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May too “out there” but I…

May be too “out there” but I saw that OSU hired that DL/ pass rush guru that was at MSU for a season before bolting to the Seahawks.  He is not an on on-field coach for OSU so it would be an upgrade to him.

i don’t know his on-field coaching experience but he had a rep as a dynamite recruiter as many NFL types - including Rashan Gary still came in to work with him in the offseason while he was at MSU.

—Side note this new autocorrect/ autocomplete on Apple is awful.  I had to edit this SIX times to catch all the changes to my typing.

If Warde does make the move…

If Warde does make the move.......

I would suggest doing everything possible to bring back Beilein for a 2-3 year contract -- unless there is a "can't miss coach" on the market. 

You could pitch it to John with a clear plan to get a "coach in waiting/training" that he can help select for the latter stages under him.  JB could also bring back Yacklich (sp?) so he can re-energize his career after his recent firing. 

Yes, I believe this is the…

Yes, I believe this is the MASSIVE article that was going to reflect poorly on the ENTIRE Michigan athletic department - particularly Hoops, Hockey, and Football and (probably) force the NCAA to expand or reopen the current cases against Michigan.

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(wet fart noise)

Not that they would be…

Not that they would be necessarily be upgrades OR consider Michigan,  but I want to remind you that Ohio State waited to announce their transfer QB and also got a “nominal transfer” 5* frosh AFTER the portal closed for their guys.  I suspect at least one OSU QB will hit the portal this Spring.

 

1.  The players all love…

1.  The players all love Sherrone Moore - he was the "Marcus Freeman at ND" type choice in regard to player stability - but with the added bonus of JH grooming him to be a HC for a few years.

2. IMO Michigan under Harbaugh (and Moore?) -- didn't attract the same level of mercenary players as teams like LSU, TX, OSU etc.  Players like Graham, Grant etc. were apparently approached by Bagmen - (they have to look out for their long-term interests as individuals)- but apparently said "no" after M at least was able to close any $$ gap that existed.

3.  You saw the larger exodus at other schools as the players were either committed to the coaches or to the NFL pathway more than to the schools themselves.  I have heard many CFB experts note that players were coming to 'Bama "at a discount" to play for Saban and thus opened up to leaving once that was gone.

4. Of the M transfers - Sabb (if he doesn't return) and Clemons are the most surprising to me/us as outsiders.  Walker is a bummer as he had so much potential.  The rest -- while disappointing --are not surprising due to depth chart and/or lack of potential PT going forward,

I believe O'Brien was the…

I believe O'Brien was the key recruiter for the 5* 2024 QB (Sayin?) that flipped from 'Bama to OSU late in the process.  -- kid shows as a transfer on 247 since he was an EE at 'Bama so not sure if he could transfer without sitting out.

 

OSU was almost certainly going to see some QB attrition anyway this spring -- they signed Sayin and took the QB transfer from KSU after the portal window was closed for Noland and the other QBs on the roster -- and uncertainty and/or a downgrade at OC isn't going to help the situation.

Correct me if I am wrong,…

EDIT - misread the intent of your comment ---- whether we play much on ESPN the new service would still be cheaper than YTTV etc....

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Correct me if I am wrong, but you won't have any conference games on ABC or ESPN as of next fall.

Same with any home games OOC.  I suppose there will always still be the random road game at Texas or Oklahoma (SEC) or an ACC school but very little.

If ESPN gets booted from its monopoly over the Bowls and CFP you may never have to watch that smoldering wreck of a once great network.

This is wrong. 

Jordan has…

This is wrong. 

Jordan has been a huge M fan since he was a kid -- his dad asked for help getting authentic M gear for him back when I was a student.  (very-extended family)

While I do not know if he has any inside connections there is no need for you to make s$%^ up on the internet.

THIS.  1000X THIS.

OSU has…

THIS.  1000X THIS.

OSU has brought in ONE OL (thus far) in the portal -- the #6 portal IOL aka the "center" from 'Bama -- and zero DTs.

Where were they "weak" last year?  OL, DT, and LB.  Then they lost their LBs and the one difference maker at DT to graduation - not sure on the OL.  I assume they move the 5* Hybrid S. Styles into a true LB position but still no real attention paid to the trenches.

