Bleacher Report - Articles by Big House Bob

Michigan Football Friday: NFL is Calling?

Big House Bob — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:45:00 -0500

Donovan Warren Michigan's best CB is considering leaving early for the NFL draft. The true junior had four interceptions this year and opposing QB's would routinely throw the ball away from the talent junior. He has filed paperwork with the NFL to see where he might be drafted. At the annual Michigan Football Bust last night he had this to say:

"I'm definitely, I'd have to say heavily, I like the chances of me coming out," Warren said at Michigan's annual football bust.

Warren said he planned to make a decision “within 2 weeks or so,” likely before the advisory committee reports back on his draft status.

Some scouts project Warren as a middle round draft selection and Mel Kiper has him rated as the No. 2 Junior Cornerback. He also has been playing with a banged up ankle that he feels he can get fixed in the off season.

BHB perspective: If Warren is a first or high second round draft pick, I would say he should go to the Draft. If he is third round or below he should stay at Michigan: Get 100 percent healthy, and work on his technique and speed. He has a former NFL DC in Greg Robinson that can help him prepare and an NFL worthy Stretch and Conditioning coach. Those two things will only help will be a better NFL caliber CB in another year. DW has also flipped on this decision twice already saying he would look into the NFL in November and then after the OSU game saying he was staying.

More good news out of the Wolverine Camp: Mgoblog is reporting that Michigan running back, Freshman Vincent Smith blew out his ACL during the Ohio State game and will miss spring practice. Vincent is expected to compete with Mike Shaw for the starting running back position next year. Michigan loses two seniors Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown at that position.

Michigan Basketball: Their Rise and Fall in One Week, Plus Recruiting News

Big House Bob — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:13:00 -0500

So that was fun while it lasted. Michigan had just come off their first NCAA tournament bid since the Tractor Traylor days, and even won a game in the tournament. They had their top two stars returning, a good recruiting class, and one of the best coaches in the country. Some basketball analysts had Michigan in their preseason top 10.

With the Michigan Football team forgetting to win in October and November, most Michigan fans turned their excitement to the No. 15 ranked basketball team. Michigan started the season 2-0 by playing two cupcakes in two weeks.

They then headed down to Orlando for the Old Spice Classic and beat Creighton in OT. Then they lost to both Marquette and Alabama. Not good for the team favored to win the tournament and the only "ranked" team in the field.

Then they came back home last night and played Boston College. They will be mad and ready to play, right? They will rebound with a big win, right? They will get rebounds, right? Nope.

It was the same old story from the Old Spice. Michigan didn't play defense, couldn't hit enough three's, played lazy, and waited around for Manny to score. Manny did his best on a bad hamstring, but he still can't hit a three-pointer to save his life.

So this team is 3-3 with trips to Kansas and Utah still left on the calendar. They also play UConn at Crisler. If things don't change those are three more losses and no NCAA tournament, unless they win the Big Ten Tournament. This has been one difficult week for John Beilien and program.

Maybe we all should become Butch Jones and Central Michigan fans? Go Chips! They seem to be the only program (college or pro) in the state that is playing well.

That is why I like to focus on recruiting. For all the good news!

Tom VH recruiting insider from Mgoblog says Derrick Bryant might still be in the fold for Michigan

Derrick is a three-star DE from Columbus, OH who has committed to UCLA. He visited Michigan for the Ohio State game and came away very impressed. Here is his quote from TomVH's discussion, "You never know what could happen. Two months is a long time. Michigan is a 9.9999999 out of 10 in second place." Coach Tall is planning an in-home visit to Derrick soon.

Update from DetNews and Sam Webb on Jonathan Hankins

In JH's words here is what happened regarding his Michigan offer, " As soon as I got back from my visit to Florida I talked to (Michigan assistant) Coach (Tony) Dews and he told me that I had a scholarship," Hankins said.

"The whole (Michigan) defensive staff came to the school (Monday). They said it was a long process for them to offer me because they had to see what they had and who was coming back. I'm in (demand) because of the position I play."

Right now Florida is No. 1 on his list, but he is planning visits to Ann Arbor this weekend and Ohio State next. He hopes to make a decision before Christmas.

Michigan's Annual Football Bust is tonight. No Pun intended.

Sources are saying that Florida's DC Charlie Strong is Louisville's top candidate

I 100 percent applaud Louisville if they hire Charlie. Getting a head coaching job is way over due for this talented coordinator. Many have wondered if Charlie's interracial marriage was causing teams not to hire him. Which I believe is ridiculous, I hope Louisville hires him right after the game on Saturday. Well done, Cardinals!

Visitors to A2 this weekend include ND Commit Spencer Boyd (three star CB from Florida) and WVU commit Richard Ash. Richard just committed to WVU yesterday and is a four star DT from Pahokee, FL home of current Wolverines Martavious Odoms, Vincent Smith, and Brandin Hawthorne.

College Football Coaching Searches Are Not What They Used to Be

Big House Bob — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:34:00 -0500

Michigan was in the market for a new head coach two short years ago. As a Michigan fan, I was excited for the first time in 40 years to go outside the program to get a high quality coach.

I was really surprised that Michigan didn't have its choice of any college football coach out there. I thought high-profile coaches would be lining up to coach the Wolverines.

I was wrong—and so are the ND fans who are throwing around names like Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops.

Here is what I learned regarding coaching searches. So fans from Notre Dame, Louisville, and Virginia, please take note.

Coaching Searches Help Current Coaches Get Extensions and Raises

The coaches who stay at their programs are the big winners in coaching searches.

The mention of their names with any opening gets them big raises and contract extensions.

For example, look at TCU and Gary Patterson; he just got an extension yesterday on the belief teams would be asking to interview him.

Notre Dame made one of the biggest mistakes in the history of college football when Weis' name came up for an NFL job, and they quickly gave him a 10-year $40 million contract.

Big-Name Jobs Are Not What They Used To Be

With big-name programs comes a big spotlight. If coaches can stay at Iowa or Rutgers and still make the same money, why move?

The expectations are lower, and the pressure/stress is lower.

Look at Rich Rodriguez, for examples, since he took the Michigan job.

He has won eight games in two years, paid a large buyout, had an entire state hate him, been called a "Snake Oil Salesman" by another Big Ten coach, and had a local newspaper accuse him of overworking his players, which has led to an NCAA investigation.

I'm pretty sure none of those things would have happened to him if he had stayed in West Virginia. Good thing Ann Arbor is a great place to raise a family.

Coaches Are Hired To Be Fired

Remember the last time ND was looking for a head coach? They went after all the big names like Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Urban Meyer, etc.

Well, Shanahan and Gruden are Super Bowl-winning coaches and available.

What? They are not on a short list at ND now? Why? Because they got fired?

They are still the same coaches they were five years ago.

If You're at a Major Program and Make Big Dollars, Why Move?

What would be the motivation for a Bob Stoops or Urban Meyer to take the ND job? I can't think of one.

Both are at the top of successful programs that compete for national championships each year. Why would they want to rebuild ND?

So Where Do You Go if You Need a Head Coach?

You need to look at coaches at schools that can't match the money you're going to spend.

For example, the University of Cincinnati can't pay Brian Kelly $4 million a year.

If you're Louisville, Central Michigan can't pay Butch Jones a couple million a year.

That is where you have to look for your next coach. Don't forget, Ohio State found Jim Tressel in Division I-A.

So, ND, swing for the fences and talk to Urban and Bob through third parties, have them quietly tell you "no thanks," and move on to the Brian Kellys of the world—quickly.

The longer this plays out, the worse it's going to get.

You almost have to do what the Ole Miss did a couple of years ago; Houston Nutt left his job at Arkansas and 10 minutes later was announced as the coach at Ole Miss.

You almost need to have a "silent and quiet" deal with the replacement before you let your current coach go.

That is why athletic directors hire third-party firms, so they can contact the coaches and gauge interest, salary, buyout, etc.

By the way, Terry Bowden is doing a great job at the University of North Alabama and is available to interview any time you like.

Michigan Wolverines' Recruiting: "The Silly Season"

Big House Bob — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:11:00 -0500

In golf they call the tournaments in between the Tour Championship and the first tournament of the new year "the Silly Season."

The reason is the tournaments don't count as PGA Tour wins, but there is a lot of money at stake and some of the best players in the world travel around the world, play a few rounds, and pocket big dollars.

