1 hour and 27 minutes

This is the first of three we recorded as this year's gigantic preview podcast at the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, our gracious hosts and yours this fall if you act fast enough.

We Couldn’t Have One Without the Other

We can do this because people support us. You should support them too so they’ll want to do it again next year! The show is presented by UGP & The Bo Store, and if it wasn’t for Rishi and Ryan there wouldn't have been a season 5 let alone 10.

Our other sponsors are also key to all of this: HomeSure Lending, Peak Wealth Management, Ann Arbor Elder Law, the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, the University of Michigan Alumni Association, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, and Ecotelligent Homes

---------------------------------

1. Quarterback

starts at 1:00 …actually 5:00

Shea Patterson is the K.C. Lopata of quarterbacking. Hugh Freeze jokes are still allowed—Ole Miss scouting shows a guy throwing just RPOs and sight read single-coverage throws that work when his WRs are better and don't when he's against Alabama. When is the last time we had an expectation that a Michigan quarterback would hit the open guy? Tate Forcier maybe? Henne? The Forcier comp is strong with this one. Peters back to #2 (yes, that's solid) is good for him after a year that he wasn't brought along like a young guy ought to be.

2. Running Backs

starts at 20:35

Higdon was 6 yards away from going to the NFL, got much better at finding his holes, is excellent once he's past them, is still weirdly less mass than Chris Evans, who had Eddie McDoom's job as well as his own. Argument of Evans vs. DPJ in space. The heavens opened up and Peters sent a wheel route TD to Evans…against Rutgers. Can anyone block?

Fullback: we try to say BEN MASON with capitalization. You have to platoon these guys but the platoon is probably going to be tight ends and Ben Mason plus a Ben Van Sumeren play. Seth calls a Peter Bush TD vs Rutgers.

3. Receivers and Tight Ends

starts at 39:00

Freshmen receivers suck, sophomore receivers pushed out all the juniors. DPJ and Black are great, Perry has been getting all the practice hype lately, Collins and Oliver are going to be good too, and we even like a couple of walk-ons, one from seeing it. It'll be okay. Last year wasn't.

Zentry is an early entry (see what we did there?) candidate, and that means the freshmen will be brought along. It says things about McKeon that he came in as a redshirt freshman and forced Ol' Skillet Hands out.

4. Offensive Line

starts at 59:51

The guards are fine, Brian has a hot take on right guard. Tackles…don't say that word. Integrating Shea Patterson: RPOs and please be average at pass blocking. I want to point out here that we put the segues in after recording, so Ace actually got to the "don't say that word" joke before I did, and I meant it as a callback to his joke, except now it comes before his joke so it sounds like it's my joke.

Jeff George Jr. appears seconds before he leaves the program.

MUSIC

• "How I Got Over"—Aretha Franklin
• "Spirit in the Dark (Reprise),"—Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles
• "A Change is Gonna Come"—Aretha Franklin
• “Across 110th Street”

THE USUAL LINKS

• Helpful iTunes subscribe link
• General podcast feed link
• Direct download link
• What's with the theme music?

I think they're prepping or a Gentry early entry. A Zentry. In case you don't know that's his Zoolander name. Is that a thing?