Which I think about 90% of this board would’ve taken in a heartbeat as recently as the day before WMU.
Northwestern might be the worst team in all of the Power 5. Would be a hell of a pillow fight playoff seeing them play Vanderbilt and Kansas for ultimate ineptitude. There is no chance we lose to them.
Maryland has proven to be Maryland. Weak on both lines, Tua Jr. Is a turnover machine, and Mike Locksley is Mike Locksley, you know, the man with the worst record of ANY division 1 coach this century to coach 50 or more total games (he is 10-45 lol).
Indiana has crashed down to earth, and Tom Allen has to wonder everyday why he didn’t jump ship at his peak. Penix is probably done for his career and has been awful (in fairness to him, I think he’s just shell shocked behind a terrible OL and with his injury history). The defense has taken a massive step back since losing their DC in the offseason, and nick sheridan, though I love him for what he did during the RR misery, has no idea how to be a high level OC at this point. We’re beating them.
So, Michigan has 8 wins in the bank. For most people, I think it’s safe to say we are playing with house money. Every win we get above that is a massive bonus.
Here is how I see it:
MSU: IMO, not just as someone that went to Michigan and can’t stand our little brother, the most overrated team in the country. So far MSU opponents have combined to beat ONE power 5 tram, and that was Nebraska, a team that actually dominated MSU for most of their matchup, beating the aforementioned northwestern. Michigan’s dominant win over WMU, a team that has since won four in a row including @Pittsburgh, and averaged 42 ppg, would be BY FAR the most impressive win on MSU’s resume. Think about that. Miami has beaten an FCS team and App State on a last second field goal. Youngstown is one of the worst FCS teams this year. WKU has beaten only whatever the hell Tennessee-Martin is. Nebraska we’ve covered. This MSU team has 0 NFL talent on either side of the ball, save perhaps Reed (a great kid, btw, quite a story) and Walker. They have 8 four stars on their current roster, and 0 top 100 players. We have 54 four or five star players. This is a game JH has to win, and will.
Nebraska: it’s amazing what a difference playing the worst team in the country apparently makes. Nebraska is the same team that lost to Illinois and made Buffalo look like Iowa for a half. They have the oldest defense in the country, with a shocking 6 players playing in their 5th of SIXTH season. If you’re a husker, how can you not be absurdly concerned about the fact you have a fourth year starter at QB and the most experienced defense of all time, and still a bowl game is a concern? What a mess. Lincoln will be rocking and Nebraska is an ok team, but Adrian Martinez gives the ball away like it’s a Brady bunch Christmas special. Coach Mac is going to show him looks he’s never seen, and he’s going to deliver Michigan a big win, while our OL wears down the old man front. Here’s a fun stat: Nebraska is 13th in the big ten in QB pressures allowed. On Saturday, Michigan posted the highest pressure rate in the country. Win.
@PSU: Penn State is not a great team. They are the slowest I’ve seen them under JF on offense, and lack the high end talent we are used to seeing in their front 7. They are ok. What worries me is the atmosphere in happy valley is extremely hard to beat. Clifford is a C level QB, Cain hasn’t been what I expected (based on his lofty pedigree), while Dotson, a kid I still cannot believe we didn’t take (NJ recruit that seemed all Michigan and got slow played) is their best overall player, IMO. This is a true toss up. Michigan and PSU are the two most evenly matched teams in America in terms of talent (almost the exact same roster composition), and JH/JF have split their 6 matchups. This is a coin flip in every way.
OSU: this is the most vulnerable I’ve seen OSU for two reasons: 1. They struggle to stop the run and have a front 7 that looks amazing on paper but has been totally pedestrian on the field. Michigan runs the ball at a level exponentially above anyone they’ve played. We are going to move the ball and can shorten this game; and 2. CJ Stroud is a good player, he is not a top 10 draft pick. As crazy as this may sound with the narrative around Michigan being what it’s been the last year, this is a hell of a chance for Michigan. Osu is “down” (by their standards, I’d still bet on them going 12-1 and winning the big ten), our biggest strength is their biggest weakness, and we get them at home. It’s exponentially more possible than anyone thought a month ago.
Realistically, I think Michigan goes 10-2, which is an awesome season, especially with the whole world thinking Rome was burning (Vegas had us at 7 wins, for instance). But I’m a massive homer and will say 11-1, heading into an epic matchup with OSU....which we lose, sadly. but this is a massive building block season, and MSU is beaten solidly.
