Bleacher Report - Articles by ErocWolverine

Michigan Wolverines Practice Report

ErocWolverine — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:50:29 -0400

Michigan Football Tidbits: Practice Report from Thursday Coaches Clinic.

First off, The Rumor around the clinic today—Jason Forcier might be coming to Michigan as a Graduate Assistant. This is good in two ways: 1. More Forcier’s in Ann Arbor, and 2. Somebody to help Tate deal with a lot of pressure on him this fall.

Overall, we were impressed with how much fun the kids seem to be having today. Coaches and players are a lot more comfortable and seemed to enjoy practice, unlike last year. We'll here the coach's speech's tomorrow so we'll have more information on what they are looking for and also what they want to do.

The team is way ahead of last year, but still has many of the same issues. Our running game looks good, but the passing game still a long way to go—especially the quarterbacks. We're specifically referring to the big difference between drills, scrimmages, and games, which we have been trying to point out.

One comment on the Florida kids—it is so obvious that they have football instincts better than most (something the water? the air? the oranges?).

In our opinion, if we had to numerically judge, the defense won Thursday practice 55 percent to 45 percent over the offense.

There were two different types of scrimmages on Thursday. First, there was a running game only scrimmage in which the offensive line gashed the defense big-time. Then they went to a full scrimmage—including passing—where the defense beat up the offense.

Remember, our observations are based off of this ONE PRACTICE. Things change daily, especially in spring practices. So do not go overboard with the comments below, especially on our evaluations on how certain players played today. Good or bad, it is only one practice.

First Group Offense on Thurday:
Forcier (QB), Minor (RB), Stonum (SE), Odoms (Slot), Ortmann (LT), Schilling (LG), Molk (OC), Moosman (RG), Huyge (RT), Koger (TE), Mathews (SE).

Second Group Offense on Thursday:
Cone (QB), Brown (RB), Savoy (SE), T. Robinson (Slot), Dorrestein (LT), Mealer (LG), McAvoy (OC), Ferrara (RG), Omameh (RT), Webb (TE), Hemingway (SE).

Quarterbacks are way ahead of last year—WAY ahead, but they still raise major concerns. The main one being depth, they need more players. Obviously, Tate is athletically better than what we had last year.

Our best position group—it is not even close in our opinion—is Tight End. Webb was very good today. Moore is the third tight end, but impressive.

We did not get the ball to the wide receivers enough, but we did pass to the tight ends and, of course, to the slot receivers.

No I-formation in the scrimmage today, but they used it a couple of times in drills with Grady at fullback.

Quarterbacks:
Feagin did not practice. Cone is Cone. Forcier had a rough practice, and I mean a ROUGH! (which is expected at this stage with him still being practically a high school-er.) He does fine when moving, but when he tries to go in the pocket, he cannot see, so he moves out of it too fast. His release is impressive.

They are rolling Tate out a lot, which might be because of the height issues. Tate is a football junkie, so things will get better, but he is not going to win the Heisman this year.

So all those of you that are so high on him from reports of practices—cool your jets. We think Denard is going to see playing time—somewhere, sometime—maybe not as starter, but some way. With his speed, he is a weapon that must be deployed.

Running Backs:
Minor, C. Brown, and V. Smith all had a good day, all with the first group. C. Brown looked very good and has his speed back—no red jersey today either. V. Smith was in there a lot and went with both groups. Cox barely played.

Slot Receivers:
T. Robinson had a great practice and caught a bunch of passes. T-Rob is as good as Odoms, however, he caught a pass and went out of bounds: lets just say he "heard about it" from Coach Rod. Roundtree played a lot at slot receiver.

Split Ends:
Stonum played well, though he dropped a touchdown pass. Rogers was in a green jersey—not great today.

Offensive Line:
Khoury was on third team at OC. Ortmann is huge and our left side of the offensive line looks pretty good right now. Huyge's play was the shock of the day. Omameh is just not ready, but he works his ass off.

In our opinion he is a year away, but again, with depth issues he might be forced to play. He is raw, but works hard, so give him some time. Have to think Barnum is going to play, but Huyge has won the spot as of now at RT.

Thanks for stopping by http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/
If you have any questions please e-mail erocwolverine@gmail.com

Written by MaizeMan, ErocWolverine, JT, twebber55, and Morencie124.

Michigan Mailbag Question: Is Recruit Marvin Robinson Still Going To Ann Arbor?

ErocWolverine — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:36:11 -0400

Hi Dude,

Just wondering what the scoop is with M. Robinson. Have not been hearing much about him lately and it is worrying me a little. He was thought to be a Wolverine lock and now he seems to be wavering a bit.

Jamie

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Thanks for the question.

First off, I'm not sure any kid is a lock until the fax of his letter of intent is sent in, especially one that has not even publicly committed to a school at this time.

We have heard good things about Marvin Robinson in the past, that is for sure. One thing about him, both coaching staffs (Carr and Rod) should be given a lot of credit for his recruiting, since he was offered a long time ago when he attended Carr's summer camp. He has had Michigan near the top ever since then and always has positive things to say about Michigan whenever he is interviewed.

Now has Michigan slipped lately? Naw, I do not believe so, but he is going to visit other programs, and anytime a recruit does that, you just never know what will happen.

When Robinson came up for a game in the fall, all indications at that time were very positive toward Michigan. Things looked great since then, because a lot of Florida kids have jumped on board, with others taking a good look at Michigan as well. Some of these kids are close friends of Robinson, or have become friends, so that is always a good sign.

Some kids know where they want to go, but want to take free visits to other college programs to see what they have to offer. Did I mention a free trip?

Right now, I am not worried about Marvin Robinson, and as of right now I look for him to be in this 2010 Michigan class.

Quick recruiting note: Fans get caught up on a kid, especially one that they have been following a long time. I think it is best if fans would not get so emotionally attached to recruits until a kid actually commits. Recruiting is getting earlier and earlier, so names will keep coming out all the time. Just because a name comes up first does not mean he is the best choice, or best fit, for a program.

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com and look for the football practice reports, Michigan Stadium pictures, practice videos, and football tidbits not found here. Also, make sure to sign up for the daily e-mails on other articles not covered here.

We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, and softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now. We also have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine

Michigan Mailbag Question: Recruiting Rankings

ErocWolverine — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:31:51 -0400

Regarding the recruiting rankings provided by Scout on Bleacher Report, why are schools ranked by total points? Ohio State has the most points with 4,799 - but they needed 25 commits to get those points and averaged 192 points per recruit. However, Georgia only needed 20 commits to get 4,121 points - averaging 206 points per recruit. Do you think the schools should be ranked by average points per commit instead of team total?

Go Blue,

Cam

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Thanks for the question.

People all have their own opinions — plain and simple. Each site has different people in different areas, so whoever pushes their area higher gets players ranked higher. There are a lot more ranking outlets than just Scout and Rivals. You have Tom Lemming, Scout, Rivals, Scout Inc., Emfinger, and so many other groups. (Back in the old days, Rivals used to take Tom Lemming's top 100 lists and usually switched around about five names on the list.)

There are also regional differences: Lemming, for instance, knows the Midwest and Big Ten area very well. Emfinger specializes in Texas and the Southwest. They also have hometown schools they tend to tilt towards. One thing's for certain: with all these new all-star games coming out, you will see rankings only get farther away from each other, rather than closer, because people are going to push their kids as being the better prospects. Each site is pushing their rankings to be the better one, but nobody really knows until 4-5 years down the road which team ended up with the best recruits and which ranking was the most accurate (but what fun would that be to wait that long to say who is the best?)

We're not rating-type guys at all. We don't believe in them. They are for message board fans to discuss and kill time until the season comes around.

Our best advice is to be skeptical of all these rating systems. Wait two or three years and then judge by performance on the field. All these ranking systems will get some kids right, some kids wrong, and totally miss some others. There are no guarantees. What we look for are difference-maker athletes. We think that quality should always trump quantity.

One stud quarterback is more valuable to us than three average or good quarterbacks. These types of athletes make every one around them better. Therefore, we would agree that average points per commit would be a better system. What I look for is how many elite, highly ranked kids you have compared to the other programs: take your top ten recruits and put them up against every other team's top ten prospects and see who ends up looking better.

The problem is, in most years, probably only about half of your recruiting class will make a big difference for your team throughout their playing time. You can always find special team-type players and, if you are at a bigger program such as Michigan, you should always be bringing in top talent to compete. That is why we believe the quality of your recruits matter more than how many you get. Another point about rankings is that some of these are based on how many recruits a team has: many times a team that had 25 recruits is higher ranked than a team with 17, even though the eight recruits on the bigger team might never see the field, but they generate more "points" to rank their teams higher. This indicates quantity more than quality.

The best thing to do is not get all excited if your team drops a few spots or is higher in a few spots. Take them all, throw them together, and then rank them yourself. The thing is as fans, they always want their recruits to be the elite kids and if they are those elite (five-star kids), they will beat on their chest and say how great the recruiting services got them right. If their team gets a bunch of (three-star kids) they will say the recruiting services got them wrong and will be big-time sleepers and that the recruiting services do not know what they are doing. In some ways that is what makes it fun, but it also makes it tiring to follow when there is so much difference in the rankings and how some of the fans react to the rankings.

