10 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com November 24, 2008 -- 5B MAIZE GAUGE The Michigan Daily football writers break down the weekend's stats that don't show up in the box score. The Defense-O-Meter measures the intensity of the defense, the Rod-O-Meter judges how emotional (positive or negative) Rich Rodriguez was following the game and the Hype-O-Meter measures the fans' performance. - DEFENSE-O-METER o Since the beginning of the season everyone said this team will go as far as the defense takes it. And that 4 held true Saturday. After containing the Buckeyes early, Obis the defense allowed big plays that blew the game open - much like the unit has all year. The question now is whether defensive coordinator Scott Shafer keeps his job. ROD-O-METER Rodriguez didn't seem particularly upset after the game, and most of his comments were focused on the future. But when 5/4 asked how much transition will happen next year, he went off Rich Rods on a tangent about how the media causes "drama" and how he has learned he should just be quieter. It would have been funny if he hadn't gone off on the same vein multiple times before. HYPE-0-METER There wasn't as much maize and blue in the Ohio Sta- 0/ dium crowd as there should have been in a rivalry game. Even the top rows in the Michigan section were empty. Big Houses Looks like Michigan fans decided to stay home for this one. They must have listened to Rodriguez and spent Saturday looking at bigger problems, like the economy. NOTABLE QUOTABLE "The team. Can't really blame Rich Rod because everybody on the team didn't buy in like they were supposed to. And we got a couple guys not going hard, but, you know, we'll correct that, most definitely. Ain't going to happen on my watch as a senior next year." - Junior running back Brandon Minor on whom he blames for Michigan's disappointing season THE MICHIGAN DAILY TOP 10 POLL Te g y tp returns for its 13th slmert6. UTAH: Which is more absurd? Michigan th Eaheek. DAIysffers will fill out ballotsneeded just a two-point conversion to wth i aeovtes receiving i oe ints, seecxond- send the Utes to overtime. Jared Fogle, p sre ng ni ,saedtn. The results are of Subway weight-loss fame, participated p h w it-p s arenthses.in Utah game-day festivities. ASSOCIATED CRESS POLL TEAM 1. Alabama (11-0) 2. Florida (10-1) 3. Oklahoma (10-1) 4. Texas (10-1) 5. Southern Cal (9-1) 6. Penn State (11-1) 7. Texas Tech (10-1), 8. Utah (12-0) 9. Boise State (11-0) 10. Ohio State (10-2) 11. Oklahoma State (9-2) 12. Missouri (9-2) 13. Georgia (9-2) 14. Texas Christian (10-2) 15. Ball State (11-0) 16. Cincinnati (9-2) 17. Oregon State (8-3) 18. Georgia Tech (8-3) 19. Oregon (8-3) 20. Boston College (8-3) 21. Brigham Young (10-2) 22. Michigan State (9-3) 23.FloridaState (8-3) 24. Northwestern (9-3) 25. Mississippi (7-4) LAST WEEK bye beat Citadel 70-19 beat Texas Tech 65-22 bye bye beat Michigan State 49-18 lost to Oklahoma 65-21 beat Brigham Young 48-24 beat Nevada 41-34 beat Michigan 42-7 bye bye bye beat Air Force 44-10 THIS WEEK Auburn at Florida State at Oklahoma State Texas A&M Notre Dame bye Baylor bye Fresno State bye Oklahoma Kansas Georgia Tech bye f2 reWTh D W hing 's s mid Nove ntber 8. TEXAS TECH: Hundreds of Red Raider bl Oike l dassc Frd-CitaTdeI fans were duped into buying fake tickets ntchups. They're almost as good as those for the Texas game in Lubbock two weeks W 1s , nsin-Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo ago. At least Saturday's game against owns Man, the Big Ten sDcks. Oklahoma uplifted their spirits.Wait. their first home game in 2005. They haven't lost Fr esno'Sate, they aren't a BCS lock. I they in Norman since. The Wolverines'seniors beat don't make an elite bowl, they're looking at Northern Illinois in their first home game. But they e im Poinsettia BowL which pays out $750,n00. didn't quite finish as strong at oklahoma's class. That's a far cry from the $ they'd rake in for the WAC w th a BC S ^pearne 4.tEXA ):F rrst lfdy Lady Bird Johns,,( 10 BALL STATE (1): The Cardinals' football andc curt frs t yLaura Bush wept to Texas team continued to play this week. Tomorrow's IftheLsonghrnsm hhErclassofthosealumni 'meetingwithWestern Michiganwillbe againrst TLaA& thi ek, they might force the the matchup between the two. Don't get Aggies into buyut dues with Mika Sher rnan. it? Youtube "Boom goes the dynamite." 5.SOUTHERN CAL: The Trojans will welcome ALSO RECEIVING VO ah a Sta Notre Dame into the L.A. Coliseum this weekend oh at Georgi The Fighting Irish will probably appreciate being on the West Coast. There's a smaller chance they get pelted with snowballs beat Syracuse Pittsburgh 28-21 beat Arizona 19-7 ,Oregon beat Miami at Georgia (FL) 41-23 bye at Oregon State beat Maryland Wake Forest 24-21 lost to Utah 48-24 bye losttto Penn bye State 48-19 beat Florida Marylan d37-3 beat Illinois 27-10 bye beat Louisiana Mississippi State 31-13 State Games updated through Nov. 23 STAFF PICKS The Daily football writers predict what will happen in the 2008 college football season. Dan Courtney Ian Nate Alex Feldman Ratkowiak Robinson Sandals Lumley Michigan (+21) at Ohio State Ohio State Michigan Ohio State Michigan Michigan No.2 Texas Tech (+7) at No.5 Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Texas Tech No 3Florida (N L) vs. Citadel Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida No.7Penn St.(4.5)vs. No.17 Michigan St Michigan St. Michigan St Michigan St Michigan St Michigan St. No.8Utah (-75) vs. Brighaw Young Brighar Young Utah Brighar Young Utah Utah No.9 Boise State (-6) at Nevada Nevada Boise State Boise State Boise State Boise State No 14 Ball State (-7)01 Central Michigan Central Michigan Ball State Central Michigan Central Michigan Ball State No. 15 Texas Christian (-20) vs. Air Force Air Force Air Force Air Force Texas Christian Texas Christian No.ltLouisianaState(-4)vs Mississippi.I Louisiana State Louisiana State..........ouisiana State Louisiana State Louisiana State N1'o.19 Cincinnati (-5.5) vs. No.20 Pittsburgh Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Pittsburgh No.21 Oregon State (+3) at Arizona Arizona Oregon State Oregon State Oregon State Oregon State No. 22 Maryland (45) vs. Florida State Maryland Florida State Maryland Maryland Maryland No. 23 Miami (+3) at Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Miami No.25 North Carolina (l1)vsNorthCarolinaSt North Carolina St. North Carolina North Carolina. North Carolina North Carolina Indiana (+12) at Purdue Indiana Purdue Purdue Purdue Indiana Iowa (-6) at Minnesota Iowa Minnesota Iowa Iowa Minnesota S Illinois (-3) at Northwestern Northrwestern Illinois Ilinois Illinois Illinois Wisconsin (NL) vs. Cal Poly Wisconsin Wisconsin test Bt Central Michigan Michigan St. Georgia Tech Michigan S.Boise State Record Last Week... ..._.. 9-a-i (0-0-1) .......10-7-1 (0-1) 10-7-1 (-0).. . ..... 11-6-1 (0-1 6-11-1 (1-0) ........... Overall Record 160-127-5 (7-4-2) 17405(-1)164-123-5 16-175(07-4t2-1)(-ai Remember, if you want your chance to be a star, e-mail danfeld@umich.edu. If you're chosen and can beat at least two of us, you'll stay on for another week. The longest-tenured guest picker will get a prize at the end of the season.