Even though Alabama leads the all-time series 33-2-1, and won all eight previous meetings in Tuscaloosa, this is no time to take the Wildcats lightly.
Kentucky is also undefeated (4-0), leads the nation in scoring defense (5.5 points per game), and tops the conference in both sacks (two) and first downs allowed (45).
Last week against Western Kentucky, the Wildcats allowed just 15 passing yards. None of the first four opponents were able to record a rushing touchdown, and only three possessions reached the red zone).
“They are maybe the best defensive team in the country,” Saban said. “They have a lot of guys back from last year’s team. They are physical, they play with toughness, and they make good sound adjustments in what they do.”
Kentucky ranks second in the SEC in total defense, averaging 227.2 yards, and has allowed just 73.2 rushing yards per game (in comparison, Alabama has yielded 259.4 total yards and 54.0 rushing yards). The Wildcats are first in pass-efficiency defense, and have a turnover margin of plus-four.
No time for a letdown
Roy Upchurch Quote!
"That's our plan every week," tailback Roy Upchurch said, "just come out and punching our opponent in the face. That's how you win ballgames. You hit them in the mouth one time (and) they're going to back down."
Tuesday reading: The penalty gap
Tuesday reading: The penalty gap
Big House News and Notes
- Where in the world is Tim Massaquoi? He currently (link works now) is a volunteer assistant on Tony Trisciani's High School Zephyrs staff and was one of the final players cut from the Buffalo Bills. He was cut due to a hamstring injury and hopes to get a call from an NFL team soon.
- The game time for the Toledo Game is 12:00 on the BTN.
- Former Michigan LB recruit Marcus Witherspoon who enrolled at Rutgers is not eligible to play this year. It was first thought when Marcus enrolled at Rutgers that he could join the team and even play this year. That is not the case and gives us more reasons to believe he had some academic issues in high school that made him a non-qualifier at Michigan.
- Some great quotes from this weekend's game: Greg Mathews, on conditioning: "Yeah, there's a quote in our weight room that says, 'In the time of battle, you don't rise to the occasion. You resort to your level of training.' So, I don't know. I mean, their strength-and-conditioning coach was talking about how we were soft and out of shape, and ESPN was talking about how this was a warm-up for the Big Ten for Wisconsin. We take that personally. Michigan is nobody's doormat, especially in the Big Ten." Also on Taylor's halftime speech: Terrance, he definitely gave us a nice motivational speech at halftime. He definitely had us fired up going into the second half. I can't -- there is no G-rated version . Also from Wisconsin's head coach: University of Wisconsin Head Football Coach Bret Bielema says his Badgers didn’t always give 100 percent in their 27-25 loss at Michigan last Saturday.
- Brandon Graham is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, BG had six tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
- 5 Star DT Big Will Campbell attended the Michigan - Wisconsin game
Tid Bits from RR's Press Conference:
- Justin Feagin will do his best "Juice" impression in practice
- Michael Shaw has been dinged up but should play this week
- Carlos "Santana" Brown has a foot sprain so expect to see more Shaw this week
- Both Punt and Kick off return jobs are open
- Expect Mike Martin and Kevin Koger to get more time this week and in the future. They wanted to redshirt Kevin but he was playing at such a high level in practice they had to get him out there.
On a side note: Let you mind wander for a minute and think about a couple of years from now when Michigan has a Defensive Line of: Mike Martin, Will Campbell, Craig Roh, DeQuinta Jones, and Anthony LaLota. Sounds pretty good doesn't it?
More 'Bama Georgia!
Georgia hosted and dressed appropriately for its own funeral Saturday as Nick Saban's Alabama team did the honors, burying the Bulldogs in Athens, Ga.
Top 25 Gallery - Week 5
Top 25 Gallery - Week 5
Recruiting Never Sleeps: Michigan gets it's first verbal for the Class of 2010
The 2009 class is not yet full but Michigan is already planning for the year 2010 with it's first verbal commit to that class; Ricardo Miller a Wide Receiver/Tight End (6"2 200) from Orlando's Dr. Phillips High School. (Mike Hart's kids had no commit on this early commit - of course Mike Hart doesn't have kids, but if he did we would be recruiting them )
As expected the well done re-cap from VB:
Recruiting Notes: Miller has always been aware of Michigan, as his mom is an alumna (who favored Michigan as a destination for Ricardo). However, Michigan fans first became aware of him when he attended the summer 2008 Rich Rodriguez Football Camp for the entire week. He also attended the Friday Night Lights camp at the University of Florida, but still seemed to be favoring Michigan. Through these events, Miller formed friendships with Michigan 2010 targets Marvin Robinson (who also appears to favor Michigan early in the process) and Jeremy Jackson (the son of RB coach Fred Jackson). In August, Miller went on the record saying that Michigan was his leader (info in header), and made plans for a fall visit to Ann Arbor for the Michigan State game. However, it didn't take Miller that long to pull the trigger, and he became Michigan's first 2010 commit tonight.
Player Notes: As previously noted, Miller is a big wideout, who may find his home at Michigan as an athletic pass-catching TE. In fact, tight end is where he spends most of his time on offense for Dr. Phillips, and he even has enough size to play defensive end on the other side of the ball. However, without a growth spurt, I would expect him to stay at WR on offense, being a big red zone threat. He has very good speed for a TE (decent for a WR), and is even known to take a tight end-around or two for his high schol team. He also has a big body, allowing him to overpower defenders, and he has decent hands. As a blocker, he is good on the high school level, but would need to improve his strength to block D-I defensive linemen.
As expected the well done re-cap from VB:
Recruiting Notes: Miller has always been aware of Michigan, as his mom is an alumna (who favored Michigan as a destination for Ricardo). However, Michigan fans first became aware of him when he attended the summer 2008 Rich Rodriguez Football Camp for the entire week. He also attended the Friday Night Lights camp at the University of Florida, but still seemed to be favoring Michigan. Through these events, Miller formed friendships with Michigan 2010 targets Marvin Robinson (who also appears to favor Michigan early in the process) and Jeremy Jackson (the son of RB coach Fred Jackson). In August, Miller went on the record saying that Michigan was his leader (info in header), and made plans for a fall visit to Ann Arbor for the Michigan State game. However, it didn't take Miller that long to pull the trigger, and he became Michigan's first 2010 commit tonight.
Player Notes: As previously noted, Miller is a big wideout, who may find his home at Michigan as an athletic pass-catching TE. In fact, tight end is where he spends most of his time on offense for Dr. Phillips, and he even has enough size to play defensive end on the other side of the ball. However, without a growth spurt, I would expect him to stay at WR on offense, being a big red zone threat. He has very good speed for a TE (decent for a WR), and is even known to take a tight end-around or two for his high schol team. He also has a big body, allowing him to overpower defenders, and he has decent hands. As a blocker, he is good on the high school level, but would need to improve his strength to block D-I defensive linemen.
Buckeye Monday
OSU – Minnesota game review
Beanie’s back...........
For the first time in 4 games, Ohio State was with the services of their top running back as Beanie Wells returned to the lineup. Boy did he ever give the Buckeye offense a much needed boost of energy and confidence. Wells told reporters after the game that he was playing “at about 75%” and that he was hoping to “get to 90% by the end of the season.” It’s a good thing that I’m not a doctor because I thought he looked a lot better than 75%. He ran with speed, vision and he appears to have traded in his famous stiff-arm for the ability to jump over would be tacklers. The return of the running game and improvements on the defensive side of the ball lead the Buckeyes to a relatively easy 34-21 win over a much improved Minnesota team.
What worked?
The OSU running game – The combination of a confident Terrelle Pryor and a healthy Beanie Wells was a welcome sight for Buckeye fans. I bet it was a pretty scary sight for the rest of the Big-10 to watch. Pryor seems to get more comfortable with every snap and if Wells is healthy enough to jump over tacklers then I’d like to see what he’ll do once he gets back to 100%. For the game, OSU rushed 37 times for 291 yards. Wells chipped in with 108 yards on 14 carries, Pryor added 105 yards on only 8 carries and Boom Herron looked good for the second consecutive game. Traditionally, teams needed to be able to consistently run the ball to be competitive in the Big-10. I’ll admit that times are changing and that is no longer the case. Heck….in today’s game a team can average less than a yard per play for an entire half and still find a way to win. Anyway, we’ll need Pryor to continue to gain more confidence and Wells to stay reasonably healthy as we enter the toughest portion of the conference schedule.
The new defense – Coach Heacock made several changes along the defensive line that seemed to make a difference in our ability to put pressure on the quarterback. The Minnesota game was the second consecutive week that I totally underestimated the potency of the offense we were playing against. They Weber could really play. I like the idea of putting Gibson and Williams at the ends and turning them loose on every play. They are both fast and play with a mean streak that will serve us well in for the rest of the season. For the game, we limited the Gopher offense to just 99 yards on the ground and 187 yards in the air. Both numbers were significantly lower than their season averages for the year. The two late scores were against the 2nd and 3rd string units. I love the idea of playing the backups in garbage time as much as the next guy. However………..see below.
What didn’t work?
4th Quarter substitutions on defense – While I don’t mind getting the backups some much needed game experience I think giving up the two late scores took away some of momentum gained in the first 3+ quarters. As any fan could see by looking at the scoreboard on Saturday, games are never over….until they’re over Anything can happen on the field as witnessed by the final scores at Florida, Georgia, USC and even Michigan. I think the Buckeyes should have left the 1st team in to complete the game, regardless of the score. I think it would have been great for their confidence to complete the domination from the field instead of watching it crumble (so to speak) from the bench.
Offensive line substitutions throughout the game – Again, I’m all for getting playing time for the young guys but not if it’s going to cost us 5-yard delay penalties and wasted timeouts. There is definitely room for improvement in this area. You have to point the finger at the coaches on this one. I couldn’t find the number of penalties we were flagged with but I’m betting that the per game average is higher than it’s ever been under Tressel. Given the fact that there are so many seniors playing on this team I find that concept to be unacceptable.
What’s next?
Well…..who knows? I watched the first half of the Wisconsin – Michigan game and decided that raking leaves would be a much better use of my time. Obviously, neither team looked good during the first 30 minutes. It’s easy to say this (after the fact) but without the 5 turnovers Wisconsin probably would not have scored any first half points either. I have no idea what happened to PJ Hill in the second half and where was Travis Beckum? Are they hurt? Going on the road to Camp Randall Stadium is never easy, especially at night. I’m sure the Badgers will be looking to their fans to help them rebound after the loss to Michigan. I think the Buckeyes are playing much better on offense and the defense is playing better than the scores indicate. I also think Wisconsin will have to spend time this week addressing what went wrong in Ann Arbor. I have it 27-20 Buckeyes.
Go Bucks!!!
Buckeye John
Beanie’s back...........
For the first time in 4 games, Ohio State was with the services of their top running back as Beanie Wells returned to the lineup. Boy did he ever give the Buckeye offense a much needed boost of energy and confidence. Wells told reporters after the game that he was playing “at about 75%” and that he was hoping to “get to 90% by the end of the season.” It’s a good thing that I’m not a doctor because I thought he looked a lot better than 75%. He ran with speed, vision and he appears to have traded in his famous stiff-arm for the ability to jump over would be tacklers. The return of the running game and improvements on the defensive side of the ball lead the Buckeyes to a relatively easy 34-21 win over a much improved Minnesota team.
What worked?
The OSU running game – The combination of a confident Terrelle Pryor and a healthy Beanie Wells was a welcome sight for Buckeye fans. I bet it was a pretty scary sight for the rest of the Big-10 to watch. Pryor seems to get more comfortable with every snap and if Wells is healthy enough to jump over tacklers then I’d like to see what he’ll do once he gets back to 100%. For the game, OSU rushed 37 times for 291 yards. Wells chipped in with 108 yards on 14 carries, Pryor added 105 yards on only 8 carries and Boom Herron looked good for the second consecutive game. Traditionally, teams needed to be able to consistently run the ball to be competitive in the Big-10. I’ll admit that times are changing and that is no longer the case. Heck….in today’s game a team can average less than a yard per play for an entire half and still find a way to win. Anyway, we’ll need Pryor to continue to gain more confidence and Wells to stay reasonably healthy as we enter the toughest portion of the conference schedule.
The new defense – Coach Heacock made several changes along the defensive line that seemed to make a difference in our ability to put pressure on the quarterback. The Minnesota game was the second consecutive week that I totally underestimated the potency of the offense we were playing against. They Weber could really play. I like the idea of putting Gibson and Williams at the ends and turning them loose on every play. They are both fast and play with a mean streak that will serve us well in for the rest of the season. For the game, we limited the Gopher offense to just 99 yards on the ground and 187 yards in the air. Both numbers were significantly lower than their season averages for the year. The two late scores were against the 2nd and 3rd string units. I love the idea of playing the backups in garbage time as much as the next guy. However………..see below.
What didn’t work?
