rather Denard-ish – he tossed two touchdown passes, ran for 83 yards, and most importantly, didn’t make mistakes. Miller connected with Devin Smith twice for touchdowns of 32 yards and 17 yards. Ohio State also got rushing touchdowns out of Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde. Kicker Drew Basil connected on field goals of 28, 18, and 47 yards. While it was good for Ohio State to get back in the win column, it wasn’t entirely surprising considering Colorado hasn’t won a road game since beating Texas Tech on Oct. 27, 2007. This week, Ohio State gets another test when it hosts Michigan State. Just like last week’s Notre Dame-Michigan State game, this one is sure to make Michigan fans happy as one rival is bound to lose. Both teams rank in the top 20 nationally in points against, so look for a low-scoring ball game in Columbus. Next: Saturday v. Michigan State (3-1) – 3:30pm on ABC Braxton Miller got his first start but wasn't able to do a very good Denard impression (but who can?)

Michigan State: Beat Central Michigan 45-7 Record: 3-1 Sandwiched between two big games, Michigan State had to turn its attention to a Mid-American Conference pushover this past weekend. Unlike the previous week against Notre Dame, Michigan State put this one out of the way early. It was the Le’Veon Bell show as he ran for 81 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half. Bell averaged 10.1 yards per carry; granted, the Chippewas boast the nation’s 7th-worse defense. The Spartans jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead, scoring 24 in the second quarter alone, and never looked back. Quarterback Kirk Cousins had a so-so day, completing 13-of-22 passes for 213 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Sophomore safety Isaiah Lewis returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. It was his second interception of the season. Michigan State outgained Central 418 to 112. This week, Michigan State travels to Ohio State to begin a brutal four-game stretch that also includes matchups with Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. As mentioned above, both teams rank in the nation’s top 20 defenses this season, so a low-scoring game is in order. It will come down to whether MSU’s defense can cause OSU freshman quarterback Braxton Miller to make mistakes. Next: Saturday at Ohio State (3-1) – 3:30pm on ABC Isaiah Lewis had a pick-six last week and will now face true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller

Notre Dame: Beat Pittsburgh 15-12 Record: 2-2 After taking down Michigan State a week ago, Notre Dame traveled to Pittsburgh to try to break even. It wasn’t pretty, but the Irish came away with a 15-12 win. It took a fourth quarter touchdown drive to top the Panthers. Trailing 12-7 in the fourth, ND took over on its own 15-yard line with 11:28 to play. Quarterback Tommy Rees led the Irish on an 11-play, 85-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a 6-yard pass to tight end Tyler Eifert. The Irish succeeded with the two-point conversion to take a three-point lead. On the game-winning drive, Rees completed all eight of his passes for 74 yards. Prior to that drive, however, Rees and the Irish struggled against a mediocre Pitt defense. Rees was just 16-of-33 for 142 yards and an interception in the first three quarters. Cierre Wood was the workhorse on the day, carrying the ball 23 times for 94 yards, but it was Jonas Grey who made the big splash. In the second quarter, he busted loose for a 79-yard touchdown run, the only score of the day for the Irish aside from the game-winning drive. Eifert was the go-to guy, catching eight passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, most of that on the final drive. He also caught the two-point conversion. This week, Notre Dame visits Purdue, which is 2-1 with wins over Middle Tennessee and Southeast Missouri State, and a 24-22 loss to Rice. It should be a the easiest game of the year for Notre Dame, although the Boilers tent to play the Irish tough regardless of the records. Next: Saturday at Purdue (2-1) – 8pm on ESPN Tyler Eifert caught the winning touchdown and two-point conversion for the Irish (photo by Keith Srakocic, AP)

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan.

Last week, we saw Ohio State nearly lose to Toledo, while Michigan State stomped Florida Atlantic and Notre Dame lost to our beloved Wolverines. We all got the sense that Ohio State was nowhere near as good as it has been for the past decade and was ripe for a loss. We also felt that Michigan State hadn’t been tested yet this season and if Notre Dame could find a way to stop shooting itself in the foot, it was capable of beating the Spartans. Did any of that come to fruition? Let’s see.

Ohio State: Lost to Miami 6-24 Record: 2-1 In Week 1, Ohio State dominated Akron, but in Week 2, the Buckeyes struggled against a good Toledo team. It showed signs of weakness that made the Buckeyes ripe for a loss when they traveled to Miami for a return matchup with the Hurricanes. That came true as Ohio State was never really in the game from the start and showed little signs of fight in a 24-6 loss in the Cheat and Still Suck Bowl or Ineligibowl or whatever name is most appropriate. The Buckeyes were held to just 209 yards of total offense from a Miami defense that gave up 499 in a 32-24 loss to Maryland in Week 1. Quarterback Joe Bauserman, who played efficiently enough in the first two games, completed just 2-of-14 passes for 13 yards in this one. Freshman quarterback Braxton Miller completed just 2-of-4 for 22 yards and an interception. This against a Miami defense that allowed Maryland to pass for 348 in Week 1. Miami scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, while forcing Ohio State into three-and-outs on each of its first two. However, it wasn’t as if the Hurricanes turned in a flawless performance. Quarterback Jacory Harris tossed two interceptions but the Buckeyes weren’t able to capitalize. Ohio State rushed the ball fairly well, with Jordan Hall gaining 87 yards on 14 carries (6.2 ypc) and Carlos Hyde picking up another 54 yards on 12 carries (4.5 ypc). But the passing game wasn’t working, which allowed Miami to stuff the run and keep the Buckeyes out of the end zone. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the game was that interim head coach Luke Fickell seemingly gave up with a couple minutes left, trailing 17-6, and all three timeouts remaining. Fickell chose not to stop the clock even once as Miami drove for the final score – this a week after Michigan scored two touchdowns in the final 1:13 to beat Notre Dame. With the loss, Ohio State fell out the national rankings for the first time since Nov. 21, 2004 when it entered after beating Michigan. Ohio State now has a quarterback situation on its hands with Colorado coming to town. The Buffaloes are just 1-2, having lost to Hawaii, Cal (in OT), and beaten Colorado State. Next: Saturday v. Colorado (1-2)  - 3:30pm on ABC OSU dropped its first road game to an unranked non-conference opponent in 23 years