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/, and look for the football practice reports, Michigan Stadium pictures, practice video, and football tidbits not found here.

Also, make sure to sign up for the daily e-mails on other articles not covered here.

We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, and softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now.

We also have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine

Michigan Mailbag Question: Football Scheduling

ErocWolverine — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:28:29 -0400

Sir,

I have read a few of your articles here and in The Bleacher Report, so I thought I would ask you a question that I have asked a few others previously:

Many major universities seem to have a great deal of thought put into their scheduling.

Some go weak to build themselves up. Others schedule cross sectionals to highlight or promote a national prominence. But Michigan, since athletic Director Bill Martin has been around, seems to always be scrambling to just fill in slot at the last minute.

I realize, considering last year, it is not the best time to be addressing upgrading our competition, but we are Michigan and we should, in regards to our football competition, present ourselves as we do when we talk about our university. Outside of the long term contract with that school from Indiana (Notre Dame), AD Martin seems to be only concerned to play MAC schools or pick up a I-AA school at the last minute.

Other schools have high profile games planned out for more than a decade prior, yet we just stay local. Some will point to the home, and away, with Oregon, but that has been the exception rather than the rule.

Is there any indication we will once again compete with other contenders? Is there any chance AD Martin might remember that to be the best, you must play the best?

Regards

Will

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Thanks for the question.

We doubt Michigan will start to schedule tougher games.

Most top schools demand home-and-home series. Michigan already has one power team with a home-and-home series with Notre Dame on the schedule, so it is less likely to schedule another tough road game.

The economic reality is that Michigan, with its 110,000 seats, needs as many home games as possible to help fund the entire athletic program.

We would love to see Michigan schedule some home-and-home series with Texas or other top 10 programs, but the reality is that it's not happening any time soon.

Most teams in a tough conference usually never add more than one tough out-of-conference team on the schedule.

In this day and age of the BCS, it does not make any sense to have a tough schedule. It makes more sense to have a decent schedule, especially if you are one of the BCS schools and get the wins.

Right now, the way rankings are determined, wins count more than the level of competition. As long as you have a decent schedule (top 40 or higher) you will not have a problem and Michigan has been near or in the top 10 the last decade on strength of schedule.

Coach Rod also stated that he believed several of the following years' non-conference schedules would be wrapped up soon.

Many people have gotten on Bill Martin for how he handles the athletic department, but people need to give him credit as well.

He took over the program when it was losing money and having to borrow from the university to pay for things. The athletics department and the university are two separate entities. The athletic department has to pay its own bills without any university help.

Martin has gotten the athletic program making money, with a surplus, in addition to upgrading all the sports facilities without going back into debt. On many of the projects, he's managed this by getting donors to step up and get the ball rolling to keep the Michigan athletic campus competitive with the rest of the country.

Michigan had many facilities in disrepair, many of them not being upgraded in 30 to 40 years.

Since taking over, Martin has delivered a new baseball/softball complex—with indoor practice hitting/pitching buildings for both—along with new stadiums for both programs and upgraded locker rooms.

The football team is benefiting from the upgrades of Michigan Stadium. Previous locker room upgrades, new turf inside the old fieldhouse, a new fieldhouse, new turf for the outdoor practice field, along with a new grass practice field, plus the new S&C equipment with an expanded staff, totaling over a million dollars.

The basketball program has added bench seating for the students, locker room upgrades, S&C upgrades, new lights, new speakers, floor refurbishing—a couple of times, new baskets, and plans to upgrade Crisler Arena and also adding a new practice facility soon.

The hockey program has added suites, improved the locker rooms and the inside of Yost ice arena.

Martin has gotten money for a new soccer stadium and practice fields near the tennis center. The wrestling team will also be getting a new practice facility near that location. Women’s gymnastics have their new training center there as well.

There are probably several other projects we haven't mentioned, but those are the major ones at this point. The guy deserves some slack!

To see my blog page, please visit here, and look for the football practice reports, Michigan Stadium pictures, practice video, and football tidbits not found here.

Also, make sure to sign up for the daily e-mails on other articles not covered here.

We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now.

We also have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine

Michigan Mailbag : Why So Many 2010 Offers This Early?

ErocWolverine — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:00:54 -0400

Hey fellas,

I really enjoyed the post about the current state of the Michigan program. However, it brought up one question that I raised in the comments of a previous post.

That question is about getting out a ton of offers early. It appears that we are sending out early offers to many prospects, both highly regarded and not highly regarded.

The commitment from Kinard was especially troublesome to me because, from his video, he seems like a major project without great technique or speed, and a middle three-star type.

Wouldn't this be the type of kid we offer later in the process?

In addition, we are filling up at receiver rather quickly with, again, not-so-highly regarded guys like D.J. Williamson.

Won't this deter better prospects at receiver from committing if they see that we have four receivers committed already? Is it customary to offer guys early from feeder schools to which we have loyalty?

Why is the coaching staff doing this and why do you guys like the fact that we've offered so many kids?

Thanks,

GregGoBlue

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Thanks for the question and comments.

We will never base our opinions on star ratings, they mean little to us. We go completely off what we see in person, on film, or based on opinions of individuals we trust and respect.

The split end recruiting has been very interesting. Michigan has taken some lesser knowns early that could very well hurt with some of the supers who commit late.

The thing is, none of us know how Michigan has these guys rated on their board or why the staff ranked them that way.

Since the beginning, we've liked Florida's split end Shaw a ton, but if his recruitment is hurt by Michigan taking four early split ends, that would raise concerns.

As for Kinard, he is indicative of how Coach Rod and staff are recruiting defensively, focusing on very good athletes who can run and have a defensive mentality.

This type of recruiting carries some extra risk, but it also carries the potential for very high reward.

We agree that it can take longer for this type of recruiting to show progress. Teaching players new positions takes time.

But one thing to remember is that this point last year, we were complaining big-time about the defensive recruiting.

Thus far, Michigan has recruited more defensive ends and made more offers to those positions than they did all of last year. We're pleased that defensive recruiting is picking up.

Michigan fans used to complain about schools that would offer everybody, but it looks like Michigan is getting more involved in that same recruiting trend, and it could pay off if those higher-rated kids actually take notice.

But the problem is if the lower kids on your recruiting board commit to your program early, they might take a spot that a higher-ranked recruit could have filled later in the year.

Football recruiting is getting earlier and earlier, and starting to resemble basketball recruiting.

Also, make sure to sign up for the daily e-mails on other articles not covered here.

We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, and softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now.

We also have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine

Michigan Mailbag Question: About The Quarterbacks

ErocWolverine — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:57:59 -0400

Question about the quarterbacks:

How does a quarterback get hurt, where he has a broken leg, in spring practice? Then on top of that, we find out that two quarterbacks are hurt Sheridan (with a broke foot) and Cone (with a broken hand).

I never heard of quarterbacks getting hurt like this by their own team. What is going on or do they let them go at it during the spring.

Do they not wear a maize or red jersey to say, "Don’t hit the quarterback"?

Rob

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Thanks for the question.

Injuries are big part of the game of football. They happen in practice, in the weight room, and during games. It is tough for us to comment on specific injuries because we are not sure how they happened. I have seen players have serious injuries running conditioning or agility drills. Scott Dreisbach broke his hand on teammate’s helmet doing non-contact drill. Freak injuries happen in.

As for hitting in practice. it is one of the great debate topics: How much and how often do you hit? And is Full Go or not. In Michigan’s offense, it is almost impossible to properly time up if the quarterback is not live at least part of the time.

Same as was true when teams were running option and veer offenses. Quarterbacks needs to learn to hold onto the ball as long as possible and deliver it while taking a hit so they're ready for real games.

You can do certain things to help protect your quarterback like popping him without taking him to the ground. Eventually your quarterback has to take some shots in practice or the offense will not be as effective.

If the defensive end/outside linebacker holds up because the quarterback is not live, then the quarterback never gets a feel for how fast he needs to make the decision. He will also not appreciate the importance of ball security if he is just playing two-handed touch and nobody is trying to strip him of the ball.

In certain drills and scrimmages Michigan has had quarterbacks in red jerseys who were not live. In others, quarterbacks were live and took some shots. Bottom line for us is that injuries happen and they are a big part of the game. Without knowing specifics, we tend to give staff benefit of doubt here. The staff is doing what they think is best to improve the football team.

Going back to last year, a couple of us told the story about the defense and Coach Rod during spring practice.

Coach Rod called out the defense for "hitting like pillows" and was laying into them for a couple of minutes (in not such nice language). Then five minutes later, he was chewing out the defense for hitting too hard because two quarterbacks got hurt in those five minutes.

