Recent Comments

Officially had 7 tackles and one punt return...not much work, but he saw time on special teams, if I recall correctly.

Dymonte listed as RS FR...I like to see that, but it does seem a little suspect given the amount of PT he had last year.

Skreech...is that you? Time to get over that inferiority complex. Enough time has passed.

Name anoher 7-footer who can shoot 3's.

Yep, KG and Nowitzki. That's pretty much it. Obviously a 15 year old kid who is 7 feet tall needs to bulk up, but this is quite a frame and skillset to build upon. The only hesitation with recruiting a kid like this is the investment it would require for one year on your team. Not so sure it's worth it.

Don't underestimate the value of your mgopoints either. 2000 points, and you're a shoe-in. The only reason I got accepted was because it was more than a decade before mgoblog existed (and a year or two before the internet!).

What is his deal? He was very hyped, and while I sat in my "expensive" seats at the BWW Bowl, the only thing that brought me any joy was marveling at the size of that dude.

Couldn't you do all this and just substitute Michigan for Texas? Presumably that would be more of a dream given that you posted it on this blog.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/sports&id=9334056

Probably redundant, but just figured I'd share.

They can have Borges for $5.5 million.

17 - 10 MSU wins

Hope I'm wrong.

My thoughts exactly...let's not be the fanbase that makes excuses before the game is even played. It's going to be a tough game, so we just need to hang 40+ on them and not worry about the refs.

I was largely motivated to watch to hear a pronunciation of Hjalte. Spoiler: Pronounced Yalta, not Huhjaltee, like I've been saying in my head.

Of course there is an over-reaction (we are Michigan fans after all), but I do think concern is warranted. I agree, when the dust settles, we are still 3-0. However, winning by 4 when you are a 39-point favorite is going to trigger some discussion. Over-reaction? Yes. But I would not go so far as to make the point that a win is a win.

They don't have any offensive points unless you count XPs. This is like watching a horrible high school game.

Hmmmm...a little suspect. So, the entire northeast is filled with Florida fans and a smattering of Texas (or Oregon State). Not so sure there is a whole lot of value in this.

New target is Devin Robinson. How can this guy not come to Michigan with that name?

http://www.umhoops.com/2013/08/21/coach-devin-robinson-is-very-intereste...

Totally agree with you...maybe they are just putting on the guys who paint the program in the light we all want to see, but my blue-colored glasses have me believing that these are just the type of guys this coaching staff is recruiting--smart, humble, talented. I have been nothing but impressed with every player who is featured.

Hate to be that guy...but:

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/football-outsiders-espn-predict-7-losses-um

The only difference is that Griese and Brady were only "weapons" in hindsight, and some would argue "weapon" still isn't a good word to describe Griese. At any rate, Henson is the only guy on that list who garnered this type of hype as a high school student.

"Innocent until proven guilty" followed by comments about his teammates' possible knowledge of his crimes? Really?

The two options you discuss aren't really that different...maybe a few minutes. Really, how much substantial throw-away time is there in a full season? Maybe 1-3 quarters. Definitely NOT worth burning a redshirt to get him a few snaps with all the 2's/3's. If he is the listed #2 behind DG, and his redshirt will get burned  no matter what, then maybe it's worth it, but I'd think Cleary could hold down the fort in those blowout situations. Redshirt and hope for the best.

I'm giddy for the days when we get more excited for the defense to be on the field than the offense. It felt that way in 1997 and in 2006, and it's a great position to be in. I see it on the horizon.

I can't imagine any staff not paying some attention ot the recruiting services. There are thousands of football prospects each year to sift through. At the very least, I'd expect all staffs to do a sanity check at the big recruiting sites to make sure nobody slipped through the cracks. And, why not? It's a very cheap resource whose benefits, even if only used minimally, must far outweigh the costs for any school.

You might want to rethink your screen name.

Come on people...almost to the end of like 100 comments before the first CONFIDENT! I am shocked myself at how confident I am in this game given how I felt about this team's chances when the tourney started.

What's their rush? I know neither is definitely leaving, and I'd guess less than 50% chance for both, but why would they? Both of their families are clearly very well off (thank you daddies), and college has to be more fun than the NBA if you take the money out of the equation. These guys should stick around, have fun, get a degree and develop into lottery picks. The threat of a career-ending injury just isn't the same motivation as it is in football.

The "Fresh Five" moniker was thrown around a lot more in 1994 with the Ward, Taylor, Baston, Mitchell, Conlon recruiting class. Back then, given that two of the Fab Fivers were still around, it was much more appropriate. Now it's nothing but a lack of creativity on the part of the author.

[EDIT: Sorry T...should have kept reading the thread before posting]

They look really good, but if I hadn't been told they were "throwbacks" I'd have no idea.

Cool that your daughter is doing this project, but you aren't exactly sampling a very wide spectrum of opinions here.

Keep in mind this is only for the Super Bowl teams. We could do this next year, and SF and BAL will have very similar rosters but likely won't be in the Super Bowl. Unless you do this league wide, or at least for all playoff teams, it doesn't seem prudent to jump to any real conclusions.

I don't know how Joe Pesci wasn't cast. I'd always assumed (for many many years) that when the movie about JoPa got made, Pesci would be the guy.

I read this earlier today and could only think this is the first of what is going to be a major story evolving in 2013. I hate to say it, but there is no way steroids aren't rampant in CFB. The incentive to succeed and gain access to that NFL $$ is just too great, and with weak testing protocols, there just has to be more use than it currently seems. I think we should all get ready for an MLB style crackdown in the next year or two.

The teams are hard to compare. Our current team is incredibly talented and expertly coached. Execution and shooting have been as good as can be expected. We have a bunch of extraordinarily talented players contributing to a more superior team product.

The Fab 5 won on brute force, athleticism and intimidation. I don't remember the same kind of sophisticated offenses being executed the way Beilein has our current guys running. I could be wrong, but this is seems to be the main distinction between the two teams as far as I'm concerned.

So the takeaway is that we are almost $100 million (19%) better than Ohio. Sounds low to me.

Congrats to Mr. Lewan! I bet there is a very short list of Michigan two-time first-teamers. I think he should go for it, though my hope is rapdly dwindling.

Urban Meyer? Bo Schembechler?

I wish the guy luck, and I'm sure he knows better than I, but I can't help but feel his best days would have been ahead with the departure of Denard and the return of MANBALL.

unfortunately, that was the right call. GRIII got there late.

Trey is trying to do too much today.

Tre

(consistency is a good thing, right?)

I don't know...that MAC line worked in the first half.

If he's a sophomore, he's 2015.

I love Denard as much as any Michigan fan. He is no doubt near or at the top of the list of the most electrifying players in the history of our program. That being said, I think we are all getting a little carried away here. We've had Desmond. We've had Woodson. We've had Carter. We've had Hart and Henne and Long. Believe it or not, they all played a last game at Michigan Stadium too. They were perhaps honored and applauded more vigorously than some of their lesser known classmates, but they were not idolized. I can't help but think Denard has taken on this godlike status because he has been so much fun and such a success who kept our program afloat through some tough times and ultimately thrive. I'll miss you Denard, but I can't help but look forward to the future Wolverine(s) who will join you near the top of that list.

Look at the FG% and the total points we have been putting up so far this year. Look over our results from the last couple years. We never score like we are this year, even against our early season baby seals. I was skeptical of our preseason ranking, but consider the Kool Aid drunk. This team is for real.

Can we maybe refrain from calling Northwestern a baby seal for like 20 hours or so?

Hate to do this, but this was the nickname of the Conlan, Baston, Mitchell, Taylor, Ward class too.

Is "CornShuckers" somehow a derogatory version of Cornhuskers?

Michigan - 34

Nebraska - 31

Thank you brunette girls for another game winner.