Since the Michigan football team doesn't have to worry about preparing for a bowl game for the second season in a row, their second "Silly Season" is underway in Ann Arbor, and the coaches are getting a quick jump on things.

State of the Union: Michigan has 21/22 players committed for the 2010 class. The reason I have 21/22 is the question mark around Adrian Witty. He is going to enroll in January and there are some open questions if he can count towards the 2009 or 2010 class.

The usual limit per year is 25 scholarships (some programs bring in more kids if they have attrition and fall below the 85 scholarship limit).

All 21/22 seem solidly committed at this point, but there is a lot of time between now and signing day, so things can change quickly, like we learned last year.

Some recent updates:

•Florida four-star CB Rashard Knight missed his flight for his visit for the Ohio State game. He plans to reschedule.

•Johnathan Hankins has an interesting ride in his recruitment. He plays a position of need for the Wolverines, plays in state at Detroit Southeastern HS, and has offers from the likes of Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and others. But no offer from the Wolverines, until this week.

He has visited Virginia and Florida and was in the Swamp for the the Florida State game and really enjoyed it. Now, the Michigan coaches are giving him the full court press and visiting him at his high school today. All along the Wolverine coaches have said they would re-evaluate his offer after the season was over. It's over and they have now offered.

•Mgoblog recruiting guru Tom VH says that Torrian Wilson, an offensive lineman from Miami and current Stanford commit, is planning an official Ann Arbor visit. Torrian was a strong Michigan lean until he visited Stanford and committed. We will see what happens after the Michigan visit.

•Tony Jefferson, one of the top rated safeties in the country from California, is planning to decide between USC, Oklahoma, and Michigan. ESPN reported it was between USC and OK, but Tom VH heard from Tony that Michigan was still in the running and equal to USC and OU.

If I had to guess, USC has to be in the driver's seat for Tony, who has already backed out of commitments with UCLA and Stanford.

•There have been reports that Jatashun "Big Tex" Beachum is solid with Arkansas, but many insiders are saying that Michigan is still in the race.

•There are reports that four-star safety from California Sean Parker will make his visit to Ann Arbor this weekend. He is considering Michigan, USC, Washington, Oregon, and Cal.

•California running back Dillon Baxter is staying with his USC commitment.

•Super QB Devin Gardner's team lost in the State finals and also does not plan on enrolling at Michigan in January.

•Tony Grimes and Clarence Murphy are still high on Michigan: "Michigan sticks out for both of us," Grimes said. "There, we feel we can come in and play as true freshmen."

Monday Madness: Cher's Son/Daughter becomes Charlie Weis

Big House Bob — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0500

As we all know, this probably is not the best week in the life of Charlie Weis. His fate at Notre Dame will most likely become public in the next couple of days.

With the reports he has stopped recruiting and maybe has cleaned out his office, it seems the writing is on the wall. Or, if you watched ESPN in the last week, the writing is being reported 24/7.

With that said, I found this story interesting. Sunny and Cher's daughter, Chastity Bono, has decided she is more comfortable being a man, and has gone through a process to make a sex change. What is disturbing to Notre Dame fans is that she has decided to become Charlie Weis. Your not sure? Check out the pictures below and make the call! Who is Who?

If ND decides to keep Charlie, just think of the recruiting possibilities! He could be in Florida and California at the same time! No word if Chasity (now Chaz) will have a "schematic advantage" with her change.

Michigan Stinks Up the Old Spice Classic

Big House Bob — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:59:00 -0500

I was lucky enough to be in Orlando this weekend to watch the Wolverines live in the Old Spice Classic. I saw Michigan's first two games but missed the Alabama game Sunday.

I am not a basketball expert by any means, and I'm sure Coach Beilein has a plan for Michigan's problems, but I will give you my two cents on the Wolverines' 1-2 performance in the Old Spice Classic this past weekend.

The Michigan basketball team has a little bit of "Jordan Syndrome." Early in his career for the Chicago Bulls, most of Jordan's teammates would sit back and wait for Jordon to win or lose the game.

I believe Michigan has a similar situation with Manny Harris—and no. I'm not comparing Manny to Jordan.

On the offensive side of the ball, I don't see a lot of movement, and I don't see plays for Stu Douglass or Zack Novak to get open shots. It seems Michigan has two options on offense: get the ball to DeShawn Sims in the low post or let Manny create something.

Manny is clearly not 100 percent back from his hamstring injury and is not shooting the ball well from the outside, but is still an incredible player nearly putting up triple doubles every night.

Sims is getting double-teamed on the low post and not finding a shooter for an open three. DeShawn is also taking way too many outside shots, and when he does that Michigan has zero shot at getting any boards.

These problems in Michigan's game became clear in the Old Spice Classic this past weekend, especially in its matchup against Marquette.

Michigan clearly still has trouble rebounding on offense and defense, but Marquette basically scored every time on the offensive side of the ball. With the lack of free throw shooting, Michigan is firing on one of six cylinders right now.

The other thing that I noticed was that Michigan seemed to be a little fatigued against Marquette. Before this tournament Michigan had played two games in two weeks, and playing three games in three days seemed to catch up with them.

This tournament showed that Michigan is still pretty rusty and hasn't found the right momentum that lead them into the NCAA tourney last year.

There is a ton of talent on the Michigan roster, and picking up the pressure on the defensive side of the ball will lead to more easy baskets. Stu did struggle with his shot during the tournament.

Zack Gibson always plays hard. Zack Novak, a great "scrappy player," is working sedulously on the defensive side of the ball but is not getting many good looks on the offensive side of the court. I can't remember him looking at a three pointer during the Marquette game.

Michigan needs to find a way to score when the opponents try to take Manny and DeShawn away because everyone is going to try to do that. I would like to see Matt Vogrich get some more time when Stu and Zack are struggling from the outside, but I expect he is a liability on defense since he is still learning the Beilein system.

The schedule doesn't get easier with Boston College coming to Crisler on Wednesday and upcoming trips to Utah and Kansas in December. I also expect Michigan to drop from the rankings this week.

CB Cullen Christian Finds a New Home in the Big House

Big House Bob — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:02:00 -0500

Cullen Christian, a 6'0", 190-pound CB out of Pittsburgh, has been a Wolverines fan all his life. Now he will suit up for the Maize and Blue next year.

The Michigan football team received some much needed good news when the No. 3 ranked CB in the country verbally committed to the Wolverines for next fall.

His offer list was long, and included names like Ohio State, Pitt, WVU, and UCLA. He is rated four stars by both Rivals and Scout and is the 88th player in the nation per Rivals .

The only negative that has been written about him, is that he might not have elite speed and could move to safety, to which I respond, "Yes!" Michigan needs great cover corners and great safeties so nothing but upside for Cullen in Ann Arbor. I expect him and Justin Turner to see the field a lot next year.

For more info on Cullen please visit Mgoblog 's write up.

Headlines

Zoltan has been named to ESPN 's Academic All-American Team.

Two Players Thrown Off Michigan State

Junior safety Roderick Jenrette and sophomore running back Glenn Winston have been removed from the team. Winston saw a lot of time at running back this year and spent some of his last offseason in jail, but was allowed to come back and play. The dismissals seemed to come from a fight on the MSU campus.

Former Wolverines Help Find Michigan's New AD

Jed Hughes, a former Wolverine and former assistant under Bo, works for Spencer Stuart, an executive search firm. Also, Michigan has an internal search committee that includes Michigan basketball coach John Beilein. RichRod is not on the committee.

Big House Getting New Turf

After next years spring game Big Blue will be getting new field turf. I hope the old turf can be donated to a Detroit Metro high school that needs it.

Miami Dolphins Owner Backs RichRod

Stephen Ross (see name of the new Business School), who currently has Bill Parcells, Chad Henne, and Jake Long on the pay roll, says Rich Rodriguez needs more time in Ann Arbor.

"If he has a bad year next year, he'll have a lot more pressure," Ross told the Associated Press , before the Wolverines lost to Ohio State on Saturday. "I don't think he has anything to worry about right now in my mind."

"People take shots at him for whatever reason," Ross said. "Some people like to beat people when they're down. I think he's a great man and he's been a winner wherever he's been. It's just that a lot of people don't like change. I think it will all work out."

