Tag: Michigan Football

WolverinesWire Top 25: Week Twelve

Contributor Matthew Lounsberry shares his latest Top 25 after several big games during Week 11 of the 2019 college football season.

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1.) LSU

After a 46-41 win in Tuscaloosa over Alabama, no other resume in the country comes close to the one LSU has compiled through eleven weeks. In addition to the win this past Saturday, the Tigers have Top 25 wins over Florida, Auburn and Texas. LSU has earned the top spot, and no other team will catch them unless the Tigers drop one of their final three games. Up next for LSU is a road trip to Ole Miss.

2.) Ohio State

The Buckeyes played angry on Saturday – whether that has anything to do with the absence of stud defensive end Chase Young is up for debate – and showed no mercy in a 73-14 win over Maryland on Saturday. Ohio State has wins over Wisconsin, Cincinnati and a 7-2 Indiana club, and has looked like the most dominant and complete team in the country. Ohio State and LSU may be on a collision course for the national title.

3.) Clemson

The Tigers don’t have much of a resume. Clemson’s best win is a Week 2 victory over a 6-3 Texas A&M team, and the Tigers haven’t been tested at all in the ACC. The one conference matchup that appeared to have potential took a hit after Wake Forest was beaten soundly by Virginia Tech this past weekend. Clemson will host the Demon Deacons this Saturday, but the Tigers have already clinched the ACC’s Atlantic division. Despite the lack of marquee wins, Clemson has been dominant, winning their games by an average of 33.8 points per game this season.

4.) Georgia

The Bulldogs are 8-1 after a 27-0 shutout of Missouri on Saturday. Georgia’s ugly overtime loss to South Carolina got a little uglier after the Gamecocks lost to Appalachian State this past Saturday, but the Bulldogs have Top 25 wins over Florida and Notre Dame. No other one-loss team has two Top 25 wins, so Georgia gets the No. 4 spot for now. The Bulldogs have a chance to add another resume-building win when they travel to Auburn this upcoming Saturday.

5.) Minnesota

Welcome to national validation Minnesota. The Golden Gophers got their shot to show the country they were for real, and they took advantage with a 31-26 win over Penn State – just four days after the playoff committee voted the Nittany Lions the No. 4 team in the country. Minnesota is undefeated and now has a Top 10 win on its resume. The Golden Gophers can further cement there place in the Top 10 with remaining games against Iowa and Wisconsin. That starts this weekend when Minnesota travels to Kinnick Stadium to take on the Hawkeyes.

6.) Penn State

No. 6 might seem high for a team coming off a loss the previous week, but Penn State still has a solid resume despite the loss to the Gophers. The Nittany Lions have wins over Iowa, Michigan and a nonconference victory over a 6-3 Pittsburgh team. If No. 6 is too high, we’ll find out soon enough after Penn State faces Indiana (7-2) and No. 2 Ohio State (9-0) over the next two weeks.

7.) Alabama

The Crimson Tide needed a win on Saturday more than LSU did. Alabama was at home, and after falling to the Tigers the Tide are still lacking a marquee win. Like Clemson, Alabama’s best win is over Texas A&M (6-3), but the Crimson Tide no longer has the benefit of being undefeated to back up their claim as one of the top four teams in the country. The playoff committee will likely disagree, but I can’t give Alabama a pass with the schedule they’ve played this season. If the best thing on your resume is a home loss to No. 1, that’s not much of a resume.

8.) Oregon

The Pac-12 conference isn’t doing Oregon any favors. The Ducks’ best win is over mediocre Washington (6-4), but Oregon has reeled off eight straight wins since their season-opening loss to Auburn. Oregon led Auburn 21-6 in that game, but after allowing 21 unanswered points to the Tigers, the Ducks weren’t able to capitalize on that opportunity for a signature victory. The Ducks need a marquee win, but with three games remaining against opponents hovering around the .500 mark, Oregon will likely have to wait until a potential Pac-12 championship showdown with Utah. First, the Ducks will host Arizona this Saturday.

