grant perry

[Bryan Fuller]

Previously: Krushed By Stauskas (Illinois 2014), Introducing #ChaosTeam (Indiana 2009), Revenge is Terrifying (Colorado 1996), Four Games In September I (Boston College 1991), Four Games In September II (Boston College 1994), Four Games In September III (Boston College 1995), Four Games In September IV (Boston College 1996), Pac Ten After Dark Parts One and Two (UCLA 1989), Harbaugh's Grand Return Parts One and Two (Notre Dame 1985), Deceptive Speed Parts One and Two (Purdue 1999)

Week One: 1993 Washington Part OnePart Two2002 Washington Twitch stream

Week Two: 2011 Notre Dame Part One, Part Two, Twitch stream

This Game: Full game, highlights, box score

MGoBlog Coverage: Preview, punt/counterpunt, recap, game column, GIFsUFR offense, UFR defense

I got started on this before the FOOTBALL BACK announcement, so I'll finish out the "non-conference" schedule over the next week while turning my focus to season preview content(!). After some consideration, I decided to look for a game that didn't have a deeply stressful ending. This one merely has a deeply stressful beginning.

Despite both teams getting off to dominating 2-0 starts, #4 Michigan and unranked Colorado aren't expected to play a particularly competitive game in week three of the 2016 season. The Buffaloes finished the previous year 4-8 and dead last in the Pac-12 South for the fourth straight season. Head coach Mike MacIntyre is in his fourth year and on thin ice. The first two weeks change the expectations from "abomination" to "a football team":

In this context a rousing blowout of in-state rival Colorado State does mean something. They squeezed by a 7-6 CSU team last year and spent big chunks of the last decade actually losing to them, so roaring out to a 30-point first-half lead and coasting the rest of the way is a notable improvement no matter how off this year's Rams are. How much improvement is an open question, but they could be a 6-6, 7-5 type outfit headed to Shreveport or wherever.

Vegas expects them to be Michigan's stiffest test to date, with a line more than two touchdowns closer than the UCF game. This shouldn't be close, but it should be a football game.

Vegas favors Michigan by 19.5 points. Here are the lineups, courtesy of 2016 Seth [click for big]:

Michigan offense vs. Colorado defense:

Colorado offense vs. Michigan defense:

Michigan enters this game banged up. After the typical obfuscating from Jim Harbaugh and the typical lack of a Wolverine depth chart, Michigan eventually fields a defense down two starters (CB Jourdan Lewis and DE Taco Charlton) and a key backup (DT Bryan Mone). In response to the uncertainty, Colorado issues a game week depth chart that would've been funnier if they hadn't explained all the jokes. Harbaugh gets peeved about it, giving us a controversy silly even by college football standards.

"I saw the depth chart," Harbaugh said. "I was trying to imagine how many people sat around and how many hours they worked on that. We've just found, I mean, when it comes to the depth chart, modern technology seems to have made the depth chart an outdated task by about 20 years. We've found studying last week's film of the opponent is the most accurate way of determining another team's depth chart."

And the jokes were bad!

With all of that out of the way, BTN is kind enough to show (most of) the Wolverines take the field.

Your announcers are Kevin Kugler and Matt Millen, possibly returning from The Joker's funeral.

Let's do the football, after THE JUMP.

A Florida player puts a finishing move on Christian Turner
[Marc-Gregor Campredon]

ATLANTA — Sitting in the bowels of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, not even an hour after his college career ended in unceremonious fashion, Grant Perry had no interest in talking.

 

“How do I feel right now?” he asked sarcastically, eyes welled with tears. “How does it look like I feel?”

 

And, really, how else could he feel?

 

This was a team with so much potential. It could have shut down every rumor that Jim Harbaugh isn’t long for Michigan. It could have ended the national perception that the Wolverines aren’t near competing for a national title. It’s hard to put a ceiling on it.

 

[After THE JUMP: column]

Josh Metellus and Josh Uche high-five during Michigan's win over Michigan State
[Barron]

Things Discussed

  • Don Brown has been waiting for Penn State
  • The Revenge Tour, Leg Three
  • Tarik Black is practicing
  • Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nico Collins are taking leadership roles
  • The offensive line's improvement as a whole
  • Jon Runyan's individual improvement

[After THE JUMP: Stuff, and lots of it]