This week, I finally sort the players by who is still actually, you know, playing; Michigan commits will square off against each other in the MHSAA Division 1 title game; and both James Ross and Chris Wormley get a shot at state titles of their own.

Still Playing

MI OL Ben Braden

Rockford was able to jump out to a 17-7 lead against Catholic Central in the state semifinals, but weren't able to hold on to a three-point lead in overtime—not sudden death in the MHSAA—and the Rams fell 24-20.

This week: Rockford finished the season with an 11-2 record.

MI DT Matt Godin

Godin didn't know his stats when I texted him, but he said he "played OK" and was "just happy we got the W and are on our way to get a ring next weekend." He did tally a critical fourth-down stop in the second half to help the Shamrocks beat Rockford in a 24-20 overtime thriller.

This week: The Shamrocks face Cass Tech—featuring Royce Jenkins-Stone and Terry Richardson—in the Division 1 state title game at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Ford Field. You can see the game live on FSD+ (channel 901 on Comcast) in the Detroit area.

MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone

Cass Tech toughed out another close victory with Jenkins-Stone (pictured at right) providing the scoring, as he rushed for 122 yards on 22 carries and a one-yard TD in the second quarter to lead the Technicians to a 6-3 win over Utica Eisenhower in the state semifinals:

After gaining 38 yards on 14 carries over the first three quarters, Jenkins-Stone ran for 84 yards on eight carries in the fourth period.

"This time I put the team on my back," he said. "I kept telling Coach to run that G-sweep and I got you -- I'll get you that first down."

The Cass line did open some holes for Jenkins-Stone, but so many yards were the result of his determination.

"I thought that back -- he gave everything -- he gave second effort,"  [Eisenhower coach Bob] Lantzy said. "He's going to be a great college player."

This week: The Technicians play Catholic Central for the state title on Saturday. With the game at nearby Ford Field, Jenkins-Stone and his teammates will eschew the normal bus ride, saying, "It ain't that long of a walk, we'll make it. It feels better to walk it."

CA OL Erik Magnuson

La Costa Canyon had a first-round bye in the state playoffs.

This week: The Mavericks play Westview on Friday night.

MI CB Terry Richardson

Richardson had three catches for 22 yards in Cass Tech's victory while also playing a big role in shutting down the Eisenhower offense:

Eisenhower (11-2) has as diverse an offense as you could want, but Cass (10-3) allowed just two first downs until the final series of the first half and no second-half first downs until Ike's final series of the game.

"Their quarterback had a very nice arm," Cass cornerback Terry Richardson said. "Basically we tried to show him a whole lot of different looks, that way he couldn't tell the coverage and that helped us out a whole lot."

This week: The Technicians face off against Utica Eisenhower at Troy Athens HS on Saturday at 1.

MI LB James Ross

Ross got banged up and had to leave the game at one point, but contributed a 33-yard reception and helped the St. Mary's defense hold Harper Creek to their lowest point total of the season in a 14-10 semifinal victory.

This week: The Eaglets take on Mt. Pleasant at Ford Field in the Division 3 state title game on Saturday at 7:30. That game will also be televised live on FSD+.

OH DE Tom Strobel

No stats are available for Strobel from Mentor's 23-17 state quarterfinal loss to St. Ignatius, who knocked off Kyle Kalis's St. Edward squad the week prior. Not a fan, guys.

This week: The Cardinals finish the season with an 11-2 record.

Chris Wormley (#47 in blue) helps corral Wadsworth running back Jack Snowball. (Photo credit: Dave Zapotosky/Toledo Blade)

OH DE Chris Wormley:

Whitmer continued their undefeated season with a resounding 37-0 regional final victory over Wadsworth. Wormley was part of a defense that held spectacularly-named Wadsworth RB Jack Snowball, who entered the game with 2,504 yards rushing in 2011, to a season-low 90 yards on 30 carries:

“That was our main focus,” All-Ohio Whitmer defensive end Chris Wormley said of stopping Wadsworth’s star. “Snowball is their entire offense. He had over 2,500 yards rushing coming into the game, and we held him to less than 100. Everyone contributed. We’re ready for next Saturday. We can’t wait to play.”

[UPDATE: Mason checks in with his weekly update:

This wasn't the sort of team that Chris will put up gaudy numbers against. Obviously, all they do is run with Snowball, and most of the time, they ran away from Chris. I had Chris for six tackles, two TFL, and a sack. A solid performance, and one that was more than good enough to beat a completely one-dimensional team.

A word about Snowball: I like him. Runs really hard and has good size. Didn't have a great night, and isn't really fast (his 40 time is 4.56 as recorded as an OSU camp), but he's got to get a look from someone. Right now he has 0 interest of any kind from any DI or IAA school, which is a real shame. He should get a second look from somebody - probably in the MAC, C-USA or maybe even an Indiana-type school in a big conference - and could be a huge college success. I'll be pulling for him.