9.) Oklahoma

The Sooners are trending in the wrong direction. Oklahoma had a bye week following their shocking 48-41 loss to Kansas State, but the Sooners didn’t seem to find many answers during their time off. This past Saturday, Oklahoma led Iowa State 35-14 at halftime, but needed an interception on a two-point conversion attempt to avoid back-to-back upset losses. The Sooners survived with a 42-41 victory. Oklahoma’s win over Texas (6-3) is their only notable victory, and their last two outings have done nothing to suggest this team belongs in the playoff. The Sooners can begin turning that narrative around this Saturday when they travel to undefeated Baylor. And speaking of those Bears…

10.) Baylor

Baylor continues to find ways to win. On Saturday, the Bears survived their second trip to overtime this season, outlasting TCU by a final score of 29-23. Baylor isn’t winning impressively – their margin of victory in conference play is only 8.5 ppg – but a 9-0 mark earns them a spot in my Top 10. The Bears also have victories over a pair of 6-3 teams in Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Baylor will get its shot to enter the playoff discussion with upcoming games against Oklahoma and Texas these next two weeks.

11.) Utah

Like Oregon, Utah’s best win came against Washington. The Utes also have a nonconference victory over rival BYU (5-4). The difference between Oregon and Utah, however, is that the Ducks lost their season-opener against a Top 15 team. The Utes fell on the road to USC, while Oregon blew out the Trojans. However, against other common opponents (Cal, Washington, Washington State) Utah has a much higher margin of victory than the Ducks – 21.7 ppg as opposed to 5.3 ppg. Utah and Oregon are on a collision course towards the Pac-12 championship, and as long as neither team trips up in their final three games prior to the title, the winner of the Pac-12 could have a shot at the playoff.

12.) Florida

Florida took care of business on Saturday, blowing out SEC cellar-dweller Vanderbilt by a final score of 56-0. However, Minnesota and Baylor jumped the Gators after both remained undefeated this past weekend. Florida is still my highest-ranked two-loss team in the country. The Gators travel to Missouri this Saturday, before wrapping up their season with in-state rival Florida State.

13.) Auburn

Unlike Florida, Auburn still has opportunities ahead to move up the rankings. The Tigers are coming off a bye and will host Georgia this coming Saturday. Then, after a glorified exhibition against FCS foe Samford, the Tigers will finish their season by hosting Alabama. Winning either of those contests might be enough to move Auburn back into the Top 10.

14.) Wisconsin

It’s hard to call it a bounce back game after the Badgers were drilled by Ohio State two weeks ago, but Wisconsin got a much-needed win over rival Iowa on Saturday, 24-22. Stud tailback Jonathan Taylor returned to form with 250 rushing yards on 31 carries, and the Badgers’ defense stopped the Hawkeyes two-point conversion attempt to hold on for the victory. With that result, Wisconsin is still in the running for a Big Ten West division title. The Badgers must win out against Nebraska, Purdue and Minnesota – and will need the Golden Gophers to lose another game – in order to claim the division.

15.) Michigan

Michigan was idle ahead of this coming weekend’s game against rival Michigan State, and got to sit back and enjoy watching the Spartans blow a 28-3 lead against Illinois. The Wolverines have won each of their last two games – Notre Dame and Maryland – by 31 points. The Spartans have lost four in a row. But Michigan State always seems to bring their best effort in this game, and has beaten the Jim Harbaugh-led Wolverines twice in the Big House. Michigan is currently a 14.5-point favorite, but hasn’t beaten MSU by more than 14 points since 2006.

16.) Memphis

The Tigers enjoyed a bye this week after their big win over SMU back on Nov. 2. Memphis controls its own destiny in the American Athletic Conference’s West division, and should cruise through the next two weeks against Houston and South Florida. The Tigers’ season-finale will be a massive game however, as Memphis welcomes AAC East division leader Cincinnati.

17.) Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish got right on Saturday with a blowout win over Duke, 38-7. Quarterback Ian Book had a massive game for Notre Dame, completing 18-of-32 pass attempts for 181 yards and four touchdowns. Book also ran for 139 yards on 12 rushing attempts. The Irish now turn their attention to a Top 25 matchup with rival Navy this coming Saturday. Notre Dame is currently a 10-point favorite in that contest.

18.) SMU

In back-to-back weeks, East Carolina (3-7) has put serious scares into contenders for the AAC title. Two weeks ago, the Pirates took Cincinnati to the brink before falling by a score of 46-43. This past Saturday, it was SMU who had to trade punches with East Carolina, but the Mustangs eventually prevailed, 59-51. SMU is still very much in contention for the AAC title, but needs Memphis to lose one of their final three games in order to win the West division of the conference. However, before the Mustangs can think about a potential conference title, they’ll need to solve their defensive woes during their bye this week. SMU will return on Nov. 23 with a trip to Navy.

