Posse Incitatus

Being an expert in an age of idiocy

We live in a time where credentials denote stupdity and it is the unlettered man who usually knows better.

Everywhere I look, I see people with advanced degrees and impeccable education advocating policies that are no only illogical but completely at cross-purposes with their stated values and objectives.

Take your pick:  education, foreign policy, health care - it's idiots all the way down.

The current moral panic over college rape is a great example.  Colleges have not been safer since reliable records have been kept, yet now is the time when everyone is freaking out about rape.  Okay, it isn't rape, it's "sexual assaut" which apparently need not be either sexual or an actual assault.

When you get right down to it, the term now translates as: "Stuff Affluent White Girls Don't Like."

Once upon a time, people concerned about safety would look for ways to empower potential victims.  Today, that is considered "blaming the victim."

Thus, suggesting that women maybe shouldn't become incapacitated by drink before hanging out wiht a group of total strangers is a mean, hateful and #WaronWimmen thing.  No, the proper thing is to "teach men not to rape."

Gee, why didn't anyone think of that?  Who knew we could eliminate all crime just be teaching kids that it is bad?  What wonders we graduate from the schools these days!

I suppose I should not be too surprised - the Left has always denied the concept of Original Sin.  Instead, they believe that man can be perfected.  Given the right coercive apparatus, we will build the New Man and he shall be a living (secular) angel on earth.

When I stared this blog, I had hope for the future.  I thought we might prevail upon people before it was too late.  Now I must admit that I'm looking forward to rebuilding it after the whole thing comes crashing down.

Despite years of recession*, the upper classes are not yet feeling the pain and until they do, we will obsess about ever more trivial matters.  

*Yes, I saw the GDP numbers today.  Amasing how bright and cheerful they were - perfectly timed for the midterms, too!  I believe they are as true and genuine as the fudged unemployment numbers in 2012.  Before people accuse me of being irrational, I must ask:  Once you know the government has lied before, why would you ever trust it again - especially if the people who did it last time are still in charge?

Spartans host Cowboys, Skunk Bears hunt Gophers

I deeply distrust the conventional wisdom.  When I find myself in agreement with people I know to be clueless, I naturally challenge my own findings.

Of course, sometimes things are so obvious as to be, well, obvious.  I think MSU is getting stronger by the week, and find little reason to believe Wyoming is going to surprise.  Yes, there is the trap of looking ahead to Nebraska, but I think the team is still trying to prove itself, living in the moment.  

The loss to Oregon still smarts, the Spartans want to expunge it by pounding everything within reach.  It just happens to be Wyoming's turn.

MEANWHILE, NEAR A BURNING DUMPSTER OUTSIDE YPSILANTI:  This game is giving me fits.  After the Utah debacle, it seemed obvious to me that the Skunk Bears would find redemption in pounding the Gophers into paste.  The team would rally to Hoke and aided by the fact that its only strength is stopping the only form of offense Minnesota has (the run), the Skunk Bears would win.

But now, I'm not so sure.  Go back and look at the games with Notre Dame and Utah.  Think about them, play by play.  Heck, include the first half against Miami of Ohio.

These games should not have gone the way they did.  How could Notore Dame get a shutout?  Even lowly Purdue got two offensive touchdowns against the Irish.

There were three turnovers in five minutes against the RedHawks.  How does one do that?

Utah never really dominated the game, they just happened to be ready when U-M self-destructed.

This leads me to believe there is something deepy wrong with that program, more wrong than it has been since RichRod's first year.

Everyone expect Minnesota to pound the ball.  Even if their starting quarterback returns, the run is their bread-and-butter and the only thing U-M has managed to do this year is stop the run.  The backup QB went 1 of 7 last week, so if he plays, the result should be a foregone conclusion.

But...

If the backup got more practice this week, he may be better.  Connor Cook got better each game last year.  Often the biggest improvement is between the first game and the second.  Given the craptastically awful nature of the Skunk Bear secondary, it would not be hard to throw on them.  At the very least, this might open things up.

U-M has not be seriously attacked by the run yet this year.  Notre Dame tested the ground game but found the pass so lucrative that they went with what worked.  

Utah made a similar calculation - why pound it when we can just pass?

The Gophers may decide that the run is all they have and they might simply try to wear down the Wolverines.  Given what we have seen, they don't have a lot of staying power.  I can easily visualize a situation where the Skunk Bear line begins to crack by the early 4th quarter - especially if the offense keeps turning over the ball and sputtering.

