Posted at 6:00am — 9/9/2011
GBMWolverine: Michigan Football — Notre Dame at Michigan — Predictions
After reading our predictions for the Notre Dame game come to our message board and make your prediction and comment on what you believe will happen Saturday night under the lights.
CoachBt:
Very close game between two evenly matched teams.
That voice in my head keeps telling me to be very nervous here.
But I just have a feeling Notre Dame gets tight again and self-destructs.
Notre Dame 27
Michigan 31
Doc4Blu:
Normally I would say welcome to Ohio, but not in this case
Holy cow.
Notre Dame 55
Michigan 95
ErocWolverine:
Well first night game ever at Michigan Stadium should be an interesting match-up especially after last weekend games for both teams.
Notre Dame is coming off a bad loss with a lot of turnovers and a coach shown on TV giving a lot of players his piece of mind so the entire TV audience could read his lips as well.
Notre Dame can move the ball so don’t let the score fool you thinking Notre Dame isn’t very good, but the key to their loss was the turnovers and most of them happened inside the 10 yard line which is always a killer for your team and offense.
Michigan only got to see 39 plays on offense and as Coach Borges said he would really have liked to finish the game to see what his offense could do for a entire game. So would the fans to be honest.
Michigan had problems getting pressure on the quarterback with just the front four guys, so like we have stated from spring practices it looks like Coach Mattison is going to be sending everybody and his brother to get to the quarterback. This is great when you can get to him or force him to make a discussion before he is ready, but a killer when the quarterback can do what he wants and gets time.
My head says one thing and my heart says the other. Can Notre Dame destruct once again? Let’s hope so or that Michigan can create several turnovers once again.
Will it happen? Let’s hope so.
Special Teams still is a big concern this week as well.
Notre Dame 32
Michigan 35
MaizeMan:
Notre Dame
Michigan
Mike Fitzpatrick
Ok…this one makes me nervous! That’s not true. They all make me nervous, but you know what I mean. Part of me thinks this could be another Notre Dame vs. Michigan classic. The other part of me thinks this Notre Dame team is going to be very good this year. Look at the two deep on this team. They are loaded! Before we get too confident, forget last weeks ND loss to USF. If you just looked at the score, and that’s the most important stat, you might think ND is not as good as advertised. A look at the stats makes you scratch your head and wonder how they lost though. Answer – self inflicted death. Five turnovers, three in the red zone. It doesn’t matter who you play, that will beat you every time.
On defense we must get some pressure early on Tommy Rees . This kid looks like a rythem QB. We must not let him find his groove. Along with a well timed blitz package, we need better play in the trenches in order to control the running game and take pressure off the secondary. For it’s own part, the secondary needs to keep everything in front of them and TACKLE!
On the offensive side we need to establish the running game early, which in turn should open up the passing lanes for Denard. Most importantly, we need to be patient and not turn the ball over. Denard is the wild card though. If ND is ultra focused on stopping him (and why wouldn’t they be after last year) that could open up a lot of things for Coach Borgess and his play calling. We’ll see.
My heart tells me this will be a tight one. My head tells me Notre Dame is ready to have a solid year, and flat out has more talent right now. On paper, it appears to me that this is Notre Dame’s year to get us – but we all know the game isn’t played on paper. If we come up with some turnovers on the D, and balance the offfensive attack, we should have a chance. If not – I see Notre Dame winning.
Notre Dame 28
Michigan 17
I will be very happy to be wrong though! Enjoy Under The Lights at The Big House. Let’s hope for some dry weather too.
WerlsWolverine:
Tough game to call,here’s hoping the turnover problems continue for Notre Dame. I would really like to see their coach blow a gasket. Michigan needs to improve play in all three phases of the game and hope it doesn’t come down to hitting a Field Goal to win the game.
Notre Dame 31
Michigan 35
Yostmeister:
Well- this is the tale of two programs:
One with a highly publicized coach, recruiting class and overblown resume that just drips with mediocrity on NBC.
The other with a coach from the same cloth as Michigan’s recent “glory years”, some marquee talent and a roster full of heart and little depth.
One suffered an embarrassing opening loss at home to a decent, but not overwhelming opponent.
The other scratched out a weather shortened victory over a decent frontrunner from a lesser conference-in a game dictated by a handful of key plays.
One had to empty the bench and the playbook and still lost.
The other barely showed anything beyond a base defense, made adjustments and forced two defensive TDs to go with a conservative offense.
Now the two most victorious programs in college football meet again, at night, at Michigan Stadium.
It gives me shivers- only because this may appear to be a game that Michigan could and should run away with and hide. I fear they won’t.
The Irish have already benched their veteran QB in favor of a young gunslinger- and may also scrap a game plan that sputtered last week. I sense desperation, and with that, a dangerous opponent.
I’ll leave the deep analysis to my fellow experts on staff here. But hear me out- this game, with all the glitz and hype and drama- scares me.
IF Michigan can execute on offense and play solid defense, they win. If it comes down to the wire again, like the past couple years at home in this rivalry- let’s hope that Michigan doesn’t have to depend on their special teams.
I’ll go with my heart, anyway:
Notre Dame 27
Michigan 31
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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