Diaries

Things got busy with the jihad and my real life getting in the way. Let's take a quick look at what happened the last few days and what is on tap this weekend.

Oh yeah, there's a home football game this weekend. Not much else is going on around campus as almost every sport is on the road on Friday or Saturday. Only X-Country has a home meet, which isn't anywhere near campus.

Men's Soccer

#22 Men's soccer opened their season with a loss at #15 Notre Dame on Tuesday. The final score was 0-5, an obvious disappointment for the team. To make up for it, look at the ridiculous-looking Domer on the right (picture from MGoBlue). They will look to get their first official W of the season tonight at Drake (8p ET). They will visit Valparasio on Sunday at 4p ET.

Women's Soccer

The ladies won their first game of the season last night (Thursday) against Central Michigan by the score of 4-3. Four different Wolverines scored on the night, including Jackie Carron who also notched an assist. The offensive explosion is described by Coach Ryan as the product of moving Megan Bowery back to forward instead of a back:

We have worked on those set plays non-stop since preseason and the biggest difference today was having Amanda Bowery up front instead of at the back. When we have her in the back and she has to come up, when they get the ball she has to run all the way back again. We don't want to make her do that all day or she is going to be dead. She didn't get a goal tonight, but she is the kind of player that teams can't deal with. They can't deal with the ball to her, so the next ball comes to someone else. We got a lot of second-chance goals today and I think Amanda's presence on free kicks is tremendous.

Good to hear. Highlights from the game via MGoBlue found here. Michigan will host Eastern Michigan on Sunday at 2pm.

Field Hockey

The #19 field hockey team struggled last weekend in the ACC/BigTen tournament, which wasn't a huge surprise. Michigan was facing two of the top 5 teams in the country while being in a bit of a rebuilding phase. They will attempt to get their first win of the season tonight at 6pm ET in College Park, MD as they take on Temple. Temple is 1-1 coming into this match, and Michigan is the favorite in this game. The team will then take on #1 Maryland on Maryland's home field Sunday at 1pm ET. I'm personally hoping to keep it respectable (bulletin board material, anyone?).

Volleyball

Following up the greatest win in Michigan volleyball history, Michigan took down #22 Kansas State on Sunday. Michigan came out looking a little sluggish, and they had a flashback of Michigan 2008 in the second set, but they held on to win 3-1. The second set was full of small errors that kept K-State in the game, ultimately allowing the Wildcats to take the set. Juliana Paz was ridiculous though, registering 19 kills and 6 aces. Michigan ended up setting a record for aces in the AVCA/Runza Tournament with 13. Sloane Donhoff was also an unsung hero with a new career high of 19 digs.
The team will be headed to Xavier this weekend to take on Tennessee (being played now), Xavier (Saturday at 5:30p), and Notre Dame (Sunday at noon).

The above link will take you to Friday's CiL hosted by former Wolverine player Erin Moore. She had a great story earlier about beating Tennesse:

As Rich mentioned earlier...one of my all time favorite Michigan moments took place at Tennessee one preseason. We were down 0-2 and getting the third set handed to us when Nicole Poquette ran a two and landed directly on the crease in the floor. It one of those jig saw like wooden floors that pieces together.  The floor breaks. We can't play on it. Tenn. has to retape a court on the other side of the floor and we end up winning the match 3-2.

Cross Country

Both Men and Women's cross country started the season today (Friday). Woo! Go! Run fast! If I find out more about them, I'll let you know. They just published their schedule this week, and how much about cross country can there really be to investigate? We'll find out, I guess.

UPDATE I (Friday 5:50p): Volleyball wins 3-1. Team effort lead by Paz again. Zimmerman lead the team in digs with 17, but also got in her 42 assists.

UPDATE II (Friday 9p): Field Hockey beats temple 5-1. A second half explosion saw the Wolverines take 14 shots, netting all 5 goals in that period. Three of the goals came off penalty corner plays.

The women's cross country faced off with Eastern Michigan in a non-scoring meet. Michigan placed 8 in the top ten finishers including Danielle Tauro finishing the 5k in 18 minutes and one half second. Coach Mike McGuire:

Danielle [Tauro] ran pretty controlled, and she's going to be our leader this year. We had one fall off the group a little bit, but for the first week I thought it was pretty solid. We've established the benchmark, and we've just got to get better from here.

He would also mention that 4 of the top 8 were freshmen, who are going to need to show up big for Michigan this year.

UPDATE III (Friday10:30p): Men's soccer won 2-1 over Drake. Michigan was outshot 15-7 but came out ahead in the stat that matters - goals. Justin Meram and Chase Tennnant (winner in the 87th minute) both scored for Michigan.

