Status Report

Spring football scrimmages are always perplexing to me. It is hard to tell whether all starting players on the offense are playing against all potential starters on defense. The situation in Ann Arbor on Saturday seemed to be a mixed bag. Denard Robinson was sent out with 1st team offense against a mix of backup DB's and the starting linebacker corps., and Tate Forcier was sent out with a ton of Freshman against equally mixed defense.

No one got injured, and I imagine the coaches didn't pull all the fancy plays out of the book. It's difficult for me to place where this Michigan team stands in comparison to last year. I definitely think the team *will* be better. How much better is dependent on how Rodriguez uses the weapons he has, because the team has all the pieces to be good.

Random Thoughts


QBs: If Tate ever gets pulled in a game because of poor play, the opposing team better watch out. Denard looked scary good, and was zinging passes all around the field, and cut upfield if everyone was blanketed. I doubt Robinson would get the starting job, but stranger things have happened. Devin Gardner on the other hand, better not ever see the field. He walked out amidst a rousing cheer, and fumbled his first snap, and threw an interception a few passes later.

RBs: Vincent Smith didn't play, and Mike Shaw and Fitz Toussant didn't really do much. Mike Cox ran in a TD with some nifty moves, so perhaps he will step up in games.

WR: Roy Roundtree stole the show again this year, and he's got the most ability. Jeremy Gallon made some awesome leaps to grab high balls, and Daryl Stonum was a non-factor. The beauty of this group is that there are so many of them, after being thin two years ago, that Rodriguez won't have any problem putting in the right guy for specific plays.

Defense: Hard to judge. DBs looked better, and Obi Ezeh was all over the field. Don't really know much beyond that.

Rodriguez has got to get all the pieces locked in, because this is do or die time...and anything less than six bowl-eligibility-making wins is going to draw the wrath of the fanbase.

All In Favor? All In For Michigan.

If I could think of one accomplishment to have in my young life, it'd be starting a cry for Bill Martin's head on a maize 'n' blue platter. The news on WTKA this morning is that Michigan is likely going to open its 2010 season -- the first season with the fully completed skyboxes -- against the University of Massachusetts. Huh?

2007: Appalachian State; 2008: Toledo; 2009: Delaware State; 2010: UMass

It seems that the quality of nonconference opponents is inexplicably going down from year to year, with the probability of losing and being nationally embarrassed going up exponentially. And the kicker is that Bill Martin is the one that keeps suggesting all these crappy teams to invite to the Big House, and the athletic department just does whatever he says. I swear Martin just digs out his Blackberry and scrolls through the list of his AD friends and thinks, "Hmm, which one can I invite to the Big House this year??? I'll pick Southwest Northern Middle Alabama State Technical Vocational College! That'll draw a sellout crowd of (now) 106,701! Weeee off to play on my yacht and get more money for the University!" True story.

I fully acknowledge that Mr. Martin has made the athletic department consistently profitable, but...really? This is freakin' Michigan people...it's not exactly hard to get people to give money to the school. This is a case where Ohio State actually looks better than Michigan does in scheduling. Yes, they play every school from Ohio each season, at home, but they willingly go play a top five team each and every year, including on the road every other year. When is the last time Michigan played a nonconference team that was nationally relevant? Oh right it was two seasons ago when we played Oregon. The athletic director at the time was one William C. Martin, president of the United States Sailing Foundation. Has he met his 2009 self??

Michigan's big nonconference opponents, year by year since 1997:

1997: Colorado (good team); W 27-3
1998: Syracuse (good team led by Donovan McNabb); L 38-28
1999: Syracuse (not quite as good); W 18-13
2000: #14 UCLA; L 23-20 -- whenever the score of a Michigan game is 23 to 20, it's a loss.
<<>>
2001: Washington (clusterf*&k of a game); L 23-18
2002: #3 Washington AND Utah; W 31-29 (go Phil Brabbs!) and W 10-7 (lol)
2003: #22 Oregon (Michigan ranked #3); L 31-27
2004: Unranked San Diego State; W 24-21
2005: Unranked N. Illinois; W 43-17
2006: Unranked Vanderbilt; W 27-7
2007: Appalachian State (the fill-in team) AND Oregon; L 34-32 and L 39-7
2008: Utah AND Toledo (fill-in team); L 25-23 and L 13-10

Note that Michigan's quality of bowl game reached has declined since 2003 with the exception of the 2004 Rose Bowl against Texas. It's kind of arbitrary, but they've basically alternated between the Outback Bowl and Capitol One Bowl since that date.

