And Michigan Makes Another Terrible Hire

Brady Hoke was just named the new head coach at the University Of Michigan.  And that hiring was bad.  Really bad.  But how bad was it?

Hoke's career record is 47-50 as a Head Coach. This was playing teams the like of San Jose State, Buffalo, Temple, and Eastern Michigan.  He is 1-1 in bowl games, and in his best season, Ball State lost to Buffalo in the MAC Title game, then lost in the GMAC Bowl.  Sounds sweet.  But it gets better. 

He was a hot coaching candidate after he decided to leave Ball State with the cupboard bare.  His big move?  To San Diego State.  With many other jobs open, and with the opportunity to move up the ranks, he made a lateral move.  Its not like he said to himself, "better take the same job but with better weather."  There is a reason he wasn't hired by one of the big boys.  The same reason nobody hired Rod Marinelli after being one of the most respected assistant coaches in the NFL.  Then the Lions did.  And disaster ensued. 

He did have a solid year last season with SDST.  But how much is that worth?  Not much to me.  Of course, maybe he can not be a sub .500 coach with a crappy resume that only got him hired because it said MICHIGAN on it.  Now we play the waiting game.

RichRod: A Look Back

It seems just like yesterday I was saying how dumb the hiring of Richard Rodriguez was and how Michigan would pay for settling on a coach after kicking Lloyd Carr out of town.  Sure, they paid him a boatload of money, had to settle a legal dispute for him with 2.5 million dollars, had to handle the embarrassment of a scandal, and the losing to their two (one) biggest rival, Ohio State (MSU became a rival, for no reason, and people in corn and blue said how important the game was constantly). 

So RichRod is gone.  He left the cupboard more bare than Lloyd Carr could ever imagine.  Most likely UofM will go back to a pro style offense, to avoid more boosters and alumni backlash.  This won't set the offense back too much, because Gardner could take over and be a great bridge to the next pro style QB.  Unless their Oline gets worse, they should be OK.  The defense will really suffer, as it had little to no talent before and now they have to deal with a new coach and a completely new system.  It can't get much worse, but it could stay about the same.

So who replaces him?  It won't be Harbaugh, who doesn't want the job, and would rather go to the NFL to join his brother.  Brady Hoke isn't a bad choice, although he had only one good season as a head coach at Ball State, and even then he crumbled under the weight of the MAC Marathon Ford Field Championship Game presented by Pizza Hut.  He was a good defensive lineman coach during his stay at Michigan, but how hard was it to recruit good defensive lineman to Michigan in the mid nineties?  He never got a promotion there, and after being such a hot commodity a few years ago, went to San Diego State.  So that shows how much people wanted him to coach their programs.

Other candidates will emerge, and I am sure they will offer the world to Les Miles again, so he can bring his awful offense and grass eating ways to Ann Arbor.    But, its OK Wolverine fans.  It can't really get any worse.  Sure, next year may be tough to watch, and you may never regain the elite status you thought you had.  But hey, Nebraska made a comeback. 

The Awful Politics of The BCS

My finals are all done, and my computer has been fixed to optimum blogging efficiency.  Now with some time off, let the ranting begin!

Bowl season is supposed to separate great teams from the good, give us a national champion, and continue the wonderful pageantry of college football.  Now, more than ever, college football is big business and some of their actions would make the NFL say enough.  Sadly, college football has ruined most of what made college football great, all for a few dollars more (great Clint Eastwood reference by me).

Remember when the Rose Bowl was the biggest bowl game, and it was always the Pac-10 champ vs the Big Ten champ?  It was still like that when I was a kid.  Now it has been made into a money making glorified exhibition.  TCU is playing in it this season.  Sure, Oregon, the Pac-10 champions, are playing for the National title, but Stanford is a more than worthy candidate.  But as a consolation prize for another fraud mid major, Big Ten fans (who are constantly beat up) has to watch another Rose Bowl with a dumb match up.  Ruin the Fiesta Bowl, don't touch the sacred games.

I don't want to come off as an old fashioned fan who doesn't know how things work.  I know money is key, and these match ups are over who will sell tickets and spend money in the area.  But why is a 8-4 Temple team, who beat the BCS Bound UConn Huskies (another joke, the Big East getting a automatic bid and now with TCU joining, that joke will only get worse) not going bowling, but more than one less deserving 6-6 team get to go?  There are far too many bowls.  35 games, 70 teams and this year 72 teams were eligible.  One of those were my Broncos.  You don't even have to beat half of the Division I teams you play anymore.  All you have to do is front load your schedule with cupcakes and you're in.  You are rewarded for being mediocre. and given cash to celebrate you being average.

