WTKA Roundtable 2/29/2024: The In-Between Times
We lost a friend yesterday.
This is @mrschelsearoh, Craig’s wife. I wanted to let all of his followers know that after an 18-month battle with Stage IV colon cancer, God brought Craig home on Monday, February 26th. Craig was not very public with his battle, as he truly just wanted to focus on bringing the…
— Craig Roh (@craigroh) February 28, 2024
Craig did a lot for us. They have a GoFundMe set up to help support his wife and son.
Things Discussed:
- Michigan at the Combine: People who watch the games love the Michigan guys; stats people don't.
- JJ looks like a first rounder. If (Will Johnson: "when") Sainristil runs under 4.5 he's going to move up too. Lions love having this program down the road because they draft on personality, and they know they can trust the guys who come out of this program are their kinds of guys. Also they can get in all these extra meetings.
- Everybody's moved up: Wilson blew up at the senior bowl, Keegan's moving up, Zinter's leg is in better shape, Sainristil, McCarthy, Corum…
- JJ vs other QBs: Williams seemed to wilt when his team did; you know JJ isn't built that way. Seth: Bust factor for QBs has as much to do with which franchise drafts you and how they bring you along.
- Portal closed: Sabb was a loss but Michigan is virtually intact from the departure of Jim Harbaugh; well done Sherrone and staff.
- QB competition update, Sam says Orji is the leader—he has to have the passing accuracy—but there's not going to be a lock until the portal closes. Denegal most improved. Seth: Leak/Tebow set up. Plan is redshirt Jadyn Davis (he and coaches both have this plan), Davis Warren was hurt but seems out of the conversation?
- WR: They need to get size in the portal. Don't sleep on Tyler Morris.
- Who's your best lineup? It's Edwards and Mullings and Loveland on the field.
- Hockey: Pythagorean W/L shows they're a good team, but they've struggled to finish weekends. Swept ND put them in 14th, which is minimum to get in the Tournament. Need a good weekend in Minnesota to get in as an at-large; if they win Friday and get more points than Minnesota on Saturday they move past them in B10 standings and get Penn State in the BTT. Bad weekend and they need to get to the championship round of the BTT.
- Reasons? Transition to Naurato damaged recruiting, injuries, lost their goalie to MSU hiring the goalie's dude.
- Officiating has been a big part of the story. Lost Hallum for the year and McGroarty for a long time on non-called penalties. Uncanny calls were the only thing keeping ND in Saturday's game. It is appalling how this team has been officiated, and it's a big reason they're in the place they are.
- Football defensive staff? Michigan is taking their time with background checks. After Stalions, Shemy, Shoop, Weiss…
(RIP) Speaking of RIP, - Craig Roh: Was a big reason we had anything to cheer about in the years between the titles. See GoFundMe above.
[Hit the JUMP for the player, and video and stuff]
You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream.
Segment 2 is here. You can watch the video here:
The Usual Links:
- Helpful iTunes subscribe link
- General podcast feed link
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Direct download link (right-click/save as)
- What's with the theme music?
Sir, are you or have you ever been in charge of a vacuum refurbishment company?
February 29th, 2024 at 10:59 AM ^
The absence of any basketball discussion for weeks on end--with the exception of Craig's 5 minute ramble near the end of last week's Roundtable to which no one responded at all--is both a blessing and a blessing. Obviously there's nothing good to say so no need to say anything. Predictions about the head coach's future are meaningless and the situation kind of speaks for itself.
In the meantime, good on Michigan for doing deep dives on new hires' backgrounds and taking the time needed to make sure they all pass muster. They've learned their lession!
RIP Craig Roh.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:53 PM ^
I agree about Craig Roh.
I disagree about basketball. Even as bad as it is now I'd argue that interest level (defined by attendance at Crisler and viewer/listenership) still makes it Michigan's second sport. Even if the conversation was largely around whether Warde will/should give Juwan Howard another year that would be interesting. That said, I'd also like to get some insights into how much of Michigan's problems are based on coaching/recruiting versus structural impediments like transfer requirements, NIL etc.
February 29th, 2024 at 1:00 PM ^
PeteM...
Username seems to check out, Pistol Pete...
February 29th, 2024 at 8:12 PM ^
Is the fact my nephew went to LSU close enough?
February 29th, 2024 at 11:07 AM ^
Oh man that news about Roh is awful. He was WAY too young.
February 29th, 2024 at 11:18 AM ^
- Michigan at the Combine: People who watch the games love the Michigan guys; stats people don't.
Reminds me of "I love people who love football. And people who love football, they love me too" or however he said it.
