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5 Ways Michigan Can Win the BYE Week

10/26/2018

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By Daniel Thompson

    Michigan doesn’t play football this weekend. That also means that Michigan won’t win for the first time in 7 weeks. But don’t make plans this Saturday yet, there are still a few ways Michigan can come out of this weekend as a winner. Ohio State doesn’t play, Alabama and LSU don’t play for another week, but some of these games can improve Michigan’s Big Ten title and CFP odds.

  1. Northwestern defeats Wisconsin

    Thanks to the Spoilermakers, we’re now at the point where it wouldn’t be arrogant for Michigan fans to start rooting for a weak team from the Big Ten West to advance to the Championship game. And the Big Ten West is wiiiiiide open. Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern, and Purdue have all lost only one game in conference play. Northwestern is in the driver’s seat as the only one of the four with four conference wins. They also beat Purdue in West Lafayette already and now get Wisconsin at home. Should the Wildcats (-3.5) pull off the upset, they would instantly become the favorites to win the Big Ten West. They have to go on the road to play Iowa, but they could afford to slip up in that one with a win today. Of the four teams in contention, Northwestern and Wisconsin are the two that have played Michigan, and Northwestern certainly came much closer to winning, but it would be foolish to want to play Wisconsin again at a neutral location rather than Northwestern. By all metrics that first Michigan Northwestern had no business being that close, and Michigan would be a heavy favorite if they met again, this would not be the case against Wisconsin, who might remember they have Jonathan Taylor the second time around. Root for the Cats to pull off the upset in order to set up the easiest path to a B1G Championship for the Wolverines in ages.

2. Penn State defeats Iowa

    Staying in the Big Ten, Michigan has a lot to gain from this one. Penn State coming to Ann Arbor doesn’t look like it will have all the same hype it started the year with, but beating a two-loss Penn State team would still be a huge win for the Wolverines. Most importantly, it would give Michigan their third top 25 win of the season, three more than Big XII favorite Oklahoma. Should Michigan win out, their only threats to a CFP bid would be a 12-1 Oklahoma or anyone beside Alabama winning the SEC. Right now Oklahoma has a loss to top-10 Texas at a neutral site, but that’s trumped by Michigan who boasts the best loss in the country. The bigger advantage comes from the fact that Oklahoma has 0 wins versus ranked opponents. Michigan can begin to get comfortable if Penn State wins today, moves up into the top-15 of the first CFP rankings, and then adds another win against a team likely to be ranked at the end of the year. Penn State is also two games back of Michigan in the Big Ten East, so a loss would not put Michigan’s Big Ten title bid in danger. Conversely, Iowa is probably the last team Michigan wants to see come out of the Big Ten West. If they keep winning, Iowa will be a top 10 team come December 1st, and back to back wins versus Ohio State and Iowa would mean Jim Harbaugh has now beaten every Big Ten school as a coach while also adding another stop on the Revenge Tour, but Iowa regularly pulls off upsets like they did in 2016. This team is good, and their spooky factor is maxed out. A top 15-opponent in the hand is worth a top-10 opponent in the bush. Please keep Iowa far away from Indy.

3. Florida defeats Georgia

    The ninth ranked Gators will meet the 7th ranked Bulldogs in Jacksonville. This is unequivocally the game of the week, and probably the SEC East Championship Game. So it belongs on this list, but neither result helps Michigan much either way. That being said, Michigan definitely wants Florida. If either of these teams win the SEC, they are making the playoffs, and possibly Alabama too. So Michigan should root for the weaker team to win. Florida is less likely to beat Alabama, and best of all, currently trails Kentucky in the SEC East. Florida winning provides the best shot at Kentucky possibly winning the SEC East. Either way, loser of this game is eliminated from playoff contention.

4. Oklahoma State, Kansas State, or Florida State winning

    These teams play Texas at home, Oklahoma on the road, and Clemson at home respectively. The last two will probably lose, but S&P + actually thinks Oklahoma State is considerably better than Texas, home field advantage aside. A Clemson loss would be the most valuable, but they have 0 presently ranked teams on their schedule. At Florida State is their toughest game remaining by default. They ain’t played nobody, but they’re still really good. A loss would probably keep Clemson out if Michigan, Oklahoma, or Texas win out, and if it’s going to happen, it’s probably this weekend. Kansas State’s odds are slim, but we can hope. Any one of these teams winning is reason to celebrate.

5. The CFP Committee loves the Big Ten

    The first CFP rankings come out this Tuesday. It is very unlikely Michigan is anything but 5th in the first rankings. But, the committee did surprise people ranking Georgia number 1 in their first rankings last year. The real victory for Michigan would be if the committee ranks other Big Ten teams favorably. The advantage of not ranking until more than halfway through the season is perspective. Penn State’s OT win vs Appalachian State looked ugly at the time, but is now debatably a quality win. Appalachian State just lost their first game since, on the road to a now 7-1 Georgia Southern team. The higher the Big Ten is ranked, and the lower the Big XII, the better for Michigan. Hope to see Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Iowa all ranked and get excited if anyone else is. Hope that at least four of the five are top 15. I’ll forgive you if you don’t hope any of these things happen to Ohio State. Hope that only Texas, Oklahoma, and West Virginia are ranked out of the Big XII and that they are ranked low compared to the AP Poll.

​image credit: ​https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2018/06/13/world-cup-2026-host-cities-indianapolis-doesnt-make-list-while-nashville-cincinnati-do/697983002/
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Back and Forth Week 9: Bye Week

10/26/2018

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Image via Detroit Free Press
Alex: We have finally reached Michigan’s bye week, which means that we can take a bit of a breather from the usual routine. First topic of discussion will be a quick rehashing of the MSU game but the main idea will be comparing this year’s Wolverines squad to the one that came oh so close to the College Football Playoff 2 years ago. But first, how about that win on Saturday?

Evan: I was shocked to be honest. Between Heisman dark horse Brian Lewerke, All-American level linebacker Joe Bachie, future All-Pro receiver Felton Davis (I feel genuinely terrible for Davis; torn achilles are among the most painful injuries and most difficult to recover from), and all-world coach Mark Dantonio, I was sure MSU would dominate Michigan once again. Right? That’s what all their writers and fans have said for the last 6 months… What was I supposed to expect? The better team to win? The most dominant defense in college football to embarrass Dave Warner and Brian Lewerke? 5-star quarterback Shea Patterson to hit 5-star receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones in stride for a 79 yard touchdown (the Gus-gasm of the year so far)? Jim Harbaugh and this Michigan team to continue the revenge tour and eliminate one more demon? Pshhh. No way. That would never happen. Not in this rivalry. Oh wait… I guess it’s time to wait for basketball season:
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Alex: I see you’re still riding the sugarhigh of this weekend’s result. But in all honesty, it was simply a much better and much more talented football team beating a weaker and less talented one. No ghosts, no karma, just Michigan showing it is an elite team and with the events of the weekend that went down in West Lafayette, quite frankly Michigan showed it was the best team in the Big Ten. It was an absolute dominant defensive effort, but honestly, I was most impressed by the offensive line. I said last week this would be a huge test for Ed Warinner’s group, going up against the #1 run defense in the country. And they passed the test. Michigan didn’t shred MSU but they moved them enough to grind out the win. And if they can do it against the Spartans, they can do it against anybody.

Evan: I’m sorry, I know you’re being serious, but can I just point out the fact that MSU gained less yards from their actual offense than they did from Michigan penalties? I wouldn’t even call them a little brother after this game. Usually, big brothers cede just a little to their younger siblings when a game is that much of a beat down. MSU was more like the annoying kid down the street that talks and pushes you to the point of no return (@markdantonio and his pregame walk (which video evidence confirmed *cue “That’s BS” video*)) that you finally get your hands on and literally beat into the ground. That’s what this game was. I still don’t know where this edge came from, but for the last month, this team is play angry. This is Michigan. I’ve waited my whole football fan life for this team to play this way. That is all. Back to the Xs and Os.

Alex: Well now that we got that out of the way, let’s move onto the main topic: looking at this team compared to 2016. That 2016 Michigan team was a group that came so close to the dreams that the 2018 squad is trying to accomplish and since they were literally inches away, they serve as a good watermark for looking at this year’s collection of talent. Let’s start with the offense. What is your opinion of the comparison between 2018 and 2016?

Evan: The backfield is better. Shea Patterson’s playmaking ability far exceeds that of Wilton Speight, and although Deveon Smith was a very solid back, Karan Higdon is still better. Ben Mason probably isn’t quite as good at converting 3rd/4th and short as Khalid Hill was, but he provides more of an every down presence than Hill.

The offensive line isn’t as experienced or as seasoned, but they are much, much, much better coached this year. They’ve improved every week, whereas that 2016 line was just consistent from start to finish.

Jake Butt is one of the great tight ends in Michigan history, and none of the current tight ends come close to his production. But Zach Gentry, Sean McKeon, and Nick Eubanks have all proven valuable in different manners and capacities. Harbaugh loves his tight ends, and he will continue to use and develop this group.

The receivers are young, but extremely talented. Those 2016 receivers (Chesson and Darboh) were absolute studs, but also were seniors. DPJ, Collins, Martin, and potentially Tarik Black have much higher ceilings, but I’d argue they are close to the same level as Chesson and Darboh played at. Also, 2018 Grant Perry is even smarter and more valuable than 2016 Grant Perry. He just sees the field less because of the plethora of tight ends and receivers right now.

Alex: Let’s take this one step at a time. I agree that Shea Patterson’s legs are very important to this offense but even just his passing has been better than Speight. When consulting MGoBlog’s Downfield Success Rate “DSR” stat, Patterson has averaged a 75.7 this season (not including MSU), while Speight averaged 69.4 in 2016 (which didn’t include the OSU/FSU games, which probably would bring down his number). Patterson still has a few hurdles left to clear, but he’s been the better QB. At the receivers, I think the biggest thing I take away from this comparison is the depth Michigan now has. In 2016, Darboh and Chesson were leaned on for basically everything. Yeah Grant Perry played a bit and so did Eddie McDoom, but Darboh and Chesson were the guys 90+% of the time. This year, Michigan has used DPJ, Collins, Perry, Martin, Bell, and may soon have Tarik Black back. Same thing with the Tight Ends. Jake Butt played nearly every single play of the important games in 2016, with Ian Bunting and Devin Asiasi used sparingly. In 2018, Michigan uses all of McKeon, Gentry, and Eubanks each game, rotating them based on situations. While running back also has more depth having a “the guy” at that position is a big boost, as Higdon has proved to be a top 3 RB in the Big Ten this season.

As for the offensive line, I have some more stats if you want them.

Evan: I want them.

