I think we should've learned by now that it's better to have more than a couple of guards on the roster rather than not enough. If he fills a need, take him.
Without seeing Josh Henschke's post, does this mean he's planning on returning to U-M , or does it mean that he's eligible to go wherever (i.e, his eligibility is not tied strictly to Michigan)? Seems as if he can go wherever he chooses he could find a better situation for playing time. Wasn't he indicating that he's looking to get into coaching in his near future as opposed to NFL aspirations?
My thought exactly. A very talented kid who's got plenty of talent and he wants a big stage to display it on. If it's not Michigan, it'll be one of the bigger names in the SEC. A shame, because he showed out so well in the Championship game, I was just assuming he'd be seeing considerable playing time in 2024.
After watching the interview of him about a year ago, I had a feeling it wouldn't be long before we'd lose him. A true legend...always tough to see these really talented people pass. Had a chance to see him live about fifteen years ago, but it involved an 80-mile drive and some bad weather. Always second guessed my decision to take a pass on it that night.
Agree. Didn't do the brackets this year (since no UM), but I've really enjoyed watching Gonzaga, KSU and UConn all the way through. Teams with lots of energy are fun to watch and seem to always be in a game, no matter the adversity. Didn't think MSU would show up against KSU, but they played a hell of a game themselves. If you like basketball, you had to like that game (unless, of course, if you're an MSU fan).
Have been to several games at this facility and this issue seems peculiar to this field. If you get down closer to field level you can see lots of chunks torn up. Had concerns about Michigan playing on this field as soon as I heard we'd be playing there. Looks like a fast surface, but it doesn't do well with sudden, hard turns by large people.
This was my first thought. The players love him, so I don't know if moving him out of a hands-on coaching position is the answer to this. I truly believe he's part of this renaissance of players' 'all-in' attitudes these last couple of years, so not sure if this chemistry needs to be tampered with. To be sure, Jay excels wherever he's been moved in the past, so he deserves any kind of upgrade he gets (or wants). I only trust that if JH decides to move him, Jay would be kept in a position where he still has daily contact with players. Clearly, his communications skills with players is a real strength of his. I don't believe JH would do anything to waylay Jay's coaching career path in any way.
As for Chris Partridge, very excited to have him back. He brings a lot to the table and our recruiting, and team, can only benefit from his presence.
Hoping it was fully insured. I had a brand-new Camaro (insured) stolen in the late eighties. It was stolen from my parking space right beneath my condo bedroom in the middle of the night. It was recovered two days later by police, but they didn't notify me for over a week. (Apparently, car theft is too common to respond quickly.) It took a month, but it was determined it was stolen by a 14-year-old boy and his 17-year-old uncle. They drove it until it ran out of gas and parked it. Only the ignition and driver's side window were damaged. I hope Blake will be as lucky. Catching car thieves and/or recovering stolen vehicles is often just accidental, since police don't have the resources. Just too common.
He said he called Coach Harbaugh this morning to inform him of his decision, not to try to influence his (Harbaugh's) decision.
Especially liked it when Rich asked Blake if he was a fan of Barry Sanders and when he said he was but had never met him, Rich said he'd see to it that he got to meet Barry in person.
Preparing for the Peach Bowl, they're still at it. This from Cade Stover, the tight end who had that end zone pass knocked from his hands by Sainristil:
When asked if injuries factored into his effort in The Game, Stover didn’t deny it, but said he won’t reveal exactly how limited he was against Michigan.
In fairness, he went on to more or less say that injuries are what you sign up for when you play football, but it sounds like an OSU reporter lobbed that question his way because OSU fans still want to believe they wouldn't ever get beaten by U-M if there weren't some kind of underlying reason.
I live here in the extreme north side of The Valley and you would probably be surprised how many U-M fans (and OSU fans) reside out here. Especially in the fall, going out on a Saturday after a game it isn't unusual to see others wearing their U-M gear, just like me. The job market is healthy out here, and the weather is a magnet as well, so it's only natural so many of us were drawn here. I don't know how many alums/fans will be travelling from Michigan, but I'm fairly certain their numbers will be supplemented very well by alums/fans/expats who live out in this region. (My wife is still surprised by the number of "Go Blue" greetings exchanged with total strangers when we see each other's gear.)
