The Golden Era (For Michigan, Naturally)

Tbone and I have been a bit sporadic with content on this blog and for that we apologize to our multitude of  readers.  (the 3 of you)

We've thought about what content to bring you and why you would want to come here to read.  There are countless blogs on MSU and UofM sports already out there and they do an extremely good job so we would like to come at this rivalry specifically with content that will be interesting for all.

So here's the plan heading into the spring and summer...we are going to preview the football rosters by position and argue about each position individually (starters and depth) to determine that Michigan is better at every single position group and has a far superior team...at least that's the hypothesis I will be working against.  From this information we will be able to preview the season and give some predictions on how we think things will play out in the Legends division and in the B1G.  Since I fully expect Tbone's analysis to be belligerently Spartan biased we should also create some good topics for discussion in the comments.

We'll add occasional posts on other happenings and I'll try to amuse you every once in a great while with something clever or witty. (don't hold your breath)

For now, let us reminisce about a time long past.  It was 2011, around May or June and Michigan had recently been annihilated by Mississippi State, fired their coach, hired a new guy and were off to a sizzling start to recruiting for the 2012 class.  The Spartans, meanwhile, were coming off their most successful season during Tbone's green fanhood and yet their recruiting was stuck in neutral.  Our very own blogger, sir Tbone himself, was furious with the way things were going, so much so that he dared question the saint that is Mark Dantonio.  His reasoning was something like this: if MSU cannot capitalize on their on-field success and get more talented recruits, they will never be what Sparants fans long for, they will never be Michigan. (OK, that last bit is my inference)  Tbone even suggested that Saint D wasn't the man for the job at Michigan State.

Fast forward a year and Dantonio has another victory over Michigan notched on his belt and is getting pummeled yet again on the recruiting trail.  Marky Mark himself got testy this winter with Michigan's recruiting coordinator at an event for high school coaches.  Maybe just a simple misunderstanding? Or maybe Dantonio's skin isn't so thick when it comes to recruiting.  Recruiting is the life blood of a great program.  MSU has won 4 straight games over Michigan by capitalizing on the down times for the Wolverines and doing a magnificent job in player development but can they continue to compete with Michigan into the future without increasing the amount of talent they bring in?

My own personal (and irrationally biased) opinion says no.  With the way Hoke and Mattison are recruiting for Michigan (along with Urban Meyer at OSU) there is a golden era on the horizon for Michigan football.  Dantonio has built a program at MSU, but you need elite talent to remain competitive with elite teams.  It won't begin this year, as Ohio State is not eligible to play in the B1G championship game, but there may be some rematches in the title game in the near future.  The next decade could see a return to the Big 2 and little 10.  MSU has risen up to take the mantle from their big brother but unless things change in the recruiting game, it's hard not to see a future where Michigan restores itself firmly atop this rivalry.