I know they will never eliminate Bowl games.  It happens rarely, and they are usually replaced by some other .com sponsored event.  Some new ideas are interesting, for example the bowl in Yankee Stadium, and I am a fan of having a separate national title game.  But the bowls are well set up for a playoff.  We won't get a playoff, not until enough people are upset, or we see an embarrassing title game, for example Boise State and TCU squaring off in the What else is on TV Bowl.  Until then we will have to suffer.  I would love college football even more if they had a playoff.  Every other sport does it, but because of dumb rules and cash college football is

Prediction For The Battle For the Paul Bunyan Trophy

This is an exciting time for MSU and U of M fans, because for the first time in a long time, this game has big implications for both teams.  Last year both teams entered with good records, but this year has so much more.  The winner of this game is vaulted to the top 15 in the polls, and has a chance at winning the Big Ten.  If MSU wins, a 10-2 or better season is very attainable, they beat their rivals for the 3rd time in a row (twice on the road) and are closing the gap against them.  RichRod could lose his job for struggling to beat anybody but Indiana in the Big Ten.  For Michigan, winning the game means they can beat a legit team and that the program may be on the right track, and a bowl game is locked up for the first time in 2 years. 

For MSU to win:  MSU  can outscore Michigan, because of superior special teams and defense.  MSU has a more balanced offense, with weapons across the board.  Bell and Baker and both incredible young backs, and Kirk Cousins has played better the last few weeks.  Hes already a vet who keeps the ball safe.  The Wolverine's defense doesn't scare me at all.  Cousins should be safe and the team should move the ball at will. 

The defense, although not great, is good and has one of the best players in the nation with Greg Jones.  The pass rush should be solid, but with Robinson, you should hang back and watch his running.  Rushing him won't really help, since most of the passes are out in under 3 seconds.  Shutting down everybody but him won't help either, as he has shown he can do it all himself.  Playing solid, creating turnovers and trying to slow down Robinson's running should be top priorities. 

I have a ton of confidence in MSU's special teams, even though Conroy is very young.  Bates is a good punter, and occasional dramatic touchdown thrower, and Keshawn Martin is a dynamic returner.  They could steal a game.

For Michigan to win:  They have to find some sort of defense to slow the balanced Spartans.  They have to cause turnovers, because turnovers can cover up poor play.  Getting to Cousins has to be big too, since he will shred you if given time to throw.  If the defense keeps MSU to under 30, it will be a monumental effort.

The offense is key.  If they can put up enough points, they can win.  I know it sounds stupid, but scoring more points could be the only way to win.  The weather should be great, so both teams will be playing in prime conditions.  Robinson has to show he can play against a tough defense, by far the best he has seen this season.  If he spreads the ball around (like he does well) and completes short passes to keep off the pass rush and linebackers, he could see some running lanes.  Michigan has to score and not let the game come down to special teams, because they are just as poor as the defense.  I can't understand why Michigan hasn't found a decent kicker since Hayden Epstein in the late 90's.  MSU churns out NFL kickers (Edinger, Swenson, Rayner) and Michigan can't even find someone serviceable.  But it is at home, and the crowd will be pumped.  They have to play like it.

Prediction:  Dantonio is back and the Spartans will be even more pumped for this game.  That only lasts for so long though.  They will have to play hard and fast against a team that is hungry to win.  I doubt being on the road will hurt them much, but it could be the difference since both teams are good and ready to play.  Michigan needs to find a defense and play their best game on offense.  Robinson has to play well to win and become a serious Heisman contender.  This game should be an instant classic, with no lead being safe.  I have to go with the more complete and battle tested Spartans in this game.  On a side note, MSU has not lost to Michigan in football or basketball since my blog was created.  Think about it.  GO GREEN!


MSU 38 Michigan 30

You're Welcome! Michigan State vs Michigan Edition

In no particular order, I thought we would look at three big performers from recent battles for the Paul Bunyan trophy. 

1. Charles Woodson: The Heisman winner from 1997, Woodson went off against MSU, hauling in an incredible interception thrown by Todd Schultz (he is the answer to some trivia question, like most knee surgeries) on the beautiful painted cement in Spartan Stadium.  Woodson used that game to show off his athleticism and along with a win over Ohio State, and playing wide receiver and winning the Rose Bowl, led to a Heisman and half a National Title.  Woodson had a great game for the Wolverines and is still elite for Green Bay.   Also, another fake field goal happened that day with Sedrick Irvin catching a pass when no one covered him.  After playing 3rd string running back for the Lions, he is probably the most successful MSU/Detroit Lion in the last 15 years. 

2. Plaxico Burress:  Before becoming a Super Bowl hero and shooting himself in the leg, Burress shredded Michigan's secondary for 10 catches and 255 yards.  In only two years, he set MSU receiving records and was absolutely dominant against everybody.  In 1999 MSU was robbed of a BCS bid and Nick Saban left the program and left it in the very unsure hands of Bobby Williams, but Burress and Duckett were bright spots during the season. 

3. Javon Ringer: During his incredible breakout season, where Ringer put MSU on his back and carried a mediocre (although NFL QB), a mediocre offensive line, and ran over Michigan in a huge game in Ann Arbor.  When he ran over about everybody on his way to converting that fourth down, he started a two year run that has, maybe, quite possibly, dare I say, closed the gap with U of M.  He was a tough back and meant more than a lot of people think. 

Michigan's Season In Review

This is one of the biggest sports weeks of the year for me, Michigan vs Michigan State.  Despite what Wolverine fans say after the game, this is a big game to them and a big rivalry. Not the biggest, but still.  I hate how they make MSU seem on the level as Indiana or Purdue.

