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Meta hot take: this may be…

Meta hot take: this may be the best stretch of podcasting the site has had.  The content, production, and the rapport all stand out. Really impressive.

 

I'm as encouraged by our…

I'm as encouraged by our omissions as I am by those that made the list.  There is still very little recognition for Khaleke Hudson or the best CB combo in the country (outside of PFF).  

To be fair, the Spartans have

To be fair, the Spartans have plenty of availability this week.

I find it easier to picture

I find it easier to picture this as one guy... in a chat room... by himself.

Isaac is way up over his

Isaac is way up over his spring numbers.  Could that have been planned?  (commence freakout)

Juwann Bushell-Beatty...

JBB has dropped another 14 lbs from his spring numbers and is now listed at 311.  That's great news for him, as he may be called upon next season in his redshirt Jr. year.

Levert Hill...

Levert Hill is the lightest player on the team at 168.  That said, Jourdan Lewis came in pretty slight as well, and that's worked out okay.

I like that comparison a lot.

I like that comparison a lot.

Chris Evans...

Sam Webb has talked up Chris Evans as one of the freshmen to watch, but the caveat with Evans has always been that he's too slight for RB and would perhaps make a better slot-type.  He's listed here at 5'11" and 200.  That's two inches shorter and only 5 lbs less than Jabrill.

This is exactly what I do,

This is exactly what I do, and I'm pretty happy with the results every time.



-cover with yellow mustard and dry rub of choice, smoke for three hours, bone side down



-drizzle with bacon fat (from that morning's bacon, of course) and maple syrup, wrap in foil, oven at 225 for two hours bone side up (meat sits in pooled liquid)



-remove foil, brush with BB sauce of choice, cook bone side up for 1 hour at 225

Why I continue to lurk...

"That and a cup of acid thrown at a district attorney's face gets you legendary Batman villain Two-Face, but it's better than the alternative."

That's in-season form, right there.

There was not a single

There was not a single crystal ball to Michigan for Nick Eubanks when he committed.  Does that count?

How quickly we forget poor

How quickly we forget poor Jack Miller.

The two struck up a

The two struck up a friendship during their time as Michigan commits, and Bredeson is from Wisconsin.  While neither is telling, I'm certainly hoping the next 10 days pass as quickly as possible (and with little disturbance).

Updated "Depth Chart by

Updated "Depth Chart by Class" in 3...2...1...

Question

Is there significance to the order that names are listed within a given box?

 

(Apologies if this is obvious.  It's early out West.)

So you think all Utes stay in

So you think all Utes stay in SLC? Interesting...

Just landed...

Waiting to deplane in SLC as I type. There are much more overt Michigan fans on this flight than Utes. A few of the locals (including the SLC-based flight crew) are somewhat shocked by our turnout.

Marriott Courtyard SLC Downtown

Just made the decision today...

Courtyard Salt Lake City Downtown using points, though I'm refreshing the Marriott page throughout the day to see if the Marriott University Park pops back up.

I haven't purchased my game ticket yet - that's this afternoon's challenge.

Before we go too far...

If this is Beilein's doing, then it is an extremely positive indicator.



If this is the kid's doing, then we just don't know. There are plenty of reasons why he would choose UVa or UNC over Michigan on the merits (distance from home, path to playing time, personal perception of prestige, etc.). Hell, he could have been asked to visit in late May to allow for Brown's decision to shake out, and perhaps he bristled at being a second fiddle.



That said... it's happening?

Per Scout...

1. Corley

2. Jordan

3. Falcon

4. Hayes

5. Owenu

6. Lavert Hill

7. Kareem

8. Lukusa

9. Fitzpatrick

10. Demetric Vance

I would love for this to be

I would love for this to be shared across a wiiiiiiiiide audience.  Nice read.  Thanks, OP.

Coffee now (Pacific time

Coffee now (Pacific time zone). But after 1230 PST, probably an Angry Balls (Angry Orchard cider and Fireball) or five.

You threw me by not

You threw me by not capitalizing your title. I wasn't ready.

The sandbagging is getting

The sandbagging is getting intense. We have just as much to lose, just as much to gain. The last victor gets the bragging rights; otherwise, you're just as pathetic as Ohio State bringing up football season to ease the pain.

Thanks for this discussion. I

Thanks for this discussion. I love looking ahead, even while enjoying another March. A few randomly ordered thoughts:

-I think Mitch could be tempted to jump due to age. Even as a second rounder, he starts his NBA clock sooner, which gets him to a potential second contract sooner. If he's healthy enough for pre-draft workouts, he could even end up as the ideal candidate for a team like the Spurs late in the first.

-I disagree that we need to hit a home run with PG in 2015. PG is a luxury until the 2016 class due to the depth on the roster. To get a true blue chip point, they will likely need to see a faster path to playing time than a potential Jr. Walton/Sr. Spike depth chart. Of course, things change. Walton could make the leap in year 2. And Michigan is still recruiting Brunson, even if (according to Sam Webb) they've slowed their recruitment of other 2015 points.

-Completely agree that we need a talented big in 2015. I hope Diamond Stone has continued to watch closely after his visit last year, because there's an opportunity for quick playing time here.

-I have to think that Nik is gone. His draft stock will likely never be higher, and I don't think we can discount the impact of seeing Glenn and Mitch come back, only to have their draft stock fall. We should enjoy every one of these last 9 games ;)

In general, I roll my eyes at

In general, I roll my eyes at about 90% of references to "Michigan Men" made on WTKA and elsewhere.  The phrase obviously had meaning at some point, and there are obvious exceptions where that meaning holds true - the work with Mott sticks out. 

But the phrase now more than ever seems to be a bit pro forma, based more upon performance on the field or star rating of a recent recruit.

