Unverified Voracity Debates Cone Comment Count

Brian

Updated. The depth chart by class has been updated. Let me know if there are errors. I believe Brandin Hawthorne is gunning for a medical redshirt and that Nick Sheridan is going the GA route this year. I put Baquer Sayed on it since he seems like he has a chance to contribute. By my count, Michigan has 13 to give right now, so a class of 18 or so is probably in the cards next year.

Jalen winners. The four winners of signed Jalen Rose t-shirts: Lauren Leb, Brandon Cox, Nathan McFeters, and Brooks Dunn. Congrats. As a bonus, Jalen roped in Jimmy King so your shirts have bonus signatures.

This happened, technically. There was a meeting about the NCAA thing:

The University of Michigan Board of Regents discussed the NCAA investigation into the football program on Wednesday, The Associated Press has learned.

A person familiar with the session confirmed the probe was part of the discussion. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the school is not disclosing any details of what it calls an informal meeting.

Really? Fascinating. Details?

The person did not discuss any details with the AP.

Outstanding. Obviously, if I hear anything that qualifies as information I will relay it.

Antonio Bass, in repose. Outstanding article in the Daily on Antonio Bass, a man with cojones:

Late that night, Carr’s phone rang.

“Coach, I just wanted to tell you,” Bass said in a slow, deliberate voice. “I’ve made my decision. I’m going to Michigan State.”

Bass today says he could feel Carr’s normally warm, welcoming personality, the one Carr reserved for all his players, stiffening up. His voice became cold, formal.

“Well, Antonio, I wish you luck up there,” Carr said.

Silence. Bass held in a chuckle as long as he could before blurting out, “Nah, coach, I’m just playing. I’m ready to be a Wolverine.”

If deadly silences could kill, eh? Bass is walking in May with a communications degree.

CONEOFF. The Coner has graduated, but there must be another goofy fan favorite backup quarterback who pwns Michigan's I-AA opponent. Candidate #1 is obvious: Conelius Jones. His name is Cone from the future.

Candidate #2 has the flow, though, and support from spectacularly named walk-on Ohene Opong-Owusu. Here's Jack Kennedy:

It's… kind of good. Isn't it? I mean, given your expectations going in it vastly exceeded them, right?

In the Times. Two(!) relevant items, one of them with a big honking picture of Michigan's new athletic director and quotes from Mary Sue Coleman. It, unsurprisingly, is a trend piece on athletic departments hiring corporate CEOs:

“That business experience is almost essential,” said Mary Sue Coleman, the Michigan president, who said she also hired Brandon because he had strong ties to the university, having played football for the Wolverines and served as a university regent.

Still, she said, “It’s hard for me to imagine a successful athletic director these days that doesn’t have a deep understanding and skills for the financial side of an athletic department.”

The other is an analysis of the possible ripple effects from Big Ten expansion. OSU's president is the guy most heavily quoted. This is the most disturbing quote:

“I do think the Big Ten holds a key, maybe the key, in terms of what is going to be the next phase of college athletics,” Ohio State’s Gee said. “We need to explore this carefully. The law of unintended consequences applies most specifically to college athletics.”

I hope that this does not imply one of those super conference things that ends up with 30-team Big Ten facing off with 30-team SEC.

(Brandon HT: The Ann Arbor Chronicle.)

In the year 2000. Mike Hart's ambition remains the same:

Hart has been through a lot in his first two NFL seasons, from a torn ACL as a rookie last year to being waived and re-signed by the Colts twice this season. And he admits he contemplated calling it a career last fall and getting started on "my real life."

And just what might that be?

"I want to coach," Hart said. "And hopefully I'll be the head coach at Michigan one day. That's my goal."

Head coach?

"No joke," Hart said, smiling. "That's ultimately what I want to do. I love Michigan. That's a big part of me."

When Fred Jackson retires (in four years?), every Michigan fan on the planet will want one guy. No matter if it makes any sense, which it might not.

That article also contains a by now standard response to the standard "so… Rich Rodriguez?" question posed all former Michigan football players kicking around the NFL: I support Rodriguez, but he has to win.

Etc.: The Pitt to Big Ten story was really irresponsible and stupid, and even the response to it was shoddily reported.

Comments

GoBlueScott

February 4th, 2010 at 12:17 PM ^

makes my day:

Bass is walking in May with a communications degree.

Perhaps one of the biggest "What ifs..." in Michigan football history. I hope everyone cheers their asses off when he walks across that stage.

FightForIowa

February 4th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^

God I hope we don't see expansion get out of control. I think a 10-team conference is the perfect size. Play a round robin (a la the Pac-10) and don't worry about a conference championship game. Let's just drop Northwestern and be the real Big Ten.

Steve in PA

February 4th, 2010 at 12:42 PM ^

You could see it in how he conducted himself on the sidelines at Michigan. Even he knows that his future with the NFL is limited, but as long as they want to pay him I hope he sticks around.

Sheridan is also a coach-in-waiting. Would be great to see them both on the staff at some point and I think think this will be the future of Wolverine football.

OregonWolverine

February 4th, 2010 at 2:11 PM ^

Take a look at that updated depth chart: 40 of the scholarship players are true or redshirt freshmen.

Imagine you're RichRod, returning only 3 or 4 defenders who are any good, having to win 8 games this year to save your job. And half your roster has never seen the field in a real game. No wonder Rich isn't interested in hearing any more negative news.

As a fan, though, it'll be fun to watch young, talented kids have to make plays, even with the inevitable mistakes.

Feat of Clay

February 4th, 2010 at 2:12 PM ^

I wasn't aware that the subject of the Regents meeting was secret. That's what I was told they were meeting about. We all just rolled our eyes and joked about how Rosenberg probably peed his bed the night before, due to his excitement.

Hannibal.

February 4th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^

Won't Van Bergen return to defensive end now that Big Will has a year under his belt? Van Bergen-Martin-Cambell-Roh will make a mean defensive line. Also, isn't Rogers most likely a DE?

michiganfanforlife

February 4th, 2010 at 10:00 PM ^

I liked what I saw from Jack Kennedy last year in the spring game. Even if he's buried on the depth chart, we might see him in a few games that are blowouts this year... I kept thinking that the song wasn't that good, but I listened to the whole thing. Not bad, really.

BernieMac

February 4th, 2010 at 11:35 PM ^

I know this is nitpicky and minor, but shouldn't C. Hagerup be W. Hagerup?

Jus' sayin.

Other than that, it's just scary to see the dominance of youth on the depth chart, especially in the secondary. It makes me nervous.

Don

February 5th, 2010 at 5:53 AM ^

But none of us have the slightest idea as to whether Mike Hart will be a good coach or not. Being a Michigan gridiron hero who has lots of enthusiasm doesn't automatically mean he's got any coaching talent at all. They're not the same thing. I say let Hart work his way up to a UM coaching position by first taking some coaching gigs elsewhere.