Ah, Michigan State. One of a very few reasons I am glad to be from New York; none of the douchebags from my high school graduated and became douchebags from Michigan State. Let’s be real here, everyone who went to high school in the state of Michigan has at least one classmate who couldn’t be saved from their sad Sparty fate. And everyone who has a “friend from State” likes to pretend that their friend “isn’t like the rest of those douchebags.” Well, tough shit kid, your high school BFF just turned into an UNACCEPTABLE turd sandwich, and you did nothing to stop them.

But wait, you say. CMR, you are from New York, how can you hate MSU and their fans so much? Elementary, my dear MMers, let me count the ways:

1. FYS. If you are not a hockey fan, you may not be aware of this one. I saw this firsthand at Yost as a freshman, and it is seriously one of those scenes that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Shit like this is not supposed to happen in college hockey, nor hockey at any level, yet it happened at Yost, and I hope to never witness an event so egregious that every usher in the stands turns a deaf ear to the student section: 
   FYS.
2. “Our parties are better and our chicks are hawter!” Oh yea Sparty? Since your parties are so sweet, (paying for fratty ice is sick, brah!) stop crashing ours and stop trying to get me to dance with you, I can sense your inferiority complex from across the room. I also sense that I should try using smaller words too: You are rather ugly and not even clever, nice, funny, or (sure, I’ll go there) rich enough to make up for it… explain again why you deserve hawt chicks?
3. “LOLMart Wolverines!!” Well that’s up there with Nicky Minaj calling Lil Kim trashy. Try again.
4. “Look at how old that picture is. They had to go that far back since a wide out from U of M has caught a ball.”* What is this I don’t even? Many facepalms to you, you poor uneducated soul.
5. “You're right. It's not a rivalry. The Spartans have won the last two games.”* I’ll say the same thing I told the troll on DB’s porst: there’s a reason no one else brags about beating two of the worst Michigan football teams in the past 130+ seasons. Congrats guys, you accomplished the football equivalent of kicking a puppy and bragged about it. If you had taken a better look, you might’ve realized it was a wolf hybrid puppy. Those mature around age three. Your bad, brah. And by the way, if winning the last 2 ends the rivalry... was there ever one to begin with?
6. Oh and on that note State fans… you don’t get to call anyone “Little Brother,” let alone Mike Hart’s team. Stop trying.
7. “Wow, it certainly was nice of my friend here at UM to get me and my brahs these tickets… TIME TO REPAY THEIR KINDNESS BY MAKING A COMPLETE ASS OF MYSELF!** I will pick a fight with the diabetic girl standing in her seat in front of me!”***
8. And of course… history. My grandparents’ true disregard for Michigan State football (they’d rather drive out for a homecoming against Eastern than the MSU game, since EMU and MSU have about the same standing to them). Spartan Bob and Clockgate. Mike Hart vs Coach Dantonio. The Catch. The Interception. The chronically cheating first boyfriend of my little sister’s who I never got to beat the self-righteous snot out of and who also just so happens to root for the Patriots and MSU. The crowd of student-section-invading assclowns who tried to get me and my roommate (our average height: 5’2”) to fight them. Losing in overtime. We know any memories beyond the past two years are a scary place for you, but at least try to appreciate everything that has led to this Saturday.

Oh, and don’t let this get to your head now, Sparty, I still hate Penn State, ND, and OSU so much more than you :]

*Direct quote from a Spartan fan on a Facebook event with the “He Didn’t Know Charles Woodson Could Jump 15 Feet in The Air” picture

** Direct quote from the brain of almost every Sparty jackass in Ann Arbor for the game... not really but still.

***…yea, really.

 

Optimism is a word defined by the dictionary as  1.a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome. 2.the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world. 3.the belief that goodness pervades reality. 4.the doctrine that the existing world is the best of all possible worlds. The first definition describes Dark Blue perfectly. I am one of the most optimistic people I have ever met. I can find good in the worst situations. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and things always seem to work themselves out. Take this fwiw.

As I’ve read through the blogosphere these last few days I’ve noticed that optimism is not flowing freely like it should. Michigan is 3-0 yet all of these “professional bloggers” seem to find need to pick apart every little thing. So fucking what if our defense played like ass? We won the fucking game didn’t we. Craig Roh has come out and said that this kind of performance won’t happen again. Why shouldn’t we be optimistic? What can our negativity possible contribute, other then giving Dark Blue a fucking heart attack at a young age? Seriously people, have faith in the greatness that is MICH.

We play a MAC school this week in Bowling Green State University. What happens if we go out there and hold BGSU to 10 points and under 250 yards of total offense? Will everything in the world be right again? But what happens if we allow 400 yards of total offense and give up 30 points? Think about this, as long as we win the game does it really matter how poorly or great our defense plays? A win is a win is a win is a win.  Never forget that. Never forget the pain and heartbreak that is associated with 2008 and 2009. Never forget the long holiday season, where instead of gearing up to watch MICH play in a bowl game, we sat at home and rooted for Northwestern to kick somebody’s ass. Never forget the way that the last two years nearly broke Brain Cook.

