The Michigan Wolverines are back in Ann Arbor this weekend to take on the Purdue Boilermakers (7 p.m., BTN). In this week’s Roundtable, we briefly look back at the MSU game from last Saturday, preview
this weekend’s game, give some bold predictions and more!
Michigan retained the Paul Bunyan trophy last Saturday at MSU. Give us a takeaway or two you had from the rivalry game.
Von: Jimmy Rolder is HIM — he had the best game of his career, which is nice to see considering he could have up and transferred away after being buried on the depth chart for a few years. He recovered Aidan Chiles’ fumble on the first drive of the game, had two huge fourth-down stops, and even chipped in with a sack and a pair of tackles for loss. With Cole Sullivan being out with an injury, Rolder will be relied on more and more moving forward, so it’s great to see him stepping up and showing us all that patience is a virtue.
Grace: While there are critiques again this week, what I liked was seeing Michigan come out and get a stop right away and have the offense put points on the board.
Kellen: Michigan State hung around for a little bit, but 276 yards on the ground was the difference for the Wolverines. With the current state of both programs, I don’t think Michigan State is going to win this rivalry again until they make a coaching change.
Nick: Even though the score might not have been as lopsided as we might have hoped, two things really impressed me. The first was the offense actually made some adjustments. It seemed there wasn’t an intent to be so run-heavy early in the game, but when it turned out to be all that was working, that’s what the Wolverines shifted to, and Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall both ended up having great games because of it. Second, I was really pleased at how disciplined the team was. In a rivalry game where it seemed Michigan State was trying to egg Michigan on a bit, the team didn’t really cave and continued to play its game without getting into any trouble, a big step in the right direction and a sign of maturity for a young team.
Andrew: Michigan’s offense underperformed in terms of balance, but the fact the Wolverines rushed for their most yards in this rivalry since 1994 (a team that had two future first-round NFL Draft picks carrying the rock) and still scored more than 30 points is highly encouraging for this unit’s ceiling.
Matt: It’s amazing what happens when Wink Martindale doesn’t bring the house and simply plays a base defense. Derrick Moore and the defensive ends feasted without the need of a blitz call. Imagine that. Offensively, as happy as I was the running game couldn’t be stopped, Sherrone’s conservativeness was annoying, if not infuriating.
Scotty: Michigan’s ability to stay disciplined and not stoop down to Sparty’s level was good to see. Kudos to Sherrone and the staff.
Sam: This is a flawed team with a limited offense, but that does not mean they can not still reach the College Football Playoff. It was far from Michigan’s best outing, and there are legitimate concerns about the downfield passing game. But the defense and run game can be elite, and a favorable schedule sets the Wolverines up nicely for an “in the hunt” conversation as we approach November.
Dan: This is Michigan State Football. So many fans and players begging for the program to return to its former glory like the Mark Dantonio days were anything but an anomaly. This was their shot to turn the rivalry around. New coach at both programs, Michigan reeling at quarterback last year and starting a true freshman in East Lansing this year. The Wolverines still won, and this year wasn’t particularly close.
At the same time, it feels like Sparty can’t fire Jonathan Smith. A massive disappointment, yes. But this coaching carousel already has three blue bloods looking for new coaches. I think they are one of the schools that will give their head coach one more shot before potentially getting ahead of the curve next season. They’ll keep quarterback Aidan Chiles that way as well and hope to be a bowl eligible team next season.
Next up is…another primetime game, this one against yet another below .500 team in Purdue. First of all, are you sick of all these night games this year or do you like the primetime matchups no matter what?
Von: Call me a Boomer or whatever, but I am SO over the night games this year. Having the games against New Mexico, MSU and Purdue be in “primetime” is just ridiculous. Does primetime mean what it used to, or is this just a dying term at this point because of the TV networks are just putting the same big time brands in the night slot each and every week? Give me a noon kick or give me death! *shakes fist at clouds*
Grace: Listen, the night games selfishly work for me and our routine at home, but even I can admit it feels like we’ve had too many. For the sake of everyone who hates them, including my dad, I’d happily take another noon game or two.
Kellen: I don’t like waiting around for the game all day, unless it’s a big-ish game like the USC one a few weeks back. I’ll be at a wedding reception when this game kicks off, so I may just be box score watching for this one.
Nick: Night games are cool, but to a point. I think having it for a rivalry game is alright like we saw last week, even when the teams aren’t necessarily at the top of their games. But otherwise, I feel like primetime matchups should be reserved for two competitive teams. At least this one starts at 7 instead of 7:30 though, right?
Andrew: I hate night games. Noon is when the Lord intended for Michigan games to be played — I believe that’s listed somewhere in first Corinthians — and these endless night games are an affront to the soul.
Matt: Primetime used to mean something. Night games were reserved for big games with huge implications. Night games with no meaning attached are the absolute worst.
Scotty: I like the night games when it’s against a good team/not a rivalry game (Mich-MSU should always be at 3:30). The Michigan athletic department saw the incredible night game Maize Out in 2021, and for some reason said, “Yeah, let’s never do that again.”
Sam: Now that I live in Mountain Time, I actually love the 7:30 (5:30) kickoffs. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing like a Big Noon in Ann Arbor, but personally, it has made my schedule more convenient.
Dan: I watch Michigan football no matter what time it’s happening. I don’t have a true preference of when they play.
Ok, let’s actually talk about the Boilermakers for a second. They are led by first-year head coach Barry Odom, and while they look slightly improved offensively, this might be the worst defense in the Big Ten. What area, if there is one, does Purdue have an advantage?