Alex: Drawing on the Upon Further Review stats once again, the 2018 line is averaging a 74.71% in pass protection. Through the Iowa game in 2016, that line averaged a 72.36% in pass protection. But in rushing, it’s 70% vs 63% in favor of the 2018 line. The last hurdle to clear will be Ohio State and it would certainly be interesting if Michigan made the playoff and were matched up with Clemson or Alabama. But at this point in time, the magic of Ed Warinner’s coaching and the strength of JBB and the interior on the ground is getting it done for Michigan and giving 2018’s line the edge over 2016, and that’s manifested in other metrics. For example, the 2016 rushing game was 49th in the country per S&P+, whereas the 2018 unit is 12th. That’s a big deal.

Evan: One question that I have in response to the improvement in rushing yards is, how much of that is attributable to Ed Warriner and the offensive line, and how much of it is Karan Higdon just being really, really good? I think it’s definitely something to consider, but that isn’t meant to take anything away from this group. Tim Drevno may have set the offense back in a lot of ways, but Warriner is doing a phenomenal job of expediting the recovery process.

Alex: The rushing and pass pro % are blocking specific, but you bring up a good point in Higdon being a clear upgrade over Smith. One thing I will say is that the whole rushing thing is really important in terms of winning games because consider some things that went down in 2016. Not to open the sores of that season too much, but against Iowa, Michigan had the ball with 2 minutes to go, up 2 points. One first down would have won the game. Instead they ran twice for one yard each, threw an incomplete pass, and punted. Iowa would kick the game winning field goal on the next drive. Against OSU, the Wolverines had three fourth quarter possessions when they were up 3 points where they could have put the game away if they simply could have run the ball and ground out the clock. Instead they ran it 5 times for 14 yards and punted on all three possessions, allowing the Buckeyes to tie the game and go to OT.

Evan: Stop. I don’t need this. I’m still enjoying what happened this weekend. I know Michigan lost to Iowa and OSU in 2016 because they couldn’t run the ball to ice the game. Karan Higdon’s development into a top running back is as important as having a top quarterback.

But you’re right. If Michigan could have run the ball under pressure at the end of 2016, they would’ve won the B1G Ten. This time doesn’t appear to have that problem. I’m sure you want to discuss the defense, but another big factor for this year’s team vs 2016 is how much worse Ohio State is. I can only imagine an OSU student radio comparison of 2016 Ohio State vs 2018 Ohio State, but it ain’t pretty.

Alex: JT Barrett > Dwayne Haskins. That is all.

Onto the defense. These units are pretty darn similar in terms of their metrics being top of the nation. Do you want to go group by group, DLine, LB, and secondary?

Evan: Sure. The DLine depth is not close to what Michigan had in 2016. Winovich, Gary, and Hurst were all backups on that team. Let that sink in for a second. This team has dealt with injuries to Gary and Aubrey Solomon (who was supposed to be the top defensive end), but the young players have stepped up. Josh Uche has been an excellent pass rusher, Kwity Paye has filled in for Gary quite often, and Michael Dwumfour (who also got injured during the Maryland game) has grown up before our eyes. The line isn’t the strength of this defense like years past, but they’re certainly a stellar group and if they get healthy for the stretch run, watch out.

Alex: I’ve always thought that trying to compare depth is hard because we look back on the 2016 team and realize it had a lot of depth, not so much at the time. If Josh Uche follows a similar trajectory to Winovich or Dwumfour fully breaks out, there’s the chance we could look back and say this had similar depth. Not likely, but in terms of impact players, I think 2018 > 2016 on the ends and 2016 > 2018 in the middle.

At linebacker, I think I prefer this year’s team. While 2016 had a lot of seasoned players, Khaleke Hudson is a better defensive player than Jabrill Peppers and I’ll take the athleticism of Devin Bush and Devin Gil over the wily experience of Ben Gedeon and Mike McCray.  

Evan: The linebackers are much stronger. And that isn’t a dig at Peppers, Gedeon, or McCray, it just speaks to how incredible Bush, Hudson, and Gil have been. Devin Bush is so athletic and Devin Gil has done the one thing McCray couldn’t: cover sideline to sideline. Hudson isn’t a better football player or athlete than Jabril Peppers, but man if he wasn’t made for the Viper position, I don’t know who was.

Alex: Finally at secondary, I think it’s largely a wash. That group in 2016 was incredible and this group is… well downright incredible. It’s really a coin-flip over who I’d rather take. Hard to go wrong when comparing Jourdan Lewis to LaVert Hill or David Long, etc.

Overall I’d say that 2018’s defense is less fine tuned. It’s absolutely improved over last year’s tendency to give up big plays but it still hasn’t had the consistency that 2016 had. There’s still been the occasional bad stretch (Northwestern first half, for example). But still it’s really nitpicking. You’re comparing two excellent defenses, and two defenses that were/are absolutely good enough to win the Big Ten and make the college football playoff. Any last words on the overall comparisons of the two teams?

Evan: Don Brown’s secondarys consistently grade out as the top in the country. That’s all I have to say on that.

This Michigan team is more complete than 2016. We didn’t cover special teams but Will Hart is the best Michigan punter since Zolton Mesko. And Quinn Nordin might not be consistent, but he has the biggest leg of any Michigan kicker I can remember. But the biggest difference for this team is the quarterback. Shea Patterson is simply a better playmaker than Wilton Speight, and that will be the difference for this team in November, December, and January. As long as the offensive line keeps improving and Michigan can manage the clock, this defense is good enough for the Wolverines to beat anybody. Let’s see if they can complete the Revenge Tour and get the chance.

Alex: I agree. Right now it seems like this team has the tools to be a winning team more than 2016 did. It has the ability to grind out games on the ground and its smothering defense looks good enough to capture the Big Ten title. Only time will tell, but it’s hard not to like Michigan’s spot right now.
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NHL Awards Predictions

10/25/2018

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By Owen Swanson and Charlie Goodwin

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Hart Trophy

Owen: Artemi Panarin (CBJ)
Artemi Panarin is in the perfect position to win the Hart this year, as he set career-highs in points and assists with 82 and 55 last season, respectively. Through the first 7 games of this season, he has already netted three goals and 6 assists for 9 points. Panarin’s production has improved every year he has played thus far and entering his prime at age 27, I expect Panarin’s numbers to be impossible to ignore by the end of the season. The talented winger is simply too fast and skilled to not be in the Hart Trophy conversation as he impresses potential suitors before his impending free agency this offseason.

Charlie: Auston Matthews (TOR)
Auston Matthews has already established himself as a leader, perennial all-star, and the face of the Toronto Maple Leafs for years to come. And here’s the kicker -- he’s only 21. Matthews has quickly turned the Leafs around in his short time as a professional hockey player. In his two seasons, they’ve made the playoffs both years, losing close series to established and experienced teams. His point total last season was 6 short of what it was his rookie year (in which he brought home the Calder Trophy). But get this -- he played twenty fewer games last season. Matthews is already showing how quickly he can tally points with 10 goals in as many games this season. And now with a weapon like John Tavares to dish the puck to, there’s no limit to what Matthews can accomplish this season. Don’t be surprised if he’s hauling home Lord Stanley and the Conn Smythe along with the MVP come June.

Vezina Trophy

Owen: Connor Hellebuyck (WPG)
Connor Hellebuyck had an extremely impressive breakout season with Winnipeg during their 2017-18 campaign, one that ended with a loss at the hands of Marc-Andre Fleury and the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals. The Commerce, Michigan native started 67 games and won 44 of them in his second season as the Jets’ starting netminder. His stellar .924 Save Percentage and 2.36 Goals Against Average were enough for Hellebuyck to finish second in voting for the Vezina, and this season will show that it wasn’t a fluke. Two years of sustained success and better numbers this year will ensure that Hellebuyck takes home the Vezina this summer.

Charlie: John Gibson (ANA)
John Gibson had a career year last season for the Anaheim Ducks. The young goalie posted a record of 31-18-7 with the 5th best save percentage for goalies who started at least 30 games. Gibson also has the highest career save percentage among any goalie to appear in at least 150 NHL games since 1955–56. Though the season ended in a disappointing first-round loss at the hands of the San Jose Sharks, Gibson certainly had a good summer, as he signed an 8 year, $51.2 million extension with the Ducks. It’s only a matter of time before the 25-year-old netminder adds a Vezina Trophy to his shelf.
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Norris Trophy


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Week 8 Power Rankings

10/25/2018

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By Andrew Miller
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Week 8 Power Rankings

1) LA Rams
    There is no doubt that this team is the best team in football right now. Todd Gurley had an “off week” last week and still had 2 TDs. Until I see this team break a sweat I am not gonna be scared. Point of Worry: Rams Defense has been giving up a lot of big plays and points when they don’t play CJ Beathard. The rest of the season they play legit offenses (Packers, Chiefs, Saints, Bears, Lions, Eagles).

2) Kansas City Chiefs
    If I were to bet on one team to score a TD on any drive I’d pick the Chiefs. This team has the best collection of talent on offense in the league (I know who is number 1 in these rankings). They can score in less than 2 min every drive. Tyreek Hill Hill is now officially the best WR in football; I can’t think of anyone defenses are more afraid of. Point of Worry: The secondary is awful; Eric Berry alone won’t fix it. Every team that plays them knows to just throw it Orlando Scandrick’s way and they can get 8-25 yards each play, if not Pass Interference. This team can win in a shootout, but they will lose if Orlando Scandrick is the best they can do at CB2.

3) New England Patriots
    Horrible injury to Sony Michel sets this team back a bit, but James White has done enough to earn the Patriots’ respect. Much like the previous two teams, this team's offensive talent is elite, and their offensive schemes are ridiculously creative. Josh Gordon has shown he can actually play football, who knew? Dont’a Hightower seems to have regained a gear. Point of Worry: The defense is still not scaring anyone. This team has shown they can give up yards at any point. Luckily this is Bill Belichick, so even if they are in the red zone, a TD is not certain.

4) New Orleans Saints
    It is time. The sports world must give this underrated personality his just due after years of excellence. His name is Sean Payton. I’m sorry just to vent, I appreciate all the Drew Brees hype right now, congrats buddy you deserve it, but let’s talk about the genius that is Sean Payton. This team went from Drew Brees making scripted passes to get to 5000 yards to get to 8-8 to being a power running game with all the weapons Drew Brees could ask for. It’s hard to scheme against the Saints because they can play any type of football. I am excited to see what Sean Payton can do with Taysom Hill for the rest of the season Point of Optimism: Their schedule is very favorable moving forward, playing no elite teams other than the Rams, and maybe the Panthers twice.