Men's cross country wrapped up their 6k Michigan Open tonight as well. It appears all of the competitors were UM athletes, but some ran as "unattached," including the race winner Lex Williams (18 minutes, 55.3 seconds). Coach Ron Warhurst:

We had a great camp. The kids ran 90 miles a week, so they're tired. But we had to put a uniform on them today. It's really just to get them started. I was really impressed with their going out in 5:24 first mile and then running 5:00, especially up the long hill. [...] Lex [Williams] pushed it. The good thing is they went with it. I was pleased with the freshmen. They ran together. It was a great start, and I'm happy with what I saw.

UPDATE IV (Sunday 10am):

Other than the football game, only one sport was in action on Saturday - the volleyball team against Xavier. The team started slow falling behind 1-5 to open the first set, but were able to tie it back up. Unfortunately, they lost the lead again, and lost their first "first set" of the season by a score of 24-26. The second set also started with a run from Xavier, but this time just 0-3. Michigan would respond though, eventually taking a 5 point lead in the set, ultimately winning 25-23. The third, anchored by a 9-0 run, and fourth sets were much more dominate for Michigan, winning 25-21 and 25-13 respectively.

Juliana Paz had 19 kills and a .302 hitting percentage, Alex Hunt had 12 kills and a team high 3 service aces.

Michigan faces Notre Dame at noon ET today for the tournament championship.

The year is 1963.Michigan faithful had just endured a 3-4-2 finish, this after suffering through a 2-7 season the year before.

The Wolverine faithful were up in arms about the direction the team was going and directed that anger towards Bump,born in Detroit,All American and captain of Michigan's National Championship team of 1947...a true Michigan Man.

1964...A year later.9-1 and rated #5 in the country.

Fast forward another 3 years to 1967. Another disappointing season of 4-6 followed by 8-2 season that got Bump bumped up to an associate athletic director position and replaced by a guy who was born and raised in Ohio. Coached at Ohio St....Michigan Man??There were reports during the 1968 season that Elliott had been given an ultimatum: “Either win or face the possibility of being kicked upstairs.”

However, Michigan Athletic Director Dan Canham later denied that Elliott was “eased out” of his job. In an interview with Joe Falls of the Detroit Free Press, Canham said: “Bump and I are close personal friends. Bump is not naïve – he knows that when you work at a place for 10 years and you’re not winning consistently, it doesn’t become fun for anybody – the coach, the alumni, the players or anybody else. We talked about this and we talked about it openly. If Bump had said to me, ‘Look, give me a couple of more years,’ I would have given it to him. I mean that. I didn’t fire Bump Elliott. My first year as director Bump had an 8 and 2 record. Anyone could live with that.”

Schembechler later recalled that he remained loyal to Elliott when he took over as Michigan’s head coach in 1969. When Schembechler won the Big Ten championship in 1969, he said, “I made certain I let everyone know I won with Bump’s kids. Bump was a man of great class and he showed it to me again and again in that first year, never getting in the way, always trying to be helpful, always trying to encourage me.”After Michigan won the 1969 Ohio ST. game, the team presented the game ball to Elliott, and Schembechler noted that “I don’t remember when I felt happier about anything in my life."

So Bo took over an 8-2 team with 11 future all Big 10 players , 4 All Americans, and 2 NFL All-Pro's and took them to an 8-3 record.

Bump Elliott meanwhile took 2 losing teams and the next year had a 9-1 with a #5 ranking,and an 8-2 with a #12 ranking.

Take heart RRod and Wolverine faithful. A major improvement from a losing year to at least an 8 win season has been done not once but twice...by someone named Bump.

Moderated to look prettier.

A lot of UM fans point to WV’s record in 2002 vs 2001 as evidence of what will be a banner year in 2009 at UM. But looking at that WV schedule in 2002, some interesting points come out.  First here is WV schedule in 2002 and the record of their opponents 
Chattanooga W56-7 (2-10) 
at Wisconsin L34-17 (8-6) 
at Cincinnati W 35-32 (7-7) 
East Carolina W37-17 (4-8) 
Maryland L48-17 (11-3) finished AP 13 
at Rutgers W40-0 (1-11) 
Syracuse W34-7 (4-8) 
Miami L40-23 (12-1) finished AP 2 
at Temple W46-20 (4-8) 
Boston College W24-14 (9-4) 
at Virginia Tech W21-18 (10-4) finished AP 18 
at Pittsburgh W24-17 (9-4) finished AP 19 
vs. Virginia L48-22 (9-5) finished AP 22 

