After the pictures of the alleged new Michigan away jerseys leaked, fans were up in arms. While I don’t think that will be the final design (there will be slight tweaks if not something completely different), nor did I think the jerseys were that ugly, it was clear that the rest of the internetting Wolverine fanbase was less than pleased.

You may recall last year when I posted photoshopped alternate uniforms.Reactions to those selections were mixed as well, but now is your chance to create your own design. Using any medium of your choice (Photoshop, MSPaint, colored pencils and a scanner), create your own Michigan uniform designs. Nothing is too radical, nothing is too bland.

E-mail your entries (in any widely-used image or document format) to sullivti@umich.edu, and I’ll post them for discussion.

Posted under Misc.

Sorry for the lazy afternoon post. The previews are taking a long time to complete, and I want to get to work on finishing them.

Interesting article from the Free Press about Northwestern’s signal stealing spoiled by Michigan’s ball boys in the national championship season.

OSU blog Dotting The I recently built a basketball team out of its best football players. I’ll refrain from doing the same for Michigan (mostly because the fotball players would probably beat the Michigan basketball team at their own game).

Sticking with the Buckeyes, Victoria’s Secret Pink will be offering merchandise featuring the logos of several universities – but not OSU. Interested case, though, like Dotting the I, I don’t see how there is a major conflict of interest unless OSU gets different benefits than all the other schools.

Posted under Misc.

Utah Offense:
QBs
Brian Johnson is the presumptive starter. He backed up Alex Smith as a true freshman, and was second-team all-MWC as a sophomore starter. He tore his ACL towards the end of the year, and sat out 2006 recovering from surgery. Last year, he injured his shoulder early in the season, but was able to return, leading the team to wins in 8 of their final 9 games. He will be backed up by sophomore Corbin Louks, who played a limited role last year, primarily on designed QB runs. He attempted few passes in his playing time. Third-stringer Chad Manis will be a redshirt freshman this fall.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Johnson has had health issues his entire career, but since it’s the first game of the year, his health shouldn’t be an issue (unless he gets hurt during the game, of course). Over his career, he has averaged 7.83 yards per passing attempt, but it was more than a yard worse last year, at 6.79. That could be a function of his being injured, however. Running the ball, Johnson has averaged 2.97 yards per attempt, though he is well below 2 since the knee injury. He came on strong towards the end of last year, however, with the final three games accounting for all but one of the times he rushed for more than 20 yards (including 69 in the bowl victory over Navy.

RBs
Last year’s leading rusher Darrel Mack returns, as does JC transfer Matt Asiata, who was expected to start last year, but broke his leg in the Utes’ opening game against Oregon State. Mack will be a true senior, and Asiata has redshirt junior eligibility. The two will battle for starting nod, with Ray Stowers likely remaining in a backup role. Stowers is a fifth-year senior who lost his first two seasons to injury. He was the team’s second-leading rusher last year. Providing depth are sophomore Eddie Wide and walkon Trevor Moss. Bennie Joppru’s little brother, Chris, rarely plays but is on the team as well.

Statistics:

Analysis:
None of the Ute running backs are particularly tall, but all of them have a good amount of mass. All of the top three weigh more than 220 lbs, with Asiata (also the shortest of the backs at 5-11), tipping the scales at 230. With measurables like this, they would seem to be inside runners, but with Utah’s spread-out attack, they are likely to be given room to operate in space as well. Utah has lots of depth at the RB position, and though there isn’t All-American quality at the top, there is little dropoff among the top few guys. Keep in mind that Utah also likes to get touches in the running game for non-RBs as well, through screens, trick plays, and options.