5) LA Chargers
    I love this football team, they are elite. STILL WITHOUT JOEY BOSA. This team has  3 speedy guys who are all at least 6ft 3, in the Williams and Keenan Allen. Their offense is electric even without Melvin Gordon, who is playing like a top 4 back. Philip Rivers found an extra gear in the back end of his career. This team can make some real noise, and they may be one of the most complete teams in the NFL. Point of Worry: The Chargers play a good mix of nasty defenses (Ravens, Broncos, Bengals) and explosive offenses (Steelers, Chiefs).

6) Carolina Panthers
    It bothers me a little bit that the panthers were down 17-0 in Philly with Cam Newton bringing them back to win, and all anyone can talk about is how the Eagles are in their Super Bowl Hangover. Talk about how good the Panthers are because they are sensational. Their offense has maybe one of the most intriguing collection of weapons in the sport. Funchess is a great 50/50 ball catcher, Curtis Samuel looks like a nice gadget player, is McCaffery a receiver a running back, I don’t know. Not to mention DJ Moore and Greg Olsen. I think that this team could be the surprise Super Bowl contender. Point of Optimism: Their schedule is super favorable to their strengths and also they get to play the Saints twice and are only one game behind the Saints in the NFC South standings.

7) Minnesota Vikings
    I’m not sure if I trust this team the most in the NFC North, but they certainly have the best record. The problem being that I don’t think this team matches up well with any team in their division all that well, and that offensive line isn’t going to make it any easier. This team has potential, but a Mike Hughes injury seems a lot more significant than it probably should have been. Point of Optimism: This team has the best collection of weapons in the North and with Dalvin Cook (hopefully) back, this team still has a multifaceted offense that should scare opposing defenses.

8) Baltimore Ravens
    This team was a Justin Tucker PAT miss from probably beating the Saints. What I saw last week was a team that stuffed Mark Ingram into being ineffective and kept Kamara honest. I haven’t seen the Saints O-line beaten all season until this week. The Ravens can win any week against any team. The only problem is that they have no legitimate playmaker at their skill positions. I wouldn’t trust Alex collins and Michael Crabtree with my season. Point of Worry: The Ravens play the Steelers, Panthers, Chiefs, Chargers, Bengals, Browns, and Falcons, all losable games in my eyes. Only gimme is Oakland at home.

9) Pittsburgh Steelers
    Let’s call this team baby Chiefs. Good team with the same strengths and weaknesses as the Chiefs, just the strengths are not at strong and the weaknesses are worse. The best corner on the Steelers is between Artie Burns and Joe Haden (YIKES) and, Le’Veon still doesn’t look like he is ready to return, (double yikes). This team can score, but unlike the Chiefs I am not always certain they will outscore their opponent. Point of Worry: They have to play some of the best teams in the NFL (Panthers, Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Chargers, Jags, Patriots, Saints). I don't think it is crazy to predict a sub .500 record for that slew of games.

10) Green Bay Packers
    Oh boy is Aaron Rodgers just amazing. I don’t think I will ever see a team jump up this many spots in the rankings just by other teams disappointing me so terribly. My opinion hasn’t changed, this is a 6-10 football team at best, but Aaron Rodgers makes them a contender. After the BYE the Packers can now get Rodgers’ leg healthy, Randall Cobb healthy, Jaire Alexander healthy, and figure out how to effectively use Aaron Jones. I guess if there is something to say about their defense, Kenny Clark is HUGE, and they need Jaire back. Point of Optimism: The Packers schedule moving forward is very favorable playing only two teams with winning records, one of them being the Dolphins and the other being Minnesota for a true tiebreaker game.

11) Houston Texans
    The team that is in the lead for the AFC South, your Houston Texans. I fully expect them to win this garbage pile of a division which is why they are this high. I have no faith in them being a threat to anyone in the playoffs because that offensive line should expose them every game. Point of Optimism: That two headed monster at pass rusher may be the best we’ve ever seen, and they play in the AFC South.

12) Chicago Bears
    I may have been too high on the Bears… This year. I stand by that this is still one of the best rosters in all of football with a very creative offense. I’m not ready to count them or any team out of the NFC North, they are all good teams. I think this defense is still elite, just the secondary is pretty thin outside their starters. Point of Optimism: Bears still have two games each against the Lions and Vikings and another with the Packers, with only the Giants, 49ers and Rams rounding out the other games. The Bears, more than maybe any other team, control their own destiny.

13) Philadelphia Eagles
Calm down Eagles fans everything is going to be fine. You have easily the best QB, and defense in your division. Just because you haven’t been electric is more a testament of how much this team misses Legarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi. It needs a power run option. Am I really worried that Washington is gonna win the Division? I don’t know is Alex Smith elite? Point of Worry: They play the Saints and Rams, but do play Washington twice.

14) Cincinnati Bengals
    Oh Andy Dalton, I missed you being bad, it was only a matter of time. The only hope is that Cincinnati starts to realize that they go through Joe Mixon and then look for Aj Green and Tyler Boyd and not the other way around. This team can make noise, but I am not sure they are a TRUE playoff team, but will be fighting tooth and nail for a spot. Point of Worry: They only play the Ravens and Steelers once, but have to play good defenses on the way and the Browns twice, Broncos and not to mention the Saints.

15) Detroit Lions
    The Lions have found their identity after 10 years of the Stafford Era. The have a very good offense and they have finally found a power running game that teams are still catching up to. The Lions are in the hunt and are going to remain in it for the rest of the season. The offensive line has opened up holes for Kerryon Johnson, which has allowed Stafford better looks (going 5 straight games with a passer rating > 100). For the first time in a while the Lions have, dare I say, potential. Point of Worry: The Lions still have to play the Bears twice, Rams, and Panthers all while having an atrocious run defense. Maybe Snacks Harrison will fix that.

16) Washington Football Team
    Washington beat the Cowboys and the Panthers back to back, despite both being games they should have lost. However they won both by less than a touchdown. I am not convinced that an Alex Smith led team can win this division moving forward, or really contend for a playoff seat. The defense is up and coming but they haven’t came yet. I think this team will be really good next year. Point of Optimism: Moving forward they only play 1 team with winning record, that being the Texans

17) Miami Dolphins
    The Miami Dolphins have won more games than they have lost, that is about the nicest thing I can say about this team. They lost their best receiver in Albert Wilson and possibly their second best in Kenny Stills. Kenyan Drake came back but a lot of his production came on a 70 yard run against the Lions’ run defense. Point of Worry: They are a bad team with key injuries, who are just not overachieving enough to warrant sacrificing draft position, while their best player is turning 37.

18) Dallas Cowboys
    The Boys lost a questionably called game to Washington, and look like an interesting team moving forward. In a division that is up for grabs they made an ill-advised investment in an athletic drop machine named Amari Cooper. The Cowboys’ D is legit and their D Line is scary. David Irving is a massive human being, and Byron Jones is looking like the most under the radar star CB in the whole league. Point of Optimism: This team’s schedule is favorable, pretty much only playing division foes, while their only other challenge will be the Saints.

19) Seattle Seahawks
    Russell Wilson is a legit star, and Chris Carson looks like a legit RB in this league. I think this team could spoil any team’s week with a surprise win. Doug Baldwin looks at least back to his former self, and the pass rush on the Seahawks has been a modest surprise. Point of Worry: They play really good offenses throughout the rest of the season (Lions, Packers, Panthers, Rams, and even the 49ers).

20) Jacksonville Jaguars
    This may be a little bit of an over-reaction, but the Jags have a real problem and I can’t have them with the playoff contenders while Blake Bortles is still the best QB on the roster. This defense is elite, it is special, you all know how good this defense is. I love this team and my only hope now is that they trade for Tyrod or Teddy, cut Blake Bortles and give one of them number 5. Point of Optimism: If they get a new QB in time, they will be playing the Colts twice, Bills and Titans, they can still win.

21) Denver Broncos
    The Broncos’ defense has found a rekindling of a fire once lost. I like this team to spoil many other teams’ playoff hopes for the rest of the year. I also fully expect this to be Demaryius Thomas’ last year as a Bronco with the emergence of Cortland Sutton. That’s about it on a team that plays hard but not great. Point of Worry: The Broncos play the Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, and Texans, all clearly better than the Broncos.

22) Cleveland Browns
    The Browns are an interesting case because they have the talent on their team to really contend. If they were in the AFC South they would be ahead of the Texans. Myles Garrett is a beast, Nick Chubb looks good running behind an amazing offensive line, David Njoku looks like the athlete we knew he could be, and Baker looks alright. The problem is the offense is kind of basic, and Hue Jackson taking back play calling isn’t gonna make things better, not to mention they play is one of the most grueling divisions in football. Still they are super talented. Point of Optimism:  Hue Jackson will be fired and they can take a stab at Lincoln Riley and use their still impressive stable of mid round draft picks next year.


23) Atlanta Falcons
    A low scoring win against Eli and the Giants isn’t gonna impress me, if anything it sours me on the whole thing. Sark is a failure, their offense is basic and takes little risks. I understand that Devonta Freeman is out, but Tevin Coleman looks honestly better than Freeman really has in his career; he could stand to break tackles rather than just fly by them. I think the team could be a playoff contender if their offense was creative enough to score points, but it is not. Point of Optimism: They are going to have a decently high draft pick and not have to pay Vic Beasley.

24) Tennessee Titans
    The 2 point conversion is emblematic of the Titans’ season, the can hang in with good teams, but they just fall short of contending. The Titans are nothing special on both sides, and the only reason they are this high is because I think they have the right coach in Mike Vrabel. I like his aggressive attitude, and think he can be a star coach in this league. Otherwise, I’m just waiting for next year. Point of Worry: I don’t know if it is real, but does anyone really trust Mariota to win you football games?

25) Indianapolis Colts
    Is there any better guilty pleasure than garbage time Colts? I love it that they don’t take plays off no matter if they are losing or beating the snot out of the Bills. The emergence of Marlon Mack has been a decent surprise along with Nyheim Hines being one of the league’s better receiving backs. T.Y. looks healthy, which is also a plus. The Colts are a fun watch for any football fan. Is there anything better than prime Andrew Luck? Point of Optimism: The offensive line is very impressive. The Colts have a foundation to build on in this upcoming draft, could be a not-so-surprising division favorite next year.


26) Tampa Bay Bucs
The Bucs are overachieving this year, they should really be a 2-5 football team, but had Fitzmagic early. They barely beat out the Browns, but to me that win is a little sour and could have gone either way. The secondary is still atrocious, and they have a real problem on the D-Line too, JPP isn’t getting it done. I am also not sold on Ronald Jones to make that offense elite, he is just a hair too slow. Point of Worry: With this draft class, the Bucs may be forced to hold on to Jameis another year.

