Recalibrate

Often times following a football game a few sayings get thrown around.  The game may have been "closer than the final score" or "not as close as the score indicated".  Michigan's 12-10 victory was exactly as ugly and hard fought as the score indicated.  Both teams had chances to win and Michigan made the plays in the last five minutes to win the game.  Heading into the season we reviewed these teams as being very evenly matched and coming out of their showdown it appears they were evenly matched indeed.  Michigan State's defense has what it takes to hold down Denard Robinson but this season Denard hard what it took to do just enough to win the ballgame.

This is Michigan.

Some game wrapping thoughts:

• Is Max Bullough getting NFL buzz yet?  Meaning, can he please leave for the NFL after this season?  Despite the hype surrounding William Gholston and Johnny Adams coming into the season, Bullough is clearly the best player on the Michigan State defense.  
• Burbridge, as a true freshman, is one of the most dangerous wideouts in the B1G.  I'm terrified of what he's going to do the next two seasons before he's off to the NFL after his junior year. 
• Great call on the fake punt by Dantonio.  Michigan never does much on punt returns anyway so there's really no excuse for giving up 40 yards there. 
• 900 wins.  641 wins.  You can guess the programs those belong to.
• Jake Ryan is better than William Gholston.  In fact, this needs its own section...

In the preseason this became a bit of a debate.  Let's review some of the writing we did in the preseason about the defenses.
Our esteemed commenter Trivialstuff made this little comment:

"Gholston needs to be more consistent, but UM doesn't have a guy with his ability to be disruptive when he is playing up to his potential". - Trivalstuff in August

Being a little more bullish on one particular Michigan defender I responded:

"I think Jake Ryan has the ability to as disruptive as Gholston. In fact I think they have had very similar careers to this point. Inconsistent seasons in 2011 culminating in a big performance in a bowl victory". - Pat in August

And Tbone concluded:

"He may have the ability to be as disruptive at some point in his college life. but to this point they are very different. And even last year they were very different. Gholston has 70 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 5 sacks last year versus Ryan's 37 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. The big difference there is the total tackles. Gholston can get to the sideline and extend the Dline better than any defense end in the B1G.

I would not trade the two straight up." - Tbone in August

Would you trade the two straight up now?  In this game Ryan had 10 tackles (8 solo), a forced fumble (MSU recovered) and a sack.  I certainly would not trade Ryan for Gholston.  
 
This rivalry should only continue to heat up from here for the next few seasons.  There aren't any blowouts on the horizon in the near future.

Other than ending the Spartans season in October, this victory means a lot for Michigan for the rest of the 2012. Heading into the season most pundits had Michigan State pegged as the favorites to win the Big Ten championship.  Following Michigan's 12-10 victory on Saturday those expectations are recalibrated and the Wolverines are now the clear favorites to win the Legends division.  (Wisconsin is probably the Vegas favorite to win the B1G as they are virtually already locked into the title game)  Michigan moves on to a game in Lincoln this week that will be extremely tough while the Spartans have to travel to Madison to face a rapidly improving Badger squad.  The Spartans will be trying to right the ship and move a game closer to becoming bowl eligible while the Wolverines will be looking to take a commanding position in the Legends race.  It's another big weekend in college football.

After 8 weeks here's how things stand in the B1G:

1. Ohio State - I'm tempted to move them down after they keep squeaking by marginal teams.  It's going to catch up with them soon with a loss.  Their defense appears to be extremely down from Ohio State defenses of old.

2. Michigan - The leader of the Legends.  Undefeated in B1G play.  This week may be the last obstacle to get by to ensure a trip to Indy.

3. Penn State - I won't ignore you any longer Nittany Lions.  Impressive beatdown of the Hawkeyes at Kinnick.  Hosting OSU this week in what promises to be their best chance for a statement victory in 2012.

4. Nebraska - Can vault up to #2 on this list with a victory at home on Saturday.  Taylor Martinez is playing well (especially at home) but the Blackshirt defenses is a sieve.  If they could stop anyone they could be the class of the B1G.

5. Wisconsin - All of a sudden the loss to Oregon State doesn't look so bad.  Maybe Wisconsin played the Big Ten's 2nd toughest non conference schedule.  Badgers are back in familiar territory leading the Leaders division.  They'll be trying to improve each week before their inevitable Rose Bowl play-in game in Indianapolis.

6. Northwestern - Led by double digits in the 4th quarter in losses to Penn State and Nebraska.  This team will be in a battle in every game they play.

7. Michigan State - Sitting at 4-4 it's difficult to find a place for the Spartans but their only truly disappointing loss was at home to Iowa.  Otherwise they have suffered heartbreaking close losses to good teams.  ND is #5.  OSU in the top 15 and Michigan moving up the BCS standings.  A pretty good team with a much worse record than the last two seasons.

8. Iowa - I don't think these guys are very good, especially without Mark Weisman.

9. Minneosta - Will be clawing to win a couple games for a bowl berth in year 2 of the Jerry Kill era.

10. Purdue - Wasn't this team a supposed B1G title contender 3 weeks ago?

11. Indiana - Much improved from last year but not improved enough to beat any B1G teams yet.

12. Illinois - You fire Ron Zook and appear to be a more poorly coached team the following season.  Not a good time to be an Illini fan. 

The Facts: Statistics

Michigan's Season to Date
4-2
vs Alabama 41-14 L
vs Air Force 31-25 W
vs Massachusetts 63-13 W
@Notre Dame 13-6 L
@Purdue 44-13 W
vs Illinois 45-0 W

Michigan State's Season to Date 
4-3
vs Boise State 17-13 W
@Central Michigan 41-7 W
vs Notre Dame 20-3 L
vs Eastern Michigan 23-7 W
vs Ohio State 17-16 L
@Indiana 31-27 W
vs Iowa 19-16 L

Offense
Rushing O
Michigan: 17th (233)
Michigan State: 84th (144)

Passing O
Michigan: 104th (186)
Michigan State: 59th (236th)

Turnovers Lost
Michigan: 13
Michigan State: 8

Total O
Michigan: 55th (419)
Michigan State:  80th (380)

Scoring O
Michigan: 37th (34 points per game)
Michigan State: 102nd (21)



Defense
Rushing D
Michigan: 55th (148)
Michigan State: 8th (91)

Passing D
Michigan: 3rd (135)
Michigan State: 17th (179)

Turnovers Gained
Michigan: 10
Michigan State: 10

Total D
Michigan: 10th (283)
Michigan State: 7th (270)

Scoring D
Michigan: 23rd (18)
Michigan State: 14th (16)


When Michigan has the ball:
The #55 offense will be facing the #7th defense.  This will be a battle of strength on strength as the #8 rush defense attempts to slow down the #17 rushing offense.  MSU appears slightly more susceptible through the air while Michigan's offensive numbers in the passing game don't look so hot.  Sparty hasn't been able to create many turnovers on D this year (10 in 7 games) while Denard gave Notre Dame the ball 5 times in one contest.  This statistical battle points to the Spartans defense having an edge over the Wolverine offense.

