[Patrick Barron]

PUNT

By Bryan MacKenzie

Michigan State's continuing streak of continuing to annoying the bejezzus out of us... continues. But as I pointed out last week, it was not unexpected. You can only touch the cupcake so many times before it's your own fault for being shocked.

But this week, that's actually good news. Because this week, it is Indiana who is hoping to reverse the tide of history.

Let's review what has happened since 1968:

• Bump Elliot beat John Pont
• Bo Schembechler beat John Pont (twice)
• Bo Schembechler beat Lee Corso (8 times)
• Bo Schembechler beat Sam Wyche
• Bo Schembechler beat Bill Mallory (5 times)
• Gary Moeller beat Bill Mallory (3 times)
• Lloyd Carr beat Bill Mallory (twice)
• Lloyd Carr beat Cam Cameron (4 times)
• Lloyd Carr beat Gerry DiNardo (twice)
• Lloyd Carr beat Terry Hoepner (twice)
• Rich Rodriguez beat Bill Lynch (twice)
• Brady Hoke beat Kevin Wilson (twice)
• Jim Harbaugh beat Kevin Wilson
• Jim Harbaugh beat Tom Allen

And on the other side of the ledger:

• Bill Mallory beat Bo Schembechler. Once. By four points.Thirty years ago.

Seven Michigan head coaches. Ten Indiana coaches. Ten U.S. Presidents. Thirty-seven games. Thirty-six wins. Average scoring margin of just under 21 points per game.

Sure, Indiana has made the last few games interesting. They took RichRod's squads to the hilt twice. They took Jim Harbaugh and company to overtime on Michigan's last trip to Bloomington. And last year, Indiana kept the Snow Globe Game close until the fourth quarter. But Michigan kept last week's game close, too. Tell me how much that is worth to you.

This year, like Bill Murray trying to figure out a way to get out of the endless Groundhog Day loop, Indiana is trying something new: defense. Only a few years removed from fielding one of the worst defenses in college football, Indiana's defense is legitimately good. Their back seven features two playmakers in linebacker Tegray Scales and corner Rashad Fant, and they've been good against both the run and the pass.

Ironically, Indiana doesn't play Minnesota this year.

The catch is that they also got lost the offense that made them so dangerous. Kevin Wilson is gone, and he's been replaced by Mike DeBord. I don't know how you break this kind of streak, but... buddy, that ain't it.

Michigan 23, Indiana 3

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COUNTERPUNT

By Nick RoUMel

I will be at the game today, with an old college buddy. I procured us 50-yard line seats for about $80 each. I will wear my colors and go through the motions. But I am empty inside.

What a difference a week makes. The highly charged excitement and emotion, that led to all manner of ugly storms last Saturday evening. Now, I wish that having a Spotless Mind wasn’t just a movie concept.

You know how it is, when you win, you want to run home and watch the replay? And read everything you can about it the next day? Going on message boards and talking anonymous smack?

Well you know what Buddy Holly said:

Do you remember baby, last September
How you held me tight, each and every night
Well oops-a-daisy, how you drove me crazy
But I guess it doesn't matter anymore

I try to not think about it. It’s a lot like that nasty breakup that Buddy^[i] is singing about, right? Compare:

I furtively check out ESPN once in a while. (I drive by her house and slow down, seeing if I can catch her through the window).

I wrote some clever Facebook comments to the few Spartan fans I allow in my feed, but deleted them. (I started a couple of self-righteous emails and almost hit send, but thought better of it.)

I heard something on sports talk radio. I was trying to not listen, but I couldn’t change the station right away because I was too busy texting and driving. (I didn’t mean to look her up, but I was looking up something else and it led me to something and suddenly I was looking at her Instagram. I didn’t mean it. And no, I don’t text and drive since that unfortunate rear end accident.)

Oh sh*t, then there’s the memes. I try to avoid them, but they’re everywhere. Here is an example of one I try to avoid.

Too young even for braces!

Well, at least IU’s campus is very pretty in the fall.

Go Blue. I still love you, no matter what.

MICHIGAN 27, INDIANA 14

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