Diaries

So I skimmed through "Irish"'s hyperbolic preview and I thought, "ok, well allow me to retort."

ND Offense:
Playing against a WAC defense must be every OC's wet dream.  Nevada's DB's were small, and slow, and timid.  ND seemed concerned about Nevada's DE's who managed to make a few plays, and so they ran a lot of screens and draws and even some QB zone read from the wildcat.  Nearly every deep pass was off of playaction.  The running game looked better than it had in recent memory, but against a pretty soft defense. Most of the runs were off tackle or outside.

QB: Clausen did look pretty sharp. But he's still not very mobile and was taken down by the shoelaces  on several occasions.  He was making good decisions and was very accurate on the deep balls.  Has a good playfake. His confidence seemed pretty high (as it should be vs. last year's 119th ranked pass defense) and was putting the ball on guys even when they were covered.  Against our more athletic DB's this should result in more tipped balls and hopefully an interception or two.  He was continually throwing high to his taller wideouts and TE's.  Lucky for him that his receivers are tall and strong.  Cryst looked like a real QB (not some gay balding emu) but very inexperienced.  If Clausen goes down, there is a big drop off.

RB:  Armando Allen was the featured back, and he has good speed.  Likes to cut to the outside.  Not a real strong runner and doesn't break very many tackles.  Was used in a wildcat formation several times.  Jonas Gray (who we remember as the guy that Carr and staff passed over for Mike Cox) has pretty thick legs and good speed.   He's more of a straight line runner who can run through arm tackles but doesn't have much wiggle. Their third back Riddick or something showed off some good hurdling ability but not much else.

TE: Rudolph (i think) looks like a good pass catcher who is pretty nimble for being so tall, but he's a bit skinny to be an effective run blocker.

WR: Floyd and Tate are the real deal.  Floyd is a bit taller and stronger at 6'4".  His two long catches came on a jump ball where he out muscled the defender and kept his feet and the second was on a simple buble screen where tate got a great block and Floyd used his speed around the outside. 

OL: This unit was not very exceptional in speed, size, or strength, but they seemed much more technically sound than in the past two years when they couldn't block anyone.   They executed pretty well on screens and did a fairly good job of giving clausen time. 

ND Defense:
Can you say blitz?  Can you say blitz 47 times? (estimate).   ND's front seven was pretty unexceptional in every way.  The only time they looked good was when they brought 6 guys and someone came through unblocked. But that was frequent enough to kill drives after Nevada had marched into ND territory. 

This was one of the least impressive shutouts I've ever seen. Nevada missed a FG, had an unforced fumble in the redzone, and pretty much marched up and down the field on ND until something flukey happened to keep the from scoring.  It was 28-0 at the half but could have easily been 28-17.  ND got some help from its crowd which caused a couple false starts and delays of game once nevada got to the closed ends of the field.  The only play that really made you stand up and say "Now that's good D!"  was when they got penetration on 4th and inches to stop another scoring threat. 

Dline:   Nothing to really note here.  They didn't fight through blocks very well and were not much of a factor in the game.  Nevada's Oline was opening up running seams left and right to the tune of 150+ yards and over a 5 yard per carry average. 

LB: Showed good speed on the blitz, and the blitzes came from all over.  But they didn't seem very strong or smart.  Nevada's QB (who is a pretty good runner, and kind of looks like a cross between vince young and Gumar, but sadly Whitecastle is not in Korea) managed to get away from them several times.  Their best player is a true frosh from Hawaii who doesn't start.  He has good instincts and brings the hammer, but can probably be tricked into a bad play or two. 

DB's:  Hard to evaluate here.  They seemed to tackle well, but they weren't pushed very hard as Nevada was missing their best receivers from last year and the Nevada QB had a problem with slippery balls (No giggling!) This probably means that the DB's have gotten better since the days of Manningham getting "OH, WIDE OPEN!".  Not being mentioned much is a vast improvement over the toastings they used to get with regularity. But, with so much blitzing it was strange to see the DB's playing so far back at the snap. 

