Preview 2012: Wrap Comment Count

Brian

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Eric assembles his OSU photos into a mosaic.

Hey! I'm tired. You may have missed some stuff in the annual "oh God it's the week before the season and I promised myself I wouldn't do this again" content blitz, so here it is again with extremely brief summaries attached:

rich_2520uncle_2520hoke_JPG_medium[2]THE STORY

Brady Hoke is the Real William Carlos Williams.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: weeeeeeeee STOP THROWING INTERCEPTIONS

Running back: like a slavering pack of robot velociraptors, but fast!

Wide receiver: see "Quarterback"

Offensive line: bubble wrap these mofos

Questions and answers: SHOTGUN, fusion, Gardnecieving, short yardage

DEFENSE

Defensive line: just take it easy, man

Linebackers: calmer than you are

Safety: calmer than you are

Question and answers: fumbles, short yardage, fire zones, and yes the DL.

MISC

Podcast: can someone tell me if the new "generic podcast feed" is working for them?

Special teams: meh? I love meh!

Heuristics and the official prediction: 9-3, man, 9-3.

ALABAMA

Ace draws the official game preview: predicts 31-20. Official MGoBrian prediction: Alabama, 22-15.

Ace FFFFs those bastards.

THINGS THAT LIVE ELSEWHERE

Brabbs on the ten year anniversary of Washington 2002.

The Daily has a great three-parter on the 2000 Orange Bowl. The feature is an oral history:

David Terrell, sophomore receiver: “It was the scariest night of my life.”

“Y2K, man. You had everyone go out and get canned goods, bottled water. I didn’t even know the world was going to be here in the morning when I got up.”

Also they dig up their game column and talk Henson-Brady.

Matt Hinton has an Xs-and-Os post on Alabama versus running quarterbacks and Denard versus OSU that's worth your time.

Orson Swindle season kickoff post go.

Orson Swindle season kickoff post go.

Orson Swindle season kickoff post go.

Also:

Dallas? A Michigan Man's curiosity is like the noble albatross: ever soaring and observant, encompassing all without soiling its feet with the filthy soil of strange atolls--GADZOOKS I have stepped in expectorated tobacco remnants. LET US END THIS TOUR WITH HASTE AND RETURN TO OUR PULLMAN CARS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Hype video:

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Michigan will be Michigan again when Brady Hoke's recruiting comes home to roost, and that will be excellent since this version of Michigan seems like it wants to take advantage of the opportunities presented it. It's still not quite there. The lines are thin and the future NFL stars are hard to find. The shotgun rules and the quarterback can make you laugh just because he moves like so.

In the lull here we can pause and savor things. We have a moment to not have those crushing expectations, to look down and think Michigan can't do it but hope they can, hope they can write themselves into lore as champions.

Here between the trough and the peak there will be a moment in which "can't" becomes "did." Maybe tomorrow.

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Upchurch

Go Blue.

Comments

gforsyth4

August 31st, 2012 at 4:46 PM ^

I agree! I think it's important to remember that what Hoke was able to do last season based solely on him being able to properly establish a real relationship with this football team. I feel like another year at the helm will only increase the production from this team as players and as men. I can't wait for tomorrow... Win or lose I just want to see our kids out there hitting people, being physical and playing with heart!

 

GO BLUE!!!

MGlobules

August 31st, 2012 at 5:03 PM ^

for the game. I'm gonna print out two copies on my old Leading Edge Model D, one in banner version shaped like a big Brady Hoke and a small one to wrap around my wrist.  I'm going to glance at both before every down, anticipating each play, and swing my arms like a crazed Wii-master to make all of ours successful. We'll win that way for sure. 

Is that how Wii works?

turtleboy

August 31st, 2012 at 5:16 PM ^

I think Michigan is Michigan now, fergodsakes, and Brady Hoke is driving home the point that this is the year of team 133. He's playing for a win every game, and he's gonna do everything he can so these kids win the Big 10 Championship this year. I remember interviews where he said he didn't do enough after 1997 as a coach and takes personal responsibility for losses to ND and Syracuse early on because we had a veteran, Champion Dline returning and he claims he took excellence for granted, and its a lesson he said he'd never forget. Players on that team disagree, but Hoke isn't taking anything for granted in 2012. Not Alabama, not State, not Nebraska, not Ohio, not attrition, not inexperience, nothing.  These kids are already held to the Michigan standard, some of them for 2 years now, and Hoke's not gonna let up one bit. We may not have the strengths that can be quantified, but we're gonna out hustle, out tough, out compete, out heart, and flat out out-play every opponent team 133 lines up against. Every day our team gets better. Maybe other teams are slightly more talented, or more disciplined than us, but if we do lose a game or two, it sure as hell won't be for a lack of trying. Not worried one bit. This year is gonna be special. Go Blue

http://espn.go.com/colleges/michigan/football/story/_/id/7740932/michigan-wolverines-coach-brady-hoke-uses-1998-losses-inspiration

DrewForBlue

August 31st, 2012 at 6:11 PM ^

EPIC week of work.  Brian, Ace, Seth, but mostly Brian - have a beer tonight because you've earned it.  I challenge ANYONE to find another team/blog that gets this kind of preview treatement.  What's a better word for EPIC?  Grand?  Mythological?  I know.  

The writing was GRITTY.  

 

Bodogblog

August 31st, 2012 at 5:55 PM ^

All of it, first rate.  Thanks for the work you put in.

Consider: You may want to leave off the Draft of Snark 18 episode anthology next year, or at least prioritize the preview material well ahead of that.  You probably have all the info. you need after the spring games to snark, so it may well fill the empty space from May to early July.

Can't wait to see this team in 2012.  Go Blue.

MichFan1997

August 31st, 2012 at 6:29 PM ^

year the night before Western, so I'll say it again this year. Hell, I'll probably say this again next year. This is the most covered team on the entire Internet and I defy you to name a team who gets more coverage than Michigan, fergodsakes.

bluepdx

August 31st, 2012 at 7:19 PM ^

Great writing. Exhibit A of why "bloggers" can and should be treated as journalists or professional writers or whatever.

Overall, fantastic.

M-jed

August 31st, 2012 at 11:01 PM ^

Reminds me of the feelings about the bball team last year in which we expected not a lot until this years class came in and they only won the B1G for the first time since '85. Lets have that kind of success again.
The team is jacked for this game and I can't wait to see them tomorrow night!