Michigan

How far can USC, Michigan go? Is Colorado in trouble? Joel Klatt’s Week 1 takeaways

Published

2 years ago

September 3, 2024

Press Room

Joel Klatt

College Football Analyst

That was awesome — thunderstorm and all.

Yes, Penn State’s win over West Virginia that I called on the “Big Noon Saturday” broadcast was delayed for two and a half hours due to weather, but I still had an amazing time. It was a fantastic experience to travel and return to an environment like the one in Morgantown, and it was an incredible weekend of college football as a whole.

The slate of games on Saturday (and Sunday night) reminded me why I love this sport.

I had so many takeaways from this past weekend that I had to save some for the midweek edition of “The Joel Klatt Show.” But there were still plenty of things I saw that I could not wait to dissect, including three traditional college football superpowers making national statements, and flashing warning signs for my Colorado Buffaloes.

Here are my takeaways from Week 1.

Notre Dame can go undefeated this season

Let’s start with what I thought was not only one of the best environments of the week, but what I would consider the performance of the week — the Fighting Irish going down to College Station and beating a top-20 Texas A&M team, 23-13.

Notre Dame pulled one out in one of the most incredibly hostile environments I’ve seen in a long time. That makes the way Marcus Freeman’s team executed even more impressive. Freeman knew that he needed to solidify his roster this season with another experienced quarterback — a guy with a slow heartbeat in crunch time. In Riley Leonard, he has that quarterback, and now they have an incredible win to show for it.

One of the biggest surprises was how Notre Dame’s young offensive line performed against a really talented A&M defensive line that I would put in the upper tier of the SEC. The Irish ran for 198 yards and 5.8 yards per carry, and the line got better late in the second half when everyone — including that premier Aggies defensive line — knew Notre Dame would try to run the ball.

I said before this game that if Notre Dame beat Texas A&M, the Irish would be undefeated at least until their regular-season finale at USC. I stand by that.

USC’s win helped its playoff hopes in more ways than one

The Trojans’ 27-20 win over LSU in Las Vegas on Sunday will reverberate around college football. Not just because Lincoln Riley’s team fired a massive warning shot to the rest of the Big Ten, but because Riley finally appears to have a respectable defense thanks to his bold hire of new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

I believe the Big Ten is now a five-team league at its top, with USC joining Oregon (struggled against Idaho), Michigan (sloppy against Fresno State), Ohio State (sluggish early against Akron) and Penn State.

Stepping back even further, let’s look at the two super-conferences represented in this game, the Big Ten and SEC. Any time these leagues face off, there will be narratives that emerge. In USC-LSU, we had two teams slotted very similarly in their conference in the preseason, right around that No. 4 or No. 5. At the end of the year, the College Football Playoff committee will get together to determine at-large spots and conference-over-conference head-to-head wins like what USC just pulled off will be a massive factor. (That’s also a major reason why the Texas-Michigan game on “Big Noon Saturday” next week will also be so big.)

This is not just a win for USC over LSU, this is a win for the Big Ten against the SEC.

Miami is above the rest of the ACC because of Cam Ward

Is “The U” back? It sure looks that way. The only reason I don’t rate Miami’s 41-17 dismantling of Florida in “The Swamp” higher is that I don’t think Florida is that good.

But despite my outlook on Florida, I don’t think we’re overreacting too much by heaping praise on Miami here. Mario Cristobal’s team looks like the real deal, in large part because the former offensive line coach has a squad that dominated the trenches on both sides. It’s worth noting that Florida’s roster actually ranks higher on 247Sports’ talent composite. What’s the difference? Coaching is probably a factor, and Billy Napier’s seat just got a lot warmer.

But the real difference is at quarterback.

Cam Ward is absolutely the best quarterback in the ACC, and he’s why I believe in Miami. What became evident in the reaction to Ward’s performance — more than 400 total yards and three passing touchdowns — was how few people actually watched him at Washington State. The reason Miami fans should feel so confident going forward is Ward’s level of play, not necessarily the win at Florida in and of itself (though that is apparently helping recruiting efforts).

The Hurricanes are easily the best team in the ACC.

Georgia isn’t going anywhere

Georgia is still Georgia. Kirby Smart’s team is as ruthless as ever, judging by the Dawgs’ 34-3 drubbing of Clemson in Atlanta. Remember, these two teams faced off three years ago, and it was an evenly-matched, knock-down, drag-out defensive slog that Georgia won 10-3 thanks to a pick-six. Since then, these programs have headed in opposite directions, and that was obvious on Saturday.

Georgia has now won 46 straight games against teams not coached by Nick Saban. Now, with Saban no longer a coach, who is beating Georgia? The Dawgs have an experienced quarterback in Carson Beck, talent everywhere on the roster, an extremely physical style and the best defense in the SEC over the last three years. I know they have a tough schedule and might not go undefeated, but Saturday felt like a serious announcement to the rest of the sport that Georgia is not going anywhere.