This season things seem different, from the last two years. The offense seems like a complete, perfectly functioning unit. Everyone on that offense smiles, everyone is incredibly humble. Everyone is All in for Michigan. Everyone on Defense also plays with a smile. Jonas Mouton and Obi Ezeh seemed to have figured a few things out. Craig Roh is becoming a team leader at a very young age. Mike Martin has shown the ability to blow through double teams and wreak havoc in the backfield. And let us not forget the raddest dude ever, Mr. Denard “Shoelace” Xavier Robinson. The guys on the team absolutely love Denard, as does the majority of the fans and hell the media for that matter. He is the unquestioned leader of this team as a true sophomore. He is the guy who led us to a last second victory over Notre Dame, on the road. Has anything like that happened in the last two years? I don’t think so.

So what the fuck is the point of this post? BE POSITVIE. That is the point. All of the shit that our beloved Wolverines have been through the last two years, they don’t need to hear a bunch of bullshit negativity from their fan base. Support these kids in everything they do, and more importantly believe in them. Believe that they can accomplish anything. So our defense may not be the ‘97  version reincarnated. Who cares, these dudes can play and are learning at an incredible rate. This team has great things ahead of it. Believe in Rich Rodriguez, GERG Robinson, and the rest of our coaches. Believe in Denard Robinson, Vincent Smith, Jordan Kovacs, and Obi Ezeh. Just Believe in MICH and things will be just fine. GO BLUE

So I took a little bit of a sabbatical yesterday, I went off into the great unknown to watch our Wolverines play,  this time I was without any sort of internet access, and my phone was dead, so I had no way of reading the message boards, and blogosphere’s reaction to Michigan’s win. Thank the fucking lord for that. I came home today, and after putting my shit away, I jumped online, big fucking mistake. My head was already pounding for the large quantity of Jagermeister I had drank the night before. So I log onto MGo and although I was expecting some OMG DOOM stuff, I was blown (lol) away. Fire GERG? Seriously dudes, you want to fire the guy whose patchwork defense beat Notre Dame?

We won this game, we are 3-0. Everyone in the known fucking universe, knew that our defense was going to have some bad days. Yesterday, our defense had a bad day. This is  the perfect teaching opportunity for GERG and his merry band of Corches. So what if we got gashed by the UMass offense. We won the fucking game, the only thing that matters at the end of the day is the win loss record. By my count MICH is 3-0. That is as good of a start as any team in College Football history. If any team has started better than 3-0 in the first 3 games of the year, let me know. 

Lose the pissy little  girl attitudes. We are winning football games, what more do you want?  Denard Robinson is the shizz and Michael Shaw had a breakthrough game. So did Darryl Stonum. Lewan cracked the starting lineup. Cam Gordon had an interception. Things couldn’t be much better. MICH

So I’ve recently taken a few days off from writing my traditional emo posts. Why you might ask? Well first of all I’ve been sky high recently, the win over ND was huge and yes I am still flying high. Also Dark Blue has met a girl and well use your imagination.

So 2 weeks into the season and what have we learned about Michigan Footbaw? First, Denard Robinson is the shit. This guy if he plays even half as well as he’s played so far, will win the Heisman this year. He has done everything, and I mean everything for your 2010 Wolverines. He has proven that he can throw the ball when needed, everyone who follows college football knows he can run. He so far, has made good decisions with the ball in his hands, and he has yet to turn the ball over. How Rad is Denard Robinson? He is the raddest man in the world.

The second thing we have learned about this team, is our defense isn’t as bad as we thought. Yes we will give up some yards, yes there is some weakness in the secondary. But for the most part this defense has bent, but has yet to break. I think the secondary, minus some terrible mistakes by RS Frosh Cam Gordon, has played pretty well. Both JT Floyd and James Rogers have played very well. In fact most people thought that James Rogers spelled certain doom, but he has preformed above and beyond what the critics have said. Jordan Fucking Kovacs has continued to be Jordan Fucking Kovacs, a solid tackler who doesn’t make many mistakes. Cam Gordon is probably the weak link in the secondary but again he is a RS Freshman. He will get better, and will turn into an All Big Ten performer. Carvin Johnson is out for the next couple of weeks with a sprained MCL, and Thomas Gordon is filling in while he is out. Johnson looked okay against UConn, and Gordon looked ok against ND. This unit will improve with more game experience, have no doubt about it.

The third thing we have learned is our special teams suck. The kicking game is awful, who knows who the kicker will be from here on out. I have hope for Gibbons but the dude needs to improve. So far Hagerup has performed like a true freshman. He’ll get the shanks out of his system, and will be fine but for now hopefully we won’t have to punt very often. The punt returners HELD ON TO THE GODDAMN BALL against Notre Dame, hopefully sometime in the near future they can actually get some return yards. 

So what does this mean for the rest of this season? Well the dream of 13-0 is still alive. We have beaten two respectable BCS schools, according to the Sagarin ratings the only school to play a tougher schedule in the first two weeks was USC. Am I making this fact up? Maybe, but whatever it sounds good. The road from here on out will be a tough road, but adversity is one thing these young Wolverines are used to. Big Ten play will not be easy, they will be gunning for young Denard Robinson. There are some good teams in the Big Ten who will test our linebackers with play action passing. Can we overcome these things and remain perfect? Only time will tell but the optimism is running high.

