Another Roundtable....

Brought to you by three guys that love their football teams and have opinions about them!

1. Some of us have easier weeks than others (I'm looking at you, Doug), but each of us has a team that could very well knock us off, even at home. How is your team going to come out on top this week?


Norm: 1. How will Michigan come out on top this week? Simply put, they need to realize that they can still run with anybody. I read in more than one place that Denard Robinson gave a postgame speech in the locker room after the loss to MSU that earned him a bunch of respect and reinforced that he is the leader. Good, the team needs that. Now they need to apply the lessons against a very tough Iowa team. Can they do it? I honestly don't know but I'm comfortable the defiance QB1 is showing.


Doug: 1. Illinois is one of the easier teams we've played this season, but I'm hoping the team doesn't take them lightly because of their poor reputation-- Zook has his team on fire this year. How are we going beat them? By minimizing turnovers, running the ball, and completing big passes. The stabilized offense has killed this season, and it's lead by one of the most potent running games in the country (as you both know now). I don't think Illinois can stop the run with 3 different guys carrying the load, and Cousins is having a monster season throwing the ball. He's easily the most under-appreciated QB by the media.


Joe: If they can overcome the bad smell lingering from hosting Minnesota and Ohio State back to back, and they can make a big play every so often, I think the Badgers can end up on top. The defense has to keep Terelle Pryor throwing, because he can't do that as well as he can run against good teams, and we have to get up early and grind away. We aren't built to come from behind. 


2. What has been the biggest disappontment this season? Doug, you have to answer this too. :D


Norm: 2. I'll answer that with a question: What the f*ck is defensive coordinator Greg Robinson still doing on the Michigan sideline???? How anyone in power at the University hasn't slapped the sh*t out of that guy is beyond me.


Doug: 2. It's hard to pick a disappointment after starting 6-0 (had to say it), but if I had to pick one, it's coach D being in the hospital. It sucks to have your coach dealing with health issues, and I honestly thought it would hurt us. But Treadwell knows what he's doing obviously-- the two are connected at the hip. Other than that, I haven't seen much else to be disappointed with this season.


Joe: Besides the obvious (thank your team for that, Doug), we lost our best linebacker, Chris Borland, early. It's mitigated somewhat that he qualifies for a medical redshirt, but he made it big as a freshman last  year, and could have been our best chance to make big plays tonight.


3. Why is your team a threat to win the Big 10?


Norm: 3. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...next question. That being said, NO ONE in this conference is going undefeated.


Doug: 3. We beat the most hyped (Michigan) and the best (Wisconsin) teams on our conference schedule. And we're just hitting our stride. It also helps that somehow we missed Ohio State this year on our schedule. I am, however, not looking forward to Northwestern and Iowa. We can beat them, but they're going to be VERY tight games, if I had to guess. Northwestern always ruins seasons.


Joe: Because we can win tonight, and because Michigan State has a bad habit of not finishing what they start. On one hand, they don't seem to be the Michigan State of old, on the other hand, they still bear the same colors. We'll have to see if they can take care of business the rest of the way.


4. Put your reputation where your mouth is. I need your picks this week, and I need a score. Show me how good you are at this stuff. :D


Norm: 4. Michigan - 24, Iowa - 21: somehow, someway, I see the Wolverines pulling off the upset they couldn't steal away in Iowa last year. Had this game as a loss at the beginning of the season and I honestly don't know why I'm switching it now.

MSU - 27, Illinois - 24: TRAP TRAP TRAP TRAP TRAP

Minnesota/Purdue: who cares, part 1.
Indiana/Arkansas State: who cares, part 2.

Wisconsin - 28, Ohio State - 27: Camp Randall at night is a very dangerous place for the '#1' team in the country to go with that new ranking. That place is going to be rocking and, unlike two years ago when the band got suspended for the game, they will be there to provide that ol' college atmosphere. I'm not saying that was the difference a couple of years ago, but Randall wasn't rockin' like it usually does.


