Tater

September 19th, 2010 at 12:51 AM ^

Every time someone was asked about individual stats or compensating for the errors of other units, the player would immediately talk about the team.  I think this team is as "all in" as I have seen a Michigan team since 1997.  They obviously don't have the talent on defense that the 1997 team did, and I'm obviously not predicting an undefeated season, but hearing these student-athletes talk the way they do is very refreshing.

ScarletANDGrey

September 19th, 2010 at 4:09 AM ^

The drop-off in talent at UM is glaring since Coach Carr's departure. That of course hinges directly on the fact that RR's spread offense doesn't produce NFL players so what's the point of playing at Michigan anymore. Couple that with OSU's rise to national prominence again, and subsequently shutting down UM's historic recruiting in the state of Ohio, and you've got a recipe for epic failure. Let's recap: 1. RR's Spread:  No recruits interested in playing in a system that fails to produces NFL players. 2. OSU's rise to elite status: Michigan can no longer recruit the state of Ohio, where so many of its greatest players hailed from in the past. 3. Image & Public Relations Hell:  NCAA violations, RR's negative image following him from Morgantown to Ann Arbor is the third ingredient for the current malaise. COnclusion: No easy solution. 1st, hope that Tressel retires sooner rather than later. 2nd, hope somehow to get to a bowl game once in a while for some positive national exposure again. 3rd, keep beating Notre Dame, but that's a dead horse and nobody cares anymore about the Irish. 4th, somehow, someway, beat Ohio State. But that's not going to happen in the next two years, at least. 

LML54

September 19th, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^

1) OH recruits worth mentioning (08-10): Avery, Talbott (Terrance & Terry), Black, Pace, J. Robinson, Fitz Toussaint, Shaw, Roundtree, Moore, Koger, Mealer, Omameh. We have 3 locked in for 2011 so far and 6 on the watchlist for 2012. RR has focused more on Ohio than Carr in his final years with the program.  It's not where it used to be, the #s are moving in the right direction. As far as not recruiting because we run the spread? Well, I'll just say Denard (Florida), Tate (Cali), Devin (Michigan).

2) OSU's "rise to elite" status will come to an end...Any true fan on either side of the rivalry KNOWS that the what goes up, most come down.  This rivalry has teeter-tottered since the beginning of time.  Yes, the 6 in a row is disheartening, but the streak will come to an end soon...BTW, I am not calling when.

3) Violation chatter will come to a halt too.  The NCAA counsel will let us know what punishments Michigan will endure from being thrown into the lime light from comitting what every other school has most likely been guilty of during their practices (not that it is right though).  As far as negative publicity, every school gets a dose, who was #13 again?  Charged with falsification on a police report, aggravated robbery, 4 counts of robbery.  Oh, when he was caught, he was wearing a bullet proof vest, had a loaded rifle, and 3 hand guns on hand, a half full bottle of vodka, and a cd of children's songs recorded by Ohio prision inmates.  We all get a bad seed or two, but you had to bring up neg publicity...

BOTTOM LINE...your post has no merit! 

ScarletANDGrey

September 20th, 2010 at 8:51 AM ^

The difference between your post and mine is that mine is FACTUAL and yours is WISHFUL thinking. I'm actually surprised that you didn't stoop to childish antics and call me names like most fools on the Internet who argue about "who's team is better".Thanks for that.) But your final comment "Your post has no merit" line shows your emotional fragility and allows me to feel your anguish at the truth that I just imposed on your wounded psyche. God knows it must be horrible to be a UM fan these days. I feel your pain. 

It's hard to believe how ridiculous your comparison is of Michigan's NCAA violations coupled with RR's legal problems and violation of his contract, etc. that has followed him from Morgantown into Ann Arbor like the stench from a dirty diaper to former Buckeye Maurice Clarett's run-in with the law.( As if Michigan has never had players arrested.) Thanks for playing. The truth is this kind of stuff has hurt Michigan's image, just admit it and stop lying to yourself. We'd all rest easier.

What other bogus arguments of yours can I assault?  Ah, of course, recruiting. Come on, check the roster of some of UM's greatest teams of the 80s or 90s. There are 25-30 Ohio kids on UM schollies racking up Big 10 honors, All-Americas, and of course even a Heisman. Take a look at RR's current sad excuse for a roster. Ohio is WAY down. He can't even get any 4 star kids. The current roster looks like Michigan St.  UMs days of recruiting the best from Ohio are gone, and with it the good ol' days of Michigan football. 

Let's face facts. It eases the suffering. Eventually.