ESPN College Football

Week 2 is just around the corner, and it brings us a few more appealing matchups around the Big Ten.

Here are 10 items to track during a 12-pack of games Saturday.

1. The Big House in prime time: Michigan has played 520 games at Michigan Stadium, but none has kicked off at night. History will be made Saturday at the Big House as Michigan takes on Notre Dame under the lights. It should be an electric atmosphere at Stadium and Main as more than 110,000 fans will watch two of the game's iconic programs, who will honor the occasion with retro uniforms. Trust me, they're better than Maryland's.

2. Opportunity knocks for Nits: Penn State wants to be viewed as a legitimate Big Ten title contender and a team that belongs among the nation's elite. There's no better opportunity to make a statement than Saturday's game against No. 3 Alabama. Penn State hasn't beaten a top-5 team in the Associated Press poll since crushing Arizona in the 1999 season opener. An upset of Alabama would put the Penn State program -- and not just its iconic coach Joe Paterno -- in the national spotlight.

3. Coker tries to rebound: Iowa running back Marcus Coker entered the season with a lot of hype but fumbled twice in the season opener, earning him a trip to the bench. Coach Kirk Ferentz remains confident in the sophomore and was pleased Coker didn't use the lousy weather conditions as an excuse. Coker gets a great chance to redeem himself on the road against in-state rival Iowa State, which last week surrendered 204 rush yards to FCS Northern Iowa.

4. Bauserman's building blocks: Joe Bauserman took a step toward securing Ohio State's starting quarterback spot in the opener, completing 12 of 16 pass attempts with three touchdown strikes to tight end Jake Stoneburner. Although freshman Braxton Miller remains very much in the mix and should see time Saturday against Toledo, another strong performance from Bauserman should establish the senior as the team's top option before a Week 3 trip to Miami.

5. Linebacker U. vs. Trent Richardson: Penn State will lean heavily on its defense, and particularly its linebackers, as it aims for the upset against Alabama. Linebacker U appears to be back as the Lions boast excellent depth in the defensive midsection with Michael Mauti, Nate Stupar, Glenn Carson, Khairi Fortt, Mike Hull and Gerald Hodges, who got hurt last year in Tuscaloosa but could be a difference-maker Saturday. The linebackers must contain one of the nation's top running backs in Heisman Trophy candidate Trent Richardson.

6. Huskers' offense under the gun: Nebraska scored 40 points in its opener but left plenty of questions on the offensive side. Coordinator Tim Beck is looking for fewer mental mistakes and better execution Saturday night against a Fresno State team that surrendered 36 points and 417 yards to Cal last week. Quarterback Taylor Martinez must show greater accuracy as a passer, while an offensive line dealing with youth and injuries needs to show it can control the line of scrimmage before the competition level gets tougher.

7. Gophers, Hoosiers look for first wins: Minnesota and Indiana were the only Big Ten teams to lose last week, although the teams came away feeling differently about their performances. The Gophers never quit at USC and nearly stunned the Trojans. They return home to TCF Bank Stadium and look for a strong effort against a New Mexico State squad that lost its opener 44-24 to Ohio. Indiana faces a much tougher challenge in Virginia and looks for better play up front on both sides of the ball, not to mention more enthusiasm, as it makes its home debut at Memorial Stadium.

8. The Denard Show, Act II: Quarterback Denard Robinson carried Michigan to a dramatic victory last year with a record-setting performance at Notre Dame Stadium. Can "Shoelace" replicate his heroics Saturday night against the Irish? He'll face what looks like a stronger Notre Dame defense, and he's still transitioning to a new offensive system. But Robinson also works behind a strong offensive line and finally appears to have some help at running back with Fitzgerald Toussaint and Michael Shaw. It will be interesting to see if Notre Dame can contain a Michigan quarterback after being flummoxed by Robinson and Tate Forcier the past two seasons.