Mike will take a look at MSU's season, and we will both make a prediction on the game.  This should be an awesome week of football coverage, with a special You're Welcome tomorrow.

U of M has played a schedule almost the same as the one the played last year.  It looked much better to start the year, but UConn has proven to be frauds, Bowling Green is a crappy MAC team, UMass is D-1AA no matter how you slice it.  Indiana is one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, and Notre Dame is a 5-7 team at best.  Last year,  they beat WMU and EMU, who won 5 games combined (WMU had 5) beat a 6-6 (they were worse than that) Notre Dame team and barely pulled out a win against a terrible Indiana team.  All games were at home.  After losing to MSU in OT, Michigan beat a D-1AA team and then went winless.  Look familiar?    The only difference is Michigan is ranked now and at the time, the schedule looked decent. 

So is Michigan better than last year?  Yes, without a doubt.  They are a better team, but by how much?  The defense is 120 out of 120 in the nation in stopping the pass.  And that was against UConn's now benched starter for a game, a game against Bowling Green's backup, a second half against Joe Montana's kid, a guy who plays for a D-1AA team, and "Pistol" Ben Chappell, who is about fifth team Big Ten.  So, against terrible competition, Michigan has been all time bad.  They couldn't stop East Lansing High School right now.  They have some good players, Mike Martin and Obi Ezeh, but no secondary and the rest of the team doesn't have a ton of playing time/talent.  Plus they switch between a 4-3, 3-4 and a 3-3-5.  All three formations aren't effective, and nothing can be done to fix the defense this year.  Greg Robinson should be fired, and never hired in the first place.  

So the defense is terrible, and Michigan can't play special teams at all.  Hopefully they were watching Monday Night Football or MSU will kill them in special teams.  Special teams and defense help win close games.  Rivalry games are almost always close.  So if you suck in that field, it'll affect your chances of winning games like this.  Especially when MSU has such good special teams.

So the defense and special teams are terrible, like Sun Belt terrible.  The offense is a bright spot.  Mostly Denard Robinson.  He has put up incredible stats, but the team around him isn't terrible.  The WRs and RBs haven't stepped up this season consistently, and the offensive line hasn't been too good.  They have to block for about 2 seconds, then Denard throws or runs and they are good to go downfield.  Robinson is very quick, and has improved passing as well.  He must be contained for any team to stop this offense and win a game. 

Season prediction:  For the rest of the way, I see Michigan winning 7 or 8 games and finishing the year in a decent bowl and ranked.  Michigan isn't as good as you think now, but they aren't as bad as last year.  They will not beat OSU, and if RichRod doesn't beat them and/or MSU, he will be coaching somewhere else next year. 

Doing Well

I have had very successful surgery and am recovering nicely. I can see why Kobe trusted his multi-million dollar knee to this surgeon. I am still getting used to everything so I am pushing this week's You're Welcome to Thursday or Friday. But real quick:

MSU played a physical road Big Ten game and won by one point. Raymar Morgan had another stellar performance, and Kalin is emerging as one of the best players in the nation. Michigan played well, but if you shoot as many 3 pointers as 2 pointers (29), you wont win all that much.

Kentucky lost to South Carolina. Nice upset, but don't look too much into it, the Wildcats are still a top five team.

The State Of Football In Michigan

As we look at the state of football in Michigan, I will examine the college and professional ranks and compare it to other times. At its peak in the 1950’s, MSU was winning national titles and the Lions NFL championships. At its worse, Michigan and Eastern Michigan were awful and the Lions went winless.

College:

University Of Michigan: This is a program that is in transition, maybe transitioning again. They have missed a bowl two years in a row which robs teams of extra practice time, revenue and recruiting. They have some promising youngsters but their defense is losing a lot in graduation and the NFL. I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with Tate Forcier as I do if he wasn’t a stuck up whiny arrogant jerk. I never treated Chad Henne the way I treat Forcier. And don’t say “he’s just a freshman”, you crowned him a savior, so deal with it. This is a program that needs to make up its mind if RichRod is the next Bo or your John L. Smith. Your AD is gone. I think that RichRod will have to go at least 8-4 to keep his job. That being said, you don’t want to turn into Notre Dame and fire a coach every three years.

Michigan State: Man, where do I begin. I love Dantonio. I believe he is the right man for the job. I am in no way calling for his job, or even Narduzzi’s. But there were some serious coaching mistakes this year. I’ll make my stance very clear. I would have in no way allowed Glenn Winston back on the team this year. I would have redshirted him, allowed him to come back to school and the team and practiced to stay in shape and see what he can do if he was on his best behavior the whole year. I don’t care how talented he is. He was our best kick returner (until Keyshawn Martin came around) and the toughest power runner. Now he is kicked off the team. Now he is an embarrassment to the entire program, along with Jenrette. He should have never been given a second chance, and I have been saying that since he was reinstated. The QB situation was horribly mishandled and cost the Spartans at least the Central game. Putting Nichol in after Cousins made a highlight play is stupid. They shuttled in with little or no reasoning behind it. After Cousins separated himself from Nichol it got a little better but not much. The secondary was atrocious all year with that being Dantonio’s specialty that’s upsetting. The team had many boneheaded penalties and too many penalties as well. That’s not supposed to happen to a disciplined team like MSU wants to be. At least we made a bowl and made it three in a row. At least we beat Michigan and most of the teams we should, and we have a young core of very good talent to build around. But this year was disappointing.

