December 28th 10:15 PM (Western)
Tempe, Arizona (Sun Devil Stadium)
Kansas State Review
Dead in the water, the Wildcats struggled after an embarrassing opening loss to North Dakota State and eventually fell to 2-4. Star quarterback Colin Klein bolted for Northwestern and things were looking bleak. Instead they decided to channel their inner mango habenero sauce and turn the heat up winning their last five of six games, launching them to 7-5 record and earning them a spot in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
The balance of quarterbacks Daniel Sams and Jake Waters mixed perfectly together like Parmesan Garlic and Spicy Garlic wing sauce (if you've never had it, try it!) as they helped average 36.7 points during their last six contests. Wide out Tyler Lockett was a man on a mission landing a post on the All-Big 12 team. Lockett was best in the conference with 151 all-purpose yards and ranked 11th nationally with 104.2 yards per game.
Of the two signal callers, Waters is the more natural passer as he slung the rock for 2,198 yards in 2013. While Sams did most of his damage on the ground rushing 148 times for 784 yards, the most for a freshman quarterback in school history.
Much like the offense, the defense did a 180 during the last six contests finally living up to their potential. Much like Asian Zing which is sweet at first with a spicy kick towards the end, Kansas State's defense allowed just 4.73 yards per play during the final six games, another conference best.
Defensive end Ryan Mueller was the guy who dominates the all you can eat boneless wing tuesday, eating up quarterbacks and running backs of all different flavors. Mueller led his team with 11.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. Got room for dessert? The Wildcats boast the third best punt return unit in the nation, just enough to cure anyone's special team's sweet tooth.
Michigan Review
Good parking spot. No wait for a table. Clean bathrooms (you never know at a buffalo wing joint). Things were going well for the Wolverines early in the season dominating their first opponents.
But then, close calls against lowly teams like Akron and Connecticut sent them spiraling in the wrong direction. Stumbling into a Penn State game at 5-0 the Wolverines played through four overtimes where they eventually were handed a salt and vinegar loss. They never recovered, losing their next four of six games.
Blame was plenty to go around as the finger was quickly pointed to the erratic play of quarterback Devin Gardner who accounted for more turnovers than touchdowns.
However, you don't have to be a fool to know Gardner was constantly picking him self up form the turf time and time again in part of a shotty offensive line that didn't find their groove until it was to late. Gardner even went through a three game stretch where he was sacked a ridiculous 17 times. He managed to stay in one piece though at scrape Michigan to a 7-5 record. Once the offensive line found a rhythm everything else seemed to follow suit.
The Wolverines run game improved over the final games and in turn gave Gardner time in the pocket as they found their stride in the final game against Ohio State. An incredible battle for the ages the Buckeyes and Wolverines continued their long tradition of tight matchups and went blow for blow for an entire four quarters. Head coach Brady Hoke went for the win after a last second touchdown and came up short as Gardner was intercepted on their two-point conversion attempt, losing 42-41. Still, after the struggles Michigan had earlier endured that was a mental win for them as they proved to themselves they could compete with the best (Ohio State was ranked third at the time).
Game Matchup
A tale of two momentums in this game as the Wildcats were slow out of the gate going just 2-4 until they turned their last five of six games into victories. Meanwhile, the Wolverines started strong winning their first six of seven games then lost their last four of their last five games ending their season on a sour note. To make matters worse for Michigan, their starting quarterback and play maker Devin Gardner will not be playing as he is sidelined with an ankle injury. Although inconsistent, Gardner was by far Michigan's biggest play maker and will prove to be a huge blow to their chances in this game.
True freshman quarterback Shane Morris please enter stage left. Morris was used in clean up duty sparingly this year when the Wolverines were up big late in games attempting just nine passes. Of those nine passes he completed five for 65 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception. There is no doubt Hoke will be forced to pump the brakes with his playbook and in turn lean heavily on their running game. Like when your dish of Honey BBQ wings come out on your lunch break, Kansas State will be salivating at the chance to attack an inexperienced true freshman quarterback during the biggest stage of his young career.
Expect the Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder to deploy his troops in the box sending eight even nine men up front to stop the run, thus forcing Morris to beat them with his arm. I would have had a hard time giving the Wolverines the edge even with Gardner in the lineup as the Wildcats have been hotter than the Wild sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings averaging 36.7 points in their last six games. Now with Morris plugged in and the lights shining bright this will be a "Blazin' Challenge" that proves to be too hot to handle for Michigan.
Wildcats 41
Wolverines 20
Draft Impact
Wildcats safety Ty Zimmerman is a player to watch when tuning into this match up. Zimmerman was voted to first team All-Big 12 team by coaches, making him the first player in school history to grab four-straight all-conference accolades.
The 6'1" 201 pound safety averaged seven tackles per game, grabbed three interceptions, and led the conference in interceptions returned for touchdowns with two.
Zimmerman ranks third in school history with 13 interceptions. With success as a ball hawk and as a wrap up tackles Zimmerman possesses the balance needed at the position to thrive at free safety or strong safety. What he lacks with top end speed and quickness he gains with his awareness and instincts of the game.
Zimmerman does get burned from time to time when choosing to be overly aggressive as he just can't help himself from laying the wood when the opportunity presents it self. Expect Zimmerman to hear his name called sometime on day two of the NFL draft to a team needing a starting safety.
Michigan's Taylor Lewan was projected as the top overall offensive tackle and a lock to be a early first round pick. However, after a very average 2013 season Lewan has fallen from both of those categories. Lewan was inconsistent with his play showing regression with his footwork and athleticism that made him the intriguing prospect he once was. As his play regressed so did the Wolverines as they struggled to mount any running game and let their quarterback Devin Gardner get sacked far more than he should have.
Lewan can't erase the tape but can save his draft stock by putting on a good performance at the combine. If he can do that he could save himself from falling out of the first round as the potential is their as we saw from his 2012 campaign. Still questions remain if he is quick enough off the line of scrimmage and has the right hand technique to be a starting left tackle in the NFL. If not, he will be swung over to the right tackle spot where his value drops dramatically. The fact still remains that offensive tackles are of high priority and value as we saw five offensive lineman go in the first 12 picks last year making Lewan still worthy of a first round pick.
Wolverine wide out Jeremy Gallon played a big part in the Wolverine's offensive success. Gallon bailed out his quarterback Gardner plenty of times in 2013 had 1,284 reception yards which ranks second all-time on Michigan's single season list. Gallon is listed at 5'8" and 180 pounds, but don't judge this book by its cover.
Gallon has a strong frame, sticky hands, and top notch awareness. An explosive and shifty route runner, Gallon is a matchup nightmare in the slot for bigger slower cornerbacks. Some have compared him to Dallas's Cole Beasley while others think he has the potential to grown into a Golden Tate type.
Gallon gets lost in a draft class that is filled with star studded pass catchers due to his size, meaning he will likely drop into a day three selection. However, stack your chips and put them on Gallon as he almost certain to outplay where he will be taken. A receiver who fights for contested catches and is smart enough to find the soft spots in the zone getting open for his quarterback, Gallon will make a tremendous addition in the latter rounds for someone. If he put up good combine numbers and impresses at the Senior Bowl he could leap frog others ahead of him and get drafted on day two.