SIAP: The Freep Predicts MSU's FB Season
Solari has them going 7-5, which is plausible. However, he has MSU beating UM 17-13 in Ann Arbor. So you don't need to click the link (I won't even provide it), here is his reasoning:
"Oct. 7: MSU 17, Michigan 14
A stunner, you say? Perhaps. However, the Wolverines are in the same position the Spartans were a year ago with a number of new faces who have not experienced this rivalry. That growth – and last year’s loss – fires up MSU defensive tackles Mike Panasiuk and Raequan Williams to set the tone in the trenches."
If I understand this correctly, MSU will beat us because the few remaining players who didn't get kicked off the team in the off-season have "experienced the game already," and their DL will be "fired up." So, there it is...
"August 28th, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^
Not sure which source of journalism is relevant anymore... CNN or the Free Press?
August 28th, 2017 at 12:24 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
"Penalty, Michigan State, #86, Illegal Touching...AGAIN... 15 yards..."
August 28th, 2017 at 2:25 PM ^
That's funny because I would wager that there are more guys currently on UM's team that saw the field in last year's game than on MSU's. He should try research next time, that used to be something journalists did.
EDIT: Here is the participation report from MSU's website.
I count 29 guys on UM's current roster that played in last year's game. But they also have Mbem-Bosse listed as our starting center, so who knows. I didn't bother counting MSU's guys, because I don't know their roster well enough and because, really, who gives a shit about MSU's roster?
August 28th, 2017 at 12:26 PM ^
Their Depth and Talent on the Dline is not impressive, Their top returning receiver has 12 receptions last year (ours had 16 lol) and They could be playing up top 12 true freshman, including 3 on the offensive line due to necessity, but Mike Panasiuk and Raequan Williams will be the difference!
August 28th, 2017 at 12:42 PM ^
Weird, when I look up Mike Panasiuk's stats from last year's game, this is what I get:
10/29 Michigan L32-23 No Statistics Available
August 28th, 2017 at 1:20 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
"The similarities between 2016 MSU and 2017 Michigan are truly astounding: both play football, neither returned all 22 starters, and both play in Michigan therefore Michigan will go 3-9"
August 28th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
Those new faces on Michigan he mentions are far superior to the new faces on MSU last year. Michigan has such a superior roster at this point. There is no fucking way MSU comes to Ann Arbor and beats this team.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
"The starting quarterback, top four receivers, half the first-string offensive line, half the first- and second-string defensive line and linebacking corps, and four of the top five defensive backs are gone," wrote SB Nation's Bill Connelly, who describes MSU as entering a rebuilding year after having a "rebuilding-year record" in 2016.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:30 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 12:32 PM ^
My Gawd!! The hot takes are flowing freely...
Also, over the weekend, Baumgartner wrote about how this 3rd season of Harbaugh was vitally important to him, he had to succeed now! I mean, he all but wrote the actual words - win now, or hot seat. Didn't take long for him to get Freep'd...
August 28th, 2017 at 1:42 PM ^
Wojo wrote pretty much the same thing at Detnews:
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/columnists/bob-wojnowski/2017/0…
August 28th, 2017 at 4:00 PM ^
Uh, I kind of agree with him. Not that he hasn't accomplished a lot, but UM needs to be able to show some results soon. He's the highest paid coach in cfb and, at the risk of getting downvoted for sounding negative about Harbaugh, I think less than 11 or 12 wins is going to be a disappointment to him and alot of the fans
August 28th, 2017 at 5:06 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 6:47 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 6:55 PM ^
It is well known that Vinilla Ice is ice cold!
August 29th, 2017 at 9:01 AM ^
I didn't agree that his seat is hot. With that said, how would fans feel about 8 or 9 wins this year?
The honeymoon period is short for new football coaches and when you are the highest paid coach in the land, you have to live up to it or people will lose faith. It's just a matter of fact.
August 29th, 2017 at 1:29 PM ^
I think 8 wins is the floor for this team. That said, I think fans will be ok considering most thought it was a 4-5 year turn around with the state of the program when he took over. when you add in the fact that this team is literally the youngest in the nation.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
I had to look up his picture, I figured he had to be family to other famous mediums. But sadly, no. Only similarity I spotted was being full of [edit:] crap..
August 28th, 2017 at 12:34 PM ^
Cares,,,,,,consider the source.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:36 PM ^
Good luck with that. Sparty isn't doing anything again until Mork retires and the Nardawg gets hired.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:37 PM ^
...he says this: "However, the Wolverines are in the same position the Spartans were a year ago."
