Staff Roundtable: Michigan vs Maryland, who wins and why?

Michigan is favored by 17 points. Do you think they cover the spread?

Jared: Yes. That is a big number against a talented offense, but their defense is abysmal. I expect sophomore quarterback JJ McCarthy to truly thrust himself onto the national stage with an explosive, efficient performance, allowing the Wolverines to get out to a decent lead and get after the quarterback on defense on obvious passing downs.

Josh: It’ll be close, but to be contrarian I’ll say no. The Terrapins bring in a wide receiver core that goes four deep. Those guys are all great and are arguably the third-best group in the conference – only behind Michigan and Ohio State. They’ll be tough to contain for the entire game and can score in bunches.

Chris Peterson: Michigan football has missed covering the spread only three times in the last 17 games and I don’t see Maryland stopping that streak.

Who is your pick for players of the game?

Jared: Offensively I feel like JJ McCarthy is a bit of a cop out, so I’ll go with Blake Corum. Early on I expect the Wolverines to establish the running game and run play-action off of those looks for big plays later. Corum will reassert himself in the conversation of best running back in the Big Ten with at least two touchdowns and more than 125 yards.

Josh: I’ll cheat and go with two. Cornelius Johnson and Andrel Anthony. They’ve been long overdue for a coming out party of sorts and when you’re playing the 107th-ranked passing defense there’s no time like the present. Expect them both to get a ton of looks in this game.

Chris Peterson: I think it’s going to be Blake Corum. We finally see a long run or two that we have all been yearning for.