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6B - The Michigan Daily - FOOTBALL SATURDAY - October 25, 2003
The Michigan Daily - FooTmA
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STAFF PICKS
Predictions AGAINST THE
SPREAD for 10/25/03
No. 10 Purdue at No. 13 MICHIGAN (-4.5)
No. 8 Ohio State (-20.5) at INDIANA
No. 20 Wisconsin (-10.5) at NORTHWESTERN
Minnesota (-14) at ILLINOIS
Wake Forest at No. 6 FLORIDA STATE (-18.5)
N.C. State (-21) at Duke
Penn State at No. 16 IOWA (-10.5)
Kansas at KANSAS STATE (-20.5)
Notre Dame at BosToN COLLEGE (-4)
Iowa State at No. 14 Nebraska (-23.5)
No.18 Oklahoma State (-6) at Texas A&M
No. 1 Oklahoma (-25) AT COLORADO
Stanford at OREGON (-10)
No. 5 Southern Cal. (-10) at WASHINGTON
No.12 Northern Illinois at No. 23 BowuNG GREEN (-3.5)
Oregon State at No. 6 WASHINGTON STATE (-8)
Pittsburgh (-7) at SYRACUSE
No. 22 Tennessee (-3.5) at ALABAMA
Best bet
Total season record (Best bet)
Michigan
Indiana
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Wake Forest
N.C. State
Iowa
Kansas
Boston College
Nebraska
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Oregon
Southern Cal.
Northern Illinois
Washington State
Syracuse
Tennessee
Wisconsin
Courtney
Lewis
J. Brady
McCollough
Purdue
Indiana
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Florida State
N.C. State
Iowa
Kansas
Boston College
Nebraska
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma
Oregon
Washington
Bowling Green
Washington State
Syracuse
Alabama
Kansas
66-60 (3-4)
Kyle
O'Neill
Michigan
Indiana
Northwestern
Minnesota
Florida State
N.C. State
Iowa
Kansas State
Boston College
Nebraska
Oklahoma State
Colorado
Stanford
Southern Cal.
Northern Illinois
Washington State
Pittsburgh
Alabama
Washington State
66-60 (5-2)
Michigan
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Florida State
N.C. State
Iowa
Kansas State
Boston College
Nebraska
Oklahoma State
Colorado
Stanford
Southern Cal.
Bowling Green
Washington State
Pittsburgh
Tennessee
Michigan
67-59 (2-5)
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Naweed
Sikora
Laura Leinweber of
"Tony Ba'lony's"
Michigan
Indiana
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Florida State
N.C. State
Penn State
Kansas State
Notre Dame
Nebraska
Texas A&M
Colorado
Oregon
Soutern Cal.
Northern Illinois
Washington State
Pittsburgh
Tennessee
Northern Illinois
58-68 (3-3)
TH E
The new third-
supported by the IM
Lloyd Carr -
"I like it,
makes i
Jeremy Le
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Dove Peart
66-60 (5-2)
T-Bo's 'Living on a
LSA junior Laura Leinweber was
selected as this week's Ann
Arbor celebrity because if there
$is one thing the employees at
Tony Ba'lony's have proven, it's
that they're fighters. T-Bo's
has stood firm for the last two
years since Bella Napoli moved
in right next door with seating
and a television that Tony Ba'-
longy's didn't offer. Meanwhile,
T-Bo's just kept pumping quali-
ty pizza and Bon Jovi's "Living
on a Prayer" on its stereo.
Prayer' with picks
How fitting.
After two years of fierce com-
petition, Bella Napoli now has a
sign hanging in the window
that says it's relocating in
2004.
So go ahead and laugh at
Laura's staff picks - it's still
questionable whether she com-
prehends the concept of bet-
ting against the spread -
people at Tony Ba'lony's are m
used to being the underdog by
now.