 

MICH (1-0, 0-0) vs. Notre Dame (1-0)

Are you ready for a rivalry game? Well dudes I hope you are, because the “Season” kicks off for real this Saturday in South Bend. Michigan, who I might add, holds a 21-15-1 record vs. the Fighting Irish (whoa racist much?), makes the trip into the LoLoosier State looking to give RR that elusive second road win. Can it be done? Well some charts and graphs and pictures make everything all right.

Notre Dame Offense:

Can you say yikes? Our young secondary has the tough task this week of trying to cover Michael Floyd. If we had Charles Woodson playing corner for us, I would probably feel a little bit better about this matchup. Instead we have JT Floyd and James Rogers. This game will test how well these guys are ready for the big stage. Notre Dame is going to be able to throw the ball, make no mistake about it. Notre Dame’s run game comes in after turning a very good performance against Purdue. Armando Allen played well rushing 18 times for 93 yards. Cierre Woods also played well rushing 7 times for 58 yards.

Crist had some problems hitting his receivers down the field. All of the trademark Brian Kelly short stuff was executed well, but there were a couple of times that he went down the field to Floyd and came up empty. I know that ND will test the Michigan secondary this week, and will take plenty of shots down the field. This will be a HUGE challenge for them. If Michael Floyd finds holes in the zone 20 yards down field look out.

Passing Offense	Rushing Offense	Total Offense	Points Scored
205 yards	153 yards (4.3 ypc)	358 yards	23

Keys to stopping the Irish:

First of all we have to stop the run. Jordan Toddman ran the ball 20 times for 105 yards and a score against our D. We must do a better job against the Irish. If we can force ND to become one dimensional, this really improves our shot at winning. The second key is to put pressure on Crist. Whether it is by blitzing, or just with normal pass rush, this has to be done. We cannot afford to let him have all day in the pocket.

Notre Dames offense didn’t looked completely gelled against Purdue. While I have no doubt Brian Kelly is going to make ND a winner again, it takes time to install a new system and get your pieces in there. Here’s hoping the offense hits a bump in the road Saturday.

Notre Dame Defense:

Well the news is somewhat more optimistic when the Irish are on defense. Although Notre Dame racked up 4 sacks and a couple of interceptions in the win against Purdue, Purdue moved the ball pretty well. This included a 24 yard touchdown run by Robert Marve, and we know how fast Marve is (LOL). ND did put good pressure on the Boilermakers QB as I said earlier getting 4 sacks on the dude.

Purdue moved the ball well though, or at least through the air they moved the ball well. Marve finished the day 21/42 for 220 yards and 2 picks. If he doesn’t turn the ball over we probably have a very close ball game. Purdue’s ground attack wasn’t nearly as effective as the passing attack. They ran the ball 32 times for 102 yards. Not a great day was to be had by the Purdue running backs. What impressed me the most about the Irish defense was the tackling. They really seemed to wrap the ball carrier up well.

Rushing Yards Allowd	Passing Yards Allowed	Total Yards	Points Given Up	Turnovers forced
102 (3.2 YPC)	220 (5.2 YPA)	322	12	2

Keys for moving the ball on the Irish:

First key is to take some shots down the field. Notre Dame is going to put 8 guys in the box knowing what Denard Robinson can do. This means we are going to have some shots to go down the field. With all of the speed that Stonum has, we need to go over the top to him at least a couple of times. The second key is to do what we did against UConn, let Denard hum this offense right along. If he makes good decisions on the Zone Read, we should be able to gash Notre Dame for a lot of yards on the ground. The third and final key is to HOLD ON TO THE GODDAMN BALL!! Turnovers have killed us these past couple of years, so do that and we should be okay.

GRADES?

Position	MICH	ND	Advantage
QB	A-	B	I know its only one game, but Denard Robinson looked like a star in the making against UConn. Crist looked okay against Purdue, but MICH has the advantage here.
RB	B+	B+	Our Running backs played well. Sure they didn’t have a whole lot of yards, but when your QB is rushing for 200, you don’t need a lot. Allen and Woods both played well for ND, this is a push
WR/TE	A-	A	Can we stop Michael Floyd? Probably not, but stranger things have happened.
O Line	A	B+	Our line played so well against UConn, they smashed dudes in the mouth. ND played Purdue so I believe nothing about them. Plus with Wenger being out this hurts the Irish
D Line	B+	B	I’m going to give us a slight advantage here. We didn’t generate a lot of pressure on Frazer and these guys must do better against ND
Linebackers	B-	B+	Even though Mouton played well against UConn I still have some doubts about these guys. Hopefully they can continue the good play against ND.
Secondary	C+	B-	Well we didn’t get torched, that is a good thing, right? ND’s secondary didn’t look great against the BoiLOLermakers.
Special Teams	C	B+	We only punted once and it wasn’t a great kick but took a great bounce. Our Punt Return unit still needs to hold on to the ball, and or Kick Returners didn’t make a whole lot of noise against UConn, oh and the field goal unit wasn’t very good either.