9. Backup QBs try to maintain winning ways: Northwestern's Kain Colter and Purdue's Caleb TerBush both recorded victories in their first career starts at quarterback last week. Colter, filling in for the still-rehabbing Dan Persa, showed improved passing skills to complement his running ability against Boston College. He needs to limit hits and build more confidence against FCS Eastern Illinois. TerBush made big throws in clutch situations against Middle Tennessee but must limit mistakes on the road at Rice. Purdue's Robert Marve also could return to the field.

10. Receiving orders: Week 1 was huge for Big Ten wideouts, as five players eclipsed 100 receiving yards in the opening games. Illinois continues to look for big things from A.J. Jenkins and Darius Millines this week against South Dakota State. Michigan State's B.J. Cunningham needs one catch to become the team's all-time receptions leader. Other receivers like Iowa's Marvin McNutt and Indiana's Damarlo Belcher try to build on impressive opening performances.

Troy Woolfolk has been around Michigan football all his life, and he knows the hyperbole that often follows the Maize and Blue.

Woolfolk, a fifth-year senior cornerback for Michigan, heard the big declarations about the direction of the program after season-opening wins in 2009 and 2010.

He issues some words of caution entering Saturday's opener against Western Michigan.

"I have a problem with people saying, even if we win this next game, that Michigan is back," Woolfolk told ESPN.com this week. "We have to earn that right, every game, to say Michigan is back. So I won't be proud until the last game. If we win all the games, that's when I'll know we're finally back."

Woolfolk's attitude is refreshing. If the grand proclamations about Michigan after the past two openers proved true, Tate Forcier would be a Heisman Trophy candidate and the defense would consistently keep opponents out of the end zone. Obviously, neither of those things panned out.

What Saturday's opener represents is an opportunity for Michigan's defense to start the process of returning to its traditional form. The Wolverines not only veered off track the past three seasons, they totally derailed, finishing no better than 77th nationally in points allowed and bottoming out in 2010 by finishing 110th nationally in yards allowed.

While many will be watching electric quarterback Denard Robinson and his transition to a new offense Saturday, the more significant developments will take place on defense. New coach Brady Hoke and his staff, led by veteran defensive guru Greg Mattison, have spent the past few months repairing one of the nation's worst units.

The product is far from finished, but it will finally be on display.

"Michigan is known for defense," said Woolfolk, who returns Saturday after missing all of last season with a broken leg and a dislocated ankle. "The past years, we didn't live up to that, but this year, we should be able to play sound, good Michigan defense."

Any potential Wolverines turnaround starts with the defensive line, the area in which both Hoke and Mattison specialize. Hoke likes his rotation, which is led by team captain Mike Martin and senior end Ryan Van Bergen, and also features a bulked-up Craig Roh, Jibreel Black, Will Heininger and massive tackle Will Campbell, who the Wolverines hope can finally reach his potential.

"We've got some multiple alignments that we can put out on the field," Hoke said, "and that's going to help us in a lot of ways, help us keep fresh so we've got guys in there who are fresh all day long."

Hoke added that he wants to see his defenders "playing with a fanaticism."

Woolfolk also mentioned we'll see more intensity from a defense that finished 98th nationally in sacks in 2010.

But the critical question is whether Michigan can limit the fundamental meltdowns that led to so many big plays and extended so many drives the past few seasons. Even in last year's 30-10 opening win against Connecticut, Michigan's defense had breakdowns the Huskies simply couldn't exploit.

Better teams did, and the results weren't pretty.

"Those major breakdowns are due to [the need to be] a student of the game," Woolfolk said. "You have to actually know the defense and try to go in, even after practice, to study film and truly understand your position. Once you can do that, it will cancel out the big plays.

"Mistakes are going to happen. The thing we like to focus on is not making the same mistake."

Michigan hopes a more experienced secondary can learn from the past, especially Saturday against a high-powered Western Michigan passing attack led by quarterback Alex Carder and receiver Jordan White, a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist in 2010.

