Team 136 - Game 7 - Michigan vs Michigan State

It’s Time to Bring Home the Bunyan!

The Michigan Wolverines took the field last Saturday for Homecoming 2015 … 110,000+ screaming Maize and Blue fans awaited their arrival, with James Earl Jones of course introducing the festivities on the big screen.  Coach Harbaugh has Big Blue back in the Top 20, and a nervous excitement permeated Ann Arbor – surely Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats posed the biggest test since Utah, and the first real chance to gauge the level of progress of Team 136.

The Big House filled up with more than 100,000+ fans for the 262nd straight time (what?) - and Big Blue proceeded to lay down a beating on Northwestern the likes of which hadn’t been seen since Bo used to beat up on NU Head Coach John Pont and his meager purple kitties back in the ‘70s. 

The final score was 38-0, but numbers don’t do it justice – this was a bitch-slap covered in an ass-pounce all wrapped up in an old-fashioned butt-kicking.  Michigan has scored 97 unanswered points over their last three wins Big Blue is on a roll!  Hot diggity! 

Jehu Chesson got things started by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown (the first time that’s happened since Ty Wheatley did it against Houston in 1992 -- back when I roamed State Street in my Patagnoia fleece as a junior in LSA -- and Michigan never looked back.  A lot has changed on campus since those days (check out this recent drone-video footage over Ann Arbor … amazing to see the place from above) … but the football excitement is starting to look familiar … students are pumped, faculty is engaged and the entire town looks forward to Saturday.

The Wolverines pitched a third consecutive shutout for the first time since 1980, when Bo blanked Indiana, Wisconsin and Purdue in a row, and the first time it’s happened in college football since Kansas State did it in 1995) and now find themselves #12 in the country and on a serious roll, winning its last 19 quarters by a combined score of 157-7.  

Big Blue is hotter than an October day in SoCal … it’s been nearing 100 now for what feels like weeks here in sunny LA … I know, it’s an El Nino year and we love the snow-filled speculation so that we can maximize ski days, but this climate-change phenomena is hard to figure out, and certainly appears to be getting stranger as the years roll on ... no, I’m not going Al Gore on anyone, just sayin’ it’d be nice to get rid of some of this October heat – and it looks to continue the trend this weekend at the Big House against Michigan State. 

Yup, it’s Welcome Sparty Week in Ann Arbor, and that means hoards of energy oozing out of every campus crevice … Gang Green turns the Diag M puke-green … Blue Nation paints Sparty’s statue Maize and Blue and pegs an M on its chest … let the games begin!).  A nervous excitement permeates campus like that feeling when of approaching the Zingerman’s counter on a packed Saturday afternoon still undecided -- Mary’s Commute?  Randy’s Routine?  Georgia Rueben? That gross-but-awesome-concoction-of-corned-beef-and-pastrami-between-two-latkes ‘wich?  Intense positive energy ready to explode … but in a good way. Big Blue is ready for action and can’t wait to chomp on Zingerman’s new favorite, Sparty Bites.

As per standard operating procedure, let’s dissect the Wildcat thrashing and then properly lubricate for Sir Sparty.

Michigan vs. Northwestern Recap

Pat Fitzgerald brought a strong Northwestern team to the Big House on Saturday -- #13 in the country with a nationally recognized defense and a program on the rise.  But it met a mack truck in Coach Jimmy and his Wolverines.  Michigan outgained the Wildcats 380-168 and never allowed the Purple People Eaters a glimpse of hope.

UM scored at least one TD on offense, defense and special teams in the same game for the first time since 2003, and each unit was working nearly to perfection – and from a numbers perspective, everything came up Maize and Blue.  This team is in beat-down mode, and it’s getting fun to watch.

One of my favorite press comments of the week: “If the Spartans start slowly, Michigan will punch them in the mouth. They are coached to do so, and have done just that in the last five weeks.”  Well said … Coach Harbaugh is a firecracker and is lighting up the sidelines week in and week out.  Did you see him get PISSED when Big Blue was up 31-0 late in the game?  

