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Michigan Football and the College Football Week 3 Preview

Michigan Football, Duck Dynasty, Max Scherzer, Michael Phelps and Beyonce.

By Zooby Q.
Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

Week two of the college football season was a memorable one for any Wolverine fan. The sequel to 'Under the Lights,' wasn't as good as the original, but it's pretty rare that a sequel can do that. Case in point, The Hangover Part II?!?

Make no mistake about it though, the effects of 'Under the Lights 2,' was a positive one and quite the event to put on for some big time recruits. You may not have gotten a commitment from some of the big names but there is no doubt that Michigan left a lasting impression on the minds of people like Da'Shawn Hand.

Michigan went all in for it's final game against Notre Dame at Michigan Stadium. Before the game even started, Gardner went from #12 to #98. By halftime, there was a show equivalent to a Super Bowl spectacular. In case you weren't in Ann Arbor for the big game, you missed the closest thing to Hollywood at the Big House.

There were some famous former Wolverines like Desmond Howard and Michael Phelps at the big game. There was a special announcement on the big scoreboard by none other than Beyonce. Scroll down and watch the show that was quite the spectacle.

That's just how things go at Michigan in 2013. Athletic Director Dave Brandon has said that he wants to have a night game as an annual event at Michigan Stadium but squashed any notion that it would ever include Michigan State or that school down in Ohio. A couple of little tidbits from the UTL2 game for you:

WEEK THREE:

AKRON @ #11 MICHIGAN 12:00 PM EST. BIG TEN NETWORK

Michigan continues it's non-conference play against Akron on Saturday afternoon. Michigan played well against Notre Dame but there are still a lot of issues to address. The youth along the offensive line was a weakness that was exploited in week two. Michigan's offensive line must continue to gel with each passing week if it's going to be competitive later in the season. Take a look at the November schedule and you'll see names like Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern and Ohio State. Could be a November to remember if the guards on the offensive line show continued growth and maturation.

The offensive line may have been an issue in week two but there was a lot of the offense that worked out well. Devin Gardner, outside one of horrific interception, was superb. Gardner's long strides make up for the fact that he doesn't have the level of speed as former QB Denard Robinson. Gardner accounted for five touchdowns against the Fighting Irish and couldn't get enough of his favorite receiver.

Jeremy Gallon was the best kept secret in Ann Arbor for the last few years. Gallon was well respected as an undersized receiver who catches anything thrown his way. After the display Gallon put on against Notre Dame for a nationally televised game, Gallon is now on everyone's radar. Gallon is loved by his coaches and teammates and it's safe to say that he won't be letting things get to his head.

We all remember Appalachian State and know that the Wolverines cannot look past Akron. Michigan has raised expectations after handling their first quality opponent and the proof is in the pudding. Michigan is now has odds of 12-1 to win the BCS Championship.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPECTACULAR WEEK 3

#7 LOUISVILLE @ KENTUCKY 12:00 PM EST. ESPN

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater has been on the map ever since his team beat the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl this past season. Louisville comes into this season in the same boat as team's like Boise State in the past. A team trying to fight it's way up the polls and get into the national championship picture. The Cardinals are faced with the unfortunate landscape of not only winning every game on their schedule but also blowing out their opponents.

Kentucky is a lower level team in the SEC but this is an in-state rivalry game that looks like it has some potential for an upset. Chances are the Cardinals keep on rolling and Bridgewater keeps up his Heisman Trophy candidacy.

#16 UCLA @ #23 NEBRASKA 12:00 PM EST. ABC

This is the type of game that every team in the Big Ten needs to pay attention to. It's been too many years where teams from the Midwest lose to schools from the South or the West and embarrass the conference. Nebraska is a bit of an unknown because while it has Taylor Martinez at QB, the team needs to improve from disappointing defensive play in 2012. UCLA beat Nebraska 36-30 last season in an entertaining game.

UCLA is taking the West coast by storm and with USC dealing with all that is Lane Kiffen, the Bruins are looking to lock up the attention of the California community. UCLA is dealing with the loss of a current player as WR Nick Pasquale was killed after being hit by a car. The game will be an emotional one for he Bruins community and the Cornhuskers tough task of winning against a ranked opponent could be too much to ask for. The Big Ten needs a win from Nebraska but these kind of circumstances may be a game changer.

#1 ALABAMA @ #6 TEXAS A&M 3:30 PM EST. CBS

This is the game of the week. It's been talked about throughout the summer and it doesn't get any bigger these days than Johnny Football and Nick Saban. Johnny Manziel has been talked about so much that we almost forgot about Tim Tebow being discussed on ESPN for a minute. Almost.

For all of the talk about Manziel and his whereabouts off the field, this is a Texas A&M that is more than a one-man show. The Aggies lost some serious talent to the NFL Draft last year but still return a team that is looking to win an SEC championship and maybe more. In order for A&M to stay in the national championship picture, they'll have to do something that seems like an impossibility these days: beat Nick Saban.

Texas A&M stunned Alabama last season by defeating the Crimson Tide in their own stadium. Nick Saban and his crew have revenge on their mind and would love nothing more than to go shut up some Texans. They say that everything is bigger in Texas and the Tide may be looking to not only come out with a victory but blow out Manziel and his boys. Here's hoping that the game lives up to the hype.

#4 OHIO STATE @ CALIFORNIA 7:00 PM EST. FOX

The Buckeyes have gone 2-0 this season but haven't been that impressive. Ohio State came into the season as a trendy preseason pick to make the BCS Championship game and started the year with a #2 ranking. Fast forward two weeks and Urban Meyer's boys have fallen in the rankings with each victory. OSU will face it's first "test," this season when it leaves the state of Ohio for the first time and travels out West to Berkeley.

The Wildcats of Northwestern defeated California in week one and the Buckeyes will look to save face. It's an interesting time for the Big Ten as so many teams are traveling out to the West coast for non conference play. Wisconsin also travels to Arizona State this weekend in a game that could be an upset in the making. It's tough to root for Ohio State to do well at anything and it all comes down to whether or not you're willing to root a rival if it's for the good of the conference. We wonder if any people from Ohio were rooting for Michigan last weekend.

#25 OLE MISS @ TEXAS 8:00 PM EST. LONGHORN NETWORK

We've all heard about how bad things are down in Texas. Heck, they just hired former Michigan Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson as their new DC. Yes, that same Greg Robinson that was horrific in Ann Arbor for a few seasons. Texas coach Mack Brown is quick to point out that Robinson didn't have a lot of talent to coach during his tenure at Michigan. We'll see how Robinson does down in Texas with a defense that has been quite pathetic.

Texas routinely brings in top talent to Austin and it's now in a position where the devoted fan base is fed up. The status quo hasn't been working for the Longhorns for years and it seems like ages ago that Texas was in the national championship game. Ole Miss is kind of like the new kid on the block and has brought in a couple of good recruiting classes to the school that is responsible for talent like Eli Manning.

The heat is on the Longhorns to redeem themselves after that awful week two performance against BYU. A lot of people may not have access to the Longhorn Network but if you do, this is a good game to watch for a nightcap. Texas faces even more difficulty preparing for this game because it's QB, David Ash, is questionable. Ash was banged up against BYU in week two and has been dealing with head and shoulder injuries. This could be a make or break game for the Texas season.

#GoBlue

In This Stream

Game Three: Michigan vs. Akron (9/14/13)

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