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Michigan 27, Minnesota 24
This game's start time and broadcaster was waiting in the wings while the complex pecking order of which broadcasters get which team sorted itself out. For a while, it looked like Peacock, a subscription TV broadcaster subordinate to CBS, would be getting it. I would not have subscribed. Bet CBS realized many fewer eyeballs on this game if Peacock got it. Many fewer companies willing to pay the price of commercials. Any way it's FOX and I like the broadcast team of Joel Klatt, Gus Johnson & Jenny Taft for the Noon games with BIG NOON SATURDAY pregame show hosts, Mark Ingram II, Matt Leinart, Urban Meyer, Brady Quinn and anchor Rob Stone. Klatt is great with the replay screen.
I'm not looking forward to the Big House game experience. The newest TV contract allows many more minutes for media time outs. There are something like 4, 2:30 media time outs each quarter. Seating is sub-optimal, noise levels intolerable. I'll persevere.
M is currently favored by 12.5. I watched most of Minnesota's loss to Iowa, 34-14. Cade passed for 62 yards !!! The team rushed for 272 with 206 of that going to Kaleb Johnson. Well, yes. Michigan is Iowa but for now, not on steroids. Similar MOs for sure. For now, M isn't going to score more than 24-26 points with only around 17-20 generated by M's offense. The rest will come from the defense/turnovers/short fields. The odds seem about right for next Saturday's game. M should cover the spread.
There is nothing in game plans or play calling so far that shows innovative thinking from Campbell/Moore or from Martindale whose substitution patterns and a few untimely blitzes that gave USC two easy TDs in the second half. I don't have a lot of confidence in the overall game strategy or tactics to optimize Orji's skill set. I also don't think Campbell has any faith in the current receiver room to break open with route running giving Orji better pass completion probabilities sorely missing right now. M is having a hard time getting into a rhythm and sustaining drives - the O is all big, explosive plays and it's hard to complain about that but the three yesterday v. USC don't conform with the usual Bell curve distribution of these in the P5 teams.
What I did like was M's physicality and will to win. That was a centerpiece of last year's NC team. Looks like that is still a thing for team 144.
Michigan 24 - Minnesota 10
I'm not looking forward to the Big House game experience. The newest TV contract allows many more minutes for media time outs. There are something like 4, 2:30 media time outs each quarter. Seating is sub-optimal, noise levels intolerable. I'll persevere.
M is currently favored by 12.5. I watched most of Minnesota's loss to Iowa, 34-14. Cade passed for 62 yards !!! The team rushed for 272 with 206 of that going to Kaleb Johnson. Well, yes. Michigan is Iowa but for now, not on steroids. Similar MOs for sure. For now, M isn't going to score more than 24-26 points with only around 17-20 generated by M's offense. The rest will come from the defense/turnovers/short fields. The odds seem about right for next Saturday's game. M should cover the spread.
There is nothing in game plans or play calling so far that shows innovative thinking from Campbell/Moore or from Martindale whose substitution patterns and a few untimely blitzes that gave USC two easy TDs in the second half. I don't have a lot of confidence in the overall game strategy or tactics to optimize Orji's skill set. I also don't think Campbell has any faith in the current receiver room to break open with route running giving Orji better pass completion probabilities sorely missing right now. M is having a hard time getting into a rhythm and sustaining drives - the O is all big, explosive plays and it's hard to complain about that but the three yesterday v. USC don't conform with the usual Bell curve distribution of these in the P5 teams.
What I did like was M's physicality and will to win. That was a centerpiece of last year's NC team. Looks like that is still a thing for team 144.
Michigan 24 - Minnesota 10
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