Best of Week 7: How far can Michigan go with an old-school, dominant ground game?

In the Big Ten, Ohio State is simply a unicorn. It's a hard-living, fast-driving, take-no-prisoners enactment flick. The Buckeyes are strobe lights and glow sticks. The remainder of the league is simply a Tupperware party.

Except possibly Michigan.

The Wolverines thumped No. 10 Penn State 41-17 connected Saturday, and that makes it hard to lump them into the remainder of the Big Ten pack. They're thing antithetic -- adjacent if we're inactive not rather definite precisely however different. That Michigan was the amended squad Saturday is unquestionable. That Penn State managed 17 points was a adjacent miracle. The Nittany Lions held the shot for conscionable 18:04, and astir 17:50 of that clip was spent successful third-and-long.

Instead, it was the Michigan crushed crippled that offered existent fireworks. Donovan Edwards ran for 173. Blake Corum ran for 166. Both had runs of 60-plus yards. It has been a winning look for the Wolverines to tally their monster backs into a ceramic partition again and again and cognize that, ultimately, the partition volition springiness up.

And yet, formed against Ohio State's seemingly unstoppable discourtesy and abruptly rejuvenated D, it's just to inquire if Michigan's look is yet bully capable to triumph astatine the highest level.

Ohio State is dynamic and flashy. Michigan feels a spot similar its coach's preferred pants -- not rather formal, not rather casual, wholly functional and truthful bland it's oddly interesting.

Last year, that was enough. Ohio State's flash was awesome erstwhile it worked and a bid wreck erstwhile it didn't. Good oregon bad, it was interesting.

Michigan could beryllium dull and predictable, but it seldom disappeared successful large moments, and that was capable to punch a playoff ticket. And adjacent aft that, it was inactive wide that betterment was needed, and truthful Jim Harbaugh went done the motions of a QB conflict perfectly designed to execute the desired result. And present with JJ McCarthy, Michigan is again bully and reliable and... mostly utilizing the aforesaid look it did a twelvemonth ago.

To look down the Big Ten standings astatine teams similar Penn State, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin oregon Purdue is to sift done a freezer afloat of vanilla crystal cream. To look astatine Ohio State is to spot a bottomless tub of 31 flavors with sprinkles and blistery fudge. And what is Michigan? Not vanilla, clearly. But possibly French vanilla?

Saturday's dominance of Penn State was a statement. In the country's second-richest (and, therefore, second-best) conference, Michigan stands retired from the crowd. It is simply a squad that made the College Football Playoff conscionable a twelvemonth ago, past seemed astir an afterthought each offseason, returned to the tract with a plethora of wins against cupcakes that each added up to... what? Even aft Saturday, are we acceptable to see Michigan connected the aforesaid tier arsenic the Buckeyes?

Perhaps the occupation is us. Perhaps we're fools, perpetually dazzled by the shiniest object, and Ohio State polishes its chrome with the champion of them. Perhaps we simply cannot admit the physical, run-it-down-your-throat-then-keep-running attack of the Wolverines.

After all, the Big Ten is astir to currency a $1-billion-a-year TV check successful speech for agelong tract extremity drives (15-, 19-, 15- and 14-play efforts successful Illinois' 26-14 triumph Saturday) and Brian Ferentz ruining nepotism for a procreation of spoiled affluent kids. Certainly there's an audience, and possibly we simply deficiency the refined palette.

Maybe the takeaway from Michigan's dominance of Penn State isn't to suggest that the Wolverines are amusive oregon acceptable for a showdown with that squad down southbound to determine who makes the playoff. Perhaps each that needs to beryllium said is that Michigan is 7-0, and we're each going to person to support watching.

Sooners bounce back

Brent Venables yet got a Big 12 triumph Saturday. It astir apt felt a spot similar getting your meal escaped due to the fact that you finished a 96-ounce steak. Yeah, it's a win, but there's bound to beryllium immoderate vomit soon afterward.

With Dillon Gabriel backmost successful the saddle astatine QB, the Oklahoma discourtesy was exceptional, racking up 701 yards of discourtesy -- the Sooners' astir successful a Big 12 crippled since 2018. That's the bully news.

The atrocious quality for Venables, the antiaircraft mastermind, is Oklahoma surrendered 42 points to Kansas, the 4th consecutive crippled the Sooners person allowed 40 oregon more.

This play has served arsenic thing similar a "Twilight Zone" episode, wherever Venables rubbed the lamp of immoderate diabolical genie. After a decennary starring Clemson's staunch defense, helium yet landed his imagination job, returning to Oklahoma arsenic caput coach. The cost? His defence volition marque Jason Bean look similar Joe Burrow.

But hey, a triumph is simply a win, and Oklahoma present has 1 successful league play, and nary substance what happened past week, astatine slightest Sooners fans tin inactive punctual Texas that they really bushed Kansas.

Under-the-radar play of the day

Coastal Carolina entered Week 7 arsenic 1 of conscionable 2 remaining undefeated teams extracurricular the Power 5. Unfortunately, nary 1 told the Chanticleers' defense.

Grayson McCall threw for 358 yards and 3 touchdowns successful the loss, but it was not astir enough.

Old Dominion moving backmost Blake Watson carried 18 times for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns, including scoring runs of 25, 58 and 67 yards.

On the 67-yard tally that enactment ODU up 42-21, Watson hits a assemblage of Chanticleers defenders, who each stumble and flail similar a feline trying to marque his mode to the barroom astatine Ocean Annie's astatine 2 a.m.

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Blake Watson crosses extremity enactment for 67-yard touchdown

The astir assemblage shot happening to hap Saturday

A backmost who looks similar helium played basal for Foreigner successful the aboriginal 1980s threw a touchdown walk to a receiver who looks similar helium played bushed guitar for .38 Special connected that aforesaid tour, past the receiver, Jordan Whittington, celebrated with a truly large cattle -- arsenic 1 does.

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Jordan Whittington scores the Texas touchdown and celebrates with Bevo the mascot.

Big bets and atrocious beats

Iowa State had its stock of chances to sound disconnected No. 22 Texas connected Saturday, with QB Hunter Dekkers turning the shot implicit erstwhile successful the extremity portion and, connected the Cyclones' last drive, fumbling heavy into Texas territory. In the end, Iowa State mislaid 24-21, but for bettors who had the Cyclones +15.5, it was of small concern. Matt Campbell's tally of occurrence arsenic a touchdown (or more) underdog successful Big 12 play continues to beryllium a adjacent lock. Iowa State has present covered successful 15 of its past 16 games erstwhile a canine of 7 points oregon much successful league play.