Michigan Blog

September 6, 2010

Michigan @ Notre Dame
By Julie Traxler
www.jumponthefanwagon.com

Saturday’s game between Michigan and Notre Dame is an interesting coaching match-up, it pits Rich Rodriguez in his 3rd season as Michigan’s HC against Brian Kelly, who is in his first season at Notre Dame.  Both coaches are being watched very closely, but for completely different reasons.  RichRod is in a pivotal year of his career at Michigan, where he must win or he will lose his job.  There are no questions about this - if he doesn’t get Michigan into a Bowl Game, he’s going to get fired.  Michigan Alumni and school officials have grown impatient and the sanctions by the NCAA don’t help his cause at all.

Brian Kelly is being watched for a completely different reason.  Notre Dame wants to return to prominence in college football.  With all the history of this program, the school, students and alumni are hungry for a winning program.  And they believe Brian Kelly is the person for the job.  He’s a great coach, that’s for certain.

When Notre Dame beat Purdue in their week 1 match-up the Irish held the Boilermakers to just 102 yards rushing (220 yards passing / 322 yards total).  Nearly 60% of the plays Purdue ran were passing plays.  Conversely when the Wolverines met up with UConn in Ann Arbor during their week 1 game, they gained 287 yards on the ground and 186 yards in the air (for a total of 473 yards).  That’s a whopping 74% of the plays being run on the ground. 

So what happens when a team that scored 75% of it’s points with their ground attack (Michigan) meets up with a team that spent week 1 stopping the run?  It makes for one interesting football game.

It’s early in the season, so I can’t begin to predict what will happen in this match-up between two teams that are both fighting to get back to what they once were.  Michigan wants to wipe the filth of the sanctions off of them, and Notre Dame wants to be back in the talk of national importance. 

I’m attending the Michigan @ Notre Dame game this weekend, and I’m really excited, for many reasons.  Seeing Michigan play is always a thrill for me, and seeing the tradition of Notre Dame first hand, for the first time is another.  By the time the final whistle blows in this game we will know a lot more about both teams, and the direction of these two coaches.  The loss will be huge for Michigan, should the final score not end in their favor.  I truly believe they need this win to make a Bowl game.  The schedule through the Big 10 should be tough for them again this year.

August 26, 2010

Michigan Quarterbacks;
Forcier, Robinson and Gardner - Who will it be?
Written by Julie Traxler
www.jumponthefanwagon.com

Does Rich Rodriguez know who will be behind center on September 4th or is he still in decision-making mode?  Speculation is running rampant, but only Rodriguez is likely to know what will happen, and at this point, he’s not talking.

The Wolverines are moving in the wrong direction with quarterbacks, by this point they should be down to 2 options (at a minimum), but instead Michigan has three quarterbacks vying for the starting job with less than 10 days to go before the season kicks off.  Tate Forcier (who started all 12 games for Michigan during the 2009 season and led them to a disappointing 5-7 season) is considered by many to be the hands on favorite for the starting job again this year, but don’t think he isn’t being challenged by fellow sophomore Denard Robinson.  Robinson showed flashes of brilliance last season by thinking quickly on his feet and taking off with quick bursts to gain yardage.  During the 2009 season Robinson was the 3rd leading rusher on the Michigan team.  Which sounds amazing, until you add in the stat that he threw two times as many interceptions as he did touchdowns (4 and 2, respectively).

Forcier is also being challenged by freshman phenom Devin Gardner out of Inkster HS (Inkster, MI).  Scout with FoxSports.com describes Gardner as “Athletic quarterback with innate ability to feel pressure and elude defenders. Has good change of direction and is very elusive. Has a nice arm and can make all the throws. Needs work mechanically, but shows good touch on his passes, particularly the deep ball. Is a very smart and poised player who is cool under pressure and in the clutch. Shows good command of the offense and understanding of the game.”

The problem with a quarterback controversy this close to kick-off is that offenses tend to spend more time working on the pass portion of their offense to determine which QB has the advantage, and as a result spend significantly less time working on the run game.  This is a problem in the version of the Spread Offense that Rodriguez uses at Michigan, which is a run-first scheme where the QB has to be extremely comfortable running the ball as well as passing the ball. 

During the 2009 season Forcier took approximately 77% of the snaps behind center, and Robinson took approximately 20% of the snaps.  Unless you’re playing in garbage time (or there is an injury), it’s my opinion that a team really should have their starting QB taking 100% of the snaps.  Anything less than that affects the rhythm of the offense.  Michigan tried numerous variations on running the offense during the 2009 season, and the result was less than successful.

The Wolverines have a tough schedule during the 2010 campaign, starting with a home game against the UConn Huskies (and which Whatifsports.com lists Michigan as having only a 5% chance to win) and finishing up at home against the Buckeyes of Ohio State.  During their 12 game schedule they will need to have the leadership of a single starting QB to lead them down the field each Saturday in the fall.  Name one Rodruguez, and let’s get this season moving!

August 18, 2010

Enough is Enough
Written by Julie Traxler (www.jumponthefanwagon.com)

Rich Rodriguez was announced as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines Football program on December 17th, 2007 and took the Wolverines to an embarrassing 3-9 (2-6 Big Ten) record during the 2008 season.  There were many who wanted him fired by the end of his first season, more who never wanted him hired. 

On his way to Michigan he left a bevy of angry alumni and fans at West Virginia.  I personally don’t put a lot of weight into how he left West Virginia because people break contracts all the time (check out the NFL if you have any questions on this activity), but it certainly left a sour taste in the mouths of most WVU alumni and fans.  And while many at Michigan were happy to have him as their coach, they certainly didn’t lose sight of how he left his former school.

I can easily accept a 3 win season when a new coach comes in and changes an entire system.  RichRod barely had his track suit warm and had already begun working on implementing his favorite offense, the spread.  Understanding how systems and recruiting works, it was repeatedly noted that Michigan didn’t have players that had been recruited to play in the spread offense.  And certainly the defensive players weren’t prepared to spend as much time on the field as is typically required of a team running the spread, so losing the first season (first couple of seasons really) shouldn’t have been a shock to anyone paying attention.

But after closing out a disappointing 3-9 season in 2008, which ended with a 7-42 loss to Ohio State, Michigan fans were left feeling both anxious and depressed about the future of Michigan football.  Michigan hadn’t had a losing season since 1967.  Say what you want about previous head coach Lloyd Carr underachieving with maximum talent, at least he continued to stay above .500 and more importantly, never failed to take the Wolverines to a bowl game.  Bowl games seemed like a distant dream after Ohio State humiliated Michigan.

As if it wasn’t enough that the bitter taste of Michigan’s first losing season in 41 years was still in the mouths of the Michigan faithful, in August of 2009 (days before RichRod’s second season was to kick-off) the outlook would become much worse.  The Detroit Free Press ran a report where players had anonymously spoken about too much time spent on football during both the season and the off-season.  In the entire history of Michigan Football there have never been sanctions against the program.  RichRod managed to accomplish in 30 months what the school had never done in over 100 years.  Shameful.

There are lots of arguments to make here, certainly one could point to other college football programs around the country that have far worse allegations of violations against them right now (recruiting, agents, cash, homes) but we aren’t talking about other schools.  We are talking about Michigan. And when a coach joins the program with people already questioning his ethics and character because of the way he leaves his former school, and then faster than Desmond Howard can score a touchdown, the new program is being investigated.  This investigation and the bitter taste it leaves in the mouths of the Michigan fans and alumni is not going to go away quietly.  Self-imposed sanctions or not.

Then add to it that Rich Rodriguez is part of an investigation at his former school, West Virginia for five major violations and one secondary violation, and you can see the Michigan faithful turning even further away from Rodriguez.  The screams for his firing can be heard all the way in Morgantown, from Ann Arbor.

Rodriguez, President Sue Coleman and AD David Brandon attended a violation hearing on Saturday, August 14th.  Michigan has accepted responsibility for four of the five major rules violations they were accused of, but are challenging the allegation that Rodriguez failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance.  The NCAA is expected to take up to 8 weeks to respond, and speculation runs the gamut on what the outcome will be, from nothing additional to the self-imposed sanctions to scholarships lost and additional staff cuts.

The 2010 season is just around the corner, and it’s not even fun to prognosticate Big Blue’s final record because ultimately, it’s stained with the Rodriguez’s dirty fingerprints. If Michigan doesn’t pull out an 8 win season Rodriguez will most likely find himself out of a job.  But the true Michigan fans are asking themselves which is better?:  Going bowling in December holding their heads in shame or erasing the memory of Rich Rodriguez faster than he left Morgantown.  This True Blue fan hopes U of M consults the ghosts of yesteryear and returns to the lore of one the most respected cornerstones in all of college athletics.

August 15, 2010

By the Jersey Numbers – Likely Contributors for the Michigan Offense in 2010 and the Coaching Breakdown
By Ben Corwin

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Elig.	Hometown (High School)
2	Vincent Smith	RB	5-6	180	SO	Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee)
5	Tate Forcier	QB	6-1	192	SO	San Diego, Calif. (Scripps Ranch)
6	Je'Ron Stokes	WR	6-0	193	SO	Philadelphia, Pa. (Northeast)
7	Devin Gardner	QB	6-4	210	FR	Detroit, Mich. (Inkster)
8	Terrence Robinson	SR	5-9	175	RS SO	Klein, Texas (Oak)
9	Martavious Odoms	SR	5-8	175	JR	Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee)
10	Jeremy Gallon	SR	5-8	180	RS FR	Apopka, Fla. (Apopka)
12	Roy Roundtree	SR	6-0	176	RS SO	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)
15	Michael Cox	RB	6-0	211	RS SO	Dorchester, Mass. (Avon Old Farms)
16	Denard Robinson	QB	6-0	193	SO	Deerfield Beach, Fla. (Deerfield Beach)
17	Jeremy Jackson	WR	6-3	196	FR	Ann Arbor, Mich. (Huron)
19	Kelvin Grady	SR	5-10	176	RS JR	Grand Rapids, Mich. (East Grand Rapids)
20	Michael Shaw	RB	6-1	187	JR	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)
21	Junior Hemingway	WR	6-1	225	RS JR	Conway, S.C. (Conway)
22	Darryl Stonum	WR	6-2	195	JR	Stafford, Texas (Dulles)
23	Austin White	RB	6-0	200	FR	Livonia, Mich. (Stevenson)
28	Fitzgerald Toussaint	RB	5-10	200	RS FR	Youngstown, Ohio (Liberty)
33	Stephen Hopkins	RB	6-0	227	FR	Double Oak, Texas (Marcus)
49	John McColgan	FB	6-1	231	RS JR	Saginaw, Mich. (Nouvel Catholic)
50	David Molk	OL	6-2	285	RS JR	Lemont, Ill. (Lemont Township)
52	Stephen Schilling	OL	6-5	308	SR	Bellevue, Wash. (Bellevue)
56	Ricky Barnum	OL	6-3	286	RS SO	Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson)
57	Elliott Mealer	OL	6-5	313	RS SO	Wauseon, Ohio (Wauseon)
63	Rocko Khoury	OL	6-4	295	RS SO	Traverse City, Mich. (Traverse City West)
65	Patrick Omameh	OL	6-4	299	RS SO	Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales)
72	Mark Huyge	OL	6-6	306	RS JR	Wyoming, Mich. (Catholic Central)
74	John Ferrara	OL	6-4	286	SR	Staten Island, N.Y. (Monsignor Farrell)
75	Michael Schofield	OL	6-7	293	RS FR	Orland Park, Ill. (Carl Sandburg)
76	Quinton Washington	OL	6-4	315	RS FR	St. Stephen, S.C. (Timberland)
77	Taylor Lewan	OL	6-8	294	RS FR	Scottsdale, Ariz. (Chaparral)
79	Perry Dorrestein	OL	6-7	321	SR	Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield Central)
80	Martell Webb	TE	6-4	255	SR	Pontiac, Mich. (Northern)
82	Ricardo Miller	WR	6-4	215	FR	Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips)
83	Jerald Robinson	WR	6-1	195	FR	Canton, Ohio (South)
84	D.J. Williamson	WR	6-1	170	FR	Warren, Ohio (Warren G. Harding)
86	Kevin Koger	TE	6-4	255	JR	Toledo, Ohio (Whitmer)
88	Brandon Moore	TE	6-5	250	RS SO	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)

 

Coaches

Rich Rodriguez - Head Coach Calvin Magee - Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Tony Dews - Wide Receivers Greg Frey - Offensive Line   Fred Jackson - Running Backs Rod Smith - Quarterbacks

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mich-m-footbl-mtt.html

August 14, 2010

Wolverines on the Ground – A Look at How the Michigan Offense will Carry the Rock in 2010
By Ben Corwin

Even though Rich Rodriguez employs a spread formation most often associated with passing it around the park his goal is to run the ball.  In 2009, Michigan ran the ball effectively when they tallied 186.2 yards per game at 4.5 yards per carry.  A total that is commensurate with a quality run game and even better when you consider that UM ran the ball exactly 60% of the time.  Rodriguez runs from the spread to put pressure on opposing defenses and the Wolverines did just that in 2009 and look to equal that total if not better their performance in 2010.

 
As with any ground assault it starts up front with the offensive line and Michigan will have experience and depth from tackle to tackle.  Greg Frey, Offensive Line Coach, can boast that he returns nine players who saw action in a minimum of two games in 2009, in addition to three redshirt Freshman who are likely to see time this season.  The return of redshirt Junior David Molk from an ACL injury should settle an Offensive Line that struggled after his permanent departure from the lineup in the October contest versus Penn State.  With Molk in the middle he should provide the pivot the Wolverines need in the interior to be effective on the ground.

“We think David could be one of best centers in the Big Ten, was playing as such until he got hurt last year,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. “And he’ll be back. David’s a tremendous football player, and he’ll be the leader for our guys up front.”