Michigan Monday: Any Good News?

Big House Bob — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:37:00 -0500

Some:

Donavan Warren has said he is coming back for his senior year . He will ask the NFL for his status, but he announced he would be back.
Rich Rodriguez is coming back and lame-duck AD Bill Martin made that clear after the game.
Zoltan is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award
Tom from Mgoblog interviewed four-star CB from Florida Tony Grimes and he rated his trip an 11 on a one-to-10 scale.
Rivals is reporting that Adrian Witty has qualified and will enroll at Michigan in January. Adrian was a cornerback in the 2009 class and a former teammate of Denard's in high school. There used to be a rule where he could count towards the 2009 or 2010 class, but I believe that was changed and he will now have to count towards the 2010 class, which would only leave four more spots if that rule is accurate.
Cullen Christian, one of the top CB prospects in the nation, announces his decision tomorrow around 6:30 p.m. He was in A2 for his final visit this weekend.
The Basketball Team is 2-0 and heading into the Old Spice Classic Tournament at Walt Disney World this holiday weekend.
Urban Meyer continues to not go to Notre Dame . I guess they just can't take a hint in South Bend. He is just not into you!

Not Good News:

A U of M Football Player has been arrested for sexual assault on Saturday Night . The players name has not been released and charges have not been filed yet. What we do know is the player is 18 (a freshman) and knew the person who brought the charges against him. More to come on this story.

Buckeye Monday = Death

Big House Bob — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:33:00 -0500

Buckeyes Win in the Big House

I think Big House Bob summed it up very well in his game summary post yesterday, “sometimes freshman play like seniors and sometimes they play like high school seniors.” I wasn’t really worried about the outcome of the game (especially after Forcier’s fumble in the end zone) but I didn’t mind all the interceptions late in the game. Coach Tressel’s play calling was once again ultra conservative but once again the desired results were accomplished so why risk it. If Pryor can live with it and remain happy with the results then why change it? I like the way the running game remained solid, the offensive line continues to make progress and once again the defense played really well. All in all it was a great Saturday to be a Buckeye.

What worked?

As stated above, the running game found its groove in the second and third quarters. Counters, zone reads and dive plays all seemed to work for the Buckeyes.

Herron and Saine ran well the entire game and Pryor seemed to be comfortable both on the designed runs and when he was scrambling for yardage. His decision making has really improved since the Purdue game. I guess that game was really the turning point for him this year.

The O-line also seems to be playing with improved intensity and consistency. They are such a young group of players. Bollman can stay as long as the upward trend continues in Pasadena and into next year.

The defense played their usual solid game. Kurt Coleman is awesome. Two picks and tons of tackles. He will be missed next year. Both Gibson and Heyward have expressed an interest in returning next year to anchor the line. That could change after their draft stock is evaluated. Both could leave if they think the money would be there.

What didn’t work?

Geez , nothing really comes to mind. I’m not adverse to scoring more points and I’d still like to see more of a vertical passing game but I’m not going to argue with the results.

What’s next?

I’m guessing that Oregon will represent the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl. Their speed scares me but I don’t think they’re any faster than Vincent Smith or Denard Robinson so maybe we’ll be able to keep them in check. I didn’t want to play USC again in another one of their home games. I’ll hold off on a prediction until their conference champion is determined.

So, outright Big-10 champions, beating Michigan and ending up 10-2. Not bad for a team that was in a semi-rebuilding mode at the beginning of the year. The Buckeyes are scheduled to lose only two starters on offense and three on defense. Year three was when Troy Smith started to find his groove at quarterback. He beat Michigan as a sophomore but Pryor has already done that twice. Next year could be special in Columbus.

Best of luck to Coach Rod and the Wolverines. The Big-10 and The Game will be better off once the rebuilding process is completed.

Go Bucks!!

Buckeye John

Rodriguez Take Two: It's Over

Big House Bob — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:21:00 -0500

...Thankfully!

Congratulations to the Michigan defense for giving up a mere 14 points to Ohio State. You did enough and deserved to win.

The Michigan offense, on the other hand, showed their youth, inexperience, and their ability to lose the game. Some days freshmen look like fifth year seniors and other days, like high school seniors.

Not having a healthy Brandon Minor and Stevie Brown made winning difficult for the Wolverines, in a close game.

I'm sad for the University of Michigan seniors and of the fact of a second straight year with no bowl game.

I'm pretty sure Michigan didn't do anything to embarrass themselves, with a dozen Blue Chip recruits in attendance and a basketball team that is 2-0.

So, one season ends and two begin—recruiting and basketball.

Go Blue!

Michigan Wolverines–Ohio State Buckeyes Preview

Big House Bob — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:13:00 -0500

Time: Noon
Location: Big House
TV: ABC
Weather: Hitting Weather
Line: OSU –12.5

I have had a lot of time to think about what I was going to write about tomorrow’s game. I feel the same way the Big House Blog readers do. About half of them think it’s going to be a blow out, and the other half feel it could be a close game or even a Michigan upset.

The half of my brain that has Michigan playing well remembers the Cooper years when Ohio State clearly had the better team and left Ann Arbor with a loss.

Ohio State has clinched the Big Ten Championship and a ticket to the Rose Bowl. The only thing the Buckeyes have to play for is bragging rights.

There are also the Justin Boren and Terelle Pryor situations, who both in different ways turned their backs on the Michigan program and surely will hear it from the fans and a few select Wolverines on Saturday.

It's been 40 years since the big upset in 1969. Michigan will take a little Karma and History on its side on Saturday.

The other half of my brain thinks the “upset half” is crazy.

OSU could throw one pass on Saturday and still beat the Wolverines. The threat of Pryor in the shot gun and watching him sail through Michigan safeties could cause this game to be over by half time.

We also know as soon as OSU commits 100 percent to the run, there will be a Dan “Salamander” wide open down the middle for a touchdown.

With that said, I haven’t even mentioned the Ohio State defense, which is clearly the best in the Big Ten.

How is Tate going to be able to move the ball on this talented defense without Brandon Minor at running back? Will he even have time to step back and throw? Will Denard get in and turn the ball over? Just way too many question marks on both sides of the ball for a Michigan win.

So which is it?

A hungry Michigan team that has everything to play for? A bowl game and one last chance for the seniors to beat Ohio State.

Or a talented Ohio State team that just grinds out the young Wolverines?

I think we will see a little bit of both on Saturday. I expect Michigan to start quickly and maybe even force a mistake by Pryor. But the bottom line in this game is: No matter how good Brandon Graham is, the Michigan defense just can’t stop Ohio State's offense for four quarters.

It’s close at halftime but gets away from the Wolverines in the second half. Michigan 20, OSU 42

Special note to the Michigan Seniors

You have had one hell of a ride at Michigan the last four years. You have seen the misery of App. State and the high of beating Florida in Florida.

You have seen retirements, a new head coach, and three defensive coordinators in three years.

You gentlemen are loyal teammates, wonderful players, and Real Michigan Men. I know it might be hard to enjoy Saturday, but try to relish in the tradition of Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard, Tom Brady, Charles Woodson, and all the great Wolverines before you while you put on the winged helmet one last time.

Saturday is your day.

Win or lose, you are true champions for staying and playing hard for the Michigan Wolverines. Today and for the rest of your lives you are true Michigan Men. Good Luck on Saturday and Go Blue!

The Big House Blog Takes a Moment of Silence for Chris Spielman's Family

Big House Bob — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500

I am sorry to learn about the passing of Chris's wife Stefanie Spielman on Thursday. Stefanie had been NFL-star,-dies-at-42">battling breast cancer. She was 42.

Having a loss like this is tragic and my thoughts and prayers go out to Chris's family.

I know Saturday's game is Chris's favorite, and he even told his dad that he was going to Michigan when he was a high school senior. His dad stopped him and said, no your not! Your going to Ohio State! The rest is history.

____________________________

On a totally separate issue, I am also sad for Brandon Minor who is officially out for Saturday's game. Brandon has battled injuries all year and this latest shoulder injury has gotten the best of him and he will sit out his last chance to play in the Big House. I don't know Brandon, but I'm pretty sure having to sit out on Saturday will be one of the hardest things he has ever had to do.