19.) Cincinnati

Cincinnati cruised to a 48-3 victory over Connecticut on Saturday, and remains in full control of the AAC’s East division. The Bearcats are one of about five Group of Five programs vying for a New Year’s Six bowl game, and might be in the best position amongst that group with their only loss coming at the hands of mighty Ohio State. Cincinnati will travel to South Florida this Saturday.

20.) Boise State

Another Group of Five team with hopes of reaching a New Year’s Six bowl is Boise State, though the Broncos made need some help to get there. After falling to BYU back on Oct. 19, Boise State finds themselves looking up at some of the contenders out of the AAC. Boise State hasn’t done itself any favors with close wins over San Jose State and Wyoming over the last two weeks. The Broncos need to win their last three games, and the Mountain West championship game, convincingly in order to get back in the race for the New Year’s Six. That starts this weekend when Boise State hosts New Mexico.

21.) Navy

The Midshipmen have quietly moved themselves into position to compete for a New Year’ Six bowl. After their loss to Memphis back on Sept. 26, Navy has reeled off five straight wins and is tied for the lead in the AAC’s West division. The Midshipmen still have to play SMU, and will need Memphis to drop a game down the stretch, but Navy is very much alive for a conference title. Before any of that gets resolved however, the Midshipmen have an opportunity to add a win to their resume that would be better than any other Group of Five program, as Navy travels to Notre Dame this weekend.

22.) Texas

The Longhorns make their way back into my rankings as my top three-loss team in the country. Two of Texas’ three losses have come against Top 10 teams (LSU, Oklahoma), and the Longhorns have wins over fellow 6-3 programs Oklahoma State and Kansas State. In addition, Texas has a convincing win over 8-1 Louisiana Tech. With back-to-back games upcoming against Iowa State and Baylor, the Longhorns will either cement themselves in my Top 25, or will quickly fall out again.

23.) Oklahoma State

The Cowboys best win is over Kansas State back on Sept. 28, and two of their three losses came against ranked opponents. With very few viable resumes this low in the rankings, that was enough to earn the Cowboys a spot. Oklahoma State will be favored in each of their next two games against Kansas and West Virginia.

24.) Kansas State

Three 6-3 Big 12 teams ranked at the bottom of my rankings may seem odd, but name me another three-loss team that has as impressive of a win as the Wildcats’ victory over Top 10-ranked Oklahoma. The reason why Kansas State is behind the Longhorns and Cowboys is both of those teams beat the Wildcats. Still, Kansas State has a couple nice wins on their resume this season, including a victory over an SEC team in Mississippi State. All three of the Wildcats’ losses have come against ranked opponents.

25.) Appalachian State

After being booted from my rankings last week – following a loss to Georgia Southern – the Mountaineers return at No. 25. This was aided by San Diego State’s loss to Nevada over the weekend, but also has a lot to do with Appalachian State’s 20-15 victory over South Carolina. The Gamecocks haven’t had a great season, but they reside in the SEC and beat Top 5 Georgia in overtime this season. The Mountaineers are 8-1 as they travel to Georgia State this coming Saturday in a matchup of the top two contenders of the Sunbelt conference’s East division.

Ben Bredeson shares what he likes most about the Michigan – MSU rivalry

Michigan senior offensive lineman Ben Bredeson discusses the importance of winning the line of scrimmage against Michigan State.

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Michigan senior captain Ben Bredeson gave his take on the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry on Monday, and it wasn’t all that surprising coming from an offensive lineman.

The senior pointed to the battle in the trenches as the most important aspect of the game heading into Saturday’s matchup of the heated rivals.

“I think when you get in the offensive and defensive line in this rivalry, that’s really what epitomizes it,” Bredeson said. “Our defensive line against their O-line, vice versa. That’s my favorite part of the game, watching that matchup.”

Bredeson may be on to something, too.

While the forward pass may be taking over modern day football, rushing yards are often still the measuring stick on which team is controlling the line of scrimmage. That’s especially evident when the Wolverines and Spartans line up against one another.

Looking back at just the past 20 meetings between the two programs, the team that finished the game with more rushing yards has won 16 out of 20 games during that stretch.

If that trend continues on Saturday, the Wolverines offense has a slight edge. Michigan is 58th in the country averaging 170.7 rush yards per game, and their 4.2 yards per carry ranks tied for 77th. Conversely, Michigan State is averaging just 130.9 rush yards per game, ranking them near the bottom in the nation (106th). The Spartans also ranked tied for 95th in yards per carry (3.8).

