GBMWolverine: Michigan Football -- San Diego State at Michigan -- Predictions

Posted at 4:00pm — 9/23/2011

GBMWolverine: Michigan Football — San Diego State at Michigan — Predictions

After reading our predictions for the San Diego State game come to our message board and make your prediction and comment on what you believe will happen Saturday.

CoachBt:

This game scares me to death. SDSU having something to prove and all the intangibles going their way. But UM is overdue to put a full game together.

San Diego State 34
Michigan 38

Doc4Blu:

Please refer to the preview of What May Happen for specifics. On paper I believe SDSU is better, all factors being even and usual. The wild card once again is Denard. Teams can talk and scheme to stop him, but it must be done. This game could be ugly and deflating because SDSU has the weapons to overcome Mattison’s alchemy act. Still, either team could win and both teams can make an argument for future ratings with a win. I hope being ranked was not a distraction, I doubt it was, but UM probably is not a top 25 team, my guess is in the 40 range.

Like Yost, this is Heart over Brain, and with my brain that is indeed problematical. But, like ND, I cannot bring myself captain to abandon the ship. Give me more power crystals Captain and I can beat the Klingons.

San Diego State 31
Michigan 34

ErocWolverine:

The battle of Coach Hoke’s former team vs. current team.

San Diego State has weapons at the skilled positions with experience as well.

A quarterback (Ryan Lindley) who has started since his sophomore year along with being MVP or co-MVP since that year as well.

Look for them to try and burn Michigan when they blitz. They like to attack down-field and this could be a deciding factor in the game. Can Coach Mattison get enough pressure without blitzing all the time and if he does blitz can the defense get to the quarterback and not allow him enough time.

The other big weapon is running back Ronnie Hillman who was one of the country’s best freshman last season. After watching the first quarter of the Eastern Michigan game and seeing how contain was broken so many times this worries me especially with the speed that Hillman gets to the corner along with through the hole.

People need to be reminded that San Diego State went to Army and beat them on their own field in which it was another noon eastern time kick-off so that shouldn’t be a problem for fans thinking Michigan might have an advantage playing that early.

The same Army team that defeated Northwestern last week 21-14.

Will be interesting to see how San Diego State’s defense tries to contain Denard Robinson using the 3-3-5. Michigan fans have witness what a bad 3-3-5 defense has looked like in the past, but I believe SDSU actually knows how to run it and Michigan fans will be surprised that you can play decent defense in that scheme.

This game is one of those “red-letter” games, but not sure Michigan has it scheduled, but I know that San Diego State players and coaches want to prove/show what Coach Hoke left behind when he took over the Michigan program.

Michigan needs to get on track right away and cannot afford to fall behind against SDSU.

This is a tough game because in my opinion Michigan doesn’t match-up well against SDSU with their strengths. Michigan’s defensive backs are going to have to play one of their better games along with the defensive line needs to find a way to get pressure on the quarterback without a lot of blitzing that can burn a defense.

San Diego State 27
Michigan 32

MaizeMan:

Didn’t send in prediction this week in time of article.

Mike Fitzpatrick

Here comes another one that makes me nervous. Both teams feature offenses that can move the ball and put points on the board. The Aztecs are a much more balanced attack than we are at this point, averaging just over 200 yards per game rushing and passing. We on the other hand, feature Denard!

Both teams also feature defenses that give up chunks of yardage. The Aztecs come in with their 3-3-5 defense, which blitzes 80 percent of the time. Sounds like a perfect game to get the power running came tuned up. We’ll see. I think this game comes down to which defense performs best. I’m glad Coach Mattison is our guy! I’m even happier we have DENARD!

Go Blue!

San Diego State 31
Michigan 38

WerlsWolverine:

Hopefully this is the week Michigan starts out strong and keeps the pedal to the metal.

San Diego State 27
Michigan 38

Yostmeister:

I don’t know much about the Aztecs other than they run a 3-3-5 on defense (gave up 24 points against Wazoo) and have a rather explosive offense as illustrated by their 21 point eruption in the 4th quarter last week (and 42 points total) against a below average Washington State team. (The Cougers won 2 games last season, with 1 against a Div I -AA team and have won 2 games this season against Idaho State and UNLV at home.) On the other hand, SCSU (3-0) has beaten Cal-Poly and WSU at home, with their most impressive win at Army- 23-20- the same team that upset No’western last week.

This was a game that many media pundits say Michigan could lose if their defense doesn’t improve. Well, after being pushed around by two MAC schools for one half and by Notre Dame, it is evident that Brady Hoke and co. can’t coach, scheme and adjust their way past having inadequate Big Ten conference championship defensive and special teams talent. (Once again, the kids work hard, but, as Clark Griswold’s father in law told him in “Christmas Vacation”, “so do washing machines”. ) SDSU will not turn the ball over (only two so far this season) and their senior QB is a Ryan Leaf clone- 6’4″ 230 lbs and has completed 53% of his passes for 7 TD’s. He spreads the ball around to many receivers and has already led SDSU to 114 points this season. They have scored 42 point sin the 1st quarter, where Michigan has scored… zero. Remember, this is a team that has played Boise State and TCU tough in the past. They won’t be intimidated. Michigan’s defense has to come up big early and often.

If and only if Denard has a big day again, Michigan wins. If SDSU contains him, they upset Michigan. It’s that simple. He needs to stop turning the ball over and have a decent passing day against his counterpart. At the same time, our running back corps has to emerge to make the defense remain honest while defending against D-Rob. Ind the end, Michigan is at home, has played a better schedule so far, and has to improve to begin Big Ten conference play. It will be a nail biter.

Heart over brain decision.

San Diego State 37
Michigan 38

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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