4th Quarter substitutions on defense – While I don’t mind getting the backups some much needed game experience I think giving up the two late scores took away some of momentum gained in the first 3+ quarters. As any fan could see by looking at the scoreboard on Saturday, games are never over….until they’re over Anything can happen on the field as witnessed by the final scores at Florida, Georgia, USC and even Michigan. I think the Buckeyes should have left the 1st team in to complete the game, regardless of the score. I think it would have been great for their confidence to complete the domination from the field instead of watching it crumble (so to speak) from the bench.
Offensive line substitutions throughout the game – Again, I’m all for getting playing time for the young guys but not if it’s going to cost us 5-yard delay penalties and wasted timeouts. There is definitely room for improvement in this area. You have to point the finger at the coaches on this one. I couldn’t find the number of penalties we were flagged with but I’m betting that the per game average is higher than it’s ever been under Tressel. Given the fact that there are so many seniors playing on this team I find that concept to be unacceptable.
What’s next?
Well…..who knows? I watched the first half of the Wisconsin – Michigan game and decided that raking leaves would be a much better use of my time. Obviously, neither team looked good during the first 30 minutes. It’s easy to say this (after the fact) but without the 5 turnovers Wisconsin probably would not have scored any first half points either. I have no idea what happened to PJ Hill in the second half and where was Travis Beckum? Are they hurt? Going on the road to Camp Randall Stadium is never easy, especially at night. I’m sure the Badgers will be looking to their fans to help them rebound after the loss to Michigan. I think the Buckeyes are playing much better on offense and the defense is playing better than the scores indicate. I also think Wisconsin will have to spend time this week addressing what went wrong in Ann Arbor. I have it 27-20 Buckeyes.
Go Bucks!!!
Buckeye John
'Bama Game takes a Toll on the Bulldogs!
If you watched the game you saw the intense hitting. Here are the results:
Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno could miss the team's next game against Tennessee on October 11 because of a bruised elbow.
Moreno was hurt during Saturday's 41-30 loss to Alabama. He managed only 34 yards on nine carries after entering the contest with an SEC-best 455 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
"Knowshon has got a chance to play in the next game, but he has a pretty good contusion on the elbow," said Georgia head coach Mark Richt on Sunday. "Ron [Courson, director of sports medicine] thinks there is a good possibility he'll play. We'll have to see how it heals."
Moreno wasn't the only injured Bulldog from Saturday, as tight ends Tripp Chandler and Bruce Figgins each sustained shoulder injuries and split end Kris Durham sprained an ankle.
Georgia RB Moreno may miss Tennessee game
Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno could miss the team's next game against Tennessee on October 11 because of a bruised elbow.
Moreno was hurt during Saturday's 41-30 loss to Alabama. He managed only 34 yards on nine carries after entering the contest with an SEC-best 455 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
"Knowshon has got a chance to play in the next game, but he has a pretty good contusion on the elbow," said Georgia head coach Mark Richt on Sunday. "Ron [Courson, director of sports medicine] thinks there is a good possibility he'll play. We'll have to see how it heals."
Moreno wasn't the only injured Bulldog from Saturday, as tight ends Tripp Chandler and Bruce Figgins each sustained shoulder injuries and split end Kris Durham sprained an ankle.
Georgia RB Moreno may miss Tennessee game
2 Points, Boo Birds, and Replay
There seems to be three topics burning up the Internet regarding the game from this past Saturday:
- The two point conversion attempt by Michigan
- The fans boo'ing at halftime
- The use of replay
Let me address these one by one:
The decision to go for two when Michigan scored after the pick 6 and was up 20-19: At the time, this was the right decision. Michigan had momentum and just scored 3 quick touchdowns and was up by one point. What does being up by two points give you at the moment? Nothing. You still can be beat by field goal. If I was the coach, I would have gone for two as well. The decision came back to be a bad one because Michigan did score another touchdown and was up by 8 and Wisconsin was a penalty flag away from tying the game up. With the information at the time (Wisconsin only scoring one touchdown all day, Michigan Defense Playing well, Michigan offense up and down all day, 10+ minutes on the clock) the only reason not to go for 2 was the time left in the game. The flag saved the game but the decision to go by RR was a solid one.
Michigan getting Boo'ed off the field at halftime. I'm not a big fan of boo'ing young men out there trying their hardest. These kids are learning a new system and most of them are just starting their college experience. They are not professional players and they deserve respect for playing hard and learning on the job. Remember folks, nobody expects this team to do anything this year, be mad/sad about the season but keep the boo's to yourself. Yes, they had 20 yards in the first half but the Defense played great and your still booing. Check yourself.
What is the use of replay if you don't use it in all situations needed? There was at least two examples of where they should have reviewed the play and didn't. First was the Mathews Punt Return fumble. From where I was sitting it looked like the Wisconsin player who recovered the ball had his feet out of bounds when he recovered it. Michigan even took a time out to rest it's Defense and they still didn't review it. The second example was a questionable Wisconsin catch in the second half. It looked to me that he could have trapped the ball and still no replay. These plays could have been the difference in the game, they needed to be reviewed. I understand if you can't tell from the replay but at least take a look.
Big Ten Standings
Has anyone noticed who is on top of the Big Ten Standing with their overall record? Yes, of course Penn State is 5-0 with their nice win on Saturday and their list of cupcakes during their non-conference schedule. That team isn't the one most of us are surprised about, the other 5-0 team in the Big Ten is Northwestern.
Yes, the Wildcats are out to their best record in 46 years with a win on the road against Iowa this past Saturday. Now, I wouldn't call Iowa a quality opponent, but it's still a road win for the Wildcats and they could be a very dangerous team later this year.
How does the Schedule play out for the Wildcats? They have a bye this weekend, then host MSU and Purdue at home, IU and Minnesota on the road, back home for Ohio State, Michigan at the Big House, Illinois at Home. Wildcats look very good to be Bowling this year. Thier next 4 games are all winnable (probably not against MSU).
Can Wisconsin rebound from the Blowup in the BigHouse? Yes, but they have murders row coming to Madison the next two weeks with both OSU and PSU visiting. This will make or break the Badgers season.
Michigan State seems to be quietly taking care of business, do they have a shot? After the opening loss to Cal at Cal the Spartans have been playing good quality Big Ten football. They also have a pretty easy road the next two weeks with Iowa at home and Northwestern on the road before the get into the meat of the schedule with OSU at home, Michigan at the Big House, and Wisconsin at home, all in a row. As also know PSU is the last game of the year in Happy Valley. I see MSU losing 3 of those 4 big games.
Does Penn State play any difficult road games in the Big Ten? Yes, they have trips to Wisconsin and Ohio State. The rest of the schedule looks very good for JoPa.
Big Ten Standings CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L
Northwestern 1-0 5-0
Penn State 1-0 5-0
Ohio State 1-0 4-1
Michigan State 1-0 4-1
Michigan 1-0 2-2
Purdue 0-0 2-2
Minnesota 0-1 4-1
Wisconsin 0-1 3-1
Iowa 0-1 3-2
Illinois 0-1 2-2
Indiana 0-1 2-2
BigHouse Blog's Ranking of the Big Ten
#1 Penn State
#2 Ohio State
#3 Illinois
#4 Michigan State
#5 Michigan
#6 Wisconsin
#7 Northwestern
#8 Purdue
#9 Minnesota
#10 Iowa
#11 Indiana
Yes, the Wildcats are out to their best record in 46 years with a win on the road against Iowa this past Saturday. Now, I wouldn't call Iowa a quality opponent, but it's still a road win for the Wildcats and they could be a very dangerous team later this year.
How does the Schedule play out for the Wildcats? They have a bye this weekend, then host MSU and Purdue at home, IU and Minnesota on the road, back home for Ohio State, Michigan at the Big House, Illinois at Home. Wildcats look very good to be Bowling this year. Thier next 4 games are all winnable (probably not against MSU).
Can Wisconsin rebound from the Blowup in the BigHouse? Yes, but they have murders row coming to Madison the next two weeks with both OSU and PSU visiting. This will make or break the Badgers season.
Michigan State seems to be quietly taking care of business, do they have a shot? After the opening loss to Cal at Cal the Spartans have been playing good quality Big Ten football. They also have a pretty easy road the next two weeks with Iowa at home and Northwestern on the road before the get into the meat of the schedule with OSU at home, Michigan at the Big House, and Wisconsin at home, all in a row. As also know PSU is the last game of the year in Happy Valley. I see MSU losing 3 of those 4 big games.
Does Penn State play any difficult road games in the Big Ten? Yes, they have trips to Wisconsin and Ohio State. The rest of the schedule looks very good for JoPa.
Big Ten Standings CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L
Northwestern 1-0 5-0
Penn State 1-0 5-0
Ohio State 1-0 4-1
Michigan State 1-0 4-1
Michigan 1-0 2-2
Purdue 0-0 2-2
Minnesota 0-1 4-1
Wisconsin 0-1 3-1
Iowa 0-1 3-2
Illinois 0-1 2-2
Indiana 0-1 2-2
BigHouse Blog's Ranking of the Big Ten
#1 Penn State
#2 Ohio State
#3 Illinois
#4 Michigan State
#5 Michigan
#6 Wisconsin
#7 Northwestern
#8 Purdue
#9 Minnesota
#10 Iowa
#11 Indiana
Six SEC Teams are ranked in the Top 25
Six SEC teams are ranked in the top 25 of this week's Associated Press, USA Today and Harris Interactive Polls. The six is tied with the Big 12 for the most by a conference in the polls. Team rankings in order (AP, USA-T and HI) are: Alabama (2/4/3), LSU (3/2/2), Georgia (11/10/10), Florida (12/13/11), Auburn (13/14/13) and Vanderbilt (19/19/19).
With Ole Miss receiving poll votes this week, all 12 SEC teams have now received poll points in the AP and USA Today polls in at least one week's polls this year.
The SEC continues to have the nation's top non-conference winning percentage in 2008 (26-5, 83.9 percent). The second highest percentage belongs to the Big 12 at 38-10 (79.2 percent).
Weekly Notebook Of SEC Football
With Ole Miss receiving poll votes this week, all 12 SEC teams have now received poll points in the AP and USA Today polls in at least one week's polls this year.
The SEC continues to have the nation's top non-conference winning percentage in 2008 (26-5, 83.9 percent). The second highest percentage belongs to the Big 12 at 38-10 (79.2 percent).
Weekly Notebook Of SEC Football
'Bama AP #2
The Crimson Tide jumped to No. 2 in the Associated Press ranking on the strength of a dominating 41-30 victory over Georgia on national television on Saturday night. The No. 2 ranking represents the highest ranking for Alabama since 1993, when the Crimson Tide opened the season at No. 2 and stayed there for seven weeks before a 17-17 tie with Tennessee in Birmingham dropped the Tide to No. 4.
Alabama (5-0) was No. 3 at the beginning of the 2000 season and was ranked third for two consecutive weeks in 2005, but has been no higher since Gene Stallings stepped down as Alabama's coach in 1996.
Alabama had a little help from others as three top 10 teams lost in games this past week, then took care of the fourth by thrashing then No. 3 Georgia on ESPN Saturday night. The Tide's dominating 31-point lead at the half was enough to propel them past LSU and Texas, which won on Saturday, and Missouri, which was idle.
The win also garnered Alabama 21 first-place votes, leaving the Tide just 34 points behind top-ranked Oklahoma, but Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban wasn't prepared to lobby for a No. 1 ranking just yet.
"It doesn't matter where you are until the end," he said. "It's the only time it counts, does any good to be No. 1, is the way I look at it.
Crimson Tide rises to No. 2 in AP poll
Alabama (5-0) was No. 3 at the beginning of the 2000 season and was ranked third for two consecutive weeks in 2005, but has been no higher since Gene Stallings stepped down as Alabama's coach in 1996.
Alabama had a little help from others as three top 10 teams lost in games this past week, then took care of the fourth by thrashing then No. 3 Georgia on ESPN Saturday night. The Tide's dominating 31-point lead at the half was enough to propel them past LSU and Texas, which won on Saturday, and Missouri, which was idle.
The win also garnered Alabama 21 first-place votes, leaving the Tide just 34 points behind top-ranked Oklahoma, but Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban wasn't prepared to lobby for a No. 1 ranking just yet.
"It doesn't matter where you are until the end," he said. "It's the only time it counts, does any good to be No. 1, is the way I look at it.
Crimson Tide rises to No. 2 in AP poll
Old News: Thomas Gordon picks Wolverines over Spartans
Athlete Thomas Gordon from Cass Tech picked Michigan as his college of choice and has become the 19th verbal commit for the class of 2009 this past Friday. Thomas is currently Cass Tech's QB but will most likely play Safety at Michigan. The important side note to this commit is now two of William Campbell's teammates are committed to the Wolverines (Jones and Gordon). I think there is a high probability that William re-commits to Michigan later this Fall.
