Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) vs. Michigan Wolverines (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)
College Football Week 2
Date and Time: Sat. September 7th, 2013 8pm EST
Where: The Big House, Ann Arbor, Michigan
TV: ESPN
by Tim, Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: ND +3.5/MICH -3.5
Over/Under Total: 50.5
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ND Head Coach Brian Kelly believes Michigan is not a rivalry game. That may be true, but the Univ. of Cincy vs Florida in the Sugar Bowl certainly isnt a rivalry game for Kelly; he left his team holding the bag and split for South Bend just before game-time. Calling Brian Kelly a class act is like calling ESPN Announcer Beth Mowins anything but pathetic; it just doesnt fit! I do understand Kellys take, though. Why build this game up to be a rivalry only to get worked by the Wolverines on National TV? The Wolverines come in as winners in 3 out of the last 4 contests with ND and 5 out of 7. Kellys right; that isnt a rivalry-thats a Beatdown! 2014 will see the end of ND on Michigans schedule and probably the end of Kelly to the Detroit Lions. Notre Dame will be high-tailing it to mid-south to join the weak ACC and more power to em; if you cant beat em, dont schedule em!! Lets take a closer look at this non-traditional Traditional Rivalry and pick a winner!
ND didnt cover against Temple last week and went UNDER as the Irish struggled to finish drives, missed 2 field goal attempts, and seemed unable to stop a very poor Temple Owl team. Tommy Rees looked like a cheaper version Matt LoVecchio or Jimmy Clausencant move, robotic, uncreative, wooden and predictable. ND is going to miss Everett Golson big time and that will start right at the steps of The Big House! Rees proved he can throw through a tire with no pressure coming from a 285 outside rusher. Hell be christenedagain—in the 1st quarter against Michigan. NDs defense is like TeoSo So—as Temple moved the ball again and again inside Irish territory. Temple was out-talented against the Irish and the Irish failed to drop the hammer on the Owls. The killer instinct is always is the eyes of the very good teams and ND better drink a little bit of Toughen Up before they meet the Wolverines.
The Wolverines put on a show against Central Michigan. UM covered the -38.5 spread easily and covered the OVER by themselves! Michigan and ND do not like each other and as U of M makes their way back to prominence, an olde fashioned Bo Schembechler butt-whoopin needs to be administered to a ranked Wannabe. ND fits the profile and the Wolverines will do everything they can to educate Brian Kelly that actions speak BECAUSE of ill-advised words. Michigan comes into this game 5-0 SU at home and 3-1 ATS in their last 4. ND is 2-4 ATS in their last six and ND has gone UNDER in 11 of NDs last 13 games. Michigan piled up 463 yards against the Chippewas and virtually scored at will. Michigan also sent CMU QB Cody Kater to the showers early with a broken clavicle followed closely behind by CMU starting TB Zurlon Tipton with a broken ankle. The 59 points scored by the Wolverines is the most points scored in a season opener since 1905. These 2 teams squared off 2 years ago in Ann Arbor with Tommy Rees leading the Fighting Irish on an apparent game winning drive only for the Irish to leave disemboweled by Roy Roundtrees last second catch in the corner end zone. Roundtrees catch happened when ND still believed their hype. Now, after playing the NFLs Alabama Crimson Tide and getting mauled, embarrassed, and thoroughly dominated, the one-armed paper hanger now knows he only has one arm.
On paper, through tradition, and as point of intense scrutiny, the Notre Dame vs Michigan game looks like a Too close to call. But just as Mike Tyson received his humility from Buster Douglas, so it is for ND getting bikini waxed in Prime Time. You cannot shake that well published effort off quicklyand it may be years before ND can ever get their collective heads straight after that massacrebut one thing is for certain; integrity, honor, and honesty mean something to these young athletes. Brian Kelly cannot lead these men out of the jungle of mediocrity. Kelly showed everyone that Brian Kelly is all about Brian Kelly with his departure at Cincinnati. Because of Kelly, ND will never be great or even very good until he leaves. Great men like Ara Parseghian, Frank Leahy, Bo Schembechler, Bud Wilkinson, Frank Broyles, and Larry Kehres could lead ND back to the Top of the Mountain. But Brian Kelly is a lithograph of a fractured culture intent on devouring everything for the sake of Me! Me! Me! ND might win againbut it wont be this weekend. This game should be a fantastic game showing Michigan has an extra gear on every play.
Tims Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Michigan -3.5
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