Spartan boards are lighting up with speculation that Michigan's new defensive line coach is current Spartan defensive line coach Steve Stripling.

Good hire? Maybe? I lean towards yes. Stripling's been with JLS since 2001 so he has more familiarity with the spread offense than anyone on Michigan's staff. He's seen it in practice every day for four years. He was a coach at Indiana back when they didn't suck. In his two years at Louisville the Cardinals recorded 77 sacks. And he's been a defensive line coach an awful lot. No offense to Sheridan, but he didn't seem to have the appropriate experience to coach defensive linemen, which may be why he'll be a linebackers coach with the Giants.

Ever wonder what mgoblog would look like if it was straight outta Compton?

Wonder no longer!

(Shamelessly stolen from Blue Man on the Victors.)

Extensive and free from Bucknuts.com. Michigan and UVA on top.

The Rivals hockey board blew up with Swystun info yesterday, with articles from all over.

More important, since those articles are pretty lean on information you well-informed fans didn't already know, is this Bob Miller post. In it he says it would be a good idea to ratchet down expectations from Swystun as a freshman since he'll be so young. He destroyed Midget AAA last year and a U17 tournament this year but hasn't been tearing up the AJHL. He does have 13-16-29 in 47 games, so he's doing pretty decently, and UND, BU, and Denver were all pursuing him, so he's certianly not a marginal recruit at all. Sounds like he'd be better served as a class of 2006 player, but he's scheduled as an '05 recruit and that likely won't change. He's ready to graduate HS and move on.

Also in the above-linked post: info on Kessel that basically amounts to "ain't dead yet." Speculation on USCHO and elsewhere had Kessel basically down to Wisconsin and Minnesota, but Spath dropped a hint that while it is indeed a two-horse race, Michigan is one of the contenders.

Sam Young is a tackle from Florida getting early hype as the best tackle in his class and a sure five-star. Sunshine Preps has video of him driving goofballs 20 yards downfield with impunity.

Do we really have a shot at pulling a kid who lives in Miami away from, uh, Miami? Maybe. Take this useless internet speculation for what it's worth, but some dude on the Miami board says, "Believe it or not most knowledgable sources in Florida thaink this kid is Michigan's to lose."

I think I side with "not" in this case but Baas and Hutchinson both came from Florida, along with freshman Grant DeBenidictis, so what little success we've found in Florida has been along the offensive line.

Sometimes-maligned DL coach Bill Sheridan got an NFL job with the Giants... as a linebacker coach. So now there's an opening on the staff. My choice: Rick Mahorn.

Uh... no, that isn't right.