I'm not completely sold on this scenario, but I think it could happen.

So for the record, I'n going to pick the Gophers and say Minnesota 13, Michigan 10.

Storm clouds over Ann Arbor

I agree with my colleague about the distractions of bread and circuses, but alas, these diversions are the only things keeping me sane.

All of which means it's time for me to continue my obsession with college football.

There is something tremendously satisfying in watching the Skunk Bear faithful tear into each other and their coach for the third time in seven years.

Thanks to idiotic scheduling, we already got to savor again the delicious flavor of Michigan losing to Appalachian State at home, a defeat that ended Lloyd Carr’s tenure and humiliated loud-mouthed running back Mike Hart.

In case there was still anyone out there that didn’t know this, Carr did not want to retire but the rumblings within the Temple of Bo compelled him to step down. For one thing, Ohio State began to take control of the rivalry, and going into what would become his final season, the Buckeyes had won three in a row. This was particularly troubling since the 2006 squad had a shot at retaking the national title – only to be foiled by OSU. Carr 3-6 against the Buckeyes after winning the title, which was unacceptable to the ingrates in Maize and Blue.

So, as they had done with Bo, the Michigan Men turned on him. (Yes, dear readers, Bo was only canonized after he stepped down – while he was still active, he was known as the Man Who Couldn’t Win the Big Game.)

Embittered by this humiliation, Carr set up his successor – the again-successful RichRod – to fail.
And so we have Brady Hoke.

There is a lot of chatter about whether Hoke can win enough games to quiet the critics this year. Obviously, I don’t think he can. I knew the Skunk Bears were bad, but even I did not think they would collapse so completely and so quickly.

That being said, I also think that Athletic Director Dave Brandon will not fire Hoke at the end of the season and that this is the right thing for him to do.

As a Spartan fan, of course I like the idea of Hoke staying on for another ten years or so. But my reasoning is actually based on what would be best for the Skunk Bears.

If Hoke is fired, it would be a disaster for the program. As noted above, three coaching changes in seven years is not conducive to building a successful program.

It is also not conducive to getting a good coach to apply for a job. It is true that there are plenty of coaches eager to build a reputation by turning around a troubled program, but who wants to be put in a situation where they can be whacked after only three years?

We must also keep in mind that Brandon never put a marker down for Hoke and repeatedly denied he was on the hot seat. For him to then turn around and can Hoke would add a further disincentive to work in Ann Arbor. I think Brandon knows this.

Of course there is a vocal “Fire Dave Brandon” movement out there, but I don’t think U-M’s new president is interested in creating chaos in his otherwise successful athletic department at the moment.

Again, from a Spartan perspective, I hope that’s exactly what happens. I would love to see both Brandon and Hoke get the axe and then make a big batch of popcorn so I can fully enjoy the ensuing chaos. At that point Michigan would need to hire a new athletic director who would then have to conduct a search for a new head coach – all under the uncertain eye of a newly-installed college president.

The sheer entertainment value alone is worth hoping this is exactly what happens. However, given Brandon is not only a major booster but a former trustee, I don’t think he will be shown the door any time soon.

I suspect the argument is already being made that the team needs a new quarterback and this won’t happen until next year. If he’s smart (and Hoke is very smart about advancing his own interests) Hoke will say that next year is the time for evaluation. After all, by then he will have his new offense and a more favorable schedule. At the very least, he will be able to compete for the division title.

I respect Hoke in this respect: the firing of previous offensive coordinator Al Borges and hiring of Doug Nussmeyer was brilliant. I said at the time that it buys him two more years.

As a CEO, Brandon will buy into this, and the president will be happy to put off major drama for another year. This year can be sold as a major retooling and Wait Till Next Year.  

In the mean time, MSU will get to use the dysfunctional Skunk Bears as punching bags a little longer - which suits me just fine.

We are still in recession

My colleague's post yesterday reminded me of something that has been nagging me for a while:  We have never yet left the recession.

Economists define recessions as a two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth.  According to our government and the academics that back it up, we left recession behind back in 2009.

Here is the rub:  Conventional economics define the Gross Domestic Product as the sum of all economic activity - specifically consumption, investment and government spending.  The old formula for this is GDP = C+I+G.

In normal times, this makes a certain amount of sense.  

But what happens when we leave normal times?

The government is increasingly funded by borrowing, which means that there is no actual economic growth.  If I borrow $10,000 to buy a car, have I really increased my wealth?  What if I borrow $10,000 to buy a car that has a market value of only $5,000?

