Why hello, this feature, it's been a while since we've seen you! Let's round up some of the best in recent user-created content!

If Donovan Warren is leaning towards the NFL Draft, umhero breaks down the possibilities in the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations that would be most likely to convince him to come back.

As Michigan fans, we should hope that a new long-term agreement is reached before the draft.  We should also hope that it includes salary slotting so that Donovan will be motivated to return to improve his draft stock.  

So, you have your rooting interest all set up, if you're into rooting about bureaucratic policy changes in the NFL.

If you pay attention to the recruiting coverage 'round these parts, you know that there's some confusion as to whether Michigan can backdate 3 January enrollees to the 2009 class, in order to get the recruiting class up to 28 members come Signing Day. umhero tried to provide some clarity by analyzing the NCAA rulebook:

Does a player who enrolls in January count as part of the prior year's recruiting class or the current recruiting class?

15.5.6.3.2 Recruited Student-Athlete Entering after Fall Term, Aided in First Year. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete recruited by the awarding institution who enters after the first term of the academic year and immediately receives institutional financial aid (based in any degree on athletics ability) shall be an initial counter for either the current academic year (if the institution’s annual limit has not been reached) or the next academic year. The student-athlete shall be included in the institution’s total counter limit during the academic year in which the aid was first received.

Based on the information I could find, it seems to me that the rule regarding applying scholarships to the previous season hasn't changed. Therefore, Michigan can exceed the 25 scholarship limit assuming they didn't have a full class of 25 last year and they don't exceed the 85 player cap.

His findings seem to be that Michigan can still oversign by 3 scholarships, unless there has been a change in Big Ten policies. All that remains to be discovered is whether such a conference rule change occurred. [Editor's note: UM compliance, for one, believes it has.] Assuming the limit is down to 25, airvipermb breaks down the possibilities for the last few slots.

With 2 super-useful diaries since last we rounded them up, umhero is the diarist of the week since last Dear Diary.

Under Lloyd Carr, Michigan seemed to have a 1,000+ yard receiver each season (Be it David Terrell, Braylon Edwards, Mario Manningham, etc.). Rich Rodriguez's Michigan teams haven't accomplished that feat yet in their first two years, and markusr2007 looks at whether Wolverine receivers will have the opportunity to reach that benchmark again.

At WVU RR didn't get a 1,000 yard receiver until year 3, when QB Rasheed Marshall was in his 2nd year at QB:

WR Chris Henry, WVU, 1,006 yrds, 10 TDs (2003)

Rodriguez never had another 1,000+ receiver since 2003, though Chris Henry game close again in 2004 (872 yrds, 12 TDs) and so did Darius Reynaud back in 2007 (735 yds, 12 TDs)....

If there is a candidate for achieving the 1,000 yard mark in 2010 would have to be Roundtree, because in just 5 games he has as many receptions (23) as Greg Mathews, more yardage than any other receiver and more TD catches (3). Roundtree doesn't have blazing speed, but he's been an excellent possession receiver and his YPC are impressive for a RS freshman.

Roundtree and Forcier did seem to find a groove together once Roundtree worked his way into the starting lineup, so Roy is probably the best hope, at least in the near future.

Ohio State week brought us a bunch of good diaries, both analytical and literary. Though we know how The Game turned out, it doesn't lessen the impact of Coach Schiano's call for faith:

One play can kill. These "one plays" have combined to kill this season, turn a fall full of hope and promise of a new and better Michigan into a winter of concern, dismay, and even enmity, filled with worries about who we are and where we are headed.



But one play can birth something too. An extra cut on a kickoff return that transforms a typical 10-yarder into a game-changing touchdown. A block that breaks the running back free to rampage through the secondary. A tackle that saves a touchdown. A kick that sneaks inside the post instead of bouncing off of it. A pass not an inch too high or an inch too low, and thus a first down and not an interception. One play can do all that.

Good stuff.

Undefeated Dream Season 1992 breaks down the various groups that, for some reason or another, align themselves against Rich Rodriguez:

The Just Win, Baby
The Devout Nostalgic
The Traditionalist
The Distrustful
The Football Hater
The Puritan
The Media Elite
'I Wanted a Different Coach'
The Vengeful West Virginia Hillbilly

Check out the post itself for the descriptions of each of these groups.

And of course, at season's end, we get a lot of posts breaking down why the team might be better in the coming years, as well as a scary John L. Smith comparison for the 2009 team. Also, at the risk of depressing the MGoCommunity, the statistical breakdown of the OSU game. For those dismayed about the number of Ohio State fans in Michigan Stadium a couple Saturdays ago, there may be an explanation that doesn't implicate Wolverine fans.

This is off-topic, but it's on a subject matter that I'm very interested in, so check out willywill9's trip report to a different college football atmosphere, this time the "Clean, Old-fashioned Hate" game between Georgia and Georgia Tech.