Previously: Rutgers Offense We're back for the defense half of FFFF, focusing on the side of the ball that our opponents for this weekend specialize in. Rutgers has started the season 3-0 largely on the back of its offense so it's time to ask: how scared should we be of Sir Henry's finest defenders this weekend? The Film: We're going with Virginia Tech again for reasons previously stated in the offense piece, recency and the likelihood that the Hokies are indeed better than Northwestern and Temple (not assured, but likely). Personnel: Don't get mad, Seth is testing the powers of the Michigan Cyan Circle Positive Jinx [click for big]: Rutgers' EDGEs are familiar to those who read this column last season, or Michigan recruiting news dating back four years. Old Friend Aaron Lewis is still around, his chops against the run still up for debate (they seemed fine in the game I charted) but his overall importance to this Rutgers defense is not. The one
Essentials WHAT #2 Michigan (3-0) vs Rutgers (3-0) WHERE Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI WHEN Noon Eastern THE LINE M –24 (Vegas) M -26 (Bill C) TELEVISION BTN PBP: Cory Provus Color: Jake Butt TICKETS From $94. WEATHER sunny minimal wind around 70 Overview Rutgers! We meet again. Hooray. The one unambiguously good thing about the Big Ten inflating to ludicrous proportions is that this annual "rivalry" is likely to get shelved for a while as the Big Ten ceases to schedule one of the least interesting games in college football. With the exception of a Brady Hoke pratfall, for years and years this game has been Rutgers trundling to 200 yards of offense one three-yard crossing route at a time as Michigan either blows the doors off (Ash era) or screws around with a Tecmo Bowl-level playbook waiting for Rutgers to self-immolate (Schiano era). This looks like more of the same. [AFTER THE JUMP: hope you like screens]
Interim coach David Braun has been the point man for Northwestern football since a hazing scandal led to a coaching change, investigations and multiple lawsuits.
Previously: Quarterback, Running Back, Receivers, Offensive Line The Enemy, Ranked now shifts to the defensive side of the ball as we break down Michigan's opponents for the 2023 season. Today we start in the trenches, looking at the opposing defensive lines. While perhaps not quite as grim as offensive line, I can't say I came away from this exercise terribly enthused by the opposing defensive lines. Yet again you can partly chalk that up to the schedule, avoiding Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa, but I also am not sure how great of a year for the B1G on the DL this is in general. Regardless, let's get going: 12. Bowling Green DE DT DT JACK Jordan Porter Anthony Hawkins Dontrez Brown Demetrius Hardamon Ali Saad Davonte Miles Billie Roberts Chasius Howell Today we start off with a tight battle for the bottom of the list between BGSU and the team just ahead of them, but I ultimately opted to go with the Falcons in 12th place. Bowling Green's DL last season w