At this point we know that government programs provide negative returns on the dollar.  We know with metaphysical certainty that federal workers sit around watching porn for hours day.

These employees are paid with a combination of taxes and debt, and yet they produce nothing.  In effect, they are a net drain on national wealth.  Yet the spending to retain them is county as economic growth.

One one recognizes that government spending is actually a net negative, it becomes clear that our economy ceased growing years ago.  This is how we can have a  fewer people in the work force, more people on disability and yet steady economic growth.  It isn't real.

Inflation tells a similar story.  The items people need to survive are actually becoming more expensive.  As anyone who has gone grocery shopping over the last five year can tell you, prices are going up and the size of the packages is getting smaller.  

We are pumping the stock market to record levels, yet no one can find work.  The jobs that are out there pay less than before.  These are not the hallmarks of a recovering economy.

The press keeps trying to convince people otherwise, but we haven't had real prosperity for a long time.  I wonder if we will ever see it again.

Our TMZ Media Continues to Misfire as Civilization Crumbles

Imagine if several houses were on fire in your neighborhood, a natural gas line had exploded and downed power lines were sparking all around, made more menacing by rainfall and puddles.

As sirens wail and screams ring out, a neighbor is talking your ear off about how so-and-so’s wife is having a sordid affair with Bob, the guy next door. They’re into S & M, and have had loud, boozy arguments and raucous sex that wakes up those unfortunate souls living in adjacent apartment units. Oh, and I almost forgot: Both are addicted to Oxycontin, and the police have busted them on drug charges. Yada, yada yada…

Da neighbors’ debauchery is fascinating in a twisted way. But in the big picture (the safety of your family, financial security, desirability of your neighborhood), it is way down on the list. You have a meltdown on your hands, and time is running out. You may not be able to preserve your house, but you can get your family out and drive far away as quickly as possible.

This is my admittedly melodramatic analogy for what is happening in our broken world today. Bloodthirsty savages in the Middle East are beheading and crucifying people, plus raping women and slaughtering thousands who don’t subscribe to their twisted beliefs. It's open season on Christians in that godforsaken part of the world. Syria, Libya and other nations are engulfed in conflagrations with no end in sight and scores of evil people on the opposing sides; hideous barbarism continues unabated in the Congo and other parts of Africa with nary a notice.

Stateside, a dispiriting, demoralizing recession (perhaps really a DEPRESSON) drags on drearily, in large part because of our leaders’ utter ignorance of basic economics. We have a record number of people on food stamps and Social Security disability, and the labor force is at its lowest level since the days of Jimmy Carter, disco and polyester leisure suits.

Millions of people with bachelor’s or master’s degrees are working for $9 an hour in coffee shops or big box stores. Foreclosures are all too commonplace. Even if they’re not directly affected by the scourges of violence, alcohol and drugs, millions of people are having a hard time fighting off despair.

A few days ago, a sick man in Bell, Florida killed his six grandchildren and daughter before shooting himself in the head. And a twisted survivalist in Pennsylvania murdered a Pennsylvania state trooper in cold blood and seriously wounded another trooper in an ambush attack outside the state police barracks. In late August, Timothy Ray Jones Jr. of South Carolina murdered his five young children, put the bodies in plastic trash bags and drove around the Southeast for several days before being arrested in Alabama.

Chicago has become Fallujah in 2004, as scores of innocent young people (and some not so innocent) are maimed and killed by gunfire each weekend. Binge drinking is out of control on college campuses, and millions of young people not only have been severely shortchanged by the public schools and academia; they are so fixated on their smart phones and the latest “apps” that they cannot tell you what the three branches of American government are. (Nor, in many instances, can they carry on a decent conversation without defaulting into moron-speak: “I’m like, oh, it’s so AMAAZING, and he’s like, oh, wow!”)

Amidst the absolute decay and decline, our media has morphed into a giant "E" network, focused on the National Football League and a few bad actors who have engaged in reprehensible behavior with their significant others, including spouses and children. Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy and others have been chastised and/or punished for their transgressions. The Baltimore Ravens kicked Rice off their team after it became clear he slugged his then fiancé in an elevator and dragged her off by the hair. Many on the left are calling for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to resign because he initially meted out a weak two-game suspension to Rice.

While it’s true the NFL seems to be getting as thuggish as the NBA, the incidence of domestic violence among NFL players is no higher than in society at large. But airhead TV commentators on MSNBC and elsewhere attempt to imply that because football is an aggressive, violent game, it fosters and encourages violent, volatile behavior.

