NSD: Frank Clark is Blue!

A question for you:  Does Michigan recruit Cleveland Glenville High School well?  I will also give you a hint that the head coach of that program is Ted Ginn, Sr.   What do you think?  The answer is no, Michigan doesn't.   Things might be changing and today Frank Clark a TE/LB from Glenville is a Michigan Wolverine and his LOI has been sent in.

Frank visited Ann Arbor a couple of weeks ago and was on RR's radar before he was fired.  Brady Hoke who actually has a good relationship with the coaches at Glenville from his time at Ball State and hosted Frank for the first recruiting weekend under Hoke era at Michigan. 

Frank is a 6'3 205 pounded TE/LB that is a three star prospect from both services with an impressive offer list including: MSU, Pitt, North Carolina, Minnesota and California.  It's still unclear if Frank will play TE or LB with the Wolverines next year.

Frank is a good pick up but probably the most exciting thing is the re-opening of the Glenville pipeline to Michigan.    It will be interesting to see where Frank plays and if other Glenville prospect consider and sign with the Wolverines.

Michigan Monday: Michigan vs Mississippi State

Is that enough "M's" for you in one title?  Yes, the Wolverines got a favorable bowl last night as they accepted an invitation to play in the Gator Bowl on New Years Day.  I know NYD isn't what it used to be but after two years of not watching the Wolverines at all during the holidays, I think the Gator Bowl was a nice choice for the Wolverines.

Mississippi State was some what of a surprise as an opponent for the Wolverines.  Most expected a Michigan - Florida match up but the Outback Bowl decided they rather snatch up the Gators.   Then the rumor floating around was Tennessee but that didn't happen either and now the Wolverines face a top 30 defense in Dan Mullen's Mississippi State squad. 

Even though Michigan State didn't get a BCS Bid they are playing a very difficult Alabama team in what should be re-named as the Saban Bowl.   Iowa seemed to get the short end of the stick having to play Missouri a 10-2 Big 12 Team on December 28.   I don't think MSU has the talent to say to Bama but I think Iowa can beat Missouri. 



More News and Notes From This Weekend:

• Change of Hart?  Too bad to see Mike Hart limp off the field on Sunday with another ankle injury but it seems Dee Hart might be re-thinking his de-commit to Michigan.  Rod Smith was reportedly down in Orlando on Friday to talk with Dee and watch his game.   It seems Rod got him off the ledge a bit but Dee still has some decisions to make, like enrolling early or not and if Michigan stays with RR long term.  Let's hope he stays Maize and Blue.  I'm thinking he probably wants to do the "hat thing" at the Army All American Game.  Michigan needs players like this young man.

• Kevin Sousa - Has de-committed from the Wolverines and verbally committed to Wake Forest.  Kevin is a young QB that "needed some work" to play at Michigan and probably saw a depth chart that listed guys like Denard, Tate, and Devin.  Which didn't really equal early or even late playing time.  So he decided to go a different direction, which seems to make a lot of sense for him.  Good Luck Kevin!

• Tommy Two Times?  Not on Saturday.  Michigan beat Tommy Amaker's solid Harvard team with some clutch second half shooting by Stu Douglass.  Tommy beat the Wolverines a couple of years ago when they traveled to Harvard.

• Kill The Gophers?  This line reminds me more of Caddy Shack then Big Ten Football but it seems the Minnesota Golden Gophers have hired Jerry Kill of Northern Illinois as their next head coach.  Jerry is also the former Saginaw Valley State head man and his team just lost to Miami (OH) in Ford Field over the weekend in the MAC Championship Game.

• TomVH from Mgoblog reports: That 4 star WR Devin Lucien will visit Ann Arbor on January 7th.

• Looks like Jim Harbaugh is about to sign an extentsion at Stanford.   Is there a Michigan clause?

A Tuesday Funny: Golden Gophers Coaching Search

I don't normally do this but this headline out of Minnesota made me laugh, so I wanted to share it:

If Gophers fire Brewster, Tony Dungy will be first on their list

I understand that Tony went to the University of Minnesota but do you honestly think he would head back to coaching for a chance to lead the Golden Gophers?  If they call, he doesn't have to answer. 

What Bill Parcells and Jon Gruden aren't options? I know everyone believes their program is the best job in the world, but there isn't even a 1% chance Tony would take that job.  He is well paid by NBC and I don't think he is interested in going out and recruiting every weekend.

The article also mentions, Marc Trestman who is currently coaching in the CFL.  That would be a better bet.   I will throw a wild card name out there, who would be a good fit and spent 6 seasons with the Vikings:  Brian Billick.  Having a guy with a Super Bowl ring would really help in recruiting. 

With Minnesota in Michigan's section of the new Big Ten Conference, maybe I should have kept that idea to myself.