Okay so your probably saying so what, they went 9-4 and finished the season ranked 25th in the AP. The thing that interested me the most was that they played 8 teams with records above .500, splitting them with 4 wins and 4 losses. Other than the Cincinnati game, the wins came after the week 10 win over BC who was 5-4 coming into the game. The better play at the end of the year isn’t that surprising when you consider RR was in the 2nd season of bringing in his system to WV; you would expect the team to continue to get better the more they play. The same could be said of last year’s UM team as well.  
So now looking at UM’s schedule for 2009, and using Phil Steele’s preseason rankings of the post season this is how I think it will work out. Steele is beyond the most accurate, don’t get mad if you don’t agree with his rankings but I expect someone will anyway. 
WMU =.500 
Notre Dame >.500 
Eastern <.500 
Indiana <.500 
at MSU >.500  
at Iowa >.500  
Delaware State <.500 
Penn State >.500 
at Illinois >.500 
Purdue <.500 
at Wisconsin >.500 
Ohio State >.500 

So taking Steele’s ranking and accuracy at such things into account that would mean RR would be facing about 7 teams above .500 (including WMU) in 2009. This schedule is not as back loaded as WV’s was back in 2002. In the first 9 games UM would be facing 6 teams looking to go +.500 as opposed to only 4 at WV. Following this one past season example it would be reasonable to expect 2 more losses than WVs 2002 record of 6-3 to bring UM’s 2009 record to 4 -5 at the end of week 9. That leaves 3 games left in the regular season that again if you follow history would indicate 3 wins leaving a successful? season at 7-5. 

Obviously you can’t take this as THE answer to how UM will perform in 2009 solely on WV’s success/failures back in 2002. So using this as a platform to build off of I would make the following substitutions. 
    --I would remove the win vs. OSU, the emotions that go through the players during this game and the difference in experience levels between the two teams will be too much for UM to overcome. (overall season 6-6) 
    --I would add a win in the first 9 games, because of the increased level of talent, the additional time in the weight room (though that should be a wash since Barwis was at both schools) and another year in RR’s system. (overall season 7-6) 
    --Then I would remove a win because of all the distractions from the off season, the whole playing time crap, having 3 QB’s set to play in the first game (I know Tate is the “starter” but they’re all set to play), a new DC, and the lack of good depth on defense. (overall season back to 6-6) 
    --The wild card game in my opinion will be the Illinois game which I have down as a would be loss. IMHO it would be the next likely win, of the losses I have listed. 

So that is my justification for a 6-6 UM team in 2009.

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The event everyone has been waiting for is finally here
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yes
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THE KNOWLEDGE is back
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yes
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The football season is here, and it is time for some season predictions
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as some people on this blog may know, the business of THE KNOWLEDGE is to make predictions
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yes
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and that THE KNOWLEDGE shall do
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yes
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many of you may not know who THE KNOWLEDGE is, because it has been a very long time since THE KNOWLEDGE posted here. in fact, when THE KNOWLEDGE came back here, the old handle was not working - presumably because someone that was jealous of the popularity of THE KNOWLEDGE jacked the handle
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yes
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so here's a history lesson on THE KNOWLEDGE
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in the old "Haloscan" days, just after Carr had retired, THE KNOWLEDGE made his first prediction that Ronald English will become the HC at EMU. no one noticed this, and THE KNOWLEDGE was not given his due later when this happened
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however, what shot THE KNOWLEDGE to fame was the prediction that Steve Sarkisian will be the next HC of Michigan and the exact date on which the new coach will be introduced. well, RR became coach instead of SS, but no one could deny the fact that THE KNOWLEDGE had predicted the exact date a couple of weeks in advance
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yes
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someone had "cleverly" stated that a new coach will not be introduced on a Sunday. THE KNOWLEDGE replied back in words that have become immortal: "So, does Bill Martin have to go to church on Sunday, and is that why the new coach will not be introduced on that day". well, of course, it turned out that THE KNOWLEDGE was correct and RR was introduced on the exact same Sunday that THE KNOWLEDGE had predicted
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the popularity of THE KNOWLEDGE only grew with my report of the Capital One Bowl game entitled: "How THE KNOWLEDGE soared over a sea of surrounding Gators"
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then, the new Mgoblog with the new format debuted. THE KNOWLEDGE quickly became the most popular diarist. Every THE KNOWLEDGE post became top rated, especially after THE KNOWLEDGE yet again predicted correctly that Shafer will be let go
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this prediction came just two days before the even occured. when everyone else said Shafer will remain and that THE KNOWLEDGE was wrong, THE KNOWLEDGE stood steady in his predictions
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yet again, THE KNOWLEDGE soared and basked in glory
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yes
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the only whiff of THE KNOWLEDGE was when he incorrectly predicted that Tuberville will be the new DC; this didn't come to pass for some reasons
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then THE KNOWLEDGE has abstained from writing
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until today
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yes
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THE KNOWLEDGE is back
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yes
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THE KNOWLEDGE will make detailed predictions for every game next week, but will predict the overall season results and the WMU results now
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M will handily defeat WMU tomorrow: 31-17
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overall season record: 12-1 with a win in the Rose Bowl over an overmatched USC
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if you want to dismiss THE KNOWLEDGE, do so at your own peril
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because, when these predictions turn out to be correct
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THE KNOWLEDGE shall soar
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and leave everyone in a trail of dust
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yes
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    Just to start off I am not a proponent of a playoff system. I do not like the BCS. I would really like to go back to the old way of doing things which I understand is not perfect but I really liked the traditional matchups every year. Not to mention how great New Years Day used to be. So if I had it my way we would just go back to having a bunch of great bowls on New Years and let the voters decide the MNC (not that it doesn’t still happen, like LSU and USC). With that being said I realize that is probably not (read never) going to happen.
    So I have been thinking of some Ideas that would make a playoff acceptable to someone like me who loves the bowl system. And for those of you who think that they can coexist I couldn’t agree less. I would present the NIT as proof, yes it still exists but who really cares. The bowls would die a very slow death and become irrelevant. You can already see the beginning of this happening. A playoff system would only speed this death. No more Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, New Years Day… For me throwing away 90 plus years of tradition in not something that is acceptable at all. Now I always hear how you could use the bowl games for the tournament sites, but ask yourself why the Big Ten or Big East would ever agree to that. I don’t think that playing road games round after round would be appealing to them at all. So that option won’t work.
    