When Michigan State has the ball:
The #80 offense will be facing the #10 defense.  Michigan's defense boasts gaudy numbers in pass defense (probably helped playing Air Force who rarely threw the football) while the MSU offense is surprisingly worse in the run game (84th) than in the pass game (59th).  Michigan has also been poor at creating turnovers on defense this year (only 10 through 6 games) and the Michigan State offense has done a relatively good job in this area only turning the ball over 8 times. This comparison shows a big advantage for the Michigan defense against the struggling Spartan offense.


Thoughts:

These stats look pretty good to a Michigan fan.  The defenses appear to be about on the same level and Michigan's offense is clearly better statistically than the Sparty O.   Turnovers are my biggest worry for Saturday. It's difficult to envision Michigan creating more than 1 or 2 and Denard scares me versus good defenses.  If we get good Denard, the version who takes care of the football and doesn't try to make a play on every play, the guy who runs and runs and only throws it to wide open receivers, I don't see many scenarios working in the Spartans favor.  Denard, however, hasn't proven that he can do this very consistently and thus we wait with bated breath.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Tbone and I did a comparison in the preseason breaking down the individual units of each team and made some predictions.  With the big rivalry game only a couple weeks away we now have a lot more information about where our predictions stack up.

Looking Back

The Comparison: Offense

Summary:

QB: Michigan (Big)

• Despite Denard's major issues in South Bend this prediction appears true.  Maxwell has looked pretty solid and appears to have major upside but Robinson has been dominant on the ground in all of Michigan's wins.  Let's say this prediction was accurate though maybe we should erase that (big).

RB: Push

• Ha.  Le'veon Bell has proven himself to be the best back in the B1G while Fitz Toussaint hasn't really gotten going yet this season.  This is a big advantage for the Spartans through the first half of the season. 

WR/TE:  Tbone says Push, Pat says Michigan

• Dion Sims dominance and Aaron Burbridge's emergence notwithstanding this comparison solidly goes to the Wolverines so far.  Jeremy Gallon has proven to be a legitimate go-to slot, Devin Gardner has emerged as a big play WR and Devin Funchess has exploded onto the scene as an absolute mismatch.

OL: Tbone says Push, Pat says Michigan

• MSU has been ravaged by injuries along the offensive line.  This is probably the single most disappointing unit for the Spartans thus far in 2012.  Michigan's offensive line is coming off a dominant performance against Purdue which followed up an impressive 2nd half against the Fighting Irish. 
  

2012 Statistics:

Total Offense:
MSU: 79th, 389 ypg
UM:  73rd 397 ypg

Scoring Offense:
MSU:98th, 22 ppg
UM: 48th, 32 ppg

The Comparison: Defense

Summary:

DT:  PUSH (both teams have unknowns here)

• This is interesting.  Through the first three weeks of the season I would have easily said Michigan State has been better in this category but Michigan's defensive line has made massive improvements against Notre Dame and Purdue.  Their play has me very encouraged.  I haven't seen every snap for the Spartans but I'm going to say small edge MSU here. 

DE:  MSU

• While the Gholston hype hasn't translated to the field much, Marcus Rush has played well.  Michigan hasn't gotten a ton of statistical production from their defensive ends but they have gotten solid play from Craig Roh.  This is closer to a push than we thought in the preseason. 

LB:  MSU

• Jake Ryan has been an all-B1G performer and the best player on Michigan's defense.  After a slow start, Kenny Demens and Desmond Morgan have come on in recent weeks (due in no small part to the improvements with the defensive tackles).  I believe that MSU has the best linebacker unit in the conference but Michigan's backers are much improved over recent years. We got this one about right and both have very good units here. 

Safety:   Split, Tbone gives it to his Spartans, Pat to the Wolverines.

• I have no idea how the Sparty safeties have played this season.  I like Jordan Kovacs and Thomas Gordon has been solid throughout the year.  

CB:  MSU (with the caveat that the nickel and the depth favor the Wolverines)

• Blake Countess went down very early in the season and the depth we spoke of came into play immediately.  Johnny Adams has had some ups and downs so far this season.  To date I'd say this has been a small edge for MSU but I could be persuaded otherwise. 

2012 Statistics:


Total Defense:
MSU: 8th, 272 yards per game
Michigan: 19th, 312 yards per game

Scoring Defense:
MSU: 15th, 15 ppg
Michigan: 37th, 21 ppg


Projecting the Future

Both of our squads have underachieved so far in 2012.  Michigan has done so by getting trounced by Alabama and having far too many turnovers in their other games while MSU has just plain struggled offensively.  The struggles have taken off a little luster from the matchup on October 20th but the game will still likely determine who heads to Indy to represent the Legends division.  Looking at the breakdown above it looks like a game that will be closely contested.  We will find out a little more this week and then get down to making some predictions next week.

I hope the Wolverine's don't have a letdown against Illinois on Saturday because they are looking ahead to the Spartans.  A a blogger I don't have to worry about that so I am free to look ahead to the game with the Spartans and man I'm getting excited...

MSU vs. ND Prediction

You know when you wake up at 5 am after "falling asleep" on the couch.  You wake up a little confused, wondering where you are, but ultimately you manage to gather yourself and make it to bed.  You wake up finally just before college football starts but inside your head it feels like a cesspool.  That cesspool is Notre Dame.  The constant pain in  everyones head.  Always begging for your attention.  Sloshing around inside you ruining your afternoon.  But thankfully you can abort that pain with some Advil. 

OFFENSE: The front seven for Notre Dame is the strength of their team.  Michigan State's offensive line better come to play.  Along with that, Bell will need to have the best game of his career.  Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o will look to punish Bell and Maxwell.  Taking that aggressiveness and using it against them will be necessary for MSU. Look for the MSU offense to try to establish the run both between the tackles and on the edge.  This will set up play action passes where MSU will gain large chunks or yards.  After finally getting a catch last week, I see Arnett having a much larger impact in this game.  There is virtually no film on him in the MSU offense and that could help as no one is really sure how he will be used.  Look for this game to really be the Bennie Fowler coming out party.  He is a receiver that can use his big body and get down the field in a hurry.  Bennie should be tearing up the less than impressive Irish secondary.  The Irish will certainly try to make MSU one dimensional, though the air and these MSU receivers will make them pay.