Conclusions:
ND definitely looks better, but they're vulnerable on both sides of the ball.  I like the way we match up with them.  We seem to have faster and stronger athletes along both lines.  And with home field advantage and barring any major injuries we should be able to answer anything they throw at us.

When we have the ball:
Our RB's against their front seven looks like a definite advantage for us.  We should be able to control the pace of the game with our rushing attack and put together lots of long drives. The key in the passing game will be all about our ability to pick up the blitz.  We need a big day from the TE's are RB's and good communication along the line.  But I expect our QB's to run for over 100 yards and our RB's to combine for 150.  So here's to hoping that Koger, Webb, Brown, Minor, and Grady (24) have a great week of practice.

When they have the ball:
If we can get pressure with our Dline, we should be able to shut down their offense pretty well.  Graham and Roh should be able to get around their tackles, and Martin shouldn't have much problem with their centers and guards.  Donovan should be glued to Floyd all day and Bouboucar on Tate if he's healthy.  Stevie can take their TE.  That just leaves our other LB's vs. their RB's on screens and zone options.  This looks like a push or a slight ND advantage.  The one thing we cannot do is fall for their excellent playaction.  We need a big game from our safeties.

I expect we'll be able to move the ball with ease.  I'm just not sure how our 3rd, 4th, and 5th DB's will hold up.  I expect ND will gain decent yardage on screens and a few runs, but we might give up a huge play every now and then.  I think the game will be shortened due to long drives and we'll pull out a squaker in the 34-30 range as we control the clock and their D gets tired.

Or if we can knock out Clausen it'll be 38-0.

Intro is same as offense version here, http://mgoblog.com/diaries/my-nd-preview-um-offense

All right so I am going to start this off by saying 2 things #1 UM’s win over WMU is great for everyone.  ND fans are more excited about this game than before, obviously the entire stadium was rocking with support of UM and the coaching staff and the entire team looked like they were having a great time.  Although everyone on the team didn’t experience last year, it looked like they all came together to put any fears of that repeating fully to bed.  I fully congratulate UM on their win and I mostly wish them success in the future.

 Before we move on to #2 I want to put up this disclaimer: You probably will not like what I am going to post, and I won’t hold it against anyone if it results in some lashing out, I was prepared for that long before I registered.  Also remember that quite a few posters actually requested this write up so here it goes….

#2 ND is going to tear UM’s defense apart, still too harsh? :) So if you’re still with me, you would probably ask why is that?  The passing threats are self evident, Tate and Floyd are constant play makers and if a secondary focuses on them with coverage then Rudolph or the Kamara coming out of the slot will burn teams up the middle.  A team sells out to the pass and the running game will kick in.  The running game will probably never be the shoulders this offense rides on but it began to show its teeth in week 1.  The new additions to the staff have already proven their worth in regards to the running game.  If your still still reading you shouldn't take that #2 statement too literally, it was just meant to weed out the undesirables.

UM Defense:

Secondary

WMU did not challenge UM’s defense and their short pass play calling allowed the secondary to play close to the line of scrimmage and support the run. The UM secondary was challenged maybe a total of 4 times with passes attempted over 15 yards. 

One was knocked down, and another fell incomplete when Hiller had 4 defenders break through his Oline causing him to throw early.  The last 2 completions both came late in the 2nd quarter on the last drive when WMU actually looked like they had a decent offense, though it stalled out a few plays later.  There were 2-3 drives that WMU was able to move the ball and they did it with a balanced attack by going with 10yardsish passes which pulled back the secondary and allowed for some respectable runs up front.  The only pass that took advantage of UM crowding the LOS was the 73 yard TD pass which was about a 30 yard pass and 43 YAC, that should worry UM fans more than anything. 

That type of attack is what you will see from ND though the ratio might be more like 2:1.  UM’s run support will not be able to rely on help from a secondary, they will have their hands full with our WRs.  ND will stretch the field, unlike anything WMU did.

Also where did all the excitement over Donovan Warren come from?  He did lead the team in tackles with 6.5 but he also generated 45 yards in penalties with 2 Pass interception penalties and a personal foul, which was away from the ball and the camera.  I would not be surprised one bit if he gets picked on next week by the play calling.  Especially if he still doesn’t think that he deserved those penalties on those particular plays; it could be a long game for him. 