Michigan State: Lost to Notre Dame 13-31 Record: 2-1 After rolling through two cupcakes in the first two weeks of the season, Michigan State traveled to South Bend to take on a Notre Dame team that played well in two season-opening losses. Though the Spartans outgained the Irish 358-275, nearly all of it was through the air and MSU wasn’t able to turn the yards into points. ND stuffed the Spartan run game, holding Le’Veon Bell and Edwin Baker to a combined 53 yards on 17 carries (3.1 ypc). In MSU’s first two games, it averaged 213 rushing yards per game, but it struggled to just 29 against ND. Michigan gained 114 against the Irish in Week 2, mostly by Denard Robinson. One bright spot for the Spartans was the combination of quarterback Kirk Cousins and receiver B.J. Cunningham. The two connected 12 times for 158 yards. Unfortunately for the Spartans, 12 penalties and a pair of turnovers were enough to keep them from winning. State now hosts Central Michigan, who beat South Carolina State and lost to Kentucky and Western Michigan. It should be another easy win for MSU before a big showdown in Columbus a week later. Next: Saturday v. Central Michigan (1-2) – 12pm on ESPNU B.J. Cunningham was the lone bright spot for Sparty at Notre Dame (photo by Michael Conroy, AP)

Notre Dame: Beat Michigan State 31-13 Record: 1-2 Contrary to what was written about Michigan State above, Notre Dame entered the matchup hungry for a win after two heartbreaking losses and finally strung together a good enough game to get the win. Cierre Wood scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and George Atkinson III took a kickoff back 89 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Tommy Rees had a more consistent game than a week ago, completing 18-of-26 passes for 161 yards, a touchdown and an interception. It was the Irish defense that deserves the most praise for this win, shutting down the Spartan run game, and picking off Kirk Cousins inside the five-yard line to seal the win. This result can be looked at two ways for Michigan: bad that State lost since Michigan can’t hand them their first loss, or good because it proves they are beatable. I prefer the latter because Michigan already beat Notre Dame. This gives UM confidence that it can go in and beat MSU by shutting down the running game like ND did. This week, ND travels to Pittsburgh who gave up a huge lead in losing to Iowa last week. Next: Saturday at Pittsburgh (2-1) – 12pm on ABC ND's Robert Blanton sealed the win with an INT (photo by John Gress, Getty Images)

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. In this weekly segment, we’ll give a brief recap of the previous week’s game and what it means for Michigan.

In Week 1, we saw Ohio State and Michigan State dominate inferior opponents while Notre Dame struggled to a 23-20 waterlogged loss to South Florida. This week, we all know who Notre Dame played and the two “States” once again faced poor opponents.

The good thing about this coming weekend is we will be able to see all three in action. Michigan plays at noon, allowing us to watch MSU-ND at 3:30 and Ohio State at 7:30. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at how they fared in Week 2.

#17 Ohio State: Beat Toledo 27-22 Record: 2-0 While Ohio State looked like it was just going to move on from the Jim Tressel era as if nothing happened in its season-opening win over Akron last week, it looked every bit as young and inexperienced this past Saturday against a talented Toledo team. The Buckeyes held on to top the Rockets 27-22 to avoid a first loss in 92 years to an in-state team, however, OSU gave up the most points to a team from Ohio since allowing Oberlin College to score 26 back in 1909. Even though Ohio State escaped with the win, it wasn’t as if it actually earned it. Toledo committed 14 penalties for 102 yards, missed a 45-yard field goal, and gave up a 69-yard punt return to end the first half. OSU’s best possession of the day was its opening drive when it went 67 yards in seven plays and scored a touchdown on a 26-yard pass from Joe Bauserman to tight end Jake Stoneburner. It seemed as if OSU had picked up right where it left off last week. But Toledo scored on two straight possessions and converted a two-point attempt (because they couldn’t go for three) to jump out to a 15-7 lead. OSU took the lead back before the half on a 36-yard run by Carlos Hyde and the 69-yard punt return. Toledo wasn’t phased, however, taking the first drive of the second half 60 yards in five plays to re-take the lead. OSU took the lead back near the end of the third on another Hyde run and that’s where the score remained the rest of the game. On the game’s final drive, Toledo strung together a 13-play, 55-yard drive down to the Ohio State 17-yard line before falling short on downs, allowing the Buckeyes to take a knee. Bauserman completed just 16-of-30 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, while the Buckeyes averaged just 3.3 yards per rush on 34 carries, over a yard short of what New Hampshire recorded against the Rockets last week on the same amount of carries. Needless to say, the Bucks’ ground game did not impress. It was the pass defense, however, that serves as the most cause for alarm. Two Rockets topped 100 yards receiving, with Eric Page catching 12 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns and Adonis Thomas catching six for 111. That has to make Michigan fans happy given what we witnessed in the comeback against Notre Dame. Next: Saturday at Miami (0-1)  - 7:30pm on ESPN Chris Fields' 69-yard punt return right before the half was the play of the game (photo by Kirk Irwin, Getty Images)

