Taylor Lewan makes Phil Steele's mid-season All American team.
First team. No other wolverines on the list.
https://www.philsteele.com/All_Conference/2012/2012Midseason/All_American.html
EDIT: Also, probably not thread worthy, but vote for Michigan below.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/61527/poll-who-will-win-the-legends-division
October 10th, 2012 at 5:02 PM ^
October 10th, 2012 at 6:03 PM ^
October 10th, 2012 at 6:10 PM ^
Kinda hard to pin all of that on one guy though, right? There are often good OTs on bad offensive lines.
That said, if you count Fitz's 1.2 ypc against him, you should probably give him credit for Denard's 9.8 ypc, right? It's not like Lewan blocks for one back but not the other.
October 10th, 2012 at 7:03 PM ^
plays together as an unit. You can have the best OT and still have shitty line. Look at NYJ, they have a good LT and great C yet the OL is shitty. or Cleveland Browns with Joe Thomas as the only good OL.
I agree with you 100%
October 11th, 2012 at 12:35 AM ^
Browns C Alex Mack made the pro bowl in his second season in the league. He was also ranked the 42nd best player in the NFL last year by Bleacher report. That is better than G Steve Hutchinson (47th) and another very good center, Maurkice Pouncey (53rd). Joe Thomas was the 2nd best OL in the NFL though (18th ovl) behind Jake Long (4th ovl).
October 11th, 2012 at 5:42 AM ^
but my point still stands on the Browns OL.
October 10th, 2012 at 7:22 PM ^
"There are often good OTs on bad offensive lines."
We had something like that here not too long ago. I wouldn't say the '06 - '07 lines were *bad*, but Jake Long was the only legit NFLer in the group.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^
October 10th, 2012 at 5:07 PM ^
The only Wolverine I'm surprised isn't on the list is Jake Ryan. He has played about as good at LB as anyone I've seen, minus Te'o, including Alabama's group.
Are there really four Big Ten LBs better than Jake Ryan? OK, Mauti has looked pretty damn good. But I'd rather have Ryan than Bullough, Shazier or Hodges.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:27 PM ^
I mean, you have to realize that this type of thing, it isn't like Phil Steele is reviewing a lot of game film. Jake probably could use a few more sacks, TFLs, and FFs to get his numbers up and then you'll see him there, but yeah, I do agree with you, he's been awesome.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:09 PM ^
Excluding special teams, Ohio St. has as many members as the rest of the Big Ten combined.
October 10th, 2012 at 10:17 PM ^
Phil Steele being based in Cleveland. Always a bit of Ohio bias in his "All-whatever" lists.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:09 PM ^
I'm also not sure OSU deserves six guys on that list.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:14 PM ^
Will be good for a laugh when we win in November.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:13 PM ^
A depressing note - 4 guys on that list are from the state of Michigan, none of them are on our team (Bullough, Sims - MSU; Fragel, Hankins - OSU).
October 10th, 2012 at 5:29 PM ^
Wish we could have landed him, but not sure we even really wanted him that much. Part of my befuddlement with where all the DLinemen were going to come from on our team. We're fortunate that BWC and Q have been decent this year, or we'd be screwed.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:34 PM ^
If Hoke were our coach when those guys came out, I bet we get all of them except Bullough.
Not that is matters, but think about what our team looks like plus All-Americans(ish) at TE, OT and DT. Yikes.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:43 PM ^
Sims is only on the list because they have had no body else to throw to. He would be a designated blocker at UM.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:51 PM ^
I disagree. He might not be an All American, but he's a huge kid who can run and catch passes. He would easily be our starting TE if he were on our team. Think about having a bigger Kwiatkowski who is a major receiver threat.
October 10th, 2012 at 6:11 PM ^
Possibly. I just don't know if his status as a recieving threat is due to his ability or a combo lots of play action and an otherwise anemic receiving core. Wouldn't an All American have started over Brian Linthicum?
