October 30, 2015 v2 p70
In the past if Michigan wasn’t playing I probably wouldn’t have watched much college football. Who am I kidding, I would have, just probably not Sparty or the Buckeyes. Here’s what I took away from the games I did watch.
mvictorsdotcom
Michigan – The bye week couldn’t have come at a worse time in my opinion. The extended break between games following the heart breaking loss to the Spartans seemed extra tough because of the added time until they could get back on the field. I said I was sorry for whoever had to face the Wolverines after that loss, now especially since what transpired yesterday with their opponents coach.
Michigan State – Once again, which team is going to show up each week? I find it hard to believe that the same defense that showed up in Ann Arbor the week before would have allowed 26 points to Indiana. The final score did not accurately indicate what kind of game this was, and these inconsistencies are why the Spartans aren’t being “respected” in the polls (that don’t matter anyway).
Ohio State – I think they’ve found their identity on offense. J.T. Barret seems to have taken a firm grasp on the reins of the this team. The defense is still giving up too much on the ground.
Penn State – Barely pulled out a win in what should have been a “get healthy” game. I still don’t see where everyone is getting so much hype about this team. They are heading in a good direction, I just don’t think they’re as far along as everyone says they are.
Notre Dame – Another team on a bye. Would have been good to get some injured players rested, except the ones who are won’t be back at all until next year. They should continue to roll until the much-anticipated match up with Stanford.
Alabama – Struggled a little but managed to hold on to a tough victory over Tennessee. It’s hard to pick against a team that has a stud running back like Alabama does in No. 2 Derrick Henry. The game against LSU should be showcasing the top two running backs in the country in my eyes.
Western Michigan – Miami (OH) came to town and found out what the Broncos are all about. Coach Fleck has his team rolling as they head into the heart of the MAC schedule. Look for Eastern Michigan to not be too much of a challenge when they face off tonight.
Iowa – Seems to have snuck out of nowhere to take a stranglehold on B1G Western Division. I’ll be honest, I didn’t even take a look at this team prior to the season starting. I don’t think I’m the only one….
Utah – This week’s big mover in the polls (that don’t matter) dropped a whopping 10 spots. I wasn’t really impressed with this team when they beat Michigan way back in week 1. Here is another team that is proof that polls don’t matter.
Minnesota – I know I said they wouldn’t be appearing here anymore, but they just happen to be Michigan’s next opponent, so they’re still showing up this week. I was not really surprised when the betting line opened up at Michigan -16 on Monday. I wouldn’t want to be the first team to face the Wolverines after that loss to the Spartans, plus they still have the Brown Jug they’re playing for.
On top of being the first team to face Michigan after the loss to the Spartans, Minnesota goes into this week’s game without their head coach. I was extremely saddened as a college football fan to hear on Wednesday that Jerry Kill was going to be retiring effective immediately. It’s really is tragic when someone has to go before their time. Coach Kill had begun to bring the Gophers football program out of the basement of the B1G. This was a perennial doormat program that would greatly celebrate an eight or nine win season. If you only win that many games multiple years in a row then people quickly start to call for your job. Most major football programs have a “Grandfather” of their program. Alabama has Bear Bryant, Georgia had Vince Dooley, and Michigan had Fielding Yost. Jerry Kill was trending towards being that for Minnesota. Unfortunately I don’t think the Golden Gophers are strong enough this year to make this event a rallying point for the battle for the Little Brown Jug.
cbssportsdotcom
So that’s my take on what happened last weekend. I’m glad the Michigan game is late this week so I can get my son all done with his trick-or-treating before kickoff. GO BLUE!
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