Varsity Blue » boring offseason

The Great Heisman Campaign: Finals

Tim — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:00:02 +0000

Go.

Polls close at 10am EST.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Semifinal

Tim — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:14 +0000

The timetable for the Great Heisman Campaign has hit overdrive, and it’s time to get down to a final pairing. Because of this, there will be no quarterfinals, and instead there will be a 4-way competition on each side of the bracket to determine who the finalists will be. Here’s the updated bracket:

There are 2 polls in this post, so make sure you vote in both of them. These polls will only be open for 24 hours, so get to votin’.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Academic Progress

Tim — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:32:29 +0000

When Kurt Wermers left town, he tried to take a potshot at the Michigan coaching staff, comparing them unfavorably to Lloyd Carr’s (under whom he never played, for the record). This, of course, has a serious short term effects of making the media insufferable for about a week, and compounding the similar accusations made by Justin Boren on his way out of Ann Arbor. Long term, it may diminish offensive line depth, and even chip away at Michigan’s ability to recruit players (though it flies in the face of, like, everything that anyone else has said about the staff).

Perhaps the most serious damage Wermers may have inflicted, though, is not in terms of what he did do, but rather what he didn’t: stay eligible. Michigan’s football APR has been declining slightly over the past few years, as the Carr tenure waned and now even more Rich Rodriguez has come into town with his demanding program. Several players – whether they didn’t fit the system, weren’t willing to put in the work, or just wanted to go to Ohio State in the first place but were guilted into Michigan by Bo and used a father’s plow service(!) as an excuse to leave Michigan – have departed since the new sheriff in town took over.

The NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate is used by The Toothless Organization to determine which schools aren’t taking care of their student-athletes academically. It is calculated by a 4-year average of scores out of 1000, and if said score dips below 925, tTO will write you a strongly worded letter, then give no actual sanctions (though they’ve gained some teeth, and have punished even a couple BCS conference teams). So how has Michigan done over the past couple years? Take a look:

Michigan APR
Year	APR Score
2006	958
2007	951
2008	947
2009	???

These numbers have, as mentioned above, been on the decline for a couple years, and as higher-APR scores from years past move out of the 4-year average, and the more recent years (with worse APR scores) go into the equation, it doesn’t necessarily bode well for Michigan. Each player leaving the Michigan program costs the team 1 point out of 1000 in the APR calculation for that year. If a player leaves while he is ineligible for NCAA competition, it reduces overall score by 2 points. It’s unclear exactly when players count towards the next score: I believe those who left before the 2008 season have already been counted, and no others have.

Michigan Attrition
Player	When Left	Notes
Ryan Mallett	Winter 2008	Arkansas transfer
Chris McLaurin	Winter 2008	Medical reasons, unclear whether he’s still in school or will count against APR
Corey Zirbel	Spring 2008	Career-ending injury, still in school and won’t harm APR
Justin Boren	Spring 2008	OSU transfer
Marques Slocum	Summer 2008	Likely ineligble
Marcus Witherspoon	Summer 2008	Left after 2 weeks at school (does he even count against APR?), academically ineligible
Tony Clemons	Winter 2009	Colorado transfer
Zion Babb	Winter 2009
Artis Chambers	Winter 2009
Avery Horn	Winter 2009
Sam McGuffie	Winter 2009	Rice transfer
Steven Threet	Spring 2009	Arizona State transfer
Kurt Wermers	Spring 2009	Ball State transfer, academically ineligible
Dann O’Neill	Spring 2009	Western Michigan transfer

That means 8 players have already left the team since the end of the 2008 season. According to history, more may be on the way. With Michigan’s APR trending downwards, it appears as though the 2010 score will be more of the same. Will the Wolverines dip into the danger zone – below 925? They haven’t come close yet, though they’re certainly heading in the wrong direction. But hey, there’s always applying for waivers.

Great Heisman Campaign: Brown v. Robinson

Tim — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:00:38 +0000

Carlos Brown enters the final year of his injury-plagued Michigan career looking forward to finally being healthy for an entire season. He’s had ankle and wrist problems, but when healthy, he’s shown flashes of brilliance. Last year he ran for 122 yards, almost all of which came in Michigan’s loss to Northwestern.

