The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/362774
MICHIGAN FOOTBALL may not view it as important of a game at this point as Michigan State because of what happened in Indianapolis last year [MSU beat OSU in the Big Ten title game], going to the Rose Bowl — all these things that Ohio State expected to have happen last year." While he agrees the Spartans have become a critical foe for the Maize and Blue, TheWolverine.com analyst Doug Skene does not believe it is time to de- value the Ohio State matchup. "You always have to come back to Ohio State because I think if you say Michi- gan State is the top priority, are we throwing in the towel now, that we can't beat Ohio State? Are we saying we should have no expectation that we can go down to Columbus and win?" he said. "It's clear that because Michigan State's program has ascended to the top of the league, they are right up there now with the most important games, but I don't think you can say they're more important than Ohio State." REVENGE Not every player on the current Michigan team remembers when U-M last played Appalachian State. In fact, most of them weren't even teenagers back in 2007. Senior defensive end Brennen Beyer, on the other hand, was a 14-year old high school freshman and was in attendance for the fateful upset loss to the Mountaineers. "The field goal at the end … just shaking my head, knowing we lost that game. It was a bad feeling," said the Plymouth, Mich., native, who watched with dismay when Wolverine Jason Gingell's game-winning 37-yard field goal was blocked as time expired. "I understand where both teams are coming from, how people see this game." PLAYING THROUGH PAIN Redshirt junior cornerback Blake Countess was a first-team All-Big Ten per- former in 2013 despite playing through a sometimes-painful abdominal injury that required offseason surgery. "I played through it," said Countess, who led the Big Ten with six interceptions. "It limited my movement, speed, things like that. Not anything you guys [in the media] could have recognized, but I didn't feel like myself completely on game days or through the week practicing. "I had a decent season last year, but it was definitely something I was voicing to my coaches and my trainers. We dealt with it and we're moving forward now." Countess underwent surgery in May, but said he was 100 percent when pre- season practice opened Aug. 4. "I recovered fine," he said, before joking, "I don't know if I feel superhuman, but I definitely feel better, feel healthy."