Big Ten Picks and Predictions Week 12

Big House Bob — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:03:00 -0500

Well, this is it folks, the last week of the Big Ten Football season. It just seemed like a few weeks ago we started the 2009 season and now it's over before Thanksgiving.

The big hopes we had of a Michigan turnaround, Illinois re-gaining it's form, MSU playing Big Ten spoiler and Penn State dominance didn't really come to pass.

Ohio State again is the Big Ten Champion with steady play and a dominating defense. Iowa stepped up for awhile but we all sort of knew it wouldn't last. The good thing is the Big Ten won't be in the National Championship game this year.

The good news is The Big Ten probably has the best basketball conference this year. Sorry ACC it's true!

Now on to the Picks...

The Big Ten Game of the Week (will be previewed on Friday)

Minnesota at Iowa : Iowa played very well last week in the Shoe but came up a couple of plays short it overtime. Minnesota is a team that plays well at home put not so good on the road.

Iowa is a little mad since they were on the doorsteps of the Rose Bowl and will now find themselves in Orlando for the Capital One. They are going to take their frustrations out on the Gophers. Iowa is favored by 10.

Iowa 31 Minn 13

Wisconsin at Northwestern: Both teams are playing well right now and both teams will be enjoying a bowl game this year. I think Wisconsin is just too physical for the Wildcats. If Tolizen continues to find open tight ends they are going to be tough to beat. Wisconsin is favored by just over a touchdown 7.5.

Wisconsin 28 Northwestern 17

Penn State at Michigan State: I just don't get Penn State this year. At times they look like a top 10 team. At other times, they look below average. This has been a very strange year for JoPa who had Pasadena plans. State on the other hand has also under preformed this year.

One of the preseason picks to make some noise in the Big Ten really hasn't ever got on track and just qualified for a bowl game last week. JoPa is favored by three in this one. It won't be that close.

Penn State 32 MSU 21

Purdue at Indiana: Neither team is going to a bowl game and both teams are stuck with 4-7 records this year. So this is their Bowl Game, let's call it: The Drive for Five! wins that is. Both teams have looked good and terrible this year.

One team lost to Michigan in a close game and one team beat Michigan in a close game. Purdue is favored by three. This game is for the State of Indiana bragging rights.

IU 21 Purdue 20.

Poor Illinois has the week off, so they can face Cincinnati next week.

Michigan: OSU Week News and Notes Day 4

Big House Bob — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:17:00 -0500

One person I left off the visitors list for OSU is "Big Tex" Jatashun Beachum. He is nearly 300 pounds and plays Defensive Tackle and QB. The word on the street is, he is interested in Michigan because Rich Rodriguez (RR) said they would allow him to play to QB on short yardage situations. He has offers from just about every major program but decided to give his verbal to Arkansas... which didn't last long when the Wolverines came calling and now he says he is deciding between Michigan and the Razorbacks.

Very Bad News for the Michigan Offense: Brandon Minor is doubtful for Saturday's Ohio State game. His ankle is healed but his shoulder is giving him a lot of problems. He has not practiced this week.

Mgoblog is now reporting the 2008 work out logs do exist and were found after the audit and have been turned into the University investigators and the NCAA. RR also said yesterday that as soon as he learned about the problem it was fixed right away.

Per the Detroit News and RR's agent: "I do know that Rich and Mary Sue spoke on Monday and Mary Sue said, 'Hey, I'm behind you 100 percent,'" said Rodriguez's agent, Mike Brown said. Brown said Rodriguez and Coleman met to discuss a university audit that showed the football program did not submit required logs that reveal how much time players spent involved with the sport last season. Brown also said Rodriguez and his wife, Rita, are very happy in Ann Arbor. "They plan on being (at Michigan) a long, long time," Brown said.

A Michigan Judge has "stalled" the Sale of the Silverdome . A developer in Bloomfield Hills said it had a deal with Pontiac is 2008 for $17 Million for the Silverdome. Quick Question? Why the hell are you blocking a deal where you over paid by $16.5 million? If you want the place offer $1 million and it's yours!

Michigan Rivalry Week: Day Two

Big House Bob — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:03:00 -0500

Another log on the fire : Michigan didn't keep work out logs for a period of time in 2008. Some of the mis-information floating around is that these were mandatory, which is un-true. These logs are one way that Michigan tracks compliance internally. It is not an NCAA mandate.

The logs have been put back in place and are now done on a regular basis. Mgoblog has the best re-cap of this story if your interested. I think the bottom line is, if Michigan had these logs the entire "Work Out Gate" would have been avoided but now Michigan needs to show more proof they didn't overwork their players.

Two former Michigan recruits are thrown off Tennessee's Football Team: Unless you have been living under a rock you know by now that wide receiver Nu'Keese Richardson, 18, and defensive back Mike Edwards, 18 were arrested this week after an armed robbery charge outside a gas station near Tennessee's campus.

Both players were recruited by Michigan last year and showed only minor interest. As it worked out, I'm glad they didn't come to Ann Arbor.

Pardon The Interruption but Michael Wilpon has his facts wrong. Michael went on the radio yesterday saying he had sources saying that Charlie Weis and Rich Rodriguez were going to be fired. I can't speak for ND, but the only chance RR is going to get fired is if the NCAA comes back with Major Grade A violations.

They just paid to get him out of his WVU contract and firing him would cost another $4 Million. Even Dan Syder thinks that's a lot of money. It's not going to happen. BTW: His source was a former Rich Rod player that was willing to bet money or make it rain.

The Silverdome isn't worth it's weight in Silver! So you want to buy a former NFL Stadium that has hosted events like WrestleMania: Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant, The Monsters of Rock, and the Super Bowl? It cost 55.7 Million in 1975 but needs some work. What do you think? 10 Mill? 20 Mill? How about $583,000!

Yes, just over half a million to a Canadian Real Estate firm. Now that is a deal! Now how much for the U.P.? Just kidding U-ppers.

The Michigan Players had a closed door "Players' Meeting" on Monday before practice.

Next year Michigan will have a bye week. The new 2010 schedule has been
posted on the left tool bar.

Saturday's game will be the most important recruiting day of the year with a number of top prospects taking their official visits to Ann Arbor.

Michigan-Ohio State: Big House Ready to Literally Ring Out "The Victors"

Big House Bob — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:48:00 -0500

Well it's not 2006, when the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines played the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes for the Big Ten Championship and a spot in the National Championship the day after legendary coach Bo Schembechler died. (That was still a terrible personal foul call and I'm still not over it) Nope, it's the 5-6 Wolverines against the No. 10, 9-2 Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are favored by 12.5 points.

Can it still be a historic day? You bet.

Michigan could pull a big upset or the fans in the Big House can all play the "Victors" from their cell phones. BongoTones.com is running the "Hail to the Victors Campaign" and asking fans to download the "The Victors" ringtone for free and play it right after halftime.

Here is an excerpt from their press release:

The campaign plans to bring together 106,201 University of Michigan students, alumni and fans to download “The Victors” ringtone free of charge to their mobile phones prior to the Ohio State-University of Michigan game at Michigan Stadium on November 21, 2009. During the game, shortly before halftime, all fans in attendance will be invited to play the ringtone to generate unprecedented noise and support for the University of Michigan football team. A Guinness Book of World Records representative will hopefully be present to verify that the event indeed sets a world record.

Since I know we are all about free:

To access “The Victors” ringtone and support the campaign, either:
1) Click on the “Hail to the Victors: 106,201 Campaign” graphic on the BongoTones.com homepage.
2) Go directly to http://www.bongotones.com/goblue

Big Ten Officials Have Lost Their Minds

Big House Bob — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:27:00 -0500

I know officiating is the toughest job in sports. No matter what you call, someone is going to be mad at you.

Most of the time these guys do a decent job, but recently if you look around the sports world, officiating has gotten pretty ugly. For examples, look at the Major League Playoffs/World Series, NFL (Cowboys-Packers game last Sunday), and the SEC.

What I have noticed lately is a strong decline in officiating in the Big Ten. These guys are making bad decisions, and they are not using the video replay properly or within the rules.

The latest "high profile" mistake came in the Purdue-Michigan State game this weekend when Purdue's running back Ralph Bolden was given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty because he hugged Purdue's mascot Purdue Pete after scoring a touchdown.

