Saturday, October 16, 2010

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. 

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