Doug: MSU 31 Illinois 21-- they're upset-worthy, but they beat a weak PSU team last week. MSU is just too powerful for them I think.

Michigan 17 Iowa 28-- Iowa has an even better defense than MSU, and especially defensive line. What does this mean? Denard Robinson should get shut down again.

Purdue 21 Minnesota 20-- comes down to defense here, because neither team has an offense. Also, Minnesota likes losing the close ones.

Indiana 28 Arkansas State 17-- as Norm said, who cares?

Wisconsin 24 Ohio State 20-- I think they're angry enough to do it. This is also a bit of wishful thinking. BUT Ohio State hasn't played anyone this season, so this is going to be a big test for them, and I'm hoping Wisky takes 'em by surprise.

Joe: My goodness, we have a clean sweep. I don't know if this is wishful thinking, or if we all truly believe, but Wisconsin 17, Ohio State 13.

MSU 31, Illinois 13. If everyone identifies a game as a trap game, is it really a trap game? 

Indiana 55, Arkansas State 17. 

Purdue 45, Minnesota 3. 

Iowa 24, Michigan 10. Robinson is shut down again, and we wonder what we saw early on. 

College Football Roundtable

This week, Norm decided to play host to Doug and I going back and forth about our teams for today's big matchup between the Michigan State Spartans and the Wisconsin Badgers. Check out all the stuff that we both said, although I'm sure one of us will wish his words weren't in stone later today, or at least online. http://farfromthenorm.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/a-wolverine-hosts-a-spartan-and-a-badger-an-msuwisconsin-preview/

Ranking the Big 10: My Preferences

This is going to be a slightly unusual way of ranking teams. I'm putting them in order simply based on who I'd cheer for, assuming it had no impact on the Badgers, of course.

1. Wisconsin

Duh. And I'm rooting for whoever makes it easier for the Badgers to win the Big 10. Moving on, however...

I find myself rooting for these teams.... 


2. Michigan

I blame Norm for this. I do find an attraction in the tradition, Hail to the Victors, the winged helmets, and the fact that they don't run a (really) dirty program, at least as far as we've been able to tell. Plus, people from Ann Arbor can throw a good party and are fun to drink with.

3. Penn State.

Again, tradition, the plain blue uni's, Joe Pa's corpse being the head coach in the next 10 years, Weekend at Bernie's style, and the fact that they tend to make the Big 10 look good and don't choke on their cupcakes. (I'm looking at you, Michigan)

4. Nebraska

This is obviously subject to change, but them looking good this year really helps our street cred.

I'm rather indifferent to these teams....


5. Northwestern

They have the underdog thing going for them, but I'd like them a lot better if they didn't continually beat us in Evanston, even when they're not supposed to be good enough to do so. Expect games in the high 40's each between us there.

6. Indiana

Tough to dislike a team that doesn't beat you. Except for a bit of an issue around 2001-2002, we have beaten them consistently since 1992. Therefore, I tend to root for them by default, because they usually don't hurt us.

7. Michigan State

These guys annoy me more than anything. They tend to beat us when we're going good, but roll over for us when we're not. It seems to be vice versa with us, and we've both knocked down otherwise great seasons for each other.

8. Illinois

They aren't usually much of a threat, but every so often, they go nuts and have a great season, knocking us off along the way. It isn't really worth rooting for them, as when they're good, they're too good, and when they're bad, they're bottom of the barrel.

9. Purdue

I just don't like them much. It's just one of those things. There's no reason for it, they haven't done anything that would make it this way, it's just, yuck.

They're rivals, but I don't hate them TOO much....

10. Iowa

This is a rivalry in which you want to beat the other, you dislike the other, but you can appreciate their successes somewhat and tip your hat when they best you.

If they play each other, I root for a meteor....