Western Michigan: Talk about disappointment. We went from 9-3 with a great team led by a veteran QB and RB to a 5-7 team that couldn’t beat anybody decent. We did win some close games and play well at home but lost two games we should have won that would have lifted us to a bowl. The Indiana game was tough because we were so close to winning. The rest of our losses were brutal and you could tell how young our team was. Now next year will prove difficult with a road trip to Notre Dame and Hiller and West graduating. Maybe some of Cubit’s recruits can come through and get this team back to a bowl game.

Eastern Michigan: You guys were awful before and are still awful now. Maybe Ron English can turn this around and win more than 3 games a year. I don’t know what this team has to do besides get better recruits, but if they are going to strike, now is the time, with the rest of the MAC West taking a step back.

Central Michigan: State Champs by far. They beat every team in the state besides Michigan, and I have confidence they would win even in Ann Arbor. The upset MSU with a thrilling come from behind field goal after a miraculous onside kick recovery. They took care of business against the pathetic Eagles and on the road against arch rival WMU. This season will turn out to be what many people thought, a trip to the MAC Championship game against Ohio and a chance a better bowl than the Pizza Pizza! Bowl has them contracted to. But this season was one lost, as Dan Lefevour should have produced more. There is no reason this team couldn’t be like Ball State last year and go into this game undefeated and make a very solid bowl. Still a great season for a program that has really become the best in the MAC.

Professional: The Rampage folded with the rest of the Arena Football league and Michigan was not given another franchise in the new launch league. The Kalamazoo Xplosion, the most successful professional team in Michigan, folded. Now we are left with just the Lions.

Detroit Lions: The season is not over technically, but we have found out a lot about the Lions. They are more talented and are better coached. They have a good GM that drafts well (so far, finding gems Levy and Brown) and will pull off moves trading and waiver wire to make this team better. Stafford and Pettigrew have looked very good at times, battling through injuries, and Delmas looks like a future Pro-Bowler. This team just needs more playing time for its young players and more talent overall. A few more drafts and this could be a playoff team. I haven’t believed in a QB, Head Coach and GM in oh, forever in Detroit. It could be a couple more tough seasons but we should see more and more progress until this team is winning.

Overall: The state is on the way up. Central needs to keep winning and Eastern, Western and Michigan need to consistently win and get better. MSU needs to string together more successful seasons or it will be no more a threat in the Big Ten then Northwestern. Do we really need an Arena team? In a word, no. The Lions need a lot more work but seem to be heading in the right direction. The state of football is much better than last year and should improve next year as well.

Around The Sports World

Steve Yzerman has recently gone on record saying he regrets coming back to the NHL after the lockout. I know it sounds selfish, but I think Yzerman made the right call coming back and giving the fans of the Red Wings something to hope for in seeing one of the greatest hockey players win one more Cup. I never knew the super scoring sweet skating young Yzerman many remember from the Dead Things era. I only remember a man who went out and played in great pain most nights leading a team to victory. The warrior he was and always will be was something to be proud of in Hockeytown. He was so relatable to so many people in Motown by his work ethic and unselfishness towards his organization, his gritty determination and how humble he was. The rebirth of a city and hockey team came under his leadership after so many years of losing. I am glad he walked away from the game when he wanted and was around for me to enjoy him play all those years. I will always be grateful for him coming back after the lockout ruined an entire winter for so many fans.

Tate Forcier may transfer out of Michigan. RichRod may leave. It is all rumors now, but lets look at the state of this program. They are asking for patience from the fans. When is that ever a good thing? When does that ever end well? How the mighty have fallen. Forcier can transfer. It is obvious he isn't the same player who can shred MAC teams we saw earlier this year. Boy he looks killer against Indiana. Yeah he probably will win the Heisman and be the next Tim Tebow. I've got to be wrong. He has an awesome website to "help future recruits" and talk about how humble he is. People sure weren't over reacting after his second career start. Have Devan Gardner start next year. He committed (and recommitted after reports came out about how he decommitted) and said he would enroll in the spring to get extra work. Losing Forcier's stupid fumbles and poor play wouldn't hurt this team. Their offense has to be even better since their defense could be all time bad next year. Sure, let RichRod recruit little fast guys for his defense. Keep telling yourself it will work Michigan fans. Keep believing Bill Martin that Rodriguez is the guy. He was your third choice but that's ok. I mean its not like you passed over Brian Kelly who is winning in Cinncinati. Having Lloyd Carr was so much worse than this.

Jay Cutler isn't that bad. You have to remember he is playing on a team with his top receiver is a converted Cornerback and kick returner. Give him time, he is a gunslinger on an awfully over hyped team. Their defense is very old and injured. This is a team that will be rebuilding over the next few years. I think Lovie Smith should be fired. He went to one Super Bowl (I know I am making that sound small since I would love a playoff appearance from Schwartz.) and hasn't done much else since. His defense has been awful most of the time. It is going to be worse. Hire Shanahan, a Chicago native who has a good relationship with Jay Cutler. Give it a few years and see what happens. You're better off with Cutler than without him.