Whatever our strategy, I hope we're prepared for the natural grass surface at Cardinals' Stadium. Our defense, in particular, seems to be based on speed, so here's hoping that playing on a unique (and slower) surface doesn't create any problems. I've seen games out here in the past where the turf gets torn up at times, so hopefully that problem is licked and won't be an issue, either. (For a game of this magnitude, I would assume this has been addressed.)
It's been said on here that coming off his knee procedure that, even though it was relatively minor, he could easily drop into the third or fourth round. Quite a difference between 1-2 round money and 3-4 round money. For running backs, that initial contract is especially important given the risks they face. Also, with Donovan likely carrying a more equal load next season, there might not be as much wear and tear as his knees took this season with his high carry count. Regardless of his choice, he's given his all to this team and certainly has the right to do whatever he feels is in his best interest. Selfishly, I'd love to see him stay, carry us to another CFP again next year and win the Heisman he deserves, but it's likely too much to hope for. All we can do is wish him the best and support him in whatever he decides. He's a true role model, a person the program and all fans will forever be grateful to for all he's given...not just to the school, but to nearby communities in need as well.
Agree 100%. This was the moment for me, too. Gus Johnson has just gotten the following words out of his mouth (approximately): "Let's see if Michigan can respond to the Buckeyes here." The way he said, though, made it sound like he didn't think Michigan would, as if OSU had retaken all the momentum. The words were barely out of his mouth when Haskins blew through an enormous hole and bowled over several tacklers for a first down...and then some. I turned to a friend and said, "They've got this."
By the way, I like Gus, by and large, but what the hell is it with this "World Famous Ohio State Buckeyes" shit? His buildup this year as the Bucks were in the tunnel, waiting to come out, had the smell of only one team that mattered was going to be on the field...and it wasn't Michigan. The game was going to be all about what OSU was going to do to Michigan to make up for last year's game.
However, they do have the "flu card" they can try playing again. Watching near the end of the OSU-MD game I found it interesting that one of the announcers said that it was clear that the OSU locker room before The Game last year was dealing with lots of influenza. The other announcer didn't seem interested in this take.
Not about the fan experience, but I thought they'd ditched that pink locker room bullshit a few years ago after Harbaugh said publicly that the state of some B1G locker rooms was terrible. When I saw it in the post-game celebration video it struck me as being a childish ploy, or insult, much like never referring to an opponent by their actual name, or prohibiting the use of the first initial of that team's name during the week of the game. Pathetic...and apparently ineffective.
Selfishly hoping for Kickstarter to ensure I get a copy, but will still do my best to get my hands on one, no matter what is decided. For many years, HTTV has been my true primer for each new season. Great information/writing provided by all involved...and the highly informed in-depth analysis is greatly appreciated. Steele's, Athlon, and Lindy's seem to provide next to nothing meaningful in their one-page coverages when it comes to Michigan. (I get them free from a neighbor or I wouldn't read them.)
I've thought the same thing so many times over the years. If he'd been allowed to run out the string, there's a good chance he could've coached here until 2005, at least, and Lloyd would just be a footnote. As others have said, today such an infraction would get a slap on the wrist. Even back then I felt it was harsh for a first infraction.
Players love to play for a coach who has enough confidence in you that he'll stick his neck out and take the heat if you fail. I liked his creativity, his gutsiness, and his straightforward dealings with his players. It felt like he was born to coach, to lead and mold young men, and he will always be remembered by many of us. Rest in peace, Coach.
Regardless of who stays or goes or arrives, this team needs to find/develop their overall shooting and ball handling. The poor passing and ice cold shooting, even from around the rim, was in such stark contrast to Nova's, and not something we're accustomed to seeing at Michigan. As others have said, Diabate needs to add upper body strength to cure his ball handling. Still, proud of this team. They clearly had limitations, but they hustled and did their best. Go Blue!
