So I have to work today from 10-7. I am going to miss basically every college football game. Thank god for DVR. Goin to make this short and sweet. I will have a full on recap tomorrow after the game to make up for the lack of game preview.
OFFENSE: I like the bye week. Good things are going to happen. More reps for the offensive line, more reps for the throws, more time to add a wrinkle or two. Expect MSU to have a balanced offense that uses quick pass plays to gash the Wildcat defense for big gains. This has the feeling of a day for Sims and Fowler.
DEFENSE: The MSU defense has to stop multiple quarterbacks that play two different offensive style with Colter using his legs and his arms and Siemian is more of a pocket passer. With those two quarterbacks is Venric Mark a speedy back that gets the corner and gets the ball upfield. This will hopefully be a case where their speed is used against them and fumbles occur on contact. The MSU defense will need those turnovers to slow and put doubt into this offense.
PREDICTION: Who doesn't like to go bowling? I fully expect MSU to come out fired up, and score some points early. For about half of a game we will see how good this offense can be and that will be enough to win it. 31-21 MSU. Time to go to work.
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Ranking the B1G
While it's approaching Big East levels of (dis)respect, it's still the conference that contains Michigan and MSU. Here's how I think the league shakes out to date:
1. OSU - They deserve this spot for being at 4-0 with a victory over Cal. Still, they haven't looked like world beaters in any of those victories. This Saturday will tell us a lot more about the Buckeyes. I wrote a couple weeks ago that a win in East Lansing and the Buckeyes may be looking at running the table...and I threw up in my mouth a little.
2. Northwestern - The best resume of any B1G team, but is it filled with lies? Their defense may begin to leak in B1G play. If they can hold teams down on D their offense can win them a lot of games.
3. Nebraska - I'm going to forgive the road loss to UCLA and give this squad the benefit of the doubt. Right now probably the very slight favorites in the Legends division.
4. Michigan - Only 2-2 but have clearly faced the toughest schedule in the conference. Would any other B1G team be better than 2-2 with Michigan's schedule? I say no, though maybe OSU could win @ND.
5. MSU - The best defense and RB in the conference could carry the Spartans to the B1G championship. That passing game certainly makes Spartan's nervous though.
6. Wisconsin - The offense has regressed tremendously without Russell Wilson but I think they have played the second most difficult league slate to date. It's only because Oregon State was so bad last season that Wisconsin's loss seemed like a big upset when in fact Oregon State is a pretty good team this season.
7. Purdue - The Boilermakers have a legitimate case to be higher here. Their defense is much improved and they have a very stout defensive line. The Purdue offense seems to have some cohesiveness for the first time since Danny Hope has been coaching there.
8. Minnesota - 4-0 but haven't faced much of a test to start the season. A much improved team over last season but probably still a year or 2 away from contending for the championship game. Need Marquis Gray back and healthy.
9. Penn State - If they lose this week on the road at Illinois it's an all out spiral. They need a W this week and then can look at games with Iowa and IU has likely victories.
10. Iowa - Their poor recruiting on the defensive side of the ball is finally bearing it's ugly head for the Hawkeyes. Is this Kirk Ferentz's worst Iowa team? A bowl game looks like a lofty goal this season.
11 Indiana - Hoosiers are better than last year but will likely struggle to win a B1G game this season.
12. Illinois - A train wreck under their first year coach. Maybe Zooker didn't leave as much talent behind as everyone thought?
And because I like stats here's a quick breakdown of where all the B1G teams rank nationally in their respective units (remember 4 games strength of schedule fluctuates wildly) I'm not sure if you can take any real meaning from any of this but I was surprised by the teams at the bottom of the conference on both offense and defense.
Total Offense
Nebraska 6th
Ohio State 36th
Northwestern 45th
Minnesota 46th
Michigan State 47th
Indiana 50th
Michigan 59th
Penn State 65th
Iowa 76th
Purdue 77th
Illinois 85th
Wisconsin 96th
Wisconsin is currently last in the conference in total offense...What a difference a year makes!
Total Defense
MSU 6th
Purdue 17th
Minnesota 21st
Iowa 25th
Wisconsin 31st
Illinois 35th
Michigan 37th
Nebraska 51st
Penn State 54th
Indiana 49th
Northwestern 60th
Ohio State 71st
Looks like it may be a low scoring year in the B1G. Much better rankings here than in the offensive categories. Is Ohio State really that poor defensively?
1. OSU - They deserve this spot for being at 4-0 with a victory over Cal. Still, they haven't looked like world beaters in any of those victories. This Saturday will tell us a lot more about the Buckeyes. I wrote a couple weeks ago that a win in East Lansing and the Buckeyes may be looking at running the table...and I threw up in my mouth a little.
2. Northwestern - The best resume of any B1G team, but is it filled with lies? Their defense may begin to leak in B1G play. If they can hold teams down on D their offense can win them a lot of games.
3. Nebraska - I'm going to forgive the road loss to UCLA and give this squad the benefit of the doubt. Right now probably the very slight favorites in the Legends division.
4. Michigan - Only 2-2 but have clearly faced the toughest schedule in the conference. Would any other B1G team be better than 2-2 with Michigan's schedule? I say no, though maybe OSU could win @ND.
5. MSU - The best defense and RB in the conference could carry the Spartans to the B1G championship. That passing game certainly makes Spartan's nervous though.
6. Wisconsin - The offense has regressed tremendously without Russell Wilson but I think they have played the second most difficult league slate to date. It's only because Oregon State was so bad last season that Wisconsin's loss seemed like a big upset when in fact Oregon State is a pretty good team this season.
7. Purdue - The Boilermakers have a legitimate case to be higher here. Their defense is much improved and they have a very stout defensive line. The Purdue offense seems to have some cohesiveness for the first time since Danny Hope has been coaching there.
8. Minnesota - 4-0 but haven't faced much of a test to start the season. A much improved team over last season but probably still a year or 2 away from contending for the championship game. Need Marquis Gray back and healthy.
9. Penn State - If they lose this week on the road at Illinois it's an all out spiral. They need a W this week and then can look at games with Iowa and IU has likely victories.
10. Iowa - Their poor recruiting on the defensive side of the ball is finally bearing it's ugly head for the Hawkeyes. Is this Kirk Ferentz's worst Iowa team? A bowl game looks like a lofty goal this season.
11 Indiana - Hoosiers are better than last year but will likely struggle to win a B1G game this season.
12. Illinois - A train wreck under their first year coach. Maybe Zooker didn't leave as much talent behind as everyone thought?
And because I like stats here's a quick breakdown of where all the B1G teams rank nationally in their respective units (remember 4 games strength of schedule fluctuates wildly) I'm not sure if you can take any real meaning from any of this but I was surprised by the teams at the bottom of the conference on both offense and defense.
Total Offense
Nebraska 6th
Ohio State 36th
Northwestern 45th
Minnesota 46th
Michigan State 47th
Indiana 50th
Michigan 59th
Penn State 65th
Iowa 76th
Purdue 77th
Illinois 85th
Wisconsin 96th
Wisconsin is currently last in the conference in total offense...What a difference a year makes!
Total Defense
MSU 6th
Purdue 17th
Minnesota 21st
Iowa 25th
Wisconsin 31st
Illinois 35th
Michigan 37th
Nebraska 51st
Penn State 54th
Indiana 49th
Northwestern 60th
Ohio State 71st
Looks like it may be a low scoring year in the B1G. Much better rankings here than in the offensive categories. Is Ohio State really that poor defensively?
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Few Legends, Lacking Leaders
Some games occurred while I was away...
Michigan was outclassed and eviscerated by the Crimson Tide, there is no other way to put it. Alabama is once again a national title contender and the Wolverines simply have not reached that level yet. The game raised massive concerns along both the offensive line and the defensive front seven. Still, shortcomings easily show against the best in the country, Michigan won't be playing another team on Alabama's level the rest of the season which allows for optimism.
I said all summer that I disliked scheduling Air Force the week after Alabama in Dallas. Michigan had a long trip home and a shorter week of preparation than normal for a triple option offense. Once again, there are tons of issues that need to be straightened out and corrected. Michigan simply is not a dominant team up front at this point. Against Air Force, Denard Robinson showed that Michigan does have the most dominant player in the Big Ten. He was simply ridiculous, setting an all-time college football record with his third game with both 200 yards passing and running while accounting for more total offense than Michigan's team total. As long as Denard is healthy, Michigan has a chance in it's remaining ten games.
And Michigan will have a chance in those games because woo-eee the B1G is bad this season. Wisconsin is not a top 20 team and no team looks like it's capable of competing on the national stage. The Big Ten remains wide open.
Let's look at some takeaways from the first two weeks for the Wolverines.
After an awfully disappointing first two weeks for the B1G, let's rank the league where things stand as of now:
Every Two Weekly B1G Rankings
1. Michigan State
The Spartans may have the most impressive league victory (home over rebuilding Boise St in an underwhelming performance...this league is bad) After a surgical demolition of CMU, the Spartans clearly have the league's best single unit as their defense. Maxwell, the offensive line and the receivers all need to continue their improvement if this team wants to make the Rose bowl.
2. Ohio State
An imperfect team both offensively and defensively, the Buckeyes are still probably the league's most talented squad. Braxton Miller might end the season as the B1G PTOY, so much for NCAA sanctions taking OSU down a peg.
3. Northwestern
Wait, what? This may look like a joke, but a victory over a good Vanderbilt team is arguably the Big Ten's best non-conference victory. Northwestern looked very susceptible through the air in their first game but really stepped up in week two.
4. Michigan
Michigan is only 1-1 but I'm not sure anyone would argue for another team in this spot. Michigan has issues to resolve but also once again has the most dynamic playmaker in the league running the show. Michigan has played clearly the league's best schedule to this point.
5. Nebraska
The first B1G team to play in the Rose Bowl this year, Nebraska is a talented team that will compete for the Legends crown. Losing to a mediocre UCLA team looks worse on paper than it really is as UCLA played inspired yesterday and does have a high level of talent.
6. Wisconsin
The league's best offense in 2011 is grounded without Russell Wilson. Danny O'brien and a new offensive coordinator have Wisconsin struggling to move the football.
7. Purdue
They had a chance late against Notre Dame and have one of the better defensive fronts in the league. The QB rotation seems to be working out OK for them but I think they will be better off naming one guy the starter.
8. Iowa
Who knows about this team. I thought they would be really bad defensively and very good offensively and then they lose 9-6 to Iowa State. Doesn't Iowa do this every season during the nonconference year? I have a feeling they will make noise in the Legends division as a spoiler.
9. Illinois
The Illini got crushed on the road against Arizona State, but they were playing without their starting QB against a team they were very poorly matched. I put Illinois here because I don't think it's unfathomable to see this team in Indianapolis (Illinois will be battling my 6th and 7th ranked teams due to OSU being ineligible)
10. Minnesota
2-0! Is this too low for the Gophers? Winning at UNLV is a solid victory for Minnesota. I might be keeping Minny down because of last season's record but they will soon have a chance to move up this list.
