Well there's no question that the A&M weakness is at LB and the run defense generally. But I'm telling you as someone who has seen the Aggies up close, they aren't as bad as the stat sheet indicates. The vanilla scheme is part of it. Last year they flew to the football and forced turnovers; against Rice & SHSU they were read-and-react.
They also just came out flat in both games and gradually wore down the inferior opposition. Kind of like when Lloyd Carr's teams would play MAC teams in week 1.
I was at the Rice game and saw much of the SHSU game. The A&M defense was questionable, particularly against the run. However, in both games A&M played extreme vanilla defense schematically. Against Rice they stayed in base 4-3 virtually the entire way, played soft corner coverage on WRs, and hardly blitzed at all, even as Rice was marching down the field.
It was frustrating to watch (as someone rooting for the Aggies), but it was clear that they are saving all schematic surprises for Alabama. The Aggie D is still a mystery.
A new maize-on-blue #12 jersey was my 11-year-old son's favorite present last Christmas, in anticipation of a breakout year for DG. He was pretty sad about the number change.
Dumb comments by Triche, to be sure. But I live in the Syracuse area and have had a couple of occasions to interact with Boeheim. He's always seemed like a class act to me. He's very engaged in and generous with the community here, often in ways that don't grab headlines. In other words, Boeheim seems to do good here because he wants to, not because he has to.
Don't get me wrong--I'm hoping JB & Co. beat the crap out of him tomorrow.
I too feel better having drunk from the cup of THE_KNOWLEDGE.
Kitten videos and posts by THE_KNOWLEDGE share remarkable psychological healing properties. Perhaps THE_KNOWLEDGE is a super-intelligent Michigan space kitten from the distant future, returned to soothe the weary souls of mere 21st Century MGoBloggers.
The Chronicle is the leading industry publication for higher education. It's highly reputable and generally publishes very well-researched and well-written stuff. You can usually believe what you read there.
And yeah, I can't believe that the universities would ever give a league commissioner the authority to fire a coach.
If senior administrators facilitating a child rapist in order to protect the football program doesn't justify banning the football program, what would?
There have been bigger, better, more significant, more entertaining games. But that was a magical night in the Big House. It's also the moment I went from casual fan to lifelong/diehard. Whenever I think of that game I smile and remember the chant--"It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine"--that seemed to go on forever.
This looks eerily like my living room: you have the positions of the sofa, lamp, and TV exactly right. My 10-year-old son and I look just like #1 and #2 in the living room on game day, complete with position, posture, and emotional highs and lows.
I see where you're coming from. It never occurred to me that people might think savvy wasn't good. This has actually been a useful exchange. And yes, it's also now off-topic.
Why wouldn't "savvy" be a good thing? You seem to imply that media savvy somehow means obfuscation or distraction. But that's not the case--somebody can just be good at his/her job and also good at communicating with the media about the job. You can also be good at your job and lousy with the media.
The antonym for savvy would be something like "unsophisticated" or "awkward" or "clumsy." Mattison isn't any of those things in his dealings with the media.
It shouldn't be a slight to call a coach media-savvy. Part of RR's problem was that he wasn't media savvy.
the team seemed flat to start at Iowa... and at NW too. Maybe it's a road game problem. But yeah, I want to see them charge out of the tunnel angry and ready to hit somebody wearing orange.
The response to this from all B1G and/or NCAA has to be unprecedented, since the situation is unprecedented. The abuses here make the SMU scandal trivial by comparison, and if the allegations prove true, then the "death penalty" probably is in order for PSU football . Precisely what Paterno heard or said or understood is really beside the point. The grand jury report depicts a systemic failure to follow the most obvious ethical course. I had a hard time reading it. This isn’t one or two bad actors; a series of administrators from head coach up not only didn’t stop Sandusky, they continued to let him use their institution to promote kids’ programs and use their facilities. As a father who sends my kids to summer sports camps, this whole story turns my stomach and makes me shake with rage.
If the reason behind the cover-up and blind-eye-turning was to preserve the brand value of Penn State football, then the best way to insure that this kind of abuse isn't covered up in the future at Penn State or anywhere else is to make the institutional cost of violation so high that no head coach, AD, or university president would ever make this kind of mistake again. So I say death penalty for Penn State football for at least 5 years.
That would suck for the majority of honest and decent football players at Penn State; all should be allowed to transfer without penalty. None of the rest of Penn State’s programs should be touched. But when an institution's leaders decide that a football program is more important than preventing child rape, then that institution forfeits its right to a football program.
