The Obligatory Predictions Competition - Week 7
by Jonathan Franz on Oct 13, 2011 11:42 PM CDT
in Obligatory Predictions Competition
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1. No. 11 MICHIGAN @ No. 23 MICHIGAN STATE, 12:00 p.m. EST (10/15)
GRAHAM predicts MICHIGAN
Everyone's healthy. That's why I say Michigan has a shot. I know Sparty's a FG fav in Vegas, I know MSU plays real tough against Denard. But the suddenly alive Michigan D is healthier and better coached than it has been for so long. Wolverines win on the road.
JON predicts MICHIGAN
This is the game of the week as far as I'm concerned. I've read a lot about how Michigan State's defense will have no problem containing Denard Robinson. I respectfully disagree.
GRAHAM predicts PENN STATE
Purdue can score points....against Mini. But against PSU? In Happy Valley? Nah. PSU picks up another win.
JON predicts PENN STATE
Yeah, don't let last week's performance fool you. Purdue is still a hot mess on both sides of the ball and Penn State's defense is the real deal.
GRAHAM predicts ILLINOIS
If they can stay healthy, Braxton Miller and Nathan Scheelhaase can put on a show. That favors, of course, Illinois, because Scheelhaase is locked and loaded. Illinois puts OSU in the below .500 column.
JON predicts ILLINOIS
A.J. Jenkins runs all over the Ohio State secondary and Braxton Miller is limited by last week's ankle injury. If you see No. 14 it's over.
4. NORTHWESTERN @ IOWA, 7:00 p.m. EST (10/15)
GRAHAM predicts IOWA
I'm going to start referring to this Hawkeye team as jIowa because they could possibly lose to three hated rivals: ISU, PSU, and the surprisingly toothless Wildcats. We just expected so much more pop from Northwestern, but the points aren't coming. I see no reason why those points will show up on the road. Iowa wins.
JON predicts IOWA
I've seen Northwestern drop too many close games to pick them in this one. Iowa gets a little redemption at home.
5. FLORIDA @ No. 24 AUBURN, 7:00 p.m. EST (10/15)
GRAHAM predicts AUBURN
Former National Champion Cripple FIGHTTTTTT. Florida has no quarterback, Auburn has home field advantage...Tigers crowd the box and eek out a win with no Cam Newton.
JON predicts FLORIDA
Jeff Demps makes a comeback this week against an abysmal Tiger run defense. Muschamp's troops are beaten up, but they're also seasoned, having lined up against Alabama and LSU in back-to-back weeks. The Tigers are cat nip by comparison.
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Given the way that this season has played out thus far
There is no reason I should be too worried about OSU this week. Which I believe is the exact reason why I’m starting to worry about OSU this week =/
They have two liter bottles now? To think I spent all that time demanding a liter!
Maybe tOSU can repay the Illini
For 2007. The Buckeyes as spoilers — how the world has turned….
UM @ MSU
I’ve read a lot about how Michigan State’s defense will have no problem containing Denard Robinson.
Hmmmm… can’t say I’ve read the same articles. I’ve heard some saying that we could do a better job containing him than most other teams but I think everyone knows we’ll have to be extremely good on D to stop him.
To be honest, I feel less confident about this game as a Spartan than I have the last three meetings against Michigan. I really worry about our offense. I know the O-Line is starting to gel but so far, all they’ve been able to do this year is keep Cousins from getting sacked. Against a good front four (SEE: Notre Dame and Ohio State) we just have not been able to run the ball. I think that Michigan’s D-Line is somewhere in between ND and OSU in terms of quality (better than OSU, worse than ND).
We can’t expect Cunningham to be the only one making big plays down the field. We’ll need Fowler and Martin to carry their weight. And I’ve just about given up on Nichol as a playmaker from the X, as sad as that is to say.
One thing that does give me confidence is our speed on defense. I do think that’s it is a better defense than last year. Narduzzi has refined it enough to where he can do just about exactly what he wants to do out there and not worry about blown coverage. I know he’ll have a solid gameplan for this game.
I think talk about one team being more amped than the other is bunk. This is the biggest game of the season for both teams, no question. I feel confident in our ability to mitigate the big plays (SEE: 51-yard jump balls to Hemingway) and I think Cousins plays a sound, efficient game.
MSU 24 – UM 20
MSU, PSU, Illinois, NW (the first three I pick with my head, the last with my heart)
Wasn’t thinking about the fact that Iowa could lose to all three of ISU-PSU-NW in the same year. Ouch.
My bad
My heart is also always a motivating factor for rooting against Michigan
But there is no way Iowa loses to Minnesota this year.
