Woof. Nothing is worse than getting your ass kicked by your rival. Both Michigan and Miami found that out this week and the worst part for both is Miami may have to play FSU again and Michigan still has to play their other rival. These are not fun sentences to type.

I didn’t even yell at the TV this weekend. I just sat there and took the beating. All of the close games against horrible teams let me know Michigan wasn’t good but of course I held out hope that during the bye week Michigan might find some spark. Instead they looked worse and not prepared at all for the nation’s best defense.

The worst part is that despite four games left this Michigan team has little to play for. I guess they could win out and have a 10 win season but only a fool would believe that this Michigan team can do that. They have Nebraska at home this week then back to back road games against Northwestern and Iowa before closing out at home against OSU.

The other terrible part is that our two rivals, MSU and OSU are all but set up to meet in Indy in what should be an epic clash of defense versus offense. Meanwhile I will be sitting at home looking depondent like Michael McDonald while listening to the Doobie Brothers. Barf…

Michigan Notes

1. -48 Rushing Yards: This is not a typo. Michigan ran for a program low -48 yards which was mainly just Devin Gardner getting sacked or the ball flying over his head. Michigan’s O line got pummeled into submission. Not only did the normally weak interior play bad but both Lewan and Schofield were constantly ran around.

2. Lewan is this year’s Barkley: When Taylor Lewan came back I think every Michigan fan was a bit surprised but certainly excited. He has been playing well other than Saturday but the line he came back to is a bunch of freshman and a walk on. He looks completely frustrated and acted like a jagoff against Sparty. Not sure if he will get suspended but it wouldn’t surprise me or upset me. (Until Saturday when the O line plays even worse without him.)

3. For those asking, our O Line coaches name is Darrell Funk: I would assume he will be the first ax to fall for this year’s O lines performance. The interior was bad last year as well and I understand that it is basically two seniors and a bunch of freshman but all of those young guys were highly regarded. Michigan needs someone who can develop these guys.

4. Al Borges watch: critical mass: I didn’t expect much from Borges this game after the PSU debacle and because Sparty’s D is legit. He didn’t help his cause by calling slow developing plays and countless play action passes against a defense that knew Michigan couldn’t run. Michigan has failed to score a TD versus MSU for two straight years. At this point I am not sure how Brady can keep him, even if Michigan plays well the last four games. Hoke has kept his staff in tact for the first three years other than one D line coach leaving but his first big decision looms this offseason.

5. Bubble screen: Borges threw a bubble screen just to troll the Michigan fan base/MGoBlog.

6. Hoke’s Road Woes Continue: Hoke is 6-8 away from Michigan stadium. His biggest B1G road win was 2011 over a 6-6 Northwestern team. This is not a good look. Add in the fact that because of adding in Maryland and Rutgers into the B1G and Michigan has to go back to East Lansing next year in addition to going to ND and OSU. The narrative for next year is already written. Get ready Drew Sharp.

7. New 98: Devin had one late interception but other than that played his heart out. The kid got killed and looked like he had jumped in mud for how many times he got knocked on the ground. I hope he can play the last four games because Michigan needs him in order to do anything.

8. Fitz’s comments: Fitz said some stuff about little brother and then proceeded to run for 20 yards which is honestly more than I thought he would get. Michigan players and fans need to stop saying stuff like this until we win more than 2 in a row in the series. Even then.

9. Defense wore down: Michigan’s defense played pretty well for a half but gave up a late 2Q TD drive and eventually the Spartan O line just broke their will. This Michigan defense is not close to elite and is one of the worst in tackles for loss in the country. Countess and Taylor have made some plays but other than that, there aren’t any playmakers in the front seven. Ryan clearly isn’t back to form from the ACL. Michigan has played bend but don’t break defense all year but it finally broke.

10. Chesson played well: I am going to put one positive note in here. Redshirt frosh WR Chesson made some plays which is encouraging because Michigan will need him when Gallon graduates next year.

11. Matt Wile Kicker> Matt Wile Punter: Wile made and 49 yard field goal and did it with ease. His punting though is still suspect and I look forward to him being a kicker next year and Hagerup coming off suspension and doing the punting. These are the things I look forward to.

12. Michigan’s offense will be even younger next year: Devin Gardner will be the only senior next year on the offense. Think about that. The other upperclassmen will be walkon Glasgow, Funchess and the never used Norfleet. Everyone else will be redshirt sophomores or younger. Kind of scary to think about.

13. Hoke’s rhetoric is going to come back and bite him: Hoke has said from day one as coach that the goal is the B1G title. Well this will be three years in and Michigan doesn’t even have a division title to its name. Michigan hasn’t won a B1G title since 2004. That means it will have been a decade since its last one when Michigan suits them up in 2014. Add that to the fact that Hoke wants to be a smash mouth team that runs the ball and plays elite defense and his team doesn’t even do any of those things. And lastly he wore long sleeves this weekend. It was like seeing Santa Claus go to Bestbuy to get his presents. The heat will be on Hoke and rightfully so.