February 29th, 2024 at 11:26 AM ^
Don't know if that was intentional, but RIP to Richard Lewis as well.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:29 PM ^
DEF intentional
February 29th, 2024 at 4:09 PM ^
Intentional. I wrote rip after it
February 29th, 2024 at 12:13 PM ^
I haven't had a chance to listen, but I wish that there would be some men's basketball discussion. Interest is down, obviously, given the way the season has gone but I would still argue that it's Michigan second leading sport even now. Even if the conversation ended up being largely about Juwan Howard's future and the reasons for the team's decline that would be of some interest.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:34 PM ^
I am not interested if that helps hah
February 29th, 2024 at 1:09 PM ^
I agree. The hoops discussion should center around the weakness at guard. Dug is very talented but just isn't good enough for whatever reason. Brian wasn't a fan of Eli Brooks and I sure was and it's showing how much we miss him. This team doesn't change until we bring in good guard play. Am sorry to say that but it's true
February 29th, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
If I'm analyzing the team, Dug (who, yes, is size-challenged and not fully refined as a point guard) is probably my last stop in the starting five.
I don't recall MGoBlog writing anything bad about Brooks during his last couple of years.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:21 PM ^
Love the vague Bob Shoop talk. It never really came out to the general pubic did it?
February 29th, 2024 at 1:02 PM ^
I was just going to ask what the hell ever happened there. Incredibly weird that whole situation just came and went and nobody knows anything.
February 29th, 2024 at 1:11 PM ^
I had heard it had to do with COVID fears and he/wife insisted on working remotely for health reasons, so they had him be an analyst, and pissed Harbaugh off to no end. But credit to Shoop for finding Rod Moore.
February 29th, 2024 at 1:33 PM ^
The way Seth and Sam suggested something would have come up if they did a thorough background check on Shoop makes me think this wasn't COVID related.
February 29th, 2024 at 5:08 PM ^
Yea, they threw Shoop's name in with those other three. Doesn't sound like a Covid situation.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:31 PM ^
Who's your best lineup? It's Edwards and Mullings and Loveland on the field.
Are two-back sets not a thing anymore? I thought we missed a great opportunity to exploit defensive mismatches by putting Blake and Donovan back there at the same time. Both can catch the ball out of the backfield. I don't know how Mullings is as a receiving back, but putting those guys out there at the same time could be a good wrinkle.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:56 PM ^
Mullings' sideline catch during the Rose Bowl was eye opening for me.
February 29th, 2024 at 1:06 PM ^
IIRC, Mullings has made a few catches out of the backfield. He's a pretty good guy to have back there. Both Edwards and Mullings can run the ball, throw the ball, and catch the ball. If only Edwards could block...
February 29th, 2024 at 4:35 PM ^
Two-back sets at Michigan usually involve an H-back/fullback, rather than two true running backs. One way to mash Mullings/Edwards into that mindset is to have Edwards motion to a slot or flanker spot, or Mullings to the wing-TE spot.
Both backs likely mean that Brederson is off the field, too, so it's a tricky mix to manage, but essential to getting the most out of the offense.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:45 PM ^
The Giants had nothing on the interior, Seth? C'mon man. Dexter Lawrence.
February 29th, 2024 at 4:12 PM ^
Guh. I was saying other than Dexter but then my mind wrapped around Thibo. I got it right in my Wink writeup. Stupid thing to get wrong because I've watched so many Giants games in the last few weeks.
February 29th, 2024 at 1:17 PM ^
During the Craig Roh discussion at the end, Brian mentioned a tweet from Taylor Lewan. It's linked here so you don't have to go searching for it. Good stuff from Lewan. Roh sounds like a helluva good guy.
https://twitter.com/TaylorLewan77/status/1762933234243866963
February 29th, 2024 at 2:26 PM ^
One thing that's interesting about Wolverine football is that the quarterback and five-star recruits matter less than on other teams. After all, with just a game manager like McNamara, Michigan made it into a four-team playoff for the first time. In convincingly beating Stroud and his all-pro receivers two years in a row with players of lesser talent Michigan showed what great coaching and development can do. Then there was this year. I hope future OSU quarterbacks who don't beat Michigan all hit the portal. Let's see if the overall trend continues. A lot (most) depends on getting the right linemen for both lines, which means ignoring the ratings for these guys, which are meaningless anyway, because star ratings don't predict how much bigger and stronger a high school kid will get after a couple of years. Given a topflight quarterback and a deep team with veterans who were mostly not five-star recruits or high draft choices and who decided to come back for an extra year instead of going pro, you have this year's champions.
February 29th, 2024 at 4:40 PM ^
Not lesser talent, but "lower-ranked-out-of-high-school talent". The difference is indicative - either Michigan is/was great at identifying scouting misses, or is able to develop lower-ranked players into their higher-ranked equivalents, or both.
The point to remember is that it's not lesser talent and a worse team. The recruiting rankings are an attempt to grade the clay with an eye towards what it will become, but the proof is in the finished product.
February 29th, 2024 at 2:46 PM ^
Cracked up to see the bullet about the Lions lovie having this program down the road because for all those years that the architect of mediocrity (Russ Thomas OSU grad) ran the team he NEVER drafted Michigan players. He only brought them in when their careers were on the downslope (Butch Woolfolk, Anthony Carter, Desmond, et al.
February 29th, 2024 at 5:23 PM ^
Can't believe that this post has been up for so long and no one has commented on the teaser that Seth left in at the end. WHEN IS THE KICKSTARTER FOR THE THING SETH!?!?! (screamed with both love and "Make me a bicycle clown!" energy)
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