Front 7

UM’s front 7 really took apart WMU’s line repeatedly.  The Oline was confused and lost, letting rushers through unchallenged.  They too got out of position and it led to the defense being able to drop the backs and QB for losses.  Overall UM tackled well, and didn’t let up really at all during the game.  Those front 7 will be looking across at an upgraded Oline this week though. Nevada’s pass rush last year was no slouch and they got pressure on clausen a couple times, they returned 2 DEs who totaled 23 sacks last season* and 15 tackles for loss. [EDIT]> The ND line did a great job giving Clausen time, he did feel the pressure a couple times, and Nevada did get one sack. There is no doubt Clausen will feel a strong pass rush this week, Brandon Graham will be a strong force on the outside and the ND Oline will need to have to slow him down in order to give Clausen time to pass.   The ND rushing attack was nowhere near amazing last week but it was a respectable 172 yards with 4.3 yds/c.  I am excited to see how physical they will be against the UM front, who showed their teeth against the WMU front regularly

[*EDIT: both DE's sack totals came from less than stellar competition and were probably not good indicators of NDs Oline strength]

Overall though the UM front 7 showed they can bring pressure regularly and that the Oline has to be ready for it to come from anyone.  The secondary probably had one of their easiest games of the season, and came away with just as many questions as a week ago, IMO.   The ND Oline will not tire as easily as WMU’s did and when they do, we again have depth to rotate them out.

Looking at how both teams match up against each other, you have to give ND the advantage.  ND’s passing attack vs an inexperienced UM secondary with little depth.  If you can’t stop the pass in the secondary that pass rush upfront will become even more important. And with the way the ND Oline shut down the 2 Nevada DEs I can’t see it being enough to stop the passing attack. Then you have the true freshman QBs under regular pressure from whatever blitz has been dialed up, and a secondary that doesn’t give an inch anywhere on the field and I still see ND having the advantage. 

With that all said, ND is playing at UM, in front of 108,000 anti-fans who are going to be loud the entire game, angry the entire game and ready to win again.  If UM can come out strong early and continue the same type of play they had against WMU, it will be a close game till the end no matter what advantage I may think ND has.

All right so I am going to start this off by saying 2 things #1 UM’s win over WMU is great for everyone.  ND fans are more excited about this game than before, obviously the entire stadium was rocking with support of UM and the coaching staff and the entire team looked like they were having a great time.  Although everyone on the team didn’t experience last year, it looked like they all came together to put any fears of that repeating fully to bed.  I fully congratulate UM on their win and I mostly wish them success in the future.

 Before we move on to #2 I want to put up this disclaimer: You probably will not like what I am going to post, and I won’t hold it against anyone if it results in some lashing out, I was prepared for that long before I registered.  Also remember that quite a few posters actually requested this write up so here it goes….

#2 ND is going to tear UM's offense apart, too harsh? :).  So if you’re still with me, you would probably ask why is that?  Nevada was a great game for week 1 with their running QB a perfect example of what to expect next week, a prolific running game to test the entire defense against.  Not only did the defense perform well they shut Nevada out.  The ND offense spoke for itself, 500+ yards of total offense, 300+ of it through the air.  It looked like the Hawaii game all over again. If your still still reading, please don't take that statement #2 literally, it was just meant to weed out the undesirables 

Offensive Comparisons:

QBs

ND just faced a more refined, experienced and dynamic QB in Kaepernick, than either Denard or Tate are right now, he is a proven threat anytime he has the ball.  Racking up 2800 yards passing with 22 TDs and another 1300 yds on the ground with 17 more TDs and leading Nevada’s rushing attack to #3 in the nation last season.  ND not only kept him from scoring they held him to 149 in the air and 39 on the ground.  He was sacked 3 times, and pressured every time he tried to throw.