As always here is the write up on Thomas from VB:
Recruiting Notes: Gordon made it no secret from the get-go that the Wolverines were his favorite school, and spent much of the recruiting cycle waiting for his offer. He attended Michigan's camp with his teammates Teric Jones and Will Campbell this summer, but his performance did not earn him that coveted offer. Gordon became a more serious prospect for Michigan later, as more schools began to offer. Thomas attended Michigan State's game last weekend on a visit, where the Spartans gave him an offer. Shortly thereafter, Michigan followed suit, but Gordon chose to not immediately end his recruitment, giving respect to those that had offered him earlier. Gordon scheduled his announcement for September 26th, and despite a few changes to that schedule, he went with his heart on that date, picking the Wolverines.
Player Notes: Gordon is the starting QB for Cass Tech High School, but wasn't deemed worthy of an offer at that position. When he attended college summer camps in 2008, several coaching staffs requested that he work out at the safety position. Though his performance didn't garner any big-time offers, it did pique the interest of Rich Rodriguez and company. 2 games into the 2008 Cass Tech season, the coaches were convinced he could contribute at safety. He will be a DB at Michigan, though he would also be capable of playing QB in an emergency. Gordon is given two stars by Scout, though Rivals deems him worthy of the third star. He is a high-upside guy who might see his ranking increase, since he has only been playing safety for a half season.
As always here is the write up on Thomas from VB:
Recruiting Notes: Gordon made it no secret from the get-go that the Wolverines were his favorite school, and spent much of the recruiting cycle waiting for his offer. He attended Michigan's camp with his teammates Teric Jones and Will Campbell this summer, but his performance did not earn him that coveted offer. Gordon became a more serious prospect for Michigan later, as more schools began to offer. Thomas attended Michigan State's game last weekend on a visit, where the Spartans gave him an offer. Shortly thereafter, Michigan followed suit, but Gordon chose to not immediately end his recruitment, giving respect to those that had offered him earlier. Gordon scheduled his announcement for September 26th, and despite a few changes to that schedule, he went with his heart on that date, picking the Wolverines.
Player Notes: Gordon is the starting QB for Cass Tech High School, but wasn't deemed worthy of an offer at that position. When he attended college summer camps in 2008, several coaching staffs requested that he work out at the safety position. Though his performance didn't garner any big-time offers, it did pique the interest of Rich Rodriguez and company. 2 games into the 2008 Cass Tech season, the coaches were convinced he could contribute at safety. He will be a DB at Michigan, though he would also be capable of playing QB in an emergency. Gordon is given two stars by Scout, though Rivals deems him worthy of the third star. He is a high-upside guy who might see his ranking increase, since he has only been playing safety for a half season.
Don't Call it a Comeback, They have been here for years
The tale of two half's, Night and Day, Oops we fumbled again, 500 mistakes in the 500th game, Miracle on Stadium and Main, there are 100 headlines that could have described this unbelievable game. This game could have defined this team, this coach, this program.
I'm not sure, I have ever witnessed a worse offense performance from a Michigan team then what I saw in the first half in the Wisconsin game yesterday. Michigan had 20 yards of offense in the first half with negative passing yards. The first half tested your soul and strength as a Michigan fan, you could of turned your TV off, you could have left the stadium, you could have let your belief in Rich Rodriguez and his system wain. At 19-0 at halftime, most of us thought this game would end up 40-0 with Michigan looking at a one or two win season.
Then something happened. Terrance Taylor got out of his seat in the locker room and became a leader of this team. He verbally got into each player and told them they were not playing up to their potential, that they basically just slept walked through the first half. Rich said there wasn't much yelling from his staff at halftime, he probably couldn't get a word in over T2's tirade.
The outburst from Terrance fired up the boys up and they showed a pulse in the second half. Watching the tape after the game, even Bob Griese saw/felt the momentum changing. Wisconsin wasn't a great team, they had taken 5 turnovers from Michigan and turned it in to just 19 points. Michigan scored 27 points in what seemed like 10 minutes. Wisconsin like Michigan in the ND game, could not overcome all thier mistakes and it lead to the eventual loss. Key plays were the pick 6 from John Thompson, the 58 yard run by the rumbling bumbling 6"6 Threet, and Minor's nice breakaway TD run that caught Wisconsin in a blitz.
The first half was like a nightmare, the second half happened so quick it took your breath away. What a 500th game in the Big House! One we all will remember that hopefully will define this season.
Cheers:
- I can't say enough about the Michigan defense. The Michigan offense continued to put the D in terrible position with turnovers and the Michigan Defense held the Badgers to field goals which kept Michigan in the game. Wisconsin had a total of 158 rushing yards on 44 attempts.
- Steve Threet (as RR calls him). He couldn't have played any worse in the first half, he stuck with it and made some good throws and a long run in the second half to give the Wolverines a great victory.
- Coaching: I thought the game plan and play calling was terrible in the first half, but they stuck with Threet and called some great plays in the second half to give him some confidence.
- Terrance Taylor, (with Mike Hart on the field) to step up like Mike would have and showed captain like leadership skills.
- Graham's forced two fumbles (BG is becoming a big NFL prospect)
- Michigan total run yards: 172 Wisconsin total run yards: 158
Jeers:
- What is the deal with the turnovers? Michigan will continue to lose winnable games if they continue to give the ball away like that. The punt and kickoff return really needs to be fixed.
- The bubble screen and the zone read run left, everyone and their brother know those plays are coming.
- Slow Start, we need to find a way to give Threet some easy passes to get his confidence up early so we don't struggle for 30 minutes.
- Our run game would have been terrible if you take out Threet's runs. We need better offense line play and some inventive ways to get McGuffie in space.
- First down yards. Can we please get some first down yards? 2nd and 13 is not a good position to be in.
What does this mean for Illinois? Hard to say, Michigan struggles with mobile QB's and we will have to protect the ball better. Michigan can win this game if they score points, move the ball on offense, and don't let Juice get out of the pocket. If he is going to beat Michigan he will have to do it with his arm. I'm just happy it's at the Big House.
R.I.P. Dawgs!! 'Bama Demolished the "Black Out"
Bama 41 Dawgs 30
The Right Rev. Larry Munson couldn't be here tonight to deliver the eulogy, but we can guess at what he might have said.
Good God. They're just killing us. Killing us. Terrence Cody is occupying our entire offensive line. Andre Smith is mauling our defensive linemen. Glen Coffee is running through us like a 59-cent burrito. We're discombobulated on offense. We're confused on defense. And Julio Jones? My God. A freshman?
Who knew Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran would be so right? As Crimson Tide players stretched before Tuesday's practice, Cochran yelled, screamed and then, just for a few seconds, lowered his volume. "They're wearing black because they're going to a [compound adjective that would get a bar of Dial stuffed in your mouth] funeral," he said, not quite under his breath. A camera caught the entire soliloquy, and, naturally, it was given unto the masses through the magic of YouTube.
The long kiss goodnight for UGA
Not a funeral, but... Alabama 41, Georgia 30
The Right Rev. Larry Munson couldn't be here tonight to deliver the eulogy, but we can guess at what he might have said.
Good God. They're just killing us. Killing us. Terrence Cody is occupying our entire offensive line. Andre Smith is mauling our defensive linemen. Glen Coffee is running through us like a 59-cent burrito. We're discombobulated on offense. We're confused on defense. And Julio Jones? My God. A freshman?
Who knew Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran would be so right? As Crimson Tide players stretched before Tuesday's practice, Cochran yelled, screamed and then, just for a few seconds, lowered his volume. "They're wearing black because they're going to a [compound adjective that would get a bar of Dial stuffed in your mouth] funeral," he said, not quite under his breath. A camera caught the entire soliloquy, and, naturally, it was given unto the masses through the magic of YouTube.
The long kiss goodnight for UGA
Not a funeral, but... Alabama 41, Georgia 30
Game Day
'Bama - Georgia Game Day! Let's get it ON!!! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!
The Crimson Tide began the season ranked No. 24, but have steadily climbed the poll in coach Nick Saban's second season in Tuscaloosa.
"We are playing a great team - a top 10 team and one that is coached by one of the finest coaches in America," Richt said. "They have been tested, they just have whipped everybody so bad it didn't seem like they were."
The biggest reason for the Crimson Tide's rise was its 34-10 opening victory over preseason No. 9 Clemson. After a sloppy win over Tulane the following week, Alabama has been impressive in its past two victories, beating Western Kentucky 41-7 on Sept. 13 and routing Arkansas 49-14 last Saturday behind Glen Coffee's 162 yards rushing and two scores.
"Arkansas was definitely over with as soon as we left that locker room," Alabama safety Rashad Johnson said. "I think guys have been looking forward to this (Georgia) game for a long time."
Coffee is gaining 8.6 yards per carry to rank sixth in the country among players who average at least 10 carries per game. The junior set the Alabama single-game record by averaging 16.2 yards per attempt at Arkansas.
"We have one of the best offensive lines in the country," said Coffee, who had an 87-yard touchdown run. "You can't do a better job of blocking than they did."
WEEK 5 PICKS
The Crimson Tide began the season ranked No. 24, but have steadily climbed the poll in coach Nick Saban's second season in Tuscaloosa.
"We are playing a great team - a top 10 team and one that is coached by one of the finest coaches in America," Richt said. "They have been tested, they just have whipped everybody so bad it didn't seem like they were."
The biggest reason for the Crimson Tide's rise was its 34-10 opening victory over preseason No. 9 Clemson. After a sloppy win over Tulane the following week, Alabama has been impressive in its past two victories, beating Western Kentucky 41-7 on Sept. 13 and routing Arkansas 49-14 last Saturday behind Glen Coffee's 162 yards rushing and two scores.
"Arkansas was definitely over with as soon as we left that locker room," Alabama safety Rashad Johnson said. "I think guys have been looking forward to this (Georgia) game for a long time."
Coffee is gaining 8.6 yards per carry to rank sixth in the country among players who average at least 10 carries per game. The junior set the Alabama single-game record by averaging 16.2 yards per attempt at Arkansas.
"We have one of the best offensive lines in the country," said Coffee, who had an 87-yard touchdown run. "You can't do a better job of blocking than they did."
WEEK 5 PICKS
Mt. Cody - The Story!
Steve Campbell, the coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, still wonders. "FSU looked at him and said no," Campbell said. "Florida had looked and said no. Miami basically was on him and said no. It was amazing. Mississippi State said no. Ole Miss, no. Auburn, no. They all looked at him."
Cody's weight hovered near 400 during his time in Perkinston, and some coaches don't believe a player that heavy has the stamina or the athletic ability to make an impact at the college level. "A lot of people are just wary of guys that big," Campbell said. "You know when people say that if things seem too good to be true that they usually are. A big guy like that who's that athletic, you just don't believe what you're seeing."
Fortunately for Cody, neither Campbell nor Jones had that attitude. Cody received no recruiting interest while at Riverdale because he played only his freshman and senior seasons. Jones said Cody's father died when Cody was 12, and Cody had to spend afternoons during his sophomore and junior seasons babysitting his younger brother. Finally, before his senior season, Cody approached Jones about playing football again.
Of course, after the tailback-squashing incident at spring practice, Jones had to institute The Terrence Rules. Cody wasn't allowed to tackle opponents at practice. He could only wrap them up. One day, Cody met a 230-pound fullback in the A gap. Cody picked up the kid, slung him over his shoulder and kept charging through the backfield.
"Is that what you want, Coach?" Cody asked Jones.
"Yep," Jones said. "That'll do."
Cody dominated as a senior. Against North Fort Myers, he had a memorable collision with future West Virginia star Noel Devine. "Terrence hit and spun Noel Devine so hard that [Devine] was on the sideline puking," Jones said. When Riverdale had the ball on the goal line, Jones called for handoffs to Cody. "The ball looked like a Nerf ball in his hands," Jones said.
Because Cody hadn't played as a junior or hit the camp circuit, few college coaches knew about him. Campbell and his staff might never have known had running backs coach Chad Huff not called Jones to inquire about Riverdale tailback Chevon Walker. Jones told Huff that Walker had his grades in order to go to Florida, but if Huff wanted to see a player, he should check out the video of his defensive tackle on Sunshine Preps, a free-to-players service that distributes game tape to colleges. Huff and Campbell gathered around Campbell's computer. Campbell clicked the link.
"Wow," both coaches said.
"TC stood out like a sore thumb," Campbell said. "He was dominating in high school. You didn't have to watch but a couple plays and you knew he could be a difference-maker."
Even Cody's brief career as a fullback suggested to Campbell that he wasn't dealing with some sluggish giant. "It was hilarious watching high school kids try to tackle him," Campbell said. "He just waded through people like a bulldozer. You could see the athleticism watching him run the ball. He would spin and twist." Campbell called Jones immediately. Jones asked if Campbell could mail Cody scholarship forms. Campbell said he'd FedEx them.
Once Campbell fitted him in a pair of size 18 cleats and an XXXXXL jersey, Cody played with a motor, and he had the quickness and agility of a player 150 pounds lighter. At first, Cody's teammates didn't know what to think of him. Former Mississippi Gulf Coast center Keating Helms, now the starter at Louisiana-Monroe, remembers turning to see Cody filling an entire door frame. Helms also remembers his first thought upon seeing Mount Cody. "Straight fear," Helms said.
