Sunday Morning Coming Down // Week 4

By GoForThree Sep 25, 2022, 10:41am CDT

Ten B1G Things

CJ Stroud threw for more than 100 yards in the first 8 minutes of play
When a defense is being thoroughly outcoached in real time, it might be a good idea to stop lauding the DC as “the best in the business
Those black uniforms just don’t work for me, though they seem to work for the youths
Is Michigan who we thought they were?
As Lord Tennyson said, “Tis better to open the season with a tough Power 5 win than to chew up powder puffs and discover your offense has no identity in the conference opener”
Please have the trainers check to see if Blake Corum can still walk after carrying the entire team on his back for 2.5 football fields
Iowa and Rutgers doing their level best to kill football in the same place it was born
Pat Fitzgerald, for your consideration: “I don’t think we have a practice problem right now. The guys are working incredibly hard. We’re just not executing on gameday for whatever reason. I start with us first as coaches.”
Who is the worst team Fitz could lose to and still keep his job? Let us know in the comments
When answering, consider that Miami won with 62 yards passing and 288 yards of total offense
Tanner Morgan: Threat or menace? Never thought I’d be even mildly concerned about the man once described as a “Statue of Limitations”
Make no mistake, Minnesota will find a way to lose to Wisconsin yet again
Warm wishes on a great weekend to our Nebraska “writers” and fans, who just witnessed the Huskers’ best performance this season
Further congrats to Adrian Martinez on finally winning the big one

The Rundown

Wisconsin at Ohio State | Blackout Bucks, Black & blue Badgers, 52-21

GF3: This offense is just a pleasure to watch. The offensive line’s blocking is sublime, especially at the second level. Miyan Williams punishes defenders for 9 yards per carry. Henderson slices for 6 a pop. Julian Fleming is a beast. Cade Stover is having the best week ever. CJ Stroud is as good as they come at picking apart a defense, launching 5 TDs. Just a nice Saturday night.

MaximumSam: There were warning signs for OSU right before the game, with JSN and seemingly all the corners being held out. I thought Wisconsin’s defense would provide a stern test, as it always seems to do. Needless to say, I thought wrong. OSU liquified Wiscy in the first quarter and the game was essentially over after four possessions. Paul Chryst acknowledged as such, punting on 4th and 1 near midfield down 21-0 rather than try to keep pace. Keep being good, fellas, and bring on Rutgers.

Kind of...(Chris): Yeah, that was worse than hoped for. In 10 years, when the super-conference thing has happened, and OSU is part of it, both UW and OSU fans will point at last night’s game as an example of how we both knew “it was time.” Time to look on the bright side: either UW circles the wagons and rallies to win the West, or somebody else does, and they have to experience playing OSU. Was pretty fun seeing Iowa get annihilated by Michigan last year. If it’s Minnesota/OSU this year, might be even more fun! Meanwhile, I’m 4-0 and leading the OTE fantasy league in points scored, so everybody else can suck on that

Beez: Well I’m glad I at least saw the entire first quarter almost before the game was over

Maryland at Michigan | Maize kinda blew, 34-27

RMB: Michigan hadn’t played a top 100 team yet so we were all wondering if they’re actually any good. Turns out - not that good. Michigan had homefield, a number a favorable calls, and a gift TD in the first 3 seconds of the game and needed all of that to beat Maryland. For most of the game Michigan was stymied by that world famous Terrapin OL. Tagovailoa had all day and cut the Michigan defense to ribbons. Blake Corum saved the day but that was not a pleasant game to watch. Next week Michigan goes to Kinnick for their first road game of the year. I don’t know who will win that game but I’m fairly confident it’ll be 5-3.

Brian Gillis: It wasn’t surprising that Maryland was able to move the ball and score on Michigan. It was surprising, however, that Maryland kept Michigan from doing the same to the extent that it did. Give Maryland credit, the Terps played Michigan tough, overcoming a 7-0 deficit two plays into the game and battling Michigan the entire day. Michigan never seemed to get on track, particularly on offense. But thanks in large part to a career day from Blake Corum (243 yards rushing and two touchdowns), the Wolverines prevailed. Prior to Saturday’s game, I wrote that that despite Michigan’s hot start, we still don’t know what kind of team the Wolverines are. After Saturday’s game, I’m not sure we’re much closer to knowing.

larry31: So, before the 2022 matchup, Maryland has lost to the fighting khakis by at least 21 points six consecutive times. Not good.

Maryland was in this game down 3, 24-21 well into the 4th quarter before UM took control. It was a legitimately even contest until this point.

My main takeaway: Finally, Maryland was not embarrassed by Michigan on national TV.

My assessments of UM and MD after this game:

UM was ripe for a trap game and MD was fairly close to pulling it off. UM hadn’t been challenged yet and they play Iowa next week. It was a favorable setting for MD to pull an upset, but it didn’t happen. MD sold out to stop the pass and got burned by the run game...just like what SMU tried against MD the previous week. UM will be a lot better next week having come through victorious against MD in a tough game.
Maryland’s defense is average, but not good. But, that kicker that transferred from Eastern Michigan, Chad Ryland, was a helluva pickup. Dude is money. And the offense is very good. The Terps can beat bad teams and decent teams, but they still can’t compete with the top teams left on their schedule like Penn State, Ohio State and most likely Wiscy.

