Recent Comments

Where's the fish coming from? Kyle Trout committed to OSU.

It is a "product," it's what we're paying for. And you CAN pay to go them all, you just have to pay for transit. I come from Pennsylvania to do just that. Is it worth it? For you, apparently not. Maybe that's because it's so expensive.
Parenthetically, nobody cares about what you would do in an alternate universe where you could go to all the games. It is not relevant to the issue.

Parenthetically, some of us may equally be worried about the fact that the team has to wade through a killers row of a shcedule every other year rather than simply having a balanced schedule every year, which would probably be better for the team, aside from being more enjoyable to the fans.

How does Brandon keep letting this happen? Does he get payoffs for setting up butcher seasons every other year? WTF?

At minimum, I'd say there's nothing "cautious" about that optimism.

You make us proud, Mr. Smith.

I see a distinction. OL requires both numbers and time to cultivate, along with the highest rate of error in determining talent. QBs also generally need time to develope, and that situation has been admittedly mishandled, but the policy of taking no more than one a year, to make it obvious who the leader is, is a part of that.

We can, and have, taken more than one RB most years. RBs are also the position most likely to walk on to the field and have an immediate impact. It is logical to take one every year, but in our situation- lots of numbers, small incoming class, many talented recruits at other positions interested- I don't see it without the talent. We don't need bodies at RB, we need skill. Because if some combination of Rawls/Johnson/Norfleet/Hayes/Shallman can't carry some of the load for the Green and Smith, adding more comprable huys isn't going to help. That's simply the outlook for the immediate future.

Typically, they do not. Not anymore, that is, they used to. Their physical and academic standards rule out a great many players, especially linemen. They usually look at a class of players who fit into their triple option system, which allows them to get a different breed of athlete, often overlooked by other schools, who are interested in serving their country. That's why the Armed Forces Academies allrun the same system: Navy proved they could make hay with it in their unique situation.
The obvious caveat is that some of these recruits do have offers from higher schools, and simply make life decisions.
 

Roh following in RVB's footsteps, I suppose.

GOOD NEWS, everyone!

Heavy is the flag that flaps in the tsunami breeze.
That's as cryptic as I can make it for you.

That came out of left field...

Buh-bye.

Classy, classy, classy.

Buy your own helemt, and you're hired.

Ray Grahme was supposed to leave that year before he tore up his leg. Even then, he was 1. Recovering from an injury, 2. A different type of RB (smaller, shiftier) and better suited for division of roles, and 3. At worst leaving after one year instead of lining up almost exactly with your remaining eligibility.
Do you think these worse case scenarios are equal: backing up Ray Grahme for one year before taking the starting role vs. backing up Derrick Green for ywo years before competing for the starting role with whatever other backs an ascendent Michigan is bringing in?

great googamoogum!

Mmm...it's a pretty sweeping assumption. He left CMU, where he was a star and the focus of the team, because they fired his father. He's leaving Pitt because he's a role player who doesn't really fit the system, and who won't make it to the next level, even in Europe, if he doesn't go somewhere he can be the focus of play again.
Is this sort of thing normal? No. On the other hand, there are rational, non-dramatic reasons for both moves. I add, for what it's worth, I rode on a megabus from Ann Arbor to Pittsburgh with Ziegler, and he struck me as a humble, well-grounded and respectful person.

Based on picks for Nerlens Noel and Cody Zellers? Yes. Top-5 isn't really the middle of anything.

Unless you're against retiring numbers in general, I don't see how you can argue against retiring Burke's number. He WILL be national POY, and at a minimum he led this team to the Final Four. I don't even care about leaving after two years, and I'm someone who believes adamantly in players staying and finishing their degrees. Burke has already done everything he can for his draft stock, it will never rise higher. If he comes back, it will only decline (if only slightly) with the possibility of being hurt.
In the end, if Burke's number isn't retired, their really isn't a scenario in which we retire ANY number ever again.

Strange how bad decisions end badly. Huh...

They have a lot more to lose than to gain with this. There's a reason Pitt extended Dixon, because they realized he might not be one of the best, but the odds of getting someone better were worse than of them getting someone worse. Indeed, Gken Mason'ed.
On the bright side, Smith will land on his feet, just like Illinois's coach. He's good enough a decent program will want him.