That didn't last long. Helms and his teammates realized quickly that, off the field, Cody might be the world's largest teddy bear. Cody, an avid watcher of The Cartoon Network, slept on Batman sheets. "I've walked in on him watching Pokemon," Helms says. Cody said that above all else, he'll always be a Tom and Jerry man. Helms and Cody became fast friends. Helms didn't even mind when Cody sat on his futon and broke it.
On the practice field, Helms rarely attempted to block Cody without help. Asked how he feels when he flips on the TV and sees offensive linemen trying to block Cody, Helms chuckled. "That's a good word," he says. "Try and block him. I really feel for anybody who has to go against him."
Everyone who has spent significant time with Jones on the field feels this way, and that's why Campbell was so dumbfounded when college coaches would pass on Cody. "He's a different animal," Campbell said. "He can dominate at that level. That's what I tried to tell everybody."
Campbell even went over the college coaches' heads, telling an NFL scout buddy to take a look at Cody. The scout said some team might take a flier on Cody on the draft's second day. Campbell argued that Cody is a top-five pick. That same scout attended the Alabama-Clemson game. That night, Campbell received a text message from the scout: "Cuz, you were right."
Alabama coaches didn't shy away from Cody. "They wanted me bad," Cody said. "They said they felt like I was the missing part of the defense." They just wanted that piece to be a little smaller. Preseason reports had Cody's weight hovering near 400 again, but Bama coach Nick Saban had decreed Cody needed to weigh about 365 to have the stamina to be effective. Saban believes Cody can follow in the footsteps of Keith Traylor and Ted Washington, giant run-stuffers who had long and lucrative NFL careers.
'Bama's mountain of a nosetackle: 365-pound Terrence Cody
Cody's weight hovered near 400 during his time in Perkinston, and some coaches don't believe a player that heavy has the stamina or the athletic ability to make an impact at the college level. "A lot of people are just wary of guys that big," Campbell said. "You know when people say that if things seem too good to be true that they usually are. A big guy like that who's that athletic, you just don't believe what you're seeing."
Fortunately for Cody, neither Campbell nor Jones had that attitude. Cody received no recruiting interest while at Riverdale because he played only his freshman and senior seasons. Jones said Cody's father died when Cody was 12, and Cody had to spend afternoons during his sophomore and junior seasons babysitting his younger brother. Finally, before his senior season, Cody approached Jones about playing football again.
Of course, after the tailback-squashing incident at spring practice, Jones had to institute The Terrence Rules. Cody wasn't allowed to tackle opponents at practice. He could only wrap them up. One day, Cody met a 230-pound fullback in the A gap. Cody picked up the kid, slung him over his shoulder and kept charging through the backfield.
"Is that what you want, Coach?" Cody asked Jones.
"Yep," Jones said. "That'll do."
Cody dominated as a senior. Against North Fort Myers, he had a memorable collision with future West Virginia star Noel Devine. "Terrence hit and spun Noel Devine so hard that [Devine] was on the sideline puking," Jones said. When Riverdale had the ball on the goal line, Jones called for handoffs to Cody. "The ball looked like a Nerf ball in his hands," Jones said.
Because Cody hadn't played as a junior or hit the camp circuit, few college coaches knew about him. Campbell and his staff might never have known had running backs coach Chad Huff not called Jones to inquire about Riverdale tailback Chevon Walker. Jones told Huff that Walker had his grades in order to go to Florida, but if Huff wanted to see a player, he should check out the video of his defensive tackle on Sunshine Preps, a free-to-players service that distributes game tape to colleges. Huff and Campbell gathered around Campbell's computer. Campbell clicked the link.
"Wow," both coaches said.
"TC stood out like a sore thumb," Campbell said. "He was dominating in high school. You didn't have to watch but a couple plays and you knew he could be a difference-maker."
Even Cody's brief career as a fullback suggested to Campbell that he wasn't dealing with some sluggish giant. "It was hilarious watching high school kids try to tackle him," Campbell said. "He just waded through people like a bulldozer. You could see the athleticism watching him run the ball. He would spin and twist." Campbell called Jones immediately. Jones asked if Campbell could mail Cody scholarship forms. Campbell said he'd FedEx them.
Once Campbell fitted him in a pair of size 18 cleats and an XXXXXL jersey, Cody played with a motor, and he had the quickness and agility of a player 150 pounds lighter. At first, Cody's teammates didn't know what to think of him. Former Mississippi Gulf Coast center Keating Helms, now the starter at Louisiana-Monroe, remembers turning to see Cody filling an entire door frame. Helms also remembers his first thought upon seeing Mount Cody. "Straight fear," Helms said.
That didn't last long. Helms and his teammates realized quickly that, off the field, Cody might be the world's largest teddy bear. Cody, an avid watcher of The Cartoon Network, slept on Batman sheets. "I've walked in on him watching Pokemon," Helms says. Cody said that above all else, he'll always be a Tom and Jerry man. Helms and Cody became fast friends. Helms didn't even mind when Cody sat on his futon and broke it.
On the practice field, Helms rarely attempted to block Cody without help. Asked how he feels when he flips on the TV and sees offensive linemen trying to block Cody, Helms chuckled. "That's a good word," he says. "Try and block him. I really feel for anybody who has to go against him."
Everyone who has spent significant time with Jones on the field feels this way, and that's why Campbell was so dumbfounded when college coaches would pass on Cody. "He's a different animal," Campbell said. "He can dominate at that level. That's what I tried to tell everybody."
Campbell even went over the college coaches' heads, telling an NFL scout buddy to take a look at Cody. The scout said some team might take a flier on Cody on the draft's second day. Campbell argued that Cody is a top-five pick. That same scout attended the Alabama-Clemson game. That night, Campbell received a text message from the scout: "Cuz, you were right."
Alabama coaches didn't shy away from Cody. "They wanted me bad," Cody said. "They said they felt like I was the missing part of the defense." They just wanted that piece to be a little smaller. Preseason reports had Cody's weight hovering near 400 again, but Bama coach Nick Saban had decreed Cody needed to weigh about 365 to have the stamina to be effective. Saban believes Cody can follow in the footsteps of Keith Traylor and Ted Washington, giant run-stuffers who had long and lucrative NFL careers.
'Bama's mountain of a nosetackle: 365-pound Terrence Cody
Your Daily Glen Mason Update!
This guy will be everywhere on Saturday! No word from tOSU if the game against Minnesota is being moved to Mason Ohio.
Mason to serve as Buckeyes' honorary captain
September 25, 2008 12:17 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
Just got a note from Ohio State saying that Glen Mason will serve as the team's honorary captain for Saturday's Big Ten opener against Minnesota. Mason, who played linebacker for the Buckeyes, served as Minnesota's head coach from 1997-2006.
The Glen Mason Bowl Year 1 (a tradition begins)
Mason to serve as Buckeyes' honorary captain
September 25, 2008 12:17 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
Just got a note from Ohio State saying that Glen Mason will serve as the team's honorary captain for Saturday's Big Ten opener against Minnesota. Mason, who played linebacker for the Buckeyes, served as Minnesota's head coach from 1997-2006.
The Glen Mason Bowl Year 1 (a tradition begins)
_______________________________
BTW: It seems Adidas is quick with getting new jersey's out. If you are fan of "the CrimeDog" you can now wear his jersey:
Wisconsin Preview
As I mentioned in my pre-season preview back in August, this game doesn't scare me. There are many reasons why I think that way:
The #1 Key to this game is Michigan's Linebacker Play. Michigan's linebackers have been running hot and cold all year. They have speed and pretty good instincts but at times over run a play or not in the proper running lanes to stop a big run. This was on display against ND when the LB's missed opportunities to be in the correct running lanes and the ND back went for 7-10 yards. The Michigan LB's will also have to cover the Wisconsin TE's during passing plays. If Michigan can be physical with the TE's and cover them closely, this will give Wisconsin few options in the passing downs and hopefully give time for the Michigan Dline to get to the QB. If Michigan LB's have a long day, the Wisconsin offense will control the clock and time of possession.
Wisconsin is a talented team but have started slow in most of their games, they were down 14 -0 before they rolled off 52 straight against Marshall. They also played a close game against Fresno State at Fresno.
Wisconsin also hasn't seen too many spread teams this year. Michigan will have an advantage on Offense if the play like they did against ND without the obvious turnovers.
Michigan 27 Wisconsin 20
Go Blue!
- Michigan hasn't lost to Wisconsin in Ann Arbor in 14 years
- The key to stopping Wisconsin is stopping the run
- They usually don't have a mobile QB and rely on the pass only in situations like 3rd and 7.
- Wisconsin is built for power and not speed
Wisconsin as a program still believes in the old style power Big Ten Football. Even Penn State has moved towards more of a spread offense these days. So how does Michigan match-up and what are the keys to this game?
Michigan's defense was build by Lloyd Carr to beat the Wisconsin's of the world. As we know, it wasn't built to stop the App. State's of the world. Wisconsin has a talented Offensive Line (they always do) so it will be interesting to see if the Defensive Line can beat the blocks and get into the running lanes to stop Hill and Company from Wisconsin.The #1 Key to this game is Michigan's Linebacker Play. Michigan's linebackers have been running hot and cold all year. They have speed and pretty good instincts but at times over run a play or not in the proper running lanes to stop a big run. This was on display against ND when the LB's missed opportunities to be in the correct running lanes and the ND back went for 7-10 yards. The Michigan LB's will also have to cover the Wisconsin TE's during passing plays. If Michigan can be physical with the TE's and cover them closely, this will give Wisconsin few options in the passing downs and hopefully give time for the Michigan Dline to get to the QB. If Michigan LB's have a long day, the Wisconsin offense will control the clock and time of possession.
Wisconsin is a talented team but have started slow in most of their games, they were down 14 -0 before they rolled off 52 straight against Marshall. They also played a close game against Fresno State at Fresno.
Wisconsin also hasn't seen too many spread teams this year. Michigan will have an advantage on Offense if the play like they did against ND without the obvious turnovers.
Let's look at the tale of the tape:
Style Match UP (Power vs Spread): Advantage Michigan
Team Experience: Advantage Wisconsin
When Wisc. is on Offense: Oline vs DLine: Push
When Mich. is on Offense: Oline vs Dline: Advantage Wisconsin
QB Play: Push
Running Backs: Hill vs McGuffie: (Hill has been banged up but is said to be healthy - Michigan is much deeper at this position) Push if Hill is healthy.
Special Teams: Advantage Michigan
When we look back at this game, we will have to answer two questions: Did Michigan stop the run and was Michigan able to move the ball on offense? If Michigan is continually giving up yards in the running game and going 3 and out on offense the prediction is pretty easy: Lots of Pain!
If Michigan can move the ball and score in the 20's, I think they have a very good shot at winning this game. I would like to see Michigan get the ball to the WR's in space. It's also time for the Carson Butler's of the world to make an impact. As we all know, they also have to limit the turnovers, which I hope they have been working on for two weeks.
All the predictions I have seen have Wisconsin winning easy. I don't agree, I think the two weeks of practice have helped and I think Michigan is ready for the Big Ten season. (I know it seems like a homer prediction but I don't think too many people had Oregon State beating USC last night either). Look for a turnover to be the difference in this one.
Michigan 27 Wisconsin 20
Go Blue!
It's On. Bring on the Big Ten.
Bring on the Big Ten. And you, bring on the predictions. Tony's pick: 28-24 PSU. Phil's pick: 33-17 PSU. Email your prediction to psupodcast@gmail.com. The first prediction received prior to kickoff that beats either Tony or Phil wins a signed copy of Playing for Paterno. Bring it.
http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Paterno-Father-Personal-Recollections/dp/1600780008/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222389279&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Paterno-Father-Personal-Recollections/dp/1600780008/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222389279&sr=8-1
Glen Mason Bowl
I joked during the Big Ten Preview that the Minnesota - Ohio State game on Saturday should be re-named the Glen Mason Bowl. Then I received this email from The Big Ten Network (I love it when I'm right):
Mason on Minnesota-Ohio State Announce Team:
A national audience will see the resurgent Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-0) take on 13th-ranked Ohio State (3-1) at noon ET this Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on the Big Ten Network.Thom Brennaman will call the action with analysts Charles Davis and Glen Mason and sideline reporter Charissa Thompson. Mason has a long history with both programs. A 1972 Ohio State graduate and former Buckeyes assistant coach, Mason later was the head coach at Minnesota from 1997-2006 and led the Golden Gophers to seven bowl games. Mason will be celebrated during a pre-game ceremony as an honorary captain. This will be the first time Mason calls a Minnesota game since his departure following the 2006 season.The game will be the conference opener for both teams. The Buckeyes are seeking an unprecedented third-straight outright Big Ten title while the Golden Gophers will be seeking a signature win under second-year head coach Tim Brewster.
Mason on Minnesota-Ohio State Announce Team:
A national audience will see the resurgent Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-0) take on 13th-ranked Ohio State (3-1) at noon ET this Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on the Big Ten Network.Thom Brennaman will call the action with analysts Charles Davis and Glen Mason and sideline reporter Charissa Thompson. Mason has a long history with both programs. A 1972 Ohio State graduate and former Buckeyes assistant coach, Mason later was the head coach at Minnesota from 1997-2006 and led the Golden Gophers to seven bowl games. Mason will be celebrated during a pre-game ceremony as an honorary captain. This will be the first time Mason calls a Minnesota game since his departure following the 2006 season.The game will be the conference opener for both teams. The Buckeyes are seeking an unprecedented third-straight outright Big Ten title while the Golden Gophers will be seeking a signature win under second-year head coach Tim Brewster.
'Bama vs Georgia - BEST MATCHUP
Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno vs. Alabama run defense: Alabama's chances of pulling the upset Saturday depend in part on whether the Tide can hold Moreno in check the same way they suffocated Clemson's rushing attack earlier this year. Alabama ranks eighth in the nation against the run and has allowed just 2.2 yards per carry and 55 rushing yards per game this season. Terrence Cody and Co. allowed zero net rushing yards in a season-opening 34-10 victory over Clemson. Of course, it helped that James Davis and C.J. Spiller combined for just eight carries against Alabama. Moreno figures to handle the ball three times as often Saturday. If Moreno rushes for at least 125 yards, he should boost his Heisman Trophy stock as well as Georgia's national championship credentials. If Moreno gains less than 3 yards per carry in an Alabama win, the Tide wrecks a Heisman candidacy and establishes themselves as a dark-horse contender for the national title.
SEC: Alabama, Georgia Living up to the Hype
SEC: Alabama, Georgia Living up to the Hype
Big Ten Preview and Picks Week 5
The cupcakes are gone and everyone is happy and fat for the regular Big Ten season. Well, not everyone. The Wolverines are 1-2 the Buckeyes are 2-1 but still hurting from the trip to L.A..
So it's time to see who the real Big Ten teams are as conference play begins. There are some interesting match-ups in week one. Including Purdue vs (Big Ten want-to-be or should be) Notre Dame.
Let's get to the games:
Minnesota at #14 OSU: The golden gophers are 4-0, yes the Gophers are 4-0 and not the Buckeyes. Which seems to be a surprise but really it isn't. Minnesota's toughest non-conference game was also in the state of Ohio against a pretty good Bowling Green team. (I will be driving by BGSU on Friday does anyone want a T-shirt or a starbucks?) Well, OSU isn't BGSU and "little Beanie" seems to back for this game. So expect a lot of this from the radio announcer: "Pryor hands off to Beanie, Beanie scrambles for 7 yards". This game should be re-named the Glen Mason Bowl (OSU want is wrong with you? He should be your head coach right now!) Is Minnesota for real this year? Vegas doesn't think so and is making OSU an 18 favorite. Still, TP is 3 throws away from an upset. Minn 14 OSU 28 (is it me or does the Big Ten Network have OSU on just about every week? - Glen Mason and the BTN that is, another Glen tie in!)
Northwestern at Iowa: As I have been saying in this blog, I think the Northwestern program will make strides this year at becoming a solid football program. I think Iowa is heading in the other direction with all their off the field problems. Coach Ferentz was cleared of any wrong doing in one of those crimes this past week. These are two teams with similar skill levels so the advantage has to go to the home team. Vegas likes Iowa at home as an 8.5 favorite. I tend to think this game will be low scoring and close. NW 10 Iowa 14
Michigan State and Indiana: MSU is coming off a big win against another Indiana team from South Bend, IU just got beat by another Indiana team Ball State. Lot's of football in Indiana! MSU is the better team but sometimes doesn't show up for road games. Ringer will run wild against the IU defense. I expect him to have a 200 yard day. MSU 24 IU 9 (IU is getting 8.5 at home)
Purdue at ND: Did I mention something about football in Indiana? Here it is again. It must be some type of rule you have to play at least 2 teams from this state every season. ND had a nice win over Michigan, then got beat by MSU. Purdue had a tough loss to Oregon and then followed it up with a win over new rival Central Michigan at home. Purdue gets to play ND, PSU, and OSU in a row. How Fun! If Purdue doesn't go "Michigan" and turn the ball over a 100 times, they should win this game. Purdue 31 ND 21 (Purdue is a 3 pt favorite)
Big Ten Game of the Week:
#22 Illinois at #12 Penn State: Who is for real in this one? Penn State has played St. Judy for the Blind in all their non-conference games and Illinois has played a tough Mizzu team. Penn State as a lot of momentum going in to this game and it's ABC Saturday Night game of the week, so expect some type of "White Out" for this one. Illinois hasn't impressed me and feel they are way over rated. Penn State has been impressive against terrible opponents. Vegas has PSU a two touchdown favorite and I agree with them. Zook's 13 JoPa's 28
The Michigan - Wisconsin game preview will be on this same bat station on Friday.
'Bama / Georgia Game Notes
Georgia has won 11 consecutive games, the nation's second-longest winning streak. ... Georgia has won the past three meetings. ... Alabama leads the series 11-7 in Athens. ... The meeting will be the third with both teams ranked in the top 10. The first two came in 1942 and 1976. ... Neither team has allowed a point in the first quarter this season. ... Alabama has not given up a rushing TD this season. ... Georgia leads the SEC with 11 rushing TDs. ... Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno and Alabama RB Glen Coffee are two of the three SEC players averaging at least 100 rushing yards per game this season. ... Only two players in the nation have scored more TDs than Moreno's nine this season. ... Coffee's 16.2-yards-per-carry average against Arkansas last week was a school single-game record for a minimum of 10 carries. ... Alabama has a 29-18-1 record vs. the SEC East. Georgia is 32-15-1 vs. the SEC West. ... Alabama's 49 points against Arkansas last week were the most for the Tide in an SEC game since it scored 59 against Vanderbilt in 1990. ... QB John Parker Wilson became Alabama's career leader in TD passes with his 42nd last week. ... Wilson needs 190 passing yards to become the school career leader. ... Georgia QB Matthew Stafford threw for a career-high 285 yards last week. ... Georgia WR A.J. Green is the SEC Freshman of the Week. ... Green leads the SEC in receiving yards. ... Georgia's average of 10.74 penalties per game is tied with Texas Tech for the worst mark in the nation. ... ESPN's "College GameDay" will be in Athens. Alabama has a 4-7 record in "GameDay" games.
Alabama Football Notes for Saturday's Game against Georgia
Alabama Football Notes for Saturday's Game against Georgia
Phelps runs into Barwis for the second time
During this weekend's Michigan - Wisconsin game Michael Phelps will be honored during the game.
This exchange happened some time this week...........................
Phelps is walking past the weight room.
Phelps: Coach Barwis! Coach Barwis!
Barwis: Yea McGuffie, what is it? Shouldn't you be below a weight bar somewhere?
Phelps: Coach it's me Michael Phelps, I'm back from China after winning 8 times.
Barwis: Jesus! McGuffie, we have one win so far this season and it was just South Bend. Have you been smoking with Mario Manningham?
Phelps: Coach, come on. You must have heard about me by now? I was on freaking Saturday Night Live after the ND game. I was even on the cover of SI! Look at this! I could even sign it for you if you want.
Barwis: You did play well against ND but Saturday Night Fever was out before you were born. That John Travolta sure has gotten chubby. He should be here working with us for the next release of Grease! By the way, I don't care how many gymnastics medals you won in Texas, you are a football player now!
The Real McGuffie walks by both Phelps and Barwis
McGuffie: Hi coach, Hi Michael great job in China!
McGuffie shakes Phelps hand and keeps on walking.....
Barwis: What the hell is going on? McGuffie are you some sort of Chris Angel magic guy? You were in two places at once. We could use that during the game you know!
Phelps: Coach are you ok? Did your wolf bite you or something?
Barwis: Actually it did when we were wrestling. I have an Internet ad out for a pet Wolverine, I guess they are pretty hard to find.
Phelps: Well coach, it's good somethings never change. Be well and keep getting those Wolverines in top condition.
Lloyd Carr grabs Phelps so he can go meet with Bill Martin to discuss sailboats and other nautical hobbies.
Barwis: Will do! Thanks McGuffie!
Barwis sits back on his weight bench to reflect on what just happened.........
Barwis: I really like magic, I bet with magic I could have gotten Boren to stop eating and start lifting. I wonder if I can turn my wolf into a wolverine? (barwis shouts across the room) HEY McGuffie SHOW ME THAT MAGIC TRICK AGAIN.........
“He’s a beast,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. (Referring to Mt. Cody)
“He’s a beast,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “No one man has blocked him and I haven’t really seem any double teams block him either. He’s a problem.”
Chiefly responsible for blocking Cody will be Georgia’s new starting center, Ben Jones. Jones (6-3, 304) is a true freshman. He’s also from Centreville, Ala.
“Ben’s a good ol’ country boy and he loves a challenge,” said Davis, who’ll likely team up with Jones against Cody often. “He’s not scared at all, you can see it in his eyes. He’s anxious. It’s his hometown team, Alabama, and I think he’s accepting this well.”
The problem with a guy like Cody is he’s pretty much guaranteed to take up two blockers. This shorts you a lineman to block the linebacker, and the Tide has a tough one in the middle in sophomore Rolando McClain (6-4, 249).
“He’ll pierce you,” Richt said. “That’s the term our offensive coaches used. He pierces people.”
Trench warfare will determine winner
Chiefly responsible for blocking Cody will be Georgia’s new starting center, Ben Jones. Jones (6-3, 304) is a true freshman. He’s also from Centreville, Ala.
“Ben’s a good ol’ country boy and he loves a challenge,” said Davis, who’ll likely team up with Jones against Cody often. “He’s not scared at all, you can see it in his eyes. He’s anxious. It’s his hometown team, Alabama, and I think he’s accepting this well.”
The problem with a guy like Cody is he’s pretty much guaranteed to take up two blockers. This shorts you a lineman to block the linebacker, and the Tide has a tough one in the middle in sophomore Rolando McClain (6-4, 249).
“He’ll pierce you,” Richt said. “That’s the term our offensive coaches used. He pierces people.”
Trench warfare will determine winner
Recruiting Update
So with Michigan near a full class for 2009, recruiting the key positions are starting to slow down.
With less then a handful of spots left for 2009 the Michigan coaches will be very picky on the next few spots. Here are some news and notes on some of the gentlemen that might fill those remaining few:
- Safety/Athlete Thomas Gordon (teammate of William Campbell and Teric Jones at Cass Tech) won't announce his decision this weekend as originally planned. It is believed to be a race between MSU and Michigan with Illinois making a late charge. Update: Gordon's announcement is back on for Friday. My guess is that Michigan only has a few spots left and if Thomas wants one he needs to act quickly (I'm not sure what the rush would be to pick MSU?)
- Michigan is still in the running for 5 star WR Rueben Randle from Louisiana. Rueben is a teammate of Michigan commit DeQuinta Jones. Rueben is one of the top WR in the country and has offers from every major program in the country. Don't expect an announcement anytime soon from Rueben who might even wait until signing day to announce.
- Another 5 Star prospect on Michigan's radar is Maryland linebacker Jelani Jenkins. With the loss of two 4 star LB's from this years freshman class the LB position has become a big need for the Wolverines. Michigan defensive coordinator Scott Shafer was on hand this past Saturday to watch Jelani play. “A lot of things stand out,” Jenkins said. “They have a great tradition and obviously a good football team. They have a new coach that has a lot of prestige.”
- In town to visit this weekend is a nice list of recruits including: 4 Star offensive guard Quinton Washington, 4 star Baltimore running back Tavon Austin and current verbal commits: Shavodrick Beaver and Florida linebacker Brandin Hawthorne. As you might expect it's important that Michigan add at least one more Offensive Lineman in this class.
- Taylor Lewan a 6-foot-7, 272 Offensive Lineman received an offer from Michigan yesterday. Taylor is a teammate of Craig Roh in Scottsdale and is a 3 star prospect.
- One other OL to keep an eye on is Ohio's Chris Freeman. He is a huge young man with very little football experience (6"7 325 a 3* prospect, some reports have him as tall as 6"9). He plays at Trotwood-Madison, the school that provided current Wolverines; Roy Roundtree, Michael Shaw, and Brandon Moore.
My wish list for the rest of the class would include: William Campbell, 2 Offensive Lineman, a 4 star DB, and any 5 star guy that wants to sign up!
'Bama vs Georgia Victories follow 1 of 2 Scripts
Alabama's four victories in that span have followed one of two scripts. Two have been dominating defensive performances — shutouts, in fact. The other two have been late-game thrillers that proved to be defining moments in the careers of two of the more noted Alabama quarterbacks of the post-Bryant era, Mike Shula and Jay Barker.
CECIL HURT: Georgia game tends to push quarterbacks
CECIL HURT: Georgia game tends to push quarterbacks
'Bama vs Georgia - Key PHYSICAL PLAY
Alabama won't deviate Saturday night from the run-first strategy that propelled it to a 4-0 start, according to left guard Mike Johnson.
"Hopefully, we're going to be able to pound the ball on the ground," Johnson said. "That's what we're going to try and do. And when it's time to pass the ball, we're going to pass the ball. We have a lot of talented receivers and quarterbacks. Thankfully, we haven't had to use them too much this year."
Georgia enters Saturday night's game tied with Texas Tech as the most penalized team in Division I-A. The Bulldogs have drawn 43 flags for a whopping 356 yards, compared to the Crimson Tide, which ranks second in the SEC and No. 17 nationally with only 16 penalties for 118 yards.
Alabama football: xxxx
"Hopefully, we're going to be able to pound the ball on the ground," Johnson said. "That's what we're going to try and do. And when it's time to pass the ball, we're going to pass the ball. We have a lot of talented receivers and quarterbacks. Thankfully, we haven't had to use them too much this year."
Georgia enters Saturday night's game tied with Texas Tech as the most penalized team in Division I-A. The Bulldogs have drawn 43 flags for a whopping 356 yards, compared to the Crimson Tide, which ranks second in the SEC and No. 17 nationally with only 16 penalties for 118 yards.
Alabama football: xxxx
Glen Coffee - He's BACK!!
A junior who was redshirted in 2006 with a knee injury, Coffee said he’s learned not to complicate the game.“When it’s that easy you just gotta run. Just make it simple and run with the ball,” Coffee said. “I always worry about feeling (for where the hole will be). It’s easier for the running backs when the line is blocking like that.”
The home run was all that missing from Coffee’s arsenal. He can run with power, pass protect, catch the ball and make yards after contact. But he had been bothered that it took so long for his explosiveness to return after knee surgery.
“I lost some of the speed after the knee and the sports hernia and I feel like I have gotten most of it back,” Coffee said. “Sometimes I can’t bend my knees like I want to but, for the most part I got it back.”
Quarterback John Parker Wilson said Coffee’s productivity has gone up along with his patience.
“The way he’s hitting the hole, he’s trusting his blockers.
He’s got great patience. He’s not making premature moves,” Wilson said. “Watching tape of this past week, he would hit the hole at the very last second when it would just open up. I think he’s being really patient and just reading the holes, reading the blocks very well.”
Coffee Shows He Can Deliver
'Bama Ranks #4 in the SEC POWER RANKINGS
Alabama (4-0, 1-0)
Is Alabama the team to beat in the SEC West? A win against Georgia could tell us a lot about Saban's young team. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing defense.
Complete SEC Rankings @ insidevandy.com
Is Alabama the team to beat in the SEC West? A win against Georgia could tell us a lot about Saban's young team. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing defense.
Complete SEC Rankings @ insidevandy.com
A Trend is Developing Here.. Bama vs Georgia Best Match-Up?
Yeap! Mt. Cody vs Georgia true freshman center Ben Jones. Do you see the trend now?
Full Story @ myespn.go.com/blogs
Other than the letdown against Tulane, I'm not sure how you could watch Alabama this season and not give the Crimson Tide a chance against everybody in the conference at this point. The matchup I like best for Alabama is massive nose tackle Terrence Cody against Georgia true freshman center Ben Jones. I'm not sure anybody can handle Cody, let alone a true freshman. Alabama coach Nick Saban is as good as there is when it comes to disguising coverages and coming up with schemes to confuse the quarterback, so he'll have something in store for Matthew Stafford. I think it's going to be a great game, but Georgia's experience on defense, No. 24 on offense and playing at home all give the Bulldogs the edge.
Full Story @ myespn.go.com/blogs
WVU Athletics is a Snow Ball Rolling Down a Mountain
Let's take a quick look at WVU over the past two years:
- Michigan hires John Beilein WVU current head basketball coach
- WVU hires Bob Huggins who just spent one year at Kansas State
- Michigan hires Rich Rodriguez, WVU current head football coach
- WVU goes "MSU and Bobby Williams" and hires Bill Stewart after a Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma.
- WVU gives Bob Huggins a lifetime contract
- WVU gets into a messy court case with RR over the buyout which they win but still pay outstanding legal fees
- WVU is a top 10 team to open the season and then lose at East Carolina.
- WVU awards Bill Stewart for the lose with a 6 year contract
- Bill and team go to Colorado and this happens:
So what could be next? Well this......................
Some Board of Governor members and donors are surprised and angry to find that the six-year contract recently awarded to new West Virginia football coach Bill Stewart included not only an extra year over the original terms, but also a previously off-the-table buyout clause, sources said. The deal could entail more money than was included in Rich Rodriguez's infamously litigated deal.
If Stewart were to be fired before Jan. 3, 2009, the university would have to pay him $4.125 million. The Mountaineers, ranked No. 8 before the season began, have started 1-2, without a victory against a major college opponent, and dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time since October 2005.
"People are livid," said one person in a position of responsibility with the university, though requesting anonymity. "It's malfeasance, whoever did it. 'Cause it didn't have to be done. The coach didn't want it. And that wasn't Mike Garrison, he was gone."
The original offer sheet contained a $1 million flat-fee termination clause that was scratched out and initialed by athletic director Ed Pastilong before Stewart, 56, signed it early Jan. 3, the morning of his post-Fiesta Bowl hiringIt's just not right," said the source with the university. "It's not good for the university, whoever did it." The contract was announced after West Virginia lost at East Carolina, 24-3, and before Thursday, when the Mountaineers fell in overtime at Colorado, 17-14, in a game where ESPN announcers referred to "mass confusion" on the visitors' sideline.
"They're furious," a university donor, who also requested anonymity, said of acquaintances on the Board of Governors and other top donors
Nicely done West Virgina, Nicely done.
Phelps meets Barwis #1
With Michael Phelps being honored at this weeks Wisconsin game, I thought I would reset a post from August 6th. Tune in tommrow for Phelps meets Barwis #2.
So what would have happened if both Barwis and Phelps ran into each other this summer in Ann Arbor?
Knock at Barwis office door
Barwis: Come in
Phelps: Hi Coach Barwis, I'm Michael Phel........
Barwis: McGuffie! Your finally here! You look taller in person.
Phelps: Coach, no I'm Michael Phel.......
Barwis: Don't pet the wolf
Phelps: Got it
Barwis: McGuffie we need to put a training schedule in place for you. Here at Michigan we train M -F, Saturday and Sunday. We take a break each day between 1:00 - 1:15 for chocolate milk.
Phelps: Coach I'm a swimmer!
Bariws: We will train in the pool McGuffie. I will make you run in the deep end. (He laughs) I might even put my wolf in there with you.
Phelps: Coach, I'm here to ask you if you will train me for London in 2012?
Barwis: McGuffie you will be graduated by then and you need to start training today! BTW McGuffie they call it football over there but it's really soccer. Are you thinking about the World League or something?
Phelps: Coach, your confused I'm Michael Phelps, I have more gold medals then West Virgina has trailers. I'm heading over to China in a couple of weeks to dominate swimming, but in 2012 I want to try gymnastics and that sweet beach volleyball.
Barwis: McGuffie, I did some research on you and know that you were a Gymnast at one point and that is where you got your sweet moves on the field. But here at Michigan will focus on football.
Phelps: Coach! I AM MICHAEL FREAKING PHELPS! and I TRAIN HARD ALREADY! (Mike removes his shirt) Take a look at this!
Barwis: First off I like your intensity, But we need to put some meat on your bones if your going to make it through a Big Ten Season.
Phelps: Coach, seriously do you ever pick up a newspaper or read the Internet? I'm actually getting more press then you.
Barwis: We don't have any of that new technology in the weight room. I just train, lift, and sleep in there. Son, let me tell you one thing: nobody gets more press then Mike Barwis!
Phelps: Forget it! I'm off to China anyways, I will call you when I get back. (Phelps leaves Barwis office)
Barwis: (leaning back in his chair thinking)........I had no idea we had scheduled China this year. Boy that Bill Martin really must have needed a 12th game.
'Bama vs Arkansas Report Card
OFFENSE: How much credit for this blowout goes to Alabama's offense? Well, it's tough to complain about a unit capable of scoring three touchdowns on a total of 20 plays in the first half. The return of right guard Marlon Davis paid big dividends for an offensive line that mauled the Razorbacks most of the game. Counting his 87-yard touchdown sprint, Glen Coffee ran for 162 yards on his 10 carries, an amazing average of 16.2 yards per attempt. Overall, the Crimson Tide averaged 8 yards per play, a statistic that won't lose many games. Of course, it helps when the backs have so much space to operate in. As the offensive line goes, so goes this offense, but there appear to be more big-play weapons to hurt opposing defenses when the line takes care of its responsibilities. QB John Parker Wilson had some questionable throws, but he also fired a nice 26-yard strike on the game's opening drive and a beautiful, third-down, 25-yard scoring toss to Julio Jones.
DEFENSE: A barrage of big plays masked the fact Bobby Petrino's offense actually had some success, topping 300 yards by early in the fourth quarter. But quarterback Casey Dick's three interceptions — particularly the first two — put the team hopelessly behind. Alabama continually harassed Arkansas' quarterbacks, continued to do a good job against the run and won the battle up front, as evidenced by a goal-line stand to end the first half. This very well could have been a shutout, since each of the Hogs' touchdowns came on fourth down. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban was not pleased by Arkansas' ability to convert on third down or a nearly 10-minute edge in time of possession. Yet on this day, his gripes seemed like nitpicking with a big game against Georgia on the horizon.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The kicking game wasn't much of a factor in a lopsided contest. Leigh Tiffin probably enjoyed booting seven extra points through the uprights after his dramatic struggles at Arkansas in 2006. Punter P.J. Fitzgerald quietly had a solid outing, booting five kicks for a 45.2-yard average. Return specialist Javier Arenas didn't work the entire game, but was angry at himself for fumbling a second-half return he had to pounce on to avoid a turnover.
Full Story @ al.com/alabamafootball
DEFENSE: A barrage of big plays masked the fact Bobby Petrino's offense actually had some success, topping 300 yards by early in the fourth quarter. But quarterback Casey Dick's three interceptions — particularly the first two — put the team hopelessly behind. Alabama continually harassed Arkansas' quarterbacks, continued to do a good job against the run and won the battle up front, as evidenced by a goal-line stand to end the first half. This very well could have been a shutout, since each of the Hogs' touchdowns came on fourth down. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban was not pleased by Arkansas' ability to convert on third down or a nearly 10-minute edge in time of possession. Yet on this day, his gripes seemed like nitpicking with a big game against Georgia on the horizon.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The kicking game wasn't much of a factor in a lopsided contest. Leigh Tiffin probably enjoyed booting seven extra points through the uprights after his dramatic struggles at Arkansas in 2006. Punter P.J. Fitzgerald quietly had a solid outing, booting five kicks for a 45.2-yard average. Return specialist Javier Arenas didn't work the entire game, but was angry at himself for fumbling a second-half return he had to pounce on to avoid a turnover.
Full Story @ al.com/alabamafootball
GAMEDAY VISITS ALABAMA-GEORGIA GAME
The popular college football pregame show, "College Gameday" will be at the Alabama-Georgia game this
Saturday in Athens. It will mark Alabama's second appearance on the show this season. The Tide's 2008 season opener against Clemson also hosted GameDay on Aug. 30 from Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard will be in Athens to preview a showdown of Top 10 SEC teams. Alabama is making its 12th overall appearance on ESPN College Gameday and its third in the Nick Saban era. The Tide is 4-7 in games featured on Gameday. Alabama made its College Gameday debut with a 21-14 win over Auburn during the 1994 season at Legion Field. Alabama has been on ESPN College Gameday for eight home games, including five Tuscaloosa games and three Birmingham games. The Georgia game will mark Alabama's fourth Gameday appearance on the road, including Auburn (1995), LSU (1996), Clemson (2008 in Atlanta) and Georgia (2008).
Full Story @ tuscaloosanews.com
Saturday in Athens. It will mark Alabama's second appearance on the show this season. The Tide's 2008 season opener against Clemson also hosted GameDay on Aug. 30 from Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard will be in Athens to preview a showdown of Top 10 SEC teams. Alabama is making its 12th overall appearance on ESPN College Gameday and its third in the Nick Saban era. The Tide is 4-7 in games featured on Gameday. Alabama made its College Gameday debut with a 21-14 win over Auburn during the 1994 season at Legion Field. Alabama has been on ESPN College Gameday for eight home games, including five Tuscaloosa games and three Birmingham games. The Georgia game will mark Alabama's fourth Gameday appearance on the road, including Auburn (1995), LSU (1996), Clemson (2008 in Atlanta) and Georgia (2008).
Full Story @ tuscaloosanews.com
OSU Monday
OSU – Troy State Review
Terrelle Pryor…..Welcome to the “Shoe”…….I mean the Show!!!!
For only the second time (in my lifetime at least) Ohio State started a true freshman at quarterback. You may have heard of this kid. Terrelle Pryor?!?! In a move that I was openly against, Jim Tressel decided he had seen enough mediocrity from Todd Boekman and went with the untested freshman in the game against Troy State. 4 touchdown passes later, the Buckeyes came away with a 28-10 victory.