PLEASE NOTE: NOW NOT SAYING THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED HERE, but it does show how injuries can a happen. Remember that MaizeMan said that he thought the coaches were not happy with how practices were going the last couple of times. Maybe they ramped it up a little bit (though, again, we're not sure what happened).

Let's hope they put some body armor on Tate and refrain from even "touch football" or even "flag football" type of contact on him. Realistically, he needs to learn how to run the offense and what to expect in game conditions. There's always a risk, but we need him healthy and need him to learn the offense as quick as possible.

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/, and also look for the football practice reports, Michigan Stadium pictures, practice video and also football tidbits not put on here.

Make sure to sign up for the daily e-mails on other articles not covered here.
We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, and softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now. Also we have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine

Michigan Wolverine 2010 Commit: Tony Drake

ErocWolverine — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:54:32 -0400

Tony Drake

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 160 lbs.
High School: Dallas Skyline High School (Texas)
High School Coach: Reginald Samples
Position: Running back / Slot receiver
Recruiter:
Class: 2010 Recruiting Class (Verbal Commit)

Tony Drake

Overview: He is a smallish, very good athlete with outstanding movement skills. Could play slot receiver or running back, and even help in the return game.

Strengths: Super quick athlete with outstanding feet. Accelerates very well out of his cuts and has that extra gear to run away from defenders. He has nice hands and is fearless in the return game.

Needs Work: Size could be an issue. He appears very small on film. He could use some serious strength training, since he goes down fairly easily. Needs to keep his shoulders parallel and not cross contains face.

Tony Drake Video Highlights:
http://michigan.scout.com/a.z?s=162&p=11&nid=3428162&isFirstMediaIdAudioOrVideo=video&playlist=http%3A//michigan.scout.com/asxplaylist.aspx%3Fs%3D162%26mediaids%3D659049

http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/recruiting-football/Tony-Drake-Highlights-3-44138;_ylt=Am9KDmVSt8yH0dpd6IOgr7a9wJ54

http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/recruiting-football/Tony-Drake-Highlights-1-40805

http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/recruiting-football/Tony-Drake-Highlights-1-33212

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3984533

Michigan Mailbag Question: Regarding Tate Forcier

ErocWolverine — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:50:57 -0400

I watch and listen to everything Michigan football and I love your guys' blog. I have seen reports and videos of the progress of different position groups this spring.

My question is about the quarterbacks: What are your guys' impressions of them? I have have not seen one report or video of Tate throwing the ball. Does Tate pass the eyeball test? How does he throw the intermediate and vertical routes? These are the routes that I feel we were lacking last year.

Eric U.

------------------------------------------

Thanks for the question and comment.

We will be able to give you first-hand impressions in early April. From pictures, available film, and what we are hearing Forcier looks like he could use a good ten pounds or more of muscle. He needs to putt some weight on and build his strength to adapt to the rigors of college football and the hard hitting defense's looking to show him some "love." Aside from this, his throwing looks very solid at his point.

Again, it is very easy to look good without a pass rush in your face. We think it is extremely important that expectations on all the young players be kept in check. There will be times where Forcier looks great, and times where he looks like the true freshmen he is.

Forcier's arm could be getting tired right about now because of the sheer number of passes he has thrown. He probably has not thrown this much with so few, and short, periods to rest his arm, in a long time—if ever.

He came in early and started throwing right away, and a lot, to whoever he could get to stay over after workouts. On top of this, add in spring ball where the coaches want to see what he can do, giving him as many reps as possible. It's understandable if the zip on his passes might be lagging a bit by now.

Make sure to sign up for the daily e-mails on other articles not covered here.
We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, and softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now. Also we have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine

Michigan Mailbag Question: Our Two-Bits on Toney Clemons Leaving

ErocWolverine — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:46:37 -0400

Like your blog.

Question: What do you think of the receiving corps now that Clemons is gone? What do you think of Clemons leaving? Was it a big loss, or not so much? How are the slot receivers shaking out? You have not commented yet on Clemons.

Anonymous (left message on one of the articles written)

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Thanks for the question and comments.

From a talent and playing time situation, he is not much of a loss. He was probably no better than the fourth split end on the team at this time. As for slots, this is a position where the players need to elevate their level of play if Michigan's offense is to improve.

We would not be surprised if freshmen play a major role this season. Remember that T-Rob is healthy and will be a factor, not only at slot receiver, but also as a punt and kick returner.

Let's hope that all the other 2009 commits make it in this year to help round out the slot position. From a team stand point, Clemons leaving was much more of a loss.

From all indications, Clemons was a great team player, the type of player every program needs. He took one for the team last spring when he played slot receiver. Michigan had exactly zero players with the skill set to succeed in the slot receiver position.

Even though it was a terrible fit for him, Clemons gladly played the position to help the team. He put the team in front of his own best interests. Any time you lose this type of player, it hurts the team.

Some have said that he is a player without a position. This is simply not true. Clemons loves Michigan for all that the University offers outside of the football program. It's part of the reason he stayed around, despite knowing he was not going to play much.

It did not help that Clemons and some family members had a rift with Coach Rod and crew, dating back to his junior year in high school when he was being recruited by West Virginia.

In doing so, he hurt his chances at playing split end in Michigan's offense. He lost time in spring, and then lost more time due to injury in summer and fall practices that put Clemons so far behind he had no chance to catch up.

People have brought up his dropped balls in games and say he's too slow.

We disagree. He is every bit as fast, probably faster, than Mathews. Koger played tight end, slot receiver, and split end positions last year in different formations, so I do not see how Clemons is too big or slow for those positions.

As for dropped passes, sure, he dropped some, so did other Michigan split ends, and with Clemons playing so much in slot, this hurt. Split ends face a number of different factors than slots, for instance, the ball arrives at a different angle and is in the air longer.

A number of wide receiver coaches have told us that this is the reason they do not like to move split ends into the slot.

They are two completely different positions. Remember Breaston having problems catching the DAMN ball as a split end, but doing much better catching the ball as a slot receiver

At the end of the day, Clemons will always love Michigan, and consider himself a Michigan man. I just hope everyone will still consider him one of the Michigan family. The kid gave his all while here. He deserves it.

Please visit my blog page and also look for the football practice reports, Michigan Stadium pictures, and also Football tidbits not put on here.

Make sure to sign up for the daily e-mails on other articles not covered here.

We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, and softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now. Also we have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine

Michigan Mailbag Question: How many more QBs and WRs Do We Need?

ErocWolverine — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:55:59 -0400

Coach and Eroc,

Michigan seems to be recruiting a lot of quarterbacks and receivers—a disproportionate number, even.

Any thoughts on why this is? Do not get me wrong, I believe in Coach Rod and trust his tactics. I am just surprised. I would like to see some defensive commits immediately.

Thanks,

Patel

------------------------------------

Thanks for the question.

Michigan's base set requires four wide receivers/slot receivers.

The offense also uses a fifth split end/slot formation.

To effectively practice and to have adequate depth it takes eight to ten of these types of athletes.

It will be interesting to see if they will be able to get tight end Kevin Koger involved in the offense this year, because we believe he has the potential to be a first round NFL draft pick someday.

Thus far the biggest obstacle to this has been the quarterback play along with the fact that in Coach Rod's offense he does not use the tight ends as effectively as other teams that use the same type of spread offense as Michigan.

That is why we believe Michigan's staff met with Missouri last year to learn how they worked the tight end into their plans, in addition to talking with Oklahoma the past two years about their passing game.

We believe that Coach Rod and the assistant coaches are not happy with the split ends they have right now nor the quality of the depth at the position to work with their scheme.

These types of players can also help on special teams. Our take on quarterbacks is simple: the roster did not have any quarterbacks who were a good fit for Coach Rod's offense.

Michigan had to take larger than normal numbers than is usual for each class to provide the offense with athletes capable of running Coach Rod's schemes and to provide quality depth.

We believe besides Devin Gardner (2010 commit), they will try and get another quarterback to commit in that class.

Trust us, we know where you're coming from, because we are defensive-minded people as well.

We have been bringing up the seemingly anemic defensive recruiting considering the depth issues and lack of talent on defense which we witnessed last spring.

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/, and also look for the football practice reports not put on here.

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We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, and softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now. Also we have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

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Michigan Mailbag Question: Will We See 90,000 Fans at Spring Game?

ErocWolverine — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:53:12 -0400

Hey, what do you guys think of Coach Rod’s comments about breaking the attendance mark for a spring game (having over 90,000 people attending)?

Do you think it is possible for the wine-and-cheese crowd come to an event that does not count?

Thanks,

Fred T.

-------------------------------------

Thanks for the question.

Personally, I do not see it happening anytime soon. It seems like Michigan fans find all sorts of excuses for not attending these spring events. We've been on message boards for a long time and have heard it all. From people saying it was too nice out to waste their time going to the spring game to the weather was not nice, or it was too cold, yada, yada, yada...

Some people have said that they don't attend because it's not a real game, but then when they had a game, people still did not attend. Some have said that Michigan needs to market the spring game better. They probably could, but true fans will already know about the game and show up. The others? I don't really care too much about. It's a quality over quantity sort of thing.

