SI list of 10 must-watch rematches from 2021
Sports Illustrated published a list of the 10 must-see rematches from the 2021 season. The only two B1G conference games feature, you guessed it, UM.
6. Michigan State at Michigan
When: Oct. 29
Last meeting: MSU, 37-33This was Michigan's only loss of the regular season, a campaign highlighted by a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten championship, and the school's first College Football Playoff appearance. Avenging this loss against their in-state rival is imperative for Michigan to make another run at the conference and the semifinal.
And it's crucial for the Spartans and head coach Mel Tucker to keep this series on their side of the ledger and preserve the important gains the program made last season.
Payton Thorne returns at quarterback, as does 1,000-yard receiver Jayden Reed, but Sparty needs to take a sledgehammer to this secondary, one of the worst in college football a year ago. Michigan has some holes to fill, too, especially in its pass rush and at running back.
Um, Michigan has holes to fill at running back? Idiot...
2. Michigan at Ohio StateWhen: Nov. 26
Last meeting: Michigan, 42-27Maybe no revenge is sweeter than a win in The Game. For the first time in eight tries a year ago, Michigan got the better of the Buckeyes, a statement victory for Jim Harbaugh and his alma mater. But the Wolverines lost some key contributors, including their edge rushing combo, both top rushers, and their best pass defender.
And are coming into Columbus against an Ohio State team that still boasts the core of an offense that ranked No. 1 in college football, led by Heisman finalist quarterback C.J. Stroud. The question for OSU is how well new coordinator Jim Knowles can repair a defensive unit that was costly in two losses a year ago.
The only other game with a B1G team is PSU-Auburn, which comes in at #10.
#1 is TAMU @ Alabama. I can't really argue with that one. All of the trash talk during the off season is going to make that game extra spicy.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the Texas-Kansas rematch. 😂 And Kansas gets them at home this year.
Any other games that you all are really looking forward to seeing this year?
Haskins is a big loss but Corum and Edwards could quite possibly be one of the best duos in the B1G.
Also, fuck Sparty. UM needs to beat their ass this year.
I just thought it was funny that they mention Michigan's loss at running back but fail to mention the gaping crater left by KWIII.
Haskins will be tough to replace in many ways. The dude was a maniac. I think we'll especially miss him in short yardage situations. But yeah, I think we're pretty sound at that position even without him.
I think a bit of truth both ways. On one hand you possibly could count the teams who wouldn’t trade their backfields for Corum and Edwards. But Haskins was a special beast. While carrying for over 1300 yards last year he was tackled for a total of 6 yards negative carries and in something like 470 touches at Michigan he had zero fumbles. Not sure either Corum or Edwards brings sure yards like Haskins. If Ryan Day was really smart he would have let Haskins score from 67 yards out and really saved time.
While carrying for over 1300 yards last year he was tackled for a total of 6 yards negative carries and in something like 470 touches at Michigan he had zero fumbles.
Those statistics are absolutely insane!
It doesn't compare to Mike Hart's record, but zero fumbles over a career with a lot of carries is extremely impressive. Those are the stats that can give you a couple games you would have otherwise lost over the course of an RB's career.
If Hart hadn't inexplicably contracted fumbleitis in the 2008 bowl game, it would have been a point-a-minute blowout against Urban and Tebow.
He will be greatly missed the first time Michigan fails to convert a 3rd and 1.
This is such a great point. It was videogame-esque. If we got to an "and 1" situation, there was little reason to worry, he wasn't going to be stopped.
Hassan Haskins scored so many touchdowns against Osu that he must be two rushers.
Well, there was the Haskins who ran over Tosu like Edwin Moses over a hurdle, and the Haskins who ran through Tosu like the Prophet Moses strolling through the Red Sea, on the way to outscoring them by himself.
This must be why the call him H2. H2=Moses2
I’m mesmerized by the “Tosu” comments combined with biblical references.
Not a rematch but I'll be curious to see the outcome of Notre Dame-OSU. I'm not sure how much an opening-weekend, non-conference game will tell us about either team, but it may offer at least some insights about ND's new head coach and OSU's new defensive coordinator.
I’ll be very curious to see how it goes. ND will likely, and justifiably be a 10-14 point dog, but OSU is notorious for dropping early OOC games, especially ones at home. They’ve lost to Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Oregon all at home within the last few years.
I wouldn’t bet a lot of money on it, but it wouldn’t completely shock me to see ND win, if for no other reason than OSU has a habit of looking shaky in early season OOC games. And if Knowles is still trying to figure things out for the defense, then ND could exploit it.