Steve Schilling and David Molk Stand Out on Michigan's Offensive Line

When Molk returns to snapping the ball at center, he’ll be flanked by one established and one rising talent.  Patrick Omameh started the final three games of 2009 as a redshirt Freshman and acquitted himself nicely and should build on that as a Sophomore in the 2010 campaign.  Stephen Schilling, in his final year at UM, is a known commodity and will continue to be so barring injury with an All-Big Ten award likely within reach.  He started all 12 games last year and will provide a potent interior punch for the Wolverines when teamed with Molk and Omameh.  No matter what the scheme a strong combination on the innards of any offensive line will produce positive results in the running game.

The tackle positions aren’t as defined at this point, but there is experience and talent on hand.  The right tackle spot will be occupied by familiar faces but only one at a time.  Both Mark Huyge and Perry Dorrestein saw considerable stretches on the field in 2009 and will likely both see the field again in 2010 with performance determining who plays more. 

Huyge, a redshirt Junior, and Dorrestein will likely platoon at the right tackle spot until someone proves themselves worthy of full-time duty.  Huyge who started in nine games last year splitting between guard and tackle is seen by many observers as the most likely candidate.  But Dorrestein, who started eight games at right tackle including the finale against Ohio State, is in his final year of eligibility and may grasp his last opportunity to be a starter and plow the way for the Wolverines.  Either way it seems UM will trot out a starter with experience at right tackle.

The left tackle spot is less certain based on who remains after graduation, but Taylor Lewan appears to be the consensus pick based on his performance in the Spring.  He will only be a redshirt Freshman but appears to possess the athleticism and aggression for the position.  Michael Schofield is also a redshirt Freshman and will provide additional depth at the tackle spots leaving Michigan in good hands moving forward.  Practices leading up to the first game of the season will determine the outcome at left tackle.

“We saw the talent last year when they were on the scout team,” Offensive Coordinator Calvin Magee said. “It’s going to be fun to watch them competing in our offense. For freshmen, they’re immature, they’ve got a lot to learn, but they’re competitive.”

Offensive Line could be much improved in Rodriguez's 3rd year

Senior John Ferrara saw extensive time in 2009 and will be available along with Quinton Washington who is another redshirt Freshman who looks the part at either guard spot.  Elliott Mealer, Rocko Khoury and Ricky Barnum also provide additional aptitude along the offensive line and could see significant time or spot action should the situation require it.  When Michigan tees it up in 2010, the offensive line should be a strength and poke holes in opposing defenses for the talent at running back to dart through.  A good ground game starts up front with an offensive line that has continuity and game experience and this group has both and will do its part.

While there is talent at running back, it’s young talent without much experience.  UM lost Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown to graduation and the rusher returning with the most yards on the ground is quarterback Denard Robinson.  That’s not a terrible situation because it will allow for some intrigue during Summer drills while the running back situation sorts itself out.  Rich Rodriguez has recruited well at this position and the depth is evident if not the game exposure.
There is uncertainty at the spot with Sophomore Vincent Smith returning from a significant knee injury and Mike Shaw addressing academic issues while he practices this Summer.  Both are expected to be full time in September but questions linger over both.  Smith saw time in nine games and had a strong 5.8 yards per carry average, but only got a total of 48 tries all year.  Shaw also had a respectable 4.4 yard average, but he too only saw the rock 42 times.  Neither player possesses much size but both are nifty in the open field.  Each will get their shots in this year’s offense to prove they deserve more chances. 

Another running back coming off of injury, Fitzgerald Toussaint, looked like a contributor last year before getting injured.  Early indications this Spring are that he will be an effective option in 2010.  He and redshirt Sophomore Michael Cox are the only UM backs that have both the bulk to run inside and the quickness to bust big gains.  Freshman Stephen Hopkins, at 225-plus pounds, will provide some thunder between the tackles as well and be a go to guy on the goal line due to his agility and quick feet for his size.  Austin White, a Freshman, will provide added depth and could be another contributor since Rich Rod’s offense often utilizes a running back by committee format.

Because Michigan employs a run oriented spread scheme, the quarterback must be factored in and there are threats on the ground at the position.  Devin Gardner is getting acclimated to campus as a true Freshman and will likely be redshirted but could provide emergency help in the run game if necessary.  Gardner is a big man who looks like he can slash through arm tackles and always fall forward.  Denard Robinson obviously possesses the skill set to tear up turf in large chunks if given the daylight.  He does not have Gardner’s overall size, but he’s got rare jets that move UM fans to the edge of their seats.  He gives Rich Rod’s ‘Zone Read’ option plays a dimension none of the other QBs do.  Tate Forcier also can gain yards with his feet as we saw in the Notre Dame game in 2009.  He did take a beating though and will need to be more durable to keep defenses honest and respect his ability to get yards on the run.  The QB must be mobile in Rodriguez’s offense and the Wolverines have the ability to garner yardage on the ground with this trio. 

Michigan will run the ball well in 2010.  What will have to improve is the team’s ground performances against the quality team’s in the Big Ten.  In 2009, the Wolverines ran up 2,234 net yards on the ground but only a fraction of that in their losses.  Numbers don’t lie and in their seven losses they gained a net total of 700 yards on the ground for a 2.8 yards per carry average.  This total includes 215 yards in the loss to Purdue and only 113 yards versus an Illinois defense that ranked among the worst in the country and cost the Defensive Coordinator his job.  To improve on their 5-7 record from their last campaign UM will have to be more efficient on the ground.

The final estimate suggests that Michigan will produce good numbers in the run game and hopefully grind out more yards in Rich Rod’s spread scheme against the tougher foes on the schedule.  The aptitude and experience along the offensive line, as well as the capabilities at running back and quarterback should allow this offense to evolve in a positive way in the running game.  Every quality offensive team needs balance and this year’s vintage of the Wolverines should hold their own in this regard, but will need to continue to make strides against quality opponents to make the transition from bowl outsider to insider. 

Ben Corwin is a former sportswriter for The Wolverine and radio broadcaster for WTKA in Ann Arbor.  A graduate of the University of Michigan provides analysis on Wolverine football from scenic and sunny Colorado.  Please forward all questions and comments to benjamincorwin@yahoo.com.

July 14, 2010

3-3-5 Defense – What’s the Fuss, there’s still Eleven on the Field

By Ben Corwin

As a Michigan observer it’s been hard not to notice all the fanfare regarding the team’s move during Spring Practice to a 3-3-5 scheme on defense for 2010.  The coaches have downplayed the change in various ways to assuage the skeptical Wolverine fan base who doubt it’s usefulness in the Big 10.  Last year, the defense played a base 3-4 scheme but often deviated from that set to match up with the offense to little success.  This year the scheme change has people wondering what’s different.  It depends on who you ask.

Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson said. “We might have some different terminology where I think we can all talk on the same language together. But I think that you’re going to see that there’s a lot of things that are very, very similar (to last year). That’s what I would tell you.” (http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/michigan-defensive-coordinator-greg-robinson-talks-3-3-5-defense/)

Michigan supporters hope there’s more different than there is the same in regards to the end result.  The Wolverines have been known for stout defensive units over the years; it’s how they compiled the most victories in college football history. The advertised move to the 3-3-5 this year, also known as the Odd Stack in some coaching circles, should produce some changes that hopefully will translate to less points for the opposition.  As the Big 10 evolves through expansion so should the defense on the field.

“We got to have enough in our package that it’s simple enough for our guys to understand yet have enough schemes to be in the right type of defense to face (a variety) of offenses,” Rich Rodriguez said during Spring Practice. (http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/michigan-hoping-3-3-5-defense-solves-some-of-its-issues/)

It is my belief that fans are too caught up in the scheme and the alignment.  It is a rabid fan’s role to question and debate everything that happens with their team, especially a Michigan backer, but I think the negative energy is misplaced when it comes to the new defensive alignment.  What the 3-3-5 brings to the table is versatility and in today’s world of college football is that such a bad thing? 

Michigan ran a base 3-4 defense last year and would alter its appearance depending on foe, but do we really care what the defense is called as long as it’s shutting down opposing offenses.  That base 3-4 defense was used in 2009 mainly because of the lack of numbers on the defensive line, and that is true again for the 2010 version of the UM defense.  Rich Rodriguez has tried to address the situation through mustering talented prep players, and the recruiting is evidence of this move to a 3-3-5.  The emphasis is on bringing in hybrid athletes who bring speed and versatility to the field and fill multiple roles in the defensive bulwark. 

The defensive front in the 3-3-5 is occupied by the traditional Big Uglies in the trenches that will resemble the 3-4 front in many ways.  In any 3-man front the nose tackle is the key to a strong run defense and that is the case with this alignment.  A stout nose tackle is a must to make the 3-man front work because he needs to tie up blockers while the defensive ends perform much like defensive tackles in the 4-3 system who can play the run.  These ends aren’t built to rush the passer like Brandon Graham did in 2009, when he lead the country in tackles for loss and parlayed that performance into a First Round selection in the NFL Draft.  Graham played the position admirably, but moving forward you’ll see players more concerned with tying up the offensive lines’ blocking schemes allowing the mobile players behind them to make plays on the ball.  In an odd man front there is a lot of options to slant and stunt to disrupt the offense’s blocking schemes and create a different look on every snap more so than with a 4-man line.  The ability to disguise the fronts makes it tougher for the offensive line to key on their assignments openings up opportunities for big defensive plays behind the line of scrimmage.

The defensive secondary still has cornerbacks on the edge and a free safety on the back end to prevent the big play.  Good safeties are important no matter what you’re running, but in this defensive set you need this person to be very good in the passing game because there’s others committed to stopping the run and covering the flats where spread offenses can do a lot of damage.  The free safety can still come up and play close to the line of scrimmage, but as we saw last year Michigan’s safeties had trouble containing the passing game.  This is where a ball hawking safety would be valued more so than an ‘in the box’ safety.

The middle linebacker in the 3-3-5 plays much the same way as in a 4-3 defense.  Weak of heart need not apply because this player will need to take on blockers and eat up ball carriers.  Generally, the middle backer has more size than his counterparts, but that goes with the job.  The other linebackers can fill different roles in run support or in providing additional pass rush.  Michigan will offer up Craig Roh at linebacker in 2010.  The bulked up true sophomore is equivalent to having an extra defensive end, the position he routinely lined up opposite Brandon Graham in 2009, when he’s brought up on the line of scrimmage to go with the other three defensive lineman essentially creating a 4-man front. 

The key to the scheme for me is the linebacker/safety types, a la Stevie Brown, that Rodriguez has made a point of targeting in his recruiting efforts.  Brown made the most of this switch to a rover role and got his name called on Draft Day, something that was unlikely to occur before the move.  These players can flank the middle linebacker and play close to the line of scrimmage in run support or drift into pass coverage depending on the signal from the sidelines.  They can help create different defensive fronts with the D-lineman on one play and provide added pass defense on the next all while giving the same look before the snap.  This defensive alignment is the answer to the spread offenses that occupy much of college football. 

And for many that’s also the problem with this defensive set.  Michigan plays in the Big 10, or the Big Dozen after the recent additions, and it’s known for a physical brand of football that shouldn’t diminish with another ‘3 Yards and a Cloud of Dust’ program like Nebraska.  It’s Midwestern football, tough and hard nosed, a cold weather style that emphasizes the run and bloody knuckles.  Even though versions of the spread have moved into the league, it’s still a bruising conference that will leave welts.  How can a ‘finesse’ defense like the 3-3-5 that’s meant to stop the spread work in this league?  The answer is simple:  Versatility.  You can use this alignment in a variety of ways to stifle the run while still having the speed on the field to combat the pass.  The defensive front can tie up blockers while the linebackers and safeties flow to the ball.  Because of the assortment of athletes on the field, you can get ‘8 in the Box’ in a variety of ways.  The ability to bring players from different spots on the field makes it tough for the offense to key in on the man in front of them and hopefully for Michigan fans the defense can offer more resistance than they have in the last two campaigns. 

In my opinion, the flexibility of the scheme will allow the Wolverines’ coaches to build game plans to stifle the potpourri of offensive packages in the Big Dozen.  The league has more traditional ‘pro style’ offenses like Wisconsin and Iowa, as well as the new breed of point producers.  Purdue offers a unique attack with a myriad of options, while one of the original spread teams in the Big 10, Northwestern, is still spreading it out and passing it around the park.  Ohio State and Penn State do a very good job of being multiple in their approaches which makes Michigan’s move to the 3-3-5 all the more appropriate.  As offenses become varied so too must defenses.  This defensive alignment should hopefully allow the versatility to get after who ever lines up against the Wolverines, as well as attract the type of athletic high schoolers who want to play in the adaptable alignment.

I want to see the Michigan defense stuff teams like a Thanksgiving Turkey just like everyone else.  And it’s possible with this scheme.  But as the saying goes, “It’s not about the X’s and the O’s, it’s about the Johnny’s and the Joe’s.”  I’ll get into specific personnel in the coming weeks, but in general the lack of depth on defense has as much to do, if not more, with the poor defensive play over the last two years than the scheme.  This scheme makes sense in the current college football landscape due to the variety of offenses that are out there, and the need to be able to tackle in space.  That requires athletes on defense who are as talented as the ones on offense and RichRod is getting there.  The versatile athletes that have been brought in under Rodriguez will be evident this year, but there is still a lack of experienced depth that will also be on full display.  Any scheme works well when you have talent and depth to keep the defense fresh over the course of the game or to overcome injuries during the grind of the season.  Until we get there the scheme can only dictate so much.  This scheme allows for plenty of options, let’s hope the Michigan defense will have as many options when it comes to the Johnny’s and the Joe’s in 2010.

Ben Corwin is a former sportswriter for The Wolverine and radio broadcaster for WTKA in Ann Arbor.  A graduate of the University of Michigan provides analysis on Wolverine football from scenic and sunny Colorado.  Please forward all questions and comments to benjamincorwin@yahoo.com.

November 13, 2009

Michigan vs. Wisconsin Preview
By Julie Traxler

Week 11 has the Michigan Wolverines traveling to Camp Randall to take on the 7-2 Wisconsin Badgers.  Wisconsin is ranked 20th in the BCS poll, and is looking to finish out the Big 10 season with consecutive wins (Wisconsin closes out the Big 10 next week against Northwestern).