Critical thinking and a talent for analysis are skills that are totally absent from the vast majority of TV talking heads, whose salaries seem inversely large to the imbecilic quality of their mindless prattle. The media is also obsessed with the politically correct nonsense of trying to force the Washington REDSKINS (There. I said it!) to change their supposedly offensive nickname to avoid hurting the feelings of Native Americans. What utter bullshit.

Some lessons you just have to learn the hard way. Regrettably, there is an ongoing, massive “school of hard knocks” going on in our nation as the economy and culture continue to crater. Will Americans – especially young people – wake up and become furious about the need for massive change before it’s too late? I am not optimistic. As I have stated before, tens of millions of Americans are, if not doped up on SSRI pharmaceuticals, in their own world of alcohol, pot, narcotics and other mind-altering substances.

They say you get the leadership you deserve. Worldwide tumult and the inept, corrupt, arrogant, contemptuous, liars running our federal government are simply symptoms of a deep, pervasive malaise, a crippling ignorance and apathy, permeating our nation and society. The K-12 schools and universities are culpable, sure, but dysfunctional, broken families also play a large role.

We naively asked for hope and change, and instead got hopelessness and decline. Heaven help us all.

The uncertain trumpet

Ah, how the worm has turned.  A year ago we were going to bomb Bashar Assad for his crimes against humanity.  Now we are providing air support.

Long-time readers of this blog know that I have zero problem with using military force where appropriate.  The key has having a clear objective and working to achieve it.

At this point, I have no idea what the desired end state of our operations in Iraq and Syria looks like.  I doubt our leaders do, either.  They may have some vague notion about “restoring stability” but that ship sailed years ago.  The shattered states of the Middle East cannot be glued back together.  Something new will have to replace the old order and no one in Washington seems to have any idea what it will be.  The primary goal of the White House seems to be to make the headlines go away – to do just enough to appear to be doing something.

I believe this is a major reason the President claims there will be no “boots on the ground.”  Ground forces mean casualties but more than that, they must be tethered to a physical spot.  They hold an identifiable place and in order to do so, that place must have some sort of significance to justify the losses and expense of moving troops there and supplying them.

Bombers and missiles of course operate in the air, and can come and go as they please.  This is why it is very easy for air wars to become public relations maneuvers devoid of any long-term purpose.  It is why Democrats in particularly like to use it – they become symbolic messengers to show their resolve.  It makes a great visual, doesn’t it?  Fearsome warplanes juxtaposed against a determined-looking executive.

It is inspiring but also hollow.

At the same time that new missions are emerging – not only Syria but also ebola efforts in Liberia – the administration keeps insisting on the need to downsize our military.  Something is going to have to give.  Even the generals are starting to speak up.  There can’t be a “peace dividend” if there is no actual peace.

The increasing hollowness of the military will have serious consequences as American power is eroded.  It remains to be seen if the GOP will allow this to happen.  I believe it won’t.  I think the congressional Republicans would rather bust the bank than risk catastrophic failures in military readiness, but I could be wrong.

Meanwhile, we are well into our second decade of war, only this time there are no yellow ribbons, no grand send-offs or ticker-tape parades.  The trumpet has sounded and though it is growing weak and wavering, its insistent calls must be obeyed while there is still the means to do so.

 

Indiana Stuns, Spartans Stomp, Skunk Bears Stink

What a pleasant surprise to see the Big Ten recover its footing and gain a modicum of respect!  I've always had a soft spot for the Hoosiers, despite watching them beat us 31-0 in 1991.  Still, the fans were nice.

Anyhow, it was a special treat to watch them beat Missouri on the road.  Indiana's defense - their weakest point, to be sure - got a number of key stops that allowed the offense to drive the length of the field and seal the win.  Thus a ranked SEC team lost at home the the Big Ten.

Well done, Hoosiers. 

WHY EASTERN MICHIGAN IS AWFUL:  When I was in college the first stirrings of political correctness were bubbling up from the netherworld.

These people were clearly white supremecists out to utterly humiliate minorities.  The new hotness back then was to eradicate all references to American Indians from public spaces.

Yes, I know it's outrageous, but it continues to this day.  These bigots are not content to slaughter Indians, take their lands and shatter their culture, no they want even the very names of the tribes wiped out.