You're Welcome!: Veteran's Days Edition

I would like to start this post with a few things unrelated to sports. Not often do I go beyond the realm of sports in my writings, but today is a special occasion.

I would like to thank Michigan State University for a very pleasant weekend in East Lansing. MSU fans were very gracious and eager to chat during the game about both teams. They made us feel welcome. They expected to win more games this year than they did, but in my opinion they acted like real champions. I cannot speak so highly of the Wolverine fans. More time seemed to be spent harassing guests of your school than watching the game. Of course it wasn't everyone but it was enough that I'm not sure I'll want to spend my hard earned money on another unpleasant afternoon next time. Until next year Spartans. Pride comes before the fall Michigan.

Not only today, Veteran's day but every day, I'd like to thank the men and women of the military for the great job they do. Having known a few servicemen in my time, I would like to thank them all. Jeff Sr. and Jeff Jr., father and brother of one of my good friends. Steve, a paratrooper, there at the opening campaign. Derrick, helicopter parts, came under attack during a downtime football game. And James, multiple deployments- 3 purple hearts. Lost friends and time with his family. Any gifts we sent, letters, food, toiletries meant so much to them and they appreciate everything. We've grown so close to him, his wife and 2 young children that we've declared ourselves Family. He is now a recruiter, helping to guide our future soldiers. And to everyone serving our country, thank you and stay safe until you all come home.

Now for some sports!

You're Welcome!

1. Navy Midshipman: Just two years ago you ended the longest and toughest losing streak any rival has ever endured. It was one of the best games I have ever seen, with an amazing flying sack by Ram Vella and the Overtime clincher of Navy stuffing ND short on a 2 point conversion. Sure, the Fighting Dames of Notre are much more talented now, but Navy still finds a way. I love watching the triple option, it won't win you National Championships but it is very hard to prepare for and gives Navy a "decisive schematic advantage" (take that Charlie!). Navy usually makes a bowl game and has a nice upset or two while playing a independent schedule. They held on to win by two but it was not that close. I love seeing military academies win and Notre Dame lose. How perfect!

2. Purdue Boilermakers: This weekend you came back and defeated Michigan making it the first time you have beaten Michigan twice in a row and at Ann Arbor since 1966 (Bob Griese Rose Bowl days, then his son went to Michigan, ironic) and defeated Ohio State and Michigan in the same season since 2000 with Drew Brees. In a season you were left for dead with a new coach, somehow you kept fighting lost a couple close games (Notre Dame being a painful memory for Purdue) and have an outside shot for a bowl. After having a tough few campaigns, this program could be moving back in the right direction. I love teams who show great effort and drive in the face of adversity with everything on the line.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Half of me wanted the Bucs to win a game this season (not against my Super Bowl pick Green Bay Packers of course), and not go 0-16 and feel the pain and frustration I felt. But half of me wanted to be let off the hook and have someone else be labeled the worst team ever. There were a lot of candidates this year (My Lions) Bucs, Rams, Browns and Chiefs. The Browns are awful and look to go in another direction again. They don't play for their coach and are one of the worst offensive teams ever. The Bucs, in their creamsicle uniforms, first start for a rookie QB and a winless rookie coach pulled out a win over the very disappointing Packers. Now, you're off the hook. Enjoy it now, because in a few weeks, when you drop some more games you'll feel as bad as you did before. Trust me.

Michigan, Your Football Teams Suck

This guy forgot how generous the Lions are.

The entire state of Michigan went 0-6 this weekend in football. Luckily high school football was going on for a few people so they could watch a winning team from the state play. Here is my take on the college and pro football games this weekend.

Western Michigan: What happened? Kent State is a team I circled at the beginning that we should beat. Instead, we get beat much worse than our 26-14 score showed. Hiller threw 2 TD passes to move up a few more record boards, but besides that not much good came from this game. Now, (assuming a 6-6 record won't get WMU into a bowl) the Broncos have to beat Michigan State and Eastern Michigan on the road and Ball State on a Tuesday night ESPN game. It isn't looking good for the Broncos to make a bowl game for two straight years. The fall from winning has to be explained by the defense losing so much talent and the offense losing some weapons. The team is young, but another year of experience won't matter much with Tim Hiller graduating. This could be a tough stretch until Cubit can groom another QB (no it's not Drew Burdi).

Central Michigan: When given a chance to win a big game against a bigger ACC program you have to take advantage of it. CMU can't pass up opportunities to separate itself from other mid major programs and become the Boise State of the Midwest. Yeah, you beat MSU. Nice start, but you have done it before. Sure, you'll win the MAC and go to the Pizza Pizza! Bowl, but this season could have been so much more.