Was pretty sure Jansen would get one chair, likely the color job, so just assumed they'd have to go outside Ann Arbor for a play-by-play guy. Still, I'll be interested to see how Karsch does. He does a good job in whichever capacities they have him on game days, so I suspect he'll do well at this as well. Go Blue in '22!
Pretty sure Kelly has it in her contract..."no touching or even looking at any other women under any circumstances."
/s
For all the community/people work that he's done over the years, his behavior doesn't match. Not trying to defend the guy unduly, but when I saw it my initial reaction from the blank look on his face was that it wasn't registering with him. If he did understand what was happening, then yeah, a real dick move and it'll bite him in the ass.
Normally a non-fiction reader, but just finished "From the River" by James Gaertner, a local writer. It's a coming-of-age-fiction about a canoe race on a thinly disguised River Raisin, as well as friendship, coming to terms with loss, and a chain of mysteries thrown in for good measure. Set in 1982, it's a long book, but it kept pulling me back in as I progressed, and seemed like the perfect feel-good remedy for a long Michigan winter. If you grew up in a small town in the proximity of the River Raisin, as I did, or any town on a river in the Midwest, it's relatable. Stumbled across it on Barnes and Noble.
Perhaps I missed the announcement from the U of M Athletic Department that Jim Harbaugh's pay cut was the result of any on-field or off-field issues. It seemed at the time it was pointed out that the Athletic Department lost a shitload of money in the season where we essentially had no fans in the stands, and cost cutting was the result. I don't believe Warde Manuel was in 'the sky is falling' crowd after the 2-4 season as much as he was trying to bring down AD expenditures after a season that blew up his budget. Maybe just my take, but from what we've come to know of our coach, I'd be shocked if he was embarrassed by his salary cut. I'm more of the opinion he felt he was literally taking one for the team and Warde probably told him that once the Athletic Department financial resources returned to normal, they would revisit his salary status.
While I'm sure he would appreciate getting his old salary reinstated as a gesture of faith in him, I don't see money at the heart of whatever decision he makes. He's just not a guy with some grand lifestyle like Saban.
At the time he graduate, he was such a big get for us. I believe he was even ranked about the same, or even a hair higher, nationally, than Hutchinson when he graduated a year after Hutch. He did manage to log some early playing time this year in non-crucial snaps to get his confidence back in both his game and the health of his knee, but also took snaps against Washington, Wisconsin, Rutgers, and Nebraska and still has three years of eligibility remaining. Not sure how he's been in the weight room, and haven't heard much about his motor/aggression, but his size and potential seem like a good place to start. Granted, Hutchinson's commitment was unique this year, but if McGregor takes the opportunity by the horns after seeing Hutchinson's dedication this year, he could be at least a solid piece of next year's defense. With the transfer portal so appealing to players buried on the depth chart, I'd hate to see him leave without making a run at significant playing time next year, because, while we know kids like Hutchinson don't come along every day, we've learned that you never know when the light will go on for a young player. (Plus, I hate to see four-star talent leave the program.) We'll just have to see where he stands when they emerge from the submarine next August.
Out-talented, out-schemed, and our team, which normally played relatively mistake-free ball was making uncharacteristic mistakes all night long.
Finally, nobody was going to stand between Georgia and a rematch with Bama. They wanted it more, just as we did against OSU, and yes, they have a level of talent with which we're not accustomed. Their defense, in particular, would have eaten OSU's lunch all day.
Still proud of the guys. Need to identify a few key areas for improvement and maybe bring in a few talent upgrades. Definitely something to keep building on and the added media exposure can only help. A helluva season. Hats off to a tough bunch of kids.
A loss will be a big disappointment, but no matter what, our guys are gonna show up and play their asses off. It's been the best and most fun season of my life and I'll live off the reruns of this season until next year's talented team comes back with fire in their eyes. It will be hard to feel much but gratitude for what this team has pulled off with their hard work and dedication to their common goal.
