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Date Title Body
The Utah AG is wasting

The Utah AG is wasting taxpayer dollars for political gain here. Having talked to antitrust experts, the BCS does not violate antitrust laws. Not even close. If there is an antitrust case to be made against anyone, it is the NCAA, which is a blatant monopoly and whose rules, specifically regarding recruiting, limit the ways in which institutions can compete.

God please be the case

Maybe he's just going to be tweeting a lot about the Tourney games since this is the first day of games since we got knocked out? Hope so

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And they continue to get

And they continue to get bigger and stronger for the whole time they are in college ,because they have youth, genetics, and testosterone on their side, plus a Division 1 strength coach. Ergo, a freshman with one year in the program, who has, as you say, a reasonable base of strength, is still weaker relative to his competition, and will get pushed around.

Love how you listed seven

Love how you listed seven straight losses in RR's resume. Truth is, psychologically anyway, the streak and even The Horror blended in for a lot of people and they put all the blame on him. Maybe those events were just evidence that the ship was sinking long before he got here and the other items on your list really weren't on him.

Saban did not fail in the

Saban did not fail in the NFL. As a Pats fan, I can say we were seeing signs that we no longer had the only brilliant football mind in the division. Minor point, I know.

incomparable*

incomparable*

Schedule Strength & Defense

You seem to imply that by only looking at Big Ten games, opponent quality holds constant. Given the small sample size and close numbers, for these stats to mean anything, variables like opponent quality need to be constant. Except it isn't. State and Wisconsin certainly are at local peaks this year, Iowa is the same (Record notwithstanding, they were lucky last year, and probably unlucky this year), OSU is OSU, Illinois is better, Indiana is equal, Purdue is worse, but weather in that game was a major factor, and Penn State is worse. Our SOS according to Sagarin is 30th.

We also have a worse defense this year, and no kicking game (Hard to argue this is coaching, which both will lower point totals fairly significantly. Brian has explained numerous times that anyone trying to argue this offense isn't awesome is fishing.

Re: the turnover issue, turnovers were an issue, but we still had a first-year starter at QB and are very young. We also have many more plays this year since we actually moved the ball. Turnovers per play is the better statistic to look at, and that was clearly lower.

Hey, leave Vick alone!!!

I mean, everybody kills, everybody murders, so don't pick on him.

The Prodigal son returns?

C'mon RoJo!

A few things

4.19 PROTESTING GAMES. Each league shall adopt rules governing procedure for protesting a game, when a manager claims that an umpire’s decision is in violation of these rules. No protest shall ever be permitted on judgment decisions by the umpire. In all protested games, the decision of the League President shall be final.

Rule 4.19 Comment: Whenever a manager protests a game because of alleged misapplication of the rules the protest will not be recognized unless the umpires are notified at the time the play under protest occurs and before the next pitch, play or attempted play. A protest arising on a game-ending play may be filed until 12 noon the following day with the league office.

The Brett example was a misapplication of a rule. The rulebook has accounted for this and is pretty clear cut about it. Also, unless Leyland filed the protest right after the call, it can't be protested.

Another thing with regards to the "last out" argument. Say The Indians had come back and won the game after the botched call. Then what? You can say it doesn't matter all you want, but this is a slippery slope and does set a precedent that can lead to major problems later. This isn't the first, nor will it be the last blown call that has major consequences. It's unfortunate, but it really can't be changed.

Maybe RichRod has talked to

Maybe RichRod has talked to the kid and has realized he has no chance. Now, I know, I know, Rich always gives up way too quickly on kids and never feels like he can pull an upset. That's why Michael Shaw and Roy Roundtree and Denard Robinson and Demar Dorsey didn't commit to Michigan.

If he can tell it's a lost cause, there's no point. He has a much closer view than we do, and that's my guess about what's going on.

Don't make bets

Very very few beat the market with any consistency. Build a market-diversified portfolio, along with bonds, foreign currencies, and commodities. Don't make the mistake of thinking you are smarter than the market.

Where to start? Because

Where to start? Because senators bring up college football doesn't make "college football" as a topic political. If someone were to start a thread, "Does Congress have a right to regulate how the NCAA determines its National Champion?" though, that would be political. That is a question of political ideology, as is this. Sorry.

I'm not taking a side on this, but

It isn't simply ensuring a level playing field. It is taking a decision about how a business can deliver its product, maximize return on its investment, and serve its shareholders out of the hands of that business. Econ 101 will teach you that in general such restrictions limit incentives and therefore hamper innovation/total surplus/overall quality, so you don't have to say specifically how this restriction will limit innovation in order to make that argument.

You say they don't have a right to charge you more for 100 GB of youtube content vs. Hulu content? Why is this so clear cut? Isn't it a sound argument that they have a right to deliver their service however they choose, and if you don't like it you don't have to buy it?

On the other side, internet delivery is a very concentrated industry, and therefore you can make a sound argument that without regulation the market will not produce the most efficient outcome. Many people don't have an option about what internet provider to use, so, yes, your argument has merit. I'm not denying that.

But this is political. Discussing the need for or need to limit government regulation is absolutely political.

It's still politics, which is

It's still politics, which is banned here and for good reason.

What happened to the

What happened to the anti-politics rule on this board?

That quote is taken directly

That quote is taken directly from a Rivals article (SI has essentially outsourced recruiting reporting to them). What it means is that Baxter did really like his visit, but took his USC visit the next week, and his interest was essentially a flash in the pan. It's great that we got him on campus for a game, but I don't think we have a huge leg up on any school who will come after him now.

Recruiting tapes are also not

Recruiting tapes are also not all that representative. Just because a kid can put together 5 minutes worth of great plays doesn't say much about his overall play.

I think he accidentally mixed

I think he accidentally mixed up Miami and Michigan?

Florida beat Saban's

Florida beat Saban's (literally) pro-style team last year. Nick Saban is also a genius. He was poised to be very successful in the NFL before he came back to 'Bama. This isn't to say Rich Rod will never be able to beat him, but to use Saban as a benchmark is a bit unfair.

Because all of you were there

Because all of you were there and saw the incident to know what he deserved? I wasn't either, so I'll withhold judgment, but I'll trust the jury, and if I recall correctly, the judge said he thought even the misdemeanor conviction wasn't merited based on the evidence presented in court. There's a reason for our standards of evidence for conviction.

Ahh, yes, facts and logic

Defense does take personnel, though. We are 15 scholarships below the limit, and have 25 upperclassmen on the team. We were going to be bad on defense for these past two years regardless thanks to Lloyd, add in attrition from a(ny) coaching change, and you see the results.

Look at the depth chart, and tell me what coach could make a good defense out of it. Then make your case.

The fact is most people who want Rich gone just don't like him, because he has an accent, he doesn't quote poetry, and he's not from here. So, you choose to look at "facts" and distort them to suit your thesis.

At the beginning of the year, consensus was the talent/experience level of this team should be around 6-6 or 7-5. If you expect this record, you can't be angry at 5-7; random things happen that determine one or two wins. Then, we lose our center (which amounts to losing two lineman because Moosman shifts over), Minor, who makes our offense go, and Cissoko (cannot blame RichRod).

We are 2-3 in close games, and laid one real egg. But even Pete Carroll teams lay eggs. This team has played to where it should, and came out a bit unlucky to go 5-7. It says very little about coaching other than it appears this offense is going to be very dynamic.

That statement is true, and

That statement is true, and shares no opinion on the matter. Is RichRod under a lot of pressure and scrutiny? Yes. Does the investigation add to that scrutiny? Yes. Does this new report raise eye brows at all? Yes. This board likes to jump on ESPN at every chance, because a lot of times they are fucking retarded rumor-mongerers. But every negative thing said about Michigan isn't evidence of it. Twice today now there have been posts about ESPN. One faulting them for publishing an AP article, and now this, about an article which doesn't say anything controversial.

They asked him to postpone

They asked him to postpone his decision, too. It sounds like they knew he wasn't going to come if he made his decision in a week, and they didn't want to waste their time. If he was willing to put off his decision, maybe they'd have a shot. But no go. Good news, regardless.

One point on the Roundtree run

I was screaming at the TV just like most of you, telling Roundtree to run faster. It was unbelievable how slow he was running. It's since occurred to me that Roundtree was running into a very strong headwind. And anyone who's run cross country or learned about how geese fly knows that when you run behind someone, you have an easier time because the guy in front is diminishing air resistance. It makes sense that he was running slow, and that the guy chasing him would catch him.

That's garbage

I've been to a few stadiums, and I can say that the student tailgate at Michigan is as good as any (I've been to Wisco, OSU, ND, PSU). I wouldn't be shocked if the parking lots around the stadium were pretty tame comparatively, though. My roommate, who is generally very negative about everything Michigan, and has been to several SEC schools, also says the student tailgate here is legit.

And all that noise this whole

And all that noise this whole season has come from where? And all those students in Beaver Stadium or Death Valley must be dead sober, too. I don't knock alums who would rather sit and watch the game than stand up for 4 hours, even though by doing so you are quite literally hurting the team, but don't hassle the students for making their Big House experience the way they like it best, especially when they are the only source of our home field advantage

OMG we lost a game to a team with in-state recruits!!!!

Let's see, we were also beaten by out-of-state recruits from Penn State and Iowa. A kid from San Diego beat Notre Dame. Two kids from Ohio won Heisman trophies.

To your other points: I don't buy the meme that in-state kids try harder. If you play D1 football, you are by nature unbelievably competitive, you could be thrown out on a field with the Taliban All-stars and play your heart out. You just love to win and hate to lose.

And, true, by not going after in-state recruits, we are making it easier for MSU to field a good team. But our objective is not to make Sparty as bad as possible, it is to make Michigan the best team it can be. If we let them get a guy so we can go get someone better, we still come out relatively better off. Not to mention, if we start worrying about how good we are relative to State, we are in trouble. Our benchmark will always be Ohio State, and they too recruit nationally. So recruits we ignore from Florida, Cali, Texas, anywhere may well end up at Ohio State.

Obviously you aren't an economist

I read both of your posts, and you completely disregard that there are costs associated with going after in-state players, namely going after other players. The importance of going after and getting local players is that they are lower-cost investments with a greater likelihood of a return. You can spend less time recruiting a player and have a higher probability that the resources you use will produce a commitment. Texas, for example, can do little more than send an offer letter to a huge number of players and get an immediate commitment. From this perspective, if it will require as much time to convince an in-state player to come to Michigan as a player from anywhere else, there is really no sense in placing a higher importance on getting the Michigander. If anything, a commitment from an out-of-state player can be more valuable because you can establish a relationship with a program that may produce future lower-cost commitments. We don't really have to worry about having several "easy" recruitments at in-state schools. When Mark Dantonio produces a better recruiting class than Rich, and that victory comes down to losing out on in-state recruits, then make your point. But these posts are truly nonsensical and demonstrate nothing.

Really?

The Curse of the Black Pearl, the Curse of the One Ring, The Curse on Sleeping Beauty, and Spilled Salt are more potent and real than these. Are you really discussing this seriously? Just look at your arguments, and you are trying to fit the evidence into a ridiculous theory. Eddie George had a good year statistically and he made the playoffs, there was a curse? If you look hard enough, you can make events say anything you want. Curses don't exist.

$$$

I'm pretty sure the cops' new enforcement of noise violations and other typically unenforced laws is part of an effort to generate revenue. Obviously the city needs money, and an easy way for them to do that is to pick up several hundred dollars each for noise violations. It's bullshit, for sure. The game day atmosphere is a reason many recruits and students come here. I doubt they'll take it to court, but only because I'd bet they're content to keep collecting fines.

That may be true, that he

That may be true, that he might consider us, but I highly doubt he'll come here. The schools he is considering run pro-style offenses, and all rely on BIIIIG O-lineman, whom NFL scouts will drool over. Until RichRod's scheme produces some highly drafted lineman, I don't think you'll see us get these sorts of guys.

Cite your sources

Do you have any evidence that Devin is getting interested in Illinois?

I really think it is

I really think it is premature to declare Tate the long-run winner of this QB race. Definitely for this year. But D-Rob clearly is a better runner, and not just because of his breakaway speed. He gets from the LOS to an 8 yard gain in scarily little time. As we know, RichRod is all about competition. Just because Tate has a great game or even a great year doesn't mean he won't have to continue to beat out D-Rob to remain the starter. Denard definitely has the potential to become a solid thrower, and given how dangerous he is running, he may not have to be much more than solid to be more effective than Tate. Before I get destroyed, no, this is no knock on Tate. Tate is a hero and if he is the starter for the next four years, we will be awesome. But after two games(particularly in which Denard has proven effective in his limited time), you can't definitively say Tate has this thing locked up.

can it be confirmed whether

can it be confirmed whether or not holding was called on this play?

replay rules

Yeah, I saw that. Does anybody know what cameras the refs have access to? Is it just the ones the broadcast shows on replay? Also, I can't find those shots anywhere to even see whether they are conclusive.

FUPA

FUPA

My take

on this situation was that he was going to Ohio State all along, unless he was convinced otherwise. It's sort of akin to a prospect saying, "I'm still committed, but I'm taking visits." We were way behind OSU when RichRod got here, and maybe with a spectacular sales pitch and some quick recruit bonding he would have come. Was it a waste of our time? Yes and no. Yes in an absolute sense that it was very very unlikely that he would come. But, at the same time, what was the alternative? There were no other quarterbacks to be recruiting, so what the hell? Give it a shot. You have to have something better to do for something to be a waste of time.

I didn't note it during the game, but

good call, and I can't agree more. The troughs were a staple of the Big House and oh so convenient. And fun. When else could you piss on a wall without the risk of a UIP? I just decided, I will have a trough urinal in my bathroom one day.

You, sir, are as bad as MSM

Please don't write a ridiculous and irrelevant headline to attract attention to your post. The post itself is interesting; thanks for linking a very good article. The headline really has nothing to do with it, though.

Similar Move

to when Bill cut Lawyer Milloy, a long-time anchor of the defense who was past his prime, right before the 2003 season. Aside from the being free of the contract, that move really galvanized that defense and made everyone else feel the need to step up. I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar result here.

gibberish

-1

Very Interesting Result, IMO

I was fully expecting to dread it, but I thought it was never particularly inappropriate (the band was playing for everything important). I am equally surprised, however, how little of an effect it had. The crowd didn't respond to it all that much. If it is reserved for breaks a la today, I'm fine with it, though.

What are you doing

questioning Bill Belichick about football?