14. I almost went to Columbus this weekend, thank God I didn’t: A few of my buddies went for Pens/CBJ and I am glad I did not. I couldn’t imagine watching that Michigan game amongst OSU folk. At least the Pens won 3-0. (One of my teams can win in Columbus.)

15. Nebraska this week at the Big House: For all his road struggles he is 19-0 at home and will need to rally the troops for a Nebraska team that isn’t great but due to a miracle finish can still win the division and play in Indy. I will be there for what should be a surly Michigan fan base.

Alright, enough about Michigan…

B1G

1. Sparty: A hat tip to them. Their defense is legit and while their skill position guys aren’t Kirk Cousins or Leveon, they did what they had to behind a pretty damn good offensive line. Also, will someone please hire Pat Narduzzi as their head coach please? Either that or maybe Michigan should hire him to be their offensive coordinator. At least then we could control the line of scrimmage.

2. Nebraska: I was driving in my car and listening to this hail mary on the radio when it happened. I nearly drove off into a ditch. Listen/watch here for the Nebraska’s radio teams flawless call of that special play. (Michigan must now help out Sparty and beat the Nebraska, this also stings.)

3. Northwestern: What happened to the Wildcats is proof that is could always be worse. Since their loss to OSU they have gone 0-4 including an OT loss at Iowa and then lost on a freaking Hail Mary. Yikes.

4. Minnesota: The Gophers are 7-2 after haning on against Indiana. I am sure not many of you saw this but they won because Indiana threw the ball backwards as they were marching down for the winning score. They have a legit chance to get to 8 or 9 wins with a bowl victory.

5. Indiana: Bowl chances slipped through their grasp against Minnesota. They will need to upset either Wisconsin or OSU to make one. Doubtful.

6. OSU: Is really good.

7. Purdue: Is really bad

8. Wisconsin: Pulled away from Iowa at Kinnick which is a solid win. OSU needs them to keep winning and they need to get into the top 14 in order to get an at large BCS bid.

9. Iowa: Goes to Purdue this week to get Bowl eligible. Don’t think that should be a problem

10. PSU: Everything about Michigan losing to PSU gets worse with each passing week. This week PSU barely beat Illinois at home who hasn’t won a B1G game since Indiana in 2011. Allen Robinson is legit though and should go to the NFL. Please do.

11. Illinois: Circle your calendars everyone, Illinois goes to Purdue on November 23rd. Someone is going to get a win. Either that or they will bring back the tie just for this game.

12. Rutgers: Beat Temple, hooray.

Nationally

1. FSU wins, Winston is human: The Noles won despite Winston having an average night. This was their version of Oregon/UCLA. Slow first half and then pull away in the 2nd half. Their biggest problem is they won’t be able to have many more “big” games to keep them ahead of Oregon. Florida is bad and I doubt Miami or whoever wins the other division will be ranked in the top 10. Either way, just keep winning.

2. Duke Johnson is done for the year: Despite losing their best player Miami can go a long way to winning the division if they beat VT this week. Lose and then it becomes a jumbled mess to see who plays FSU on December 7th.

3. Texas is 5-0 in the Big 12: Mack was left for dead by many including me but they still have a chance in conference. Problem for them is the tough part of their schedule is coming up at WVU then home to OK St and T Tech and then finally at Baylor.

4. Oklahoma State>Kliff: The Cowboys have quietly bounced back since losing to WVU in late September and now look like the team everyone thought they would be. Meanwhile my boy Kliff is coming back down to earth now that the Red Raiders are hitting the meat of their schedule.

5. ASU in drivers seat in Pac 12 South: Speaking of another team that has quietly bounced back. The Sun Devils demolished Wazzu and now are a win over UCLA away from wrapping up the South division. The scariest thing that almost happened is Todd Graham’s plane almost went down after the game.

6. The Sean Mannion Train Has Crashed: This is Tony and I this past Friday night trying to jump off as the Beavers have come back to earth. Meanwhile USC is 3-1 under Ed Orgeron and I think we are all rooting for him to somehow get hired on as the coach.

7. Bounce back by Mizzou: They beat the Vols 31-3 and still control their own destiny to get to Atlanta. One loss though and South Carolina looks like they will go.

8. UGA beat Florida: Not the most exciting World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail party that is unofficially that by name now.

9. Showdown Thursday/Saturday: Despite the lack of drama this weekend we will be full of it this weekend that is led by the best Thursday of college football I can ever remember. We get not only one but two top ten matchups and then LSU/Bama on Saturday. Here is the lineup:

11/7 730pm Oklahoma at Baylor FS1

11/7 9pm Oregon at Stanford ESPN

11/9 8pm LSU at Alabama CBS

There is only one problem, in all three of these games one team is favored by more than ten points. So while it looks nice, this could also be a chance for all three unbeatens to make a statement.

10. Heisman Watch

1) Jameis Winston: Not the best night but leading right now

2) Marcus Mariota: Can make a huge statement on Thursday

3) Johnny Manziel: 6 Tds on Saturday and can make up ground the last 2 weeks

11. BCS Projections

Nati: Oregon vs Alabama

Rose: OSU vs Stanford

Orange: FSU vs Wisconsin

Sugar: Missouri vs UCF

Fiesta: Baylor vs Fresno St