Final thoughts from Week 10

It was an eventful day for football fans in the state of Michigan. Both Michigan and MSU had some interesting storylines come out of their games. Here are my final thoughts on the games.

Nebraska 28, Michigan State 24

I can’t tell you how upset I get when I hear about the refs “screwing” MSU on Saturday.

Was the pass interference call late in the game a bad one? I think so.

But, in no way can the whole game be blamed on that one call.

For one, Nebraska was still in field goal range to tie the game. Even without the penalty, the Cornhuskers were within reason to force overtime. Whose to say MSU would have won in OT?

Second, Michigan State had plenty of opportunities to close that game out and managed to not do it.

The most notable of those opportunities was on Darqueze Dennard’s interception of Taylor Martinez on the MSU 4-yard line that he returned for a touchdown. The score would have put the Spartans up 31-14 with 10:42 to play. Instead, the return was called back because of a personal foul hit by Johnny Adams on a Nebraska player.

Adams, who was completely out of the play at the time of the foul, lowered his shoulder into a Nebraska player and wiped him out. There was no need for the hit. It didn’t help Dennard or his team in any way. In fact, I’d argue the hit ultimately cost his team the game.

MSU’s offense sputtered from there and Nebraska came back on the next possession to score a touchdown and get back in the contest.

After the penalty, the MSU defense had multiple chances to close out the game, including a key fourth and short in Spartan territory, but they failed to make the stop.

Nebraska tallied 493 total yards in the win and Taylor Martinez rushed for 224 yards on his own.

The MSU defense failed to close out a game, which has been a problem in the past. The offense actually provided 24 points, which should have been enough to win this game.

After the game, I was disappointed to see the reaction of the players on Twitter. MSU has already had problems with players running their mouths on Twitter this season and tonight was no different. Here were a few choice cuts from running back Le’Veon Bell:

@L_Bell24: #ShoutOut to the refs...yall won the game tonight! Toughest team we played all year..”

@L_Bell24: We legitimately lost ONE game this year...and that was Notre Dame! The black & white team beat us 4 times

Bell removed the tweets afterward but the mindset of MSU blaming their losses on anyone but themselves is a disturbing trend this year and speaks to why the team is currently 5-5.

The Spartans need some accountability. Adams showed no accountability on the INT return and that led to a loss.

Bell is showing no accountability on Twitter and if the players carry this mindset the rest of the way, there will be more losses to come.

Michigan 35, Minnesota 13

Michigan had to feel like Saturday was a double victory.

The Wolverines not only won on the football field, but they won with the relief of knowing they have a quarterback they can turn to next season.

I’m sure Michigan fans were pretty nervous when they found out Denard Robinson wasn’t playing, and the first quarter didn’t do much to settle those nerves, but Devin Gardner settled in nicely and made some great plays with his arm and his feet to lead the offense to a victory.

His ability to buy some time on his 45-yard touchdown pass to Drew Dileo for Michigan’s first score seemed to spark the offense and give Gardner confidence the rest of the way.

He finished 12 of 18 passing for 234 yards while also rushing for 23 yards and a score. He doesn’t have the legs of Robinson, but he has a better arm and he looks like a player Michigan can turn to next season.

With a summer of focusing on being the starting quarterback, I think Gardner can be successful and keep Michigan from taking a step back next year.

I am sure Brady Hoke will put more emphasis on having Gardner ready to backup Robinson the rest of the way.

Predictions for Nebraska/MSU and Michigan/Minnesota

Let me start by saying my picks last week didn’t go so well (0-2). Perhaps it is best if I pick against your team. Either way, here is what I think will happen in today’s contests.

Michigan at Minnesota

I think this game will be tougher than many expect. Minnesota has a lot to play for, as it needs one more win to get to bowl eligibility, and it is coming off an impressive win over Purdue at home last week. I think Denard Robinson is coming into this game with that elbow injury still lingering a little bit. I could see it impacting the way he plays and making him more tentative, which will cause the offense to struggle at times. Even with that happening, the Michigan defense should still be able to limit Minnesota’s offense and keep the Wolverines in the game. From there, Robinson will make enough plays down the stretch to get Michigan a win on the road.

Michigan 23, Minnesota 17

Nebraska at Michigan State

Michigan State is a hard team to figure out. Sometimes they look good, sometimes they look bad. Regardless of how they look, the Spartans manage to keep all games close. I see this one being no different. For MSU to win, the offense will have to come through late. I see the MSU defense causing problems for Taylor Martinez all game long. Really, the first team to 17 points probably wins this game. The Cornhuskers don’t have that great of a defense, especially on the road. I think the Spartans will build off the strong finish they had at Wisconsin and show improvement on offense. That improvement combined with another strong defensive outing will give MSU a win over Nebraska, and make Michigan fans happy.

