It's the rematch to one of the most shocking upsets in college football history when the Appalachian State Mountaineers travel to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines. App State, of course, knocked off the then-No. 5 Wolverines 34-32 in the first week of the 2007 season, and chaos ensued.
How to watch App State vs. Michigan: Preview, TV schedule, odds
Michigan faces Sun Belt newcomer Appalachian State. These two teams have just a bit of history with each other.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
That was a great App State team, though; the Mountaineers would go on to win their third consecutive national championship in 2007. The 2014 Mountaineers ... are not that team. Though App State is now in FBS, having joined the Sun Belt for 2014, it went 4-8 last year in FCS play and doesn’t look like a powerhouse in the making quite yet. In other words, Michigan might not break much of a sweat in this one.
How to witness
TV: The game kicks off at noon ET Saturday, and you can watch it on ESPN2.
Radio: You can find a full list of Michigan football radio stations here, and App State partisans can listen on one of these 11 stations.
Online streaming: Watch ESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Ah, week 1, where all teams are still undefeated. Neither Michigan nor Appalachian State are ranked coming into the game, although Michigan is among other teams receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches Poll. App State did not receive any votes in the FCS poll.
Vegas: Michigan is favored by 34.5 points, down slightly from the opening at 35. The over-under is 53.5 points, so there’s not really a ton of optimism in the Mountaineers scoring points this Saturday.
Weather forecast: The weather should be in the mid-70s at kickoff with a chance for storms.
Three names to know
Devin Gardner: Michigan's wildly athletic signal-caller is back and primed for a bounce back after a (relatively) disappointing 2013. He's got the tools to succeed and the experience to put it all together, and he's been garnering praise for his maturity and leadership.
Jake Ryan: Ryan will anchor the Wolverine defense after shifting to middle linebacker in the offseason. Ryan recovered from a torn ACL last season and should be at 100 percent this year.
Kameron Bryant: If App State is going to make a run at the upset win, it'll be up to Bryant to have a massive game. Bryant took over the starting role in the fifth game last year and racked up over 2,700 passing yards with a 71.2 completion percentage. He'll be facing a tough, tough Wolverine secondary, but Bryant's a gamer.
Two things at stake
Obviously, if App State pulls off another upset, the college football world will melt down, and the program’s legacy as a giant-killer will be set in stone. It’s a tough task for a team that went 4-8 in FCS play last year, but history doesn’t shift on minor accomplishments.
As for Michigan, there are demons to be exorcised here, but realistically the biggest thing is whether the Wolverine offense operates with cohesion under new coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who came from Alabama during the offseason. If things run smoothly and there’s just a modicum of competence on display on Saturday, Michigan should cruise.
Further reading
Check out Michigan site Maize N Brew, and the Big Ten’s Off Tackle Empire.
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