Iowa's lost two players who were in the pre-spring two-deeps, defensive end Richard Kitrell and safety Jonathan Zanders. Iowa fans seem unsurprised by Kitrell's absence; he barely scraped past the NCAA academic minimums and the coaching staff seems to have planned for his absence. Zanders' departure might be a bit more serious down the road but both guys were expected to be strictly depth this year.

Meanwhile, Troy Smith got away without further embarassment/suspension from the whole Steve McNair charity camp thing, as expected.

Hoity-toity mediamen have weighed in on a couple of pressing college football issues. The Washington Post addresses the NCAA's academic reform, which Sports Biz says is already in need of reform; The New York Times, home of Dreamy Warren St. John, addresses the fact that Urban Meyer is probably David Koresh or something. (Annoying reg, use BugMeNot, HT: Football Outsiders.)

The Wolverine Den is dying so I suggest you click on the upcoming link real fast. It's poster dillongp's report on a friendly conversation with the most unlikely Michigan alum to start in the NFL in recent memory: Cato June.

I took a shot at Lou Holtz whilst breaking then news to Irish fans that they're permanently irrelevant, saying he cheated everywhere. That was partially in jest... but partially not. Blue-Gray Sky addressed Lou's trail of tears yesterday; you can read and decide for yourself. Personally I find articles like this one in The State (We love the tacos... there's just no room for the mail?) indicative of a major pattern that I doubt Holtz stopped at Notre Dame:

When academic advisor Kara Montgomery contacted USC's compliance office to let them know about the tutoring, she said she was called into Perry's office and required to make a tape-recorded statement acknowledging that in the future she would take compliance issues to Perry.

Shortly after the incident in his office, Perry sent out a memo informing his staff that anyone with a compliance concern should see him first.

McGee told the NCAA that Perry's initial duties at USC included "close oversight" of some compliance matters. According to McGee, when he learned of Perry's memo he asked Perry to retract it. But Perry's staffers told investigators they did not recall seeing a retraction.

Instead, Perry called a meeting during the summer or fall of 2001 in which Perry told his staff how to deal with NCAA inquiries, according to the report.

"That the easiest way to say is, 'You don't have any knowledge or recollection, please refer to my supervisor,'" Shane Olivett, who left USC for Georgia Tech,told investigators. "That was explicitly stated in that meeting. ... Do not keep memos like that. Do not keep a file in your office about those things. Delete e-mails that could be harmful, was the way he described it."

Obviously I have nothing to back that up with, nor do I intend on proving it to myself either way--I appear to have bitten off a bit more than I should have with the Big Ten preview and now that August is approaching I'm scrambling. But I don't find Holtz's narrow escapes and minor infractions to be all that minor, nor do I find BGS's explanations convincing. I find them to be evidence of a persistent and willful disregard of the rules that spans over twenty years. Just because he maintained enough plausible deniability to avoid the NCAA noose doesn't mean Holtz didn't know exactly what he was doing. He knew the rules. He broke them everywhere he went.

So, maybe BGS is right. Personally I doubt it, and I'd love to see someone take a really objective look at the Legacy O' Lou (HINT HINT VIJAY)... but I call not it.

Speaking of IBFC, Vijay address both sides of the WE GOT SCREWED/YOU GOT SCREWED refereeing coin as relates to Michigan football. As always, worth reading. Blah Me to Death has helpfully pulled the stats of Michigan QBs over the past ten or so years to provide some idea what to expect from Chad Henne next year. I know what I expect: 75% completion percentage, 5000 yards, 40 touchdowns, -2 interceptions, and Gino Torreta's Heisman retroactively.

Someone needs to lock Ian from Sexy Results in a room and force him to write more about college football. Latest is an authoritative response to the Great Rap Question of Blogpoll Roundtable #3 which I have watched juuuust enough MTV Jams to understand about 75% of. For example (hide the chilluns, there is a swearin'):

Miami/Eminem: When they're on, really, truly ON, absolutely no one can stop them, but they've been known to coast on their rep alone. Unlimited reservoir of talent, often used in very questionable ways. Very likely to give a complete shithead his big break.

Ian also touches on the game (The GAAME). He's playing Race for the Heisman for some reason. Things have not gone as swimmingly with The Old Ball Coach on Heisman. The 4-0 start of the first season was followed up with three straight losses, largely humiliating, against Penn State, Iowa, and Purdue, then a loss to an eminently mediocre Wisconsin team and a towel throwing. Simmed Ohio State (win), bowl game (loss against #5 FSU... why is #5 playing a 7-4 team?) and everyone in fictional NCAA land is muttering to themselves about how they miss Lloyd Carr after a 7-5 finish.