Michigan State 20, Nebraska 16

Keys to victory for Michigan/MSU against Minnesota/Nebraska

Michigan and Michigan State hit the field in 24 hours for a pair of Big Ten games. Here are my keys to victory for both teams on Saturday.

Michigan at Minnesota, Noon

- Be smart with Denard – It is fully expected for Denard Robinson to play on Saturday, but he may not be 100 percent. If the Wolverines are going to have a shot at the Big Ten title, they need Robinson to play the rest of the season. Against a team like Minnesota, Michigan should be able to move the ball on the ground with players like Fitzgerald Toussaint. The Golden Gophers have the third-worst rushing defense in the Big Ten, so Michigan should be able to exploit that with a healthy mix of ball carriers other than Robinson. I’m not saying don’t utilize Robinson, that would be silly, but keep his touches lower than normal and try to avoid piling up the hits on him.

- Stop the obvious players – Minnesota doesn’t have much in regards to big offensive stars. Running back Donnell Kirkwood is the top player, as he has 609 yards rushing with three scores this season. Michigan can live with Minnesota trying to win the game on his legs. I don’t see Minnesota being able to establish enough of a running game to be a one-dimensional offense. Where Michigan needs to avoid a letdown is in the passing game. Minnesota will take some chances, but their lone receiver with any stats of note is A.J. Barker, who has 30 receptions for 577 yards and seven touchdowns. The next closest receiver has just 13 catches for under 200 yards. If Minnesota is going to air it out, it will be to Barker. Michigan needs to stay close to him and focus a lot of coverage his way. If someone is going to beat the Wolverines on Saturday, make sure it is not him.

- Slow the game down early – Coming off their 44-28 win over Purdue last week, the Golden Gophers have some new life and will be looking to start Saturday’s game with a bang to get the crowd into it. Michigan needs to avoid getting caught up in that and play a smart, methodical pace on offense. Don’t come out of the gates looking for the 70-yard score. Steady drives down the field will take the crowd out of the game and keep the Minnesota offense from being on the field. Michigan can send its biggest message by controlling the line of scrimmage and dictating the pace of Saturday’s game.

Nebraska at Michigan State, 3:30 p.m.

- Pressure on Martinez – Michigan State knows what it’s like to meet up against mobile quarterback. They have had success against Denard Robinson but struggled against the likes of Braxton Miller. In this game, the Spartans need to have the same mentality they had against Robinson. They need to keep Martinez in the pocket and now allow him to get to the outside where he can make plays with his legs. If they can contain the pocket and apply pressure on the ends, it should lead to turnovers. Martinez is a better passer than Denard Robinson, but he still has his flaws and will makes mistakes if he tries to force throws under pressure.

- Line improvement – I am not sure if this is a realistic possibility, but the offensive line has to play better. The Spartans need to avoid penalties and missed assignments up front. If Michigan State can’t establish a steady run game with Le’Veon Bell, the offense will continue to struggle as they have most of the season. Nebraska has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards in the Big Ten, so their defensive line is not exactly a powerhouse. The Spartan linemen need to challenge themselves and win the battle up front to help the offense finally have a breakout performance.

- Make the plays that need to be made – Like most MSU games, this one will probably come down to a handful of plays late. Michigan State made the key plays last week at Wisconsin and a lot of that had to do with quarterback Andrew Maxwell and his receivers stepping up. The same needs to be done this week. Maxwell has to play with confidence and make the tough throws in a small window. The receivers need to make the tough catches and avoid the drops that hurt them early in the season. Perhaps last week’s finish will lead to an improved offense. We will find out soon enough.

What's the news coming from Nebraska and Minnesota this week?

As I do each Thursday, let’s take a look at the stories coming from the opponents of Michigan and Michigan State this week.

Nebraska

Though it may not seem like it, Bo Pelini has been head coach of Nebraska for five seasons already.

Pelini has led the Cornhuskers to at least 9 wins every season thus far, but he is lacking in much hardware to show for his efforts. That has not been lost on the local media covering Nebraska.

Sam McKewon, of the Omaha World-Herald, wrote a column this week saying it is time for Nebraska to close out the season and win the Big Ten title.