27) NY Jets
    I don’t hate watching the Jets play football, I just don’t like it that much either. There is nothing special to watch other than Sam Darnold show progress. I am just not in love with their scheme on either side of the ball, and with Quincy Enunwa out, I am not in love with any of their weapons on offense. Someone needs to provide a spark-plug to this team before I fall asleep watching them play. Point of Optimism: As a roster they are better than the Dolphins and Bills.

28) Buffalo Bills
    Derek Anderson or Nathan Peterman. That is now the question that Buffalo fans must toil with each week. It is really sad to watch a team whose best weapon is Kelvin Benjamin play football. I don’t know what else to say besides pleading the Bills to not fire Sean McDermott. Point of Optimism: It could not possibly get worse at QB, and this WR class is pretty deep.

29) New York Giants
    THIS TEAM MAKES ME MAD!!!!!!!!! This team is wasting the talents of possibly the best RB and WR in the league, all because they want to make sure that Eli has the stats to go to the Hall of Fame (of which he does not belong). Odell has every right to be frustrated. Also this defense isn’t that bad either, Snacks (that 2019 5th rounder) and Dalvin Tomlinson are huge men stopping any teams run, and Landon Collins is legit. Eli cannot make any throw that requires effort. The Giants just got rid of the wrong Eli (Apple) and it makes me sick. Point of Pessimism: It looks like Justin Herbert might not declare.

30) San Francisco 49ers
    I just feel bad for Kyle Shanahan. He and Sean McVay both started out in Tampa Bay around the same time. Both were rightly pegged as offensive masterminds. One goes to San Francisco and the other to Los Angeles. Sean McVay got jared Goff and Todd Gurley, while Kyle got to draft CJ Beathard. McVay and Shannahan both are now contemporaries in the same division and face each other twice a year. I feel no need to talk about this season of 49er football unless someone finds a way to cure ACL tears out of nowhere. Point of Worry: There is no such cure.

31) Oakland Raiders
    Give it up for the people of Oakland. Now stomp on their heart because I just remembered the same people are fans of the Warriors. The Raiders are now in a rebuild that will probably last as long as the Raiders do in the Colosseum. They have no more building blocks besides Derek Carr who’s playing not well (not as bad as the media says but still not great). This is going to show that the Raiders have thrown in the towel, ensuring that the Jon Gruden Era is here to stay through a whole rebuild. Point of Optimism: 5 1st round picks in 2 years.

32) Arizona Cardinals
    I am not one to panic normally, especially first year starting QBs, but I am worried about Josh Rosen. The interceptions he threw are not that concerning to me as one might think. He made those throws under duress because his O-line couldn’t block for him, even if you paid them millions of dollars to do so. Josh Rosen throws a beautiful ball and the touch and arm strength is evident when he steps back. I am worried that Josh Rosen clearly isn’t mobile enough in the pocket to protect himself from the pressure that his line is giving him. With his injury background, I have never been more terrified that a player who I like, will get hurt playing for the team that drafted him. Let’s hope he makes it through the year and they can draft Jonah Williams to protect him. Point of Optimism: A lot of contending teams have a need at CB, Patrick Peterson could demand a bidding war, if he ever makes up his mind about wanting to be traded.

image credit: ​https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article220227835.html

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Michigan Hockey loses to USA U18s

10/21/2018

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How often do you get a chance to play against your sibling in a Division 1 level college sport? Not often. However, on October 12th, Michigan Hockey player, Quinn Hughes, played against his 17-year-old brother, Jack Hughes, who plays for the USA USHL U18 developmental team. Quinn’s Wolverines fell short to his younger brother’s team by a final score of 6-3.
    This offseason, Quinn Hughes was drafted 7th overall in the 2018 draft to the Vancouver Canucks; arguably pretty good for a boy who just turned nineteen a couple days ago. This will likely be Hughes’ last season with Michigan hockey, since the Canucks plan on adding him to their team when he looks ready. By being one of the best defensive players in the Big Ten hockey league, Quinn Hughes has shown that he will soon be ready to join the NHL . However, as much as Quinn Hughes deserves all the hype surrounding him, he is a bit outshined by his younger brother. Jack Hughes is predicted to go number one overall in the 2019 NHL draft and has not yet committed to any college hockey team. The younger Hughes will probably head straight to the NHL, even though he is only turning eighteen in May. When the two brothers faced off last Friday, one of them really stuck out. Jack Hughes had one goal and two assists for a total of three points. Quinn Hughes did not get any points against the USA U18 team. The USA team dominated Michigan, outscoring the Wolverines by three goals, without giving them a chance to take the lead or even tie it up. By the end of the second period, the Michigan team was tired and the US sat comfortably with their three goal lead.
    Friday was one of three losses that Michigan has to the USA developmental team in its history. Although the USA team is full of NHL-bound players, last year Michigan hockey handily beat them. All of the players on the USA team are 18 and younger, with less experience than most college hockey players. Nine times out of ten, a college hockey team should beat them. So, what does that mean for Quinn Hughes and his team? Yes, the USA team is talented, competitive, and knows how to handle the puck against older players. Yes, they did beat Michigan’s rival, Notre Dame, the reigning B1G champions, 5-2 the weekend before. Regardless, Michigan, who made the Frozen Four just six months ago, should have won. This non-conference game was a wake up call to the Wolverines. No single player, not even Quinn Hughes, can lead a team to victory. Michigan hockey has to change something if they want to have another successful season this year. The Big Ten teams are more difficult than the USA development team, even without players like Jack Hughes on their offensive line. Michigan hockey must wake up soon or they will get left behind in college hockey’s toughest conference.

​Written by Vanessa Litchard
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Back and Forth Week 8: #HateWeek

10/19/2018

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Alex: Alright we are back with happy things to talk about this week. Michigan beat Wisconsin on Saturday and by a much wider margin than either of us were expecting, 38-13. It was the biggest win for the program in about two years, a primetime domination. What was your biggest takeaway from the mauling of the Badgers?

Evan: I’m curious to see how Wisconsin’s season goes from here, but the Michigan offensive line was incredible on Saturday night. The Wolverines rushed for 320 yards (out of 444 total yards) and essentially pounded Wisconsin into submission in the second half. Also, Alex Hornibrook is bad. Also, Josh Uche is an excellent pass rusher. Also, Michigan has a good (and athletic) future at quarterback. Also, James Franklin is a horrible in game coach - that isn’t related to Wisconsin, but I had to get it in there.

Alex: You brought up a lot of thoughts there but the offensive line is by far the most important one. We expected Michigan to beat Wisconsin through the air, and while the passing game wasn’t bad, it just didn’t need to be leaned on because of how the Wolverines were paving the Badgers in the second half. Michigan simply wore down its opponent and then steamrolled them, something we hadn’t seen in awhile. It’s true that Wisconsin is not a great defense this year, but it is worth looking at how far this offensive line has come under Ed Warinner. We won’t know how good it is until later but compared to the Notre Dame game, and especially last season, it’s been a very successful coaching clinic.

Evan: Ed Warinner was a phenomenal hire by Jim Harbaugh. Do you have any comments on all of my “Also, …” statements?

Alex: I don’t have much to say about Hornibrook. I don’t think he was particularly bad in this game. He is who he is. And when he’s under siege and can’t set his feet, he doesn’t perform well. That was the case in this game. Josh Uche has become a really good weapon to throw in on third downs and it has helped to mitigate the loss of Rashan Gary. And finally, the read option and QB mobility, if used as it was in this game, will bring another dimension to the offense that Michigan has not had under Harbaugh and will be very exciting to watch bear out. We can get to James Franklin when we talk about MSU.

Evan: That’s all fair. Another big takeaway I had: Jonathan Taylor is really good. He runs behind a strong offensive line, but he is tough to bring down. If there is a better running back in the country, it isn’t by much. Michigan should have some good film to work off of moving forward. They should be able to break down which techniques worked and which didn’t against Taylor to improve their run defense against the remaining opponents. None of Miles Sanders, JK Dobbins, or Mike Weber are really similar to Taylor, but none are as good either. I don’t see Michigan allowing another 100 yard rusher this season.

Alex: Taylor did have an excellent game. He ran behind his blockers but then also ran through tacklers. Hard not to be very impressed by him. I thought Michigan made good defensive adjustments on the interior. They tightened up a bit and really cut down on explosive running plays against. They also got some help from suspect play calling from Paul Chryst but the point still stands. It was also good to get Aubrey Solomon and Michael Dwumfour back. Michigan is getting closer and closer to fully healthy.

Evan: The team is close to fully healthy, and it will be interesting to see how much Tarik Black and Rashan Gary add when they potentially return from their injuries. In related injury news, it was interesting to see Nick Bosa decide to end his college career. His draft stock is more solid than Gary’s, but it would be interesting to see how that impacts when Gary returns, if it does at all.

Alex: One thing that is true when comparing the two is that Gary has never been as dominant of a player as Bosa has been. I think Gary still has a fair bit to prove when he comes back from injury whereas Bosa really didn’t and that contributed to his decision to shut it down. One last thing to say about the Wisconsin game: Michigan’s pass defense is very, very good. It was last year too, but it occasionally got hurt in big ways on slot fades. They’ve taken that away this year and vaulted to #1 in that category.

Evan: That pass defense will have to be in pristine form against Penn State and Ohio State, so hopefully it is maintained. Ready to talk about Sparty?

Alex: Sure. They got a stunning win against Penn State despite being still riddled with injuries. Do you have any intuition onto how they pulled it off?

Evan: Well, James Franklin played a big role in their win Saturday for sure. They didn’t anything particularly well besides semi-containing the Penn State offense (QB Trace McSorley had his 3rd lowest passing total and 2nd lowest rushing total of the year; Penn State had their lowest point total of the year), not losing the turnover battle, and not losing the penalty battle. I think this game is more on James Franklin than anything else. Credit to MSU for winning, but I’m sure the PSU fan base feels similar to how Michigan’s did after last year’s MSU game.

Alex: Bill Connelly wrote a fair bit about the luck that MSU got in this game and certainly turnovers were a huge factor, as they were last year in State’s wins over both Michigan and PSU. Lewerke had a good enough game and the Spartans leaned on the strength of their receivers, even while the QB was constantly under fire. But yes, James Franklin made a lot of in-game mistakes and the Nittany Lions should’ve put it away when they had a chance. But the fact that they didn’t is a testament to the scrappiness of the Spartans. They’re no joke.

Evan: I never expected a Mark Dantonio team to lie down and die, but I also didn’t expect them to win a road game at Happy Valley. I honestly have no idea what kind of team MSU is, but I do know that they will probably have their best gameplan of the year ready for Saturday. I want to take a second to talk about how massive this game is for Michigan. Not only will it set the tone for the rest of the season, but Jim Harbaugh has a chance to put the “can’t beat his rivals” narrative to rest - for a month at least. Michigan HAS to win this game. I know I’ve said a lot of games are the biggest of the season and/or Harbaugh’s coaching tenure, but Michigan HAS to win this game. No excuses. Nothing. This is Jim Harbaugh’s coaching legacy on the line.

