The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/201975
Ranking The Contenders Legends 1. Michigan State (7-1 projected finish): Welcoming Michigan to East Lansing, the Spartans will get away with their physical play defensively, avoiding the pass-interference penalties that cost State in its only loss, to Notre Dame. MSU beats the Maize and Blue, and can snuff out Northwestern's finesse offense. Michigan State loses to Nebraska but finishes as the only one-loss team in the Legends. T2. Michigan (5-3): The loss to Penn State will certainly leave Michigan playing the what-if game while November rolls on, and a defeat to MSU puts the Wolverines in a dire predicament. U-M just isn't physical enough on either side of the ball to match the Spartans. The Maize and Blue will lick their wounds to win three in a row, but can't match the Buckeyes score for score, and will lose 35-31 to Ohio State. T2. Nebraska (5-3): The Cornhuskers do not have an easy road in November, with matchups at Michigan and Penn State, and home against MSU and Iowa. Their offense gives them enough firepower to best the Spartans and Hawkeyes, but their suspect defense cannot do enough to slow down the Wolverines and Nittany Lions. NU goes 2-2 in its next four, and falls short of playing for the Big Ten title. T4. Iowa (3-5): The Hawkeyes have played better than preseason expectations, but they fell to the two best teams on their schedule so far — MSU and OSU — and outside of Purdue, will face three more teams in Wisconsin, Michigan and Nebraska that are better than Iowa. The Hawkeyes put up a fight but ultimately lose all three. T4. Minnesota (3-5): The Gophers took advantage of the mentally- and physically-crippled Wildcats — QB Kain Colter and tailback Venric Mark missed the game — to beat Northwestern, and then rode the momentum to a win over Nebraska. The Maroon and Gold won't be able to match Indiana's or Wisconsin's offense, but should have a shot against Penn State. 5. Northwestern (1-7): After an emotionally-draining 40-30 loss to Ohio State Oct. 5, Northwestern fell off a cliff, losing 35-6 to Wisconsin, 20-17 to Minnesota and 17-10 to Iowa, and even with Colter back from injury, the Wildcats are in trouble. They have a daunting schedule that includes Nebraska, Michigan and Michigan State, and won't win one of those. Northwestern faces the very real danger of missing a bowl after starting the year 4-0. Leaders 1. Ohio State (8-0): Now that they've defeated Wisconsin, Northwestern, Iowa and Penn State, it's smooth sailing for the Buckeyes; Ohio State