11. Minnesota
12. Ohio State

Everything about these two schools rubs me the wrong way. Mind you, Ohio State isn't technically a "rival", but they will be a division mate, they run a dirty program (Tressel ran a dirty program at Youngstown State, and you KNOW Clarett wasn't eligible, but you don't see Ohio State forfeiting victories, while USC is the "worst thing to happen in college football in decades." Tell me how fair THAT is), and they're arrogant about the whole thing. Seeing them get it handed to them in BCS games, even if it hurts the conference, makes me happy. Minnesota taking a digger against South Dakota also makes me happy.

So there you have it. Besides the bottom two, who I wouldn't root for if my life depended on it, the others can be interchanged depending on the standings situation. But hey, this was fun to do, and it's something more than a link to the latest college roundtable. :D

The Roundtable, Part 4

http://thedetroittransplant.blogspot.com/2010/09/ncaa-round-table-part-iv.html, and stay tuned for a special this week, as MSU and Wisconsin duke it out.

College Football Roundtable, Week 3

Yeah, yeah, I know. Week 4 is almost over. I was busy with friends and football. Here's what we have for the roundtable for week 3, and look for the link to week 4 soon enough.

1. What did you like about your team's performance this week?


Norm (Michigan): Shoelace. The offensive line was solid once again. Shoelace. Beating Notre Dame in their own house. Shoelace...and Shoelace. I think that just about covers it.


Doug (Michigan State): I don't know that it's possible to NOT get excited about having a 183 yard rusher, and the 3rd 100 yard rushing performance in 2 weeks. Baker is explosive, and he should be able to carry us for a season with Caper and Bell subbing in fairly consistently for fresh legs. This takes the pressure off Cousins, and as we've seen, he's had solid outings because the run game has been so effective. Right now, MSU is 11th in the nation in rushing yards-- not too shabby.


Joe (Wisconsin): We can play good old Wisconsin football. We can run effectively, and the defense seems to be able to make up for our offensive mistakes. Our kickers can do the job as well. 


2. What didn't you like about your team's performance this week?


Norm:  Almost everything else not named Shoelace. The running backs need to contribute more to Michigan's offense down the road. The defense gave up too many big plays and nearly gave the victory back to the Irish with stupid penalties at the end (thank you Dayne Crist for throwing that last pass over the endzone). The kicker sucked...and that description is about as polite as I'll get.


Doug: There wasn't a lot to complain about last week, but giving up 265 passing yards to FAU is never a good sign. We held them to under 50 rushing yards, which is good, but that kind of pass defense will get destroyed in the Big 10.


Joe: Our special teams, besides the guys that actually kick the ball, are special with a capital "Durrrr." We're short kick returners, and our kick coverage teams have been an issue for a few years. I'd advocate for the firing of the special teams coach if we HAD one. Instead, Bielema thinks he can make it work himself. It's clearly not.


3. What Big 10 team looks stronger to you this year than you thought?


Norm:  I have two: Wisconsin and the team that shall not be named. Both teams have defenses that are stout and will cause problems for anyone they face. I can't wait until these two face each other, it's going to be a battle.


Doug: Without a doubt-- Michigan. Who would've thought the guy with a 38% completion percentage last season would be a heisman front runner? I mean, it's hard to read into at this point because they haven't played full-strength teams (just teams that were good last year and lost some good players), but I definitely picked them to lose to UConn, so they're already way better than I expected.


Joe: Michigan can score points, which I thought was going to be an issue, and Ohio State seems to be more than we expected, which is usually not the case. 


4. On the flipside again, which Big 10 team looks weaker than you thought?


Norm:  That's hard to say, really. I tend to think all teams in the Big Ten are weaker than those in other BCS Conferences (except the ACC and the Big East-those teams suck).


Doug: Penn State and Minnesota. Penn State is always decent, and Bolden looked good in his first week... Against a horrible school. Then they came out and laid an egg at 'Bama. How many red zone turnovers? It was ugly. Minnesota was at least decent last year, and I think we're seeing what happens when Eric Decker leaves your offense. They lost to USD and had a hard time with MTSU... Enough said.