It is perfectly okay for Europeans to have sports teams named after them - you know, like the Vikings, Fighting Irish or even the Spartans - but Indian tribes?  Total obliteration.

One of the first victims of this racist purge was Eastern Michigan University, once known as the Hurons.  The Hurons have long since vanished from Michigan, but Eastern kept their name alive, frustrating the white supremecists, who demand the total cultural eradication of the Red Man.  Thus the EMU Hurons became the Eagles.

This naturally outraged the decent, moral alumni, who in their righteous anger at this bigotry withheld their contributions.  EMU football entered a death spiral from which it has yet to recover.  Even to this day, EMU alumni are divided between "Hurons" and "Eagles."

I should here mention that in the face of this racialist purge, some schools held fast to the principles of multi-culturalism.  Central Michigan University at first seemed to waver, but the local Chippewa tribe demanded that they keep their name - and so the Chippewas are still honored each and every football Saturday.  No doubt the Seminoles take pride in the national title their team won last year.

But the Hurons?  Eradicated even in memory.  It is hard to imagine a crueler fate than to have the very name of one's people expunged from popular culture.  Such is the vile Euro-centric work of political correctness.

ENOUGH ABOUT THAT, WHAT ABOUT MSU?  I got nothing.  We played five quarterbacks.  It was a romp.

MEANWHILE, IN YOU-KNOW-WHERE:  You know, the Skunk Bears' awful performance has gotten plent of ink and I have little to add.  I am planning on making a more detailed analysis of their plight later in the week.  Suffice to say that they did indeed get blown out in a way more horrible than even I imagined.

And that's saying something.

Obligatory September cllege football post

Tomorrow the Big Ten will continue the futile charade that is its non-conference schedule.  Looking over the opponents, I find exactly one for whom victory holds any positive benefit:  Miami of Florida's game against Nebraska.

Other than that, it's basically an exercise in hoping we don't get any other upsets.

Long-time readers may be wondering if Drew Sharp has hacked my account.  No, I'm feeling fine, thank you.

Normally I don't go in on Big Ten-bashing but this year has been particularly grim.  It wasn't even the losses so much as the near-losses:  McNeese State, Akron and Navy stand out as close games that didn't need to be close.

Some have tried to scapegoat my beloved Spartans for failing to bump off then-No. 3 and now-No. 2 Oregon when we had the chance.  Yes, it would have been nice.

But it also a bit silly to expect the Spartans to carry the entire conference during non-conference play.  Didn't we do enough of that during bowl season?

Enough griping, let's get this over with.

MSU IS BACK ON THE FIELD:  The bye week gave them a poll boost, and perhaps deservedly so.  I don't know how anyone in the PAC-12 is going to stop Oregon.  If their QB stays healthy, they will not be stopped.

Meanwhile, MSU will work out its aggression on hapless Eastern Michigan, formerly the Hurons.  MSU has dominated the series since it was Michigan Agricultural College vs. State Normal School.  Fun fact:  We played the Normal School twice in 1898, both at home.  We won 11-6 and 24-6.  The series then went on hiated from 1899 to 1996.  Ah the joys of having an old MSU media guide lying around.

This might have been a trap game, but Wyoming is next.  Plus the Spartans have something to prove.  

The real question is whether EMU gets to score.  I say "no."

THE UTES ARE IN THE BIG HOUSE:  My mailbox is curiously quiet despite yet another failed prediction.  (Actually, I don't know if that is true or not - I haven't checked the mail for this site since April.)

Anyhow, Miami of Ohio put up a tough fight, and for a moment there during the turnover fest, I thought they might take control of the game.  Alas, it was not to be.

Utah is an altogether different creature.  They have every reason to roll over the Skunk Bears like a tank hitting a traffic cone.  Brady Hoke's team is not resilient or talented.  It is prone to panic and bad decisions and if the Utes get ahead, anything can happen.

Some of the Wolverine faithful were lauding their running game, but scoring on a 0-19 team is not difficult.

By the way, was I the only one to note that lowly Purdue managed to put more points up against Notre Dame than the Winningest!  Program!  Ever!?

Yeah, strange.

Prediction:  Two blowouts, one fun to watch, the other not so much.

America on the brink of theocracy

One of the strangest features of our time is the effort our political establishment is expending trying to promote religion as a solution to so many of our problems.

Being a Catholic, I have no problem with organized religion, but I still find it unsettling to have elected officials constantly weighing in on theological issues, even to the point of arguing in favor of one doctrine over another.