 

Prediction:

Okay I’m gonna try and be fair about this as I can, even though I am a huge homer. I expect Michigan to win this game, but its gonna be close. Notre Dame will rack up some yards on us, but hopefully they find a way to score one less point then we do. MICH 38 ND 27

 

 

MICH (5-7 1-7 0-0) vs. UConn (8-5 3-4 0-0)

 

Its almost time for FOOTBAW peeps. Michigan’s 2010 Fuck.Shit.Up tour starts in just a few short days. First up on the schedule is the UConn Huskies. UConn is a team from the powerhouse College Footbaw conference known as the BIG EAST. What do we know about UConn? Honestly not a whole lot, but I’m sure Google will help me through this.

UConn Offense

On offense, UConn has 8 returning starters from what was a pretty good offense in 2009. This includes 4 star recruit, and former Notre Dame Fighting Irishman Zach Frazer. Why is Mr. Frazer no longer in South Bend? Well as the legend goes, he couldn’t beat out that stud Jimmeh Clausen, and decided the grass really was greener in Connecticut. UConn tends to run a more traditional pro style offense, and they definitely like to establish things on the ground first. A small Table of last years UConn offensive stats.

Passing Yards	Rushing Yards	Total Offense	Points Scored
216.5 YPG	170.7 YPG	387.2 YPG	31.2 PPG

So yeah, not bad offensive stats. Of course a lot of these stats were accumulated against BIG EAST teams, so the numbers may be slightly jaded. Oh yeah, and Notre Dame, so these numbers are most definitely jaded.

 UConn Defense

In what is becoming a reoccurring theme, the UConn Defense also Returns 8 starters (somehow I just changed my font, and haven’t a freaking clue how to change it back. DERP). Senior Linebacker Lawrence Wilson leads the Huskies defense, who in all honesty wasn’t that great last year. The UConn secondary is very young, kind of like MICH’s secondary is very young. Here is some defensive stats per rivals.

Passing Yards	Rushing Yards	Total Yards	Points given up
244.9 YPG	137.6 YPG	382.4	25 PPG

So the run defense wasn’t awful, which is why I firmly expect Tate Forcier to have his wings on and to see a whole lot of the field on Saturday.

Matchups

Since you already know all about the Michigan football team, we’re going to skip over that, and I’ll grade each position group on the field, and then give you my expected final score.

Position	Mich	UConn	Advantage
QB	B	B	Push, I think Michigan has the advantage here, but if Denard is still unproven and we are still very young
RB	B+	B+	UConn’s Todman is a very good back, Again this is a push, mostly because other then Shaw Michigan’s running backs are largely unproven
WR/TE	A	C	I think the WR/TE position is one of Michigan’s strongest, as long as the QB’s can throw, MICh will have a huge advantage here
OL	A-	B+	UConn returns 4 starters from last years team, however MICH gets David Molk back, and Molk wants to fucking kill somebody. Advantage Good Guys
DL	B	C+	I think I’m being favorable giving UConn a C+, their line is very young, and pretty undersized. Our O-Line should dominate.
LB	C+	B	Lawrence Wilson is a very good linebacker and the Sporting News picked him as a preseason All American. That in itself is an advantage over MICH
Secondary	C+(??)	C-(??)	Both of these secondary's are largely unproven, I’m  giving MICH the advantage here based on recruiting, and not so much on any sort of play.

 

Final Score

I think that if our O-Line can control the game, like they should, we handle UConn fairly easily. Hopefully these words don’t come back and bite me in the ass. MICH 42 UConn 17.

 

Michigan’s journey towards the land of greatness kicks off in about 10 days. It has been a hard road these last two years. Michigan has suffered its worst stretch ever. We have seen countless injuries, terrible losses, self imposed sanctions, it has been 6 years since we last beat Ohio State. This is a road that no one ever wants to travel down, but friends remember that what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.

Coming into the 2010 football season, fans had modest expectations, 7 wins seemed to be the common theme. Then Troy Woolfolk fucked up his ankle, Justin Turner and Austin White decided Michigan that Michigan wasn’t the right place for them, and Tate Forcier showed up not having put in the work that was expected of him. The OMG DOOM crowd took over, and although I disagree with their sentiment, I understand it completely. However before I digress down this slippery slope of DOOM, don’t we as fans have a duty support our team, and hope for perfection? Isn’t that okay to do? This has nothing to do with drinking the Kool-Aid, and everything to do with being a passionate fan.

A while ago I predicted 9 wins for MICH this year. I am changing that prediction right now, to a 13-0 season, finishing by beating Boise State for the National Championship. If Michigan falls short of this goal, obviously I will be sad. Yet I will be so proud of these young men, who every Saturday will strap on that famous Winged Helmet and go out there and give 110%. These are 18-22 year old kids, they deserve our support and our unbridled optimism.  This team will shock and amaze people, I promise you that.

One man does not make Michigan Football. One guy is not worth 3 or 4 additional wins.  Bo Schembechler taught us that.