Offensively the two teams are averaging about the same yards per game, Michigan ranks 44th in the nation with 404 yards per game and Wisconsin ranks 45th with 403.7.  But that ranking hasn’t done Michigan much good lately, having dropped 5 of their last 6 games after starting out 4-0.  The season high was definitely the big win against Notre Dame.  Wow - that seems like a lifetime ago.  The season low came two weeks ago with a stunning loss to Illinois.  And so nobody is confused, it wasn’t stunning because the loss occurred during the final seconds of a game, it was stunning because it was a solid beating in every sense of the word.

There aren’t many who are holding out hope that Michigan will walk away with a win this week, in fact I think both this week and next are assumed losses for Michigan.  I hate sounding like that - but they haven’t shown us anything in the past few weeks that gives me hope they will win.  The final two games are tough ones.

Months ago, before the season even started I said Michigan would get 6 wins this season.  We are at 5.  I was hoping for 8, thinking that a win against Michigan State, Illinois and Purdue were all very likely.  All of those turned out to be losses.  I didn’t expect to beat PSU, Iowa, Wisconsin or OSU, and with only Wisconsin and OSU left on the schedule, it doesn’t appear likely that the 6 wins will come to fruition.

If Michigan wants to go to a bowl game (our 33 year bowl streak ended last year when we failed to get an invite to bowl) we must beat either Wisconsin or Ohio State.  Wisconsin is definitely a better option, even though we haven’t won a road game yet this season.  With Iowa traveling to the Horseshoe on Saturday to take on the Buckeyes, and Stanzi out at QB for the Hawkeyes, Ohio State will most likely be playing for the Big 10 title when they come to the Big House on November 21st.  My point is this - it will be easier to beat Wisconsin on the road than it will to beat Ohio State at the Big House when the Rose Bowl is on the line for the Buckeyes.

If Michigan practices patience, doesn’t turn the ball over and gets some nice drives to start the game out, then they have a chance to come away with a win.  The key is to not have the crowd at Camp Randall become a factor in the game - and for Wisconsin’s defense to not have it’s way with Forcier.  Patience, Control and Momentum.  That’s what Michigan needs this week.

Go Blue and Maize!!!!

November 11, 2009

Michigan Week 10 Wrap-up
By Julie Traxler

Well, I’m glad I didn’t bet on Michigan last week, because as Wolverine luck would have it, we did see the same Purdue team that showed up to play Ohio State.  It is now looking very unlikely that we will finish with 6 wins this season.  I don’t think we can beat Wisconsin or Ohio State.  Not the way we have been playing lately.

Saturday was the first time Purdue had won at the Big House since 1966.  The win was easier for Purdue after a stunning 3rd Quarter collapse. Purdue rattled off 21 points during that quarter, taking the lead with a little over 5 minutes left in the quarter and never relinquished it.

There was one definite improvement, Michigan only fumbled the ball once during the game.  Which is something the Wolverines have struggled with for almost the entire season. 

From a statistical perspective, Forcier threw for 212 yards (he was 15/24) with 1 touchdown, while Purdue’s Elliott threw for 367 yards (a career high for him) going 28 of 39 with 2 touchdowns. Elliott also ran in another TD.  It was a career day for Elliott.

The Boilermakers outgained the Wolverines in total yards (494 to 427), winning the game 38-36.  The loss to Purdue was a tough one for the boys in maize and blue.  Most people were picking Michigan to win, even though their record was sitting at 5-4 going into the game.  Purdue hadn’t won in the Big House in a very long time, and the Wolverines didn’t expect anything different this week.  

The loss sets Michigan up for two straight seasons without a bowl appearance.  Michigan has to win one of its last two games to get a bowl invite this year. And unfortunately for Michigan those are two very tough games, going to Camp Randall to take on the Badgers, and then closing out the season at home against Ohio State.

It’s been another tough season to be a Michigan fan, but one thing is for certain - Michigan will be better next season.  No doubt about it.

November 5, 2009

Michigan - Week 10
By: Julie Traxler

It’s taken me almost a week to write this blog. I will admit, watching last Saturday’s Wolverines game made me sick. I was surprised and embarrassed all in one. And it wasn’t a good surprise. Not even a little bit of a good surprise. I sat down 5 or 6 different times to type up anything about the game, something. Anything. I just needed to get something down - and I couldn’t do it. I’m in a really weird place with this team. I only predicted 6 wins for the season (though I was hoping for me) so it’s hard to be upset when we are at 5, but I feel like all of our losses (exception of PSU where we forgot to actually show up) were games we could have won. We don’t do enough to protect the ball. I guess that’s what frustrates me, we seem to be forgetting the fundamentals of football.

I’m still standing behind Rich Rod and raising my hand in agreement for him as the coach. I like Rich Rod and I think he is a smart, savvy coach who will ultimately bring Michigan back to winning. If you follow my blog you know I believe that, because I’ve said it before. I’m not backing off of that now. I just wish the fundamentals were covered a little better. As a team Michigan has thrown 11 TD’s this season and 10 INT’s. Michigan ranks 108th in turnover margin per game (108th out of 120). We rank 103rd in fumbles lost per game (it’s actually a 5 way tie for 103rd place - and I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse), and we rank 91st in takeaways per game.

Allow me to translate -- we are giving the ball up a lot, but were not recovering very many turnovers.

This week Purdue comes to town, and as much as I want to say “that’s a win for us” I can’t do it. I can’t predict a win for Michigan because I don’t trust it will be a win after last week. Call me jaded, but that’s really how I feel this week. And of course there is now the added drama of “people” talking that Rich Rod should be fired. Hopefully the team is focused (which I have no reason to believe they won’t be) and isn’t paying any attention to the noise that is sure to be growing after their latest skid.

This is about as close as I’ll come to predicting a Michigan win, if the same Purdue team that played Wisconsin shows up at the Big House, then Michigan will win. But if it’s the same team that beat the pants off of OSU, then brace yourself for another long, long afternoon.

Game kicks off at 12:00 and if there is any justice, it’s not nationally televised.

 

October 25, 2009

PSU @ Michigan Recap - Week 8
By: Julie Traxler

 

Ever have one of those weekends where every team you root for loses? Yeah - that’s my weekend right now.  I just need the Angels to lose on Sunday night and the Eagles to lose on Monday night and I’m perfect for the weekend.

I seriously don’t even want to write this blog.  How many of you had friends call or text or email or FaceBook or Tweet some stupid remark about Michigan losing?  I can’t tell you how many of my “friends” felt compelled to text me the score each time PSU added points to the board.  Or how many people called after the game was over to say “Did you see how Michigan did?” or to explain why now I should understand that Coach Rich Rod is just NOT going to work out in Michigan “The Big Ten can’t handle the spread offense.  He’ll never succeed in Michigan”.  On and on the “friendly” conversations went.

My first inclination is always to help people understand why they are morons. My second (and quickly following) is to just let people talk because there are a lot of people who just don’t get it.  So - here’s a reminder to everyone who thinks that the three recent losses Michigan has had are an indictment to the coaching of Rich Rod.

The spread offense will only work if the correct players have been recruited to play in that type of offensive scheme.

1. Lloyd Carr did NOT run the spread offense and as a result, he was recruiting more “traditional” Big Ten players (since a lot of people seem to be stuck on the tradition of the Big Ten play).
2. Rich Rod is only in his second year.  How many of the upper classmen on the team do you think Rich Rod has recruited? 
3. A new college coach really needs to be in place 3 or 4 years before you can really begin to judge how he’s actually doing

This is Rich Rod’s second year.  Year 2 of the Rich Rod experience.  Not experiment, experience.  I have said it before and I’ll say it again - Michigan will compete for the Big Ten title in 2011.  In 2010 they will be more competitive than they are this year, but in 2011 they will compete for and in all likelihood win, the Big Ten.  So please stop calling to tell me why Rich Rod is a bad coach and a bad hiring decision and why his style will never work in the Big Ten.  I’m simply not interested in hearing it.

If you’re not convinced, think about Notre Dame.  Charlie Weiss came in

As for the game - we lost.  We lost huge.  We are now 1-3 in the Big Ten.  We have one (ONE!) win that was really impressive against a good team (Notre Dame) and four wins against teams that can only be described as ‘ehhh’.  But that’s okay - because I stand by my original statement that we are still in a rebuilding mode and way back before the season even started I predicted a 6 win season.  So, we just need 1 more win.  We can do it.  My only real complaint about this weeks loss to PSU (aside from all the people who felt the need to harass me about it) is the fact that we really looked bad in that game.  I don’t mind losing if we at least show up.  Make sense?

I’ll start my actual game analysis with this: 4 turnovers.  What have I been saying - protect the ball.  PROTECT THE BALL.  Two turnovers came off of INT’s and the other two off of fumbles.  Ugh!  PSU had no turnovers.  NONE.  That’s not really a good turnover ratio.

PSU had just shy of 400 yards of total offense (230 passing and 166 rushing) and had the ball for 34:48 minutes total.  Michigan on the other hand had 250 yards of offense (140 passing / 110 ground).  Our time of possession was 25:12.  When you lose the turnover game, the time of possession game and the total yardage game, you lose THE game.  We lost.

Robinson was 0-2 in passing, with an INT and he had a fumble.  That’s not a particularly good day from a QB perspective.

Defensively Michigan left too many of Penn State’s WR’s open, which left options for Clark on who to hit.

At the end of the day, neither the offense or the defense contributed much to the game.  But both sides of the ball contributed greatly to the loss.

Next week Michigan travels to Illinois, let’s hope we can get our first road win of the season and our 2nd Big Ten win of the season.  There’s some revenge to be had for last season’s embarrassment at the Big House by Illinois.  Juice Williams had a career day against the Wolverines.  More to come on that later in the week.

My parting thought is on Iowa.  I want to acknowledge the first ever 8-0 start in school history.  It’s a big deal, and they snuck out of East Lansing with an exciting, last second victory on Saturday night.  Iowa is in sole position of 1st place in the Big Ten right now!  Congratulations.

 

October 23, 2009

PSU @ Michigan – Week 8 Preview
By: Julie Traxler

Week 8 brings 13th (BCS) ranked PSU to the Big House – a place where they haven’t won since 1996.  Michigan and PSU have the top 2 ranked offenses in the Big 10 (Michigan is averaging 426 yards per game and PSU is averaging 432 yards per game – but in the past 3 games they have averaged 510 yards of offense per game – WOW!). And another thing that both teams have in common is there is a little bit of a challenge protecting the ball.  PSU has 12 turnovers this season (7 INT’s, 5 fumbles) while our boys in blue and maize have 14 turnovers (8 INT’s, 6 fumbles).  I’ve been preaching it for weeks “protect the ball”.  Ironically, it was turnovers that cost both Michigan and PSU losses against Iowa.

PSU focuses more on the passing game than Michigan does, where Michigan averages roughly 190 yards passing per game, and PSU averages 245 (roughly).  But this is exactly the kind of opponent that the Wolverines are used to facing, one that focuses more on passing than on the run.  I was at the Iowa vs. PSU game a few weeks back, and as I was sitting in the stands I watched the Nittany Lions pass repeatedly when the fan base was screaming for Joe Pa to “run the damn ball!”  (Okay – it wasn’t the entire fan base, it was my best friend Dave – and he must have yelled it 100 times during the 3^rd and 4^th quarter – as we watched with dismay as PSU remained committed to the run.)  Of course, I was the girl dressed in white for the white out (in my defense, when I go to  a game and don’t have a rooting interest, I always dress in the colors of the home team, so as not to get shunned or mocked by the home crowd) who was secretly hoping that Iowa would win the game.  And if I’m being totally honest, I actually bet for Iowa to win outright in that game.  It was a good day for me.  That good day turned out to seem less “good” a few weeks down the line when the Wolverines suffered defeat at the talons of Iowa. (Yeah, I actually looked up if Hawks have talons to confirm that before I wrote it.)

It’s likely that Michigan will again use both Forcier and Robinson in the QB position, with the bulk of the snaps going to Forcier.  Forcier (concussion), Brown (concussion) and Minor (ankle) will all be ready to go, with Minor and Brown both taking a seat on the bench last week during the Delaware State scrimmage in order to rest (and recover) for this week’s match-up against the Nittany Lions.

PSU has made big strides in improving the play of its secondary this season.  They now have the top scoring defense in the Big 10 (all the more reason to emphasize protecting the ball to Michigan) and the top ranked defense in the Big 10.  PSU is tied with Florida for the nation's top scoring defense (8.7 points per game) and they are sixth in run defense (75.4 yards per game), but they have yet to play a team that has an offense ranked better than 75^th in the nation this season. That streak comes to an end on Saturday, Michigan ranks 8^th in rushing offense (235 yards per game) and ninth in scoring offense (37.3 points per game).  PSU needs to win this game if they have any hope of winning the Big 10 (which currently is not in their control – those pesky Iowa Hawkeyes have to lose to ‘someone’ and PSU has to win out). Michigan wants to win this game to continue on the road to being a force within the Big 10.

This should be a good game. I want to be a total homer and say that I believe Michigan is going to win – because that’s what homers do, and deep down inside, I do believe they can win (if they can have a balanced passing / running attack and can protect the ball offensively and then get some pressure on Darryl Clark defensively) but it won’t be an easy win.  The 106,000 fans jamming into the Big House on Saturday afternoon need to be ready to scream loud and stay with the team throughout this game.  I predict PSU winning by 7, but in my heart I’m hoping Michigan can pull off a victory.

 

October 18, 2009

Delaware State @ Michigan - Week 7 Recap
By: Julie Traxler

I hate when teams schedule an ‘easy’ game in the middle of the season.  I have ripped PSU for years because of the easy non-conference schedule they play each season, and then Michigan dumps Delaware State on it’s schedule.  Granted, virtually all teams schedule some type of easy game during their season - but typically it’s at the beginning of the season.  Putting a game at the beginning of the season and then playing a tough schedule starting in week 3 or 4 is a much better way to find your way in a BCS game in January.  Ohio State has some very tough non-conference games coming up in future years. Minnesota has started adding tough teams to their non-conference schedule.  Why can’t Michigan add anyone but Notre Dame?  Starting next year, Michigan will challenging for the Big 10, and having some tougher non-conference games would go a long way in helping to make a statement as to why the Big 10 isn’t the weakest conference in Division I football - which Big 10 fans hear on a regular basis.  Okay - I’m off the soapbox now.

