Staff Predictions: Michigan Wolverines Football vs. Washington
It's Week Two in college football (which means we're only a week away from Michigan's season already being a quarter of the way over — yes, that's how we think), and the Wolverines are coming off a big win, about to face an opponent that's just been kicked in the proverbial ... uh, junk.
What could possibly go wrong?
A game once viewed as a toss-up game, at least in betting circles, has swung decidedly in U-M's favor. Michigan is now a seven-point favorite over Washington after its dismantling of Western Michigan, 47-14, and the Huskies' stunning, 13-7 home loss to Montana.
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That's got a portion of the fan base giddy that Saturday's game might not be the primetime slugfest many expected.
But you really can't tell a lot after one game, as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said recently. It's the second game, he noted, when you really learn a lot about your team, especially when you're facing much bigger, better athletes like the Wolverines will Saturday night.
“[Our players] have heard from friends, because they’ve told me — that Washington considers Michigan like their biggest game," Harbaugh said. "They’ve been preparing for it all camp. They’ve been preparing for it all summer. That’s the one that they had circled. That comes from guys on our team that know other guys that they know.
“I think they realize, like a lot of teams, that happens here. That game last week isn’t indicative of the type of team Washington is, or how they prepare for the Michigan Wolverines."
Just a few second games after impressive openers come to mind off the top of our heads:
1984 — Washington 20, Michigan 11: The Wolverines upset No. 1 Miami and Bernie Kosar, picking off six passes, while the Huskies managed a 26-0 victory over Northwestern in their opener. U-M, behind Jim Harbaugh at quarterback, didn't score its first touchdown until the end of the game in a game the Huskies thoroughly dominated.
1993 — Notre Dame 27, Michigan 23: Northwestern gave the Irish all they could handle in week one while U-M hammered Washington State, 41-14. Notre Dame dominated most of the game and came out with what was considered a big upset win.
2005 — Notre Dame 17, Michigan 10: The Wolverines and Fighting Irish both looked sluggish in week one, but Michigan was terrible in its second game, managing only 10 points in an upset loss.
2020 — MSU 27, Michigan 24: The Spartans looked awful in turning the ball over seven times and losing at home to Rutgers, while Michigan pounded Minnesota on the road. U-M failed to show up (including a few of its stars, who opted out of the season) and sleepwalked through a stunning defeat.
So ... yeah. We still have plenty to learn about this group, including how it will deal with adversity. That's when you really find out what your team is made of, and while everything looks a lot better than last season, there's still a lot we don't know.
One thing we do know ... despite picking the winner, our Doug Skene was last week's staff predictions loser, predicting Michigan to win only 24-20 against Western. Skene spent every morning this week at 6 a.m. running the Michigan Stadium steps as punishment, but ol' 'Double Down' apparently didn't learn his lesson (you'll see what we mean).
This weeks' winner gets one of Skene's five Big Ten championship rings and the right to improve their lies on the golf course while playing against him whenever they see fit.
The picks:
CHRIS BALAS: This one is going to be a dogfight. There was a lot to like in the Wolverines' opener, but it's about match-ups. We expect Washington's lines to give U-M trouble ... but Michigan finds a way in an ugly one. MICHIGAN 24, WASHINGTON 20
JOHN BORTON: Losing to Montana in your opener doesn’t doom you to 0-2. Throwing three interceptions while rushing for 65 yards would. Washington comes into Michigan Stadium bolstered by an angry desperation, but will discover a team still working out the sting from last year’s pratfall — and with better weapons. MICHIGAN 27, WASHINGTON 17
CLAYTON SAYFIE: Will Michigan get a motivated Washington team that shows up angry and ready to prove last week was a fluke, or a banged up crew that has beaten itself up all week after the embarrassment? That remains to be seen, but you'd certainly rather be in Michigan's spot rather than Washington's heading into Saturday.
We expect a low-scoring affair, given that the Huskies haven't yielded more than 35 points in 66 straight games, the longest such streak in the nation, and that their offense struggled (to put it nicely) against Montana.The Wolverines are the better team, and an electric atmosphere at The Big House will be an added bonus. MICHIGAN 28, WASHINGTON 20
DOUG SKENE: Michigan will try to establish its power run game on a more athletic defensive front. Look for the Huskies to force U-M to pass the ball more and test the quarterback and the wide receivers.
The Washington offense is a big of a mystery, but one thing for sure — this will be a desperate team playing for the life of its season. WASHINGTON 27, MICHIGAN 24
DOUG KARSCH: Washington's defense is not the reason the Huskies lost to Montana. The Huskies D held Montana's offense without a first down for the equivalent of three quarters of football before a late game collapse. The Huskies offense blew multiple opportunities early to put this game out of reach with a sack that took them out of FG range and NOT scoring TWICE when taking over in Montana territory.
Suffice it to say, they are not likely to gift Michigan this game the way they did last week. It will be a fight. Michigan prevails ... MICHIGAN 24, WASHINGTON 20
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