A win will keep me up celebrating all night and into the next day, calling and sending GO BLUE emails out to other UM friends/fans who'll be doing the same. I will also come down with a bad case of nervous bladder and have to piss twenty times during the course of the game. My wife will tell me I have a medical problem and hound me to see a urologist in the coming days, but I'll explain to her that it will get even worse on January 8. I will frame my lucky maize M shirt after fast forwarding my way through a dozen replays of the game on January 1.
In other news, Sean Clifford is planning to come back for another season at Penn State. A little surprising, since he's already 23 years old, but apparently he doesn't feel his OL subjected him to enough punishment this year. If nothing else, you've got to admire his toughness. Their offense was never what you'd call potent this year, but it really went in the toilet when he got hurt.
Didn't see Braiden McGregor out there last night when they emptied the bench. Nursing an injury or just didn't get his name called by coaches? For a while he'd been getting snaps with some of the ones from time to time.
According to Jon Jansen, who is probably closer to the program and The Game than I am, they always want to put a lot of things out there for OSU to have to prepare for this week. The more the better. I'm sure Michigan showed a lot of plays yesterday that they have no intention of trying against OSU. OSU probably does some of it, too, unless they are so overconfident that they didn't bother with it. Neither team can prepare, however, for anything they haven't seen. Could be that some of the biggest changes will be not in the actual play calls, but how they're blocked or who the primary receivers will be or plays that are being set up by previous calls. Whatever happens, I know this team will give their full effort, and that's all we can ask of these kids.
Even better, it's good to see that we will have Corum back for next week and that he was available for this week. He never would have been making those practice cuts he was making before the game if he was at all concerned for his ankle. He could be a real X factor for us.
I'd add one more question: Would he be in this position if he hadn't stumbled onto Walker? Tucker should give half of his money to him, because his running skills hide other talent issues on the team. Lousy pass defense, so-so OL to name a couple. Even much of Thorne's success has much to do with Walker forcing defenses to stack in the box to try to stop him. Haven't heard it discussed, but is Walker gone after this season? If so, we may soon find out what Tucker's got.
Much too soon to say what kind of coach he'll be based on the small sample size, but as said by someone's comment above, raiding the transfer portal every year isn't very sustainable. He struck it rich in the portal this year, good for him, but MSU can't claim to know what kind of coach he really is, especially after the Purdue game. Regardless, even if he takes the program down the dumper and they part ways down the road, MSU's money will still spend, and as the old saying goes regarding fools and their money, it would be pretty satisfying to see those two reported big MSU donors part ways with theirs.
Just my impression, but Ojabo also seems to be coming in off the blindside more often, accounting for the additional strip sacks. I'd have to study the film more closely to confirm if this is indeed true.
Same here. His senior year injury was unfortunate or he'd likely have seen significantly increased playing time this year. I know we battled for him pretty hard on the recruiting trail against all the big hitters (Alabama, Clemson, OSU) and most of the SEC and Big Ten. He was considered one of the top five DEs nationally coming out, and he's 100% healthy now.
It looked like Edwards was having some footing issues yesterday on the grass surface. Hopefully, that will disappear on Maryland's artificial surface (as well as ours).
Recent Comments
You had me at "point guard."
I think we should've learned by now that it's better to have more than a couple of guards on the roster rather than not enough. If he fills a need, take him.
Without seeing Josh Henschke's post, does this mean he's planning on returning to U-M , or does it mean that he's eligible to go wherever (i.e, his eligibility is not tied strictly to Michigan)? Seems as if he can go wherever he chooses he could find a better situation for playing time. Wasn't he indicating that he's looking to get into coaching in his near future as opposed to NFL aspirations?
My thought exactly. A very talented kid who's got plenty of talent and he wants a big stage to display it on. If it's not Michigan, it'll be one of the bigger names in the SEC. A shame, because he showed out so well in the Championship game, I was just assuming he'd be seeing considerable playing time in 2024.