#15 Michigan State: Beat Florida Atlantic 44-0 Record: 2-0 Just like last week, Michigan State thumped its cupcake, however, this time it looked better in doing so. Last week, State turned in a lackluster performance, leading just 14-6 at the half. This week, the game was over by the end of the first quarter. Running backs Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell each scored in the first and the Spartans stretched the lead to 27-0 by halftime on a pair of field goals and a 1-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Dion Sims. Not much else needs to be said about this game since it was against Florida Atlantic and doesn’t really give anyone a realistic look at how good the Spartans are. If anything, they proved the can in fact dominate an inferior opponent. State held the Owls to just 48 total yards and one first down the entire game. The week prior, FAU lost to Florida 41-3. Cousins turned in a workman-like performance, connecting on 16-of-21 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Bell led the way on the ground with 14 carries for 69 yards, but the Spartans used a bevy of backs. This weekend, we will get a much better look at how good MSU actually is when it travels to South Bend to face a hungry Notre Dame team coming off a demoralizing loss to Michigan. If the Spartans haven’t completely shaken off the rust, they could be in for a battle with an Irish team looking to regain any semblance of credibility. Next: Saturday at Notre Dame (0-2) – 3:30pm on NBC Edwin Baker and the Spartans had an easy time with Florida Atlantic (photo by Al Goldis, AP)

Notre Dame: Lost to Michigan 35-31 Record: 0-2 What more really needs to be said about this one? Notre Dame came into the Big House hoping to end a two-game skid in the rivalry and sour Michigan’s first-ever home night game. It looked as if that would be the case when ND jumped out to a 24-7 lead and shut down Denard Robinson and Michigan’s offense. However, the Wolverines got going at the end of the third quarter and stormed back, outscoring the Irish 28-7 in the fourth to win when Robinson found Roy Roundtree in the end zone with just two seconds remaining. Aside from an ill-timed fumble, ND quarterback Tommy Rees played well, hitting 27-of-39 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw two picks, but those were largely a result of good defensive schemes by Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who was feast or famine in this one. When it was famine, it was Rees who made the check downs to find wide open receivers or gaping holes into backpedaling nose tackles. Notre Dame ran for six yards per carry, led by Cierre Wood who gained 134 yards on 25 carries. In addition, receiver Michael Floyd lit up the Wolverines secondary for 159 yards on 13 catches. Next: Saturday v. #15 Michigan State (2-0) – 3:30pm on NBC 5'8" Jeremy Gallon hauls in a jump ball for a touchdown, a perfect microcosm of ND's night

Today begins our first installment of Rival Rewind, where we take a look at the past weekend’s performances by Michigan’s chief rivals: Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio State. It’s no secret that over the last three years under Rich Rodriguez Michigan fans felt that he didn’t seem to “get” the rivalry games. Whether he did so in practice or not, he seemingly treated the Ohio State game as any other game on the schedule.

When Brady Hoke was named head coach in January, he immediately set the tone by referring to Ohio State as simply Ohio and made it very clear that beating Ohio was one of the supreme goals each season. And so we at Maize and Go Blue are taking it upon ourselves to dedicate a little time each week to our rival as well. We’ll give a brief recap of that week’s game and what it means for Michigan’s season.

Ohio State: Beat Akron 42-0 Ohio State began its new era with a 42-0 whooping of Akron. Despite missing eight suspended players (and Terrelle Pryor who now plays for the Oakland Raiders), the Buckeyes showed no signs of letdown, holding the Zips to just 90 yards of total offense and dominating in every stat category. Now, before we get too carried away, let’s remember that Akron went 1-11 last season and was predicted to finish last in the Mid-American Conference again this season. This was not a team returning a junior third-year starter at quarterback and a Biletnikoff award candidate at receiver. Michigan has its own Akron on the schedule two weeks from now when it  hosts Eastern Michigan, who incidentally, is predicted to finish higher in the MAC than Akron. The main question Ohio State faced heading into the game was at the quarterback position. Senior Joe Bauserman got the start and performed admirably, completing 12-of-16 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran six times for 32 yards and a touchdown. He’s no Pryor, but that’s probably a good thing for Ohio State fans, as he fits the mold of the classic OSU quarterback like Joe Germaine or Craig Krenzel. He doesn’t have the flashy athleticism but he doesn’t make the bad mistakes either. Sophomore Carlos Hyde led the way on the ground with 19 carries for 93 yards, while tight end Jake Stoneburner caught all three of the touchdown passes, becoming the first Buckeye tight end ever to do so. This Saturday, Ohio State should get a slightly tougher test when it hosts Toledo. The Rockets are the MAC favorite with 16 returning starters and a talented receiver in Eric Page. Next: Saturday vs. Toledo – 12pm on Big Ten Network

