Michigan 42, PSU 7.

[Jeff Buchanan]

This could be an ABC prime-time night game but I think Alabama v. LSU will take that spot and M v. PSU will take the ABC national 3:30 spot.

PSU nearly lost to IU. You have to feel for IU being really pretty good but not good enough ....... or not feel bad for them at all. Allen hired Mike Debord as his OC. Anyway, it's too early to talk match-ups, M has a well deserved bye and hopefully JBB heals up. He's having a great season.

Rumors continue to swirl about Rashan Gary. Will he take the Bosa route? Knowing Gary and his Mom, I have a hard time thinking he will but he probably needs surgery. AC separations heal or they don't and then need surgical correction. There really isn't any in-between that can be painlessly played through while also being effective. An AC separation is an easy fix but the time for that and a return to action this season is long gone. That leaves him playing through it. I'd give him a 30% chance of having anymore meaningful snaps.

Pretty sure I saw Black line up wide v. MSU in the 1st quarter but that was short lived. It will be good to get him back up to speed during the bye and worked back into the game plan. Right now, DPJ is the go-to-guy for Patterson. I think I know now why Perry isn't used much on slants. The chemistry between Patterson and him just isn't there. M needs that. Maybe Black can do it.

Anyway, I've got a nice sailing trip planned on Biscayne Bay next weekend with some good friends. A weekend away from football will be nice and doubly so having just sucked the heart out of MSU and Mark Dantonio. A true soul crusher if not a cruel physical beating.

[drok]

Win with character. Win with cruelty.

[Hannibal]

[Jeff Buchanan]

I read this morning that FOX/ESPN are in on a 6d hold for a night game. The first weekend in November is the last time a network can do a night game without asking permission from the conference/school. They could announce the game time tomorrow or wait until next Sunday to do it. How the other games for that weekend fall into place during this week should tell us what slot the M/PSU game will be in regardless of when FOX/ESPN choose to announce it.

I should add night games in November suck specifically for attendees and generally for people watching on TV. I dislike waiting all day whether at home or at the game and I can imagine it has a similar effect on the players.

[maxreturn]

I would say Patterson is "crap" in the 1st half of road games but not so much in the 2nd half.

[Hannibal]

I would say Patterson is "crap" in the 1st half of road games but not so much in the 2nd half.

I don't know. Other than the TD pass to DPJ I thought that Shea was complete ass in the passing game yesterday. He also set seven points on fire with the blown ZR read in the first half.

[Detroit Dan]

Right now, DPJ is the go-to-guy for Patterson.

True, but he's been spreading the ball around pretty well. Gentry, DPJ, and Collins are remarkably close in number of catches and total receiving yards.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/stats/_/id/130/michigan-wolverines

NAME	REC	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD
Zach Gentry	23	332	14.4	32	1
Donovan Peoples-Jones	22	326	14.8	79 (TD)	6
Nico Collins	21	320	15.2	52	2

[maxreturn]

He also set seven points on fire with the blown ZR read in the first half.

Agreed but part of that was because Higdon slipped on the wet turf. When watching in the first half I was growing increasingly frustrated that Patterson didn't pull the ball out of Higdon's belly more often. The ends were pinching in consistently. Clearly the coaches got after him at halftime as he ripped a couple of very important long runs in the 2nd half.

[Jeff Buchanan]

The coaches probably don't want him to run unless he is absolutely certain he can do so without getting smacked. That EMLOS has to be cutting hard and in this case it wasn't certain. The hand-off had already been made at the mesh when MSU's DE committed inside. He also has to check that the LBs are stepping inside instead of outside. It's a tough read to make in the circumstance that he is being asked to absolutely check his reads and don't keep if there is a chance you'll get thumped.

I think the big issue for Patterson is not seeing his reads or mistiming them - he missed DPJ open on two certain TDs. It wasn't a matter of decding not to throw into coverage on those two plays. DPJ was open. He nearly through a pic when he threw inside Perry when Perry was stepping outside. That's a play Patterson makes. Not sure that was on Perry or Patterson, favor the later.

The good thing is this kind of thing improves as Patterson gains more confidence, gets coached up and starts connecting. he is completely capable of doing that.

[WingsFan]

Kickoff 3:45PM

[Jeff Buchanan]

Saturday, November 3rd TV schedule ends up true to form. ABC or ESPN is doing the ND @ NfW game at either 7 or 7:30pm and CBS is doing the prime time SEC game - Alabama @ LSU at 8pm. It's a big CFB weekend with a lot at stake ..... which is what's supposed to happen in November.

Here's this Saturday's and next's TV schedule (my go to CFB TV schedule site thanks to an LSU fan that runs it):

http://lsufootball.net/tvschedule.htm

[AlabamAlum]

Yeah, the Bama-LSU game kick has been unofficially known for weeks. The kick should have been 2:30pm but LSU lobbied to have it moved to a late kick. They want drunk Cajuns acting up.

Personally, I hate late Bama kicks. Much rather play in the afternoon.

[Jeff Buchanan]

If that's true, AA, and I have no reason to doubt you, it would seem administrations - the adults you'd think - should step in and exercise some common sense. Play early.

Playing a football game with a stadium 1/2 full of hooligans stoked up on alcohol after some will have been drinking since early in the day is just inviting an incident where someone gets hurt. CFB becoming more and more like European soccer with the predictable side shows involving drunken, misbehaving fans worked up on faux-hate. Clearly, the networks are glad to entertain such buffoonery. The potential for a fight, blood and mayhem is a big draw for eyeballs on TV sets.

[iam416]

The idea that this is just LSU being LSU is crazy. First, they always play Alabama at night in BR. I think most games in Tuscaloosa are at night, too. At least when it involves highly rated teams. The 2011 game, e.g., wasn't some stupid 330 kick. Second, CBS and the SEC want this game at night. Both. Third, big games in every conference are played at night. The only reason, IMO, PSU and M isn't at night is because they don't want to go up against LSU-Bama. Ohio State, e.g., hasn't played a fucking day game in HV during UFM's entire tenure at OSU. And the amount of night road games they have played in general is huge. It's the price of being the "big game". In 2016, Ohio State got the pleasure of back-to-back night games at Madison and HV (to go along with a night game in Norman).

The only one who doesn't want it at night is The Nick.

I guess this should be in the SEC thread, but whatever.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I get the demand based decisions of the networks to play night games. I guess I'm just a part of the blue haired set that longs for the past before CFB became entertainment on TV involving billions of dollars.