Michigan State: Wow, what a game. The refs "screwed" us by calling 17 penalties on the Golden Gophers. You know what? I'm getting sick of a lot of the decisions. Taking Cousins out after he made a high light reel TD? WHY? It doesn't make sense. Put in Nichol for a trick play or option package or to give the offense a jump, not just to play him and give him snaps. You know what? Kirk Cousins is the starter. Hes a rSO but he has played very well and is getting better every game. He did get hurt earlier and Nichol couldn't separate himself against Illinois. Another problem is the run into a pile and not score near the goal line. That seems to be a popular play in the Spartan playbook. I know Baker and Caper are young guys, and Winston was the power back, but we need to see something different. I hate seeing 3 runs and a 18 yard field goal. This has been such a frustrating year for the Spartans. Hopefully they make a bowl. Hopefully.

Michigan: What happened? Did they stop playing MAC schools? Did people get some tape on Tate to see what he is like? Does he ignore coaches because he is going to win 4 Heisman's? Are people figuring out the awful defense? The team isn't much better than last year, especially the defense. The defense is going to get worse with the top 4 players leaving and RichRod recruiting smaller faster players. I doubt a 3-4 base defense can work in the Big Ten. We will have to see if Michigan makes a bowl, with games against Purdue, Wisconsin and Ohio State, nothing is guaranteed. 6-6 in the Big Ten isn't a lock this season with Michigan's conference record.

Detroit Lions: That was a joke of a game. Two of the worst teams in the NFL (Tampa Bay is the worse, Cleveland is probably worse than both, probably, I hope) squared off in a game that Fox was generous enough to blackout in my local market so I caught it on the radio. Yeah it was awesome to see (or hear) a safety but the game was mind numbingly boring and the Lions showed how much Calvin Johnson means to the team. Stafford missed open wideout and the receivers dropped passes. No, I didn't copy and paste that from my past work. The defense played better besides the Stephen Jackson but still, its the Rams. Nobody showed up to the game, and my patience is getting very tested. Every time we lose, or Raiola flips off a fan (he was awfully mean to me when I got his autograph when I was 12) or we don't improve, I die a little inside. Now one game the rest of the way we have 1 winnable game. Not what I wanted or expected, and all I wanted was 4-12.

College Football This Weekend

WMU vs Buffalo: Western played a great back and forth game on a raw cold day in October. Western's homecoming only brought out about 12,000+ fans but the Broncos played well enough to get a win. Right now all I care about are wins and losses. This game is probably the game that decides if we go 6-6 or 7-5. Right now it seems highly unlikely that WMU can upset MSU. Luckily the Broncos feature the cupcake MAC schedule of Kent St, Eastern Michigan and Ball State. Only one home game remains but the Broncos are playing much more to their potential. Tim Hiller continues to smash WMU and MAC records in the twilight of his great college career. We are showing much more depth and promise from their young players than in past seasons. They are a little banged up at wideout. A second straight bowl and third in four years (which is pretty impressive for a mid major team) looks to be very attainable for the Broncos, with a good core of young talent for the future.

Michigan vs Penn State: Penn State destroyed Michigan in ways we haven't seen since last year. RichRod is 3-9 in the Big Ten so far in his career (in a time when the Big Ten is very awful) and the teams looks to be regressing. Tate Forcier (who if you ask a Michigan backer is "always injured") looks to be playing worse than ever before. Given he is a freshman but he is not developing into anything more polished. The defense is still awful and their two best players are Carr recruits and leaving for the NFL next season. Teams like Wisconsin and Michigan State are going to love U of M's smaller front seven while they run all over it for the next few years. A bowl is still very likely but expecting more out the Wolverines is too much right now.

MSU vs Iowa: Michigan State played a great game, well enough to deserve a win. They made some great offensive plays and Kirk Cousins is developing into a hero as he led the team down the field to take the lead. But of course the Spartan secondary was the weak link and gave up the winning touchdown on fourth down with no time remaining. Pat Narduzzi is the much criticized defensive coordinator for the Spartans, but what do you expect to get from the fan base when after two fade routes to leave Chris L. Rucker on an island? Hes always getting picked on, for goodness sake give him some safety help. This is not SOS by any means, but MSU needs to start winning some big games. I still think Blair White is very awesome.

Notre Dame just survived a game against Boston College.

TCU beat BYU 38-7 on the road in prime time. They should be fifth in the nation, not one loss USC. If USC wants a trip back to the National Title game, then win all your games in the PAC-10. Stop losing a game early and then route everybody else. It's getting old.

Sam Bradford is going to get surgery and enter the NFL draft. This has been a season with nothing but disappointment for the Sooners.

The Crimson Tide barely hung on to beat Tennessee. Bama and Florida will be a playoff for the National Title.

College Football Recap

Michigan State vs Illinois: On Illinois' Homecoming MSU ruined the celebration. With the 24-14 win, MSU got their season back on track and beat a clearly inferior opponent on the road. Sadly, comeback kid Glenn Winston was lost for the season with an ACL tear. It is too late for him to get a medical redshirt, but could redshirt if he does not return from knee surgery well next year. He was the power runner for MSU and the best kick returner so their will be a hole to fill. Larry "The Real Deal" Caper will get most of the snaps with former starter Caulton Ray backing him up, with Ashton Leggett trying to live up to the Baby Caulcrick title. Edwin Baker will most likely redshirt this season. Kirk Cousins missed the game with Keith Nichol taking all the snaps. He injured his non throwing elbow but is day to day and should play against Northwestern. Cousins should be able to play against Northwestern. MSU does not want to pull Andrew Maxwell's redshirt as well. Four Star recruit Joe Boisture has committed to the Spartans so their should be amazing QB depth for MSU the next 6 years or so. Eddie McGee is not as good as Juice Williams. Now we know that for sure.