In this economy, what better way is there to take your whole family out to have a good time spending the day in Ann Arbor and watching those maize-and-blue winged helmets run around? Those that don't show up—it's your loss.

A few years ago, the athletic department used to put on a garage sale of unused merchandise from the previous year and old practice stuff. They also used to put on a 5k walk/run, softball games, baseball games, etc...all of which did not seem to bring more people out to watch the spring football game.

People complain about it not being a game. So frickin' what! Here is a chance for a FREE EVENT to see your football team, yet people still make excuses. So it's not a game, but you can still see your team, and it's football—did I mention it is FREE.

Maybe with the economy so bad people will start coming to this for the entertainment value to get away from their problems for a few hours.

This year Michigan has baseball and softball games right after the spring game, so people can spend an entire day in Ann Arbor watching three of the best sports teams on campus. The softball team has been an elite team for years and the baseball team has been getting better and better every year under Coach Maloney.

I am sure there will be some people coming to see, in person, how the renovations of Michigan Stadium have progressed over the winter. I can envision more people coming to this year's, and possibly next, spring game to get a first hand look at the Big House.

Curiosity over Tate Forcier might be a big draw this year. Many have heard about the kid and want to see first hand whether or not he has the goods.

So to re-cap, I have to say it will be awhile before we see 90,000 fans in Michigan Stadium for a spring game. It is a good dream to have, that someday Michigan fans will care enough, and have the passion enough, for their football team that fans from other programs do, such as Ohio State, Nebraska, Florida, Alabama, etc. Until then, I'm happy to share the afternoon with all the true fans that do show up. Go Blue!

Here are a couple of links of interest regarding the spring game and activities:

http://www.mgoblue.com/football/article.aspx?id=171220

http://www.mgoblue.com/football/article.aspx?id=168928

http://www.mgoblue.com/football/page.aspx?id=170124

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/ also look for the football practice reports not put on here.

Make sure to sign up for the daily e-mails on other articles not covered here.

We mostly cover Michigan football, basketball, recruiting, hockey, baseball, and softball and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now. Also we have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

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Michigan Mailbag Question: Offensive Packages

ErocWolverine — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:12:46 -0400

Eroc and Coach:

Much like you fellas. I am assuming that Tate will be starting under center come fall. What are your thoughts about an offensive package having both Tate and D-Rob in the same backfield (shotgun)?

I would think it would be a nightmare for defensive coordinators and confusing for the defense. Both could run or throw. The defense would not know who would get the snap. Then again, I do all of my “coaching” from the armchair.

Thanks.

Regards
BlueBugsy

--------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the question.

Having superior athletes like D-Rob gives an offense many options. He can be used as quarterback, running back and even as a receiver, in either the slot or slit end positions.

He can run a number of different types of gimmick plays. The question you always need to answer before installing or game planning gimmicks is will the potential reward be worth the amount of time and reps necessary to perfect and time up the package.

Many teams use the package you are talking about: such as Ohio State had a package with both Pryor and Boeckman in the backfield. Even Michigan has used some packages with Breaston and Henne in backfield as a dual quarterback set.

It can, when used properly, cause some problems for the defense. The problem in this case would be that every down with Forcier and D-Rob in the backfield is a down where the defense does not have to worry about Michigan's best weapon, B. Minor.

The next question to ask would be how much time do you want Forcier to spend blocking, and how many different positions do you want to teach D-Rob? He is not getting in until summer. He's going to need every rep he can get at quarterback to get ready at that position.

We expect to see Michigan use some sort of gimmick sets with D-Rob and Forcier in games. We just think it will be a very small part of the overall offense.

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/ also look for the football practice reports not put on here.

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Michigan Mailbag Question: Will The Basketball Team Be Better Next Year?

ErocWolverine — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:08:45 -0400

I predict a big improvement in the basketball team, what do you think? Do you take a chance making a prediction or are you going to play it safe and say we will see next year?

Jason

------------------------------------------

Thanks for the basketball question.

I do not play it safe too often, so here it goes:

You bet I think this basketball team will improve next year. Everybody will be returning and there's a pretty good class coming in, plus Cronin might be healthy next year. I think this team can improve big-time, even in a very difficult Big Ten conference. If you watched the BTN Conference show the other week, the first team were all sophomores and most likely they will be back.

Regarding Michigan, I think this team can battle for third-fourth place in the Big Ten conference next year. Who knows, maybe even higher, but I do not want to get my expectations too high. Nevertheless, they are headed in the right direction. You can tell that Coach Beilein IS turning things around. If other teams lose certain players to the NBA, then it might change my predictions, but I think a third place is probably high and fourth place is probably about right.

If Manny Harris keeps on improving like he did from his freshmen and sophomore year, he is going to be a great one at Michigan. He will also be getting more weapons around him which should improve his game even more because he doesn't have to carry the team on his shoulders.

Under Coach Beilein, DeShawn Sims is getting better and better each year. He has transformed his game into that of a complete player to where he can play down low and also go outside and hit a twenty footer. Hopefully, Cronin can come back and make an impact next year so DeShawn could play the four-position more instead of having to battle as the fifth man. That brings up Zach Gibson, who at times seems like a contributor on this team and helps out, but at others seems lost out there. He can be a decent player and help shore up the inside.

Kelvin Grady adds depth and can help the offense, but one thing I would like to see him do more of is drive to the bucket and look to dish it, because sometimes he seems like he just stays out by the arch.

Stu Douglass and Zach Novak are both players that will only keep getting better in this system. Getting Manny or Grady to drive to the basket and either kick it out when the opposing players crash down on them or take it to the hoop when they stay out on their outside players.

I hope LLP gets more comfortable in the offense, keeps on improving, and gets his confidence back. I just do not see where Anthony Wright is going to get any minutes, especially with the depth and the players coming in next year.

Two big factors next year are Matt Vogrich and Darius Morris. Both will add to the depth of the team and also see quality minutes. Vogrich is probably the best shooter in high school basketball this year -- told by a very close friend of mine who's opinions I trust.

Morris will help on the floor by driving to the hoop and dishing the ball. Jordan Morgan and Blake McLimans both will not have to get a lot of minutes and it's possible McLimans might be able to red-shirt. Having DeShawn, Gibson and possibly Cronin means Morgan will not be seeing serious minutes, but he can come in and help this team and get five to ten minutes a game.

Then there's Eso Akunne, who comes in as a walk-on next year, and who is in contention for the state of Michigan's Mr. Basketball title. He has gotten several scholarship offers, but wants to come to Michigan and play for Coach Beilein.

This team only loses Merritt, Lee, and Shepherd.

To see some Michigan football tidbits from Thursday practice come to my blog page.

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Michigan Mailbag Question: Horn and Feagin

ErocWolverine — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:43:16 -0400

Great website guys.

I like your honest evaluations of things, whether they go with popular opinion or not, you still tell it the way you think it is.

Anyway, to my question: I have not seen Avery Horn or Justin Feagin mentioned by anyone this year. Both are "slot/wide receivers", but when people talk about the depth at these positions, these two are left out.

What has happened to them? I know there was a lot of talk of Horn transferring after last year, along with a few others, but I have not heard anything since.

Catch me up on these two if you will.

Thanks.

Tom T.

---------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the question and comments.

Horn has transferred. The rumors, which we believe started the Ohio State week, if I remember correctly, turned out to be true.

Many people got their hopes up last spring when they saw a few highlight clips of him running past some of the second-string defenders.

We saw him last year at several practices and were not that optimistic on his getting much playing time.

He was a guy that was buried on the depth chart with all the freshman coming in. We just did not think he would get to see many meaningful snaps at Michigan.

Of course, when we brought this up we got many hate e-mails saying we were wrong and that we should not put a kid down as we did. Our intent was not to put him down, but there comes a time when a kid is going to play, or he is not, and we thought his chances were slim.

That might seem harsh, but this is college football.

Feagin is a tough call. He played both slot receiver and quarterback last season, so we would not be surprised if he is given a shot at quarterback for the spring to at least try and simulate packages that they might run when Denard Robinson arrives this summer.

With only three scholarship quarterbacks available, and Cone being less than an ideal fit, it would not surprise us if Feagin spends time at both positions.

Last year at one of the spring practices we saw both Threet and Sheridan get nicked up in the same practice. Will they let the defense loose on Tate Forcier and Nick Sheridan this year?

This will naturally slow Feagin's progress at slot receiver—like it did last year.

Therefore, it will be interesting to see what happens to him, especially with these freshmen coming in that can play both slot receiver and running back. Feagin could be buried on the depth charts before getting his feet wet at the slot receiver position.

To see some Michigan football tidbits from Thursday practice come to my blog page.

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Michigan Mailbag Question: Will Night Games Ever Happen at Michigan Stadium?

ErocWolverine — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:02:53 -0400

Eroc and coachBt,

I only just found your blog, but I really love it. I think you have some of the best analysis and closest ties to the program out of all the other blogs—from what I have seen. (I do not get into the "paid sites.")