Receivers:
The Utes’ starting receivers are going to be Marquis Wilson, Bradon Godfrey, and Brent Casteel, all seniors (Wilson true, the other two redshirt). Wilson is expected to be suspended for at least the first game of the year. Godfrey brings size to the group, as he is a 6-3 white guy who transferred from Southern Utah after his freshman year. Casteel and Wilson are both speedy short guys, neither cracking the 6-foot mark. Casteel was Utah’s best threat in 2006, but he missed most of last year with a knee injury. Last year’s top two guys (after the Casteel injury) both graduated, but Utah has been able to replace them with more seniors. Backups Freddie Brown and John Peel are seniors, there is a junior in Elijah Wesson, a sophomore in Jereme Brooks, and a couple of JC transfers in Aiona Key and David Reed will provide depth, and likely contribute. At tight end, Colt Sampson, who was injured at the beginning of last year, will start, while former running back Zac Eldridge and JC transfer Dudley LaPorte will battle for playing time.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Apart from Godfrey, Utah’s key receivers are the speedy little bastard-type that have given Michigan fans nightmares in the recent past. However, don’t be surprised if the new Michigan regime is far more capable of handling them. Tight end is a weak point for this Utes team, unless someone performs beyond expectations. Expect this version of the spread to use the TE sparingly. Most of Utah’s receiving corps is long on experience, with several seniors in the two-deep. Casteel will be used both as a receiver and a designated trick-play guy. The (presumed) loss of Wilson will be a big hit for Utah.

Line:
Both of Utah’s starting tackles return from last year, with senior Dustin Hensel and junior Zane Beadles both entering their second year as the lead tackles. Beadles had been expected to start at guard, but he moved from the position at which he started almost every game as a redshirt freshman in order to fill for an injured player. With no tackles waiting in the wings, Beadles will probably stay at his new position. At center, Tyler Williams and Zane Taylor will battle for the starting position. Williams has a year of experience on Taylor, and is slightly stronger. Right guard Robert Conley returns to improve on his second-team all-conference performance from last year. He has been starting at the position since the end of his redshirt freshman year. Left guard Caleb Schlauderaff started the final 10 games last year, and will return at the position for his redshirt sophomore year.

Analysis:
With four returning starters, three of them seniors, the Utah offensive line is poised to be a strong point in the 2008 team. With a more experienced unit and quarterback Brian Johnson expected to be healthier this year, expect sacks to go down and rush yards per attempt to go up. If the winner of the starting center position doesn’t have problems making line calls or snapping in the shotgun, this should be among the best OLs Michigan will face all year.

Offensive Analysis:
This is certainly an experienced unit. 8 of the 11 starters are seniors, and nearly all of them have extensive game experience (including non-senior LG Caleb Schlauderaff). The tight end position shouldn’t be too key to this Utah offense, so as long as the center situation works out positively for the Utes, the offense should be very powerful. Injuries have plagued some offensive players for Utah in the past, but this is unlikely to be a major issue in the first game of the season.

Utah Defense:
Defensive Line:
Utah loses two all-conference performers in 1st-teamer DE Martail Burnett and 2nd-teamer DT Gabe Long. The two led last year’s team in sacks, with 7 and 4, respectively. Junior Koa Misi, who was a starter at defensive tackle last year, will slide outside to take over Burnett’s starting defensive end spot. End is Misi’s natural spot, so don’t expect him to be an oversized run-stuffer. Manning the other end spot will be returning starter Paul Kruger. Kruger is a redshirt sophomore who is as old as most redshirt seniors, taking an LDS mission after his first year at Utah. Backing up the defensive ends are senior Greg Newman, a former Colorado Buffalo, and several freshmen, including Derrick Shelby, who is most likely to get significant playing time. At defensive tackle, Utah must replace both positions, with Long’s graduation and Misi’s position change. Sophomore Lei Talamaivao is expected to start at one of the spots, after filling in last year as a true freshman. Kenape Eliapo will start at the other position. The redshirt junior has gained significant playing time as a backup in the past two seasons. Depth is a major issue for the Utes at DT, with very few backups available. Utah will likely have to play some true freshmen in backup roles.

