So we’re 5 weeks in and there’s a few surprises this year.
Maryland is pretty good. DJ Durkin has really done a good job in a year and a half. I mean I wouldn’t say they’re near the top of the Big Ten but three years ago they were a “slightly-better-than-Rutgers* ” Now there somewhere between a John L Smith MSU on a good year and.. Iowa? Their top 3 QBs are no longer able to football (injury). This week they went with 4th string Bortenschlager who I’m pretty sure is just a guy the Durkin found in Germany throwing beers during Octoberfest last month. Based on this I thought Minnesota was a decent pick this week but then… well I think they recruited her to stop Minnesota’s run game https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=okrME9n08CU. (semi-suitable for work?) Good for coach Durkin. Maybe someday he’ll get to coach a real Big Ten team. Also thanks to him for leaving and allowing for the Don Brown to happen.
I retract everything I wrote about Purdue this year. I said they suck. They don’t. I said I wish they didn’t suck. I now wish they did**. I know you’re all interested so here’s why! 1. The player/staff taunting before the game. You “played respectable” against Louisville. You were still the worst team in the Big Ten last year. Shut up and convert a 3rd down. 2. The dirty plays. 2 targeting calls with a third that should have been at least a late hit that knocked Speight out of the game. 3. Get a damn X-Ray machine! You’re Purdue! One of the “Smart Schools”. That’s just stupid.
Today we have a special treat! A guest writer! It’s like in school when you had a substitute teacher but like, if you never paid attention to your real teacher… and school was about football. Please welcome Matt! He’s an MSU alumnus who now lives in Texas (Go Coogs). We went to high school together. He’s like a brother to me. And I’m older than him. You could say he’s like my little brother.. (But he’s 6’2 and I’m 5’6 so you’d be an idiot. Like a running back saying that and then fumbling twice the next game.) Anyway here is his column… with my interjections in bold because I’m an egotistical and can’t let anyone else have the spotlight. That’s the Michigan Difference.
Since Doug cannot be 100% biased for them, especially this coming week (although normally his is pretty good I am? Dammit, I’ll have to up my homerism), I am here to give an MSU recap. Here is what we know about the Spartans at this point: Nothing. We seem to have a QB, maybe Sounds familiar, but Iowa gave us that game. We possibly have a number 1 WR, however the Jury is still out. The biggest difference this week was that we were able take advantage of most of the Iowa mistakes. They handed us that game much like we handed the previous to ND. Iowa almost beat Penn State who seems to have one of the best players in the country but Penn State hasn’t played anyone yet I miss #TeamCHAOS. The ND loss is the most telling as they took Georgia deep and Georgia seems to be back to some of their old glory They did beat Appalachian State!. We actually looked decent on offense, as we out gained them, but then made last year mistakes (FUMBLE ON THE 1, ARE YOU KIDDING ME Sparty-No did make an appearance that game…) otherwise we are in that game. We do officially have as many wins as we did all of last year so that’s a plus (Especially because we still get to play Rutgers, who isn’t a real school anyways, so we should at least get to 4 wins). I am still not sure of the B10’s place this year in the rankings but the OSU/UM/MSU/PSU games to come should be quite fun. Go Green! Redacted***
Thanks Matt. Should be an exciting game this weekend. Lots of eliminations this week. Go Blue!
*Rutgers was also not as bad that year
**Out of respect for the late Joe Tiller I will cease hoping they suck. He made Purdue the Purdue I kinda liked.
***I thought about making these words Maize and Blue but wasn’t sure which team that would insult/jynx more so I went with this. Hey at least I didn’t delete it!