"Experts" Picks: Mendel's Upset Special: SD St. 45 - UM 38
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/09/23/week…
All the "experts" are picking a close game - Forde and Mandel are even picking SD St.; all 6 at CBS.Sportsline picked UM
DetNews has 2 picking UM and 2 picking S.D.State when considering the -10 point spread (they don't pick winner - just against the spread)
Here's hoping for a good start and controlled 11 point lead throughout the game...
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^
How about some mgopicks? I'll start. Hoke 34 - Turley 17.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
Now the wolverines bus is late, so only hoke is there, I don't know, but I'll take Hoke by a field goal.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^
But is Ditka driving the bus?
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^
2009--Western Michigan
2010--UConn
2011--SDSU
Anyone notice the trend, here?
These so-called experts will simply keep picking a good-but-not-great non-BCS team (no, the Big East doesn't count) to beat UM in the Big House until it actually happens again. Then they will nod their heads sagely and talk about how UM is still irrelevant.
I predict Ryan Lindley will be very average in this game (he completed less than 50% of his passes and had an 11-7 TD to INT ratio in road games last season), Hillman will be very good and UM will win by 2 TD's.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^
Totally agree. Only real difference is that it isn't Game 1, but definitely only helps our guys to have them on upset alert much like those previous three games.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:16 PM ^
These so-called experts will simply keep picking a good-but-not-great non-BCS team (no, the Big East doesn't count) to beat UM in the Big House until it actually happens again. Then they will nod their heads sagely and talk about how UM is still irrelevant.
I predict Ryan Lindley will be very average in this game (he completed less than 50% of his passes and had an 11-7 TD to INT ratio in road games last season), Hillman will be very good and UM will win by 2 TD's.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
??????
What is that about?
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:03 PM ^
Once again, it's the hype machine at work.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
SDSU has a better offense than ND? Interesting.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:07 PM ^
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^
ND wasn't about to put up another two touchdowns and a FG in the fourth, even at the pace they leveled out to during the course of the game.
I think the 45 prediction is a stupid one. ND is clearly a better team than SDSU, and even if you gift ND those three turnovers as two touchdowns and a field goal, SDSU would just be equal with that final score prediction. Does any sane person believe that ND sans turnovers is an equal offense to SDSU?
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:49 PM ^
To be fair, ND played four quarters of football - you need to in order to turn the ball over as many times as they did and still score 30+ points.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
M-34
SDSU-21
Not one but TWO field goals for Gibbons this week.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
Stick to your peas, Mendel.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^
Yeah, I was surprised that Gregor Mendel decided to grace us with his CFB predictions seeing as how he was a monk who probably never saw a football game. Oh, and the fact that he has been dead for quite some time.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:40 PM ^
September 23rd, 2011 at 3:57 PM ^
Oh you think you're better than him?
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
UM 42 SDSU 17
September 23rd, 2011 at 5:23 PM ^
I really doubt Hoke/Borges would run the score up on their former players.
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:16 PM ^
Yeah except their refusal to do that gets everyone talking about the ineptitude of their current team when SDSU loses to a cupcake or six in upcoming weeks as they inevitably will. I'm an advocate for scoring as many points as you can on everyone. Not to be a dick and run up the score, but because voters take final scores into account in rankings, so you should play the best game you can. Beating SDSU by 10 because you refuse to "run up the score" looks a lot like "barely scraped by SDSU" to voters who don't watch all the games (which is all of them).
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:23 PM ^
I think this whole concept of "running up the score" is ridiculous. The score of a football game is supposed to show the difference between the two teams. If you can't stop a team from dropping 50 on you, then they're just that much better than you are.
Also, crazy comebacks happen. If you call off the dogs and the other team comes back, you're an idiot. If you score so many points that the other team can't come back, you're not an asshole, you're doing your job. Sure, if it's the last 2 minutes of a game and you're still throwing it downfield that's not necessary, but one score isn't going to make the difference between respectable and embarassing.
The polls are based on subjective voting and player awards are based on statistics. A team should beat their opponents by however much they're able to.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
Didn't he pick WMU over us too?
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:52 AM ^
I'm not surprised some are picking us to lose. We've played really poorly at times in our first three games, and I'm sure some out there (including many of us) are waiting to see if the wheels will fall off. I'm hoping for improvement (however small) and more production out of our offense in the first half. If we succeed in both of those areas, I don't think the game will be as close as the pundits are guessing. This could be an even game, and we can certainly lose, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went down like the UConn game last year.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:12 PM ^
I agree with your thoughts
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^
I don't know if there's a team in the NCAA that's had an easier first 3 games than SDSU. Cal Poly scored 21 on these guys and last years 1 win WSU scored 24 playing with their backup qb.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:24 PM ^
Point of order: Washington State actually won TWO games last season.
That was why Ryan Lindley declared that SDSU's win over WSU last Saturday was the "best" since he as been at SDSU...and he was completely serious. The amazing thing is that no one in the press conference laughed when he made that statement. Can you imagine what would happen if Denard stated that beating WMU was the best win he had experienced at UM?
