There is NO love lost between Michigan and Michigan State as they get ready to do battle for the 102nd time in the rivalry.  Yes, despite what Michigan fans say, it is a rivalry.  Tate Forcier is starting to look more and more like Colt McCoy as the season progresses and carries a clutch factor about him that is almost similar to John Elway.  That’s not to say he is as good as number 7, or McCoy for that matter, but there is definitely something special about this kid.  There is also something special about the quarterback on the other side of the ball as well.  Kirk Cousins should be the ONLY quarterback taking snaps this season for MSU as Nichol showed he can make plays, but doesn’t have near the arm of Cousins.  Both defenses have obvious holes in them.  The Spartan defense is lacking in the secondary, as does U of M’s, so weather permitting, it’s going to be the first team to 45.  The forecast is calling for rain, and I think that is going to help MSU.  They love being forced to run the ball and punching you in the mouth.  Michigan likes to air it out, and with a wet ball, and a Tate Forcier who still isn’t 100%, I don’t like U of M’s chances, regardless of MSU having the 10th best pass defense in the Big Ten.  Donovan Warren is giving State fans more of that same little brother talk that they got sick of when Mike Hart was around.  Both back-up quarterbacks are also expected to play for both teams.  I mentioned Nichol already, but he’ll see action regardless of what the popular vote is.  Denard Robinson is also going to see minutes and hasn’t proven himself as a passer quite yet, so expect to him to run EVERY time he is in.  The two teams were expected to have different results than what we’ve seen, and I don’t think that these records right now are proof of how they will finish.  Not just me, but many others, truly believe that MSU is not as bad as their records states they are, and U of M is not as good as theirs.  Bottom line, the defenses are awful, the quarterbacks shouldn’t pass that much with the weather, and so it’s down to who runs the ball the best.  Michigan’s rush defense is terrible also, so cue Glenn Winston.  The combination of him and Larry Caper should be enough to carry MSU, at least through the first half.  Everyone knows what Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown can do, but with Eric Gordon and Greg Jones checking them, U of M’s rush game should be relatively neutralized.  Usually a loss against Michigan comes after a 4-0 start for MSU and then the second half collapse follows calling for an S.O.S.  The Same Ol’ Spartans tag is going to end up being the call for MSU this season with a loss to Michigan.  This is MSU’s season, whether they win or lose.  If they lose, they should continue this downward spiral throughout the season.  A win could be the jump start the Spartans need to climb back up where they were at least two seasons ago.  In rivalry games, no matter the record, it’s always close and usually comes down to who wants it more.  Desperation prevails this season as the Spartans hold off the Wolverines, and hold on to the Paul Bunyan trophy for the second straight season, for the first time since 1965-67.

Michigan

This team definitely struggled this weekend, even though the score was 45-17.  I honestly believe that these last two games for EMU are helping to build former U of M defensive coordinator Ron English’s program in Ypsilaniti.  Michigan matched their 2008 win total with yesterdays victory over the Eagles as U of M’s spread option attack dominated Eastern on the ground.  Carlos Brown only had to carry the ball 13 times to amass his career high 187 rushing yards in the game, while freshman sensation Tate Forcier showed he could go through an entire game just managing it, as he completed 7-13 passes for 68 yards.  Everyone knows when Denard Robinson is in the game, that he is a threat to run, but don’t expect to air it out much the rest of this season, as he put up Nick Sheridan like numbers, going 0-4 with two picks.  Eastern actually gave the Wolverines a little bit of a scare as they only trailed by seven going into the break.  Despite only clocking 19:58 in control of the ball, as opposed to EMU’s 40:02, the Wolverines outgained the Eagles on the day, 448-285.  The most impressive thing about this game to me, was the ground game of the Wolverines, especially with very little coming from Brandon Minor (three rushes for 21 yards).

Next week opens up the Big Ten season for U of M as they play host to Indiana.  And believe me, this game can get out of hand quickly.  Although Indiana is sitting pretty at 3-0, the games haven’t been nearly as pretty, as they had to squeak by Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan, and Akron.  Ben Chappell is looking pretty solid in the newly incorporated pistol offense as he has completed 68.5% of his passes to this point for 674 yards and three scores.  The running game is mainly Demetrius McCray’s work as he is putting up 5.4 yards per carry on 42 carries to this point.  The point of the pistol offense is to stay in the spread formations, while being able to get the running back the ball quicker than you could from a standard shotgun.  Well, Michigan has recruited speed and appear around three times as fast as they did last season on defense, so I think this could be bad news for Hoosiers.  Even though they beat WMU, Tim Hiller still looked good through the sky, and I expect to see the same from Forcier.  With Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew on the ends, they could over power the U of M tackles, so expect a lot of quick releases and then the receivers to do the damage after the catch.  U of M improves to 4-0 going into East Lansing, with a 37-10 victory.