DEFENSE:  Notre Dame is going with their more spread quarterback Golson.  He has a lot less experience than Reece.   MSU will look to attack early and rattle the inexperienced quarterback.  Spartan Stadium will be absolutely rocking throwing off some of the Irish timing and helping the MSU defense early in the game.  Defensively the corner backs, Dennard and Adams, will need to  be in lock down mode.  Narduzzi will be dialing up blitzes, like usual, from all over the field.  This will also help to stymie their great running back who is making his return this game, Cierre Wood.  MSU will certainly give up a couple big plays, but as long as they are not runs, I do not see how the Irish will score on long bombs through the air.  Gholston will command a lot of attention like usual and this will help free up Denicos Allen for some plays in the backfield.  For the MSU defense to be successful, they will need to keep ND one dimensional.  Just like ND will look to to against Michigan State, we will try to make Notre Dame throw the ball under duress.

PREDICTION:  I was at the game two years ago.  I have to say, MSU v. ND is my favorite game to go to.  I despise Notre Dame.  The game is usually really close and the fans in the stadium are rabid.  After some early scoring from both teams, they settle down and starting grinding against each other for two quarters.  This is perfect because this is exactly what MSU wants to do.  As the game rolls along and the crowd gets louder and louder look for MSU to string together big drives and tire out the Irish defense.  This game will remain close but MSU will prevail, call it 27-21 MSU.

Offensive Line

UM Offensive Line

(The Michigan portion is written by Pat and posted by tbone)

All-American or panic.  It may sound like hyperbole but this description is perfect for Michigan's offensive line in 2012.  Michigan's pair of starting tackles is likely to be the best in the conference.  Taylor Lewan looks more and more like an All-American in what is now his third season starting at left tackle, one of the most important positions on the football field.  Michael Schofield has received praise as the better of the two in run blocking. Schofield is big and cameo'd at both guard and tackle last season due to injury.  He did quite well as a too-tall guard and is better suited for tackle. These two studs literally have no viable backups.  (No offense meant to former walk-on Eric Gunderson or true freshman Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson and Ben Braden)

On the inside Michigan will turn to senior Ricky Barnum to take over for David Molk at center.  Barnum was a starting guard last season but battle injury issues throughout the year.  When he did play he was effective and is a very big body.  He has received high praise throughout the spring and fall.  His backup is Jack Miller, a young player who came in needing to put on weight.  He would be more in the Molk mold of a mobile center but would be a big dropoff from Barnum.

Right guard is firm with Patrick Omameh.  Patrick is one of those players who has seemed to have been around forever.  He was great in the zone schemes diagrammed by Rodriguez in 2010 as a sophomore and suffered through some transition issues last season while starting every game.  I expect his second season under Hoke and Borges, with some added weight, will see Omameh reach a high level of production.

Left guard is the only position on the offensive line that still has an ongoing battle.  Senior Elliot Mealer, former walk-on Joey Burzinski, redshirt freshman Christian Bryant and true freshman uber recruit Kyle Kalis are doing battle there.  Playing a true freshman is always scary but I expect Kalis to be the starter by the time B1G play rolls around and I am actually excited about that possibility as he's not your typical freshman OL recruit.

Mealer, Burzinski, Chris Bryant and Jack Miller will provide depth along the interior of the line (unless one of them earns the starting OG spot over Kalis, maybe Mealer or Burzinski).

So this unit is easy to forecast.  They are elite and have terrible depth.  If Michigan can make it through the season without an injury to an OT I think they will be in line for some serious postseason awards on the Oline and likely have the best offensive line in the B1G.   If one of their tackles goes down...players will be shifted all over the place and things could end up in disaster

-----

MSU

If the UM offensive line is All-American or bust, than the MSU line is All B1G or bust.  I am not sure what I am getting there other than this line should be good.  As good as UM's.  ESPN B1G blog has the MSU offensive line as the third ranked OL unit (UM was second), saying "this could be the best offensive line Mark Dantonio has had in East Lansing." and "Chris McDonald is one of the league's top guards."

McDonald is the most experienced returner as a 5th year senior and three year starter.  He is on Outland Trophy watch list and ranked as both a preseaon all B1G team member but also one of the best guards in the country.  ESPN has also ranked him as the fourth best overall lineman in the B1G.  There are not a lot of juicy stats for offensive lineman, but McDonald did lead the team in knockdowns and in snaps played.  That might be the most telling stat.  Chris is good and is durable.

At the other guard spot, left guard, is named starter Blake Treadwell.  Currently Blake has a stress fracture in his tibia.  Unfortunetly the tibia is a weight bearing.  I hope this is not something that lingers all season.  I imagine when you weigh 300 pounds, that hurts.  Last year, Blake started three games at center, before receiving a medical redshirt for a knee injury.  The left guard position was going to be an on going position battle between Blake and Jack Allen.  Though Blake should return within 2 months.  Jack Allen is a name that almost always pops up evertime you read a Spring report on MSU football.  Jack was a redshirt last year and this spring has been receivng reps at both left guard and center.  Now is the time for Jack to show what he can do.  Offensive Coordinator Dan Roushar believes that MSU has "something special" in Jack.  Allen was ranked the 7th best center in the country out of high school. Along with that he was a successful high school wrestler, winning hte class 3a state championshio in his weight class and racking up over 140 career wins.  Jack has the athleticism, we are all ready to see it. Between our guards is the steay hand of Travis Jackson.  As a redshirt freshman last year, Travis started 10 games for the Spartans.  Yahoo, ESPN and BTN all named Travis to their B1G all freshman team and some sources had him on their freshman All-American team.   Jackson should fine himself on some first team All-B1G lists after this year, anything less than that would be a disappointment for him. Backing up our guards and centers are Ethan Ruhland at left guard.  Ethan is a fifth year senior who started in the win over Minnesota last year but received action in 12 games.   Ethan is more than a serviceable backup and is a great guy to have should anyone get injured.  With Allen sliding over he should be hacking up Jackson at center.  Backing up McDonald is John Deyo another 5th year senior with loads of game experience.  Deyo saw action in all the games last year.  This kind of experience is what you need in an offensive line. Especially a grind it out team like the Spartans claim to be.

On the outside the Spartans have Dan France at left tackle who will be entering his second year as a starter.  Last year France started 13 games at left tackle and recorded 29 knock downs. With a right handed quarterback having a player who is receiving All-B1G team praise is what you need to protect your quarterback.  Dan is listed at 6-6 and creates headaches for opposing ends with his size.  At the other tackle spot is Fou Fonoti.  Last year Fou seemed to get better as the year went on.  He really had great games against Wisconsin and the offense seems to like to run behind him.  This will be Fou's second season as a starter and has received pre-season All-B1G accolades.  Fou finished last year starting 11 games and playing 659 snaps.  What is more impressive about that is that he did not allow a sack.  Fou is exceptionally athletic for a guy his size and has no problem getting to the next level to help stretch run plays.  Fou should be on a few All-B1G lists as the season ends.  No sacks allowed?  Come on.  Backing these guys up are Skyler Burkland at left tackle.  Skyler was a starter last year before an ankle injury sindlined him for the rest of the season.  Skyler should push for a starting spot or at least a lot of playing time.  He is a talented kid with massive frame at 6-7 317 pounds.  I would have full faith is Skyler were starting right now, even with his limited playing time.  Henry Conway is the backup at right tackle.  Conway is least experienced of the entire offensive line having appeared in only three games last year,  Conway red shirted his freshman year and missed the next season due to an injury.