There’s more to Clemson’s downfall than the transfer portal

Everybody is talking about Dabo Swinney’s reluctance to use the transfer portal and how he cannot sustain that approach. Swinney even addressed that criticism in his postgame press conference Saturday, defending himself by saying he will keep doing what’s best for Clemson and will not be fazed by the outside criticism. Guess what? He’s right — about the portal. In fact, the Tigers are on the exact same trajectory as many dynastic college football programs before them.

Clemson is coming off a seven-year stretch that is as good as any seven-year stretch in college football history, overshadowed only by the Crimson Tide’s unparalleled 15-year run that was happening at the same time.

Clemson’s decline reminds me a lot of Mack Brown’s Texas team that was at the peak of college football in the mid-late 2000s but started to taper off in the early 2010s. The Longhorns won a title with Vince Young and played for another with Colt McCoy. Texas thought it could keep things rolling with Garrett Gilbert at quarterback, and the Longhorns never recovered.

That’s exactly what’s happening to Clemson, which rose to prominence under Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, but couldn’t sustain it under D.J. Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik. Dabo is right — this isn’t about the transfer portal. This is about history repeating itself. Clemson’s roster overall is not where it needs to be to absorb missing on a quarterback.

Is the Clemson dynasty over after 34-3 loss to Georgia?

Penn State may be ready to take the next step

Let’s not gloss over how impressive Penn State’s 34-12 win over West Virginia was. The Mountaineers were unranked but received votes in the AP Top 25. This was a confident bunch at West Virginia playing in front of a raucous environment at home.

As I prepared to broadcast the game on “Big Noon Saturday,” I thought Penn State would have its hands full, especially with all the newness and uncertainty on the Nittany Lions’ offense, especially with new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. What was that going to look like? Could Drew Allar respond to the change and take that next step forward? We got our answer.

Penn State entered this game 20-0 over the last two seasons against everyone not named Michigan and Ohio State, and 0-4 against those Big Ten heavyweights. They had to go out and get better, especially by adding an explosive element to their offense that would require Drew Allar to push the ball downfield. Both those things happened Saturday, and that was a huge development early in the season for the Nittany Lions.

Running back Nick Singleton had a 40-yard touchdown run after having zero runs of 40 yards or more last season. Allar repeatedly threw the ball down the field after ranking 124th among FBS quarterbacks in yards per attempt last season. It wasn’t always perfect, but the Nittany Lions created explosive plays, and that is a great development for a team that feels like it’s just scratching the surface.

As I mentioned on the broadcast, Penn State has a very favorable Big Ten schedule — missing Oregon and Michigan — and has as good a path to 12 wins as anybody except for Ohio State. The Nittany Lions will be favored in every game they play outside their matchup against the Buckeyes. They will be in the Playoff race throughout the season.

Michigan still looks like Michigan, just not the 2023 version

I think a lot of people were surprised that Sherrone Moore started former walk-on Davis Warren at quarterback instead of Alex Orji on Saturday. But while there’s no doubt that Orji is the more gifted athlete, Warren is a more serviceable passer.

I think Orji can still play a major part of Michigan’s offensive game plans, and maybe he can continue to develop as a passer rather than a pure thrower. But as of right now, I can see why Moore went with Warren, who was much more serviceable in terms of throwing the ball from the pocket, reading defenses post-snap and trying to get the ball to his wide receivers on the outside.

People are saying that Michigan’s offense looked terrible, but let’s ask ourselves: “What is this Michigan team?” We know the defense is going to be really good and play complementary football. Will Johnson again showed why he’s arguably the best cornerback in college football. The defense should hopefully keep Michigan in games.

Can the Wolverines be complementary in all three phases? Until last year, Michigan under Jim Harbaugh was always a methodical team that would pull away late instead of really showing off and blowing teams out. There were a lot of one-possession games late, even if Michigan was dominating its opponent in multiple facets, and then the Wolverines would wear people down.

Watching Michigan’s game against Fresno State on Saturday, it felt like the early Harbaugh era. It reminded me of watching the 2015 team with Jake Rudock at quarterback — a really good defensive team trying to find its way on offense.

Michigan is, by its own admission, a developmental program. Because the Wolverines won a national championship, we automatically think that they can reload like Georgia, Texas, Alabama and Ohio State all do. But that’s not what Michigan is. They can’t just have a sustained best-in-the-country program year in and year out, because that’s not what they do. They recruit and develop.

I thought Saturday night was the start of that development process under Moore. I think this team can still win nine or 10 games. Michigan will be OK, I just don’t think we can expect the Wolverines to remain in the upper echelon of the sport this year.

