Stampede Averted!!!

All of you reading may have thought I was probably in a panic at around 3:50PM on Saturday. Heart Palpitations, Dizzyness, Cold Sweats, Hand Wringing – the works.  But if you were sitting in the stadium watching, you kind of got the feeling that while this was not the “Ideal” start Michigan wanted, it wasn’t a complete disaster – yet.

In fact, while everyone around me was panicking and losing their minds, I was surprisingly calm – for me, anyway.  I mean, there were of course a few curse words muttered under my breath and Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrots could be heard all around.  But it was still only the first three minutes of the game. And the Buffaloes really hadn’t done anything but hit a long pass and created a defensive TD.

Excrement Happens!

I know it SOUNDS bad.  But it only took Colorado three minutes and there was a lot of football left to be played.  Michigan could contain if they just got their collective act together. 

When I REALLY lost it was on the 3^rd TD and the picture perfect flag route where the Buffs QB hit his receiver in stride with one foot in the end zone.  That’s when I panicked.  If the Buffs QB was going to have THAT kind of day, Michigan might be in trouble – and Michigan was down 14 points again. 

Luckily, everyone settled down, sucked it up and Speight started finding receivers.  Yes, Speight did not look good early, but he re-grouped.  Michigan takes the lead going into Halftime.

2^nd Half and Michigan’s Defensive front finally figures out a way to get to Liufau and banged him up enough to keep him on the bench, but not before he threw another picture perfect pass.    While I hate to see anyone get hurt, if Liufau stayed in the game, the outcome IMHO, could have been very different.

Peppers FINALLY found Pay-Dirt and that was the separation score the crowd was looking for.  ICYMI – See below:

JABRILL!!!!

So – where does all of this leave me feeling today? 

Based on some of the other games I saw and a few of the replays I was able to catch, I’m going to make a statement that I never thought I’d hear myself make:

Michigan may be the most over-rated team in the Top 5 this week.  Much like FSU and Oklahoma, Michigan may – MAY be a bit of a fraud. 

They have a LONG WAY to go before the can play with the other Top 5 teams week in and week out.

Okay – that’s out there.  But now I’m gonna’ say this:  Colorado was better than advertised.  I believe that team can go into the Pac 12 North and do some damage.  Not saying they will, but maybe Colorado has turned a corner of sorts….

And there’s this:

Michigan NEEDED THIS GAME!  After the result, I wouldn’t have wanted this game to unfold and play out any other way.  This team needed an early scare/test to help them understand that everyone is going to come into Ann Arbor and everyone that they play on the road is going to hit them hard, quick and not show any mercy.  These are the kind of games that take the metal of this team, breaks it down, thrusts it into the forge of fire only to be taken out and beaten, shaped and honed into a deadly, fine metal blade. 

Yep - Michigan and Harbaugh needed this game.  They needed this game to learn from and realize that even the lowest of teams that they face are going to be looking for blood. 

Bring on Penn State!

The Rest of the Mess

I have to say that the B1G didn’t get nearly enough love from the Sports Press over the weekend, winning 3 pretty big games.  So be it.  Settle it all on the field.   

Houston @ Cincinnati - This was a great game and with less than 10 minutes to go in the 4^th quarter, it was tight and the score was 19-16 Houston.  Houston went in for a go further ahead TD and I was starting to think that it might be over.  I believe I let myself rest my eyes during a commercial, cause, you know…Age and past 10:00 PM on a week night.  I awoke from a very short snooze and the game was still on and the little box in the corner read:  Houston 40 – Cincinnati 16 with around 4:00 to go.  Its moments like that when you think you’re losing your mind because there’s no physical way a team could have scored that many points in that short time.  And then I saw the two pick 6’s that were exactly 0:07 seconds apart.  A-ha.  Houston has a pretty good defense.  Let that be a lesson to you!  Too bad their SOS from here on out is gonna suck…They’ll win and drop in the polls.  Watch.