Other players worth mentioning would be Nate Klatt who plays both center and right right guard.  He will be backing up both positions and could be the #2 guard behind McDonald.  There is also Donavan Clark who is a true freshman and a big recruit out of high school.  There is also Connor Kruse who has been limited so far with a knee injury.

Overall this is a deep unit, about as deep as an offensive line can be.  There are four starters returning and six players that have started at some point in their career. That is solid.  It may be a cliche but is is true, football is won in the trenches and this is as talented and game tested of a unit as Mark Dantonio has ever had.

EDGE:  Interesting one here. While UM might have the best single overall player, I think MSU has the better overall unit.  These are two talented offensive lines.  I will add that I would not want the UM line for the MSU offense and I do not think Pat would want the MSU line for the UM offense. Along with that, the MSU line is intact from last year while UM will have a new face up front.   Based on that, I will say PUSH.

(AMAZING SHOTS)

Constitution of a Successful Season

Fan expectations fluctuate from year to year for every sports team. Some perennial contenders routinely set the bar at titles or bust while others simply are happy to compete or make a bowl game. College football is a sport that takes regular season (the B1G) championships more seriously than other sports. (Does anyone really care if their NBA team wins it's division or has the best regular season record in the sport?)

Expectations throughout the years for Michigan and Michigan State have sometimes been in lockstep with one another and at other times been vastly different. So let's consider expectations for 2012 and discuss what would constitute as a good season for each squad.

Michigan is coming off an 11-2 season and a BCS bowl victory, yet the season was publicly branded a failure by head coach Brady Hoke.  The stated goal is to win the B1G championship.   I actually disagree with Hoke and would consider last season an unqualified success after the transition from the Rodriguez era at Michigan.  I do love coach Hoke's attitude that anything but a Big Ten title is a failure, which is the right goal for the team and the coach.  Us fans have more leeway to alter expectations however we prefer.

The stated goal.

2012 Outlook: When looking at the schedule and the depth chart, Michigan is unlikely to be a national title contender this season.  The Big Ten title though, is very much within reach.  In having their top divisional competitor (MSU) in the Big House, Michigan has a nice advantage.  The game in Lincoln against the Cornhuskers will also have significant impact on the division race.  One very interesting thing about Hoke's stated goal is that it alleviates some of the pressure of the non-conference season.  If Michigan loses to Alabama or Notre Dame (both very possible this season) their main goal remains intact.

The Must-Win: For this season, the game against the Spartans has added emphasis for Michigan and even moreso for bloggers and fans that live within the state of Michigan.  Last season it was all about the proverbial Ohio State monkey on their backs and The Game always has massive significance as it will again this year with Urban Meyer beginning his career leading the Buckeyes.  Still, my own opinion is that the MSU game has surpassed the OSU game as the most important game on Michigan's schedule this season.  Some of that has to do with the rivalry heating and MSU's recent success but it is mostly due to the fact that the winner of this year's in-state showdown in Ann Arbor will have the inside track to Indianapolis for a shot at the Big Ten crown and a Rose Bowl berth. 

In historical perspective, 2011 was a great season for the Spartans.  With a victory over Michigan, winning the division and a bowl game victory (first for Dantonio) MSU ratcheted up program momentum yet again.

2012 Outlook:  For Michigan State, I think the goal should also be a Big Ten championship.  I've read some articles saying that Spartan players and coaches have their sights set higher than the B1G and on a national championship.  Of course you want to win all your games, but a Big Ten title would always constitute as a good season in East Lansing, wouldn't it Spartan fans? 

What will make Sparty happy?

The Must-Win: Even with the win streak against their rival, the Michigan game remains the most important game on the Spartans schedule and that importance has only increased with the teams now becoming divisional foes.

The Question:  Michigan fans, would you be happy with a season that saw your team win the B1G but lose to MSU?  Personally, I would be happy with a season that included a victory over Ohio State and a berth in the Rose Bowl no matter what happens against the Spartans. 

Is this in the future for Denard Robinson?

How about you, MSU fans, would a B1G title be enough to take the sting away from losing to your rivals in Ann Arbor or does a victory over Michigan alone qualify the season as a success?

Safeties

Michigan safety play was above average last season and the only departure is oft-injured Troy Woolfolk, a guy who bounced from corner to safety throughout his career.

Strong Safety:

Jordan Kovacs returns for his senior season to lead the defense from the strong safety position.  Kovacs went from feel-good story as a walk-on freshman becoming a starter to many fan's whipping boy as a sophomore to flat out baller as a junior.  As a senior, expect Kovacs to push for all-conference honors.  He may even be draftable in the late rounds next year or at least get invites to camps as an undrafted rookie. (Don't bet against him)

Backing up Kovacs will be the highly touted Marvin Robinson, a guy who regular comes in for praise for blowing people up in practice.  If Marvin ever puts everything together he could become an elite player (due to size, speed and athleticism) Another guy in the mix here will be Josh Furman who missed spring practice because of a criminal case against him, only to have all charges dismissed by the judge because he apparently didn't do anything wrong.  Weird situation but Furman was a guy who stood out on special teams last year and could possibly push for playing time.

Free Safety:

Thomas Gordon returns after a solid sophomore season.  Gordon seemed to be in the right place at the right time a lot, coming up with key turnovers.  Still, he battled Troy Woolfolk for the starting position and the coaches regularly went back to Woolfolk.  Gordon lacks the speed you'd desire in a deep safety but he seems to make up for it with making the right plays and playing with good instincts.

True freshman Jarrod Wilson enrolled early and will push to get himself into the 2-deep as Gordon's backup.  The depth here is a bit scary so it's possible/likely that Robinson and/or Furman also practice at this position.

Michigan should be very strong up the middle of their secondary this season.  Kovacs is simply not going to make mistakes.  Gordon can be trusted to play at a high level as well, he's proven he's capable.  This should be a real positive area for the Wolverines in 2012 and should help to make their defense one of the best in the Big Ten.


The MSU safety position is seeing a slight face lift after the graduation of captain Trenton Robinson.  However, like the rest of the defense, Dantonio has built a  lot of depth at the safety position.

Free Safety:

Returning starter Isiah Lewis will help keep the transition clean from Trenton to himself. Last year, Isiah was a second team all B1G selection. Isiah started all 14 games at strong safety and had two pick 6's.  (one was against Michigan, BOOM.)  Isaiah will be a player that's name is mentioned a lot this year.     Having made second team all conference, he should should make the leap to first team this year.  With 74 tackles and 4 picks, Isaiah is looking primed for a break out year.  Ball hawk skills and big pop make him a player other teams will avoid throwing deep against. 

