Tag: reaction

Jim Harbaugh discusses Michigan football player injuries after Week 2

Hope these guys are back out on the field soon! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football dominated Hawaii on Saturday, but the Wolverines didn’t emerge unscathed.

While Nikhai Hill-Green dressed for the game, he didn’t play. Karsen Barnhart remained out, dressed in street clothes due to his Week 1 injury. But Donovan Edwards was tended to on the sidelines and came back out in street clothes, as did defensive end Taylor Upshaw, who had a walking boot on after the game.

On Monday, at his weekly press conference, Jim Harbaugh was asked about Edwards’ injury, and said that he doesn’t yet have an update as to his status.

“No, I don’t I don’t have an update,” Harbaugh said. “We’re working through something and he’s working through something.”

Considering that Michigan is playing Connecticut on Saturday, a team that ranks 94th in rushing defense and 101st overall, the Wolverines can get away with not having Edwards out there. His potential absence would mean more playing time for true freshman C.J. Stokes, who showed flashes of ability in each of the first two games. He had eight carries for 61 yards against Hawaii, and a touchdown.

As for Upshaw, also considering the depth at the edge rusher position, if he’s not available, that could mean more playing time for transfer Eyabi Anoma or freshman Derrick Moore — both being players that the Wolverines are hoping will make an impact throughout the season.

Harbaugh was not asked about and did not address any of the other player injuries.

Michigan kicks off against UConn at noon on Saturday at The Big House.

[listicle id=62616]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

ESPN CFB analyst includes 5 SEC teams in his top 10

ESPN college football analyst Peter Burns ranks five SEC teams in the top 10. Where is UGA and Alabama?

ESPN college football analyst and SEC Network host Peter Burns ranks five SEC teams in the top 10. A lot of college football fans won’t like Burns’ rankings, but remember that several of Burns’ top 10 teams play each other, so it is unlikely this many SEC teams will be able to stay in the top 10 for long.

The Georgia Bulldogs are looking worthy of the No. 1 ranking after Alabama’s disappointing opening game against a Power Five opponent. The Crimson Tide struggled at Texas, but were able to get a big win.

Who is left out of Burns’ rankings? No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 12 NC State, No. 13 Miami, and No. 14 BYU all have strong cases to be ranked in the top 10 (these rankings are per the USATODAY Coaches’ Poll).

Here is how ESPN’s Peter Burns ranks his top 10 college football teams:

How did these former Ohio State offensive players do in the NFL on Sunday?

How did these former offensive Buckeyes play in the NFL on Sunday #GoBucks

Week 1 of the NFL season has finally kicked off. While we are waiting on the Ohio State Buckeyes to kick off against the Toledo Rockets, it is fun to sit back and watch how former Ohio State players wreck it in the National Football League.

We are incredibly blessed to be Buckeye fans because there are so many talented players that we enjoy on Sunday after watching current Ohio State players on Saturday. The list of former Buckeyes is so large we have to split this list into two with offense and defense.

The following are former offensive Ohio State football players who made a splash during Week 1.

The Napkin: Week 2 betting recap includes an apology to the Texas Longhorns

I’d like to personally apologize to the Texas Longhorns program and its entire fan base. It seems y’all “have the dog in you” and my slander in The Napkin was unwarranted.

Last week’s edition of The Napkin was centered around exciting non-conference games throughout the country. And, oh boy, did we get some excitement last Saturday.

Only two weeks into the season and it feels like we’re already in midseason form. We had upsets galore across the country, including the Gators’ disappointing performance against Kentucky. We will not go into that game here as there is plenty of coverage of that across Gators Wire.

This season is giving me 2007 vibes. I know, that’s a bold statement. The 2007 season was one of the craziest in recent memory, with what felt like an upset happening every week. Three USA Today top 10 teams lost on Saturday, two at the hands of Sun Belt opponents. Alabama looked human against Texas (more on that in a bit). And multiple games were decided in overtime.

Betting-wise, I had a much better Week 2 than I did Week 1. In no way have things “settled down” in college football. It is, however, reassuring to know that my betting logic is sound, despite multiple bets coming down to the wire.

Here’s a recap of what my Week 2 picks looked like.

And now, let’s see how we did.

Gallery: A non-football photographer shoots Michigan vs. Hawaii

These are BEAUTIFUL! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — I wanted to try an experiment, something I’ve thought about for a year. I’ve been shooting Michigan football games since the spring game in 2015, Jim Harbaugh’s first. But, at times, I feel stagnant, my photos predictable. I remember that first time, back in April, how as a political photographer up to that point, my fresh eyes saw the game. Eventually, my degree in film really kicked in and I found my cinematic style.

On Saturday, I asked Sarah Coull to come shoot the game with me. I love the work she’s done, her light, breezy style, and the way she sees things. I’ve long admired her photography, which has tended to be either portraiture or of products. She sees things I often don’t see when criticizing a photo. Saturday was not only the first football game that she ever shot, but her first football game — ever (though she says she may have attended a game at Howell High School 23 years before, it’s a much different thing being in The Big House).

What she shot was fantastic, and I’m excited to share it with you here. Check out her favorite photos from the game against Hawaii below.