Michigan broke a bunch of records yesterday - and all of them for the good.  With 442 rushing yards in the first half, and 727 yards total yards, Michigan broke some long standing records.  They also matched a school record with 28 points in Q1 and had the second highest point total in a half with 49 points racked up by the time Q2 ticked down to 0:00.

Tate Forcier played only the first drive of the game - marching the team down the field for a TD.  He was then replaced by Robinson - who had a great game.  Michigan focused more on the ground game, without it’s two most experienced running backs playing. Minor was out with an ankle injury and Brown was still suffering the ramifications of a concussion.  Both players got some much needed rest for PSU, who is coming to town next week.  Vincent Smith had a career day, rushing for 166 yards on 17 carries.  Michael Cox chipped in an additional 82 yards and two TD’s.

The defense looked sharp all day, holding Delaware State to 11 first downs, and only 216 yards of total offense.  151 passing and 65 rushing.  Delaware actually had the ball for longer than Michigan did by only 10 seconds (30:10 to 29:50) so the defense was on the field, the Hornets just couldn’t get anywhere against them.

Michigan had only one turnover in the game, which is much better than last week against Iowa. Delaware State provided a much needed victory for the Wolverines who had lost two road games in a road - so the comfort of the Big House was probably a good thing.  Overall, this game was a much needed confidence builder.

 

October 16, 2009

Week 7 - Delaware State @ Michigan - Preview
By: Julie Traxler

 

 

It’s a challenge to get excited about this weeks game.  I’m not going to pretend it isn’t.  After two losses in a row (Michigan State and Iowa) it will be nice to get back into the win column, but it doesn’t take the sting away from the last two losses.  Both games could have been won, the opportunities were there in the final minutes of the game, but Michigan was unable to convert. I’m getting frustrated just thinking about it. 

 Both Brown and Forcier are listed as probably for Saturdays game (concussions). I refuse to believe (and maybe this is me being more of a fan than anything else - and a fan with rose colored glasses no doubt - so if you’re looking for Michigan hate, stop reading now and go search the internet for something more appealing) that there is any type of QB controversy brewing with the Wolverines.  I believe that Coach Rich Rod spoke the truth when he said that he put Robinson in with time winding down against Iowa because the offense needed a spark.  I also think it had something to do with Tate’s concussion.

 Don’t get me wrong, I like Robinson.  I think he’s a good QB with a lot of speed.  He reminds me a lot of Michael Vick when he was at VaTech.  He’s got legs and he is not afraid to use them. But I think Tate has earned the starting QB job and that Coach Rich Rod should continue to use him.  Two road games against feisty Big 10 opponents is tough for any QB, let alone a freshman  QB. Iowa is in the hunt to win the Big 10, so last weeks game was HUGE for them.  Michigan State always plays Michigan tough.  I’m not making excuses for Forcier (okay, maybe I am), I think he’s having a great season, and is growing as a QB, which is what we need and want.

 Michigan’s offense is on-point with it’s ground game.  They are second in the Big 10, with an average of 197 yards per game.  They scored 3 rushing TD’s against Iowa.  Nobody had scored a rushing TD on Iowa in 33 quarters - to those 3 rushing TD’s should not go unnoticed.  (It’s a big damn deal!)  Michigan is averaging 4.7 yards per carry (1184 yards on 250 carries this season).  Michigan leas the Big 10 in scoring this season.  Go Wolverines!

 We can talk defense - but the only thing I’m saying is this --- if the offense doesn’t hold onto the ball, and puts the defense on the field for extended periods of time again - then the defense is going to continue to play tired, and we’ll suffer as a result.  HOLD ONTO THE BALL!

 I’m not even going to bother going into the details of Delaware State. No disrespect intended, but Michigan is NOT going to lose this game.  The Hornets come to town with a 1-3 record and are about to get beaten by a Wolverine.

 Go Blue & Maize!

 

 

 

October 11, 2009

 

How is it possible there is nothing to say and much to say at the same time? There isn’t much to say about this loss, other than it was hard to watch the events that led to the loss unfold.  Five turnovers are absolutely positvely unacceptable.  You have to protect the ball if you want to win. No protection, no win.  As a general rule, you can’t lose the turnover game and win the football game. Week 6 against Iowa was no different.

 

Now, Iowa is a good football team.  They have a sick defense that knows how to play smart ball, and Michigan had trouble getting the passing game going against them.  Forcier threw for 8 of 19 for only 94 yards and an INT.  Robinson was 3 of 4 for 30 yards and an INT at the most critical point in the game - the final seconds when Michigan had an opportunity to win the game, had the drive been successful.

 

In total Michigan had 319 yards of offense, with 195 coming on the ground.  They were able to score the first rushing TD against Iowa in 33 quarters - so there’s a positive that we can all take away from the game. How many more can we find?

 

Iowa had 367 yards of total offense, with 284 of them coming in the air. So, defensively we contained the ground game.  Stanzi had a good outing for Iowa, going 20 of 38 for 284 yards and 2 TD’s.  He also had an INT, but it was the first offensive play of the game, and he recovered nicely.

 

In general, the game was difficult to watch at times - as Michigan seemed to make some careless mistakes at times.  It was like watching two different teams from series to series.  In some instances, Michigan moved the ball well and was able to go downfield, in other situations - they looked completely confused and unprepared for the game.  I guess we could say that they need to work on overall consistency in game play.

 

Graham had a good game defensively recording 2 sacks and made his presense known throughout the game.

 

There appeared to be a lot of yelling and frustration on the Michigan sideline as the game progressed.  One timeout taken by Minor when Michigan was deep in their own territory (2 yard line) was recieved with screams of anger and frustration by Coach Rich Rod.  Michigan had already used a timeout in the half, and it left them with only 1 - which proved to be an issue later in the game. 

 

Robinson was brought into the game in order to give a spark to the offense, which he promptly did by orchestrating a drive that resulted in a TD and put the Wolverines down by 2 (28-30) with just over 3 minutes to play.  The Michigan defense then promptly held the Hawkeyes to a 3 and out and got the ball back with about a minute left in the game.  A field goal would have won the game for Michigan.  However - they never got into field goal range, as early into the series Robinson looked confused on a play, and threw a pass that was intercepted, and ended the game.

 

Coach Rich Rod insists there is no QB controversy, and that Tate Forcier is still the guy.  Robinson was only brought in to give the offense a much needed spark.  Hopefully that dismisses any chatter amung the Michigan faithful as to who will start next week. 

 

Thankfully Michigan has a home game next week - we seem to play so much better at home - but it’s not really expected to be much of a contest, as Delaware State comes to the Big House.  Two weeks from now PSU comes to town.  Let’s hope we have learned to hold onto the ball by then.

 

October 8, 2009

Week 6 Preview – Michigan @ Iowa
By: Julie Traxler

This is a HUGE weekend for college football folks! Buckle up, grab a cold beer and sit back and enjoy! The picture for the national championship game should become a little bit clearer by the end of the weekend!

Michigan travels to Iowa for their second Big Ten game of the season and their first (and possibly only) primetime game this season. The game is being telecast on ABC and is the national spotlight game this week. Iowa and Michigan have not played since 2006, with Michigan getting the win in that outing. This time around, Iowa is ranked 12th in the AP poll after putting together a big win against PSU two weeks ago. And while I hate to say it (it would be irresponsible of me not to though ) Michigan fell out of the AP poll top 25 after last week’s annoying, frustrating, devastating, heartbreaking, stupid loss to Michigan State.

The first BCS rankings come out on October 18th, and I’d like to see Michigan in the top 25 – wouldn’t you?

When the Wolverines played Eastern Michigan in week 3, they had 380 yards rushing, last week against Michigan State, the Wolverines had just 28 yards, and chances are this week will prove to be equally challenging getting anything moving with the ground game. Minor and Brown are going to have to work hard to get yards from the Hawkeyes defensive front, as Iowa hasn’t allowed a rushing TD in its last 33 quarters. Iowa plays a very physical game, and you should expect to see MLB Pat Angerer step up in the hole when the Wolverines run inside and OLBs A.J. Edds and Jeremiha Hunter move to the ball without having to fight off too many blocks. Additionally, Iowa’s linebackers hardly ever get caught out of position, which makes Michigan's read-option package less of a concern for Iowa than it’s been for some teams that the Wolverines have already played. Through the first half of the season, the Hawkeyes have put together one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. Don’t except them to change anything this week. “….if it aint broke…”.

Michigan’s defense is allowing an average of 23 points per game and only 10 touchdowns this season, and Michigan’s defense is third in the Big Ten in stopping opponents inside the red zone. Michigan has allowed 11 scores in the 15 trips opponents have made inside the 20 yard line, but only 6 of them have been touchdowns (the remaining 5 are field goals). This is all good news for Saturday’s game, as Iowa’s QB Ricky Stanzi typically starts slow, and if the defense can hang tough and cause Stanzi to start even slower this week, it could help the Wolverines out.

I was at the Iowa vs. PSU game 2 weeks ago, and while Iowa walked away with the win, that victory came at the hands of their defense, not their offense. Iowa was basically unable to move the ball down field with the exception of a couple of drives that resulted in field goals. Iowa’s touchdowns came as a result of turnovers and working with short fields. I’m not saying Iowa didn’t earn that win, I’m just saying that had PSU held onto the ball, Iowa would have had to work harder offensively to come away with a win. Iowa didn’t score a TD on a drive they started off of a punt or a kickoff. They scored touchdowns off of turnovers. See what I’m saying? Tate needs to protect the ball on Saturday night.

Offensively, Michigan (Forcier) will be looking for redemption after the loss last week to Michigan State in OT. That redemption won’t come easy, as Iowa ranks third in the league in total defense and points allowed, giving up only 13.4 points per game. Michigan will have to play smart ball, with an effective passing game and an intelligent ground game. Holding onto the ball is a key to the game for the Wolverines, and the defense is going to have to work hard at keeping Stanzi off his game for four full quarters.

I’m probably being a total homer on this one, but I think if Forcier plays smart and controls the tempo of the game, Michigan can come away with a win. 24-23, Michigan.

October 7, 2009

Week 5 Recap – Michigan vs. Michigan State
By: Julie Traxler

The week 5 loss to Michigan State showed us several things, but the main thing you should have taken away from that game is what the Wolverines have in Tate Forcier.  It could be argued that Forcier was the only reason Michigan was even in that game, and certainly he was a big part of why the game went into overtime.  In the final 5 minutes of play Forcier led two touchdown drives to tie the game and force overtime.  The final drive was 92 yards on 12 plays. 

Yes, once we got into OT he threw an ill timed interception that ultimately led to the Spartans scoring a TD, resulting in the Wolverines first loss of the season.  Yeah, it sucked.  Yeah, it was unpleasant.  But here’s the thing – within 90 minutes of that interception being thrown by Forcier, he sent out a text message that said “I take complete fault for that loss”.

It could be argued that the reason Michigan was 4-0 is because of Forcier.  Forcier and his coolness, his poise on the field and his ability to remain calm under pressure and move the ball downfield in the waning minutes of a game are surely a large part of why Michigan went 4-0 to start the season. Not once after any of the first 4 victories did Forcier take credit for a victory, but after their first loss he said “my bad”. 

Call me crazy, but that’s the kind of person I want leading my football field. That’s one of the things everyone should be taking away from Saturday’s game.

Overall, the Spartans outgained the Wolverines 417 (220 passing/197 rushing) to 251 (223 passing/28 rushing) during the game.  The inability to get anything going on the ground was a problem for Michigan. It’s tough to win games when you have no running game at all. In addition to the lack of ground game, Michigan turned the ball over 3 times (Michigan State had 2 turnovers) and had only 20 minutes on the possession clock.  If you’re just looking at the numbers, it’s easy to see why Michigan lost the game.  It takes a team like the Indianapolis Colts to pull off a win and only have the ball for that small amount of time.  It’s hard to do.  

As a result of the loss to Michigan State, the Wolverines are now out of the AP top 25. This week, we travel to #12 Iowa for what is sure to be a very tough game.

 

October 1, 2009

The Michigan Wolverines go on the road for the first time this season, making the 65 mile drive down I-96 and hoping the short road trip is the path to a 5-0 record. Playing their first four games at home probably gave the Wolverines an extra boost of confidence with a series of different kinds of wins occurring in weeks 1 thru 4:

• Week 1 proved to be an easy win against Western Michigan, winning by a final score of 31-7
• Week 2 was the big game against ranked Notre Dame and Forcier through a 5 yard TD pass to Greg Mathews with 11 seconds left on the clock – sealing the first huge win of the season, and a come from behind win at that.  Michigan took an early lead in this game, and the score went back and forth between the Irish and the Wolverine until the final whistle.
• Week 3 brought Eastern Michigan to town, and our Wolverines were playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2007. This win was a big damn deal for Michigan for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that this win equaled the total number of wins from the 2008 season, which in effect lifted a huge monkey (maybe a giant ape!) off the back. The second reason is that Carlos Brown emerged as a go to running back, racking up close to 200 yards on the ground.
• Week 4 was a win that was different from any other – going into week 4 the Wolverines were ranked #23, and had the Hoosiers of Indiana coming into town.  Michigan was favored big (-20). The line proved to mean nothing, and Michigan had to fight tooth and nail to come away with a victory. Michigan won the game in the final minutes by a score of 36-33.  I sure hope nobody bet big on the Blue and Maize to cover on this game!

So – what does that tell us about the now #22 ranked Michigan Wolverines? Well, it tells us that they have a lot of fight in them.  Those are four very distinct wins, some back and forth ball games, a big win, winning without the QB playing well (Eastern Michigan) and playing behind the entire game and pulling it off at the last minute. Those types of situations build two things in a team. Confidence and Character.

The line for Saturday’s game is 2 points.

Tate Forcier hurt his throwing shoulder just before he tossed the game winning TD last Saturday against Indiana, but aside from some lingering soreness, he’s ready to go.  The entire city of Ann Arbor breathed a collective sigh of relief as the announcement came out earlier in the week that Forcier would be playing.

