STARTING OVER: The Bill O’Brien era begins for Penn State Saturday in Happy Valley vs. Ohio University. (AP)
Where’s Aretha Franklin when you need her? All Michigan needs is a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
That word gets tossed around way too often in sports, but the Wolverines must feel as if they have been declawed and turned into a Southampton tennis mom’s trophy pet.
Despite having the nation’s best dual-threat quarterback in Denard Robinson, an outstanding group of linebackers and an 11-2 season under their belts, the Wolverines are 13 1⁄2-point underdogs to Alabama this weekend in Arlington, Texas, when the college football season unloads.
Yes, we know Alabama is the reigning national champ, Nick Saban has retired the Type A Personality Coach of the Year trophy and he has a terrific quarterback in his own right in the under-publicized AJ McCarron.
But Saban has lost former Heisman Trophy candidate running back Trent Richardson, he needs to replace most of his heralded linebacking corps and, well, for crying out loud, this isn’t an FCS opponent, this is Michigan.
Surely the Wolverines are furious at this clear and blatant lack of respect. Sing it Ree!
“I think anger is the wrong term,’’ Sam Webb, managing editor of Go Blue Wolverine, told The Post. “I would say that they are happy about being underdogs. They feel being the underdog is a bit of an advantage.
“Most fans have blind optimism at the start of any season. They think the best time to get a team like Alabama is early in the season. But a lot of them don’t have a healthy respect for how good Alabama is.’’
The Tide is good. Saban is one of the five best college coaches.
But the 13 1⁄2 -point spread is the oddsmaker’s indictment of how much better Alabama and the SEC is and/or how much Michigan and the Big Ten have fallen. Or both. The SEC has produced the last six national champs.
College football needs a Michigan win. If not, the Wolverines won’t be the only ones lacking respect. Bama wins a meat grinder, but take the Wolverines and the 13 1⁄2 .
TONIGHT
VANDERBILT +6 1⁄2 over South Carolina
You know we love the Ol’ Ball Coach and Steve Spurrier might have his best Gamecock team ever, but Vandy is not the piñata of the SEC anymore. QB Jordan Rodgers and WR Jordan Matthews are a dynamic duo. Good chance fans in Music City will be well lubricated come game time.
TOMORROW
N.C. State (+3) over Tennessee (in Atl.)
Tennessee finally has a big time QB in Tyler Bray but SEC coaches say the Vols don’t play, consistently hard, an indictment of coach Derek Dooley. Wolfpack could be the surprise team in the ACC. Under former Marine Tom O’Brien, the Pack will play hard for 60 minutes. Watch CB David Amerson, an interception machine.
MICHIGAN STATE (-7) over Boise State
No one, and I mean no one, has been a more outspoken supporter of the Broncos than The Profit. This a tough-minded program led by a detail-oriented coach. But not even Chris Petersen can break in a new starting QB and fill in a ton of holes on defense and go on the road and cover against a physical Spartan team with Big Ten title hopes.
SATURDAY
Notre Dame (-16) over Navy (in Dublin)
After a breakfast of Irish sausage, Irish bacon, black and white pudding, four eggs, four tomatoes, one can of Irish beans, white pepper, grated Dubliner cheese prepared in a skillet, the Irish — even without QB Tommy Rees, QB Cierre Wood, LB Carlo Calabrese and DE Justin Utupo, who have all been suspended — overwhelm the
Middies.
PENN STATE (-6) over Ohio
We know the story line: An emotional Penn State team, implementing an entirely new system under a new head coach, takes the field before the most frenetic crowd in history. That emotion rules the day, but don’t discount the Bobcats under former Nebraska coach Frank Solich and QB Tyler Tettleton.
Northwestern (-1 1⁄2 ) over SYRACUSE
Having seen the Orange practice at Fort Drum I can tell you two things: There won’t be a more prepared or motivated team in the nation. But it is a team lacking a game-breaker on offense. Wildcats QB Kain Colter is play-maker.
OHIO STATE (-24) over Miami (Oh.)
The Urban Meyer era begins. The game is over in the first quarter. Meyer gets to spend the second half with family.
FLORIDA (-29) over Bowling Green
The real intrigue here is who emerges as Florida’s starting QB. Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett will split time in the first half. Coach Will Muschamp might make a decision at halftime. Is that too much pressure on the QBs?
NEBRASKA (-20) over Southern Miss
The most overrated program in college football the last five years hosts one of the most underrated. The Cornhuskers’ once-vaunted defense gets a new voice in John Papuchis. Golden Eagles lost coach Larry Fedora to Carolina. In comes former South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, but he has to replace a ton from last season’s 12-2 squad.
Miami (-2) over BOSTON COLLEGE
BC had one impact player last season — LB Luke Kuechly — and he declared early for the draft. The Eagles are going on their fourth offensive coordinator in three years.
Clemson (-3 1⁄2 ) over Auburn (in Atlanta)
Clemson will be without star WR Sammy Watkins (suspension), but QB Tajh Boyd is a dynamic play-maker. Auburn’s offense will struggle under first-year starting QB Kiehl Frazier, who will become an elite play-maker by middle of the season
USC (-41) over Hawaii
Trojans’ 75 are better than an all-star team of naked hula dancers.
Rutgers (-20) over TULANE
This is more of an indictment of Tulane, in the first year of a ground-up renovation. Scarlet Knights’ defense will have to score some points for the cover.
MONDAY
Georgia Tech (+7 1⁄2 ) over VA. TECH
The most intriguing opener of the season. Georgia Tech’s option offense is poetry in motion. Virginia Tech’s defense, the best in Frank Beamer’s tenure, is Nightmare on Lane Stadium. The Post’s No.1-ranked team survives an early scare.
BEST BETS: Nebraska, Ohio State, Florida
lenn.robbins@nypost.com