To my faithful Margin Callers I say: "Welcome Back!"
The markets have been closed these past two weeks but we're back for the remainder of the season.
Everything went like you would expect this past weekend, except of course for the game in East Lansing...well unless you're one of those people who has long thought that the Spartan resurgence was composed largely of smoke and mirrors, and UM being "down". Congrats. You have your moment.
Let's just say it's tougher to break in a brand new quarterback and six new receivers than many of the MSU faithful planned (hoped!) for.
Here are this weeks somewhat arbitrary market values (with last posted values from Week four under the helmet).
Trading will remain open until 7:00pm CDT this evening.
(1DD) Well. Illinois didn't bother with the win six games in a row/lose six games in a row plan this season. The Illini have grabbed disaster by the throat and refuse to relinquish their grasp. With the exception of the of the first half against Wisconsin, the men from Champaign have been generally non-competitive. After a bye week, feisty IU is up next followed by a road trip to OSU. Six losses in a row definitely seem possible. If you still hold Illinois stock by the time you finish this sentence I would be surprised. One half Delaney Dollar is the going rate this week.
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(1DD) Indiana is fresh off two straight heartbreaking home defeats. After a promising start to the MSU game they couldn't hold off the Spartans; after a disappointing start to the OSU tilt, the Hoosiers furious rally fell short. While I don't expect IU to make a bowl game, I think at this point the Illinois and Purdue games are toss-ups, they should beat Navy and I suspect they will clip one of UW, Iowa or PSU. When you've been as far down as IU it takes a while to climb out. It certainly appears as if Coach Wilson has his team headed in the right direction. IU rises to one and a half Delany Dollars.
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(1/2 DD) As I'm sure Hawkeye backers will be quick to point out, Iowa is a combined 6 points away from being perfect this season. I believe the old adage is that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. It never hurts to be a bit of both. Iowa survived the puntfest in East Lansing and that fact places them in control of their own destiny in the Legends Division race to Indianapolis. The Hawkeyes jump to two and a half Delany Dollars.
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(1DD) Going into their "rivalry" game with MSU, UM is right where they want to be. They've lost the expected match-ups (at Notre Dame, Alabama) handled everyone else on their schedule (surviving a scare from Air Force) and drubbed a listless Illini squad. The Wolverines, like the Hawkeyes are also in control of their own destiny at this point, though they will play a division every game from now until week twelve without a break. Hoke's boys are up to three Delany Dollars.
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(3DD) The Spartans were in a good position. Hold on. Beat Iowa. You could explain away the struggle with IU as the Hoosiers put up 49 on OSU this weekend, you could explain that MSU's two losses were to undefeated teams ranked in the Top 10. While not looking crisp, it is always better to go into a rivalry game after a win. Then OT happened. Before the season started there was probably one game on the schedule that the Spartans weren't expected to be favored in. Now, I'm not sure there is a game left this season that MSU will be favored in until the last game against Minnesota. Spartans drop to one and a half Delany Dollars.
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(3DD) A 4-0 start has been followed up by two straight losses with a suddenly functional Wisconsin up next on the schedule. Add to this mixture, a recurrence of seizures to Coach Kill (glad to hear he has been released from the Hospital) and bowl eligibility doesn't look as likely as it once did. The Gophers still have Illinois and Purdue on the schedule, but they might have to find a win out of Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska and MSU. Minnesota drops to one Delany Dollar.
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(4DD) The Huskers got pummeled by OSU and have had an extra week to prepare for Northwestern and their road trip to Evanston (don't they wish that was the case last year). Nebraska's sole B1G loss is to a team in the other division, so if they can run the table in the Legends a rematch with Wisconsin is still possible. Nebraska falls to two and half Delany Dollars.
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(4.5DD) Northwestern is a bowl eligible, but with Nebraska and Iowa coming to town followed by trips to the State of Michigan on back to back weekends, it means that the Wildcats may have to wait until the last weekend of the season to pick up that sixth win over a BCS conference foe. Still. I like NU's chances in the division better than some of the preseason favorites. The cats lose half a Delany Dollar and come in at four B1G bucks.
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(5DD) Another week, another win. Still think that Sugar Bowl was worth it Messrs. Tressel, Delany, and Smith? The Bucks do not have an easy road to finish undefeated (at PSU, at UW, and host UM) but baring a historic collapse we should consider year one of OMG!! URBZ!! a success. OSU holds at five Delany Dollars.
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(1.5DD) Ohio (the real OHIO - not the one of Hoke's meat flavored dreams) still hasn't lost a game and while UVA's season has gone off the rails, PSU is improving on a weekly basis. BOB has done as good a job as one could hope with the limitations he faces. Just think, in 2017 these Nittany Lions could be special.
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(3DD) After a decent start to the season, the Boilers have looked bad in back to back losses to open the B1G slate. Six games remain to gather those all important three wins for a return trip to Detroit. Road trips to Minnesota, OSU and Iowa while hosting PSU and IU leave little margin for error in this quest. If Indiana learns the magic formula for finishing games, that last scheduled game may be for more than just the bucket. It may determine which B1G school from Indiana goes to Michigan for the holidays. PU comes in at one Delany Dollar this week.
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(2DD) As bullish as I am on IU, the Badgers has nearly punched their return ticket to Indianapolis. UW has shaken off whatever was ailing them (maybe the Maryland Rocket wasn't the answer) and stands a game short of bowl eligibilty with the Gophers coming to town. That road loss to Oregon State by a field goal looks a lot more impressive today than it did in week two. Many incentive goals are still attainable for this team. Wisconsin climbs to three and half Delany Dollars.
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Many thanks to the excellent site Helmet Project for all the helmet pictures used in this post.