Michigan football. Overrated again?

Even though they were favored, it almost seemed like an upset when Michigan beat cross state rival Michigan State. The Spartans have had the Wolverines' number in recent years. But bop them they did, in East Lansing, no less. For this feat, UM gets to claim the Paul Bunyan trophy/award/cabbage patch doll/whatever it is.

To no one's great surprise, Michigan is highly ranked. Again. #6 going into the game. For whatever reason, the voters that decide such things always seem to look kindly on the Wolverines. And they're typically not worthy of it. On the rare occasion UM has to play a really good team, they're usually exposed, and not in a good way.

But credit where credit is due -- so far. Other than a close loss at Notre Dame, the Maize and Bluers have done well for themselves this year, the 21-7 thumping of Mich State included.

Yet they're far from a really good team themselves. The penalties they took during the MSU game were glaring. Personal fouls here, unsportsmanlike conduct there. Roughing the passer, etc., etc., etc.

Though it wasn't enough to torpedo them against the not-so-good Spartans, this will not work when they run into stiff competition.

Next up (after a bye week) the Wolverines get Penn State back in Ann Arbor. But the Nittany Lions don't look anywhere near as good as they were last year. Even Mich State handled them, on the road, just last week.

Defeating PSU is a must if UM wants to maintain even an outside shot at making the four teams playoffs this year. True, a long shot, but if they get help elsewhere -- ya never know -- it's still theoretically possible.

After that, two patsies in Rutgers and Indiana.

And then the big one.

@ Ohio State.

True to recent form, the Buckeyes have been rolling right along this year. So this will be a mighty tall order for Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines on Nov. 24.

UM is going to have to be a whole lot better than they showed against MSU when that game comes about, or they'll get blown out. They might anyway.

Besides cleaning up the stupid penalties, UM seems stuck in a rut running truly boring offensive plays. That three yards and a cloud of dust/mouthful of turf stuff isn't going to get it when they visit the Horseshoe in Columbus.

OSU has pretty much had their way with UM in recent times. They've won the last six in a row, and 15 out of the last 17. That's dominance, owning somebody.

And given the Buckeyes are a top 3 in the country team this year doesn't bode well for UM either.

Yeah, they could conceivably pull an upset, and it would be a big one.

But not unless they get a whole lot better in the next month or so.

Because if they play like they did against Mich. State, with the penalties and ho-hum game plan, that game could get seriously ugly -- for UM.

An aside. Though UM quarterback Shea Patterson is supposed to be all that, one is left to wonder sometimes. On one play he rolled out to his right, saw nobody open (throw the ball away), rolled out further, still nobody open (THROW THE DAMN BALL!!!) and finally ran out of bounds -- for a 6 yard loss. What the hell was he thinking?

Urban Meyer would dearly love to see Patterson make bone-headed plays like that.