It’s Week 9, and for the fans of the NCAAF in Michigan you know what that means; the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Undefeated Michigan and Michigan State are slated to face off in East Lansing and settle the debate for this sesason. Who’s the best team in Michigan?
Michigan
The last time I covered the Wolverines they were 4-0. After coming away with a close win against Rutgers, would they be able to keep up their early success as the season went on? As we fast forward to Week 9, the Wolverines sit atop the Big Ten East with a record of 7-0.
The Michigan defense has been stellar. This season, the Wolverines have the 20th ranked pass defense and 24th rushing defense, coming in with the 11th best overall defense in the NCAAF.
Highlighted by their defensive line, the Michigan defense doesn’t get scored on, at all. Edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo have been a major part of that. The two have combined for 44 tackles, 10 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. The pair has also been able to stifle some really good rushing offenses. They face none better than the Spartans, so they’ll definitely be tested this week. Their emergence has turned around a poor Michigan defense from a season ago, I expect Michigan will see Hutchinson get doubled most of the game, which will open the door for David Ojabo; making him my first ‘Player to Watch’ for in this game.
Michigan‘s defensive backs have honestly blown my expectations away. They’ve been able to limit the big play while also creating turnovers, only giving up more than 20 points once this season. I expect these young DB’s to get tested. We’ll see if they can overcome the adversity from a year ago.
The Michigan offense has been great in one aspect, and subpar in another. Their rushing offense has been great, behind a much improved offensive line. The Wolverines have been a completely new offense, and ranking 5th in the NCAAF in rushing. Haskins and Corum have been elite this season, with Corum ranking 20th in yards and Haskins 42nd. Both had over 100 yards in a win last week against Northwestern. I expect that to continue this week.
If I had to choose who’ll perform better, I’ll take the veteran; making Hassan Haskins my second ‘Player to Watch’. Haskins rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries and two scores in Michigan’s last game. In this game, leadership will be important, and there is no one better to carry this offense to victory.
Michigan’s passing attack has been subpar, but that doesn’t mean I believe they are bad. Rather, I believe they are being held back by quarterback play. Cade Mcnamara has gotten Michigan this far, there’s no denying that; but his deep-ball accuracy has been questionable throughout the season. This must change in order for Michigan to win this game and beyond into November.
I like what the Michigan receivers have been able to do. They’ve really stepped up immensely in the absence of Ronnie Bell. It’s just frustrating from a fan perspective seeing someone with as good of a deep ball as J.J Mccarthy sit on the bench. Could this be the week Harbaugh switches to the electric Freshman, or will Cade quiet the doubters and head into the most important month of the season as the outright starter.
Michigan State
The last time I talked about the Spartans was a preview vs Indiana a few weeks prior. The Spartans narrowly escaped Indiana by a score of 20-15, a game in which their offense looked flat even with a favorable matchup. Payton Thorne didn’t look his best in that game, throwing for 126 yards on only 14 completions, turning the ball over twice. To add to his blunder, a usually unstoppable Kenneth Walker was held to just 84 yards on 23 rushes. Will their struggles continue into this week or will the pair be able to rally back and defeat the Wolverines.
The Spartan offense has had a relatively good season, ranking 26th in the NCAAF in total yards. Their offense relies heavily on running back Kenneth Walker. Walker is second in the country in rushing yards. For the Spartans to win this game, I believe they will have to control the clock, limit turnovers, and feed Walker. With that said, Walker ismy third ‘Player to Watch’ in this game.
The Spartan passing attack isn’t terrible, but with a 39th ranking in the country, there’s definitely more to be desired. While Throne has played well in most games, he’s yet to completely take over a game. With the Wolverine front, he’ll have to play great to have a chance to win.
As I look at the Michigan defensive backs versus the Michigan State wide receivers, the matchup is close. These battles will be a crucial part in deciding who wins. With most of the MSU corners on the younger side, I wonder if Senior safety Xavier Henderson can mold this defense into making the Spartans a legit title contender. The Spartans rank 50th in the country in passing compared to the 20th ranked passing defense for the Wolverines. It will be interesting to see whose young guns will step up and who will get blinded by the lights.
This Spartan defense has been very good this season, only giving up more than 20 points once. They stop the run nicely ranking 31st in the NCAAF in rush defense. However, their passing defense ranks outside the top-50. This potentially leaves the door open for a Michigan team that has ten plays over 50 yards and loves to stretch the ball down the field.
Finally, I must talk about this Spartan defensive line which, under the leadership of Jacob Panasiuk, has played tremendous. They’ve recorded 26 sacks and rank fifth in the NCAAF. They also have six forced fumbles already this season. It will be very intriguing to see who will prevail; Michigan’s offensive line, or the MSU defense.
Game Predictions
- David Ojabo gets at least 1 sack and 2 tackles for loss
- Haskins rushes for 125 Corum goes for 85/ 3 touchdowns combined
- Kenneth Walker gets stifled once again and rushes for 85 or less
- Final Score: Michigan 27 – Michigan St 14