Michigan State

The Spartans choked again at the end of this one, despite obvious signs of improvement from the Central Michigan debacle.  Missed opportunities is all that you really have to say.  Golden Tate had the wind knocked out of him, Jimmy Clausen turned his ankle, and Michael Floyd broke his collarbone.  Not to mention a misread wide open interception dropped by Chris L. Rucker, a missed 52-yard field goal off the post from the very sure footed Brett Swenson, and then a mistimed jump, wide open in the end zone by Larry Caper.  There is no reason for Michigan State to lose this game.  Clausen went 22-31 for 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Notre Dame beats MSU in South Bend for the first time since 1993.  Not even the return of Mark Dell (six catches, 121 yards) was enough for the Spartans to reach that lucky number seven.  More missed opportunities for the Spartans, how about this…Brett Swenson tied a Michigan State record 76 straight PAT’s made, only to have the next one blocked.  If not for the missed blocking assignment, Brett Swenson wins the game on his leg at the end of the game.  If there is a positive to take away from this game, it is Kirk Cousins and Larry Caper, even though they couldn’t hook up for the game-winner on the final possession.  With the exception of that last throw, the sophomore quarterback maintained his poise like an NFL veteran with the two minute drill, and I feel assured that it is his job to lose for the rest of the season as he went 23-35 for 302 yards and a touchdown.  While the freshman Caper also looked mature beyond his years, rushing for 51 yards on 12 carries and his first two touchdowns in the green and white.  Another good sign for Sparty, they seemed to have solidified the very questionable and inexperienced right side of the offensive line with Brendon Moss and D.J. Young.

Next week doesn’t get any easier for MSU as they travel to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison to take on the Badgers.  Wisconsin, like IU, is undefeated, but have looked less than impressive.  They beat NIU 28-20, and took extra time to beat Fresno State 34-31.  They also just destroyed Wofford 44-14.  Meanwhile, it’s nice to see John Clay get the starting job back, although we should see a lot of Zach Brown as well this weekend.  If you like ugly, nitty-gritty, punch you in the mouth football, check this game out.  Expect this game to be close, as both teams will look to grind it out for the majority of this one.  But in the end, when both teams realize they need to get the ball in the end zone, the Spartans have the talent edge at both quarterback and wide receiver, especially with Dell showing no signs of wear and tear, and Blair White looking like a Biletnikoff finalist with three fantastic games for MSU.  Throw in the versatility of Keshawn Martin and big play potential of B. J. Cunningham, the Spartans should separate themselves from the Badgers late in the game through the air, as both teams grind it out to a draw early on.  Michigan State jumps around in Camp Randall after winning 27-23.

REVIEW
Both teams looked very impressive in their 2009 openers, with Michigan State dominating Montana State 44-3, and U of M 11 minutes from a shutout in beating WMU 31-7.  I wasn’t that impressive though as I correctly guessed the MSU game, but blew the U of M game about as much as Western Michigan did.

MICHIGAN

It took Tim Hiller a while to get going as he started the game 3-11.  He finished up completing 22 of 38 passes but by then it was just too late, as Michigan took a 31-0 lead into the half.  Doak Walker candidate Brandon West took 13 handoffs for only 41 yards during the game.  Add up those two stats right there alone, and that won’t bode well for the Broncos….ever.  Tate Forcier looked impressive in his first game wearing the maize and blue, completing 13 of 20 for 179 yards and three scores.  While Denard Robinson finally is the proven running quarterback that eluded Rich Rodriguez in his first season in Ann Arbor as his first rush went for 43 yards and six points.

A much stronger test lies ahead for U of M this weekend number 23 Notre Dame comes to the Big House.  Neither team was really tested in week one as Notre Dame ran by, or rather passed over Nevada.  This battle is going to come down which quarterback has the better day, and I’m going to give the edge to the experience.  Jimmy Clausen went 15-18 for 315 and four touchdowns in Notre Dame’s first shutout of the Charlie Weis era in South Bend.  Unlike Western, Clausen can get some help from playmakers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd.  Floyd caught 4 passes for 189 yards and crossed the end zone three times, while everybody knows what Tate is capable of based on last season, regardless of a just a decent game yesterday.  The Irish defense is also much better than the Broncos.  Even though I am as opposed to the outrageous preseason rankings that Notre Dame gets year in and year out, I still think they are the better team than U of M based on talent alone, and that is why Notre Dame will beat U of M 31-23. (Yeah, I’ll give U of M some field goals now that I know they can make them since Jason Olesnavage booted a 44 yarder yesterday.)

Michigan State

This was pretty much what I expected from MSU as they dominated the Bobcats 44-3.  The running game wasn’t as good as I expected, but despite a few drops, the Spartan receivers more than made up for it.  Blair White had a career high nine receptions for 162 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Meanwhile sophomore receiver B.J. Cunningham, freshman tight end Dion Sims, and sophomore tight end transfer Brian Linthicum all crossed the goal line for the first time wearing the green and white.  Both quarterbacks appeared to keep the race between them relatively even as Kirk Cousins went 10 for 17 for 183 and three touchdowns, while his counterpart Keith Nichol went 9 of 18 for 135 and two scores.  MSU showed a little what they will incorporate with Nichol at the helm, but if you think you’ve seen it all, you’re going to very surprised come time for the Notre Dame and Michigan games.

Just like U of M, the road for the Spartans doesn’t get any easier as last season MAC Offensive Player of the Year Dan LeFevour waiting for MSU this Saturday.  Even though LeFevour was less than impressive in the CMU’s 19-6 loss to the Arizona Wildcats, don’t expect the same from him when the Chippewas visit Spartan Stadium.  But don’t expect him to have the same type of break out game that propelled him to the top of all the preseason lists this year.  Greg Jones was a beast in game one, and I think that he’ll continue to play at the same level in AT LEAST nine of the next 11 games.  He wrapped up 14 tackles, including 2.5 for losses, and also brought down the quarterback 1.5 times.  I feel that MSU’s back seven is much stronger than the Wildcats, and if the front four for MSU can get enough consistency, the Chips are in a boatload of trouble.  I do think that Caulton Ray needs to be handed the ball more often as he looked relatively impressive in his first action for MSU, but still expect three to four running backs to see some time and carries against Central.  Also, both quarterbacks will continue to play for State, but Cousins should see the first snap again, as he proved game experience is one of the more important aspects in deserving playing time.  CMU didn’t look like they had it together, MSU appears to have it together with the exception of still needing to shuffle the offensive line, and that is why MSU should handle the Chippewas relatively easily, 38-20.

U OF M VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN

This University of Michigan team has got a lot going against them as of late.  You look at the possibility of them getting sanctioned by the NCAA, along with head coach Rich Rodriguez’s most recent debacle being sued due to defaulting on a loan involving a condo, and you have a recipe for a week of nothing but distractions.  Tim Hiller is the second best quarterback in the MAC, which is saying a lot with Dan LeFevour at CMU, but he also appears to be the more NFL-ready quarterback between the two.  If Brandon Graham can rattle Hiller early, this could be a long day for the Broncos.  The one problem with that, I don’t think the senior Hiller can get rattled.  The defense for Michigan should do okay considering you don’t have the Greg Jennings-esque play makers for the Broncos, but Hiller could still compile over 300 yards on the day.  The secondary for the Broncos is missing a key part as Louis Delmas is going on to the NFL.  This game will be won when the Broncos’ defense and Wolverines’ offense is on the field.  Since Rich Rod has three quarterbacks that he plans on using for this game, I don’t expect this offense to get a lot of momentum, so we should see quite a bit of Zoltan Mesko.  But too much Zoltan Mesko, and not a lot of Forcier, Robinson, or Sheridan, is bad news for the Wolverines.  Couple that with the possibility of Brandon Minor missing this game, the Broncos win 17-14.

