Michigan and Michigan State Battle On And Off The Field Highlight Week 9 Plus The Real Top 25 College Football Rankings
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 29: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines shakes hands with head coach Mel Tucker of the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Michigan and Michigan State battle on and off the field Highlight Week 9 plus The Real Top 25 college football rankings.
Here are some highlights from Saturday followed by my Real Top 25 college football rankings.
Michigan and Michigan State
No. 4 Michigan won 29-7 against Michigan State. The Wolverines scored the final 26 points of the game after trailing 7-3 at the end of the 1st quarter. Blake Corum had 177 rushing yards, the most by a Michigan player against Michigan State since Mike Hart in 2005.
However, things heated up after this game was over. Video on social media from the Detroit News showed Michigan State players gathered around Michigan defensive back Ja'Den McBurrows throwing punches and kicks.
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said police are investigating what coach Jim Harbaugh called an assault on two of his players in the tunnel after Michigan's win over Michigan State on Saturday.
Tennessee and Georgia both win setting up a huge showdown for next week!
Both No. 1 Georgia and No. 3 Tennessee won on Saturday, setting up an AP Top-5 matchup next week in Georgia. Barring an extreme change in the AP Poll, it will be the first AP Top-5 matchup between Tennessee and Georgia. It will also be the first AP Top-5 matchup featuring Tennessee since 2001. The Volunteers defeated Florida 34-32 in that game.
Tennessee won 44-6 over No. 19 Kentucky, giving the Volunteers their first 8-0 start since 1998. They have scored 395 points this season, the 3rd-most through a team’s first 8 games of a season in SEC history. Only 2018 Alabama and 1996 Florida had more. The Volunteers now have 5 wins vs AP-ranked teams this season. That is tied for the 3rd-most through a team’s first 8 games of a season in the Poll Era (since 1936).
Georgia handled its business in a 42-20 win against Florida in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs have now started 8-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.
Georgia has now won 5 of the last 6 in this rivalry. The Bulldogs had 239 rushing yards, 137 of which came before contact – the most Florida has allowed in a game this season. It’s also the most such yards for the Bulldogs in the rivalry over the last 10 seasons. Daijun Edwards gained 75 rushing yards before contact, the most by a Georgia player in a game this season.
Ohio State knocks off Penn State
No. 2 Ohio State was trailing No. 13 Penn State with just under 10 minutes left, but the Buckeyes pulled away to win 44-31 in Happy Valley. Ohio State was down 21-16 in the 4th quarter before outscoring Penn State 28-10 in the last 9:26 of the game. Ohio State has now won 6 straight and 10 of the last 11 against Penn State. The 6-game win streak is the longest by either side in series history.
Crazy Stat of The Week
Minnesota shutout Rutgers 31-0. It’s the Gophers’ 1st shutout in Big Ten play since Oct. 23, 2004 (when they beat Illinois 45-0).