Von: Their quarterback has almost as many interceptions (seven) as he does touchdowns (eight), Michigan’s two running backs have more yards than Purdue’s lead back, their leading receiver (Michael Jackson III) is only averaging nine yards per catch, and the defense is giving up 29.8 points per game in Big Ten play. I’m not seeing any areas they have a clear advantage. I will say, however, that their two leading tacklers are among some of the best in the Big Ten in linebackers Mani Powell and Charles Correa — they have a combined 148 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and one forced fumble, so keep an eye on those guys.
Grace: If for some reason this game stays close, I think they have an experienced head coach in Barry Odom, and that might be their biggest advantage. Michigan needs to come out ready to play sound and focused because Odom knows how to plan for a game and has nothing to lose.
Kellen: It’s quite literally not an advantage, but these two teams have a fairly identical third down conversion percentage (Michigan at 40.4 percent on 99 attempts, Purdue at 39 percent on 105 attempts). I said this in Keys to Victory last week, but Michigan has to be better at converting on third down.
Nick: I don’t know about “advantage,” but I will say their running back Devin Mockobee is having a solid season. Michigan fans might remember getting introduced to Mockobee back in the 2022 Big Ten Championship, but now in his senior season, he leads the Boilermakers with 521 rushing yards and also has the third-most receptions with 18 for 215 yards. He’ll be someone the defense will need to keep an eye on because limiting his impact will be key to shutting down Purdue as a whole.
Andrew: Purdue has nothing to lose. Firstly, Odom is fresh off a miraculous turnaround at UNLV that is largely going undersold, and this team is already more competent than it has been since Jeff Brohm left at the end of 2023. Secondly, the “Spoilermakers” history has been ingrained in the program since 1976 when the UPI created the moniker after Purdue beat No. 1 Michigan. Although not No. 1, there is still plenty to spoil this weekend.
Matt: I’ll be honest: I don’t see an advantage for Purdue anywhere. While they haven’t been as lifeless as they’ve looked in recent years, it would be stunning if the Boilermakers had any amount of success against Michigan.
Scotty: Purdue isn’t coming off an emotional rivalry game. We all remember what happened when Michigan State played the Boilermakers after the 2021 game. Much different situation, but still.
Sam: None. Michigan should roll, and Underwood should light up that secondary.
Dan: Punter. Give me Jack McCallister over Hudson Hollenbeck. In all seriousness, no. Purdue is the worst team in the conference and have. 0.01 percent chance of winning a Big Ten game this year.
Give us a bold prediction for the game.
Von: Michigan will score on a 70+ yard touchdown pass from Bryce Underwood to Andrew Marsh.
Grace: Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall each have two touchdowns.
Kellen: Bryce Underwood throws for a touchdown, rushes for a touchdown, and catches a touchdown off a Donaven McCulley throw.
Nick: I think we’ll see a pass-catcher other than Andrew Marsh, Donaven McCulley or Semaj Morgan get more than 50 yards. Maybe it’s one of the tight ends having another big game, or maybe it’s one of the lesser-used wide receivers. We saw Channing Goodwin get on the field a bit more against Michigan State, while someone like Jamar Browder might be in line for some more snaps in this one. Either way, Michigan should be able to air it out, and perhaps it leads to someone new making some plays.
Andrew: A classic trap game following an emotional rivalry win and a week before the second bye week, this game is uncomfortably close for three quarters.
Matt: Bryce Underwood continues to have significantly more success at home than he does on the road. Chip Lindsey looks to use this as a game to build his young quarterback’s confidence. Underwood throws for 275+ yards.
Scotty: Michigan will earn its first shutout of the year.
Sam: More pressure from the defense. Even if they can win with four rushers, I would like to see some more creativity from Wink’s front.
Dan: Michigan runs for 350 yards and Jordan Marshall scores three times.
What’s the final score and why?
Von (8-0): Michigan 31, Purdue 13. This should be another comfortable win for the Wolverines at home against a vastly inferior opponent.
Grace (5-2): 34-13, Michigan. Michigan is playing better at home this season and has two running backs that can share the load. Even if the passing game isn’t clicking, Michigan should be able to move the ball well on offense. The Wolverines also have another great showing from the linebackers, which keeps the Boilermakers’ offense in check.
Kellen (7-1): 27-10, Michigan. I just think Michigan bodies this team on the ground, but Purdue is frisky enough for a backdoor cover.
Nick (4-0): Give me Michigan winning, 44-10. The offense found a way to hang over 30 points even in a C+/B- effort against Michigan State last week, so I think they can crack the 40-mark back on home turf against an even weaker defense.
Andrew: (7-1): Michigan’s rushing attack ultimately proves too much and the Wolverines pull away in the final frame to win, 35-17.
Matt (6-0): Michigan 34, Purdue 3. The Wolverine offense should be able to simply run the ball down Purdue’s throat. Sprinkle in a desire to get Underwood and the passing offense involved, and this game should be a laugher by halftime.
Scotty (1-2): Michigan wins, 34-0. The team has momentum right now and knows three more wins will set up a massive clash vs. Ohio State at the end of November that the entire college football world wants to see. Focus and intensity will remain high.
Sam (2-0): 38-10, Wolverines. I think this has bully ball written all over it. Underwood and the receivers should get theirs through the air, but as the cold weather hits, I’m expecting Sherrone to show some of those midwest, Michigan football principles.
Dan (5-2): Michigan, 42-10. The Wolverines should dominate in every facet of this game and have no problem with a Purdue team that is just completely out of sorts.
