Bo Harbaugh

October 15th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^

They are terrible and won't be able to consistently move the ball against the UM defense.

I'd expect a 20 point lead at halftime.  Only way UM doesn't cover is if they are playing 3rd stringers all 4th quarter and Sparty gets a couple garbage time TD's.

I can't list 1 impact player on their team.  I expect UM to be up 28-31 going into the 4th, question is how much Harbaugh lets his foot off the gas.

Joined: 08/03/2019

MGoPoints: 38635

Cruzcontrol75

October 15th, 2023 at 3:53 PM ^

against Rutgers, MSUs WRs had longest receptions in the teens, something like 13,13,11 yds while 4 of Rutgers WRs had longs in the 20s.  Shows how limited Houser is at QB and how poor their secondary is defending.  A recipe for disaster for MSU if JJ is on his game and the pass rush gets home.  Michigan by at least 4 TDs.

Joined: 05/20/2015

MGoPoints: 8788

PopeLando

October 15th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^

Night game in East Lansing with a team coached by Mark Dantonio??? 

They will come out fired up, cheap shot us at every opportunity, and you KNOW that there will be trick plays, fake punts, uncalled holding up the wazoo, and Rex Grossman Deep Shots

The over/under on Roughing the Passer penalties is hereby set at 5

Joined: 08/01/2015

MGoPoints: 68478

blueheron

October 15th, 2023 at 2:49 PM ^

I think Sparty is better than the record indicates, but it has been many years (before this century, for sure) since a mediocre MSU team, as measured by year-end record, has beaten a good UM team. I think we have enough data this year to declare UM good and MSU mediocre or worse.

Joined: 03/26/2009

MGoPoints: 31057

BlueInGreenville

October 15th, 2023 at 6:17 PM ^

They're -6 in turnover margin, so they've had some back luck.  And they have a pretty good D line, O line and running back.  Houser is a decently mobile guy with a big arm.  I'm not saying they have any real chance of beating us, but no one should be surprised if this is a contested game in the second half.

Joined: 10/22/2017

MGoPoints: 6329

Eng1980

October 15th, 2023 at 8:46 PM ^

That -6 isn't just bad luck.  They are breaking in a pair of young QBs.  

In the Rutger game, Rutger gave MSU the lead by committing 3 turnovers, then MSU had 3 turnovers and gave it back.  Maryland forces turnovers just a smidge more than Michigan so that might be a push also.  (Maryland forced 5 turnovers.)

Joined: 04/28/2016

MGoPoints: 11999

XM - Mt 1822

October 15th, 2023 at 7:41 PM ^

I think you might be reading too much into his comment, and mine earlier along the same topic. Sparty has had their team basically disintegrate, between transfers and their coach disgracefully leaving a few weeks ago. Most other teams wouldn’t be trying, half the team would now be transferring, and they wouldn’t just be losing games, they be losing games, 60 to nothing. From that standpoint, I think they’re performing far above expectations of total epic disaster. 

Joined: 12/21/2011

MGoPoints: 103484

Richard75

October 15th, 2023 at 6:28 PM ^

I think Sparty is better than the record indicates, but it has been many years (before this century, for sure) since a mediocre MSU team, as measured by year-end record, has beaten a good UM team. I think we have enough data this year to declare UM good and MSU mediocre or worse.

Totally agree on point one (Sparty is better than the record indicates). They played Iowa even and were up 24-6 at Rutgers and lost to both.

But respectfully disagree on point two (that mediocre MSU teams haven’t beaten good U-M ones). It’s kind of a tautology.

Since we never play State at the end of the year, there’s always a lack of data on how good each team is. But that’s the whole point: We don’t know. If U-M (somehow) loses Saturday, it’s quite conceivable they could wind up 9-3 with no wins over rivals or ranked teams. So you could again say, well, this was another instance of MSU beating a Michigan team that wasn’t actually that good.

The whole thing is a convenient narrative that seems aimed at explaining away the 2017 and 2020 upset losses to MSU.

Joined: 09/23/2008

MGoPoints: 5290

Hensons Mobile…

October 15th, 2023 at 6:59 PM ^

Let's check the record books. First of all, Blue Heron is only referencing this century, so from 2000 on. Secondly, we're only concerned with "good" Michigan teams. We haven't defined what good means. I think if Michigan ever has anything less than 8 wins, people lose their minds and want everybody fired, so I will go with the 8-win teams.

Out of the 23 seasons we've already played this century, there were 7 times we did not even give MSU the opportunity to beat a "good" UM team. (That includes the 2-4 2020 season.)

Of the remaining 16 years, MSU won 4 times: 2011, 2015, 2017, 2021. When was MSU good and when were they mediocre, or worse?

Of those years, MSU's worst was 2017, when they went 10-3 overall, 7-2 in conference, and beat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.

In conclusion, MSU only beats us when they are good, or we are bad, in this century.

Original comment from Blue Heron stands.

 

Edit: That was a fun exercise, but I guess your real point was that it's possible by the end of the year, we will see that Michigan is, in fact, a bad team. I guess that's true, in theory. But if by the end of the year we decide that, Blue Heron's statement will still be true.

Joined: 09/12/2019

MGoPoints: 49548

Monday Morning…

October 16th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^

To add to your point, it's weird how people still talk about 2017 as if we were better than them. We finished 8-5 without a single win over anyone of substance. That wasn't a good Michigan team, period. I agree the original point stands - it's something I've also been saying for a long time.

Bad MSU has beaten bad UM, good MSU has beaten bad UM, good MSU has beaten good UM. Bad MSU has not beaten good UM since....?

Joined: 10/08/2017

MGoPoints: 2730

Hensons Mobile…

October 16th, 2023 at 9:21 PM ^

Don't tell anyone, but I totally didn't count 2001 as an MSU win. Oops, lol. I just glossed right over all the Carr years counting those as wins.

So actually 2001, which is this century, is when a bad MSU last beat a good UM. Spartan Bob.

MSU finished 3-5 in conference, 7-5 overall. We were 6-2 in conference, 8-4 overall.

Joined: 09/12/2019

MGoPoints: 49548

lhglrkwg

October 15th, 2023 at 2:56 PM ^

it actually feels low to me. The wheels were already coming off and they just had one of their biggest Sparty Nos in years. I think theyll put a fight for a few drives but ultimately its gonna be more of the same

probably something like 45-10

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 87967

WolverineHistorian

October 15th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^

I can already hear Dantonio b*tching about disrespect.  Although I'm a little surprised at the line.  If this were at the big house, I could see it.  But on the road in a night game against a rival who is going to play their best game of the season and has their backs to the wall....maybe not so much.

I'd love another blowout and God knows, Sparty deserves it.  But 2016 reminds me that they're going to be annoying and play so much better.  We were 7-0, they had lost 5 in a row.  They scored first on us and we won 32-23.  With how awful MSU looked all year, I think very few expected that to be a 32-23 type game.  And they won with "dignity" or whatever.  

Definitely hope I'm wrong and the score becomes so lopsided that there's only Michigan fans left in the stadium.  

Joined: 08/10/2009

MGoPoints: 55466

Beilein 4 Life

October 15th, 2023 at 6:08 PM ^

I know the score doesn’t show it, but we kicked the shit out of MSU in 2016. We were up 30-10 in the middle of the fourth and we just let them run out the clock. There was a 0% chance they could win that game. They scored with 1 second to go. It was obvious we stopped caring about the score and just wanted to get the game over with.

Joined: 06/19/2018

MGoPoints: 4415