One year ago this week, the Michigan Wolverines announced that they had returned to the college football elite. The proof, they said, was in a victory over fifth-ranked Colorado in Boulder.
Michigan jumped into the Top 10 after that victory. But the Wolverines dropped four of their last 10 games and staggered to fifth place in the Big Ten.
Maybe that’s why the Wolverines were preaching caution after Saturday’s smashing 27-3 triumph over Colorado in Ann Arbor, a game that highlighted quarterback Brian Griese’s pinpoint passing and a relentless blitzing defense. Michigan joined the Top 10 of both major polls Sunday: The media rank the Wolverines eighth, while the coaches have them ninth.
“You can’t judge it on one game,” Griese said. “We may go from the penthouse to the outhouse if we lose our next game.”
Anything is possible in a young season that has already seen Wake Forest beat Northwestern, Miami lose a home opener and twice-beaten UCLA drub Texas by 63 points. But with Michigan heavily favored against visiting Baylor this weekend, the Wolverines will have to avoid looking ahead to Notre Dame’s visit in two weeks.
Michigan has a history with the Fighting Irish, much of it frustrating. Of course, the Irish won’t be bringing Rocket Ismail with them on this trip.
Poll watch: There’s still a lot of football to be played, but no one would blame Rose Bowl organizers if their spirits soared when they saw Sunday’s AP media poll.
Washington leapfrogged Florida into the second spot behind Penn State. That gives the Nittany Lions and Huskies an inside track to a national title game in the Rose Bowl. (In the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, Florida is No. 1, so the Gators would still have a shot at a national title in the Orange Bowl, which is the bowl alliance championship game).
Of course, there are still a few minor details to be worked out before the Rose Bowl claims the title game, including Penn State’s meetings with Ohio State and Michigan and Washington’s confrontation this weekend with Nebraska in Seattle.
Couch potato: Another reason Florida coach Steve Spurrier is different: Most big-time college football coaches pretend they aren’t aware of any game other than their own. But Spurrier said he spent most of Saturday, an open date for the Gators, checking out games on TV. Asked if he learned anything, Spurrier said, “Every now and then you see a play that you like and think you might want to give a chance.”
He also said Saturday’s upsets showed that a team’s most recent performance doesn’t always indicate how it will play. Florida hammered Central Michigan a week ago, while Tennessee barely escaped UCLA. The fourth-ranked Vols and third-rated Gators meet Saturday in Gainesville. “I guess you could see Temple beating Boston College, and then (Boston College) beat West Virginia,” Spurrier said. “The prior games don’t have much to do with the one coming up. It’s how you get ready to go play that week.
“Purdue beating Notre Dame after losing to Toledo–you can’t go by what happened last week, or two weeks ago.”
Or what happened the last three years, the Vols hope. They haven’t beaten Florida since 1992.