Michigan State is a better team than the 1-3 record indicates.  The loss to Central Michigan and Notre Dame went down to the final seconds and were both heartbreaking defeats for the Spartans. Michigan State’s three losses have come by a combined total of just 13 points. And my guess is that they will be looking for some revenge on Saturday.  A 1-3 team that had high hopes for a competitive and compelling season meets up with a 4-0 team that’s ranked 22^nd in the nation, doesn’t that just spell upset for you? Nah, me neither.

The Spartans have the worst secondary in the Big 10, with 10 TD passes allowed in their first 4 games.  This should give Tate an opportunity to get some downfield passes moving. Add to that, Michigan leads the Big Ten in scoring offense (37.5 avg.) and rushing offense (240.2 avg.) after scoring more than 30 points in four straight games for the first time since the 2006 season. Michigan has the 30^th ranked (overall) offense in the NCAA for total yards, ranking 8^th in rushing yards.

The Wolverines defense needs to perform like it did in week 1, when the D looked absolutely nasty. They need to apply pressure to the dual QB threat of Cousins and Nichol.

The Spartans offense has gained a total of 1754 yards to date, while their opponents have only gained a total of 1451 yards.

The Wolverines offense has gained a total of 1689 yards, while the defense has allowed 1543 yards in their opponents.  The Spartans and Wolverines have had no common opponents yet this season.

This is a huge game for both teams, with the Spartans in dire need of a win and Michigan looking to remain unbeaten.  The game will likely go down to the wire.

I don’t care what anyone says, that Paul Bunyan Trophy that Michigan and Michigan State compete for is a big deal.  The trophy started back to the 1953 season when the Spartans entered the Big Ten. The trophy is made of wood and stands nearly four feet tall.  It shows the legendary folk hero Paul Bunyan with his trusty ax and his feet planted over the state of Michigan.  That baby is coming back to Ann Arbor on the bus with the team!  Believe that!

 

September 28, 2009

Indiana vs. Michigan – Week 4 – Game Notes
By: Julie Traxler

Well – we can’t say that the opening of the Big 10 season wasn’t exciting.  Some might say it was a little too exciting.  While I’m happy (JOYFULLY EXUBERANT) over the win, I could have done with a little less drama – but yet, I love those last minute wins!

One thing can be certain, we have ourselves a rock star of a quarterback in Forcier. For the second time in 3 weeks he led the Wolverines on a late drive to win the game. Forcier rarely shows that he’s frazzled, which is an unusual character trait to find in a freshman quarterback.

Prior to this game, Michigan’s last home loss to Indiana was in 1967 – so you can imagine how absolutely distressed I was feeling when we went into the final 5 minutes on the game clock and Michigan was down 33-29. But, unflappable Forcier methodically moved the ball downfield in a drive that consisted of 6 plays (and burned over 3 minutes off the clock).  A drive that was capped off by a 26 yard TD pass to Martavious Odoms.  The TD (and extra point) pushed Michigan ahead of the Hoosiers 36-33.

Offensively Indiana outgained Michigan by almost 100 yards (467 to 372), but Michigan was able to stop Indiana inside the red zone, and that’s when it mattered.  On five trips inside the red zone, Indiana was able to convert one into a TD, and 4 into field goals. Michigan was inside the red zone twice, and was able to convert both into touchdowns. 

Michigan had two turnovers in the game while Indiana only had one, but that one turnover proved to be very costly, as it was an INT thrown in the last 2 minutes of the game.  3^rd down conversions are another category where Michigan slammed the Hoosiers, converting 9 of 17, while Indiana was only able to convert 3 of 15.

Forcier was 11 of 21 for 184 yards and two TD’s (1 INT). Robinson contributed an additional 39 yards to the passing game (2 of 3).  Robinson had the ball stripped on a play just before halftime, which allowed the Hoosiers to kick a field goal putting them up 23-21 at the half.  Carlos Brown was a big contributor again on the ground game with 11 carries for 83 yards.  He’s proving to be a very good offensive weapon for the Wolverines, in addition to the rushing yards and TD, he also converted a short pass into a 61 yard touchdown reception.  Minor chipped in another 50 yards (on 12 carries).

While there were a couple of controversial calls in the game, Michigan walked away with the win and is now sitting at 4-0 overall, 1-0 in the Big 10, which is better than Penn State – but that’s a conversation for another day.  And, to make the weekend even better, Michigan moved up to 22^nd in the AP poll that came out on Sunday.

The late word coming out of Ann Arbor is that the shoulder injury Forcier suffered during the game shouldn’t hold him back from the first road game next Saturday at Michigan State. It should be a good game!

 

September 26, 2009

Indiana vs. Michigan – Week 4
By: Julie Traxler

Michigan moved up two more spots in the AP poll after their convincing win against Eastern Michigan last week.  The Wolverines are now ranked #23.  Perhaps even better than that, we’ve already equaled the total number of wins from the 2008 season and it is only week 3. How fantastic does that feel?  Admittedly, the game last week was a little on the boring side after the exciting and awesome game against Notre Dame two weeks ago, but anything that results in a W at the end of 4 quarters feels terrific to me.

The line for Saturday's game is currently going off at -20, Michigan.  Indiana is currently 7-16 against the spread vs. a team with a winning record (oh by the way, that’s us!!!) Both teams are 3-0 coming into Saturday’s contest at the Big House.

Before I jump into the match-up, I wanted to talk a little bit about what winning can do for a program.  If you have been paying attention, you’ve noticed how Coach Rich Rod has gone from being the goat to being loved by the fans and alumni.  I said all along that Rich Rod’s sin wasn’t making his team practice long hours or shady business partners, but rather sin was having 3-9 record last season.  So, now that the boys in blue and maize are 3-0, Coach Rich Rod is the kind of campus. He’s a great coach, and sometimes I wish fans were more patient as new coach’s work into systems.  It’s hard to win all the games in college football. Real hard.

On last note – if you’re planning on attending the game on Saturday at the Big House, please note that bags of any kind are not allowed in the stadium (purse, diaper bag, backpack, etc). The only way to get a bag in the stadium is if you are a medical professional and are carrying credentials, or have a doctor’s note to carry some sort of medical bag.  This is a direct result of an arrest made in Colorado last week due to terroristic threats.

This Week’s Game:
On the offensive side of the ball for Michigan, we have a couple of injuries to address. Three OL are injured right now (Moosman, McAvoy, Molk) with only Moosman likely to play.  McAvoy is doubtful (knee) and Molk is out for 4-6 weeks with a broken foot.  RB Brandon Minor is probable, with an ankle injury.  Indian also has some offensive injuries, with WR Aaron Burks doubtful (ankle) and OL Perry doubtful (knee). 

Last week Forcier went 7-13 for 68 yards (0 TD, 0 INT) against Eastern Michigan.  Michigan had 448 yards of offense total with the bulk of them (380) on the ground. Robinson chipped in 60 rushing yards and 2 TD’s in the QB effort (along with 2 INT’s – for an abysmal QB rating of -100.00, because he completed 0 passes to a Michigan player).  The ground game of Michigan looked really good last week.

For the season Forcier has passed for 487 yards (43-66) and 5 TD’s.  He has a completion percentage of 65.2%.
Ben Chappell of Indiana has passed for a total of 674 yards (63-92) and 3 TD’s (3 INT’s). He has a passer rating of 134.3.  In the game last week against Akron, Chappell was 18-28 for 163 yards. The Hoosiers gained an additional 180 yards on the ground.  They presented a balanced attack against their opponent.

Defensively, the Hoosiers allowed 271 yards of offense last week (165 air/106 ground).  Indiana defeated the Zips 38-21.

Michigan allowed 285 yards last week, with 106 in the air and 179 on the ground.  I would expect to see Michigan’s offense hammering out the ground game again this week, but a little more balanced approach is likely – with more yards coming in the air than last week’s woeful 68 yards.  Don’t be surprised to see Indiana throwing the ball, as Chappell has a strong arm and likes to throw the ball.

 

Prediction:
Michigan opens up the Big Ten season with a victory, 38-21 is my prediction for the final score.

September 19, 2009

 

I’m writing this as I watch the game.  You can tell this game is of much less significance than last week’s game against Notre Dame.  The fans just aren’t as up for this game as they were last week.  It’s a beautiful fall afternoon in Ann Arbor and if everything goes as planned, the Wolverines should be 3-0 by the end of the afternoon.

Eastern Michigan has won receives first and after a 6 play drive that netted the Eagles a total of 8 yards, they punt the ball away. 

The Wolverines first play from scrimmage (Michigan 49) was an amazing 30 yard rushing play for Carlos Brown. Seriously – he looked like he tripped over his own feet rather than being tackled, else I think he would have ended up in the end zone rather than on the EMU 21 yard line. The series ended up with the Wolverines settling for a 37 yard field goal, to put Michigan up 3-0.

The next defensive series should have been over much sooner than it was, but a bad call (HORRIBLE CALL) against Michigan gave EMU a first down from the Michigan 29.  Fortunately for the Wolverines the Eagles were not able to convert the lucky break into 7, but rather settled for a field goal. The score is all knotted up at 3 each.

Michigan strings together a solid drive that covers 58 yards in a little over 3 minutes.  The drive consists mostly of running plays, with only 14 of the 58 yards (2 plays) coming via the air attack. Carlos Brown punches it into the end zone on a 9 yard carry (play was reviewed but the call stood) and the extra point puts Michigan up 10-3.

End of first quarter, Michigan has 92 yards of offense (14 passing / 78 rushing) and Eastern Michigan has 61 yards of offense (23 passing / 38 rushing) 

On the next drive, which crosses over from the 1^st quarter to the 2^nd quarter EMU looks sharp. They methodically move the ball down the field, and the Wolverines defense doesn’t really look like they are paying attention during the drive. They look kind of lazy and a little like they are phoning it in on the drive. The Eagles cover 79 yards in just over 6 minutes, and their patience on moving the ball downfield with running plays on 9 or 11 plays for the drive is 6 points, with the point after tying the game at 10.

I’ll admit it, while I’m not nervous about the game, I’m not really digging a tie score at this point. Michigan has got to get active on the defensive side of the ball.

With Michigan back on offense, they quickly moved the ball 69 yards in 6 plays (1:56 minutes) and capitalized on the running game with another 7 points on the board.  On this drive Shaw put it in the end zone.  Michigan is up by 7 with 9:20 left in the half.

Michigan’s defense steps up big in the next series and stops EMU. They gain only 8 yards in the drive.  On the punt return, Michigan is pinned back to their own 10 yard line – so they start tight in their own corner and need to bring it 90 yards down field to convert an additional 6 points.

On the first play from scrimmage Forcier hands the ball off to Carlos Brown, who goes 90 yards down field, with a bunch of Eagles chasing him – but unable to catch him. Michigan easily adds another 7 to the board on a 1 play drive. Michigan is up 24-10.

A few series later we see Robinson in the game for the first time – and he tosses an interception on a 3^rd and 11, which gives EMU the ball on the Michigan 36.  The Eagles show some persistence and put the ball in the end zone after a 6 play drive that consisted of all run plays.  The score is 24-17 Michigan with a little over 2 minutes left on the board.

Michigan is playing some up tempo ball in this first half. On the final offensive drive of the half for the Wolverines, Forcier puts us in bad field position with a fumble that is recovered by the Wolverines. We fail to convert on a 3^rd down after the recovery and so we punt the ball away with 24 seconds remaining.

We go into the half with the score 24-17, and the time of possession is a bit shocking. EMU had the ball for 20:34 and the Wolverines had the ball for 9:26. That’s what I meant when I said that Michigan was playing some up tempo ball – moving the ball downfield quickly.

The stats at the half are Michigan with 270 offensive yards (51 passing / 219 rushing) and EMU has 173 offensive yards (44 passing / 128 rushing).  Not a big day in the air for either team.  At this point the longest pass play is 26 yards to Odoms for Michigan.  There are no passing TD’s in the game the first half.   If we compare that to last week’s stats for the Wolverines:

“The overall first half stats strongly favor Notre Dame.  Notre Dame has 302 yards of offense (190 passing / 112 rushing) to Michigan’s seemingly paltry 167 yards of offense (118 passing / 49 rushing).  The time of possession strongly favors the Irish, with 18:40 to Michigan’s 11:20.  The teams are virtually dead even in penalty yards (ND has 4 for 30 and Michigan has 3 for 33), and neither team has a turn over.”

 

It suddenly doesn’t look that bad, does it?  LOL.

 

The opening drive of the 3^rd quarter was less than impressive. EMU’s defense looks confident and is playing with a lot of aggression.  Michigan punts the ball away to end the drive (after Forcier is sacked for a 10 yard loss on 3^rd and 10).  EMU suffers the same fate on their next drive, punting the ball back to the Wolverines after failing to get a first down on a 3^rd and 5.  Just 4 plays later Michigan punts the ball back to EMU.

 

Finally – Michigan puts together a nice drive and caps off the 60 yard action with a 13 yard rushing TD by Odoms. Michigan is up 31-17 after the extra point.  Again, most of the yards came via the ground game.  Just not a lot of passing happening in this game today.  At this point there is just 122 yards passing in the game, combined.

 

On what can only be described as a scary moment for Michigan fans, Forcier took a hard hit on an incomplete pass play and ended up staying on the ground for what felt like forever.  He was eventually up and moving around, but replaced by Robinson for the remainder of this series (we shall see how quickly he gets back into the game). We later find out that he had the wind knocked out of him, and his fine – so I expect to see him back in the game on the next series. On a good note, Denard Robinson was able to convert the series into a rushing TD, and Michigan goes up 38-17.

 

Denard Robinson is having a good ground game.  He’s much better running than he is passing at this point.  He scored another TD on a 36 yard run, putting Michigan up 45-17 with 7:14 remaining in the game.

 

Full disclosure here – I’m switching between the Michigan game and the Minnesota / Cal game. That Jahvid Best is amazing.  He seriously deserves all of the Heisman chatter that he’s getting right now.  As I write this, Cal is up 28-21, and Best has all of Cal’s points.  I like Cal to win the PAC 10 this year. That’s right – I think they beat USC.  Okay – back to Michigan.