Denard Robinson is one of the most exciting players in Michigan’s 2009 recruiting class. A high school quarterback, he provides the possibility of an athletic signal-caller, but can still throw the ball down the field. He was a 4-star recruit to the major recruiting services, and is a world-class sprinter. He finished 3rd in the Florida High School 100m dash, and ran as fast as a 10.28-second time this spring. If opposing defenses allow him to get into space, it will probably mean 6 points for the Wolverines.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For the second round each poll will only be open for 3 days, so make sure you vote early in order to be counted. For the updated bracket, click here.

Open Polls:
Odoms v. Martin.
Mathews v. Ezeh.

Completed 2nd Round Polls:
Minor v. Van Bergen.
Warren v. Schilling.
Mesko v. Cissoko.
Forcier v. Stonum.
Graham v. Robinson.

Great Heisman Campaign: Mathews v. Ezeh

Tim — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:00:02 +0000

Greg Mathews is the lone holdover at wide receiver from Michigan’s glory days on offense in 2006. He was one of Michigan’s top receivers last year, and the only wideout with more than one touchdown grab (a far cry from the days of 15 for Edwards or 12 for Manningham). He looks to continue making the tough catches with his spectacular hands, though he’s unlikely to beat many players deep.

Obi Ezeh will be a third-year starter at middle linebacker, and he’s had an up-and-down career thus far, including a one-handed interception against Northwestern in 2007:

If the Michigan defense is to be successful, Ezeh will have to be on his game the whole year.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For the second round each poll will only be open for 3 days, so make sure you vote early in order to be counted. For the updated bracket, click here.

Open Polls:
Graham v. Robinson.
Odoms v. Martin.

Completed 2nd Round Polls:
Minor v. Van Bergen.
Warren v. Schilling.
Mesko v. Cissoko.
Forcier v. Stonum.

Great Heisman Campaign: Odoms v. Martin

Tim — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:00:34 +0000

Martavious Odoms was Michigan’s most used receiver last year, grabbing 49 passes for 443 yards. Since he performed so well as a freshman, there’s good reason to hope he does the same as a sophomore – if not better. Competent quarterbacking and a more effective overall offense should give Odoms the chance to make a lot of plays. He’ll also be used in the kicking game, and he returned one punt for touchdown last year.

Mike Martin was inserted into heavy rotation at defensive line, which is rare for a true freshman. He performed well, including a crushing of Allan Evridge that helped seal the victory over Wisconsin.

Martin finished the year with 20 tackle (4.5 for loss and 2 sacks).

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For the second round each poll will only be open for 3 days, so make sure you vote early in order to be counted. For the updated bracket, click here.

Open Polls:
Forcier v. Stonum.
Graham v. Robinson.

Completed 2nd Round Polls:
Minor v. Van Bergen.
Warren v. Schilling.
Mesko v. Cissoko.

Great Heisman Campaign: Graham v. Robinson

Tim — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:00:12 +0000

Brandon Graham is likely Michigan’s best shot (outside of the venerable Professor Mesko) to land a player on a first-team All-American squad as a defensive end. He finished last year with 46 tackles, including 20 for loss (2nd in the nation) and 10 sacks (2nd in the conference), all despite missing one entire game and parts of others with injury. The Detroit Crockett star looks for another big year before he moves along to the NFL.

Terrence Robinson was expected to compete alongside Martavious Odoms last year at the slot position, but ended up missing the entire year with injury. He should be fully healthy this year, and will give Michigan another option with a little shake to him:

If Robinson can contribute in 2009, it will go a long way towards helping cure the offensive woes of 2008.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For the second round each poll will only be open for 3 days, so make sure you vote early in order to be counted. For the updated bracket, click here.

Other Open Polls:
Forcier v. Stonum.
Mesko v. Cissoko.

Completed 2nd Round Polls:
Minor v. Van Bergen.
Warren v. Schilling.

Great Heisman Campaign: Forcier v. Stonum

Tim — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:00:37 +0000

You may have heard of this Tate Forcier fellow. He’s been heralded as a savior of Michigan football, and his performance in the Michigan spring game was indeed something to get excited over:

Tate will likely be Michigan’s starter from day 1, and Wolverine fans are hoping he’s able to repeat that performance against starting defenses across the country.

