I was able to find tickets last minute for me and three friends on stub hub, all singles basically together but separated by a row or a seat here and there. We're hoping to be able to consolidate as the game wears on.
My brother lives in EL and is a State fan. When I talked to him a few weeks ago he was planning on going to the game and a bunch of his friends were coming into town as well. Now none of them are coming and he's going to Traverse City for the weekend.
are waiting for the front office to approve it. I take that to mean the Lions front office. I don't have any problem with the hire if it goes through. Tressel's a good coach and while I'd be worried about him getting a similar job in college (certainly wouldn't want someone with that track record at Michigan) his transgressions aren't an issue in the NFL, at least IMO. Rooting for a team sometimes means having to overcome my personal dislike or disapproval for the actions of people associated with the team. It would be hard to maintain fandom for any team, Michigan sports included, if I was required to like/approve of everything that the players and coaches associated with those teams do.
four buckets that were not O-Reb dunks. MM was fronting Zeller and/or trying to steal the ball when IU lobbed it into the post. This worked to prevent IU from having much in the way of post entry pass-initiated offense. Zeller only had one make that came as a result of a traditional post move (that pretty little fall-away shot) and he had no assists where the ball goes in and he kicks it out to an open man after the D collapses. Zeller's taller and has a great post game so using MM's quickness to try to deny him the ball seems like a reasonable course of action. Unfortunately, that strategy drew MM out of position for defensive rebounding and help defense several times. Pick your poison against a team as good as IU - Michigan just didn't knock down enough shots to keep up, unfortunately.
six of those fouls on us, which IU converted into 12-12 from the line, were intentional on our part and came during the last 1:42 of the game. They "won" the battle insofar as they made their free throws down the stretch but its not like there was a big disparity in the number of fouls called or drawn until the end.
shouldn't be punished but whatever happens to Penn State, somebody is going to get hurt that doesn't deserve it. Everyone who was involved, afterall, has been removed already. The point of levying a punishment on a university or football program isn't just to exact retribution on the wrongdoers but to create a consequence for the institution that engaged in or failed to prevent bad stuff. That sends a signal to all institutions to take proactive steps to prevent the same kind of bad stuff from happening in the future. I don't have a strong opinion about what the NCAA should do but how current Penn State football players are impacted isn't high on my list of concerns.
it would probably be appropriate at this point to stop talking about the remaining games on the schedule that Michigan should win. I agree that there are some very winnable games left on the schedule (all of them, but some obviously more than others) but I did enough premature win-counting last year. Lets just see what happens week to week.
My favorite part of this post is when you said that before the season started that Michigan fans would have been very pleased with a 5-1 start. After Woolfolk's injury I was thinking that if we were 4-2 at this point and could somehow scrape together wins over Illinois and Purdue that I'd consider it a successful season. Now, if we end up 6-6 or even 7-5 I'll be disappointed but that is because my expectations for the team have improved, which is a positive.
I'm going with him next Saturday. I was considering bringing a sign thanking my "little brother" for taking me to the game - a rather innocuous gesture of goodwill, I thought. He threatened to organize a drunken lynch mob (not an idle threat in E.L.) if I brought any signage to the game referring to him in that context. These Spartans are a touchy group.
The best part is that my brother invited me to attend the game with him before the season started. He completely bought into the storyline about MSU as a program on the rise supplanting UM as the dominant team in the state and made no secret about wanting me at the game so that we could witness together confirmation of the new pecking order. Regardless of Saturday's outcome, that whole "best in state" dynamic is no longer on the line for the Spartans after the CMU game.
I actually think that State has a great chance to win the game, but my brother is convinced that I'm being disingenuous when I say this to him. He seems to think that my expressed lack of conviction in Michigan's prospects next week is a false front intended to position me better for post-game taunting. My citing of the MSU-CMU game as proof that you have to throw out the records in these hotly contested intrastate rivalry games did not improve his view of my sincerity.
himself at QB. It is becoming evident that Forcier is going to be Michigan's long-term starter but he has been on campus since January, whereas Robinson just got here. Even if it is unrealistic to expect Robinson to overtake Forcier for the starting QB spot, he needs to be given the chance to compete and that means more time to develop at the position.