Joe: You have to say Minnesota after they lost to what amounts to a Division II team. They did that a few years ago as well, so that should be proof enough a new stadium does not a football program make. 


5. Can your quarterback tie his shoes, or does his mommy have to do it for him? :)


Norm:  Of course he can. Now is there any defender out there quick enough to catch him and make him tie his shoes? There's still plenty of football left to be played but so far, the signs point to 'NO'.'


Doug:  Kirk Cousins doesn't need to be a trend-setter. He goes out and takes care of business with his shoes tied, like any sensible football player would do. Stay safe kids, tie your shoes.


Joe: Scott Tolzien shows leadership in a lot of instances, and he also shows the younger players that tying their shoes is preferable to not tying their shoes. I can just imagine Robinson being caught by one of those flapping shoelaces and losing an ACL or Achilles. I'd be scared if I were a Michigan fan, but I suppose if I was a Michigan fan, I'd have bigger things to worry about. 

College Football Roundtable, Week 2

Check out Norm's blog here (http://farfromthenorm.wordpress.com/) to see our college football roundtable discussion for week 2. Next week, I do believe it's my turn. Now, time to think of some intelligent questions...

Wait a sec....

Manager, coach, player, and fan all ejected in last night's game?

I think Bob Davidson and crew hit a rare cycle for ejections.

Mid-Week Bullet Point Blog Post

Look for another roundtable coming up soon as well.

* The wife starts 13 hour days twice a week due to school, work, and interning. It's not gonna be fun.

* Football is officially back. I watched last night's Brewers game simply because there wasn't a football game to see. Glad I caught 600, because I doubt I would have otherwise.

* Speaking of which, this is a disgrace. Really, it's a disgrace on all levels, if the part about the slur is true, which I don't really doubt. On the other hand, I suppose it's nice to see Bob Davidson pay attention to SOMETHING, as he doesn't seem to pay attention to the strike zone and game winning hits.

* I rarely link to anything St. Louis related, but this is worth a link.

* Pizza's done. Gotta run. :D

Big 10 Blogger Roundtable, 9/4

Our Big 10 panel of experts (or whatever term you'd like to use :D) has completed a round-table discussion. See it at http://thedetroittransplant.blogspot.com/2010/09/round-table-ncaa-preview_03.html

Big 10 Division Split

This is an issue that will likely be discussed in the roundtable discussion post later on, but I figure I'd tackle it now while it's fresh, from a Wisconsin perspective.


From my perspective, this sucks for Wisconsin. We got the worst of this entire deal.


Understand that I see the best way to do things as having the rivals play in each other's divisions, and to have an equal split of 3 opponents from the other division alternating evenly. That may give you an idea why this is so grating to me.


To recap for the uneducated, the Big 10 is splitting up as such:


Division 1: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota
Division 2: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois


I would have to say that Wisconsin's main goals out of all this were to face Minnesota every year (preserved because of the automatic cross-division matchup), face Iowa every year (nope, not happening), and in a perfect world, see Nebraska every year (not happening either).


One out of three might work in baseball, but in football, that's pretty bad.


I don't terribly mind facing Ohio State every year. Out of all the Big 10 teams, I have the least amount of like/respect for them. Penn State is always a top tier team as well, but don't color me too excited about Purdue, Indiana, and Illinois. None of them inspire rivalry talk, trophy games, and the like.


Here are the protected crossover games:


Michigan-Ohio State, Penn State-Nebraska, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Northwestern-Illinois, Purdue-Iowa, Michigan State-Indiana.


So, uh, tell me, Indiana and Purdue isn't enough of an in-state rivalry to be worth preserving? I can't see Purdue-Iowa or Michigan State-Indiana as being hot enough rivalries to trump that. Iowa-Michigan State would be an odd pairing, but no less odd than the two that exist now. 