Denard ended the UM game going 2 for 4, both completions were high throws leading to acrobatic catches by receivers and little YAC.  The incompletions were both errant passes, with either the QB or receiver going the wrong direction or the ball being thrown away.  There were also occasions where he didn’t go through his entire sets of reads and took off running before any pressure came, never even seeing open receivers.  It was obvious to me that he wants to run, and doesn’t feel comfortable in the pocket.  That pocket is going to get much smaller next week with a constant pass rush.  Forcier did a much better job passing going 13 for 20.  Taking every pass he attempted in the first half, they were split pretty even with 5 under and another 5 over 15 yards.  The longer passes only produced 2 completions, both of which were TDs with one being an entirely blown assignment by WMU’s D.  The other 3 all fell incomplete with a couple being overthrown or bad route running.  The remaining TD was an absolute thing of beauty, hit the receiver in stride and got 6 out of it.

WMU’s pass rush ran out of gas early in the game for the most part, probably as a result having to cover the scrambling QBs.  ND did a great job keeping after Kaeupernick, there is no reason to think they will suffer the same effects as WMU.  Looking at the QBs alone it seems pretty obvious ND can expect more running from the “QB” position.  Whether the play is designed to be a run or not, both have shown they can scramble very well.  Tenuta blitzes with regularity and both freshman will be feeling pressure all day long.  If the 2s and 3s are in, the blitz still comes. I would expect Denard to be viewed as a RB first and he will be blitzed on regularly as if he is a RB standing behind center.  Forcier will probably get a different look, with his better arm, but there is no doubt Corwin Brown is comfortable leaving our corners on islands forcing teams to pass with 8 to 9 guys in the box.  I think Forcier will see the most time at QB again and Denard will come in on occasion for a change of pace.  Even with Denard’s speed I think he will have the hardest time against our defense with all the pressure he will be feeling.

RBs

With Minor out of commission in week one it will be interesting to see him again a year later.  He will be the wild card on offense, there is no good way to predict how many touches he will get, when in week 1 the RBs only accounted for 28 of the 50 carries.  Will he see more touches being the #1 guy than Brown did?  Won’t be able to answer that till the game is over.  With that said, I expect a lot of run support coming from the safeties with the already mobile QBs when the RBs do get carries you can expect the safeties to be right there.  Taua, Nevada’s #1 RB averaged 6.4 yds/c a year ago, and continued that against ND with 6.3 in week 1.  The majority of his yards came at the end of the game though when the defense was content to keep the clock running.

WRs

This will be an obvious upgrade from Nevada to UM.  I am excited to see what they will do against UM’s receiving corp.  Junior Hemingway is the biggest threat in the passing game and he showed that in week 1.  But unless UM is regularly sending out 2 or 3 WR sets, he is going to be in for a boring day of running.  Our secondary is not only talented but also deep, I counted 4 defended passes during the Nevada game and the 2 interceptions also came from the secondary.  UM did fully prove my skepticism of them using their TEs in receiving wrong.  It will be interesting to see if Koger will be a regular target of the QBs or if he has his best game behind him.  UM would not appear to be as big of a test this week despite the increase in talent, because the majority of offense seems to be focused on the ground; even if that does not continue the ND secondary has shown they’re more than ready.

Oline

UM’s line did a good job of protecting all the passers and opened up running lanes pretty well for the most part.  The WMU Dline and pass rush very obviously ran out of gas in the first half.  Keeping up with the spread, and chasing after the QB really took a toll on them.  The pass rush ND will bring is going to be constant, they blitzed from the first down to the last in week 1, and as guys tire out there is another ready to take his place.  Our LBs and DLineman looked in great shape and there was very little drop off as they rotated through.  The UM Oline will not face a regular pass rush like this all year, it will be a strong test of their strength and stamina, something I look forward to with Barwis’s pedigree behind them.

