A Michigan Bye week is very disorienting. I will find myself checking the Chicago Tribune and the internet for the game time and station several times throughout the morning. Then it will come to me "oh bye week yeah." Until an hour later when I'm checking again...just to be sure. I will wonder whether I should clean the garage, rake leaves, sleep all day or just arrange my fantasy roster for the entire remainder of the NFL season. However I will end up in the barcalounger regardless. Remote in my hand. This is my channel guide for the weekend.
Iowa @ MSU (4-stars) Obviously - Physical game. I will be watching to see how many body blows Iowa can land on MSU. MSU favored by 3 points. If this was in Iowa City its a solid 7-point game for the Hawkeyes. If MSU wins they will be inspired believing that they can pull off the upset next week (they can't). Lose tomorrow and they will have a chip on their shoulder but it will be all bluff and false bravado. They will be totally deflated. Either way this is a prelude to a butt-kicking in AA
Northwestern @ Wisconsin: (2-Stars) Northwestern is dangerous coming off of a bye week...wait...no they are not. I will watch some of this just for the scouting purposes. What this means is that I will play a drinking game. I drink every time a Wisconsin OL pancakes a NU defender. I will not make it our the of 1st quarter.
Indiana @ Penn St. (2 Stars): Penn State plays the 8th best team in the Big Ten at Home. Indiana is basically the same team that lost to Penn St by 14 last year. Expect a +20 point loss for the Hoosiers tomorrow. The only reason this is even 2-stars is that watching Saquan Barkley is fun...and terrifying.
Ohio St @ Rutgers (1 Star): This game will be easier than playing against OSU's freshman team. Urban will allow the Kickers to play QB and the equipment manager will play wide receiver. Anything less than a 50-point win and there should be an investigation of OSU taking a DIVE for Vegas.
Non-Big Ten games
Southern Cal (5) at Washington State. (16) - (2-Stars) I will barely be coherent after the Wisconsin game. After a short nap I will catch the second half. I will try to count all of the USC players and asst. coaches who will be under indictment by the end of the season.
Vanderbilt @ Florida (2 stars): This game is probably the least fun to watch. I will be on pins and needles to see if a bad Florida team can somehow scratch out a win to make the butt whooping we gave them in Texas look like a decent win. I have a sinking feeling that Vandy pulls the upset. The good news is that it will end after the 1st quarter of the Wisconsin and I will not remember it.
Upset I Dream About - Miami (OH) over ND: In my dream I go over to NDNation after the game and watch their 20-year old message board implode with calls to bring back Holtz and dig up Leahy and Parsegian. There will be long nostalgic threads of about the great ND teams from 30 years ago. The Miami (OH) coach immediately becomes a candidate along with Gruden (of course).
Iowa @ MSU (4-stars) Obviously - Physical game. I will be watching to see how many body blows Iowa can land on MSU. MSU favored by 3 points. If this was in Iowa City its a solid 7-point game for the Hawkeyes. If MSU wins they will be inspired believing that they can pull off the upset next week (they can't). Lose tomorrow and they will have a chip on their shoulder but it will be all bluff and false bravado. They will be totally deflated. Either way this is a prelude to a butt-kicking in AA
Northwestern @ Wisconsin: (2-Stars) Northwestern is dangerous coming off of a bye week...wait...no they are not. I will watch some of this just for the scouting purposes. What this means is that I will play a drinking game. I drink every time a Wisconsin OL pancakes a NU defender. I will not make it our the of 1st quarter.
Indiana @ Penn St. (2 Stars): Penn State plays the 8th best team in the Big Ten at Home. Indiana is basically the same team that lost to Penn St by 14 last year. Expect a +20 point loss for the Hoosiers tomorrow. The only reason this is even 2-stars is that watching Saquan Barkley is fun...and terrifying.
Ohio St @ Rutgers (1 Star): This game will be easier than playing against OSU's freshman team. Urban will allow the Kickers to play QB and the equipment manager will play wide receiver. Anything less than a 50-point win and there should be an investigation of OSU taking a DIVE for Vegas.
Non-Big Ten games
Southern Cal (5) at Washington State. (16) - (2-Stars) I will barely be coherent after the Wisconsin game. After a short nap I will catch the second half. I will try to count all of the USC players and asst. coaches who will be under indictment by the end of the season.
Vanderbilt @ Florida (2 stars): This game is probably the least fun to watch. I will be on pins and needles to see if a bad Florida team can somehow scratch out a win to make the butt whooping we gave them in Texas look like a decent win. I have a sinking feeling that Vandy pulls the upset. The good news is that it will end after the 1st quarter of the Wisconsin and I will not remember it.
Upset I Dream About - Miami (OH) over ND: In my dream I go over to NDNation after the game and watch their 20-year old message board implode with calls to bring back Holtz and dig up Leahy and Parsegian. There will be long nostalgic threads of about the great ND teams from 30 years ago. The Miami (OH) coach immediately becomes a candidate along with Gruden (of course).
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