MSU vs. Montana State

And the winner is….Kirk Cousins.  Cousins will line up under Joel Nitchman the first time the Spartans’ offense takes the field this Saturday.  Cousins was not well recruited, but has the makings to be a star in this league, especially with the talent and depth at wide receiver.  On the other hand, Keith Nichol will see the field as well, but don’t expect to see a struggle for this offense.  The Bobcats are also in the middle of a quarterback battle, and going against a defense as experienced, deep and talented as MSU’s (at least in the back seven), expect a lot of pressure on, and mistakes by Cody Kempt and Mark Iddins.  Caulton Ray, Edwin Baker, and Larry Caper will all get their first carries of their young careers and I expect at least two of them to cross the goal line for the first time as well.  Even though last season Montana State stuck with Minnesota for a while and played hard against Kansas State (even when the game was essentially over), and upset Colorado three season ago. this result should be most similar to the Kansas State outcome (69-10).  I’m not even going say Nichol and Cousins are going to be the only quarterbacks for MSU to play in this game.  Elite 11 quarterback Andrew Maxwell should see a couple snaps as well, even though it will be handing off to whichever of MSU’s seven running backs are in to kill the clock.  MSU wins 55-6.

I digress, back to the issue at hand.  This means that the 8 or 9% simply believe the their are one of two players better than him in today’s league.  LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.  Without Michael there would be no LeBron, no Kobe, no Wade, even no Manu Ginobili.  I know what you’re thinking, with no Dr. J, there would be no Michael.  That is entirely true.  But Dr. J didn’t mix all the intangibles that this larger-than-life-Laney-legend had.  Michael was the most complete package to enter the NBA.  He could pass with Magic, defend with Rodman, rebound with the best of them and score on the court like Wilt could off it.  LeBron is the complete package, but we still have yet to see that killer instinct that made Michael Jordan head, shoulders, elbows, feet and 60 inches of air above his competition.  While Kobe has that drive, he does not have that same package.  He can do it all, but not at the same time.  You won’t often see a stat-line of Kobe’s say he has 34 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds.  While at least avoiding 5 turnovers.

Finally, look at the condition of the league.  You were actually allowed to touch another player without getting a five game suspension for David “way too” Stern.  (Hint, hint.  Allow  hand-checking again!)  And while MJ did get some calls, Lebron and Kobe have gotten more calls than an escort service before a ten year reunion.  The bottom line is that Michael Jordan is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.  (Sorry Bret Hart.)

I’ll never forget sitting in my living room with my brother watching Michael Jordan put Byron Russell on his long list of victims with Steve Smith and most notably, Craig Ehlo.  Or where I was watching him jumping up on a scorer’s table showing off finger after finger representing how many championships the Chicago Jordans have won in the past decade.  And I’ll never forget visiting that museum in Chicago with my parents seeing all six of every child’s dream who ever touched a basketball, roped in with red velvet ropes thinking “I am just a couple feet away from six things the greatest athlete ever has touched.”  If hockey can retire a number 99 from their league, and NASCAR does number 3, there is no reason whatsoever that LeBron, Jason Richardson, even Devin Brown shouldn’t give up their numbers.

Michael Jordan never made excuses for errors on and off the court.  He took it in a stride as opposed to the rest of the league that was like Usain Bolt sprinting against Chris Farley…right now.  You may say thank you to Michael Jordan for inventing those people who disrespect the game by being a ball hog, only because they didn’t watch his game develop into the 90′s when he started to collect more rings than anybody in the history of the league with the exception of a few Boston Celtics and Robert Horry.  Or even thank him for Brett Favre with the constant on and off again retiring.  Or even talk about him smoking his victory cigars and his own extortion case.  But I say thank you to Michael Jordan for the memories and for showing me that I never had to be perfect.  Just the closest thing to it.

From now on, I decided that I would TRY to weekly post a blog regarding Michigan sports teams, but I would also like to enter a blog for any significant event (Rick Pitino, Plaxico Burress-type stories).  Just trying to get a taste for this so here’s my first shot….

The Big Ten this year should see a much improved bottom nine.  Obviously you still have PSU and OSU going at it at the top.  But the bottom 9 should be a straight out war similar to last season’s basketball season behind MSU.    Here’s how I have the Big Ten teams finishing.  I have them split into three groups that I feel accurately describe their potential.

PRETENDERS
11.  Purdue-This is a team that, with a new coach in Danny Hope, is in a definite rebuilding year.  I don’t see a lot of good things coming out of West Lafeyette this year with the exception of a young defensive unit who should be much improved, but the bottom line is this, losing Curtis Painter and Kory Sheets from a barely decent team, is going to crush you.

