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Here's the thing I don't get…

Here's the thing I don't get.  Most college football teams have serviceable QBs. Yes QB is the most important player on the field and yes, we need a QB that can beat OSU, but we should be able to put someone out there who isn't a complete liability.  I don't understand how we had so many years with either a bad QB or a suspect O-line or both.

Our O-line should be very good this year with a lot of guys who have been on campus for a few years.  Pre-spring ball I have a lot of warm fuzzies for the potential of Tuttle, Denegal, Orji, Davis Warren and even Jayden Davis. Most of those guys have been here 2 years as well.    

Believe it or not Larry Bird…

Believe it or not Larry Bird was probably underrated, if that is possible.  I wonder if Magic hadn't been around if Larry would have been a bigger star, or if the rivalry is what made Larry Legend.

 

Edit:  ...and I'm a Pistons fan, so I don't really like Bird.

We can't have nice things.  …

We can't have nice things.   

This is where Moore's recruiting and personality come in.  His number 2 pick should be up.

So the article said the…

So the article said the pecking order is age followed by alphabetical order when there is a tie.  Do Denegal and Orji have the same birthday?    That’s crazy if true.

it’s like that old stats thing where if you have 30 people in a room the odds are really high that two will have the same birthday.

I hope one of these guys take a huge step forward.

I think Wikipedia gets a bum…

I think Wikipedia gets a bum wrap.  I tried changing something 10-15 years ago and the editors of the page were all over it.  (I was correct with the change, but it went through a process and was actually rejected because I didn't have a proper source.)  

On top of that it is a non-profit providing factual unbiased information for free to the masses.  The National Institute of Health says: 

"Wikipedia is by far the largest online encyclopedia, and the number of errors it contains is on par with the professional sources even in specialized topics such as biology or medicine. Yet, the academic world is still treating it with great skepticism because of the types of inaccuracies present there, the widespread plagiarism from Wikipedia, and historic biases, as well as jealousy regarding the loss of the knowledge dissemination monopoly. This article argues that it is high time not only to acknowledge Wikipedia's quality but also to start actively promoting its use and development in academia."

Of course this is a journal article that I'm quoting that does not speak for the whole NIH, which is why it is hard for people to trust sources that any yahoo on the internet can edit or quote. 

I still think Wikipedia is cool.

 

Guessing this article was…

Guessing this article was commissioned by Warde to make the firing easier.

Agreed.  I was still holding…

Agreed.  I was still holding out hope he could course correct.

Now Warde

Now Warde

We had pie at my wedding…

We had pie at my wedding instead of cake.  Sweet Potato Pecan Pie.   Bottom is sweet potato pie, which is similar to pumpkin pie,  and the top is pecan pie.  Absolutely delicious.

I mean Howard was an…

I mean Howard was an assistant coach at Miami for like 15 years.  

Great stuff!

Great stuff!

Didn't Juwan have heart…

Didn't Juwan have heart surgery this year and miss part of the season because of it?  Just saying. 

19-20   19-12

20-21  23-5

21-22  19-15

22-23  18-16

23-24  8-24

The trajectory isn't great, but in 21 and 22, an extra player or a few better bounces...

Just listened on my walk. …

Just listened on my walk.  Hearing the roundtable talk about Moore and the coaches he's bringing in you've got to feel good about the direction of the program.  Likeability is so important.

Hard to see a coach leaving…

Hard to see a coach leaving a historically strong basketball school like UCONN or NC.  You also don't want a coach over say [57].  You want someone who at least has the potential of coaching 10 years, can adapt to the transfer portal age and is still up for a big change.  A 65 year old John Calipari isn't going to leave Kentucky. 

I believe that is how Dennis…

I believe that is how Dennis Rodman was discovered.

Looks like he is a pretty…

Looks like he is a pretty good recruiter

I admittedly haven't heard of most CFB coaches, but everyone Moore has brought in seems super solid.  Looking forward to seeing what they do on the recruiting trail and on the field.  

This right here.  Warde…

This right here.  Warde needs to get the NIL and transfer issues (accepting players) fixed before anything else.  Fix those issues and give Juwan a year to show he make an improvement.  We probably wouldn't have gotten all of the players who didn't make it here, but probably most of them.   If Warde doesn't fix NIL and the acceptance stuff in the next [month] he should be fired.  In fact we should probably just fire him and bring in someone who can fix those issues. 

What are the acceptance/recruiting issues? 

NCAA-The Argentinian Kid had an issue with paying back his [$1200] per diem with the NCAA.  This is mind boggling.  Why someone didn't throw him a $50k NIL immediately is beyond me.  (Are foreign players not eligible for NIL?)

Transferring Classes--I know people who transferred from CC, Western and other schools (30 years ago) and none of their classes transferred.  I get academic integrity, but I think this is largely a money grab.  Athletes have tutors who could help them with any gaps in their knowledge.  ...and while many athletes go on to be doctors, lawyers, etc., you can't tell me that the English class from [Stanford/North Carolina/Texas Tech] aren't good enough for a sports communications degree.

NIL--Other schools are openly paying players (See OSU/Miami bidding wars in football).  Michigan gets dinged for cheeseburgers so we can't play like that with inducements, and I agree with the ideas that you want teams and not mercs, but there is no reason we can't have players tell recruits what their NIL situation is like.  I don't know if we are really behind in NIL or not beyond message board chatter, but if we actually are, and Warde doesn't have something up his sleeve, he should be shown the door.  NIL and the transfer portal are the biggest changes to college sports ever.  Michigan should be the leaders and best....

Go Blue!

Go Blue!

...and has TWO Michigan…

...and has TWO Michigan degrees.

The basket is a nice touch…

The basket is a nice touch man.   Though personally I would have gone with a bag, man.

Did you exchange any…

Did you exchange any cheeseburgers?

The previous thread was my…

The previous thread was my inspiration for this one.  Why am I reading about potential rumors?  Where is the recruiting news in the off season?

Fair enough.  I was only…

Fair enough.  I was only half way through my first when I made it.  So there's that....

 

...and FWIW I discovered that French Roast is awful tasting, but is a lot better if you add milk.  I'm going back to Colombian next time.

That bums me out.  You got…

That bums me out.  You got to be going through a lot to quit your job at a $550-600k job in the off season. Hope things work out for him and he gets back on track at Alabama or somewhere almost as prestigious as Michigan.

I think that is awesome, but…

I think that is awesome, but only because I'm patriotic.  

 

Juwan will find a way.

I miss the ND games.  I…

I miss the ND games.  I think I used to hate them as much or more than Ohio State.

BET!

BET!

So many high draft pick NFL…

So many high draft pick NFL QBs flame out.  There are lots of measurables, but people like to have faith that a QB can put a team on his back and win a game.  Probably bad examples, but Brady did it against Alabama in the Orange Bowl, and was picked in the 6th round...   Henne did it with Braylon against MSU and was picked in the bottom of the second round.  

For better or worse, JJ hasn't had to do the Dan Marino 2 minute drill to win the game a whole lot.  We've been so good he hasn't had to display the It factor of "poise, leadership, confidence, intelligence, accuracy and execution."   

JJ's 3rd down conversions and winning are signs that he does indeed have it, but we haven't been behind or needed "it" in very many games.  There is something about the 10,000 hours and having been in that desperate situation multiple times that helps the player to perfect it and for people to see it.  

I think JJ has it.

Where was Moore?!?!

Where was Moore?!?!

Biden should have led with…

Biden should have led with Sherrone.  I really hope Sherrone is geared up.

I played d line and o line…

I played d line and o line so other than some o line calls my assignments weren’t that complicated beyond Hulk Smash!   
 

seeing the decision tree of the defensive backs is pretty cool.  I figured they were doing something like that but I thought it would have been more straightforward.

(No subject)

I think it is really cool…

I think it is really cool that we won the National Championship.  Now that it isn't sour grapes I can say that I think the current setup and expanded setup for playoffs is antithetical to what has made college football special. 

Number of Games

The NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and NCAA Basketball all have playoffs and a ton of regular season games.  They also have one thing in common in that I rarely watch their regular season games. There are so many games that none of them actually matter. I just wait for my team to make the playoffs, or advance a round or two in the playoffs and then I watch them.  I want the Lions and Bills to win, but if I miss them playing the Packers/Patrriots, I can watch the rematch later that year.  

