is point.When Ed was telling me about signing with Bella

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight took a beating last week against Colorado. This week, he spent most of the day standing back and watching his teammates do all the work.DeVeon Smith led an overwhelming ground game with 107 yards rushing and a touchdown and Karan Higdon ran for two scores and No. 4 Michigan routed Penn State 49-10 on Saturday in both teams Big Ten opener.We were looking for a way to be more careful out there so I wasnt getting hit as much as I did last week, Speight said. Luckily, our offensive line and our running backs were great. I think there was one time where we called the same play eight straight times, just flipping the sides, and we were picking up nine or 10 yards a pop. I was just laughing every time I got the same signal.Michigan (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) finished with 326 yards rushing and scored six of its seven touchdowns on the ground. Five different backs scored on the ground.I was really impressed by all of our running backs, coach Jim Harbaugh said. We were moving the chains and breaking off big runs.The Nittany Lions (2-2, 0-1) were simply running out of bodies on defense. They came into the game missing three starting linebackers, lost Brandon Smith to a second-quarter targeting penalty then lost Jan Johnson to injury.I dont know if Ive ever been through or seen anything like this, Penn State coach James Franklin said. Weve got three guys out, and then Brandon gets thrown out going for an interception. Then Jan Johnson comes in, and we lose him, too.Penn State was overmatched on the other side of the ball as well. Saquon Barkley rushed for 59 yards and caught five passes for 77 more, but no one stepped up to help.They are just physical on both fronts, Franklin said. The offensive line is big and strong, and their defensive line is more of the same. Plus theyve got one of the most talented secondaries in the country.Jabrill Peppers gave the fans an early thrill by returning Penn States first punt to the 9, although a bench-interference penalty moved the ball to the Nittany Lions 24. Seven plays later, Khalid Hill dove in on 4th-and-goal from the 1.The Wolverines also scored touchdowns on their next two drives. Penn State finally got a couple stops, but the Wolverines took a 28-0 halftime lead on Higdons 2-yard run.The Nittany Lions got on the board with a field goal early in the third, but Chris Evans made it 35-3 with a 3-yard run and the Wolverines cruised to the win.THE TAKEAWAYPENN STATE : The Nittany Lions couldnt compete on either side of the ball. Depth is becoming a serious issue at linebacker, with four players injured, so the defensive staff is going to have to find a new way to stop teams on the ground and on short passes.MICHIGAN : The Wolverines dominated in the trenches, with their defensive line continuously overrunning Penn States offensive line. They registered five sacks while building their first-half lead. Speight, meanwhile, had all the time he needed. I thought we blocked things well, and I thought the defensive line was really good, Harbaugh said. I was very pleased tonight.POLL IMPLICATIONSMICHIGAN: The Wolverines came in at No. 4 and there seems little chance that will change much with No. 1 Alabama winning earlier in the day in a blowout and No. 2 Ohio State on a bye. No. 3 Louisville was at Marshall.ANTHEM PROTESTSeveral players held up a fist on the Michigan sideline during the national anthem.Theres a freedom of expression, and people can speak their mind, said Harbaugh. I can tell you what I believe, but Ive thought about this for a few weeks, and just because Im the football coach, I cant dictate what other people believe. I support them speaking their mind.INJURY REPORTMichigan: WR Jeremy Clark suffered what the Wolverines believe was a torn ACL. This would have been an A-plus-plus-plus day if we werent saddened about Jeremy, Harbaugh said.UP NEXTPENN STATE: Returns to Happy Valley for the first of three straight home games. The Nittany Lions face Minnesota next Saturday in the Golden Gophers first trip to Penn State since 2009.MICHIGAN: Plays its fifth straight game at the Big House, but will have a tougher test against Wisconsin. The 11th-ranked Badgers routed No. 8 Michigan State 30-6 in East Lansing. Malcolm Miller Jersey . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Stanley Johnson Jersey . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. https://www.raptorsrookiesshop.com/Cameron-Payne-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Sagaba Konate Raptors Jersey . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Norman Powell Jersey . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. Seven years ago, a heavyweight by the name of Daniel Cormier made his professional fighting debut on a Strikeforce Challengers event in Bixby, Oklahoma.Early in the broadcast, commentators relayed a story about Cormiers manager, Bob Cook, literally laughing at his fighters attempts to throw kicks in the gym -- his skills were that raw.What Cormier had going for him, however, was an Olympic-caliber wrestling background. Within three years of that debut, Cormier had won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament. Today, hes a UFC champion and one of the most recognizable stars in a sport that is constantly in search of them.And it all started with then-Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker signing a heavyweight with no experience.When we signed him, Daniel really had no skill in mixed martial arts other than wrestling, Coker chuckled. But he turned into a phenomenal fighter. When you look at the disciplines of this sport, if you have a good wrestling background, youre usually at a pretty decent advantage.Coker, now the president of Bellator MMA, is quietly applying the same strategy he used to find Cormier to his current promotion.Bellator has made a big splash with several free-agent signings in recent years, which include established names like Chael Sonnen, Rory MacDonald, Benson Henderson and Phil Davis. But in addition, the company has also invested in five standout amateur wrestlers who have never professionally competed in MMA.We call them the Fab Five, Coker said.Their names are Aaron Pico, Ed Ruth, Tyrel Fortune, Jarod Trice and Joey Davis. The first four attempted to qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, each falling just short at trials. Davis, an undefeated four-time NCAA Division II national wrestling champion, made his MMA debut for Bellator in August. He won by unanimous decision.Ruth, 26, is scheduled to make his debut on Friday at Bellator 163 in Uncasville, Connecticut. Hes a former three-time NCAA Division I champion at Penn State and trains out of MMA veteran Josh Koschecks gym in Fresno, California. Hes also represented by Zinkin Entertainment -- the same management group of Cormier.Whether or not Ruth, a middleweight, comes close to duplicating Cormiers success no one knows. But as he was with Cormier, Coker is in on the ground floor of his career. And in the business of MMA promotion, its always nice to hold a potential lotto ticket.I feel like the sky is the limit in this sport, Ruth said. You look at Conor McGregor, and Im not gonna lie, I love that guy. He was confident, knew how to talk and now hes making lots of money. I feel like every fighter comes into this sport thinking they can make astronomical amounts of money, and I feel the same. I feel my chances are great, given that Ive already done the hard work Im going to put in.Scott has a good relationship with my management team, and I really couldnt go wrong with Bellator. They are putting me in a position where I can take off.ddddddddddddFortune, a heavyweight and close friend of Ruths, also makes his debut at Bellator 163. His involvement in MMA began when he flew to South Florida to help former UFC champion Rashad Evans prepare for a fight. Bellator moved quick in signing Fortune, as he agreed to a deal with the promotion within a few weeks of Ruth introducing him to some of its executives.Even though Fortune has no record, he has already been courted by fight camps and promotions. He now trains out of Arizona but says his confidence grew during his time with the Blackzilians in Florida.Guys like [striking coach] Henri Hooft pulled me aside and said, Listen, I really think you have endless potential to be a champion in this sport if thats what you want, Fortune said. Hearing it from guys like that -- [UFC light heavyweight] Anthony Johnson, Rashad, [grappling coach] Neil Melanson -- I fell in love with it right away.One of the first things Rashad did was say, OK, wait, we have to make sure you have a chin, first. There are some people who, for whatever genetic reason, cant take a punch. So, he hit me in the face, kind of by surprise, and I took it OK. Thats when he said, OK, you got a future in this sport!Neither Ruth nor Fortune is scheduled to appear on the televised main card this weekend, which is by Bellator design. Coker said he wanted to book both to a real fight but spare them the additional pressure of fighting on live television. Both fighters understood the decision and said its in line with the relationship theyve had with Bellator to this point.When Ed was telling me about signing with Bellator and what they had to offer, he said, Theyre not throwing us to the wolves, Fortune said. Its very personal. Theyre not looking at us as an assembly line of athletes coming through the organization. I have a relationship with this promotion.Since Coker took over as Bellators president in 2014, the promotion has faced its share of criticism for circus fights, mostly those involving retired greats who are past their prime or a heavyweight bout between the late Kimbo Slice and Dhafir Dada 5000 Harris in February.But two years in, Cokers imprint on Bellators roster is finally taking shape and a focus on amateur wrestlers is proving to be a major piece of it. Time will tell if it produces another Cormier.I always feel the roster has to be built from the ground up and the top down, Coker said. Ten years ago with Strikeforce, there were more free agents floating around. We signed Fedor Emelianenko, [Antonio] Bigfoot Silva, Fabricio Werdum -- now free agents are few and far between, but were signing our share of them, as youve seen.We also have to build from the ground up, and thats how we built Strikeforce, and I think were doing that here with the wrestling group weve brought in. ' ' '