11. Indiana
The Hoosiers beat UMASS to get to 2-0 and get their first victory of the Kevin Wilson era over an FBS foe. Tre Roberson is out for the year with a broken leg though, poor Hoosiers.
12. Penn State
I know they have lost two heartbreaking games but this team is 0-2 with nowhere to go but down. They may end the season getting some victories but Nittany Lion fans have nothing but despair to look forward to for the next half decade.
The B1G is clearly outclassed by the SEC, the PAC-10 and likely the Big 12 and ACC as well this season. This may be a season of irrelevance for the Midwest.
Michigan was outclassed and eviscerated by the Crimson Tide, there is no other way to put it. Alabama is once again a national title contender and the Wolverines simply have not reached that level yet. The game raised massive concerns along both the offensive line and the defensive front seven. Still, shortcomings easily show against the best in the country, Michigan won't be playing another team on Alabama's level the rest of the season which allows for optimism.
I said all summer that I disliked scheduling Air Force the week after Alabama in Dallas. Michigan had a long trip home and a shorter week of preparation than normal for a triple option offense. Once again, there are tons of issues that need to be straightened out and corrected. Michigan simply is not a dominant team up front at this point. Against Air Force, Denard Robinson showed that Michigan does have the most dominant player in the Big Ten. He was simply ridiculous, setting an all-time college football record with his third game with both 200 yards passing and running while accounting for more total offense than Michigan's team total. As long as Denard is healthy, Michigan has a chance in it's remaining ten games.
And Michigan will have a chance in those games because woo-eee the B1G is bad this season. Wisconsin is not a top 20 team and no team looks like it's capable of competing on the national stage. The Big Ten remains wide open.
Let's look at some takeaways from the first two weeks for the Wolverines.
- Issues up front. For whatever reason, Michigan's experienced offensive line is struggling to start out the season. Will we see true freshman Kyle Kalis in the lineup at guard soon?
- The two best players on Michigan's defense? Jordan Kovacs and Jake Ryan.
- Defensive tackle is going to be an issue all season, how Michigan progresses here may determine how far this team can go in the B1G this season.
- Devin Funchess is going to be a star. He is too slim to be a reliable blocker as a true freshman but he showcased his playmaking ability against Air Force by high-pointing a TD pass for Michigan's second TD.
- Devin Gardner may just be Michigan's go-to receiver throughout the season. As a convert to the position he still has a lot of room for growth.
- Dennis Norfleet is going to be exciting to watch the next few seasons.
- I had Michigan's linebackers vastly overrated entering the season (both Demens and Morgan have been replaced often by true freshman James Ross and Joe Bolden)
After an awfully disappointing first two weeks for the B1G, let's rank the league where things stand as of now:
Every Two Weekly B1G Rankings
1. Michigan State
The Spartans may have the most impressive league victory (home over rebuilding Boise St in an underwhelming performance...this league is bad) After a surgical demolition of CMU, the Spartans clearly have the league's best single unit as their defense. Maxwell, the offensive line and the receivers all need to continue their improvement if this team wants to make the Rose bowl.
2. Ohio State
An imperfect team both offensively and defensively, the Buckeyes are still probably the league's most talented squad. Braxton Miller might end the season as the B1G PTOY, so much for NCAA sanctions taking OSU down a peg.
3. Northwestern
Wait, what? This may look like a joke, but a victory over a good Vanderbilt team is arguably the Big Ten's best non-conference victory. Northwestern looked very susceptible through the air in their first game but really stepped up in week two.
4. Michigan
Michigan is only 1-1 but I'm not sure anyone would argue for another team in this spot. Michigan has issues to resolve but also once again has the most dynamic playmaker in the league running the show. Michigan has played clearly the league's best schedule to this point.
5. Nebraska
The first B1G team to play in the Rose Bowl this year, Nebraska is a talented team that will compete for the Legends crown. Losing to a mediocre UCLA team looks worse on paper than it really is as UCLA played inspired yesterday and does have a high level of talent.
6. Wisconsin
The league's best offense in 2011 is grounded without Russell Wilson. Danny O'brien and a new offensive coordinator have Wisconsin struggling to move the football.
7. Purdue
They had a chance late against Notre Dame and have one of the better defensive fronts in the league. The QB rotation seems to be working out OK for them but I think they will be better off naming one guy the starter.
8. Iowa
Who knows about this team. I thought they would be really bad defensively and very good offensively and then they lose 9-6 to Iowa State. Doesn't Iowa do this every season during the nonconference year? I have a feeling they will make noise in the Legends division as a spoiler.
9. Illinois
The Illini got crushed on the road against Arizona State, but they were playing without their starting QB against a team they were very poorly matched. I put Illinois here because I don't think it's unfathomable to see this team in Indianapolis (Illinois will be battling my 6th and 7th ranked teams due to OSU being ineligible)
10. Minnesota
2-0! Is this too low for the Gophers? Winning at UNLV is a solid victory for Minnesota. I might be keeping Minny down because of last season's record but they will soon have a chance to move up this list.
11. Indiana
The Hoosiers beat UMASS to get to 2-0 and get their first victory of the Kevin Wilson era over an FBS foe. Tre Roberson is out for the year with a broken leg though, poor Hoosiers.
12. Penn State
I know they have lost two heartbreaking games but this team is 0-2 with nowhere to go but down. They may end the season getting some victories but Nittany Lion fans have nothing but despair to look forward to for the next half decade.
The B1G is clearly outclassed by the SEC, the PAC-10 and likely the Big 12 and ACC as well this season. This may be a season of irrelevance for the Midwest.
Monday, April 16, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Oregon!
Per Joe Rexrode at: Hey Joe!
MSU will play a home and home with Oregon in 2014 and 2015. I might have to make some travel arrangements...
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State Athletics Director Mark Hollis announced Tuesday, March 20 that the Spartans have agreed in principle to a home-and-home football series with Oregon. The Spartans will kick off the two-game series with Oregon on Sept. 13, 2014, in the 54,000-seat Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. The Ducks will make the return trip to East Lansing, Mich., on Sept. 12, 2015.
Oregon replaces West Virginia on Michigan State’s 2014 and 2015 schedules. West Virginia opted out of a two-year contract to create more flexibility in its scheduling, as the Mountaineers transition from the Big East to the Big 12.
“We look forward to adding Oregon to our future football schedule,” Hollis said. “The series provides MSU alums on the West Coast with an opportunity to see the Spartans compete against one of the nation’s outstanding football programs. The relationship between the Big Ten and Pac-12 is built on common values and the Rose Bowl. We also look forward to bringing the Ducks back to Spartan Stadium, as we continue to compete for championships and national exposure.”
The MSU-Oregon all-time series is tied 2-2, as the home team has won the four previous meetings. The two teams last met under the lights in the 1999 season opener, and Michigan State rallied from a 17-7 third-quarter deficit to post a 27-20 victory over the Ducks in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans took the lead for good at 24-17 on Amp Campbell’s 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Michigan State has compiled a 33-20-1 record (.620) against current members of the Pac-12 Conference (3-0 vs. Arizona, 1-1 vs. Arizona State, 2-2 vs. California, 3-0 vs. Colorado, 2-2 vs. Oregon, 6-2-1 vs. Oregon State, 3-2 vs. Stanford, 3-3 vs. UCLA, 4-4 vs. USC, 1-2 vs. Washington and 5-2 vs. Washington State).
Over the last three years, Michigan State has announced home-and-home series with Alabama (2016-17), Miami-Fla. (2020-21) and Boise State (2012, 2022-23) as well as the extension of its series with Notre Dame through the 2031 season, with two-year breaks in 2014-15, 2020-21 and 2026-27.
"We’ve definitely been aggressive in our approach to non-conference scheduling, as we continue to bring the top programs in college football to our state,” Hollis said. “So with teams like Boise State, Oregon, Alabama, Miami and Notre Dame on our future schedules, our fans can look forward to a lot of special game days in Spartan Stadium.”
MSU will play a home and home with Oregon in 2014 and 2015. I might have to make some travel arrangements...
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State Athletics Director Mark Hollis announced Tuesday, March 20 that the Spartans have agreed in principle to a home-and-home football series with Oregon. The Spartans will kick off the two-game series with Oregon on Sept. 13, 2014, in the 54,000-seat Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. The Ducks will make the return trip to East Lansing, Mich., on Sept. 12, 2015.
Oregon replaces West Virginia on Michigan State’s 2014 and 2015 schedules. West Virginia opted out of a two-year contract to create more flexibility in its scheduling, as the Mountaineers transition from the Big East to the Big 12.
“We look forward to adding Oregon to our future football schedule,” Hollis said. “The series provides MSU alums on the West Coast with an opportunity to see the Spartans compete against one of the nation’s outstanding football programs. The relationship between the Big Ten and Pac-12 is built on common values and the Rose Bowl. We also look forward to bringing the Ducks back to Spartan Stadium, as we continue to compete for championships and national exposure.”
The MSU-Oregon all-time series is tied 2-2, as the home team has won the four previous meetings. The two teams last met under the lights in the 1999 season opener, and Michigan State rallied from a 17-7 third-quarter deficit to post a 27-20 victory over the Ducks in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans took the lead for good at 24-17 on Amp Campbell’s 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Michigan State has compiled a 33-20-1 record (.620) against current members of the Pac-12 Conference (3-0 vs. Arizona, 1-1 vs. Arizona State, 2-2 vs. California, 3-0 vs. Colorado, 2-2 vs. Oregon, 6-2-1 vs. Oregon State, 3-2 vs. Stanford, 3-3 vs. UCLA, 4-4 vs. USC, 1-2 vs. Washington and 5-2 vs. Washington State).
Over the last three years, Michigan State has announced home-and-home series with Alabama (2016-17), Miami-Fla. (2020-21) and Boise State (2012, 2022-23) as well as the extension of its series with Notre Dame through the 2031 season, with two-year breaks in 2014-15, 2020-21 and 2026-27.
"We’ve definitely been aggressive in our approach to non-conference scheduling, as we continue to bring the top programs in college football to our state,” Hollis said. “So with teams like Boise State, Oregon, Alabama, Miami and Notre Dame on our future schedules, our fans can look forward to a lot of special game days in Spartan Stadium.”
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Around the Way Post
First of all, pat with an updated background, after having the UM one up. The way this one posts on the site, it is still almost all UM. Pickelman and whoever the UM guy are look like they are hugging, so that's nice.
I want to touch on a few things here, first and foremost, MSU picked up two recruits. Also, MSU plays Illinois on Tuesday - I will try to break that down as best as I can Monday night. Lastly I want to touch on the new season ticket plan. You can imagine I am not happy about a price increase.