In year two things are going a little better. Michigan is 9-2 heading into the Orange Bowl against Virginia. One humiliating loss to Penn State and a closer one against Iowa and its two impact player running backs and 88 speed QB. Final score: 49-32. I gave up about 550 rushing yards, including this sequence: grinding 10 play Michigan touchdown drive, one play, 80 yard Iowa rushing touchdown, grinding 10 play Michigan touchdown drive, one play, 80 yard Iowa rushing touchdown. I finally broke and started screwing with the sliders, especially because on Heisman the 10-30, 5 interception day has returned with a vengance.

The good news as regards realism: my somewhat disappointing Michigan squad travelled to the horseshoe to meet the 10-0, #3, BCS #2 Buckeyes and won going away, 35-17. Some things never change.

The bad news: my money play on third and long is a spread shotgun weak off-tackle run. My running back ra
n for 2300 yards (and finished second in Heisman voting, the bastards)... things are broken a bit. The flaws in the game's AI are really beginning to grate.

FIN.

Goalie Billy Sauer expects to be at Michigan next year, according to this interview at McKeen's:

McKeen's: Have you decided on where you'll be playing this season?

Billy Sauer: Most likely for the University of Michigan, if not then I will play for a team in the USHL.

Rivals resident hockey guru tbarr says it's up in the air, though, with Michigan coaches actually leaning towards fellow USHLer Steve Jakiel, who's a couple years older than Sauer, although not significantly more experienced. On raw talent level Sauer appears to be the favorite--Jakiel is ranked 27th amongst goalies this year by the erratic CSB and does not appear likely to go particularly early, while Sauer is getting first round buzz for '06--but he is very young and somewhat untested. If he were to come in this year he would be skipping his senior year of high school a la Al Montoya and he split time with Wisconsin goalie commit Shane Connolly in the USHL this year. While Montoya performed admirably as a freshman, the Michigan coaches are understandably concerned about asking lightning to strike twice.

Of course, Montoya could render this entire conversation moot if he was to return for his senior year, but very few are expecting that to happen. Poster "churchonchurch" put up a post on Rivals that passes my BS meters; it strongly suggests that Montoya will be #33 for the Rangers next year. There is some good news: apparently Montoya asserted that Tambellini is definitely returning for what should be a huge senior year.

Also, CSTV has an article up titled "Scouts Go Rabid for Wolverines" ( a Chris Benoit reference?). They've got an NCAA-tinted NHL draft preview going on all this week which I'll undoubtedly link to a couple times.

(HT: Packer487 of TBT Yost Built.)

Two high school all-star games were played over the weekend that featured Michigan recruits. As you can see at right, Terrance Taylor scared just about everyone in an intra-Michigan game in which he scored two touchdowns on fumble recoveries.

AAAAAAAIGH!

mgoblog has said this before, but I should reiterate: he is the most underrated player coming into this class (er, except for TE Carson Butler), even though he was a top 100 guy. I love the fact that he's under 6 feet tall but still has the strength and size to play DT. Getting under his pads will be very difficult for anyone who's big enough to not crumple like the fender of Bob Huggins' car after a few too many under his onslaught. I previously speculated that Taylor would be a 3-technique tackle but after seeing some pictures of him and reading about the way he was used in the all star game, I think he's probably Gabe Watson's heir apparent. Michigan will line him up Jerry Ball-style and imply that yummy num-nums can be found in that ball the skinny white kid keeps throwing around. Chaos will ensue.

The other news item out of the Michigan game was a brief newspaper article from the Jackson Citizen Patriot with this:

"If they were playing Ohio State this week, he'd be dressed," Jackson coach Jack Fairly said. "Coach (Lloyd) Carr told me they want him playing as a freshman, so they don't want him to get injured in the All-Star game."

Interesting, especially given that Taylor was greenlighted to play. Michigan does have at least four defensive tackles who are either proven seniors (Watson, Massey) or buzz-generating underclassmen (Branch, Will Johnson), so some freakish injury to Taylor probably wouldn't affect the season much. Also, since Bass was slated to start at quarterback and run a ton, there was a much greater chance that he would take some hits. Taylor spent the game dispensing them, not receiving them.

But the depth at defensive tackle appears to be mirrored by the depth at wide reciever: Michigan has Breaston, Avant, Arrington, Dutch, and Tabb. Both Arrington and Dutch were top-100 wide receivers and Tabb is fast, I'd be happy with those five no problem. Neither Mario Manningham (more on him later) nor Antonio Bass will redshirt. Only time will tell whether that means that the freshmen are just impossible to keep off the field or if the guys 3-5 have been somewhat disappointing. Given everything surrounding Mario I am leaning to the former.