 

Dernard Robinson has 60 rushing yards already in the game and 2 TD’s. He’s not nearly as glamorous on the throwing end of the ball, so far going 0-3 and an INT.  That explains why he’s keeping it on the ground.

 

The 4^th quarter brought little in terms of excitement. Michigan ends up winning 45-17 and the final stats look like this:

1. EMU had the ball 2x as much as Michigan did (40:02 to 19:58)
2. There was a total of 174 passing yards (Michigan had 68 and EMU had 106)
3. Michigan had 448 yards of offense (380 on the ground)
4. EMU had 285 yards of offense (179 rushing)
5. There were no TD’s scored via the passing game
6. There were 3 INT’s in the game (1 for EMU and 2 for Michigan – Robinson)
7. Carlos Brown had 187 rushing yards and 2 TD’s

 

Michigan is 3-0, and opens up the Big 10 season next week against Indiana at home.  Indian is 2-0 and plays Akron in week 3 (so technically they should be 3-0 going into the Big 10 opener as well.

 

Go Michigan!

 

 

 

September 13, 2009

Notre Dame vs. Michigan – Week 2
By: Julie Traxler

I’m writing this as I watch the game.  It’s about 5 minutes before kick-off and holy crap I’m nervous about this game.  Part of me thinks they can win this game, part of me thinks they might get blown out.  The fans in the Big House answered the plea, and have worn their maize t-shirts.  The weather is beautiful, with the sun shining bright – and Rich Rod donning his standard sunglasses.

Michigan has won the toss and elects to defer until the second half. 
Notre Dames first series started out looking very promising for the Fighting Irish.  Clausen moved the ball down the field executing several very big plays (two 24 yard passing plays) but once Notre Dame was working from inside the Michigan 10 the Wolverines defense stepped up very big. Brandon Graham was instrumental in keeping Notre Dame out of the end zone.  On 4th and 6 Notre Dame attempted a field goal, and missed wide right.

Michigan took over on their 20 yard line, with Forcier completing an 11 yard pass to Koger for a Wolverine first down.  Michigan gained only an additional 3 yards on the play and then had to punt the ball.  Notre Dame’s defense was swarming on the first series and Forcier found himself having to think on his feet quickly during the series.

During Michigan’s second series Tate had some nice downfield passes. The first pass went incomplete but was very catchable. The second downfield pass was caught in traffic by Greg Mathews (40 yards).  Forcier worked the offense very nicely, moving the ball and setting up plays with precision that frequently had him looking like anything but a true freshman. Two quality running plays to Minor and Michigan is up by 6. The extra point puts the Wolverines up by 7 with 4:12 remaining in the 1st quarter.

Michigan’s defense looks good. Notre Dame runs a successful series moving the ball downfield and on a running play to Armando Allen, the Irish are awarded a touchdown, however on a coach’s challenge the TD is rescinded because Allen stepped out of bounds on the 22. The Irish settle for 3 instead of 7 on the series. The Wolverines defense is all over Notre Dame.

On the return Darryl Stonum rockets for 94 yards and takes it to the house, putting Michigan up 14-3 after the extra point.  Special teams had some excellent blocking on the return.

At the end of the 1st Quarter Michigan had 33 yards rushing to ND’s 70. Michigan had 80 passing yards to ND’s 72.  Notre Dame won the time of possession battle by almost 4 full minutes (9:21 to 5:27) but the points on the board are what matters – and Michigan is winning that battle right now.

With 12:34 remaining in the first half Notre Dame puts the ball in the end zone with a pass play to Golden Tate.  Michigan is up 14-10.  Notre Dame looked very efficient moving the ball down field prior to scoring their first touchdown of the game.

The Wolverines appear to lost some momentum while their offense is waiting on the sideline.  The kick-off return that was run back by Michigan for a TD was sandwiched by a couple of Notre Dame series that were long and where they burned significant time off of the clock, leaving Michigan’s offense waiting on the sideline to get back into the game. When they came back in, it was obvious that Forcier had lost some of the rhythm that he had going in some of the earlier series of the game.  Michigan’s defense is starting to look a little fatigued. Notre Dame scores again on this series, and is now up 17-14 on the Wolverines.

Michigan has got to get some momentum back on this drive and put some points on the board.

So much for momentum, Michigan went for its second straight 3 and out, and the ensuing punt was awful – taking a bad bounce and putting Notre Dame with the starting field position of Michigan’s 42 yard line.  

I am officially at the point where I just want the half over so that the defense can get 20 minutes of rest and Rich Rod can reset expectations with the offense.  Sometime around the beginning of the 2nd quarter the game changed and Michigan seems to be a different team on both offense and defense.   

Don’t you think penalties should be like poker? I mean, you know how a straight flush beats everything except a royal flush? Well, I think football needs a tiered penalty system. I mean, Michigan just ran a play and there was an offensive holding call and defensive pass interference, so the penalties off set each other and it was a basic do-over. Pass interference is so much worse than offensive holding, in my opinion.  We need a tiered penalty system.

Michigan settles for a field goal on the final play of the first half, that brings the Wolverines within 3 of the Irish.  The score is 20-17 Notre Dame when the teams head into the locker room.

The overall first half stats strongly favor Notre Dame.  Notre Dame has 302 yards of offense (190 passing / 112 rushing) to Michigan’s seemingly paltry 167 yards of offense (118 passing / 49 rushing).  The time of possession strongly favors the Irish, with 18:40 to Michigan’s 11:20.  The teams are virtually dead even in penalty yards (ND has 4 for 30 and Michigan has 3 for 33), and neither team has a turn over.

Michigan has to get some offense going in the second half, hopefully returning to how they looked in the first quarter of the game, moving the ball down the field with precision and accuracy.

Michigan receives first at the start of the second half, and the opening drive looks good.  The series consisted of almost all running plays, and Forcier orchestrated the ball town field in 9 plays for 62 yards. They ran into some trouble at the goal line with one bad snap (recovered by Forcier, but it resulted in basically a missed play) and then a penalty which put Michigan in the position of having to kick a field goal. Which we missed. So, after burning over 3:30 off the clock, the net result was 0 points. The positive is that the drive was efficient and Forcier looked like the QB of the first quarter – sharp and consistent.

On the next series, with Notre Dame driving the ball downfield starting from the Michigan 20, Notre Dame started off with a holding penalty so they were 1st and 20 from the Michigan 10. After 2 successful pass plays, Jonas Gray fumbled on the ND 26 with Michigan recovering. Five plays later Michigan scored 6 on a 3 yard pass to Koger (my new favorite Michigan player!). Michigan is back on top 24-20.

Things have certainly heated up during the second half, with both the Irish and Michigan playing a more aggressive style of ball – but Michigan is winning the second half battle thus far, with only 2:42 remaining on the clock in the 3rd quarter Clausen and Notre Dame have managed to gain only 27 total yards of offense, compared to the 302 they achieved in the first half.

So, I think the momentum may have just shifted completely to the Michigan side. On a 4th and 3 on ND’s 31, Michigan decided to go for it, and a hole opened up so wide for Forcier that a semi truck could have driven through it.  Tate took it to the house and Michigan is now up 31-20 after the extra point.  

Michigan has 183 yards of total offense in the second half (just into the 4th quarter) to Notre Dame’s 27 yards.

This is why I love college football – anything can happen.

Let’s see what Notre Dame does with the ball. Clausen has to make something happen, down by 11 with just over 13 minutes to play in the game.  Clausen moved the ball 80 yards down the field in 14 plays. The Irish then attempted a 2 point conversion to bring them within a field goal of Michigan, but Clausen’s pass was incomplete, so Michigan is up by 5 with 9:46 to play. Two important things to note about this drive are that ND burned over 4 minutes off of the clock and 2 timeouts.  So down by 5 they have 1 timeout left (Michigan has all 3) and under 10 minutes to work with, and its Michigan’s ball.

Well, remember how I said “anything can happen” about 2 minutes ago?  It just did.  Michigan had its first turnover of the game, with Forcier throwing an ill-timed pass into the hands of Notre Dame, and then it took what felt like forever to actually tackle the player.  Notre Dame takes over at the Michigan 36.   This is where Michigan’s defensive line needs to hold Notre Dame and not allow them to score a TD. The offensive line of the Irish looks good though, and has all day.

Notre Dame moves the ball methodically on this drive, even after losing Michael Floyd to an injury on an incomplete pass thru the end zone.  3 plays later Allen runs it in 7 yards for the TD, and then ND converts on the 2 point conversion.  The Irish are up by 3 (34-31) with 5:13 to go in the game.

On the next drive, Michigan was unable to convert anything into points on the board, and decided to play defense and use their timeouts to try and preserve their chance to tie the game. The only thing needed is a field goal. I don’t think the defense can hold these guys, Notre Dame has looked sharp all day (save the 3rd quarter) and Michigan has had trouble stopping them.

Great news --- we stopped them.  Notre Dame punted, and Michigan has one last chance to tie the game.  

Seriously – I can’t even remember what happened on the next drive, because I was yelling and screaming and pretty much blacked out during the next drive (totally unprofessional – I know!!!) but somehow Forcier made the most amazing drive and turned it into a touchdown.  Not 3 points to tie it, but 7 to win!

Michigan wins 38-34. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!  What a great game!

 

 

September 10, 2009

Notre Dame vs. Michigan – Week 2
By: Julie Traxler

As a Wolverine fan I'd love to think that week 1's game against WMU taught me everything I need to know about the team:

• Michigan's defense is awesome and punishing and Greg Robinson was the best hiring decision EVER
• Tate Forcier has the force with him and he'll throw so many TD passes this season he'll be a Heisman candidate by week 4
• Denard Robinson will also be a Heisman candidate but he'll be a candidate based more on his legs than on his arm – and he won't trip over his shoelaces once during the season
• TE Kevin Koger will have at least one Larry Fitzgerald like catch a week – making him the offensive pride of the Michigan Wolverines

Frankly, I'd be happy if even one of those quips came to fruition, but it's highly unlikely – although we might have a chance on the defense if the offense continues to move its way down the field and eat time off the clock, giving the defense some time to catch their breath and slurp their Gatorade.

The line for Saturday's game is currently at 3, Notre Dame. What's astonishing is that for this particular rivalry, in the last 20 matches the favorite team has gone 3-17 against the spread.  What does that mean?  That means the favorite team (in this case, Notre Dame) loses. That's good news for Michigan this year – since we aren't favored – but let's be honest, Notre Dame looked good last week.  It can't be denied, and unlike Forcier (or any other Michigan player) Jimmy Clausen is already being talked about as a Heisman candidate.  Michigan leads the series 20-15-1, and frankly, I'm all for not having that edge dip below a 5 game spread.

This Week’s Game:
Forcier went 13-20 last week, passing for 179 yards (and 3 TD’s) against WMU, and while Robinson only went 2-4 for 18 yards, he rushed for 74 yards.  One of Robinson’s rushes was a 43 yard mad dash for the end zone after making something (SOMETHING BIG) out of an essentially dead play.  Michigan put up a combined 439 yards of offense between the ground and the air last week.

Meanwhile, Clausen and Notre Dame also had what can only be described as a ‘good’ game last week.  Clausen tossed for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns. Notre Dame had 510 yards of offense between their air attack and ground game.  Michael Floyd, the star WR caught 4 receptions for 189 yards, one bomb was an 88 yard play resulting in 1 of Floyd’s 3 TD’s.   But perhaps what is even more remarkable than the 3 TD’s is that Floyd averaged just slightly over 47 YPC.  Holy crap!!!!!!!!

On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame’s defense allowed 307 total yards against Nevada (153 rushing / 154 passing – pretty equal split) but didn’t allow any points to be put on the board.  The Wolverine’s defense allowed 301 yards (38 rushing / 263 passing) and allowed 1 TD by Western Michigan.  The first thing that comes to my mind when I look at the passing yards allowed by Michigan is that’s not going to do it against Notre Dame and that freak of nature Michael Floyd catching downfield bombs from Clausen.  And let’s be realistic Michigan just doesn't have a proven pass-rusher up front outside of DE Brandon Graham, and Irish RT Sam Young is more than able of holding his own in that matchup.  DC Robinson is going to have to choose between jamming Notre Dame Receivers Golden and Floyd at the line, but then Michigan risks getting beat over the top, or Robinson can play it off the line and risk giving these key receivers the space to get open quickly. And if we learned anything watching the highlights of last week (because let’s be honest, the Michigan fans DID NOT watch Notre Dame – we were busy watching Michigan) the Notre Dame receivers can earn some yards after the catch. No matter how you slice it – this is dangerous.

Also worth nothing on the Michigan defensive side of the ball, CB Boubacar Cissoko might miss the game after a shoulder injury suffered last week. Stay tuned for what is likely to be a game time decision on this.

Forcier should be the main QB we see on the field on Saturday for the Wolverines.  He proved himself to be trustworthy with the ball and his decision making skills last week against WMU were top notch for a true freshman QB (actually, he didn’t look like a true freshman at any point during week 1).  The beauty of Forcier is that he can make a play happen with his feet if there isn’t any options available downfield.  He can make plays happen, and he’ll have to be prepared to do so this week because Notre Dame’s defense proved to be very astute against Nevada last week.  Don’t be surprised to see some of the inexperience of Forcier come through this week.  He’s facing a much different defense against Notre Dame, and is likely to see numerous blitz packages. He’ll certainly get an opportunity to show us his decision making skills under pressure.

Prediction:
I think this is a line in the loss column for the Wolverines.  I’ve got Notre Dame winning by 7.  Though admittedly I’ll take being wrong and having Michigan win this one – even if it’s just by a point.