I’d still bet on OSU, but crazier things have happened.
ND had next to no player defections after Brian "Muh Faa-muh-lee" Kelly split (so they're a solid team), Freeman wouldn't mind sticking it to the alma mater, and all of them want to stick it up Kelly's ass. OSU will have their hands full.
Keep in mind that ND hasn’t fared well against this caliber of competition in recent years. Lost to Bama by 17; lost to Clemson by 24 and 27. They did also beat Clemson in 2OT at home, but that was with Lawrence out the whole game.
Definitely a meteor game.
Definitely a meteor game but no chance Notre Dame wins it. I could see a repeat of OSU’s opening game against Minnesota last year where they won 45-31. Entertaining for a little while but OSU wins and acts like a team that just won 100-6.
Fuck both teams, though.
I would like OSU to just beat the tar out of ND, humiliate them utterly. Everything that makes them look like they really, really need the B1G is okay with me right now, and that would either a) make a late-season win by us over OSU look the sweeter or b) confirm OSU as a juggernaut we just do well to keep within reasonable bounds in Columbus.
Not me. I never ever want tosu to win. I'm hoping ND wins by 60. It'd be a great day to troll 11 Infants
I used to think that way, but a very wise person - actually my HS Debate coach who lived just across S.State from Yost - opened my eyes, way back before electricity. Now, I want every team we play to be undefeated when we meet them and kick their sorry *sses, especially the Buckeyes at the climatic conclusion of the season, and thus utterly crush their pitiful dreams and delusions.
Michigan can’t complain about how college football has turned into a win at all costs pro league and hope Ohio state destroys ND. Fuck ever rooting for Ohio state over anyone.
I'm okay being in the minority, but I dislike ND more than OSU. ND pretends to virtue. OSU is the pro team down the road. I'm more jubilant if we beat that pro team, but that pro team is just the front for a pedestrian university and a lot of values the world understands. I like seeing ND's bogus mystique shattered.
Agree with this take but if OSU gives up 31 to ND at home they might run Jim Knowles out of town
I feel dirty to say it but I want OSU to pound the shit out of ND.
We recruit so many of the same players with ND and eliminating an Independent is always a good thing.
We recruit so many of the same players as Ohio State. They ARE in our conference. Therefore, I want them to fall into a garbage can, get smoked every week, start losing 90% of the recruiting battles to Michigan, we take over the conference, and the universe is aligned correctly once more.....and furthermore- FUCK the OHIO State school for the academically unfortunate.
Dream big, I say!
Not even remotely concerned about the RB room, barring injuries of course.
Losing Haskins really stinks, absolutely Harbaugh’s greatest RB to date, but you can make a great argument that the combo of Corum and Edwards this Fall is going to be even better than the Haskins/Corum duo last year.
Great programs don’t replace great players with clones, but instead with great players that are uniquely great in their own way.
Bama churns out incredible running backs ever year, all who are different in ways from their predecessors. Their staff does an incredible job of highlighting the new elite players’ gifts instead of forcing them into the exact role of their predecessor.
Haskins was a beast and an absolute hammer - was glorious watching him bully and smash OSU. His talents will be missed. Edwards and Corum are uniquely gifted elite running backs themselves… hopefully the staff utilizes them properly (as they did last year) to get great results. It’s no secret that Corum is a jitterbug speedster (reminds me of Jk Dobbins) who can break off 65 yard runs in the blink of an eye and Edwards is an elite slot receiver/back in the mold of Reggie Bush. That’s a pretty incredible duo to start off with.
I would think we see much more of Edwards as an inside running back this year with Haskins gone, unless one of the other backs shows he can carry that load. Edwards seems like a guy who can do a lot more than catch (and throw) the football.
Agree. Haskins was like having a luxury Car that could get 2-3 yards in short yardage situations 90% of the time. I am very excited for Edwards high ceiling & opportunity but don't expect that same production. I'm just guessing they use more JJ with Edwards in those situations.
This guy is woefully uninformed and thusly, unprofessional. Not only did he imply there is a hole at RB in the first game, he said the team lost "both top rushers". Pretty sure Corum was the 2nd leading rusher a year ago with just under 1000 yards.
Unrelated: how cool would it have been to have 2 1000 yard rushers in the same season? So close!