For those that want to celebrate what I imagine will be a highly-satisfying win over Ohio on Saturday with the delight of hearing a future Wolverine qualify for a state championship game, we'll have it on WRSCsports.com. Pregame at 6:15, kickoff at 7:00. Just sayin'.

Thanks, as always, to Mason for the first-hand report.]

This week: Whitmer faces St. Ignatius, the Wolverine commit-killers, in the state semifinals on Saturday at 7.

After the jump, see the season records of the players whose teams have been eliminated, as well as a link to their season stats, compiled by Touch the Banner.

EDIT: Moved Grady to this group

I've written plenty about the guys from the classes of '07 and '08 who didn't make it to this week. This one's for the guys who did.

Many had to overcome hideous, season-ending injuries to get here. They also stuck around through two paradigm-shifting coaching changes, or watched the guy and the system they committed to run out of town.What they signed up for was multiple Big Ten championships and Rose Bowls, but what they got was the most tumultuous years at Stadium and Main since Yost dug a hole in the ground.

What they leave is a program on the verge of a BCS bowl, on the verge of another reshaping, on the verge of one final chance to beat Ohio State. The leadership they provided helped Michigan avoid another painful transition, and set the tone for more success to come. There have been many great seniors to graduate from Michigan, but it is no derogation of them to say that this class is a bit special. Here are their stories (in reverse order of commitment):

EARLY RICH-RODIGAN JET-SMURFS:

Michael Shaw was the wizard hat to Trotwood teammate Roundtree's snake oil, a Penn State commit (Carr had wanted him as a CB) who switched to Michigan at the last minute. Unlike fellow '08 RB recruits he had neither captured the imagination of the Internet by hurdling fools, nor did he have a name that 13-year-olds use on prank calls. What Shaw had was speed, hands, and a cut-and-bounce move. People thought he might be a slot receiver. The era Shaw played in was replete with RBs of various skillsets, and proximity to Carlos Brown made for exaggerated comparisons. Various injuries made for sporadic appearances. He started the '09 Ohio State game and was nominally the starter at the beginning of this year. Everyone will have to pick their endearing memory of bouncy Shaw; mine will be the block on McNaul against NU (the purple one) and Batman.

Yearbook Quote:

"Normally they're keying in on me. I don't know why, but they're keying in on me, so that's where [Denard] gets his yards from … We had an idea they were going to try to contain Denard, but we also thought Notre Dame was going to try to contain him."

Martavious Odoms was billed as the perfect slot bug, the prototypical Rich Rodriguez Pahokee speedster with skillz who's completely overlooked because he's tiny. He was brought in to return kicks and punts, block like a mountain goat, and catch bubble screens. Whenever someone of the old guard complained about "little Florida guys" who "won't make it in the Big Ten," they were talking about Odoms.

Tay almost immediately grabbed that slot position and led the team in receptions as a somewhat fumbly true freshman. His sophomore season it was his mountain goat blocking and magnificent TD against Indiana that prevented a Hoosier loss from ever being added to the pile of Rodriguezian indignities. But he sprained a knee against Penn State and missed the rest of the season while redshirted classmate Roy Roundtree exploded. Odoms returned as the world's smallest outside WR in 2010 until a broken foot knocked him out for the second half of the year. This year several broken bits kept Odoms on the sideline as Gallon emerged, until Odoms reprised the Indy TD (@8:51) against Nebraska.

Yearbook quote:

Denard, can you talk about what you saw on the Odoms TD?

Denard: “Me and Martavious had a race, what, two years ago? So I saw that he can run, and he went right past the defenders and I put it in the air.”

What happened in that race?

Odoms, to Denard: “… What happened?”

Denard: “You have to tell them. You have to tell them.”

Odoms: “No, you should tell them.”

Denard: “Ah … he beat me. He got a win there. He got a win.”

Kelvin Grady committed to Michigan before any of these guys, but for basketball. After his sophomore ('08-'09) season Grady left the backcourt to join his brother in Rich Rod's basketball on grass. Grady also left his sure scholarship, and had to compete with the rest of the walk-ons to earn a football one (he did). Grady19 immediately pushed for playing time in the now crowded slot rotation, showing great route running but not so great hands. Then last year the hands improved—as in he caught almost everything thrown his way—and also became the designated reverse guy.

This year he's rotated in every game, despite there being another guy who's "emerged" at his position every year he's been here (Odoms, Roundtree, Gallon). His eligibility will run out after this season, but Kelvin has already received his Bachelor's degree, and is a year into his Master's in Social Work.