Defensively, both teams have been stout against the run this season. The Wolverines are allowing 112.7 yards per game on the ground (21st), but only 2.9 yards per carry (T-9th). Michigan State allows 108.1 rush yards per game (16th), and 3.1 yards per carry (T-14th).

Michigan has a seemingly wide edge on the offensive line, with Bredeson, Jon Runyan Jr., Cesar Ruiz and Mike Onwenu each having started for two seasons beside one another. The Spartans, meanwhile, have shifted their offensive line personnel, and mixed in a couple freshmen on Saturday against Illinois.

However, both defensive fronts have been stout all season, and MSU’s front has Bredeson’s attention heading into Saturday.

“That entire defensive line of theirs is outstanding,” Bredeson said. “They’ve got great defensive front. Like I said before, when you play them enough times, you at each other enough times, we’ve always had a mutual respect there.”

A four-year starter, this is the senior’s fourth time playing in this rivalry game, and it’s one he said he had circled on his calendar each season.

“It’s one of my favorite games to play in every year,” Bredeson said. “I love the rivalry games, the big games. That’s what you play college football for. We’ve had some good games here in the last three years, some memorable ones for sure, and I’m looking forward to another one this Saturday.

“Owning the state of Michigan is always a big thing for the two programs. You battle for it every single year. Obviously, there’s the Paul Bunyan Trophy involved in it as well. There’s a lot of pride that goes into it for the fanbases, so it’s a cool rivalry just because you have that in-state factor of it and you get bragging rights for the year.”

In a rivalry game, it’s expected that emotions will run hot and tempers may flare at times, but Bredeson downplayed that on Monday, speaking instead of the respect he has for Michigan State’s defensive linemen after having facing them so many times.

“It’s definitely more emotional,” he said. “You just want to keep your head with it, keep your composure and don’t make any mistakes that can give them an edge in the game.

“I think there’s an extra intensity in the game, definitely. Everybody wants to make the tackle a little harder, block a little harder, things like that. I don’t think there’s too many cheap shots going on in the game.”

The Spartans have been eliminated from contention for a Big Ten title, and Michigan’s hopes for a conference championship look bleak as well. With that primary goal likely out the window for both teams, rivalry games like this take on an added importance as secondary goals for both programs.

Bredeson is eager to get on the field to try to put a checkmark next to the goal that reads, “Beat MSU”.

“Senior year, beating Michigan State at home, that’s a pretty good win in the senior campaign,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to doing that. That’d be an awesome win.”

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Michigan State Football opens week as 14.5-point underdogs to Michigan

MSU will be a notable underdog to Michigan in their match-up on the road this weekend.

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This is not where we wanted to be at this point in the season. Michigan State continues its worst-case nightmare scenario football with a big matchup on the road against a Michigan team that is currently a huge favorite over the Spartans at 14.5-points. Not much of a surprise, Michigan State will be on the road against a seemingly much better team and will thus be big-time underdogs in this one.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated 11/11/2019 at 10:30 p.m. ET. 

I’m going into this one with an open mind and if Michigan State can pull it off it’ll make the season much more bearable for me but I’m not exactly getting my hopes up here.

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“Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.”

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MSU vs. Michigan: Scouting Report

Michigan State football travels to The Big House to face off against interstate rival, the Michigan Wolverines. Here is a scouting report.

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Michigan State football travels to Michigan Stadium or “The Big House” this weekend to take on their interstate rival, the Michigan Wolverines. This is the biggest game of both team’s seasons thus far. Michigan aims to add another win to their season and Michigan State aims to add some sort of satisfaction to their season.

Here is a scouting report of the Michigan Wolverines:

Shea Patterson

Michigan QB Shea Patterson is quite the enigma. Many wrote him off due to a poor start to the season. Now, some are skeptical even though Michigan boasts a winning record. Note, the numbers are rather favorable for Patterson. He is actually quite similar to a QB that you know all too well.

Through nine games, Patterson has tallied up 1,773 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. For comparison, MSU QB Brian Lewerke has put up 2,012 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Interestingly enough, Lewerke does indeed boast a higher QBR rating than Patterson. In my opinion, the QB matchup is dead even.

RB & WR Options

Michigan primarily relies on freshman Zach Charbonnet and sophomore Hassan Haskins. Through nine games, Charbonnet boasts 117 carries for 559 yards and 11 touchdowns. On the other hand, Haskins has rushed for 426 yards and two touchdowns on just 72 carries.