Regardless of what the title means anymore, if the allegations here are true, then more than one person should give up their claim to it.

 

Bullets

In additon to the other quotes mentioned, I found these interesting:

--Philosophy is to put playmakers in the best positions to succeed.

--Will run the ball;

--His philosophy is consistent with that of Hoke or else he wouldn't be here;

--Could see drastically different formations from week to week, depending upon what is best against a particular D;

--Need to put QBs in as close to game situations as possible before Saturdays;

--Players need to be self-starters off the field given the limitations on time with coaches;

--Minimize penalties on offense and negative plays - no presnap penalies, loss of yardage plays, sacks;

--Impressed with the young talent on the roster;

--Green, Dawson, Morris called out specifically as examples of the talent on the team that he recruited at Bama.

I think the assumption is

I think the assumption is that Fitzgerald is purple 'til he retires, but I'll be interested to see what happens if UT or USC backs a armored truck up to Bill O'Brien after another successful season at PSU.  Either one of those athletic departments could absorb his buyout without a second thought. And - despite his sentimental spot in Happy Valley - I think he'd be crazy not to at least consider a chance at college football royalty.

Absolutely. I'm hoping that

Absolutely. I'm hoping that once Funchess gets healthy, he can serve as the complement to Gallon. That said, it's pretty impressive to see Chesson's downfield blocking. If he's not yet a viable receiving threat, at least he's still looking for ways to contribute.

Smith

De'Veon has now come in for some serious praise in the MGo-Preview materials, highlighted by Brian's prediction that he'll be the #2 back by the end of the season (but also in Ace's predictions above). 

Is there recent insider scuttlebutt that suggests that he has been more impressive than Green or Johnson, or is this just an appreciation for Smith's game?  (Interesting take either way; just wondering if I have missed something insidery.)

I'm listening on my iPhone

I'm listening on my iPhone right now using the Downcast app. Pretty easy to subscribe using the wtka podcast URL.

Wow... Make sure to listen to

Wow... Make sure to listen to the podcasts if you get the chance. There is a great deal of inside information being discussed during these interviews with the coaches today, including breakdowns of Bryant's play this fall, Avery's swap, the growth of the linebackers, etc.



Worth your time.

Re: SAM

Sam Webb, during today's recruiting roundup, attributed the recent recruitment of several SAM-types to information that has not yet been made public.  (I'm paraphrasing.)

 

That would seem to indicate that there is something attrition-related afoot, rather than a sudden identification of need.

I now look forward to

I now look forward to Borges's presser as much as any other post during the week.

Brian has done a lot of

Brian has done a lot of things right with this blog, but this may be my favorite.  Thanks to all involved for bringing back an underrated piece of past gameday experiences.

Jebus, the content this week...

[passes out]

Hello:  Ross Douglas, per

Hello:  Ross Douglas, per Bill Greene on Twitter

Very interesting that his

Very interesting that his Scout profile lists interest in Michigan as "high," while everyone else is at "medium." This leads me to believe that it is based upon more than just the offer status and visit schedule.

OT Taylor Decker

He was previously an ND verbal and now listed as an OSU commit on Scout. I wonder how this impacts Diamond's decision.

Speaking of Brandon Graham...

Speaking of Brandon Graham, I thought this Twitter exchange from immediately after the game was very interesting:

 

scbr3 (Stevie Brown):  @BGraham54 y couldn't Hoke come when we were still there bra

BGraham54 (Brandon Graham):  @scbr3 yeah I know man I'm sick

Best recruit since Jerod Ward in 1994.

There are programs that recruit well but don't develop players during their time on campus.  There are programs that develop players in good college players, but don't bring in the big time recruits and are eventually exposed.  With Beilein and this staff, M has the chance to become one of those teams that both recruits high level players and maximizes their potential.  This is BIG.

I don't think we'd need

I don't think he would necessarily need to see another commit for the depth chart to give him trouble.  Michigan has got two of the top tackles (Manguson and Kalis, even if he projects at guard), an in-state sleeper like Braden, and -- if rumors are true -- one or two more OL coming in for this class.  I think Elmer (and Diamond, for that matter) are looking for opportunities to play early.

I guess I can understand it

I guess I can understand it somewhat.  With the OL class in 2012, he was facing stiff competition to see the field early.  Tough to lose him, but I'd rather he leave the state if he isn't going blue.

"Did I hit somebody? Did I

"Did I hit somebody? Did I strike somebody?" is just as ridiculous a statement as "Everybody murders."

Thanks, Kelly.

Counter-programming to

Counter-programming to Brian's appearance on WTKA, obviously.

Serious question for anyone

Serious question for anyone who listens to Michigan Insider on WTKA:

At the 12:29 mark of that clip, is that frequent caller Dennis? If so, he's either a) not putting on an act when he calls in, or b) been in character for over 35 years.

Meridian Pint or RedRocks on

Meridian Pint or RedRocks on 11th Street in Columbia Heights. It shouldn't be more than a 10 minute cab ride, and you'll get to experience a part of DC that isn't normally frequented by out-of-towers. Meridian Pint is high end bar food and great beers. RedRocks pizza is very good.

Afterwards, walk two blocks south for a beer on the patio at Wonderland Ballroom.

Now a fun one...

Feels good to see Michigan

Feels good to see Michigan listed in that group.  As a reminder, a quote from Sam's article a week ago:

 

"I would probably like to commit before this high school season starts so I can just get it out of the way and play," McGary said. "I am just looking for the school that best fits me. I would like to play right away. It doesn't matter if a school is high-major or mid-major. I am just looking for a school that has great academics, a great head coach, and is a place where I have a good relationship with everybody."