Darryl Stonum is one of three Wolverines from Fort Bend Dulles High School in Texas, and perhaps the most physically talented of the three. The deep-threat wideout, however, struggled last season, partially because there was nobody who could get him the ball. Despite that, he was Michigan’s 3rd-leading receiver(!!!) with 176 yards, including a 51-yarder against Purdue for his only touchdown of the year.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For the second round each poll will only be open for 3 days, so make sure you vote early in order to be counted. For the updated bracket, click here.

Other open polls:
Warren v. Schilling.
Mesko v. Cissoko.

Completed poll:
Minor def. Van Bergen.

Great Heisman Campaign: Mesko v. Cissoko

Tim — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:00:42 +0000

Zoltan Mesko is a space emperor, a punter, and a scholar. Last year, he averaged over 42 yards per punt, with plenty of hangtime, as Michigan finished 5th in the nation in net punting yardage. Zoltan enters his 5th year in the Michigan program as a Playboy All-American and a serious contender for the Ray Guy Award. In 2008, he also ran twice on fake punts, earning a first down each time. Thrilling punt workout video goes here:

Boubacar Cissoko is a sophomore corner that the Michigan coaching staff will rely on to start in the defensive backfield this year. He got some playing time in 2008, but the graduation of Morgan Trent will force him the take a role in the spotlight. In limited playing time last year, he made 15 tackles (1 for loss) and broke up 3 passes. Ha also played a role in the kick return game, where he figures to make a repeat performance.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For the second round each poll will only be open for 3 days, so make sure you vote early in order to be counted. For the updated bracket, click here.

Other open polls:
Minor v. Van Bergen.
Warren v. Schilling.

Great Heisman Campaign: Warren v. Schilling

Tim — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:00:33 +0000

Donovan Warren was a 4/5-star cornerback out of high school, and it’s apparent why from his highlight video:

Warren had an exception freshman season, but a number of minor injuries teamed up with some philosophical disagreements with defensive coordinator Scott Shafer teamed up to undermine his sophomore campaign. Still, he is expected to be healthy and happy once more in Ann Arbor, and should have a successful junior year.

Stephen Schilling was a highly-regarded offensive lineman coming of of Bellevue, Washington, but needed a year to redshirt before he was able to contribute. As a redshirt freshman, he started every game, mostly at right tackle. He also played right tackle on last year’s line, but improved depth at the position has allowed him to move to guard, his more natural position. Schilling is expected one of the most important pieces on what looks to be a strong Michigan o-line in 2009.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For the second round each poll will only be open for 3 days, so make sure you vote early in order to be counted. For the updated bracket, click here.

Other open poll:
Minor v. Van Bergen.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Minor v. Van Bergen

Tim — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:00:54 +0000

Brandon Minor looks to be Michigan’s top running back in 2009. Though he’s had a number of injuries in his career, Brandon hopes to be fully healthy for his senior year, and lead Michigan to a big turnaround. Hopefully, Brandon will be doing a lot of this:

Ryan Van Bergen was the winner of the only upset in the first round of the competition, defeating 4-seed Brendan Gibbons. He’ll start on the defensive line, and looks to anchor the run defense as a strongside defensive end. Last year, backing up Tim Jamison, Van Bergen collected 13 total tackles and 1 pass breakup.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For the second round each poll will only be open for 3 days, so make sure you vote early in order to be counted. For the updated bracket, click here.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Second Round Set

Tim — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:00:13 +0000

With all of the first-round battles completed in The Great Heisman Campaign, we now know what the second round will look like. The battles will get started on Monday, with Brandon Minor facing off against Ryan Van Bergen. Each contest will have a shorter voting period this round, so be sure to vote early. Here’s the updated bracket:

The first round was almost all chalk (the lone upset was 5-seed Ryan Van Bergen over 4-seed Brendan Gibbons), though perhaps there will be a couple more upsets this time around.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Post July 4 Update

Tim — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:00:52 +0000

Since many people probably missed all the action in the Great Heisman Campaign over the holiday weekend, let’s reset everything, and bring it up to date.If you haven’t yet, vote in the polls below that are still open. There will be no new battles until the entire first round is completed.

Open Polls:
Martin v. Koger.
Mathews v. Molk.
Ezeh v. Campbell.
Brown v. Hawthorne.
Robinson v. Gallon.