Alex: It is a really big game for that reason. It’s also a chance for Michigan to really prove they are the only other B1G Title Contender aside from Ohio State. It’s on the road and winning the game will finally get rid of the 12 year losing streak on the road against Top 25 opponents. All that said, Michigan is the much better team on paper. But as we know, it hasn’t always played out this way when these two teams meet. What’s your gameplan against the Spartans if you’re Jim Harbaugh?

Evan: Do you want my 50% chance of rain and 20-25 mph winds gameplan? Or my optimal conditions gameplan?

Alex: Either one.

Evan: Ok. I’ll go based off the forecast for Saturday then. Given the terrible conditions, you know that you aren’t going to have tremendous success throwing the ball downfield. Offensively, I’d run a lot of read options. MSU has the top run defense in the country, so you’re gonna have to be creative to get first downs on the ground. A mix of handoffs, QB keepers, and short play-action passes might get them off their toes early. Defensively, you know MSU can’t really run the ball, and between the weather and David Long, their best source of offense (Felton Davis) is going to be limited. I would load up the box with 4 down linemen, 3 linebackers, and a safety, and dare Brian Lewerke to throw the ball. The only thing I’ll note is, if this game were being played in optimal conditions, I would plan for Shea Patterson to throw the ball 40 times or more.

Alex: I think that’s right. I would mention that you need to leave a QB Spy because Lewerke is mobile enough to hurt you with his feet and he did that last year. Because this is the biggest game on MSU’s schedule, the Spartans are going to have a gameplan with a lot of stuff ready to go. If you remember the 2016 game, Michigan was a much better team than MSU but the Spartans actually led early on in that game. It’s about overcoming some of the early stuff Dantonio will throw at you and letting your athletes win out. This game will be a very good test to see just how far Michigan’s offensive line has come. Last year they had trouble protecting the QB and MSU has an elite run defense. If the Wolverines still have success with pass protection and running the ball, that’s a sign to get excited.

Evan: There is no way Michigan should lose this game. It’s very possible that they do, but there is no way that that should happen. For me as a fan, as a member of a sports media organization, and as a human being, I need Michigan to win Saturday. Aside from the two basketball national championship games, 2006 OSU, and 2016 OSU, I don’t remember a game I cared as much about as this Saturday. I don’t think I can stress enough how important this game is to Harbaugh, the players, the fanbase, and the program.

Alex: The other thing is like, what Michigan needs to do to win is rather simple. Don’t turn it over. Score 20 points. If you do that, you probably win. Michigan State was held to 14 points a year ago by Michigan and that’s with the Wolverines turning it over 5 (!) times in that game. We saw the Wolverines play with a certain fire against Nebraska and Wisconsin and there’s been talk of a so-called “revenge tour”. If they can carry that energy and that chip on their shoulder into this game, they should be alright.

Evan: This game should not be close. It will be, at least for the first half, but it should not be. Shall we do scores, MVPs, and what to watch for?

Alex: I’m gonna say Michigan 24-13. MVP is Shea Patterson. Thing to watch is how Michigan’s rushing attack does versus the Spartan run defense.

Evan: You say 24-13, Vegas says 24-17. I really don’t know what to think of this game. If the rain and wind are under control, Michigan will score a lot more points. With nastier weather, it might be a score closer to last year’s 14-10. I’ll go Michigan 27-MSU 14. MVP is Devin Bush. I’m watching for Harbaugh to finally out coach Dantonio. Take that for what you will.

We’ll be back next week. I’ll either be ecstatic or insufferable. Absolutely nothing in between.

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When Will This Horror Movie End?

10/18/2018

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"Welcome to Hell, Jim. Please make yourself at home." Image from ESPN
By: Nick Hornburg

    The graveyard of college football resembles a museum more than it does a final resting place. You can find it all in pristine condition: The Wing-T, The University of Chicago’s Football Program, The Fumble-Rooski, Les Miles, all with immaculately decorated tombstones surrounded by healthy and well-manicured grass. However, if you look off into the distance, you’ll notice a rather messy, hastily-erected, and disheveled grave site, and if you approach, you will see the following messily inscribed on the tombstone:

Michigan State Football
1896 - ?

    There is a rusty shovel resting on the tombstone. If you choose, you can start digging into the dirty, hastily-covered patch of land directly in front of it. Once you get down far enough, the shovel will strike a wooden coffin. Once you clear all the dirt away, you’ll find that the coffin has some wear and tear on it, as if it’s been buried, dug up, and reburied at least a dozen times. You’ll also find that the latches on the coffin are undone, and there are no nails; theoretically, one could open it without any difficulty. If you do open the coffin, and expose its rotting, well-used, interior, you’ll make perhaps the most startling discovery; the coffin is empty.

    The former repeat inhabitant of that coffin is not hard to find, particularly this week. The Michigan State Spartans are less than a week from the biggest game of their season, when their hated rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, come to East Lansing on Saturday. Michigan, riding high following a beatdown of Wisconsin under the lights at the Big House, is going to be expected by many to win this game, and there are many (valid) reasons why. Brian Lewerke has been scattershot at best for much of this season, and now he’s staring down the barrel of a Michigan defense more akin to a guillotine than a football team. Michigan’s ground game shredded a Wisconsin team that has spent decades not letting teams do just that, and the offensive line finally looks like they might not be terrible. Shea Patterson looks like a living, breathing quarterback, and Jim Harbaugh’s men, still remembering a 14-10 humiliation at the hands of MSU at the Big House in a second-half monsoon last season, are not shy about being out for blood. Michigan State lost to Herm Edwards.

    But then again, paper is always kind to the Wolverines this week of the year, and the Spartans have a few toys in their back pocket. Lewerke is the type of scrambling, shifty quarterback that Don Brown’s defenses have been known to struggle against at times (think Trace McSorley, JT Barrett, and Brandon Wimbush), and Felton Davis III looks like Calvin Johnson with dreadlocks. But without question, Michigan State’s shiniest toy, their source of power, and the biggest thing keeping the Spartans from staying in that coffin, is the scowling, curmudgeonly, damn-near skeletal figure stalking around on the Spartan sideline with the headset.

    Mark Dantonio knows this situation so well he could prepare his team for this game in his sleep. He’s staring across the field at a team ranked in the Top 10, boasting an array of players that have futures in the NFL, and is coming off a big win. Generally, a game against a Top 10 team would give most coaches pause for thought, but Dantonio is not most coaches. If anything, it’s how Dantonio prefers it. Since 2009 Mark Dantonio has beaten 12 teams ranked higher than his Michigan State team, and since 2011, has a 10-5 record against teams ranked in the Top 10. Yes, you read that right; Mark Dantonio, over the course of 7.5 seasons, has won 67% of his games against teams in the Top 10. This is a man who thrives on making favored teams suffer. He bleeds the clock away, he speeds the game up, he’ll harass inexperienced quarterbacks, he fakes field goals, he fakes punts, he’s one of the few coaches to have ever actually won on a walk-off hail mary. And he does it all despite being repeatedly given up for dead, season to season, game to game, quarter to quarter. He was going to win 7 games in 2010, he won 11. He was going to win 7 games in 2013, he won 13. He was going to win 5 games in 2017, he won 10. He was going to lose in 2010, down 10 to Notre Dame in the fourth quarter, he won on a touchdown pass off a fake field goal at the last second down 31-28, and he wasn’t supposed to be long for the profession after he suffered a heart attack two hours later. In his first game back after the heart attack, he was going to be broken open at the Big House by Denard Robinson; MSU won 34-17. He was going to get run out of Spartan Stadium by Wisconsin in 2011, he won on a Kirk Cousins jump ball to Keith Nichol at the goal line. He had no quarterback after Cousins graduated; Connor Cook became the winningest quarterback in school history and won the Big Ten twice. He was finished when Pat Narduzzi left after 2014; he went to the playoff the next season. He was done for, down two to Michigan with 10 seconds left in 2015. If you listen closely in Ann Arbor, you can still hear the cries of shock and anguish. He was dead after a teardown 2016. He won 10 games the next season, including two against Top 10 opponents.

    Call him what you wish, be it a curmudgeon, a beneficiary of circumstance, a wizard, a survivalist, an escape artist, or a necromancer, but make no mistake, Mark Dantonio is a top 5 coach in college football. And yet, to a certain degree, he stands apart from the other coaches at the top. Urban Meyer is a tactical mastermind, Dabo Swinney is the energizer bunny, Nick Saban never puts a foot wrong, all three are masterful recruiters. Mark Dantonio is none of these things. His teams run one of the simplest schemes in football, he isn’t particularly charismatic, he rarely makes game-breaking adjustments, he doesn’t recruit the top athletes. His program is built on unheralded, willful, angry players who love nothing more than sticking it to the big boys. He brings them in, coaches them up, and feeds their anger and resentment until it boils over on Saturdays. When they win, they win, but when they lose, they get written off, and the more they get written off, the angrier they get. If there is a coach who can be viably compared to Dantonio, it would be Washington Head Coach Chris Petersen. Neither one recruits very many blue chippers, neither one is a renowned tactician, but both get consistently get results that shouldn’t be possible against teams they theoretically shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence as. However, even this comparison has its limits. While Petersen’s Huskies are beginning to look like a perpetual Cinderella-style tournament team that takes a lot of force to stop once they get rolling, a bit like his Boise State teams that set the world afire, Dantonio’s Spartans are more reminiscent of a horror movie villain. They come out of nowhere, butcher their highly-ranked victims, leave viewers in histrionics, and never, ever, die.

    Time after time, Michigan State has been subdued, exposed, and left to die, and time after time, they’ve come back from the dead to claim another victim. It happened after a rough 2012, it happened after Narduzzi left after 2014, it happened after the 3-9 2016 season. Each time, Dantonio climbed out of his grave and proved to the college football world he wasn’t dead yet. It happened again last week. Reeling after a loss at home to Northwestern, State was once again declared dead. Fans lost hope, Mike Valenti called the Spartans the most unwatchable team in the country, and they had to travel to Happy Valley for what many expected to be a date with their own demise. But once again, Mark Dantonio kept the Grim Reaper at bay, coming away with a 21-17 victory against the 8th-ranked team in the country, and now they’re looking to repeat it, against a team who knows all too well what they’re up against.

