Little Brother Scale after Week 2

Week 2 of the college football season was an opportunity for progress for both Michigan and Michigan State.

The Spartans were hoping to see improvement in their offense against a weak Central Michigan defense while Michigan was hoping to make strides on both sides of the ball against Air Force.

Michigan seemed to find its offense last week, racking up 422 yards. Denard Robinson looked like the Denard Robinson we know, as he rushed for 218 yards and threw for 208 with four total touchdowns.

Wolverine fans should feel better knowing that Michigan should be able to move the ball going forward. There aren’t many defenses like Alabama’s in the Big Ten.

What does have to concern Michigan fans is that Air Force put up 25 points and 417 yards on the Wolverines. Only three times last year did a team put up 25 points or more against Michigan and now that has already happened twice in two games.

The loss up front from last season has clearly been an issue for Michigan. The Wolverines need to be able to rely on their defense in close games and I don’t think that is something they can do right now. As we know, Michigan’s offense is still limited when facing a fast and physical defense. The Wolverines still have a few of those defenses on the schedule, so the Michigan defense will need to step up in those games. Playing UMass this week should help create some confidence on the defensive side of the ball.

For MSU, the Spartans dominated Central Michigan and didn’t allow a touchdown on defense for the second straight contest.

It appears the Spartans’ defense is as good as advertised, but this week against Notre Dame will really tell us if the Spartans have a top 5 defense.

Andrew Maxwell and the young MSU receivers made improvements against the Chippewas as well, but it appears that the Spartans have a simple formula for success.

MSU will use its defense to keep the score low, manage the game offensively with a steady diet of Le’Veon Bell, and put Maxwell in low-stress situations where he can succeed and not cost Michigan State the game.

Right now, MSU is much better built to play its style of football than Michigan is to play its style.

For that reason, Michigan fans have to be growing more concerned about Oct. 20, and I see the Spartans taking another slight step up in the Little Brother Scale

LITTLE BROTHER SCALE: MSU 17¾, Michigan 14¼ 

Thoughts on Michigan's loss to Alabama

Alright, it wasn’t pretty.

There isn’t much positive to say about Michigan’s loss to Alabama.

But, all is not lost.

The Crimson Tide would embarrass 99% of the teams in college football. They are just on another level right now.

Regardless, here are three things that stand out from the game.

The Michigan Defense was exposed

Again, I will temper my argument here a little bit, as Alabama has arguably the best offensive line in the country and their sixth string running back could be an All American anywhere else. However, I still expected more from Michigan on defense. I thought the Wolverines would really make it tough for Alabama to move down the field. Michigan showed up on the opening possession, but then got out-muscled the rest of the way. We all knew the defensive line had some question marks, but that has to be a concern going forward.

Toussaint, Clark would have made no difference

The 1997 Michigan team could have been on the field tonight and lost, Alabama is that strong. Toussaint may have made Michigan more dynamic on offense, but he certainly wasn’t going to make up for 27 points. I think had Michigan had Toussaint, Denard Robinson would have been used differently and not been forced to be a pocket passer.

The world is not ending

The loss hurts. The injury to Blake Countess didn’t help either. But, in the end, the majority of the country expected Michigan to lose, and lose by a large margin. There really is nowhere for Michigan to go, but up. The Wolverines won’t face a tougher defense than it did on Saturday (sorry MSU fans) and they won’t face an offense that is stronger up front. This loss can show Michigan where it needs to improve and will make them a better team in the Big Ten. I don’t think this means Michigan can’t contend for the Big Ten title. It simply means that they can’t contend for a national title, which I didn’t think they would in the first place. The opening weekend was tough for a number of good teams, Michigan included. I still think there is a lot to figure out about the Wolverines.

Three Big Questions facing Michigan in 2012 season

Yesterday I looked at three questions I think Michigan State has facing it entering the 2012 college football season.

Today, I do the same for the Michigan Wolverines.

Expectations are high in Ann Arbor following an 11-2 record in Brady Hoke’s first season. With good reason, Michigan is hoping to end the losing streak to Michigan State and claim a Big Ten title in 2012. Here is what I think the Wolverines should have on their minds.

BIG QUESTION NO. 1 – How much as Denard Robinson improved as a passer?

It’s the same old question with Denard. He is clearly one of the biggest weapons in college football, but when he is relegated to being just a passer, he has struggled. His completion percentage, passing yards, and passing efficiency all declined from 2010 to 2011, and his interception total increased. In order for Michigan to really be a contender in the Big Ten and on the national scale, Robinson has to show he can lead the offense down the field with his arm. And I am not talking about a 60-yard bomb. He needs to be able to make the tough third-down passes that sustain drives and keep the Michigan defense off the field. In the two losses a year ago, that was an issue. He was just 9-of-24 passing in the loss at Michigan State and 17-of-37 passing in the loss at Iowa.

BIG QUESTION NO. 2 – Can the Michigan defense play like the 2011 unit?

A lot of talk is made about the Michigan State defense, with good reason, but the Michigan defense was arguably the most improved in the country in 2011. Under defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, the Wolverines improved from 35.2 points allowed per game in 2010 to just 17.4 in 2011. The Michigan pass defense also cut off over 70 yards per game from their average. This season, the Michigan defense looks very strong in the back seven, but the concern comes on the defensive line, where the Wolverines lack depth, especially at defensive end. Poor defensive line play can expose the linebackers and the secondary as well. In a physical league like the Big Ten, being weak up front can lead to a lot of problems. If the Michigan defense takes a step back, it will put more pressure on Robinson and the offense to get into shootouts like they had to in 2010.

BIG QUESTION NO. 3 – Is Brady Hoke as good as advertised?

You would have a hard time finding any Michigan fan that would have something bad to say about Brady Hoke. He says all the right things, he does all the right things and he wins. What’s not to like? But, though it may be a stretch, there is a school called Notre Dame that had the same feeling about their previous two coaches after their first years (Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis). That’s not to say it will all fall apart for Hoke, but it is still too early to say he is the savior of Michigan football. Recruiting has been very strong and the results of 2011 speak for themselves, but Hoke has to show that he can sustain that level of success in 2012. The Wolverines have a very tough schedule this year, right from the season opener with Alabama. Certainly Hoke needs to beat Michigan State in Ann Arbor this year as well. If Michigan gets to 9 wins or more, and contends in the Big Ten race, I would say the future is very bright for the Wolverines under Hoke.