Scouts, Inc. (ESPN Insider) Picks UM over ND 41-34
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/features/take2?gameId=302540087
Article is behind a paywall but here is the conclusion:
Scouts' Edge
Neither defense stacks up very well in this matchup. Crist should be able to exploit the Wolverines' vulnerable secondary by spreading the ball around the field to his strong corps of weapons, including Floyd and Rudolph. Notre Dame should also find some balance on the ground. However, Michigan's offense is playing at a different speed with a confident Robinson as its triggerman. The Irish simply do not have the athletes or depth on that side of the ball to contend. As a result, we like Rodriguez's Wolverines in a shootout at South Bend.
Prediction: Wolverines 41, Fighting Irish 34
September 9th, 2010 at 9:58 AM ^
If we can out-athlete people, that bodes well in, you know, athletics.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:02 AM ^
Right! And luckily we don't play Northwestern, Yale, or Harvard this year so we don't have to worry about being out-thinked in the mental aspects of the game!
13-0 (Assuming Stanford or Duke are not in the Nat. Champ game)
September 9th, 2010 at 11:06 AM ^
We can out think Duke and Stanford
September 9th, 2010 at 11:44 AM ^
but we can definitely out-athleticizify them!
September 9th, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^
SPEEDLEETS!!!
September 9th, 2010 at 10:01 AM ^
Athletes.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^
SPEEEEEEEEED !!!!!!!
September 9th, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^
Present.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:02 AM ^
I'll take it.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:03 AM ^
I don't think the game will be that close. Kelly's squad is going to struggle this year against Big Ten opponents. 41-27
September 9th, 2010 at 10:20 AM ^
Thery are 1-0 so far under Kelly vs. the Big Ten. I think they've got a good shot at beating MSU the following week as well.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:24 AM ^
Purdue blows it every year against the Irish. This game will show us what both Michigan and Notre Dame are capable of.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:05 AM ^
This game will show us what both Michigan and Notre Dame are capable of.
Yep, just like the last couple of years...
September 9th, 2010 at 11:29 AM ^
Isn't that what every games does? Shows what every team is capable of?
September 9th, 2010 at 10:43 AM ^
will be exposed this week. He had a good thing here in the Cincy area and now....his formal introduction to the Grave Yard of "Coulda been a decent coach for a decent team" As it is he will follow in the footsteps of all the now irrelevent coaches of irish past ;-)
September 9th, 2010 at 10:03 AM ^
To paraphrase Brian's comments on WTKA , I'll feel good about our chances if we can hold Notre Dame to 30 points. Regardless of score, Roh will be all over James Van Der Beek...or something....
September 9th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
It actually turns out he is the illegitimate child of MacGruber star Will Forte:
September 9th, 2010 at 10:06 AM ^
41-34 Blue would result in what I like to call a "nice little Saturday". Don't know if I'll have time to go pick out some flooring.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
I might go to Home Depot if I have enough time.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:10 AM ^
This prediction is based on the standard formula - weak defenses = shootout. I think our defense is a little better than that. I like 41 for us, but maybe 17-24 for them. Just MHO.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:14 AM ^
This is the kind of Thursdays we pine for the rest of the year. Notre Dame this weekend. Bubbling optimism with a healthy dose of reserved anxiety. Already falling asleep at night thinking about the weekend's game. Denard.
Just have to share how great it is to have finally entered another inimitable season of Michigan football!! GO BLUE!
September 9th, 2010 at 10:17 AM ^
I remember back in 2006 when everyone else had Notre Dame winning at home Scouts Inc. said we were going to clobber them. They're usually pretty solid with their analysis.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:23 AM ^
Is anyone else amazed at how one game in college football can change the outlook for fans/media for the entire season. I am willing to be that before our game against UCONN we wouldn't be picked by so many of these experts to beat Notre Dame. I guess it is what I love and hate about college football. On one hand the optimism and sense of hope is great to have but on the other, one game against an opponent we know nothing about (in terms of how good they're going to be) set the expectations high for this season.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:24 AM ^
with both teams having solid ground attacks, i dont expect that each team will have enough possessions for the scores to get that high. id be shocked if either team punted more than 3-4 times each, but i just cant see a combined 75 points.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:11 AM ^
I'd agree with that. After reading our Defensive UFR, Crist may not take that many deep drops to risk Roh coming off the edge and causing a fumble. ND may want to take their chances against our LBs trying to hit the wrong hole - I hope Mike Martin has a moster game blowing up third and shorts all day long.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^
I'm hoping that our defensive line will get a lot more production this weekend against ND's less experienced O-line and QB. We're going to have to rush 3 or 4 and drop 7 or 8 all day, with one or two blitzes thrown in there.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:31 AM ^
Im not sure what to predict, cause we don't know a whole lot about either of our teams at this point.. If they can't stop denard, which we will find out in the first few drives.. then i can't see us losing. If denard struggles, then it may be tough for us to get the win, but we will see. A turnover could decide this game.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:36 AM ^
Sounds a bit high for a game that is likely to be rainy. I'd go with Michigan 27, ND 17.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:37 AM ^
I think that our defenses are equally mediocre, but their O line is not as good as ours. We should have more success on the offensive side than they do.
Purdue dominated time of possession, had long drives, but couldn't put the ball in the endzone. I think we'll fair a little better.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:48 AM ^
We put the notorious notre dame killer in the game.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:02 AM ^
Charlie Weis is on our team now?
September 9th, 2010 at 11:37 AM ^
ZING!
September 9th, 2010 at 10:52 AM ^
I still feel like ND is where we were 2 years ago with their program. If that's true, they should turn the ball over to us 6 times like we did for them in 2008.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:10 AM ^
How so? I'd be willing to go out on a limb and say that they've got a lot more talent right now than we did in '08. I'm not seeing the correlation there.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
ND has way better athletes than Michigan did 2 years ago.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:11 AM ^
BUT, they did pick UCONN last weekend. I believe they said 21-17 or something.(Can't find link.)
I do think we will win, but take their prognosticating with a grain of salt.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
ND scored 23 points on a pretty horrible Purdue defense. Why are all of these "experts" predicting Michigan to give up all sorts of points when I would put Michigan's defense up against Purdue's any day of the week. NEED TO RATTLE CRIST!
September 9th, 2010 at 11:40 AM ^
I think that this is as good a point as any to build a case for why we will win. As bad as our games have gone against Purdue the last two years, we managed to put up a lot of offense on them. And I don't think they are that much improved this year.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:51 AM ^
Right - I watched the ND game last night, and I have to say, if Crist doesn't have his first look, he really freaks out and often time was sacked. Also, Siller had a chance at a BOMB that he straight up dropped and I thought it really exposed the Safeties for ND. Rod will have them ready to ROCK. I expect a W.
September 9th, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^
I think that score is a little high. I'll take it but I believe that our defensive line is going to get pressure on the quarterback most of the day. Notre Dame only returns its two guards from last year. The rest of the line has not proven itself and facing the "Manster", RVB, Greg Banks, and Death ROH is a very tall task. Michigan 31 ND 21.
September 9th, 2010 at 2:12 PM ^
I say 72-0. We are like Oregon and they are like New Mexico. (especially if Crist gets hurt)
September 9th, 2010 at 2:17 PM ^
I have not the opportunity to see Notre Dame, and I realize that there were several dropped balls by UConn. But I am not sure that Notre Dame can drop 34 points on us. We are tackling better, have very good speed and are capable of blocking field goals.
"The Hell with Notre Dame" - Bo