If the over under today was set at 9.5, what would you take?
Northwestern might be the worst team in all of the Power 5. Would be a hell of a pillow fight playoff seeing them play Vanderbilt and Kansas for ultimate ineptitude. There is no chance we lose to them.
Maryland has proven to be Maryland. Weak on both lines, Tua Jr. Is a turnover machine, and Mike Locksley is Mike Locksley, you know, the man with the worst record of ANY division 1 coach this century to coach 50 or more total games (he is 10-45 lol).
Indiana has crashed down to earth, and Tom Allen has to wonder everyday why he didn’t jump ship at his peak. Penix is probably done for his career and has been awful (in fairness to him, I think he’s just shell shocked behind a terrible OL and with his injury history). The defense has taken a massive step back since losing their DC in the offseason, and nick sheridan, though I love him for what he did during the RR misery, has no idea how to be a high level OC at this point. We’re beating them.
So, Michigan has 8 wins in the bank. For most people, I think it’s safe to say we are playing with house money. Every win we get above that is a massive bonus.
Here is how I see it:
MSU: IMO, not just as someone that went to Michigan and can’t stand our little brother, the most overrated team in the country. So far MSU opponents have combined to beat ONE power 5 tram, and that was Nebraska, a team that actually dominated MSU for most of their matchup, beating the aforementioned northwestern. Michigan’s dominant win over WMU, a team that has since won four in a row including @Pittsburgh, and averaged 42 ppg, would be BY FAR the most impressive win on MSU’s resume. Think about that. Miami has beaten an FCS team and App State on a last second field goal. Youngstown is one of the worst FCS teams this year. WKU has beaten only whatever the hell Tennessee-Martin is. Nebraska we’ve covered. This MSU team has 0 NFL talent on either side of the ball, save perhaps Reed (a great kid, btw, quite a story) and Walker. They have 8 four stars on their current roster, and 0 top 100 players. We have 54 four or five star players. This is a game JH has to win, and will.
Nebraska: it’s amazing what a difference playing the worst team in the country apparently makes. Nebraska is the same team that lost to Illinois and made Buffalo look like Iowa for a half. They have the oldest defense in the country, with a shocking 6 players playing in their 5th of SIXTH season. If you’re a husker, how can you not be absurdly concerned about the fact you have a fourth year starter at QB and the most experienced defense of all time, and still a bowl game is a concern? What a mess. Lincoln will be rocking and Nebraska is an ok team, but Adrian Martinez gives the ball away like it’s a Brady bunch Christmas special. Coach Mac is going to show him looks he’s never seen, and he’s going to deliver Michigan a big win, while our OL wears down the old man front. Here’s a fun stat: Nebraska is 13th in the big ten in QB pressures allowed. On Saturday, Michigan posted the highest pressure rate in the country. Win.
@PSU: Penn State is not a great team. They are the slowest I’ve seen them under JF on offense, and lack the high end talent we are used to seeing in their front 7. They are ok. What worries me is the atmosphere in happy valley is extremely hard to beat. Clifford is a C level QB, Cain hasn’t been what I expected (based on his lofty pedigree), while Dotson, a kid I still cannot believe we didn’t take (NJ recruit that seemed all Michigan and got slow played) is their best overall player, IMO. This is a true toss up. Michigan and PSU are the two most evenly matched teams in America in terms of talent (almost the exact same roster composition), and JH/JF have split their 6 matchups. This is a coin flip in every way.
OSU: this is the most vulnerable I’ve seen OSU for two reasons: 1. They struggle to stop the run and have a front 7 that looks amazing on paper but has been totally pedestrian on the field. Michigan runs the ball at a level exponentially above anyone they’ve played. We are going to move the ball and can shorten this game; and 2. CJ Stroud is a good player, he is not a top 10 draft pick. As crazy as this may sound with the narrative around Michigan being what it’s been the last year, this is a hell of a chance for Michigan. Osu is “down” (by their standards, I’d still bet on them going 12-1 and winning the big ten), our biggest strength is their biggest weakness, and we get them at home. It’s exponentially more possible than anyone thought a month ago.
Realistically, I think Michigan goes 10-2, which is an awesome season, especially with the whole world thinking Rome was burning (Vegas had us at 7 wins, for instance). But I’m a massive homer and will say 11-1, heading into an epic matchup with OSU....which we lose, sadly. but this is a massive building block season, and MSU is beaten solidly.
If the over under today was set at 9.5, what would you take?