The lone positive for a Wolverines secondary ravaged by injuries and other personnel issues is that younger players got their feet wet -- and quite often their backsides burned -- in games.

"Courtney Avery, he played as a true freshman," Woolfolk said. "Terrence Talbott, he played as a true freshmen. So we have a lot of sophomores who played their freshmen year. Plus, we have me and J.T. [Floyd] coming back, who have also played a lot.

"We have a lot of experience, so the secondary should be fine."

It will take more than a strong performance Saturday to determine whether Woolfolk is right, but the opener marks a new beginning for a defense that craves one.

"I've seen it," Martin said. "I've been there every single day. ... It’s something you can’t hide. Every single day I can say we're getting better."

1. I’m sitting in for the vacationing Ted Miller on the Pac-12 blog this week. The item posted Wednesday regarding Chip Kelly’s thoughts on leadership is a reminder of why he has been successful. Kelly doesn’t do anything because that’s the way it’s always been done. Oregon, as he pointed out, has 16 captains. Oregon has relatively short and very intense practices. Oregon runs its offense at lightning speed. Kelly is an iconoclast, and that’s why he’s 22-4 as a head coach.

2. As Joe Schad pointed out Wednesday, if the NCAA denies USC’s appeal of its infraction penalties, Trojan seniors will be eligible to transfer before this season without having to sit out a year. The most prominent Trojan to take advantage of this provision last season, reserve fullback D.J. Shoemate, went to UConn. He rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries as a Huskies backup. But he got to go to the Fiesta Bowl, which is more than anyone at USC did after last season.

3. Auburn, if published reports are true, is in the market for a transfer quarterback. Russell Wilson, the former NC State star and minor-league player who has one year of eligibility remaining, and former Michigan starter Tate Forcier, have been flirting with the Tigers. Forcier, from San Diego, said he looked at Miami but decided not to enroll there because he wanted to be closer to home. Well, Auburn is closer to San Diego than Miami.

I have returned from the Big East spring meetings to serve you up some lunchtime links.

Could Tate Forcier be headed to San Diego State?

Dylan Collie will continue his family's football legacy at BYU.

Troy loses five football players, including three projected starters.

Louisiana Tech has dismissed two receivers from the team.

UTEP is addressing the problems that led to scholarship reductions because of poor APR scores.

Hawaii's coordinators are getting pay raises.

If you think Miami's quarterback competition is interesting now, it should only get better next season.

As to whether or not the 2012 starting quarterback is actually an upgrade? Well, that remains to be seen, but Miami took another step towards building the position's depth recently when it announced the addition of transfer quarterback Ryan Williams, who played for one season at the University of Memphis.

While Williams -- a record-setter who led nearby Miramar High to its first state title -- obviously wasn't an attractive prospect for the previous staff, Miami coach Al Golden and offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch just got a steal in a 6-foot-6, 225-pound prototypical drop-back passer who fits in perfectly with what the Canes want to do offensively. The reason he left Memphis is because of the program's switch to a spread offense.

And the fact that Williams took the starting job from a former Hurricane, Cannon Smith, who suffered a concussion in the second game, is just too ironic to ignore. (Current Cane Jacory Harris suffered a concussion in the Virginia game last year, opening the door for Stephen Morris and leading to the current ongoing competition.) Williams started 10 games last year and completed 165 of 290 passes for 2,075 yards and 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He'll have a wee bit more talent to help him out at Miami.

If, of course, Williams actually wins the starting job.

Once Harris leaves, the Canes will have Morris, Michigan transfer Tate Forcier and Williams to choose from, along with whomever they land in the 2012 recruiting class -- and that is where Golden needs to make his biggest impact. While Morris and the transfers will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job, Miami still needs to land some stud quarterbacks in its next recruiting class -- a position Golden swung and missed on in 2011 due in large part because of the timing of his hire. So far, the Canes are off to a good start with two, including David Thompson, and ESPNU 150 watch list member Gray Crow.