Michigan State: Beat Youngstown State 28-6 Michigan State also rolled over its opponent, Youngstown State, which finished last season 3-8. After a slow start, the Spartans got going early in the second quarter with a six-yard touchdown run by Larry Caper. However, the Penguins answered with a 10-yard touchdown pass of their own , but the extra point was blocked. MSU got a 3-yard touchdown run by Le’Veon Bell on the next drive and took a 14-6 lead into halftime. In the second half, senior quarterback Kirk Cousins connected with B.J. Cunningham on an 18-yard touchdown pass, and the Spartans capped off the scoring in the fourth quarter with another 3-yard touchdown run by Bell. Sparty didn’t look great, but did just enough to beat a MAC bottom-feeder comfortably. Cousins was an efficient 18-for-22 for 222 yards and a touchdown. Edwin Baker led the team in rushing with 15 carries for 91 yards, while Cunningham caught nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. State committed eight penalties in the game, gave up a fumble, and converted just three of seven third downs. Needless to say, it was never a game in doubt, but it also wasn’t the type of effort that will leave opponents shaking in their boots. Next: Saturday v. Florida Atlantic – 12pm on ESPN2

Notre Dame: Lost to South Florida 23-20 Michigan’s next opponent, Notre Dame, turned in an extremely disappointing performance on Saturday in a 23-20 loss to South Florida. Similar to Michigan’s rain-soaked contest, this game was delayed twice due to lightning, but it had to finish because ND wasn’t going to call it a loss and it was still close enough to be anybody’s ballgame. The Irish looked great for the first seven plays of the game, marching right down the field to the 1-yard line. While ND fans were licking their chops and already thinking of booking their trips to New Orleans, Jonas Gray fumbled the next carry and South Florida returned it 96 yards for a touchdown. It didn’t get any better for ND from there as SFU hit field goals on three of its first four offensive possessions (the other was as missed 52-yard field goal) and held the Irish offense to virtually nothing. ND head coach Brian Kelly replaced starting quarterback Dayne Crist at halftime with sophomore Tommy Rees, who was pretty effective in leading the Irish back into the game. Rees completed 24-of-34 passes for 296 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Perhaps the biggest story coming out of the loss was Kelly’s outrage towards his players, which was captured on TV many times over, and now he has a quarterback dilemma on his hands heading into the big matchup under the lights this weekend. Despite Notre Dame’s poor performance against South Florida, I’m still very leery of writing them off. Rees seems to be the best option at quarterback, and with receiver Michael Floyd out wide, the Irish have the weapons to score. Additionally, the Irish defense didn’t give up a touchdown on Saturday and allowed a measly three yards per carry. Next: Saturday at Michigan – 8pm on ESPN

Football is a religion and Saturday is the holy day of obligation. Legendary Michigan football broadcaster Bob Ufer uttered those words many years ago and they still ring true today. Each year, as summer draws to a close and hurricane season gears up, we can hardly hold back our anticipation of Saturdays spent in front of the TV, stuffing our mouths with burgers and beer, and watching the Maize and Blue take the field to The Victors.

Bob Ufer's quotes still live on in Ann Arbor every Saturday

This season, we begin anew with “Michigan Man” Brady Hoke at the helm looking to return Michigan football back to what Bo Schembechler established 42 years ago and Moeller and Lloyd carried on before Rich Rodriguez was brought in to transform the program into an SEC team.

If you’ve read this blog for the past couple of seasons, it’s no secret that I supported Rodriguez and truly believed it could have eventually worked out. But I’m not going to dwell on that any longer, since that era is over and each thing Hoke has done since taking over has effectively brought Michigan a few giant steps in the right direction.

So as we begin the 132nd season of Michigan football this Saturday, let’s take a look at what we can expect from our beloved Wolverines.

September 3 – Western Michigan

Junior quarterback Alex Carder brings a talented passing attack into Ann Arbor to challenge Michigan’s rehabbed secondary. Carder threw for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions a year ago. Can Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd, both of whom return from injuries, hold Bronco receiver Jordan White in check?

Defensively, WMU is inexperienced in the secondary, but has a solid line that will have to control Denard Robinson. Nobody really knows what to expect from Michigan’s offense in its first year under Al Borges, but look for a somewhat vanilla playbook so as not to show too much for Notre Dame a week later.

Michigan 31 – Western Michigan 17

September 10 – Notre Dame

A lot of people are high on the Irish this season with 17 returning starters including linebacker Manti Te’o and receiver Michael Floyd. Both are impact players on their respective side of the ball. Michigan held on to beat ND in South Bend last season, but did so by knocking quarterback Dayne Crist out of the game. Crist is back this season and the Irish finished last season strong, winning four straight including at USC and a 33-17 Sun Bowl victory over Miami.

This year’s matchup has ESPN Game Day in attendance for the first ever night game in Michigan Stadium history and Michigan will be looking to win for the fifth time in six years. Expect a high-scoring shootout in this one, going right down to the wire.