Uhhhhh....I'm not going to an event in a place that frowns on...feel good juice. Yeah, that should be SFW...

You can take that farther. The Lions need safties, special teams players, and players who won't make headlines for all the wrong reasons. Kovacs has the hat trick.

That 2010 class deserves a "Never Forget" banner of its own. That list truly reaches Charge of the Light Brigade levels of martial tragedy.

I know, right???

Well...this isn't BAD news...so I refuse to comment on it!!!

I'd feel a little iffy about it if one of them was Doles. And I hope that's not seen as a knock on Doles, but given how stacked our interior is, I would think we would need at least two tackles. Doles seems like more of a quality depth guy at a position where we have all the dept in the world.

Michigan is one of the finest centers of learning in the world...and we're getting out scienced by A&M???

It's getting pretty hard to come up with a permutation of events where Burke doesn't end the year as an All-American. If you don't want to go too deep into hypo. pound-for-pound comparisons, that puts him in pretty august company.

Ahhh...TRADITION!!!

GRIII is not, and never was, a one and done kid. He came out strong in mock drafts because he has a high-profile name, played for a high-profile team, and had a massive surplus of highlight reel plays. That's all a lot of these people making mock drafts see: stat lines and highlights. But any judge of horseflesh could tell you he didn't have the skill set yet. He doesn't generate offense on his own, doesn't play defense, doesn't rebound the ball...
And none of this should be interpreted as malice to Little Dog. He's a god kid and he'll be a good player. I just always laugh when I see people crediting mock drafts as anything other than a source of entertainment. GRII has a big future if he can grow as a player, but if he went out now? 2nd Round at best, based on athleticism alone.

For whatever reason, I've been pretty at peace with this. Usually a loss would send me into a funk, but not this time.
This particular silver lining, however is not why. If they were going to learn from abject humiliation, they would have gotten their act together after the Michigan State game...or in the week layover before Illinois. What we have is what we have. Nothing is going to change before the end of the season.

....has been careful to not say we "lead," though he's made multiple comments on us setting the standard. High on us? yes. Likely to commit? Yes. Said we lead? Not unless that happened in the last day or two.

C'Mon MGoPeople!!! Denard gave us years of glory, the least we can do is give him the cover over some WR NOBODY outside of Dixieland has ever heard of. MUST....WIIIINNNN....

If Doles is coming at all, expect him to drop soon. I would not expect more than two interior O-Lmen for this class, given our surplus.

I heard he made them from a yeti he killed with a trident. Also, he takes showers in grain alcohol and he lassoed a tornado and rode it to the west cpast, just to offer Joe Mixon in person.

We know you are.

I guess that will hurt us with Mone; and McDowell; and Marshall. And who knows how many othe recruits he was in on, recruits he's going to try and steer towards Oklahoma now.

Most of all, though? It's just embarassing.

I never understood why Brian was so worked up about this. There was never anything suggesting the move was permanant, and it seemed to me pretty clear this was about CB depth, with Countess and Floyd both down and out.

...In fact...forget the recruiting!

To be fair, we're no longer a top 5 team.

I like the way you think.

Fate: tempted.

Yep, forgot about Bars, but that's kind of unspoken. I mean, I don't recall ever hearing a quote where he said Michigan leads, and while his brother is here, he has two other brothers in other programs. It's just that he's visited here so often.

Westphal made the comment that Michigan is the standard he measures other schools by, and people seem to think we have a good chance with him. Peppers, they say, is more of a lonshot (kind of like Hand- in his top group, mentioned, but behind other schools, so the legends say)

IThe names I put up top (except for Holmes) were there because they've said Michigan leads. If you want people Michigan has a good chance with, Westphal and Bars are good additions, but you could add Scott and Cole as a package,.

Conley went to a school he didn't have an offer from when he first committed. Lawrence had his choice and made it. So there's that difference.

We can but hope.

Bad news bears, no way to whitewash it. Can't keep on top if we can't even stay afloat in recruiting our own state. I give Meyer credit. He's targetting kids that aren't just good players, but the high-percentage targets we need. It's like a scorched earth campaign, burning the ground out from under us.
Man. I am not happy today.

