Things that are good:

DefenseIf the only points you give up are on a gadget ply when you are given bad field position, don’t sweat it too much. The best player on D was
Lamarr Woodley Did this dude have 700,000 sacks or what? I must say, I’m impressed.
Run game Vandy isn’t exactly top-5 defense material, but when you gain 200+ yards running almost exclusively running one play (stretch), it’s not exactly a bad sign.
Surprisingly, Garrett Rivas Sure, he had a kick pblocked, but blame that on the O-line, not Rivas. It was on target, just like all his other kicks.

Things that aren’t so good:
Chad HennePlease please please snap out of it. He didn’t throw many good balls all day. The best pass play was completely made by
Steve Breaston, who looked terrible in the return game. You’d better snap out of it as well.
Right side of the line Lamarr sacks vs. Rueben penalties was clearly the competition of the day. Hopefully, Chad will get more time, and the season will have a chance to turn out better.

Posted under Analysis

Indianapolis Warren Central, school of Michigan safety/LB recruit Jerimy Finch, played a game last weekend that has been replaying on ComCast Local. If you get a chance, I’d recommend checking it out.

Interesting note from that, however. One of the commentators said that the “word on the street” is that Finch may decommit from Michigan to join his teammate Darren Evans at Virginia Tech. Keep an eye out for that.

Posted under Recruiting

On ESPN’s current CFB SportsNation poll (I’m not going to link it, because it will be gone soon enough), the question is “Which hotseat coach should be safe this season?”

The second (to Larry Coker)? One Lloyd H. Carr Jr.

The question is admittedly vague, so people don’t know whether they are saying: “This person doesn’t deserve to be on the hotseat” or “This person’s performance this year will remove him from the seat on which he is presently perched,” but the point remains the same. The people of the world don’t think Lloyd’s job is in jeopardy. In the midwest and particularly Michigan (though, somewhat surprisingly, not as much in Ohio), Lloyd is far and away the favorite.

Your own poll proves it, ESPN, fans are not calling for Lloyd Carr’s head. You can say it all you want to create news, or believe people who claim to “speak for the vast majority of Michigan fans,” when in fact they don’t (see: SaveTheBigHouse hooplah).

My weariness with ESPN is reaching all-time highs lately, and this whole invention of grumbling Michigan fans is just one more grievance on the list.

Posted under Coaching

I’m going to do something that I probably shouldn’t, which is invite pretty much anyone on the internet to come tailgate at my house before the game on Saturday.

Here’s the invitation that my roommate has sent out:

So its that time of year again. The time when each yesterday is beaten only by today’s consumption-of-inebriating-chemicals. To welcome everyone back, we’re throwing a little Pre-game gig this Saturday, details as follows:

When: September 2, 2006, beginning the inebriation period around 9 AM, also continuing after the game until all have passed out

Where: 319 E Jefferson (just down the street from Tom, bout a block and a half from the Union)

Why: Welcome Week Pre-game, sail three sheets to the wind, reunite the clans, and break in the livers via shock therapy

Who: You and the world

What: Kegs, ‘dogs, pong

We invite everyone, from veterans of not-quite-beer consumption to the youngbloods whose livers are still soft and well, to join us in our joyous revelry

Posted under Misc.

RB Avery Horn is Michigan’s 13th commit of the year, per both recruiting sources. He is a 3-star speedster out of Hanford.

Since I haven’t talked at length about it in a while, here is the current list of commits (links go to their Scout profiles, they are listed in chronological order of commit).

Vince Helmuth FB
Artis Chambers S
Ryan VanBergen DE
Ryan Mallett QB
Martell Webb TE/WR
Jerimy Finch S/LB
James Rogers WR
Troy Woolfolk CB
Steve Watson TE
Dave Molk C/G
Marquis Maze RB/Ath
J.R. Hemingway WR
Avery Horn RB

5-star
Mallett
Finch

4-star
VanBergen
Hemingway
Molk
Watson
Chambers
Helmuth
Webb

3-star
Woolfolk
Rogers
Horn

Unrated
Maze

Just as a side note, I use Scout’s ratings, because I think their information is better, even though it is given in a less professional (and generally good – (see Josh Turel)) presentation.

Posted under Recruiting

…or at least that’s what South Carolina WR Junior Hemingway decided, and Pennsylvania DT Marques Slocum is finding out, after waiting a year to qualify.

Both will be Wolverines in the future. It’s unclear whether Slocum will suit up for Michigan this year, seeing as how he hasn’t been practicing with the team. I assume he could either jump into the lineup later this year, or take a redshirt year (although he’s probably already 19 or 20).

Posted under Recruiting

Cold Pizza has been profiling potential Heisman candidates, and this week both Chad Henne and Mike Hart were on the show.

Mike’s interview.

Chad’s interview.

Posted under Misc.

Dave Molk, an o-lineman (future center, most likely), from the Chicago area has picked Michigan over Iowa. He is the 10th commit of the 2007 recruiting class, and the first lineman.

Posted under Recruiting

This has been on MLive for a while now, so I decided to rip it to mp3 so those who don’t have RealPlayer, or want to save this, can listen.

www.umich.edu/~sullivti/lloyd interview.mp3

I apologize for the clicks in the background, but the page had a banner ad that kept refreshing.

Posted under Misc.

Expect a long wait before the next preview (MSU), because I am supremely lazy.

September 30

at Minnesota

Offensive Starters Returning: 7 (QB, FB, 2WR, TE, OT, OG)

Defensive Starters Returning: 5 (DE, 2LB, CB, FS)

Specialists Returning: 0

Offense: Minnesota has always been, and will always be, a rushing team. Losing their two top backs (Laurence Maroney to the NFL and Gary Russell to academic purgatory), will hurt them, but not as much as you’d think. Losing three linemen, including super-stud C Greg Eslinger will be more damaging. However, Minnesota’s system is what makes their rushing attack so potent. Like the Denver Broncos of the NFL (who, perhaps not coincidentally, run a similar system), the Gophers could put me in the backfield, and I’d still go for 1,000 yards. Brian Cupito is a third-year starter, and underrated. He will be throwing to a potential All-American in TE Matt Spaeth, and a good receiver in Ernie Wheelwright, along with a less-good receiver in Logan Payne.

Defense: Another unit that speaks to last year’s offensive ineptitudes for our team. How did we only score 13 points on this defense? They will start 3 new defensive linemen, who will be undersized, and therefore probably weak against the run. This fact isn’t helped by the fact that two new linebackers will be stepping in, and should be protected from blockers. This has the potential to be a big ground game for Michigan. The secondary ranked 97^th against the pass last year (and we scored HOW many points on this team?!?!?!), and lost their best player, SS John Pawlewski. Don’t be surprised if they struggle again. However, I still think it will probably be easier to run than pass on this Gopher team.

Special Teams: They have to replace everyone, down to the return man. With no known commodities slated to step in, this will be a big question mark.

Other: More revenge for us, on the road once more. It’s part of a tough schedule stretch for the Wolverines, but the Gophers figure to be down this year. We want our damn jug back, regardless of whether this is a road night game or not (keep in mind that “night” and “road” don’t quite carry the same punch in the HHH).

Posted under Analysis