AND THE SEASON IS UNDERWAY...

[warrriorsfan808]

Hardly toast, but they were not prepared and frankly Michigan State, other than Bell, did not look that hot. Missed assignments, unsure of what was going on. Southwick has very little field savvy. I think both teams will have mediocre seasons. Really disappointed in the confusion on Boise States player's part.

Tough game, hopefully the Broncos look better next week.

[Eric]

Well they were toast when I wrote that when Bell was running the clock out. I agree that Michigan State didn't look good either. The good thing for both teams is that MSU gets Central next week which should be a walk in the park judging by their game Thursday and Boise State gets a bye to analyze what just happened and a tune-up against Miami OH before they take on BYU.

[Eric]

That analysis sounds about right to me. Denard Robinson isn't very durable. If you noticed last year, they really limited his carries compared to 2010 when RichRod let Denard run wild. The result RichRod got was Denard Robinson leaving almost every single game at some point. The result Hoke got was more interceptions and poor performances in the passing game. So if they try to let Denard run wild he's going to get killed against Alabama. If they let him throw against that defense, Denard is going to get picked off at least twice. If they try to run it with their backup RB, he's going to get stuffed.

So, in a nutshell, there is no way Michigan is going to successfully move the ball against Alabama, even with a green defense. It's not going to happen. I do think Alabama will win about 27-7 or something like that. Alabama will be fine offensively, but I think Michigan's defense will come into the game being disrespected.

[Vileborg]

Boise St. looked like a team with a new quarterback. Part of the reason they looked bad was MSU's defense. I think MSU's defense and their running back will carry them a pretty good distance, but for them to be even a conference contender, he is going to need help.

Neither team looked good. Both teams stock is dropping in my mind.


As for Michigan, I think the team is heading in the right direction but I don't think it's on the same level as Alabama yet. Top 10 team for sure but not top 3 based on last year. I would not be surprised to see them win and be happy for them to prove me wrong. Go Blue!

[Eric]

I hope they prove me wrong too. I think I've been very realistic about Michigan the past few seasons, maybe even more pessimistic than is warranted. But, it'll be fun to get the season underway

[Cane from the Bend]

Also, most confusing game of the night goes to Florida Atlantic / Wagner. Wagner is a team with a losing record in 2011 in an FCS conference that is considered one of the lesser conferences in the FCS and they were winning 3-0 until early in the 4th quarter. Florida Atlantic is really going to struggle. And I agree that EWU / Idaho and McNeese / MTSU weren't upsets at all. Eastern Washington just outclassed Idaho and would be the second-best team in the WAC behind Louisiana Tech.

Man, is that ever spot on.

Eastern Washington controlled every aspect of their game with Idaho.

I felt bad for the Vandals. I was rooting for them to just get one more score, so they didn't look completely irrelevant.

When they started to move the ball some on that last drive . . . it was almost like watching the little engine that could . . . until they threw an interception.

.

.

.

[Spence]

I think both teams were suffering from replacing too many key players. I though defensively Msu played well. I also though BSU's special teams played pretty well. Props to. Oth teams for opening up their schedule with a major test. Not many teams do that.

[donovan]

Teams that consistently win year after year do a couple of things that teams that do not win consistently don't do. First is that do not have rebuilding years, they just reload their players. Secondly they play in a venue that is equal to their competitive level. They do not have illusions of grandeur; and even it they do have those illusions, they may not be as good as they think, but they are still playing in an arena of their equals.

Boise State, it appears to me, has been beguiled into believing they could not prepare their second and third tier players for the time they needed to be used. If the players they have are indeed the best they could have gotten, then it is a break down of coaching. If they did not recruit well in the past, then they have fallen into the abyss. (No one loss does not mean much, but this has been coming ever since they dreamed a dream that was not real, and more important, even necessary.)

The have a program that is now without overall direction. What league should they be playing in, or what one are they going to play in. They cast away their traditional rivalries because they no longer needed those that got them to where they are. Arrogance and program superiority makes us take actions we should not take.

Last night we saw evidence of a team that did not know where they were to be on the field. The were like a pinball machine without flippers; bouncing around and not even a chance to stay in there. Had Michigan State not been in a similar situation they score would have approached the national debt.

There are schools that will find themselves in tough shape for a couple of years, for reasons they have caused, but the ones running the program are not responsible, eg Ohio State, Penn State, Arkansas. May not happen this year, but that void will be there. Boise State caused their program because of Athletic Greed and the ones running the program are the ones responsible.

It is never to late to change, I hope they do, but they will take real leadership and guts and frankly, save for Coach Petersen, I don't think they will stand a chance. They fired Blaymir, the guy, however unlikable he was, that got them where they are because he did not believe they should try to be more than they were and suffer failure. (San Jose State who is going to the Moutain West will be where to put future money, that is where he went.) Well......

PS. Boise States play calling. Right out of PS 47 Middle school play book. And they couldn't even run those right.

[Brian Roastbeef]

I think if Robinson is on his game, they could go into the half tied, then 'Bama comes out and takes control in the 3rd quarter, finishes maybe 31-20. If Robinson gets pressured early, then he'll probably throw a crapton of picks and it's a blowout. The guy is just so inconsistent. He might have what it takes to hit the weak spots in the Alabama D, at least for a little while. It just depends on if you've caught him on a good day.

[armchairqb]

What do you think happens in the Alabama-Michigan game? I mean a good honest prediction. The guys over at the collegefootballextreme.com podcast say that D. Robinson is going to get knocked out of the game.

I think it will be something like 17-7 at the half in Alabama's favor. Then, Saban will go on a rant and tear the Tide players a new one in the locker room at the half. They will come out on fire, well semi-on fire and win.

Alabama 34 Michigan 14 or something like that.

If D. Robinson has a chance for a great rushing performance, it's been the first half of the season, historically. This isn't UMass or BG, but I figure 20 carries/95 yards/1TD.

Brady Hoke was able to get a lot more than I expected out of RichRod's players in 2011. I figured they would've ended up 9-4/8-5. That defense was awful in 2010.

Can Hoke get his team to play to the fullest of their potential against Bama tonight? Of course he could. Will it result in a Michigan win? Possibly, but I'll stick with Bama. This would be "ten yards and a cloud of dust matchup". First half: Mich 7, Bama 7. Final: Bama 21, Mich 17.

[Grayghost]

And another school bites the FCS dust as Pitt falls to Youngstown St. Could be a few more of these before the day ends. I'm looking at you Ole Miss, Wake, Memphis, and Kansas St. I would have put Arkansas on this list a little earlier, but they seem to have pulled their heads out.

[donovan]

...representing a school that is like a drowning rat in a storm tossed sea....would be remiss is I did not congratulate my close friend and confidant, Mr. Billy Bud on FSU's impressive victory over Murray H. S.

[WoVeU]

...representing a school that is like a drowning rat in a storm tossed sea....would be remiss is I did not congratulate my close friend and confidant, Mr. Billy Bud on FSU's impressive victory over Murray H. S.

[WoVeU]

UT-San Antonio will have to wait until Sat. GO ROADRUNNERS!!!!!!!!!!!

My alma mater. And this year my son is a freshman there! Life sure has a way of taking you places you never thought you'd go...at a rate you could never even think was possible!