Bama @ Ole Miss: Here was another upset in the making that Hugh Freeze couldn’t wrap up into a shiny present with a bow on top and give to the college football world.  Down 24-3 (I swear my phone had the score messed up as I was checking scores) Ole Miss couldn’t find a way to stop Satan’s Warriors.  Michigan got its wake-up call and Bama got theirs, too, coming back from a 21 point deficit.  That game made Bama a better team.  Unfortunately.

Sparty @ Domers:  It’s always worth repeating:  Somebody I hate is gonna’ lose!!!  But this game went COMPLETELY opposite of the way I thought it was going to go.  As good as the Domers looked at Texas (I know – in a loss) and against Nevada, Sparty made them look equally inept.  BK just received a contract extension (and a raise) and his buyout is huge.  More on the Kelly’s Hot Seat in a minute…But the Domers are (HEEE_HAHAHAHAHA!!!!) officially out of the CFP Play-off race!  And Sparty looks like they haven’t missed a beat from last season….Nuts…

Quack Attack @ CornHUSKERS:    Another great game and a great finish.  The CornHUSKERS found a way back into this game and scored the go ahead TD with a minute and change left on the clock.  I thought the Husker Black Shirts might have been able to do more with the Quack-Attack, but controlling that offense is kind of like drinking from a fire hose.  You stop what you can and you try to keep up on the offensive side of the ball. Difference in the Game:  Quack Attack went for 2 five times!  # Converted:  One.  That 3 points was the margin of victory!   Another win for the B1G!

Texas A&M @ Auburn:  Don’t look now, but the team that was slotted for 6^th or 7^th in the SEC West is sitting at 3-0 with an SEC win.  And the team that everyone was calling a darkhorse is 1-2 with an SEC loss.  That sound you heard was Gus’s Fat Hitting the Frying Pan – 2^nd highest paid coach in the SEC.  I wonder when Hermann throws his cell phone away to concentrate on the season….

FSU @ Loooooeyvulllle: Nobody – and I mean NOBODY – saw this coming.   With the exception of Bobby Petrino and the Louisville Locker Room.  I’m not saying that beating FSU should vault you into the Top 5, but DESTROYING FSU and hanging 63 on them definitely has my attention.  I would very much like to see an entire replay of this game and will look forward to finding one somewhere.  I said two weeks ago you couldn’t give the Hesiman to Dondre Francois of FSU for one game against Ole Miss.  And I wasn’t ready to give it Lamar Jackson after two games against questionable opponents. THIS was a Heisman worthy game….Let’s see where the rest of the season goes…

NDS BIZON @ Ferentz’s Flops:  Another FCS school beats a B1G school.  At my count, I think that’s three this season?  Anyone? And the B1G pays BIG MONEY for the right to let those FCS teams come in and do that….Thank God someone has finally learned and the B1G is “banning” FCS play.  I know Northwestern lost to one and I think someone else did also.  Every Iowa fan is wondering why the university handed ole Kirk a contract extension to 2026 with a $15M buyout…Yes, Ferentz’s seat is hot this week, but he’s impossible to fire at this point.  Iowa fans, you’re stuck with him. 

The Ohio State University @ the Laters:  Probably one of the handful of times you’ll ever see the name of that school typed out in full reading this blog.  That’s respect.  I had a feeling last week on this one – that the suckeyes were going to go down to Norman and abuse the much over rated Laters.  I was, unfortunately, right, but again, this earned a ton of respect overall for the B1G.  College Football is going back to its roots.  Meaning:  I would love to see two undefeated teams in Columbus come November 26^th playing for all the marbles.  That’s just the way it should be.  I will also admit that the suckeyes scare me a little.  Why?  This is why:

 

 

