Did anyone have a worse week than Michigan football after losing again to Michigan State?
This week in the Powerless Five, upsets and embarrassments abound. One team deserves an honorable mention this week, and that is Georgia, more specifically, Georgia’s offense. This was supposed to be the year the Bulldogs opened things up and modernized the offense. Saturday against Kentucky, Georgia threw the ball 14 times and ran it 42.
Despite a confluence of issues surrounding this (Jamie Newman opting out and JT Daniels not being cleared to play), the offense as constructed cannot beat Alabama and might not beat Florida this weekend. Elsewhere in the SEC, the Mississippi Bulldogs were embarrassed against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Bulldogs hardly put up a fight against Alabama, losing 41-0, throwing for just 163 yards and two interceptions. In the Big 12, Oklahoma State might have dashed any hopes the conference had for a playoff bid losing Texas in overtime. The defense that played so well could not hold the lead for the Pokes late in the game. Kansas State continued to prove there are no front runners in the conference, getting thrashed by West Virginia 37-10.
The offense gained just 225 yards against a much improved Mountaineers defense. The North Carolina Tar Heels forgot there are no divisions in the ACC this season; UNC is playing like an ACC Coastal team losing a close game against a 1-win Virginia team. Somehow the Tar Heels surrendered 44 points against a team that went over 30 points once before last Saturday.
Finally, there’s Michigan. The Wolverines lost to their interstate rivals, the Michigan State Spartans. Both teams switched roles this week. The Wolverines played poorly after playing well last week, and the Spartans played well this week after playing poorly last week. That runs Jim Harbaugh‘s record to 1-6 at home all-time vs. Ohio State and 3-3 against the Spartans.
College football powerless rankings
5. Kansas State Wildcats
Not many thought that the Kansas State Wildcats would win the Big 12 conference this season, but who saw Kansas State getting blown out by West Virginia. The Mountaineers offense exposed Kansas State’s secondary weakness, with Jared Doege throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns. It was obvious how much they miss starting quarterback Skylar Thompson‘s leadership and understanding of the offense for the Wildcats. Hopefully, Thompson’s absence does not mean the Wildcats go into free fall for the rest of the season.
4. North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels have made strides this season, but this is the second head-scratcher of the season. This game, much like the Florida State game, is not on the offense but the defense. Before their 44-point explosion against the Tar Heels, Virginia averaged just 23.8 points per game and had lost four games in a row. To Virginia’s credit, they limited North Carolina’s vaunted running game to just 93 yards and sacked Sam Howell five times. These two losses by the Tar Heels are not about the fact they lost. UNC is just in year two of the Mack Brown return experience. It is about the teams that beat them. The ‘Heels were beaten by two of the worst teams in the ACC; that gets you on this list.
3. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Big 12 fans should have known they were in trouble when the conferences playoff hopes rested in Stillwater. History has shown that Mike Gundy and the Pokes have at least one clunker in them, and they never beat Oklahoma. This was their clunker. The Texas game is the perfect metaphor for Oklahoma State. They outgained the Longhorns 530-287. Spencer Sanders outplayed Sam Ehlinger, the overwhelming majority of the game. When it mattered most, the Pokes could not come up with the goods. State turned the football over four times. Despite outgaining Oklahoma State, those turnovers kept Texas in the game. As a result, it turned into a close game when it did not have to be. And everyone knows you don’t give Texas legend Sam Ehlinger a chance late.
2. Mississippi State Bulldogs:
There were times in Mississippi State’s embarrassing 41-0 loss to the Crimson Tide that the Bulldogs did not look like they wanted to be out there. Mississippi State wasn’t going to beat Alabama, but the Bulldogs did not even get off the bus. The defense surrendered 499 yards of total offense, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith was a surgeon carving up the Bulldogs secondary for 11 catches, 203 yards and four touchdowns. The Bulldogs offense was equally as woeful with only 200 yards of total offense. Worst of all, the ‘Dogs never had a chance to score. If Bulldogs’ fans can be encouraged by anything, Mike Leach’s teams don’t usually turn around until year two. Unfortunately, this could be a long year one.
1. Michigan Wolverines
Let the Harbaugh to the NFL talk begin in Ann Arbor. Under Harbaugh, the Wolverines have yet to defeat the Buckeyes and are 3-3 against little brother Michigan State, and no one likes to lose to their little brother. This game against the Spartans was quite odd in many ways.
The Spartans exposed some issues in the Wolverines’ secondary. Last week against Rutgers, the Spartans’ offense played well but made critical mistakes against the Knights. This week, Michigan State did not make those mistakes, and Michigan could not force them into mistakes. For example, Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi threw for 300 yards again this week, but no interceptions.
As reprehensible as fans and media types want to make this loss, maybe the Spartans and Wolverines are more closely matched than initially thought. Michigan State took advantage of a largely inexperienced defense. Except for the front four, the Wolverines play a large number of sophomores with little playing experience. That said, itis hard to justify losing to a team with an entirely new staff.
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