Vandals strike ahead of Michigan State-Michigan game

What is happening is that Michigan is dominating people, and Jim Harbaugh has his team playing at a level not many people thought was possible in his first year.

Michigan State is 6-0 straight up and 0-6 ATS. It was one of those games that set me up for my career at Michigan from the standpoint you never quit.

Next up for the senior quarterback: Michigan, its stellar secondary and a game that could define Cook’s final season at Michigan State. Don’t just look at Chesson’s 96-yard kickoff return against Northwestern. The Longhorns only threw the ball 12 times for 55 yards, but pounded the rock on the ground for 313 yards.

Florida takes its 12th-ranked rush defense into Death Valley Saturday to try to limit the yards per carry of LSU’s star sophomore running back Leonard Fournette. Texas also limited Oklahoma’s rushing attack, surrendering just 67 yards total and only 36 yards to starting back Samaje Perine. More impressively, they’ve put together three-consecutive shutouts and have not allowed a point in the last 15 quarters of play. “We’ve found a way to win football games, that’s the bottom line”. USC’s potent offense was shut down by the Huskies, with QB Cody Kessler throwing for just 156 yards and two interceptions while being under pressure throughout the contest. Porter was suspended indefinitely. Earlier in the offseason, the coach was filmed at a function slurring his speech, and was reportedly using alcohol and painkillers to deal with his pending divorce. “Don’t get me wrong; he’s still one of my favorite coaches”. Say what you will about his head coaching tenure but Will Muschamp left a salty defense in Gainesville.

The problem with the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry was representative of the malaise that plagued the Big Ten as a whole. “Last time I checked, they were 6-0 and we were 5-1”. In his first season at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh has inspired such a striking revival that the Wolverines haven’t allowed a single point to an opponent in their past three games; the Wolverines look so sharp at the moment that it’s not hard to imagine that Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State are now engaged in a round-robin to determine which Big Ten team will land a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The Spartans spanked Michigan so badly the past two years, whenever I said, “Good game” to a State fan, they’d complain that, sure, they won, but you know, they just didn’t play that well.

The biggest story line heading into this game has to be what defense will step up the most?

“We know that Connor Cook is a great quarterback”. Easily correctable, even. And given MSU’s history of solid special teams work, there are reason for optimism in this realm.

Michigan State has battled injuries and inconsistencies so far this season, but these are the types of games they get up for, especially against the rival Wolverines.

The talk: Michigan is favored and at home, but Michigan State has more pressure. Apart from that game, though, Miami has merely played like one of the worst team in America. “If suspects are identified, they will face criminal charges”.

The Nittany Lions could have really made this a big weekend had they not stubbed their toe in the season-opener against Temple. He is no longer in high school.

Nebraska (2-4, 0-2) at Minnesota (4-2, 1-1), 2:30 p.m., ESPN2: A lot of folks are saying this is the ideal matchup for Nebraska to break through.