 

It is all about the Team. This young, talented Michigan football team has dealt with an awful lot of adversity these last couple of years, but let us not forget, what does not kill us makes us stronger. All of this adversity has turned these young men, into football machines. They will be stronger, faster, and more prepared than anyone they face this year, or for the rest of their lives for that matter. We should all be proud of these young men, they do this institution that we all love so much proud.

So I predict 13 wins. 13 of them, if you’re not on board with this I don’t want to talk. If we do not make this lofty goal, I will be disappointed but more than that I will be proud that these men took the field wearing that Winged Helmet and giving it their all each and every week.

 

GO BLUE!!!

1. If you had one opponent(non Big Ten) whom you could watch Michigan Demolish, who would it be?

Hulk:  I would love to see us lay the beat down on USC or <insert SEC team here>. USC is like kryptonite to Michigan. Sooooo many successful years shot down in a blaze of glory in Pasadena. Couple that with their huge ego and it makes a win over USC oh so sweet. I would also love to see UM smoke any SEC. Pick one, I'd love to see them in the fetal position.

JC: Probably an SEC team like Alabama or even Florida. I just can't stand the arrogance of the coaches like Saban and Meyer, and in 2008 I was a very happy camper when Lloyd Carr won his last game against Urban.

SCS100: Oregon would be nice. After the display in 2007 that sent all of us reeling, I’d love to see us pay them back in kind. Close behind: Tennessee (2002 Citrus bowl) and USC (Rose Bowl).

Seth9:  Notre Dame is the obvious answer here, as they are rivals and incredibly irritating in so many different ways. However, as they are the obvious answer and may join the Big Ten (cue EVIL LAUGH) when the BCS is reorganized should they lose their special status*, I’m going to go with Oregon. I was at the 39-7 drubbing we suffered at Oregon’s hands after the Horror. While I could live with that alone (after all, they’re not supposed to go easy on us and if we suck, it’s our fault) I thought that Oregon going for it on 4^th down within field goal range in the fourth quarter when already up 39-7 was very classless and if we ever play them again, I hope we humiliate them and make everyone on that team cry. Also, what team needs 20141 jersey combinations? It’s idiotic. And never mind that they are the worst losers on the face of the planet (looking at you LeGarrette Blount) and that the only time I root for them they get pounded by Ohio State.
*The reasons for why I think this is somewhat likely is forthcoming in my in-progress recap on conference realignment

Shredder: Ahhh good question. Texas I would say. They recruit at such a high level and are so good. I would love to watch UM go into their house and kill the horns.

Dark Blue: If I had to pick one OOC opponent to watch Michigan destroy it would probably be USC. Or anyone of the ess see see schools. I hate the ess see see and USC on equal grounds.

2. Does Devin Gardner Redshirt?

Hulk: I have stated ever since Denard has shown in practice that he can be a B10 level QB, that Devin would get a MUCH needed redshirt year unless one of Tate or Denard gets injured. Of all the position groups, QB comes in only behind OL when it comes to redshirting. QBs who have time to ride the pine, learn the playbook, and get acclimated to the college game while not having all the expectations heaped on their shoulder. A RS Jr Devin Gardner looks a whole lot better in a few years than a SR Devin Gardner.

JC: No way. Devin will play, especially early in the season against BGSU/UMass or other teams. Ever since Pat White went down in 2007 and cost WVU a chance at the National Title, RR has been adamant that more than one QB will be ready to play.

SCS100: Yes, but that’s assuming that neither Tate nor Denard get injured over the course of the season. If either gets injured, all bets are off.

Seth9:  Assuming that Tate and Denard remain healthy, then I’m going to give a tentative yes. This yes is tentative because I’m assuming that the rather negative reports about Tate’s work ethic are understated and that his performance in the spring game is not emblematic of a lack of progress. Should Tate and Denard both show significant improvement, then they are very good complimentary players and it makes sense to give Gardner a full year to learn the offense, adapt to the college game, and generally refine himself into an elite collegiate QB. All in all, I give Gardner a 35% chance of getting a redshirt, as the combined chances of issues with Denard or Tate (injury or otherwise) and Gardner simply being good enough to force himself into the mix are rather high. Still, I think a redshirt would be ideal here.

Shredder: Ahhh............... Yes? No? If DeTate Robinforce fail than yes. Rich will play all his cards. He has to. You cant answer this one since two things have to happen. The two QBs in front of him have to fail and we have to be losing games. I still think he would make great use in the red zone but I don't think it's worth blowing his red shirt over. I know Hulk will say yes he will red shirt but it's gotta be 61% yes he does and 39% he doesn't for me.

Dark Blue: I think barring injury, Devin Redshirts. However it should be noted that RR is going to use the best available tools. This is a do or die year so nothing would shock me.

3. Who starts at QB vs. UConn?

Hulk:  I WILL NOT PLAY YOUR DEVILISH MIND GAMES YOU GYPSY!
I bet we will see about 50/50 of both the QBs with Tate taking the first snap.

JC: Denard Robinson, but Forcier will see plenty of playing time.

SCS100: Tate. If he tanks, Denard takes over quickly. Tate hasn’t been bad enough to lose his job yet. Plus, Tate has the experience from last year and will not be playing with a bad shoulder again. Once Denard improves enough though, anything is possible,

Seth9:  Denard starts at QB. This has more to do with UConn than it does with our QB situation however. When Denard is QB, our offense is most able to take advantage of UConn’s inability to defend the rush against the spread. Furthermore, Denard’s running ability is more likely to wrong foot an opposing defense in an opener than a more conventional attack that we would use with a QB like Tate. Of course, this assumes that Denard can actually pass the ball, thus keeping UConn’s secondary honest.

Shredder: I was gonna say Tate all the way but after hearing T-Wolf say what he did I may swing my thoughts to Robinson will start vs UCONN. I wouldnt be surprised if Tate got his ass in gear and did get the starting gig but if you ask me today(which you did) than I gotta run with Denard. This could change in the coming weeks. It should be fun to watch to say the least. I know this, Tate needs to check his ego and figure how to be a good leader and teammate. If he doesn't than his team will want nothing to do with him off the field and that's a problem.

Dark Blue: Nard Dawg is going to be the starter for UConn, I think we’ll see an awful lot of Tate on that day, but Denard right now has probably got the lead in the race. And no one catches shoelace.

4. Does Kenny Demens Replace Obi Ezeh as a starting LB?

Hulk: No. I think Obi has all the physical potential to be a all big 10 LB. Injuries, different schemes, and inept position coaching has nullified everything we saw from Obi his freshman year. Slow decision making and Obi being flatfooted has run rampant the last few years. I believe GERG will get Obi back to being a good LB. I mean shit, GERG made Stevie Brown a NFL draft pick.

JC: I don't think he'll replace him, but he'll definitely see plenty of playing time. The coaches want to rotate the linebackers a lot this season.

SCS100: No. Now that we know that Obi was playing with a back injury for all of last season and kept it quiet, I would say it is safe to assume that Demens does not take over for the time being. Now if Obi continues to play horribly, then anything is possible.

Seth9: No. I believe that with some consistency from the defensive coaches and the direct tutelage of Greg Robinson, Ezeh will develop into a somewhat competent interior linebacker. Also, I have my doubts about Demens because he failed to pass Mike Leach on the depth chart last year

Shredder:  No I think Obi will be blitzing a lot and thinking less. Demens will see spot duty but a full replace? I don't see it. Obi will finally have two years in the same system.

Dark Blue:  I think Demens will be a contributor on D, but I don’t expect him to replace Obi. I honest to god feel that Obi is going to have an All Big Ten season. I expect him to be a leader on and off of the field.

5. Who is your favorite band?

Hulk:  Right now I would have to say Cage the Elephant. I am also digging Eminems new album Recovery.

JC: Probably Weezer? I'm strange, I know.

SCS100: Beatles. Innovative, entertaining, and nothing like most of today’s junk. Close second are the Rolling Stones, although Mick Jagger being tone deaf does not help their cause much anymore.

Seth9:  The Blues Brothers. There is no band that I would claim is my favorite because of their music and The Blues Brothers is one of the greatest movies ever made. And yes, they are a real band.

Shredder: My favorite band? Hmmmm.. Rise Against,Rage Against the Machine,Michael Jackson and Infant Sorrow.

Dark Blue: Probably a toss up between The Weakerthans and The Mountain Goats. I’ve also been listening to quite a bit of Wakey Wakey lately.

6. What could MM do better to represent the blogosphere?

Seth9:  Moderate the CBOX. I don’t know if this is even possible, but general audiences tend to gravitate towards moderated venues of discussion because they know that they will not be subject to overly offensive or lewd comments if they participate. Currently, some comments that appear on CBOX do not necessarily cause harm or offense, but do create the impression that participants in the community will face such comments directed at them. This is not designed to be a criticism of the CBOX comments, but simply a note on how others may view them.
To put it another way, CBOX is a great tool for members of the MM community to communicate and interact when we aren’t doing a liveblog. However, when comments, particularly personal ones, appear on CBOX that a large majority of outsiders would find offensive, many outsiders will typically choose to refrain from joining the MM community. Since a large source of our traffic comes from our liveblogs, growing and maintaining steady traffic is dependent on growing and maintaining a community. Since people gravitate to moderated communities more often than un-moderated communities, moderating the CBOX and Liveblogs will help us grow the MM community.
To be clear, I think one of our greatest assets at MM is that we generally give all opinions a fair hearing (outside of rare examples of extreme idiocy), encourage participation from people who don’t write posts, and do not censor productive or amusing comments just because they might offend some people. However, on some occasions, there are comments that cross a line (on rare occasions, I’ve seen overly personal and explicit questions and racially offensive terms) and I think we need moderate these comments if we want more people to come and more sites to link to us.

Hulk: Ban all Arabians.

JC:  Provide a lot of different content (which we do).. and stuff that the normal reader can comprehend, not just massive statistical analysis and fact-filled posts.