After watching the interview of him about a year ago, I had a feeling it wouldn't be long before we'd lose him. A true legend...always tough to see these really talented people pass. Had a chance to see him live about fifteen years ago, but it involved an 80-mile drive and some bad weather. Always second guessed my decision to take a pass on it that night.
Rest well, Gord.
Dick Enberg/Dan…
Like:
Dick Enberg/Dan Dierdorff
George Kell/Al Kaline/Ernie Harwell
Frank Beckman/Bob Ufer
Bruce Martyn/Ken Kal
Van Patrick
Dislike:
Brent Mussberger
Jim Brandstatter (doing play-by-play)
Brent Mussberger
Brent Mussberger
etc.
Did someone say blue ball?
Agree. Didn't do the brackets this year (since no UM), but I've really enjoyed watching Gonzaga, KSU and UConn all the way through. Teams with lots of energy are fun to watch and seem to always be in a game, no matter the adversity. Didn't think MSU would show up against KSU, but they played a hell of a game themselves. If you like basketball, you had to like that game (unless, of course, if you're an MSU fan).
Um...depends.
Have been to several games at this facility and this issue seems peculiar to this field. If you get down closer to field level you can see lots of chunks torn up. Had concerns about Michigan playing on this field as soon as I heard we'd be playing there. Looks like a fast surface, but it doesn't do well with sudden, hard turns by large people.
Anyone heard any news on when Seamus Casey and/or Jacob Truscott will be available again?
This was my first thought. The players love him, so I don't know if moving him out of a hands-on coaching position is the answer to this. I truly believe he's part of this renaissance of players' 'all-in' attitudes these last couple of years, so not sure if this chemistry needs to be tampered with. To be sure, Jay excels wherever he's been moved in the past, so he deserves any kind of upgrade he gets (or wants). I only trust that if JH decides to move him, Jay would be kept in a position where he still has daily contact with players. Clearly, his communications skills with players is a real strength of his. I don't believe JH would do anything to waylay Jay's coaching career path in any way.
As for Chris Partridge, very excited to have him back. He brings a lot to the table and our recruiting, and team, can only benefit from his presence.
Hoping it was fully insured. I had a brand-new Camaro (insured) stolen in the late eighties. It was stolen from my parking space right beneath my condo bedroom in the middle of the night. It was recovered two days later by police, but they didn't notify me for over a week. (Apparently, car theft is too common to respond quickly.) It took a month, but it was determined it was stolen by a 14-year-old boy and his 17-year-old uncle. They drove it until it ran out of gas and parked it. Only the ignition and driver's side window were damaged. I hope Blake will be as lucky. Catching car thieves and/or recovering stolen vehicles is often just accidental, since police don't have the resources. Just too common.
That couldn't have been easy.
He said he called Coach Harbaugh this morning to inform him of his decision, not to try to influence his (Harbaugh's) decision.
Especially liked it when Rich asked Blake if he was a fan of Barry Sanders and when he said he was but had never met him, Rich said he'd see to it that he got to meet Barry in person.
Preparing for the Peach Bowl, they're still at it. This from Cade Stover, the tight end who had that end zone pass knocked from his hands by Sainristil:
When asked if injuries factored into his effort in The Game, Stover didn’t deny it, but said he won’t reveal exactly how limited he was against Michigan.
In fairness, he went on to more or less say that injuries are what you sign up for when you play football, but it sounds like an OSU reporter lobbed that question his way because OSU fans still want to believe they wouldn't ever get beaten by U-M if there weren't some kind of underlying reason.
I live here in the extreme north side of The Valley and you would probably be surprised how many U-M fans (and OSU fans) reside out here. Especially in the fall, going out on a Saturday after a game it isn't unusual to see others wearing their U-M gear, just like me. The job market is healthy out here, and the weather is a magnet as well, so it's only natural so many of us were drawn here. I don't know how many alums/fans will be travelling from Michigan, but I'm fairly certain their numbers will be supplemented very well by alums/fans/expats who live out in this region. (My wife is still surprised by the number of "Go Blue" greetings exchanged with total strangers when we see each other's gear.)