    Michigan has lived this horror movie for the better part of a decade. Michigan State has beaten their Maize and Blue rivals 8 times in the last decade, and 6 of those losing Michigan teams were ranked. They’ve been bested by Dantonio in every conceivable way, from overtime heartbreakers, to fumbled punts, to self-inflicted wounds, to full-blown beatdowns. If anything, Michigan should be happy that State stunned Penn State, if only because Dantonio is no longer in a position that he can say nobody knows what his team can do. Following last season, and largely being given up on after the opening loss to Notre Dame this season, the Spartans won’t be the only ones with a chip on their shoulder. Michigan has the motivation, the firepower, the scheme, and the matchups to separate from the green cloud hanging over the program, but they have to slam the coffin lid shut this time, and the most prolific Wolverine killer since Woody Hayes will be prowling the home sideline, doing everything he can to keep that from happening.

    There is a scene at the end of Wes Craven’s 1996 movie Scream, where the villain, Billy Loomis (played by Skeet Ulrich), is seemingly killed. The three surviving protagonists, Sidney Prescott (played by Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (played by Courteney Cox), and Randy Meeks (played by Jamie Kennedy), stand over Billy’s motionless body. Randy declares this to be the moment where the “dead” killer gets up for one last scare. Right on cue, Billy’s eyes flash open. Gale and Randy both scream, but Sidney raises a handgun and puts a bullet in Billy’s forehead, ending the movie. Year after year, Michigan has been in that position. They’ve had deeper, more talented teams, and had Michigan State on the ropes a fair share of times. Yet each time, when the Spartans have gotten back up, the Wolverines have stood there and screamed. So here we are again, Michigan riding high off a big win (yes Kev, Wisconsin was a big game), boasting another loaded team, going into a stadium that will be at least 25% Maize and Blue, against a team that lacks an offensive line, is injury ridden, and just pulled off the impossible in Happy Valley. Michigan is standing over MSU’s undying head coach, and there is no doubt, his eyes will open again. Will Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan scream helplessly, or will they end this movie that has gone on long enough?
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Week 7 Power Rankings

10/18/2018

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By Andrew Miller


1)LA Rams
What More can be said about he rams that already hasn’t been said. They’re electric, dynamic, creative, star studded, and it’s insane to think about how they could have barely scratched the surface. This team has lost Cooper Kupp, and possibly Brandin Cooks for a bit, and I still expect them to at least put up 3 touchdowns a game. I can’t wait to see what Sean McVay cooks up for the weeks to come. The defense hasn’t looked particularly great, but Wade Phillips can produce creative schemes weekly, and expect Marcus Peters to step it up down the line. Todd Gurley is the best non-QB in football right now, and he is, in a word, unstoppable.

2) Kansas City Chiefs
    I’m not going to move the Chiefs down because they lost a shootout to Bill Belichick; the Chiefs still looked great. Patrick Mahomes got off to a slow start, but finished with insane throws outside the pocket to make Sunday night anyone’s game. The game just came down to who had the ball last, and the Chiefs just didn’t. This game showed me that the Chiefs can come back after a slow start, and that Mahomes is the kind of QB that doesn’t let a slow start get to him. He continues to make plays on a weekly basis, and the Chiefs can win any shootout they want, even if this week they didn’t. Tyreek Hill is looking like a top 3 receiver in the NFL.

3) New Orleans Saints
    The Saints were on a BYE this week. Hopefully they got time to heal up Kamara and figure out new ways to use Taysom Hill. The Saints are going to be an offensive juggernaut all season. Hopefully their defense can match up.

4) New England Patriots.
    This game only proved to me what I already knew. Bill Belichick will game you into the dirt if he has to, even with a terrible defense. I watched this game and saw that Bill Belichick knew to keep it on the ground in order to keep control of the clock. It looked like Belichick was a genius, until Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill decided to answer the Patriots back with their own offensive frenzy. The game came down to the final possession, just like Bill wanted, and he sent the Chiefs home with a loss. The Patriots have so many options on offense, it’s not even funny. Tom Brady and Josh McDaniels can create any way to score with all the versatile playmakers they have on offense. Sony Michel looks like the second coming of Curtis Martin, he is for real, and so is the Pats offense.

5) LA Chargers
    The other LA (still feels weird to say) is quietly becoming one of the elite football teams. The offense has a plethora of options in the pass game they can pick from any given week to feature, and Melvin Gordon is proving himself to be an almost elite RB. The defense is no slouch either. They were all over Baker Mayfield, destroying one of the better O-Lines in football in the process, all without Joey Bosa. Melvin Ingram is becoming one of the best watches in football. No one is playing with more intensity on the defensive side, and it is clearly pervasive on the Chargers sideline. This team has a chance to be one of those flawless teams, once Bosa and Liegant come back to solve their run defense problems. Expect the Chargers to give the Chiefs a legit fight for the AFC West crown.

6) Baltimore Ravens
    Any team playing the Ravens will be sore after playing them. They destroyed a power-run based Titans team that found out how big the Ravens trenches truly are. They are filled with Giants like Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce on the line making it hard for any team to run on them, while CJ Mosley is becoming one of the best do-it-all linebackers in the game. Joe Flacco is playing some of his best football ever in his probably last year with the Ravens. I think this team is a nightmare week in and week out for any team to face, and could make legit noise come playoff time.

7) Chicago Bears
    One of the more disappointing outings this week was the Bears loss in 80% humidity in South Beach. The defense looked uncharacteristically awful last week, possibly because they came off a BYE. They got their customary 2 INTs from Brock Osweiler, but still looked a step slow all game. Khalil Mack looked like a non-factor in this game, and Osweiler went unpressured for most of this game. EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE. I expect the defense to return to its usual self and be a dominant force after this embarrassing loss. On the bright side the Bears offense looks impressive. Trubisky looks like he is coming into his own and Tarik Cohen is looking like a special weapon on offense. In addition, the offense is one of the more creative and risk-taking offenses in football, which should give defenses worry because Tayor Gabriel and Tarik Cohen are threats to score every down.

8) Philadelphia Eagles.
    Carson Wentz is back and out for all the haters. Wentz looked like himself again in week in Week 6 and the defense didn’t look too bad Thursday night, even with Saquon being Saquon. This is not the same team as last year, but they can still win any week, now that Carson Wentz has his Favorite Target in Alshon Jeffery back. I expect the Eagles to run away with the NFC East now that the team is healthy. However, the team does need to make a move for a workhorse running back immediately.

9) Pittsburgh Steelers
    Regardless of whether or not Le’Veon comes back this team is still dangerous. This team can beat you on offense any way they want. Unfortunately, they can be beat in any way too. This defense is one of the worst in the NFL, and unlike the Patriots and Chiefs, I’m not confident that they can always put up enough points to cover their defense. That’s what happened this week where they weren’t getting their way on offense all game and let Cincinnati walk all over them for a while. It took a hero play from AB to win the game, which isn’t always that farfetched. Still, the offense is elite and the Steelers know how to win games, just don’t expect too much out of their defense.

10) Cincinnati Bengals
    The Bengals looked average for a lot of that game against the Steelers. I don’t exactly know what the team was thinking throughout the game. They had Joe Mixon, and just decided not to use him for most of the game. Other than him, AJ Green or Geno Atkins, nothing on this team strikes me as elite. I worry that this team might lose games due to the team not being special and too average to hang with elite talent in their division, because there is a lot of it. Hopefully they realize the stud the have in Joe Mixon before they slug their way to a 9-7 record.

11) Carolina Panthers
    If not for 2 key fumbles from rookie DJ Moore, the Panthers could be as high as five this week, but it happened and here we are. The Panthers look good on both sides of the ball and have potential now that Thomas Davis is truly back. I think DJ Moore can be expected as a breakout candidate for the rest for the season, despite the fumbles. The only thing really keeping this team from being an elite team is a pass rush. Kuechly, Davis, Thompson, Shot and Poe provide for one of the best run defending groups in football. If this team finds pass rush outside of Julius Peppers, they could be one of the 5 best teams in football easy. Cam Newton is playing like a top 7 QB.

12) Minnesota Vikings
    I am not sold on the Vikings, and no win against the Cardinals is gonna show me different, especially since Mike Hughes tore his ACL adding injury to an already insulting secondary this season. The Vikings have underperformed all season, and the secondary looked alright against the Cardinals, but it was was the Cardinals. I think this team is fools gold. A possibly elite offense and a supposedly elite defense can’t click at the same time, and I don’t see that fixing itself anytime soon.

13) Green Bay Packers
    I am not impressed by Rodgers come back win against the 49ers, because it was a bad defense and a questionable call. All I know is that this team can win any game they want just because Aaron Rodgers can do it for them. This team is bad on defense (being without Jaire Alexander doesn’t help them), the run game isn’t all that impressive, and the pass catchers aren’t really all that great either. Rodgers himself, is the only QB that can make a team a contender with the team he has.

14) Jacksonville Jaguars
    The Blake Bortles situation has gone from, boring, to crazy, to indefensible, to being okay at best and now it is just pathetic. This QB is not only a bad player, he is going to lose you most games you play. The Jaguars have to play really good defense just to stop him from losing the game on his own. They need to get Teddy Bridgewater right now, I don’t care how. The defense isn’t off the hook either. They played like they knew Bortles was gonna be as bad as they were. This week should be a reminder to them that they cannot be complacent just because they have talent. This team needs a reality check now.

15) Washington Football Team
    I think this team is flying under the radar and their win against the Panthers was no fluke if you look at their defense. The defensive line is legit and the Alabama duo up front are a real problem to block. Not to mention the perennially underrated Ryan Kerrigan. Even without Chris Thompson this team found a way to dink and dump there way to scoring points. This team is any aspiring team’s biggest nightmare. This team is classic trap game each week, and they proved why Sunday.

16) Miami Dolphins
    I dislike having to put them this high, but they beat a good team with Brock Osweiler and are now 4-2. It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Minkah Fitzpatrick has been playing well, and Xavien Howard is playing like a top 10 CB. The D-Line isn’t too shabby either with some okay talent to fill in place of Suh. The offense still would give me any hesitation to think that this would not be the peak of the Dolphins this season.

17) Dallas Cowboys
    Their win against the Jags was impressive. Impressive, but we know it was the Jags who beat themselves, not anything special the Cowboys did. Dak Prescott proved he should at least start in the NFL, that’s something. The Defense of the Cowboys is sneaky good, especially on the defensive line. All Dallas needs to do is make sure their best WR isn’t Cole Beasley, and maybe they can be an 8-8 team

18) Houston Texans
    Quietly the Texans are 3-3, tied for the lead in the AFC South. This team probably has the best shot to win the South. Their defense is electric with Clowney and Watt on the Edge, and with Benardrick and Zach Cunningham being standouts at linebacker. Kevin Johnson has shown what he can do at safety. As bad as the offensive line is, I have faith that DeShaun Watson will be able to cover it. They have just to challenge the Jaguars for the division, but that may just be it.

19) Detroit Lions
    The Detroit Lions intrigue me. They have a good secondary, and a barely average Linebacking core. The offense looks like it could be Steelers level effective in terms of playmakers. They are just, well, the Lions. I don’t know how else to put it. This team has an opportunity to be an upper echelon type offense and with an above average defense that could be enough to do something, yet I just don’t see them fully realizing their potential. Also their run defense is atrocious and fully relies on Jarrad Davis to make any and all plays, which he is just not capable of doing yet. Positive side, Matt Patricia looks like a decent Head Coach, yay!

20) Cleveland Browns
    The Browns are a team on the rise in a division that is a slugfest. They found that out against the Ravens. The Browns have a star pass rusher in Garrett, and stud CB in Denzel Ward and their franchise QB in Baker, and a really good O-Line. Next year this team will be a surprise winning team with Head Coach Lincoln Riley. Right now, they might just have to bask in their potential.

21) Tennessee Titans
    If a team overachieved this season so far, it would be the Titans. They are what the Bengals are with no elite talent anywhere on the football field. Derrick Henry looks more and more like a miss, and the offense looks incredibly stale. Not to mention how pedestrian Marcus Mariota has looked all season. I don’t suspect this defense to figure out their issues and I really don’t expect the offense to figure out theirs. The only positive for this team is that Harold Landry has a ridiculous bend.


22) Seattle Seahawks
    I hope this week silenced any criticism coming Russell Wilson’s way. He showed that he is an ELITE QB option, and his connection with Baldwin looks pretty much the same. However, this was London and this was the Raiders. London is infamous for the better team blowing out their opponent, and it isn’t hard to be better than Oakland. Russell is still running for his life and the defense remains suspect. I am curious to see who will be the next, “Starting RB for the season” following their BYE week.

23) Atlanta Falcons
    This team’s season is over, doesn’t matter if Devonta comes back or not. The offense is lazy an uncreative, and the defense can let up 30 to any team they play. It’s a bad situation for a team that had Super Bowl aspirations this year. Matt Ryan has looked as good as we have ever seen him this year, but the defense has not done him any favors. Good luck next year, and try to trade Vic Beasley before everyone realizes he was a one hit wonder.


24) NY Jets
    The NY Jets are good team waiting for a good draft next year. They will not contend, they will not impress, they will not win a lot. As long as you see Darnold take strides as a starter and you see some of the diamonds in the rough pop out, you should be happy as a Jets fan. I will say this and I have said it before and think it needs to be reiterated until it is common knowledge, Jamal Adams is the best Safety in the NFL.


25) Indianapolis Colts
    I love watching Andrew Luck play football, it makes me happy that even in garbage time he just slings the ball around. This team could still possibly win the division which is bananas. The offense is serving up some Eagles like RPOs which is… nice. This team won’t win a lot of football games, but it can be a headache for any team it plays. Man does Luck throw a good spiral.

26) Tampa Bay Bucs
    The Bucs got a spark plug in Jameis Winston this week, throwing for almost 400 yards in a loss. Still, the Bucs have real problems in what might be the worst secondary in football, and Lavonte David is the only linebacker impressing me this season. The Buccaneers need to win shootouts just to win a game, and I am not certain that even that is plausible. At least they fired Mike Smith, that’s something I guess.

27) Denver Broncos
    The Broncos are not what they could be and are just treading water right now. Any team can run on this defense, and even for all the draft capital they spent on their line, they can’t protect Case Keenum. Vance Joseph is maybe the worst Coach in football and will 100% lose his job at the end of the year. All the Broncos can do right now is hope that Lindsay becomes the true star he knows he can be, and draft well next year before the organization asks if Elway is a good GM or not.

28) Buffalo Bills
    The ultimate A for effort team. This team has no right to win or be close to winning any games this season, and with Allen out and Nathan Peterman back and then out and then Derek Anderson in you should not expect that to change. Still, they are a hard defense to throw against and Sean McDermott seems to have a decent enough gameplan to keep it close. Bills fans, it’s not pretty, but next year may be different. You guys got great wings and a great coach.

29) NY Giants
    It seems the rest of the world has picked up on what I have been saying for 3 years. Eli Manning is bad, REAL bad, like worse than Blake Bortles bad. I have never seen a QB more scared to take hits in my life. Thank god the NY media finally thinks so because I get an aneurysm everytime I talk about this. Please be nice to Odell, he is trying to hold in his feelings about Eli, and is just venting his frustrations out, just like Sheppard last week. Odell will be fine. Now Saquon has officially become the best watch on offense in the NFL. You just can’t tackle that guy, and he changes directions so well, he is already a top 2 RB, and he is a gift from the football Gods. NY should stop being mad they took him over Darnold. Be happy with Herbert next year.

30) San Francisco 49ers
    This is how good Kyle Shanahan is. He is so good that Aaron Rodgers had to score to keep up with his offense. I don’t care if he lost in the end, I am sold that Kyle Shanahan is one of the best offensive minds since, well his dad. CJ Beathard hasn’t looked too bad throwing to open receivers, and Marquise Goodwin is fast, Real fast. This season may not be pretty, but if you like creative football watch the 49ers each week.

31) Arizona Cardinals.
    Josh Rosen looks good. David Johnson looks okay. Patrick Peterson still can be explosive. That is about as good of news as it gets for the Arizona Cardinals. There is not much to look forward to for the Cardinals, so I would just wait till next season when they can pick Jonah Williams in the draft and move from there.

32) Oakland Raiders
    This team is just Pathetic. No one is safe from the hellfire the media is about to put on Jon Gruden and for good reason. This team has given up, they look slow and old. Derek Carr is their best player, and that is an insult. Amari Cooper needs to be traded so he can drop balls somewhere else. The team needs to blow this whole thing up, which is probably what the Mack trade was about anyway. I just feel bad for the city of Oakland. They have to endure the terrible rebuild for a team that will leave them anyway. But then I remembered the Warriors are in Oakland, so I suddenly don’t feel so bad anymore.
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NHL 2018-19 Season Preview

10/17/2018

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By Owen Swanson & Charlie Goodwin

Western Conference

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Pacific Division

​Anaheim Ducks
Last Season: (44-25-13; 101 pts) Swept in 1st round by San Jose
Notable Offseason Departures: D Francois Beauchemin, D Kevin Bieksa, C Antoine Vermette
Notable Offseason Additions: C Brian Gibbons, F Carter Rowney, D Luke Schenn, D Andrej Sustr
Stanley Cup odds: +3000

Anaheim’s strong season was overshadowed by an absolute beat down at the hands of the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the playoffs. The Ducks looked pitiful in the series, being swept with home ice advantage and outscored 16-4 in the series. The offseason was one of addition by subtraction, as Anaheim stands to gain more from cutting ties with aging, unproductive players, such as Vermette and Beauchemin, than from the depth they added. However, look for a slight improvement from this team as a result of the added experience on their blue line. An eight year contract extension for goalie John Gibson cements Anaheim’s situation in net for the foreseeable future.

          Prediction: 2nd Wild Card, first round exit (Winnipeg)


Arizona Coyotes
Last Season: (29-41-12; 70 pts) Last in Western Conference
Notable Offseason Departures: F Max Domi
Notable Offseason Additions: C Alex Galchenyuk, F Michael Grabner, C Vinnie Hinostroza, F Brad Richardson
Stanley Cup odds: +10000

Arizona’s miserable 2017-18 campaign was likely contributed to by the absence of longtime team captain Shane Doan. The retirement of the 14 year Coyote left a void in the locker room that no doubt contributed to their lack of success last season. Look for a slight improvement for Arizona this year as Antti Raanta settles into his starting role in goal and star defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson assumes the capitancy. Increased production from the franchise’s young players, including Christian Dvorak, Alex Galchenyuk, and Clayton Keller with a full year under their belt will also set the franchise on the right track.

          Prediction: 7th in Pacific Division, 13th in Western Conference


Calgary Flames
Last Season: (37-35-10; 84 pts) 5th in Pacific Division, 11th in Western Conference
Notable Offseason Departures: D Dougie Hamilton, F Michael Ferland, D Brett Kulak
Notable Offseason Additions: F James Neal, D Noah Hanifin, C Elias Lindholm, C Derek Ryan
Stanley Cup odds: +3300

The offseason acquisition of Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin for Dougie Hamilton was no doubt a look into the future of the Flames. Thus, it was no surprise when Calgary committed long-term to Hanifin and Lindholm, tendering them each six year contract extensions. Considering their former head coach in Carolina was hired to lead the Flames this offseason (Bill Peters), the adjustment process in Calgary shouldn’t be too difficult for Hanifin and Lindholm. While moves like this suggest a focus on the future, the James Neal signing (5 years, $5.75 million AAV) in his age 31 season was unexpected. While these moves look aggressive on paper, it will take a few years for Calgary to see their full impact. A regressing James Neal and 36 years old Mike Smith in net won’t be enough to take this team to the playoffs as their young players continue to develop.

           Prediction: 5th in Pacific Division, 9th in Western Conference


Edmonton Oilers
Last Season: (36-40-6; 78 pts) 6th in Pacific Division, 12th in Western Conference
Notable Offseason Additions: C Tobias Rieder, C Kyle Brodziak, D Jason Garrison
Stanley Cup odds: +3000

Even a 108 point season from superstar Connor McDavid couldn’t get Edmonton to the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. While McDavid will be around for a long time to come, the Oilers will continue wasting his years until the front office, more specifically GM Peter Chiarelli, commit to building around him. Once again, Chiarelli made moves that marginally added depth, but don’t expect the addition of Jason Garrison (1 year, $650K AAV) to magically solve Edmonton’s defensive woes. Strap in for another season of superstar production from Connor McDavid, but don’t expect to see him in the playoffs.

           Prediction: 6th in Pacific Division, 12th in Western Conference


Los Angeles Kings
Last Season: (45-29-8; 98 pts) Swept in 1st Round of Stanley Cup Playoffs by Vegas
Notable Offseason Departures: C Tobias Rieder
Notable Offseason Additions: F Ilya Kovalchuk
Stanley Cup odds: +2600

The loss of Jeff Carter for much of the Kings’ 2017-18 season had a significant impact on where they finished in the standings, but a healthy Carter in the playoffs didn’t help against the Golden Knights. A red-hot Marc-Andre Fleury lead the the Knights to a dominating sweep over the Kings.

​The Kings committed to a vision of contention for the next several years during the offseason by extending Drew Doughty (8 years, $11 million AAV) and signing 35 year old Ilya Kovalchuk (3 years, $6.25 million AAV). If the addition of Kovalchuk and a full, healthy year of Jeff Carter helps this team figure it out offensively, they will finish the season as dark-horse cup contenders in the Western Conference. Dustin Brown’s (28 G, 33 P last season) absence to start the season will hurt them, however.