Completed 1st Round Polls:
Minor defeats Sheridan, 952-53.
Van Bergen defeats Gibbons, 516-201.
Warren defeats Stokes, 646-113.
Schilling v. Emilien, 487-248.
Mesko defeats Ortmann, 634-85.
Cissoko defeats Toussaint, 460-270.
Forcier defeats Patterson, 773-35.
Stonum defeats Roundtree, 363-272.
Graham defeats Banks, 473-9.
Robinson defeats Woolfolk, 323-253.
Odoms defeats Shaw., appx. 430-280.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Robinson v. Gallon

Tim — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:00:16 +0000

Denard Robinson is just an incoming freshman, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t contribute in 2009. He’s an electric quarterback prospect who can run the ball very well, and can throw it as well. He has blistering speed and good moves, and will probably have a package of run plays installed just to take advantage of his running ability. Though Tate Forcier may be the presumed starter, there’s a chance Robinson will be the more exciting QB this year.

Jeremy Gallon is the Swiss Army Recruit. At his high school in Apopka, Florida, he was a single-wing QB, a running back, a wide receiver, a kick and punt returner, and even a defensive back. He can really do it all. At Michigan, he’ll likely provide some kick and punt return power, along with playing in the rotation at slot receiver or even running back. Of course, there is the small issue that he’s having trouble qualifying for Michigan. If he can get to campus for fall camp, Gallon should be an important weapon this fall.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The poll will remain open for 7 days, closing at 5PM next Saturday. Have your heart set on a particular candidate? Try to sway others in the comments. The full bracket is visible here.

Other Open Polls:
Odoms v. Shaw.
Martin v. Koger.
Mathews v. Molk.
Ezeh v. Campbell.
Brown v. Hawthorne.

Completed 1st Round Poll:
Minor defeats Sheridan, 952-53.
Van Bergen defeats Gibbons, 516-201.
Warren defeats Stokes, 646-113.
Schilling v. Emilien, 487-248.
Mesko defeats Ortmann, 634-85.
Cissoko defeats Toussaint, 460-270.
Forcier defeats Patterson, ___-___.
Stonum defeats Roundtree, ___-___.
Graham defeats Banks, ___-___.
Robinson defeats Woolfolk, appx. ___-___.

Baseball Summer Updates: 4th of July Weekend Edition

FormerlyAnonymous — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:00:40 +0000

Happy America Everybody.

SummerBall ranks top 25 Summer teams. While this seems like a dubious task that amounts to nothing, it’s interesting none the less. You can see their list HERE. Michigan players show up on the following teams: #10 Wareham Gateman (LaMarre), #12 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (Burgoon), #25 Lima Locos (Toth, Wood, Brosnahan).

From the Cape. The Cape Cod League has been plagued by rain this season, postponing a total of 33 games so far. Pitching is still dominating the league with the few games played so far. Ryan LaMarre is batting .167, good for 6th best of the Wareham regular starters. Their top batter is only batting .265 while the team average is around .191. LaMarre has moved from the lead off hitter to around the 6 hole.

Burgoon on the other hand is still dominating. He’s only pitched 9.1 innings this season, but he’s struck out 17. He does have an 0-1 record, but hey, he still hasn’t given up an earned run. His 5 saves still leads the league.

Lima Locos. Toth has been half of the offense. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. The Locos are only batting around .215 as a team, near the bottom of the Great Lakes League. Pitching has been fairly solid. Wood and Brosnahan have both done well as relief pitchers the last 2 weeks, each having a couple of shut out appearances.

Alexandria Beetles. Things haven’t been so good for Michigan in Alexandria. Vangheluwe continues to struggle. His ERA has come down from 9.31 to 7.71 over the last 2 weeks. I guess that’s good news. Matt Miller has struggle a bit too, but he has taken over the teams closer role with 3 saves. His .288 OBA and 4.50 ERA aren’t particularly flattering. Tyler Mills made his debut with the team since the last update. So far he’s 2 for 9 with a pair of doubles and 4 RBI in limited action.

Valley League. Brandon Sinnery is having some bad luck with the Winchester Royals. In 3 starts, he’s 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA. He’s struck out 18 in 18 innings of work, but just can’t get the run support. Matt Gerbe has cut his ERA down from 36.00 to only 9.69 thanks to a move back to the bullpen full time. His OBA is still .368 and 9.69 still isn’t good by any stretch of the imagination.

