Michigan is better than we thought, but with Tate Forcier injured the Wolverines could be upset this weekend in East Lansing. I know Michigan is 4-0 but they have played two MAC teams (one who is awful, Eastern Michigan and one who is supposed to be good, Western Michigan) Indiana (basically another MAC team) and an overrated Notre Dame team at home. U of M barely pulled out those home victories. You may say, Weston, Notre Dame is very good and can not possibly be overrated. But they are Notre Dame, so therefore they are more highly regarded then they should be.
That being said, MSU looks awful this year. There defense fails to recognize when to leave the base 4-3 and the secondary is getting torched every down. DC Pat Narduzzi should not be on the hot seat just yet. He could be sticking to the 4-3 because he knows how awful the depth at secondary is. The Spartans have to pick a starter at QB, and it has to be Keith Nichol. It is obvious the Spartans won't win the Big Ten this year, or go to a better bowl game than last year for that matter. Nichol has far more upside and can make plays with his feet to offset how awful the defense is. He can get playing time now that will come in handy next year when the defense is better. Cousins has a good arm and is a good starter but is nowhere near the player Nichol can be. If not this week, then soon Nichol has to be announced as the starter until he is injured or so ineffective that Dantonio has no other option. Dantonio is a great coach and will get past this, but this season has given me somethings to question. Why is Glenn Winston on the team? Did anyone forget what he did? Why not redshirt him and let him come back next season a better man? Why can't Dantonio choose a starter? Name one time where a two QB system has worked. Maybe he is adjusting to having a less talented team and is growing into his job. I have full confidence in him, but not in this season.
Notre Dame almost lost to Purdue on the road. Lou Holtz (I know!) actually put them on upset alert. Notre Dame may not be a BCS team this season (or next, or ever).
Houston and Texas Tech played a great game Saturday night. Lots of offense and passing as the Cougars won by one point. I really liked Houston coming into this season and have a great shot at being a BCS buster.
WMU played an awful game against Hofstra. They only beat a D-1AA by 14 points and played not to lose the whole game. It was not reassuring to see an underachieving team play poorly against a less talented opponent. Now the Broncos go to Northern Illinois to take on a surging Husky team. Its almost hockey season.
Winston has won the RB job. And maybe I'm just happy to see Nichol in the game, even though it's obvious Cousins is the starter, but I'm okay with it, but I'd rather see Nichol come in for a play, not a series.
ReplyDeleteWinston would have won the starting job in the spring had he not been in prison. Presently, he should be the feature back but Dantonio doesn't want the PR nightmare that would ensue if that were the case. Understandable, especially considering the fervor that occurred when Winston was reinstated. Isn't it obvious, though, that, with his brutal, Marion-Barber-esque style of physical running, 41 is the man to carry the rock?
ReplyDeleteHe is talented enough to be a starter for sure. I love how physical he runs. I was saying how he should have been redshirted in a more "Dantonian" move and allowed to prove he is a member of this team. Its cool now, but what happens if next week he is arrested again? That is a black eye MSU does not need.
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