New Grady to the Wolverines and Rumor Mill

Sorry for the non-post yesterday, I was under the weather.
Enough about me already lets get on with the show:

• One Grady in, One Grady out? The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Kelvin Grady former Michigan Basketball Point Guard and brother of recent inmate Kevin Grady, will join the Wolverines this Fall. Kelvin Grady, who played the past two years as a backup point guard on the Michigan basketball team, is expected to join the football team.
  By staying at U-M, Grady will be able to play immediately instead of sitting out a year as a transfer under NCAA rules. He will have three years of eligibility.Kelvin was an all state running back and had over 2000 rushing yards his senior year. Kevin was a 5 star running back out of Grand Rapids who last year had a DUI and this past month spent less then a week in jail for probation violations. It is unknown what Kevin's status with the team will be after last months violation. Coach Rod has said he will sit down with Kevin and discuss the facts before making a decision. Kelvin is expected to join the football team as a slot receiver. There isn't any problems with scholarships since RR and Staff have 5 left for next year with the recent transfers and the ones left over from the 2009 recruiting class.

• Ohio Offensive Lineman enjoys the BBQ and Commits to the Wolverines: Michigan picked up it's 12th verbal commitment to the 2010 class and first Offensive Linemen with the commitment of Christian Pace (6-3, 260 lbs.). Here is the write up from Varsity Blue:

Recruiting Notes:

Michigan fans have known about Pace for quite some time, as he was among the earlier offensive linemen offered post-signing day. He received an offer in early April, and almost immediately hit campus for the Wolverines’ spring game. Though he spoke effusively about his trip to Ann Arbor, a visit to Northwestern “wowed” him, so fans weren’t sure how sincere his interest in Michigan was. A return trip to the University of Michigan, however, sealed the deal. He went home without committing, but the premium sites mentioned that his timetable might accelerate considerably. Accelerate it did, and he phoned Rich Rodriguez today to share the good word.

Player Notes:

Pace is currently a little undersized for an offensive lineman, at just 260 pounds. However, he has a big frame, and will be able to pack on enough muscle to compete well at the college level. He is likely to be an interior line prospect with his height limiting his ability to play on the outside. Pace is very aggressive and nasty with his blocks, and shows an ability to get to the second level of defenders. His strength and technique are pretty good for a high school player, especially one with the low weight that he currently carries. When he teams up with Barwis upon arriving in Ann Arbor, he could be converted into a beast. One big knock on Pace is his pass protection. His high school apparently has a predominantly running scheme, and he’ll have to improve in protection. Pace is a 3-star prospect to both recruiting services.

• Two items of note from the Mgoblog Message Boards: 1- Is that Bill Martin tried to schedule Minnesota for the first game in 2010 to open the new Big House. The Golden Gophers declined. The game if played, would have been an un-official Big Ten game but the "Little Brown Jug" would have still been on the line. Bill also said, that the first game will be against a BCS School. 2-There is a nasty rumor floating around the Internet that 5 star DB and 2009 signed commitment Justin Turner is "iffy" to qualify this Fall. Justin is a very important recruit for the Wolverines, so let's hope he clears up any academic issues he might have.

• The Michigan Golf Team did well in Toledo and made it to the Semifinals before losing a "Heart breaker" to the eventual National Champions Texas A&M. Congrats to the Golf Team on a excellent year!

• The Michigan Softball Team started well in the College World Series beating Alabama before losing back to back games to Florida 1-0 and Georgia 7-5. Nice run Ladies and good luck next year!

• Braylon Edwards goes "yard" in batting practice with the Cleveland Indians.

Michigan Wins "The Little Brown Jug" 29-6 over Minnesota

No matter how often you are defeated, you are born to victory. - Ralph Waldo Emerson




In a year, with only two wins and losses against your rival Michigan State and Notre Dame. The Michigan Wolverines made a step in the right direction on Saturday. The Wolverines put together it's most complete game of the 2008 campaign. The offense lead by the second and third string QB's moved the ball effectively all day against the Golden Gophers defense and the Michigan defense which gave up 48 points last weekend held the Gophers to 6 points in their final trip to the MetroDome where the Wolverines are 12-0.

These are the Wolverines we thought we would see from the beginning of the year; Dual QB's - one throwing (Sheridan) and one running (Feagin) and a dominating defense. On Saturday, we finally got a taste of what the future might hold. The Michigan offense scored 29 points and piled up 435 yards, while the Michigan defense held Minnesota to just 188 total yards on offense, in Rich Rodriguez's first road win as the Wolverines Head Coach. The score could have been much worse if Michigan turned it's 5 field goals into touchdowns and Odoms hadn't fumbled in the red zone.

Maybe the two most maligned Wolverines this season have been 2nd string QB, Nick Sheridan and Defensive Coordinator, Scott Shafer. Both of these gentlemen will sleep well tonight with their best efforts of the year. Nick went 18-30 for 230 yards, 1 touchdown and zero interceptions. Scott's defense only gave up 188 yards and two fields goals.

With nothing left to play for the Wolverines secured the second oldest trophy in football and will have it for the next three years with Minnesota off the schedule for the next two seasons.

