Neutral field, I would take Michigan, no questions asked. But the trip to the west coast continues to screw with teams
USC 30, Michigan 24
i think the travel thing is kinda overblown and used an excuse/crutch. it only makes a real difference imo if you have a team from the west going to the east and having to play a game at noon ET and the visiting teams body clock is still 9am PT. or vice versa having a team like Michigan State go out to the West Coast and play a game at 8pm PT when their body clock is at 11pm ET.
Michigan is leaving earlier- Thursday this time- which will help them adjust better to the time zone change and recover from the jet lag- and the game is being played at 4:30pm PT- and these kids are used to playing multiple games a year at 7:30pm ET.
home field advantage is a real thing in college football- and that's why I'm slightly leaning to USC. if USC wins it'll be because they played a good game- not because Michigan had to travel.
only thing that makes me think Michigan might win- keep going back to Illinois putting up 500+ yards and they should've had 48 points in that one vs USC- and Illinois isn't exactly a world beater offense. Illinois ran for 170+ yards vs USC- and Illinois is the 99th ranked rushing offense in CFB. Michigan is a top 10 rush offense- both in YPC and total yards- and that's with them barely involving their absolute freakshow athlete QB and playing two top 5 rush defenses in CFB- OU and Wisconsin- and they got 150 on the ground vs OU and 175 on the ground vs Wisconsin- and they never even tried to use Underwood's legs in the run game in either of those games. They unleash his legs vs USC- there is a good chance they could rush for 250-300 imo.
Bryce Underwood continues to gain experience and improve week to week and athletically he is on a different level than pretty much every other QB in CFB. McCulley is actually a pretty good WR and Andrew Marsh the true freshman might be as well. OL/run game continues to improve every week and has been very consistent. Gio El-Hadi coming back at LG, TE1 Marlin Klein being 100%, and TE2 Hogan Hansen coming back would be a huge shot in the arm for this offense this game- the offense just goes up another notch with those 3 in the line-up and healthy.
defense + run game travels. my only real questions are will they actually use Underwood's legs in the game plan on designed runs and read option- and can Wink Martindale keep his dick in his fucking pants and not go blitz happy every fucking snap. I feel like Sherrone is either too mediocre of a coach to realize the obvious staring him right in the face or too pussy and afraid or both- and that he won't unleash Underwood's legs in the run game and that he won't slap training wheels on Wink Martindale.
Just use the kids legs and you're gonna get 250-300 on the ground- and DO NOT go blitz heavy vs USC because they will straight up gash you. Play zone coverage and patrol the skies- make them try to drive the length of the field and earn it- don't give up big chunk free plays because you sent the house and the QB hit the open man. Wink can't fucking help himself sometimes though. He doesn't realize sometimes that his pass rush is good enough to get home with 4. Jaishawn Barham is a demon off the edge and Derrick Moore is pretty damn good himself. Let them rush- let the LB's and DB's drop in coverage.