Statistics:

Notes: Burnett and Kruger also logged an interception each. Fotu is expected to move to LB this season.

Analysis:
Utah’s defensive tackles are clearly a weak point of the team. The ends should be solid, with Kruger a redshirt sophomore who is the same age as most 5th-year players, and Misi presumably excelling in a move to his more natural position. It seems as though the inside run will be able to capitalize on a vulnerability in the Utah defense.

Linebackers:
Utah must replace linebackers at two positions, losing MLB Joe Jiannoni, and their top two SLBs in Kyle Brady and Malakai Mokofisi. Returning weakside backer (known as “rover” in the hybrid 4-3/4-2-5 defense) Stevenson Sylvester was the second-leading tackler last year, in addition to having the third most sacks on the team (3 unassisted). The true junior is a speedy linebacker or a big safety, with measurables somewhere between the two positions. Nai Fotu will be the starter at SLB, after playing in every game last year as a true freshman. He was a DE to start the year, but moved to linebacker “where a special package was created for him,” according to the Utah press guide. Mike Wright will be the starter at MLB. Wright is a true junior (though according to his bio he also played a year at Southern Utah, which I believe would take away a year of eligibility, making him a senior. Anyone with additional insight is welcome to chime in), who has played special teams in the past couple years, while occasionally filling in at MLB in 2007.

Statistics:

Analysis:
With Nai Fotu starting at LB less than a year after starting his career as a defensive end, it is natural to question whether he will have the quickness required to slow down Michigan’s option attack. Sylvester should have no problem chasing down Steve Threet, but I wonder whether he can track down Carlos Brown (or Sam McGuffie) in space, or if he has the power to drag down Kevin Grady. Wright performed well in backup duty last year, and he should fill the MLB spot well, if not exceptionally.

Defensive Backs:
Let’s start at the corners, where Utah has two returning starters. Senior Brice McCain has started since his true sophomore year, and was a second-team all-conference performer last year. He is Utah’s fastest player, though he gives up quite a bit in size at only 5-9. At the other corner spot, junior Sean Smith makes up for McCain’s lack of size, at a towering 6-3. He started his career at running back and wide receiver, but last year played exclusively defense, starting at both corner and nickel. Junior RJ Stanford will start at nickel and provide depth at corner. Junior Justin Jones is also a backup corner. To this point, he has mostly special teams experience. At the safety spots, Robert Johnson returns at the free safety position. He was injured last year, but still managed to garner honorable mention all-conference. He is a junior who played junior college ball as a freshman, where he was named an All-American. Joe Dale, a true junior who was the defensive MVP of the Poinsettia Bowl, will take over at the strong safety position. Deshawn Richard will be the primary backup at free safety, with RJ Rice the second-stringer at SS. Both players are seniors.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Utah’s corners are experienced, though perhaps lacking in ideal measurables. Robert Johnson brings experience to the s
afety position, and Joe Dale is an up-and-comer at the other spot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sean Smith, the taller corner, was matched up with Greg Mathews, while the speedier Brice McCain takes on shorter receivers. If Toney Clemons and Hemingway start, Michigan will have a distinct height advantage over the Utah secondary. If Steve Threet is accurate enough, Michigan could capitalize on this. It also doesn’t appear that there is tons of depth at DB. With Michigan likely to trot out 3-5 receivers on nearly every down, it will be interesting what Utah does to compensate.

Defensive Analysis:
With a very experienced offense, Utah’s defense has to be considered the weak link. D-line and linebacker are the weakest spots, and I think this bodes well for Michigan’s run game. With defensive ends who are inexperienced (Kruger) or switching from DT (Misi), they may not have the disciplined play required to stop the read-option. With a starting linebacker who has moved from DE, there may be mismatches in the run game there as well. The secondary appears to be the strong point of the Utah defensive unit, returning several key players from last year’s #1 pass efficiency D. However, they will likely be giving up size to Michigan, and it remains to be seen if their depth is strong enough to combat a Michigan team that will have some of the best (and widest variety of) WRs they see all year.

