I always love Bob Wojnowski's weekly Big Ten column from the Detroit News...
some from this week:
"In case you missed it, the Spartans made the horrific mistake of heading out west in September and forgetting to pack a secondary. It was a journey of discovery, in a sense, to find out if they’re any good. Sometimes, it’s better not to know."
"That’s Michigan’s philosophy, at least this season, and next season, and so forth, gliding to 3-0 by beating Colorado State-Hawaii-UConn by the combined score of 184 to minus-3. Now comes the first real test in the Big Ten opener Saturday, against Maryland. No, it’s not Maryland-Baltimore County or Maryland-Eastern Shore or East Central Maryland State. I double-checked and it’s the real Maryland, with the turtle mascot and everything."
"Too late to save the Spartans. It was important for Mel Tucker to find out what his team really had, but he probably didn’t want the whole nation to see it too. In the blink of a 39-28 loss to unranked Washington, the Spartans fell from No. 11 to “also just barely receiving votes.” That’s not even the biggest insult. When they open their Big Ten campaign in the Wooden Shed in East Lansing against Minnesota, the Spartans will be underdogs.
I’m not sure why, other than every single play in that gruesome first half against the Huskies. Minnesota is 3-0 but narrowly edged Western Illinois, 62-10, and hasn’t beaten MSU since 2009. Maybe the Gophers are favored because they match up well. After all, MSU’s student section is called the Deep End, an imaginary water hazard designed to intimidate visitors. The Gophers will be ready because P.J. Fleck famously teaches his players to row imaginary boats. In addition, Fleck reportedly blasted loud music during practice to prepare his team for the noisy environment. (That story is true). He also ran drills where the players wore life vests. (That one I made up)."
"If the Spartans’ pass defense continues to abstain from contact, it won’t matter. MSU ranked last out of 131 teams in passing yards allowed last year. Tucker took a hands-on approach to the secondary, grabbed a bunch of transfers, and raised the ranking to 103.
It’s been a rough week. After getting chopped up by Husky/Hoosier QB Michael Penix Jr., Tucker accidentally lit an exploding cigar, called himself a “horse-(manure) coach” and vowed to shovel up the mess. According to my faux sources, a fuming Tucker later was spotted pounding on the door of the closed transfer portal, yelling, “I have receipts!”
The Gophers are the only unbeaten team left in the West division, also known as the Big Ten’s personal pastry shop. They have a fine running back in Mohamed Ibrahim, but after seeing MSU’s secondary, Fleck likely will limit him to four carries and order ninth-year sophomore quarterback Tanner Morgan to throw 59 times."
▶ Iowa at Rutgers: Something I stumbled across that can’t possibly be true but is: Iowa is second in the nation in scoring defense, behind only Georgia. Rutgers reportedly also makes tackles at a respectable pace. But when I look at both teams’ offensive numbers, my eyes spurt blood. The key here will be which squad can keep its own offense off the field. According to my bookie Fat Finger Freddie, the over-under point total for the game is 13.01. Pick: Iowa, 8-5
some from this week:
"In case you missed it, the Spartans made the horrific mistake of heading out west in September and forgetting to pack a secondary. It was a journey of discovery, in a sense, to find out if they’re any good. Sometimes, it’s better not to know."
"That’s Michigan’s philosophy, at least this season, and next season, and so forth, gliding to 3-0 by beating Colorado State-Hawaii-UConn by the combined score of 184 to minus-3. Now comes the first real test in the Big Ten opener Saturday, against Maryland. No, it’s not Maryland-Baltimore County or Maryland-Eastern Shore or East Central Maryland State. I double-checked and it’s the real Maryland, with the turtle mascot and everything."
"Too late to save the Spartans. It was important for Mel Tucker to find out what his team really had, but he probably didn’t want the whole nation to see it too. In the blink of a 39-28 loss to unranked Washington, the Spartans fell from No. 11 to “also just barely receiving votes.” That’s not even the biggest insult. When they open their Big Ten campaign in the Wooden Shed in East Lansing against Minnesota, the Spartans will be underdogs.
I’m not sure why, other than every single play in that gruesome first half against the Huskies. Minnesota is 3-0 but narrowly edged Western Illinois, 62-10, and hasn’t beaten MSU since 2009. Maybe the Gophers are favored because they match up well. After all, MSU’s student section is called the Deep End, an imaginary water hazard designed to intimidate visitors. The Gophers will be ready because P.J. Fleck famously teaches his players to row imaginary boats. In addition, Fleck reportedly blasted loud music during practice to prepare his team for the noisy environment. (That story is true). He also ran drills where the players wore life vests. (That one I made up)."
"If the Spartans’ pass defense continues to abstain from contact, it won’t matter. MSU ranked last out of 131 teams in passing yards allowed last year. Tucker took a hands-on approach to the secondary, grabbed a bunch of transfers, and raised the ranking to 103.
It’s been a rough week. After getting chopped up by Husky/Hoosier QB Michael Penix Jr., Tucker accidentally lit an exploding cigar, called himself a “horse-(manure) coach” and vowed to shovel up the mess. According to my faux sources, a fuming Tucker later was spotted pounding on the door of the closed transfer portal, yelling, “I have receipts!”
The Gophers are the only unbeaten team left in the West division, also known as the Big Ten’s personal pastry shop. They have a fine running back in Mohamed Ibrahim, but after seeing MSU’s secondary, Fleck likely will limit him to four carries and order ninth-year sophomore quarterback Tanner Morgan to throw 59 times."
▶ Iowa at Rutgers: Something I stumbled across that can’t possibly be true but is: Iowa is second in the nation in scoring defense, behind only Georgia. Rutgers reportedly also makes tackles at a respectable pace. But when I look at both teams’ offensive numbers, my eyes spurt blood. The key here will be which squad can keep its own offense off the field. According to my bookie Fat Finger Freddie, the over-under point total for the game is 13.01. Pick: Iowa, 8-5
Last edited:
