All is Well
Stealing a line from Animal House, I think everyone should take a deep breath. Ok, things have not gone quite according to plan. Every Summer I sit down with a college football preview, read up on MSU, this year’s opponents, and make a semi-educated guess at the regular season W/L record. Optimistically, I had it at 9-3, pessimistically 6-5.
It has not transpired like I thought it would, so far. Losing to a MAC school for the first time in 17 years wasn’t in my forecast. Neither was losing to ND. I expected WI to be tough. Where does that leave us?
A 1-3 record, that’s where.
-No victories over a FBS opponent
-It is Michigan week, and the weasels are here to remind us of that
-Radio talk show hosts are lighting up our team
-There are buffoons on message boards who are insulting your degree, and cognitive abilities to read and write
Do yourself a favor, and stay away from the message boards this week. There is something about this rivalry that brings out the worst in people; that side of your personality that can fire insults like a foul mouthed 16 year old.
Besides saving your sanity, I am here to tell you it is not as bad as you think. 2 of the losses go our way with a bounce of the ball. And turnovers, which this team has not demonstrated a habitual problem with, doomed us in Dairy Land.
These factors aside, the biggest reason we are 1-3 is not who is taking the snaps. (For the record on that tired debate, I like Cousins now, Nichol later. Cousins has more polish, and less propensity to turn it over, whereas long term, Nichol has athleticism you can’t teach. With a little more seasoning, I think he can be the better option, down the road) Rather, the problem is the defense, who as a group, honestly, I can’t imagine playing worse. Hold UM to 27 or less, and I think it is a slam dunk.
Remember two other big picture factors- Mark Dantonio won a national championship coaching defense, and the players who have played poorly to date, are mostly the same bunch who was very respectable last year.
It is Michigan week, and Dantonio will pull out all the stops, which began with a Sunday practice. This game is bigger than one in the W/L ledger, it means recruiting, bragging rights for the year, and dominance over your biggest rival. Sprinkle in a freshman QB, playing his first road game, and I fully expect Dantonio to smash Rich Rod’s Lego castle of a season, like a big brother should.
Your thoughts?
