Midnight Maize was the first to learn that All State could not cover the Sugar Bowl expenses for the game. At the 11th hour they inked a deal with a second company "I Got Worms". Crews are working hard to make the changes around the stadium and at the 50 yard line where they must remove the old logo. We were able to get a word with the co-owners of I Got Worms Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunbar.

"We heard that this cooking show needed some more money for more Sugar and we love Salts and Sugars and figured...Why not. I have a few more I-OWN-YOUS to hand out so figured might as well help another in need"

It is now officially the All State/I Got Worms Sugar Bowl.

Is it extreme? Yeah so what? Is it for the weak? Hell no. Its Ohio State week. I don't wanna beat them. I wanna kill,pillaged and dismember them. I am sick of the last 7 years.. Sick of the last 3 years. Its time to take back what is ours. I want our team to go out and hit them hard. So hard that heads pop off. As I scream at every kick off of every Michigan game "rip off their fucking heads!" I want this to happen. This game is for RVB,Mike Martin,Hemingway and all the other guys that have went to hell and back for Michigan. Its their time. As they say on MGBLOG... "When you're on... You're really fucking on"...This team is ON. KILL OHIO.

I'm not even sure why Bo Pelini and the Nebraska Nihilists are even making the trip. I mean they believe in nothing. Why would this game matter? I think they play to just spread the word of Nihilism and Bo's band Autobahn.

Maybe he busted in on Hoke while in a bath and promised to cut off his "Chonson" on Saturday? "Sit Deeznard or vee will cut off your CHONSON! Ja, und maybe vee stamp on it und skvush it, Hoke!"

I am still shocked that as of 2011 Ron Zook still has a job in the Big Ten. I will say the guy is a fun watch. I hope Michigan plays a Zooks them up.

He is also fun to google image search too..

Some may have forgotten but Lloyd Carr took some heat back during the 2009 Michigan vs Iowa game. Leach was not happy..

“I saw an article that said Lloyd Carr was at the game in Iowa,” Leach told WTKA-AM (1050). “… No. 1, whose ticket did he go on? Whose private box was he sitting in, and whose university staff was in the box with him?

“As far as I’m concerned, as a former player that loves this program, I love our head coach, I love what they’re trying to do — our ex-coach flipped a huge middle finger right in our current coach’s face.”

Carr couldn’t be reached, and Michigan spokesman David Ablauf declined to comment on Leach’s comments.

 Do I think it is a big deal? No not really but it isn't good either. I just started reading Three and Out and even in the first 10 chapters my faith in Carr has slipped a bit. Carr had a great chance to become a Bo figure and support Rich through those tough years and tell anyone who is not doing so to shut their mouth and support the team no matter what. Instead he went into hiding. Never to been seen around the team or the Big House. He refused to back Rich. He let other former players run a muck on the team and Rich Rod. For a guy who preaches being a leader he lacked big time on all fronts of leading Michigan in a time of need.

Does him sitting with a bunch of Iowa dudes have much to do with this? No not really but it shows a lack of respect for Michigan. He showed enough of that while sending off a former fat player to Ohio State. So Lloyd? Gonna sit with some Iowa hacks or sit with your Michigan Peeps? Now that Rich is gone. Hell, maybe you just won't go. Be invisible is easier anyway these days.

Sorry MSU the cat is out of the bag. You guys are really Power Rangers. Nike made these special suits so you could fend off the evil Lord Zedd and protect Lansing Grove. I could really see Kirk Cousins as a power ranger. Mr.Eagle Scout would make a good one. I do think these suits give MSU a unfair advantage since when Michigan gets up on MSU all they will have to do pre-snap on a 3rd and 10 is... ITS MORPHIN TIME!





GAME OVER!

I really had a giant blank when trying to come up with something for Northwestern week. I struggled so much in fact, that I just drew the Northwestern's mascot Willie the Wildcat left mutilated on the 20 yard line(by what? I will let you decide). I got nothing. Enjoy the blood you sick bastards.

Disclaimer: I see Willie as a real fuzzy wildcat that lives in the wild. Not a man in a suit.

Some people are in the "we are 4-0! Shut up! Enjoy! Denard will figure out the passing game" and there is my people. "The passing game will cost us games when teams shut down the run." I can't lie I have been pretty disappointed with Denard's passing game this year. Some is the play calling but not a lot of it. He has flat out missed people on easy throws. He has thrown the ball into double coverage. He just looks bad at times.

At some point we will have to move the ball through the air and we can't count on Notre Dame Moon balls to get us there. I went through and looked at all the games again and pulled a few shots. In my simple caveman like mind there are three throws.

Easy: Completed,safe like a warm blanket and a solid pick up.
Hard: May not be completed, unsafe like working on a ladder.
WTF?: Not completed, unsafe like caravel rides, over throws and completed to the wrong team.

Easy
Denard is pretty good at these throws. We don't see them enough. This play can get him going a bit. He seems to throws these on a rope most the time.
Same throw here. Easy and safe. It gets Denard feeling good and fuzzy on the inside. Not sure why we don't throw more of these.
Koger makes a nice grab on a high throw from Denard. His throw kills any chance to make any extra yards on a routine easy throw and gets Kroger killed by a defender in the process. This throw for most QBs should be completed on the money 9 out 10 times.
Ahh a nice easy throw on target like a Sunday morning with a nice wet dew on a tree's leaves. More of these please.
I am not crazy about check downs but with Denard I love them. The other options this year have been bad so I will take a check down to Smith all day my brother.
Loved this play. I loved it when Rich ran it last year. Bring Koger across for an easy pitch and catch. i have only seen it once. I hope they are just holding off from using it. We need more money plays like this. I would run the shit out of this in NCAA 10(yes screw the last few NCAAs).
Another easy toss to Koger. Notice a common theme? The easy ones are either to Koger or Smith. Besides the few out passes in the first two pictures I haven't seen many times where Michigan has tried to find Hemingway and Roundtree for small easy pick ups(more later).

Hard
A deep bomb to Koger of all people who is covered pretty well. Its a hard throw for Denard out of the Power I. He over throws. Not much was there any way.
This wasn't the hardest throw but still a challenge for Denard. The ball goes way over the head and heads into safety land. It could have been picked but lucky enough they were chasing chickens out in the end zone.
Another hard throw for Denard. It Sails badly. Roundtree even has a step. He just has to hit him in stride. The ball ends up on the I-94 highway. #fileanotherawayintheoverthrow

W(what)T(the)F(fuck)?
Ball is tipped here but could have been picked off. Throws into two guys. When he looks down the field this throw shouldn't even be an option in his mind. He throws it anyway.
This should be listed under "easy" but goes to WTF? When he throws it behind the man. Just an easy throw that he misses on.
This one blew my mind. Denard thinks he is throwing to 1994 version of Shawn Kemp(not the 1999 one who gained 80lbs). He forgets its Smith. Ball goes sailing for INT. Its really not a hard throw. Its a screen pass. These are what OCs call since they are pretty easy to throw and if the blocking is done correct it can be a big gain. Thank god he hit in late in the game on screen for a TD.
I don't even know what to say. A bomb into double coverage. Roundtree has a better chance of playing pick up sticks with his butt cheeks. This tells me that Denard has his mind made up before he even snaps the ball.
A nice play call. A play action out of the power set. Ball sails. We kick for 3. Besides the point that Denard should have been on the bench at this point he really needs to make this pass. Its pretty easy. I dunno why but I have noticed its pretty much all over throws when missing the easy ones.
Once again just a giant over throw. If he hits the man in the hands then we can run with this. Instead the ball goes to the sky and we are stick at 2nd and 10.
This one sort of sucks but Denard throws it into two SDSU dudes and it was picked off. Hoke later blamed it on the route but I dunno when I watched it a 100 times over I think Denard lets it go way to early and defense is just waiting. Not an easy pass by any means but the ball shouldn't have even gone there.

Am I Hater?
No I don't think so. I love Denard(not as much as Brian). He has just struggled more with the passing game then I thought he would. I knew the growing pains would happen but I didn't think I would see him over throw a screen by 10 feet for INT.

His key wide receivers are starving. Hemingway has 5 catches for 211 yards and 1 TD... really? The dude is damn good. We need to find a way to get him the ball. easier routes or whatever just get it there. Outside of his three moon balls in the Notre Dame game he hasn't been targeted at all. At his current rate he will have 15 catches.