You may have seen that there is a very spirited debate going on now about night games on your GBMW. The idea really seems to be gaining traction among fans around the blogs. I just think it would be AWESOME and the crowd would be CRAZY!

Could you chime in? Do you like the idea? Do you think Bo or Mo or Lloyd would've liked the idea? Would Coach Rod like the idea? Why isn't it happening? Why not put some permanent lights in with the renovations?

Thanks. I'll just hang up and listen.

Sincerely,

Fred

-----------------------------------

Thanks for the question and comments.

Michigan is all about tradition. Tradition is what drives much of what Michigan does. They sell out 100,000-plus seats every Saturday afternoon, so why mess with success? Our guess is that the administration at Michigan is not too worried about it, or motivated to change.

Bill Martin, in our opinion, would rather have an early start for several reasons. They use the excuse of lighting and parking, but they have temporary lights up for the 3:30 pm start games towards the end of the year.

We believe it has more to do with fans tailgating and drinking for eight to 10 hours before kickoff. Martin is more worried that nothing happens to the fans either before or after the game. He has seen what has happened on several occasions at Michigan State, where they report more arrests and problems with night games than during day games.

Martin has stated that as part of the renovation they are putting in everything needed for a night game, such as all the electrical cables, stands, brackets, etc., but they are not putting in lights right now because of the cost factor. He has said that if any donor wants to pay for them solely, then he would do it.

This does not hold a night game back though, because if Michigan wanted to hold a night game, ESPN / ABC / BTN would gladly pay for temporary lighting to be brought in. The television companies have to pay for lighting when they want a night game and there is none.

Now if Musco (lighting company) would, say, put them up for free, then sure Martin would do it—likewise should ESPN / ABC offer a deal where they pay for the lights in return for at least one night game a year for the next 10 years.

Cost? I'm not really sure what the cost for stadium lighting for a football field would be. The basketball arena redid their lights, and the rumor was they cost around $700,000.00, so you have to figure with the size of the football field, you have to be talking somewhere in the $1.5 to $2 million range, but that is just a guess.

Then there's the question, do they just make it good enough for television, or do they make it brighter? We learned when they redid the basketball lights that there are actually different standards for brightness: college venues having one standard, and professional sports having another, brighter, standard.

Would the past coaches have like the idea? Well, frankly, right now it does not matter what they think of the idea. Bo always thought the games should be kicked off at 12:00 pm, and for him a late game was 12:30-1:00 pm start.

Mo and Lloyd rather fell into the same pattern. Under Lloyd it seemed like a lot more 3:30 pm kickoffs, but that had mainly to do with television coverage and not solely by what the school wanted for a start time.

Does Coach Rod like the idea of night games? I am sure he does, because while he was at West Virginia they had many night games along with weekday games (which will never happen at Michigan). I am glad the Big Ten has a rule about playing during the week. I believe Michigan football was meant to be played on Saturday, and they do not have to worry about being on television because they are always on television.

It does not bother me either way, because my brother and I usually leave the same time, early Saturday, for a two-hour drive, no matter what time the game starts. Some game days we just consume a lot more beer and food than others.

Would I like a night game at Michigan Stadium? Sure, but I would not want a lot of them each season. I could see one game a year, preferably one of the non-conference games when it is 90 degrees out so it would be a little more comfortable in the stadium. That place is like a sauna the first couple of games, especially if there is no wind, sun out and hot.

I do like a couple of the 3:30 pm start times towards the end of the year when they bring the lights in because it gets dark in the second half of the football game, but I also like the 12:00-1:00pm games so we can enjoy a short tailgate, go to the game, and then get home before dark.

The keyword for me is moderation. Will we see it soon? With Coach Rod here, it's more likely than it would have been with any of the previous coaches.

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Michigan Basketball: Clemson Vs. Michigan

ErocWolverine — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:11:51 -0400

March Madness: Clemson (7) vs. Michigan (10) Preview: Plus Videos

A reader from the Clemson blogs popped in and gave a breakdown of his team:

"...In our studying your season, it appears we seem to be mirror images of one another: 6-5 shooting guards who aren't afraid to go inside for rebounds, a power forward playing essentially a center, some decent outside shooting, impressive wins over Duke and a couple of these "WTH" type losses.

As you know, we live and die on pressure defense and 3-point shooting. If the Wolverines counter with a four-guard offense, I am not at all sure how that is going to work. Last time we saw your coach (at West Virginia) he fed us a lot of zone defense.

ESPN: Selection show preview of the South Region

No doubt, word has gotten out about Terrence Oglesby, who can shoot us in (or out) of any game. A couple of other guys on our team you might want to watch are:

Point guard Demontez Stitt (9 ppg, 3 reb, 4 ast, 3 TO) has a quick first step and goes to the hole, but a good zone defense can slow him down.

Ray Sykes (8 ppg, 5 reb) is a senior forward, plays with a lot of energy, but gets happy feet when posting up. If you double Trevor on the block, he can hurt you.

David Potter (6 ppg, 3 reb) is our best defender, and at 6'6", he can frustrate shooting guards. Far more valuable than his numbers indicate.

Two freshmen who contribute are Andre Young (5'7" point guard) and Tanner Smith (6'5" forward). Both are threats to shoot from the outside, and Tanner, like Potter is a heady defensive player. In addition, they both will make freshman mistakes...."

Watch CBS Videos Online
Will Oliver Purnell be able to avoid the upset this year or will the Wolverines send the Tigers home early?

Jason Horowitz and Greg Anthony preview this first round matchup:

"...If you looked at our roster, you saw a 7'2" guy. Do not worry: Bobo Baicu is a project for the future. You will not see him on the floor.

"Much is made of Clemson's press (which is actually five different varieties of press), but we play an impressive half-court pressure defense as well. That is what we used against Duke and in the comeback against Virginia Tech. If you start cracking the press for easy baskets, we will likely fall back to that.

"On offense, we like to do some high-low, getting the ball in to Trevor first. If he has single coverage, he will go to the hole. If he is doubled, the ball goes back outside, looking for a gap in the defense. Of course, we prefer to get points off the press, but since it appears Michigan takes care of the ball, we may not get many chances.

"We have played ragged for the past three weeks, losing a couple of games we should have won. Most surprising is opponents shooting percentage which has topped 50 percent in our last four losses. That is what has Clemson fans the most apprehensive going into the game.

"That is the Tigers in a nutshell. There is a sense of disappointment in how the season ended, but when you consider the abyss that Clemson basketball has been, two straight Dances (and three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history) are reason to celebrate.

"Congrats again on getting back to the "Big Dance" and here is to a good game!"

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Michigan Football Tidbits: Spring Practice Report (Posted Mar. 19, 2009)

ErocWolverine — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:00:35 -0400

Another practice went by with shorts and helmets—no hitting. They probably will not scrimmage until Saturday. Spring is a time where kids compete.

These kids have raised their stock (good thing)

Evans: Maybe this is the year.

Herron: Has size and talent, so let us hope he finds a place.

Patterson: Is obviously in shape.

Webb: Seems to be interested early on.

Sagesse: This year's Kates, and is in decent shape considering.

B. Smith: Besides Koger, he is the most impressive looking athlete.

Fitzgerald: Looks like a year in the weight room has paid off.

Those who are just okay (not much change)

Ezeh: Every spring he seems to start slow.

Matthews: Green shirt again (which means not much contact).

Boo Boo: Needs to learn the fundamentals, fundamentals, and fundamentals.

Stonum: Only because expectations are so high on him.

Couple of other tidbits

When information is leaked out, do not pay much attention to depth charts. Coach Rod has to put players out on "so-called" first unit just to run plays. Of course, the early first team depth on offensive line is the upperclassmen. Do not read anything into spring depth charts.

Wide Receivers

Here is one of my biggest beefs: There is just nobody on the existing team that seems to be one of those high intensity workers. Leadership at that position has been lacking (yeah, yeah, we agree that the quarterback situation has not been great). There are never any reports of any of those kids spending extra time in the film room, going all out when running dummy routes, etc....

As we have reported, this is probably why there seems to be a huge emphasis on wide receiver recruiting for the 2010 recruiting class.

Some of these kids are young (i.e. Stonum). We all remember the trials of Edwards in his early years. He was in the doghouse for good reason, but Edwards had one big advantage that others like Stonum do not have right now—a father who was local, close enough to keep his boot on his son's ass.

Rogers has been the closest thing to being considered a dedicated kid, with, maybe, Roundtree next. We're just waiting for the light to come on in the others right now.

Slot receivers are harder to judge. They only have three slots right now with Clemons hurt: Feagin, T-Rob, and Odoms. All three are doing fine, but they're young, so it's hard for them to take on a leadership role.

Odoms is a tough kid, but somewhat limited in overall talent. T-Rob is the quickest kid on the team. And Feagin is just learning the position. So right now, it's hard to say what we've got. We can better judge them after pads are on and scrimmages are done.