Whatever our strategy, I hope we're prepared for the natural grass surface at Cardinals' Stadium. Our defense, in particular, seems to be based on speed, so here's hoping that playing on a unique (and slower) surface doesn't create any problems. I've seen games out here in the past where the turf gets torn up at times, so hopefully that problem is licked and won't be an issue, either. (For a game of this magnitude, I would assume this has been addressed.)
It's been said on here that coming off his knee procedure that, even though it was relatively minor, he could easily drop into the third or fourth round. Quite a difference between 1-2 round money and 3-4 round money. For running backs, that initial contract is especially important given the risks they face. Also, with Donovan likely carrying a more equal load next season, there might not be as much wear and tear as his knees took this season with his high carry count. Regardless of his choice, he's given his all to this team and certainly has the right to do whatever he feels is in his best interest. Selfishly, I'd love to see him stay, carry us to another CFP again next year and win the Heisman he deserves, but it's likely too much to hope for. All we can do is wish him the best and support him in whatever he decides. He's a true role model, a person the program and all fans will forever be grateful to for all he's given...not just to the school, but to nearby communities in need as well.
Agree 100%. This was the moment for me, too. Gus Johnson has just gotten the following words out of his mouth (approximately): "Let's see if Michigan can respond to the Buckeyes here." The way he said, though, made it sound like he didn't think Michigan would, as if OSU had retaken all the momentum. The words were barely out of his mouth when Haskins blew through an enormous hole and bowled over several tacklers for a first down...and then some. I turned to a friend and said, "They've got this."
By the way, I like Gus, by and large, but what the hell is it with this "World Famous Ohio State Buckeyes" shit? His buildup this year as the Bucks were in the tunnel, waiting to come out, had the smell of only one team that mattered was going to be on the field...and it wasn't Michigan. The game was going to be all about what OSU was going to do to Michigan to make up for last year's game.
I have a suspicion that their next coaching search will have to be conducted on Craigslist.
However, they do have the "flu card" they can try playing again. Watching near the end of the OSU-MD game I found it interesting that one of the announcers said that it was clear that the OSU locker room before The Game last year was dealing with lots of influenza. The other announcer didn't seem interested in this take.
Done deal that Corum won't be back next year for his senior season?
No, pretty sure he was about 6 ft., 2 1 in. He was short of the first-down marker, too!
/s
Not about the fan experience, but I thought they'd ditched that pink locker room bullshit a few years ago after Harbaugh said publicly that the state of some B1G locker rooms was terrible. When I saw it in the post-game celebration video it struck me as being a childish ploy, or insult, much like never referring to an opponent by their actual name, or prohibiting the use of the first initial of that team's name during the week of the game. Pathetic...and apparently ineffective.
Selfishly hoping for Kickstarter to ensure I get a copy, but will still do my best to get my hands on one, no matter what is decided. For many years, HTTV has been my true primer for each new season. Great information/writing provided by all involved...and the highly informed in-depth analysis is greatly appreciated. Steele's, Athlon, and Lindy's seem to provide next to nothing meaningful in their one-page coverages when it comes to Michigan. (I get them free from a neighbor or I wouldn't read them.)
I've thought the same thing so many times over the years. If he'd been allowed to run out the string, there's a good chance he could've coached here until 2005, at least, and Lloyd would just be a footnote. As others have said, today such an infraction would get a slap on the wrist. Even back then I felt it was harsh for a first infraction.
Players love to play for a coach who has enough confidence in you that he'll stick his neck out and take the heat if you fail. I liked his creativity, his gutsiness, and his straightforward dealings with his players. It felt like he was born to coach, to lead and mold young men, and he will always be remembered by many of us. Rest in peace, Coach.
Ummmm. But seriously..."Earned, not given"? WTF?
Even the Big Ten officials agreed that this game was given.
Absolutely enjoyed your coverage this year and looking forward to more. Well done!
