Real Kato Blog: CFB 2023: Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Preview

Michigan wins in another blowout; N.C. State squeaks by Marshall.

Michigan 52, Minnesota 10
I mean, yeah. Minnesota had only 52 yards passing in this game. They relied heavily on their running game, which worked for a while, until it didn't. Michigan's defense got a pick six on the second play of the game; a couple of blinks later, the score was 24-3 in the second quarter and the game was all but over.

Yes, Minnesota schemed up some running success, and yes, they scored an annoying low-percentage bomb touchdown at the end of the first half, but aside from that, Michigan was utterly dominant in every phase. Some standouts: Mason Graham came back from injury with a vengeance, wreaking havoc on the DL; and all of the Michigan tight ends had stellar blocking performances.

Michigan vs. Indiana, 12:00 PM Fox
On paper, this looks to be another hapless opponent for Michigan. Though their three losses are to pretty good teams (Ohio State, Louisville, and Maryland), they've only beaten Indiana State and Akron this year, and the Akron game was close. The Indiana DL should get mauled by the Michigan OL, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Indiana try to overplay the run, only to get shredded by J.J. McCarthy and Roman Wilson.

Prediction: Michigan 45, Indiana 9.

Penn State: Bye
Penn State vs. UMass, 3:30 PM BTN
I mean... playing 1-6 UMass is effectively another bye week for Penn State. Favored by a ridiculous 42 points in this game, Penn State's only goal should be to get the backups into this game as quickly as possible and avoid injuries to their starters.

Prediction: Penn State 56, UMass 0.

N.C. State 48, Marshall 41
It wasn't the defensive struggle I predicted, as Marshall thundered its way to 419 yards of offense, mostly through the air. N.C. State frequently gave up chunk plays in the passing game. Both teams were sloppy with the football, with three turnovers apiece.

The good news is that M.J. Morris seems like an upgrade at quarterback; despite throwing three picks, he also made big plays, including a 62-yard touchdown strike to Trent Pennix. The bad news is that State's defense might not be as reliable as we thought it was. Against better opposition, I'm not confident that N.C. State can keep up in shootouts.

N.C. State at Duke, 8:00 PM ACCN
Duke has been stellar this year, with a signature win over Clemson and just one loss (a close one) two weeks ago against Notre Dame. But unfortunately for Duke, quarterback Riley Leonard was injured in that game and is questionable for this one. If Leonard can't go, Duke will have to turn to redshirt freshman Henry Belin, which will be a severe downgrade.

Duke is at home but I don't think that'll be much of a factor; I'd expect lots of State fans make the drive to Durham, and Wallace Wade Stadium isn't very intimidating to begin with. So while the betting odds have Duke as a 3 point favorite, I think if Leonard is out, State should have the clear advantage.

Prediction: N.C. State 24, Duke 21.

Last Week's Notable Results

#12 Oklahoma 34, #3 Texas 30. An instant classic.
#4 Ohio State 37, Maryland 17. Notable in this game: Ohio State's inability to run the ball.
#9 USC 43, Arizona 41. USC is still hindered by its defense.
#25 Louisville 33, #10 Notre Dame 20. Notre Dame was showered with chants of "overrated" at the end of this one.
#11 Alabama 26, Texas A&M 20. Alabama escaped to stay alive in the SEC West.
UCLA 25, #13 Washington State 17. Could be quite a battle in the final year of the Pac-12.
#14 UNC 40, Syracuse 7.
Georgia Tech 23, #17 Miami. Miami just needed to kneel to win the game, but they ran it instead, fumbled the ball, and then lost.
#23 LSU 49, #21 Missouri 39.

Next Week's Big Ten Games

Indiana at #2 Michigan, 12:00 PM Fox
#3 Ohio State at Purdue, 12:00 PM Peacock
Michigan State at Rutgers, 12:00 PM BTN
UMass at #6 Penn State, 3:30 PM BTN
Illinois at Maryland, 3:30 PM NBC
Iowa at Wisconsin, 4:00 PM Fox

Games of the Week

#8 Oregon at #7 Washington, 3:30 PM ABC
#10 USC at #21 Notre Dame, 7:30 PM NBC
#25 Miami at #12 North Carolina, 7:30 PM ABC
#18 UCLA at #15 Oregon State, 8:00 PM Fox
N.C. State at #17 Duke, 8:00 PM ACCN

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Posted by Ken in: sports

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