Amid the firestorm

I'll be the first to admit I haven't been the most avid Michigan fan in recent years. It wasn't until about 3-4 years ago that I really started following the Wolverines closely.

That being said, I think there are a lot of things that people on here (and around the fanbase) need to realize. Let me summarize first,

* We have a freshmen quarterback.
* Our offensive line is not really any good.
* The defense has some solid players, but no depth, and a lot of inexperience.
* The defensive talent overall is bad.
* Athleticism on both sides of the ball is really mediocre.

As somebody who watched Rich Rodriguez-coached teams for many years (lived in Pittsburgh, watched them kick our ass every year), I can tell you that he hasn't suddenly forgotten how to coach and that he'll fail in the Big Ten. There are a number of factors that have been discussed here that have attributed to the program's identity at this point, and all you need is patience, really.

The bottom line is, this team isn't that good. As I said, we have a medicore offensive line. Our receivers really aren't anything to write home about. Greg Mathews is a glorified possession receiver who doesn't see the ball enough. Junior Hemingway was big against MAC teams but disappeared. Stonum is the best talent we have, and he's young, so give him some time.

The running backs are fairly solid, though always plagued by injuries. Shaw and Brown are our best playmakers, but they don't seem to break out enough. Minor is a monster, but again, always hurt.

And there's Forcier. He's been under a tremendous amount of pressure since he came here, and he's played admirably at times. But the dude's a freshmen. Wait a while before we pass judgments on him.

Many will sit here and blame the coaches for such things like fumbling, execution, etc. But Rich Rodriguez isn't out there holding the ball, or telling Tate to run backwards ten yards instead of throwing it out of bounds.

Yes, I agree this team appears to be lacking in fire and passion, but it's also such a young team that it's almost impossible to really judge where they are and where they'll end up. People just need to be patient, and let Rich Rodriguez and his staff remake this program. Because at this point in time, the Michigan Wolverines are just a huge work in progress.

2010 Commitments

This is a running list of current commitments in the 2010 class. I'll give a breakdown of where they'll end up at a later date, but this is more of a compilation list for y'all.

Total Commitments = 27

QB's
1. Devin Gardner - 6"4, 200 lbs (Inkster, MI) 5*/4* scout/rivals. ESPN 81
2. Conelius Jones - 6"2, 195 lbs (Spartanburg, SC) 2*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 77

RB's
1. Stephen Hopkins - 6"0, 220 lbs (Flower Mound, TX) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 77
2. Austin White - 6"0, 185 lbs (Livonia, MI) 4*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 77

WR's
1. Ricardo Miller - 6"2, 205 lbs (Ann Arbor, MI) 4*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 80
2. Jeremy Jackson 6"3, 195 lbs (Ann Arbor, MI) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 79
3. Jerald Robinson - 6"2, 175 lbs (Canton, OH) 4*/4* scout/rivals. ESPN 77

Slots
1. DJ Williamson - 6"1, 175 lbs (Warren, OH) 2*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 78
2. Drew Dileo - 5"10, 175 lbs (Baton Rouge, LA) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 75

OL
1. Christian Pace - 6"2, 260 lbs (Avon Lake, OH) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 79

DE's
1. Kenny Wilkins - 6"3, 240 lbs (Washington, PA) 3*/4* scout/rivals. ESPN 77
2. Jordan Paskorz - 6"3, 230 lbs (Allison Park, PA) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 78
3. Jibreel Black - 6"2, 252 lbs (Wyoming, OH) 4/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 78

DT's
1. Terry Talbott - 6"4, 250 lbs (Huber Heights, OH) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 75
2. Richard Ash - 6"3, 265 lbs (Pahokee, FL) 3*/4* scout/rivals. ESPN 77

LB's
1. Antonio Kinard - 6"4, 210 lbs (Youngstown, OH) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 77
2. Josh Furman - 6"3, 195 lbs (Millersville, MD) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 78
3. Davion Rogers - 6"6, 210 lbs (Warren, OH) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 78
4. Jake Ryan - 6"3, 220 lbs (Cleveland, OH) 2*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 40

CB's
1. Cullen Christian - 6"1, 180 lbs (Pittsburgh, PA) 4*/4* scout/rivals. ESPN 79
2. Terrance Talbott - 5"10, 170 lbs (Huber Heights, OH) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 78
3. Courtney Avery - 5"10, 165 lbs (Lexinton, OH) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 73

Safety
1. Carvin Johnson - 6"0, 185 lbs (Metairie, LA) 3*/NA scout/rivals. ESPN NA.
2. Ray Vinopal - 5"11, 185 lbs (Youngstown, OH) 2*/2* scout/rivals. ESPN 68
3. Marvin Robinson - 6"1, 203 lbs (Eagle Lake, FL) 4*/4* scout/rivals. ESPN 79
4. Demar Dorsey - 6"1, 175 lbs (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) 4*/4* scout/rivals. ESPN 85

Punter
1. Will Hagerup - 6"4, 210 (Whitefish Bay, WI) 3*/3* scout/rivals. ESPN 79


Early Enrollees

• QB Devin Gardner
• RB Stephen Hopkins
• RB Austin White
• WR Ricardo Miller
• WR Jerald Robinson
  
• WR Jeremy Jackson
• OL Christian Pace
  

Big Ten Rankings: The Ocho

Wednesday is a bit of a slow day for me, so I figured I'd post up some rankings to please all the avid readers.

Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 8
1. Iowa 8-0 (4-0)
After barely escaping Sparty last week, Iowa remains #1 in the polls. They've gotten a lot of (well-deserved) attention in the national media in recent weeks, and Big Ten fans should be cheering for them to finish the season undefeated and represent the conference in a BCS game. Ohio State still has something to say on that matter...

2. Penn State 7-1 (3-1)
Penn State's early season loss to Iowa isn't looking so bad anymore. They've played very well in Big Ten play in so far, and should they win out, the Nittany Lions may just find themselves in a BCS bowl. Again, Ohio State has something to say about that.

3. Ohio State 6-2 (4-1)
Ohio State's loss to Purdue was crushing, but they still possess the ability to win the conference and head to another BCS bowl game. Pryor seems to be progressing (if you can say that after one week.. against Minnesota) and the defense is strong as always. The Bucks face both Iowa and Penn State in coming weeks, so their destiny (and the fate of the conference) is entirely in their hands.

4. Wisconsin 5-2 (2-2)
Bret Bielema has done a solid job with the team this season after a lot of heat in the off-season. The Badgers took a week off and have two very winnable games against Purdue and Indiana to solidify their Big Ten record and a bowl berth. Depending on what Michigan shows up in a few weeks, Wisconsin could be 8-2 heading into the Northwestern game, before finishing up at Hawaii.

5. Michigan State 4-4 (3-2)
The Spartans record won't show it, but they have improved a lot after starting the season 1-3. They suffered a really tough loss against Iowa last week, but have three very winnable games against floundering Minnesota, Purdue, and Western Michigan. A bowl is definitely on the horizon for Dantonio and the boys in EL.

6. Northwestern 5-3 (2-2)
The Cats' came back after being down by 13 to beat Indiana last week. This isn't the same team as last year's 9-4 team, but the Wildcats are very scrappy and find different ways to beat you. They should reach bowl eligibility but have a very tough road there with games against ranked Penn State and Iowa in consecutive weeks.

7. Michigan 5-3 (1-3)
Though Michigan has struggled mightily in conference play, they've improved a lot since last year's debacle. If Forcier can play better at QB and the offense can sustain some rythym, this team should have no problem reaching 6 or 7 wins, and a much needed bowl-berth.

8. Minnesota 4-4 (2-3)
Minnesota has really struggled after starting the season off pretty well. News broke yesterday that star wide receiver Eric Decker would be out for the remainder of the year, and with Adam Weber's struggles at QB, don't be surprised to see Marquis Gray see some playing time. Minnesota still has to face MSU and Iowa, so beating Illinois and South Dakota State is paramount if the Gophers wish to go bowling.

9. Purdue 3-5 (2-2)
The Boilermakers have come on strong lately, defeating Ohio State and Illinois in consecutive weeks. They'll finish the season with 3 out of their 4 games on the road, at Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. This team has the potential to win 3 games and make a bowl, but a lot would have to fall into place for that to happen.

10. Indiana 4-4 (1-3)
Indiana gave up a big lead and fell to Northwestern last week 29-28, and they'll have to come back strong as they face Iowa this week. With road games at Iowa and Penn State, Indiana will have to defeat Wisconsin and Purdue at home, so it looks like Bill Lynch and the boys will be sitting this post-season out once again.

11. Illinois 1-6 (0-5)
Illinois.. Well, they've struggled badly this year. The offense has scored more than 20 points against a team with a pulse, and the defense can't stop anyone either. A very beat up Michigan team comes to town this week, so there is a shot for a win there.. but things aren't looking good for the Fighting Zookers.

Previewin' Illinois Defense

Unlike Illinois offense, the defense was not expected to be very strong this year. Gone was leading tackler Brit Miller, and first-round draft pick Vontae Davis. Martez Wilson stepped into the middle linebacking role, only to watch his season disappear because of a bad neck injury.

As the offensive struggles have been well-documented throughout the year, so has the defenses' inability to stop anybody thus far into the season. So far the Fighting Illini have been outscored by their opponents 194-113. Though the offense has struggled the defense refuses to keep most opponents out of the endzone, giving up 27.7 points per game.

Care for some more statistics? Chart.










Now I threw in past stats here just for comparison. As you can see, the absence of both Brit Miller and Vontae Davis appear to be hurting the defense a lot more than anticipated. Davis didn't intercept many passes but was considered a "lockdown corner", which means people didn't throw his way.