Miami's depth is getting better, but the talent must improve, too, and while Williams will help the Canes in both areas, the 2012 recruiting class should help more.

Valentine's Day is about love, but it's also about heartbreak.

Every Big Ten team has felt a little heartbreak from time to time, whether it's a coach leaving for another position, a recruit choosing another college destination or key players veering off track.

Here are some heartbreakers for Big Ten squads:

1. Ohio State's Tat 5: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor and four of his teammates broke some Buckeye fans' hearts by selling memorabilia, including Big Ten championship rings and Gold Pants, for cash and tattoos. The "Tat 5" helped themselves with their Sugar Bowl performances and their pledge to return for their senior seasons, but their absence for the first part of the 2011 season could sting.

2. Brent Pease, Jerry Montgomery, Corey Raymond and Jemal Singleton: All four assistants joined Kevin Wilson's new staff at Indiana but soon bolted for other jobs. Montgomery (Michigan) and Raymond (Nebraska) left for other posts within the Big Ten. Ouch.

3. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Adam Robinson: Iowa's all-time leading receiver and top running back the past two seasons both missed the Insight Bowl following December arrests. DJK, who had an extremely productive career in Iowa City, is trying to restore his rep before the NFL draft. Robinson wants another chance at Iowa but right now it looks like a long shot.

4. Tate Forcier: After an encouraging season on the field, the Michigan backup quarterback was ruled academically ineligible right before the Gator Bowl. It proved to be the end for Forcier, who last week transferred to Miami.

5. Jacoby Brissett: Wisconsin held a scholarship spot for the quarterback recruit, but he didn't even have the Badgers in his final two choices (Miami and Florida). Brissett ended up signing with the Gators.

Miami got what it needed most -- a quarterback.

Whether or not it got the right quarterback, remains a question.

Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier will transfer to Miami and be eligible to play in 2012, but he might not be best suited for the pro-style offense first-year coordinator Jedd Fisch wants to run, or, equally as important, the South Florida lifestyle. There are plenty of distractions in and around Miami, and so far in his career, Forcier hasn’t exactly excelled at ignoring them and concentrating on football and academics. His work ethic has been questioned by his own former teammates. He was academically ineligible to play in the Gator Bowl, but Forcier seems as if he has accepted responsibility for his shortcomings in the past.

The Forcier family isn't shy. Some drama tends to accompany the athleticism. As an athlete, Forcier is a good quarterback, but he’s more tailored to a spread offense.

As a freshman in 2009, he started all 12 games and completed 165 of 281 passes for 2,050 yards and 13 touchdowns. This past season, Forcier appeared in eight games as a backup and completed 54 of 84 passes for 597 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

The addition of Forcier will undoubtedly help the depth at the position, since Miami went through signing day without adding a quarterback. In order for him to actually help the offense, though, Forcier will need to put in the work, both on and off the field.

Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier has signed an Aid Agreement and will transfer to Miami, the school announced on Wednesday. I'll have more on Forcier in a bit, but regardless of what you might have heard about him, this is instant help at a position Miami needed it most. The Canes were unable to lure in a recruit in this year's signing class.

The Big Ten isn't a boring conference by any means. Think about all we've witnessed in the past year or so.

The SEC is college football's year-round soap opera, and my sense is most of you prefer the relative calm we have in Big Ten land. But it certainly sounds like the Big Ten's newest member will spend plenty of time in the spotlight.

Colleague David Ubben writes earlier today: "No team in college football was more interesting on and off the field for more reasons in the last year than Nebraska."

Ubben outlines all of the drama surrounding the Nebraska program in the past 10 months or so: the move to the Big Ten, Bo Pelini's preseason media ban, quarterback Taylor Martinez's rapid rise, the Texas A&M/Martinez/Pelini debacle, a wild Big 12 championship game loss, some good news regarding Martinez and possible NFL-bound underclassmen and now the buzz about changes on Pelini's coaching staff.