Michigan vs Iowa: Iowa played worse and U of M played better than expected. For some reason, Tate Forcier was benched on the last two drives while Denard Robinson took over. When given time to run, Robinson can be good. But mark this down U OF M WILL NEVER WIN WITH ROBINSON GETTING MOST OF THE PLAYING TIME!. Robinson can not throw. Unless he does a total 180, he won't ever be a good QB. I can't understand why RichRod would work him out at RB and then throw him out there with the game (and possible Rose Bowl) on the line. U of M did play better, but bottom line, aren't there yet. Their defense is awful and they have some problems on offense with passing. Iowa is a real deal Big Ten contender now.

Florida beat LSU: The Tiger's offense is awful. Tim Tebow played decent returning from a scary concussion. Florida is in the driver seat to win the National title.

Jevan Snead is showing his true colors. He isn't playing well at all this season against any type of talent. He has dropped from first rounder to mid rounder this season. He will almost assuredly return his senior season since he is probably behind Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Jake Locker Jimmy Clausen (who looks to come out early) Dan LeFevour and possibly Tim Tebow. Tim Hiller's draft stock has also taken a hit, until he exploded Saturday with a blowout with against Toledo.

MSU vs. U of M Reaction

When watching the MSU vs. U of M game this weekend I was surprised by a few things. State’s defense looked much better. The offense was as predictable as ever and only big plays from Cousin’s arm (and his feet, he must practice with Nichol on that) kept drives alive. The dumbest moment on the afternoon was U of M faking a punt on fourth and short on their own 17 yard line. And the announcers tried to make it sound like it was Mesko’s call. I know that Zoltan Mesko is one of the more popular players in Ann Arbor (why?) but that was a dumb play all around. I wouldn’t even call that in NCAA Football 2010.

How did MSU’s defense shut down Michigan’s offense at all? They made the “anointed” one Tate Forcier look like a freshman. They were pressuring him and forcing him to make bad decisions. I’m sure Michigan fans will say how hurt he is and all, but that’s no excuse. It’s like saying how Randy Moss didn’t block because his back was hurt, yet he was healthy enough to make ten catches.

Both teams were put in great situations but could not come away with points, which is odd. Both defenses are struggling this season and the weather was not bad enough to affect the offenses too much.

In the end MSU came through in Overtime in an instant classic. Freshman Larry Capers took a run to the house after a toss play lost 9 yards. This is a game that MSU used to lose. Good for Dantonio for getting his guys to play.

From the broadcast:

The announcers were awful. I know it was the Big Ten Network but still. All they did was talk about how much moxy Forcier has or how much of a warrior he is or how he lives for these moments. Then he throws an interception in the end zone in OT. Ooops. I hate how he always limps to the huddle or bends over in pain after every throw. Unless I find out Monday he has swine flu/broken back/broken leg/dislocated shoulder then I will have to label him a “diver” (there you go hockey fans). I get it, he’s pretty good. But he isn’t Tim Tebow. He takes dumb hits and struggles with accuracy. That is all I have to say about Forcier.

MSU has looked very Un-MSU like this season. They are very sloppy and took too many stupid penalties. They have not played to their potential all season and its upsetting. They did continue to play in the 4-3 almost exclusively and shuttle in QBs all day. It reminds me of playing in the sand lot and you would tell a guy, all right I’ll play QBs odds and you even. Nichol did not ruin any drives but did not add much. Kirk Cousins had some big runs (I know!) and made some great throws. The kid looks great sometimes. The running game was much better and continues to improve. If we can build off this success and learn to play defense and run the ball we may be all right.

Michigan State vs Michigan The Rivalry Continues

This weekend when Michigan State and Michigan kick off, a lot more will be at stake than bragging rights. MSU is looking for something to rebound its season. U of M is looking to legitimize its season after winning four games, all at home, with a weaker schedule. Both teams look forward to this game (don't let U of M tell you this game doesn't matter to them, because it does) and although its too early on the calendar for me (the weather wont let you believe that) this should be as big of a game as we have seen in a while.

What MSU needs to do to win: Play defense. Make tackles. MAKE PLAYS! That is probably what the game will come down to. U of M has a poor defense too, and I have confidence that MSU won't shuttle in Nichol at inappropriate moments after last weeks fiasco. Nichol can be used as a change of pace and a spark for the offense. Glenn Winston and Larry Capers needs to churn out yardage and open up the passing game for Kirk Cousins. The defense needs to make tackles, cover people, rush the passer better, basically everything. A spread is exactly what the defense doesn't need. Forcier is hurt (separated shoulder? may not play) and Denard Robinson could shred MSU. Special teams is obviously not going to be a problem for the Spartans.