Michigan wins easily after starting the game down 3-0

51-9

My hatred for OSU almost drives me to want to see them win all of their games (excluding UM). Success will just make the sanctions sting that much more...kind of like when you see the holding flag get thrown when your opponent is on offense and you root for them to score, knowing it will get called back.

I don't disagree with you. The point I was making is that the previous two seasons, Morgan has been the only (arguably) legitimate 4/5 on the floor (other than McLimans). This year, we have four guys who can legitimately step into that role. Without mentioning that shift in personnel, I think the analysis is incomplete. My main point is that if Morgan averages 7 ppg, the other three guys I mentioned don't need to contribute very much to add to our productivity down low.

Coach says he'll be back in class for his 9 a.m.

Ditto. I got tired of the game playing.

I love Manny and wish him all the best, and I'm guessing he has weighed this quesiton already. But, wouldn't he be better off in the NBADL working his way back to The League? I can't imagine salaries are that alluring in the Ukranian league, and I'd think his workouts, coaching, competition, connections, etc. would flourish much more by staying in the U.S., especially for a player who has already shown, albeit in brief flashes, that he can compete in the NBA.

Brandon Moore is actually listed as #1 TE. Is this a mistake, or am I missing something?

Mr. Rawls, be the man!

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/ohio-shirt-mocks-penn-state-victims

Not to mention the kickoff traveled 30 yards in the air. That being said, despite the ridiculous tackling, I think he broke at least one tackle from each member of the opposing team--still impressive.

...but the primary beneficiaries of these "cause patches" in athletics are thread manufacturers and patch retailers.

He did do great things at Wiscy last year, even though I hate this transfer-one-and-done approach they are taking.

There has been way too much emphasis on schedule strength in discussions of pre season rankings. How good a team is and how tough or easy their schedule are independent.

Why do these scenarios affect The Game any more than the pre-B1G championship days? Each of these scenarios (other than #3) could have existed, but substitute Rose Bowl for B1GCG. I wholeheartedly agree with the comments suggesting you are fishing for a non-existent problem.

...you might want to check on your variance formula for weight. I'm afraid something is a bit askew.

I'm sure my mgowife would LOVE if I shared all of her cute flaws and bouts of ignorance with my closest online friends here at mgoblog. No better way to show respect for your spouse. Way to go champ!

I agree with you that this is, unfortunately, a good example of why college athletes should "strike while the iron is hot." However, I take issue with faulting anybody who decides to stick around college for another year...or three. He may have cost himself some money, but I can't think of too many valid criticisms for a guy who chose to stay in school.

Modeling an offense off Oregon doesn't make them scary. Would you be intimidated if Indiana suddenly said they are going to emulate Oregon? If he instills the offense and then successfully recruits over the next four years to execute it like Oregon, it will be scary.

Definitely agree with the OP. 1997/1998 was my senior year, and I can tell you that the students were much more excited for the defense to take the field. And, we knew it at the time and used to talk about it. It was strange, but we just kind of waited for the offense to finish up so the fun could begin.

It seems there needs to be some way to normalize the data a bit. Minnesota and Indiana both sucked in 2011. In a 12 game season, one W is going to affect a teams winning percentage in a significant way. So, by sucking so bad, both of them are effectively boosting their opponents' winning percentage. Without giving it much thought, it seems that the games opponents play against the team you are measuring should be removed from the analysis. This may not be the best way, but by definition, I would expect all really bad teams to boost opponents' SOS by about 8% (1/12).

I got a mint condition 1961 UM-Ohio game program. It is a very cool piece of memorabilia, but unfortunately the good guys lost 50-20 that day.

I don't remember who was calling that game, but as the team was going in for halftime, he said, "To call Michigan's offense inept would be an insult to inept offenses everywhere." Amazing we ended up pulling that one out.

Can somebody please explain why it is so much worse for UM and Ohio to play in back-to-back weeks than any other combination? Isn't it just as likely that Wisconsin and Nebraska play at the end of some season two weeks in a row? I suppose the philosophy of the B1G schedules is now going to be to determine who the good and bad teams are (3 years in advance when the schedules are made) and match them up against each other in the final week.

As long as 95% of the bowls are held in warm-weather locations, this is going to happen, especially since your definition of "home" team is that campus is closer to the stadium. Keep in mind, the goal of the bowl planners is $$, so they will always select teams that will fill the stadiums, which typically means selecting close-by (i.e., warm-weather) schools. Even with your criteria, most of the "home" teams are still a plane flight--or a very long drive--away from the bowl location. I don't think this is as big of an anti-B1G problem as you suggest.

Giving up way too much on the offensive glass.

He strikes me as a very good player with serious mental issues on the court. He was quiet all game until his monster dunk. For the next few possessions he had rebounds, created at least one turnover and looked energetic on the offensive side too. Then, he fouled or turned the ball over (I don't remember), and he was MIA for the rest of the game. He needs to realize he is a very athletic big man who is also going to make some mistakes. He needs to let those mistkakes go and keep playing with the same intensity regardless of what has already happened.

34-21 M

...but in fairness, we should post the other stuff in the blog too:

"I don’t know where I’m heading at this point and obviously there are a lot of analysts out there that are saying I do, but it’s not true.

Hopefully I’ll figure it out within the next 24 hours."

Can't we go at least one day without a Bob Diaco reference on this blog?

\s

Though Magic is up there for me too, being at game 1 of the 1988 world series kinda seals the deal for me.

Maybe the Tigers should play at the Big House though.

833

I have to agree with the OP on this one. Anyone who belittles or doubts the athleticism in the X Games needs look no further than Shaun White. This guy is simply one of the best athletes I have ever seen. I truly equate his skills to some of the all-time great athletes in any sport. If you are rolling your eyes as you read this, find his run online and watch it in slow mo. Truly incredible.

My wife and I recently had boy/girl twins. I lobbied for Mazie and Blue but I lost.

I'd love one: davidkrauss@gmail.com

So, is this just a way to generate thousands of new boosters for a bunch of schools in the span of two hours?

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/contact-recruit-become-booster

Anyone else get the vibe that there are predominantly UM folks voting here? Not that we don't have all the best players, highlights, etc., but I'm just sayin...the results are a little slanted at the moment.

Chengelis just tweeted:

Hoke also said he plans to sign a "full complement" of recruits 2012 "if not, will be 23"

The article was very damning. As we all know, in the eyes of the NCAA, turning a blind eye is about the worst thing a coach/athletic program can do. What the article pointed out is that Tressel has been doing this for decades. While there was no sexy single violation uncovered, in the eyes of the NCAA, this was devastating--both Tressel and tSIO (who hired Tressel and also looked the other way during lots of shenanigans) have eyes that are blinder than blind. The NCAA hammer is going to come down in an unprecedented manner.

What a great start to the day...that was a fine senior year.

I'm loving how they all recognize that UM wouldn't accept Burbridge due to grades, and they make it sound like elitism. I think this comment sums it up.

SEC head: Government shutdown could hobble enforcement (Reuters)

Followed by...crap, wrong SEC.

I think you are right...in fact, I think half of the pics have a photoshopped background to get rid of the tattoo-parlor walls, and Tressel is overlayed on top of TP.

231

You might want to be careful using the term "we" to describe a team from Ohio on this blog. You aren't going to get much sympathy here.

...well played, indeed.

I was at the UM-UW basketball game in Madison in '96 (IIRC) when Mo Taylor took an elbow that broke his nose. While he was on the ground bleeding and in pain, the chant that broke out was "shoot him like a horse, shoot him like a horse..." Who knew drinking that much alcohol could lead to belligerance?

Why do I feel that they will somehow weasel their way around these sanctions? They will somehow end up Sabaning away schollies from less-talented seniors and end up with a 75-man roster composed exclusively of 4 and 5-star talent.

He was good last year, but some of the flashes he showed were very exciting.

Not much for the NBA, but I'd take it. Set to go up more than 50% next year, and based on his play, he may have an opportunity to renegotiate (perhaps as part of a trade). Well done Manny!

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/cleveland.htm