Michigan 34 – Notre Dame 31

September 17 – Eastern Michigan

Former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English is trying to build the Eagles into Mid-American Conference contenders, but it’s been slow going thus far. After a winless season two years ago, EMU won two games last season and only returns 12 starters. Quarterback Alex Gillett is more of a runner than a true passer, having ran for 766 yards last season and thrown for just 1,633 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Defensively, the Eagles return three starters on the line and two in the secondary, but ranked at the bottom nationally in scoring, rushing, and total defense a year ago.

Even with Mike Hart on the sidelines coaching EMU’s running backs, don’t expect this one to be a contest.

Michigan 52 – Eastern Michigan 21

September 24 – San Diego State

Ryan Lindley may be the best QB Michigan will face this season

Brady Hoke’s old team will be coming to Ann Arbor hoping to throw a wrench into the coach’s plans to turn Michigan around. Unfortunately for Michigan, Hoke left the Aztecs in great condition, fresh off a 9-4 record and a 35-14 Poinsettia Bowl victory over Navy.

Fourteen starters return including quarterback Ryan Lindley, who enters as a fourth-year starter, having thrown for 9,537 yards and 67 touchdowns in his career against just 39 interceptions. If Michigan doesn’t have its secondary shored up by Week 4, Lindley has the talent to pick it apart, although last season’s top two receivers are gone.

Sophomore running back Ronnie Hillman, last year’s Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, returns as a pass catching threat out of the backfield. He ran for 1,304 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first season with the Aztecs.

On the defensive side, only five starters return, but it was a group that ranked in the top third in college football a year ago. New head coach Rocky Long, despite being a quarterback in his playing days, has been a defensive coordinator most of his coaching career and guided New Mexico to one of the nation’s top defenses throughout the 2000s.

Many will circle this game on the schedule as a toss-up, but expect Hoke to have the Maize and Blue playing with renewed vigor and toughness and pull out a close defensive battle.

Michigan 24 – San Diego State 20

October 1 – Minnesota

Another school with a new head coach, Minnesota returns 15 starters from a squad that went 3-9 a year ago. Jerry Kill succeeded at Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois, but it will take a lot more to turn Minnesota into a Big Ten contender.

The first thing Kill did was move the Gophers’ second-leading receiver, Marqueis Gray, to quarterback, the position he played at Ben Davis High School in Indiana as the nations third-ranked dual-thread quarterback. Despite losing Gray at the receiver position, the Gophers still have a threat in Da’jon McKnight, a 6’3″ wideout who caught 10 touchdown passes last season.

On defense, Minnesota ranked last in the Big Ten in rush defense last season and recorded a nation-low nine sacks. Expect Michigan to pound the ball on the ground early and often with a few long pass plays here and there when the defense keys on the run.

Michigan 41 – Minnesota 17

October 8 – Northwestern

Michigan’s first road trip of the season is across Lake Michigan to take on a dangerous Northwestern team that returns 17 starters including quarterback Dan Persa, who set the Big Ten record for completion percentage (73.5). What remains to be seen is whether he can fully recover from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon at the end of last season. Receivers Jeremy Ebert and Drake Dunsmore also return to give Persa some weapons. The main question is who will step up in the backfield.

Can Dan Persa fully recover from a ruptured Achilles' tendon?

Defensively, seven starters return, including three-fourths of the secondary, but must fill some holes in the middle. The Wildcats gave up 29 points per game last season and finished with the 97th-ranked total defense. Those numbers are a bit skewed, considering the entire team fell apart when Persa went down.

A night game on the road could give Michigan fits and this is definitely a trap game before the battle with Michigan State. But Hoke won’t let the veteran group get ahead of itself and Michigan will pull away late in the game in front of a pro-Michigan crowd.

Michigan 32 – Northwestern 24

October 15 – Michigan State

When Hoke took over, he immediately put an emphasis on Michigan’s rivalry games. This is one that he has been looking forward to as Michigan gets a chance to retake the upperhand in the sibling battle for the state of Michigan.

The Spartans are one of the front-runners to win the Big Ten, fresh off an 11-win season and a share of the Big Ten crown. They have all the makings of a BCS caliber team with a returning senior quarterback in Kirk Cousins, three talented backs in Edwin Baker (the Big Ten’s leading returning rusher), Le’Veon Bell, and Larry Caper, and two experienced receivers in B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin. The line is the only question mark on the offensive side, having to replace three starters.

Defensively, six starters return, led by tackle Jerel Worthy and head coach Mark Dantonio expects big things from end William Gholston. The secondary will need to find a couple to step up from last season’s 60th-ranked pass defense.

Coming off a few close games, Michigan will have a hard time beating the Spartans in East Lansing. However, MSU will be coming off a road matchup with Ohio State. Still, I think Michigan is a year away from beating Dantonio’s crew and we’ll have to suffer through another year without state bragging rights.

Michigan State 33 – Michigan 27

October 29 – Purdue

Purdue suffered a huge loss when quarterback Rob Henry tore his ACL last week, but will need former Miami transfer Robert Marve to step up. Marve, ironically, tore his ACL last season, opening the door for Henry to take over. Marve is more of a pocket passer suited for a Purdue offense, but he will need the line to protect him better than last season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Boilers have to replace All-American end Ryan Kerrigan, but there are some talented players remaining. Tackle Kawann Short and corner Ricardo Allen will need to step up.

Michigan may be coming off a loss to rival Michigan State and will be hungry for a win, so look for the Wolverines to bounce back with a solid effort before heading into the tough stretch of the schedule.