There are a few other RB options that eat on this team, but, Charbonnet and Haskins stand tall above all. Michigan may not always be able to rely on their passing game. Their running game is always a viable option though. So Michigan State must prepare themselves for a battle in the trenches.

Five different Michigan players have 20 receptions or more on the year. This includes WR’s Ronnie Bell, Nico Collins, Tarik Black, and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Nick Eubanks is the lone TE on this list with exactly 20 receptions on the year. Everyone but Bell has tallied up a touchdown. Note, Collins and Peoples-Jones have both recorded three touchdowns thus far. MSU’s secondary has been shaky, to say the least. Michigan may stretch the Spartan secondary thin this game.

Reliable Defense

The Michigan defense is not necessarily outstanding but they are certainly reliable. No team has scored more than 35 points against the Wolverine’s defense. All the while, Michigan shutout Rutgers in week 4. So Michigan State’s offense must execute well without errors. Lewerke and the company cannot cough up unforced errors that lead to turnovers in this game.

Remember, this Wolverine’s defense is not overwhelming. So the Spartans can definitely put numbers on the board. Especially if they run the ball well. Army ran the ball all over Michigan earlier on in the season. MSU must dominate the run game to open up the passing game for Lewerke and company.

The Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry is still incredibly strong. Both teams want to show one another up. The fan sentiment towards MSU’s coaching staff is already pretty negative. If they lose to Michigan, it will be out of control.

Cheer on the Spartans this weekend. Kick-off is at 12 P.M. and the game is on Fox. Stay locked on SpartansWire for coverage all throughout the weekend.

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Wolverines in the NFL: Week 10

Michigan football alumni were making plays once again in the NFL last week, check out how they all did during the Week 10 action.

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The Michigan football team was on a bye week this week, so that left your Saturday open to watching other college football teams. Luckily there are former Michigan football players in the NFL, so you were still able to get a small taste of the program this week in the NFL.

Check out how the Michigan alumni did this week at the next level.

OFFENSE

Quarterback:
  • Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – Brady and the Patriots were on a bye week this week.
Tight End:
  • Zach Gentry (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Gentry was inactive once again this week against the Los Angeles Rams.
Offensive Line:
  • Graham Glasgow (Detroit Lions) – Glasgow returned to action this week in his teams 20-13 loss to the Chicago Bears, and he had two false start penalties called on himself, not the best return for the former Wolverine.
  • Taylor Lewan (Tennessee Titans) – Lewan drew more penalties this week in his team’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs and he was upset with himself after the game about it. Lewan has nine penalties in just six games this season.

  • Patrick Omameh (New Orleans Saints) – Omameh was active, but didn’t play in his teams 26-9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
  • Michael Schofield III (Los Angeles Chargers) – Schofield had his worst week of the season so far, allowing half a sack in his team’s loss to the Oakland Raiders.
  • Mason Cole (Arizona Cardinals) – Cole got another start this week and while he didn’t allow a sack this week, he did draw one holding penalty. The Cardinals would lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27.
  • Erik Magnuson (Oakland Raiders) – Magnuson was inactive in his team’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line:
  • Chase Winovich (New England Patriots) – Winovich and the Patriots were on a bye week this week.
  • Taco Charlton (Miami Dolphins) – Charlton was quiet in his team’s 16-12 win over the Indianapolis Colts, finishing with one total tackle.
  • Brandon Graham (Philidelphia Eagles) – Graham and the Eagles were on a bye week this week.
  • Chris Wormley (Baltimore Ravens) – Wormley had his best game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals this week, finishing with four total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.
  • Ryan Glasgow (Cincinnati Bengals) – Glasgow was active but didn’t show up on the stat sheet in his team’s 49-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
  • Frank Clark (Kansas City Chiefs) – Clark was active against the Tennessee Titans and had four total tackles, one sack, a pass deflection and a tackle for loss in his team’s 35-32 loss.
  • Maurice Hurst (Oakland Raiders) – Hurst had two total tackles, a half a tackle for loss and a half a sack in his team’s 26-24 win over the Chargers.
Linebacker
  • Rashan Gary (Green Bay Packers) – Gary was active against the Carolina Panthers this week, but didn’t end up on the stat sheet as his team won 24-16.
  • Devin Bush (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Bush was not much of a threat to the Rams this week, finishing with three total tackles and half a sack in the team’s win.
  • Ben Gedeon (Minnesota Vikings) – Gedeon was quiet in his teams win over the Dallas Cowboys, finishing with only one total tackle.
Defensive back:
  • Jourdan Lewis (Dallas Cowboys) – Lewis against the New York Giants last week had a nice game, finishing with six total tackles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in his team’s win. This week in their 28-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Lewis had only one total tackle and one pass deflection.

