Unverified Voracity Knows Numbers

A couple site notes: if you're using IE7 and the text runs off the screen, reload. I don't know why this is happening but it appears to be a temporary issue. Also: I planned on getting one half of UFR up today but I discovered this morning that I can't split either torrent I downloaded, and I can't convert them either. Maybe this is an NBC thing? If anyone can help, please send me an email. If I can't figure it out by tonight I'll put them up sans video.

Press conference newsbits won't appear here this week—I'm running a bit behind after spending large chunks of the last three days in a car—but they are up at Michigan Sports Center.

The main takeaways:

• Ortmann should be okay to play this weekend, but…
• Dorrestein nicked up his knee and is questionable.
• Shaw is at full health.
• Huyge is practicing at guard.
• Robinson won't play. (Redshirt on its way?)
• Kick returns are wide open: Trent, Harrison, Cissoko, Odoms, Rogers, Horn, McGuffie, and Shaw were mentioned.

There is an updated depth chart with a distinct lack of "OR": Threet and McGuffie are your starters in writing now, and the rest of the RBs go like so: Shaw, Minor, Grady, Brown. Savoy has been supplanted by Stonum opposite Mathews; Ortmann and Dorrestein are listed as co-starters at left tackle.

Sigh. The second most annoying statistic on the planet is "red zone efficiency." (#1: time of possession.) It has an arbitrary cutoff point and mostly serves to confirm the idea that not scoring is bad. This does not count as enlightening.

But that's not even the worst part. The worst part is that they don't even calculate it right. The NCAA is now tracking the statistic officially. This is how they do it:

The NCAA grades on a percentage basis, and eight teams have a perfect 1.000. They range from undefeated Oklahoma, which is 18-for-18 with 17 touchdowns and one field goal in three games to winless North Texas, which has reached the opponents' 20 only five times in three games and has three touchdowns and two field goals.

Argh. No, no, no. If you are really attempting to measure who the best teams are when the field shrinks—not a completely crazy thing to do—you probably shouldn't come up with this equation:

TD = FG

AKA "3 = 7." Three does not equal seven. Three equals three.

The current system suggests that Northwestern and Oklahoma are equally proficient at scoring when they get inside the twenty. Sanity notes that Northwestern is acquiring 75% of the maximum points and Oklahoma is acquiring 96% and these are nowhere near equal.

Ding for them. Meanwhile, Badger redshirt freshman John Clay is questionable for Saturday:

According to a source, redshirt freshman tailback John Clay missed practice time before the players were given off for the bye week and did not practice again Sunday because of an apparent injury.

His status appears uncertain for the Michigan game. The players generally are given Monday off before going through had practices on Tuesday and Wednesday.

PJ Hill and Zach Brown are healthy so it probably won't be much of a factor.

I wave my wand and poof. UMHoops has an extensive recruiting update on the basketball team worth checking out. Michigan is still looking for another 2009 player; anyone they pick up will probably be a low-rated guy destined for role-player-dom. Its 2010 and 2011 where the magic is happening, as articles have been flying back and forth about a trio of big recruits who have Michigan at or near the top of their list: PF Nate Lubick, SG Trey Zeigler, and 2011 combo guard Brandon Kearney.

Lubick and Zeigler are scheduled to visit in the near future; PG commit Darius Morris was supposed to come in for his official at that time too but had to reschedule. Meanwhile, Kearney and Zeigler know each other and talk about attending the same school. Kearney's got ties to both MSU and Michigan—Braylon is his cousin.

And then there's PA SG Cameron Ayers, current the #55 player in the class of 2010 to Rivals:

Favorites: “I like Georgetown [and] Michigan so far. That’s really it.”

Morris was the first step, an indication Beilein can acquire high-rated talent, and there are three or four guys who could come in over the next few classes that would put Michigan's talent level on par with anyone in the league. Someone's got to jump first, though.

Wheeee. Our scheduling outside of Notre Dame is going to suck forever. Evidence:

Michigan has contacted Delaware regarding paying a visit to Ann Arbor for a nonconference game, Keeler said. He added it is unlikely Delaware would be interested, since he would prefer a nonconference schedule concentrating on I-AA home games, which can earn Delaware as much as most I-A road games and give the Hens a much better chance at winning.

I guess the pitch there is "see Michigan play a team that looks just like Michigan! The spring game… except it costs like 80 bucks!"

Etc.: Urban hates clock rules; being Carlos Brown… kind of lame.