Strong Safety:

Kurtis Drummond should be the starter at FS along side Isaiah. Though RJ Williamson has been showing a lot of skill and is right behind Drummond.  Last year, Drummond played behind Robinson and saw action in 12 games.  In his time on the field, Kurtis had 17 tackles and two interceptions.  Drummond has length and a good bit of speed out of the safety position.  He is the type of player that can easily drop back in coverage or sneak up and make plays against rushing quarterbacks.  I expect Drummond to hang on to the starter role mainly due to the experience he has.  However, Williamson will push him.

RJ came into his freshman year with a good amount of hype.  Especially once he got on the practice field.  Coach D was unsure if they should hold his talent back with a redshirt.  He had the ability to see playing time as a true freshman.  Now however, you will see that come together.  Like Drummond last year, I expect RJ to see a fair amount of playing time.  The drop from Drummond to Williamson will not be huge, which is a good thing MSU fans.

Other players to note would be Jarious Jones who is backing up Isaiah Lewis.  Jairus tore his ACL in last years spring practices and saw some limited action last year.  However, you may remeber him as being the guy that forced a fumble at Iowa last season to allow the first victory of MSU at Iowa since 1989.  Another player worth mentioning is Demeitrious Cox our of Jeannette, PA (i think the same city and high school as terrelle pryor.)  Cox will be a true freshman and was a four star recruit out of high school with some pretty serious offers including ND, OSU and PSU.  I would not be surprised if he skipped his red shirt.  However, Cox was unable to enroll early so he could be a bit behind as practice rolls around.

Overall, this is another position group that I think is stronger top to bottom than UM's.  I am a big Kovacs fan, but the way this MSU defense plays, I think MSU has the edge here.  This MSU safety group should receive the All B1G accolades, especialy Isaiah Lewis. As a whole, the MSU defense is just better than the UM defense.  I do not mean to take anything away from UM and what their defense did last year, but this if last year is an indication, or the norm, we have a good thing going.

Frick, I am excited for college football this year.

Hockey

The Red Wings look solid through 20.  If there is a rivalry I care about more than most other ones, it is Red Wings v. Blackhawks.  From being spit on, being told to move back to my burnt out buildings, and having food thrown on me from a moving vehicle, I do not care for the Blackhawks or their fans. 

40 more minutes of what the Wings just did and we should have out 7th? straight win. 

Round Up!

First let's start with some football!  MSU has two recruits for the class of 2013 so far.  UM is at 5 (now upwards of 8) I want to say.  We have so far had verbal pledges from Gerald Holmes, a running back out of Flint, Michigan and Jon Reschke, a middle linebacker out of Bloomfield, Michigan.  Holmes had offers from MSU, CMU and Toledo, but also had intersted from Iowa, UM and Illinois.  Hard to say how concrete that is this early.  There is little scouting done on Holmes at this point, however, there should  be more as the summer comes and goes.   Allen Trieu of Scout has stated that Holmes has both good size and speed and missed a lot of opportunity to be seen due to an injury that caused him to miss half the season. The potential is there.

Reschke is a consensus four star linebacker at this point.  Again, due to how early this is, there is not a lot written, though ESPN lists him as a top 150 watch list (UM has 3 or 4 commits on that list already).  Jon had offers from MSU and Toledo but reportedly had interest from UM, PSU Wisconsin Northwestern and Stanford.  He seems to be a quality pickup and could end up as a top three player from the state of Michigan for the 2013 class.

Don't you just love Twitter?  Please read below.  Here are some favorites:

TerryRichardson: thats why u just a fan loser ass fuck off n get a life you fag.

AJ Williams: I smell pussy!!!

OndrePipkins:  That nigga look like a slave from Roots

MarioOjemudia:  Did bitch ass Mr. B really give me a 79.6%?  .....    the same teacher that stopped me during a test to make me give him autograph, and stops lessons just to talk about football.

I am just glad to see that America's youth is both respectful of all kinds of diversity and getting a solid education.  I am also glad that this was for UM commits, because I am sure MSU ones have similar thoughts.  I think this stuff is pretty serious, the website also states that were recruiting violations mentioned as well as alcohol use but they did not put that stuff up for legal reasons. 

I generally do not tolerate sexual or racial slurs.  I hope you all feel the same way.
 
 (I havn't read the other schools at all, Pat might be interested in the OSU ones.)
Michigan Twitter Accounts

MSU got a solid win over Purude two days ago, and UM got a huge win over OSU.  This moves MSU up to #6 and UM to #11. Not too shabby.  Right now MSU has a one game lead over OSU and UM.  The next game is Wednesday at Minnesota.  With future games homes to Nebraska at Indiana and home to OSU.  The remaining leg is tough, this game at Minny is a must win. 

That's all for now.  I should get a post up tomorrow during the Minnesota game.

Montana

Montana is nice.  Makes it hard to post anything though. Clearly my counterpart has nothing to say.  After MSU wins in bball and hockey.  I keep saying that I will try to get a post up but then I end up drinking like 9 beers at 8,000 feet.  Tonight, I have no plans in preparation for a day of snowboarding in Bridger Bowl.  So tonight, I will try to recap some things. 

Nice win against OSU, eh?  What say you!

Rivalry

This is the greatest rivalry in sports.  Joe Frazer died today.  Respect.  And in case you were wondering, both of these men would whoop Pacquiao and Mayweather.

Wait Commit?

Jim Comparoni, on Twitter today, mentioned a little bit about 2012 football recruits.  The recruit in particular is Tevin Coleman.  He had visited MSU for the Wisconsin game. Which makes me want to list my top ten commits want list for the class of 2012.  Currently MSU has 14 commits and should settle in somewhere around 20.  So with about 6 scholarship spots left, here are the top 10 I would want to see going green.

1.  Adolphous Washington.  ESPN has him listed as high interest for us, along with Alabama and Ohio State.  Yikes.
2.  Monty Madaris.  Big bodied wide  with ball skills that would fit perfectly.
3.  Jordan Diamond.  All world offensive lineman, I bet he goes to Michigan.
4.  Jordan Diggs.  A safety with big time offers and MSU family ties.
5.  Kelby Latta.  A LARGE offensive lineman out of Michigan holding an offer from Wisconsin.  Be good to get an O lineman Wisconsin wants.
6.  William Mahone.  A bruising running back with speed to burn as well.
7.  Demetrious Cox.  An athlete out of Pennsylvania that would likely play safety,  Cox or Diggs would both be good gets.
8.  Bam Bradley.  Hard hitting defensive back.
9.  Darious Hamilton.  Big mean run stopper out of New Jersey.  I think we have a better chance of getting Jordan Diamond though...
10.  Derek David.  A good tackler with a large body already, would be a great run stopper.  But with our Tampa Two, he might need to learn to pass cover more. 