 I mean, this is a guy who reportedly holds footraces during the week for players to earn a spot on special-teams units – Jehu Chesson usually finishes in front, and surprisingly he was the one who got the chance to return the opening kickoff for a score last week.  Some have dubbed it The Harbaugh Effect.

Or from a different angle, the reward for winning practice competitions in pre-season camp was running more sprints … because, duh, it’s a privilege to be able to work hard according to Coach Jimbo.  So no surprise when Maize and Blue defenders are attacking the ball in the final seconds of a blowout … and the community is responding.  For God’s sake, the crowd started chanting “DEFENSE” at the end of last week’s game-- it wants to beat the shit out of the competition almost as badly as Big Jim.  And the best part is … the whole is greater than the sum of its parts – Big Blue is going to come back strong, and when it does, bitch better duck or get hit!  Yes, he’s a Looney Tunes goof that relates more to The Lion King than with Michael Porter when it comes to strategy and tactics, but he’s our goof and because of him, Michigan is back.

The overall Michigan effort was as high as we’ve seen in recent memory … he’s may be crazy, but he’s making shit happen and the result is a steady ascension in the polls … we’ll take it.

The Michigan Offense Never Let up

For the first time all season, the Michigan O impressed … Northwestern allowed just 3 TDs in its previous 5 games – UM found the end zone 3 times in the first quarter on Saturday, and two of them came from the offense.  The gears were more in sync than the Brentwood Afro-twins’ cadence … literally hysterical to watch these guys run side by side, the purest, most transparent version of “look at me” that exists in the attention-seeking metropolis where I now call home … I love LA!

Jake Rudock went 17-23 for 179 yards and carried the ball six times for another 11 yards and a score – he made no mistakes and led an efficient offense all afternoon without any ghetto glitz – Chesson caught two balls for 26 yards and I Like Jake Butt pulled in 3 balls for 40 yards … no firecrackers on offense, but solid forward progress all day long … classic Big Ten football.

Running Back By Committee continues to work, with De’Veon Smith carried the ball 8 times for 59 yards and Derrick Green getting 12 looks for 47 yards and a TD – 20 carries and 100+ yards is a sufficient rush attack to keep most opponents at bay, and that’s what Big Blue got from its group last weekend.

Fuck, even our kicking game was on against Northwestern … senior Kenny Allen’s 47-yard field goal in the third quarter was a career long and brings back memories of what used to be a strong kicking game.  Yes, once upon a time guys like Remy Hamliton and Mike Gilette filled the position and did so with strength and confidence … then came the last decade, when the Michigan kicking game became more of a shitshow than Steve Sarkissian’s professional-development program (and on par with Lamar Odom’s path – so gross that Team Kardashian sees the ordeal as a PR opportunity) …

… talk about Entertainment Tonight material … a sad story, indeed, and lots of eyes watching how AD Pat Hayden handles the situation – he’s on the hot seat for his lack of attention to this matter thus far, and the road ahead could get bumpier.  Revered private-equity veteran tries to get business-like in his approach to talent management in Tier 1 collegiate athletics, starting with a bit too much deference in the recruiting process and not enough oversight on the job … yup, we’ve seen that movie in Ann Arbor and we know it doesn’t end well for the guy with his own Gulfstream … ruh-oh! This could be a rough ride for Uncle Pat.  In all fairness, this was a due-diligence fuck-up on the recruiting side and mismanagement at the executive ranks … I’m a Pat fan (as I was a Dave fan), and I don’t think the answer is get rid of the guy at the top over one mistake … granted, that mistake related to that small little world called football, and that’s oftentimes a zero-tolerance game at this level, which I get.  Like I said, Entertainment Tonight material …   

A calm and effective passing game … an effective and diversified run attack … a kicker that makes more field goals than he misses … the offense is coming into its own and is looking for some attention as the spotlight continues to shine on the Big Blue D.  Coach Timmy will have his chance this weekend; if his men put up numbers on Michigan State, headlines will start flowing towards the offense … and if that happens, look out, as I’m gonna dust off my Cabbage Patch Dance and do some serious pre-partying as we head into late fall.