Regardless of who stays or goes or arrives, this team needs to find/develop their overall shooting and ball handling. The poor passing and ice cold shooting, even from around the rim, was in such stark contrast to Nova's, and not something we're accustomed to seeing at Michigan. As others have said, Diabate needs to add upper body strength to cure his ball handling. Still, proud of this team. They clearly had limitations, but they hustled and did their best. Go Blue!
Was pretty sure Jansen would get one chair, likely the color job, so just assumed they'd have to go outside Ann Arbor for a play-by-play guy. Still, I'll be interested to see how Karsch does. He does a good job in whichever capacities they have him on game days, so I suspect he'll do well at this as well. Go Blue in '22!
Pretty sure Kelly has it in her contract..."no touching or even looking at any other women under any circumstances."
/s
For all the community/people work that he's done over the years, his behavior doesn't match. Not trying to defend the guy unduly, but when I saw it my initial reaction from the blank look on his face was that it wasn't registering with him. If he did understand what was happening, then yeah, a real dick move and it'll bite him in the ass.
It would appear our chance of flipping top recruits is UofM's version of the portal for getting them.
Normally a non-fiction reader, but just finished "From the River" by James Gaertner, a local writer. It's a coming-of-age-fiction about a canoe race on a thinly disguised River Raisin, as well as friendship, coming to terms with loss, and a chain of mysteries thrown in for good measure. Set in 1982, it's a long book, but it kept pulling me back in as I progressed, and seemed like the perfect feel-good remedy for a long Michigan winter. If you grew up in a small town in the proximity of the River Raisin, as I did, or any town on a river in the Midwest, it's relatable. Stumbled across it on Barnes and Noble.
Perhaps I missed the announcement from the U of M Athletic Department that Jim Harbaugh's pay cut was the result of any on-field or off-field issues. It seemed at the time it was pointed out that the Athletic Department lost a shitload of money in the season where we essentially had no fans in the stands, and cost cutting was the result. I don't believe Warde Manuel was in 'the sky is falling' crowd after the 2-4 season as much as he was trying to bring down AD expenditures after a season that blew up his budget. Maybe just my take, but from what we've come to know of our coach, I'd be shocked if he was embarrassed by his salary cut. I'm more of the opinion he felt he was literally taking one for the team and Warde probably told him that once the Athletic Department financial resources returned to normal, they would revisit his salary status.
While I'm sure he would appreciate getting his old salary reinstated as a gesture of faith in him, I don't see money at the heart of whatever decision he makes. He's just not a guy with some grand lifestyle like Saban.
Petersburg-Summerfield: Caitlin Blanchard
At the time he graduate, he was such a big get for us. I believe he was even ranked about the same, or even a hair higher, nationally, than Hutchinson when he graduated a year after Hutch. He did manage to log some early playing time this year in non-crucial snaps to get his confidence back in both his game and the health of his knee, but also took snaps against Washington, Wisconsin, Rutgers, and Nebraska and still has three years of eligibility remaining. Not sure how he's been in the weight room, and haven't heard much about his motor/aggression, but his size and potential seem like a good place to start. Granted, Hutchinson's commitment was unique this year, but if McGregor takes the opportunity by the horns after seeing Hutchinson's dedication this year, he could be at least a solid piece of next year's defense. With the transfer portal so appealing to players buried on the depth chart, I'd hate to see him leave without making a run at significant playing time next year, because, while we know kids like Hutchinson don't come along every day, we've learned that you never know when the light will go on for a young player. (Plus, I hate to see four-star talent leave the program.) We'll just have to see where he stands when they emerge from the submarine next August.
Out-talented, out-schemed, and our team, which normally played relatively mistake-free ball was making uncharacteristic mistakes all night long.
Finally, nobody was going to stand between Georgia and a rematch with Bama. They wanted it more, just as we did against OSU, and yes, they have a level of talent with which we're not accustomed. Their defense, in particular, would have eaten OSU's lunch all day.