(all recruits listed have MSU as at least a medium interest on ESPN)

The top four I listed are the recruits I want MSU to get the most, in that order.  I think we will get two of those top four.  Namely, Madaris and Diggs.  However, Harlon Barnett has been recruiting Washington hard, is friends with his coach and a graduate of the same high school.  We might sneak in.  MSU needs offensive lineman, so getting Diamond and Latta would be great.  Latta looks to be a beast of a man.  Plus, I don't want Diamond going to UM.

Lets go to the Rose Bowl and wrap this recruiting class up. 

Housekeeping

Pat did not want to mention the background change.  He is still hung up on this whole Will Gholston thing.  So I will go ahead and point out the obvious, and the stuff that has been mentioned previously.  Pat and I bet the background.  We, so far, have only settled on the MSUum football game.  So I hope everyone enjoys Joel Foreman and the Paul Bunyan trophy.  I do not think it will be back in the Ann Arbor anytime soon.  East Lansing is a little more Paul Bunyan country anyway. 

After a few weeks I will revert to a a more school neutral photo. 

Coming up tomorrow?  Some thoughts on the Wisconsin game.  Early thought?  I do not feel good about this. 

Victory for MSU

We will make this both a game recap and a gloat post. If anything, Pat and I are good at predicting the outcomes of games.  Though we were slightly wrong.  Pat thought that running the football would mean it would open up the game for Kirk and Cuningham.  I have to say, I agreed with that coming into the game, boy were we wrong.  Instead, MSU just pounded it out on the ground.  Pound Green Pound, indeed.  With a 213 to 82  rushing advantage, both my goal of 150 yards and Pats prediction of averging over 5 ypc for MSU were true.  Edwin Baker looked the best he has all year.  This game was close in the first half, and could have swung in Michigan's favor if not for the stiffing defense.  Overall, Denard Robinson was 9-24 for 123 yards along with 18 rushes for 42 yards.  If any UM fan tries to say we do not have a dominate defense, you, plain and simple, should kill yourself because you're wasting Earth's resources by being alive.  Denicos Allen had a huge game, along with William Gholston.

(Gholston has beeng receving a lot of criticism from the little sisters and I would like to address that.  Reviewing the face punch, I do not see anything wrong with that.  Yes it is beyond dumb to do that, but when you're provoked, you react.  This is what you get when you grab a guy by the face, the pads and unnecessarily bring him to the ground.  On the head twist, I did not see any replays of that and will have to watch the tape later in the week to see.  Apparently, Gholston got a little over zealous on Denard and twisted his head in the pile.  That is just not acceptable, and I can see him being suspended if that is true.)

(Future All-American)

 
Overall, the MSU defensive line abused Michigans offensive line.  There was no answer for our blitzes and for our athleticism off the edge.  I heard child services was called into the Michigan locker room because of the abuse.

The UM d was solid, I will give them that.  I wont let Pat say that UM left points on the field, because for every touchdown UM left on the field, MSU left 10 points.  This is what defense is, it makes teams leave points on the field.  I think its about time the Mike Martin hype ends.


On Kirk Cousins.  His passing game was effective even with the lack luster stats.  There were three dropped passes that were in the hands of receivers.  One would have included about 30 yards after catch.  However, what Kirk did doe was attack the sides of the UM defense.  This lead to both MSU passing touchdowns.  There was little answer for Keyshawn Martin on the sideline.  In what looked like the same play on both Touchdowns, I don't think anyone saw them coming.  (all of MSU's offensive touchdowns were in front of my season tickets, whammy)

That was good game, and the father son, Michigan MSU combo sitting in front of me was enjoyable.

Four more years!

5-1 (2-0)

Running backs and Linebackers.

Up next and for the double dip blog post, Pat and I will look at the linebackers and running backs.  

(Here is Pat with the Michigan running backs.)

Michigan's running backs are a very interesting unit.  They have an array of talent but no true go-to back.  Vincent Smith is small but could possibly be the toughest player on the entire football team.  He's the best pass blocker of the running backs, has some shiftiness and runs as hard as anyone you'll find.  I really like Toussaint as I think he has the best potential of being a mail carrying running back of anyone on the roster.  The coaches seem to agree as he has gotten the most carries so far this season.  I think this is the most underrated unit on Michigan's team because they aren't featured as much with Denard in the lineup.  MSU's stable of backs is better but I don't think the gap in talent is vast.  Vincent Smith would get playing time for the Spartans for sure.  

Michigan State has a threeish headed monster in the running game.  There's Baker, Bell and Caper. LLP.  Baker is the stud back, the guy they call rock.  However, he has had a less than stellar season so far espeically after last year.  From watching the games, I do not think this is because of the offensive line play, rather Baker seems to be making poor reads.  Last year he would make the right cut and spring a run.  This year he seems to be making a cut into the back of his own players.  Bell is a bigger back - runs with a lot of power and is known for this ability to stay on his feet after contact.  Caper has been relegated to the third down back roll, but is a major threat to catch the ball out of the back field.  He is more than capable to run as a #1 overall back.   Caper gets the majority of his yards on screen passes and roll outs.  He has broken a few runs this year and has a nice fresh set of legs at the end of the game.  

(Here is Pat with the Michigan Linebackers)

Michigan's linebacking core is the weakest unit on the team.  It mixes inexperience with a lack of quality depth and talent.  They are still much better than the last couple of seasons.  Kenny Demens is a real life B1G middle linebacker and leads the team in tackles.  Brandin Hawthorne got a chance due to injury and has not ceded his spot since.  His continued improvement is of great importance to Michigan's defense going forward.  He has been a boom/bust type of player who will make plays and also make some mistakes.  Jake Ryan is the third starter and has been a very good young player.  He too will make occasional errors but seems to correct them, even within a game. (coaching is good to have)

The linebackers aren't going to be a unit that wins Michigan a game but they can be solid, make plays when given the chance and help to shut down MSU's running game.  An interesting matchup here IMO is when MSU tries to get the edge.  Can Ryan keep contain and keep Baker and Bell from getting to the sideline? 

(the current Michigan backers are a long way from the "glory" days)

The Spartan linebackers I am very so so about.  I will say I am very excited about them next year.  Denicos Allen is my favorite backer of the group. He has tremendous speed and athleticism off the edge.  Chris Norman and Steve Gardiner kind of split starts and time pretty evenly.  Both are similar sized and what Gardiner lacks in speed he makes up for in hitting power.  Finally in the middle is Max Bullough, straight out of traverse city st. francis.  He has been very surprising to me. He has played well and is a big body. Max checks defenses at the line and is a vocal leader out there. Were gonna need Max to have the best game of his career.    Our linebacker core is the type Dantonio had at OSU with speed on the edge and big bruiser in the middle.  As we are now, I miss the speed Greg Jones had in the middle and we might miss him even more against Denard.  I really look to Denicos to be a difference maker in this game, his speed will be necessary to help contain Denard and cover WR's.

(Pat's analysis of today's posts. ) Tbone will interject where necessary.

Summary:  The WR units are a push.  MSU's running backs are better than Michigan's but not by a giant margin. (agreed 100%.  UMs are all a lot faster in open space, but they do not really seem to have any sort of elusiveness.  In my opinion they rely on  getting the edge.) I know they are a young unit (and Tbone will give us more insight) but I think MSU's linebackers are better than Michigan's.  I do, however, like Michigan's secondary more than MSU's.  (Tbone may disagree)  I just feel like people are still rating Michigan's secondary based on what happened the last few seasons and not what they've seen so far this year.  This year, they've been pretty good. (yes, they've been pretty good for half of a game.  This unit lacks any ability to cover a guy down field.  Next year I can see them being very solid.  MSU's secondary is the best part of their defense in my opinion, so I will 100% disagree with you that UM's is better.)

When it comes to match-ups on what was posted today...

Here's Pat!
When the Spartans have the ball:   I like Michigan's secondary versus anyone but Cunningham, who I think will have another big game.  He's unlikely to be shut down and will make a few plays.  I think Michigan's linebackers will do well against the Spartans running game but that is more due to offensive line issues for MSU than the ability of the guys toting the rock.  

And now tbone

When the Wolverines have the ball it will be necessary to keep Denard in check.  Our secondary needs to have good coverage so that when Denard throws the ball, there is an opportunity for an interception. The MSU linebackers will be need to bottle the run game at spots while also keeping in check the underneath pass throw.  UM likes to make a quick pass to the tight end, we need to guard against that, and the fakes built off of that.

 

Back to you Pat!
When Michigan has the ball:  I like Michigan's WRs to do what they do.  They aren't going to make huge plays but they will be open because of the stress that Robinson puts on a defense.  Michigan's running backs I think may struggle in this game.  It will be interesting to see if Michigan tries to get Vincent Smith in space with a lot of screens or if they simply abandon giving the ball to the running backs and rely heavily on Denard.  I could see something like 50-60 yards for the running backs in this game on a limited number of carries (around 15).

And finally, tbone

When MSU has the ball look for a balanced attack.  We will need to establish a run game to get space in the passing game.  As mentioned earlier, Cunningham should have a big game but I hope Cousins does not try to force feed him.  The Spartan receivers will need to catch it when thrown to them.  I feel Dion Sims can be the biggest difference maker for the offense.  When running the ball, it will be pretty evenly split between Baker and Bell.  I do not know who is going to have a good game, but I like the thought of Baker breaking out of his funk, he ran very well against Michigan last year.  If we rush for 150 yards, we win this game easily. 

Wide Receivers and Defensive Backs

Well let pat start us out here:

Michigan's WRs are a good unit that does not have any one explosive play maker.  That aside, they have made plays this year.  JR Hemingway is the best of the bunch and he's got great size and leaping ability.  If he's one on one with a DB, Denard is liable to put one up there and let him go win a jump-ball.  This is a good, deep unit.  Jeremy Gallon has made a big move to become really the most targeted of all the wideouts.  Kevin Koger is a solid TE who provides another option in the passing game.   I know Tbone loves MSU's wide receivers, and BJ Cunningham is very good, but I think Michigan's personnel matches up very well here.  I've heard about how good Jamar Adams (ed note, pat informed me this was an honest mistake, but we need some locker room material) and the Spartans secondary is playing so it will be interesting to see how this match-up plays out.  This has been a positive unit for Michigan this season and should continue that on Saturday.  If any of these guys make a spectacular play it is only icing for Michigan's offense, they aren't relied upon to carry the O (whereas I think Cunningham might be). 


(Now it is time for Tbone)
The MSU WRs are the best in the B1G  and Cunningham is one of the top three in the B1G alone.  There is not a lot to say about him other than he has hands like pillows, and has a knack for finding the ball.  Cousins and Cunningham have worked well together and obviously have a strong link and trust in one another.  In spite of Nichol not having a great year, he hasnt been passed to a whole lot.  When he has been, he has caught it, currently, Nichol is averaging about 15 yards per catch.  He is more up the middle because of his big size.  Do not expect to see Nichol streaking down the sideline. He is our strongest WR and when you have arms that make ladies swoon, does it matter? 

Martin had not done a lot both as a WR and as a KR.  I do not expect a lot out of him, out side of a kick returner.  His hands are medicore but he does have good speed,  It would be nice if he broke one of those screen passes for like 40 yards.  Bennie Fowler should be back for this game.  Dont expect a lot out of him but he is the wide receiver of the future.  Tony Lippet has also looked good in spot action.  Not a lot to say about those two based on limited action.  Tony has played both WR and DB,  he seems to have DB hands.... but that could be an inexperience thing.  Look for the MSU receivers to pick up yards on slants and quick passes and then open it up deep against the MI secondary.  I do not have a lot of faith in them as a defensive unit mostly due to the large amount of blitzing (the blitzing is something I do fear however).  A final WR note is Dion Sims.  If we can get him involved in the pass game more, he can do mucho damage against UM.  Sims is a tight end with a massive body and incredible athleticism.  I have loved Sims since the start, it would be nice if we used him more.

(from walk on to best player on the defense)

(Here comes Pat with the UM secondary)

Michigan's secondary is their most improved unit this season.  (Linebackers are a close 2nd).  If you don't love Jordan Kovacs you hate America.  At the other spots, there is actually good old-fashioned competition resulting in better play.  The corners have played well, not spectacular, but actually go 4 deep.  Thomas Gordon has been the major pleasant surprise.  He won the job over penciled in starter Carvin Johnson (Johnson still gets playing time) and has simply made plays.  He has forced fumbles and made interceptions.  It may be an aberration but Gordon's play so far this season would make him Michigan's best safety in three seasons.  That's not saying a ton but it certainly is encouraging.  This unit isn't going to blanket you and shut down an offense if the QB can sit in the pocket.  They also are much less likely to give up the gashing plays that crushed them in recent seasons.  Cousins will likely be given some short to intermediate things and Michigan will hope he makes a mistake when pressure gets home.  Michigan's secondary has somehow turned into something of a strength but that notion will certainly be tested this weekend.  MSU will move the ball and get yards but their ability to finish drives will be something to watch for as Michigan's defense has been opportunistic in creating turnovers and getting stops on 4th down


(Finally, Tbone with the MSU secondary)
I love our secondary.  I think is very good, the LBs help but we will get to them later in the day.  I don't know who Jamar Adams is, but Johnny Adams is our top DB.  Look for pat to remember his name.  Johnny has had some silly late hit penalties, I hope hes over that.  Darqueze Dennard,   is the other DB, hes a little larger than Johnny and has shown good ability to track the ball.  Isiah Lewis and Trentonn Robinson are the safeties.  Robinson is a senior and a captain.  He plays good D, is a vocal leader and I expect him to have a good game.  Lewis is a second year player who was highly recruited.   This has been his first year starting.  He is a big hitter but has shown at times to blow some assignments. I expect the db's to lock up on JR hemming way and try to push him to the outside.  Hemmingway is a good receiver averaging over 20 yards per catch.   If we can slow him down, I think that will go a long way to stopping UM's aerial attack.   Along with that, Johnny Adams has blitzed at times and he has good explosiveness, this could come in handy to keep Robinson off his game.  