The Michigan Defense Pitched Its Case for Best in the Land

The Michigan D was scary good … period.  And not like second-grade-funhouse scary … no, think Devil’s Night in downtown Detroit scary.  The unit has impressed all season, and DJ Durkin really has it performing a high level right now.  The boys held the Wildcats to just 168 total yards, had 4 sacks (8 total tackles-for-loss) and only allowed two NU third-down conversions all afternoon. 

This group hasn’t allowed a point in 12 quarters … the last team to do that was the 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide … um, yeah, the same team that beat Brady’s Team 133 41-14 in that painful Cowboys Classic that I sat through in-person, counting the minutes until I could leave.  And oh, by the way, any guess as to who won the national title that year?  Yup, Slick Nick and Roll Tide.

Ok, let’s just get the national-title discussion off the table right now, yes, there are some wack-jobs who spend their time speculating about college-football playoff dynamics – these people have nothing better to do than cause chaos in a world that never really invited them in the first place … these people are to serious big-time football what Donald Trump is to politics … lots of entertainment, but very little substance.  But the sizzle is fun to watch nonetheless … and Michigan is surging not only in the national polls, but also in early-stage meaningless bowl chatter … I’ve seen both national-title-contender hype as well as Rose Bowl hype and it’s all comedy … it’s all about the Ws, so let’s stay focused on the meat.

I mean, this UM national title talk is like anointing Life in Pieces as the best new sitcom since Modern Family ... easy there, Colin Hanks, as your show has aired like two episodes … hardly enough to call yourself the next Phil Dunfy.  And speaking of TV and the new season, I’m embarrassed to say that I’m still not caught up with the goods … now part of that is due to a hectic schedule and life at home with three under the age of 12 … but part is also because the amazing Mrs. Go Blue oftentimes decides that watching Amy Schumer’s SNL appearance is more interesting than seeing what Carrie Mattison is up to in Season 3 of Homeland.  Sweet Jesus … I mean, she is funny and engaging (particularly when her trainwreck of a stylist wraps her in full-body neoprene minus the boobs, which get to float unattended like wrecking balls preparing to take down a big-city skyscraper … hard to watch, yet moderately humorous), but nowhere near worthy of precious evening-TV time when Saul and Carrie are back in Berlin and ready for action.

Sorry, I digress, but there are some true idiots in our world and sometimes it’s fun to take a minute and dig in just a bit … for fuck’s sake it’s Friday, what else do we have to do?  The Purple People Eaters really only threatened to score once – a 42-yard missed field goal in the first half – and the Michigan D looked like all that and a bag of chips – ranked #1 nationally in points against (6.3) and #2 in total defense (181.3 yards per game), these boys are paving the way for gridiron greatness’ return to Ann Arbor.

Clayton Thorson went 13-27 for just 106 yards and an INT, and star RB Justin Jackson carried the ball 12 times for just 25 yards … that’s right, domination across the board on defense – line of scrimmage, middle of the field and on the corners … in DJ We Trust.

Michigan vs. Michigan State – the Sparty Preview

 This weekend Big Blue welcomes in-state rival Michigan State to the Big House in a much-anticipated match-up … big enough that ESPN’s College GameDay will be in town for the occasion … with Steve Spurrier on the desk, nonetheless … I love how fast our capitalist-media-maelstrom kicks into gear to nab the latest piece of meat, just days after his “retirement” from South Carolina. 

MSU has won this annual contest six of the last seven times, with five of those wins coming with a 14+-point margin of victory.  Don’t kid yourself … this game is huge … for Coach Harbaugh … for his players, for Blue Nation.   