CFB used to have 10 games and a bowl game.  ~1/5th of the year you had a college football game to watch.  If Michigan was good you wanted it to last forever.  If Michigan was bad it was over soon enough.  Less is more.  Each of those games mattered and they left you wanting more. We played 15 games this year and the National Champion next year will play 16-17 games.  That's 1/3rd of the year.  That's too much. 

OOC games

My first in-person Michigan game as #1 ND vs.#2 Michigan. I'd never experienced anything like that in my life.  The crowd was crazy.  Marshmallows were flying everywhere and Michigan outplayed ND despite Raghib Ismail running back to kicks deflating the crowd.  To see a game like that was life changing.  In all my years at Michigan we played quality OOC opponents:  ND, UCLA, Maryland, FSU, OKst, Houston, Washington State, Colorado, and BC.  The schools weren't always ranked, but they were quality.  Now we play  ECU, UNLV, Bowling Green, Hawaii, Connecticut, Colorado State, Middle Tennessee, etc.  People say students aren't going to games because TV is better and kids have the attention spans of gnats, but it is because the prime games where you make students into life long fans are garbage soup can games.  No one is going to be a convert after watching Michigan mail one in against Middle Tennessee in a snooze-fest. We only have so many good weather games to convert new students.  The non-athletic brainy girl from NJ who [writes emo poetry about white privilege]  has a narrow window in which to become a mega-fan.  

Nebraska, and Alabama many years were the prime examples of playing soup cans so that they'd be undefeated and potentially ranked #1 to play in the championship game.  Guys like David Brandon also realized that they could get another home game if they only played directional schools in the OOC. 

It has been suggested that we only play soup cans to increase our chances of making the playoffs.  I think this is the dumbest thing in the world.  The University of Michigan is special for many reasons, but a big one is that 17-19 year old kids get their minds blown watching great football games in their first few weeks of school. They are part of something much bigger than themselves. 

(A SOS component to making the playoffs would help alleviate this.)

A Bar in Chicago

College football has traditionally been regional.  You go to a bar in Lincoln Park or Wrigleyville and you'll be able to talk smack to a graduate of almost any B1G school.  Though maybe not Maryland, or Rutgers, or PSU.    ....Or UCLA, USC, OR, or WA.  

While it is important to play strong OOC opponents, football is about rivalries.  Being able to place a bet with someone you know.  I love talking smack to my MSU, ND and OSU friends.  I do not know anyone who attended OR or WA, or Alabama for that matter.  Championships are awesome, but rivalries and individual games are what is exciting about football.  It is the journey, not the destination.  NC bragging rights are great (every 26 years), but local regional bragging rights are more important.  My dad is tougher than your dad.  My team beat your team.  

It is a bucket list item to see a B1G game in every stadium.  I was almost done a few years ago.  Michigan, MSU, NW, WI, PSU, OSU, Purdue, but we keep adding schools.  (I saw us play @ UCLA and WA so I coincidentally lucked out on a couple.)   Most of my trips were after my student days, but no one is making a weekend road trip to OR, WA, UCLA, USC, Rutgers or Maryland.  With conference expansion I'm glad we got some of the better schools, but I really don't care about those schools.   

TMI--I don't wear red (OSU) or green(MSU) underwear during football season.  There are only so many rivalries I can care about or I'm going to be going commando.

All or Nothing

Our country worships billionaires.  We're a winner take all type of place.  Emphasizing playoffs in far away NFL domes over home games against historical regional rivals or even quality OOC opponents is inline with that.  It is plastic and inauthentic, but what can we do?  We're force fed crap because it makes money.

 

...and Alabama paid to get…

...and Alabama paid to get those top classes.

That is my assumption, but it is funny that one of his big reasons for leaving is that kids only care about playing time and how much they're going to get paid.  Those are odd reasons if Alabama had been paying people for years.  Either he didn't pay anyone, or it is annoying him that there is legal competition for his players and he can't stash them on the bench after the initial check clears.

That's not awful.  My wife…

That's not awful.  My wife has gone back to work and I've taken up some shopping.  6 bagels in a bag at Wegman's is $6.50.  Go to Aldi's and you can get a bag of 6 for $1.95.  

I've reached the age where I tell people how much gas cost when I was young.