It just appears that as Michigan's strength as a football team declined with the departures of big-time players, Martin got cold feet and wussed out at challenging his coaches. Which is a paradox considering we had a god mode team from 2004-2007 and Lloyd was still into it up to 2007.

There are some that applaud cupcake scheduling, but I don't want Michigan to be sitting at 11-1 two years from now at the end of a season, and have the College Gameday guys sway the BCS folks from putting Michigan in the title game when it's a dead heat between them and like Texas and Florida and have Michigan get voted out because they played Eastern Michigan, a 6-6 Notre Dame team, and Idaho.

I want to see a team from a power conference on the schedule each year. I want to see West Virginia, Florida State, USC, Oklahoma State, Tennessee pleading to play with Michigan. It doesn't matter whether it's home or away just schedule the thing!

Michigan Football: Scheduling Teams They Should Beat But Losing Since 2007

I just think Bill Martin doesn't really *fight* for Michigan. He's more concerned about the bottom line than how he gets there.
As if this troubling pattern isn't enough, Michigan is playing Iowa at 8:00 at night this year (televised on ABC nationally), whereas Martin spends $260 mil on the stadium and doesn't even put friggin' lights on in the hopes of having the first ever night game (well, a game that starts when the sun is already down that is). He knows a lot of the old-timers wouldn't go, but then again, a lot of them could surprise. And the others: Screw 'em. Gives a chance for the louder fans to go to a game.

So, with that, I'm starting a petition for the removal of Bill Martin as AD.
What are some other teams you'd like to see Michigan play (besides Deleware State of course)?

Post-Script: I clap for Sailboat Bill that he brought Rodriguez here, but from everything we've learned, it sounds like Mary Sue Coleman put her foot down and made him go after RR after the Les Miles "debacle".

The theme this season is "All In For Michigan." But is Martin?

It Begins. Three days after the Draft the national mockery of the Lions starts anew. Last night on The Late Show Stafford showed up:

Top Ten Thoughts That Went Through Matthew Stafford's Mind On Draft Day

You don't often hear, "Congratulations, you're going to Detroit" Why am I the only one who came to Radio City Music Hall dressed as a Rockette? If the Lions win one game this year, I'm a hero Anybody dumps Gatorade on me and I'll deck 'em Holy crap, I think I just pulled a hamstring I didn't think anything could top the excitement of Heidi and Spencer getting married Is it me or does NFL Commissioner Goodell look like a young Larry Hagman? Why am I here when I could be at that movie where Beyonce and that babe fight? Why does Jessica Simpson keep calling me? I'd gladly go #2 if it means not having to appear on Letterman

Michigan Football in April

I'm a few hours removed from Michigan's first RichRod-run Spring game (one that was open to the public anyways), and the team is already looking much-improved over last year. The format was both interesting and bizarre, but RichRod did a good job keeping the pace going so as to not cause fans to lose interest. It was full-contact hitting aside from big red numbers on the jerseys of the two quarterbacks, and in Tate Forcier's case the red number means, "If you hurt me there's 50,000 fans that will run down here and kill you."


The rules for the Spring Game were the following: Coach Rod started with the special teams units, with light contact and some blocked kicks. For the actual scrimmage, there wasn't any limit to the number of plays or types of drills. It was called in a game-type situation, with actual referees and all the proper enforcements of rules and on-the-fly playcalling, as well as some specific "end-game" scenarios such as down by 8 with a few minutes to go. The offense started either from the 2-yard line or about the 40, and played normal drives, and the defense got points if they were able to get a stop, or got fumble recoveries or pass break-ups.

About 50,000 fans turned out which is refreshing after a 3-9 season. So perhaps in another year or two we could outdo Alabama's famous Spring Game attendence boasts. Most of the credit goes to Rodriguez for being sort of the promoter to get people to come to this event, and people seem to be responding to his efforts to pump up the enthusiasm for the experiences of Michigan games rather than the just the on-the-field action.


Tate Forcier is as quick as you can imagine, throws lasers like Chad Henne, and has incredible awareness in the pocket. He appears to be like a faster and more coachable version of Ryan Mallett. He fakes the ball brilliantly, scampers around when the defense is closing around him, and for the whole afternoon he didn't get sacked for a loss or make poor throws. He did fumble once, and overthrew guys several times, but compared to Steven Threet it's a world of improvement.

Highlights of Michigan Spring Game as I see it:

-- David Cone pulled off a miracle Threet-esque QB run for about 40 yards early on. Woo CONER
-- Forcier throws insanely hard, because guys were dropping balls left and right. And he runs right at the defense and will likely not shy away from taking some hits come Fall.
-- Several key players did not play, including Kevin Koger, Michael Shaw, Jonas Mouton and of course, Sheridammit. I imagine the offense to be in good shape when those guys are healthy.
-- Roy Roundtree caught a total beauty of a pass/bomb from Forcier in the center of the field and streaked down to the endzone. Finally Michigan has a deep passing game again.
-- Forcier did not run any option plays, but did do the zone read play a lot, and already looks like he knows when to keep and when to handoff unlike Threet.
-- Jimmy Potempa gets bonus points for scoring the most TDs of any running back...amidst taking some big hits and not going down. Go Michigan Rudy!
-- I'm concerned about Michigan's safeties. One freshman safety was totally faked out by Carlos Brown on the left sideline, and could not catch him if his life depended on it. I recall now it was Vlad Emelion
-- Most encouraging play of the day came when Forcier snapped the ball from about the 10, scampered around, found no one open, pulled the ball in and charged at the goal line, and dove across the plane while taking a big hit for a score. That's what we want to see come Fall.
-- Brandon Minor made no noteworthy runs, so I expect them to use Carlos Brown, Shaw, and the quick Freshman Vincent Smith (MacGuffie's replacement, oddly also wearing #2) regularly, because they are all really good.
-- Michigan's two kickers seem adequate for replacing K.C. Lopata. I don't remember their names because they're really weird.

Basically, if Forcier chugs along through summer workouts, earns the starting job over Denard Robinson, and doesn't get hurt, I think Michigan is in for a good season.

Alarming Sidenote Unrelated to acutal Football: I am hoping this was just because the stadium wasn't completely full and the skyboxes weren't encased in protective wrapping, but, when the stadium announcer was recounting plays on the field, there was this really awful and distracting echo that was clanging off of the opposite skybox. He would say something, and then you'd hear it clear as a bell rebound off the East skybox structure. I was not a fan. I hope to God that they fix that before the season or else Bill Martin is going to have an angry mob at his doorstep. Moreso.

A 21st Century Michigan Football Manifesto

Isn't it remarkable that for the first time in most of our lifetimes, we all witnessed quite possibly the worst season of Michigan football in 129 years? Think about that: this is the first time in FORTY years that the win-loss record has been below .500.  I saw a thing where Michigan State had 2 consecutive winning seasons for the first time in almost that long.  All Michigan does is win football games!  It's only natural then, that a ton of the old-fashioned types or the panicky types fear for the future of Big Blue. It is to those folks and any others who are waning in their faith for the Yellow and Blue that I offer my manifesto.

Things change, but the tradition of Michigan does not. I don't have to sit here on a soap box and go over all that's been said about why Rodriguez was or was not the perfect hire for Michigan. I personally believe that in 2 seasons Michigan will be in Pasedena. People like Jim Carty say Rodriguez eroded the family values put in place by his predecessors. Maybe, but only to replace them with new ones. Rodriguez personally met with each player when he got to Ann Arbor, and on Senior Day accompanied Brandon Harrison on the field because his parents were late getting to the Big House. I have a different view: Rich Rodriguez was caught off guard by the aura of Michigan. Can anyone besides Bo, Carr, Moeller and now Rodriguez truly explain what it's like to step into the head job at the most legendary program in college football? No. Rodriguez just simply could not have been prepared for what to expect. No one jumped on him at West Virginia because he told some critical fans to get a life...because he was their guy, he was from within. If Lloyd Carr had said something like that we all would have laughed and said, "That's 'ol Lloyd, sticking up for his program." Why is it any different when a guy from outside the program does it?

Michigan's bowl game streak may be over, something many thought would never happen (Ha!), but if that's the casualty for putting something in place that will enable the program to win for years to come, then fine.

There's one redeeming aspect in all of this:  At least we aren't Notre Dame 

Number of players that left when Bo was hired: 65

Number of players to leave so far in the Rodriguez era: 7, may be 8 if McGuffie bails

- Rich Rodriguez Contract: 6 years, $2.5 million/year

- Cost to the University if he were fired after year one:  $4 million dollars plus $300,000 base salary plus $1.65 million for one year of compsenation = $5.95 million

- Charlie Weis contract: 10 years, $4 million/year

- Cost to University of Notre Dame if Weis is fired in year four, after a 6-6 season: $20 million

And so, my fellow Maize and Blue brethren, it is thus said:

Rich Rodriguez is not Lloyd Carr. In fact, just about the furthest thing from Lloyd Carr. That's a good thing.  Isn't it weird that the media could actually access the Michigan football coach? This falls into my point about how RR was so underprepared to deal with the baggage that comes with being the head football coach at Michigan: at times you could see frustration in his mannerisms, he snapped at reporters, but in the good like "why did you ask that" way, and was a little too off the cuff, but in a way it's good because RR has a PERSONALITY. Now, that's nothing against Carr, especially since I have personally met the man. I have never been in awe of anyone more than Lloyd Carr.

We can finally stop having to say Michigan wastes its talent by going 8-4 every season. Because after 3-9, how can it get any worse?? Do you think Rodriguez will allow any recruit to come in from this point on with the same phone-it-in attitude that a lot of Carr's guys had (see: Morgan Trent)? No. Anyone that doesn't buy into his system and what is expected of them as players will be stripped of their starting job or will leave the program in a pissy fit of anger (see: Justin Boren -- seriously, the guy left because Rodriguez cursed at him too much and Barwis made him feel fat.)  Tate Forcier is coming here on January 2nd and is already pumped to take away Threet's job.

We have witnessed the one and only season in the history of Michigan football in which a walk-on quarterback was asked to lead a horrendous team and thus cause him to be even stinkier. I have never seen a quarterback as bad as Nick Sheridan, and it just shows how Lloyd Carr completely forgot to recruit other quarterbacks to fill in for Ryan Mallet, his assumed starter. What in the world would we have done if Steven Threet had not transferred last year?

Badges of Fandom were earned this past season and helped to attrition the less-than Michigan faithful. Those of us who stood in utter shock as Toledo charged onto our field, victorious, or those who held onto hope at halftime of the Wisconsin game and stayed put as thousands of others filed for the exits. Or those who stood in the combination rain and snow storm, shivering, ever-hopeful that Nick Sheridan would complete one damn pass to put Northwestern to bed. WE are true Michigan fans. I'll remember all these games this year almost more than any others in the 17 years I have been sitting in that stadium watching champions being born. It tested our will as Michigan Men, but we still came to the stadium every Saturday because we know what is at the end of the tunnel.

Never again will we endure a season with losses to ND/OSU/MSU in the same season. Rodriguez will never forget Weis attempting to throw a 60 yard bomb with a 3 score lead, or that dick Dantonio saying that only if his team had a 3-9 record would they have been embarrassed losing to Penn State, or Tressel putting his benched senior quarterback in a game he had no danger of losing control of to pile on two more TD's, with Woody Hayes's famed 50 point beatdown in 1967 lurking in the back of his brain (anyone who says that wasn't what he was trying to do is fooling themselves).

Just keep this vision in your head: Rich Rodriguez, standing on a platform, hoisting a crystal football, marking the awakening of the Sleeping Giant of college football. Desmond Howard said during Ohio State week that he believes. We all should, too.

We. Will. Be. A. Fucking. Machine.