The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall

Was it just me, or did something feel odd last weekend? Something just didn't quite fit, something was missing. Maybe it was that two of college football's most storied programs around both lost their opening game. One lost to a team that is not even in their division, and one got absolutely spanked.

We'll start with Michigan first. What an embarrassing performance, put on by the Wolverines in what was supposed to be a gear-up game for the this weeks opponent, Oregon. But Appalachian State? What state are they even from, because I'm pretty sure Appalachian isn't a state. Actually, I do know where they are located, Boone, North Carolina, with an undergraduate enrollment of 12,122, who doesn't know that?

Back to the game...

It looked early like this game was going to be a route that it should have been when Michigan scored a quick touchdown shortly after the opening whistle. The only problem was that ASU responded quite quickly evening the score at seven all. By the end of the first half UM didn't know what hit 'em as ASU took the lead at 28-17. ASU seemed to be the real deal. UM responded after halftime finally taking the lead at 32-31 with a little over four minutes remaining before Julian Rauch took the lead for keeps at 34-32, although it didn't seem like it would be that way. Michigan quickly threw there way into field goal position to set up themselves for a game winning field goal before it happened. The snap, the hold, the block? That's right Corey Lynch blocked the try to end the Wolverines' final chance to fully redeem themselves. Game over.






So what does it all mean? It means that Lloyd Carr's hot seat just got a little hotter. But what matters to his job security more then this loss is how his team responds this week against Oregon. One of two things could happen: The Wolverines go through the rest of their season feeling sorry for themselves and maybe win a couple on to Lloyd Carr's firing at the end of the season, or, the Wolverines could take this as a positive, learn from their mistakes, and take a shot and possibly win the Big Ten. I believe that the latter is far more likely then the former, maybe not a Big Ten championship but they will give the powers of the league a run for their money, they always do.

Now to the disgusting performance that was the Georgia Tech at Notre Dame game. I happen to have a first person view of this catastrophe (50 yard line, 50 rows up). It was nasty start to finish, turnovers, penalties, and unclutch performances make it one of the worst showings I have ever seen by the Irish in recent years, and there have been some ugly ones. Three quarterbacks, that's right three, played in the game and none seemed to help at all. They had as many quarterbacks play as they did points, not exactly a stat that you would like to have.

Demetrius Jones seemed to be the most athletic, Sharpley seemed to be the least athletic but the most technologically sound, and Clausen seemed to have a good mix of athleticism mixed in with a quick release. I will give them the benefit of the doubt this game, I am letting all of their combined mistakes go to forgiveness, this time.

The blame to me sits with the offensive line. They played absolutely terrible. It seemed like every time Travis Thomas touched the ball he had two guys in his face tackling him for a four yard loss. It seemed they gave up at least nine sacks, oh wait, THEY DID.

The defense didn't play much better, giving up 33 points in a game, under a new defensive coordinator, Corwin Brown, who supposedly was supposed to get this new defense to run more and think less. Maybe he is the one who should think a little bit more about his whole defensive strategy.

Not to worry Irish and Wolverine fans, I guarantee at least one of your teams will score one in the win column within two weeks...maybe its because you guys play each other.