the second half. Western picked up over 200 yards and it would have been more if our offense hadn't controlled the ball for so much time. My concern is mitigated by a number of factors, including: a) Boubacar sitting out the second half b) DBs played off the line of scrimmage in the second half c) Hiller is a very good QB and it was inevitable that he'd get going d) Western only scored 7 points. Overall I was pleased with how the defense played but I think teams with more advanced passing attacks (ND, Penn State) could give us trouble. The key will be getting pressure on the quarterback. Michigan did a good job of that but when Western went to 3-step drops in the second half it negated our pass rush.
it doesn't rank above Koger's catch or the DRob run but in the first half, Brandon Herron had a great play where he drove the lead blocker back, forcing the RB outside, then spun off and caught the RB from behind. I think the run went for 6 yards but the tackle saved a first down and who knows how much more. Also, it was incredibly athletic and the sort of play that we didn't see much from last year's defense.
getting rid of a DC because they want a less aggressive defense, kind of like you never hear that a coach is taking a job because he wants to spend less time with his family.
My dart team, the Doo Dads, was in trouble a few years ago. We'd started strong but were getting rolled as the evening and our respective blood-alcohol levels progressed. Needing to sweep the final round in order to get the win, I went to a gas station next door and purchased a package of Mentos for each of the Dads. Emulating the actors in those cheesy commercials, my team used the power of "The Freshmaker" to make the best of a difficult situation, getting the sweep and a much-needed victory.
I was unable to find Sheridan's weight as a HS senior on the internet but during the course of my search I discovered that Sheridan and Threet played against each other in high school, with Threet's Adrian team beating Sheridan's Saline team 10-7. Who would have thought that just 3 years and four days later those two would combine to put up 15-27-1-3 in a 10-13 loss to Toledo?
...but I'm having a tough time seeing how the defense is better next year. The defensive line was the only above-average unit on the entire team and even if Brandon Graham comes back they'll struggle mightily without Taylor, Jamison and Johnson.
Of course, this year's defense was put in horrible positions all season long. The turnovers and inability to move the ball on offense meant the D was constantly on the field, often coming with the ball on our side of the 50.
Hopefully the offense improves for all the reasons you stated, which will not only translate into more points but an easier time for the defense. Even if the defense takes a step back (which I think is inevitable) they could end up being more effective if they get more rest and have longer fields to defend.
go against NW without risking anything long-term they should be in the starting lineup. 3-7 teams don't have the luxury of being able to "save" players for more important games. Whatever you think Michigan's chances are against Ohio State, they have a much better chance of winning against Northwestern. Michigan is actually favored by 3.5 right now. Back-to-back late-season wins against bowl-bound teams would be huge for Michigan after the generally crappy season they've had.
My parents used to take us to get fragels after church when I was a kid. Those things are indeed awesome (although as you point out they should really be served with Lipitor cream cheese). I haven't had one in years but I just did a search and found a listing for The Bagel Factory online so it must still be around. I'm going to have to go get one the next time I'm in town.
As far as this discussion goes, its not like RR is ceding the entire state. The Free Press had an article a few weeks ago about how RR is targeting Detroit in recruiting. Whether the kids come from Michigan or some other state is irrelevant as long as they are good. RR's first recruiting class was pretty good and this one should be pretty good as well. Developing players and winning games will go a lot further towards attracting top recruits than blanketing in-state players with scholarship offers.
To the point about MSU, if Dantonio benefits from Michigan going after fewer in-state recruits, good for them. I'd like to see Sparty get it together for the sake of the rivalry and the Big 10. If State pulls a few players that Michigan was targeting it probably has more to do with Dantonio being a good recruiter than RR being a bad one.
His two yard run picked up a first down. He shed a defensive lineman behind the line of scrimmage and then squirmed between two other defenders to pick up an extra yard and the first down. It was so vintage Hart that I thought of him before I knew he had the ball. The fumble came on the 18 yard screen pass. A defender knocked him out of bounds and jarred the ball loose. I think it just rolled out rather than being recovered by anyone. This was the same play that he got injured on.
Threet looked very good on Saturday and McGuffie seems to have the RB position locked up as well. The only thing I'd add to the well-stated observations made by Magnus about either of these positions is that Threet has the potential to be much more than a temporary solution at QB. I really want to see how the offense performs against Wisconsin, though. It is entirely possible that ND's defense is awful and that Threet's step forward on Saturday wasn't quite as big as it appeared. FWIW, my thinking has gone from hoping that Beaver or Forcier can step in as true freshman to hoping that Threet continues to develop and is entrenched as the starter next year, allowing one of the other two to redshirt.