October 10th, 2012 at 6:28 PM ^
He wasn't an All-American when Brian Linthicum was there. Many All-Americans don't start out that way. It took JJ Watt a couple years just to see the field, let alone start, and look at him now. Dion Sims had to grow into his position, and battle through some legal troubles as well. Now, he looks like a very good TE, and probably a decent NFL draft pick.
Speaking of only his play on the field - Michigan fans would love to have Dion Sims, and so would Al Borges.
October 10th, 2012 at 7:04 PM ^
is a walk-on so of course, he won't see time on the field.
Sims is a pretty fat TE and is hard to take down only because he is big (285 lbs !!!!!)
October 10th, 2012 at 8:18 PM ^
My point with JJ Watt, which I guess was missed on you, is that sometimes guys aren't stars yet as freshmen and sophomores but still end up being great players. So saying Sims isn't good because he didn't start last year isn't a very good argument.
So you think the only reason Dion Sims is good is because he is fat and therefore difficult to bring down? Is that really what you think?
October 10th, 2012 at 10:41 PM ^
he's fucking slow. He literally just box out defender with his fatass body. He's not that good. The only reason why he looked good is he is the only legitimate option on offense for Maxwell. The WRs cannot catch worth a shit or cannot separate. The best WR on the roster is on the bench(Burbridge) though he is starting to see time on the field. Considering that Michigan has Fuchess who is 1000x better than Sims, Sims wouldn't be an upgrade at TE.
JJ Watt was a walk-on. Use better example like Brandon Graham. He wasn't a star in his freshman/sophomore year and he was highly touted coming out of HS.
October 10th, 2012 at 11:39 PM ^
October 11th, 2012 at 5:44 AM ^
I get it but let's be real, he won't start at Michigan. However, there are other MSU players like Gholston, Bullough, Norman, Adams who would start for Michigan.
October 11th, 2012 at 7:39 AM ^
as a Top 5 TE in this year's NFL draft. He's a good player, and if you'd watched any of their games closely this year, that should have been obvious.
October 11th, 2012 at 7:30 PM ^
October 10th, 2012 at 6:16 PM ^
you're an idiot
October 10th, 2012 at 6:47 PM ^
As always, what truly separates the SEC from other conferences - 8 of the 12 1st team D are from the SEC
October 10th, 2012 at 5:42 PM ^
Phil Steele is from Ohio-Just sayin-
Simon and Shazier should not be on that list-Simon has not had a good year and Shazier has been just OK. Reid Fragel struggled until the last 2 games. Miller, Roby and Hankins are probably the only 3 that should be on there.
October 10th, 2012 at 6:18 PM ^
Had amazing games against Michigan State and Nebraska respectively, and those are the two OSU games Steele is most likely to have watched.
October 10th, 2012 at 6:19 PM ^
Phil Steele lists. Always good for a laugh.
October 10th, 2012 at 9:07 PM ^
Simon, Hankins, Shazier, and Roby play on one of the conference worst's defenses. Naturally, this makes them All-Americans.
Also, how in Allah's name is Reid Fragel on this list?
October 10th, 2012 at 10:46 PM ^
There are 116 names up there and only 1 Michigan player. Thanks for loading the cupboard RR.
October 11th, 2012 at 4:50 PM ^
And even our 1 out of 116 is being debated on its own message board. Just wait 3-4 years and we'll have 6-8 guys up on these rundowns....even if they are shakey at the edges.
October 10th, 2012 at 11:29 PM ^
I bet Lewan is also a unanimous 1st team seleciton for the all-penalties team.
October 11th, 2012 at 8:32 AM ^
Lewan has played well, but he hasn't played at an All-American level for an entire game this year.
He hasn't played as well has he did even last year.
I think he'll come around, he's playing at an All-B1G Level, but not an All-American level...yet.
October 11th, 2012 at 10:59 AM ^
...until "bleacherreport"