Just another early observation: It just seems like Coach Smith is much more involved this year. He has been very vocal early on, so maybe the staff is just now getting comfortable. Last year at practices you hardly even noticed him unless he walked right by you.

There were some comments made to the team recently about off-field activities—not suitable for family audiences. Coach Rod sent a message—loud and clear—to the team. We believe they got the message, though some might still be blushing.

Saturday looks to be the first scrimmage.

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We mostly cover Michigan Football, Basketball, Recruiting, Hockey, Baseball, and Softball and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now. Also we have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Michigan Mailbag Question: About the Spring Game

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:04:53 -0400

Will the Michigan spring football game will be aired on television—the Big Ten Network or on any TV station? I will not be in town, so I will be unable to attend, but hopefully I can Tivo it. I know Florida broadcasts theirs on television, does Michigan?

Thank you and Go Blue,

Evan

---------------------------------------------

Thanks for the question.

Yes, knock on wood. Nothing is official yet, but I am willing to bet that the BTN will want to have it on television this year. Last year, I believe the BTN had nine spring games on television.

Last year, the BTN could not broadcast Michigan's spring game on television because the game was held at Saline high school.

I'm willing to bet that the Big Ten conference and the BTN will want to televise it this year, since it will be in Michigan Stadium.

Also, last year, the BTN spent one day / practice at each Big Ten school and was able to get snippets of practice along with talking with the coaches, players, etc...

Another point, I am sure Coach Rod would want it televised to show recruits, fans, etc...what Michigan is about, some air time for their program without giving away too much away. (If it is televised, it will be nice for Michigan to get some good publicity for a change.)

In most cases, most teams do not show much during the spring game, usually running basic formations, basic plays, and mixing up the teams a lot, so it's hard to figure out who is playing where and who the starters might be.

The defense will likely not show much either. What they will probably try to do in the April 11 Spring Game is run basic formations, with basic passing coverages, with a smattering of blitzes thrown in for good measure.

For the typical fan, it will be great to just see the team on the field, but it will be a "vanilla" football.

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Michigan Football Mailbag Question: What Does "Extra Gear" Mean?

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:01:55 -0400

In many of your recruiting posts, you mention that a particular wide receiver lacks that "extra gear." I am a little curious about how much that affects a player's football career.

Can you point to players on our team who do and do not have that extra gear and how that is hurting/helping them? Are you worried about a lack of recruits with that extra gear or do you think we are in OK shape?

Thanks,

Adam

---------------------------------

Thanks for the question.

What we mean by an "extra gear" is the ability to literally run away from defenders even when defenders have an angle.

It is what separates the elite level split ends from the good ones. Daryl Stonum and James Rogers have it while Greg Mathews does not. You can be a very good split end without the extra gear, but that little extra speed allows you to stretch a defense a bit more and give the offense better chance of creating big plays.

Since he got here, head coach Rich Rodriguez has been saying that he wants the team to be faster and have more speed—not only on offense, but on defense as well.

It will be interesting to see how this team reacts to Tate Forcier at quarterback compared to what we saw last year. Yes, we are assuming Tate ends up winning the quarterback job.

The big question is, can he learn it all quickly enough and run it how Rodriguez wants it to be run?

Until we can get the ball into the wide receivers and slot receivers hands—on the run—we will struggle. We need to hit these talented receivers in stride so they can show that burst of speed to outrun the defense and turn a 5-10 yard play into a bigger gain.

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Michigan Mailbag Question: Two Biggest Differences This Spring

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:56:55 -0400

So what do you guys think will be the biggest difference from this spring practices to last year's spring practice?

Red W.

-----------------------------------------

Thanks for the question.

In our opinion, the two biggest differences will be:

First, this will be the second year using Coach Rod's offense, so the added familiarity should be a huge advantage.

Secondly, this is the second year with Coach Barwis's strength and conditioning program, which should make for a better-conditioned team. Coach Barwis told us last spring that the longer the players are in his system the better they will get every single day.

A better-conditioned team makes it easier to learn and practice football. Of course, there are other things that will make a huge difference that factor into the first issue, such as knowing the plays, what to expect in the spring, and more experience not only on knowing what the coaching staff wants, but also with all the game experience this team has gained.

Please visit my blog.

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We mostly cover Michigan Football, Basketball, Recruiting, Hockey, Baseball, Softball, and have video of recruits along with the recruiting list Michigan is looking at now. Also, we have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Michigan Wolverine Commit: Antonio Kinard (Mar. 17)

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:52:48 -0400

Antonio Kinard

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 210 lbs.
High school: Liberty high school (Ohio)
High school coach: Jeff Whittaker
Position: Defensive End
Recruiter:
Class: 2010 Recruiting Class (Verbal Commit)

Antonio Kinard

Overview: He is a tall rangy athlete who currently plays inside linebacker. He could easily grow into a defensive end or play the hybrid in coach Robinson's defense. If defense does not work out could also play Max back on offense.

Strengths: He runs very well for a player his size and has an excellent quick burst and closing speed. He is a sound and physical tackler.

Needs Work: He loses leverage at times. He must learn to keep his knees bent. His feet have a tendency to stop moving.

To watch video highlights of him: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/antonio-kinard-2010-michigan-commit.html

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Michigan Basketball: Back in The Dance -- Posted 3/16/09

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:47:25 -0400

Well, it is great to be a Michigan Wolverine! Michigan will take on Clemson in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

We can finally remove that 800-pound monkey off our backs, the dark cloud, that hung over this program for so long, and enjoy being back in the "Big Dance," being part of March Madness.

Celebrate and enjoy this season no matter what happens on Thursday and remember that this program is headed into the right direction, actually a year ahead of schedule.

Michigan 20-13 (No. 10) will play in the Kansas City, Missouri bracket and will play Thursday, Mar. 19 against the Clemson Tigers 23-8 (No. 7) at the Sprint Center with the game time of 7:10 p.m. ET. on CBS.

Have to check your local CBS to see if Michigan will be on in your area. Also make sure to check out CBSC for highlights, break-ins and also press conferences after the game.

To watch highlights of the selection show and comments from players/coaches: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/michigan-basketball-back-in-dance.html

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Written by ErocWolverine

Michigan Wolverine Commit, D.J. Williamson's Profile -- Posted 3/15/09

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:41:08 -0400

D.J. Williamson

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 175 lbs.
High School: Warren G. Harding high school (Ohio)
High School Coach:
Position: Wide Receiver
Recruiter:

Class: 2010 Recruiting Class (Verbal Commit)

Overview

He is a tall athlete who is a good combination of size and speed and is a solid special teams player.

Strengths

He runs very well and shows good quickness. He's a willing blocker and is not afraid of contact. He adjusts very well to the ball in the air and makes catches at the highest point.

Needs Work

He moves better in straight lines. He needs to improve his cuts and acceleration out of cuts. He creates well in space.

To watch video highlights of him: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/dj-williamson-2010-michigan-wolverine.html

To see my blog page please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/

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Written by ErocWolverine and CoachBt

Michigan Wolverines Commit to High School Quarterback Devin Gardner

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:33:41 -0400

Devin Gardner

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 195 lbs
High School: Inkster High School (Michigan)
High School Coach: Greg Carter
Position: Quarterback
Recruiter:
Class: 2010 Recruiting Class (Verbal Commitment)

Overview

He is a super athlete who definitely passes the sight test. His huge frame is capable of adding size and strength while maintaining athletic ability. The kid just makes plays!

Strengths

A great combination of size and speed. He shows very good quickness and the ability to cut in space, avoiding the rush well, and he can make plays out of the pocket. Has very good arm strength, both distance and velocity.

Needs Work

His footwork needs major improvement, and he has a habit of throwing off his back foot or with his feet not set. He also needs to work on his throwing mechanics.

Click here to see video highlights.

My blog page.

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Michigan Football Recruiting: 2010 Prospects -- Posted 3/14/09

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:25:19 -0400

Spencer Boyd (CB) from Cape Coral high school in Cape Coral, Florida.

To watch his video: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/2010-michigan-recruiting-spencer-boyd.html

CoachBt/ErocWolverine quick comments: Super athlete who could help on either side of the ball. He could play running back or slot receiver on offense, and free safety or cornerback on defense. He has very good speed and super quick feet.

Daniel Easterly (DE) from Cass Tech high school in Detroit, Michigan.

To watch his video: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/2010-michigan-recruiting-daniel.html

CoachBt/ErocWolverine quick comments: He is a tall rangy athlete capable of playing multiple positions. He has very good speed and quickness for a player that size. He needs to add some weight and strength.

Devin Gardner from Inkster high school in Inkster, Michigan.

To watch his video: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/2010-michigan-recruiting-devin-gardner.html

CoachBt/ErocWolverine quick comments: He is an outstanding athlete with a very high ceiling. Has very strong arm with quick feet and runs well for his size. His mechanics need some work and he has a very low release point on his passes.

