Colorado at the Big House: Two Fantastic Performances & A Travesty

How fitting that Tom Brady was the guest of honor in The Big House, courtesy of Roger Goodell. College Football Odyssey was represented at Michigan Stadium, courtesy of Matt Anctil. How ironic that Brady saw Michigan get off to its worse start in Ann Arbor since 1998 (Donovan McNabb’s Syracuse team jumped out to a 24-0 lead against a UM team led by Brady).

Four minutes into the game, Maize & Blue partisans were shocked by a 14-0 deficit, courtesy of a fumble and a Sefo Liufau bomb. Michigan recovered to take a 24-21 halftime lead but Liufau was not finished. Despite sustaining a badly sprained ankle on the first play from scrimmage in the 2nd half, Liufau uncorked another bomb on the next play, his 3rd TD pass of the game. 28-24, Buffaloes!

Sadly, for Liufau & The Buffs, he was sidelined for the duration as the Buff offense was rendered impotent. While the MRI proved negative, the extent of Liufau’s injury is unclear. The improved Buffs clearly need Liufau as much as Romeo needed Juliet. For the injury-plagued QB, his latest setback shows how cruel fate can be. Given that the Pac 12 South is teeming with disappointments, a Liufau-led Colorado team actually had some chance to rise from the ashes for the first time in over a decade. College Football Odyssey wishes Liufau a speedy recovery.

The vulnerabilities of the Wolverines were exposed. When was the last time Michigan had an offensive line which could consistently open holes for a quality rushing game? 2006, I would say. Of course, if Michigan had a running back with breakaway speed, that would help but Denard Robinson is long gone. Colorado’s bevy of speedy receivers exposed some glaring problems at Safety and Defensive Back. Some of those problems will be resolved when the stellar Jourdan Lewis takes the field for the first time, perhaps as soon as this Saturday’s tilt against Penn State. To boot, QB Wilton Speight was shaky in the first half.

Part of the reason For Michigan’s issues at Safety relate to the unleashing of Jabrill Peppers. The former Safety’s unparalleled versatility has been illustrated by his rebirth as a linebacker and an edge-rushing terror. His nine tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, were only part of his workday. He rushed the ball two times for 24 yards. His kick returns were spectacular, including a 55-yard kick off return and capped by a 54-yard punt return touchdown that sealed Michigan’s win. Surrounded by so many so-so performances, Peppers literally put his teammates on his back. It was almost as if Peppers demanded to be included in the same conversation as, gasp, the iconic Charles Woodson.

If Mr. Lewis does not play on Saturday, we anticipate more scoring in the Penn State game than is typical in their series.

As for Michigan, their #4 ranking seems inflated. Given the impressive performances by Michigan State, Central Michigan and Western Michigan on Saturday, one could argue that for one day, Michigan was only #4 in its own state! Rick Rock