Michigan Football: The Good and Bad of Wolverines' National Signing Day

If you were hoping for a fun-filled, dramatic, down-to-the-wire national signing day for Michigan Wolverines football recruiting, you were shortchanged. 

Why?

It was boring. 

It was bland. 

It was likely exactly the way Wolverines coach Brady Hoke intended it to be: no shocks, surprise-free, easygoing and relatively absent of stress. 

That was the good part. 

Wait a minute...that may have been the bad part. 

Either way it's cut, however you choose to dissect it, national signing day was a grand success for Hoke and Co., who secured a fourth-ranked 2013 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Let's run down some of the main talking points of the day. Maybe that will provide the dramatics you were hoping for. 

Good: Henry Poggi Didn't Flip to Alabama

It was a harmless visit to see a friend in Tuscaloosa, right? 

Probably so. 

However, it was enough to fuel at least a small amount of speculation that Henry Poggi could flip to Alabama, leaving Michigan behind for a chance to play for Nick Saban's Crimson Tide. 

If there was going to be a commit to provide a little eleventh-hour festivities, it was going to be Poggi, a 4-star defensive tackle out of Gilman School in Baltimore. 

Oooh. The suspense. 

But Poggi didn't deliver, instead keeping true to his word and remaining committed to Brady Hoke and the Wolverines. 

"

RT @spath_wolverine: Four-star DT Henry Poggi has signed his LOI. Time to let out that sigh of relief Michigan fans.

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) February 6, 2013"

Good: No Mothers Ran Away with Letters of Intent

By now, you've surely heard about Arkansas-commit Alex Collins, a native of Florida. 

Collins wanted to be a Razorback, but, apparently, his mother wasn't too keen on the idea. Reports surfaced midway through national signing day, outlining quite a bizarre tale of a mother-gone-wild on the Super Bowl of high school football recruiting. 

Shane Morris' mother didn't interfere. Derrick Green's parents were absolutely OK with their son attending Michigan. David Dawson, well, he's from Detroit Cass Tech, so it's safe to say that his family accepted him leaving home to play football down the road. 

In all seriousness, Collins' story has a sad tone—a kid trying to live his dream, but instead, he has to deal with a parent that doesn't approve. Hopefully, for his sake, things turn out well and he gets the chance to play in Arkansas (his mother wanted him to go to Miami).

Good: Derrick Green Signs with Michigan

As mentioned, there weren't any big surprises on national signing day for the Wolverines. 

However, fans still waited for Derrick Green to jot down his signature on the paper work, making his commitment to Michigan official and legal. 

Although he committed Jan. 26, it wasn't until today that Green became a "real-deal Wolverine." 

That's not good. That's great. 

Green will surely solidify a Wolverines backfield that includes 3-star recruit Deveon Smith, along with soon-to-be juniors Thomas Rawls and Justice Hayes, and will-be senior Fitz Toussaint. 

Good: Brady Hoke Shows Michigan Recruiting Is on the Rise

Wolverines coach Brady Hoke really outdid himself with this year. 

His 2013 class is the fourth-ranked in the land, according to 247 sports. He's strung together consecutive top five classes after Michigan dipped to the teens under Rich Rodriguez. 

That's not good, nor is it great—it's absolutely fantastic for Michigan fans. 

The Wolverines are back on the prowl, and Hoke is most definitely the right man to get them back on their feet. Michigan secured the talents of seven top 100 recruits, third-most in the country behind Alabama's 13 and Ohio State's eight. 

Now we'll move onto the bad...

Bad: Ohio State Beat Michigan in Overall Class Ranking

At the start of national signing day, Scout.com ranked the Wolverines’ 2013 class No. 1. 

As the day progressed, ESPNU ranked Michigan at No. 5. Then, 247Sports had the Wolverines hovering in the top five, up and down a spot or two depending on moves made by other teams. 

Well, that didn't matter much, because for most of the day, Michigan was ranked better than Ohio State, which has the No. 2 class according to 247Sports and Scout.com.

Michigan had a quartet of 5-star recruits, same as Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes lured in 17 players with a 4-star ranking compared to Michigan's 15. 

Pretty even, and Michigan fans can say this: "Hey, we have Derrick Green." 

Bad: Shane Morris Loses 5-Star Rating

Warren De La Salle's Shane Morris is an athletic specimen. 

He's quick. He's accurate. 

He's a 5-star-rated quarterback. 

Wait...he was a 5-star-rated quarterback. 

Morris suffered through a bout of mono during his senior year, so he wasn't able to fully showcase his talent. That likely had something to do with his drop to 4-star status.

Although Rivals.com once had him ranked as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the land, 247Sports has him ranked as the fourth-best. 

What's one star anyway?

Right?

For most Michigan fans, Morris is still a 5-star kid who just had a tough time showing it during his final prep season. Can't fault the guy for getting sick, right? 

Follow Bleacher Report's Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81