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^
Yeah, SDSU hadn't beaten a BCS team in something like 21 tries. Part of that is because they've been terrible up until last year, but they're a program where beating WSU is a big deal. It's like Bowling Green beating Indiana or something like that.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
I was aware of their lousy history against BCS conference teams, but Air Force and Navy (the only two bowl eligible teams SDSU beat last year) were/are both better than WSU. I still found Lindley's comment hilarious. More to the point, it is a perfect example of just how sh*tty their program has been and, I suspect, will be again soon.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:24 PM ^
I don't think they'll go back to being shitty. Now they have some relevence and Rocky Long is still a good coach who should be there for a little while. They won't be perrenial BCS busters, but they'll take recruits away from Fresno State and Boise St based on location alone.
5 years ago, location wasn't enough to make up for a crappy team. Now, if you have to choose between a good Boise State team but you have to live in Idaho, or you can play for a pretty good SDSU and live in San Diego, it's a much more difficult decision. Since most of the kids making that decision are from California, SDSU will get a lot more of them than they did when they went 2-10 every year.
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:20 PM ^
True, but BSU should have a pretty good shot at getting a BCS game this year, which should help their recruiting. Also, "have to live in Idaho" is pretty harsh. Boise is underrated as a city, and it is a great place if you enjoy the outdoors. I agree that it is probably not as appealing to a teenager as San Diego, but it is not Mogadishu either.
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:26 PM ^
I'm not saying they're going to recruit on par with Boise St every year, just that they'll close that talent gap by a lot.
I've never been to Idaho, so I can't speak from experience, but I've been to San Diego many times and there's nowhere like it. Like you said, these are teenage boys making these choices, and most of them live in California already.
I'm not saying Idaho doesn't have some redeeming qualities, but comparing the two isn't even close.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
Washington State was 2-0 with the #1 ranked offense this year. While they weren't that good, they aren't as terrible as normal.
Also, I'm pretty sure that the WMU game in 2009 was the best win Denard had experienced at U of M at that time.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^
Oh my god, someone picked against Michigan!!!!!
Everyone needs to stop getting their panties in a wad whenever some "expert" picks against the Wolverines.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:58 AM ^
Where, exactly, do you see everyone getting upset?
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
SDSU does not score over 40 against Michigan. They'll be lucky to hang more than 20 on us in my opinion. I think Michigan plays a well-coached, disciplined game tomorrow.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:09 PM ^
That's what you hope for but the defense hasn't shown much to make me believe this. The front 4 hasn't gotten to the qb all year, which means we're going to have to blitz. I'm not against blitzing, but with our secondary we are bound to get burned on deep routes. I can easily see sd st putting up 30+ points. Hopefully we continue to force turnovers. This game going to be a shootout
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
I agree that our front four hasnt gotten to the QB all year, but they've done a good job of occupying guys so that our blitzers (usually Ryan or Kovacs) can get to the QB. And I like seeing a blitzer get a sack better because it's harder for the O to adjust against. It's hard to adjust against something when you don't know where it's coming from next.
Anyway, SDSU doesn't have a great OL and they only have one WR. If we cheat to the side of that one receiver and mix up our blitzing, we'll get good pressure on the QB. And realistically, if we focus mostly on the run, SDSU's passing game isn't good enough to make up for it.
But we're going to drop 35+ on their defense so I'm not worried about it.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^
They hung 23 on Army's undersized D the last time they went on the road, so they'll put up 45 on us.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
That game was later in the day too. It'll be like playing at 9am. Would not be surprised to see SDSU come out flat.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:49 PM ^
SDSU played Army at noon.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:16 PM ^
And almost lost - should have if Army hadn't turned the ball over so many times. If playing at noon means they only squeek by Army, we should put it to them.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^
the coaches aren't going after Danny O'Brien
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:04 PM ^
cause I took SDSU getting 10.5. Although I have done okay this year betting on the Sacred Precious. I had UM -14 to WMU which they covered but the sportsbook called it "no action" so I got screwed on that deal. I had EMU +29.5. I usually dont bet against Michigan simply because I hate to be sitting in the stands like last week and hoping Denard does NOT score another TD cause it's going to bust my bet! But money is money and SDSU getting 10.5 is too much to pass up. If we can beat that team by 11+ then its worth it to lose the bet.
Go Blue
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
Games that SDSU seniors have scored 45 in:
2008: Idaho
2009: None
2010: Nicholls State, Wyoming, UNLV
2011: Cal Poly
Yea, it seems pretty likely that they'll put 48 up on us...
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:25 PM ^
Well done lad.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
Good show old chap.
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE. Look, this guy is paid to make predictions and be a football analyst. He isn't paid to be a Michigan homer. Kudos to him for stirring the pot. How many hits do you think his page got because of this?
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
And he is stealing money for being an "analyst" predicting SDSU scores 45 on Michigan.