Recent Comments

Look at CRex's post below. It's not so simple as looking at height and weight. Denard has strong legs, but he has relatively long legs and a high waist compared to a lot of RB's. That's part of the reason he runs high and it also makes you susceptible to lower body injuries as time goes on. It's not just height and weight, it's his build/proportions and his running style. He also doesn't have a particularly large neck or trap muscles like some of these other runningbacks, either. Denard is a little smaller than Michael Vick, and even though he plays QB, you can see that he's not a big guy and he's going up against linemen and LB'ers on a normal basis and it's taken its toll. 

I agree. You can point to guys like Chris Johnson all you want, but the fact is that he's not the norm. If you run a 4.2 and has had sick numbers at RB through high school and college, than yes, his size is not as much of a factor. But, most RB's don't have Chris Johnson's build, who is pretty thickly built himself if you see him in person. I remember thinking Clinton Portis was on the small side, and while that may have been true, he had more of a RB build. 

I think DC would be a better neutral site.

A lot of that can be alleviated with better route running skills. Part of it is muscle memory as well. He still looks to be relatively upright with his weight a bit far back away from his feet but I think as he learns how to run these routes, he will fix this. Maybe after the catch when he's reacting more, as he did as a QB, he regresses and stumbles, but I expect him to run much cleaner routes at least. 

I think Harvin is a best-case scenario. Denard is similar in that he will probably get some snaps in some sort of wild-cat/option scenario or in a jet sweep or just something out of the backfield. But, Harvin's been a receiver for a while and he just has those instincts that may be difficult for Denard to pick up. I just hope that he can get as healthy as he can as soon as possible. He's a guy who could be very effective in the right situation, but he could just as easily be wasted, IMO. 

I think Turgeon is a very good coach and they're on a positive trajectory. As for why we can't pack a basketball stadium, you can ask Maryland about their abysmal football attendance. Basketball is just a bigger deal there and really the main major sport that they've had any consistent success at recently. If they recruit the area better, they will be a very dangerous team in the Big Ten and at minimum, they'll be in the top half of the Big Ten for a while. 

This is a great fit for Loeffler and VT. I think this should breath new life into them offensively. 

I'm doubtful about Denard's prospects at the next level, but I actually think playing nickel or something might not be a bad idea. We don't know how well he can catch, although perhaps playing slot and catching some drags and outs would be feasible. But, Denard is strong and tough and doesn't shy away from contact. I think returning kicks will be his most likely landing spot, I could see the attraction to the idea of him playing corner, in addition to wide receiver. He could probably take snaps as a wild cat or at runningback, but he'd probably transition to WR over time for a number of reasons, health being an important one. 

Stevie Brown looked like a beast when he first came to Michigan. He had a solid senior season, but he made a number of great plays on special teams early on during his Michigan career. He also seems like an overall good guy. I'm glad to see him putting together this kind of season. 

What you say is true, but the political boundary between the states actually is significant. Northern Virginia was basically a backwater while Suburban Maryland was the premier suburb of Washington DC decades ago. Now, Northern Virginia has come into its own and has become more significant than Suburban Maryland economically an and is just as livable for the most part, which pisses off longtime residents and economic development officials/politicians in Maryland. And even though Maryland had slaves, being a part of the Union and being less politically and culturally conservative has always been something that Maryland has boasted about. Even if NoVa is different, it's still tied to Richmond. 

I agree about Charlottesville and UVA. I don't think it's more cosmopolitan than Ann Arbor, but I think it'd fit in to the Big Ten pretty easily. 

I suspected something like this. Either he was coasting somehow or he knew that Wiscy would have some difficulties ahead. 

Please stop repeating this myth. UVA and VT have been together for less than ten years. As long has VT doesn't remain in a dumpster-fire of a conference, than the legislature is not going to obstruct things. There are certain circumstances present in the instance where the legislature got involved. 

nm double post

I dunno how it affects it, but Michigan lacrosse is on the upward trajectory either way. Michigan is a well-known brand in lacrosse-rich areas and the sport has become more popular in the midwest. I think having matchups with Maryland and having games available on the BTN will definitely help. 

It wasn't even 10 years ago that VT was in the Big East, separate from UVA. As long as VT is in a good situation, than it'll be fine. The state legislature was resistant to VT being on what was then thought of as being a sinking ship, the Big East. And, at that time, VT was still on a positive trajectory as far as name recognition goes with Vick having just been there and doing well in the NFL and good post-Vick Beamer years. The ACC will stick around in some form and be alright, and if it's not than VT could go to the SEC or Big 12. They have good enough athletics, academics, and media market importance to land in a good situation. 

UNC has a more NC-centric population than UVA does with its VA population. UVA is probably less hostile to the influx of northerners than UNC, and I'm not sure how significant it is at either school. And I don't think UVA and VT being in separate conferences is a big deal nowadays, either. 

Maryland and Rutgers don't have to compete with other powers in-state, either, unlike South Carolina/Clemson. So, in addition to what you say, the circumstances appear to be quite different in ways.

I completely agree with Chait. But, the only reason I support this expansion is because they're large flagship universities in densely populated and wealthy states with good academics and the potential for much better athletics as well. As crazy as these expansions are becoming, I'm almost of the mindset that we should go after the best schools no matter where they are, but I can understand the "upside" argument with this deal. Where I especially agree with Chait is with whether framing the issue in these terms as if it's a game of Risk is right. I don't think it's right at all. I think as far as the business model is concerned, I think we should be able to adjust. I don't see us going to a-la-carte cable or the content providers relinquishing their bargaining power anytime soon, but the cable business will be much different 10 years from now. 

"Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey" is the official name of Rutgers University.

The Big Ten is not a mediocre academic conference. We're not far and away the best like some think, but when expanding, we are going after large flagship universities, and it helps if the schools don't have much competition within their own state. Nebraska is a great football program, but Maryland and Rutgers, as academic institutions, are large and have no peers within their state. There is upside with these schools if they do benefit financially from this deal and are able to grow academically and athletically. 

My main concern with the team is overall athleticism. McGary and Stauskas are pretty athletic, as is Biefeldt, along with most of the guys in our starting five. But, elite programs will have great athletes who play good defense, rebound well, and transition well so I'm curious to see how we match up there.

We've been able to give Burke some time on the bench, but another one of my concerns is our depth at the point guard position. Looks like Hardaway Jr. may be bringing the ball up a considerable amount, but I want to see how our backups dictate the pace of the game and set up the offense. 

"40 meters comes out to 36.58 yards, so he has 6.58 yards left to go"

40 meters is 43.74 yards. 

I love Denard as we all do, but I've never been convinced that he's quite as fast as some would have you believe, sub 4.35 or so. Demps was an alternate on the 4x100m team in London. I think he ran a 10.02 in high school, so it's a bit surprising that he hasn't cracked 10s yet. 

Bolt would crush him even at 40 yds. 4.05 sounds reasonable for him, but people have to understand that Bolt is already beating or close to beating sub-10s 100m guys by 40 yds. There are only a few people on the planet who can keep up with Bolt at that distance. Denard doesn't have that kind of speed, even though he does have great acceleration. And, if Bolt were to get a decent start like he did when he clocked a 9.58, than I think Bolt could showboat the last 5+ yds maybe. I expect people like Chris Johnson and Denard to be confident in themselves, so I'm not even surprised he said this. 

I already know what it would look like since I've seen chops of it. WVU usually wears yellow pants with their away's, though. Unless they're wearing same color jerseys/pants. 

Can we please try out blue pants for our away uniforms? I've been wanting to see this for years and it's a pretty conservative experiment. 

There were doubts about whether he translated to safety in the NFL and some thought he should have come back and play LBer. I don't know whether coming back would have saved him, but he was a bit of a tweener. 

He's got a really good 60m time. I'm hoping that he grows a couple inches.

Maybe because it's how he tends to have his head on the swivel all the time. He's not lowering his head and sprinting on every snap. That tendency is better for running against zone defenses than in man coverages. 

We also run a lot of drags. RR's passing offense catered more to the slots, and that's not what Junior is. He's not running a lot of drags, bubble screens, and slants. He's an outside guy, but he doesn't have a pro-style qb with a gun to get him the ball on the outside. 

I just think people were tough on Junior. People seemed to love Darryl, but guys like Junior are underappreciated and in the NFL, he could very well be a productive player because of how skilled he is. 

They review the tape of the run and figure out what the most accurate time is because there is some inaccuracies associated with the methodology that's used. I believe the NFL starts the run by hand and stops it electronically. 

I disagree. I don't think this year is different than others. Everyone knew RGIII was fast. Running a 4.41 isn't unexpected considering his accolades pre-knee injury. 

And I don't understand why people are surprised at the times of people like Floyd or Hemingway. Hemingway was a guy that people made out to be so slower than he actually was. 4.5 is a decent time and Hemingway has decent speed.

And Floyd is a big, physical guy, who people don't think of as being fast, again, w/ little reason. The TE's and DE's are freaks these days, so it's not surprising to see big guys with speed.

Technique definitely matters, and there is a difference between game and track speed, but a lot of people just have these inaccurate projections coming in. 

Chris Rainey ran a 4.45, who may have looked faster than he is because he's a small guy.

Maryland is above average, nothing great. But, it's not WVU or some place like that. We already know education wasn't a big deal one way or another with Diggs, though. 

I think the Detroit, Detroit, Detroit message has an important place, but doesn't need to be the main message in every one of their commercials. I think the "vaguely anywhere" and national perspective was precisely what the people writing it were going for. It was perhaps a bit too sentimental and dreary, but I think highlighting their entire line of products along with addressing the country as a whole is not a bad strategy. 

I agree, and that's what some people are overlooking. Whether or not Miles is as bad as Saban, she felt disrespected w/ the approach that Saban took. The reality is that with a blue-chip recruit, at most of the big time programs, having them succeed on the field and eventually go to the NFL and become rich is what is one of the most desired outcomes. But, different coaches sell their school and their character in different ways and she was turned off by Saban. This isn't to say that she should have behaved the way she did at the announcement, however. 

I hope Martin does well in the football drills and Senior Bowl. I don't know how long his arms are, but maybe it's just because of how buff he is, it looks like he doesn't have very long arms and combined with the fact that he's not particularly tall or heavy, that could be something that the scouts nitpick. I also don't know how fast he will run in the 40 to convince people that he has the speed to play a DE in a 3-4, although a 3 technique is where he's probably best suited.

Perry didn't jump out as you watched him and didn't have a legendary kind of career, but his last season was great. That 51 carry performance was legendary. He had good vision and hands and was decent everywhere else. I just think over the course of their careers, Hart was the better runningback, no offense to CP. 

I definitely wouldn't take Perry over Hart. Hart was the better runningback. I can honestly see Navarre over Henne before Perry over Hart.

I like Adams over Englemon and ditto Harris being in. But, I would give honorable mention to Lawrence Reid who was great before his neck injury, unlike Antonio Bass who was on the cusp of doing some special things. Molk gets the nod over Baas, but I think I'd put Baas at guard if I had to pick the best 5 OL. I also like Shazor in there, but also could see Crable fitting in somewhere, maybe as a reserve. 

For special teams, put in Steve Breaston. 

I agree. I think he's skilled enough to get a shot playing at the next level even if he doesn't have good speed. 