Kirk Herbstreit ranks Ohio State high in his top six teams

Do you like where former Buckeye, Kirk Herbstreit, has Ohio State in his top teams? #GoBucks

We haven’t heard much from ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit when it comes to where he believes the pecking order of college football is, but that appears to be changing. During the season, the former Ohio State quarterback usually puts out his top few teams after each weekend’s games.

We didn’t get that from him in Week 1, but he’s back on the horse it appears after Week 2. Being that he’s a former Buckeye, we’re always curious to see where Herbie puts OSU, and you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised with what he gives us for his first reaction to the 2022 season.

Keep in mind, Herbstreit generally only ranks the top four teams, then adds a couple of next-in types so you have an idea which teams he thinks should be worthy of College Football Playoff consideration at this point in a way-too-early feeling.

Still, it’s worth a debate, so we’re game for all of it. Here’s a look at Kirk Herbstreit’s top six teams as he sees it in college football right now with plenty of season still to go.

Dennis Allen had the perfect take on thrilling Saints-Falcons fourth quarter

Dennis Allen had the perfect take on a thrilling Saints-Falcons fourth quarter, but he knows the toughest work is still ahead:

It’s not every day that you see a team rally from a 16-point deficit with about 12 minutes left in regulation, but that does seem to happen to the New Orleans Saints more often than most teams. And it’s what Dennis Allen experienced in his first game as the team’s full-time head coach, which he acknowledged after the 27-26 thriller concluded.

“I hope they are all not like that,” Allen deadpanned to reporters during his postgame media availability, reflecting on the intense late-game dramatics. He watched his offense struggle to move the ball for three quarters only to explode in the game’s final phase, with his defense coming up big in a few spots after being run over by the Falcons rushing attack. He was understandably exhausted.

Still, he recognized that the toughest work is still ahead. When asked about his comments to the team after their all-too-close win, Allen said that it’s important to “Enjoy the win but have tough skin tomorrow.” The team’s travel schedule typically sees them fly back from Atlanta to New Orleans late Sunday evening, regrouping Monday for a brief walkthrough practice and film study in positional meetings.

It’s impressive that the Saints rallied back from such a big deficit, but it would have been better to avoid that situation to begin with. They’ll get to work quickly on cleaning up their mistakes and addressing the vulnerabilities Atlanta exploited. Reviewing everyone’s work is the first step in that process.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=115569]

New ESPN power rankings have Ohio State holding steady

What kind of movement did ESPN have with Ohio State in its latest college football power rankings? #GoBucks

It’s the day after all the chaos of what was Week 2 of the college football season, and that means everyone has an opinion on what we just witnessed over the last weekend — and it was a lot.

We’ve seen the USA TODAY Coaches and AP Polls come out, created our own Big Ten power rankings, checked in with Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt on his top ten, and now we’re here to see how ESPN sees the landscape of college football after just two full weeks of games.

With Alabama leaving Austin lucky to have squeaked one out, you’d think there might be a reshuffling of the deck somewhat after Week 2, but you might be surprised. And what about Ohio State? The Buckeyes looked more explosive on offense against Arkansas State, so did they move up in the “worldwide leader’s” view

Here’s a look at the latest ESPN college football Power rankings and where Ohio State landed among all the teams still fighting it out.

NFLSU: Twitter anoints Cade York after game-winning 58-yard kick for Cleveland in first game as a rookie

York is already making a difference for the Browns’ special teams unit.

The talk out of Cleveland Browns camp all summer was how good rookie kicker [autotag]Cade York[/autotag] had looked.

This was nothing new for LSU fans, but the rest of the league found out during Week 1 of the NFL season. The Browns took down the Carolina Panthers 26-24 thanks to an amazing 58-yard kick — which would have been good from even longer — with less than 15 seconds to play from York.

It capped off an excellent debut for York, a fourth-round pick who became the highest drafted kicker since 2016. It’s still early in his career, but he’s showing why. Here’s how Twitter reacted to York’s impressive show of leg strength.

SEC power rankings: Major movement after exciting Week 2

Lots of movement in this week’s power rankings.

Week 2 of college football really had it all. Especially in the Southeastern Conference.

In the headliner of the weekend, college football fans got everything they wanted – except maybe a Longhorns victory. Alabama held on to beat Texas 20-19 in Austin in a classic. Texas A&M, alongside Notre Dame, looked to be the most overhyped teams in the nation this offseason after App State stunned Texas A&M. Kentucky showed its for real, beating Florida after a bad game from Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson. An in overtime, Tennessee beat Pitt in a top-25 battle. Additionally, the Georgia Bulldogs handled business against Samford.

Right now, SEC championship odds, courtesy of BetMGM, are: Alabama (minus-125), Georgia (plus-120), Texas A&M (plus-2,200), Florida (plus-3,500), Tennessee (plus-4,000), Arkansas (plus-6,600), Kentucky (plus-6,600), Ole Miss (plus-6,600), LSU (plus-6,600), Mississippi State (plus-10,000), Auburn (plus-12,500), South Carolina (plus-20,000), Missouri (plus-40,000) and Vanderbilt (plus-100,000).

Here’s our updated SEC power rankings following Week 2: