Michigan throttles Maryland, while No. 2 Michigan State escapes Purdue
Michigan and Michigan State will meet in The Big House on Oct. 17 in a game that is now a much more intriguing matchup than most expected coming into the season.
Michigan was expected to need time under Harbaugh to get players in for them to be a competitor, but it seems that the Wolverines are ready to cause problems for the Big Ten's top teams right now. Both teams were in action in the noon ET slate on Saturday, with Michigan dominating on the road as the Spartans escaped with a narrow win at home.
No. 2 Michigan State was hosting Purdue in East Lansing and got up to a quick 14-0 lead. However, as has been an issue all year, the Spartans allowed the Boilermakers to stay in the game.
Purdue had the ball down just three with three minutes to play, but the Boilermakers couldn't get into scoring position and turned it over on downs to let the Spartans get out with a 24-21 victory.
The Wolverines were on the road in College Park to take on Maryland in a game that was moved up from an 8 p.m. ET kickoff due to Hurricane Joaquin. Both teams came out sluggish, but Michigan's defense dominated all game as they have since the opener at Utah.
The Wolverines recorded a second consecutive shutout in a 28-0 win, and have now given up just 14 points in the last four games after giving up 24 at Utah.
Coming into the season, Michigan State was expected to be a top team in the Big Ten -- and that preseason projection is as much a reason for the No. 2 ranking as the performance on the field this year. Michigan was supposed to be in a rebuild in Harbaugh's first year with a lack of talent and experience on offense.
The Purdue game was a great example of the issues Michigan State has had this season. The Spartans have held double-digit first half leads on every team except for Oregon -- which is looking like a less impressive win as the Ducks struggle -- but have not won a game by more than 20 points.
The Spartans either aren't able or aren't willing to try and put a team away. That almost came back to bite them against the Boilermakers on Saturday, but the defense was able to get a stop when they needed it the most.
The good news for Michigan State is that there's a nice tune-up game next week against Rutgers to get ready for a showdown with the Wolverines the week after.
As for Michigan, the offense hasn't been impressive, but it hasn't mattered because the defense is among the best in the country. The Wolverines were 4th in scoring defense coming into Saturday, allowing 9.5 points per game, and that ranking will only improve after they battered and bruised a struggling Maryland team.
The Terps could only muster up 105 total yards of offense on Saturday, including just 29 yards on 26 carries. Michigan's defense is very legit, and has an argument for being the best in the country.
The Wolverines can't look ahead to that matchup with Michigan State in two weeks with a date with the very game Northwestern Wildcats coming up next week -- who are equally stout defensively.
October 17 in Ann Arbor is going to be quite the event, and one that will likely have much larger implications in the Big Ten than most anyone could have anticipated back in August.
Michigan and Michigan State will meet in The Big House on Oct. 17 in a game that is now a much more intriguing matchup than most expected coming into the season.
Michigan was expected to need time under Harbaugh to get players in for them to be a competitor, but it seems that the Wolverines are ready to cause problems for the Big Ten's top teams right now. Both teams were in action in the noon ET slate on Saturday, with Michigan dominating on the road as the Spartans escaped with a narrow win at home.
No. 2 Michigan State was hosting Purdue in East Lansing and got up to a quick 14-0 lead. However, as has been an issue all year, the Spartans allowed the Boilermakers to stay in the game.
Purdue had the ball down just three with three minutes to play, but the Boilermakers couldn't get into scoring position and turned it over on downs to let the Spartans get out with a 24-21 victory.
The Wolverines were on the road in College Park to take on Maryland in a game that was moved up from an 8 p.m. ET kickoff due to Hurricane Joaquin. Both teams came out sluggish, but Michigan's defense dominated all game as they have since the opener at Utah.
The Wolverines recorded a second consecutive shutout in a 28-0 win, and have now given up just 14 points in the last four games after giving up 24 at Utah.
Coming into the season, Michigan State was expected to be a top team in the Big Ten -- and that preseason projection is as much a reason for the No. 2 ranking as the performance on the field this year. Michigan was supposed to be in a rebuild in Harbaugh's first year with a lack of talent and experience on offense.
The Purdue game was a great example of the issues Michigan State has had this season. The Spartans have held double-digit first half leads on every team except for Oregon -- which is looking like a less impressive win as the Ducks struggle -- but have not won a game by more than 20 points.
The Spartans either aren't able or aren't willing to try and put a team away. That almost came back to bite them against the Boilermakers on Saturday, but the defense was able to get a stop when they needed it the most.
The good news for Michigan State is that there's a nice tune-up game next week against Rutgers to get ready for a showdown with the Wolverines the week after.
As for Michigan, the offense hasn't been impressive, but it hasn't mattered because the defense is among the best in the country. The Wolverines were 4th in scoring defense coming into Saturday, allowing 9.5 points per game, and that ranking will only improve after they battered and bruised a struggling Maryland team.
The Terps could only muster up 105 total yards of offense on Saturday, including just 29 yards on 26 carries. Michigan's defense is very legit, and has an argument for being the best in the country.
The Wolverines can't look ahead to that matchup with Michigan State in two weeks with a date with the very game Northwestern Wildcats coming up next week -- who are equally stout defensively.
October 17 in Ann Arbor is going to be quite the event, and one that will likely have much larger implications in the Big Ten than most anyone could have anticipated back in August.