Special Teams:
Senior Louie Sakoda handles both punting and kicking. He was the conference special teamer of the year in 2007. Bradon Godfrey is the holder on field goals.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Kicking certainly isn’t a weak point for the Utes, and Sakoda may be a candidate for the Ray Guy award as the nation’s top punter. A wide receiver holding on field goals always provides opportunities for fakes. Sakoda also had 2 passes and 2 runs on fakes last year.

Overall Analysis:
The Utes are regarded as one of the strongest non-BCS teams in 2008, who may be able to run the table if they can get by Michigan. They are also favored to win the Mountain West Conference. If the Wolverines plan to succeed against Utah, the offense will have to gel fast. Utah has a very experienced offense, and they should be stronger than last year with Brian Johnson healthy. The Michigan defense should be fairly good, but Utah will definitely get its share. The encouraging fact is that strong defensive teams tend to do better than strong offensive teams, especially at a higher level. Michigan will have to be able to take advantage of Utah’s defensive weaknesses in the run game if they want to come out of the season opener alive.

Posted under Analysis

Clothes!

For those who haven’t seen it yet, the alleged away jersey has been revealed on an internet. The picture comes from the Women’s Football Academy held in Ann Arbor by the coaching staff. From the looks of it, however, I would say this looks like a practice jersey (cheap numbers, instead of the sewn-on type, and the material looks cheaper than one would expect). I guess we won’t know for sure until Notre Dame, unless there is an official unveiling of sorts.
The student t-shirts are also available at the MDen now. We unveiled the design here back in the spring. Again, I’m not enamored with the shirt, and I think “Schedule as shirt design” is a horrible, horrible idea. The AD needs to go back to having people with a clue design the shirts.

Posted under Analysis

Michael Schofield, Michigan’s 10th 2009 commit, is an offensive lineman hailing from Orland Park, Illinois. The Sandburg High School product stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and tips the scales at around 270 pounds.

Schofield’s height seems to be evidence that he will be capable of being an offensive tackle down the road. His lighter weight shows the difference between the athletic linemen preferred by the new coaching staff, as Schofield will put on some weight, but probably never play above 290lbs.

Want more evidence that Schofield is athletic? How about taking note of the fact that he is a hurdler on the Sandburg track team?

110 Meter Hurdles
Finals

Place   Heat  Lane   Wind   Competitor, School                                       Time
 1      1     4           Ryan Buchanan (Fr), Bolingbrook                         16.3
 2      1     5           Mike Schofield (So), Sandburg                           16.3 

While his time of 16.3 may not be particularly impressive when compared to Kevin Newsome’s 14.15, there are a few factors to keep in mind. 1) Kevin Newsome is an all-american in track. 2) Michael Schofield is an offensive lineman. Schofield also shows his strength by chucking the discus for Sandburg.

Schofield seems like a future left tackle at this point, with good height and exceptional athleticism. Rivals and Scout are in disagreement on him at this point, with Rivals considering him a 4-star (#15 offensive tackle) and Scout a 3-star (#47 offensive tackle). Judging by offers from schools like Miami of Florida, Penn State, and Wisconsin, Rivals is likely to be a more accurate ranking.

Posted under Recruiting

Michigan’s offensive line recruiting for the class of 2009 has kicked off with the commitment of Michael Schofield. Schofield (6-6, 280) hails from Orland Park, Illinois, where he attends Sandburg High School. He is Michigan’s 10th overall commit for the class.

Recruiting Notes
Schofield attended the BBQ at the Big House recruiting event. He received a scholarship offer from Rich Rodriguez shortly thereafter. Michigan was the most prestigious school pursuing Schofield, and he decided to end his recruitment on June 16th.

Player Notes
Schofield is a tall, nimble lineman. He has very good height (listed anywhere between 6-5 and 6-7) and will likely end up as a tackle in college, though it remains to be seen if he has the skill set to protect the quarterback’s blind side.