About that racoon-suited receiver: in the annual Big 33 game between Ohio and Pennsylvania, Manningham took a slant pass from future Buckeye Rob Schoenhoft to the hizzle de dizzle heeeouse fo shizzle [/Stuart Scott] from 74 yards out, Mister Simpson got 11 yards on 5 carries, and Zoltan Mesko was... eh, not so consistent. Reports said that his kickoffs got to about the two yard line but were line-drives. He made 4 extra-points but missed one. There's no chance of Epstein-like double duty at punter and kicker for Mesko, which is fine by me given how it seemingly screwed Epstein up. Ohio won 34-28. Reports claim Manningham was the star of the Ohio practices leading up to the game, torching everyone on a variety of routes, from screens to outs to gos. He's good. Like booyah good, Stu. Booyah good.

Message boards have some perspective on the Ohio and Michigan players in the Big 33 game. Check both Michigan and Ohio State perspectives.

Rammer Jammer... er... um...

No surprise that it was Boi From Troy all over this breaking story from Gawker:

There they are folks, your ideals: Crossword editor Will Shortz is the Timesman you love for his brain, and Styles reporter Warren St. John is the Timesman you love for his body.

mgoblog will admit that when I saw St. John's picture on his website I had two immediate reactions:

1. This guy is from Alabama?
2. This guy IS A WRITER!?

There's something there, folks. Something as hot and steamy as the Vandy game from RJYH. (For more on RJYH, check the review/demand that you buy the book here.)

How did I post on this before the ever-puerile EDSBS? I dunno. But in your face, Orson!

So that NHL thing is on the way back. Friday they held their draft lottery. Edmonton got the 25th pick, I am distressed. (For strange reasons only partially known to myself, I switched team allegiances from Detroit to Edmonton right when people like Chris Chelios were ending up Red Wings and Mike Comrie was doing inexplicable things with the Oilers.) Jack "Gojira" Johnson will be a Mighty Duck, Hurricane, or singular version of the word "Wild," as Anaheim, Carolina, and Minnesota picked up the 2, 3, and 4 picks, respectively.

"Godzilla Hockey." I love you, Google.

The CSB has released its final rankings. Michigan College Hockey helpfully picked out all the Wolverines listed:

4. Jack Johnson, D
56. Jason Bailey, F
63. Andrew Cogliano, F
78. T.J. Hensick, F
99. Zach MacVoy, F
140. Tim Miller, F

Goalies
27. Steve Jakiel

I'm not sure why I continue bothering to report these, since they're just... just wrong. Remember that the CSB releases separate rankings for European and North American players, so the apparent third-round rankings of Hensick and Cogliano are closer to 5th or 6th round projections. Which is wrong. Cogliano will probably be a late first rounder. Hensick is harder to project, but I would think he goes somewhere in the second, though he could go anywhere from the late first to the third. The CSB consistently ranks any guy 6'2" or above who can put on skates in two or three tries higher than any rational human would. Witness Jason Bailey at 56, above Hensick and Cogliano. Now, don't get me wrong: I like Bailey a lot and am very happy he's going to be a Wolverine. But his NHL future appears to be a third-line grinder at best. Both Cogliano and his Bure-like speed and Hensick and his dirty dirty stickhandling should be well gone by the time a mucker like Bailey goes.

Hockey's Future has a mock draft with Gojira at #4, Cogliano at #24, and Hensick at #28, which is a much more realistic picture of the situation. Personally, I would be surprised to see Hensick in the first round, but I will flip out and verbally assault key members of the Oilers front office if Hensick is on the board in the third and they pass on him (see: Zach Parise).

TBT Yost Built has more on the NHL draft and the newly-approved rules changes (mgoblog's opinion is here if you care). I'd like the NCAA to immediately adopt the no-line-change-after-icing rule. It is teh sweet.

Also, the Cold War (3-3 tie between MSU and UM played at Spartan Stadium) is being replayed by Fox Sports Detroit on Saturday at 7 PM. On Monday they're playing two Michigan-Michigan State games back to back at 5 and 7:30. The first is the loss to MSU in this year's GLI. The second is one from a bit back where Michigan beat Ryan Miller and went on to the Frozen Four in St. Paul, where they lost to Minnesota.

(HT: russian5.)

Oh, yeah: TAMBINPO has chimed in on the Roundtables in better-late-than-never fashion. The goal is to spread Nowledge (sorry, Joe) throughout the blogosphere, and he's the only Texas (state of, that is) guy who's responded so far so his perspective is worth examining.

No permalinks, though. Run, lest it disappear.