Pencil Storm staff and friends gambling with their own money.
Read MoreBack on that Horse: Bucks vs Bulldogs CFB Semi: Colin and Baver Q&A
Colin asks Baver about the Georgia - Ohio State match-up and Jeremy chimes in from Ann Arbor about the other game today.
Read MoreIt's Upon Us, 11-0 Michigan vs 11-0 Ohio State: Baver Answers Colin's Questions - The Game
Colin Gawel and Brent Baver talk about the Michigan - Ohio State Game this weekend.
Read MoreBaver Previews "The Game" Part One. And Apple Cup?
Colin: How devastating was Michigan's loss to Ohio State last year?
Baver: Extremely. Michigan fans will be talking about the JT 1st down spot years from now, much like the ‘Canes fans, who are still talking about the interference call in the 2002 Title game. Michigan had that game and gave it away. It wasn’t a first down spot that cost them the game….the majority of that loss is on the shoulders of one Jim Harbaugh. Why did he have a QB with concrete feet throwing out of his own end zone on 1st down, late in the first half in a game that Michigan was dominating? Then, you have Jimmy’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that helped the Buckeyes put 7 key pts on the board late in the 3rd quarter. It was Michigan’s day, and they let it get away. Not sure those North of the border will ever get over it.
Colin: How big would a win this year be for Harbaugh?
Baver: The Michigan so-called faithful are losing faith quickly. A win over Ohio State would help calm down the masses, at least for a bit. A loss means a long off-season, with Hairball dropping to 1-5 vs his chief rivals, Ohio State and Sparty. We’ll talk more about Jimmy’s offense on Friday, but the UM fans have about had it. I think they have faith that the defense will be good to great as long as Don Brown hangs around, but Harbaugh’s offense is laughable….and it is indeed HIS offense. Harbaugh desperately needs his offense to step up and desperately needs a win in this rivalry.
Colin: The Bucks have already clinched the Big Ten East and have a date with undefeated Bucky Badger. Any chance this team lays an egg like the Iowa loss?
Baver: After the Iowa game, I think we now know that about anything is possible. I don’t know if it would be laying an egg…I mean….is Ohio State that much better than Wisconsin? Or maybe I should ask, are they better than Wisconsin? That will be a tough game, especially coming off The Game against Michigan. 5 Dimes sportsbook has a current line on the game, and they have the Buckeyes favored by 6 ½. I think the B10 title game will be a dogfight, no matter how The Game with Michigan plays out.
Colin: You have been going on air with Brian Phillips and the CD1025 Morning show all season. Brian is a huge Cougs fan and this Apple Cup is shaping up to be a doozy. Any thoughts on that game?
Baver: With key injuries at the cornerback spots for the Huskies this season, they are going to have a tough time containing Washington St’s air attack. And Wazzu is off a bye. The Cougs have bounced back after losing 2 of 3 to finish October, posting solid wins against Stanford and Utah the last 2 weeks. But Wazzu hasn’t gotten a win in the Apple Cup since their OT victory in 2012, losing the last 4 gms by an avg of 23 pts per game. And WSU has to travel to Seattle for this one. It’s hard not to like Washington here but if you’re playing the spread, I think you take the Cougs and the 9 pts. I think the game will be decided by a touchdown, maybe less.
Colin: Give us an update on your picks and tell us what other games this weekend you will be keeping an eye on?
Baver: 18-15 against the spread on the year. Oklahoma has been known to lay eggs here and there when they are big favorites. Will they lay one this week against West By God? Probably not, but I’ll still take the 22 ½ pts the Mountaineers are getting in Norman…a few too many to be laying against a decent WVU squad, I think. Auburn is a solid team and may hang with Bama most of the way, but I will still take the Tide almost 100% of the time if they are laying less than a TD. I like Bama minus the 4 ½ at Auburn.
OSU-Michigan prediction coming Friday.
Somebody Better Get Brady Hoke a Clapper Because the 'M'ighty Have Fallen and They Can't Get Up by Colin Gawel.
Mondays are typically a little slow at Colin's Coffee. Today is no different. As Bob Dylan quietly plays in the background, I stare out into the bright fall sunshine and ponder many questions. I fill up my coffee mug for the 327th time today and there is one question I cannot get off my mind:
Q: How bad is Michigan sucking?
A: Michigan really, really sucks.
Before I break it down, spare me the whole, "But we need a strong Big Ten so Ohio State can get more respect." Folks, that train left the station in Week Two. There will be, under no circumstances, any respect delved out to the Big Ten in 2014 and none should be. The conference is an absolute disaster. So instead of some phony, "let's all root for each other" BS, let's find joy in mocking the tire-fire that is the University of Michigan football program.
Michigan started the 2013 football season 5-0. With Eminem in the booth looking on, the Wolves defeated their hated rivals from South Bend 41-30 and Kirk Herbstreit declared UM QB Devin Gardner a Heisman Trophy contender. Brady Hoke had the Maize & Blue rolling....
(cue to footage of a car driving, when suddenly the engine starts smoking and the wheels fall off.......)
Since that 5-0 start in 2013, Michigan has four wins and eight losses while playing in the laughable Big Ten. Wait, it gets worse. Their four wins are:
1) A victory over Indiana in which the Hoosiers still scored 47 points.
2) A triple OT victory over a Northwestern team that only won one conference game last season. You may recall it took a miracle "hail mary" kick by UM to even get the game into OT.
3) A revenge win over tiny Appalachian State.
4) A 17 point win over a Miami Redhawks team that didn't win a single game in 2013.
That's it friends. In the last 360 days, Michigan has won four lousy football games over four lousy teams. I'm not sure who won their spring game, Maize or Blue, but I guess we could give them half of a win for that one. Still, if it gets much worse A.D. Dave Brandon might have to resort to pathetic tactics like free tickets with every Coca-Cola purchase just to get any self-respecting Michigan fan to show up to the Big House. Nah, that's just crazy talk.
So what gives? I mean, this doesn't make sense. What in the hell is going up with that team from up North? It's hard to target recruiting. UM hasn't been cleaning up on the trail but this year's senior class was ranked 14th over all in 2010, and the last two Blue classes were 6th and 7th respectively. Nothing Nick Saban would be proud of but still it should be enough to avoid losing two games in 2014 by a combined score of 57-10.
Same goes for the NFL draft. Ten Wolverines have been drafted in the past four years so they do have a handful of players moving to the next level. There is a trickle of talent escaping Ann Arbor.
Is there a point to all this? No, not really. I just suppose that as a lifelong Buckeye fan who lived through the brutal decade of the 90's, suffering gut-wrenching loss after dry-heaving defeat to the Wolverines, I can't help but notice how the 'M'ighty have fallen. No doubt you will get on your feet sooner than later but in the meantime, have fun sucking Michigan. I will be watching. Just to show there are no hard feelings, below I attached a video of the world's biggest firework display. I hear you guys like that sort of thing to cheer you up after a tough loss. Got to go, a customer just walked in.
Colin Gawel has had too much coffee and shouldn't be writing at this moment. Learn more about him and our other Pencilstorm contributors by clicking here.
Hitler Talking About Michigan vs K State In the BW3 Bowl. Essential Viewing.
If you are the sensitive sort, this clip may not be for you. (don't bother commenting, Hassler) However, if you are the opposite of that sort, you are sure to enjoy this video of Hitler making fat jokes about Brady Hoke and Michigan football. Please pass on to like minded individuals. Pure hilarity.
Click here for more high art from the brilliant twisted mind of Lou Brutus.