Michigan 42, Northwestern 24

Michigan 42, Northwestern 24. Make no mistake, that was the biggest win for Michigan football since Lloyd's finale against Tebow. Better Michigan teams have lost to worse Northwestern teams. In fact, the first half looked like vintage Lloyd Carr Michigan, with a defense clueless to stop the Wildcats spread offense. It looked like Ron English or Jim Herrmann or one of RichRod's clowns was running the D. BUT in the second, Mattison got his defense to pitch a shutout. That never happened under RichRod, and alnost never happened under Lloyd.

So I have to say Brady Hoke has turned out better than I thought he would. I figured this Michigan team would win 5 games MAX. Now they have six, with winnable games against Purdue and Ohio State at home. Coach Hoke has not been the stumblebum joke I thought he would be. He brought in Mattison, and there has been steady improvement in the defense. It's still a defense with holes, but at least now the defense plays for 60 minutes, and doesn't give up multiple huge plays every game. And the offense has been better than I thought it would be. Borges has done a good job with Robinson, he's been more flexible than RichRod was in his first year with an ill-fitting QB.

As for Robinson, you have to give the kid credit. He sucked in the first half, with three terrible INTs. He once again looked AWFUL trying to masquerade as a pocket passer. But the kid never quits, never seems to doubt himself. He came out in the second half and made the few throws he needed to make, and Michigan rolled all over NW 28 - 0 in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Once again, I give Michigan almost no chance to win next week. Michigan State will test Michigan with their run game. It's been mediocre at best, this year, but they have big backs and will try to pound Michigan. Michigan State's defense has been pretty good, and they'll definitely stack the box and make Robinson beat them in the air. No way Michigan can beat State if Robinson throws another 3 INTs. But, we'll see. So far this Michigan team has exceeded my expectations. If they do it again against State, I'll starting drinking the Hoke kool-aid.

Other Games:

Nebraska 34, Ohio State 27.  Ha ha ha, , ,the Buckeye's defense cracked. . .they couldn't deal with the injury to Miller.  Seeing 45 yr old, 10th yr senior Joe Bauserman have to come in at QB was the straw that broke the Buckeyes' back. . .the defense collapsed, and OSU gave Nebraska its biggest comeback win in school history.  Poor Luke Fickell. . .he has to ride out the season, week after week, knowing he has ZERO chance at keeping his job.  He's just there to mop up the mess for Urban Meyer.  Fickell was put in an almost impossible situation, and he's lived down to the challenge.  Now the best he can hope for is to guide the Buckeyes to a fleabag bowl, and then polish up his resume and hope he lands a coordinator's job at a power conference school.  I tell you this, Michigan had better beat this sorry ass Buckeye team.

Georgia 20, Tennessee 12.  Does not seem like this was the most exciting game of the week.  But I point out the score because earlier in the week I said bet the house on Georgia.  I pat myself on the back for that one.  Tennessee 23 carries for -20 yards. . .ha ha ha. . .minus 1 yard and a cloud of pus.

Oklahoma 55, Texas 17: Big Deal.  Texas was puffed up on a crap schedule, and so they rolled over for the Sooners.  But the Sooners are still a soft team that would get crushed in a title game against Alabama or LSU.  Here's the proof they are soft: in a 55 - 17 game, they throw the ball 52 times, and run it 19.  Ain't gonna work outside the finesse Big Whatever It Was conference.