The 5 Stages of Slappy Fan Grief

1.  Denial and Isolation –Okay, all of you with 1-2 records, stand up and be accounted for:  Domers, Rubbers, Auburn Tigers, Laters, Rebels, and Hawkeyes (Okay – Iowa is 2-1, but that FCS loss will not look good if they win out).  Oh what the hell, let’s throw the 2-1 Shorthorns in here too, just for good measure.  These are the fan-bases that more or less have given up on their teams as of September 17^th or are somehow believing that there’s still an incredibly small window open to CFP Land.  Just so you know, it’s over.  The CFP picture would have to get awfully muddy to even paint a path to getting a bid for any of the above mentioned teams.  See ya’, it was fun having you at the party while you lasted.
2. ANGER – Without QUESTION the angriest fan base out there is the Domers.  Yes, Auburn is a very CLOSE 2^nd, but until you understand the Domer mind set and the long held belief that they are TRULY BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE because they play for GOD, DAMMIT, well, you’ll never understand the wrath of the Domers and the pure Catholic HATE AND VITRIOL for one Brian Kelly.  In an effort to NOT HAVE TO FIRE the guy he hired, $warbuck$ gave him a raise, and extension and a buyout increase.  These are some mad fans, folks… MAD FANS!!!!
3. Bargaining – I’m actually putting some Michigan fans down here.  I know, it’s weird because Michigan Fans skipped the first two stages, but the Buffalo game showed some flaws that need correction.  The Michigan Fan Base believes in Jimmy at this point and believes he can fix it, but it needs to happen on the field. 
4. Depression – Every fanbase that’s 1-2 and some of them that are 2-1.  For most fanbases, a loss to an inferior opponent is enough.  For the DOMERS, its completely unacceptable.  They’re still drinking in South Bend…..
5. Acceptance – I hate to throw anyone down here so early, but Northwestern and Illinois qualify.  Granted, they’ll try to rally around the B1G season, just like everyone else, but I have news for the B1G West Division:  Right now, with two wins over Northwestern and Illinois, the Western Michigan Broncos are the LEADERS in the B1G West!!!!

Idle Thoughts from Saturday

-Rain for a 2^nd game in a row in Ann Arbor….

-We’ve had a good weather run for home games in A².  I guess everything comes and goes.

-Tailgate needs a new tent.  There was a drunk fan drive by (Stumble by) last week that took the frame of old tent out

-Thought we had a new replacement but turns out that was an old Tent, also.

-I like 3:30 games, but I hate that it kills the ENTIRE DAY.

-PSU will probably be a 3:30 kick (IT IS)

-Good crowd and Fajitas at the Tailgate were awesome!

-EKitten receives major Kudos for throwing that together!

-HT:   TH for the idea.

-Lots of points in the Can Game as Canner Nation out in FORCE!

-Touchdown Tommy is Honorary Captain!

-How do you not like that guy?

-Michigan loses the toss and takes the ball….

-Here we go!

-Oh, WTF is this…..Nice pass, but Jeez….

-Look Out Speight!  OMG!!! WTF!!!!

-14-0 in the first 3 minutes.

-Okay, Michigan scored.  Let’s get this game under control.

-OMG!  WTF is this?!?!?!?!

-That pass could not have been thrown any better. 

-This QB can play. 

-Now I’m nervous. 

-We either have to do a better job in the secondary or the line hast to get to this guy.

-Can anyone remember 28 points in a 1^st quarter at Michigan Stadium?

-I remember plenty of 21 and 24 total 1^st quarter points, but not a 28 total.

-All right, Michigan taking control – sort of. 

-Colorado still moving the ball.

-Wait – can that be right???

-Ole Miss 24 - Alabama 3????

-Yep – Michigan Scoreboard has it the same way!

-Holy Crap!  Look at that Louisville FSU final score!!!!

-Things are shaking up at the top of the rankings.

-Think we’ll ever get away from rankings early in the season?

-So many top teams go down….

-Buffs QB hits ANOTHER long TD…

-But he’s out and his back-up is in…

-I’m never happy to see someone get knocked out, but I’ll take this one.

-Nice run Mr. Smith!

-Jabrill!!!!

-Finally he gets one after knocking on the door so many times…

-Completely different 2^nd half. 

-The Buffs didn’t even get 100 total yards in the 2^nd.

-PSU should be interesting

The Hot Seat

Week #3’s Hot Seat Mascot.  Sticking with the Women’s Mixed Martial Arts Competition theme, I didn’t have to look too long to find lots of good shots of this week’s mascot!  Kenda Perez is everything you’d ever want in a mascot and maybe more!