Michigan faces first challenge
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By Kyle O'Neill
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan's championship run
begins or ends on Saturday. When the
spread offense of Joe Tiller comes to
Ann Arbor, Michigan will have its
first true test of the season.
Iowa and Oregon have shown in
the recent weeks that each team's
win over Michigan was more the
Wolverines' doing than of the
Hawkeyes' or Ducks'. Let it be
known, that if Purdue beats Michi-
gan, it won't be because the Wolver-
ines shot themselves in the foot.
The Boilermakers have plenty of
their own weapons to do that.
MICHIGAN PASSING OFFENSE VS.
PURDUE PASSING DEFENSE: Pur-
due's cornerbacks are not anything
that spectacular as individuals, but
they play spectacular defense when
combined with the Boilermakers'
safeties and linebackers.
Safety Stuart Schweigert has three
interceptions this season and is
going to keep Michigan's deep ball
in check. The Wolverines' trio of
Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant and
Steve Breaston will need to use its
speed to its advantage. When Purdue
drops linebacker Niko Koutouvides
into underneath coverage, he is
deadly to passing games - already
with two interceptions this season.
The Wolverines must continue to
utilize their 10-to-15 yard routes if
they want move down the field on
this defensive backfield, as Koutou-
vides will have the short-range stuff
under wraps.
Advantage: Even
MICHIGAN RUSHING OFFENSE
VS. PURDUE RUSHING DEFENSE:
Ohio State's rushing defense is
quite possibly the best in the nation.
It thrives on destroying teams'
offensive lines and gives up just 60
yards a game. Purdue gives up 66 a
game.
If Michigan wants to prove its
ready for a Big Ten title, it begins
with a Chris Perry 150-yard rushing
performance - but that's easier
written than done.
Advantage: Purdue
PURDUE PASSING OFFENSE VS.
MICHIGAN PASSING DEFENSE: No
Jacob Stewart and a recovering
Marlin Jackson equals not so much
fun for Michigan's secondary
against the four- and five-wide
receiver sets. Give credit to Leon
Hall stepping in for Jeremy
LeSueur when the senior was
injured. Hall played well enough to
earn a starting spot in Michigan's
nickle or dime sets, but even he
hasn't been prepared for the spread
offense that Purdue is going to
unleash.
Advantage: Purdue
back Kyle Orton or running back
Jerod Void runs up the middle for a
first down.
But even with that said, Michi-
gan's front seven is playing some
error-free ball (sans the Minnesota
game) and with the excitement of
LaMarr Woodley on the line, the
Wolverines are looking like the
great defenses of old.
Advantage: Even
SPECIAL TEAMS: This is the first
time all season when there aren't
pressing concerns for Michigan's
special teams. Besides the rotation at
kick returner, everything else seems
to be set.
Garrett Rivas is consistent at kick-
er, Steve Breaston is ... well, Steve
Breaston and Michigan's punt forma-
tion is actually looking normal. Pur-
due is hardly a pushover at these
positions, but the difference is
Breaston. Purdue lacks a game-
breaker, which is what makes special
teams a difference-maker.
Advantage: Michigan
INTANGIBLES: Both teams are
making a push for the Big Ten title
- Purdue a run for the Sugar Bowl
(as every one-loss team is still in
contention). It's tough to say which
team will come up with that game-
changing play, as that is what it will
probably come down to.
Advantage: Michigan
Michigan 27, Purdue 21 (OT)
0
PURDUE RUSHING OFFENSE VS.
MICHIGAN RUSHING DEFENSE:
Guess what? Purdue runs the ball
successfully, too. Remember how
Perry ran so wellgagainst Minnesota
out of the shotgun? Purdue does
that for a living. Third-and-six
means nothing to the Boilermakers,
because while a team is covering
four wide receivers, Purdue quarter-
"We need the student bod at Michigan to be there
with all the spirit and ent usiasm and energy that
they possess..I expect to know your presence
in the Big House.
- Lloyd Carr