September 9, 2009

Notre Dame vs. Michigan – The Rivalry
By: Julie Traxler

So, I started thinking ‘why are Michigan and Notre Dame such rivals in college football’? and I decided to go directly to the source of knowledge – yeah, you know the one, Google. Google knows everything; I ask myself at least 3 times a day WWGD (What Would Google Do)? And always, Google has the answer.  Most frequently, Google passes the question off to Wikipedia to be answered, and frankly – Wikipedia is pretty smart too, so for this particular question, I went to Wikipedia first.
To be clear – we’ll cover all the pre-game stats, predictions and awesome information before Saturday’s game, but today – we are taking a timeout from the normal blogs and focusing on why do Notre Dame and Michigan loathe each other so much when it comes to college football?
While Notre Dame's main rival is considered to be USC, Notre Dame also has a historic and "natural enemy" in the Michigan. Historically, USC, Michigan and Notre Dame have been among the top football programs in the country. Michigan and Notre Dame lead all teams in games won and winning percentage, while Notre Dame and USC are tops in national championships, and Heisman Trophies.
When it comes to the Big 10, Notre Dame historically has “about” three games each season against Big 10 teams.  Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue are the most frequently scheduled Big Ten opponents.  
The History
Notre Dame's introduction to football in 1887, Notre Dame and Michigan first played for their first game. That explains the rivalry right there, don’t you think? The Wolverines won the first eight contests, then after Notre Dame notched its first win in the series in 1909, Michigan canceled the following year's matchup and boycotted Notre Dame for years.  Okay – I’m a huge Michigan fan and even I’m wondering why they cancelled?  That seems a little like “I’m taking my toys and going home” doesn’t it?
Michigan returned to the Notre Dame schedule in 1942-43, On October 9, 1943, Number 1 ranked Notre Dame defeated Number 2 Michigan in the first matchup of top teams since polls began in 1936. After that, the Wolverines did not schedule the Irish again until the series was renewed in 1978.  Again, that seems a little childish – but I can’t find any more information on it, and I don’t want to say anything that isn’t correct. 
Including the 2008 season game, Michigan leads the overall series 20-15-1; however, Notre Dame holds a slight edge of 13-11-1 since 1978.  In the most recent series, Notre Dame leads 4-3.
The two programs agreed to a 20-year contract extension in 2007 that will keep the game going through the 2031 season.  So we have another 17 years after Saturday’s big game to prove that Michigan is the superior team.

September 5, 2009

Michigan Game Notes – Week 1 vs. Western Michigan
By: Julie Traxler

Below are my notes that I jotted down as I watched the game.

The Big House is loud and excited for the start of the 2009 season. It seems as soon as the Wolverines hit the field you could feel the electricity in the air.  Forcier started the first drive of the game for Michigan strong, going 3 for 3 and throwing a 28 yard bomb to Junior Hemingway to reach the end zone for 6.  He showed great patience as he waited for the right opportunity to throw the ball during this series.

In Western Michigan’s first and second offensive turns, Michigan’s defense looked sharp.  They brought the blitz on several plays, and on the second series we almost came up with an INT before the Bronco’s punted the ball away. Two series later, Michigan connects on an ill timed pass by Tim Hiller, and converts it into interception.  It’s nice to see the defense looking alive.

Michigan’s second series resulted in a punt, after three unsuccessful rushing plays were attempted. The series netted 4 yards in offense.

We got our first look at Dernard Robinson came in as QB and on the first play, which looked to be a broken play, Robinson broke thru and ran for a 43 yard touchdown.  It was a great play and he’s an exciting player to watch.  I like this season so far --- and while yes, it’s still REALLY early in the game (not to mention the season) I don’t remember seeing anything this exciting the entire last season.
The series where Forcier threw the 8 yard pass to TE Koger was good series.  The use of smart play calling, a 4th down conversion and some great patience and understanding demonstrated by Forcier helped to make this drive result in 6 on the big board.  Forcier is demonstrating excellent game management skills.

The defense looks really sharp.  Hiller can’t seem to get anything going with Western Michigan’s offense during the first half of the game.  Western Michigan didn’t convert a 3rd down until right around the 2 minute mark of the first half. The last defensive series of the half Michigan went into a prevent defense in order to avoid giving up the “big play”, and only then did the Bronco’s move the ball with any significant success. Prior to that last series Hiller and the rest of the Western Michigan offense only had 25 yards of total offense, by halftime they had 79 yards, though -2 in rushing (ouch!).

Coach Rich Rod had this team ready to play – they came out looking strong, caught fire quickly and played the entire first half like they meant it. The score going into the half had Michigan up 31-0.
The opening drive the 2nd half started with Michigan handling the ball first.  There was a fumble by RB Carlos Brown with a recovery by Michigan’s Kevin Leach. Western Michigan game out with what looked to be a little more fire, aggressively going after the ball, but they are definitely tired.  They have spent a tremendous amount of time on the field during this game.

We saw Nick Sheridan for the first time in the game during the opening drive of the 2nd half. Forcier came out and started the drive, and Sheridan was brought in on a 4th and 1 and successfully extended the drive. Sheridan had a nice run coming up just short of the end zone, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty. It’s unfortunate because it was a nice run and the holding that occurred was away from the play.  Two plays later Nick was intercepted at the goal line, which was the first QB mistake of the game, and I can’t help but wonder if it will be the last we see of Sheridan.

WMU followed up the Sheridan interception with a very strong 80 yard drive, but on a 4th and 1 at the Michigan 17 Hiller threw an incomplete pass to turn the ball over on downs.  The next drive for the Bronco’s resulted in an interception for Hiller after moving the ball 30 yards downfield. But one drive later, Hiller was able to connect with Juan Nunez for an explosive 73 yard bomb that resulted in 6. So finally Western Michigan is on the board, as the score now stands at 31-7 with 10:46 left in the game.

The Wolverine offense focused on its ground game the second half of the game, grinding it out series after series, throwing in an occasional pass play – but relying mostly on the ground game.  On one spectacular display of athleticism, Koger had a superb one-handed catch from Forcier. It was very reminiscent of a Larry Fitzgerald catch. Beautiful!!!!

As pondered earlier after the Sheridan interception, we never saw him again in the game.

In the second half, Michigan had only 12 pass plays out of 39 plays from scrimmage.

The final score for week 1 was 31-7, Michigan wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Wrap up:
There were some loud rumblings before the game that Western Michigan was good enough to beat the Wolverines.  We never really got the chance to find out just how good Hiller is (and we know he’s a star QB) because the Michigan’s defense was punishing today. I have to believe that WMU generally plays a stronger offensive and defensive game, but today Michigan was just too much.
I personally think that a lot of the pre-game talk and jitters regarding the potential to lose were based off of the previous two season opening loses. But winning feels good, and it makes people forget about a lot of the negative things that are mostly just noise.  Hopefully things quiet down on the Coach Rich Rod front this week, and the distractions are minimized so that everyone can focus on the big game next week.  Notre Dame comes to town, and they will be coming off of a 35-0 win over Nevada.
The defense looked fantastic and so did the offense.  It was a great week 1 game, and we can use that momentum to help us in week 2.

 

September 4, 2009

Five Things You Need To Know About Michigan Football
By: Julie Traxler

It's here, it's here… the college football season is finally here!!!  If you're reading this, then you're either A) a fan of mine or B) a fan of college football (one that either LOVES Michigan or HATES Michigan), so you're likely just as excited as I am about the games this weekend.  I'll admit it, I'm a little punchy this morning – after staying up late to watch the games last night (Oregon vs. Boise St) I couldn't be in a better mood today.  College football does that to me, it just refreshes and energizes me.
The Oregon vs. Boise St game was a perfect example of why I love college football and why I tend to lean towards the side that doesn't want a playoff system in the BCS.  Riddle me this – can you imagine a game in week 1 of the NFL having as much on the line as last nights Oregon / Boise St game?  No way.  It is never going to happen.  In college football, every single game means something.  Every week you lay everything on the line in hopes that someone else doesn't so you can climb the rankings and hopefully play in the National Championship game.  I think a playoff system results in so many less meaningful games in college football each week.  It's just not worth the trade off for me.  I like things just as they are. But hey – that's just my opinion.
Something Interesting:
As a Michigan fan I've heard and read a lot about the transgressions of Coach Rich Rod, and I guess I'm the kind of person who leans towards defending someone when everyone else seems to be piling on them. We all want Michigan to be #1 (in both the Big 10 and the National Championship game) and it's ridiculous for any of us to think that we can be #1 without practice, and a lot more practice than 20 hours a week.  Players spend a lot of time doing unsupervised training, film watching, work outs, and I personally have no problem with that.  I'm not for NCAA rules violations, but I do think these particular rules need to be looked at and possibly changed. I think the expectation that we place on "our" team as fans (and this is across the board, for any football program that is a traditional powerhouse) is unrealistic for the amount of practice time they are allotted on a weekly basis. 
Erik Kuselias of ESPN radio said it best, "The practice time violations isn't Rich Rod's sin. The way he left West Virginia isn't Rich Rod's sin. His bad business dealing isn't Rich Rod's sin.  Rich Rod's sin is the 3-9 record from the 2008 season."  If Rich Rod turns out a winning season this year, people will back off.  He still won't get full support, but he'll have more.  But I've always said that with a college football coach, you have to give him 3 or 4 years with a new team before you can fairly critique him.  
To further that point, I heard a comment the other day made by "someone at Penn State" – I'm not trying to be vague, I just don't want to attribute it to the wrong person – stating that while Michigan isn't likely to be a front runner in the Big 10 this year, in another 2 or 3 years Michigan will be unstoppable because of the system that Rich Rod is implementing and the recruits he is bringing in. That's high praise from PSU for Michigan.
Something Offensive:
I think it was assumed by all – but Coach Rich Rod made the announcement earlier this week that Tate Forcier will be the starting QB this season.  Rich Rod also noted that he expected both junior Nick Sheridan and freshman Denard Robinson to play on Saturday as well.  I'll be curious to see how that works out, because I would think he would want Tate to get into a rhythm of running the offense and moving things down field. 
Tomorrow marks the beginning of year two of both Coach Rich Rod and his spread offense. I think we can expect to see vast improvements in how the offense functions. Starting freshman QB Forcier is learning the offense nicely and has worked hard to earn the starting job.  Be warned though – he's likely to have a couple of rough starts.  He's a true freshman, and this is a big time college program, so jitters are likely to set in at some point, probably throughout the first half. I forgot about a college team's propensity to start slow until last night when I watched both the South Carolina vs. NC State and the Oregon vs. Boise St Game, and clearly noted the slow starts by all teams.
Michigan will be stronger this year at running back, wide receiver and offensive line.  Those three improvements should help Forcier out of the starting gate, but he'll have a lot on his shoulders as he moves through the first few weeks of the season.  Factor in that Western Michigan lost 13 returning lettermen,
Something Defensive:
Michigan's defense will have to be on high alert against the strong starting QB Tim Hiller of Western Michigan. He's ranked in many preseason polls for top QB's returning this season. He is listed #5 on the NFL.com list of top senior college quarterback prospects prior to the 2009 season starting.  In 2008 Hiller broke WMU single-season records for passing attempts (522), completions (339), yards (3,725) and touchdowns (36). Hiller also led the MAC in five of six major passing categories (attempts, completions, yards, yards per game, and touchdowns) He became just the second Bronco to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season twice in a career. Hiller cannot be taken lightly.
The good news is that because Michigan's offense will be stronger this year, the defense will have more opportunities to rest and recover between playing time.  What we really need to have happen is for the offense to score early (and often would be good too!) and not put the defense in a position where they are playing with their backs against the wall.
Something Scheduled:
Saturday at 3:30 the first game of the season kicks off against Western Michigan.  Western Michigan finished with a 6-2 record inside the MAC West in 2008 (9-3 overall), and lost to Rice in the Texas Bowl. Buckle up fans – the season is officially here!

Something Fun:
This one is simple – the season is here…. Enjoy it. We've been waiting over 8 months for this day…let's savor it.

 

September 1, 2009

Five Things You Need To Know About Michigan Football
By Julie Traxler

Is it just me, or doesn’t it feel like Michigan has been swirling in controversy for months now?  Maybe I take the Michigan news more personally than I do news for any other college program (because Michigan is MY team) but lately it seems like every time I tune in, something else has happened, and very rarely is the news good.  From recruits leaving, to Rich Rod strongly looking into walk-on talent to the latest NCAA rules violations allegations.  Frankly, the season starting will be a welcome relief to me because I think a lot of this ‘noise’ will just go away (or become much less noisy). And by using the word ‘noise’ I am not implying that the controversies are or are not valid, just simply that they are distracting from Michigan football.
The NCAA violations discussion surrounding practice time is getting a lot of press coverage right now, and you can find up to the minute information on the web without even looking, so I’m not going to touch it on this blog anymore than I already have.  The reason being, as information is updated and clarified, I don’t want to have something static lingering that has outdated or incorrect information.

Something Interesting:
It’s been a couple of weeks since my last blog (I’ve been busy with finals) and as a result there are a lot of interesting things that have happened which I could write about in this section, and as I stated in my opening paragraph a solid majority of them are negative.  However, I’ve decided to focus on an interesting tidbit that is also positive, Football Outsiders reports (predicts) in their 2009 Football Outsiders Almanac that Michigan will go 8-4 this season.   Football Outsiders cites the following reasons for the 8-4 prediction:

I went on record in my first blog and stated that I really thought Michigan would be lucky to get 5 or 6 wins this season, and I still have the same opinion.
Even given my cynicism towards the upcoming season and the predicted wins/loss record, I’m very much looking forward to the upcoming season.  First off – it’s college football, so how could it not be exciting?  Second, this season should be a good bounce back for Michigan from last season’s dismal 3-9 record.

Something Offensive:
Here’s some news that we love to hear, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com is awarding his preseason Freshman of the Year to Tate Forcier.  He’s basing his decision off of Farcier showing up early and dominating the Spring Game.  He does go on to say that Dernard Robinson will push Tate, and could end up with the Freshman of the Year award himself, by season’s end – but the competition should push both of them to excel, thereby making Michigan even more competitive this season.
In addition to Rittenberg’s high accolades for Forcier, Kirk Herbstreit lists Tate #4 on his list of Top True Freshman in his 9th annual Herbie awards.  He’s behind Matt Barkley of USC (named the starting QB on 8/27/2009) Manti Te’o of Notre Dame and Trent Richardson of Alabama.  The fact that Forcier is receiving such high praise bodes well for the upcoming season.