  • Jabrill Peppers (New York Giants) – Peppers against the Cowboys last week finished with a team-high 12 total tackles, along with a pass deflection in the team’s 37-18 defeat. Against the New York Jets this week, Peppers had six total tackles, one and a half for loss, and a pass deflection in his teams 34-27 defeat.
  • David Long (Los Angeles Rams) – Long was quiet in his team’s 17-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing with only one total tackle.
  • Jarrod Wilson (Jacksonville Jaguars) – Wilson and the Jaguars were on a bye week this week.
  • Brandon Watson (Jacksonville Jaguars) – Watson and the Jaguars were on a bye week this week.
  • Lano Hill (Seattle Seahawks) – Hill and the Seattle Seahawks play on Monday Night Football this week, his stats will appear in next week’s edition.
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Harbaugh: Josh Ross healthy and available, but looking to preserve redshirt

What the Wolverines head coach had to say about his injured starting LB and how he could fit into the rotation upon return.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan got some good news two weeks ago, when traveling to Maryland, for the first time since Week Four at Wisconsin, linebacker Josh Ross was healthy and available to play.

The middle linebacker was heralded this offseason as a player who could play at a Devin Bush Jr.-type level, but early-season injuries kept him off the field for the most part. Even in Week Two, he didn’t play more than half the game, and only got limited run in Madison two weeks later.

But in College Park, Ross not only traveled, but he suited up, ready to take on the Terrapins, though he didn’t make his way onto the field beyond pregame warmups.

So, where is he in his availability? Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh shared that intel on Monday, as well as expectations for him moving forward.

“He’s back – he’s prepared and ready to play,” Harbaugh said. “Our plan with Josh is to play in one more game. He hasn’t redshirted so far and with the time that he’s already missed, hopefully we’ll have the luxury of only playing him in one more game and getting him an extra year. That would give him two more after this season. That’s our hope that we’ll be able to do that.”

With Cam McGrone stepping into the starting MIKE LB role against Rutgers and not letting it go due to a stellar level of play, it does create something of a quality problem for the Wolverines, with two high-level players who play the same position.

But, given the intention to redshirt Ross, Harbaugh said nothing is changing for McGrone, and that, instead, they’re more looking for one particular opportunity to get the in-state product back on the field this season.

And the team is hoping to keep it limited to just that one game, as to preserve future eligibility.

“Cam’s starting, but Josh is being prepared to play,” Harbaugh said. “When we feel like (he’s) most needed. One of the two inside backers wouldn’t be able to start or finish the game – preparing him for when we need him the most. Trying to get that one game to be the game that he would play in.”

Ross’ return does add extra insurance, not just at McGrone’s spot, but also at WILL linebacker, where senior Jordan Glasgow has shined this season.

Last season, while Ross wasn’t the starter, he did get what seemed to be the bulk of the minutes at WILL, platooning with Devin Gil, who has seemingly been relegated mostly to special teams this season, with Glasgow’s breakout year.

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What Jim Harbaugh, Michigan expects from MSU matchup on Saturday

What the Wolverines head coach expects from the in-state rival on Saturday.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — If you were to look at the recent records of both Michigan and in-state rival MSU, you wouldn’t necessarily put much stock into the Spartans coming into Saturday’s contest.

However, as Jim Harbaugh notes, that would be foolish.

The Wolverines head coach knows the type of game the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy is annually, and while the record is lopsided towards the maize and blue, there have certainly been years where a seemingly overmatched Spartans team has come in and gotten the best of their in-state rivals.

But when you especially look at how much MSU head coach Mark Dantonio truly loathes all things Michigan, you can expect a little extra in this game. Some extra hitting, extra game-planning, extra motivation from the current 4-5 team in East Lansing.

“On high alert for everything,” Harbaugh said. “Specifically, yeah, we understand that Coach Dantonio is a master motivator. There could be trick plays. Special teams, the punt fakes, field goal fakes. Everything needs to be alerted and prepared and readied for.”

Calling the annual matchup ‘very competitive and intense,’ Harbaugh notes that the team doesn’t usually spend as much time doing extra legwork to make sure they’re not caught with possible trickery.

