“Michigan really saved the season,” Finebaum said. “That was a defining moment for Sherrone Moore after we wrote them off. And my biggest takeaway has nothing to do with those two schools. It had everything to do with Texas went in there a few weeks ago and beaten them so badly which makes me even more impressed with Texas.”

Michigan football appeared to be going backwards and USC was still reveling in its Week 1 win over a potentially overhyped LSU team. Still, the Wolverines had lost to Texas in Week 2 and the Trojans were flying high coming into Ann Arbor for their first-ever Big Ten game.