I'm exhausted just reading about all the happenings in Lincoln.

The Michigan Wolverines have been undoubtedly the Big Ten's drama kings in recent years. Former coach Rich Rodriguez often talked about the drama encircling him and his program. Whether it was Rodriguez's messy departure from West Virginia, the NCAA investigation into the program, Tate Forcier's rise and fall, Denard Robinson's record-setting 2010 season or the constant speculation about Rodriguez's future, Michigan dominated the headlines. We'll see what happens in the Brady Hoke era, but I'd expect things to settle down a bit around Schembechler Hall.

I'm not so sure about Nebraska, which has no shortage of interesting personalities and storylines entering the 2011 season.

Better buckle up for Big Red.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said earlier this month that quarterback Tate Forcier was no longer with the program after being ruled academically ineligible right before the Gator Bowl.

But there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for Forcier's return, as his father told TheWolverine.com that Tate wanted to stay at Michigan and hoped to resolve his status as a student-athlete. Mike Forcier flew to Ann Arbor and said, "I didn't come with a moving van."

It might be time to call U-Haul.

According to a series of postings on the Forcier family Twitter page, Tate Forcier is done at Michigan. Keep in mind that we've heard this before from the quotable QB, but it certainly sounds like his time in Ann Arbor is over.

A series of 20 tweets Wednesday night and Thursday morning culminated with this:

1. 
   QBForce I really wanted to stay. I was not giving up on Michigan, but in the end, it was made clear they had given up on me. 20 Jan 2011 from web

Forcier goes on to tweet: "With that being said, its time for me to go. ... I promise the Michigan family and fans I will make you proud again."

Earlier in the sequence, Forcier tweets that he "worked extremely hard to catch back up" with his academics.

He also details the struggles he went through both on and off the field, tweeting, "I’ve been kicked, pushed, knocked down, publicly berated, belittled, emasculated and more," and later, "I had to reach rock bottom in order to see the light, and for that, I am thankful."

1. 
   QBForce In summary, I believe, I will become a better student and a person of stronger character from these experiences at Michigan. 20 Jan 2011 from web

Forcier's series of tweets concludes with, "Tate Forcier #5 - A Michigan Man Forever - Go Blue."

This seemingly ends Forcier's drama-filled career with the Wolverines. He won his first four starts as a freshman in 2009 and dazzled fans with his improvisational style and ability to keep plays alive.

Forcier struggled at times in Big Ten play as he dealt with injuries, and he endured a rough offseason both on and off the field. He lost his wings in practice and then his starting job to Denard Robinson, fueling the buzz of a departure. But Forcier stayed with the team and filled in several times for an injured Robinson.

Things seemed to be going well until the academic mishap before the bowl.

If Forcier's tweets prove true, it'll be interesting to see where he lands. Although Forcier's experience would benefit the Wolverines going forward, they should be OK with Robinson and Devin Gardner both returning.

Brady Hoke just completed his introductory news conference at Michigan, and the new Wolverines coach handled himself quite well.

He hit on the key topics for Michigan fans and used the right words to appeal to the fan base. He showed genuine emotion when talking about the thousands of players he has been able to coach. He promised to produce teams that display great toughness and effort.

Michigan often gets accused of being arrogant, but Hoke doesn't fit that description. He took the job as soon as it was offered and didn't even discuss salary, according to athletic director Dave Brandon.

"We would have walked to the University of Michigan," Hoke said to open his remarks.

Hoke and Michigan agreed to a six-year contract, which is still being finalized.