I was in attendance at the game so I might be able to say that I saw the official start of what could be a very promising career by young Mr. Pryor. At least that was the commentary of my 8 year old son. I have to admit that I was pretty stunned when he mentioned that as we were walking back to our car. From the mouths of babses…….It got me thinking about what I had just witnessed. So, what did I see you ask? Well….I thought Pryor played really well given the circumstances. His first touchdown pass was a nice 13 yard touch pass to tight end Rory Nicol in the back of the end zone. The next two scoring passes were darts thrown from 38 and 39 yards to Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline respectively. BTW – Nice to see you back in action B2. The 4th score was another laser thrown to Hartline. In between those scoring plays, Pryor demonstrated poise (for the most part) and an innate sense of calm running the offense. He also ran for 66 yards on a series of designed runs and broken plays. I can’t detail enough how impressed I was with his performance. That fact was amplified when I learned that Troy State came into the game with a top ten defense nationally.
So….what worked?
Hello Terrelle…see you later Todd – I guess it’s safe to say that Todd Boekman’s days as the starter are over. He looked tentative when he was in the game (under throwing his receiver on the two passes he attempted). More importantly, the fans and the team seemed to loose focus and energy when he entered the game. I was of the opinion that he played good enough last season to A) win the Big 10 and B) beat Michigan and that he should not lose his starting job because of his poor play against LSU and USC. Indeed he played without confidence in those games but I do not believe those losses can be pinned solely on him. Anyway, Tressel saw it differently and the rest…so they say….is probably history. With a game next week against a seemingly vastly improved Minnesota team, TP will get a taste of Big 10 play before the Buckeye’s trip to Madison in two weeks. Yikes….I think I’m going to be pretty nervous about that game against the Badgers.
Lowering the “Boom” - With Beanie Wells missing his 3 game with his mysterious foot injury (can we please get a definitive diagnosis on his toe?) Boom Herron stepped in and played his best game. I saw him run with better vision, confidence and with some power hitting the holes. He finished with 95 yards on 20 carries. During the pre game warm-ups Wells was running all over the field (albeit in sweat pants) and he looked pretty healthy running onto the field with the rest of the team at the start of the game. Come on JT, the USC game is over. It’s time to let the public know what’s going on with Beanie’s big toe.
The return of the Silver Bullets – I wasn’t aware of the fact that along with a quality defense, Troy brought a pretty potent offense too. Although I found myself cringing as swing passes, screens and draws always seemed to go for 6-8 yards the Buckeye defense stiffened when necessary and help Troy to 97 yards rushing and 218 yards passing. Both numbers were well below their season averages coming into the game.
What still needs work?
Offensive line….better….but still needs work – I didn’t notice it at the beginning of the game but staring left guard Steve Rhering was not in uniform. Coach Bollman decided to move starting center Jim Cordle to the guard spot and started freshman Michael Brewster at center. Since there were no botched snaps or false starts/holding penalties on Brewster I guess you could say it was a successful debut. I think focus should shift to the right side of the line. I haven’t been impressed with the play on Ben Person and Bryant Browning in any game this year. Maybe it’s time to look at Shugarts and Adams at those positions. I’m just saying…….
Tackling – I lost count of how much yardage Troy gained because of missed tackles. At one point in the game I turned to the guy sitting next to me and mentioned that we had better tighten up the tackling before game with Penn State, Illinois and Michigan. Those teams will all field fast, shifty guys that operate well in space. There is definitely room for improvement in this area.
Play calling – As I have mentioned before on this blog, the play calling on both sides of the ball has been terribly vanilla in every game this year. I was listening to the Buckeye pre-game show on the radio driving to Columbus and the radio guys were in agreement that the coaches were continuing to play things conservatively until conference play starts next week. I almost drove off the road wondering why they would wait until Minnesota to open things up instead of showing more last week against USC. You’d have to stretch things pretty far for a good answer on that. I guess Buckeye Nation is prepared to be patient on this front. I for one am most annoyed with this aspect of the season.
Now what…….?
Pryor showed more than enough to ease fears that he is not the man to lead this team. The thought of having a healthy Beanie Wells back (at some point….I hope) to compliment Pryor is actually pretty exciting. Defenses will have to plan for both players running around the field and this should free up the passing game. Establishing a balanced offensive attach has always been critical in navigating conference play.
I’m hoping…no praying….that Heacock has multiple schemes up his sleeve that will be unleashed in the coming weeks. I thought Rob Rose, Thad Gibson and Nathan Williams played strong and fast and they should be set free on more blitzes in the weeks to come. The defensive backfield has been playing better this year but I think they still need to work on the fundamentals of tackling. Put that all together and I think we may have something to work with over the rest of the season.
This week, the undefeated (yes 4-0) Minnesota Golden Gophers come to Columbus. I have no idea how or why they are playing so well this year after going 1-11 last year. Big House Bob asks me for this review on Monday each week so I don’t have time to come up with a definitive scouting report. Having said that, I think I’ll ride the ever expanding coattails of Mr. Pryor this week. I have it 38-10 Buckeyes.
Go Bucks!!!!
Buckeye John
Terrelle Pryor…..Welcome to the “Shoe”…….I mean the Show!!!!
For only the second time (in my lifetime at least) Ohio State started a true freshman at quarterback. You may have heard of this kid. Terrelle Pryor?!?! In a move that I was openly against, Jim Tressel decided he had seen enough mediocrity from Todd Boekman and went with the untested freshman in the game against Troy State. 4 touchdown passes later, the Buckeyes came away with a 28-10 victory.
I was in attendance at the game so I might be able to say that I saw the official start of what could be a very promising career by young Mr. Pryor. At least that was the commentary of my 8 year old son. I have to admit that I was pretty stunned when he mentioned that as we were walking back to our car. From the mouths of babses…….It got me thinking about what I had just witnessed. So, what did I see you ask? Well….I thought Pryor played really well given the circumstances. His first touchdown pass was a nice 13 yard touch pass to tight end Rory Nicol in the back of the end zone. The next two scoring passes were darts thrown from 38 and 39 yards to Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline respectively. BTW – Nice to see you back in action B2. The 4th score was another laser thrown to Hartline. In between those scoring plays, Pryor demonstrated poise (for the most part) and an innate sense of calm running the offense. He also ran for 66 yards on a series of designed runs and broken plays. I can’t detail enough how impressed I was with his performance. That fact was amplified when I learned that Troy State came into the game with a top ten defense nationally.
So….what worked?
Hello Terrelle…see you later Todd – I guess it’s safe to say that Todd Boekman’s days as the starter are over. He looked tentative when he was in the game (under throwing his receiver on the two passes he attempted). More importantly, the fans and the team seemed to loose focus and energy when he entered the game. I was of the opinion that he played good enough last season to A) win the Big 10 and B) beat Michigan and that he should not lose his starting job because of his poor play against LSU and USC. Indeed he played without confidence in those games but I do not believe those losses can be pinned solely on him. Anyway, Tressel saw it differently and the rest…so they say….is probably history. With a game next week against a seemingly vastly improved Minnesota team, TP will get a taste of Big 10 play before the Buckeye’s trip to Madison in two weeks. Yikes….I think I’m going to be pretty nervous about that game against the Badgers.
Lowering the “Boom” - With Beanie Wells missing his 3 game with his mysterious foot injury (can we please get a definitive diagnosis on his toe?) Boom Herron stepped in and played his best game. I saw him run with better vision, confidence and with some power hitting the holes. He finished with 95 yards on 20 carries. During the pre game warm-ups Wells was running all over the field (albeit in sweat pants) and he looked pretty healthy running onto the field with the rest of the team at the start of the game. Come on JT, the USC game is over. It’s time to let the public know what’s going on with Beanie’s big toe.
The return of the Silver Bullets – I wasn’t aware of the fact that along with a quality defense, Troy brought a pretty potent offense too. Although I found myself cringing as swing passes, screens and draws always seemed to go for 6-8 yards the Buckeye defense stiffened when necessary and help Troy to 97 yards rushing and 218 yards passing. Both numbers were well below their season averages coming into the game.
What still needs work?
Offensive line….better….but still needs work – I didn’t notice it at the beginning of the game but staring left guard Steve Rhering was not in uniform. Coach Bollman decided to move starting center Jim Cordle to the guard spot and started freshman Michael Brewster at center. Since there were no botched snaps or false starts/holding penalties on Brewster I guess you could say it was a successful debut. I think focus should shift to the right side of the line. I haven’t been impressed with the play on Ben Person and Bryant Browning in any game this year. Maybe it’s time to look at Shugarts and Adams at those positions. I’m just saying…….
Tackling – I lost count of how much yardage Troy gained because of missed tackles. At one point in the game I turned to the guy sitting next to me and mentioned that we had better tighten up the tackling before game with Penn State, Illinois and Michigan. Those teams will all field fast, shifty guys that operate well in space. There is definitely room for improvement in this area.
Play calling – As I have mentioned before on this blog, the play calling on both sides of the ball has been terribly vanilla in every game this year. I was listening to the Buckeye pre-game show on the radio driving to Columbus and the radio guys were in agreement that the coaches were continuing to play things conservatively until conference play starts next week. I almost drove off the road wondering why they would wait until Minnesota to open things up instead of showing more last week against USC. You’d have to stretch things pretty far for a good answer on that. I guess Buckeye Nation is prepared to be patient on this front. I for one am most annoyed with this aspect of the season.
Now what…….?
Pryor showed more than enough to ease fears that he is not the man to lead this team. The thought of having a healthy Beanie Wells back (at some point….I hope) to compliment Pryor is actually pretty exciting. Defenses will have to plan for both players running around the field and this should free up the passing game. Establishing a balanced offensive attach has always been critical in navigating conference play.
I’m hoping…no praying….that Heacock has multiple schemes up his sleeve that will be unleashed in the coming weeks. I thought Rob Rose, Thad Gibson and Nathan Williams played strong and fast and they should be set free on more blitzes in the weeks to come. The defensive backfield has been playing better this year but I think they still need to work on the fundamentals of tackling. Put that all together and I think we may have something to work with over the rest of the season.
This week, the undefeated (yes 4-0) Minnesota Golden Gophers come to Columbus. I have no idea how or why they are playing so well this year after going 1-11 last year. Big House Bob asks me for this review on Monday each week so I don’t have time to come up with a definitive scouting report. Having said that, I think I’ll ride the ever expanding coattails of Mr. Pryor this week. I have it 38-10 Buckeyes.
Go Bucks!!!!
Buckeye John
Golf's Hat Trick
As some of you regular readers of Bighouseblog know, I am a golf fan. This year, I have had the unique opportunity to attend three huge professional golf events: The Masters, The PGA Championship, and this weekend's Ryder Cup. Each of these tournaments were different but special experiences. So if you will allow me to "go off the board" for a minute, I would love to share with you my thoughts and experiences from such a "lucky" year for attending such great events.
The Masters: As Jim Nance says, it truly is "a tradition like no other". When your on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National it's something very special. The place is magical, beautiful, and perfect all together. If you ever get a chance to attend, you should whether your a golf fan or not. I have never seen an event run so well. Like their name says they have "mastered" every aspect of your viewing and attending pleasure. You can get a 2 drinks and a sandwich for less then $10. Television doesn't come close to showing the speed and breaks in the greens and most of the pin placements aren't even fair. It's a wonderful experience to just attend and enjoy the historic course, there is also some pretty good golf played there as well.
The PGA Championship at Oakland Hills: We were lucky enough to attend Friday's round (the day with the best weather) when it was Hot and a little windy. This was a day where the best golfers in the world (minus Tiger) were against the long Oakland Hills golf course and the course won. We watched golf for 11 hours and could have counted the number of birdies we saw on one hand. I have been to US Open's and Ryder Cup's at Oakland Hills but this was as tough as I have ever seen this course play. Great Day of watching golfers trying to take on the "Monster" and end up looking like most of us do playing on the weekend.
The 2008 Ryder Cup: This weekend was like no other golf event I have been to. (When I attended the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills the US team got beat badly and only manged one point the entire day) This past Saturday was filled with tremendous golf from both the US and European Teams. Many different crowd eruptions from fans from "across the pond" and even here in the "good old" USA.
The players were on both sides were very focused and the fans were chanting "USA, USA, USA" all day. This weekend was as special as watching golf gets. It wasn't one golfer against the course, this was a team and country event. It was Olympics for Golf.
Both teams were playing "out of their minds" with amazing shot making and un-believable putting. Both teams were playing to the crowds and you could really see that Paul Azinger put together a team of good players but players with personality that could thrive in this format. Boo Weekly played perfect golf, his energy, humor, and "down home" personality was a perfect fit for the US. Tie that in with Kentucky natives JB Holmes and Kenny Perry with the young "AK" Anthony Kim. The US team was tough to beat.