Roundtree has 5 catches for 44 yards and 1 historic TD. He should have that in a half. I think at this point last year he had 20 some catches. These guys need to be fed.

Here is a bizarre MS Paint to illustrate what I am saying. Complete with Birds with Dreads.

Now you can imagine Denard chewing up a football into little pieces and fee...never mind.

Anyway my point was that Denard has been way off. The new passing game is harder then I thought it would be. We need to find easier ways to get Hemingway and Roundtree the ball. They are some of our best play makers and right now they haven't been able to do much. A team will come along and stop Denard from running. Or ding him up. Its gonna happen people. Denard gonna have to find a way to get the ball to wide outs with out over throwing them by 10 yards.

I feel a small bit of terror now when steps back to throw. He already has 6 picks. Its gonna be around 20 by the seasons end. Unless he makes like a Neo(not a tree) and wakes up(not leaves). He just seems so 50/50 right now on every pass. Sometimes he over throws Smith on a screen by 20 feet in the air or he hits Gallon in stride for a set up winning touchdown. You really gotta take the bad with the good when it comes to Denard. I try to remind myself of that when he frustrates me because on the next drive he might break a 75 yard touchdown. I just want him to be able to make the easy throws and hit the barn.

[open on a family's front living room, everyone seated on opposite couches ]

Greg Mattison: Craig? Will? Your defensive line coach, Jerry, and I are so glad you decided to join us for this Football Communication session.

Craig: So, what's up? You guys getting canned, or something?

Jerry: No. We just wanted the Line to talk as a group.

Will: Okay. Well, let's get it started.

Jerry: Okay. Well, Craig, Will.. your defensive coordinator, Greg, and I are a little bit concerned. Brian, the Michigan blogging guy, was doing a UFR, and found out you guys scored pretty low in three games...

Craug: [ anxious ] He went Jihad on us didn't he?

Jerry: No! He didn't go Jihad

Greg: Now, we're not here to "come down on you" I mean, that's not what we're about, okay?

Jerry: We're just concerned that poor d-line play could lead to other things...

Greg: No pressure, clean quarterbacks, bad tackling, pad level

Jerry: Well, we know you don't want to hear this from us.

Greg: Sure! I mean we're your coaches! Who wants to hear this stuff from their coaches, huh?

Jerry: Greg and I came up with a brilliant idea to give you kids some direction - a motivational football speaker.

Greg: Yeah. One of those guys who speaks to big groups at high schools, area league football teams and churches.

Craig: You mean, to come to the big house?

Jerry: Yeah.

[ the kids get up to leave ]

Greg: Hey, come on, you guys. This set me back a few bucks. Okay, his name is Brady Hoke. Now, he's been out in the Al Glick field house drinking coffee for about the last four hours, and he should be all ready to go. I'll call him up. [ opens the basement door ] Brady, we're ready for you! [ turns to the kids ] His speech is called "Get the Quarterback!" Now, he's used to big groups, so make him feel like there's a crowd here. [ calls down the basement again ] Brady! Come on up, buddy!

Brady Hoke: [ runs up the stairs, bouncing back and forth as he talks ] Alright, how's everybody? Good! Good! Good! Now, as your coaches probably told you, my name is Brady Hoke, and I am a Motivational Football Speaker! Now, let's get started by me giving you a little bit of a scenario of what my life is all about! First off, I am 52 years old.. I am divorced.. and I live in a van down by the river! Now, you kids are probably saying to yourself, "Now, I'm gonna go out, and I'm gonna get the quarterback by the tail, and wrap it around and put it in my pocket!!" Well, I'm here to tell you that you're probably gonna find out, as you go out there, that you're not gonna amount to Jack Squat!!" You're gonna end up eating a steady diet of government cheese, while playing for UFL team and living in a van down by the river! Now, young man, how many quarterbacks do you wanna sack?

Will: [ nervous ] I.. actually, Brady.. I kinda wanna play Offensive line...

Brady Hoke: We-e-e-elll.. la-de-freakin'-da! We've got ourselves a offensive linemen here! [ jumps across the room ] Hey, Greg, I can't see real good.. [ lifts his glasses off and on his face ] ..is that Josh...Jake Long over there?

Greg: Well, actually, Brady.. The last coaching staff encouraged Will in his move to offensive line.