The Nevada offense overall averaged 2 runs for every pass last season, in week 1 they ended up with a more even distribution with about1:1.  As a comparison UM ended with a 3:10 distribution of pass to run in week 1, which is not surprising as the entire 2nd half came off as “its time to run the clock”. Removing those plays the ratio falls to 1:3 pass:run, which I would expect to be a more ideal distribution.  The increase in run plays will bring the speedier lineman and LBs to the field so don’t expect to see the same guys up front from ND as in the Nevada game.  Denard is fast, but unless he is running down the field he looks hesitant and indecisive, that is what the ND rush will take advantage of.  ND was content with a bend but not break mentality with Nevada, which allowed Kaepernick to turn a scramble into a positive play, while still preventing him from turning an 8 yard play into something more.  UM will be seeing an entirely upgraded defense from the WMU game.  WMU’s secondary was much worse than I expected, the defense overall were bad tacklers, they over-pursued the ball carriers getting themselves out of position and unable to make a play on the ball.  Denard’s big run is the perfect example of it, he ran right at them and they ran right past.  ND showed their disciplined tacklers and that they’re ready to make a play on the ball anywhere on the field, its aggressive and will turn mistakes into points.

I'm venturing my way out to AA this weekend for the Michigan-Notre Dame game. Let's get loud and make Michigan the toughest place to play in America. A few pieces of advice for the beginner (and expert) fan. It's easier said than done people.

Leave the keys at home. You'll probably lose them in your drunken stooper anyways. Instead, bring a handful of change to the game and an UNOPENED water bottle (this way you won't have to pay ten bucks for a bottle at the stadium). When inside, drink the water to sober up, and put the change in the bottle and you'll have something that's 100 times louder than your keys could ever make. I'll be at the game with possibly over a thousand dollars in pennies, so look for me.

Don't wait till 3rd and 4th down on defensive possessions to make noise. Personally, I think it's more important to make noise on 1st and 2nd down because it puts the other team's offense in a more difficult situation on 3rd downs, thus making it easier for our defense to make a stop. But anyways, the whole idea is to make noise on EVERY defensive play.  [Also, good point made by a commenter. Don't wait till the opposing offense is set at the line to make noise. Shake those bottles and yell while they are in the huddle. Better yet, start yelling immediately when the previous play ends. Even better yet, DON'T STOP YELLING.]

When someone tells you to sit down (probably a Michigan man of the old generation) and stop making noise, ask them simply if they want Michigan to win. Most likely they'll say yes, and in kind respond, "Well sir, personally I believe it is my responsibility as a fan and spectator to stand up and cheer on our team to create a difficult atmosphere for our opponents." (Yes, say it like this in a sophisticated manner so that they can respect the message. If you talk like a smart-ass, that's when the old generation gets pissed and calls the usher/event staff).

Don't boo when you see Sheridan or someone who you think doesn't belong on the field get on the field. Rich Rod and his coaching staff know what they are doing. Have some confidence and trust in him. You get out there and hold up "In Rod We Trust" signs yet at the first sign of displeasure you boo. What is the deal? Get behind our players, even if it's a former walk-on who can't throw a 15 yard post. We should cheer louder to see scrubs get in the game.

Get there early and let's drown out those echoes that Notre Dame claims to hear. No Notre Dame chants/yells/screams should be heard. This is Michigan.

Anyways, I'll be providing Honest Analysis - University of Michigan v. University of Notre Dame when I get back to LA. Until then, go blue.

[Editor's note: Any current students need to get this message out. Print it out, post it in the dining halls, bathroom stalls, dorm hallways, at Charley's, at the Safe Sex Store, at Bubble Island, on South U, everywhere. It's easy to do. I'm not asking you to stand in the Diag handing out fliers (but if you want you should). Nobody will clown you or hate on you. If they do I'll throw pennies at them. Do your part as Michigan fans. Let's get this sh*t out there. Everyone needs to be on the same page. POST IT UP. And as I said at the beginning, it's easier said than done. Don't talk about it, be about it. POST IT UP. I will literally be at the game with rolls and rolls of pennies. Let's just say I had a good weekend in Vegas and the Michigan football team will be the beneficiary of that. POST IT UP.]

(Diarist Note: I edited the title. just trying to be a smartass)

Just some thoughts while watching the best team in Ohio destroy Rutgers in their season opener.

Brian covered a lot of ground in The Downgrade about the weekend that was for our Big 10 brethern. I will try to avoid being overly repetitive, but let me add a few more words to the discussion.

Th Big 10 spent the offseason seeing their reputation get skinned alive. Opening weekend only added more blood to the feeding frenzy. The public turned more anti-Big 10 with the early 2009 returns. For proof, lets go to the big betting board. Odds tilted in the favor of Big 10 foes for key upcoming games after the less than impressive debuts Saturday. Lets talk about them on a team-by-team basis.

OHIO STATE

They say home field advantage is worth three points in the spread, but aparently sleep walking your way through a game and nearly losing to a service academy at the buzzer is worth a few more.

The Buckeyes spent all summer as unshakeable 3.5-point underdogs in their showdown next week with USC. (Real quickly something to keep in mind: Books release Game of the Year Odds in the summer. They stay up all year, but always get pulled from the board sometime before the weekend action kicks in. They get re-released after the weekend games conclude)  This morning? Ohio State is now +7, a 3.5 point swing from Friday's line. Even more compelling on what kind of action the experts in the desert expect to see on the game is the fact that Las Vegas Sports Consultants, who release recommended lines, leaned to USC -4.5 just yesterday. Oddsmakers took one look at that, promptly said NOT GOOD ENOUGH and raised the action to a full touchdown in hopes of luring in some Buckeye money, that's not already invested in trailer park safety upgrades.

My take? Keep in mind that I dont see myself betting this game. I wasnt going to be taking OSU +3.5 and I remain unenticed at +7. Besides, I have people on the payroll in charge of slugging me if I ever bet against the Trojans when they're playing a Big 10 team. They are big, mean and goony looking.  I am not ready to test them yet.

That said, I do discount some of the lethargy we saw in the Shoe. Keep in mind, they were playing a team that has been to six bowl games in a row. That qualification alone should tell you that Navy brings more game to the table than the stereotypes built up in the public mind. I dont think the Buckeyes played with the right level of urgency coming out of the gates, perhaps a symptom of them coming out of the tunnel together with Navy in solidarity. Tressel didnt have their settings on 'Babby Eating' at the start and it showed as Navy was able to establish their offense. Once Navy does that, you're in trouble, no matter who you are.

Of course, Ohio State did allow a meticulous 99-yard TD drive, were dominated on third downs on both sides of the ball and made the Naval QB, in his second ever start, look like a good passer. He may be a good passer, but the performance eased a lot of fears out there that a Trojan QB making his first ever start could be overmatched on setting alone.

IOWA

The Hawkeyes own dismal performance against Northern Iowa was also worth a field goal in their own grudge match this coming Saturday. The Hawks travel to Ames to play Iowa State and initially were given the nod as 10-point favorites. The Cyclones have proven a Waterloo of sorts for Iowa backers, not only covering the spot in 10 of the last 11 games, but also winning seven of them outright, including 4-1 SUATS in games at Ames. On series history alone, despite how bad Iowa State appears to be, catching double digits looked mighty mighty tempting. Iowa laying chalk to Iowa State is Dutch for "Its a trap!" Little known fact.

The Hawkeyes were a mess on offense Saturday. They are supposed to have one of the best offensive lines in the country. Injuries and suspension forced them to play a brand new interior and the line could not control the point of attack against one the better FCS teams in the land. After playing depth chart games all summer long with their only legit deep threat Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa went more than two full quarters without him even stepping on the field. The Paki O'Meara experience as lead ball carrier went nowhere, giving way to Adam Robinson, a redshirt freshmen who is so obscure he didnt even have a Phil Steele number coming out of high school. And while Ricky Stanzi did get the passing game going, he was in midseason form with his patened 'No Stanzi' moments gift wrapping an early UNI score giving Hawk fans flashbacks to last year's Pitt game. Or was it Northwestern? Maybe MSU? You get the picture.

Kirk Calloway comes off suspension and will be back on the line and they could get injured starter Juilian Vandevelde back as well. Perhaps the DJK thing was a one game thing because they could get away with it against UNI. Ferentz has a history of unearthing sleeper running backs in these injury situations and Robinson's emergence might signal that continuation. Maybe Stanzi stops doing random and unexpected Anthony Morelli impersonations.