 

Side Note -- Did anyone see the Twitter hubbub over the weekend where the 5* Freshman All American OT from 'Bama (Former UM target Caden Proctor sp?) admitted Iowa "reached out to him" last season when he was having issues adapting to the south?  No outcry about Iowa tampering to get their new transfer Tackle?

Unless this is really new…

Unless this is really new info — What I have been hearing has shifted to Downs heading to UGA rather than OSU.  This would be to play for his former coach and primary recruiter at Bama who was snatched to Georgia immediately after Saban retired.  (Same guy who was a big reason Domani Jackson transferred to Bama in December..)

Milroe is NOT in the portal…

Milroe is NOT in the portal.  National outlets got trolled by someone on Twitter about that one.

Defense things I noted on re…

Defense things I noted on re-watch of the “control center” (or whatever it’s called) from ESPN.

Washington started 2 for 2 on 3rd down including the Sabb broken tackle.

Washington ended 2 for FOURTEEN on 3rd down for the game.

Defense is why we are celebrating this week.

I think the point would be…

I think the point would be that Jesse would be more likely to stay as DC if we kept Rick (his dad) on as LB coach. The elder Minter has a damn good coaching pedigree as Cinci HC, DC at ND (and others), and LB coach for the Eagles.  Not sure how much he wants to coach and/or be an active recruiter at his age though…

Wonder if he was one of the …

Wonder if he was one of the "sophomores" that Sam Webb noted other schools were reaching out to when he was mentioning the "those who stay" NIL initiative?  We could really use a big-bodied WR in the WR room next year but wish him the best of luck -- plus as we have seen with many kids from MSU, entering the portal doesn't = for sure gone.

Really hoping Minter sticks…

Really hoping Minter sticks for another year (at least) to groom the other D assistants as a replacement(s) to run the same D.  My hope was that Partridge might be the guy (smart and great recruiter) if Minter did leave this year but his gaffe during the CS investigation ended that possibility.......Maybe JayBaugh is ready for a step up?  Coach Clink?

He entered the portal prior…

He entered the portal prior to the Rose Bowl but was with the team and at practices.  He (or his Mom) came out and noted that the timing of the portal etc. led to his decision to announce but that he still was involved and supporting the team.

I think is saw on the MSU boards that the deadline for transfers to enroll for this semester for State was tomorrow = waiting until after the NC would be too late for many schools.

TLDR — kid had to do this now in order to get a winter semester opportunity at a new school

Yes - JMFH as of this coming…

Yes - JMFH as of this coming Monday.

I would say dumber is the…

I would say dumber is the Steven A. Smith quote (that I saw referenced on twitter) where he said that all future Rose Bowls should be played at SoFi stadium instead....

Aside from the possibility…

Aside from the possibility of a commit by Bair - who by all rights is a 2026 player - I would guess most M fans are focused on other things this week.  :-)

 

First Time I notice a M…

First Time I notice a M commit - it's Kapanaa fumbling a handoff -- (recovered by Chiles the LB we lost to UF) --

Team Ice still hanging on to a slim 33-3 lead with 3 min left in Q2. ......

It is all they have to cling…

It is all they have to cling to -- and by "they" I mean the lunatic fringe of OSU and MSU fanbases - and even that is crumbling a bit.  For example, I saw a several OSU dissenters on Twitter today telling a more unhinged OSU poster that pretty much nobody outside of East Lansing and Ohio thinks anything substantial is coming from signgate or that it was that big a deal.

To reiterate to the MSU lurkers -- 1.) It is debatable that anything CS did was outside the "letter" of the NCAA rules except possibly... 2.) Attending the MSU game on the CMU sideline - which actually appears was a "side gig" aiding CMU and NOT actually scouting MSU without M knowing.  And 3.) There is ZERO precedent of the NCAA vacating games except for the use of ineligible players - which does not apply. 

If I were Howard - (who was…

If I were Howard - (who was a lock to USC apparently at one point ibn the transfer process) - I would at least wait until the Championship is over and JJ makes public his decision to see if M was interested.