Etc.
Thanks to commenter Obes for tearing me away from the Utah preview I was working on to break the news of this commitment, and also to RJ, who text messaged me the news minutes later.

Posted under Recruiting

The Board.

Added:
AR CB Darius Winston. He has decommitted from Arkansas, and the Wolverines are considered to be among his top schools.
NV DE Keenan Graham. Michigan and USC appear to be at the top of his list. He recently visited Ann Arbor (info in header).
FL LB Frankie Telfort. Michigan has offered.

New Information:
IL OL Chris Watt. Has he dropped Michigan? Since he has visited a couple times, he’ll remain on the board until more info comes out.
PA WR Todd Thomas. Michigan makes his top 5.
GA S Darren Myles. He plans to visit Michigan this summer.
SC OL Quinton Washington. He will make a decision after his senior season.
SC S Stephon Gilmore. Article with no Michigan mention. The Wolverines were recruiting him as a backup QB-type. Should he be dropped from the board soon?
GA DB Donavan Tate. Michigan is among the schools that has offered to let him be a two-sport athlete.
SC S Damario Jeffery. Michigan outside his top 6.

Removed:

Etc.:
OH RB Commit Fitzgerald Toussaint. He hasn’t been running track because of a lingering injury.
MI DT Commit William Campbell. Sam Webb fluff in the News.
Fluff on Pahokee High.

Posted under Recruiting

Want to know what the new Adidas home jerseys will look like? A lot like the old home jerseys, with a different logo on them. Thanks to reader Paul for the heads up.

The Big Ten Network and Comcast are expected to announce a deal this week, according to the Chicago Tribune. This comes not one second too soon, and I think all parties involved are relieved to finally have this issue resolved.

For those who have been asking if Jim Stefani’s (awesome) work is available anywhere on the internet anymore, it can now be found here.

Posted under Recruiting

The first edition of the Varsity Blue recruiting video podcast is live! In the near future, look for the podcast to also be available for subscription on iTunes. In the first edition, the current Michigan commitments are introduced.

As of today, we are planning to make this a weekly offering.

Posted under Recruiting

According to Vegas, Michigan is among the favorites to take home the BCS title in 2008. This is most curious, as the prominent preseason magazines fail to even include Michigan in their top 25 lists.

The Freep inconveniently doesn’t give the favorites in numerical order, so I have painstakingly arranged the Vegas odds for you. Included are teams with better than 100/1 odds and other relevant teams:

1. USC 3/1
2. Ohio State 6/1
2. Florida 6/1
2. Georgia 6/1
2. Oklahoma 6/1
6. LSU 12/1
7. Missouri 14/1
8. Clemson 22/1
9. WVU 25/1
10. Michigan 30/1
11. Texas 30/1
12. UMiami 35/1
12. UCLA 35/1
14. Alabama 40/1
14. Auburn 40/1
14. VT 40/1
17. Florida State 50/1
17. Illinois 50/1
17. Penn State 50/1
17. Rutgers 50/1
21. Notre Dame 55/1
22. Kansas 65/1
23. Tennessee 75/1
24. Arizona 80/1
25. Cal 80/1
25. Nebraska 80/1
25. Texas Tech 80/1
25. Wiconsin 80/1
Michigan State 100/1
Iowa 100/1
Field 25/1

In an interview that appeared today on WOWK-TV in West Virginia (and will appear again tomorrow), Rich Rod had some interesting things to sya about his departure from West Virginia.

Rodriguez said the thinly veiled criticism by Stewart was just the new head coach following the crowd.

“I don’t think you should say one thing at one point, then two weeks later, just because it’s popular to be anti-Rich Rodriguez, to say another,” Rodriguez said.

The annual Michigan Football Takeover on WTKA was Friday. MVictors has a bit of audio.

Posted under Coaching