At least for the Michigan-Ohio State fans, they get everything they want. Besides that, though, I can't see how the Big 10 could have done any worse.


Since I've been attacking it for this long, I might as well give you my thoughts. Had they asked me, here's what they may have gotten.


West Division:
Nebraska
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Penn State
Illinois


East Division:
Michigan
Ohio State
Michigan State
Indiana
Purdue
Northwestern


Even this isn't perfect, as it splits Illinois-Northwestern, but that may be fixed with permanent crossovers, if necessary. Penn State could also be shuffled east, but that would put the traditional powers within one division, for the most part, and probably wouldn't fly. Not that one of those traditional powers has been powerful lately. *hides from Norm*


All right, enough of my whining. Let's see how this plays out.

UW Badgers Preview, 2010

Links to other Big 10 previews:
Michigan State

It has been the best of times in Buckyland lately. The last losing season is 2001, and while the team has had their share of setbacks,an argument could be made that the program has been the second best program in the conference over the last decade. Mind you, the best team over the last decade hails from Columbus, routinely chokes in BCS games, and occasionally chokes our quarterback, but here's hoping the 2010's belong to a team not wearing the Scarlet and Gray. I prefer the Cardinal and White, but anything's better than the current champs.

For the first time in a while, the Badgers return a quarterback that doesn't scare the crap out of me. Scott Tolzien had a fantastic season last year, especially considering no one had this kind of expectations for him, except maybe him and close family. I'm happy to be wrong in cases like this. If he goes down, God help us. John Clay is another in a long line of workhorse backs, but he's not the only one that can shoulder the load. Montee Ball is a sophomore that got a lot of touches last year, and can take over if need be. Nick Toon provides solid work at wide receiver, and hopefully he'll be another in a line of receivers that this school somehow produces while focusing on the running game. Speaking of which, you must be new around here if you're worried about the offensive line.

Losing O'Brien Schofield hurts, obviously, but the defensive line always seems to make things happen. JJ Watt will be stepping up to take the playmaker role on the line. We'll forgive Chris Borland for being from Ohio, simply because the sophomore makes plays, and makes them often. The secondary is in a state of flux, with Aaron Henry playing safety next to Jay Valai, a big hitter, with Niles Brinkley trying to live up to expectations at corner.

Phillip Welch and Brad Nortman handle the kicking chores well, and the Badgers have a few talented returners to keep Big 10 special teams coaches awake at night.


Key Stretch:
10/16 vs. Ohio State
10/23 at Iowa

Duh. Besides a loss in Evanston, where our defense is apparently not allowed to enter the stadium, these were the two teams that dealt the Badgers losses. The Badgers last beat Iowa in 2007, and last beat Ohio State in 2004.

Stay tuned for a Big 10 roundtable discussion post, coming soon.

Wakey wakey....

It's about time I got back to this. The wedding made me stop, and, well, I just didn't start again.

New Stuff:

Celebrated the anniversary yesterday, and said goodbye to the best year of my life and hello to the next best year of my life. I plan to make that a habit.

Worked on painting Steph's office. She's got a new blog too. It's at http://stephsmultiplehats.blogspot.com/. Follow it. You know you want to.

We got a laptop a few weeks ago, and a wireless printer today. Spent less than 100 bucks on the printer. It's a good thing, plus now, I can print from downstairs too. I'm way too impressed with technology that's been around for a while.

Woke http://www.joeknowssports.com up again. I may actually use it for more than just hosting the USFL league site. That's gotta get put back up sometime too, but not quite yet. No sense in rushing, it's gonna be a while before Cam finishes the software.

We have kitties. They're awesome.

Say hello to Hobbes and Raven. We've had them about a month now, and we fall in love more every day.

Aight. Enough of this. Bed, and work tomorrow, beckons. Long weekends aren't long enough sometimes.