Coach Jimmy remembers all too well the first time he faced Sparty … it was 1984, and #13 Michigan was 3-1 entering the annual meeting with unranked MSU.  Coach was in his first year as the Maize and Blue starter and his confidence was growing by the week.  Then, with Michigan down 13-7 in the third quarter, RB Jamie Morris fumbled and Jimmy suffered a broken arm when he dove for the ball and was hit by MSU’s Thomas Tyree, who recovered the loose ball.  Harbaugh’s replacement, Russell Rein, came into the game, threw a pick and watched UM fall 19-7 and finish the season 6-6 (the only time in Bo’s 21 seasons that he didn’t have a winning record).  Hard to see Coach anything but fired up for this game.

UM and MSU have met as ranked opponents just 10 times since 1964 … Saturday will be #11.  The first meeting in the series came back in 1898, when Michigan won 36-0, and Big Blue leads the overall series 68-34-5.  This year sees Sparty enter #7 in the land with Michigan not far behind at #12, and the Paul Bunyan Trophy is at stake (in addition to annual state-bragging rights) – the first Paul Bunyan went to MSU, 14-6 in 1953 in East Lansing.  Michigan dominated the series in the ‘70s and ‘80s, winning 13 of 145 and a record 8 straight between 1970-77.  But State has had the better of Big Blue of late, and comes in with confidence based on history.

MSU enters this week’s game highly ranked, yes … but vulnerable; ok, the 31-28 Oregon win at home was impressive, but last Saturday’s 31-24 win at Rutgers to escape the Great Big Landfill (also known as New Jersey) with an untarnished 6-0 record showed signs of weakness for the Green and White … and we all know what Coach Jimmy does when he smells blood in the water, Must See TV.

Michigan State also had trouble with Central Michigan and Purdue earlier this season, and Mark Dantonio’s Spartans are going to need to bring a better game to stay undefeated ... but numbers don’t lie, and MSU’s impress.

QB Connor Cook leads a group that has posted 188 points and 2,384 total yards to date (1,040 on the ground and 1,344 through the air).  Ok, let’s do the math … after six games, that’s 30+ points and 350+ yards per game … yeah, this ain’t West Kalamzoo Junior College comin’ to town … ok, maybe WKJC has more academic proximity to that school in East Lansing, but when it comes to Big Ten football, Sparty is serious and we expect to see big-time game out of Gang Green.

WR Aaron Burbridge had three consecutive 100-yard performances to start the season … LJ Scott complements him well in the backfield and Josiah Price has skills at TE … the Michigan D will face its first real test since Utah – we haven’t seen an offense like this yet this year. 

And when you consider that DJ Durkin’s unit will have to play the first half without LB James Ross III, who was ejected for a targeting penalty in the third quarter, it gets a bit scarier.  But on the positive side of the ledger, Royce Jenkins-Stone has replaced Mario Ojemudia (who went down for the season in the Maryland game with an Achilles injury) and the D-Line hasn’t missed a beat.

The MSU defense is led by DE Shilique Calhoun, who has 10 QB hurries and 5 sacks on the year -- at 6’5”, 250lbs, that’s a lot of meat to keep out Rudock’s grill.  That being said, MSU ranks #56 in team defense nationally, allowing 372+ yards per game – Gang Green has given up 17 opposing TDs so far this year, and that spells opportunity for the Michigan offensive attack.

The experts peg Michigan as a touchdown favorite, clearly liking Big Blue beyond the traditional home-field deference.  And once again, Vegas gets it right when it comes to Big Blue gridiron.  The MLB playoffs aren’t the only source of excitement in the air right now –from the crazy Canadians to the Slide Heard ‘Round the World, the rest of this race should be fun to watch.… not to mention the excitement in Wrigleyville, where the Cubbies just may have something to talk about THIS year.  Michigan football is back … let’s get ready to rumble!

The early prediction is now in … Michigan 31 …  Michigan State 14

Go Blue!