SCS100: Write pieces with original content. For example, the roundtable idea is nothing new, but coming up with original questions and thoughtful answers helps things out much more. Not putting up panic /rumor posts like many other blogs do is also helpful. Only when the rumor is substantiated should it be posted (see the Shaw eligibility stuff).

Shredder: More and more content. Thats why Mgoblog is the mothership. Lots of content and it's good quality. I am not a strong writer so I have to find other ways to make us better which can be hard working 3rds and sleeping most my days away. It's great we have good writers like Seth,SCS,DB ect to make up for my lack of writing. I also feel our Live Blogs have become great sources of information(and BS). Thanks to JC and TOB(and new comer Vader) we have lots of people coming during the day just to skim through what was talked about the night before. I never thought the Live Blog would be a good source of info, which is a great surprise.

Dark Blue: Create a domain and run with it. Fuck Blogger, we could do this shit bigger and better. Other than that I don’t know how much more we can do. We are a 5 star prospect, we’ve just got to put it together. We will keep growing until we are unstoppable.

7. What is the biggest key for success in 2010?
 
Hulk:  I have to pick one? I'll say staying healthy. We are still a really shallow team. I think we can be a good team, but if we have to dig into our bench, it could get really ugly, really fast.  The offensive line gelling also deserves a mention. Face it, we have to score points this year. If we can't open holes for our RBs and protect our QBs, we are pretty much fucked from jumpstreet.

JC: Being more consistent on offense. The offensive line needs to protect the quarterback better, and the running game needs to be strong. If the tackles can protect Denard/Tate, then the receivers will have the chance to catch the damn ball! Defensively, we've just got to stop giving up big plays. Tackle, tackle, tackle.

SCS100: Turnover margin. Michigan needs to have a positive turnover margin in order to do well. Even if it is negative, if they can hold it close to 0, then things will still be better than they could be. Close second is pass defense, which absolutely killed us last year. Hopefully the secondary is somewhat improved.

Seth9: The biggest key to success in 2010 is the play of our deep safety. At the moment, we plan on starting converted WR Cam Gordon. If he’s there because he’s genuinely good at the position, we can at least produce a semblance of competence in our secondary because failures by the CBs won’t be compounded by poor safety play as much as it was the latter half of last year. If he’s there because we’re in massive trouble at that position, then our defense will likely be putrid. Based on reports out of practice, I’m leaning toward the former belief, but considering that Gordon hasn’t played a down in a game, I’m still worried.

Shredder: It's pretty easy for me. The Defense. Now I know the QB play is huge and must get better but I am way more confident that our QB play will take a step forward with who ever is our starter. Now the defense I am not so confident on. If it can at least be avg and not allow 30ppg than we will have a shot a a very good season. The defense has a lot of holes and things to prove. There is some good young talent on the defense but they all need to put it on the field. It has to happen for us to have a good season and for Rich Rod to stick.

Dark Blue: Limiting turnovers is the key to success in 2010. Turnovers absolutely destroyed us last year, we’ve got to be better than we were. Last year we probably win 7 games, if the turnover margin is anywhere near “middle of the road”. Also we must kill Brutus.

The Road to Redemption is a long and winding road, with many snares and traps, looking to snag the unsuspecting and send them back to the West Virginia coal mines. The black lung disease is waiting for us, deep in these mines, we have no oxygen tanks, we have no air filters, all we have is the hope and perseverance to overcome the mess that has descended upon us.

Rich Rodriguez was a media darling when he descended on Ann Arbor. ESPN loved this guy, funny how things can change over the course of a couple terrible years. We, as fans of The University of Michigan, have witnessed just about everything you could witness the last two years. We have watched the MSM tear RR down, and leave the pieces scattered in the wake. We have seen our proud football institution get slammed from every angle. There has been NCAA violations, resulting from TOO MUCH STRETCHING. Way to go Dick Fraud, way to bring down the Greatest Tradition ever.

I kid obviously, anyone who knows anything about Dark Blue, knows that I’m all in for Michigan, no matter who the corch is. I want RR to succeed here. I want to watch the Zone Read option, torch the Buckeyes time and time again. I want to see this Florida kids, who have never played a game in temps under 50 degrees, Come out in shirtsleeves in the middle of November. I want to see Denard Robinson, as Pat White 2.0. I actually that was a lie, I think when its all said and done, we’ll think of Pat White, as DROB 1.0.

I’m going to be honest right here, all we have to do is WIN SOME FUCKING FOOTBALL GAMES. That’s it.  RR has continued to recruit well, bringing in his type of players from all over this great country. We witnessed, at times last year, an offense that is going to scare the shit out of defenses. This offense is going to be better this year. This could be one of the most potent offenses in Michigan history. Everyone returns, the offensive line is deeper, we hopefully will have a couple of running backs who won’t get injured when a feather lands on them the wrong way.

The Road to Redemption is a strange road, it is a road that nobody wants to have to travel down, but remember what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger. With all of the shit U of M has endured the last two years, we should be strong motherfuckers.

When Senior Troy Woolfolk arrived on Campus a few years ago, he was known as famous U of M running back Butch Woolfolks son. Butch who was a major contributor in Bo’s first Rose Bowl win, admittedly steered his son towards U of M. Hoping to become another one of the famous father son combinations at Michigan, Troy always felt he was his fathers son, not his own man.