A lot of OSU "insiders"…

A lot of OSU "insiders" think pretty much everyone is coming back.  i.e. Sawyer and JTT on the DL and Egbuka and Henderson on offense.

Just a random thought…

Just a random thought between Thanksgiving and New Years....

MSU and OSU blog operators should be extremely grateful (and/or directly sending cash) to Connor Stallions for this year.  The main M "cheating" thread at tRCMB now has over 30k posts and 2.25MM page views.  I am not internet savvy, but I have to believe that this represents a sizeable revenue stream for these people. 

I would also guess that most OSU sites have seen similar traffic, but I refuse to spend much time there -- at least at tRCMB I can occasionally see MI-centric topics not common here in the desert...

Hard to believe what the…

Hard to believe what the actual story is here as there is so much anti-McCord stuff spewing from the OSU fanbase. 

Depending on who you believe - A. -McCord's dad forced Day to make him the starter last year or risk transfer even though Brown was clearly better.  B. McCord's dad is overbearing and wanted big $$ or assurances to stay into 2024. -- C.  McCord knew he was leaving OSU even before the M game.  D.  McCord and father wanted $3MM from Nebraska -- E.  McCord is afraid of competition from Raiola and thus passed on Nebraska.   I would guess the truth is something else..

FWIW - 247 puts a lot of…

FWIW - 247 puts a lot of weight on the number of available years for each transfer.  This is why  E. Hausmann was the #4 player overall in the 2023 transfer rankings when he came to M.

FWIW - the 247 portal…

FWIW - the 247 portal rankings seem to put a lot of stock into total potential impact (skill weighted with available years of eligibility) as much as immediate impact.  This is why E. Hausmann was rated as the #4 overall transfer last year when he came to M as a true Soph. 

What seems to sometimes skew the rankings for young players is that they weigh college productivity very heavily over HS rankings, even for true Frosh.  Hausmann had a good freshman season = high ranking.  --------- Moore struggled when thrown in the fire as starter at UCLA while Chiles put up good numbers -- even though his time was limited to garbage time and 60+% of his rushing and passing yardage came in blowouts against UC Davis and Stanford.  (To be fair Chiles was a top-60 recruit == so relatively close to Moore (4) out of HS.)

That is long gone.

Not 100%…

That is long gone.

Not 100% sure it was ever an official "rule", but it was at minimum a gentleman's agreement between coaches to not poach from inside the conference. 

Technically it was possible for a school to prohibit an undergrad transfer to specific schools but in practice it was incredibly bad PR for the coach and school so it rarely happened -- see Spike A. transferring to Indiana under Beilein.

In my opinion effort…

In my opinion effort contributes to success in blocking as least as much as technique etc.

Perhaps I was too harsh on the young man but I did not see a lot of effort from Carr in terms of blocking during the little time I spent watching MSU football this year.  He has the size to be a beast - heck he is big enough to play the 6th OL in our system while actually requiring coverage in case he goes out on a route. 

Feel worse for MSU.... their…

Feel worse for MSU.... their online contingent REALLY wanted Thor.

As for M - there is probably a good reason they have offered another Ivy League DL (from Penn maybe?) and NOT Thor.  Let's not forget that there isn't always a correlation between the "freaks" list and high level success in football  (see J. Welschof ---- love the guy but never made it big at M)

Good luck to Thor though.

UPDATE - DT D. Palepale has…

UPDATE - DT D. Palepale has flipped from USC to M per the Twitters. (3 star DT with a 4-star offer sheet - M, PSU, USC among others)

Good luck to Malik but “do not want” for M.  He is a poor (or unwilling) blocker despite ideal size.  He also was the kid we recruited out of HS as a TE but refused to play anything other than WR - was quickly converted to TE once he got to Purdue despite their promises and later hopped to MSU as a TE because they promised him a shot at playing hoops — also never came to pass.

It's a combo of things, the…

It's a combo of things, the least of which is the Harbaugh uncertainty imo.

