CoachBt:Michigan 21
Notre Dame 17
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MaizeMan:
Michigan 20
Notre Dame 17
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Josh Turel:
Michigan
Notre Dame
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ErocWolverine:
Michigan 20
Notre Dame 17
This is Coach Rod's first big game, first rival game as Michigan's head coach and it is on the road in South Bend where freakish things always seems to happen.
Will the offense get on a roll this weak against Notre Dame and start to show the talent on this offense along with moving the ball down the field.
Will our team speed show up and prove an asset even though the Notre Dame field will have the tallest grass we will probably see this year. Along with weather, conditions might not be ideal with showers and possible thunderstorms throughout the day on Saturday.
Will the defense continue its dominate performance against a more powerful offensive line and a pro style offense.
I hope that the special teams continue to improve and become an asset and being major factor. Back in Ohio State beginning with Coach Tress he used special teams and great defense to win games while the offense continued to learn even without talent. The ’02 offense for him might have been one of the worst offenses around, but they had great special teams and defense that scored and really changed the game as well as field position. That is something Michigan needs to do to be able to beat teams they might not be able to match up with them.
I expect Notre Dame to be a different team than what we saw last week. As most teams that look past an opponent they make the game a lot closer than it should have been. Notre Dame had a lot of turnovers, penalties, etc. The thing people need to remember that it was their first game and the biggest improvement is usually between the first and second game. In addition, they might have been holding things back like a lot of teams in which they think they do not need to show everything they have.
Looking for Michigan to get some things worked out and getting some offense movement this week along with a defense to shut down Notre Dame’s running game and make Notre Dame go to the passing game to win. Will they …. Hmmmm we will soon find out.
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Special Guest Poster "Doc4blu":
It is with the utmost pleasure that I write as the guest predictor for the ND – UM matchup. I hope I have as much pleasure watching the game on Saturday.
The Preamble:
This is a very tough game to call. Everything from the past means little on Saturday, there is so much “newness,” the variables have shuffled like a deck of cards from last year, the anger factor continues to grow (likely on both sides), the weather could be bad, and both teams have shown tendencies to be mediocre (something not usually fixed in one week). The bookies are just as confused as the laypeople. The one point spread says to me that the bookies are communicating, “they have no damn idea either, but if they had to make a choice, and their lives depended on it, probably take the home dog and 1 point.
Spreads are based on factor analysis, but these factors are so incomplete, that your guess and anyone else’s semi logical guess are plausible. Anything, anything, could happen in this game. And now for the Amble.
The Amble:
Things I like in U of M’s corner:
Playing two games, playing two games against decent competition, M will not be intimidated, coaches will take no crap, ND continues to mock, belittle, and insult U of M without provocation, defense should control the running game of ND, ND will not have any big advantage if they come out in a spread, overall team speed advantage, and the ND O-line still is at least no better than average pass protecting.
Things I do not like in ND’s corner:
ND is clearly the superior passing team (Jimmy boy’s arm is healed and much stronger), the wide receiver talent is young but very athletic, the receiver speed is better than last year, the deep and short middle pass defense of U of M is still, clearly, very vulnerable, Charlie has prepared for this game for 6 months, The fans will be out of their minds if ND gets the lead (can Michigan hold their poise on the road?), two very good runners that could hurt if the tackling breaks down, the U of M O-line and running game are still very suspect (it would be a great time to have a break out), the one/half-dimensional Michigan offense not being able to exploit ND weaknesses, and the improved coaching staff of ND.
Things both teams will struggle with:
Long running drives, keeping their quarterback alive, convincing themselves the other team is worse.
Things both teams will try and pray for success: long sideline passes, run inside and outside early and probe for a weakness to be exploited.
If I were UM: try and get Guff outside from any formation known to man, hit the slants, send the TE to open zones to quickly sit, maybe take a deep shot with a slot and TE down the safety seam, pull the tricks out as needed.
If I were ND: roll out hit the short outs after running the corner off, pick on the linebackers all day, take more than one shot at the safety seam.
Wild cards:
Kicking game (I still like U of M a little better)
Return game- I still subscribe to catch and hold before anything else, pull out one good trick if needed.
Weather (I do not know how Jimmy throws in bad weather (hand size makes a difference)
Turnovers (This may determine the game and every other variable is flushed down the crapper)
Having finished the Amble the prediction (intuitive vibes mixed with limited knowns) is:
MICHGAN 20 ND 17
MOCK ME NOT, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN SATURDAY
Doc4blu
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