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An event. The photo's from the Bentley; they're having a lecture in re: that era on Thursday at 7:

“We must work off our surplus animal spirits”

19th-century Origins of Athletic Competition at the University of Michigan

Archivists Greg Kinney and Brian Williams -- experts in U-M history, particularly athletics -- will draw on holdings of the Bentley Historical library to present on athletics at the University in the 1800s -- the forms it took, the motivations behind it, the ways it evolved, the particular sports that came and went. The lecture is part of the new monthly series on U-M history sponsored by the Bentley.

We didn't want Bama, but here they are. As you've no doubt heard already, Michigan's bowl destination is the Citrus for the 11th time in the last ten years. There they get 10-2 Alabama, which failed to make the playoff for the first time in its history. Motivation will be a primary factor.

Michigan's two most recent Florida outings are demonstration enough. Year one of Harbaugh, everyone's pumped up, annihilate a disinterested Florida team. Last year Michigan's coming off the most dispiriting loss possible, a bunch of guys skip the game, and Florida in year one of Mullen comes in and wipes Michigan.

You'd think that Michigan will have a bounce-back in that department after last year. Meanwhile Saban's fully mechanized program is more metal than man and might regard the Citrus Bowl as a fine opportunity to test out the latest algorithms.

[After THE JUMP: doink]

The battle of who's actually playing. The one bright spot for Michigan's chances at win #10 is that there are a ton of Alabama players who might opt out. PFF's latest mock draft has six Alabama players in the first round. QB Tua Tagovailoa is obviously out after suffering a hip injury earlier this year. The others are:

• Alex Leatherwood and Jedrick Wills, the starting tackles. Also guys Michigan was heavily in on three years ago before getting beat out. So that's fun.
• WRs Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs.
• CB Trevon Diggs.

But that's not all; Orion Sang listed RB Najee Harris—also a Michigan near-miss—and three-fourths of the DL as guys who have serious draft prospects and a decision to make.

For Michigan, Josh Uche has already announced he's playing. He's no doubt hoping the Alabama OTs also play, so he has an opportunity to make a statement. Sean McKeon is also in a spot where he's got more to gain than lose by playing Bama.

This will once and for all clarify who "Big Blue" is. How are we feeling about a three-game series against Kentucky starting next year in London? Pretty okay? Michigan's tournament next year is one with two games on campus before two in NYC, so the London game is only the third important neutral site game, not the fourth. Kentucky is wildly variable early in the season because of all the one-and-dones and scheduling them could be a good risk/reward tradeoff.

Getting Kentucky in any variety of home-and-home is a bit of a coup. Calipari notoriously despises playing road games. Aside from Kentucky's mandated participation in the B12/SEC Challenge, the game at Crisler will be the first nonconference road game Kentucky's played since the 2016-17 season.

Weird, but okay.

Eli Brooks profiled. Zach Shaw:

Kelly Brooks, Eli’s mother, remembers that being apparent in her son’s early days playing pickup games at the YMCA. Brooks would often play with kids a year or two older, showing promising skill from a young age. But even as he learned the basics of the game, he couldn’t stop from dissecting plays, for better or for worse.

“When he was little it almost was a little frustrating for him,” Kelly Brooks recalled. “He’d come home and say, ‘All the kids were traveling!’

“We’re thinking, 'What six- or seven-year-old playing at the Y doesn’t travel?’ ”

Behind his indignation, Eli Brooks' eye for the minutia of the game was brewing.

Redshirt rule likely changing. College football's new any-four-games redshirt rule quickly got used for purposes it was never intended for, like Houston bailing on its season by redshirting its starting QB and top WR after a 1-3 start. Sounds like the NCAA will be looking at a change there:

West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons is the current chair of the NCAA Division I Football oversight committee, and a recent rule change meant to benefit athletes will be getting additional scrutiny when the committee meets in January. …

“I don’t think it’s a good optic for college sports,” Lyons said in an appearance on MetroNews Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval. “The way it looks, a student-athlete is potentially quitting on his team.

