Rivals.com Overall/Unit Ranking, Key Players
Rivals has released their Big Ten preview for the year. Here are the Michigan notes for those that don't want to read the whole thing
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1111266
Best Offensive Player: Gabe Carimi
Best Defensive Player: Adrian Clayborn
Offensive Player on Spot: Tate
Defensive Player on Spot: JJ Watt, wiscy
Breakout Offensive Star: Kevin Newsome
Breakout Defensive Star: 'Death Roh'
Best Offensive Newcomer: Robert Marve
Best Defensive Newcomer: Gholston
Most Overrated: Ricky Stanzi
Overall Ranking: MICHIGAN AT 5, MICHIGAN STATE 6
Game of the Year: Meth Heads V Iowa (Nov 20)
Unit Rankings (Leader, Michigan Rank, MSU rank):
O-Backfield: Ohio State, Michigan 5, MSU 4
Recievers: OSU, Michigan 7, MSU 6
O-Line: Wiscy, Michigan 6, MSU 9
D-Line: Iowa, Michigan 6, MSU 5
Linebackers: OSU, Michigan 6, MSU2
Secondary: Iowa, Michigan 8, MSU 9
STs: Iowa, Michigan 6, MSU 4
Coaching Staff: Iowa, Michigan 7, MSU 6
Just for fun, and using the same format as above, who on this years team would you place in each of these categories: Best Offensive Player, Best Defensive Player, Offensive Player on Spot, Defensive Player of Spot, Breakout Offensive Star, Breakout Defensive Star, Best Offensive Newcomer, and Best Defensive newcomer.
August 10th, 2010 at 2:39 PM ^
If it was this same article, but another article I read listed Ken Wilkins as 262! I checked, and yes... that is his weight. HOLY WEIGHT GAIN!!! considering this guy is a freak of swoleness.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wilkins_kenny00.html
Back on topic, it's a nice shoutout to Death Roh! Gotta love all the hype Robert Mavre is getting. *cough*
August 10th, 2010 at 2:54 PM ^
very odd avatar....
August 10th, 2010 at 2:39 PM ^
Breakout Offensive Star: Kevin Newsome
LOLWUT
August 10th, 2010 at 2:48 PM ^
Newsome is brutal. He may start this year, but Paul Jones or Robert Bolden are better players and will play over Newsome when they learn the offense. Starting Kevin bodes well for us. We'll be keying on the run game in that one.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:24 PM ^
that's why i think PSU is very overrated this year. teams will stack the box and PSU will not be able to put up enough points to win. even if their defense is great, they're going to get exhausted by being on the field constantly.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:25 PM ^
I sure hope so. As long as he doesn't have Juice-like read-option skills, I think they're in for a rough year.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:47 PM ^
August 10th, 2010 at 5:31 PM ^
With that defense, and with that offense (if we have to call it that), PSU will be throwing rock a lot this year. If Newsome gets to throw more than 15 passes per game I'll be surprised.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:37 PM ^
I just wanna know if any of the national analysts have been reading up on what I've been hearing/seeing from Newsome the past year. From what I know, he's been wretched and will have a tough time sticking it out at QB at PSU.
August 10th, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^
If that is the case, what position can he switch to?
August 10th, 2010 at 2:49 PM ^
How exactly does Michigan not have the toughest schedule?
"TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: Minnesota. The schedule is full of obstacles, including underrated non-league games at Middle Tennessee (the Sun Belt favorite) and at home against Northern Illinois (the MAC West favorite). USC also visits Minneapolis. Want more? The Gophers play what figures to be the Big Ten's top four teams in Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Penn State."
They have USC, yes, but we play ND and UConn, along with all 4 of those top B10 teams.
August 10th, 2010 at 2:57 PM ^
August 10th, 2010 at 3:03 PM ^
Minnesota will not be favored in an of those games, which might be the reasoning for them having the hardest schedule.
...and yes Middle Tenn is favored (according to recent posts on game lines)
August 10th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^
Well depending on how you look at it...
Yes, they will lose more games than us, but our overall opponent skill level is higher.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:52 PM ^
That doesn't make sense. Because they are terrible, their schedule is tougher. Strength of schedule is determined (at least it should be) on the difficulty of your opponent in the given location of the game not who is favored. I understand your reasoning but I don't agree if that is actually the case.
August 10th, 2010 at 9:18 PM ^
My reasoning should not be a factor in any method of determining strength of schedule, I agree. However, most people who make these predections (example rivals) aren't basing it on hard numbers. Mainly on perception. You can't but wonder that when they look at Minn schedule, with the assumption that Minney is going to be bad, that they say "ohh Midd Tenn, they should be pretty decent, that is going to be a tough game for Minn." without realizing that for a better team, playing Mid Tenn would be considered a cupcake.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:28 PM ^
to have the the toughest schedule because we can't play Michigan
August 10th, 2010 at 4:05 PM ^
But we did and Denard tore it up.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:01 PM ^
I can't really object to much of this list until we produce, but offensive line was a bit of a d-slap.
August 10th, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^
I think O-line should be around 3 and D-line should be 5.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:08 PM ^
I guess I missed the part where Kevin Newsome was a redshirt last year. Especially considering the 11 passes and 20 rushes he had.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:20 PM ^
Can someone correct me if im wrong, but didn't Newsome play last year against Syracuse or something for Penn State? How would that allow him to still be redshirted in 2009 from what it says.
Edit: Just looked at their site and says he played so not sure what rivals is referring to.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^
I love how they talk up Roh and yet don't include him on preseason 1st or 2nd teams.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:33 PM ^
August 10th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^
Best Defensive Newcomer: Marvin Robinson
August 10th, 2010 at 3:42 PM ^
Cam Gordon
PS- WitchitanWolverine -- did you send me an e-mail?
August 10th, 2010 at 3:50 PM ^
Not yet, been pretty busy (and keep forgetting). I'll get on it this week. Thanks for the reminder.
August 10th, 2010 at 6:45 PM ^
I wasn't sure which freshman were likely to see the field, and who among them could have a break out year. Sounds good to me
August 10th, 2010 at 3:43 PM ^
Are we really being told our o-line is middle of the pack? I thought this was the one unit that even non-Kool-Aid drinkers would admit was near the top of the Big Ten.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:58 PM ^
I'd rank, in no order, Wisco, OSU, Iowa, PSU and NW's line all ahead of ours right now. We have as big of holes as any holes on those units, while I feel there is a little more proven production remaining on those units that on Michigan's.
I wil say I think our OL has a lot of young talent and looks ready to finally come together. I'm fine with 6th preseason ranking. I'd like to think the unit could jump into the 3-4 range by season's end. With 4 starters back and more youth maturing, this will be preseason top-3 a year from now.
August 10th, 2010 at 4:38 PM ^
Wisco and OSU makes sense (but even OSU's line had problems last year).
Iowa? Can you tell me how many games they successfully ran the ball in? Michigan finished with 900 more regular season rushing yards than the Hawkeyes (who also played a cream puff schedule) without David Molk for most of the season. Iowa rushed for 109 yards a game last year with a conservative offense supposedly geared towards running. That's worse than the worst season average for Michigan since before Bo. They also gave up four more sacks than Michigan and I'll bet that they were, on average, more experienced.
NW? Their running game was crap last year too and they gave up six more sacks than Michigan. I don't know what you could be seeing that would rank their line higher than ours.
August 10th, 2010 at 4:46 PM ^
Northwestern has a center in Ben Burkett and a left tackle in Al Netter who are better than anybody right now on our offensive line. We're talking about a 5-man group and I would take their top-2--right now, based on past Big 10 and college football production--over anyone in our projected starting five. That and 2 other returning starters would rate them ahead of Michigan in my book. They were an effective offense without jaw dropping talent. The OLine was a big part of that.
I do think Michigan's line could pass them in the postseason rankings when its all said and done. But, we have a lot more holes than NW right now up front. We still have questions at tackle, that they dont. I think our line is going to be great, but Omameh and Lewan arent proven enough to help any preseason ranking--at least how I go about it....lot of folks factor in potential, but I would end up putting MICH #1 in eevrything if I did that, lol, so I am going point blank on how they've performed in the past.
August 10th, 2010 at 5:07 PM ^
Didn't Iowa lose 3 or 4 starters on the OL?
August 10th, 2010 at 7:39 PM ^
3 including the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year...
August 10th, 2010 at 5:11 PM ^
And, I dont know what to say about Iowa. On reflection, I would not only put UM, but Minny and IU's line ahead of the Hawks right now. A brain cramp making me think Bugala and Calloway were still on the team? Thats all I got.
August 10th, 2010 at 7:39 PM ^
for manning up
August 10th, 2010 at 6:02 PM ^
First off, looks like there are a lot of good o-lines in the conference, so being 5th could translate to pretty decent (and I think Denard + pretty decent o-line = whoa)
Second, I'm not really sure there's consesus that we are supposed to have a great line. If Molk stays healthy then we should definitely be in better shape than last year, but we still have question marks at the tackles. What about Lewan you ask? Well keep in mind he's a rs freshman playing at LT.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:44 PM ^
At the end of the year our offensive line will be ranked significantly higher than sixth. I expect our D-line to be higher too. But I also expect our DBs and LBs to be ranked lower than they are.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:51 PM ^
August 10th, 2010 at 3:53 PM ^
This may be baseless optimism, but I think our linebackers will be very solid this year. I just think Mouton and Ezeh will have Stevie Brown-like transformations.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:57 PM ^
Game of the Year: Meth Heads V Iowa (Nov 20)
Who are the Meth Heads? Wisconsin?
Clearly there is some joke I'm missing.
August 10th, 2010 at 4:54 PM ^
August 10th, 2010 at 6:26 PM ^
I thought the same thing. I was like, "Is Iowa scrimmaging that day?"
August 10th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^
I was just going to say the same thing: how can "the Meth Heads" be somebody other than Iowa??
August 10th, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^
It should have read "Meth Heads whose state once had a river catch on fire" V. "Meth heads who literally have nothing else to do in their state except meth."
Though apparentely the state with highest crystal meth use rate is Oregon, which would explain Jeremiah, Legarrette, and Lamichael's erratic behavior.
August 10th, 2010 at 11:14 PM ^
Best Offensive Player: Molk
Best Defensive Player: Martin
Offensive Player on Spot: Stonum
Defensive Player of Spot: Ezeh
Breakout Offensive Star: Cox
Breakout Defensive Star: Roh
Best Offensive Newcomer: Lewan
Best Defensive newcomer: Cullen Christian