Brady Hoke: Greg, I wish you could just shut your big yapper! [ stumbles back across the room ] Now, I wonder.. Will, from what I've heard from practice reports, you're using practice, not for getting better, but for eating cheeseburgers!You're gonna be doing a lot of eating when you're living in a van down by the river! [ turns to Craig ] Young man, what do you want to do to the quarterback?

Craig: [ sarcastic ] I don't wanna play anymore... I rather live in a van down by the river.

Brady Hoke: Well, you'll have plenty of time to live in a van down by the river when you're.. [ tries to be clever ] ..living in a van down by the river! Now, you kids are probably asking yourself, "Hey, Brady, how can we get back to the quarterback?!" Well, as I see it, there is only one solution! And that is for me to get my gear, move it on into here, 'cause I'm gonna bunk with you, buddy! Gonna teach you how to be tough! And physical! We're gonna be buddies! We're gonna be pals! [ picks Will up ] We're gonna wrassle around! [ puts Will down ] Ol' Brady's gonna be your shadow! [ motions] Here's Brady, here's you! There's Brady, there's you! [ trips and falls flat on the coffee table, sending it crashing to the floor ] Whoops-a-daisy! [ stands up ] We're gonna have to clean that up later! Me and my buddies! My pals! My amigos! I'm gonna go get my gear, so we can start practicing our three point stances![ heads for the door ]

Will: [ runs after Brady ] Wait, Brady! You don't have to go!

Craig: [ runs behind Will ] Yeah, you don't have to do that! We'll never score low on the UFR again!

Greg: Uh, Brady, thanks for all you've done!

Brady Hoke: I don't give a rat's behind, 'cause I'm moving in! I'm sick and tired of living in a van down by the river!
[ as Brady steps outside to grab his gear, Greg quickly locks the front door}

Greg: [ frightened ] Is the back door locked?

Jerry: [ petrified ] Yes!

Craig: We are sorry Greg!

Greg: Its ok...Just find the quarterback!

[ fade out on team group hug ]

Two things that are non related chapped my ass today.

First Dave Brandon. I like a lot of what he has done(trying to make a better stadium experience, night games ect) but this is going to far.

"I don't believe we can or should go on the road for nonconference games when we can put 113,000 people in our stadium.  It's, financially, the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do for our fans, in terms of their ticket packages. And we're going to alternate with Notre Dame, so we're going to have one game on the road every other year. So the rest of those games, I would like to have at Michigan Stadium."

Dude.. Come on. You wanna keep Michigan a national brand yet they will never leave the midwest(besides bowl season). No legit team will come in and play us without a home at home series. Get used to Ball State,WMU, and Toledos of the world.

I have found memories of the late 90s and early 2000 as Michigan would head out west and play Washington and Oregon. They are tough games to go play but they are fun to watch.

I loved Brian's take and agree 100%

Kiss ever seeing an interesting non-ND nonconference opponent goodbye. This is another symptom of the AD's descent into full-blown corporate ninnydom: we get to play Alabama in Dallas because it makes incrementally more money than having an exciting home game. Brandon fails to understand that the point of an athletic department is not to accumulate the biggest Scrooge McDuck vault. (See also: renting the Big House for your special event, though that's far less offensive since I don't have to buy a 70 dollar ticket to the Jones-Wilson wedding. Unless I do. Do I?) Even if it was, the marginal difference between one home game against a real opponent and two body-bag games from schools charging a million each is not that much. People will suck up the difference on the ticket cost: a Clemson ticket that costs $80 will make people happier than an EMU one that costs $70.

What Next Dave McBrandon? You gonna ink a deal with Ted Turner for Michigan games to be only shown on TBS and TNT before Hawthorn? This sucks.

I have been simply amazed how Hoke has come to Michigan and the sky seems a bit brighter. The city seems a bit cleaner. Everyone has a jump in their step. Michigan basketball and Hockey turn their seasons into success..Whats going on? When Rich Rod was in town it rained for days. Bums laid outside the Big House. First born children were being taken in the night. Dogs and cats living together..

So did Rich Rod just have the worst luck ever or did the Gods not agree with the Michigan and Rich Rod marriage? This topic has been pretty interesting to me since I have blogged through hell(like everyone else) and been a part of the lowest of the low in Michigan football history. How could one man have the luck RR had? I know he brought a fare share on himself. There is no denying that. The defense was a mess due to his lack of care but the bad luck or gods... or whatever didn't help his cause.