But such is the nature of this particular matchup, given the bag of hammers Dantonio tends to pull from when these two teams meet up.

“I would say it’s more than most games, because they’ve done more with those types of plays, with fakes,” Harbaugh said. “Out of necessity, spending more time on it than normal.”

The national discussion surrounding MSU is less about its downfall — it was 7-6 a year ago — but has more to do with its offense.

Ranked 96th in total offense (yards-per-game) and 106th in rushing offense, the Spartans are in their second-straight year of fielding what looks like a moribund attack on that side of the ball. But that’s not how Harbaugh looks at it.

There are times when MSU can seemingly pull it all together, and it would make sense that it would do everything in its power to do just that against its biggest rival.

We’ve seen games where the Spartans haven’t been bad, or inept, in that regard. Despite the overall numbers, MSU had the best offensive game that Ohio State has seen to this point, and put up big yardage numbers in the win over Western Michigan earlier in the year, and again in the loss this past Saturday against Illinois.

So when Harbaugh looks at that side of the ball, and the team as a whole, he sees something more dangerous than the general public might.

“Well, they put up over 500 yards of offense this past week,” Harbaugh said. “Defense is one of the best in the country. Special teams, year-in and year-out, is consistently good, solid, explosive. Prone to trickery, as well. Everything in our preparation is gonna have to be at its highest level. We’re excited – we were excited to get started, we already got started. We’re already in the midst of our preparations.”

Regardless, the spectre of the rivalry will certainly take ahold, at least once both teams hit the field — and it might not wait until the game actually begins.

Last year, as well-noted, there was the pregame incident with the Spartans’ traditional field walk, which the Big Ten deemed to come too late before the game, per the conference’s review. Subsequently, Devin Bush Jr. took cleats to the Spartans logo at midfield, proving that the Spartans had Michigan’s attention this time around.

Harbaugh doesn’t expect any pregame shenanigans this time around, but again, harkened back to what took place in East Lansing a little more than a year ago.

“That’s been addressed pretty thoroughly,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a rule that two hours before the game, players cannot be on the field before two hours. So if there are any pregame traditions, then those take place before the two hour mark, when both teams, in two hours, are allowed to be on the field and share the field. One team cannot supersede that. It’s been addressed.”

So, come Saturday, regardless of the directions each team seems to be moving in, expect the unexpected.

Jim Harbaugh and the maize and blue certainly are. While you are what your record says you are, when it comes to this particular matchup, Harbaugh goes straight to an old, but perhaps true, idiom.

“As I said, high alert,” Harbaugh said. “This is an important game for both teams. Throw out the records – that’s an old cliché you can use – when you play this type of game.”

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How Chris Evans return to Michigan adds explosiveness to backfield

Michigan football will have running back Chris Evans return to action next year, how will his explosiveness change the backfield?

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Back in February of this year, Michigan football simply announced that running back Chris Evans was “not a member of the football team at this time.” Evans would later post on Twitter that he was going through some academic issues and would continue his career at Michigan.

In July, there wouldn’t be any changes and he would be suspended for the entire 2019 season, as he would explain on Twitter that he was no longer enrolled in the university. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said the decision was made by the university, not the football team. Also that Evans had a chance to rejoin the team in the spring, but that wasn’t able to get resolved by then. Evans said the situation was “an academic mistake. Not my grades. I’m on pace to graduate.”

Since then we haven’t heard much about Evans, until last week.

Evans posted this on Twitter, hinting at his return to the field in Ann Arbor in 2020.

That talk continued today, as Harbaugh spoke to the media and addressed the Evans situation.

“Chris will be reinstated for the winter term,” Harbaugh said. “When he gets back in school he will be able to participate fully in football again. My knowledge of the situation is that he had a productive meeting to see if he could be reinstated back into school and my understanding that he will be for the winter term. We’ll welcome him back to the football team.”

The winter term begins in January, and no that doesn’t mean that if Michigan plays in a bowl game in January that he will be on the team. Michigan doesn’t start their winter academic term until Monday, January 8.

What does this do for the 2020 running back room? Only make it better. Evans was looked at as a possible starter heading into his senior year this year with running back Karan Higdon graduating and the other being underclassmen or freshman and not having much playing time.

The Wolverines have missed Evans speed in the backfield, and his ability to be a shifty receiving back as well. The running game has been fine without him though, as Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet have stepped up big this season.

