Seventh Day Adventure: Therapy Session

by Russell Levine

How has your week gone?

Mine? Not so well. By Thursday afternoon, apparently not every person I've ever known had yet tracked me down to rag on me for Michigan's Appalachian State meltdown.

I thought I was handling this well. I thought I was OK. I did a radio spot on Wednesday afternoon in which I felt I was able to rationally discuss where this upset placed in the annals of sports history.

But a humiliation of this magnitude is not easily put aside. It's like a festering sore that I feel the need to constantly pick at; despite telling myself I'd stay off the message boards this week I have done the opposite. I've been a glutton for the frustrated analysis of Michigan fans everywhere.

Mostly I've just wondered why it is I care so much about something that ultimately has so little effect on my life -- except for that small bit about determining my ultimate happiness.

Still, there are too many questions to be answered about this loss before it can be forgotten. It's in that spirit that I welcome this week's podcast guest: Michigan blogger Brian Cook, proprietor of mgoblog [1], inventor of the BlogPoll, and holder of not one, but two degrees from the U of M. I don't know if that means he's twice as humiliated as the rest of us, but I intend to find out.

One of the unique features of Brian's site is his weekly "upon further review" segment, where he breaks down every play of each Michigan game and assigns credit or blame for the play's ultimate success or failure. His UFR [2] segments [3] on the Appalachian State game are required reading for any Michigan fan that has the stomach for it.

We'll also make picks on all this weekend's big games, and yes, Oregon-Michigan still qualifies.

Again, this is the new format for SDA this year. I'm still looking for a few guests to fill out the schedule, so if you're interested in appearing on a future podcast drop me an e-mail at Russell-at-footballoutsiders-dot-com and let me know your credentials.

And remember, this article serves as the college open thread all weekend.

Here are the games we'll be discussing this week:

Miami (Fla.) (+11) at #5 Oklahoma, 12 p.m. ET, ABC

This was one of the rivalry games of the 1980s, when the Sooners and Hurricanes hooked up in three memorable contests, all of which had national title implications.

Oklahoma looked utterly dominant last week, as new starting quarterback Sam Bradford lit up North Texas, completing 21 of 33 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns.

Miami also had an impressive debut last week, as new head coach Randy Shannon -- subject of an awesome profile by Gary Smith in this week's Sports Illustrated -- was a winner in his debut against Marshall.

#16 Nebraska (-9) at Wake Forest, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN

All the Nebraska talk coming into the season was whether Sam Keller was the right quarterback to operate Bill Callahan's West Coast offense. He wasn't needed much against Nevada in the opener, as I-back Marlon Lucky ran wild.

Wake Forest, meanwhile, blew a 14-point lead to Boston College and lost quarterback Riley Skinner to a separated shoulder. Skinner's poise, as much as anything, was the key to Wake's stunning ACC title last season. Brett Hodges will be his replacement if he can't go, as expected.

Oregon (+7.5) at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Oregon is another spread option offense and Dennis Dixon ran for 140 yards against Houston last week. How much can Michigan repair in one week on defense?

Jonathan Stewart is a powerful back who could also give Michigan trouble, particularly if the Ducks are capable of spreading Michigan out -- or if the Wolverines play with their collective head up their rear, as they did against Appalachian State.

This game is all about the neck up for Michigan. How do the Wolverines respond to unprecedented disappointment? Consider a player like Jake Long, who came back to win a national championship.

Michigan should be able to run on Oregon, but whether it can stop the Ducks is another question.

#22 Boise State (-3) at Washington, 3:30 p.m. ET, FSN (Regional)

Washington certainly looked impressive in taking apart Syracuse on the road last week and it looks as if Tyrone Willingham might have the program moving in the right direction in his third year.

He certainly appears to have a quarterback, Jake Locker, who ran and passed the Huskies past the Orange.

Boise State hasn't lost a game since 2005 and still has the world's best crocheting tailback [5] in Ian Johnson, but the Broncos haven't beaten a BCS conference team on the road in their last 12 tries.

Notre Dame (+18) at #14 Penn State, 6 p.m. ET, ABC

Can Notre Dame possibly be as bad as it looked last week?

Jimmy Clausen, a.k.a. "Jimmuh the Emu [6]," gets the start for Charlie Weis at Happy Valley. Will the offense look any better under his direction? Penn State's defense is nearly as nasty as Georgia Tech's, and Notre Dame's offensive line is horrendous.

Penn State might be the class of the Big Ten, particularly if Anthony Morelli really has figured things out in this, his senior season.

#19 TCU (+9) at #7 Texas, 7 p.m. ET, FSN

Along with Notre Dame, Texas is the other team that should send Michigan a Christmas card for keeping the focus of it last week. The 'Horns looked very pedestrian in a 21-13 win over Arkansas State, and the Big 12 announced during the week that a late on-side kick attempt should have been awarded to the Indians.

There are plenty of numbers to back the Horned Frogs here. TCU has won five straight against the Big 12, and nine of its last 10 against BCS conference teams, including a win at Oklahoma in 2005.

South Florida (+7) at #17 Auburn, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Auburn rallied to beat Kansas State at home last week (maybe the Wildcats should have brought their power towels [7] with them). The Tigers look to have a mean defense, but very little offense, which begs the question: Can Auburn contend in the SEC with Brandon Cox at quarterback? And is he the new Reggie Ball? (OK, that's two questions.)

South Florida is a program on the rise. Often an afterthought in Big East discussions, the Bulls have beaten Louisville and West Virginia and put a huge scare into Rutgers the last two years. The odds-makers are either impressed with Jim Leavitt's program or they just hate Auburn's offense, because this line appears a touch low.

#9 Virginia Tech (+11.5) at #2 LSU, 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Virginia Tech can be excused for a sluggish effort in an emotional atmosphere against East Carolina last week. But emotion won't help the Hokies against LSU's defense, particularly if Scott Glennon turns in a skittish performance.

LSU wasn't nearly as sharp as its 45-0 win over Mississippi State would suggest. The Tigers took advantage of turnovers to play on a short field the entire game. If Glennon coughs up the ball, this could be another rout.

Virginia Tech's defense is nearly is good as LSU's, but the Hokies may need to block a punt in order to have a chance on the road.

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