Well, as to the latter point, that's why I observed they diod well for themselves "at college." In as much as this is a UofM board and not a Detroit Lions fansite, I would think that;s the primary concern. As it is, when Keenum and Moore needed to rise to the occasion, they usually did, so while their success was predicated on weaker opposition, it's not as if it was a boondoggle at the NCAA level. And while the defenses will be better than they were accustomed to facing, the offensive line and supporting cast Speight will have around him will be improved as well.

As to the level of competition, I see that. My big fear was what would happen when he meets up with the CBs Ohio has been hauling in. It won't matter how on target the ball is, if it takes a week to get there, those guys will hawk it. On the other hand, having a big arm and no questionable accuracy would be just as much of a problem. I think the truth is, anybody is going to have a tough time with that kind of an elite secondary.
 

May you strike mighty blows for Michigan and bring honor to your clan, young samurai.

Speechless. This is clearly a bridge too far. This would eradicate any sense of the players being "amateur" athletes. Why not ust make a minor league for the NFL and have done with it?

Not that I think the NCAA deserves all the money it makes, mind you.

WE #1!!!!

May the winds be ever in their favor.

Why? Did they build him a church?

...because we'd be Baylor?

"Magic" Johnson. Johnson was one of the best players ever to play the game, as shown by the fact taht just about every player who played with him played the best basketball of their life WHILE they played with him. He elevated whatever team he was on. Also hurts that he was a Michigan kid who picked Sparty over the Wolverines, no matter the reasons.

He's been to Ole Miss multiple times and been interested for a while. His teammate andd friend from HS, Standifer, is playing down there.

Treason!

I generally think May has his head screwed-on pretty straight (maybe just because he's always sitting next to Holtz). And like you said: man has a point. We have not once moved the ball against a sturdy defense, Hopefully our defense can compensate, though.

Dream on.

Didn't they just lose their heaf coach to NC State? Will they be playing in a BCS Bowl without their HC?

Are we really this bored already?

You have to admit it, given the Big Ten's relentless crusade for money: what's all the money worth if you won't use it to pay a decent coach? Given the costs of buyouts anyway, and the fact that want more than what Jope was giving them (bowl games the last three years) you might as well spend the money.

If you take the comments of each recruit at face value, none of them seem to be in any rush to drop the hammer. All of them seem to envision taking trips after Michigan.

Kudos Delaney! You just made the ACC stronger. Vengeance burn on ND aborted.

That's using the ol' noddle, chappy. Might you have a pinch of snuff I could glean fom you, old boy?

I don't see th logic of him still being a commit. I mean, I understand why he;s different than Brown and Dawson, not sneaking around...but Brown and Dawson were sneaking around because of the policy. How does being honest about doing something you're not supposed to do help? How does the policy work if Conley can do this?

FWIW, ESPN has a stub title on their recruiting site saying Wilkins was reconsidering his committment  to Auburn after the Chizik firing. Obviously, neither party was the others first choice in the last go around, but maybe we'll re-enter the ring if we really feel like we're struggling to get the right RB.

Ehhhh...I assume this bodes ill for Green, which...yeah...

Wow...Iowa has a fine law school. I see nobody in the AD consulted anybody who knows anything about contract law before they signed that deal, though.

Hells to the no.

I don't know. It's never a good idea to hear one side of an argument, especially when someone has taken the time and effort to prepare and present their case publically. A lot of the incidents in this could have gone very differently than this player remembers them, especially when you're dealing with kids and the people with authority over them.
I don't have the slightest idea whether any of this is true, I'm not trying to defend Kill per se. BUT- even if I knew a college student who told me something like this, I'm sure I would be supportive, but I also know the story might sound entirely different if I heard the other side.

They tried that in the WAC, and it crashed and burned. I don't know, maybe it could be done better, I'm not sure. But I think that "long term hate" was the relevant thing. Nobody felt like they were in the same conference.

It does not. The Falcons and UGA Bulldogs own that market, as much as any team does.

Also...title fail.

Don't you mean Arkansas?

So what, this is all just a vengeance burn on ND? This is about sleeping with the friends of the hot girl who rejected you so they'll have no friends/be jealous? That's our reason for subjecting the world to Maryland vs. Indiana?