So, they have that.
FML
by Midnight Rambler on Oct 14, 2011 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Difficult week
MSU – Sooner or later Denard’s interceptions have to catch up to him, right?
PSU – It was a nice week for Purdue fans. Back to reality…
Illinois – I want to pick Ohio State because I have no reason to believe in Zook (cliche, but seriously… he’s not a smart coach), but after watching the Buckeyes, I don’t exactly think they are in a position to succeed either.
Iowa – This stupid home losing streak to NW has to end, so yeah…
Florida – I just think they’re the better team AND karma is on Florida’s side (buying a player only gets you one good year).
Always check the words with the red squiggly line. They mean you probably screwed up.
Author @ Off Tackle Empire
You are one of the most self-deprecating UM fans I've ever seen
Always defending how much better UM is, yet believing that you’re going to lose. BE MORE FANATICAL SO I CAN HATE YOU
(Disclaimer: I actually like your posts, since they’re factual yet down-to-earth. Just wanted to poke fun!)
Thanks
DENARD IS GOING TO SHRED LITTLE BROTHER WE LOST LAST THREE BECAUSE WE DIDN’T HAVE A REAL COACH OR A DEFENSE AT ALL SPARTY SUCKS GO BLUE
I hope that’s a little better.
But in all seriousness, I think Michigan’s better than everyone gives them credit for. All of the “well they started undefeated and look what happened last year” talk is sickening to me. Still, winning a huge game like this hasn’t happened in a long time for us, probably since ND in ‘06. Plus, I’m not sure Michigan can win the close ones unless there’s a massive amount of DERP involved. Maybe there will be, but I need to see Michigan win some before I think they can.
Picks
MSU
PSU
Illinois
Northwestern
Auburn
"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach
This week sucks
MSU
PSU – this one is easy
Illinois
Northwestern – some things are inevitable, the rising of the sun in the eastern sky, the changing of seasons, the ebb and flow of the tides, and Northwestern beating an Iowa team that they shouldn’t.
Auburn
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
Hey, how come no one's picking the outcome of the Wisconsin-Indiana game?
That chick was, like, the Pele of anal.
by Bob Genghiskhan on Oct 14, 2011 2:19 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Picks
MSU – I just…I need the Almighty Armpunter to lose.
PSU – Somehow, I think it’ll be uncomfortably close, too.
Illinois – And I’m disgusted for choosing this.
Northwestern – Easily my most optimistic pick. I just can’t march out of Kinnick knowing that we’ve lost… And hear that Polka. And by reminded by every Iowa fan I see.
Auburn – I wish I cared more.
Michigan State — I don’t think either of these teams are great. I think both are pretty good. Going with the home team.
Penn State — According to Sagarin, Penn State’s schedule outranks Purdue’s by 87 spots. In statistical categories ranked by the NCAA, Purdue doesn’t outrank PSU by 87 in anything, and PSU outranks Purdue by an average of 3.125 spots per category. PSU is at home. For a normal team, that means “blowout.” For Penn State, that means, “annoyingly close win.”
Illinois — We’re long overdue for a Zookerloss, and this is a perfect opportunity, as OSU’s defense is head and shoulders the best Illinois has seen this year, and Illinois is still a team that allowed Western Michigan (#40 Annar rankings in total offense), Northwestern (#68), and Indiana (#80) average 25.0 ppg against them. Why am I picking Illinois? Ohio State ranks #94
Iowa — Since 1993, Iowa is 3-2 against Northwestern in years where Iowa has lost to Penn State. Both defenses stink. Both offenses are legitimately decent most of the time, but have a tendency to disappear. Iowa is at home, and Iowa is too good to be 3-3.
Florida — because I’m pretty sure that outside of Alabama and LSU, who might be the two best teams in the country, there are no top 20 teams in the SEC, and there might not be any top 25 teams.
GO IOWA AWESOME, now and forever, unless PSU sees them in the B1G CG
Beat OMHR
Arkansas ...
is probably a solid top 20 team
by CeeDave on Oct 14, 2011 4:56 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
even if northwestern is our rival
they arent top 3. i wouldnt consider them a rival personally. ISU, Minny, Wisconsin, and maybe PSU and maybe Nebby in the future are our real rivals. NW is just a small team that gives us fits. they are no more our rivals than Northern Iowa is.
just clarifying.
"Your spelling and grammar errors belie a seriously skilled thought process"- therealCatnuts
by justsomehawkeyefan on Oct 15, 2011 10:41 PM CDT reply actions
Hayden Fry created jNWU football in the mid 90's
"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy
by BentNotBroken on Oct 15, 2011 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions
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