Team 137 - Game 4 - Michigan vs. Penn State
/The Michigan Wolverines took the field at the Big House last Saturday to avenge a devastating loss that’s now more than two decades old. Mission accomplished … but not without serious stress -- when the final buzzer sounded, Big Blue beat the Buffaloes 45-28. The Wolverines are 3-0, undefeated in non-conference play, and (hopefully?) ready for Big 10 action.
This weekend Team 137 welcomes Penn State to town for the conference opener. Cupcake Wars are behind us … the real deal starts Saturday. But before we dig in, let’s recap the Colorado survival story and catch up with Jimbo and the boys en route to this weekend’s festivities.
Michigan v. Colorado – The Recap
110,000+ packed the Big House on Saturday to witness Big Blue topple Colorado in a game that was closer than the 45-28 score indicated. Of particular note in the audience was one Tom Brady, who showed up as an Honorary Captain for Big Blue and snuck in a pre-game catch with Coach Harbaugh in his first time back on the field at Michigan Stadium since his playing days 17 years ago (I know, hard to believe it’s been that long … and by the way, “what the fuck, Tom Brady, you take the maize-and-blue springboard to NFL greatness and you can’t come back and pay an occasional visit to the lay folk in A Squared?”).
Brady looked comfortable in the sea of Maize and Blue, and he didn’t come alone … nope, this time he came child in tow. And the video he posted to FB on Saturday says it all – Michigan tradition is strong, and passes on to the next generation instinctively. Blue football has been a force in my house for my four decades plus on this planet, and it continues today stronger than ever … family trips to the Big House often make the fall calendar, and a Zingerman’s weekend spread at home is a regular part of the fall diet. Brady to Brady … father to son … Wolverine to Wolverine.
Wolverine himself only graced us with his with on-field presence for the early-game action, though, as Brady hopped his plane back to Boston for an afternoon throwing session with buddy Wes Welker before the Pat’s Sunday game against Miami. But everyone in the stadium felt the royal presence. And while it’s great he’s a Michigan guy (as with Derek Jeter), is it me or is this guy just a little too perfect for grown men to appreciate? He’s got the polish, the persona, the pedigree and the panache … fuck, I can’t help but stare when I see him approach a putt on the great George Thomas design we both call “home” whenever possible. He gets a cameo role on Entourage, he’s invited to host SNL … what’s next, we find out he’s got natural proportions more commonly found in the American Brown Bear? Giselle? Actually, forget it, I don’t want the answer … let’s just say I wouldn’t want him living next door to my white picket fence.
Ok, enough of Super-Tom … the on-field Wolverines were limp at the outset, with Colorado en fuego out the gate. The Buffs put the first points on the board with a 37-yard TD strike, and less than three minutes later the CU defense forced a Wilton Speight fumble that resulted in an 18-yard TD return. The Boulder kids took a 21-7 lead into the second quarter and Big Blue then scored 17 unanswered points to claim a 24-21 halftime edge. Michigan outscored Colorado 21-7 in the second half to seal the W and enter Big Ten play undefeated.
And as a fun off-field aside from last weekend, anyone else catch wind of the pre-game depth-chart drama? Ok, the short version: Harbaugh doesn’t believe in releasing his depth chart, so the Colorado Sports Information Department decided to have some fun at Coach Jimbo’s expense. The Buffs released a depth chart that included Olive Oil and Manute Bol as Wide Receivers, Eric Cartman and Fat Albert at Left Tackle, and Bill Walton and The Dude Lebowski as “Roamer Dudes.” Jimbo didn’t think too highly of the gimmick, but it did provide some good fun for on-lookers leading up to Saturday’s match-up. I don’t know, I’d take a lineup of Cartman and The Dude any day of the week and twice on Sunday … sign me up for that pay-per-view channel!
The Offense
Tim Drevno’s offense put up 397 total yards, 229 through the air and 168 on the ground. It took a while to get going, but when it did, it was once again diverse in its attack. QB Wilton Speight went 16-30 for 229 yards and 1 TD … accurate when he needed to be and relatively mistake-free, but not a dominant under-center presence that would enable easier sleep in the Harbaugh household.
De’Veon Smith led the ground game with 87 yards on 11 carries, with Smith contributing one touchdown and Jehu Chesson and Ty Isaac scoring the other two rushing TDs. 10 guys dressed in Maize and Blue carried the ball, again evidencing diversified firepower. Jake Butt caught 7 balls for 87 yards and nobody else caught more than 2 passes on the afternoon, with 7 Wolverines on the receiving end of a Speight completion.
The Defense
New UM DC Don Brown’s defense was solid, especially in the second half. The unit notched 10 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and eight QB hurries. Sr. Ben Gedeon led the team with 12 tackles, and the D- line was aggressive and effective, particularly in the second half, even if early-game lowlights were scary and unacceptable.
Jabrill Peppers posted 9 tackles in the defensive effort and totaled 204 all-purpose yards on the afternoon, including a 54-yard punt-return TD that showed why this kid is the best in the land at what he does.
The Michigan Special Teams also deserves credit for its effort for the second week in a row now. Sr. Michael Jocz blocked a Buffalo punt that Soph. Grant Perry picked up and ran in for the score and the Michigan return game is dangerous with Jabrill as the go-to guy in the winged helmet … that 54-yard return likely the first of many this season for #5.
Michigan v. Penn State – The Preview
This weekend marks the 20th meeting between these two teams, with UM holding a 12-7 edge and currently riding a two-game win streak (Big Blue won the last two contests, 18-13 and 28-16). But the Nittany Lions bring Saquon Barkely to the Big House this weekend, coming off his 1,076-yard 2015 season (which included a PSU O-Line weaker than Jimmy Kimmel’s Bill Cosby joke at the Emmy’s).
But by the way, I found Kimmel funny, engaging and better than most at hosting this sort of affair. And his PB&J lead-in to the question all inquiring minds wanted answered: who of the Hollywood elite are part of the are the annoying “gluten free” movement that’s taken America by storm? I mean, I know I live in the land of fruits and nuts and maybe my perspective is therefore a bit jaded, but if only I’d shorted “Westside Los Angeles gluten” at the turn of the millennium!
As for the program itself, no surprise that OJ dominated the drama deck and that Jeffrey Tambor took home comedy-lead-actor gold for his amazing performance as Mona in Transparent, one of my favorite non-network shows of the last few years. It’s somewhat slow to get going at first, but the topic is disturbingly real and shines a light on the complicated shape life can take. Tambor is the man (or woman, however you want to look at it), and his supporting cast of Judith Light, Jay Duplass, Amy Landecker and Gaby Hoffman are brilliant. Kudos to Jill Soloway for her candid and full-frontal portrayal of the challenged family dynamic, and to the Academy for recognizing its excellence.
I digress … Saquon Barkely and the Nittany Lions … right. Penn State’s offense finished 105th in the nation last year in total yards and 101st in scoring … numbers that intimidate almost as much as a Jimmy Fallon interview … kudos to Samantha Bee for calling out everyone’s favorite lip-sync alcoholic for his non-interview of the Dumpster-Fire Candidate. Fallon embarrassed himself and the intellect of our short-bus-infested nation for his approach to a presidential interview … and fuck, how good are all of John Stewart’s protégés? John Oliver … Larry Wilmore … Samantha Bee … Jason Jones … Asif Manvi … I’d take any of them as moderator of the Presidential Debates which start next week … but no, network TV thought we’d be better off in the hands of Lester Holt … another sign of just how fucked our country really is.
Anyhoo, Penn State’s defense closed out the year 14th in the country (8th against the pass), and those are numbers that Harbaugh must respect, even if they originate from a place called Beaver Stadium.