"We're fighting for Michigan," Terrance Taylor said. "We're fighting for ourselves. Our backs (are) against the wall. No one expected us to come out here and win. No one expected us to do anything. They expected us to give up, just take it laying down. We're not doing that. We're Michigan."

The Michigan defense finally played a complete game and shut down Minnesota with going back to it's 4-2-5 formation. Michigan had briefly tried a 3-3-5 defense that got run out of Indiana last weekend. With simplifying the defense and getting back to the 4-2-5 the Wolverines played with clear minds and quick feet.

Michigan now goes back to Ann Arbor to get ready for Northwestern at home and maybe more importantly the last home game for the Seniors and visiting recruits. Then they finish the year on the road against Ohio State in Columbus.
This weekend was a one step forward in the new era of Michigan Football.

The Battle for the Little Brown Jug: The Michigan vs Minnesota Preview

Want to know how crazy this year has been? Ponder this question for a minute: When has the Michigan football program ever wanted to be like the Minnesota football program? The answer before this year was: Never. Fast forward to 2008 and the answer is: NEXT YEAR!

Yes, that is correct Michigan fans, we want our beloved historic program to be like the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2009. Minnesota last year were 1-11 under 1st year Head Coach Tim Brewser. This year Tim has lead one of the most impressive turn arounds in recent memory with his 7-2 bowl eligible football team. Before last week's last second loss to Northwestern on a "weird" interception, their only loss was to Ohio State in Columbus.

So there is hope out there Wolverine fans! Michigan has 100% more wins this year then Minnesota had last year!

So when it's all said and done, this game really doesn't mean much. Michigan hasn't won a road game all year and their only QB on the roster is probably out with a concussion. Minnesota is playing at home and will be ready to defend their "Dome" and take revenge for every loss they have ever had against dominating Michigan teams of the past.

So it would just make sense for Michigan to hand over the second oldest trophy in football history, "the little brown jug" before the game, so they don't have to witness the entire Golden Gopher team running over to the Michigan sideline to retrieve the trophy.

For those that are not familiar with this famous trophy: The Little Brown Jug rivalry was created after the two teams met up on October 31, 1903. The earthenware jug, originally used by Michigan coach Fielding Yost, is painted with the victories of each team. . After Yost took over coaching the Wolverines in 1901, the team went on to win 28 straight games. In the meantime, Minnesota assembled one of the best teams in school history, so Gopher fans were excited about possibly ending the Wolverines' streak. As Yost and the team came into Minneapolis, student manager Thomas B. Roberts was told to purchase something to carry water. Yost was somewhat concerned that Gopher fans might contaminate his water supply. Roberts purchased a five-gallon jug for 30¢ from a local variety store. Late in the 4th quarter a storm approached and the fans rushed the field with two minutes left with the score tied at 6-6. Due to the storm and the fans rushing the field the game was called before in could be finished. The Wolverines walked off the field and left the jug behind. Later, Yost wanted the jug back, and sent a letter asking it to be returned. LJ Cooke Minnesota Head Coach wrote back in response: "We have your little brown jug; if you want it, you’ll have to win it." Michigan did exactly that when the teams met up again in 1909 and 1910. Michigan has dominated the series going 65-22-3.

With all the history behind this match up, why do you think Michigan is history this year?

Michigan's offense has struggled this year and the defense at times as won or kept them in games. Last weekend at Purdue the opposite thing happened, the offense scored 42 points and the defense gave up 48 running a new defense formation. The worse part is Michigan will be with out Stephen Threet the only QB that has shown to be able to move this offense at all. Michigan minus their QB and the defense struggling this will equal a very long day for the Wolverines.

How has Minnesota been able to turn the battleship in just one year?

Turnovers my friend, Turnovers. Last year Minnesota's QB threw 19 picks, this year just 4 so far. The Minnesota Defense is ranked #2 in the nation in turnover margin. Protecting the ball and getting turnovers have been the #1 difference in the record.

Minnesota doesn't do anything special on offense or defense except win football games. Michigan on the other hand does just the opposite: they turn the ball over, run a complicated spread offense, don't have their starting QB, and are changing defensive personnel and formations every week.

This game is going to be ugly for Wolverines fans.

Minnesota 28 Michigan 7

Michigan's QB: Threet Likely Out Against Minnesota

Rich Rodriguez said today before practice that Stephen Threet is "very, very questionable" for Saturday's game at Minnesota". Rodriguez explained that headaches usually associated with similar concussions go away after a day or two, but Threet's have remained. He has not practiced all week.

That sound you hear is a bunch of people running to all the Sports Books in Vegas and putting money down on Minnesota to cover the 8 points.

As we all know, Nick Sheridan (Threet's backup) has not preformed well this year and is more of a special teams player then a division one quarterback. If Threet does not play that means the #2 QB is Freshmen Justin Feagin who played on special teams last week and was supposed to see some time at slot receiver.

If your a Michigan fan, it's time to buy an umbrella; "Because when it rains it pours"

So has basketball season started yet?

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)

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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: