Our Man a big fan of Blue coming through
Full disclosure: I am a Michigan fan. A big one. No, I didn’t go there (though I was accepted), but I was hooked when Desmond Howard struck the Heisman pose in 1991, and it’s been an obsession ever since. Unfortunately, I don’t have a whole lot of fond memories of Michigan-Ohio State, the greatest rivalry in college sports which renews tomorrow as the highlight of a tremendous football weekend. Since Howard’s unforgettable punt return, Michigan has beaten “Ohio” only eight times, and that’s not including 2010 when the Buckeyes had to vacate their wins for being shady (again). It’s hard to type this, but Michigan hasn’t won in Columbus since 2000, a shameful drought. That needs to change tomorrow, when the No. 4 Wolverines can all but assure themselves a spot in the College Football Playoff by beating the No. 10 Buckeyes. Jim Harbaugh will be vilified if he loses, maybe even fired. Michigan’s defense is the best in the country, and even though defensive end Chase Winovich might be less than 100 percent, the unit will get after “Ohio” quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who is not as mobile as J.T. Barrett, Braxton Miller and Terrelle Pryor. The Wolverines revenge tour has been fierce this season. They’ve dominated games in which they usually struggle. If not for three bad penalties in the first quarter of the season opener against Notre Dame, they would be undefeated. And if they hadn’t struggled so badly in this series since 2000, they’d be favored by a touchdown, especially in a “down year” for the Buckeyes. Ohio State hasn’t played well for a month, and with great hesitance, I’ll take the Blue as 4½-point favorites. Let’s keep the momentum going with a big holiday weekend: TODAY East Carolina (+18½) at Cincinnati — The Pirates aren’t great, but they haven’t lost this game by more than 12 points since 2003, and the Bearcats are coming off a season-crushing blowout at the hands of UCF. It was a harsh reality slap, and I’ll take the points against a defeated team with little to play for. Central Florida (-14) at South Florida — On the other side of that Cincy rout were the No. 8 Knights, who once again are trying to prove they belong in the CFP. The Bulls have lost four straight, averaging just 18.3 points the past three games. They are fodder for UCF’s high-octane offense. Oklahoma at West Virginia (over 85) — Before the line came out, I thought the total might be 90. The No. 6 Sooners are terrible on defense, and the No. 12 Mountaineers aren’t much better. QBs Kyler Murray and Will Grier will do a fun rendition of Mahomes-Goff. Washington State (-2½) vs. Washington — I’ve been bullish on Gardner Minshew and the No. 7 Cougars, and I love that they host the Apple Cup this year against the No. 16 Huskies, who are a stunning 2-9 against the spread in 2018. Minshew throws for 400 yards as Mike Leach’s team pulls away. TOMORROW Syracuse at Boston College (under 57½ )— The No. 19 Orange were crippled last week at Yankee Stadium when Eric Dungey was injured, and it’s widely assumed he will not play tomorrow. The Eagles will try to pound the ball with AJ Dillon and grind the clock while Syracuse struggles to score. Auburn (+24) at Alabama — This is more of a wishfulthinking bet, but the No. 1 Tide haven’t won this game by 24 since 2012, and even though they are at home seeking revenge for last year’s loss at Auburn, the Tigers should bring enough defensive intensity to stay inside the number. SMU (-2½) at Tulsa — The Mustangs have laid the lumber to bad teams all year, and while this might not be a blowout, the Golden Hurricane have only beaten Central Arkansas and UConn. Notre Dame (-11) at USC — It would be beautiful if the No. 3 Irish came crashing down against their big rivals in the last game of the regular season, but the Trojans are a mess, as evidenced by last week’s loss to UCLA. Ian Book is back healthy and will lead ND to a blowout. Boise State (-2½) vs. Utah State — This game rarely has been close through the years, but the winner plays in the Mountain West championship game. The hard truth is the No. 14 Aggies are 10-1 with one of the easiest schedules in the country, and they will falter on the blue turf against the No. 21 Broncos. Last week: 7-3 Season: 51-51-4