Haskins has 72 carries for 426 yards and two touchdowns, while Charbonnet has 117 carries for 559 yards and 11 touchdowns. While they have been able to score and get some nice carries, the receiving aspect hasn’t been the same without Evans. Haskins and Charbonnet have a combined 11 catches for 39 yards.

In his three years at Michigan, Evans has a total of 304 carries for 1,722 yards for 14 touchdowns, along with 40 catches for 392 yards and two touchdowns. Evans saw an increased workload after his freshman year in 2016 and was seen as a threat on the ground with his speed, and as a receiver.

In 2020, Haskins and Charbonnet will return and with the addition of Evans means the Wolverines will have a nasty trio in the backfield. The elusive back in Charbonnet, the bruiser in Haskins, and the speed and receiving back in Evans.

Another year learning the playbook will be huge for the younger guys. Having Evans being used as a weapon in the passing game can help the spread offense out as the Wolverines haven’t used the running back much as a receiving threat this season. Evans returning will be a big shot in the arm to the backfield next year, and something everyone will be talking about heading into the 2020 season.

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Michigan on ‘high alert’ for MSU’s ‘Super Bowl’

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Let the back-and-forth begin. It’s hate week in Ann Arbor, with in-state rival Michigan State coming to town on Saturday. The Spartans come in reeling, while the Wolverines are flying high, with the former having just melted down, …

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Let the back-and-forth begin.

It’s hate week in Ann Arbor, with in-state rival Michigan State coming to town on Saturday. The Spartans come in reeling, while the Wolverines are flying high, with the former having just melted down, having surrendered 27 points in the fourth quarter to Illinois to fall to 4-5 on the season, while the latter is just now putting it all together at 7-2.

But, that doesn’t mean that the Wolverines are expecting to cruise to an easy victory.

It is a rivalry, after all, and as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh says, there’s no letting up, regardless if it seems that the two teams are moving in different directions.

“On high alert for everything,” Harbaugh said. “Specifically, yeah — we understand that Coach Dantonio is a master motivator. There could be trick plays. Special teams, punt fakes, field goal fakes. Everything needs to be alerted and prepared and ready for.”

But coaches coach in games, and players play in them. So getting the players’ perspective is key.

For the local Michigan products, this game means a little bit more, because they grew up playing with and against a lot of the players on the other side of the ball. Such is true for former Detroit (MI) King standout Ambry Thomas, who played alongside MSU LB Tyriq Thompson and against WR Cody White while in high school.

While there’s chirping back and forth the week of the game, Thomas says he understands what this game means, especially for the reeling Spartans.

“You can’t let them get a heads up,” Thomas said. “You’ve gotta step on their throat and stay there all game. We know they’re going to treat this game like their Super Bowl. We’ve gotta be prepared and just attack them, like they’re gonna try to attack us.”

Of course, talk and the action borne thereof fuels this rivalry.

Last year, it started with the pregame stunt by MSU, as they were late doing their traditional field walk, meaning Michigan was already on the field warming up. The Wolverines refused to vacate, so the Spartans walked through, refusing to unlink for some — like Devin Bush — while others like Khaleke Hudson didn’t make physical contact. After that incident, Bush famously tore up the Spartans logo with his cleats, and after the game, then-defensive end Chase Winovich spoke on FOX about MSU being ‘little brother,’ harkening back to the words spoken by Mike Hart after the 2007 contest.

Those words continue to be spoken in regards to the rivalry, including on Monday, in terms of how both teams treat it.

“Right now, it’s the most important game on our schedule,” Thomas said. “It’s about who’s the big brother, who’s the little sister in this state. That’s what it’s really about. We plan to give it our all, just like they plan to give us their all.

“You come to Michigan to play in this game right here and that team down there in Ohio. But you come to Michigan to play in these two games and these are must wins for us.”

The Spartans may be reeling, especially on the offensive side of the ball, but that’s not the team that the Wolverines see.

Perhaps it’s an added respect given, knowing that the two teams can prove it on the field this Saturday. But MSU’s offense has been nothing short of erratic, with the Spartans gaining 526 yards in the loss to Illinois, but struggling to get much of anything going against the Wisconsins, Penn States and Ohio States of the world.

Still, Thomas sees an offense that could be tough to stop, should everything come together.

“I see a team with a lot of talent, honestly – they just haven’t figured it out yet,” Thomas said. “They have a lot of talent. We know we just have to show up, ball out, do what we do.”

Michigan hosts MSU at The Big House with kickoff set for noon EST on FOX.

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