Would be pretty simple to make the four games rule just for freshmen and maybe sophomores.

Other assistant exits. PSU OC Ricky Rahne appears to have gotten the Old Dominion job, so we won't get to see if he drives the Joe Moorhead offense into the ground or not. Former Indiana coach and OSU OC Kevin Wilson is the leading candidate at Colorado State after the school talked to Urban Meyer. Getting him out of Columbus can't hurt. 

Todd watch. Isaiah Todd just participated in a national hoops festival that Matt D was at:

Even on a TO, Isaiah Todd’s combination of perimeter footwork, length and explosion is just so unique.

The ability to cover that amount of ground in one dribble from the corner and rise up with ease at 6’10 is incredible. pic.twitter.com/NFM0zH6CB3

— LAbound (@LAbound2) December 10, 2019

Juwan Howard was in the house to see Todd along with Hunter Dickinson and PF/SF target Terrance Williams:

Amidst all the overseas rumors, Isaiah Todd appears just fine with calling Ann Arbor home next year.

The first person he seeks after the post-game talk? Juwan Howard pic.twitter.com/UrcYZaOROg

— Endless Motor Sports (@endless_motor) December 8, 2019

Afterward Todd did a couple of interviews in which he declined to state why he didn't sign but was otherwise very positive about Howard and Michigan:

CE: What made you pick Michigan in the end?

IT: Juwan Howard. I just love who he is as a person and that is not saying that I don’t love all of the other coaches who recruited me, but I just love who he is as a person. We have connected on another level and I just felt at home at Michigan. …

CE: What would have to push you over the ledge to skip college and choose the professional path next year?

IT: I don’t know, my mom would probably have to be the one to persuade me. I really do want to go to college but also really want to make the best decision.

I think mom will be team Howard.

FWIW, I've heard that various people involved with the NBAPA camp that Todd went to are encouraging prospect not to sign LOIs because they don't actually do anything for top-end prospects. Rocket Watts didn't sign in the early period last year; Arkansas commit and former M target Moses Moody also didn't sign this year. Also, signing a LOI would have zero impact on his ability to go overseas. I wouldn't read anything into that unless Howard gets hit by a bus.

In sillier Todd news, he played on the ball for a chunk of this tournament…

“So, they’re the first team to ever play really good long defense,” Todd said afterwards. “I couldn’t really see over the zone in the first half. We do good as a team finding a way to get buckets. And that second half we made a change. I just decided to play point guard, cause they were going to (block) my way and it would be hard for them to do that if I was on the ball.”

…and for the first time a Fuegobox Hot Take™ from the podcast threatens to become reality. When Todd committed my hot take is that he should play point guard so Michigan could put out a Castleton/Johns/Livers/Wagner/Todd lineup in which Livers is the smallest guy. It's happening.

Today in hockey cavalry. Various Michigan commits are participating in the World Junior A championship. The US team is basically a non-NTDP USHL all-star team; Josh Groll and Brendan Brisson are on it. They faced off against Canada West—Canada submits two teams, no points for figuring out what the other one is called—and Kent Johnson. Brisson and Johnson impressed:

A couple of Michigan commits were the most notable forwards in this game. USA's Brendan Brisson made a ton of plays and was a handful for Canada all night. Meanwhile 2021-eligible Kent Johnson has electric hands. Made a few "wow" plays out there. Creativity off the charts.

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) December 8, 2019

Johnson is very much in the Clint Dempsey "let's try this crap and see if it works" mold:

Kent Johnson is filthy#2021NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/sOWVikhV9h

— Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) December 8, 2019

That is a tight-angle shot from between the legs that appears to have thunked the goalie's facemask.

Etc.: Speaking of Watts, he missed a game against Rutgers with some sort of minor stress fracture; the injury is expected to be a short-term thing but will certainly feature in ESPN's infographic about MSU injuries. Make sure you update your speech.  Don't click here. Excellent piece on Mark Emmert, who isn't really in charge of anything.