Your analysis that we should…

Your analysis that we should play soup cans to get in the playoffs is correct, and that sucks for college football.  I’d rather play ND or another ranked team at home in September than play them in a neutral NFL dome 1000 miles away in January.  It is a bad trade. Especially considering that we’re not guaranteed to play in that game. 

this could be fixed by requiring a team to have 3-4 victories against ranked opponents to qualify for the playoffs.

think about it if everyone played soup cans you’d be sacrificing ~50 ranked opponent matchups on college campuses for ~11 playoff games.

 

Saw some meme comparing…

Saw some meme comparing Geoff’s stats to Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and some other white dude and his stats are much better.  I don’t want Goff looking over his shoulder but if Wilson were willing to be a back up….

After that background check…

After that background check I’d nominate wink and the other coaches for sainthood.

GameBoy is what is wrong…

GameBoy is what is wrong with college football.   Winning the National Championship was great, but college football is cool because of regional rivalries.   Beating OSU and winning the B1G was WAY more important than winning the NC this year, or making the playoffs the previous two years.  

Playing #1 ND and #24 UCLA in 1989 was awesome despite Raghib Ismail.  ...and then playing them again in 1990

Playing #7 ND and #1 FSU in 1991 was awesome despite FSU killing us.

Playing #3 ND and #7 Colorado in back to back weeks in 1994 was awesome despite the Kordell Stewart hail mary.  (and unranked BC too.)

Those early season tough games were fantastic.  

13-16 games is too many.   What is the point of playing 3 soup cans at the beginning of the season?    Play 10-12 games and the two teams with the best record/SOS get in to the championship game.  

 

 

Rugby looks like fun.

Rugby looks like fun.

I'm going to have to listen…

I'm going to have to listen to the podcast.

Mike Sainristil is arguably my favorite Michigan player.  I think it was because expectations were low, but right away in 2022-3 you could tell he was different.  He was in and around almost every defensive play.  Maybe 0 is a more noticeable number, but even when he wasn't making the play, he'd be right there.  

Guy appears to be an idiot…

Guy appears to be an idiot. Take the Broyles award and shut your mouth.  Every time he makes a public statement people are reminded that he was the weak link.  He's lucky Mike Locksley doesn't hold a grudge.  

(No subject)

4.21 officially.  

Imagine…

4.21 officially.  

Imagine if he stayed Blue....    We probably would have won the national championship.

He was a junior partner.  He…

He was a junior partner.  He got passed over for senior partner.  It seems like his character is going to have a redemption arc and end up being a part of the team.  Day will not have a redemption arc.

Two of my three kids are…

Two of my three kids are booger eaters.  It never even occurred to me that a booger is something I might want to eat.  Gross.  They must get it from their mother.

Image worked on the preview… Image worked on the preview...
I don't know.  In the non…

I don't know.  In the non sports adult world people usually aren't coming at you.  If someone pushes me while talking shit like the Wisconsin guy I'm probably going to keep my cool, but I'm going to have to work at it. The Sanderson side of the story sounds plausible and makes it look like it is a Juwan problem.   I'm sure the added stress of losing doesn't help.

I'm not sure how he turns the program back around.  The outbursts have to hurt recruiting other than maybe a one and done, but as we've seen with Jett, Diabate, and Houstan, most one and dones aren't worth the time.  (Izzy was great).   He could pull in some transfers, but our admissions and the NCAA keep screwing him over.  

Hopefully with his kids out of the program he has some time to figure it out.

While Cade McNamara was a…

While Cade McNamara was a game manager, he was a pretty good game manager who played well.  To assume Tuttle can play that well just because he's a game manager type is a big assumption.  After years of mid QB play* before JJ (and McNamara) I'm a little anxious about this next year.  The good news is that our offense seems set up to minimize the need for an all-world QB. 

 

 

 

*Rudddock and pre-injury Speight were decent.  Shea was actually good, but was so hyped that he was a disappointment.

I'm nit picking, but if you…

I'm nit picking, but if you watch his 40 he has a little hitch/pause right after he starts.  I'm guessing he could shave 0.05 to 0.1 off his time if he fixed that.  Track people might know what that is called. Bottom line is that he is pretty fast for a guy that size.