My solution is two fold

1.  Institute a 16 team playoff system. Every conference gets one automatic bid for its Champion. This would have 11 automatic bids and 5 at large bids, which are more at large bids than we have in the BCS and none of those bids would probably go to a lesser conference. This would increase the number of "big time" conference teams playing. I am not tied to any way of selecting those 5 teams, the BCS rankings, final AP/coaches poll, or selection committee are all fine with me. I would have the first round game played at the home site of higher seed. How great would it be to see some SEC, Pac 10, Big 12, and Florida schools traveling up to M, Ohio St., Penn St… in December? I would love that. Then the rest of the rounds could be at host sites like March Madness. This allows the NC be “settled on the field” and for those of us who don’t want the bowls go away my second point will deal with this.   
2. Now I will admit that this is a major compromise for those of us who love the bowls but without a compromise they will go away forever. First get rid of the automatic 12th game which has done nothing for the improvement of College football. Unless you like playing 1-AA school. Replace it with the bowl games, yes at the beginning of the season. I know that this is a very foreign idea, but the Peach Bowl is already doing it (Va. Tech vs. Alabama). So the first week of the season we would have a bunch of bowl games much like the “preseason games” of the 80’s and 90’s. So week one you would have a ton of great traditional inter-conference match-ups. So the areas that are used to the revenue that their local bowl game gives them would be able to keep the game and continue to provide the financial stability for those places, which is a factor in all of this. 

We would be replacing a system that encourages you to play a weak non conference schedule and replace it with a system that promotes tough scheduling and allows for the bowls to still exist, a plus for us who love the tradition of them, and have a playoff for a “true” national championship. I understand that this is not a perfect solution, but I feel it successfully addresses a lot of the issues with the current system.

Alright, here goes. Brian encouraged me to take a run at emerging technology, something I'm not apt to do, but I'll try it. I posted a while back about an Online Auction to benefit the Bernard "Pat" Maloy Scholarship which is a scholarship given to Michigan students who either have cancer or whose direct family members have it. Every other year we hold a big online auction centered primarily around autographed Michigan sports memorabilia. The website is http://www.umich.cmarket.com  
The twelve member committee who runs the scholarship include a bunch of former students of Professor Maloy, almost all of whom work or worked in sports including former Michigan running back and current EMU running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley. Anyway, point being, all of us have direct access to the people signing the stuff so while we may lack the personal finances to set up a scholarship, we do have the connections to get authentic sports memorabilia to auction off to raise the necessary funds. Obviously I encourage you all to check it out and, if you have the financial wherewithall in this foul economy to bid, please do so, the cause is certainly noble.

THAT SAID, I mentioned advice, and advice I require. Although I know how to get a hold of these players, I know next to nothing about what this stuff is worth. What I want to know from you all is whether I've overpriced or underpriced some of these items. Here are some links. I would really appreciate your opinions on our opening bids. I'm surprised we haven't gotten any action on these particular pieces:
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=91943266
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=75917044
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=91661664
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=90328532
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=91161175
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=75987434
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=68350528

Again, anything you can tell me such as what you think a reasonable price is or whether something is good, bad, cool, lame or maybe there is something you see that I don't would be greatly appreciated.