I don’t know which is worse, watching the Michigan offense and defense come out looking exactly like it did vs. Notre Dame, or having to listen to Mike Tirico do the play by play for it.

7:32 pm
In a way, I’m oh-so-glad I didn’t liveblog today. While Michigan got the win in OT, the way they did it was a perfect blend of everything they’ve done right and wrong in every game thus far:

-First drive is done in a flash, defense lets the opponent grind away until they’re in the end zone on the ensuing drive.

-Offense puts together a fun mix of short runs, long passes and a couple longish runs to find the endzone with a outfreakingstanding catch by Jason Avant.

-If any player in the world deserves a “team MVP” award for playing about half the team’s season thus far, it’s Mike Hart. He’s like the milk on a bowl of Cap’n Crunch. Sure, going without the milk can probably get the job done, but you’re just gonna get the roof of your mouth cut. With the milk? Dee-licious!

-Stuff happened.

-A chance to put the game away, and even a sorta-decent punt (this time) that gives the opponent alot of yards to go and not alot of time to get there, and it ends up being the opponents own turtling (admittedly, with a couple key tackles late in the drive) that lets you go to OT as opposed to needing another huge return-drive-last second TD to win the game.

Of course, with the way Northwestern has been putting points up at home, and keeping Sparty to not so many points themselves, that night game in Evanston could be less than pretty. Of course, not as “less than pretty” as….

LOSING TO WESTERN FREAKING MICHIGAN! AT HOME! BY 31!

Omar Jacobs is done for 2 weeks to the season to infinity, Marques Parks (not a star, but a solid option off the bench) broke something in his leg/ankle region and is done for the year. I’ll still be making the trip back to the Doyt next Saturday, but this tempers the excitement for that trip at least a little.

–Fortunately, hockey’s going on, the Hurricanes have a 1-0 lead in the second, and NHL.com still has free audio going down. Which is nice.