The Illini don't have whole lot in the way of playmakers on defense. Ian Thomas is the team's leading tackler with 53, and Doug Pilcher leads in sacks with 2.5. On the year the team as a whole has a whopping 7 sacks, compared to 24 given up to their opponents. Couple that with 3 inteceptions, and you have a very mediocre defense that can't stop anybody, and can't take the ball away from them either.

If Michigan wants to be successful against Illinois they'll have to..

• Stop turning the damn ball over. Seriously.
• Find an offensive rhythm, with both the running game and the passing game.
• Run the ball down Illinois' throats.

Seriously, it won't be that hard. This team is very average on defense, and in my humble opinion, they've given up on the season. After last year's obliteration at the Big House, I think the Illini deserve an ass-whoopin' by Mr. Brown, Mr. Minor, and maybe Mr. Shaw as well.

The Prediction: Michigan 28, Illinois 14.

Previewin' Illinois Offense

It's been a rough year for Juice and the boys.

Coming into the season a lot of high, and in my mind, unfair expectations were placed on the Illini. After falling to a 5-7 record last year, many experts believed Ron Zook would lead a veteran team filled with an All-Big Ten caliber duo at Quarterback and Wide Receiver back to the promised land that was the Rose Bowl. With Juice Williams piloting the offense for the third consecutive season, and a cadre of explosive wide receivers and running backs to spread the ball around to, surely this offense would take off and ravage the Big Ten, right?

Well.. things haven't played out for Illinois exactly as many (if any) expected. The offense is ranked 77th in the nation, producing just 353.29 YPG. Juice Williams has struggled to produce, passing for just 963 yards with 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions thus far into the season. His favorite target, NFL-bound Arrellious Benn, has caught 25 passes for 287 yards. The passing offense stinks, and for a number of reasons.

Williams has always been considered a scrambler, but has spent much of his time this year being chased out of the pocket by opposing defenders. The offensive line play has been very bad in regards to pass blocking. The running game, on the other hand, actually hasn't fared too badly, despite using a number of different backs. The Illini sit 40th in the country at 170 YPG, with Mikel Leshoure, Daniel Dufrene, and Jason Ford all carrying the ball for over 200 yards. Now it should be noted that a lot of Illinois' rushing yards have come in garbage time (i.e- every game for them so far) so these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt.

Illinois does have some very explosive players on the outside, including the aforementioned Benn, Jarred Fayson, and Chris Duvault, though none have proven to be extremely potent threats to opposing defenses thus far. Michigan will have to lock down on Benn and pray to god Fayson or Duvault don't decide to turn it on against them.

Part 2: Defense, coming tomorrow.

My mind lately

... Has been clouded. Yeah, I was one of those fans who was deluded by the 4-0 start. It was great beating Western, Eastern, Central, Indiana, and a slightly overrated Notre Dame team. But I think Michigan fans, and college football fans in general, forgot what this team was just a year ago.

We still have a freshmen quarterback who's not perfect, who's not always going to be in-sync, and who's not always going to have a superb game. The offensive line is still a project and only functional at this point. The running backs have been consistent and consistently hurt, and the wide receivers have improved a little but are still suffering from a lack of a deep threat and the ever omnipresent "dropsies". Don't get me started on the defense; they've played very well at times and they deserve a lot more credit than people are giving them.

Things could be a lot worse right now. I believe it's a credit to Rich Rodriguez, his staff, and the players to where this team is at this point in time. I mean people, we're one game away from bowl eligibility! Yeah, in the past that would suck. People would scoff at 6 wins and say "what the hell, they're Michigan. They aren't in a BCS game?" Well times have changed. I know how badly it felt to watch this team not go to a bowl game last year, and you can bet the players and coaches felt worse about it.

So here's to maybe winning another game or two and finishing 7-5. Here's to a berth in the lowly Alamo Bowl or Champs Sports Bowl, and getting the team that much needed extra practice. Here's to a work in progress that has me banging my head against the wall one moment, to cheering the next.

When you're feeling down

A little too much of this on Saturday.

Today I've spent much of my time reading about how Penn State dominated Michigan yesterday, and how they're legit BCS contenders once again. Let me just set the record straight here- Penn State is still not as good as everybody thinks they are.

Sure, they're probably a top-20-or-so team. Top 10? Probably not. Michigan shot itself in the foot time after time yesterday. The offensive line got no push, receivers dropped the damn ball, oh, and our two freshmen quarterbacks were out of sync and played like shit the entire game.

This Michigan team is just one year removed from the horror that was 2008. After they raced off to a 4-0 start people were thinking 10-2 and a Big Ten Title. Well, it's good that these losses have happened, because expectations needed to be tempered. This is just an average team. I said it.

Michigan fans need to be ok with that. Last year this team blew, and went 3-9. A 6 or 7 win season is a big thing in my mind, so if this team is playing in the Valero Alamo Bowl come December, I think everyone needs to appreciate the job the staff and players have done since last year. As a matter of fact, it may not even be next year before this team returns to the top of the Big 10, but people need to remember this is a work in progress.

Oh, and we get Devin Gardner next year. Woot!