Here are some notes and observations after watching Hoke and Brandon today:

• Hoke effectively played up the Ohio State rivalry, refusing to use "Ohio" and "State" in the same sentence but talking about how The Game is personal for him as an Ohio native who was an assistant coach at Michigan. Despite growing up in Ohio, he didn't root for the Buckeyes because all of his buddies did and he wanted to be different. "It is the most important game on that schedule," Hoke said, banging his fist on the podium between each word. "I have great respect for Ohio, there’s no question about it. The last Saturday in November at 12 o'clock, that ball being kicked off, there’s nothing like it. ... If you’re at Michigan and you wear that Maize and Blue, it’s personal." I'm sure Michigan fans are pleased, but let's keep perspective. Michigan will start beating Ohio State when it has a better team than Ohio State, not when it has more desire or passion.
• Hoke didn't talk much about schemes or his staff, but he discussed quarterback Denard Robinson, the 2010 Big Ten offensive player of the year. He met with Robinson for 15 minutes earlier Wednesday and plans to talk more with the star. "We understand we’ve got a special guy in Denard," Hoke said. "He’s a guy who can do an awful lot for your football program." Hoke sounds like he'll adjust his system to fit Robinson -- Brandon wanted the new coach to be able to adapt -- and will do all he can to keep "Shoelace" in Ann Arbor.
• Brandon added that all discussions with Hoke during the process included Robinson's name as well as those of other players. The AD said backup quarterback Tate Forcier isn't with the program and couldn't elaborate on the situation because it's an academics issue.
• It was very interesting to hear how Hoke listed winning a Big Ten title as the team's top goal and didn't talk much about a national championship. The Big Ten has drawn criticism in the past for being too focused on its own title and the Rose Bowl rather than winning the national crown. "If you don’t win your conference championships, there’s no way in heck you’re going to win a national championship," Hoke said. "Our goal is to win the Big Ten championship."
• The clock is ticking on the 2011 recruiting class, and Hoke admitted he has a lot of work to do. He plans to call all of Michigan's verbally committed recruits Wednesday afternoon and do all he can to get things squared away before National Signing Day on Feb. 2. "Recruiting is a people business and it’s trust and it’s having something special that you want to present to families and young men," Hoke said. "We have that at the University of Michigan and in the tradition and legacy of this program."
• One other interesting note on recruiting from Hoke. "The lifeblood of your recruiting has to be in the Midwest and has to be in the state of Michigan," he said. Although previous coach Rich Rodriguez still recruited pretty well both in the state and in the region, expect Michigan to be more regionally focused under Hoke.
• Hoke defended the 3-3-5 defense, an alignment that drew a lot of criticism during Rodriguez's tenure. "People need to be educated on what that defense is," Hoke said, adding that it can work in the Big Ten. "There are multiple ways to play it with the personnel you have on the field.”
• Hoke bristled when asked why some folks no longer consider Michigan an elite job. "Who said that? I’m serious," he said to a reporter. "This is an elite job and will continue to be an elite job. This is Michigan. People can say what they want to say and people are going to have opinions. That doesn’t mean anything. … It baffles me how people can make a comment like that." There's no doubt that Hoke loves Michigan.
• Brandon really tried to emphasize that he conducted a national search, reiterating how exhausting the last week has been, going to five cities in six days. He said he spoke to multiple candidates in person and several others over the phone. He tried to emphasize that he didn't really know Hoke until the search process began. While I'm sure Brandon did his homework, he'll have a tough time convincing people this was truly a national search when the main targets (Hoke, Les Miles, Jim Harbaugh) all had strong ties to Michigan.
• Hoke on the divisions within Michigan's fan base: "It’s sad that this great university and this great program and the tradition has divisions. ... How dare us divide what Michigan is?"
• Brandon on Hoke: "He doesn’t have to learn the words to 'The Victors.' He has sung it many times in the locker room. He doesn’t need a map to get around Ann Arbor."
• One last Hoke quote: "There isn’t pressure. If you don’t have that self-imposed drive and competitiveness and mental toughness to prepare your guys in the right way, to do all the things that are encompassed, that should be where the pressure is."

Good stuff. Your thoughts?