CMU at Penn State Nittany Lions | Not quite a Chip(pewa) shot for the Lions, 33-14

misdreavus79: Everyone and their mother expected a letdown against Central Michigan this weekend, and boy did it look like in the first half! Penn State, even with a couple turnovers on defense, simply couldn’t stop Central Michigan’s early strategy on offense, turning what should have been a pretty quiet afternoon into an interesting game. The Nittany Lions did turn it up in the second half, and the 19-point victory was made to look more respectable than the game looked at times.Onto Northwestern!

87townie: First quarter was the cleanest fifteen minutes of PSU football I’ve seen in lo these many years. The rest of the game? Meh. Central Michigan hustled, but we did what we needed to. It’s hard to win when you make mistakes. CMU made too many - four turnovers and two touchdowns called back for holding. On to Northwestern.

Minnesota at Michigan State | It’s happening, 34-7

WSR: Minnesota Thermopylae’d the shit out of Michigan State. We’re winning the West. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit put on yet another outstanding show Saturday night at First Ave in downtown Minneapolis. For just over 2 hours, the band knocked it out of the park with every song from It Don’t Get Easier to Decoration. The biggest problem, as always, was If We Were Vampires hitting right through to the soul.

Accepting Krapteamski: Ahhhh, the sweet release of learning beyond a shadow of a doubt that your team is trash. Liberating! Bracing!

For the second week in a row, I pen this missive at halftime. For the second time out of two capable opponents this year, MSU showed up completely unprepared to play. Its pass defense was again utterly powerless, and its offense lit their first few possessions on fire trying to run behind a shit offensive line that has been incapable of opening lanes against P5 defenses for almost a decade now.As the band’s halftime washes over me, I know full well I won’t stop watching, if only out of obligation to you people, but the full extent of the reconstruction necessary is now plain to see without Kenneth Walker III to rescue the team. Maybe I can get my other backyard planter constructed before the snow flies after all.

Indiana at Cincinnati | Indiana does abortions, Cincy does does murders. 45-24

Buffkomodo: Much like most football games, this was close early. It was 0-0 when it started. Then I went to the restroom and it was 3-3, and when I came back and it was 17-3.

That’s pretty much all you need to know about this game. Indiana is in a rebuilding year and always was going to be. Nobody assumed they’d win this game, let alone compete. Bad offensive calls and constantly getting nothing on second and long. Giving up long play actions. Indiana remains one of the most undisciplined programs in the nation and that does fall squarely on Tom Allen. Maybe the Hoosiers can take advantage of circumstances and win 4 or 5 games. I’m preparing mentally to lose 9 straight. See you on the other side.

Might I add that UC is a lovely venue, but it’s utter horseshit that you need port-a-potties to service everyone. Build bathrooms. You’re a Big 12 school now. Do better.

Iowa at Rutger | Iowans discover east coast, behave rudely 27-10

Stew: Iowa’s defense is kinda mean. The Rugter OL just could not block Iowa’s DL and the knights’ QBs got lit up all night long, consequently leading to a couple of interceptions to Iowa’s opportunistic secondary. Cooper DeJean and Lucas VanNess had outstanding games. Iowa’s offense had one good drive ending in a TD, which is frankly far more than was expected, or necessary. And while they were still overall still mostly bad, there were some bright spots in the running game.

But let’s cut the crap and talk about the stars, Tory Taylor and Adam Korsak. Not nearly as much punting as was expected, but the quality was still certainly there. 9 total punts, 6 inside the 20, and over 42 yard average. (edited)

ZuzuRU: USC-Oregon State was the Iowa-Rutgers we deserved.

Miami Hydroxide at Northwestern | Return of the MAC, 17-14

LPW: Uggghhhhhh. Fucking hell. This game was painful to watch, worse than the m00n game. How fucking hard is it to hold onto the goddamn football? Turnovers killed us against a scrappy Miami of Ohio team. I don’t think Fitz cares anymore about winning.

MNW: You’d think at some point that this would embarrass Pat Fitzgerald. It does not, it will not, and it never will. That’s the beauty of what is a virtually lifetime contract.

Fitz can talk about how “it all starts with the coaches,” a need to execute, how good they look in practice, anything. The simple fact is Northwestern is not talented enough, not disciplined enough, and now not well-coached enough to make up the differences.

He ought now to be humiliated to be the coach of this program, one that he helped build, and one that he is quickly helping destroy with his hubris. Go ‘Cats.

FAU at Purdue | Purdue more than a bit shameful in victory, 28-26

BoilerUp89: That was embarrassing. But a win is a win, I guess. The secondary gets burnt a lot. The team needs to figure out how to stay disciplined and stop giving opponents free first downs. Hope O’Connell gets healthy soon (although I’m not super optimistic on that front cause it’s a rumored rib injury). Next season is going to be ugly without him and all the other seniors. 45 days until college basketball season.

Also, what the hell Northwestern? Ruined my survivor pool.

Chattanooga at Illinois | UT-C has a team much worse than Illinois, 31-0

He was a HS QB: That was fun. I know the Mocs were just an FCS school, but they are a good one who was averaging better than 30 ppg and we shut them out. Also, you can’t just take wins against FCS schools for granted. #LOLNU

Plus any game where you get an interception by a 304# DL who then has the QB force a fumble during the return and still win is super fun.