Yearbook quote:

"It crossed my mind that I wouldn't have anything," said Grady, who started 25 basketball games as a freshman before seeing his time reduced last year. "I'd be out. I'd be just like the rest of the guys back home who dropped out of college and didn't have anywhere else to go. But I'm too strong. I've got too much will. I've got a family that supports me. I've got a brother [Kevin, a senior running back for Michigan] that's working hard.

Yearbook quote II:

"I just want to say to you Florida boys it's not so bad in Michigan."

Terrence Robinson may not get a 5th year; the Texas 4-star was another slot bug who actually won the job in '08 before Odoms. He caused a Nebraska fumble on special teams this year—I don't know what his plans are if there's a scholarship available.

PLAYERS COMMITTED TO MICHIGAN:

J.B. Fitzgerald got the Victor Hobson designation in the four-man YMRMFSPA haul of Foote-Hobson-Crable-C.Graham. This was thanks to um, large hands? Fitz also was considered quite raw, needing considerable coaching on his read and reaction skills. In this, it's hard to argue that Michigan didn't fail him, provided Jay Hopson then GERG as his position coaches. Fitzgerald was never a threat to displace Obi Ezeh or Jonas Mouton, except when the coaches got so fed up with those guys they put Fitz in (after they tried Kevin Leach). He did see some starting time at OLB late last year due to injuries, but has since been passed by the likes of Ryan and the freshmen. An academic All-American, Fitz will graduate with a degree in sport management.

Yearbook quote:

"Physical's how we like it." (half of this guy's quotes can be taken out of context, the other half are about his family).

Until 2011, Kevin Koger (not Kroger) was the last head-to-head recruiting battle with [glances around, whispers] you know who in Ohio that Michigan actually won. Brian said he was Carson Butler minus the attitude and projected a future move to defensive end. Damn right about the attitude – Koger is a 2011 team captain and the Ryan Van Bergen of the offense.

Koger raised the hype meter a bit by scoring that TD versus Wisconsin in his first career catch, and then hauling in a one-handed flying stab in garbage time versus WMU in '09 that was more entertaining than Coner throwing D.O.'s to walk-on receivers with Mets' last names. This year he made another ridiculous catch over the middle versus Western. Koger's production on the field hasn't changed much from sharing time with Webb in 2010 (14 catches for 199 yards and 2 TDs) to being the guy in Borges's offense (17 catches for 195 yards and 3 TDs). Blocking Purdue's DEs (at top of screen, blocking 49) was a lot of fun.

Yearbook quote:

So I headbutted @VanBergen53 without a helmet on and he had his on #BadLifeDecision lol

In parts of the internet where trite metaphors are allowed, the phrase "Mike Martin is a beast!!!" is stated repeatedly, the number of exclamation marks varying from one to however many it takes to break a keyboard depending on how many yards backwards the poor sap charged with blocking him traveled before reestablishing radio contact. In less savage parts of the internet, people made things like this:

all the time. You can even put him in a micro fleece Balaclava and put Greg Robinson behind him (below) and he still looks like he's about to kill a quarterback any second. So of course Michigan put him in a micro fleece Balaclava and put Greg Robinson behind him. He was still the best player on the defense once Brandon Graham left; actually he beat out Graham for Michigan's '09 DL award.

A late-blooming prospect, Martin got his offer in June after Georgia DT Omar Hunter turned Michigan down. He committed immediately, and remained committed when a flood of others, including ND, came in after the coaching change. Martin arrived able to bench press like NFL first rounders, and ESPN said he looks like a crab.*

He immediately entered the DT rotation with Taylor and Johnson, and then spent the rest of his career here as a nose tackle because Michigan didn't have any other guys on the interior who could demand double teams. GERG's great idea to utilize Martin was to make him the centerpiece of 3-man rushes. After his junior year, Martin's personal accomplishments matched those of Alan Branch, with a far worse supporting cast.

----------------------------------

*I think when people say "crab" what they mean is pad level. From now on when I hear "crab" I will declare that prospect someone Michigan must get. I want an entire DL that consists of nothing but crab people who squat 520 and chase QBs like they're Shawn Crable.

----------------------------------

Despite having NFL prospects, despite a new coach and staff again again, he stayed. He said:

"‘What are we going to do as a team? Where are we now? We can either not be all in and do what we need to do, or we can work hard together and make sure we’re successful.’ ”

Hoke was also in the room. He remembered Robinson being upset at the media speculating his departure. He remembered fifth-year senior center David Molk getting up in that same meeting and telling everybody the team was going to stick together. …

“When (Robinson) came to us, he was addressing that we as a group — including him — need to make sure that none of the younger guys have doubtful thoughts or might want to stray away,” Martin said. “We didn't want there to be a repeat of last time there was a transfer of a coach.”