Colorado needs to change its formula

Last week, I predicted the Buffaloes would win, but not cover, against a tough North Dakota State team. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter were incredible again, but I’m not riding high with Colorado.

I was convinced this offseason that we would see a Colorado team that had gotten better at the line of scrimmage, better on defense, better at situational football and better in Deion Sanders’ game plan. What I watched Thursday night was two elite stars and a whole lot of questions. Sanders and Hunters carried the Buffaloes, but all the same issues from last year remained.

In fairness, it’s the first game of the season, and Coach Prime just oversaw another massive roster turnover via the transfer portal. Maybe the Buffaloes will get better before next week’s huge game at Nebraska. Teams often show the most amount of growth between Weeks 1 and 2 because coaches now have game tape to identify flaws.

But the problem is that all the issues that cropped up in Colorado’s 31-26 win are things we saw last year. That sets off alarm bells for me. Colorado had fewer than 3 yards per carry and no creativity in the run game. Being over-reliant on the passing game exposes Shedeur and is unsustainable.

At some point, the offensive line is going to have to contribute, because right now it’s not happening.

How did Colorado’s win affect the outlook for the team this season?

Shedeur was only sacked one time, but that’s because he was phenomenal under pressure, going 7-for-9 for 185 yards and a touchdown. But he was still pressured on 30% of his drop backs against an FCS team — an alarming statistic.

As for Hunter, I know we all love to see him play both ways, but something has to change with his usage. He played basically every snap on defense, missed only two snaps on offense, and played seven snaps on special teams. He played in 136 of a possible 140 snaps, which is not sustainable.

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Follow him on X/Twitter at @joelklatt and subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.

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10 things to know about kratom, which Michigan lawmakers want to ban

Published

2 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

10 things to know about kratom, which Michigan lawmakers want to ban

Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”

Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:

What is kratom?

Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.

What is kratom used for?

Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.

How is kratom pronounced?

Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.

What is 7-OH?

7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).

Is kratom an opioid or addictive?

Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.

The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”

On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.

Does kratom have side effects?

The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.

Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.

Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”

CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.

The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.

Does kratom show up on a drug test?

Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.

Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.

“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.

Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?

No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.

But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.

Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”

But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.

Which states have bans on selling kratom?

Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.

In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.

Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.

What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?

On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.

Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.

“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”

The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.

Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.

clivengood@detroitnews.com

Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.

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Michigan

Severe weather map, livestream shows Michigan areas ravaged by floods

Published

14 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Severe weather map, livestream shows Michigan areas ravaged by floods

For much of April, showers and melting snow has swamped Michigan, flooding homes, businesses, cottages, roadways; threatening and destroying infrastructure, including dams, and forcing what is likely hundreds of Michiganders to evacuate.

The unusual weather put the entire state under a flood watch.

It’s not over.

To help, the state’s Emergency Operations Center — which was activated on April 10, along with the governor’s state of emergency declaration — created a digital map identifying shelters and damaged areas.

There also is a livestream of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.

As of Monday morning, the water level at the dam had dropped slightly, and was less than 8 inches below the top, which is still a threat to both the community in the event of a spillover — or structural failure.

The map, which the emergency center is calling a dashboard, shows warming and cooling centers and where people can get food. It tracks where the tornadoes touched down, and the roadways that are under water, were eroded away and are completely washed out.

The emergency center also is providing more information on its website on how to ask for help, what state and federal assistance might be available, and how to get emergency email alerts from the State Police.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com

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Michigan Democrats seek to mend old divides at contentious convention

Published

1 day ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Michigan Democrats seek to mend old divides at contentious convention

Detroit — Michigan Democrats rallied their largest group of delegates in the party’s history at a state convention Sunday, even as they attempted to mend divisions that emerged during the Israel-Gaza war.

Delegates to the Michigan Democratic Party’s endorsement on Sunday elected a slate of largely progressive candidates, picking Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II as their nominee for secretary of state, Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit as the nominee for attorney general and unseating University of Michigan incumbent Regent Jordan Acker in favor of Dearborn attorney Amir Makled.

Gilchrist will face off in November against the Republican nominee, Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, while Savit will compete against the GOP nominee for attorney general, Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, as well as a handful of third-party candidates.

About 7,252 delegates participated in Sunday’s convention at Huntington Place in Detroit, a record for the party, Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel said.

The state Democratic Party declined Sunday to disclose the vote totals for its nominees at the convention, which is held every four years for party activists to pick nominees for every statewide office except governor and U.S. Senate in lieu of a primary election.

The chosen nominees come as the state approaches massive midterm elections, in which every statewide seat is up for grabs in the November election, as well as the 148 seats in the state House and Senate, where Democrats hope to capture a majority.