We are now to the point where government resources are being specifically targeted to help people fight the “government-approved” version of their faith.

Given the hysterical anti-religious bent of so much of our society (and especially the sycophantic mainstream press), I would have expected quite the outcry over this taxpayer-funded evangelization.  After all, they were game to cover the Air Force changing its oath of enlistment, but so far, none of the secular left has a problem with it.  I mean, where's the ACLU?

Ah, but since the religion is Islam, it’s all good.

Big Ten plot lines

The Spartans have the weekend off, so our attention turns to the crises that are currently dominating the Big Ten.

CAN OHIO STATE BE SAVED?  The loss of Braxton Miller for the season was a harsh blow for the Buckeyes, but I am somewhat surprised to see how badly they looked against Virgina Tech.  After all, Miller was in his last season and played hurt in the bowl game.  The backup should have been better prepared. 

And where was the running game?  OSU regularly "wins" the state of Ohio for recruits and I would think they would have had at least one power back ready to replace the departing Carlos Hyde.

Defensively the Buckeyes have been weak throughout Urban Meyer's tenure, something I noted last year.

When Meyer agreed to take the OSU job, there was joy throughout the Buckeye Nation and more than a little angst in the rest of the conference.  Would he bring his high-powered SEC style and dominate the rest of us?  So far, not so much.

Ohio State seems to rely on burying the opponent in points rather than playing "Tressel Ball" - using a stifling defense and run game to dominate the game.

Arguably the Spartans are now the team of Tressel Ball.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  This week the Bucks get to hammer Kent State and retool for the rest of the season.  They then have a bye week before finishing the non-conference schedule in Cincinnati.

PENN STATE GLORIOSUS:  As I noted earlier in the week, the NCAA just issued a gigantic "never mind!" to the scandalized Nittany Lions, lifting the bowl ban immediately and allowing full recruiting for next year.  Additionally, the massive $60 million fine is being turned over the Pennsylvania for disbursement.  The smart money says the Legislature gives it back to the university, thereby rendering the entire punishment moot.

Penn State has done surprisingly well of late, and today's game will tell us a lot about where they are (as well as their new coach).  Rutgers is one of the two newcomers to the Big Ten and today's game will reveal much about both teams. 

MSU's schedule concludes with a road game in Happy Valley and now that the Lockeroom Lions are bowl eligible, the game has moved from "should win" to "must win." 

Today's matchup will set the table and give either team an early start on the eastern division title race.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT YOU-KNOW-WHERE:  Miami of Ohio hasn't won a game since 2012.  They are on an 18-game losing streak.  Last week they lost to a I-AA school.

Clearly, I must pick them to win.

The RedHawks (yes, it is one word) are not without their redeeming characteristics.  They new head coach Chuck Martin was the offensive coordinator under Notre Dame's Brian Kelly and replaces the hapless Don Treadwell (formerly of MSU).

(Treadwell's example may well have brought a moment of pause to assistant head coach and defensive wizard Pat Narduzzi in terms of leaving MSU for a "rebuilding job" elsewhere.)

In any event, Martin also brought with him a fifth-year senior who got tired of keeping the bench warm in South Bend.  So far, the chap has thrown for 300+ yards in each of Miami's losses.

And this is why I'm bullish on the Redhawks:  They are a team with nothing to lose.  With a new coach and new season, they have a chance to shake off the old and embrace the new.

At the same time, the Skunk Bears are in serious disarray.  Brade Hoke made rather foolish remarks about his fan base and has spent the last three days walking it back.  I recall last year after the (depending on your point of view) utter debacle/glorious victory in East Lansing, many observers expected the Wolverines to come home and hammer a struggling Nebraska squad.  Instead, they got pounded yet again.

Hoke personally does not respond well to adversity and his team follows his lead.  If the RedHawks come in ready to play, they could easily throw the Skunk Bears back on their heels.  Appalachian State came out expecting to lose and they got what they expected.  Miami's losses this season were reasonably close (they were only a touchdown down against Marshall at one point).

Miami's biggest weakness seems to be turnovers, but in order for interceptions to come into play, the opponent has to have a secondary.  This could be a good matchup for Bo Schembechler's old team (yes, the ultimate Michigan Man coached an Ohio team before moving north.

College football is above all a contest of wills, a game of psychology.  Going into this game, Miami has nothing to lose and everything to gain.  The Skunk Bears have little to gain and everything to lose.  I therefore expect them to come out tentative and uncertain.

Advantage:  RedHawks.