In week two of the college football season, Michigan State and Michigan will both face tough tests.
In the NFL, the Lions are set to begin their season on Sunday. Their challenge will be to live up to some big expectations.
Michigan Public sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition host Doug Tribou to talk football.
This weekend's games:
Texas at Michigan - Saturday, Noon
Michigan State at Maryland - Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Detroit Lions - Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
Doug Tribou: Let’s start with Michigan State. New head coach Jonathan Smith got his first win last weekend when the Spartans beat Florida Atlantic. But it was a squeaker: 16-10. Now, MSU begins Big Ten Conference play on the road against Maryland. What are the priorities for the Green and White this week?
John U. Bacon: This one's pretty simple, Doug. I'd say three turnovers and 12 penalties versus Florida Atlantic. Those are the things that kill your own chances, so, clean up your own house, basically. Maryland did beat UConn 50-7. They're a very good team, I think, a solid team, and they're favored by 9.5 [points].
But I think Michigan State's got a real chance to win this game, truly. And the bigger question is [how to] just play better football throughout the year. And Smith has got to be looking at two or three years out, really, to be truly competitive.
DT: Last weekend, Michigan beat Fresno State. You had expected quarterback Alex Orji to start...
JUB: Yes I did, Doug. [Laughs]
DT: Fact check! [Laughs]
JUB: Was I dead wrong about that? Was that your point, Doug?
DT: [Laughs] Davis Warren ended up getting the call instead. Orji still played quite a bit. He threw a touchdown and ran for more than 30 yards. But the key number might be 121. That’s how many total passing yards Warren and Orji had combined. What are the adjustments that Michigan will have to make when they play Texas at the Big House on Saturday?
JUB: Well, a few things. One, obviously the defense was as good as advertised. And against Texas, No. 3 in the country, that's going to matter quite a bit. So they've got to play their best once again. The offensive line at Michigan was pretty weak, and they've got to play much better in the second game.
The old saw in college football goes that you make the most improvement from the first to the second game. And both Michigan State and Michigan probably need to do that.
Davis Warren's got to be able to throw downfield, and the running game's got to get more geared up from the offensive line. That's the main adjustment they've got to make. Just play better in those two aspects.
DT: The Lions came within one win of reaching the Super Bowl last season. Coach Dan Campbell has his core group intact, so the expectations are high this season. The Lions open against the Los Angeles Rams and former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. How do you like Detroit's chances of actually getting to the Super Bowl this season?
JUB: This is where I rub my forehead, because I'm going to say a thing that I've not said before.
I think the Lions might be the best team [and] win the Super Bowl this year. And like my Orji prediction there, please record this and play back to me.
"This team has got no particular weakness. They're strong in basically all aspects."John U. Bacon on the Detroit Lions
DT: [Laughs] We've got a little more time between these.
JUB: [Laughs] Yeah, I suppose that's true.
This team has got no particular weakness. They're strong in basically all aspects. Guys are dying to play for Detroit. Now they're talking to their agents, "How can I get over there?" They might be currently — and again, record this, Doug — it might be the best franchise in the NFL right now. So hats off to the Ford family.
DT: John, Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal is having a terrific season. He’s leading the American League in wins and earned run average. And in his last start, he became the first pitcher this season in Major League Baseball to reach 200 strikeouts. That’s a very bright bright spot on a team that can’t seem to get much beyond a .500 record…
JUB: Well, you're nice, Doug. It's the only bright spot, let's be honest, on this team right now.
What's more impressive, first of all, is he's got, wins, earned run average, and strikeouts. Those are basically the Triple Crown, if you will, for pitching. But he's done it on a team that is in the bottom third of almost every offensive category.
And not like obscure analytics, but with things like, you know, hits and runs. Things that people know about. So to pitch that well on a team that is doing that poorly otherwise is just incredibly impressive. And I hope Tigers fans enjoy that because that's very, very impressive.
Editor's note: Quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity.
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