Mark Meyers, whom I will likely refer to mainly as Mike Meyers is a safety out of Toledo, OH. Listed at 6 foot 180 pounds Mike, errrr Mark, has good size already (with departing safety, Trenton Robinson being listed at 5-11 195.) Rivals has him listed as a *** with no postional rankings. Scout ranks him as a *** and 94th position ranking. ESPN is certainly the highest on Mark. ESPN lists Mark as a *** and 27th overall safety. They also rank him as a 78 overall. A note for those paying attention our higest rated prospect, Aaron Burbridge, is a 79 overall. The opening line of his scouting report states that he is flying under the BCS radar. I guess this is a good thing, and it makes sense considering the rest of his offers are from MAC schools. ESPN states that Mark is strong in zone coverage and has high ball skills. I would assume that with strong zone coverage it means you can close quickly and recognize where the ball is going once it is in the air. Which is why ESPN states that, "he can cover the field and make plays while remaining assignment sound as the last defender." I hope that this analysis is correct, and we found another diamond in the rough.
MSU's other recent commit is David Fennell out of Portland, OR. HELLO NATIONAL RECRUITING PROMINENCE. As far as I can tell, there is little to know recruiting news on David other than what ESPN lists. Scout is a ** Not Rated. While Rivals is basically a complete blank. Again, ESPN comes through in the clutch. ESPN has him at *** 75 overall along with 107th at position and 6th in state. (I am surprised there isn't more football talent in Oregon.) Listed everywhere at basically the same size 6-3 275, David will need to add weight to play on the inside D Line where is the projected to play at. ESPN likes his descriptiveness and pursuit. He is stated to have strong hands and ability to use them to rip past blockers and grab the ball carrier. Again ESPN uses the sleeper to a BCS level college team when describing David. It is hard to get a good grasp on him when no other service has anything listed.
Keeping with the recruiting theme here is a an article from the Detroit News about where some of the remaining top rated prospects will land. What do I think about some of these you ask? Well, let me tell you. Demetrious Cox is someone I have though would go green for a long time. Though I would not be surprised if he goes to Penn State. Absolutely no way he goes to OSU. Jordan Diamond, Pat has been saying will go blue for about 7 months now. Kyle Dodson is interesting. He is a soft verbal to Wisconsin, still taking visits, was recently at an MSU bball game where the Izzone chanted his name. OSU seems logical, but MSU could sneak in, I think he goes away from Wisconsin. Monty Madaris is another 4 star WR and I have been saying that he would go green for about 7 months now. The transfer of DeAnthony Arnett makes things more interesting. I have heard that he Madaris would play safety and is open to that. I am still going to say that he goes green but with Arnett and Burbridge in there, I would not be surprised if he goes to Cincy. Jamichael Winston is a DE prospect out of Alabama. He was just on a visit to MSU (couldn't pick a better weekend?) His two largest offers are from Arkansas and MSU. Though he is a consensus *** this has the feeling of a big get. Arkansas isn't a small time program.
So. MSU season ticket holders, were going to see a fee increase. Right here you will find a breakdown of the prices and which section this effects. Thank god I only have $25 dollars per seat. This is why you sit close to those rowdy students. The same seats on the opposite end are $100 per seat. Along with this fee "spartan fund donation" all seats will be at a base price of $308, which is fine. I like the idea of a new scoreboard, but at the same time, the great thing about MSU games is the blue collar fan base. I don't think that even Pat can say that UM has a real rowdy crowd at UM games outside of the student section -- a lot of gray hair and "SIT DOWN I CANT SEE". This was what was nice about MSU. we sucked and tickets were fairly affordable at a season ticket rate. Basically what I find most offensive is that they are claiming sustained success with back to back double digit win seasons as the back argument. Yea, that is fine but the year before we wen 6-7 (4-4) and lost to Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl. Yes, that was your 2009/2010 Spartan Football team. TALK ABOUT SUCCESS. Let me know when we make the Rose Bowl and when Mark Hollis removes the ivory Spartan spear from his ass. No one is fooled. And the sustained success aspect is insulting as a fan. just say hey we need the money. I think that would be easier.
I want to touch on a few things here, first and foremost, MSU picked up two recruits. Also, MSU plays Illinois on Tuesday - I will try to break that down as best as I can Monday night. Lastly I want to touch on the new season ticket plan. You can imagine I am not happy about a price increase.
Mark Meyers, whom I will likely refer to mainly as Mike Meyers is a safety out of Toledo, OH. Listed at 6 foot 180 pounds Mike, errrr Mark, has good size already (with departing safety, Trenton Robinson being listed at 5-11 195.) Rivals has him listed as a *** with no postional rankings. Scout ranks him as a *** and 94th position ranking. ESPN is certainly the highest on Mark. ESPN lists Mark as a *** and 27th overall safety. They also rank him as a 78 overall. A note for those paying attention our higest rated prospect, Aaron Burbridge, is a 79 overall. The opening line of his scouting report states that he is flying under the BCS radar. I guess this is a good thing, and it makes sense considering the rest of his offers are from MAC schools. ESPN states that Mark is strong in zone coverage and has high ball skills. I would assume that with strong zone coverage it means you can close quickly and recognize where the ball is going once it is in the air. Which is why ESPN states that, "he can cover the field and make plays while remaining assignment sound as the last defender." I hope that this analysis is correct, and we found another diamond in the rough.
MSU's other recent commit is David Fennell out of Portland, OR. HELLO NATIONAL RECRUITING PROMINENCE. As far as I can tell, there is little to know recruiting news on David other than what ESPN lists. Scout is a ** Not Rated. While Rivals is basically a complete blank. Again, ESPN comes through in the clutch. ESPN has him at *** 75 overall along with 107th at position and 6th in state. (I am surprised there isn't more football talent in Oregon.) Listed everywhere at basically the same size 6-3 275, David will need to add weight to play on the inside D Line where is the projected to play at. ESPN likes his descriptiveness and pursuit. He is stated to have strong hands and ability to use them to rip past blockers and grab the ball carrier. Again ESPN uses the sleeper to a BCS level college team when describing David. It is hard to get a good grasp on him when no other service has anything listed.
Keeping with the recruiting theme here is a an article from the Detroit News about where some of the remaining top rated prospects will land. What do I think about some of these you ask? Well, let me tell you. Demetrious Cox is someone I have though would go green for a long time. Though I would not be surprised if he goes to Penn State. Absolutely no way he goes to OSU. Jordan Diamond, Pat has been saying will go blue for about 7 months now. Kyle Dodson is interesting. He is a soft verbal to Wisconsin, still taking visits, was recently at an MSU bball game where the Izzone chanted his name. OSU seems logical, but MSU could sneak in, I think he goes away from Wisconsin. Monty Madaris is another 4 star WR and I have been saying that he would go green for about 7 months now. The transfer of DeAnthony Arnett makes things more interesting. I have heard that he Madaris would play safety and is open to that. I am still going to say that he goes green but with Arnett and Burbridge in there, I would not be surprised if he goes to Cincy. Jamichael Winston is a DE prospect out of Alabama. He was just on a visit to MSU (couldn't pick a better weekend?) His two largest offers are from Arkansas and MSU. Though he is a consensus *** this has the feeling of a big get. Arkansas isn't a small time program.
So. MSU season ticket holders, were going to see a fee increase. Right here you will find a breakdown of the prices and which section this effects. Thank god I only have $25 dollars per seat. This is why you sit close to those rowdy students. The same seats on the opposite end are $100 per seat. Along with this fee "spartan fund donation" all seats will be at a base price of $308, which is fine. I like the idea of a new scoreboard, but at the same time, the great thing about MSU games is the blue collar fan base. I don't think that even Pat can say that UM has a real rowdy crowd at UM games outside of the student section -- a lot of gray hair and "SIT DOWN I CANT SEE". This was what was nice about MSU. we sucked and tickets were fairly affordable at a season ticket rate. Basically what I find most offensive is that they are claiming sustained success with back to back double digit win seasons as the back argument. Yea, that is fine but the year before we wen 6-7 (4-4) and lost to Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl. Yes, that was your 2009/2010 Spartan Football team. TALK ABOUT SUCCESS. Let me know when we make the Rose Bowl and when Mark Hollis removes the ivory Spartan spear from his ass. No one is fooled. And the sustained success aspect is insulting as a fan. just say hey we need the money. I think that would be easier.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Round Up
So I have been lacking lately. Let me catch up and follow up. Firstly, huge win for the program. As MSU beat an SEC team in the South. Georgia is a very good team - a team that is built similarly to MSU. With the victory, MSU could end up with a post season top 10. That would be pretty amazing. We have come a long way in 5 years. The first half of the game saw MSU sputter on offense. Georgia came prepared for our speed on the edge, and the first play from scrimmage resulted in a safety. It is a good thing we have Pat Narduzzi (more on that later) because our defense came to play. The first half resulted in a 16-0 deficit and things looked bad for MSU. The second half, offensively, all the bubble screens MSU attempted in the first half worked in our favor as MSU used the more fakes off the screen. The MSU offense got rolling a little bit, the defense stood up and from there. MSU got the 3OT victory.
The basketball team beat Wisconsin for the first time at Wisconsin in a decade. That was pretty impressive. The game was a grinder. Both teams bricked shots. Both teams played good defense. Dawson had some impressive cuts to the basket, showing his athleticism. Payne and Nix played well and Green collected the quietest double double in history. As The final buzzer sounded and the game ended in "controversy" MSU won and earned a hard fought victory. This team continues to impress me. After 14? straight wins, I wonder when well slip up. Gotta lose again sometime.
Back in the football world. Jerel Worthy went pro. This wasn't a huge surprise. I thought he played really well against Georgia. Showed a lot of jump off the ball and finished out his All American season with a bowl victory. What is pretty surprising is that Edwin Baker has stated he is going pro. Though he hasn't hired an agent as I write this. He has stated going pro is his next move. Edwin had a great sophomore season and appeared to take a step back, or, not get the same opportunities as a season ago. The start of the season featured an offensive line that wasn't fully clicking and as the season wore on. If Baker was in the game, teams pretty much knew we were gonna run so they were able to stack the box. I think that Baker can make a solid pro. He has a lot of speed and is strong. I don't know if this is right move, that all depends on where he is drafted. There have been rumors of Johnny Adams wanting to turn pro. Though he has the talent. A good senior season would almost assure him of a first round draft. Adams turning pro would be a big mistake in my mind.
After the bowl win and after the win in Wisconsin. It was said that Narduzzi was looking at taking the DC position at Texas A&M. A&M is a new SEC team and a sqaud that seems to always under perform. The real next step for Narduzzi is a head coaching spot (not another DC position) and I am not sure if a rebuilding team in a league like the SEC would have been a good move. Though the money that was reportedly offered was certainly worth Narduzzi taking a tour of the facilities. Thankfully, Coach Dantonio was able to ear mark extra money for all of his assistants effective this February. This future pay increase coupled with a feeling of unfinished business (think Rose Bowl) lead to Narduzzi staying on at MSU. Losing Pat would have been a huge loss. He has been with Dantonio for 9 years. His scheme is solid given the right talent (remember when we couldn't stop a 5 yard pass?) but more than that he has a great personality for recruiting and firing up the team. The loss of Narduzzi would have been a lot greater than when Treadwell left last year. Hopefully we can keep Narduzzi for a long long time. Or at least until we get the perfect replacement.
