Josh Pate, the same guy who swore he wouldn’t pick against Michigan until they lost after going with Nebraska last year and watching the Wolverines prevail, is back at it. Now, Michigan has lost several times since that promise, but Pate is staring down a Big Ten opener this Saturday that he describes as “the grossest form of football.” And guess what? He’s still rolling with Michigan against Iowa.
Get Ready for Some Old School Football
This Big Ten opener, kicking off at 3:30 PM on CBS from The Big House, sounds like a trip back in time, according to Pate. He says Jenny Dell is “about to watch football get taken back to the 1930s.” Seriously, the total for this game is sitting at a meager 38.5, and that’s with perfect conditions: sunny and in the low 70s. Pate isn’t holding back, calling it “the grossest form of football in the most beautiful weather conditions imaginable.” Michigan rolls into this one boasting the No. 1 defense in the country, while Iowa isn’t far behind with the No. 10 defense. On the other side of the ball, Iowa’s offense is exactly what you’d expect: Hank Brown is their starting quarterback, consistently under 200 passing yards every single game. They’ve got just one wide receiver with more than six receptions and 80 yards, and they’re 132nd in passes of 20-plus yards. It’s Iowa being Iowa. It’s Kirk Ferentz being Kirk Ferentz. Meanwhile, under Kyle Whittingham, Michigan’s identity hasn’t changed much, even if getting the team to look exactly how the new head coach wants has been a slow go.
Why Michigan Still Gets the Nod
Pate is predicting a “body shot game,” which means you can expect it to be “really, really tight throughout.” But here’s the kicker: Michigan, in the aggregate, just has better athletes across the board. Pate figures it’ll come down to “one or two third-down conversions in the fourth quarter that they convert and Iowa can’t,” which will hand Michigan a one-possession win. Sure, there’s always a “small percentage chance” of some explosivity shaking things up, because anything could happen in the 2020s. But when you look at explosive pass profiles, it’s 111th versus 132nd going head-to-head. Neither team has exactly been lighting up the run game either, with Underwood leading Michigan in rushing so far. Iowa managed 29 carries for 93 yards against Iowa State, but not a single run went for over 10 yards. They ran it “OK” against inferior competition, but against one decent team, it wasn’t there. It’s still early, Week 2, 3, or 4 of the season, and team profiles are “still liquid,” so things could flip.
So, this Saturday, get ready for a grind. Can Michigan’s superior athleticism win out in a “body shot game” and secure that one-possession victory, or will Iowa somehow find “the other thing” and make it truly explosive? We’ll find out at 3:30 PM on CBS.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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