He's right because we are in the same position as Staee was a year ago - we've scored as many points in the College Football Playoff as they have.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:40 PM ^
A 7-5 prediction for Sparty is like an 11-1 or 12-0 prediction for Michigan. No reasonable, objective person would make that prediction, but if you're a fan, it's okay to dream, and hope for some luck. MSU could go 7-5 or even 8-4, but if I'm betting money on it I wouldn't put them at any better than 5-7.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
It's ok to say they could go 7-5, but when someone gets into detail about how MSU winning in AA wouldn't be a stunner because we're in the same position as they were last year, it's way beyond a season preview, just plain stupidity.
August 28th, 2017 at 3:40 PM ^
Florida's got big problems, we should beat MSU and OSU at home. Split with Wisconsin and PSU and win the games we should (we'll be heavy favorites in the rest) and you're at 11-1.
The schedule sets up well, given Florida's problems. That's followed by Cincinnatti, AF, at Purdue, MSU, at Indiana. That's a half season for the new WRs and Speight to adjust to each other, the OL to develop and the DBs to gain experience.
Depth at DB and the OL (plus a need for a RT) are the biggest worries but if injuries don't cripple the team 11-1 seems quite possible.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
Seriously....why does the Freep pander to the MSU portion of their dwindling readership? Do they represent a disproportionate share of those few remaining customers they claim to have?
I get this if they do - makes all the sense in the world to have "opinions" match those that make the bulk of your customers happy. But if they dont the Freep strategy of siding with Sparty on all things sports-related is baffling to me. Cause when I left the state back in 81 there wasnt a bias at all favoring MSU and if anythiing both the Freep & the News tilted pretty hard pro-Michigan.
Any ideas why?
August 28th, 2017 at 12:51 PM ^
Because then Michigan fans will post it on social media or on blogs and say "WTF, CHECK THIS OUT!!!"
Whereas, if they say that MSU will be terrible again and lose to Michigan, we will all shrug and say "oh okay"
August 28th, 2017 at 1:19 PM ^
I have two theories.
One is that the Freep is the liberal paper in town and MSU's fan base slants more conservative, so Sparty-slappery is a way to draw in more conservative readers who otherwise would read the News. And vice-versa with the News, by the way, since I've always felt they were more pro-U-M (although that could be just relative to the Freep.)
Two is that Drew Sharp was the driving force behind Freep sports editorializing, unofficially, and since he was such a contrarian bastard all the time he was always propping up Sparty during their Bobby Williams, John L Smith years. After the games he would be Mr. Acid Pen, of course, but before the games he would be all WOOOO this is the year big bad Michigan goes DOWN.
August 28th, 2017 at 10:09 PM ^
I've never left the state, pretty sure I'm older than you, and have observed exactly the same. Don't know the answer. Back then though print media was all we had, and the A2 News as well as Freep/Det were all Block M all the way. Sparty didn't exist except as annoying little brother...
oh wait...
August 28th, 2017 at 12:52 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 3:49 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 7:07 PM ^
What makes this joke so good is that when you first read it I laughed because 4 sacks for the ear is so low that it makes it funny. Then you think about their roster and lack of sacks last year and realize they most likily finish the year pretty close to that stat.
August 28th, 2017 at 12:52 PM ^
I had hope that our top 5 starting D-line would help us out in this game, but sounds like they didn't start last year (3 of them played) and won't understand the game like their two starting tackles along with whatever is playing defensive end beside them. I am tailgating this game too. Ugh, damn you Dantoinio, damn you and your amazing motivation.
August 28th, 2017 at 1:11 PM ^
This guy is one of their 2 captains. I think we'll be alright when we play them.
August 28th, 2017 at 2:01 PM ^
Its actually pretty funny watching him try to look all tough and scary when we all saw true freshman Devin Bush do this to him last year.
August 28th, 2017 at 2:08 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 2:19 PM ^
Hair is flying everywhere.
August 28th, 2017 at 7:09 PM ^
Looks like Bush really wanted out of the woodshed that he locked Michigan in last year.
August 28th, 2017 at 2:11 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 7:13 PM ^
Im pretty sure that he was called for it and thrown out. What made it funny is he was one of the "woodshed" twitter commenters. Seeing the spartans fans whine after a freshman earholes him was pretty funny.
August 28th, 2017 at 1:12 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 1:20 PM ^
August 28th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^