Ed Note: Pat can you link up that video of Narduzzi breaking down his run stop?
Here you are sir:
http://search.espn.go.com/pat-narduzzi/video/6
Sorry, no embed.
Now that there is less stuff going on all at once, I should have some more bball coverage especially as a looming MSU UM showdown gets closer. In the meantime. Go Lions, Go Red Wings!
The basketball team beat Wisconsin for the first time at Wisconsin in a decade. That was pretty impressive. The game was a grinder. Both teams bricked shots. Both teams played good defense. Dawson had some impressive cuts to the basket, showing his athleticism. Payne and Nix played well and Green collected the quietest double double in history. As The final buzzer sounded and the game ended in "controversy" MSU won and earned a hard fought victory. This team continues to impress me. After 14? straight wins, I wonder when well slip up. Gotta lose again sometime.
Back in the football world. Jerel Worthy went pro. This wasn't a huge surprise. I thought he played really well against Georgia. Showed a lot of jump off the ball and finished out his All American season with a bowl victory. What is pretty surprising is that Edwin Baker has stated he is going pro. Though he hasn't hired an agent as I write this. He has stated going pro is his next move. Edwin had a great sophomore season and appeared to take a step back, or, not get the same opportunities as a season ago. The start of the season featured an offensive line that wasn't fully clicking and as the season wore on. If Baker was in the game, teams pretty much knew we were gonna run so they were able to stack the box. I think that Baker can make a solid pro. He has a lot of speed and is strong. I don't know if this is right move, that all depends on where he is drafted. There have been rumors of Johnny Adams wanting to turn pro. Though he has the talent. A good senior season would almost assure him of a first round draft. Adams turning pro would be a big mistake in my mind.
After the bowl win and after the win in Wisconsin. It was said that Narduzzi was looking at taking the DC position at Texas A&M. A&M is a new SEC team and a sqaud that seems to always under perform. The real next step for Narduzzi is a head coaching spot (not another DC position) and I am not sure if a rebuilding team in a league like the SEC would have been a good move. Though the money that was reportedly offered was certainly worth Narduzzi taking a tour of the facilities. Thankfully, Coach Dantonio was able to ear mark extra money for all of his assistants effective this February. This future pay increase coupled with a feeling of unfinished business (think Rose Bowl) lead to Narduzzi staying on at MSU. Losing Pat would have been a huge loss. He has been with Dantonio for 9 years. His scheme is solid given the right talent (remember when we couldn't stop a 5 yard pass?) but more than that he has a great personality for recruiting and firing up the team. The loss of Narduzzi would have been a lot greater than when Treadwell left last year. Hopefully we can keep Narduzzi for a long long time. Or at least until we get the perfect replacement.
Ed Note: Pat can you link up that video of Narduzzi breaking down his run stop?
Here you are sir:
http://search.espn.go.com/pat-narduzzi/video/6
Sorry, no embed.
Now that there is less stuff going on all at once, I should have some more bball coverage especially as a looming MSU UM showdown gets closer. In the meantime. Go Lions, Go Red Wings!
Friday, November 18, 2011
To Clinch Or Not To Clinch
Yup, that is the question. That was about as lame as a Caddylack tweet. So where are we? Well MSU has about a 30 point lead over Texas Southern. The color commentator played for Indiana in 1976 that wen 32-0 and 63-1 in 1975 and 1976, that is ridiculous. That squad was the last undefeated team. On to the game though, Trice looks good. As does Dawson and Nix, and Appling. We look good, but were playing Texas Southern. I did not preview this game because I figured we would crush them. I likely wont preview a lot of the non B1G games, save for Gonzaga. (Jud is a season ticket holder for the Zags)
This Saturday at 11 am central, the Michigan State Spartans take on the Indiana Hoosiers in our protected cross over rivalry game. The battle for the Old Brass Spitoon. Currently, MSU leads the Series 40-12-1. Not bad.
1: Controlling the clock.
MSU will looks to run a lot in this game. Controlling the clock and working the Indiana defense. Indiana's defense is not very stout and is prone to giving up big plays. MSU should score on big plays, 25+ yards while simultaneously running the ball early and often. Cunningham should have a big game, with long receptions for touchdowns.
2: Stop the Tre.
MSU will need to bottle up the Indiana quarterback Tre Robinson. He is a more slender dual threat QB at 6-1 184. However, he can dual threat. MSU has shown great ability to bottle up these types of quarterbacks and there no reason to believe that wont continue. With limited weapons, for the Hoosiers, look for MSU to leave receivers in solo coverage and attack Robinson all game.
3: Senior game!
Well, this is it. MSU's seniors are graduating. This Spartan senior class is the winningest class in school history. Look for these guys to start the game, play well and get off the field so their backups can play. As Spartan fans we should wildly supportive of this class, and if the student section is not sold out, you will see an op-ed column in the State News.
Call it 42-14 MSU for the reasons mentioned above.
This Saturday at 11 am central, the Michigan State Spartans take on the Indiana Hoosiers in our protected cross over rivalry game. The battle for the Old Brass Spitoon. Currently, MSU leads the Series 40-12-1. Not bad.
1: Controlling the clock.
MSU will looks to run a lot in this game. Controlling the clock and working the Indiana defense. Indiana's defense is not very stout and is prone to giving up big plays. MSU should score on big plays, 25+ yards while simultaneously running the ball early and often. Cunningham should have a big game, with long receptions for touchdowns.
2: Stop the Tre.
MSU will need to bottle up the Indiana quarterback Tre Robinson. He is a more slender dual threat QB at 6-1 184. However, he can dual threat. MSU has shown great ability to bottle up these types of quarterbacks and there no reason to believe that wont continue. With limited weapons, for the Hoosiers, look for MSU to leave receivers in solo coverage and attack Robinson all game.
3: Senior game!
Well, this is it. MSU's seniors are graduating. This Spartan senior class is the winningest class in school history. Look for these guys to start the game, play well and get off the field so their backups can play. As Spartan fans we should wildly supportive of this class, and if the student section is not sold out, you will see an op-ed column in the State News.
Call it 42-14 MSU for the reasons mentioned above.
(makes me want a dip)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Two for One
First off, I gotta say my Iowa MSU prediction was pretty solid. Though MSU jumped out to an early lead, 31-7, Iowa clawed its way back and made the final score a lot closer. And yes, at a few points I was worried we might lose this one. I did not see that game scoring so many points.
The finer points: Kirk Cousins got some sweet sweet redemption. No turnovers, and touchdowns to boot. Touchdowns you say? Did you see the pass and catch from Kirk to BJ for their second td hookup? That was an NFL cactch. BJ is very good. Also, helluva catch by Edwin Baker for the TD. The running game got going again with over 150 yards. And we held Coker to his lowest total of the year with 57 yards. Our rush defense is very good. Our pass defense is very solid. More than that though, our defense makes stops when they need to. This is an excellent unit.
Part two is all basketball. MSU lost and lost big to UNC. However there were many high points. First and foremost, MSU's ability to crash to boards was something I have not seen in since 2008! We dominated the boards in that game. Unfortunately, UNC dominated the scoring. Along with that great surprise is Branden Dawson. Dawson looked very good. He showed great work on defense, outstanding work on the boards, had he knocked down some jumpers, it would have been a complete game.
Moving forward, we have MSU playing Duke in Madison Square Garden Tuesday night. Duke is currently ranked 6th in the country and look to be another great Duke team. No surprise there. However, MSU can win this game. And it comes down the rebounding the ball even more. For as much as MSU crashed the boards in the carrier classic, they need to do double that in MSG. MSU is not a good field goal shooting team right now, so getting easy put backs will be necessary. Byrd did not play very much in the Carrier Classic, but should get more minutes as the season wears on, this will help the FG%. Also, Appling needs to stop with the offensive fouls. I fully expect a Duke team to be stepping into the lanes and trying to get charge calls. So fundamentally sound. However, Izzo knows this, so look for Appling to continue to cut the lane, only this time dish it for the easy layup or the open jumper. I also expect Wood to take more of a scorers role in this game. We need it. Without Wood scoring, this will be a long long season. Outside of that, MSU will need to limit the outside scoring of Duke. Should Mike Krzyzysksi get this win it will be the most victories in NCAA history. If I know Izzo, he will want none of that record. Look for MSU to win this game in a hard nosed game. (why couldnt this have been played in the midwest!!) well call it 67-60 MSU.
The story of MSU's season will be if they can hit shots, especially the three pointer. Look for them to quiet that, a little bit, in this game.
GO GREEN
The finer points: Kirk Cousins got some sweet sweet redemption. No turnovers, and touchdowns to boot. Touchdowns you say? Did you see the pass and catch from Kirk to BJ for their second td hookup? That was an NFL cactch. BJ is very good. Also, helluva catch by Edwin Baker for the TD. The running game got going again with over 150 yards. And we held Coker to his lowest total of the year with 57 yards. Our rush defense is very good. Our pass defense is very solid. More than that though, our defense makes stops when they need to. This is an excellent unit.
Part two is all basketball. MSU lost and lost big to UNC. However there were many high points. First and foremost, MSU's ability to crash to boards was something I have not seen in since 2008! We dominated the boards in that game. Unfortunately, UNC dominated the scoring. Along with that great surprise is Branden Dawson. Dawson looked very good. He showed great work on defense, outstanding work on the boards, had he knocked down some jumpers, it would have been a complete game.
Moving forward, we have MSU playing Duke in Madison Square Garden Tuesday night. Duke is currently ranked 6th in the country and look to be another great Duke team. No surprise there. However, MSU can win this game. And it comes down the rebounding the ball even more. For as much as MSU crashed the boards in the carrier classic, they need to do double that in MSG. MSU is not a good field goal shooting team right now, so getting easy put backs will be necessary. Byrd did not play very much in the Carrier Classic, but should get more minutes as the season wears on, this will help the FG%. Also, Appling needs to stop with the offensive fouls. I fully expect a Duke team to be stepping into the lanes and trying to get charge calls. So fundamentally sound. However, Izzo knows this, so look for Appling to continue to cut the lane, only this time dish it for the easy layup or the open jumper. I also expect Wood to take more of a scorers role in this game. We need it. Without Wood scoring, this will be a long long season. Outside of that, MSU will need to limit the outside scoring of Duke. Should Mike Krzyzysksi get this win it will be the most victories in NCAA history. If I know Izzo, he will want none of that record. Look for MSU to win this game in a hard nosed game. (why couldnt this have been played in the midwest!!) well call it 67-60 MSU.
The story of MSU's season will be if they can hit shots, especially the three pointer. Look for them to quiet that, a little bit, in this game.