Meanwhile, at Fort Royal, the impostor posing as Jeff DeCarlo continues to pitch beautifully. His ERA is just 2.00 in 6 relief appearances stretching 13.1 innings. I can’t remember DeCarlo ever having a stretch in Ann Arbor where his ERA was less than 6.00. Also with Forth Royal is Kevin Krantz. Krantz is splitting time at third but may be winning more time. He’s batting .292, good for 5th on the team. His defense has also been

Leesburg Lightning. Good things continue with the Leesburg crew on the mound. Alan Oaks is 1-0 in 4 starts with a 3.98 ERA. His 11 walks to 15 strikeouts ratio is something to work on. Dufek has 4 saves in 7 appearances stretching 6.1 innings. In that time he’s struck out 11 and not given up a run. Eric Katzman finished up his summer classes and got a late start to the Florida Collegiate League season. So far he’s made 1 start and 1 relief appearance. The start went pretty poorly, but it might have been part of brushing the rust from his arm. He’s gave up 2 runs on 5 walks in 3.2 innings pitched in the start. Sounds like a normal “Evil Katzman” start. Once he gets back into the groove, he should do better. Chris Berset hasn’t seen much playing time so far. He’s made it into 4 games but has yet to get a hit.

Travis Smith in Texas. Travis leads the Brazos Bombers in starts this season, but they haven’t been overpowering. He’s 0-3 in 6 appearances (6 starts) including today’s game. Via bvbombers.com:

The Bombers were able to keep McKinney off the board the rest of the game with great pitching and defense, but were unable to muster any run support for Smith, who dropped to 0-3 with the loss.

Smith gave up one run in the top of the first. The Bombers lost 0-1. Tough luck there.

Prospect League. Garrett Stephens is currently hitting .244 for the Richmond RiverRats, good for third on the team. His 14 RBIs are 6th in the League. John Lorenz doesn’t qualify for stats in the league, but he has been getting more starts at third lately. His average is up to .250. This week he went 3/12 with 3 Rs and an RBI.

Coley Crank in Alaska. Coley continues to do most of the catching for the Anchorage Bucs and is batting .203 so far on the season. He does have 13 RBIs on the season, good for 3rd on the team.

Matt Broder’s team site is horrible. I know he’s got 1 W and a 3.00 ERA as of today’s leader board. Take it as you may.

Players still MIA: Bryce Aspinwall, Mike Kittle, Nick Urban, Jake McLouth, Vinnie Sarafa, Vinny Losorelli (we have 2 Vinnie/Vinnys on the team? Are we in New Jersey?), and Adam Arbour. I can’t find anything on them yet.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Brown v. Hawthorne

Tim — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:00:16 +0000

Carlos Brown, when healthy, has been one of the fastest players on Michigan’s team. So what’s the problem? Dude can’t stay healthy. If Carlos is able to do that in 2009, however, Michigan fans will hope to see a more consistent version of the guy who ripped off an 85-yard touchdown run against Minnesot in 2007. Brown showed flashes of an ability to play the running back position consistently against Northwestern last year, and if he can stay healthy, he’ll be a dangerous, dangerous complement to Brandon Minor.

Brandin Hawthorne is a true frehsman from Pahokee, Florida, and one of 7 players who enrolled for the winter semester. Hawthorne is an undersized linebacker with great athletic ability. He’ll be used in a variety of ways for Michigan, including as a hybrid safety/linebacker, and as a designated blitzer. Hawthorne’s high school career comes with a championship pedigree, and he’ll hope to continue the trend in Ann Arbor.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The poll will remain open for 7 days, closing at 5PM next Friday. Have your heart set on a particular candidate? Try to sway others in the comments. The full bracket is visible here.

Other Open Polls:
Robinson v. Woolfolk.
Odoms v. Shaw.
Martin v. Koger.
Mathews v. Molk.
Ezeh v. Campbell.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Ezeh v. Campbell

Tim — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:00:34 +0000

Obi Ezeh will enter his redshirt junior year as a two-year returning starter at middle linebacker. He led Michigan in tackles last year, and looks to continue that trend in 2009. Ezeh is a big, big guy who sometimes looks more like a defensive end than a linebacker, but he still has the necessary agility to defend passes in space. The MLB position is key to many defenses, and Michigan’s is no different. If they want to stop opposing offenses, Ezeh will be a key player.

William Campbell will just be a true freshman this fall, but it seems like he’s been a Wolverine almost as long as Ezeh. The 5-star defensive tackle from Detroit’s Cass Tech high school committed to Michigan before his junior year, and though there was a bit of a bumpy ride along the way, he stayed with the Wolverines and enrolled in January. He’s raw, but physically talented, and should contribute along the defensive line as a true freshman.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The poll will remain open for 7 days, closing at 5PM next Thursday. Have your heart set on a particular candidate? Try to sway others in the comments. The full bracket is visible here.

Other Open Polls:
Graham v. Banks.
Robinson v. Woolfolk.
Odoms v. Shaw.
Martin v. Koger.
Mathews v. Molk.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Mathews v. Molk

Tim — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:00:02 +0000

Greg Mathews enters his senior year at Michigan having become one of the most consistent receivers on the team. In a poorly-quarterbacked season in 2008, he was one of only two players to catch multiple touchdown passes. Mathews has never been known as a burner, but he can leap to catch the ball, and has hands like glue. With better QB play in 2009, he should be able to have a strong senior season on his way to the NFL.

David Molk is a slightly undersixed offensive lineman, but that hasn’t stopped him from succeeding so far in his Michigan career. He was expected to contribute as a true freshman, but missed the entire year (and lost several pounds) due to a battle with mononucleosis. Last year, he claimed a starting job as a redshirt freshman, and went from a slight liabilty at the beginning of the season to a solid performer on Michigan’s improved offensive line by the time the end of the year rolled around. He’ll be one of the key pieces on Michigan’s offensive line if they want to have more success in 2009.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The poll will remain open for 7 days, closing at 5PM next Wednesday. Have your heart set on a particular candidate? Try to sway others in the comments. The full bracket is visible here.

Other Open Polls:
Stonum v. Roundtree.
Graham v. Banks.
Robinson v. Woolfolk.
Odoms v. Shaw.
Martin v. Koger.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Martin v. Koger

Tim — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:00:58 +0000

Mike Martin burst onto the scene as a true freshman, getting significant playing time in the defentive tackle rotation alongside Terrance Taylor and Will Johnson. Now, he’ll be the main man in the middle. If he can progress from what he accomplished last year, his increased playing time should give him the opportunity to make a lot of plays for the Michigan defense. The Wolverines will need him to perform if they want to have a competent defense.

When Rich Rodriguez came to Michigan, there was fear that he wouldn’t know how to use the tight end position, since he hadn’t in his years at West Virginia. Kevin Koger, however, managed to be too much of a weapon to keep off the field, and Koger caught a touchdown for the Wolverines against Wisconsin. The Michigan staff collaborated with Oklahoma’s in the offseason, and looks to use the tight end much more this year. With Koger the main man at the position, he could see a lot more action come his way in 2009.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The poll will remain open for 7 days, closing at 5PM next Tuesday. Have your heart set on a particular candidate? Try to sway others in the comments. The full bracket is visible here.

Other Open Polls:
Forcier v. Patterson.
Stonum v. Roundtree.
Graham v. Banks.
Robinson v. Woolfolk.
Odoms v. Shaw.

The Great Heisman Campaign: Odoms v. Shaw

Tim — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:00:26 +0000

Martavious Odoms burst onto the scene last year as a true freshman. He led Michigan in receiving yards, though he didn’t end up scoring a single touchdown through the air. His first touchdown as a Wolverine instead came on a punt return against Purdue. Odoms looks to be Michigan’s top option at the slot again this year, though he’ll have several more teammates at the position as well.

Michael Shaw struggled through 2008 with some lingering injuries, but still managed to make a mark in Michigan’s backfield. He finished third on the team in rushing yardage, and is a very quick player who can make a difference both from the backfield and the slot. If Shaw can remain healthy, he could break out behind Michigan’s improved offensive line in 2009.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The poll will remain open for 7 days, closing at 5PM next Monday. Have your heart set on a particular candidate? Try to sway others in the comments. The full bracket is visible here.

Other Open Polls:
Cissoko v. Toussaint.
Forcier v. Patterson.
Stonum v. Roundtree.
Graham v. Banks.
Robinson v. Woolfolk.