I agree. As much as I liked him as a player and obviously respect him, being a Michigan fan, I thought he was overrated by many. I was and still am a big Leon Hall fan and I remember where people would rate Warren in comparison to him and the all-time Michigan greats go and never understood it, besides him being a blue chipper coming out of high school and not having landed Ronald Johnson. I wish he had stayed one more year. I knew that he didn't have the pure athleticism that some guys had, but outside of a few plays, he also didn't have the ball-hawking skills that you associate with the elite at CB. Either way, I wish him luck and hope he ends up in the best situation to succeed. 

If we decide to slap him with a 6 game suspension and he wants to leave, than so be it. But, I don't think it makes sense to kick off a 5th yr senior that we've invested a lot in for this probation violation. I understand that we need to punish him, and we should. Six games or so for a probation violation like this is understandably harsh. But, I also want the guy to succeed. If we feel that he's got a better shot at succeeding in life by keeping him in Ann Arbor rather than kicking him off the team, than I think we let the guy finish out his career. If this were another alcohol-related offense, than I would kick him off the team and see to it that he gets the help he needs. 

Against VT, not having a speed receiver hurt us because they could match up one on one and just load the box. Clemson just matches up better with VT than us. Clemson could have played better as well. This was an ugly game for Clemson, but it's repeated over and over that the transitive property doesn't apply all the time and it's still one of the first things whenever stuff like this happens. 

Do you honestly think people would be clamoring for this play if they were playing bump and run. Whether they're crowding the line of scrimmage between the hashes makes no difference when running this play out of the gun. 

I'm not 100% about the rule, but if the block is engaged and the hands move to the face from the pads, there is some leeway. It can't be egregious, but there is some leeway. Just like if you're a blocker and you've engaged in a block on a defender and the defender turns so their back is facing you, you can still block them. 

So, since we haven't run it all year, all the teams we faced "had some very good and active DBs that we all over the short passing game" in addition to Borges just not liking to run it? If we don't like to run it, than it is what it is, but it was there for the taking. Just because they were jumping slants and 5 yard curls on the outside receiver doesn't mean that the bubble screen or a similar play isn't there for the slot receiver. 

Our line isn't/wasn't athletic enough. Their D-line held their own, but a lot of the time, it was secondary players, who were in the box all night, making plays, which only helped their D line as the game went on. The confusion VT created upfront seemed to get to us. We started to roll out to buy time in passing plays, but their secondary was athletic enough to keep us largely in check. We really need a receiver with great speed to help us open some things up. We also probably could have used the TE more in the receiving game. 

And I don't think it is an ideological thing w/ Borges. We have run WR screens this year. It's just a certain variety of the screen pass in certain circumstances that it seems we just don't put much faith in. 

That's unfortunate b/c we shouldn't hesitate to take what the defense gives us. VT doesn't have a "slot-ninja" system, either. They happen to have certain personnel w/ various strengths and while they certainly like to incorporate the bubble screen into their everyday offense, they're even more eager to use it if the defense is giving it to you. VT has Coale line up outside sometimes and sometimes have 6'-4" Marcus Davis playing the slot. Not to mention, you can run a screen with the outside receiver. We wanted Diggs so bad; you don't think it would be great to maximize the potential of guys who can make plays in space? With Denard, that may be an easy throw to help get him into a bit of a rhythm. And Gallon is already effective a lot of the time when he gets screens as it is. 

I don't think VPI pisses people off as much as it is a little old-fashioned, but VPI&SU would be pretty obnoxious. But, there's no rivalry with them, so I don't think many people will care enough to call them that. People unfamilar with VT don't call them Vah-Tech to piss them off. 

If you're talking about scoring, I don't think it is meaningless. I like the efficiency rankings, but according to the defensive FEI's, Rutgers and Illinois have top 5 defenses. Maybe they're good, but I don't know about that good. I don't think you can get the full picture w/ any one particular stat, so I agree with you that much. 

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/feidef2011

There are some other stats, and maybe I'm not interpreting the chart correctly, but although OSU has a good DFEI, it doesn't rate so high in some of the other categories. Having such an explosive offense puts pressure on opposing offenses to move the ball. 