Well not anymore. Troy is set to lead a revamped secondary into the 2010 season, people now know him as Troy, not Butch’s son. I think that young Mr. Woolfolk can be one of the best corners in the Big Ten. He realizes he is the leader of the secondary. This is a unit that was burned repeatedly last year, for big plays. Troy knows its time to leave him mark on the great U of M tradition.

The secondary loses top cover corner Donnavan Warren, who left early for the NFL. Woolfolk and JT Floyd figure to be the starting corners. Floyd, who a lot of people with the time, thought was the most improved performer in the spring. I really have a lot of  confidence that this duo can be very good. Floyd is a strong physical kid who I feel is going to develop into a shutdown corner.

The Wolverine 2010 football preview issue, has Cam Gordon listed as the projected starting FS. Cam is a redshirt freshman with tons of athletic ability. No experience to speak of but I think Cam bodes well as the last line of defense for the Wolverines. Jordan Kovacs is projected to be the starter at the Bandit position while Thomas Gordon is the projected starter at the Spur position. I’m not much of an x’s and o’s guy but I believe that both of these positions are expected to not only help contain the run, but also be able to help out in pass coverage. We all know what Kovacs can do. The former walk on has been the target of a lot of hate from the MICHiverse. However this was a guy who was an All Freshman Big Ten performer and a Freshman All American, this dude is going to be a beast, as long as he doesn’t have to be relied on for deep coverage.

The secondary is a little bit thin, with a whole lot of youth coming in. I would expect true freshman Cullen Christian to be a contributor this year. This is a 4 star recruit who has all of the tools to be a shut-down corner. Tony Gibson still has Justin Turner listed at corner, for all the talk of moving Turner to saftey, this is what Gibson says:

With Justin, the bad rap he gets is he's too big and he can't move as well, but I think that's completely false. Gibson said, I think the biggest thing with him is he doesn't have to strain to cover ground because he's so smooth. He's a 6-2 kid that can run, and it doesn't look like he's full speed all the time, but if you watch the ground he covers he is. I get on him in film, but then you watch him and everywhere he goes he's closing on people. I have no second thoughts about him being a corner. He can be a corner, and a good one.

Hmmmm sounds like Turner may have a future at the cornerback position. Vlad Emilien is listed as the top reserve free safety, hopefully he can climb back from all of those knee injuries and become a factor in the 2010 secondary.

I think this unit is poised to be much improved this year. There is more depth, Jordan Kovacs won’t be wandering around at the deep safety position, things are looking up. I think if this unit is even a little bit competent this is a team that could win 8-9 games.

A side note in programming. Recently there has been some Ad Hominem attacks against certain contributors to the liveblogs.  This is completely unnecessary. MM is supposed to be the spot that any Michigan fan can come to and not be harassed.  It’s fine to joke around, we all do a lot of that but making fun of a posters family or ideals is not going to be tolerated. I will raise the MM banhammer. If you don’t like something someone says on a LB, either ignore it or respond, but do so in an intelligent manner. Don’t act like you’re 5.

Also for your enjoyment, more music I’m hoping will contribute to the 2010 Wolverines success.

 

The 2010 Football Preview issue of The Wolverine arrived on my doorstep yesterday morning. I intently spent the day reading the issue from cover to cover, hungry for the latest Michigan Wolverines football news. While reading I came across an article written by Michael Spath on projected starting DE Greg Banks. I read and I read, and the more I read the more my jaw dropped. A brief excerpt from the article:

Bank's story took it's most precipitous turn in middle school. With his parents out of work and unable to pay the rent, the family, which included a younger brother, constantly hopped around looking for boarding. Banks slept in cars, in abandoned homes and buildings, in seedy motels where the prostitution in adjacent rooms made for sleepless nights, and in homeless shelters where there was no guarantee the entire family could stay together. Even for a single night.

Holy shit, imagine how my jaw dropped, reading about a projected starter who, through no fault of his own, had overcome a mountain of bullshit to be a POSSIBLE major contributor to the Revamped Wolverines 2010 Defense.

Banks holds no ill will against his parents

They did everything, and anything, they could to make sure we at least had shoes and pants and a shirt so we could go to school. They did their very best to give their children a chance

Here is a guy who fits perfectly with what Corch Rodriguez is trying to accomplish here in the MICHiverse. The road has been a long and hard one, for both Rodriguez and Banks. Just imagine the joy that these two men will feel when Michigan comes out of the tunnel each week and proceeds to slaughter their opponents (not to say that the other 100+ people associated with the team wouldn’t feel joy). This is a scene I’m rooting for with my poor diseased little black heart.

Jordan Kovacs has been my favorite Wolverine since about the end of the Notre Dame game. I still love Kovacs with the same intensity that a Wolverine eating Buckeyes feels. However Greg Banks has made me realize that not all of these kids come from picture perfect backgrounds. And maybe we should on occasion cut them some slack, not everyone has traveled down a road this tough.

Also I’m dedicating this song as the 2010 theme for Michigan football.