Pelini’s teams have struggled as the front-runners. They battle their way off the wall after an ugly loss, and their backs seem to instinctively seek out the wall again. The Huskers’ maturity should guard against a letdown. Of course, that maturity hasn’t exactly guarded against penalties and turnovers. NU can occasionally play like a team at odds with its self-interest. Like the offense did on those three plays inside Michigan’s 5-yard line.

But the road to Indianapolis won’t get much clearer or cleaner than this. I know: Four games left, good opposing defenses, breaks of the game. But let’s not make any of the remaining opponents out to be something they’re not. Nebraska has a significantly better offense than all of them. A better kicker than all of them. More team speed than all of them. More momentum than all of them.

That MSU and Iowa’s offenses would struggle to pitch coins in a fountain. That Penn State has an immobile quarterback who played poorly at home vs. the Huskers last year. That Minnesota’s quarterback just turned 19. That it’s closing time for Bo and the Blackshirts.

Nebraska went 2-2 to end the regular season last year, keeping it from making a trip to Indianapolis despite a win over the Legends representative, Michigan State.

The Cornhuskers dropped two of their final three games in 2010 in their final season as part of the Big 12.

Will the trend continue this year for Nebraska? Will Michigan State get the nod over the Cornhuskers, who have had problems winning on the road consistently?

If Nebraska sputters in the final four games, will Pelini start to feel some pressure from the Nebraska fans and administrators?

Minnesota

Playing on the road is never easy, especially when you get into conference play.

However, the Golden Gophers are lacking in much of a home-field advantage these days.

Phil Miller, of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, talks about Minnesota’s current issues with filling their stadium.

Only 41,062 tickets were sold to the Gophers' game against Purdue last Saturday, already the smallest crowd in TCF Bank Stadium's four-year history, and it looked like there were several thousand no-shows, too. It's a shame that so many Gopher fans missed the most impressive victory of the season so far.

But Jerry Kill said Tuesday he knows who is to blame for such a dispiriting turnout: He is.

Well, sort of. It's not really his fault that the Gophers don't draw well, but it is his responsibility, he said, for making sure that changes.

"If we continue to win, that place will be packed out and we'll have to build on to it," Kill said at his weekly news conference. "If you don't win, that's the way it is. ... It's our job. It's not our fans -- I'm not going to blame anybody. We've got to put a good product out there. That's what I was hired to do a year and a half ago, and that's what we'll do."

TCF Bank Stadium has a listed capacity of 50,805, which isn’t much for a Big Ten program.

The fact that the Gophers are having troubling filling the stadium is somewhat surprising considering Minnesota is 5-3 this year and just one win away from being bowl eligible for the first time since 2009.

Perhaps last week’s win over Purdue at home will inspire more Gophers fans to get out to TCF Bank Stadium this week.

What legacy will Denard Robinson leave at Michigan?

Back in August, I asked the question is Denard Robinson the most valuable player in college football?

Certainly Russell Bellomy’s play for the Wolverines in last Saturday’s loss to Nebraska made the argument look even stronger.

But the question now needs to be asked, just what will Robinson’s legacy with Michigan be?

Clearly he has the statistics to be remembered as an all-time great. But numbers are numbers.

What stands out for quarterbacks through history are team accomplishments.

That is what Michigan has been lacking under Robinson.

Until last season, Robinson didn’t have a win over Ohio State.

Until this season, Robinson didn’t have a win over Michigan State.

He still has yet to get Michigan a Big Ten Championship.

His poor performances tend to stick out more than his good ones because his poor performances have come with the most on the line.

That’s not to say Robinson’s lack of accomplishments are solely his fault. He dealt with a poor defense until Hoke’s arrival and hasn’t had a large dose of playmakers around him to work with.

Despite that, the quarterback is always the one that gets the most praise and the most criticism.

If Robinson is unable to lead the Wolverines to a conference title this year, just what will he be remembered for?

To many Michigan fans, I think he will be labeled a disappointment and over-hyped.

To some, they will always label him one of the greats in Michigan history.

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

But for Robinson to cement a positive legacy with Michigan, he needs to bring some Big Ten hardware back to Ann Arbor.

News and notes from Mark Dantonio's weekly press conference

Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio held his weekly press conference on Tuesday where he discussed the win over Wisconsin and this week’s game with Nebraska. Here are the notes from what he had to say.