Still proud of the guys. Need to identify a few key areas for improvement and maybe bring in a few talent upgrades. Definitely something to keep building on and the added media exposure can only help. A helluva season. Hats off to a tough bunch of kids.
UGH: 21
A loss will…
M: 34
UGH: 21
A loss will be a big disappointment, but no matter what, our guys are gonna show up and play their asses off. It's been the best and most fun season of my life and I'll live off the reruns of this season until next year's talented team comes back with fire in their eyes. It will be hard to feel much but gratitude for what this team has pulled off with their hard work and dedication to their common goal.
A win will keep me up celebrating all night and into the next day, calling and sending GO BLUE emails out to other UM friends/fans who'll be doing the same. I will also come down with a bad case of nervous bladder and have to piss twenty times during the course of the game. My wife will tell me I have a medical problem and hound me to see a urologist in the coming days, but I'll explain to her that it will get even worse on January 8. I will frame my lucky maize M shirt after fast forwarding my way through a dozen replays of the game on January 1.
In other news, Sean Clifford is planning to come back for another season at Penn State. A little surprising, since he's already 23 years old, but apparently he doesn't feel his OL subjected him to enough punishment this year. If nothing else, you've got to admire his toughness. Their offense was never what you'd call potent this year, but it really went in the toilet when he got hurt.
Didn't see Braiden McGregor out there last night when they emptied the bench. Nursing an injury or just didn't get his name called by coaches? For a while he'd been getting snaps with some of the ones from time to time.
Thanks a lot! My mom just saw this picture and now she's making me get rid of my 'lucky' chimp suit. Sheesh!
Oh well. GO BLUE!!!
And here I thought it was all due to the wearing of my lucky (and undefeated) shirt.
My apologies to you, Salvatore.
I suspect they will not be trying that pooch kick again for a while.
According to Jon Jansen, who is probably closer to the program and The Game than I am, they always want to put a lot of things out there for OSU to have to prepare for this week. The more the better. I'm sure Michigan showed a lot of plays yesterday that they have no intention of trying against OSU. OSU probably does some of it, too, unless they are so overconfident that they didn't bother with it. Neither team can prepare, however, for anything they haven't seen. Could be that some of the biggest changes will be not in the actual play calls, but how they're blocked or who the primary receivers will be or plays that are being set up by previous calls. Whatever happens, I know this team will give their full effort, and that's all we can ask of these kids.
Even better, it's good to see that we will have Corum back for next week and that he was available for this week. He never would have been making those practice cuts he was making before the game if he was at all concerned for his ankle. He could be a real X factor for us.
I'd add one more question: Would he be in this position if he hadn't stumbled onto Walker? Tucker should give half of his money to him, because his running skills hide other talent issues on the team. Lousy pass defense, so-so OL to name a couple. Even much of Thorne's success has much to do with Walker forcing defenses to stack in the box to try to stop him. Haven't heard it discussed, but is Walker gone after this season? If so, we may soon find out what Tucker's got.
Much too soon to say what kind of coach he'll be based on the small sample size, but as said by someone's comment above, raiding the transfer portal every year isn't very sustainable. He struck it rich in the portal this year, good for him, but MSU can't claim to know what kind of coach he really is, especially after the Purdue game. Regardless, even if he takes the program down the dumper and they part ways down the road, MSU's money will still spend, and as the old saying goes regarding fools and their money, it would be pretty satisfying to see those two reported big MSU donors part ways with theirs.
Just my impression, but Ojabo also seems to be coming in off the blindside more often, accounting for the additional strip sacks. I'd have to study the film more closely to confirm if this is indeed true.
Same here. His senior year injury was unfortunate or he'd likely have seen significantly increased playing time this year. I know we battled for him pretty hard on the recruiting trail against all the big hitters (Alabama, Clemson, OSU) and most of the SEC and Big Ten. He was considered one of the top five DEs nationally coming out, and he's 100% healthy now.
It looked like Edwards was having some footing issues yesterday on the grass surface. Hopefully, that will disappear on Maryland's artificial surface (as well as ours).
Much thanks, Maize.