Not a ton of Midwest top-tier talent this cycle.  Those that were local were mostly located in Ohio.  M came very close to (now-5*)  CB Aaron Scott but at the end of the day his (and his Dad's) OSU roots won out.  In Michigan - The local high 4* QB didn't want to play at the school that Grandpa coached  (and M seemed to favor Davis through the process anyway) and the top-100 WR didn't seem to get much interest from M even after he decommitted from MSU.

Most of the top 50 kids are offered (and accept) the illegal pre-enrollment NIL.  M does not play in those waters - trying to follow the rules despite what the folks currently yelling "cheaters" would like to think.  In this cycle, see IL DL Justin Scott (#7 overall) who seemed to love M until he visited OSU just before committing "out of the blue".  I am not suggesting OSU offered him upfront $$ -- aside from the 5-figures that their AD alluded to just to get top recruits to take a visit Columbus -- but he did flip just a few weeks ago to Miami which I WILL suggest offered him (more) upfront cash.  There will always be a significant portion of 5* every cycle that M cannot get before offers even go out -- M does a decent job identifying the ones they can get and does what they can.

Several M commits just dropped this cycle.  Davis is well documented (and debated) above.  Prieskorn was top 100 when he committed but plays in an offense that doesn't throw the ball, and Jordan Marshall - who was teased as upside to possible 5* status -- settled to about 150 overall despite winning Mr. Ohio football.  Remember star ratings focus on NFL potential over projection to college so maybe Marshall doesn't have the testing speed that scouts value.

 

Top 35 ID WR Gatlin Bair would be a great get (for 2026) and M is still trying to flip a few other top recruits - the only one I am sure of is "Nitro" Tuggle -- a top 100 WR from Indiana currently committed to UGA --who is teammates Edmonds.  I do not subscribe to the services so this might be water under the bridge at this point.

Appears to be a very driven…

Appears to be a very driven young man as well.  Decided to focus on football (only) as a Senior so he focused on track as a Junior.  He posted the 2nd (?) fastest HS time in the US for the year.  He ran a 10.18 100m (wind aided) and several in the 10.2s.  For reference - Denard's best time in the 100 was 10.56........ Xavier Worthy's was 10.55.

Pretty sure they are talking…

Pretty sure they are talking about 1st round rookie salary - the NIL from OSU was reportedly between $750-800k per what I saw on Twitter.  As others have noted above, that is flawed math when you consider the signing bonus etc. that comes to the very top picks

PSU can always hire Parker…

PSU can always hire Parker away from Iowa…. But he is probably already heading to MSU.  
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Boom!!  tRCMB-ed 

Having a month to heal up…

Having a month to heal up and get the new starting 5 more comfortable as a unit should lead to much improvement compared to Iowa.  I think the current unit is already good in the run game - being so run-heavy late vs. OSU is probably why we didn't see the same protection issues in that game. 

On a side note - I feel that while 'Bama may be the hardest of the 3 other CFP contenders, that given a choice I would much rather M get the extended time to prepare for the dynamic dual-threat QB - something we really haven't faced this year.    I know people are noting that Saban can do his prep as well, but I feel that M is a much more versatile offense than years past so it won't be as simple a task as UGA had in 2021.

While not easy I think both UW and UT should be easier to prep for on short turnaround. -- UW seems like a souped up Maryland with (much) better receivers, and UT seems like a slightly less explosive OSU (with a worse defense)

 

Also .... the Michigan On3…

Also .... the Michigan On3 boys just put in a flip forecast for 2024 DT David Palepale from USC to M.  Kid is currently only a 3* out of PA but USC, M, and PSU were all heavy after him.  

If the committee has any…

If the committee has any sense they will set up the bracket so that UW and Texas do not play in Round 1.  This offers the potential for M to play both teams during the playoff …… both of these games will be rematched in the 2024 season = ratings/$$ = primary goal of the NCAA.

I guess you missed this in…

I guess you missed this in the last week….

JJ said that based on film study, EVERY time #25 on OSU looked at a receiver in coverage he then turned his head and body to chase the receiver rather than tracking the ball.  Therefore as soon as he saw #25 look at Wilson he knew he had the window.

Not only that but the may have been the ONLY snap #25 was on the field against M.  (Freshman LB with less than 150 snaps this year.)