GO GREEN
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Housekeeping
Pat did not want to mention the background change. He is still hung up on this whole Will Gholston thing. So I will go ahead and point out the obvious, and the stuff that has been mentioned previously. Pat and I bet the background. We, so far, have only settled on the MSUum football game. So I hope everyone enjoys Joel Foreman and the Paul Bunyan trophy. I do not think it will be back in the Ann Arbor anytime soon. East Lansing is a little more Paul Bunyan country anyway.
After a few weeks I will revert to a a more school neutral photo.
Coming up tomorrow? Some thoughts on the Wisconsin game. Early thought? I do not feel good about this.
After a few weeks I will revert to a a more school neutral photo.
Coming up tomorrow? Some thoughts on the Wisconsin game. Early thought? I do not feel good about this.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Go Green! Go....Gold?
I didn't love or hate Michigan's "throwback" Addidas uniforms...but these Nike Pro Combat uniforms the Spartans just unveiled feature gold helmets. The uniforms look more like Colorado State or South Florida. I'm not sure they are ugly as much as they are just confused. I do like the gloves at least.
Judge for yourself...
Here's the link.
Judge for yourself...
Here's the link.
Monday, September 12, 2011
By Joy or Beer, I was Drunk
And I mean drunk.
That was fun. I've only watched the game in one delirious viewing so I have no idea what it means for the season or if Michigan and Notre Dame are any good or if the defense has improved at all or if this offense will properly utilize Denard. I only know one thing; I love football.
You know that song "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" Is that what it feels like for fans of opposing teams to watch Denard?
Some not Michigan related things:
MSU's defense put on a show. I watched none of that game so Tbone will have to fill us in on the details.
PSU got beat by the Crimson Tide in about the fashion I expected. They are going to compete in the Leaders division and could still even win it. What take away from that game? Alabama is good.
Trent Dilfer is the best color guy on television and it's not even close. (He did the 2nd game of the Monday night doubleheader on ESPN)
That was fun. I've only watched the game in one delirious viewing so I have no idea what it means for the season or if Michigan and Notre Dame are any good or if the defense has improved at all or if this offense will properly utilize Denard. I only know one thing; I love football.
You know that song "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" Is that what it feels like for fans of opposing teams to watch Denard?
Some not Michigan related things:
MSU's defense put on a show. I watched none of that game so Tbone will have to fill us in on the details.
PSU got beat by the Crimson Tide in about the fashion I expected. They are going to compete in the Leaders division and could still even win it. What take away from that game? Alabama is good.
Trent Dilfer is the best color guy on television and it's not even close. (He did the 2nd game of the Monday night doubleheader on ESPN)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Lights, Dude
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| Let there be... |
Notre Dame comes off a turnover filled loss to South Florida and Michigan comes in feeling good about their blowout win over Western. So you would think a 1-0 Michigan would be a solid favorite at home over an 0-1 Notre Dame...but Vegas has ND -3.5.
It's going to be a wild one in Ann Arbor Saturday night. Here are:
3 Things to Watch
1. Will the pressure get home?
Michigan's secondary looks like it's improved. Michigan's secondary does not appear to be improved tremendously. Michael Floyd plays for ND. This is bad. Floyd will have a massive game unless Michigan can get regular pressure on ND's quarterbacks. Floyd is probably going to have a big game regardless, but a couple of hurried mistakes by Rees or sacks to stop drives would be just what the doctor ordered. Michigan didn't get home with their front four in the Western game, they may have to against Notre Dame. It will be interesting to see if Mattison can dial up blitz packages that get home two weeks in a row. If Rees has all day in the pocket, the Irish will win this game.
2. Is Notre Dame's defense overrated?
Denard Robinson torched those guys last year. And then everyone kept saying how improved ND's defense was throughout the season and how great Monte Te'o plays at MLB. After lopsided yardage numbers in game one, the Irish defense is still being talked about as a dominant unit. I think maybe ND's D is a bit overrated. If Michigan gets stuffed in the running game, I'll being to believe the hype.
3. Unleashing of Drob
In what should be a very competitive game throughout, it will be very interesting to watch how often Borges turns to Robinson in key situations. He's going to run more than he did against Western, but how much is the big question.
Prediction
I've been waffling here all week. I really think Michigan is going to struggle defensively in this game. I also have a sneaking suspicion the offense might explode and have a huge day as well. I'd be surprised if this isn't a shootout. Call me Simpson, I'm going with:
Michigan 38-28
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Three Things to Watch and a Prediction (Michigan Edition)
Here are 3 things to watch for when Michigan faces off against Western Michigan on Saturday.
1. Can they line it up and run the football with a tailback? Who will that guy be? My bet is on Fitzgerald Toussaint. It could be Michael Shaw, but one of the many talented RB's need to step up and show they can produce on the ground. This will also be our first glimpse at how the offensive line is going to function in a scheme that will require more drive blocking. If the coaches are able I think they will keep the scheme very vanilla in this game and keep things under wraps a bit for the night game against ND.
2. Can Michigan stop the run? Alex Carder is a good quarterback and he's going to throw for some yards. If Michigan can shut down any WMU running game and then start to tee off on Carder they will win easily. If the Broncos are able to run the football, Hoke is probably going to have to turn Denard loose to win a shootout. This will also be a visible signal to give us a good idea of how the season is going to go. If Michigan can shut down WMU on the ground, things will be looking up for this year. If it goes the other way...yikes.
3. Defensive rotation. There are a lot of guys who are going to rotate in and out on defense and it will be interesting to see how the young guys play even if the game is out of hand.
Prediction:
31-13
We see Devin Gardner in the 4th quarter where he continues the gameplan of taking snaps under center and giving the ball to running backs. Western puts up decent yardage numbers in the middle of the field as Michigan gives up a lot of dink and dunk underneath passing yardage. Things get more difficult for the Broncos as the field starts to shrink. Denard and the offense start a little slow but he makes a few big plays where the Broncos can't account for his running and the receivers downfield. The running backs have a lot of 3 yard carries but break one big run.
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| (Live up to potential, please.) |
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| (Awesome picture, right?) |
3. Defensive rotation. There are a lot of guys who are going to rotate in and out on defense and it will be interesting to see how the young guys play even if the game is out of hand.
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| ("You! You play for Michigan!") |
31-13
We see Devin Gardner in the 4th quarter where he continues the gameplan of taking snaps under center and giving the ball to running backs. Western puts up decent yardage numbers in the middle of the field as Michigan gives up a lot of dink and dunk underneath passing yardage. Things get more difficult for the Broncos as the field starts to shrink. Denard and the offense start a little slow but he makes a few big plays where the Broncos can't account for his running and the receivers downfield. The running backs have a lot of 3 yard carries but break one big run.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Now you answer me this
As a MSU fan, these are the things that UM needs to look out for the most, as I see it.
(Pat will be in parenthesis and italics)
#1 Passing game.
Can Denard get behind center and pass the ball? I know he is able to, he lit up teams like Massachusetts and Illinois, but can he do that consistently? My concern when watching him pass is that hes no overly tall so slants across the middle could get lost behind the boys in the trenches.
(1. While this is certainly a concern, I think it's also overplayed. Al Borges has been around the block and I'm not too concerned Denard is going to be put into a drop back passing role exclusively. He'll operate out of the shotgun a huge percentage of the time and the offense will utilize a lot of rollouts when he's under center and they want to play action.
The biggest difference from last year's offense to this year's is going to be running power. The line is going to be tasked with drive blocking and a running back is going to follow a full back from the I and try to make four yards. This will happen 8-15 times per game. In my opinion, the success of this play is a much larger concern than the passing game.)
#2 Defense
Obviously, UM will improve their defense, it will be hard to go anywhere but up. But how far up? What kind of overall defensive numbers will you need to put up to gain an extra win? If there isn't some serious and I am talking SERIOUS improvement, Hoke will already be hearing grumblings from the fan base.
(2. Real creative Tbone. 110th. That was Michigan's defensive rank last season. Get that # to 60th or so and it would be a gigantic leap.. I also think it's possible. Injuries, lack of depth, Greg Robinson having no clear idea of what he wanted to do and a general malaise regarding defense all rolled together to create an opponent touchdown train unlike anything I've ever seen before. Watching Michigan's defense last year was like watching the Lions play the Colts on Thanksgiving that one year where the Colts threw a touchdown pass on seemingly every play. It was like 35-0 after one quarter. Imagine watching that every week and Matt Mcgloin and Nathan Scheelhaase are playing Peyton Manning and you keep trying to blink yourself out of the twilight zone but instead you open your eyes to see Greg Robinson rubbing stuffed animals on players faces on the sideline.
This is going to sound crazy...but there's some talent on this defense. Mike Martin is a flat out stud. (who's season was never as productive after he suffered a high ankle sprain on an illegal chop block by the Spartans) Ryan VanBergen is a very solid senior defensive tackle. Troy Woolfolk comes back from missing an entire season and is easily the best player in the secondary. Kenny Demens was good after Robinson finally put him in to replace Obi Ezeh after the MSU game last year. Jordan Kovacs is about as solid as a Jordan Kovacs can be. (he is also a point of consternation for the UM fan base, but IMO he's a good player) Craig Roh is playing defensive end again, after a debacle at linebacker. All those young players who got burned a lot last year are a year older and maybe a little bigger and stronger and more ready for college football.
So yeah, Michigan's defense is clearly the #1 concern for this season. I know they are going to be better, how much better is the big question.)
#3 Depth
How is the depth? This was a serious problem last year on both sides of the ball for UM. Is this freshman class enough to caulk up some of those holes? Id say more than anything the lack of depth on the offense and defense cost UM 2 games.
(3. Depth is improved vastly in the secondary, somewhat at linebacker and is relatively thin up front on both sides of the ball. One or two injuries to the defensive front would certainly be devastating. They could deal with one or two on the offensive line but nothing more. Depth is fine at WR and RB. I don't think depth is that big of an issue, DL is the one big scary place but almost all teams have one position group where their depth is thin.)
(Pat will be in parenthesis and italics)
#1 Passing game.
Can Denard get behind center and pass the ball? I know he is able to, he lit up teams like Massachusetts and Illinois, but can he do that consistently? My concern when watching him pass is that hes no overly tall so slants across the middle could get lost behind the boys in the trenches.
(1. While this is certainly a concern, I think it's also overplayed. Al Borges has been around the block and I'm not too concerned Denard is going to be put into a drop back passing role exclusively. He'll operate out of the shotgun a huge percentage of the time and the offense will utilize a lot of rollouts when he's under center and they want to play action.
The biggest difference from last year's offense to this year's is going to be running power. The line is going to be tasked with drive blocking and a running back is going to follow a full back from the I and try to make four yards. This will happen 8-15 times per game. In my opinion, the success of this play is a much larger concern than the passing game.)