Stafford had a great year, but they'll probably say that Manning got it because of his clutchness, and Stafford was clutch too, and the lack of weapons. They've had a lot of injuries on offense, a mediocre O-line, and a pretty bad running game. He's had to put the offense on his back this year. I think Stafford definitely has a legitimate claim, but I don't think numbers capture what Manning has done this year. I'm a Giants fan and this has probably been one of his most impressive seasons, despite making some boneheaded throws from time to time. 

I agree. Some of the tickets are overpriced and/or illogically priced. I think the schools are getting screwed over, but I think people's anger should go towards other involved parties besides stubhub.

I think it looks terrible. The Oregon "O" is a great logo. I wish they would just design something classy, while keeping the 1,000,000 different color combinations. Making something bold and in your face isn't unique anymore. 

I'd like to see him on the Patriots, even though I'm not a Pats fan. He needs to go somewhere with a good QB and passing system along with veteran leadership and no-nonsense coaches. The Pats are also a team that doesn't have someone like Braylon. The Saints have a number of guys like him. And the Steelers have enough drama, as do the Eagles. The Giants don't have a consistent and prolific passing attack, but they tend to stagnate and have a guy injured. They seem to have a decent stable of WR's hitting their stride right now, though. That's just off the top of my head, but maybe there is some place where he could be difference maker. 

Maybe expecting to go to a contender is too much to ask, though. Either way, I hope he gets back on his feet. 

We should try out blue pants w/ the away jerseys. 

Apple seems to have suffered from that failure quite a bit.

I agree. Living in the DC area with a lot of Penn State alums as well, I think PSU and VT fans are very similar for some reason. I wouldn't lump in VT fans with MSU fans. VT and Michigan are similar, but sports means so much more to Michigan fans, it is hard to compare the two w/ respect to athletic engagement which is a big part of the student/alum experience. 

 It's bizarre to refer to any school as Tech or State outside of their region b/c it's confusing. It depends on geography. In the DC area, if you tell someone you went to Tech, they're gonna assume it's Virginia Tech. Similar to "State" in Michigan. And nobody calls Virginia Tech VT or VaTech, and the abbreviation, VPI, hardly anyone uses, either.

The Bills' Stevie Johnson did it, one of the Packers LBer's did it and I'm pretty sure other NFL players have done it as well. Lil' B sucks, though. I wonder what the kids (I'm 25) will come up with next. 

I think moving to Olney from Wheaton and having better facilities has helped them a lot. 

Baltimore, Philly, NYC, and Boston aren't big college football towns, either. But, they are so populated, they will still get a decent number of viewers and if you happen to have a big year, who knows. Interestingly enough, from the college standpoint, DC is may be a bigger sports town than the other four due to having crappy pro teams and demographics. It is a pretty fickle pro-sports town depending on success, outside of the Redskins. 

The DC area is one of the biggest destinations for WVU grads. There are plenty of them around.

And if you get Notre Dame alone, along with OSU, PSU, and Michigan, you'll have enough to get into the NYC market and plenty to get into other markets of the country as well. Rutgers isn't even that big of a team in New Jersey. New Jersey is blanketed by the NYC and Philly markets and neither of them care all that much about Rutgers. 

Not to mention that NYC has more than 20 million people in its metro and DC has 6 million and 8+ if you include nearby Baltimore where there is a bit of media/cultural synergy. Plenty of people are going to watch. And yes, to reiterate, there are plenty of alumni in these areas. 

Don't forget Bubble Island. They have a good popcorn chicken appetizer for $3.50. Enjoy an old magazine or board game while you wait. Their bubble tea is alright.

I wish he'd redshirted and stayed. Stonum, Stokes, Gallon, Robinson, etc. would have been a decent WR corps next year. 