MSU Can lose if: They turn the ball over, putting an already bad defense in bad situations. If they don't tackle or over pursue the spread they could get killed. They need to be patient on offense and put up a ton of points. Use the cold weather to get another edge at home, don't let it hurt you.

What Michigan needs to do to win: Rack up as many points and yards on the Spartans as you can. There defense is not going to stop you much and you should not lose because you didn't score enough points. On defense, load up on the run and make Cousins or Nichol beat you. The passing game has its own problems, like dropping passes or giving up sacks. You have to use Mesko to your advantage and get good field position to put them in bad situations. Its the first road game for a lot of your players (QB most importantly) and the cold weather could hurt the spread attack. Run the ball and take safe passes until your settled.

Michigan can lose if: They let the road environment get to them having them make mistakes and penalties. If Forcier doesn't play, play to Robinson's strength by throwing less. Him throwing will hurt them, period. The defense needs to make big plays, not be perfect.

I see this game as a shootout with the weather playing a factor. If this game was at Michigan and Forcier was totally healthy, I might go with the Wolverines. But since it is at MSU, and MSU has played a tougher schedule, the Spartans will pull this out. It will be a close, great game so get ready.

MSU 37 Michigan 31

Thoughts From This Weekend

Michigan is better than we thought, but with Tate Forcier injured the Wolverines could be upset this weekend in East Lansing. I know Michigan is 4-0 but they have played two MAC teams (one who is awful, Eastern Michigan and one who is supposed to be good, Western Michigan) Indiana (basically another MAC team) and an overrated Notre Dame team at home. U of M barely pulled out those home victories. You may say, Weston, Notre Dame is very good and can not possibly be overrated. But they are Notre Dame, so therefore they are more highly regarded then they should be.

That being said, MSU looks awful this year. There defense fails to recognize when to leave the base 4-3 and the secondary is getting torched every down. DC Pat Narduzzi should not be on the hot seat just yet. He could be sticking to the 4-3 because he knows how awful the depth at secondary is. The Spartans have to pick a starter at QB, and it has to be Keith Nichol. It is obvious the Spartans won't win the Big Ten this year, or go to a better bowl game than last year for that matter. Nichol has far more upside and can make plays with his feet to offset how awful the defense is. He can get playing time now that will come in handy next year when the defense is better. Cousins has a good arm and is a good starter but is nowhere near the player Nichol can be. If not this week, then soon Nichol has to be announced as the starter until he is injured or so ineffective that Dantonio has no other option. Dantonio is a great coach and will get past this, but this season has given me somethings to question. Why is Glenn Winston on the team? Did anyone forget what he did? Why not redshirt him and let him come back next season a better man? Why can't Dantonio choose a starter? Name one time where a two QB system has worked. Maybe he is adjusting to having a less talented team and is growing into his job. I have full confidence in him, but not in this season.

Notre Dame almost lost to Purdue on the road. Lou Holtz (I know!) actually put them on upset alert. Notre Dame may not be a BCS team this season (or next, or ever).

Houston and Texas Tech played a great game Saturday night. Lots of offense and passing as the Cougars won by one point. I really liked Houston coming into this season and have a great shot at being a BCS buster.

WMU played an awful game against Hofstra. They only beat a D-1AA by 14 points and played not to lose the whole game. It was not reassuring to see an underachieving team play poorly against a less talented opponent. Now the Broncos go to Northern Illinois to take on a surging Husky team. Its almost hockey season.

Stuff You Should Know April 18th Edition

• Daunte Culpepper looks to be in great shape in Lion's Mini Camp. He weighs less than what he did when he was rookie out of Central Florida in camp for the Vikings. I might be drinking a little Kool-Aid, but with him in the best shape of his life, a good wide receiver crew and being reunited with the Offensive Coordinator that helped him be an Elite quarterback in this league, he might have a good season. Although it looks like the Lions are going after a QB with the first pick, Culpepper could be a solid with less weight on his repaired knee and a whole off season with a team. It couldn't hurt to have a solid veteran on the depth chart.
• Offensive Tackle Jason Peters was traded for a first round pick, a fourth round pick and a sixth round pick next year to the Eagles. The Bills put him on the market not too long ago and the Lions were a team in the running. I wish we pulled the trigger on this deal because we have an extra first rounder and plenty of other picks. We need a Left Tackle anyway and could get a young proven winner to anchor the line. Maybe this means the Lions want to draft QB and defense in the first round.
• Greg Paulus rumors have ceased in Ann Arbor. It seems he is no longer being courted by the Corn and Blue. I think it would have been helpful for both parties if he joined the team as a backup. He could have gotten a year of practice and probably a few snaps under his belt and ANOTHER free year of college (that only matters to me because of the fact I am in college) and Michigan could have gotten some depth. Paulus was getting looks from the Packers for a career in the NFL, and a year with a D-1 program would have helped his stock. Front runner for the QB job Tate Forcier wasn't happy about this and shouldn't have been. I know RichRod tells less than the truth a lot, like not leaving hometown WVU, not (allegedly) cheating on his wife and to obviously Tate. I knew they would start a freshman at QB to fit Rodriguez's system and anything otherwise would be detrimental to their development as a team. You think this will hurt recruiting for the Wolverines?