Very cool, especially if it's two running backs. Michigan did do this in 2011 with Denard and Fitz Toussaint, but it's a lot more rare to do it with two RBs
10. Penn State at Auburn
Auburn was robbed last year. They should get revenge this year. I will want to watch.
6. Michigan State at Michigan
Ojabo/Hutch were robbed last year. Tuck-luck won't help this year.
5. Oklahoma State at Baylor
Oklahoma St should have won last year, and been in the playoffs. This should be a great one this year.
3. Texas vs. Oklahoma
Oklahoma won't have Caleb Williams to pull them out of the fire this year. He was amazing last year in that game. Texas hired Gary Patterson, former TCU head coach, and defensive mind, to assist Pete Kwiatkowski at DC. This won't be your father's Texas.
Highlights of Caleb Williams coming in down 7-28, and doing nothing but amazing plays to get the comeback win. The first play, on 4th down, was super freak. I think he's a better QB than Bryce Young:
2. Michigan at Ohio State
A must watch for the whole Nation!
1. Texas A&M at Alabama
I don't think the gods are on Jimbo Fisher's side in the Saban/Fisher war of recruiting words. And I read that Alabama players have not taken kindly to Jimbo Fisher's attack on Nick Saban. Texas A&M won't be able to catch Alabama unawares this year. You can bet Alabama will be strapping it on for this game. What's worse for Jimbo Fisher is the game is @ Alabama. The 12th man will be all over him. Good luck with that Jimbo.
I don't care much about the rest of the games in that Top 10.
Meh. Texas has hired many, many people over the years in order to "right the ship" yet they've stunk up college football the past decade. Also, Oklahoma has beaten them 10 of the last 13 years. My money is always on them when these two teams play.
But I will admit that their game last year was probably the most batshit crazy college football game I've ever seen.
Michigan needs to pound Sparty, FFS. You would think Sparty can’t possibly repeat the formula they used to win—Walker rumbling on busted plays and scoring, Corum dropping a walk-in touchdown, Ojabo’s strip-sack TD by Hutchinson being overturned, a crucial fumble on a hand-off, a BS no-call on an obvious PI on 4th down, and the worst secondary of all time sealing the game with a pick on a deflection. Enough of this shit.
On the bright side, they needed all of that to happen to eke out the win, and the guy that did all of their scoring is gone. Time to teach them some humility.
Lemme see, I'd watch . . .
#1, nah . . .
okay, yeah, #2, and
no,
nope,
not,
but yes, #6.
Is there anything else? Not for me.
Rich Eisen approves of this list.
I'm sure he's getting good vibes.
There are a host of juicy ones to choose from, including ND-OSU, and LSU-FSU right out of the gate.
But I'm most curious to see...
1) Florida-Georgia, to see whether the AR-15 draft hype is real and how much Georgia's defense may have fallen off.
And
2) USC @ Utah, which will be a good indicator of whether Riley can actually raise his coaching game at his new job.
Anthony Richardson is distancing himself from the AR-15 nickname. He has stopped using it on shirts and merchandise and asked people to stop referring to him by that name.
i dont know but it feels like he said AR-15 on purpose. I may be wrong, but.. felt like it.
LSU was 6-7 last year and 5-5 the year before. Florida State was 5-7 last year (with a loss at home to Jacksonville State) and 3-6 the year before. This could be like the cripple fight on South Park.
But purple face being the coach adds a little intrigue.
In a fair matchup we'll crush MSU. Obviously given last year, a fair matchup is not a given. Don't think ill ever get over the pathetic reffing in that game.
This is super whiney. Cmon. Don't make it about the refs. Yes, we lost what could have been a door slamming tackle/TD. But we were up 16 pts late and made a series of blunders that let them come back and win. Including 2 2pt conversions that they had to have.
Do you think Kevin Warren should have told his kid to transfer to a school “not” in the B1G?
Michigan vs Michigan State at the big house. Michigan needs to win this game and win it big.
Michigan vs OSU. It would be nice if we can beat the buckeyes on the road. I think it has been coming up to 27 years since we beat them at their place.
I wish I could watch both ND and OSU lose but they are playing each other. Though, I think OSU will blow out ND.
You can always watch PSU try to defeat OSU.
Always fun to watch teams that hate each other play against one another, so TAM vs Alabama will be a fun game to watch.
we lost both top rushers?
Penn State loses to Illinois in 9 OT. Texas loses to Kansas. You'd think nobody ever watched these teams play, the way recruits line up.
Nope. Just...
...it's a one-game season.
11 games to prep for it; one day to live it.
Let's do this
