Tyreas

December 28th, 2010 at 12:25 PM ^

I am going to play it safe tonight and buy boxed wine. If he chooses someplace else I didn't waste money on anything good and if he chooses Michigan I can still get drunk.

ken725

December 28th, 2010 at 12:53 PM ^

If he goes Blue, I will celebrate by drinking some Fat Tire.  I went and got some after hearing how hard they are to find in Michigan.  I have been taking Fat Tire for granted since I can go anywhere to find it, even Target has it.  I guess the allure of the beer goes away when it is readily available.  On the other hand it is hard for me to find Jolly Pumpkin, almost impossible without ordering it. 

DrewandBlue

December 28th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^

 

anything from Justice Hayes?  Wasn't he twittering something about some commitments forthcoming?  Maybe he has some inside info, after all, there was much speculation his comments may have been about Zettel.

jackw8542

December 28th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^

To those of you comparing Michigan academically to our Zettel competitors, in the worldwide university rankings put out by the Times in London, Michigan was the 19th ranked university in the world and the highest ranked state university in the world.  Northwestern was 32nd, Wisconsin was 61st, Illinois 63rd, Purdue 87th, with no other Big 10 schools in the top 100.  Penn State was 120 (Notre Dame 199).  If Zettel is picking on the basis of academics, we are the best in the Big 10 by a pretty wide margin, not to mention having the best alumni.

Needs

December 28th, 2010 at 4:00 PM ^

That study is heavily weighed to favor research intensive universities, using measures, which, at least for students beginning their undergraduate careers, has little to nothing to do with the quality of the education they receive.

The "teaching" category itself is worth only 30% of the institutional ranking. A clumsy evaluation of research and a quantitative measure of the frequency of citation make up 2/3 of the ranking. I don't think either of those has much to do with the quality of initial undergraduate education (and I say this as someone holding a Michigan PhD currently teaching at a top tier university).

In the "teaching" category itself, 50% of that ranking consists of a worldwide survey of scholars ranking teaching at other institutions, something that they know little to nothing about. The rest is student-faculty ratios (something that is important, especially early). PhDs to BAs awarded (again, maybe this matters to the very top undergrads but it's hard to see it as a reflection of overall excellence), andthe final measure is a crude calculation of how well faculty are paid.

Michigan is in the top tier of the Big 10 academically, but these rankings seem little more than a measure of prestige and dedication to graduate level research.

Criteria here:

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-20…

Old School Wolverine

December 28th, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^

Have some perspective, people, those of you who say he may not commit to us b/c of the coaching uncertainty.  Well, Paterno is coaching only one more season IF AT ALL, so Zettel would be having lots of uncertainty had he chose PSU, far more than coming to us. Growing up a M fan his whole life, he knows Bo (Harbaugh) and knows RR.

Wolvie3758

December 28th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^

He ALREADY has been advised about what the coaching situation is going to be and is COMFORTABLE.....just a thought

BLUEOkie

December 28th, 2010 at 1:41 PM ^

TomVH via twitter:

"Just spoke with Anthony Zettel. He said, "I feel 100% right with this school and I just wanted to get it over with." decision @ 7:30.

UMMAN83

December 28th, 2010 at 2:57 PM ^

Michigan fan then somehow ended up wearing green all the time, I'd feel pretty sick. ...  Not to mention looking bad.

vegasmaize

December 28th, 2010 at 1:44 PM ^

When AZ got back from Cancun yesterday he called HC to make plans for annoucement.  AZ wouldn't tell the coaches his decision.  So this tells us just about nothing.  

Captain

December 28th, 2010 at 2:17 PM ^

An examination of presumed facts and loose deduction:

  • Zettel was a Blue lean.  Some say 95%; I'll call it 70%. 
  • As TomVH pointed out above, he now feels 100% right about his new school.
  • Either he made up the last 30% and is now a 100% Blue commit, or he made a 70% reversal and selected another school.
  • A 70% reversal is more dramatic, and would presumably require a stronger catalyst (for example, a very strong in-home conference with another school's coaching staff).
  • The decision is coming off the heels of a trip to Cancun. 
  • Chances are, whatever might have taken place in Cancun (or during the dead period beforehand) was a relatively weak catalyst (for example, some self-reflection, discussions with friends, etc.). 
  • A weak catalyst is probably not potent enough to effectuate the 70% reversal.

Based on the above, I'm placing a bet of 500 MGoPoints that Zettel made up the final 30% and is now a Blue commit, rather than a 70% reversal to another school.

One ore more of the presumptions made above, including the presumption that Zettel was last known to be a 70% Blue lean, may be incorrect.  But my bet stands.

TJ

December 28th, 2010 at 4:00 PM ^

I like the trip to Cancun part because I've been there and there are usually TONS of Blue fans representing. There may be an Iowa fan or two... but Spartan fans are scarce whenever you leave Michigan. Not to say seeing a ton of Michigan fans would play a large impact on his decision, but it can't hurt.

st barth

December 28th, 2010 at 2:35 PM ^

Cancun?   Well, at least we can rule out ND & Miami because they don't let their players go to Mexico.  Hooray!!!

uminks

December 28th, 2010 at 6:40 PM ^

A life long Michigan fan has no other place to go, but Michigan!  When I was playing high school football, my dreams were to play for Michigan. Unfortunately, I stopped growing after getting to 6'1" as a freshmen and everyone else got quicker! But I still went to school at UM!