10.  Indiana-These bottom two teams are essentially interchangeable.  The only reason I am putting Indiana higher than the Boilers is Ben Chappell.  He showed some signs of what he’s capable of in a few games when the Hoosiers lined up since-departed Kellen Lewis at wide receiver.  I also like the one-two punch at the defensive end spots between Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton.  Matt Mayberry at the MLB spot should also lead a much-improved linebacking corp for IU.

9.  Minnesota-This is a team that has a lot of very talented no-namers, but that along with one of the most potent quarterback to receiver combos in the Big Ten with Adam Weber and Eric Decker shouldn’t be enough to carry this team to the upper half of this very underappreciated conference.

8.  Wisconsin-This is a team that has been on the decline since Bielema took over as head coach.  Expect more of the same this year as this is a team that clearly doesn’t have their cards straight.  John Clay was instant offense when temporarily filling in for P.J. Hill last season, yet they have him as a “co-starter” with Zach Brown who should be around the same talent level, but not as good or experienced.  They also have pre-season All Big-Ten canidate at tight end, Garrett Graham listed as a co-starter.  This doesn’t bode well for the Badgers.

DARK HORSES
7. Michigan-Everyone is expecting Michigan in the middle in the pack in the conference, so why should I be any different?  Michigan is finally looking to have most of  the right pieces to the spread offense in place with quarterbacks who are capable of taking off in freshmen Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson.  With Brandon Graham returning at defensive end, the pass rush should be just as good, but they lose a great stopper in Terrance Taylor.  The defense shouldn’t change much, but the offense should improve.  They say if you have two quarterbacks of the same style (run first, pocket passer, or combo), you really have no quarterbacks….Well, Michigan has three.  So this should be an interesting situation in Ann Arbor.
6.  Northwestern-Losing C.J. Bacher and Tyrell Sutton shouldn’t hurt as much as some people think.  Mike Kafka looked good in relief of Bacher last season and his arm and accuracy have only gotten better.  Sutton had nagging injuries throughout his career and so there should be some experience to be shared in the backfield.  With the return of Corey Wootton at defensive end, this is a team that should be middle of the pack on both sides of the football, as well as in the standings.

5.  Illinois-Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn give this offense more than enough fire power to carry this team to a mediocre Big Ten standing.  If you throw in the play-making capabilities of Florida transfer Jarred Fayson, this team may be the most explosive in the Big Ten when they have the ball.  They should show  just enough improvement on the defensive side of the ball to push them past Northwestern.

CONTENDERS
4.  Iowa-The reason they aren’t number three on this list is the game at Spartan Stadium.  They have one of, if not the toughest, road schedule in America.  Include that, as well as the loss of Shonn Greene to this offense, the inconsistent play of Ricky Stanzi will be a factor.  If he continues that play this season, the Hawkeyes could fall past Illinois.  If he can step up and prove to be a leader on this team, and Jewel Hampton can fill half of the big shoes Shonn Greene left behind, this team could challenge for the Big Ten title, especially with Pat Angerer leading the charge on defense.

3.  Michigan State-This is a very underappreciated offense.  They have two capable quarter backs.  One (Kirk Cousins) who completed 74% of his passes against good defenses in OSU, PSU, and Georgia.  And another (Keith Nichol) who has been lighting it up in the pre-season, and his lack of experience is justified as he spent a season as a back-up to some guy named Sam Bradford.  Life after Javon Ringer could be rough, but freshmen Larry Caper and Edwin Baker are college-ready.  To go along with a balanced and deep receiving corp and a great defense led by pre-season Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Greg Jones, this team will be the one to kick the “Same ol’ Spartans” tag.

2.  Ohio State-A great team that has a little experience at quarterback now with Terrelle Pryor entering his sophomore season.  This is the poor man’s USC of the Rust Belt.  They could lose every player on their squad and show they don’t rebuild, they reload and this season will be proof.  Dan Herron and Brandon Saine should be just fine running behind an improved offensive line that will feature U of M transfer Justin Boren.  The losses of James Laurainitis, Malcolm Jenkins, and Chris Wells will be felt, but not that big of a factor.

1.  Penn State-They won last year, why wouldn’t they this year?  They don’t lose as many key parts as OSU, and still return who I feel is the best player on the offensive side of the ball in Darryl Clark and the leading returning rusher in the Big Ten in Evan Royster.  Navarro Bowman and company on defense should be just as good as last year which should make up for the lack of experience at wide receiver with the losses of three of the best receivers in school history.