Looks Good. Feels Good. Is it Good?

/
Image by Bryan Fuller - MGoBlog

Image by Bryan Fuller - MGoBlog

Despite the blowout, Gardner's nearly perfect performance, two 100+ yard rushers, and Funchess putting the #1 jersey on for the first time since 2004...this will not be the game that people refer to when they are talking about the time Michigan played Appalachian State.  Oh well, good try David.

It's overreaction week in the college football world.  The week where you suck if you didn't cover the spread, and you are a world beater if you did.  What else do you expect in a society where we need answers to all of our questions and up to the second season predictions in the form of a live twitter feed that reports out at the end of each and every play from scrimmage?  TELL ME NOW IF WE ARE IN THE FINAL FOUR BASED ON THAT APP STATE GAME!  

Deep breaths people.  Let's all take a collective step back.  Big picture:  I don't think the offense is going to be as bad as we thought, and I don't think the defense is going to be as great as we thought.  Exchanging O and D randomly year to year, you can use that statement for any Wolverine team from the 80's through '07.

But we liked what we saw, yes?  I think we should be happy about that, level of talent of the opponent be damned.  Speaking of talent level, ASU was probably on par with last year's Akron or UCONN...with a result that was clearly not Akron or UCONN.  So, great!  But the result was also like CMU last year, a game in which I declared that the O-line was pushing everyone around.  So, maybe?

Image by Bryan Fuller - MGoBlog

Image by Bryan Fuller - MGoBlog

My bullets:

  • Funchess is the early leader in the clubhouse as the Wolverine most likely to join Tate and Denard as a recipient of the coveted but cursed (and imaginary) September Heisman.  He requested the #1, and then did his best Braylon impersonation by plucking under thrown balls from the hands of defenders for touchdowns.
  • There were holes to run through, and runners that hit those holes with more precision than I'm used to.  
  • There were blitzes and stunts and tackling of opponents receivers at the point of reception.
  • Special teams seemed to arrive in a normal length bus
  • It seemed to be real football...something I think I only saw on tv after I got home from Michigan games last year.

Looking ahead:

Notre Dame looked as good or better than us against arguably better talent.  This scares me because they also have a picture of Jesus on a wall that overlooks their field that likes to stick His nose into games now and then, and that's where this game will be played.

GO BLUE!