Michigan 35 – Purdue 17

November 5 – Iowa

Iowa could be a dark horse contender for the Big Ten title, although it probably isn’t likely since the Hawkeyes return just 11 starters. At quarterback, replacing Ricky Stanzi should be fairly smooth with junior James Vandenberg having gained some experience a couple of seasons ago when Stanzi went down with an injury. He’ll have a great line to stand behind and a big, talented receiver in Marvin McNutt to throw to, as well as an emerging star running back in Marcus Coker.

Defensively, Iowa is always stout, but lost three key starters in Adrian Clayborn, Christian Ballard, and Karl Klug. Defensive end Broderick Binns recorded 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2009 and will be one to watch this season. Linebacker James Morris was a Freshman All-American last season and cornerback Shaun Prater was All-Big Ten.

In Iowa City, Michigan will have a hard time getting the win. This may be the first time we get to see how Hoke’s pro-style offense fares against the a true Big Ten defense. We all know how Rich Rodriguez’s vaunted offenses struggled in late Big Ten play, but Hoke is bringing the toughness back to Ann Arbor. Still, Michigan will probably see a drop-off offensively in this one.

Iowa 24 – Michigan 20

November 12 – Illinois

Every season, Ron Zook seems to be on the hot seat. Known as a great recruiter but mediocre coach, Zook brought in two new coordinators last season and finished with a 7-6 record and a dominating 38-14 bowl win over Baylor. He’ll have a hard time improving on that this season after losing his top three players, running back Mikel Leshoure, defensive tackle Corey Liuget, and linebacker Martez Wilson.

Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase leads the Illini after earning Freshman All-America honors a year ago. If not for Denard Robinson, Scheelhaase may have been the talk of the Big Ten at the quarterback position, having thrown for 1,825 yards, 17 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, and run for 868 yards and five touchdowns.

On defense, only four starters return. The ability to replace Liuget and Wilson will determine whether the Illini can reach a second-straight bowl game or not.

Michigan will need to win this one with Nebraska and Ohio State remaining. Don’t expect another record-setting offensive day for both teams, but Michigan should be able to put up plenty of points once again.

Michigan 41 – Illinois 27

November 19 – Nebraska

The last time Michigan and Nebraska played, in the 2005 Alamo Bowl, it was a disappointing end to a disappointing season for the Maize and Blue. Michigan lost 32-28. In 1997, Nebraska stole some of Michigan’s thunder when it claimed the national title in the Coaches Poll. Needless to say, Michigan is due.

Luke Fickell has a tough task taking over from Jim Tressel

Unfortunately, Nebraska is probably the favorite to win the Big Ten in its first season in the conference. Led by quarterback Taylor Martinez and defensive tackle Jared Crick, Nebraska will be a force this season. The nation’s ninth-best scoring defense and 11th-best total defense last season, the Huskers will give Michigan fits .

Nebraska 27 – Michigan 20

November 26 – Ohio State

The single-most important game on the schedule got a lot more interesting over the offseason when Jim Tressel was forced to resign, Terrelle Pryor bolted for the NFL, and five other players were suspended for the first five games due to an improper benefits scandal in Columbus. Defensive coordinator Luke Fickell takes over a still-loaded team and will have to find a way to make it through the first five games unscathed, but by the time the Buckeyes travel to Ann Arbor, all should be fixed.

Senior Joe Bauserman and freshman Braxton Miller are battling it out for the starting spot, all the while trying to do so with unproven youngsters at running back, receiver, and offensive line for the first five games.

Defensively, the Bucks are always strong and weren’t hit as hard with suspensions. However, only four starters return. Two new corners will need to step up, but Ohio State always has athletic, talented players to retool that position.

The first few weeks will be interesting, and may keep Ohio State from winning the Big Ten, but they’ll be ready for Michigan come November. I just think the combination of Hoke’s emphasis on beating Ohio, and Fickell’s first season at the helm with a new quarterback will lead to Michigan breaking the decade-long spell that Tressel had on the Wolverines.

Michigan 31 – Ohio State 21

The forecast: 9-3

The so-called “experts” aren’t as high on Michigan, but the Wolverines have enough talent and experience on offense to continue to put up points like they did last season. The difference will be the mentality that Hoke has instilled to keep the offense going late in the season. Defensively, there are still holes and question marks, but a stout line and a rebuilt secondary is bound to improve under the guidance of new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. Notre Dame and Ohio State are coin flip games that could be the difference between 9-3 and 7-5.

In a season that was supposed to be a battle just to make the NIT, Michigan basketball has performed well above expectations, having played itself to the cusp of an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. One game stands in the way of that goal and it couldn’t write itself any better than this.

In football, the season ends with the annual battle with Ohio State. More times than not (although not as of late), it comes down to that game to decide the Big Ten champion, which team goes to the Rose Bowl, or at the very least, which team gets the better bowl game.

But in basketball, Michigan State serves as Michigan’s biggest rival and the past decade and a half has been pretty one-sided. Saturday presents an opportunity to change all that; an opportunity few thought possible five months ago.

Both teams enter Crisler Arena in need of a win to finish in the top half of the Big Ten standings, earn a first round bye in next week’s Big Ten Tournament, and put itself in prime position for an at-large bid in the NCAA.

