Schlabach
18. Michigan will open the 2009 season with a loss (to Western Michigan)
The Wolverines won't be much better in their second season under coach Rich Rodriguez, who still won't have the right personnel to run his spread offense. For the third straight season, Michigan will start its schedule with a stunning loss in the not-so-Big House, falling to Western Michigan.
No one seems to have any confidence in us do they?
January 9th, 2009 at 9:21 AM ^
It is ESPN, the same people who still thought Beaver was still committed to us.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:27 AM ^
I love it...just keep piling on...everyone wants a piece of the fallen giant...even in the between commercial break they somehow got back to talking about Michigan on PTI...Wilbon making fun of us....We're not going to be great next year, but I think some of the lesser talented teams might get an old fashioned ass whippin with like 350yds running.. kinda like the old Bo days where we just line up and out execute and out athlete em. The running game with Minor and Shaw started to really come together later in the year and that was with Threet out or totally inept with the whole elbow thing. Motivation is a great equalizer.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:19 AM ^
For the record, Wilbon made fun of UM when they were winning 8-9 games a year, too.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:29 AM ^
Schlabach is an unabashed SEC homer, whose analysis is more often than not quite weak. I quit reading his columns last summer when it became apparent that he has no real valuable insight.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:30 AM ^
Our house is BIG. I'd tell him to derelict my balls, capitan.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:51 AM ^
I believe it was Derelique my balls.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:03 PM ^
Careful, someone might be saying your U-GOOG-A-LEE soon.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:07 PM ^
A stadium for ants?! It has to be at least... 3 times as big!
January 9th, 2009 at 7:58 PM ^
lol..that's awesome
January 9th, 2009 at 8:31 PM ^
Correction: School for Ants. But, still funny.
January 9th, 2009 at 8:39 PM ^
He might breakdance fight you.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:42 AM ^
WMU has a good chance of going 11-1 or 10-2 next year. It's not a far-fetched idea
January 9th, 2009 at 9:49 AM ^
It wouldn't surprise or shock me. Western returns possibly the best quarterback they have ever had. They retain their starting tailback. They retain one of their top receivers in Nunez. I'd expect him to take over Simmons place as "go to" guy next year. I'm praying he doesn't break the 20 catches in a game record.
Their biggest areas of loss will be on defense (the same defense that carried to them to a win against Illinois last year). They lose both of their starting safeties (#1 & #4 in tackles on the team). They do have a solid backup to SS next year with Armstrong. He played quite a bit last year and ended up 5th in tackles. The only have returning starters at DE (Sr), DT(Sr), & LB(So). If our offense progresses enough and everyone stays healthy, we hopefully will score enough.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:48 AM ^
and i believe they get doug wiggins. a transfer from miami who was like a 4* and the #4 player out of florida in 06 or 07. i'm almost certain that's the highest rated DB to play in the MAC since ratings started
January 9th, 2009 at 9:53 AM ^
the last time I even read his work, if ever.
Feldman and Simmons are the only guys I even read. I check the site only to see if they have any new work.
Well, that and I like the college basketball page.
The rest is lame and there is better stuff out there in the blogosphere.
And, I am less worried about WMU after watching them do next to nothing against Rice last week.
January 9th, 2009 at 10:23 AM ^
Utah was a "stunning loss"?
January 9th, 2009 at 10:43 AM ^
Yeah! forgot about what everyone said after that game!
We still coulda woulda shoulda won that game.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:09 AM ^
After losing to Toledo and App State, I will never take a game for granted again. Let's just take things one game at a time as we wait and watch Rich Rod rebuild this team.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:00 PM ^
I'm in agreement with West Texas Blue, here. Why some of you think that its ridiculous to suggest that we will lose to Western Michigan is beyond me. I think its safe to say that, after the Appy St. & Toledo debacles, any fear or trepidation that an opponent had of coming into the Big House to play Michigan is pretty much evaporated(for now, at least). At this point, I kinda think that every team Michigan faces at home really believes that they can come in and compete with us without the fear of getting rolled.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:35 PM ^
Michigan will never lose to a MAC team. Not at home, at least.