Maybe it all suddenly gets worked out this week with the despised Cyclones on the slate. At double digits, this looked attractive. Even though some of the icing have been wiped off, I still might take a bite of the cake at +7.  The history is strong in the series. Iowa has struggled to put points on the board against ISU in the past, and it didnt look last week that they're any better equipped to do so this go around.

ILLINOIS

Talk about laying an egg. Everyone was on Illinois. And everyone lost. When the Golden Nugget released its Games of the Year odds back in June, the Illini were just -2.5 in this game. By game time, the line was nearly a full touchdown. I cant shake the thought the Book came out way ahead on this one. 

Somehow all those talented defensive players flocking to Champagne and Juice Williams at QB have done nothing but get worse since arriving on campus. Welcome to the Ron Zook Experience. You could probably still buy real cheap tickets from Florida fans if you want a seat on the ride.

We wont see the Illini back on the betting board until September 26th when they travel to Columbus. They play FCS  team Illinois State this week and have a bye in the 19th. We have not seen the impact of the Illini's performance will have on the odds as future games have yet to be released since this weeks games arent officially over. But, they were +9.5 at OSU, +2.5 at home vs PSU and -7 at home vs UM. Those lines are being reconsidered, I am sure.

The Illini are a compelling team for me to follow. They topped Phil Steele's list of most improved team and could figure prominently in my theory of following those teams when they're catching points. After watching them play Missouri, I am expecting them to be an underdog now more often in their games. I cant wait. I need a drink.

MICHIGAN

Michigan was the most impressive Big 10 team on the day. Wait a sec, did I say that right? Let me try again. Michigan was the most impressive Big 10 team on the day. Really, its supposed to read that? Ok, thats why I trust my writers, I'll go with it. I'll start over.

Michigan was the most impressive Big 10 team on the day.

Like a lot of the Michigan fanbase, everybody on the outside is also trying to manage possible new expectations for Wolverines. Oddsmakers and the betting public, however, have not been impressed yet. At least as it pertains to the Notre Dame game.

If you recall, the summer line for this game opened at ND -2.5. Bettors wasted no time in pumping Irish money into the coffers and the line quickly raised to 3, then 3.5, where it rested for the rest of the summer. Now? It's at ND -4. It actually opened earlier today at -4.5, so maybe oddsmakers pushed it a little too far. We'll see.

Michigan was placed as an underdog in all 6 Games of the Year that oddsmakers released. Based on the intial reactions with the ND line, its hard to imagine a whole lot of movement on those lines. I am still intrigued to see what they look like after Saturday's debut. And, if Michigan adds a win against Notre Dame, it's safe to say that Michigan will probably reverse roles in at least a couple of those contests.

There were a couple other games for this coming Saturday that have seen major line shifts on account on opening week. Real quickly, UGA fell from an 11.5-point favorite to just 7 points against South Carolina last week. Somebody advised weeks ago to get in on the Gamecocks at that first number. TCU was going to be 5.5 -point road chalk at Virginia this week, but after the Cavs were dominated by William/Mary (Sorry, OC. Sorry, MaizeandBlueWahoo), the Horned Frogs are walling into Charlottesville as double digit chalk at -11.

As an alum living in Tampa, I'm curious to hear mgonation's account of its experience at The New Big House (TNBH) from Saturday.

I understand that construction is not yet completed, but figure that most of us will probably never take in a game from a luxury box anyway.  Accordingly, now is a good time to compare experiences from years past, which are still fresh in our heads, to those at TNBH.

Of course, all experiences from TNBH are welcomed/encouraged, but a few questions on which I'd be interested to hear feedback are as follows:

• How was the flow of fans around the exterior of the stadium with the new towers in place?
• Is it any easier/harder to get into your gate?
• Is it any easier to get to/through concession lines?
• Is it any quicker to get through the bathroom lines?
• Aesthetically, how do the towers look in person from inside and outside of the stadium?
• Do the towers make the stadium look more imposing, or do they look at all too big and/or out of place?
• And most importantly, was there a noticable difference in volume inside the stadium?  It sounded pretty loud on TV, but of course the fans had more to cheer about at this game than most games from last year.  If you were positioned at or near field level, I am particularly interested to hear your feedback.

Thanks.  Go Blue!