#2 Defense
Obviously, UM will improve their defense, it will be hard to go anywhere but up. But how far up? What kind of overall defensive numbers will you need to put up to gain an extra win? If there isn't some serious and I am talking SERIOUS improvement, Hoke will already be hearing grumblings from the fan base.
(2. Real creative Tbone. 110th. That was Michigan's defensive rank last season. Get that # to 60th or so and it would be a gigantic leap.. I also think it's possible. Injuries, lack of depth, Greg Robinson having no clear idea of what he wanted to do and a general malaise regarding defense all rolled together to create an opponent touchdown train unlike anything I've ever seen before. Watching Michigan's defense last year was like watching the Lions play the Colts on Thanksgiving that one year where the Colts threw a touchdown pass on seemingly every play. It was like 35-0 after one quarter. Imagine watching that every week and Matt Mcgloin and Nathan Scheelhaase are playing Peyton Manning and you keep trying to blink yourself out of the twilight zone but instead you open your eyes to see Greg Robinson rubbing stuffed animals on players faces on the sideline.
This is going to sound crazy...but there's some talent on this defense. Mike Martin is a flat out stud. (who's season was never as productive after he suffered a high ankle sprain on an illegal chop block by the Spartans) Ryan VanBergen is a very solid senior defensive tackle. Troy Woolfolk comes back from missing an entire season and is easily the best player in the secondary. Kenny Demens was good after Robinson finally put him in to replace Obi Ezeh after the MSU game last year. Jordan Kovacs is about as solid as a Jordan Kovacs can be. (he is also a point of consternation for the UM fan base, but IMO he's a good player) Craig Roh is playing defensive end again, after a debacle at linebacker. All those young players who got burned a lot last year are a year older and maybe a little bigger and stronger and more ready for college football.
So yeah, Michigan's defense is clearly the #1 concern for this season. I know they are going to be better, how much better is the big question.)
#3 Depth
How is the depth? This was a serious problem last year on both sides of the ball for UM. Is this freshman class enough to caulk up some of those holes? Id say more than anything the lack of depth on the offense and defense cost UM 2 games.
(3. Depth is improved vastly in the secondary, somewhat at linebacker and is relatively thin up front on both sides of the ball. One or two injuries to the defensive front would certainly be devastating. They could deal with one or two on the offensive line but nothing more. Depth is fine at WR and RB. I don't think depth is that big of an issue, DL is the one big scary place but almost all teams have one position group where their depth is thin.)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Answer Me This
From a Michigan fan's perspective, here are my three biggest "concerns" for the Spartans this season. In actuality, I'm not concerned about these at all since I care not for the fortunes of green men.
Tbone may choose to post a response from someone more in the know than I. (tbone will be in parenthesis and italic)
#1. Schedule
I know it's a shocker to all of you, but I have some friends who like to gamble. Prior to the 2010 season, one of these asked me about making a bet on the Spartans. He had a bet on the table that MSU would win less than 8 games. The Spartans were coming off a 6-7 season with some off the field trouble and seemed like a team in flux. It was hard to imagine how they'd be vastly improved in one off-season. With all that in mind, I advised my friend against making the bet, in fact, I informed him it was a terrible bet. There was really only one reason, the schedule.
In 2010 MSU's schedule was the weakest in maybe all of the Big Ten. One of their "away" games was against a Florida team at Ford Field. Ohio State was off the schedule, they got Wisconsin at home. It was hard to see how the Spartans could lose more than 4 or 5 games. Granted, they came together and had a better season than most expected, even with expectations that considered the weak schedule.
How much of a role did the schedule play? That's for Tbone to answer. What I do know is this: last year's schedule paved a nice road to success and this year's schedule is simply brutal. Would the Spartans have won last year's miracle game if it was played in South Bend? Throw OSU back on the schedule and add playing in the horseshoe. Welcome Nebraska to the Big Ten with a trip to Lincoln. The roadblocks are much more prominent this season. It's easy to envision a better MSU team with a much more pedestrian record.
(This looks like two questions. I guess the first question you want answered is last years success. Yes, our schedule helped a lot. It could have been harder. But its not like UM's schedule was any harder. UCONN was supposed to be a huge barometer for your teams rest of schedule success. They were an 8-5 squad with awful losses to Louisville, Temple, and the 2010 UM football team. All this says is that hype in teams doesnt matter in the preseason. As for our 2011 schedule, it is harder on paper. We still get Wisconsin at home, we have UM at home and we play OSU during their 5th game, so players will still be missing. Do I think we will got 11-1+? no. But 9-3+ seems attainable and perfectly fine with me.)
#2. Tackles Have Not Played a Down
This unit is as green as Sparty. (OK, that was brutal, but the point stands) One projected starting tackle was a defensive lineman last season. Position switch starters are rarely a positive sign. When those players are also switching sides of the ball it's an even greater cause for worry. The Spartans are replacing three key pieces on their offensive line, both tackles and the center position. The unproven nature of the Spartans Oline this year could bring down the entire season.
When Cousins has time in the pocket he's a surgeon, but when he's hurried he quickly turns into a butcher. He will likely make better decisions this season even under duress, but it's hard to envision the Spartans offense being successful without good Oline play. The backfield is stacked with quality players, but they too need holes generated by the Oline. Usually with inexperienced offensive lineman, you get players who are good at either pass blocking or run blocking, but not often both. How this unit comes together will likely determine if the Spartans are in hunt for the Big Ten title game or fighting to make a bowl game.
(This is a legit concern. And I wont even try to argue otherwise. However, I will try to talk them up a bit. Skylar Burkland is a redshirt freshman and I haven't read one bad thing about him. Hes big, hes fast, and is knocking the defensive ends on their asses in scrimmage. Jared Mcgaha, is a senior, he has played in every eligible season and has started. hes not as thick as Dan However, Jared is 6-6. Dan France came from the defensive line. However, he was originally recruited as a OT out of high school. This unit will make mistakes, false starts, etc. Hopefully they will learn quick..... And you may remember this position switch, he came from the defensive line. O, here's an image:
(plus with all this youth, imagine the unit next year, sounds like future best OL in the B1G.)
#3. Youth Movement at Linebacker
Max Bullough may just be the next coming of Chris Spielman, but he's also a true sophomore who played at a tiny northern Michigan school replacing an All-American level performer in Greg Jones. The Spartans also must replace Eric Gordon. It's easy to fall into the trap that a more athletic young player will offer an upgrade over a four year starter. (I've done that before only to experience doom) I think MSU has some depth and talent at this position, but can they simply plug these guys in and get consistent production or will this unit suffer through growing pains?
(This is obviously another position concern, but in my mind not as large as the offensive line. This is mainly due to our defensive line. Max has been doing everything right in practice, has been vocal on the line, and is earning high praise from the coaches. Will he make some mistakes? yes. However, his linebacker mates are on track for big seasons. I love Chris Norman, Steve Gardinier, and Denicos Allen. It should be noted that Max is listed as the starter alone, no classic "or" that Mark Dantonio likes to use. That alone should show you where Max is at.)
Tbone may choose to post a response from someone more in the know than I. (tbone will be in parenthesis and italic)
#1. Schedule
I know it's a shocker to all of you, but I have some friends who like to gamble. Prior to the 2010 season, one of these asked me about making a bet on the Spartans. He had a bet on the table that MSU would win less than 8 games. The Spartans were coming off a 6-7 season with some off the field trouble and seemed like a team in flux. It was hard to imagine how they'd be vastly improved in one off-season. With all that in mind, I advised my friend against making the bet, in fact, I informed him it was a terrible bet. There was really only one reason, the schedule.
In 2010 MSU's schedule was the weakest in maybe all of the Big Ten. One of their "away" games was against a Florida team at Ford Field. Ohio State was off the schedule, they got Wisconsin at home. It was hard to see how the Spartans could lose more than 4 or 5 games. Granted, they came together and had a better season than most expected, even with expectations that considered the weak schedule.
How much of a role did the schedule play? That's for Tbone to answer. What I do know is this: last year's schedule paved a nice road to success and this year's schedule is simply brutal. Would the Spartans have won last year's miracle game if it was played in South Bend? Throw OSU back on the schedule and add playing in the horseshoe. Welcome Nebraska to the Big Ten with a trip to Lincoln. The roadblocks are much more prominent this season. It's easy to envision a better MSU team with a much more pedestrian record.
(This looks like two questions. I guess the first question you want answered is last years success. Yes, our schedule helped a lot. It could have been harder. But its not like UM's schedule was any harder. UCONN was supposed to be a huge barometer for your teams rest of schedule success. They were an 8-5 squad with awful losses to Louisville, Temple, and the 2010 UM football team. All this says is that hype in teams doesnt matter in the preseason. As for our 2011 schedule, it is harder on paper. We still get Wisconsin at home, we have UM at home and we play OSU during their 5th game, so players will still be missing. Do I think we will got 11-1+? no. But 9-3+ seems attainable and perfectly fine with me.)
#2. Tackles Have Not Played a Down
This unit is as green as Sparty. (OK, that was brutal, but the point stands) One projected starting tackle was a defensive lineman last season. Position switch starters are rarely a positive sign. When those players are also switching sides of the ball it's an even greater cause for worry. The Spartans are replacing three key pieces on their offensive line, both tackles and the center position. The unproven nature of the Spartans Oline this year could bring down the entire season.
When Cousins has time in the pocket he's a surgeon, but when he's hurried he quickly turns into a butcher. He will likely make better decisions this season even under duress, but it's hard to envision the Spartans offense being successful without good Oline play. The backfield is stacked with quality players, but they too need holes generated by the Oline. Usually with inexperienced offensive lineman, you get players who are good at either pass blocking or run blocking, but not often both. How this unit comes together will likely determine if the Spartans are in hunt for the Big Ten title game or fighting to make a bowl game.
(This is a legit concern. And I wont even try to argue otherwise. However, I will try to talk them up a bit. Skylar Burkland is a redshirt freshman and I haven't read one bad thing about him. Hes big, hes fast, and is knocking the defensive ends on their asses in scrimmage. Jared Mcgaha, is a senior, he has played in every eligible season and has started. hes not as thick as Dan However, Jared is 6-6. Dan France came from the defensive line. However, he was originally recruited as a OT out of high school. This unit will make mistakes, false starts, etc. Hopefully they will learn quick..... And you may remember this position switch, he came from the defensive line. O, here's an image:
(plus with all this youth, imagine the unit next year, sounds like future best OL in the B1G.)
#3. Youth Movement at Linebacker
Max Bullough may just be the next coming of Chris Spielman, but he's also a true sophomore who played at a tiny northern Michigan school replacing an All-American level performer in Greg Jones. The Spartans also must replace Eric Gordon. It's easy to fall into the trap that a more athletic young player will offer an upgrade over a four year starter. (I've done that before only to experience doom) I think MSU has some depth and talent at this position, but can they simply plug these guys in and get consistent production or will this unit suffer through growing pains?