Therefore that was a GREAT read by JJ, not a gift waiting to be unwrapped

Did they play "Private Eyes"…

Did they play "Private Eyes" by Hall and Oates during the game?

Not that it matter much in…

Not that it matter much in the days of the portal, but I recently heard a podcast that noted that Fleck had put all his chips in on AK and the rest of the Minnesota QB cupboard was bare.

Poor PJ Fleck!

 

 

 

 

 

/s

I will admit I am jaded but…

I will admit I am jaded but this was my immediate reaction when I saw this as well.  Urban Meyer doesn't do anything that isn't a benefit to his beloved OSU.  Screw that guy.

That is EXACTLY what I am…

That is EXACTLY what I am thinking if Harbaugh stays and Moore gets a HC job.  TE coach is a good spot for a young up and comer that is a top recruiter.  (Side note: F Vince Marrow - don't even want to hear his name if we end up looking for a TE coach.)

 

IMO It would be a bigger loss to lose Minter after this year.  His promotion to a HC job or NFL DC also seems inevitable in the near future.  Unless somebody on the current staff has already "mastered" the scheme, I think we need at least another year to groom his successor.  My original thought was this would be Partridge ......(fart noise)......    Maybe JayBaugh is ready to invite some more nepotism talk?  (I know we also have Coach Clink and Coach Elston as options but I would prefer a younger, top recruiter all things being equal..)

Well -- To be fair......  …

Well -- To be fair......  (to be faaaairrrr....)

It IS forbidden to use tobacco on the sidelines by the NCAA.  Even if you believe this is a "think of the children!!" level of absurdity, it is a rule and Jim frequently flaunts it with a huge wad of chaw in his mouth.  (It is almost exclusively home games and seemed to disappear completely for a bit...but he must be off the wagon.)

 

As a former smokeless tobacco user I can empathize as it was hard as hell for me to quit, but Jim could easily survive 3-4 hours during a game without -- heck he could even slip in a dip during halftime in the locker room....

Push whatever narrative…

Push whatever narrative makes you feel better re: Cade.  In my opinion he has well earned much of the ill will from M fans since his departure.  

That said, I watched a bunch of that interview on YouTube and while it was mainly Iowa-centric and Cade doing self-promotion (i.e how he "chose" M over Alabama etc.), he DID say "Michigan" at least a few times prior to that 10 second clip people are posting. 

Sounds like Leavitt is…

Sounds like Leavitt is holding a grudge as Smith did not even offer him as an instate top-end QB.  (Granted Leavitt didn't rise in the ranking until late in the process, but OSU must have had plenty of time to see a local prospect's film and chose not to offer.)

To be fair...........

It is…

To be fair...........

It is a lot easier to be witty and full of snark when you really don't have any adversity as a program.

Brian and MGoBlog learned how to keep up the snark during the dark days of RR and late-stage Hoke/Borges!!   - OSU writers are soft just like their team. 

 

 

Also It would be hard to write honestly when making your living requires catering to a fanbase that goes ape-shit if anyone even suggests that MAYBE M was the better team or MAYBE these last 3 years of losses won't get vacated.

I know it is a compliance…

I know it is a compliance-driven thing rather than the actions themselves, but firing does seem a bit harsh. 

IF there was really any juice about the sign-stealing stuff from the players (either knowing or knowing the coaches knew) the NCAA would have had better luck asking Cade, Eric All, or any other recent transfer that had a bit of an axe to grind.  Heck - the 2 Iowa players might have volunteered the info if it existed.     

The fact that the NCAA have NOT found this (to our knowledge) seems to exonerate folks at M for the most part.  Maybe Kirk asked Cade and Eric privately about CS and his role and their answers are why Coach Ferentz doesn't seem to be very put-off by the whole fiasco.

 

Dont't have the skillz, but…

Dont't have the skillz, but I was looking for something more like this...This scene still gives me chills. Probably the best one from season 7. :  r/gameofthrones

but with -- "when the Buckeyes ask you what happened here, tell them the Team up North remembers."  "Tell them Michigan came for house Day"

Well he does (again) further…

Well he does (again) further up in the comments...so there's that.