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We made the predictions, now we have to face them. How did Mike and I do in week one?

Tennessee vs. NC State in Atlanta

What Mike Said:

The season kicks off, where so many Tennessee seasons have died: The Georgia Dome. Two offenses come out firing, and two defenses really don’t know what they’re doing. UT’s new 3-4 takes an entire half to look a little bit normal. The halftime score is 24-20 UT. The defense comes around a little in the second half, and the offense keeps rolling. Tyler Bray has a HUGE game.

Tennessee 45- NC State 34

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What Steve Said:

What do you get when you combine a defense that’s still trying to get comfortable in their new roles with an offense returning a good quarterback behind a veteran offensive line? If you’re the Wolfpack, the answer is “not enough.” David Amerson can cover most receivers in the country, but the Vols have two receivers who are tall enough that Tyler Bray will just have to throw the ball up toward the one he isn’t covering. Mix in Mychal Rivera and the passing game will be fine. Neither team impresses on the ground, but it won’t matter for Coach Derek Dooley, who will find that the “we’ve got things to work on” speech is a lot easier to give coming off a win.

Tennessee 30 – NC State – 27

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The Reality:

After some early struggles, Tennessee made some huge plays in the first quarter. Tennessee managed 22 points in the opening frame and held the ball for 4:46, that’s what happens when you have scoring plays of 2, 1, and 1 play, (and a safety to boot).  The halftime score was 22-14, and was nearly 29-17 when Tyler Bray’s touchdown was not counted. In the second half the Vols chewed major clock. The running game looked a little better. The final score was UT 35-21, in a game that was not that close.

In Mike’s Defense:

The Tennessee secondary had some moments of struggle. The UT front 7 did not. So I was kinda wrong there. I was off quite a bit on the score. Did Tyler Bray have a huge game? 27-41 for 333 yards and 2 TDs. Well that 66%. He started the game 3-8, so after that he was  24-33. That’s pretty darn good considering that at least one of those throws he tossed out of the back of the end zone. (Which showed a lot of maturity for him.) I say I get a B for this prediction. I overestimated the UT O, and underestimated it’s D.

In Steve’s Defense:

The Vols didn’t have to go away from David Amerson. In fact, they went right at him, beating him for two TDs through the air, and Cordarelle Patterson beating him to the end zone on his end around run. Tennessee’s defense was shaky at times, but with four interceptions, I probably overstated how uncomfortable they would be. I was pretty accurate on the run games, with neither team really looking very good on the ground (the Vols best rusher was a wide receiver). As for the score, I’m not too bad, giving Tennessee five fewer points than they would score, and giving the Wolfpack credit for six more than they would score. Given how the game went, I don’t think that’s too bad.

Alabama vs. Michigan in Dallas

What Steve Said:

I expect this game to go a lot like the last time Alabama faced a team from Michigan — January 1, 2011, when the Tide ran over and through the Spartans of Michigan State like they were barely there. The Wolverines score a field goal early to make it look like it might be competitive but the Tide’s defense adjusts and keeps the Michigan Men out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, long after the game has been decided. Denard Robinson’s Heisman campaign hits an early bump in the road when he’s held to under fifty yards rushing on twenty carries and throws two picks. In fact, the lone Wolverine touchdown is scored by backup Devin Gardner who comes in so that Robinson might live to juke another day.
Alabama 42 – Michigan 13
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What Mike Said:

I’ve heard lots of talk the last few weeks about how awesome Denard Robinson is, and how much he will test the Alabama defense. May I refer you to last year at Jerry’s World? Another team with a fast attack (Oregon), against a fast defense (LSU), with a lot of time to prepare. Does anybody think this will be different? I think it’ll be worse. Alabama, runs a fairly vanilla offense straight at Michigan, and Denard “Shoelaces” Robinson has his worst game of the season.

Alabama 28 – Michigan 10
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The Reality:

The Tide went three and out on it’s first possession. Then the lights went out. Alabama reeled off 31 consecutive points before the Wolverines could even cross the fifty. The boys in crimson were far from perfect, but they were the very definition of dominant.  The defense only allowed two big plays, one of which was a fluke when Dee Milliner seemed to trip over the turf.  Cries of “overrated” from the Michigan media regarding the hometown Michigan Men have been harsh.

In Steve’s Defense:

I was wrong about how soon Michigan would score and how they would score. The comparison to the Michigan State game was apt. Alabama mixed up a lot of different formations on offense, but they didn’t really do anything surprising out of them. I was right that Devin Gardner would score a TD, but was wrong about his role in it as he played receiver to Denard Robinson on the final Michigan score. In fact, Michigan kept Robinson in long after the game was decided. He did sit out the final series, which resulted in an interception by true freshman backup linebacker Dillon Lee. Most importantly, I was only off by one point on each team. That’s a pretty acceptable margin of error.  Some of the other SEC team’s stumbling efforts this weekend make me think I’ll struggle to match last season’s 23-4 record, but I’m off to a 2-0 start this season.

In Mike’s Defense:

I was pretty close really. I didn’t give either offense enough credit. Alabama ran a fairly vanilla offense. TJ Yeldon and Eddie Lacy straight up the gut. Kinda boring, and really effective. This may be Steve and my best week of predictions all year.

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