(This is obviously another position concern, but in my mind not as large as the offensive line. This is mainly due to our defensive line. Max has been doing everything right in practice, has been vocal on the line, and is earning high praise from the coaches. Will he make some mistakes? yes. However, his linebacker mates are on track for big seasons. I love Chris Norman, Steve Gardinier, and Denicos Allen. It should be noted that Max is listed as the starter alone, no classic "or" that Mark Dantonio likes to use. That alone should show you where Max is at.)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Michigan Wolverines Recruiting Class 2011
Whether this is informative or not, it will be fun to check our predictions at the end of this season and in a few years time.
20 Commits (12 defense, 7 offense, 1 special teams)
Scout Team Ranking #27
Rivals Team Ranking #21
ESPN Team Ranking #NR (only rank top 25)
Commit List:
**** Brennan Beyer
**** Kellen Jones
**** Blake Countess
**** Antonio Poole
**** Justice Hayes
*** Chris Bryant
*** Thomas Rawls
*** Chris Barnett
*** Matt Wile
*** Jack Miller
*** Frank Clark
*** Delonte Hollowel
*** Russell Bellomy
*** Desmon Morgan
*** Tony Posada
*** Raymon Taylor
*** Greg Brown
*** Keith Heitzman
*** Tamani Carter
*** Chris Rock
All rankings in parenthesis are scout position rankings.
Instant Impact:
*** Kicker (Scout #4) Matt Wile - San Diego, CA
To be an instant impact player usually requires opportunity and ability. Michigan was abysmal in the kicking game last year. No position is as wide open and provides as much opportunity as the kicker spot and there's not many positions more important. If Wile can come in and be consistent and make FG's from 40 yards and in it will dramatically help Michigan's scoring offense. It will be interesting to see who wins the job for both the place kicking duties and the kickoff duties. Recruiting kickers is always a gamble, and Michigan's current scholarship kicker Brandon Gibbons has simply not shown much.
Best Offensive Recruit:
*** OG (Scout #21) Chris Bryant - Chicago, IL
Michigan has a big need at OL after only taking 1 lineman in the 2010 recruiting class. Bryant projects as a very good offensive guard. He's huge, at 6-5 330 in high school! He's only played football for 2 seasons and the biggest reason he's not more highly rated is technique. Look for Bryant to redshirt, change some of his weight from bad weight to good weight and be a starter in 2013 as a redshirt sophomore.
Best Defensive Recruit:
**** MLB (Scout #12) Kellen Jones - Houston, TX
Jones is pretty much the opposite of Bryant. He's a 6-1 210 pound linebacker who seems to fly to ball in all his film. While a bit small, he looks ready to contribute relatively early. His film shows a guy who has a nose for the football and tremendous athleticism. Where Bryant seems raw, Jones seems like he was built for football. Appears to have good instincts which is crucial for the linebacker position. Scout has him projected as MLB, but a lot of his film is rushing the passer on the blitz. Depending on scheme, you may see him playing the outside LB spot and being used in blitz situations as early as this fall. Has elite burst (which is most important for LB's) but lacks elite speed. Jones is a playmaker and Michigan's defense really needs some of those. He'll need to get a bit bigger before he can be relied up to be a run stuffer in the burly Big Ten and a redshirt would be great. If not, you're likely to see Jones as a situational pass rusher and playing on all special teams.
(Ed Note: Jones, for reasons unknown, never enrolled at Michigan. The rumor was some sort of legal issue, though that seems to be off base as Kellen is now enrolled and practicing @ Oklahoma. One way or another, Michigan released him from his letter of intent and now he's a sooner)
Most All American Potential:
**** DE (Scout #12) Brennan Beyer - Canton, MI
This was difficult to pinpoint in this class, but Beyer has the perfect frame and athleticism to be a tremendous college football player. At 6-4, 218 pounds and running a 4.7 forty he's ticketed for a redshirt. He needs to add size to be an every down DE in the Big Ten. Similar build and style to current Wolverine Craig Roh. As an upperclassmen, if he's able to put on some good pounds but maintain his burst, he could be a Ryan Kerrigan type of player. Beyer won't make an immediate impact, but as a redshirt sophomore should step in to replace Craig Roh as a starting DE.
Best Positional Group:
Linebacker (Scout #12 MLB Kellen Jones, #13 OLB Antonio Poole, #33 TE Frank Clark, #42 MLB Desmond Morgan, Beyer could potentially play some OLB)
Michigan has been bad and lacked depth at linebacker for the last two seasons so bringing in a big LB class is very welcomed. I'm including Frank Clark at linebacker because I think that's where he'll play at Michigan. You could see all of these players finding the field during their career. There aren't any 5 star sure thing difference makers here, but lots of solid football players with different skill sets. LB should have solid depth and talent heading into the future.
The next best group is CB, this position doesn't have as many difference makers as it has numbers. Michigan adds 5 cornerbacks in this class (some will likely move to safety) which will help provide talent and depth to what has been a woeful secondary the past 4 or so seasons.
Less Heralded With Greatest Potential:
*** RB (Scout #77) Thomas Rawls - Flint, MI
Don't let his #77 ranking fool you, Rawls is a stud. The recruiting services factor eligibility into their rankings and Rawls has been a questionable qualifier for some time. Apparently he needs to gain 1 point on his ACT (fingers crossed!). Rawls is big, elusive, fast and runs with a mean streak. Playing in the top division in Michigan, Rawls averaged over 10.5 yards per carry as a Senior. His burst for a big man is quite impressive. He's 5-10 210 pounds and runs a 4.5, which is fast, but he won't have game changing speed. Rawls will do his damage gaining tough yards between the tackles. He fits very well into the new staff's scheme and mentality. I think Rawls has potential to get carries as a true freshman and become the featured ball carrier within his first few seasons in AA.
Summary:
Hoke did a good job with the hand he was dealt by Brandon. He was able to "salvage" the class at least somewhat. This class is still the worst I've ever seen Michigan have since I've been following recruiting. There are no superstars as far as today. How this staff develops these guys will go a long way towards how the program performs in the next 4 or 5 seasons. (obvious comment alert)
Urban Meyer just said on ESPNU that Greg Mattison is the without a doubt the best recruiter in college football. It showed a bit in the last two weeks but hopefully will show even moreso with top guys in the class of 2012.
Biggest position of need heading into 2012 is at DT. Michigan again was unable to land much talent at this position. Chris Rock could potentially play there, but he's underperformed the last two seasons simply in high school and doesn't give me a ton of confidence in his ability to play in the Big Ten. Michigan needs to find DT's.
The other position of great importance in 2011 is OL. The depth chart is getting dangerously thin at both OG and OT. Look for 5 or so OL recruits in 2012.
(Update: Michigan has 5 current OL commits for 2012 and is looking for 1 or 2 more. Tony Posada has left the program. Michigan also has a couple of DT commits and a few DE commits who may project inside at the college level)
20 Commits (12 defense, 7 offense, 1 special teams)
Scout Team Ranking #27
Rivals Team Ranking #21
ESPN Team Ranking #NR (only rank top 25)
Commit List:
**** Brennan Beyer
**** Kellen Jones
**** Blake Countess
**** Antonio Poole
**** Justice Hayes
*** Chris Bryant
*** Thomas Rawls
*** Chris Barnett
*** Matt Wile
*** Jack Miller
*** Frank Clark
*** Delonte Hollowel
*** Russell Bellomy
*** Desmon Morgan
*** Tony Posada
*** Raymon Taylor
*** Greg Brown
*** Keith Heitzman
*** Tamani Carter
*** Chris Rock
All rankings in parenthesis are scout position rankings.
Instant Impact:
*** Kicker (Scout #4) Matt Wile - San Diego, CA
To be an instant impact player usually requires opportunity and ability. Michigan was abysmal in the kicking game last year. No position is as wide open and provides as much opportunity as the kicker spot and there's not many positions more important. If Wile can come in and be consistent and make FG's from 40 yards and in it will dramatically help Michigan's scoring offense. It will be interesting to see who wins the job for both the place kicking duties and the kickoff duties. Recruiting kickers is always a gamble, and Michigan's current scholarship kicker Brandon Gibbons has simply not shown much.
Best Offensive Recruit:
*** OG (Scout #21) Chris Bryant - Chicago, IL
Michigan has a big need at OL after only taking 1 lineman in the 2010 recruiting class. Bryant projects as a very good offensive guard. He's huge, at 6-5 330 in high school! He's only played football for 2 seasons and the biggest reason he's not more highly rated is technique. Look for Bryant to redshirt, change some of his weight from bad weight to good weight and be a starter in 2013 as a redshirt sophomore.
Best Defensive Recruit:
**** MLB (Scout #12) Kellen Jones - Houston, TX
Jones is pretty much the opposite of Bryant. He's a 6-1 210 pound linebacker who seems to fly to ball in all his film. While a bit small, he looks ready to contribute relatively early. His film shows a guy who has a nose for the football and tremendous athleticism. Where Bryant seems raw, Jones seems like he was built for football. Appears to have good instincts which is crucial for the linebacker position. Scout has him projected as MLB, but a lot of his film is rushing the passer on the blitz. Depending on scheme, you may see him playing the outside LB spot and being used in blitz situations as early as this fall. Has elite burst (which is most important for LB's) but lacks elite speed. Jones is a playmaker and Michigan's defense really needs some of those. He'll need to get a bit bigger before he can be relied up to be a run stuffer in the burly Big Ten and a redshirt would be great. If not, you're likely to see Jones as a situational pass rusher and playing on all special teams.
(Ed Note: Jones, for reasons unknown, never enrolled at Michigan. The rumor was some sort of legal issue, though that seems to be off base as Kellen is now enrolled and practicing @ Oklahoma. One way or another, Michigan released him from his letter of intent and now he's a sooner)
Most All American Potential:
**** DE (Scout #12) Brennan Beyer - Canton, MI
This was difficult to pinpoint in this class, but Beyer has the perfect frame and athleticism to be a tremendous college football player. At 6-4, 218 pounds and running a 4.7 forty he's ticketed for a redshirt. He needs to add size to be an every down DE in the Big Ten. Similar build and style to current Wolverine Craig Roh. As an upperclassmen, if he's able to put on some good pounds but maintain his burst, he could be a Ryan Kerrigan type of player. Beyer won't make an immediate impact, but as a redshirt sophomore should step in to replace Craig Roh as a starting DE.
Best Positional Group:
Linebacker (Scout #12 MLB Kellen Jones, #13 OLB Antonio Poole, #33 TE Frank Clark, #42 MLB Desmond Morgan, Beyer could potentially play some OLB)
Michigan has been bad and lacked depth at linebacker for the last two seasons so bringing in a big LB class is very welcomed. I'm including Frank Clark at linebacker because I think that's where he'll play at Michigan. You could see all of these players finding the field during their career. There aren't any 5 star sure thing difference makers here, but lots of solid football players with different skill sets. LB should have solid depth and talent heading into the future.