In caucus rooms at Huntington Place, Democratic leaders urged unity behind messages of affordable health care, accessible housing, opposition to President Donald Trump’s executive actions and a commitment to sweeping statewide seats in November. There was also recognition, in some meeting rooms on Sunday, of the issues that divided the party in 2024 amid protests of the Biden administration’s support of Israel in the Israel-Gaza war, and the need to fully mend those divisions in advance of the Nov. 3 election.

During the convention program on Sunday, the Israel-Gaza conflict appeared to remain a sensitive issue among some convention-goers. Protesters shouted repeatedly for a point of order, with one holding a sign that said: “Put the Palestine human rights resolution back on the agenda.” And the loudest booing, by far, occurred when U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and Acker, both pro-Israel candidates, were announced on stage in their respective U.S. Senate and Board of Regents races.

Malinda Salameh was among those booing at Huntington Place, in part to protest candidates’ support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The 31-year-old UM alumnus registered too late to be a delegate on Sunday, but attended as a guest and intends to vote in the U.S. Senate primary. Stevens has long been aligned with AIPAC, while her two Democratic primary rivals, physician Abdul El-Sayed and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, have sworn off AIPAC’s campaign cash.

“Unfortunately, they need to understand that we as people cannot stand for this anymore,” Salameh said. “We don’t want any foreign interests messing with our politics. We want money out of politics. And I think that people are sad because they’re not being heard.”

During Acker’s nomination speech, as crowds booed, Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch warned that delegates were not learning from the party’s 2024 electoral losses.

“There’s one thing that November 2024 should have taught us, is that the enemy is not in this room,” Kinloch said.

In caucuses, Democrats reckon with a divide

Abbas Alawieh, a cofounder of the Uncommitted National Movement, active in the 2024 election, told delegates, while campaigning for a state Senate seat Sunday morning, that he remained determined to ensure Arab American and Downriver communities are represented within the party.

He told The Detroit News Sunday that the party had done a good job over the past two years in making more room for all members. The record attendance, he said, is proof the Michigan Democratic Party is “trying to be the big tent party and we’ve got to continue growing that.”

“It’s clear that anti-war voters of all stripes, including Arab Americans in Michigan, are going to be critical to our path forward as Democrats,” Alawieh said. “As Democrats, we have to be proactive about reaching out to disaffected voters and voters that we’ve lost to the Republican party.”

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, pushed delegates to ask candidates seeking their vote real questions about actions to combat neighborhood pollution or their stances on federal actions in the Middle East. Pushing for those discussions among candidates will ultimately help improve the party, she said.

“We’re not anti-Democratic Party,” Tlaib said. “We’re trying to make the Democratic Party better.”

El-Sayed, a Muslim Democrat running for U.S. Senate, told members of the party’s Jewish Caucus that he would focus on issues affecting all communities, including allying against “anti-religious bigotry.”

“A lot of folks want us to pay attention to things that we might disagree on happening 6,000 miles away rather than reminding us about the things we agree on happening right here in our state,” El-Sayed said.

Regent candidates debate ‘elephant in the room’

Earlier in the day, the state party’s Jewish Caucus also heard from candidates who expressed a commitment to maintaining a place within the party for Jewish candidates and voters.

Acker, a Jewish Democrat fighting to retain his seat on the University of Michigan Board of Regents, and his fellow incumbent Paul Brown argued Acker had been targeted in his role as regent and in the nomination race. Brown called it the “elephant in the room”

Acker and Brown were running to retain their seats against Makled, a Dearborn attorney who represented several students who faced charges after protests calling on UM to divest from weapons manufacturing and Israel.

Brown argued that Acker had borne the brunt of attacks during the campus unrest and the nomination campaign.

“There’s one difference between Jordan and I,” Brown told members of the Jewish Caucus, “and that is, Jordan is Jewish, and I am not.”

Acker, a personal injury lawyer, said he wouldn’t be cowed by efforts to oust him from the board and credited Jewish Democrats with being significant leaders in civil rights fights over the decades.

“We have a message that we can send today, that we will not be pushed out of this coalition,” Acker said.

Makled, for his part, encouraged members of the Arab American Caucus also to hold their ground within the party.

“We want to make sure this electorate, this convention is giving an image of unity to the Democratic Party, that we’re collectively trying to push the better foot forward, but we’re also not afraid to stand up and speak for our issues as Arab Americans,” Makled said.

The contest between Makled and Acker was particularly heated.

Makled was criticized for reposting, and later deleting, praise for Hezbollah and antisemitic remarks on his social media account, deleted posts.

And The Guardian on Friday reported that Acker appeared to have made obscene sexual comments about a Democratic party strategist and lewd comments about a female U-M student in Slack messages.

When asked Simday about the messages by The News, Acker said the allegations were “ridiculous” and “fake.”

Acker’s attorney, Ethan Holtz, later sent a statement to The News alleging Acker “has never been on Slack” and that the messages contained elements that appeared to be “doctored.”

eleblanc@detroitnews.com

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