Also, does anybody think NC would actually leave Duke and NC State behind? I sure don't. 

Ooohhh, this man dreams big.

I really don't see the point in arguing with a person who thinks Maryland will improve with Edsall. He wasn't even  dominant coach in the liittle pool which was the Big East, the way Kelly or RichRod were. Nor is he going to convince local talent to hitch their wagons to his star, after his stunning debut.
I guess reasonable people can disagree, but whatever. Edsall is a terrible coach, and Maryland is at least one coaching change away (that they can't afford) from even being pointed in the right direction

Can't we at least get Virginia Tech? Good academic school (not, you know, UM or NW good, but equal to a lot of the schools in the conference), some actual FB potential and history, bigger name, and still gives you access to the VV/DC markets and recruiting.

Ruthers is more up and coming then people think, FWIW. They got a lot of coaches from Pitt when Pitt fired Wnnestedt, and they recruited NJ better than anyone- that's what's helped Rutgers recruit so well the last few classes. For the first time, they're acvtually getting local talent to stay home. But still...

I mean, I don;t want to expand, but if we have to, can't we do better?

You must not have watched WF play this year.

That's why most of us want Oregon or KState to win the NC.

Fail.

People need to recognize the important role brunette girls played in this victory as well.

Obvuiously, it would suck to see Conley go to our archrival. But then again, if he goes to the Ducks, that will be three years in a row they've stolen one of our recruits. That hurts my Wolverine pride.

Well...in our defense, two of the Big Ten's best teams, in general and this year, are inelligible. It doesn't reflect on the conference that they can't go, at least to a degree.

No, not really. That's not philosophy: that's pretty much fact. How many athletes do you see retire because their confidence is shot after they lose a game? Not many.

You may argue with how I made my point, but the point is pretty much a fundamental basis of human nature. You try something, youi're not very good at it, you keep doing it, you get better at it. That's literally the nature of "learning." It's pretty much the building blocks of human experience.

I'm not saying Bellomy is going to be a legend, if that's your problem. But if you take a kid just out of lawschool and put him front of the Supreme Court, he's probably going to be humiliated. That's nt because he's worthless, he's just in over his head.

The basic point is, indicting Bellomy because he couldn't step up to a situation like this is laughable. I'm not going to argue the point any more. It's pretty simple.

No shit. It's an admittedly florid way to deal with the mundane process people use to deal with adversity. What, you think most people suffer a setback at something they never had a chance at and fold? Nope. Life doesn't work that way either.

Send me a post card from Bolivia, buddy. At least its warm this time of year.

This.

Short answer? Yes.

Do you watch football? When an NFL second-string QB has to go in, it's almost never pretty. The same goes for most college second-string QBs against real opposition.

Bellomy has never seen a meaningful snap against real opposition, and you're ready to brand him the worst QB ever? He has RBs who haven't amde meaningful gains all year and WRs who drop balls like they butter their gloves and it's the freshman's fault?

I knew we lost when Denard didn't come back. Ease of the kid, that's all I ask.

First World problems. Remember the recruiting famine of the Rich Rod years?

I think (though like all Americans, I'm too lazy to check) that it will be four. I believe he took an official to Ole Miss (unless he cancelled that) before this.

This is actually a fair comparison. UT is like us...but worse. And A&M is like State...but worse. Same interactions of blueblood pride and deep seated inferiority/resentment...but worse. They make it real ugly.

But it's all for the kids, remember? That's why he thought televising the HS games of his recruits should be allowed. For the children!

I doubt the staff wouldn't give him a chance at WR. It's also a position of need, and the staff was willing to move Brown to TE from DE last year when he requested it (obviously, things still went awry, but for other reasons). A lot of these problems, with Brown, Dawson, Conley, is just human nature. Everybody, to differing degrees, is curious about what they don't have. 

Some other teams around us took key losses: Iowa State, TCU...off the top of my head. That probably helped. Sometimes all you need to do is not lose to move up.

That is all.

I realize your comment was aiomed at the O, but I still thought it was worth mentioning.

Good for him. I recall being in attendence when he walked out to touch the banner before the UConn game. Luckily, I didn't need to pay extra for the tears in my eyes.