Cullen Christian (CB) from Penn Hills high school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

To watch his video: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/2010-michigan-recruiting-cullen.html

CoachBt/ErocWolverine quick comments: He is a very good press cornerback. Smooth easy backpedal who hips out very well. Breaks well on the ball and plays cover 2 well. Needs to gain some strength and weight.

Blake Sims (QB) from Gainesville high school in Gainesville, Georgia.

To watch his video: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/2010-michigan-recruiting-blake-sims.html

CoachBt/ErocWolverine quick comments: Super quick and elusive athlete. Excellent moves and change of direction. Has accurate arm, but mechanics could use some work. He is teammate with Tai’ler Jones who has a Michigan offer as well.

Lamarcus Joyner (CB) from St. Thomas Aquinas high school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

To watch his video: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/2010-michigan-recruiting-lamarcus.html

CoachBt/ErocWolverine quick comments: He is a excellent athlete who could play cornerback or slot receiver. He runs very well and also shows good quickness and burst. Despite small stature he bring the wood. Does need to get stronger and improve his technique.

De'Joshua Johnson is from Pahokee high school in Pahokee, Florida.

To watch his video: http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/2009/03/2010-michigan-recruiting-dejoshua.html

CoachBt/ErocWolverine quick comments: He is from the same school that seems to have created a pipeline to Michigan the last two years. Will it continue? He has super quick athlete with outstanding feet.

He has the ability to play either split end or slot receiver. He has very good hands and shows both a burst and ability to separate. He does have a tendency to round his cuts and needs to spend some time with Coach Barwis if he comes to Michigan.

To see my blog page please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/

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Written by ErocWolverine and CoachBt

Michigan Football: Spring Practice Starts Today

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:56:17 -0400

Michigan football spring practice starts today.

•The released 2009 spring football roster.

•14 Wolverines work out for pro scouts.

Defensive tackle Will Johnson turned in the day’s most impressive performance, wowing the scouts and onlookers with an eye-popping and record-setting 47 reps of 225 pounds.

The effort eclipsed anything that has been previously achieved by a Wolverine and broke what was believed to be the NFL Combine record—42 reps set by former U-M left tackle Jake Long last season.

Johnson also clocked 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Night of Champions

Following is a list of the team winners from tonight’s team competition:

Fast Man Relay: Team Magee (first), Team Smith (second), Team Rutledge/Team Frey (T-third)

Plyo Box Jump: Kevin Leach (first), four others tied for second

Medicine Ball Toss: David Molk (first), Mike Martin (second), Ryan Van Bergen (third)

Team Relay: Team Tall (first), Team Magee (second), Team Gibson/Team Dews (T-third)

Sled Drive: Team Frey (first), Team Tall (second), Team Singletary (third)

Farmers Walk with 260 Pounds: Brandon Herron (first), Brandon Graham (second), Vince Helmuth (third)

Tug of War: Team Tall (first), Team Dews (second), Team Gibson (third)

Dizzy Bat: Troy Woolfolk (first), Mike Williams (second), Nick Koenighsknecht (third)

Egg Eating: Bryant Nowicki (first), Tom Pomarico (second), Lawrence Perry (third).

We also have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Michigan Football's Top 10 Things to Watch: Part Two of Two (Posted Mar. 14)

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:48:37 -0400

5) Sleeper picks for spring of 2009

Brandon Herron: If they can just find a position for him—"Hybrid" seems perfect. Physically, he looks ready to go, but we're convinced he simply cannot play a traditional linebacker position.

J.T. Floyd: Another kid who does well in agility drills and may just be one of those players who is not as talented as others, but is more productive. He can play either safety or cornerback, but we think he starts out at cornerback.

Rocko Khoury: Love this kid and think he's a perfect offensive center in this system. The biggest question is, will he push David Molk?

Roy Roundtree: He's a long shot, but we just can't get over the fact he is simply our best wide receiver in terms of catching the ball, especially in traffic. Unlike the others, he does not seem to need an attitude adjustment.

Kenny Demens: We're not sure he's a long shot anymore. But as good of an offseason as Demens has had, we'd still like to see a healthy Jonas Mouton step forth to let Demens develop slowly.

Brandon Moore: He could be one play away from becoming a starter. Unless Martell Webb really shows a willingness to compete, he will be the backup tight end.

6) Brandon Smith

We list him as someone to watch because we really believe he has the ability to win a starting position. How he can defend in pass coverage could be the difference between having an average defense and having a good defense. Yes, it all depends on this one kid.

Why, you ask? Because he brings something Michigan has not had in too many years—a physical safety. Also, he has become one of those younger leaders on the team I've referred to. Kids gravitate to him. He is the type of kid you just want to root for. Michigan needs him to succeed this year.

Note: Stevie Brown is back at it. A year ago he was the MVP of spring on defense. Judging from offseason workouts, he is going to be tough for someone to beat out. He's one of the most athletic kids, at least in agility drills. The big question is whether he can translate that athleticism onto the football field. We have beaten this question to death.

Maybe he simply cannot play consistent enough, but there's no disputing Brown is the best natural athlete on the defensive side of the ball.

Another comment on safeties: Some of you may already know this—Vlad Emilien is not only an impressive-looking athlete, but also one of the smartest kids on the team. He pays very close attention to details and looks to be one of those players who will always be found in the right place at the right time.

7) Offensive Line

Who plays offensive tackle? Stephen Schilling is like Obi Ezeh—his position will be determined by others, not him. It is obvious to most that Schilling would be more effective as an offensive guard—probably at left guard—but unless someone can show they can play offensive tackle, coach Greg Frey will probably keep him there. For Spring Practice, he is expected to play mostly offensive guard to start.

Ricky Barnum: He will practice but may need to have his wrist taken care of after spring practice.

Coach Frey has sent a clear message to all offensive linemen—improve your agility or be benched. The offensive line’s inability to block anyone in the open field last year kept Michigan from making significant plays, let alone making big plays. The offensive linemen who show the ability to block at the second level will play.

8) T-Rob

Terrence Robinson is just a great kid and is the standard for quickness on the team. He is healthy and will push Martavious Odoms hard this spring, though Odoms is a competitor and one of coach Calvin Magee's favorites.

9) Cornerbacks

We're curious to watch the corners not so much to determine the starters, but to try and determine who will be the backups whether they play tough enough to allow coach Greg Robinson to go to press man coverage. We weren't able to last year for various reasons.

10) Coaching

What changes will we see in the schemes? Will the passing scheme be upgraded? What role will Coach Robinson play in practice? Will we have a defensive coach on the field during scrimmages? Will Coach Rod tone things down?

Historically, the first two or three practices are just shorts and pads. They usually do not scrimmage until practice four. We're not sure what the schedule is this year.

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/

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Written by ErocWolverine and MaizeMan

Thoughts On The Michigan vs. Iowa Game -- Posted 3/13/09

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:43:13 -0400

Michigan Basketball: Michigan vs. Iowa—Thoughts on the game and "The Dance".

Michigan started out like gangbusters with the first bucket of the game and never looked back, never trailing Iowa. DeShawn Sims took control of the game right from the get-go with 14 straight points. He was unstoppable early on and gave Michigan a comfortable lead.

This was the type of game that Michigan fans wanted to see start off the Big Ten tournament. A game, that by halftime had fans dancing in the streets knowing that Michigan would make it to the "Big Dance" for the first time in a very long time.

Michigan had a commanding 40-19 lead by the half. They were 15-22 (68%) from the field, 5-10 (50%) from the 3-point range, and 5-5 (100%) from the free throw line.

The second half did not show any major cooling off with 14-27 (52%) field goal shooting, 5-12 (42%) 3s, and 0-0 from the free throw line.

In the second half Michigan was able to use their bench to get some players more minutes than they probably would have at this time and also gave the key players some extra rest, which is important in a tournament setting where they could play four games in four days.

Final score 73-45. Next up—Illinois. The biggest question now is, does this Michigan team let up or will they bring the same intensity and hunger against Illinois?

Michigan vs. Iowa Video Highlights: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155394229/bctid16423190001

Game stats:

Manny Harris - 18 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
DeShawn Sims - 27 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals.
Stu Douglass - 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assist, 1 steal, 1 block.

Michigan's with a RPI of 42, strength of schedule of 10, and a power ranking of 33 is almost guaranteed NCAA tournament spot now, no matter what people say about having to win two games in the Big Ten Tournament.

People need to remember this Big Ten is a very good conference this year with a notably difficult non-conference schedules.

Michigan's last appearance in the NCAA tournament was in 1995 due in large part to NCAA sanctions.

Therefore, it has been a long time coming and the sun is rising on Michigan basketball, not only for this year, but for the future of Michigan basketball.

Congratulations to Coaching Beilein, the entire staff, and the players—you all deserve it. We, the fans, celebrate your hard-earned, and well-deserved, success, with you.

Joe Lunardi (ESPN) thought Michigan was in after the win against Minnesota. He did say that they would have been back on the bubble with a loss to Iowa, but would likely get in. At least now, we do not have to worry about it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some dancing to do!