I think you missed it. So I will presume to try again for him/her:
The people who frequent MGoBlog and similar venues are passionate about college athletics and get really upset about sports-related stuff that happens, including violations of NCAA rules on practicing and player compensation and whatnot. A extreme child abuse incident--or series of incidents--as apparently occurred at Penn State makes that upset seem kind of petty. Put another way, when I think about a child suffering this kind of abuse I get so angry and disgusted that I can't help but chill out a little about tat-gate and Borges' playcalling.
The larger issue here is that Joe Paterno, who is probably a basically decent man, and at least a few other people at Penn State evidently were more concerned about the status of their football program than the welfare of children. As I took it, WolverineRage's point is that these abuses were so egregious that they cast doubt on an entire system of college athletics that would cause decent people to look the other way and accept evil as the price of success.
I can also say with great confidence that the essays matter since Gratz v. Bollinger. They matter a lot.
Michigan's reputation, pervasive high school grade inflation, and a test prep arms race mean that there are inevitably far more applicants with great numbers than there are freshman slots to offer. Strong grades and test scores are necessary, but not sufficient conditions for admission. A good essay can make a huge difference, as can a bad one. My advice is to take these things seriously.
Recent Comments
It's like asking which pandemic plague is worse.
Hockey, too.
is the correct answer. Truly epic.
Not as bad as murdering five hookers at SMU.
#cjk5h
I am Harbaugh. You are
Yes.
I am Harbaugh. You are Harbaugh. Even Coach Schiano is Harbaugh.*
We are all moving toward a state of perfect Harbaughity.
Soon all will be Harbaugh.
*Not really.
"Raped Children Lose Dignity, Blame Penn State."
People who kill five hookers while at SMU should only be allowed to watch SMU get pounded by Texas A&M on ESPN-U.
Well there's no question that the A&M weakness is at LB and the run defense generally. But I'm telling you as someone who has seen the Aggies up close, they aren't as bad as the stat sheet indicates. The vanilla scheme is part of it. Last year they flew to the football and forced turnovers; against Rice & SHSU they were read-and-react.
They also just came out flat in both games and gradually wore down the inferior opposition. Kind of like when Lloyd Carr's teams would play MAC teams in week 1.
I was at the Rice game and saw much of the SHSU game. The A&M defense was questionable, particularly against the run. However, in both games A&M played extreme vanilla defense schematically. Against Rice they stayed in base 4-3 virtually the entire way, played soft corner coverage on WRs, and hardly blitzed at all, even as Rice was marching down the field.
It was frustrating to watch (as someone rooting for the Aggies), but it was clear that they are saving all schematic surprises for Alabama. The Aggie D is still a mystery.
A new maize-on-blue #12 jersey was my 11-year-old son's favorite present last Christmas, in anticipation of a breakout year for DG. He was pretty sad about the number change.
Dumb comments by Triche, to be sure. But I live in the Syracuse area and have had a couple of occasions to interact with Boeheim. He's always seemed like a class act to me. He's very engaged in and generous with the community here, often in ways that don't grab headlines. In other words, Boeheim seems to do good here because he wants to, not because he has to.
Don't get me wrong--I'm hoping JB & Co. beat the crap out of him tomorrow.
Karma's a bitch, eh Crean?
And give an extra big tip with an extra big smile.
Morris behind-the-back to Douglass; Douglass two-handed dunk; epic Hardaway reaction.
I never get tired of looking at this.
It's only an allegation that Craig James killed five hookers with a trident at SMU. He might have used a different weapon.
I don't think it's sacreligious. I always kind of imagine Jesus doing a facepalm in John 13:6-10 when Peter just doesn't get it.
It bubble screens on first-and-ten, or else it gets the hose again!
I too feel better having drunk from the cup of THE_KNOWLEDGE.
Kitten videos and posts by THE_KNOWLEDGE share remarkable psychological healing properties. Perhaps THE_KNOWLEDGE is a super-intelligent Michigan space kitten from the distant future, returned to soothe the weary souls of mere 21st Century MGoBloggers.
The Chronicle is the leading industry publication for higher education. It's highly reputable and generally publishes very well-researched and well-written stuff. You can usually believe what you read there.
And yeah, I can't believe that the universities would ever give a league commissioner the authority to fire a coach.
Institutional crime, institutional punishment.
There is no fundamental human right to a college football program, or to intercollegiate sports, or to a job in the football-related economy.
If senior administrators facilitating a child rapist in order to protect the football program doesn't justify banning the football program, what would?
Henne to Manningham.
There have been bigger, better, more significant, more entertaining games. But that was a magical night in the Big House. It's also the moment I went from casual fan to lifelong/diehard. Whenever I think of that game I smile and remember the chant--"It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine"--that seemed to go on forever.
"Oh Mommy" = "Omameh," as in Patrick #65.