 

 

In a discussion with another loyal reader last week, he stated that the Hot Seat reflects the order in which coaches might get fired, but he wanted to see a “Dead Man Walking” or something similar category to let us know who we should really be focusing on.  The thing is, some of the Hot Seat Coaches have IMPOSSIBLE BUY-OUT Numbers in their contracts that I’m convinced the AD’s and administrations purposefully put in there so they WON’T Make knee-jerk reactions to fan’s desires.   But, to keep the natives happy, we now have the:

Electric Chair of Death Seat!

1. Kelly – Domers (1-2).  Why he might get fired:  I’ve never seen this fan base this worked up over a coach, and we’ve lived through Willingham and Weis. Why he Won’t Get Fired:  He’s $warbuck$ hire.  $warbuck$ would rather retire or leave the Domers than admit to this mistake and have to fire Kelly and go through another hiring process.   I would say his buy-out is prohibitive, also, but never say that money’s an issue when it comes to Notre Dame.  I read a domer blog awhile ago (and I’ll look for the link) that talked about how much the Domers have paid for “wins” over the last 10 seasons.  It’s something around $1.7 to $1.9M per win when you factor in total current coaching staff salary, Weis’s buyout and Ty’s buyout.  This guy’s argument being that you can afford to pay a better coach $6-$8M annually for 12 wins and be better off financially on a per win basis.  So go get Meyer, Saban, Hermann or equivalent and don’t let the money be the issue….
2. Malzhan – Auburn (1-2).  Why he should be fired:  Losing as much as he’s lost in the SEC and to FBS schools in general, he’s another candidate that may not see the end of October.  9-14 in FBS play since Kick 6 at Bama.  Why Auburn Can’t Fire him:  Buyout.  After he won the National Title, Auburn gave him an extension to 2020 and upped his buyout.  If they fire him today, on top of paying him $4M through the end of 2016, the additional cost is $7M.  That might be steeper than the Auburn Tiger’s coffers can afford.  That number drops to $4.5M at the end of 2017 season.
3. Freeze – Ole Miss (1-2).  Why he might get fired:  Losses to FSU (looked OK at the time) and Bama, where Ole Miss was leading by more than 21 points in each game.  Why he won’t get fired:  Right now, he’s relatively cheap in the SEC West.  And, believe or not, he’s probably the best coach they could get pending the outcome of the NCAA recruiting investigation.  A little probation might actually save Freeze’s bacon because nobody in their right mind would take a HC job at Mississippi and have to compete in the SEC West with a scholarship reduction monkey on their back.  Even Hermann’s brighter than that.  Ole Miss might just ride out the storm with Freeze. 

The Hot Seat – Guy’s that have Hot Seats but Won’t get Canned, Immediately

1. Miles – LSU.  Seat’s hot, but he beat MSU.  See what happens when they play Bama….
2. Stoops – Oklahoma.   Bob will be at Oklahoma till he decides he’s done.  But that day might be getting closer. 
3. Whoever’s coaching USC - I don’t know who AD Lynn Swann is looking at or thinking about, but he’s probably thinking…Hermann???
4. Muschamp  - South Carolina.  I don’t know how long this experiment lasts, but I’m leaning to the short side….
5. Hazell  - Purdue. 
6. Adazzio  - Boston College
7. Franklin – PSU.  Beat Temple by a TD.  Fan Base WANTS A B1G WIN over a B1G opponent. 
8. Ferentz – Iowa.  Again, Ferentz is there for life after receiving a contract extension through 2026, but this week his seat is a little warm….
9. Fisher – FSU.  Fan Base wants to know what the hell the Seminoles did all week to get ready for Louisville.  That was an embarrassing loss. 

Short List of Available Hires

1. Hermann
2. Everybody else…..

Side NFL NOTE:  The Lions are up to the same old tricks as they get penalized for over 100 yards and Stafford throws an INT with under a minute left in what could have been the game winning Figgie against Tennessee at home….

SOL…Same ‘Ole Lions…..