Game Time: Eastern Michigan

Yawn (I hope).

When:  Saturday, September 17, 2011 - Noon pm ET

Where:  Ann Arbor, Michigan

Spread:  Michigan -28.5

TV:  BTN

You'll be Listening to:  Tom Hart, Derek Rackley, Lisa Byington

Weather: Partly Cloudy, High of 67.  62 and Sunny at kickoff.  Chance of rain = 10%

 What to look for


Well this probably falls under listen instead of look, but you're going to hear/see an assload about Ron English and especially one Michael Hart.  If you are not familiar with these gentlemen, then go the hell away.  Seriously.  GTFO.  Some people took what Hart said this week as blasphemy but get a hold of yourselves.  He coaches for Eastern, what do you expect him to say?  Go Blue, I hope you guys kick the crap out of us?  That's stupid and if that's what you thought, then so are you.

Michigan is going to run the ball 6,741 times.  Or something close to that.  This will be boring to watch unless you are looking for OL tweakage and trying out this and that.  You will see more Michigan players in this game than any other by a long shot.  Both freshman backs will play.  Mealer, Khoury, and Schofield all see significant time.  Everyone on the two-deep plays on defense, plus some.

What will happen
Eastern is going to come out all excited and revved up and Lou Holtz will probably slobber something about a hangover, but the fact of the matter remains that although Eastern may be 2-0 for the first time since the Paleolithic Era, they are still Eastern.  Michigan will run the ball with back after back and do it effectively.  Denard will not run the ball more than five times in this game (designed runs) and we will see DG early in the third quarter. 

Defensively, Mattison will stay in base almost exclusively and preach fundamentals on the sideline.  This is almost like a live scrimmage against the JV for his purposes.  He will not pressure much and I fully expect that he has told his front four that they are responsible for any and all pressure on the QB this week.  It's put up or shut up for those guys and this is a full dress rehearsal for every one of their jobs IMO.  Attention Craig Roh:  you are overdue son.

This will be a boring game to watch outside of a few big runs and I expect the run to pass ratio to be in the neighborhood of three to one.  This doesn't help a glaring need for Denard to throw the ball against a live defense, but Brady and company aren't going to even flirt with embarrassing all the former Wolverines that litter the Eagle coaching staff.

Completely baseless prediction

• Yes, you will finally get to sink your eyeballs into Thomas Rawls, and you will realize he is a freshman
• Justice Hayes also makes an appearance, but at slot not RB (mostly)
• As stated earlier, Denard has five or less designed runs
• Special Teams makes a big play (no I don't mean a FG)
• Okay, also a FG
• Going out on a limb:  Ricardo Miller scores a TD
• Michigan 41, Eastern 10 (no pressure since I actually nailed it last week!)