This looks eerily like my living room: you have the positions of the sofa, lamp, and TV exactly right. My 10-year-old son and I look just like #1 and #2 in the living room on game day, complete with position, posture, and emotional highs and lows.
We even wear #1 and #2 jerseys, respectively.
In short, awesome. Can't wait to show my kid.
I'm ready to charge out of a tunnel, touch a banner, and hit somebody in the mouth.
I'm ready to charge out of a tunnel, touch a banner, and hit somebody in the mouth.
38-17 Michigan.
An end to seven years of darkness.
I see where you're coming from. It never occurred to me that people might think savvy wasn't good. This has actually been a useful exchange. And yes, it's also now off-topic.
I chuckled at first, but it's really not a crazy idea. Mattison's performance this year is astonishing.
Why wouldn't "savvy" be a good thing? You seem to imply that media savvy somehow means obfuscation or distraction. But that's not the case--somebody can just be good at his/her job and also good at communicating with the media about the job. You can also be good at your job and lousy with the media.
The antonym for savvy would be something like "unsophisticated" or "awkward" or "clumsy." Mattison isn't any of those things in his dealings with the media.
It shouldn't be a slight to call a coach media-savvy. Part of RR's problem was that he wasn't media savvy.
Wilson: The wife warned me not to wear this white suit. Everybody else is laughing at me. Even Bielma’s ashamed and won’t stand near me.
Bielma: Are those hot dogs over there?
Pelini: Did Danny just grab my ass?
Hope: Hmm. Pelini’s got a satisfyingly firm ass.
Paterno: I gotta go to the bathroom.
Ferentz: Psst—Joe. Do you smell something?
Fitzgerlad: This is soooooooooooooo cool!
Dantonio: My evil plans are proceeding perfectly! Soon I will unleash the Dantoninator
Zook: La la la la la la laaaaaaaaaaa la la la la
Fickell: This is probably the last time I’ll ever get to be in one of these pictures.
Kill: Jeez, Brady. Ever hear of a salad?
Hoke: Tremendous!
Double post.
Derp.
the team seemed flat to start at Iowa... and at NW too. Maybe it's a road game problem. But yeah, I want to see them charge out of the tunnel angry and ready to hit somebody wearing orange.
The response to this from all B1G and/or NCAA has to be unprecedented, since the situation is unprecedented. The abuses here make the SMU scandal trivial by comparison, and if the allegations prove true, then the "death penalty" probably is in order for PSU football . Precisely what Paterno heard or said or understood is really beside the point. The grand jury report depicts a systemic failure to follow the most obvious ethical course. I had a hard time reading it. This isn’t one or two bad actors; a series of administrators from head coach up not only didn’t stop Sandusky, they continued to let him use their institution to promote kids’ programs and use their facilities. As a father who sends my kids to summer sports camps, this whole story turns my stomach and makes me shake with rage.
If the reason behind the cover-up and blind-eye-turning was to preserve the brand value of Penn State football, then the best way to insure that this kind of abuse isn't covered up in the future at Penn State or anywhere else is to make the institutional cost of violation so high that no head coach, AD, or university president would ever make this kind of mistake again. So I say death penalty for Penn State football for at least 5 years.
That would suck for the majority of honest and decent football players at Penn State; all should be allowed to transfer without penalty. None of the rest of Penn State’s programs should be touched. But when an institution's leaders decide that a football program is more important than preventing child rape, then that institution forfeits its right to a football program.
I think you missed it. So I will presume to try again for him/her:
The people who frequent MGoBlog and similar venues are passionate about college athletics and get really upset about sports-related stuff that happens, including violations of NCAA rules on practicing and player compensation and whatnot. A extreme child abuse incident--or series of incidents--as apparently occurred at Penn State makes that upset seem kind of petty. Put another way, when I think about a child suffering this kind of abuse I get so angry and disgusted that I can't help but chill out a little about tat-gate and Borges' playcalling.
The larger issue here is that Joe Paterno, who is probably a basically decent man, and at least a few other people at Penn State evidently were more concerned about the status of their football program than the welfare of children. As I took it, WolverineRage's point is that these abuses were so egregious that they cast doubt on an entire system of college athletics that would cause decent people to look the other way and accept evil as the price of success.
The adjective "Wal-Mart" is redundant when applied to "Buckeye." It's like saying "Wet Water."
This is good advice.
I can also say with great confidence that the essays matter since Gratz v. Bollinger. They matter a lot.
Michigan's reputation, pervasive high school grade inflation, and a test prep arms race mean that there are inevitably far more applicants with great numbers than there are freshman slots to offer. Strong grades and test scores are necessary, but not sufficient conditions for admission. A good essay can make a huge difference, as can a bad one. My advice is to take these things seriously.