As for Brown, well, maybe he needs to be replaced or shifted to SS. Then again, if he does have great physical skills as Magnus asserts maybe he just needs to learn the position and make better decisions? He'll likely be needed next year after Harrison and Stewart depart.
The positions I'm most intriged by today are on the offensive line. The starting lineup announced by NBC yesterday didn't include any seniors. Is that group going to continue to start together going forward? I thought they looked pretty good, at least compared with the first two games. Again, ND's defense may have contributed to their competent appearance. Really looking forward to the UFR this week...
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I remember the line because I'd never heard Michigan referred to as "the Blue" before and I thought it was strange.
are waiting for the front office to approve it. I take that to mean the Lions front office. I don't have any problem with the hire if it goes through. Tressel's a good coach and while I'd be worried about him getting a similar job in college (certainly wouldn't want someone with that track record at Michigan) his transgressions aren't an issue in the NFL, at least IMO. Rooting for a team sometimes means having to overcome my personal dislike or disapproval for the actions of people associated with the team. It would be hard to maintain fandom for any team, Michigan sports included, if I was required to like/approve of everything that the players and coaches associated with those teams do.
four buckets that were not O-Reb dunks. MM was fronting Zeller and/or trying to steal the ball when IU lobbed it into the post. This worked to prevent IU from having much in the way of post entry pass-initiated offense. Zeller only had one make that came as a result of a traditional post move (that pretty little fall-away shot) and he had no assists where the ball goes in and he kicks it out to an open man after the D collapses. Zeller's taller and has a great post game so using MM's quickness to try to deny him the ball seems like a reasonable course of action. Unfortunately, that strategy drew MM out of position for defensive rebounding and help defense several times. Pick your poison against a team as good as IU - Michigan just didn't knock down enough shots to keep up, unfortunately.
six of those fouls on us, which IU converted into 12-12 from the line, were intentional on our part and came during the last 1:42 of the game. They "won" the battle insofar as they made their free throws down the stretch but its not like there was a big disparity in the number of fouls called or drawn until the end.
shouldn't be punished but whatever happens to Penn State, somebody is going to get hurt that doesn't deserve it. Everyone who was involved, afterall, has been removed already. The point of levying a punishment on a university or football program isn't just to exact retribution on the wrongdoers but to create a consequence for the institution that engaged in or failed to prevent bad stuff. That sends a signal to all institutions to take proactive steps to prevent the same kind of bad stuff from happening in the future. I don't have a strong opinion about what the NCAA should do but how current Penn State football players are impacted isn't high on my list of concerns.
it would probably be appropriate at this point to stop talking about the remaining games on the schedule that Michigan should win. I agree that there are some very winnable games left on the schedule (all of them, but some obviously more than others) but I did enough premature win-counting last year. Lets just see what happens week to week.
My favorite part of this post is when you said that before the season started that Michigan fans would have been very pleased with a 5-1 start. After Woolfolk's injury I was thinking that if we were 4-2 at this point and could somehow scrape together wins over Illinois and Purdue that I'd consider it a successful season. Now, if we end up 6-6 or even 7-5 I'll be disappointed but that is because my expectations for the team have improved, which is a positive.
My parents used to take us to get fragels after church when I was a kid. Those things are indeed awesome (although as you point out they should really be served with Lipitor cream cheese). I haven't had one in years but I just did a search and found a listing for The Bagel Factory online so it must still be around. I'm going to have to go get one the next time I'm in town.
As far as this discussion goes, its not like RR is ceding the entire state. The Free Press had an article a few weeks ago about how RR is targeting Detroit in recruiting. Whether the kids come from Michigan or some other state is irrelevant as long as they are good. RR's first recruiting class was pretty good and this one should be pretty good as well. Developing players and winning games will go a lot further towards attracting top recruits than blanketing in-state players with scholarship offers.
To the point about MSU, if Dantonio benefits from Michigan going after fewer in-state recruits, good for them. I'd like to see Sparty get it together for the sake of the rivalry and the Big 10. If State pulls a few players that Michigan was targeting it probably has more to do with Dantonio being a good recruiter than RR being a bad one.