Michigan 42, Rutgers 7.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Check you BTN availability for this one. If you are a Comcast/Xfinity customer you may have trouble viewing this game on your TV. I have a Comcast account and can sign in but in my area code the BTN is not available. Just checked the live feed last night and I couldn't stream the live BTN feed via Roku to my TV. Strangely, I can use the app on my mobile devices and the live feed streams fine. Not sure if this is a function of my Comcast subscription or the BTN web site which generally sucks. By Saturday I'll have it figured out.

About the game: The big question in this game has to be which QB (Peters or Milton) is going to get practice reps and live snaps v. Rutgers. McCaffrey is out. The logical choice would seem to be Peters but I don't think it is certain that Peters is ahead of Milton. Milton, from what I read, can play in 3 more games and still retain his red-shirt. Peters has always had the tools; he's just seemingly been unable to use them. Confidence in his abilities and leadership, happy feet based on last year's pummeling he took behind a shitty OL, coaches don't trust him??? ....... who knows but it seems that observers don't think he's a slam dunk to be Patterson's back-up.

Other than that, while it's dumb to not take any opponent in a BT road game seriously, if there was a BT team not to take seriously, it would be this one. The other thing is going to be does Harbaugh dress up the final score with gaudy numbers? The potential is there. Impressive score totals DO have an impact on the selection committee. If the opportunity is there I think Harbaugh green-lights the offense.

M is a solid #4 in the AP and coaches polls (ALABAMA, CLEMSON, ND, M in that order). S&P+ ranks M #3, ahead of OU, UGA and ND in that order. The resume rank has M at #3 in front of UGA and OU in that order, ND ranks #18th. This link to the resume added ranking system gives you a look at who are M's biggest threats to a CFP play off berth as of today and how the Play-off committee might view those teams.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...ek-11-rankings

All of this is moot if M loses any of it's last 3 games so, while this discussion is the cart before the horse sort of discussion, I don't see that happening and every Fancy Stat backs that assertion up:

M is now a 62% bet to beat osu by 5.4 points. M has a 59% chance of winning the East and the CCG. Odds of winning the NC are: Alabama - 2-1, Clemson - 6-1, ND 7-1, M and osu 12-1, UGA - 16-1, OU - 22-1. https://www.oddsshark.com/ncaaf/coll...mpionship-odds

[Hannibal]

[The Oracle]

I don't think there's a chance milton is ahead of Peters, if we truly needed to go that route, which, mail the season in either way if something were to happen.

[Hannibal]

I want to see Black get a TD catch.

[UMStan White]

He did Unfortunately it didn't count :-)

[klondike]

This has a comfortable, yet uninspiring win written all over it. It lowly Rutgers were not so pathetic I could see a let down game. As is the defense shouldn't allow too much of anything while the offense kicks the ball around the yard a bit for some points.

[iam416]

It takes a lot, I mean a lot, to sandbag a game against Rutgers. The line is 40. It won't be that close -- if M plays a meh game. If they play really well then they'll win by 60. There is literally no way Rutgers can move the ball absent act of god, and M can hand the ball off for 5 yards minimum every single play.

[Jeff Buchanan]

........ There is literally no way Rutgers can move the ball absent act of god, and M can hand the ball off for 5 yards minimum every single play.

Correct and this is exactly what I'd do. Multiple 14 play, time consuming drives, about 6 or 7 of them, mostly run plays.

Still, I don't think Harbaugh will simply run the ball. There will be some deep throws when Ash starts predictably bringing his Ss up to stop the bleeding. All three receivers will get targeted. Count on Tariq Black getting targeted a few times and coming up with some big plays.

I also don't think Pep, on JH's orders, will call a zone read option for Patterson though and both will be pissed if Patterson, on his own, runs one or he tries to create something out of nothing from a broken play, runs it and ends up taking a big hit.

[iam416]

I don't think M is realistically capable of a 14 play drive against Rutgers unless HARBAUGH!!!! instructs Shea to take a knee on at least 4 plays to make things more challenging. Rutgers is awful. I mean, awful.

A final point....OHIO STATE held them to 3. That clownshow defense held them to 3. They only interesting question is whether M will have more points than Rutgers has total yards. I feel about 70/30 that M's defense will outscore Rutgers, so that's not quite as interesting.

[AlabamAlum]

Rutgers is 130 out of 130 in scoring offense. They are 99th out of 130 in scoring defense. Just a complete shit team.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I don't think M is realistically capable of a 14 play drive against Rutgers unless HARBAUGH!!!! instructs Shea to take a knee on at least 4 plays to make things more challenging.........

Well, you have a point there.

AA, I think there is a slight chance that Rutgers will play better than there offensive and defensive stats suggest. As you know, I'm not big on applying fancy stats to the game of football. Insane.

Having said that: 42-0 ....... unless the 3rd string gives up a score infuriating Don Brown in the process.

[AlabamAlum]

Heh.

[Cody_Russell]

Michigan -39.5 easily.

Rutgers is 130 out of 130 in scoring offense. They are 99th out of 130 in scoring defense. Just a complete shit team.

Two points here:
1. 2016, M @ Rutgers. Rutgers didn't have a 1st down until late 3rd quarter or early 4th quarter. My rooting interest in this game is "how long can M hold Rutgers without a 1st down."
2. Shit team, yes. I'm sure most B10 people wish Rutgers could be kicked out of the conference because of how embarrassing they are.

[Tslisher]

Heard a fun stat on the radio today. Tried to research it, but can't find stats on this:

# of TD's scored by opponents passing game on M = 3
# of TD's scored by M's defensive secondary = 4

Yes, Michigan's defensive secondary has scored more points than have been scored against them through the air. Let that one sink in.

Rutgers is doomed. 54-3 Michigan. They get a sad field goal against the 3rd string and celebrate like they won the game.

[Hannibal]

I think that I'll take the points in this one. We could cover if we wanted to really badly, but I think that this will be one of those low possession games where the backups get into the game with more than 20 minutes to go. 45-10 or something in that range.