The next best group is CB, this position doesn't have as many difference makers as it has numbers. Michigan adds 5 cornerbacks in this class (some will likely move to safety) which will help provide talent and depth to what has been a woeful secondary the past 4 or so seasons.
Less Heralded With Greatest Potential:
*** RB (Scout #77) Thomas Rawls - Flint, MI
Don't let his #77 ranking fool you, Rawls is a stud. The recruiting services factor eligibility into their rankings and Rawls has been a questionable qualifier for some time. Apparently he needs to gain 1 point on his ACT (fingers crossed!). Rawls is big, elusive, fast and runs with a mean streak. Playing in the top division in Michigan, Rawls averaged over 10.5 yards per carry as a Senior. His burst for a big man is quite impressive. He's 5-10 210 pounds and runs a 4.5, which is fast, but he won't have game changing speed. Rawls will do his damage gaining tough yards between the tackles. He fits very well into the new staff's scheme and mentality. I think Rawls has potential to get carries as a true freshman and become the featured ball carrier within his first few seasons in AA.
Summary:
Hoke did a good job with the hand he was dealt by Brandon. He was able to "salvage" the class at least somewhat. This class is still the worst I've ever seen Michigan have since I've been following recruiting. There are no superstars as far as today. How this staff develops these guys will go a long way towards how the program performs in the next 4 or 5 seasons. (obvious comment alert)
Urban Meyer just said on ESPNU that Greg Mattison is the without a doubt the best recruiter in college football. It showed a bit in the last two weeks but hopefully will show even moreso with top guys in the class of 2012.
Biggest position of need heading into 2012 is at DT. Michigan again was unable to land much talent at this position. Chris Rock could potentially play there, but he's underperformed the last two seasons simply in high school and doesn't give me a ton of confidence in his ability to play in the Big Ten. Michigan needs to find DT's.
The other position of great importance in 2011 is OL. The depth chart is getting dangerously thin at both OG and OT. Look for 5 or so OL recruits in 2012.
(Update: Michigan has 5 current OL commits for 2012 and is looking for 1 or 2 more. Tony Posada has left the program. Michigan also has a couple of DT commits and a few DE commits who may project inside at the college level)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Spartan 2011 Class
This is a recycled post from a former blog. Pat and I will be using this to get the blog started. With kick off only about 11 days away along with spring practice, fall practice and soon to be regular season practice. Now more than ever these posts are important.
Pat and I will look to review these predictions after the season. Originally from February 2011...
(Ed Note: When I originally wrote this I did not follow recruiting as much has I have since February. I think I have followed recruiting more in the last 7 months than the whole rest of my life)
***************************
MSU had 21 total commits unless I counted wrong it looks like 7 offense and 14 defensive. no special teams.
Rivals #31 overall
Scout #29 overall
ESPN Unranked. Not in top 25.
***** Lawrence Thomas
**** Donavon Clark
**** Joel Heath
**** Onaje Miller
*** Jack Allen
*** Roger Williamson
*** Ed Davis
*** Brandon Clemons
*** Shilque Calhoun
*** Taiwan Jones
*** Arjen Colquhoun
*** Paul Lang
*** Darien Harris
*** Trae Waynes
*** Mark Scarpinato
*** Juwan Caesar
*** Matt Ramondo
*** Damon Knox
*** Andre Sims
*** Fou Fonoti
** Connor Cook
Instant Impact:
This is a toss up for me between numerous players but i will take the easy way out. Fou Fonoti (FF) offensive tackle out of junior college. 6-4 295 lbs. He will be a junior next year and has two years of going against bigger stronger players. This obviously is an advantage over high school talent, especially on the offensive and defensive line. The problem with me picking FF is that there is little written about him because he is a JUCO transfer. ESPN has literally nothing about him. What I have been able to find says that he can guard or tackle with great explosion and strength, and he was likely undervalued. (Whatever that's supposed to mean). Rivals ranks him as a 5.7 which is what they consider to have potential between future all american and currently one of the top prospects for their position in their region. I am excited about this pick up strictly because he can come in and start right away. For that reason alone he is my instant impact. On top of that, two of his cousins are Domata and Tupe Peko, two former spartan o-lineman that have played in the NFL.
Best Offensive Recruit:
Things get interesting here. One of our 4 stars on rivals is listed as an O-tackle but was recruited to play D. Personally I think our future top offensive player will be Juwan Caesar. ESPN has him ranked as a 79 overall and a 4 star and at 6-4 200 lbs he is fairly well built already. He is quite low on both scout and rivals however, both sites have said he is likely undervalued. Juwan plays in division 6A Miami which is one of the top divisions in HS football. Based on his video from ESPN, you can see that he is just plain bigger than everyone. Not only that, but he has the ability to out run people, has good burst/slant pattern and a great ability to catch the ball in traffic (of course, high light videos are exactly that, highlights). I am not sure how he ranked this low but I am glad he is at Michigan State we are Wide Receiver U.
Best Defensive Recruit:
Its easy to say Lawrence Thomas because he is generally considered a 5 star top 100 recruit. but he plays LB and will likely end up at DE because of his size. I feel that this is a position we have too much depth at. Which is why i think Roger Williamson ESPN 3 star 78 overall is our best defensive recruit. Here is a kid that is 6-1 180 pounds. He is listed as a WR/Ath/DB depending on the site, but this is directly from scout
"The thing about Roger is that he has already he is big enough to be a safety, but he has got the skills to be a corner. He has no problem saying, 'I'm going to take the #1 guy and shut you down.' I saw him at a seven-on-seven here in Dayton where about seven schools got together. A wide receiver started running his mouth to Roger and Roger said, 'hey, he is mine!' On the first play, the receiver comes off the line and Roger pressed him in the chest, lifted him in the air, and drove him into the ground. Then he got up and walked away. That set the tone."
That’s the kind of attitude that i want to see out of all players. Our defensive backfield has gone from a weakness to a position of some depth in recent years and roger will keep that up. i can see him being a shut down corner type as much as you can have one. Trieu, the B10 recruiting guru is very high on roger, and so am I.
Most All American Potential:
Easy Choice: Lawrence Thomas. 6-3 230, #1 recruit in state of MI a ESPN 4 star top 150 and 80 overall. He is also rated on scout as a 4 star and #55 recruit in national and #5 at his position. With his size it is likely he will end up as a defensive end especially with a little more bulk added on. The thing that has been written most about Lawrence is that he is a phenomenal athlete. Despite his size he moves with great quickness and fluidity, He even played some QB and TE for his HS team. I see Lawrence starting out as a LB and smashing people then putting his hand down opposite William Gholston in their junior and senior years. This is the kind of get MSU needs to win the so called "turf battle" against UM.
Best Positional Group:
Defensive line. Our defensive line has been exceptionally mediocre the last two years. We have a very bright spot in Colin Neely and he is a beast currently. We need him to continue to be a beast this year and other players develop to take double teams on Colin away. However, for recruiting, this is all I will need to say to back up my claim that defensive line was our best positional group, this is from scout: "Michigan State's D-line class ranks #2 in the Big Ten and #21 Nationally"
Best Recruit With No Recruiting Love:
I would say Juwan Caesar here but I used him already. So I am going with Connor Cook, a generally considered 2 star recruit everywhere you look. Connor is a 6-3 200 lb QB. ESPN actually ranks him as a 3 star and 76 overall. I have read snippets of him and everything says that he has a strong arm, makes great throws into tight spaces and has the ability to scramble when needed. This is in direct contrast to what ESPN says that he is basically mediocre at everything, however, he almost exclusively works from the shotgun and is well adapted to it. A separate espn article has compared him to last year recruit Tyler Bray. I hope that he is closer to Tyler than a 2 star.
Summary:
Dantonio did everything he needed to. He addressed needs. That seems to be Mark's MO. Address needs. That, likely more than everything else, has been the largest upswing for MSU over the last few years. Mark is very consistent and that has been great for us. His ties to southern Ohio have produced great recruits and he understands the rivalry. Thankfully for us, UM is our primary rivalry and I think Danotio expresses that well to his players. If Dantonio continues to get OK to GOOD recruiting I don’t see why MSU can’t consistently be an 8 win team and maybe play for a b10 title every few years. This of course would be unacceptable at UM, but from a Spartan perspective, that is A-OK with me. The more I look at this recruiting class the more potential I see. So many athletes, with three being clocked at 4.4-40 times or sub. Not that that means everything, but it shows that we understand where the college football game is headed. Now if only they were all the size of Trent Richardson as well. frick.
Most All American Potential:
Easy Choice: Lawrence Thomas. 6-3 230, #1 recruit in state of MI a ESPN 4 star top 150 and 80 overall. He is also rated on scout as a 4 star and #55 recruit in national and #5 at his position. With his size it is likely he will end up as a defensive end especially with a little more bulk added on. The thing that has been written most about Lawrence is that he is a phenomenal athlete. Despite his size he moves with great quickness and fluidity, He even played some QB and TE for his HS team. I see Lawrence starting out as a LB and smashing people then putting his hand down opposite William Gholston in their junior and senior years. This is the kind of get MSU needs to win the so called "turf battle" against UM.
Best Positional Group:
Defensive line. Our defensive line has been exceptionally mediocre the last two years. We have a very bright spot in Colin Neely and he is a beast currently. We need him to continue to be a beast this year and other players develop to take double teams on Colin away. However, for recruiting, this is all I will need to say to back up my claim that defensive line was our best positional group, this is from scout: "Michigan State's D-line class ranks #2 in the Big Ten and #21 Nationally"
Best Recruit With No Recruiting Love:
I would say Juwan Caesar here but I used him already. So I am going with Connor Cook, a generally considered 2 star recruit everywhere you look. Connor is a 6-3 200 lb QB. ESPN actually ranks him as a 3 star and 76 overall. I have read snippets of him and everything says that he has a strong arm, makes great throws into tight spaces and has the ability to scramble when needed. This is in direct contrast to what ESPN says that he is basically mediocre at everything, however, he almost exclusively works from the shotgun and is well adapted to it. A separate espn article has compared him to last year recruit Tyler Bray. I hope that he is closer to Tyler than a 2 star.
Summary:
Dantonio did everything he needed to. He addressed needs. That seems to be Mark's MO. Address needs. That, likely more than everything else, has been the largest upswing for MSU over the last few years. Mark is very consistent and that has been great for us. His ties to southern Ohio have produced great recruits and he understands the rivalry. Thankfully for us, UM is our primary rivalry and I think Danotio expresses that well to his players. If Dantonio continues to get OK to GOOD recruiting I don’t see why MSU can’t consistently be an 8 win team and maybe play for a b10 title every few years. This of course would be unacceptable at UM, but from a Spartan perspective, that is A-OK with me. The more I look at this recruiting class the more potential I see. So many athletes, with three being clocked at 4.4-40 times or sub. Not that that means everything, but it shows that we understand where the college football game is headed. Now if only they were all the size of Trent Richardson as well. frick.
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