GREETINGS FRIENDS! For the second year in a row, there is cause to reconvene the Council of Stupid Analogies. There is more football to be played. Real, meaningful football. Also we couldn’t not talk about Michigan State losing to Indiana. So, one last time this year, let us watch the opponents. About Last Week 17 million people. The Game made H I S T O R Y this year with 17 million viewers 🔥@UMichFootball x @OhioStateFB | @FOXSportsPR pic.twitter.com/KDxV487u6s FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 28, 2022 That is so many people. SO MANY PEOPLE saw that, you guys. That’s like 5% of the population of the United States. Two decades worth of home crowds at the Horseshoe. The entire nation of the Netherlands. That’s what you wanted, right? After last year’s drubbing in Ann Arbor, you insisted that everyone come and watch this. Michigan sucker-punched you on the road in a generational blizzard when you were practically bedridden of mega-flu. And then, to compound matters,
Well, friends, we have once again reached the end of our stupid journey together. Michigan football plays on, as do the titular Opponents, but per tradition there is no Thanksgiving Opponent Watch, so this week marks the end of the regular season. If the winds are kind and the Gods are merciful, we may come together in a couple of weeks. If not, take care of yourselves. As always, you can find me at @pontifex on Twitter until Twitter dies in a few weeks, after which you can just open your doors and shout my name loudly in the general direction of Nashville. About Last Week It’s sometimes easy to forget that the players we cheer for and against every week are real people. Maybe its because they are such astounding athletes that seem almost superhuman compared to us mere mortals. Maybe it’s because we typically only see them either on television or in front of enormous crowds, with their every movement at the center of attention for millions of people. Maybe it’s because
About Last Week Not all All Americans are built the same. [h/t Mr. Elbel] The Road Ahead Indiana (3-2, 1-1 B1G) Last week: Lost at Nebraska, 35-21 Recap: So, a quick peek behind the curtain here at Opponent Watch Headquarters and Bait Shop. I have a template I start from, and when I write this dumb word pile every week, the first thing I typically do is to go down the list and fill in the current team records, last week’s result, and this week’s opponents. This week, when I scrolled back up to start writing, I saw “Indiana (3-2, 1-1 B1G)” and I immediately clicked on it to correct it. But when I checked the ESPN standings again, sure enough, Indiana is 3-2 and 1-1. But hoooooo lordy does this not feel like a 3-2 and 1-1 team. Everything Indiana is doing right now looks hard. They rushed for 67 yards at 2.9 yards per carry against a Nebraska defense that had been surrendering an average of 234 yards per game at 5.7 YPC. In their three Power 5 games, Indiana has rushed for a TOTA