Are you kidding me? What was so unsportsmanlike about that? What a minute, doesn't Pete carry a big hammer? I see these guys working now—Bolden was trying to bring a weapon on the field.

Below is a mistake that the officials got right on the field, but the replay booth overturned the call. Please notice the IU WR's foot hitting the field turf and kicking up the chopped up rubber. The replay said he didn't get a foot down. Terrible, just terrible!

Since most reading this blog are Michigan fans, let's review a few calls that occurred in Michigan games.

- The Michigan-Illinois game. There are a number of calls on this video that are in question:

* Roy Roundtree's touchdown overturned in the booth.

* Brandon Minor's touchdown overturned in the booth. If you watch the video, there is a player in between Minor and camera when they ruled his elbow hit the ground. So in this example the replay booth used their judgment to overturn the call instead of evidence—which is a huge fail!

* It looks to me Carlos Brown had scored on third down—no review.

- My next big Michigan complaint came in the Wisconsin game. Wisconsin's running back John Clay dove over the top, and Brandon Graham met him in the air and drove him back into the Wisconsin backfield. The call on the field was touchdown; why, I don't know, because only the tip of his helmet was over the line.

They reviewed it and let the touchdown stand when the replay clearly showed the ball didn't make it over the goal line. In fact, it really wasn't close.

First off, I am not taking the position that Michigan wins either game if those calls were executed properly, but there is something wrong in the process here. Humans make mistakes, but the replay system is here for one reason only: to make the correct call.

Judgment and feelings are not allowed to come into play for replays. It's either yes or no, black or white. If it's gray, the call stands how it was called on the field.

I was in the stadium at Illinois when those calls were made or not made, and I can tell you with 100 percent certainty it changed the game on both sidelines.

So what's wrong with the system? Don't just complain—come up with a new solution.

Okay, first off I have been watching the same old officials for years in the Big Ten. It's time for some fresh new blood on the field and in the booth. I know the good jobs come with experience, but you can't tell me there aren't some young officials out there with good experience.

One problem maybe from the definition of instant replay from Wikipedia: When replay is used, a Replay Official (usually a former college, NFL, or XFL game official ) reviews every play at its conclusion from a secure booth in the press box. If you have worked for Vince McMahon, you should not be able to make any type of call at an NCAA event.

I'm also not sold on the booth review. They seem too detached from the action to make the proper call. Mostly these guys are near retirement or have been put out to pasture.

Maybe the NCAA should go more to an NFL-style system and add another official to the field. The game is delayed too long and too often by these replay stoppages. If you give the coaches a couple of challenges, the game would be stopped less, and they would only challenge the important calls.

BTW: This maybe the only time in history I agree with Charlie Weis. The Big Ten has some bad officials, and something needs to be done. Big Ten coaches can't talk about it or they will be fined. Replay needs to be in the game because there are too many mistakes on the field, but these replay officials have lost the purpose and intent of their role.

The Big Ten has been suspending players; it's time they suspend their officials as well.

Michigan Monday: OSU Week Starts Today

Big House Bob — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:06:00 -0500

Michigan has extended an offer to star safety Ray Vinopal out of Youngstown, Ohio . Ray is 5'10" and 178 pounds, runs a 4.56 40-yard dash, and carries a 4.5 GPA.

Per Mgoblog's TomVH it seems Michigan is still interested in LB Holmes Onwukaife . If you remember back in the summer Holmes tried to commit to the Wolverines and he was told his position was filled but he could play middle linebacker if he wanted. Since then, the Michigan LB's have had about the worst year possible, and now the team has gone back to Holmes to see if he is interested in again becoming a Wolverine. BTW: He committed to Florida State. Not the finest recruiting moment for the Michigan coaching staff.

Adrian College fires coach after a 45-20 win . “In my opinion, I was surprised, especially the way it was done,” said Lyall, who was 98-91-1 in his 20 seasons as Adrian’s head coach. Stephen Threet was not available for a comment on the firing.

If you missed it on Saturday: Manny Harris was messing around and got a triple double, the first one since Gary Grant for the Wolverines.

Excerpt from the NYT College Football Blog : "...with the inevitable whipping the Wolverines will receive against Ohio State this weekend..."

The line for The Game right now is OSU -12.5.

Rich Rod's Press Conference Notes:

Minor's shoulder has giving him trouble and RR isn't sure what his status will be this Saturday. He is a tough guy and will go if he can.
This week will be very emotional for the Michigan coaches and seniors.
Still searching for the right combination on defense.
The next two recruiting classes are critical for Michigan's defense.
In RR's opinion, Pryor has played well and is a difficult athlete to prepare for.
Michigan will win these types of games and other games when Michigan has a better team.
No comment on the Justin Boren situation.
RR feels better offensively this year going in to the OSU game than he did last year.
RR got a little upset that he kept getting asked about the importance of beating Ohio State. He knew this was an important game before he even took the job. Someone gave him a "beat Ohio State" button before he first press conference. He still keeps that button on his desk.

Ryan Van Bergen:

Enjoyed scoring the touchdown but would have liked to play better so Michigan could have gotten a win.
They are not getting tired.
Need to stop making the big mistakes.
Ohio State game is a great experience.

Roy Roundtree:

Never was an Ohio State fan living in Ohio.
Desmond and Charles Woodson were his favorite moments in the OSU games.
Nothing special this week in practice, just need to go harder.
Teammates and coaches and the hard work give the team the belief they can win on Saturday.

Stevie Brown:

He is going to treat Boren like any other offensive lineman.
Pryor is reading the coverage better and is doing a great job and making plays when nobody is open.
He is going make sure everyone watches more film, works harder, and fixes mistakes quickly.
Not a vocal leader, he likes to lead by example.

Mark Ortmann:

Knows the OSU defense will be a huge challenge.
Was more used to Texas AM vs Texas rivalry growing up.
Knew as a freshman on the scout team that this was a special team.
Nobody on the line really keeps in touch with Boren.
He feels the comments Boren made were inaccurate but he has the right to his own opinion.

Donavan Warren:

Defense needs more confidence to stop the big plays and it starts in practice.
Played some safety against Wisconsin.
Will do it again if it's good for the team.
He kept saying the offense needs to earn it.
Guys have been in the wrong gap or playing zone instead of man.
Boren going to OSU and saying what he said was sign of disrespect.

David Moosman:

Doesn't think about Boren, didn't have a relationship with him.
There will be a new intensity this week.
This week is everything.
Throw the records out and whoever brings it the hardest will win the game.
Will take their best effort to beat OSU.
Wants Minor to play because this is his last game in the Big House.

Buckeye Monday: Iowa Review and Michigan Week

Big House Bob — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:59:00 -0500

Buckeyes Win Fifth Consecutive Big Ten Title—Headed to Rose Bowl

What an interesting year this has been. Buckeye fans have gone from calling for Jim Tressel’s head, questioning the competency of the quarterback, and planning on a bowl game in Tampa all the way back to the Big Ten title and a trip to Pasadena in January.

Iowa was without starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi, and everyone expected a comfortable win for the Buckeyes. With 10 minutes to go in the game, Ohio State was up by 14 points, and visions of Pasadena on Jan. 1 danced in my mind.

Two quick scores by Iowa replaced visions of the Rose Bowl with the possibility of having to play an SEC team in the Capital One Bowl. Not a pleasant thought for Buckeye fans.

Overtime ensued, and Devin Barclay kicked the game winner from 39 yards away, bringing out the roses in Columbus.

What worked?

The Buckeye running game is really starting to click late in the year. I can’t say that it’s because teams have to respect the passing game because that still isn’t true. I hope Dan Herron and Brandon Saine came out of the game healthy and ready to play in Ann Arbor next week. Both runners played well.

The offensive line played well again. Like Terrelle Pryor, they have played with better intensity since the Purdue game. Fewer false start and holding penalties, better pass protection, and they are also opening up more holes for the running backs.

This is still a very young unit. I think the struggles early in the year have been corrected, and I look for big things from them on Saturday and next season.

Pryor has rebounded well since the disaster against Purdue. He hasn’t been asked to do much in the four games since that loss, but I think he’s doing a much better job of playing within the system and his abilities. He finished the day 14-of-17 for a modest 93 yards. More importantly, he didn’t force any throws and didn’t take any huge sacks.

His play isn’t flashy, but he’s winning games. I guess that’s a trade I’m comfortable with.

What didn’t work?

Chimdi Chekwa might not be the shutdown cornerback he’s been billed as all year. He was burned several times during the game, including two scores and several long passes. I wonder what coach Rich Rodriguez might dial up against him next week.

I was not very happy with the play calling during the game. I believe Pryor has earned the right to make more plays with his arm, and I think this game was a wasted opportunity for him to do that. It has to be that the coaches still don’t trust him to make all the throws. He was 12-of-12 on throws under 10 yards and 2-of-5 on anything longer. FIVE throws over 10 yards...come on.

Iowa’s last score came with over two minutes left on the clock. I was very disappointed with the conservative nature of the play calling by the Buckeyes at the end of the game. Playing for overtime was not what I wanted or expected.

The defense played a little flat. Not having to face Stanzi probably took away some of their focus and intensity. Obviously, they regained their mojo in overtime. That was a dominant series and a great way to set the table for the offense.

What’s next?

The semi-annual trip to Ann Arbor. I predicted Michigan was looking at 8-4 or 7-5 this year. I’ve been just as surprised and disappointed in their progress as Big House Bob and the rest of the UM fanbase.

I also predicted Ohio State would end up 9-3 with losses to USC, Penn State, and one other team. After the Purdue game I thought the third loss would come in State College. When that didn’t happen, I looked to Iowa. That didn’t happen either.

That leaves the Wolverines as the last team with the ability to make my prediction come true. I think I’d rather win on Saturday than be correct on a preseason prediction. I haven’t seen the line on the game, but I’m guessing it’s double digits.

I think the Ohio State defense will play more like they did against Penn State as compared to Iowa. I think we will see more creativity and surprises in the play calling on offense...after the running game has been suitably established.

Michigan hasn’t had major difficulties putting points on the board this year, and that will continue on Saturday. I think they will even score the first points of the game. I think the game will be close for the first half, but the Buckeyes will blow things open in the second half—much like last year.

I have it 35-13...Buckeyes.

Buckeye John

Michigan-Wisconsin Review: No Defense = No Chance

Big House Bob — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:08:00 -0500

I actually thought Michigan played hard this afternoon. They showed flashes of what could have been this year.

The defense got a couple of turnovers and even scored a touchdown. Tate Forcier and crew seemed to move the ball through the air and could've won the game with a few more touches and stops on defense.

The future does look bright for the Michigan offense with a strong game by freshman Vincent Smith at running back and catching the ball out of the backfield.

If Michigan doesn't rough the punter in the first half, and if they could have found a way to land on the ball on Wisconsin's fumble on the first play of the second half, Michigan could have snuck away with a win.

With one game to play, it seems Michigan is headed for a 5-7 record and missing a bowl game for the second straight year. That's disappointing after starting the year with a win over ND and a 4-0 start.

With that said, this team did get better on the offensive side of the ball, but with young players and three defensive coordinators in three years, the defense continues to underperform. Right now this defense can't stop anyone and has probably cost Michigan three to four more wins this year.

I don't understand why they continue to be in zone pass coverage. Tight ends seem to run wide open anytime the opposing offense wants to run a pass play. I would rather see these guys covered in man to man.

I'm sure there are reasons for the zone, but Matt Millen actually made a valid point during the OSU game. He said most defensive breakdowns in college come via the zone because of the 20 hour a week rule—that defensive players don't get enough experience/practice running that form of coverage.

My point on the man to man is that it would hopefully show a tighter coverage to the QB and could give Brandon Graham and others the one to two extra seconds they need to get to the QB for a sack. It seemed on Saturday the rush was getting there just a second too late, and Wisconsin was finding the tight ends for five- to 10-yard gains.

(What was with the Wisconsin rushing touchdown where Graham laid out John Clay? Why do they even have replay? He wasn't even close to crossing the goal line. Another terrible call.)

I'm concerned about the defense next year. I know experience helps, but does Michigan have the right talent and depth (on defense) they need to win eight to 10 games next year? I don't think so. The Michigan coaches really need to recruit hard for the last five spots in the 2010 class for impact players.

I feel sorry for Graham, who is playing at an All-American level, and Brandon Minor with his banged-up ankle. They deserved a bowl game, and they are not going to get one. Enjoy next week, gentlemen—you have both been loyal Wolverines, and you both will be missed.

If you didn't catch the No. 15-ranked Michigan basketball team in action tonight, they have a ton of young talent and will be exciting to watch all year long. I haven't seen this much young talent on the Wolverines since the Fab Five.

With Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims' leadership, this team will make some noise in the Big Ten this year. It's fun to watch a ranked, well-coached basketball team again!

Reality check: If you're feeling down about Rich Rodriguez's Wolverines, take a second to think about the fight that Phil Brabbs and Vada Murray are going through. Both are proud former Wolverine football players, and both are fighting cancer. If you need some perspective on what's really important in life, keep Phil and Vada in your thoughts and prayers.

If you want to donate to Phil's treatment please donate here. I have.

I'm not excited about Ohio State week, but I am excited about Michigan basketball for the first time in a long time. Go Blue!

Michigan Wolverines vs. Wisconsin Badgers: Who Will Win?

Big House Bob — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:47:00 -0500

Time: 12:00 EST
TV: Big Ten Network
Location : Madison, Wisconsin
Line : Wisconsin -8.5
Weather: 52 degrees and cloudy

I really want to be positive in this preview and give you ten reasons to watch this game if you're a Michigan fan.

If you're a Wisconsin fan, you already have plenty of reasons to watch.

10 positive reasons to watch this game if your a Michigan Fan

Michigan's Offense game alive last week and put up over 400 yards of offense.

Michigan won three games last year and one of them was against Wisconsin.

Michigan played well in a similar trip to Minnesota last year.

The Michigan Offensive Line played better last week with the addition of red shirt Freshman Patrick Omameh.

There is a rumor that Freshman Vlad Emilien might start at safety replacing Mike Williams.

Brandon Graham is still the best player on defense and should be an All American.

If you're going to the game, the local start time is 11:00AM and you will have plenty of time for drinking and eating cheese after the game.

If Michigan wins this game they will play in the Pizza–Pizza Bowl.

The defense can't play any worse. Right?

You can "jump around" with the Wisconsin students from your couch.

That list was tougher than I thought.

I would like to write how this is going to be a close battle of physical teams and it could come down to a field goal or whoever makes the last mistake, but the reality is: Michigan just doesn't play well on the road and has major issues on defense.

Remember when we were watching all the big plays in Fall Practice and we wondered out loud if that was an explosive offense or a bad defense? I guess we have our answer.

Wisconsin beat Purdue at home 37-0 two weeks ago. Last week that same Purdue team came into Ann Arbor and beat Michigan. I think Michigan can move the ball on Wisconsin if they can pass protect and Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown are both healthy.

The only chance they have in winning this game is out scoring Wisconsin, since we can't expect too many stops from the Michigan defense.

If there is one thing we know about Wisconsin they are going to line up and try to run the ball down your throat.

Michigan shouldn't need to worry about "hooks and ladders" or third quarter onside kicks in this one.

If Michigan doesn't protect the ball, this game could get very ugly before noon in Madison.

Expect to see more Denard this week as the Michigan coaches are hoping his running ability gives them an edge.

As much as I want the Wolverines to pull the upset, I just don't think the defense is going to get enough stops and Wisconsin as a whole are just too physical for these young agile Wolverines.

Wisconsin 38 Michigan 20

One last bright spot: No. 15 Michigan opens it's basketball season on Saturday night against Northern Michigan!

7:00 BTN

Michigan 96 Northern Michigan 67

Big Ten Week 11 Preview and Predictions

Big House Bob — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:07:00 -0500

Isn't it strange how the Big Ten conference implodes around Ohio State each year?

Purdue beats OSU early in the year and opens the door to Penn State and Iowa. Penn State gets beat by Ohio State last week, and this week Iowa travels to Columbus to get similar treatment without its starting QB. Fun stuff!

At least Ohio State will get to see what a Rose Bowl is like.

The Big Ten Championship Game: Iowa at Ohio State

This game was much more interesting before Ricky Stanzi went down last week. Now it might as well be Ohio State playing Northwestern. The only way Iowa has a chance in this game is for their defense to create turnovers and points like they did when they traveled to Penn State. The line is huge in this one, and I think Vegas has it right—Iowa is getting 17 points.

Iowa 10 OSU 31

Indiana at Penn State

Penn State lost a chance at the Rose Bowl last week with their home loss to the Buckeyes. Indiana, which has played well in spurts this year, is going to run into a pissed-off Penn State team looking to take their frustrations out on someone. Penn State is favored by 23.5 points at home. Yikes!

Penn State 38 IU 17

Michigan State at Purdue

This is going to be a close game. Purdue is coming off a win against Michigan in the Big House, and State beat up on Western Michigan last week. Both teams got beat the week before. Purdue beat the best team in the Big Ten in West Lafayette this year, and State sometimes doesn't travel well. MSU is favored by three in this game.

Purdue 24 MSU 20

Northwestern at Illinois

The Juice has finally gotten loose with two wins in a row. Northwestern beat the No. 5 team in the nation last week on the road. Both teams have momentum for this in-state rivalry game. Ron Zook and crew are favored by four at home. I'm thinking Northwestern pulls the upset.

NW 38 Juice 28

South Dakota State at Minnesota

Both teams should be used to cold weather. I don't know a thing about SDS, but I do know Minnesota has been on a strange roller coaster ride this year. They beat MSU two weeks ago but lost to Illinois last week.

Minnesota 24 SDS 7

The Wisconsin-Michigan game will be previewed on Friday.

Coach Rich Rodriguez's Press Conference Updates

Big House Bob — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:27:00 -0500

Minor's ankle and shoulder are still giving him problems and he remains day to day. Minor did not do any contact drills on Tuesday.

Odoms is still day to day with his knee as well, he did practice a little on Tuesday.

Molk is planning to have surgery today on his knee.

Hemingway also has a sore back and is on the day to day list.

Carlos Brown is healthy.

RR said he is worried about Wisconsin's offense they are big and physical and do a really good job on that side of the ball. It really isn't an offensive style they have seen/played yet this year.

On how Big Will is coming along, Coach Rodriguez said: “He’s coming along. He’s a true freshman. He’s still learning to play. Technique wise, some of the things that we ask him to do with his hands, instead of just looking over and trying to find the ball to trust his techniques a little bit. He has gotten a little bit better each week, which is good. Will’s got the type of size that we need. He’s not playing nearly at the level that he will be in the future though.”

RR doesn't know yet who will be starting at LB this week.

Michigan Wolverine Wednesday: News and Notes

Big House Bob — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:17:00 -0500

- Michigan Basketball signed two recruits today in the early signing period for the 2010 class. Both Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Evan Smotrycz signed up to join John Beilein's squad.

- Congratulations to Joe Cada, a Michigan native who won $8.5 Million in the World Series of Poker last night. Joe's fans in Vegas were all dressed in Maize U of M t-shirts. If you watched the final hands, you know Joe played like a poker veteran, even though he is just 21 and started playing poker at 17.

- Zoltan Mesko has been named a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy. The Wuerffel Award is given to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with outstanding academic and athletic achievement.

Wolverine Wednesday: The Legend of Tom Harmon, a Veteran's Day Special

Big House Bob — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0500

Most Wolverines fans know that Tom Harmon was Michigan's first Heisman Trophy winner.

After that, Harmon became a war hero.

Today is Veterans Day and I took a break from the normal Wednesday post to look back at a WWII hero and a Michigan legend: Tom Harmon

Harmon wore No. 98 at Michigan and I think that number stood for all the positions he played for the Wolverines.

From 1938-1940, Tom had 33 touchdowns (a record at the time), 2,134 yards rushing, 1,304 yards passing, kicked 33 extra points, and two fields at Michigan. Fitz Crisler, his head coach, must have had a rule; if you score a touchdown, you had to kick the extra point!

Tom was pretty well known during his time as a Wolverine. He was on the cover of Time in 1939 and Life magazine in 1940.

I never saw Tom play, but it seems he was the Barry Sanders of his time. Opponents had a hard time tackling the allusive Harmon, who went through a number of tear-away jerseys each game.

Two of Tom's best games came when the spotlight was the brightest.

Michigan opened the 1940 season at California with an unheard of cross-country flight, when most teams still used trains. Harmon's was the first college football team to travel to a game via airplane.

The plane had to stop three times (Des Moines, Denver, and Salt Lake City) and it took two days to get there.

Michigan won the game 41-0. Tom returned the opening kick 94 yards for a touchdown, returned a punt 72 yards for another TD, had two rushing touchdowns of eight and 86 yards, and threw for a fifth score.

Of course, Tom's last game as a Wolverine came against Ohio State.

In Columbus, he ran for three touchdowns, threw for two more, and kicked four extra points for a 40-0 win.

A couple of weeks later he won the Heisman trophy, after finishing second the year before. Tom led the NCAA in scoring in both 1939 and 1940, and also won the Maxwell Award in 1940.

Tom's No. 98 jersey was retired when he graduated in 1940.

He wasn't done dominating the opposition after his time at Michigan though. Tom decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps on Nov. 8, 1941.

Planes he piloted went down twice during the war and both times Tom parachuted out to safety. His most famous flight happened in early 1943 when Tom's plane flew into a tropical storm and he parachuted out into a South American jungle. When his plane was reported missing the Army sent out a large search party, but the team was not able to find the Heisman trophy winner.

Four days later he walked out of the jungle into Dutch Guiana.

Tom was later awarded a Purple Heart and a Silver Star for his actions with the 449th Fighter Squadron. Legend has it that Tom saved the silk material from his parachute so that his wife could use it for her wedding dress.

Tom married Elyse Knox and had two children: Mark Harmon and actress Kelly Harmon. After football and the Army, Tom had a nice career in sports broadcasting.

In 1990, Tom Harmon passed away at the age of 70.

So on this day, when we are thinking about the state of our beloved Wolverines, it's good to think back to a Michigan legend that beat the Buckeyes single-handedly, then enlisted in the Army to fight in the Great World War.

Michigan could use a few guys like Tom Harmon these days.

Good Night and God Bless.

(Portions of this post came from the book: 100 Things Michigan Fans Should Know Before They Die by Angelique Chengel.)

Michigan Tuesday: Recruiting Tidbits and News and Notes

Big House Bob — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:34:00 -0500

Munchie Legaux, a 2010 QB from New Orleans who continued to have Michigan in his top five after Gardner and Jones had committed to the Wolverines picked Colorado on Monday . There was zero chance Munchie was coming to Michigan with Tate, Denard and Devin in the mix. I also watched him at the Disney 7-on-7 last summer and his QB skills seemed very raw.

Bill Martin pushed a couple of students working in the Regents area of the Press Box on two separate occasions. Bill was trying to get in with out a pass.

2010 recruit Drew Dileo says Michigan is interested in him returning punts.

If you haven't noticed, Morgan Trent has been getting some time for the first place Cincinnati Bengals and has been playing pretty well in nickel situations. The problem is the TV announcers keep calling him Trent Morgan.

2010 Safety recruit Bobby Swigert picked Boston College over Michigan and Stanford.

Here comes the Michigan should have hired other coaches articles : Jim Harbaugh and Brian Kelly . Those are two good coaches and both might have done a fine job at Michigan, but I'm not sure even those guys could of worked a miracle with the talent that was left on the team after Lloyd Carr rode into the sunset. Jim never would have gotten the job after throwing Michigan under the bus a number of times and there is a reason why Brian Kelly doesn't keep getting these jobs at big time programs (I just don't know what it is?).

Purdue Head Coaches Lack Class

Big House Bob — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:20:00 -0500

I'm not sure what's in the water in West Lafayette, Ind. but it seems to make grown men grow mustaches and lose their mind every once in a while (mostly when it comes to Michigan).

I understand being competitive, I understand the heat of the moment, but the Purdue current and former head coaches have always seemed to have a problem with the former and current Michigan coaches.

Joe Tiller, the former Purdue head coach, never had a nice word for Lloyd Carr. There really isn't any evidence of the rift between the two but Joe always made it known he was not a fan of the Wolverines and the coaching staff.

Two years ago after Carr retired, Tiller got upset that Roy Roundtree, a wide receiver, changed his mind from Purdue to Michigan on signing day. Joe, during his press conference, laid the famous "snake oil salesman" on coach Rich Rodriguez for convincing Roy to change his mind.

Roy had his best game of the year against Purdue on Saturday going for 10 catches for 176 yards. He also said today at Rodgriguez's press conference that the Purdue defensive backs were in his ear the entire game talking smack saying they were going to hit him hard, he was going to drop the next ball, etc.

Then after Purdue beat Michigan this weekend, Purdue coach Danny Hope went to shake Rodriguez's hand and introduced him to Purdue offensive lineman Zach Reckman who was suspended by the Big Ten for a late hit earlier in the year.

Danny's "thinking" was that Rich Rod played a role in Zach's suspension by this comment RR made earlier in the year :

"We will watch every Big Ten game very closely, and any non-football act—whether it's a six-inch jab or anything that's not called for the game of football—we're going to ask that person get the same type of punishment Jonas Mouton got."

So my understanding of Danny's way of thinking is that coach Rodriguez had mystic powers to make Zach make the penalty, and then convinced the Big Ten to punish him. Makes sense to me. If Rodriguez really has that type of power, look for the entire Wisconsin offense and defense to be suspended this week.

Danny, I understand this is your first year as a head coach and you had some nice wins this year. A couple of pointers moving forward:

1) Act like you have been there before
2) Show class after you get a win or a loss
3) Don't alienate fellow head coaches (you never know who you might be working for in a few years)
4) Don't give teams any more reasons to beat you next year

Good luck with the rest of your season and stay "classy" my friend.

Michigan - Purdue Review: Sad for the Seniors

Big House Bob — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:50:00 -0500

I'm sad for Brandon Graham, Brandon Minor, Carlos Brown, Zoltan Mesko, and all of Michigan's seniors. When they came to Michigan, they never thought they would not be going to bowl games.

That was a given, right, being a Wolverine. Anything from the Rose to the Alamo was an option. Well, not in 2008 and for all intensive purposes not in 2009 either. Michigan had two good chances to get to six wins by beating Illinois and Purdue teams near the bottom of the Big Ten.

They now have to face Wisconsin on the road and Ohio State in the Big House, two teams at the top of the Big Ten.

In a day where the Michigan offense showed some life, the defense flat lined. Purdue was shutout by Wisconsin last week and looked liked New Orleans Saints on Saturday. What cures the offensive blues? The Michigan defense does. Look at Illinois, they beat Minnesota on Saturday.

If the next two weeks play out like most of us think, Michigan will have started 4-0 and finished 1-7 with their only win coming against a D1A school Delaware State. That is just pure disappointing all around. Nobody thought Michigan was heading for a New Years Day Bowl after 4-0, but most people thought they could find two more wins on the schedule.

Is the team better then last year? Yes, on the offense side of the ball. The defense no.

What about next year? I don't see a lot of improvements coming next year either. Brandon Graham will be heading to the NFL and Warren may join him if he thinks he will be drafted in the first couple of rounds.

Cheers:

The Brandon Brothers - Minor and Graham both had good days.
The offensive line showed some improvement.
Roy Roundtree played well in the slot.

Jeers:

The entire defense is terrible.
Greg Robinson.
Rich Rodriguez (please stop getting out coached by Danny Hope).
Jason Olesnavage a missed extra point and the missed field goal in the fourth.

Teams are going to pull out the stops to be the Wolverines, Michigan first better understand that and second start playing that way too. They just don't have enough talent to beat teams straight up.

Thank goodness Michigan Basketball starts next week. Michigan is ranked No. 15 in the nation and will have the dynamic duo of Manny Harris and DeShawn Simms coming back.

College Football Preview: Michigan Vs. Purdue

Big House Bob — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:02:00 -0500

Time: 12:00
Location: Big House
TV: Big Ten Network
Line: Michigan -6
Weather: 58 and Partly Cloudy

I was at Illinois last week to see the 3rd quarter collapse live. I'm here to tell you that Michigan went from blowing out Zook and Company to getting blown out with 2-3 questionable calls by the Big Ten crew of officials. Illinois was about to lay down after the Roundtree/Brown/Minor touchdown, but that stop gave them life and they ran away with the game.

Purdue on the other hand, got shutout at Wisconsin where they were dropping balls and converting only a hand full off first downs.

Both teams are young across the board and going through coaching changes. Purdue's is a little less "disruptive," since Danny Hope was on board under Joe Tiller. Danny did change the offense from a open/spread style to a power run game.

The Numbers Game:

Purdue is very consistent on both sides of the ball when it comes to national rankings. They are 65th and 7th in the Big Ten in both total offense and total defense. Their defense gives up 363 total yards per game and they will be facing the #1 run offense in the Big Ten.

The Michigan defense is the real story here. Currently, Michigan is giving up 382 yards per game which equals 176th in the country.

Keys to the game:

Can Michigan stop Purdue's offense? Juice got healthy last week, will Purdue's offense get back on track this week?

Can Michigan run the ball with long drives?

Can Michigan score touchdowns in the red zone?

Has Michigan's Pass Protection improved at all?

This game won't get the eyeballs that a Bama vs LSU or Penn State vs Ohio State will this weekend, however it's going to be a very interesting game. This is a must win for both teams with biggest "must" going to the Wolverines who need one more win to be bowl eligible.

Call in sick for the next three weeks if

Michigan isn't playing like this is the most important game of the year

Purdue's offense is moving the ball

Michigan gets over powered on both sides of the ball
Michigan continues to fumble away their bowl lives

Sing "Hail to the Victors" if

Michigan opens up the offense and shows run but completes passes

Tate has a bunch of roll out passes

Minor is healthy and goes for 200

Roundtree finds his next gear
The defense bends but doesn't break

This game will go one of two ways—Michigan will either lose a close one or win in a blow out. If they play with confidence, they will be able to move the ball on offense and even score if Purdue takes a lead. On both sides of the ball the coaches need a much better game plan than they have had the last two weeks. Hopefully, JT Floyd can get some snaps at corner and Woolfolk can play some safety. The safety spot has killed the Michigan defense all year and they need some competent play out of that position or they will lose he next three games.

Michigan's first goal this year was to get to a bowl game. That goal could become a reality if Michigan can beat Purdue on Saturday. The weather should be sunny and warm for November in Ann Arbor. Michigan 34 Purdue 14

G0 Blue!

Big Ten Picks and Predicitions Week 10

Big House Bob — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:32:00 -0500

So it seems to be a three horse race for the Big Ten crown: Iowa, OSU, and PSU. After this weekend, it most likely will be a two horse race. Some interesting matchups and must win games this week.

Now on to the show.

Big 10 Game of the Week

OSU at PSU

Many thought this game would decide the Big Ten champion back in August. Both teams have struggled at times and looked pretty powerful at times.

JoPa's only loss came against Iowa and The Vest has lost to USC and Purdue.

This is going to be a close game since both teams play very well on the defensive side of the ball. Whichever team protects the ball the best will win this game. I expect TP to be nervous and make a few mistakes in his homecoming.

Penn State is favored by four at home.

Penn State 20, OSU 17

Northwestern at Iowa

The Hawkeyes were asleep for three quarters against IU last week and woke up to find themselves down 14 points. They decided they better step up and scored like 300 fourth quarter points.

I have a feeling the Iowa coaches have been coaching against a similar let down all week in practice. This one will not be close.

Iowa is favored by 16.5.

Iowa 42, NW 14

Illinois at Minnesota

Both teams enjoyed wins over the Big Ten teams from Michigan last week. Minnesota is a different team playing at home and will handle Illinois' new found confidence that they always seem to gain when they play the Michigan defense.

The Golden Gophers are a 6.5 favorite.

Minn 31, Ill 20

Wisconsin at IU

Indiana has played well in spurts this year but always seem to lose it at the end.

Wisconsin on the other hand is just playing power football and winning games just like the Badger Nation expects. I'm sort of thinking this might be a letdown game for Wisky and might be a Purdue-OSU type of situation.

Wisconsin is favored by 10.5 .This is my upset alert special of the week!

IU 28, Wisky 24

Western Michigan at MSU

Western is not as good as many people expected this year and Sparty, believe it or not, is not even playing .500 ball yet. The Spartans keep their bowl hopes alive after beating a down WMU.

Sparty is favored by 20.5.

MSU 38, WMU 10

The Michigan-Purdue game will be previewed on Friday.