I really enjoyed reading Tate Forcier's quotes this week about his drama-filled career at Michigan.

The sophomore quarterback talked about losing his starting job to Denard Robinson, nearly transferring early this season and then choosing to stick it out in Ann Arbor. He discussed his maturity, his respect for Robinson and how everything is part of a plan.

Here's Forcier in his own words:

On Rich Rodriguez's statements last spring about Forcier's immaturity: "Just being a freshman, hitting the freshman wall. Having too much success, letting it get to my head, going out [partying]. I used to love going out. Now it's like, it's old. Being a freshman, everything's so new to you. You get overwhelmed with everything. Believe it or not, it hurt me having a lot of success so early. You take any kid, not just a quarterback, and put them on a stage like this and have success, it's going to be hard for them to be able to handle it, especially being so far away from home. It's just different. I learned a lot after my freshman year. It's not all about you; it's about the team."

Forcier was candid and entertaining. He sounded like a guy who had evolved after dealing with some disappointment.

Now he's dealing with more disappointment, and so is Michigan.

The school announced Thursday that Forcier is ineligible for Michigan's matchup with Mississippi State in the Progressive Gator Bowl. According to a news release, Forcier "did not meet university standards." That sounds a little vague, but Forcier's situation likely relates to academics.

It's an unfortunate situation for a player who earned respect for remaining with Michigan and backing up Robinson throughout the season. Forcier appeared in eight games and passed for 597 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions.

His situation puts Michigan in a tough spot entering the bowl game. The Wolverines had been seeking a medical hardship waiver for freshman Devin Gardner, who appeared in the first four games this fall before back problems kept him sidelined. Gardner, who has been simulating Mississippi State quarterback Chris Relf on the scout team leading up to the bowl game, now is a play away from the field. Gardner won't retain a season of eligibility if he plays in the bowl.

Michigan really needs Robinson to remain on the field Saturday, for multiple reasons.

What's next for Forcier? We'll have to wait to find out.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michigan's defense hasn't been that bad today.

No, you don't need to get your eyes checked. I just typed that.

The Wolverines' defense hasn't been great, but turnovers and special teams mistakes are the primary reasons why Michigan finds itself in a 31-7 hole early in the third quarter. After Michigan had two first-half fumbles in Ohio State territory, backup quarterback Tate Forcier threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter.

Forcier replaced starter Denard Robinson, who is sidelined with dislocated fingers, according to coach Rich Rodriguez. Robinson is now back in the game.

Nothing is going right for Michigan, and Ohio State finally got its run game going as Dan Herron raced 31 yards to the end zone.

The rout is on. Is time running out on Rodriguez?

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Both teams are on the field going through warm-ups about 35 minutes before kickoff.

A couple of notes:

• Michigan punter Will Hagerup didn't make the trip after violating team rules. Kicker Seth Broekhuizen will handle the punting duties today. Or maybe Tate Forcier will give it a shot. Yikes.
• Wolverines receiver Junior Hemingway, listed as questionable for the game with a head injury, didn't go through warm-ups.
• Not a huge fan of Ohio State's throwback jerseys. I'm trying to find a good comparison and opened this up to my Twitter followers. Best suggestions: San Diego State, Rutgers, Indiana, New Mexico. Can't see Alabama, guys, but maybe you can.

Denard Robinson has left plenty of games this season because of injury, but not performance.

It's a different story today as Robinson's inability to protect the ball has cost him a place on the field. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez pulled Robinson after an inexcusable throw into coverage on third-and-19 from deep inside Michigan territory. It marked Robinson's fourth turnover of the game (2 interceptions, 2 fumbles).

This is definitely the right call by Rodriguez. Robinson has been stellar most of the season, but no player is immune from accountability. Robinson missed only one series before returning.

Fortunately for the Wolverines, they held Purdue to a field goal and still lead. The defense has played well for stretches today, but once again, turnovers are the story.