It's great to hear that Mike is "all in" for Coach English and EMU and happy with his decision to move on from pro football. I would have loved for him to find a gig on a new team, but I want him to be productive and not just bust his ass to sit on the bench or get injured. I wish him the best and very much hope he is a coach at Michigan someday. He's the consummate Wolverine

My causation isn't wrong. Michael Vick taking VT to the NC game and their continued success afterwards raised the visibility of the school and they saw more people apply and admissions standards increase. VT is not the only case like this. Florida and USC had the same thing happen with their success despite not having changed conferences, and I'm not sure about OSU and Texas, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were the case for them as well. George Mason had a spike in applicants after they went to the Final Four. I'm not saying that being in the ACC doesn't help, but with VT, it was Michael Vick, and then them going to the ACC.

I live in the DC area and Maryland has a sizable, but somewhat apathetic fanbase. Maryland has a sizable out of state contingent, but they don't go there for the football. It also has a lot of commuters who generally spend less time on campus and have less pride. Basketball is a well-known product, so that's where most of the attention goes. I think Edsall will do a good job there, though. 

You don't just look at a map and assume you know everything. UVA is similar to Michigan in that they get a lot of north easterners/out-of-staters and the most populated region of Virginia is Northern Virginia, the suburbs of Washington, DC, where a lot of their in-state population are from and live after they graduate. UVA has a great foundation from which to build a quality football program, more than 'Cuse and Rutgers. They've sent a lot of guys to the pros and already recruit the northeast well. They have a fairly new football and basketball stadium. They have good lacrosse, soccer and baseball teams, great academics and a college town that fits in with the conference. I don't think they'd join the conference, btw.

But, you're so infatuated with NYC, you need to hear some facts. New York is not the Big Ten equivalent to Texas, I don't even know what that means. Chicago is the capital of the Big Ten, NYC is a market that a lot of Big Ten grads are from and work after they graduate. Penn St and Michigan are among the biggest alumni groups in the NYC area. Syracuse and Rutgers are not the draws that you think they are in the area. Rutgers being a flagship is about all it offers. Texas A&M's football significance and relationship with Texas are not like Syracuse or Rutgers. The SEC isn't going after the University of Houston, they're going after a legendary football program with a huge regional following in a populated area. 

I don't care if the SEC goes after Texas Tech or Clemson, I'm just saying that Texas Tech offers nothing to the conference. Texas A&M makes a lot of sense, Texas Tech and Lubbock, TX don't. 

Yea, let's counter the Pac-12 taking OU and the SEC grabbing A&M by getting Rutgers and 'Cuse. That'll show 'em. And OU going to the Pac-12 would sort of mess up your "region" argument. And the SEC doesn't give a crap about Texas Tech, where are you getting this nonsense from? If it were as easy as going to the ACC to get schools, they'd poach programs like Clemson before bothering with Texas Tech.

If you want midwestern/Big Ten transplants so bad, there are a bunch of them all over the East Coast, Penn St. is a big draw throughout the Bos-Wash corridor, unlike Rutgers and Syracuse, so you'd probably be better off going after some going after the schools that matter in that corridor like Pitt, VT, UVA, U-MD and even UNC. And I'd take 'Cuse, but I think if geography isn't the biggest constraint in the world, there are better choices.

Current region is a mostly nonsense, IMO. If we're going by regions, than BC makes little sense being in the mostly southern ACC and TCU doesn't make sense in the Big East. Most will agree on that, but South Carolina and Texas have very little in common with eachother, too. Arizona and Oregon don't have much in common. I'd rather have good football programs and academic institutions rather than put such a large emphasis on some tenuous concept of "regions". Pitt makes sense b/c it's a good football, basketball and academic school in a weak conference and it being close by with a rivalry with PSU is icing on the cake. I'd rather have an out-of-region school like VT than Syracuse. I think if we're going to get Missouri, we should try to get Kansas as well and have the Illinois-Kansas-Missouri rivalries preserved, not to mention they're flagship universities.