To see my blog page please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/

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Written by ErocWolverine

Michigan Football's Top 10 Things to Watch: Part One of Two (Posted Mar. 13)

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:39:15 -0400

Top 10 things to watch during Spring Practice

1) Quarterback play

Undoubtedly, all eyes will be on Tate Forcier. Sure, Forcier will be impressive in drills, since he has such good fundamentals and release, but we want to see if he is able—and willing—to spread the ball around in scrimmage situations.

A year ago, we were uneasy with the fact that, in scrimmages, the only pass Michigan seemed able to complete was coach Rich Rodriguez's version of the "check-down" pass (the swing pass).

We want to see Forcier throw the ball over the middle and use the tight end, to complete quick slant passes, and throw the ball long with touch, but most importantly, we just want to see him show the confidence to attempt those passes.

Remember, during practices Coach Rod stands right next to the quarterbacks, so it is going to take a very confident quarterback to be able to perform while have a "West Virginia Warbler" chirping in his ear. With all the advice he will be getting, and being so young and inexperienced at the college level, it's going to take some true grit to perform well in his first public venue as a Wolverine.

2) Wide Receivers

There is a reason why Michigan seems to be going after so many wide receivers. The confidence level with this group is lower than a midget's toupee.

Someone needs to step up become the go-to guy this year. Talent-wise, that guy should be Darryl Stonum, but it remains to be seen if he has matured enough to fulfill this role. Greg Matthews is the senior, but abilities limit his versatility. Junior Hemingway is healthy, and although at times in the past he struggled in practice, at least he has shown flashes of great potential in games.

And of course, any wide receiver who performs effective blocks will be the apple of Coach Rod's eye.

This group will be under pressure this spring. A year ago, the quarterback play was this group's acknowledged excuse, but truth be known, this is a group that the coaches were very disappointed with, not only in their blocking, but also in their route running.

3) Obi Ezeh and the Hybrid position

Probably the biggest question for this defense is, where will Obi Ezeh end up? Physically, Ezeh looks great, and he is obviously one of the best football players on the team. He is now a junior, and it is time for him to establish some consistency.

Coach Jay Hopson likes him in the middle, mainly because he likes his best player to play in the middle, but coach Greg Robinson has already told Ezeh he will also be used on the outside this spring. Will this eventually become our "Hybrid player?" It's not out of the question: We think Ezeh seems to be most effective when he is rushing the quarterback, not in pass coverage.

Note: For the past two years, we've felt that Ezeh's position would be determined not by Ezeh himself, but by the play of others on the team. If Michigan can find a better option in the middle, we have no doubt Ezeh would be moved, but going into spring, someone is going to have to step up.

4) Defensive Line

Keep an eye on two players in particular: Adam Patterson and Renaldo Sagesse. Those two will be the difference between Michigan having huge defensive line problems (and therefore forced into more of a 3-4 scheme) or having a very good, and deep, defensive line.

Patterson is healthy, and he says he wants to play. He is going to be used in spring both at defensive end and defensive tackle. He, once again, has had a very good offseason (during agility drills, Patterson's performance is consistently one of best of the defensive linemen.)

Sagesse—maybe, just maybe—will show the athleticism that has been his reputation. He is way ahead of where he was a year ago.

Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergen, and Brandon Graham have all had very good offseasons and will be our top three defensive linemen going into the spring. We caution people to give Big Will Campbell some time to develop. He has some major issues with fundamentals that coach Bruce Tall and staff are addressing.

Look at Big Will to be a part-time contributor in 2009, and hopefully Sagesse will be good enough so that we won't have to rely on Big Will to be a top player. Remember, he is only a freshman whose only competition to date has been PSL players.

Part Two will deal with sleepers, the offensive line, Brandon Smith, T-Rob, cornerback, and coaching.

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/

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Written by ErocWolverine and MaizeMan

Michigan Mailbag Question: Who Has Basketball Team Offered? (Posted Mar. 12)

ErocWolverine — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:34:06 -0400

Who are the top basketball prospects that Michigan is looking at in 2010, and has Michigan offered any of them?

Mike T.

----------------------------------

Thanks for the question.

Right now, I believe the only 2010 basketball recruits that have been officially offered are Ray McCallum (MI), Casey Prather (TN), Will Regan (NY), and Trey Ziegler (MI). There might be a couple more, or ones that they are really looking hard at right now, but they might be waiting till after the season, or for when they can see the kids in person—on recruiting visits at the summer camps.

I'm not sure who they are targeting, but with possibly only two scholarships available, coach John Beilein will be very selective. Of course, you can probably say three for sure since Manny Harris will possibly leave after his junior year, but they also might still try to go after another 2009 recruit if they can find the right player.

I, personally, have not really followed too much of the 2010 basketball recruiting yet, except for when they get a commit, but when the basketball season is over (hopefully after they are selected to the “Big Dance”), I'll find out more.

It seems like recruiting is getting earlier and earlier each year. At this time of year, I am more interested in what is happening with the basketball team—right now! Also, I'm more focused on the upcoming spring football practices. Once the season is over and the basketball camps come around, I'll get more into basketball recruiting, touch base with my sources, and pass on what I learn. Hopefully, this will tide you over until then.

One thing to keep in mind now that Michigan has beat Minnesota and is looking good for the Big Dance is that more kids are going to notice the turnaround and what Coach Beilein is telling these kids.

Other programs (such as Michigan State) will not be able to keep up the negative recruiting of Michigan, especially if they make the NCAA tournament. They have been beating down Michigan for a long time, telling kids, "you do not want to go there because they are not winning" and "you do not want to go there because their facilities are lacking."

Well, that all might have been true in the past, but it's getting outdated. We're ahead of where I thought we would be at this time.

I was hoping for a NIT run in the '08-'09 season and an NCAA tournament run in the '09-'10 season. When they beat UCLA and Duke, the expectations rose quickly, and the goals changed to making the "Big Dance." Also, new Michigan Basketball facilities are on the way for the men and women, and from the rumors we have heard, they are going to be among the nicest in the Big Ten, if not the best.

So, recruiting is only going to get better for Michigan from here on out. The Michigan coaches—all of them—and the players deserve all the praise they have gotten this year. We wish them the best and hope all their hard work pays off for them in the NCAA tournament.

To see my blog page, please visit http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/

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We mostly cover Michigan Football, Basketball, Recruiting, Hockey, Baseball, and Softball, and have video of recruits along with recruiting lists that Michigan is looking at now. Also we have television show reminders that cover the University of Michigan.

Written by ErocWolverine

Bleacher Report - Articles by ErocWolverine

Michigan Wolverines Practice Report

Thanks for stopping by http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/If you have any questions please e-mail erocwolverine@gmail.comWritten by MaizeMan, ErocWolverine, JT, twebber55, and Morencie124.

Michigan Mailbag Question: Is Recruit Marvin Robinson Still Going To Ann Arbor?

Michigan Mailbag Question: Recruiting Rankings

Michigan Mailbag Question: Football Scheduling

Michigan Mailbag : Why So Many 2010 Offers This Early?

Michigan Mailbag Question: About The Quarterbacks

Michigan Wolverine 2010 Commit: Tony Drake

Michigan Mailbag Question: Regarding Tate Forcier

Michigan Mailbag Question: Our Two-Bits on Toney Clemons Leaving

Michigan Mailbag Question: How many more QBs and WRs Do We Need?

Michigan Mailbag Question: Will We See 90,000 Fans at Spring Game?

Michigan Mailbag Question: Offensive Packages

Michigan Mailbag Question: Will The Basketball Team Be Better Next Year?

Michigan Mailbag Question: Horn and Feagin

Michigan Mailbag Question: Will Night Games Ever Happen at Michigan Stadium?

Michigan Basketball: Clemson Vs. Michigan

March Madness: Clemson (7) vs. Michigan (10) Preview: Plus Videos

Michigan Football Tidbits: Spring Practice Report (Posted Mar. 19, 2009)

Michigan Mailbag Question: About the Spring Game

Michigan Football Mailbag Question: What Does "Extra Gear" Mean?

Michigan Mailbag Question: Two Biggest Differences This Spring

Michigan Wolverine Commit: Antonio Kinard (Mar. 17)

Michigan Basketball: Back in The Dance -- Posted 3/16/09

Michigan Wolverine Commit, D.J. Williamson's Profile -- Posted 3/15/09

Michigan Wolverines Commit to High School Quarterback Devin Gardner

Michigan Football Recruiting: 2010 Prospects -- Posted 3/14/09

Michigan Football: Spring Practice Starts Today

Michigan Football's Top 10 Things to Watch: Part Two of Two (Posted Mar. 14)

Thoughts On The Michigan vs. Iowa Game -- Posted 3/13/09

Michigan Football's Top 10 Things to Watch: Part One of Two (Posted Mar. 13)

Michigan Mailbag Question: Who Has Basketball Team Offered? (Posted Mar. 12)

Thanks for stopping by http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/
If you have any questions please e-mail erocwolverine@gmail.com

Written by MaizeMan, ErocWolverine, JT, twebber55, and Morencie124.