(whats my name?)

On Rivalries Week

The battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy takes place this Saturday at noon in East Lansing.  Spartans are confident riding their 3 game win streak in the series and need to be reminded of the series all-time record of  67-31-5.  (it should be noted that um is a mere 34-22-2 since the Paul Bunyan trophy was established.  thats what?  a JLSmith tenure worth of dominance?- tbone)  This year, what appears to be two evenly matched teams will do battle.  To better prepare you, Tbone and I will provide a rundown of a match-up of personnel and try to figure out who has an advantage in this game.

Up today, the battle in:  

The Trenches

Big Ten games are usually decided by who wins the battle up front.  While this battle won't be the only one we discuss it may just be the most important. 

First up: Michigan's D-Line 

He's crazy...good. Crazy and good? Yeah maybe that's it

Michigan's defense is vastly improved and a lot of the credit needs to go to a veteran defensive front.  They aren't the biggest defensive line in the B1G but they do have a lot of talent.  Mike Martin has had games in his career when he was a one man wrecking crew but has battled some injuries that have slowed him down.  He appears to be healthy and regularly taking on double teams.  He has the capability to make big plays when Cousins drops back and also will be stout in the run game.  Ryan Van Bergen is the epitome of solid, he has a high motor and never stops pursuing the football.  Craig Roh has really picked up his game lately and will be a factor in the pass rush.  In an ideal world, Michigan will shut down the Spartans running game and get after Cousins in obvious passing situations with the blitz.

The defensive line for Michigan is not a dominating unit but they are a solid Big Ten D-line.  If the Spartans oft discussed offensive line issues are for real, Michigan has players capable of exploiting the weakness. 

And that brings us to...

Tbone on the Spartans O-line

I wrote this when Pat and I started the blog.

(This is a legit concern. And I wont even try to argue otherwise.  However, I will try to talk them up a bit.  Skylar Burkland is a redshirt freshman and I haven't read one bad thing about him.  Hes big, hes fast, and is knocking the defensive ends on their asses in scrimmage. Jared Mcgaha, is a senior, he has played in every eligible season and has started. hes not as thick as Dan However, Jared is 6-6. Dan France came from the defensive line.  However, he was originally recruited as a OT out of high school. This unit will make mistakes, false starts, etc.  Hopefully they will learn quick..... And you may remember this position switch, he came from the defensive line. O, here's an image:

 










 (plus with all this youth, imagine the unit next year, sounds like future best OL in the B1G.)

This still rings true and after the OSU game, we look pretty good.  I think Travis Jackson is a huge difference maker for the offensive line.  The OSU defense is solid, and after watching us give up zero sacks I feel fairly good about our ability to keep Cousins clean against UM.  This is obviously a huge difference maker, if UM can get to Cousins and get him nervous in the pocket and throwing off the back foot, it will be a long day.  I do not have a lot to say about the offensive line because I write about them every week.

(Pat interjects: Doesn't Burkland's injury turn a line with question marks and upside into a cross your fingers and pray situation?) 

So it looks like Tbone is cautiously optimistic with regards to the Spartans O-line play in this game.  Let's see how he feels about the...

Spartans Defensive line

Validating the preseason hype?

The defensive line is a different story. Again, to use the OSU game, our defensively line was dominant.  Will Gholston finally had a coming out party, and is excellent in pursuit.  This game will be a little different and the OSU game was no reason to believe we can win a game solely on defense.  Sure, we won the game basically on defense but OSU's offense is that bad.  (i think the Nebraska game was a fluke).  Keeping Denard  inside the tackles and making him throw will be a huge advantage for MSU.  There is no mistaking his ability to run the ball, his passing game leaves a lot to be desired.  Jerel Worthy needs to have a monster game especially after all the news surrounding his tattoo.  Something else to watch are hits Denard takes.  He took a lot of hits early in the Northwestern game and seems, this year, to have a great ability to bounce back.  It is always nice to get hits on the quarterback and hitting Denard, and maybe seeing UM put in an unproven QB in would be monumental.  Marcus Rush is a legit pass rushing threat.  He is a red shirt freshman defensive end who has high motor and this year has shown her can play.  Anthony Rashad White is the nose tackle, 6-2 320 pounds of hurt.  He hasnt really done a lot to impress me, but with that kind of girth he can plug holes.    If we are to win this game, the defensive line needs to get through UM's offensive line and bottle up Denard.  Stop him from running rampant and we can win this.

(Pat interjects again:  I heard in the off-season that this Spartan unit was going to be the strength of the entire team.  I've seen some concrete evidence to back that up but also have some lingering doubts.  Namely, the schedule thus far.  MSU has played some horrendous offenses.)

And to round it out...

Michigan's O-line

Thin to win

Even in the disappointing 2010 season, Michigan ran the football.  Most have attributed that success to Denard Robinson's crazy ability (that's true, obviously) but the offensive line is also deserving of plenty of credit.  Taylor Lewan will play left tackle in the NFL and David Molk will play center.  This unit (starting unit, depth is worse than shaky) is probably the best on Michigan's team.  They do come into the Spartan game with a few question marks and namely, will they be asked to drive block or zone and reach block?  They are less than mediocre at the former and tremendous at the latter.  Recruited to run the spread for Rodriguez, these guys are big but very mobile.  They aren't Wisconsin's offensive line but they are damn effective.  My expectation is that you'll see a lot of zone read this weekend as well as other zone blocking schemes to best utilize the personnel.  If Michigan tries to line up and pound the ball against MSU they may have some problems.  I'm confident Borges recognizes this and you'll see Michigan gain yards on the ground.

The match-up of Sparty d-line and UM o-line will likely determine this game.  Watch to see if Denard finds grass, if he does Michigan will be in good shape.  If Denard is constantly harassed because of pressure and third and long, well that's the other option. 

In a hypothetical world where you are the GM of an NFL team (or NBA or any pro sport)...Would you rather draft with the first and 4th picks or the 2nd and 3rd?

In my own humble opinion, I think the Spartans have the better defensive line, (1st pick), Wolverines the better offensive line (pick 2), but whereas the Michigan d-line is solid (3rd pick), the Spartans o-line is unproven and a huge question mark (pick...4? 8? 52?)

This is the week that this blog was created for so let's get some discussion in the comments.  Tell me how wrong (or right) you think I am. 

Up tomorrow: running backs and wide receivers.