(Just a FYI, the Dantonio pressers last much longer than Hoke’s, that’s why his notes tend to be longer. I have had complaints about that. It’s not a bias thing, it’s a time thing)

- Dantonio said the team “just kept playing” against Wisconsin and showed a lot of composure. Felt the team grew a little bit on offense and it was good to see Andrew Maxwell win the game in overtime.

- He wouldn’t call the Wisconsin win a “season saver.” He thought it was a good win and it sent a message to keep playing and to finish. Said focus has to turn to Nebraska.

- Dantonio feels Maxwell is getting more comfortable as the season has progressed. He felt Maxwell “cut it loose” on the final drive in regulation and became confident in his abilities. He feels Maxwell has done a tremendous job but you are always asking for more out of your players and team and Dantonio feels Maxwell is growing. He feels he has the demeanor and the tools to do what the coaches want him to do.

- Dantonio called Max Bullough an overachiever, but said it with the greatest respect. Said he is very self driven and will always look to get better.

- Dantonio felt linebacker Taiwan Jones made a step forward in the Wisconsin game and had a great game.

- When asked about playing in close games Dantonio said that the big element is finishing. Against Ohio State, he felt they didn’t finish by not getting the ball back. Against Indiana, the team finished by playing very well in the second half. Against Iowa, the defense didn’t finish the game on a 5-minute drive by the Iowa offense. Against Michigan, the offense had a chance to finish late with a first down or a touchdown when they settled for a field goal. Against Wisconsin, Dantonio said the team just kept its composure and made the plays late when they needed to.

- When asked about MSU’s play in November, he has been proud about his team’s ability to finish the season strong in previous seasons. He said that’s when championships are won, in November.

- Said the team was “having fun” even when down 7-3 in the third quarter against Wisconsin and that was what helped them comeback. After the game, Dantonio apparently joined the team in a dance. He said that was the first time he had done that.

- When asked about Nebraska’s success, Dantonio attributed it to manufacturing the “Big Red Machine” and being able to create a style and mindset where they would run the football.

- Dantonio feels Taylor Martinez is similar to Braxton Miller and Denard Robinson. He is a big part of the offense and can produce a lot of yardage.

- Dantonio said last year, MSU didn’t play well against Nebraska. It was the one game he felt the team didn’t play well. He said his players want to atone for that this week.

- Dantonio said Dion Sims was about 80 percent against Wisconsin. They weren’t sure how much they would be able to use him in the game, but they were surprised about how much he did play. Dantonio expects him to play in full this week.

- Dantonio said the team is as healthy as it has been in the last three weeks. MSU has its first bye of the season after this week’s game with Nebraska.

- When asked about Rex Burkhead, Dantonio said he is a tough-minded football player and a complete football player. Even without him on the field, Nebraska is still moving the ball well.

- On the issues running the ball, Dantonio said they have a big, physical back (Le’Veon Bell) that needs to run downhill. Said MSU needs to strive for balance on offense and they need to avoid the penalties on the offensive line.

- Dantonio said Aaron Burbridge had a tough game (went without a catch). Said that comes with being a young guy. He was out of sync during the game but Dantonio said that he will bounce back.

News and notes from Hoke's weekly press conference

Michigan coach Brady Hoke held his weekly press conference on Monday where he talked about the Wolverines’ loss to Nebraska. Here are some of the notes coming from what Hoke had to say.

- Michigan has Denard Robinson listed as its starting quarterback for Saturday’s game with Minnesota. Hoke said he should be fine and ready to go and he is expecting Robinson to practice all week.

- He said it was a nerve issue with Robinson and that his arm was tingly from the hit and that’s why he couldn’t play on Saturday. He was having trouble gripping the football. If Michigan played today Denard would be "close" to playing. They are looking into possibly adding some padding or protection for the arm.

- Hoke will give Devin Gardner more snaps during practice this week at quarterback just as a precaution. But the plan is still for Gardner to be at receiver this week. He said Gardner and Russell Bellomy will “compete” for the backup spot.

- When it came to Bellomy, Hoke said the team could have done a better job of picking up blitzes to help him out. He felt the experience Bellomy gained of playing in that environment on Saturday will help him greatly.

- Hoke said the team needs to do a better job from a football standpoint and that starts with him. He said the Wolverines need to play better in the red zone and they have to be able to run the ball in that area.

- Hoke called the Minnesota game important for many reasons. One, it is a division game. Two, to move past the loss. Three, because of the Little Brown Jug.

- Hoke said that Michigan has a lot to play for. They have four “guarantees” left.

- Hoke gave praise to Minnesota coach Jerry Kill. Said he respects him as a coach and even more as a man.