At the moment Hoke sits on top of a thrown made of the best cheese in town and is grabbing recruits left and right. The press he has received has been nothing but glowing. OSU is either gonna get blown to the Moon or to Mars by the NCAA. Things couldn't be better for Hoke and Co.

Lets take a look at some of important events(not in order, randomly listed) for both.

Rich Rodriguez
-Freep digs and finds Michigan may have practiced wayyyyyy to much. Former players sound off(the ones that couldn't cut it). Freep takes current players comments out of context.
-Michigan and the NCAA find that Michigan may have stretched wrong(by not counting that toward the hours of practice). Even though this very minor the deed has been done. Michigan is put on probation.
-Rich Rod has messy divorce from WVU.
-Michigan Loses to Toledo some how(I saw it from row A..ugh).
-Corner hating god strikes Justin Turner and he becomes lazy and does nothing all off season and gains 11 pounds. The "next Woodson" with the Michigan Tat on his arm leaves the team for WVU... He then quits there too and now plays for the Irish... ahhh no.. Not That Irish. Notre Dame of Ohio..NAIA... I think.
-Tressel continues to get away with Murder.
-2009 season ends with a thud as Michigan misses another bowl year.
-Rich Rod opens the 08 season with a walk on QB.. at Michigan!
-Sam Mcguffie transfers
-David Molk goes down
-UMASS almost fires Rich Rod on 9-18-2011
-Tate Foricer is a giant pain in the ass(sorry Jen).
-Greg Robinson uses a teddy bear on the sideline to motivate grown men and has Michigan fans hitting rock bottom.
-Greg Robinson picks his nose.
-Corner Hating God shows no mercy and Boubacar Cissoko is sent to the other Big House for robbing taxis and pizza boys.
-Corner Hating God has now gone crazy and blows T-Wolfs ankle out of the state of Michigan.
-Corner Hating God loves watching Rich Rod cry as JT Floyd is lose for the season.
-Corner/Recruiting/All other schools God says there is no way in Hell "O lets do it" will be getting into school.
-Pryor beats RR and Michigan with out even sweating. Pryor is given Scrooge Mcducks Money Vault.
-Rich Rod gets desperate and pulls a awkward Josh Groban song and has all join hands.... Ok not bad luck but still.
-Brandon Minor is hurt... All the time.
-Mike Martin's ankles hate him.
-Basketball team sucks and chokes away the entire 2009 season.
I have to be forgetting more....

Brady Hoke
-Get labeled "Michigan Man"... Yay.
-Hokemaniacs run wild!
-Hires former Ravens DC... I mean it can't get much better then that.
-Sells toughness and finger pointing and the fans eat it up.
-Starts going all Texas on the State of Michigan. Gets all top prospects to commit early.
-2013 QB Morris commits. May be a giant stud.
-Jim Tressel is exposed in Tat scandal.
-SI and NCAA go after the NCAA
-Jim Tressel is fired.. or I mean quits. The start of the OSU melt down is on.
-NCAA goes after Pryor.
-Pryor leaves school as the most hated Buckeye ever.
-OSU now waits to be blown to the Moon or Mars by the NCAA.
-OSU Kyle Kalis decommits from OSU. Is now looking at Michigan seriously
-OSU commit Bri'onte Dunn is a shaky at best commit. Michigan has a chance at stealing him.
-Michigan basketball makes a nice run to close the season
-Michigan Hockey loses in the finals in OT. Still a great year.

I know its early in his coaching career at Michigan and he has yet to coach a game but his luck/god whatever has been amazing. OSU falls, Pryor leaves and commits are knocking his door down. While Rich had a former 5-Star DB just quitting football, local witch hunts and everything else under the sun to deal with.

This isn't meant to be a feel sorry post for Rich Rod but damn the dude didn't make all the right choices but to go along with that had the worst luck in the world or it was the Michigan Gods doing. Couldn't catch a break. Other men would have crumbled and jumped off a cliff.

I think Hoke is gonna do a good job. Even if he struggles a bit this year and eats some of the thrown of cheese. He's laying the foundation for a team that will be balanced and physically capable with competing for big ten titles.