Michigan brings the nation’s top-rated defense when it comes to third-down conversions, and as inept as the PSU O was last year, this year’s bunch has scored 30+ three times in a row – the first time PSU has done that since 2008. However, the boys in blue and white have also given up a combined 79 points and looked more vulnerable than a pack of first-grade boys walking through the gates at Jerry Sandusky’s Toddler Football Camp.
Ok, ok, take it easy. I only go back to the ugly yesteryear of Penn State football because the program chose to do so last week in honor of the 50th anniversary of Joe Paterno’s first game as the PSU Head Coach. The tribute has been controversial, as JoPa’s legacy remains unsettled in State College and beyond. But the fact remains that Paterno is a legend in the hallowed halls of college football and his name will draw attention and media coverage whenever utilized.
While his silence throughout the entirety of the drama was unacceptable, and ultimately led to JoPa’s downfall, he wasn’t the Big Bad Wolf in the story and his lore should be recognized and celebrated as appropriate milestones pass. Paterno was Penn State football, and he is and always will be a college football icon. And while he had a bad apple in place on his senior-executive team (and shame on him for not plucking it at first chance), he had a super-positive effect on hundreds of young men during his career, and that can’t be forgotten.
PSU Head Coach James Franklin brings his troops into the Big House hoping to upset the apple cart ... agreed, that result seems more far-fetched than the collapse of Brangelina … I know, just the fact that I have to hear about it makes me consider suing someone for a violation of my personal space. What I want to know is what happens to the two dozen African children that came here inspired by the duo’s mission to save the world? Do they split custody and hire a tour bus to shuttle kids back and forth every week? Just curious … actually, I’m not, forget I mentioned it.
That being said, anything can happen on fall Saturdays, and this college-football season has seen ups and downs like never before in the opening three weeks of action. Last weekend saw Alabama squeak by Ole Miss 48-43 on the road … saw Louisville crush #2 Florida State (with Lamar Jackson throwing for 216 yards and running for another 146 with 5 TDs along the way) … and saw Ohio State impress in its 45-24 victory on the road at Oklahoma.
#11 Texas’ loss at the hands of Cal means the Big 12 officially has shit the bed and could be preparing to launch #16 Baylor into post-season posture given its record and likely path ahead … Baylor! Yeah, the team that represents all things bad about college football – overlooked sexual-assault allegations with little to no recourse for the offenders, a University President and Head Coach fired as part of the fallout, and no real conclusion to a delayed internal investigation into the matter. Fuck, why don’t we just throw the Charlotte Police Department Academy League Flag-Football team in the mix for good measure? Then again, think about the entertaining television that could come if Baylor secures a spot in the college-football playoffs … I guarantee John Oliver and Sam Bee would have a field day with that development. And whatever happens, oh boy are Chris Fowler and the guys gonna have some fun unpacking the remainder of the season!
As for the Big Ten, Michigan State withstood 14 Irish points in the 4th to pull out a 36-28 victory in South Bend, and #13 Iowa fell at home in a loss to North Dakota State (23-21) that was more embarrassing than Rick Perry’s performance on Dancing with the Stars. And then there’s #9 Wisconsin; the Badgers found ten fourth-quarter points to seal its win against the ferocity that is the Georgia State Panthers – yup, it’s shaping up to be an exciting conference ride!
For Michigan, that ride starts on Saturday and the first stop on the Big 10 Express is the Big House against Penn State. Michigan has been a member of the Big 10 since 1895, and its record of 488–195 is only slightly behind Ohio State in the conference’s historical standings. Coach Harbaugh knows Big Ten football like few others, and he’s ready to attack conference play with a zeal rarely seen in the college-football ranks. Penn State enters the Big House looking for love in all the wrong places … instead, they find a swift kick in the ass by those boys dressed in Maize and Blue.
The early prediction is now in … Michigan 48 - Penn State 14
Go Blue!