For Michigan, the past decade and a half has been filled with strife and heartache since the Ed Martin scandal rocked the program in the late 1990s. The once proud and strong program that produced the Fab 5 and won the National Championship in 1989 has been through three coaches and just two tournament appearances since Steve Fisher was fired in ’97 (one since 1998).

A Tale of Two Programs
	Since 1997
244-202	Record	348-130
54.7	Winning %	72.8
6	Head to Head Wins	18
10	Avg. Winning Margin	17
0	Big Ten Titles	6
2	NCAA Tournaments	14
0	Final Fours	6
0	National Championships	1
*Includes this season’s previous meeting

Coincidentally, that was also the last time Michigan swept Michigan State and the point in which the Spartans began their rise to become the prominent team in the state.

Since then, MSU has been to the NCAA Tournament every season, reached the Final Four six times, and won the championship in 2000, while Michigan’s lone appearance was two seasons ago.

On Saturday, Michigan has a chance to not only sweep its hated rival for the first time since ’97, but possibly keep the Spartans out of the Big Dance for the first time since that year and take a big step towards reclaiming the state.

Head Coach John Beilein has seemingly resurrected the program that showed signs of potential during the Tommy Amaker years, but never realized that potential. Beilein came in with a different coaching and recruiting mentality – one based on recruiting high character kids that fit his system – and has Michigan playing well above its head and talent level.

He’s always managed to get the best out of his players, and with a team chalk full of underclassmen and no seniors, Beilein finally has an emerging star at point guard and a coveted number two scorer in the duo of Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. He also has a pair of Top-100 players coming in next season in Carlton Brundidge and Trey Burke, so the program is on its way up.

But the first step in that process is beating Michigan State tomorrow. In the season’s first meeting, Michigan outlasted the Spartans in East Lansing, 61-57. Zack Novak led the way with 19 points, while Morris had 17, but it was Stu Douglass who was the biggest hero, hitting with a three-pointer with 22 seconds left to seal the win. Michigan hit 10 threes in the game, shot 50 percent from the field, tied the Spartans in rebounds and committed one more turnover (13) than MSU.

A win would most likely give Michigan the fifth seed in the Big Ten Tournament and a second round matchup with Illinois, which hosts last-place Indiana on Saturday. Most importantly, a win would put Michigan at 19-12, 9-9 in the Big Ten (tied for fourth) and almost assure the Wolverines an at-large bid in the Big Dance. A loss would probably pit Michigan against Iowa in the first round of the BTT and Michigan would have to win that one and one or two more to even have a shot.

It has been a long time since Michigan basketball has had a game this meaningful, and tomorrow’s game will certainly have Crisler rocking. Following Michigan State’s win over Iowa on Wednesday, Head Coach Tom Izzo declared, “We’re gonna find a way to win Saturday and get you back to where you belong: in the NCAA Tournament.” It’s not much of a guarantee, but the Maize Out on Saturday will act as if he guaranteed he would never lose to Michigan again, and make him eat his words.

As for me, I’m going to find a way to keep my wife, who is nine months pregnant, from going into labor tonight so I can be where I belong: watching a Michigan victory over Little Brother. Go Blue!

After dropping its first game of the season last Saturday, the schedule doesn’t get any easier for Michigan as the Iowa Hawkeyes come to Ann Arbor with the nation’s top-ranked defense.

There’s a perception around the nation right now that Michigan State shut down Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense. Point-wise, Michigan scored 24 less than its average from the first five games, but as I wrote on Sunday, and The Woverine’s Jonathan Chait wrote on Tuesday, Michigan left a lot of points on the field with its turnovers in the end zone.

Michigan vs. #15 Iowa
	Sat. Oct. 16 3:30 p.m. ET ABC/ESPN
5-1	Record	4-1
UConn 30-10 Notre Dame 28-24 UMass 42-37 Bowling Green 65-21 Indiana 42-35	Wins	E. Illinois 37-7 Iowa State 35-7 Ball State 45-0 #22 Penn State 22-3
#17 Mich. State 17-34	Losses	#24 Arizona 27-34
37.3	Scoring Offense	33.6
297.3	Rushing YPG	172.2
236.3	Passing YPG	254.2
533.7	Total Offense	426.4
26.8	Scoring Defense	10.2
146.3	Rush Defense YPG	63.2
304.3	Pass Defense YPG	179.0
450.7	Total Defense YPG	242.2
9	Takeaways	9
8	Giveaways	5
9/2	Sacks By/Allowed	10/10
35/72 (49%)	Third-down Conv.	28/60 (47%)
2/7	Field Goals	2/3
36.0	Net Punt Avg.	35.6

Robinson played his worst game of the season, but the offense still moved the ball with ease the entire first half. The turnovers, which weren’t forced, they were just bad throws to open receivers, allowed State to pull away, which caused Michigan to abandon its run game.

I’m certainly not trying to discredit Michigan State, who is the better all-around team of the two right now, but instead show that without a few mistakes by a sophomore quarterback makings his first start against a ranked rival, Michigan was right there. That bodes well for the rest of the season because Robinson isn’t going to make those mistakes every week.

The debate is whether Michigan State showed the blueprint for stopping Michigan’s offense or slowing down Denard. The Spartans seemed intent on forcing Robinson to throw and let the other ball carriers beat them. The latter worked when Michigan was still in the game and executing its offense, but the former is what let the game get away.