Something Defensive:
Keep your eye on LB Stevie Brown, he’s a senior who has played safety throughout his career, but has been moved to a hybrid position that more often resembles a wild card linebacker. The change was made to best utilize Brown's athleticism and ability to make plays in the open field.
And in other preseason awards categories, DE Brandon Graham is an early nominee for the Bronko Nagurski Award which is presented annually to the nation's top defensive player. Brandon is a 3 year starter who had a very good season in 2008 (46 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 2 sacks).  In addition to the Nagurski Award, Graham has also been named a candidate for the Lombardi Award, Bednarik Award, Hendricks Award and the Ronnie Lott Trophy.  All very high praise for this very special defensive player.

Something Scheduled:
Can I just tell you how ridiculously relieved I am that college football season is finally here?  I woke up this morning and there was a chill in the air and I wanted to put on my Michigan sweatshirt that is so beat up the cuffs of the sleeves are shredded and the big blue M is starting to peel off.  And then I remembered that it is only Monday and I have to go to work. Ugh! But, that means we are only 5 days away from Michigan’s home opener.  The game is a 3:30 game to be broadcast on ABC –and it will be a good one.  Western Michigan has an excellent returning QB in Hiller, and the game should give us an opportunity to see what Michigan will be bringing to the table all season long. 

Something Fun:
I talked about the 9th annual Herbie awards in the ‘Something Offensive’ section – with respect to QB Forcier and his ranking at #4 of the Top True Freshman award.  But this isn’t the only place Michigan was mentioned in the awards.  Michigan was listed as 10th for Best Student Sections – however, it should be mentioned that PSU was listed as #1, Wisconsin was #5 and OSU was #6.  So – from the NCAA perspective #10 rocks, but from the Big 10 perspective – that ranking sucks!!!!  I think we need more ‘show’ from the Blue Student section!

August 15, 2009

Five Things You Need To Know About Michigan Football
By Julie Traxler

When it comes to college football, I believe that you have to give a college coach at least 4 years to succeed in when taking over a program. That’s a minimum time allowance.  You can’t judge a coach on his first year with a team because it’s not really his team.  He hasn’t recruited the team that is playing, he’s simply working with what was there when he took over. And if the coach is implementing a new offense (which Rich Rod is) then you have to expect even more growing pains than normal the first year or two, because the players that were already there were recruited to play in a different type of system.
Well, last year, we had definitely had some growing pains. With a record of 3-9, the worst in Michigan’s 129 years of Big 10 football was excruciatingly painful for Wolverines fans.  We are about to enter year 2 of the Rich Rod experience.  And if the spring game and preseason practice is any indication that we have reason to be hopeful, then I think we can expect at least twice as many wins in 2009 as we had in 2010.
Something Interesting:
So last week I talked about QB Justin Feagin transferring to Appalachian State, and how he would be competing for the starting QB job since Armanti had been hurt in that freak lawn mower accident (I admit it, I just wanted to say freak lawn mower accident again, I might never have that opportunity again in this life), well it’s looking like that isn’t going to happen. News broke earlier this week that Feagin was actually involved in dealing drugs while at Michigan.  I guess we now know why he is no longer a Wolverine.  The details always leak out, sometimes you just have to be patient.
Something Offensive:
Michigan appears to be making vast improvements in the learning of Rich Rod’s spread offense.  Last year it frequently looked like the team just didn’t understand the mechanics of the new offense, and we didn’t actually have a quarterback that fit well into that system.  That shouldn’t be an issue this season.  Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson look to challenge each other for the starting position, and both have been impressive thus far.  Tate had moments of brilliance in the spring game, and he has given fans a reason to be excited.  Factor in that the offensive line we are returning is stronger and well-adjusted to the spread-style blocking, and that should take a little pressure off of our young QB.  And we have enough athletes at running back and wide receiver to provide us with the ability to score once the quarterback is into a solid rhythm and is ready to lead the team down the field. 
Something Defensive:
Rodriguez has been tight lipped about Michigan’s defensive plans for 2009, with the exception of his excitement of new defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.  I addressed it in an earlier blog, and while Robinson has an impressive resume (Superbowl winning teams, Rose bowl championship) he’s never been on a team that is remembered as “defensive powerhouse” and his record at Syracuse as a head coach was abysmal.  So, while I can appreciate that Rich Rod is excited about having Robinson on staff, as a fan I am expecting to see Michigan dramatically improve on their woeful average of giving up about 30 points and close to 370 yards of offense per game, which is exactly what they did in 2009. My question is – can Greg Robinson accomplish this?  Time will tell, but the answer had better be yes.  Michigan fans aren’t going to tolerate another 3-9 season, with the Wolverines taking abusive poundings on more than one occasion.
If Michigan has any hope of landing in the middle of the pack for the Big 10 this year and advancing up a few notches next year, they had better make some dramatic changes on the defensive side of the ball.  We can’t win games giving up 30 points every week.  It just won’t happen, because I still don’t think we are in a position to score 30 points each week, despite the improvements on offense.
Something Scheduled:
There are a lot of people looking ahead to the Notre Dame game. This should actually prove to be a very exciting (and dare I say meaningful) game this year.  With Notre Dame expected to have a 10 win season by many football experts, and Michigan expected to improve (albeit not to 10 wins) the game actually has the potential to have meaning for both teams.  Let us not forget that aside from it helping Michigan advance to a possible 4-0 start, find me a Wolverine fan that is EVER okay with the thought of losing to the Fighting Irish.  You can’t.  There are those who suspect that if Michigan beats ND in week 2, we could start the season 4-0.  I personally think we are going to have some issues in week 1 against Western Michigan, but I’m all for ‘hoping and praying’ that it could happen.  Whatever gets you through the night.
Something Fun:
How about a little quote from Rich Rod to get us excited: "I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the way things are going at Michigan. Last year -- obviously we don't want to talk about it -- but I think we know what we need to do, and that's important. I think more than anything we've learned about us -- as coaches we've learned about what we have. I don't want to make any predictions, but I do expect us to be much better."

August 8, 2009

Five Things You Need To Know About Michigan Football –
August 8th 2009
By Julie Traxler

Okay folks – football season is getting closer by the minute.  Let’s cover the five things you need to know about Michigan football right now…….
Something Interesting:
Is anyone else listening (really listening!) to the discussions regarding the strength of the Big 10 in College Football and how it appears to be on the decline?  Some power rankings have the Big 10 as 4th, behind the SEC (1st) Big 12 (2nd) and the Pac-10 (3rd) and it would be hard to argue for a better ranking at this point.  The Big 10 has six consecutive Rose Bowl losses – SIX CONSECUTIVE ROSE BOWL LOSSES. That is pathetic. It’s hard to dispute that the Big 10 is a strong football conference when we pretty much lose anytime we play outside of our own conference against another power conference.  And don’t give me that “Big 10 plays their conference games tough” because I’m not buying it.  Every conference plays each other tough.
And as much as it pains me to admit it, the Wolverines should be considered a big part of the reason for that the Big 10 is sinking in the power rankings.  With Michigan going 3-9 last season, and having the embarrassing losses to Appalachian State and the Oregon Ducks in 2007, it’s no wonder that people shake their heads when you try to convince them that the Big 10 is alive and strong.  Let’s not forget though – it’s not just Michigan losing games to out of conference opponents, OSU had an embarrassing outing against USC last year, and Penn State didn’t even bother to show up for the Rose Bowl. Having relived all of that, the Big 10 deserves to be behind the SEC, the Big 12 and the Pac-10, don’t you think?  
Something Offensive:
Former Michigan QB Justin Feagin has transferred to Appalachian State (wow – I just used Appalachian State twice in the same Michigan blog – can ANYONE remember the last time that happened? Yeah – September 1st 2007 – let it go, let it go) and will be competing for the starting QB position since Armanti Edwards had a freak lawn mowing accident (I don’t think I’ve ever said that phrase before in my entire life). Edwards is expected to be out for a little over a month, so it’s unlikely he’ll be starting on opening day, which means Feagin could get the nod.  The reality is that once Edwards has fully recovered from his injury, he’ll take the starting spot.  He’s that good.
Something Defensive:
Michigan’s first practice is Monday, August 10th and the players are ready.  When Michigan takes the field for their first game on September 5th it will have been exactly 300 days since their last victory.  300 days. Wow. Say it outloud folks – 300 days. Yes, I realize that the number sounds more dramatic than it actually is because nobody has played a college game in 8 months, but Saturday November 8th 2008 was the last win for the Wolverines. So yeah – these guys should be excited to get on the field and start practicing – because we are ready for some wins.  And like I said in my last blog – this defense needs some work.
Something Scheduled:
It’s less than a month before the first game of the 2009 and like many of you I’ve been counting the days for over 3 months now. The first game is against Western Michigan on September 5th and it’s looking more and more like it will be a challenging game. Not exactly what you want when you’re playing a MAC team, but I don’t think Michigan is going to have many easy games this season.  Western Michigan has a veteran senior QB in Tim Hiller, and Phil Steele is predicting that they will be bowl eligible, so Michigan should not sleep on this game.  We’ll take a closer look at this game as we get closer to the 5th.
Something Fun:
I’m going to make every attempt to spin the stories that have been coming out lately regarding Coach Rich Rod’s affinity for walk-ons.  This story has gotten a good bit of national press coverage and very little of it has been positive. Many national media feel that the reason Rich Rod is considering walk-ons is because so many of his recruits are bailing on him. Rich Rod has stated that he’s looking for quality walk-ons that can not only find success athletically but also academically.
Losing recruits is tough at anytime, but it is especially this close to the season, so filling the gaps on the roster is going to be critical if Michigan has any hope of having a winning season this year.  Let’s hope that the talent that is walking on has some real potential for the upcoming season.

July 28, 2009

Five Things You Need To Know About Michigan Football
By: Julie Traxler

Welcome to my Michigan Wolverines Football Blog. I’ll be posting a blog 2 or 3 times a week on www.philsteele.com, between now and the end of the football season. The blog isn’t about me, but I’m pretty sure you’re wondering about my credentials. What could I possibly know about college football, especially the hallowed Michigan Wolverines? Factor in that I’m a girl, and it has to make you wonder if I will have any credibility at all, doesn’t it? I could offer you assurances, but you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I have been enthusiastically (and religiously) following college football for as long as I can remember. And even though I follow almost all sports to some degree (except Soccer) I feel like I’m dying a slow, painful death between February and July because football is NOT front and center. Thank goodness for the NFL draft, the combine, spring games and the overwhelming popularity of all things football in this country.

As for my affinity to Michigan football, my fandom was arrived at in what I consider a very ordinary way. I loved the Fab Five. By birth rights I should have been a Golden Gophers fan, by geography I should be a Penn State fan, but by sheer love and loyalty I am a Wolverines fan. There was a time when I was certain I was going to marry Chris Webber, and somewhere along the line of loving Michigan basketball (and CWebb) I fell in love with Michigan Football.

Now that you know my simple (yet awesome) story…. Let’s talk football!

Something Interesting:
In all likelihood this is going to be another tough year to be cheering “GO BLUE” during a Michigan game. The schedule is challenging, and for the most part the team is rebuilding. Vegas has the line set at 6.5 wins, but don’t be surprised to see the number a bit lower than that. Their Conference schedule is a tough one this year, but the tougher games are being played at the Big House, so that helps. Penn State and Ohio State both come to town this year. Michigan also has Iowa on their schedule this year, which will be a challenging game for the Wolverines as Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes are returning 49 letterman this year.

Something Offensive:
It’s seems a little pointless to rehash the Spring Game, as it’s now the end of July and the Spring Game occurred in April, so if anything important needed to be said about it, it’s already been written. The only point I’ll touch on from the Spring Game is how impressive Tate Forcier looked, and not just on the field. This kid conducted himself in such a professional manner when doing interviews and being on the sideline that you can’t help but like what you see. Forcier is something to get excited about on the offense and he should be able to assist in taking Coach Rich Rod’s spread offense to the next level.

The good news is, when you look back at some of the key stats of the 2008 season, it’s pretty clear there isn’t any place to go but up. Michigan was a woeful 109th in total offense, 118th in 3rd down conversions (that’s out of 119 Division 1-A schools people!) and 108th in Total Passing offense. Seriously, it’s really not possible for the team to perform more poorly.

Forcier brings with him a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge of the game, so it should be fun to watch him play on Saturdays in the fall. Add to that the fact that he will be one of only a handful of true freshmen to ever start at the Michigan QB position and you can’t help but feel a little increase in your heart rate.

Something Defensive:
I’m not sure how I feel about having 1st year Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson working the defense this year. I realize he’s a seasoned professional in both college and NFL, but he’s never been known as a defensive genius. When you look back at the teams he’s won with (and he has won with teams) those teams typically bring to mind strong offenses, not strong defenses. Robinson comes to Michigan via Syracuse, where he was the head coach for four years, compiling a record of 10-37 over the course of those four seasons. Some of the defensive stats for his final year as head coach at Syracuse are as follows:
Rushing Defense ranked 101st allowing an average of 189 ypg
Passing Defense ranked 83rd allowing an average of 225 ypg and an average of slightly over 11 ypg per completion
Total Defense ranked 101st allowing on average 414 yards of offense per game, and a total of 48 touchdowns in the 2008 season

With 7 returning starters on Defensive, it should help, but I wouldn’t expect great things from the defense the early part of the season.

Something Scheduled:
Exciting news for Michigan fans who are not local to The Big House. The first 3 games of the 2009 season are nationally televised games. The focus of those three games will undoubtedly be the Notre Dame game on September 12th at Michigan Stadium. Kick-off is 3:30 PM, and this should be an exceptional game, the bookies in Vegas have UND having a 9 win season this year. Personally, I’d take the under on that bet, as I see them having 5 win season, maybe 6.

Something Fun:
The Michigan Football Annual Fan Day will be held on August 23rd at Al Glick Field House, Oosterbaan Field House and the adjacent practice field behind Schembechler Hall. The 2009 Fan Day autograph session will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 PM EDT. Get out there and get autographs of all your favorite Wolverines and show your support for the team!

For additional information on Fan Day, check out www.mgoblue.com