TheWolverine.com - Staff Predictions: Michigan at Iowa

October 9, 2009

Chris Balas
TheWolverine.com Senior Editor

With one road opportunity missed, an even tougher one presents itself Saturday night in the land of pork, corn and pink locker rooms. Michigan could establish itself as a Big Ten contender with a win over the Hawkeyes, but will need more than Tate Forcier on offense.

Receivers not refusing to catch balls would help ? more than a handful of yards rushing from senior running back Brandon Minor also wouldn't hurt.

But what to do about the pink locker room? This is where things get interesting ?

Head coach Rich Rodriguez nixed former coach Bo Schembechler's idea of plastering the walls with copies of The Wolverine (shameless plug). Instead, it turns out the all-white uniforms for Iowa talk was just a ploy, and the Wolverines will actually wear all pink, right down to the skivvies (roses go in the front, big guys).

The hope is that it takes the Hawkeyes a half to recover from the shock and allows the Wolverines a chance to get out to an early lead in a hostile environment (and for adidas, that it will appeal to a whole new, yet untapped and more sensitive audience of shoppers).

Meanwhile, in East Lansing (following an exchange between head coach Mark Dantonio and WJR's Paul W. Smith in which Dantonio ? well, embarrassed himself again, noting there was too much focus on Michigan following the Wolverines' loss to the Spartans last week in spite of his team's 2-3 record), a letter writing campaign has begun to get the "Michigan" out of Michigan State.

We hear Dantonio was back on WJR to talk about it with Smith on a segment that wasn't aired but went something like this:

Smith: "Back here with Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio ?"

Dantonio: "STOP RIGHT THERE! I told you never to use that word with me again!"

Smith: "Huh? What word? Dantonio?"

Dantonio: "No, one of the ones before it.

Smith: "Mark?"

Dantonio: "RIGHT BACK AT YOU PAL! I mean ? no no no ? four before that, right after 'with.'"

Smith: "Oh. Uh ? okay. MSU head coach Mark Dantonio?"

Dantonio: "I don't like what you're insinuating with the 'M.' Let's just use 'State.'"

Smith: "You want me to use Drew Stanton's 'University of Puke' line, too?'"

Dantonio: "Acceptable."

Not important who won staff picks last week ? just important that those who lost understand they are inferior. This week's winner receives Kirk Ferentz's new book, "Just Win: How to Make a Scandal Disappear" and two tickets to paradise (a.k.a. Dubuque).

This week's picks:

Chris Balas: Concede nothing and hope for a solid performance from the offensive line, some big plays from the big play makers and a little bit of luck. Iowa's offense is about as exciting as watching a combine in a cornfield for three and a half hours ? but it can be just as effective if you don't get it off the field.

Iowa 27, Michigan 16

John Borton: Michigan managed to make a mediocre Michigan State defense look staunch for roughly 55 minutes a week ago. This time, the Wolverines run head first into the real thing. Some of the road nerves will be gone, and Iowa doesn't score enough to blow anybody out. With game-time temperatures assuring frost on the cornfields, there's a frozen kernel of hope that Michigan has a Notre Dame moment. More likely, cold reality strikes.

Iowa 24, Michigan 17

Michael Spath: Rumors of Michigan wearing all-white uniforms Saturday have been consistently denied (yet they don't go away), and frankly it's something I'd rather not see. In fact, it's one of my top five things I'd rather not see, which also include:

2.) John Borton wearing John Stockton-like gym shorts (thankfully when we hit the gym on our annual trip to Chicago for Big Ten Media Day, JB sports sweatpants).

3.) Josh Helmholdt's Grand Valley State highlight film returning kickoffs (so many muffed balls would become painful to watch).

4.) Matt Pargoff dressed as an Oompa Loompa on Halloween singing and scaring off children that arrive at his front door for candy (the poor kids).

5.) Chris Balas behind the desk at The Weather Channel (insert your own joke here since mine are lame).

Michigan 24, Iowa 17

Josh Helmholdt: "There has been a strong lobby from all corners of the Michigan Football Kingdom for me to pick against the Wolverines in every game this season. Apparently casting my lots with Western Michigan and Notre Dame the first two weeks of the season were seen as one of the keys to victory... (for what it is worth, I am 3-2 against the spread this fall). So, to appease all my many... um... fans, I will honor the incessant requests.

Iowa 32, Michigan 23

Matt Pargoff: I had originally picked Michigan to win all of its home games this season and lose all of its away games. Of course, that was before the Sparties lost to Central and Illinois' tremendous collection of offensive players all decided to stink.

While losing to Illinois wouldn't look pretty at this point, I'm going back to my original prediction of home success and road woes. Iowa is arguably Michigan's toughest game this season. Playing a good, fundamentally sound defense on the road at night - it will be close, but the Wolverines fall for the second week in a row.

Iowa 20, Michigan 17

Jonathan Chait: Getting hit by bigger players is never all that much fun. It's a lot less fun in extremely cold weather. Tate Forcier is all kinds of gutsy, but if he pulls this one out, we might as well hand him four Heisman Trophies right now. Oh, and maybe a Nobel Peace Prize while we're at it.

Iowa 31, Michigan 20

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