Iowa will likely use the same defensive game plan. The Hawkeyes have given up just 10.2 points per game, despite allowing 34 in a loss to then-No. 24 Arizona. If you take away kickoff return touchdowns and touchdowns scored by opposing defenses, of which Arizona had two, Iowa’s defense has allowed just 37 points through five games. That’s a touchdown per game.

Last year, in Iowa City, Robinson was effective in leading a fourth quarter comeback as Michigan narrowly fell, 30-28. That Iowa defense was just as highly regarded. No opponent had scored more than 21 points against the Hawkeyes in the five games prior to the match-up and, and Michigan scored 28. Iowa finished the season 11-2 and didn’t allow that many points again, including No. 9 Georgia Tech, which only managed 14 in the Orange Bowl.

Michigan should be able to move the ball and score some points this week. The key is punching it into the end zone and not turning the ball over. Just like last week, I think that will be the determining factor in the game.

Iowa’s offense is a little above average. The running game ranks 45th in the nation with 172.2 yards per game and the passing game ranks 32nd with 254.2 per game, slightly better than Michigan’s. The combined record of the teams Iowa has beaten is 8-16, while the team it lost to, Arizona, is 4-1, after losing to 2-2 Oregon State last week.

Quarterback Ricky Stanzi is more or less your classic Big Ten quarterback. He’s accurate (67.8 completion percentage), efficient (10.13 yards per attempt), and doesn’t make many mistakes (10 touchdowns versus two interceptions).  He’s a third-year starter who has played in plenty of big games and has won two straight bowl games.

QB Ricky Stanzi passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns in last year's win over Michigan (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Stanzi’s top receiver is Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, a senior who’s on pace for his best season of his career. He has caught 21 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns. He had three catches for 63 yards in last year’s meeting, one of which covered 47 yards.

Thankfully, the man who burned Michigan last year, tight end Tony Moeaki, is now playing on Sundays. He caught six passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns a year ago, both of which were backbreaking. The first came on third-and-12 from the 34 in the first quarter to tie the game at seven. The second, a 42-yard play, came with 13 minutes remaining and Michigan within two.

This year, Iowa doesn’t yet have a proven tight end. Senior Allen Reisner has caught 17 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown so far this season.

The running game, which didn’t do much against Michigan last year, hasn’t broken out yet this season either. Sophomore Adam Robinson is clearly the man since Jewel Hampton tore his ACL (again) against Arizona. Robinson has carried the ball 98 times for 480 yards and six touchdowns. He had big games against Eastern Illinois and Iowa State before recording just five yards on 10 carries against Arizona and being held to a very pedestrian 3.4 yards per carry on 28 attempts last week against Penn State.

The next most used healthy back on the team has just 10 carries this season, so expect Robinson to get the bulk of the load.

Much of the lack of success on the ground can probably be attributed to the offensive line, which had the least experience of any unit in the Big Ten entering the season. It has allowed 10 sacks so far, an average of two per game, which could bode well for Michigan’s defensive front. Look for defensive coordinator Greg Robinson to employ a similar blitz-happy feast or famine game plan the he used last week.

Three Keys to a Michigan Win

1. Don’t turn the ball over. This was a strength through the first five games, but proved to be the dagger last week. It wasn’t simply the turnovers, but the situation in which the turnovers occurred that killed Michigan. The first two interceptions were in the end zone after good Michigan drives. The receivers were open both times, but Robinson threw late or behind the receiver.

After the game, Robinson addressed his teammates in the locker room, taking responsibility for the performance and vowing to work hard and not let it happen again. His leadership should show on Saturday with an inspiring performance.

2. Jump out ahead. Michigan is at its best when playing with the lead. The offense is powered by its run game, which is hard to do when playing from behind. The best thing that could happen in this game is to score on each of the first two or three possessions. It will get rid of the bad taste of last week’s inability to convert, and set the tone for the game.

Running back Michael Shaw should be 100 percent healthy this week, which will help the running game significantly. He looked good against Michigan State in the limited carries he got, being not fully healthy. He’s the most complete back Michigan has, so getting him back will be a big boost to the offense.

3. Don’t give up the big play defensively. Big plays have hurt Michigan all season. Through the first five games of this season, the offense was able to score enough that it didn’t hurt. But Michigan State took advantage just like Iowa did last year with the two big plays to Moeaki.

Prediction:

I’m pretty conflicted on this prediction because I just don’t see Denard making the same mistakes he made last week, and I don’t think Iowa’s offense is as good as Michigan State’s. Yet, I don’t think Michigan will win this game. I think it will be very similar to last year’s game: close and Michigan will have a shot to win at the end. If Denard pulls it out, the Heisman train will be back on track. If not, Michigan will be 5-2. If it’s any consolation, I predicted a loss against Notre Dame, and Michigan won, so here’s to hoping that repeats itself.

Iowa 35 – Michigan 31

From their View…

The Daily Iowan has Hawkeye players saying all the right things about Denard, The Hawkeye Insider give its prediction and says Iowa has had problems tackling on defense (as if a defense allowing 10 points a game knows what it’s like to play defense for Michigan right now), and Black Heart, Gold Pants gives ten reasons why Michigan will win.