          Prediction: 3rd in Pacific Division, second round exit (San Jose)


San Jose Sharks
Last Season: (45-27-10; 100 pts) Lost to Vegas in 2nd Round of Playoffs
Notable Offseason Departures: F Chris Tierney, D Dylan DaMelo, F Mikkel Boedker
Notable Offseason Additions: D Erik Karlsson
Stanley Cup odds: +1250

After falling to a dialed-in Marc-Andre Fleury and the surprising Vegas Golden Knights in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the San Jose Sharks look poised for a deep cup run this season. San Jose deserves credit for making the most impactful move of the offseason by acquiring Erik Karlsson for a package of draft picks, young NHL players, and prospects (including UM’s Josh Norris). The Sharks also made sure not to lose Evander Kane, an important producer in the offensive zone for San Jose, by locking him down for the next seven years ($7 million AAV). As long as Martin Jones continues to be dependable in goal, San Jose’s lethal back end will have two Norris Trophy finalists and will determine the fate of their season. The loss of Joe Thornton to start the season won’t hurt this team in the long run.

          Prediction: Pacific Division Champions, eliminated in Conference Final (Winnipeg)


Vancouver Canucks
Last Season: (31-40-11; 73 pts) 7th in Pacific Division, 14th in Western Conference
Notable Offseason Departures: C Henrik Sedin, F Daniel Sedin    
Notable Offseason Additions: F Antoine Roussel, C Jay Beagle, C Tim Schaller
Stanley Cup odds: +12500

Brock Boeser’s breakout campaign for the Canucks proved to be a silver lining on another extremely disappointing season, and Canuck fans shouldn’t hold their breath for a different outcome anytime soon. This season won’t end with the Canucks in a drastically different position in the standings, mainly because of the 100+ points generated by the now-retired Sedin twins that need to be replaced. However, Canuck fans may experience deja vu watching Elias Pettersson emerge as a Calder Trophy finalist, and his development will begin to solidify a young core for the Canucks to build around. Two of the offseason’s worst signings (Antoine Roussel, age 28, 4 years, $3 million AAV and Jay Beagle, age 32, 4 years, $3 million AAV) were made by Vancouver, however, and will hinder the progression of the franchise during this lost season.

          Prediction: Last in Pacific Division, Last in Western Conference


Vegas Golden Knights
Last Season: (51-24-7; 109 pts) Lost to Washington in Stanley Cup Final
Notable Offseason Departures: F James Neal, F David Perron, F Tomas Tatar
Notable Offseason Additions: C Paul Stastny, F Max Pacioretty, D Nick Holden
Stanley Cup odds: +1100

After a surprisingly successful first season, the Golden Knights will surprise no one this year. Breakout years from William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault, in addition to a renaissance season from Marc-Andre Fleury, propelled them to the Stanley Cup Final. However, their offseason moves leave something to be desired, as they signed 32-year old Paul Stastny to a 3 year contract ($6.5 million AAV), and extended defenseman Shea Theodore (7 years, $5.2 million AAV) and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (3 years, $7 million AAV). The Stastny and Fleury contracts are questionable because of player age and likely regression. Their best move of the offseason was trading for and extending Max Pacioretty (4 years, $7 million AAV), who will attempt to make up for the loss of the team’s 3rd most productive player, David Perron (66 points in 2017-18).

Vegas will have to withstand a stint on Injured Reserve for Paul Stastny and Alex Tuch, as well as defenseman Nate Schmidt’s 20 game suspension for PED use (which he still claims was done unknowingly) to start the season. The Knights will be in the mix once again this year, but expect an earlier exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs as Marc-Andre Fleury regresses and sin city is unable to recapture the magic of their inaugural season. The Golden Knights are betting on development from their young forwards and the additions of Stastny and Pacioretty to replace the point production of James Neal and David Perron, but it’s a bet that won’t pay off.

          Prediction: 2nd in Pacific Division, first round exit (Los Angeles)


Central Division

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The AFC North is Everything We Love About Football

10/16/2018

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By: Dean Persichetti

             The NFL is changing right in front of our faces. Young coaches and young quarterbacks that play well above their expected means seem to be the norm right now. Patrick Mahomes is coming off one of the better performances out of a quarterback this season, and still lost 40-43 against the Patriots this past Sunday Night. I had to double-take a few times throughout this game to make sure I wasn’t watching Big XII football. It would be putting it kindly to call both the Pats' and Chiefs' secondaries Swiss Cheese. They’re 10 times worse. Make that 20 times worse. More along the lines of a muenster cheese that’s been fermenting in a dumpster filled with Indian food for three weeks. Absolutely horrid stuff.
            Anyways, back to the AFC North. This division as a whole (excluding the Browns, sort of) has played exactly the kind of football NFL fans love for the past five years. The Steelers and Bengals displayed that this past Sunday in the Steelers' 28-21 win over the Bengals. It was a classic game of “out-physical” the guy across from you, and hope it leads to points.
The Ravens and Browns played the exact style of football two weeks ago, in the Browns last-second overtime win 12-9. These are teams that duke it out at the line of scrimmage and play pissed off. If I had to freeze my ass off in any of these cities I’d probably be pissed too. The remainder of these AFC North matchups should be top-of-the-line football down the stretch. If you’re into run, run, pass and hard-nosed defense. You know, the real “grassroots” style of football, the working man’s football. Then these teams should not be missed throughout the course of the 2018 NFL season.
 
Bengals
 
This Bengals team essentially tries to beat the Steelers by bullying them every time they play. Not with schematics, not with comprehensive game planning, but picking on the Steelers until they break. Now this strategy hasn’t exactly boded well for Marvin Lewis, who's a career 8-24 against the Steelers and a shocking 2-15 against them at home. P.S…. It really isn’t that shocking. Lewis does the same thing year after year with this team against the Steelers. Bully them and lay big hits until it gets to their heads. Literally.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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​            It might not win games, but it’s one hell of an entertaining product and folks; I’m certainly here for it. Most of us remember when Vontaze Burfict hit Antonio Brown in the head three years ago in the Bengals classic playoff loss against the Steelers. Well evidently, you can’t teach a dog new tricks, and you can’t teach Vontaze not to kill Antonio Brown. This classic "Burfict" play caused Antonio Brown to leave the field for a few plays after being shaken up.
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​                  Burfict hit Brown in the head once again this past Sunday, but was not penalized. This did not ultimately lose the game for the Bengals like three years ago, but is still indicative of what’s to come for this team in the future. There’s a difference between smash mouth football, and being reckless. Burfict does not seem to get that, and Marvin Lewis seems well past the point of potentially enlightening him. This Bengals team will be fun to watch over the next couple of months and will probably sneak into the playoffs. But, it looks like the same old problems will continue to haunt them once they get there.

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Steelers
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           Both the Steelers and the Patriots seem to develop these annual growing pains each year, but only one of them actually gets results. Ben Roethlisberger has looked great on paper this year, other than his performance against the Ravens. But he still has those throws that make you scratch your head, and wonder if that motorcycle accident several years ago did permanent damage to the little voice in Ben’s head. “Ben he’s open, he’s open, and it’s six the other way.”
           To take shots at a potential serious brain injury that may have taken place outside of the safe venue that is the game of football might be a little harsh. Given the injuries that Big Ben has sustained just by playing the game, let alone diving into what he does away from football...
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But it's these kinds of throws late in big games that will keep the Steelers from winning the division.​

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlIUmQVztJQ


Plus, the lack of that Le’Veon Bell guy. James Conner has looked great this year,and is fifth in the league in rushing with 453 yards, and had an impressive 111 yards rushing in the Steelers win on Sunday. But Bell is a generational talent and probably the most dynamic player in all of football. So, despite what James Conner does this season, Bell is still clearly more capable and versatile overall.​

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Ravens
          
           This Ravens team has the making of all of the classic Ravens squads that have made deep runs in the playoffs in the past. Physical at the line of scrimmage, and studs at every level of the defense. They shutout the Titans 21-0 on the road, and set a franchise record for sacks in a game with 11 this past week. The Titans offensive line is anchored by All-Pro Taylor Lewan at left tackle and 2016 All-Pro Jack Conklin at right tackle. Just to put it in perspective how mean and talented this Ravens defense is, they racked up more sacks on Sunday than the 49ers, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Patriots, Raiders, and Redskins have all season. 2015 fourth round pick out of Kentucky, Za’Darius Smith, led the team with 3 sacks.


           Jimmy Smith is a top 10 Corner in this league when he’s healthy. Eric Weddle might be the best safety in all of football at 33 years old. Three-time pro bowler C.J. Mosley is playing at the top of his game, and I haven’t even mentioned the leadership of stud 36-year old Terrell Suggs who already has 4.5 sacks on the year. This Ravens team has all the makings of their previous 2012 and 2000 Super Bowl teams. Ozzie Newsome finds value in later rounds, and builds his defenses at every level. That is exactly what this year’s Ravens team looks like, and be prepared to watch them make a run at the Super Bowl with Joe Flacco’s more recent consistent play.



Browns


           Ah the Cleveland Browns with the ugliest record in all of football at 2-3-1, and nearly being 1-3-2 after the conversion of a horrendous looking field goal against the Ravens at the last second two weeks ago. But, hey a win is a win and even if it "knuckle balls" through, it's still a big time win against a divisional opponent.


      Despite winning in ugly fashion, the Browns beat a highly competitive Ravens team. Cementing them as a legitimate threat in the AFC North for the remainder of the season. Then… they came back down to earth and realized they were the Browns. Losing embarrassingly, on both sides of the football this past Sunday, 38-14 at home against the Chargers. There is no question this Browns team has talent. Myles Garrett is living up to the hype with 5 sacks on the season, and Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert have looked great at linebacker this year. But there still are question marks as far as discipline goes with this team.


           There have been multiple times this season where players like Jarvis Landry and Antonio Callaway look disinterested in running their routes. Landry is the only experienced player in the receivers' room, and at age 25, he's not that experienced. He seems to still be figuring out how to stretch the field and create more separation downfield, but the Browns simultaneously are looking for him to step into a leadership role. I think the Browns overpaid for Landry this offseason, and Baker Mayfield is paying the price for this lack of a solidified receiving corps. Granted, Mayfield looked bad against the Chargers and Ravens, but the effort from his receivers isn’t doing him any favors. Nor is there rush defense, which gave up 246 yards on the ground this past week. They have been hurt on the ground all season, and “frosted tips” Gregg Williams needs to get that sorted out for this team to go five hundred on the season.

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