SMU hasn't been the same since the NCAA came down hard on the Pony Express of the 1980s. Eric Dickerson, Craig James and Co. are now just a footnote, pieces of one of the dirtiest programs ever (caught).
Yes, the NCAA likes to make examples of the programs that have the audacity to try and join the wild eyed Southern Boys club. Meanwhile, it's business as usual for the roguest of the rogue.
So the remnants of the SMU program make their way to Ann Arbor this weekend, and we expect the Mustangs to fare something like this:
The modern day Dickerson and James, in fact, might have as much success as SMU's offense will Saturday against Michigan's defense.
Congratulations to last week's winner. This week's receives two tickets to the Detroit Lions home game of his choice and a paper bag to go with it (eyeholes not included).
The picks:
CHRIS BALAS: Broncos, Mustangs ... it's all the same. Michigan 51, SMU 3
JOHN BORTON: SMU once suffered the death penalty in football. But as Billy Crystal’s Miracle Max once brilliantly stated: “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. All dead, well, there’s usually only one thing that you can do … go through his clothes and look for loose change.”
The Mustangs can keep their nickels and dimes. They’ll only be mostly dead on Saturday. Michigan 55, SMU 6
BRANDON BROWN: Michigan is far more talented than SMU and it should play out that way on the field. I envision another big day on the ground and another solid outing from Shea Patterson. Michigan should win by a lot. Michigan 54, SMU 10
AUSTIN FOX: Michigan’s offense finally showed some improvement last Saturday against WMU, and yes, some will say ‘it’s only Western,’ but the Wolverines were not posting that many points on the bad teams they played last year.
Continuing to improve on that side of the ball will be key once again this weekend against the Mustangs, as will getting the backups (Jalen Mayfield and James Hudson) some valuable playing time.
SMU is the worst team Michigan will face all year, and the Wolverines will dominate them in every facet. This one will be over midway through the second quarter. Michigan 45, SMU 7
DREW HALLETT: The Sonny Dykes era at SMU has had a rough start, losing each of its first three games by a combined score of 139-45, and it will only get rougher on Saturday. Dykes has branded himself as a pass-happy guru who needs his electric offenses to carry his sub-par defenses. However, his offense has been anything but electric at SMU thus far, ranking last nationally in success rate and 124th in explosiveness (out of 130 teams), and the Mustangs are about to face one of the best defenses in the country, one that has an extremely talented cornerback unit.
I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but Michigan is about to do the same. The Wolverines roll like they did last week vs. Western Michigan, except they pitch the shutout. Michigan 48, SMU 0
ADAM GHABOUR: The defense holds SMU scoreless in second half. Michigan 42, SMU 10
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