College Football Preview - Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Wolverines 3:30 PM EST
The Wolverines are currently a -9 point favorite with a total of 44.5 at sportsbook.com for this matchup.
Talk about a game that has lost its luster. The only thing going for the renewal of the storied rivalry is the unprecedented fact that one of these teams will remain winless after Saturday.
Momentum would seem to favor the Irish, as they played respectably last week at Penn State behind frosh QB Jimmy Clausen.
 The Wolverines meanwhile were pummeled by Oregon and may have lost QB Chad Henne indefinitely. Plus, the underdog has dominated head-to-head history, going 8-3 SU & 10-1 ATS.
Both coaches are trying to figure ways to redirect the season after opening disappointments. Charlie Weis is accepting the blame for Notre Dame’s lack of success from an execution standpoint, but what appears to be the bigger issue is the noticeable lack of talent on the gridiron.
Painfully thin at the skill positions, Clausen can only work with what he has, especially in just his second start.
Lloyd Carr is attempting to refocus his team toward the traditional goal of playing in the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten champions, which will take the skill of Tony Robbins to pull this off.
Michigan’s three senior offensive stalwarts came back to win a national championship and that dream is as likely to happen as Will Ferrell winning an Oscar.
The defense has been exposed as not being able to play effectively when spread out, being too dependant on DC Ron English blitz schemes. It might not matter against Notre Dame.
In one the most unusual trends you find in college football, these long-time, top-level programs have seen the underdog post a 19-3-1 ATS in this series over the last 28 years.
Michigan has better players than Notre Dame and should have no trouble winning this game despite the history.
The biggest difference from a mental standpoint is one team is trying to rebound; the other is trying to regroup. What was thought to be a huge coaching mismatch a couple of years ago, is thought differently today.
Prediction - Michigan by 14
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