The first (and only) two games of this series couldn't have been much different. The Wolverines won a 10-7 snoozer in 2002, a showdown that might have set the game back a few (dozen years). The 2008 meeting between the two, a 25-23 Utes win, was one of the more impressive games of the Rich Rodriguez era.

It was clear Rodriguez' 2008 Wolverines weren't your typical, talented Michigan team, but they played hard and had a chance to tie with a two-point conversion late in the game. That Utah team finished undefeated and beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, 31-17, and might have been the best team in the country that year.

Michigan - well, wasn't, finishing 3-9 and losing at home to Toledo (no, folks, that wasn't just a bad dream - though yes, it was a nightmare).

So there's plenty at stake in this first of a home and home - the series lead, and bragging rights for Utahans (Utah-ites? Utahganders?) Bryan Mone and Sione Houma on the Michigan roster. Those two yutes have been model citizens since they arrived on campus and deserve to go home for the holidays with fond memories of beating many of their friends head to head.

Oh, and a Ute?

That's an indigenous person of the Great Basin, now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah (3,500 members); Southern Ute in Colorado (1,500 members); and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico (2,000 members). The name of the state of Utah was derived from the name Ute, and the word Ute means "Land of the sun" in their language.

Congratulations to last week's winner. This week's gets a copy of the film "My Cousin Vinny" and Joe Pesci's scalp from the cinematic masterpiece (otherwise known as a hairpiece).

This week's picks:

Chris Balas: Back and forth we go … tough, since newsletter picks are due Wednesday, and gut feelings can change in two days, depending on what you eat. For consistency's sake, we'll stick with the Wolverines in a thriller, playing at home being the difference.

You can take this one to the bank - but only if you realize it could well be just an IOU when you open the envelope, especially if receiver Devin Funchess and/or any of the other "will he or won't he play" party sits this one out. Michigan 27, Utah 24

John Borton: Look, nobody's coming into Michigan Stadium and winning with a 6-7 quarterback. First off, he's going to be flinching at all the flyovers. Second, there's no Oregon-like crown on the field, and thus no leverage advantage. And most importantly, the bigger they are… Michigan 35, Utah 31

Michael Spath: Space reserved for Mike's return from medical leave.

Tim Sullivan: Michigan's offense, for the first time in nearly two years, appears to be a fully functional unit. The struggles, rather than metastasizing throughout that side of the ball, seem to be focused on downs when the Wolverines face pressure up front.

That's Utah's specialty, unfortunately, and the mistake-prone Wolverines haven't yet shown they can overcome that. The teams match up evenly on a talent basis, but the Utes play a cleaner game and get the win. Utah 31, Michigan 27

Brandon Brown: Michigan is on thin ice right now. Two wins over cupcakes and an embarrassing loss to a Notre Dame team that doesn't look like a world-beater. Utah comes in confident and expecting to win in The Big House. Utah can score points, and Michigan hasn't shown it can unless it's against Miami (Ohio) or Appalachian State. The Wolverines' defense has done well so far, and it will have to again on Saturday. The thought here is that the offense will not be able to match the production of the Utes. Utah 30, Michigan 20

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