Tomorrow: Those Who Stayed (the Class of '07):

This one comes in at about 1:25--big week, big podcast, Big Ten.

Topics!

FUN. I say "fun" a lot.

DEFENSE. Defense so hard.

NEBRASKA'S COOL OPTION PLAY. Thanks for running it on the three.

FITZKREIG. Mike Hart except fast, Chris Perry except fast, or Tim Biakabutuka except short?

BORGES. Still Gorgeous this week.

ACE'S HARROWING TALE OF SURVIVAL IN A PRESS BOX WITHOUT POWER. They had cake, I guess.

SPECIAL TEAMS. Congrats, Terrence Robinson and your extra year of training table.

GAME THEORY. Hoke uber alles.

PENN-STATE WISCONSIN. Weekly Jamie conversation ditches the rest of the Big Ten schedule to focus on the East Division championship game and...

THE GAME. We hate how optimistic we are about it, but we are.

Songs this week are "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash, "Poets" by The Tragically Hip--our Tressel tribute--and "Everybody Chooses Sides" by The Wrens.

The usual links:

• Helpful iTunes subscribe link
• General podcast feed link
• Direct download link
• What's with the theme music?

Brady Hoke

News bullets and other important items:

• Vincent Smith dressed for Nebraska but did not play because of a shoulder injury.
• Everything else is sort of general fluff on the rivalry.

Press Conference

from file

Opening remarks:

“Our guys, I thought, played their best football game as a team on Saturday. In saying that, from the kicking game to offensively and defensively, I thought they all complemented each other well. We had a great day yesterday as far as putting that game to bed and moving forward. This is a special week because you play in the greatest rivalry there is in sport. When you get the chance to play in this game or coach in this game, it’s always a fun week. We’ve got a lot of work to do because we’re not where we need to be in any sense as far as the team that we envision ourselves to be and we expect to be.”

What does this senior class mean to you and this program, and how special will their legacy be if they do win on Saturday?

“Well, you know, the seniors are always out in the forefront. This is a group of guys who have been through a lot. They’ve hung together well and they’ve done a nice job of preparing weekly. Just not preparing themselves but preparing their teammates. They’ve got to keep that up and be consistent in what we do and how we prepare.”

Can you remember the first time you ever watched this game and said to yourself, “I want to be a part of that?”

“Wow. Uh. Boy. I can’t remember how old I was or anything, but my dad had a chance and played for Woody Hayes. Loved coach Hayes. You know, that game you were always watching. So I can’t tell you how old I was or anything else, but it’s always been a special significance, at 12 noon, that last Saturday in November or the Saturday before Thanksgiving -- you’re watching that football game.”

Why do you call them “Ohio” rather than “Ohio State”?

“Always have.”

Always have?

“Yeah.”

Since when?

“Always. So whenever always is.”

(more after the jump)

Since many will be working and it's the first real test of the season, we're livebloggin' the Memphis game. UMHoops preview here—the game tips off at 3 and will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. Liveblog Chaos Mitigation post here. Read that if you haven't, or potentially suffer the wrath of your MGoPeers.

[ed: bump.]

I started working on this season's Ohio State wallpaper several months ago. The concept was more fun than anything I've worked on (other than the Denard Robinson Action Figures) and soon it grew into my most ambitious project to-date. Nothing even comes close with regard to the skills required to pull it off and the number of hours I'd require to finish it.

In case it's not obvious to you already, this is not that wallpaper. Two things changed my mind about releasing it now: first, I realized that my concept had nothing to do with Ohio State and would work better as a pro-Michigan season theme; second, the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal provided the first true opportunity to poke fun at Ohio State in nearly a decade.

As I write this explanation I'm reminded of the classic line by rock greats Tenacious D: "This is not The Greatest Song in the World, no. This is just a tribute." Next August I'll publish "The Greatest Wallpaper in the World" for the 2012 season to massive disappointment now that I've stupidly overhyped the thing to the five people who actually read these explanations. For now, I hope you'll enjoy this artwork inspired by Ohio State's fall (and Fall).

The images below are a previews only. You can get the widescreen, 4:3, iPad and mobile wallpapers at The Art. The Art. The Art!.

How it was made

The Riddell Revo Speed helmets were illustrated in Illustrator (they really nailed the naming of that product) and then superimposed on the forearm photograph in Photoshop. I used a dash of Gaussian blur, a mix of blending modes and a smidge of smudge tool action to make the color boundaries look more tattoo-ish. If you look closely you can see a little red around the edges of the tattoo that gives the skin the "I was at one time in the past punctured over and over by needles" look. I toyed with a much more elaborate tattoo that used a blackletter font (and went so far as to design an ambigram for the word "game") but in the end I decided on simplicity; I used a type treatment consistent with this season's Notre Dame and Michigan State wallpapers.