Michigan vs Purdue: News and Notes as Homecoming Battle Nears

Michigan comes into its homecoming affair Saturday as 13.5-point favorites over Purdue.

But the Boilermakers, who were crushed 38-10 by Notre Dame earlier in his season, have begun to turn things around. 

After a near upset at Penn State two weeks ago, the Boilermakers then knocked off  No. 23 Illinois 21-14. The win gave Purdue a 4-3 mark and a 2-1 record in the Big Ten Leaders Division.

A big help to the team was finally settling on a starting quarterback. Rob Henry, who was slated to be the starter, tore his ACL in August, so Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve were left to fight it out.

TerBush, who has finally won the job, will start Saturday at the Big House. Temperature for the noon kickoff should be a chilly 46 degrees with a 30-percent chance of showers.

No. 17 Michigan (6-1, 2-1) is coming off a bye week after a disappointing loss to Michigan State. Add another rainy forecast to Denard Robinson's indifferent passing performance at MSU, and we could have a closer game than expected. 

Legacy Uniforms

The jury is still out concerning the striped jerseys. Fans either love 'em or hate 'em.

First, there are the traditionalists (gray hairs). They are the Michigan faithful who were coming to games before Bo Schembechler. To them, the best thing about Saturday is the Michigan helmet, the old uniform and the Michigan marching band's rendition of "Temptation."

The youngsters, on the other hand, could care less about Michigan's tradition. They love to spend their parents' money and would rather have their music piped in than hear the Hawaiian war chant.

All right, you probably know where I fit it in, but the real reason for the stripes is Michigan's relationship with Adidas; it's well known that the giant sportswear company pours millions of dollars into University coffers.

Before the Notre Dame game, athletic director Dave Brandon even paraded his players in front of the cameras to model the new "legacy or throwback" jerseys. (They remind me more of yellow jackets than Wolverines). Please see the poll to the right.

Recruiting

Several 2013 recruits and 2012 commits will be on hand for the Purdue game. However, only one 2012 recruit will be in attendance. He's Dan Gibbs, a 6'7", 305-pound offensive tackle from Birmingham Seaholm.

With 23 commits already in place, scholarships are in short supply. Despite not receiving an official offer, scout.com reports that Gibbs is leaning toward Michigan, even if he must accept partial walk-on status.

You see, both of his parents are Michigan graduates and lifetime Alumni Association members. "Well, my family has a huge history at Michigan," he told scout.com. "So they're far-and-away my favorite."

Three Wolverines Named to National Award Lists

Head coach Brady Hoke, quarterback Denard Robinson and safety Jordan Kovacs have been named this week to their respective national award lists.

Hoke, who's in his first year as Michigan's head coach, was named to the Bryant Coach of the Year watch list.

The award was named after former Alabama coach Bear Bryant.

Big Ten coaches Bret Bielema, Joe Paterno, Mark Dantonio and Bo Pelini were also selected.

Robinson, in his second year as Michigan's starting quarterback, has been chosen as a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. Robinson has accounted for 1,253 passing yards in addition to 762 on the ground.

O'Brien was a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for Texas Christian in 1938.

Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson were also selected from the Big Ten.

Kovacs, a redshirt junior, was chosen as a quarter-finalist for the Lott Impact trophy. The award, named after Southern Cal All-American and NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, honors the defensive player for his performance on the field in addition to his character off the field.

Kovacs has been a standout tackler for the least three seasons, posting 75 in 2009, 116 last season and 42 this fall.

Along with Kovacs, Big Ten players Aaron Henry (Wisconsin), Joe Holland (Purdue), John Simon (Ohio State), Lavonte David (Nebraska) and Jerel Worthy (MSU) made the list.

78th Annual Mud Bowl

Fraternities and sororities have revelled in this homecoming warm-up for years.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosts the wacky touch football game at the flooded corner of Washtenaw and South University. The festivities begin at 9:00 am, Saturday, and fans are expected to deal with the weather accordingly.

Game-time temperature is expected to be 39 degrees, with the forecast calling for a 30-percent chance of showers.