The energy and memories of this past weekend will last a lifetime. If you think golf is boring to watch or not for you, give the Ryder Cup a chance. It's the Masters meets Michigan - Ohio State. It's the US Open meets the Olympics. It's a wonderful chance to be patriotic, it's a wonderful chance to get your blood boiling, It's a wonderful chance to be American and cheer for your love for golf and for the love or your country. It's a chance to put the thoughts of $4 gas, historic foreclosers, Presidential elections, and a down economy away and just be American for a few hours. Well done gentlemen, you made your country proud.
Big Ten Preview: Week 4
I know this is a regular Thursday post, but with Michigan's off week, I moved it out to late Friday.So how will the Big Ten fair this week after the disaster of last weekend? Let's hope much better as most of the cupcakes have been eaten and Michigan and Ohio State nurse wounds from their respected beat downs.
Troy at #13 OSU: Well after the trip to California, I would expect the Buckeyes to be looking forward to getting back to their winning ways. Troy is 2-0 coming off a 65-0 win over Alcorn State. Look Out! I don't expect The Vest and squad to overlook Troy but stranger things have happened. OSU is a 3 touchdown favorite in this one. OSU 28 Troy 14
Temple at #16 PSU: PSU has really put an impressive dessert schedule together but Temple is not as bad as you think. Either way PSU is much better and will run the Owl's all over the field, so much that even John Chaney and Bill Cosby will both lose thier cool and schedule some shuffle board time with JoPa. PSU is favored by 4 touchdowns in this one. PSU 33 Temple 10
Ohio at NW: Don't be fooled by Ohio's 0-3 record, they almost beat OSU in Columbus. So NW is going to have it hands full. But the flip side is NW has been playing well against tier 2 teams like Duke and others. Look for this one to be very close. NW 21 Ohio 17
Florida Atlantic at Minnesota: FAU got rained on in East Lansing last weekend and got shut out as they were my upset special of the week. Minnesota keeps winning games against teams from non-BCS conferences. This could be another close one, unless the Metro dome roof leaks. Minnesota: 31 FAU 30 (line: FAU+ 6.5)
Iowa at Pitt: This is a match up of two good coaches with two pretty poor teams. We have seen allot of that this year haven't we? I'm not sure what is going to happen in this one, but I expect there won't be a ton of scoring. Vegas has Pitt favored by 2.5. Pitt gets the edge for playing at an NFL stadium: Pitt 5 Iowa 3
Central Michigan at Purdue: Do these teams play every week? My goodness they just played in late December! This will be the third time in a year in a game where nobody plays defense. I think Purdue is still stinging after their loss last week on the kickers shank. CMU 51 Purdue 48 (purude is a 10 pt favorite at home)
Ball State at IU: This is an interstate match up that really means something. The current IU coach is the former head coach at Ball State. Ball State's head coach is a former coach at Michigan. Tie goes to Michigan. Ball State 21 IU 14 (vegas IU -3)
Big Ten Game of the Week:
ND at MSU: ND loves these back to back State of Michigan games. They get all up for the Michigan rivalry and forget to show up for next weeks game against MSU. The problem is, that usually happens in South Bend, this game is in East Lansing. I guess you need a compass for either town.
ND comes off the big Michigan win where they were able to throw short down passes for 28 points, while MSU shut out their opponent from Florida. Both teams played in the rain. Injury report is "Good Time Charlie" is a game time decision after blowing out his ACL and MCL. (every owner of "all you can eat" restaurants in East Lansing are mourning Charlie's lack of mobility). Expect something weird to happen in East Lansing against ND because it always does. But this time MSU is the winner of the good luck: MSU 24 ND 13 (vegas MSU -8.5)
State of the Union: Recuiting Class 2009
When Michigan started recruiting this class they had less then 20 spots available for the 2009 class. Michigan is currently at 18 spots which hits that number. Michigan has lost two high profile freshman linebackers to being homesick and a clearing house issue. So the number should be somewhere above 20 at this point.
Since we are close to being closed out with verbal commitments for this class, I thought this was a good time to check on if the Michigan coaching staff filled needs and how quickly these guys can contribute to Michigan's success in 2009. Let's take a look position by position:
Defensive Line: DE was a major need for this class. Michigan has whiffed on this spot in the last two classes. Michigan has had a wonderful week getting commitments from two high profile 4* guys: Anthony LaLota and Craig Roh. DeQuinta Jones another 4* is also verbally committed to the Wolverines from La. William Campbell de-committed to the Wolverines a few weeks ago because, he wanted to take trips across the US to LSU, Miami, and USC. The buzz is that he is still a soft verbal to Michigan and will end up Blue. If he does, this area has been a huge success for this class. Expect: William to play right away, Craig , DeQuinta, and Anthony needs some Barwis love but most likely will see some time in the rotation.
Offensive Line: Is a minor need for this class, with the loss of Boren and it became a little more major. Michigan only has one commit on the offense line for this class 4* Michael Schofield. I would expect Michael to redshirt for 09 unless there is a ton of injuries. Michigan could also use one more O lineman with the few spots remaining. Hopefully it's a highly rated one.
Line Backer: LB was not at all a position of need with 5 highly rated LB's in the 2008 class and then "poof" we lose two in one month. So it's becoming a higher need and we have two 3* guy on the board right now. Jordan Barnes and Brandin Hawthorne are speed guys that RR likes on his defense and for sure won't see time in 09 unless something really goes wrong. We could use another LB in this class but would would prefer we get the higher priority positions first. Look for another commit this year only if the LB is very highly rated, if not they seem to be done at LB.
DB's: Every year (like the OL) we need to recruit a few good DB's. A this year is no exception to that rule. The highest rated recruit is 4* Justin Turner out of Ohio who is predicted to play safety, I expect Justin to play in 09 with the troubles we have seen at that position in 08. Mike Jones and Isaiah Bell are 3* guys who look to be special team'ers in 09 while they learn the position or redshirters. Bell is in ESPN's top 100 even though the other services consider him 3*. I expect one more DB in this class and it's most likely Athlete/Safety Thomas Gordon from Cass Tech a team mate of Teric Jones and William Campbell.
Running Backs: The buzz around this class (until lately) was that RR and staff were only recruiting 3* fast little buggers. Sure, Michigan needs them but what about the Dline and the Oline? We the Dline should be set and we could use one more on the Oline. But we need these fast RB/Slot guys as well. Here is a list of all the fast RB/Slot guys in this class:
Jeremy Gallon 5'8 165 4*
Teric Jones 5'8 185 3*
Fitzgerald Toussaint 5'10 185 4*
Vincent Smith 5'6 159 3*
Wow! 4 fast guys under 6"0 in this class. With the line up currently at RB and Slot we really don't need anymore running backs in this class. We will have to see if these guys can make an impact in practice, if they do they will play. If they don't they will sit. Best guess 1/2 will see time the others will see Red.
QB: The largest need for the Wolverines in 09 was a couple of dual threat guys that could run RR's offense and Run in RR's offense. Michigan has actually had 3 top QB's commit with Kevin Newsome de-committing. Both Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver are top 4* QB's with a ton of upside potential. Tate is a bit more polished with his QB skills due to his private QB coach etc and The Beaver is more of an athlete that can make plays with his feet. If I was a beating man, I would think Tate see's more snaps in 09 with his high accuracy and QB skills, while The Beaver meets Barwis and adds some weight to his frame. They both might see action if Threet goes in the tank this year.
WR: We always need good WR and have allot of young guys on the team right now, so not a huge need but really need to see some guys with size that can cause some miss matches with the DB's in the Big Ten. We got two of those guys in this class with the highest rated being 4* Bryce McNeal out of Minnesota and a camp offer DeWayne Peace out of Texas. Both guys are over 6 foot and should be nice additions, I see Bryce getting some snaps in 09.
A Kicker? I love that we went out and found a good kicker and put him on scholarship. I never like how Carr recruited or didn't recruit this position. Anthony Fera will be a Wolverine and if he can kick it through the uprights, he should get some time.
Overall: I really like this class and think it's top 10 worthy. If William comes back and we get a surprise highly ranked guy it could easily be a top 5 class. Michigan filled it's need positions very well on the DLine and at QB. With the few spots left, I would like to see a 4* Offensive Lineman, DB, WR, or LB. That would round off the class very nicely. I'm guessing if you include William and Thomas Gordon, Michigan may have one or two spots left open for 09.
Here is my projected playing time scale:
Blue is he will see the field in 09
Orange is he could see time in 09 if he impresses in camp
Red means most likely a redshirt
Since we are close to being closed out with verbal commitments for this class, I thought this was a good time to check on if the Michigan coaching staff filled needs and how quickly these guys can contribute to Michigan's success in 2009. Let's take a look position by position:
Defensive Line: DE was a major need for this class. Michigan has whiffed on this spot in the last two classes. Michigan has had a wonderful week getting commitments from two high profile 4* guys: Anthony LaLota and Craig Roh. DeQuinta Jones another 4* is also verbally committed to the Wolverines from La. William Campbell de-committed to the Wolverines a few weeks ago because, he wanted to take trips across the US to LSU, Miami, and USC. The buzz is that he is still a soft verbal to Michigan and will end up Blue. If he does, this area has been a huge success for this class. Expect: William to play right away, Craig , DeQuinta, and Anthony needs some Barwis love but most likely will see some time in the rotation.
Offensive Line: Is a minor need for this class, with the loss of Boren and it became a little more major. Michigan only has one commit on the offense line for this class 4* Michael Schofield. I would expect Michael to redshirt for 09 unless there is a ton of injuries. Michigan could also use one more O lineman with the few spots remaining. Hopefully it's a highly rated one.
Line Backer: LB was not at all a position of need with 5 highly rated LB's in the 2008 class and then "poof" we lose two in one month. So it's becoming a higher need and we have two 3* guy on the board right now. Jordan Barnes and Brandin Hawthorne are speed guys that RR likes on his defense and for sure won't see time in 09 unless something really goes wrong. We could use another LB in this class but would would prefer we get the higher priority positions first. Look for another commit this year only if the LB is very highly rated, if not they seem to be done at LB.
DB's: Every year (like the OL) we need to recruit a few good DB's. A this year is no exception to that rule. The highest rated recruit is 4* Justin Turner out of Ohio who is predicted to play safety, I expect Justin to play in 09 with the troubles we have seen at that position in 08. Mike Jones and Isaiah Bell are 3* guys who look to be special team'ers in 09 while they learn the position or redshirters. Bell is in ESPN's top 100 even though the other services consider him 3*. I expect one more DB in this class and it's most likely Athlete/Safety Thomas Gordon from Cass Tech a team mate of Teric Jones and William Campbell.
Running Backs: The buzz around this class (until lately) was that RR and staff were only recruiting 3* fast little buggers. Sure, Michigan needs them but what about the Dline and the Oline? We the Dline should be set and we could use one more on the Oline. But we need these fast RB/Slot guys as well. Here is a list of all the fast RB/Slot guys in this class:
Jeremy Gallon 5'8 165 4*
Teric Jones 5'8 185 3*
Fitzgerald Toussaint 5'10 185 4*
Vincent Smith 5'6 159 3*
Wow! 4 fast guys under 6"0 in this class. With the line up currently at RB and Slot we really don't need anymore running backs in this class. We will have to see if these guys can make an impact in practice, if they do they will play. If they don't they will sit. Best guess 1/2 will see time the others will see Red.
QB: The largest need for the Wolverines in 09 was a couple of dual threat guys that could run RR's offense and Run in RR's offense. Michigan has actually had 3 top QB's commit with Kevin Newsome de-committing. Both Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver are top 4* QB's with a ton of upside potential. Tate is a bit more polished with his QB skills due to his private QB coach etc and The Beaver is more of an athlete that can make plays with his feet. If I was a beating man, I would think Tate see's more snaps in 09 with his high accuracy and QB skills, while The Beaver meets Barwis and adds some weight to his frame. They both might see action if Threet goes in the tank this year.
WR: We always need good WR and have allot of young guys on the team right now, so not a huge need but really need to see some guys with size that can cause some miss matches with the DB's in the Big Ten. We got two of those guys in this class with the highest rated being 4* Bryce McNeal out of Minnesota and a camp offer DeWayne Peace out of Texas. Both guys are over 6 foot and should be nice additions, I see Bryce getting some snaps in 09.
A Kicker? I love that we went out and found a good kicker and put him on scholarship. I never like how Carr recruited or didn't recruit this position. Anthony Fera will be a Wolverine and if he can kick it through the uprights, he should get some time.
Overall: I really like this class and think it's top 10 worthy. If William comes back and we get a surprise highly ranked guy it could easily be a top 5 class. Michigan filled it's need positions very well on the DLine and at QB. With the few spots left, I would like to see a 4* Offensive Lineman, DB, WR, or LB. That would round off the class very nicely. I'm guessing if you include William and Thomas Gordon, Michigan may have one or two spots left open for 09.
Here is my projected playing time scale:
Blue is he will see the field in 09
Orange is he could see time in 09 if he impresses in camp
Red means most likely a redshirt
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