Michigan Basketball Ranked #18 In Preseason Poll

In the first poll released for the coming college basketball season, the USA Today Coaches' Poll has placed Michigan at #18. This is quite an improvement from last season (Michigan was not ranked in both the AP poll and Coaches poll).

This ranking does warrant some excitement, even though fans should remember the 2009 basketball season when Michigan was ranked #15 in the preseason, but ended up missing the postseason.

However, I think this coming season will be a little different than 2009. Michigan's 2009 team should have been better than it finished, but it had a lot more flaws than the 2011 Michigan team. For instance, much of the '09 team focused on 2 players, while this year's team seems to be much more of a combined and focused team effort. As we all know, the ability to rotate players and involve others, the more likely the team is to be successful.

With the return of 4 starters, and essentially every backup player from Michigan's 2010 team, I find it quite unlikely to endure the same collapse fans experienced in 2009. For instance, only 2 other Big Ten teams are ranked (Ohio State - #3, Wisconsin - #14) and only 2 other Big Ten teams are receiving votes (Michigan State - #28, Purdue - #35). This clearly doesn't mean Michigan will beat all the other Big Ten teams, or even those receiving votes, but it does bode well for the coming season.

So before you start thinking back to 2009 remember that this is a different team with experience, depth, and teamwork that should propel the team to a great season.

Michigan's future is bright

OK, OK, OK. Here is the scoop. This is not going to be your ordinary blog story. I am going to break down everything for you so you as a Michigan fan know whats going on, what has happened, and what's in the future. Michigan is 6-1 our loss to MSUcks was tough to swallow, but it happened. Everyone saw the dirty plays, bottom line is on that day in East Lansing they were the better team. they dominated the line of scrimmage, wreaked havoc with our Qb, and made big plays when needed. yes some of the play calls were questionable like the 4th and 1 call to throw a pass. Two ways to look at that. First way is "that was a dumb call with inches to go you power that ball right in the middle", or " that play will work dump it in the end zone for Koger and instant TD. well if the offensive line did its job the pass would have worked, and if we ran it up the middle it would have worked. Yes it would have possibly turned the game, BUT WE WILL NEVER KNOW.

That is my take on MSUcks. Were 6-1 and I am happy. My personal outlook on the remainder of the games is positive. I can see a 7-1 record after Purdue. Purdue is not a strong team so we should be able to count that as a win. I see Iowa as a toss up game as they are not as strong as they have been in the past and were a lot better. you will see my stat comparison at the end of this post. so I have to count Iowa as a win. Illinois is another away game, and we beat them in a high scoring shootout last year. our def is much stronger than last year and our offense is much better. I feel they could not have surpassed us in one year. so chalk that up as a win. that brings us to 9-1. Now we have Nebraska and OSUcks...Nebraska is a team I cant get a grasp on as they play avg at best, but show glimpse of potential. I would have to say my lack of knowledge of this opponent poss chalks up as a loss.

That brings us to 9-2. Now we come to Osucks. Do I really need to tell you all about what I think of them? Yes I do! OSUcks is on a downward spiral. they have no quarterback, run game is avg at best with Herron back. I think I can count on 1 hand the number of passes they have thrown in 2 games. I think the coaches will have a good lock on that. I predict an Ann Arbor beatdown against the Suckeyes. that takes us to 10-2. Now if you read my pre season predictions I did before the season you will know I called 9-3. Out of those away games I could potentially see an upset taking our record to 9-3. I am a firm believer the winner of the B1G will have 1 loss, but the other team in the championship will have 2 losses in league play, with 3 way tie. Tie breaker going to.........I dunno! hopefully Michigan. Now were going to go to my stats section. I am going to break down for you where we are now compared to the rest of the NCAA and where we were last year. I am going to show you why I predict what i did in my post here. I have a writer that I chat with a lot and I have much respect for, but not been able to chat with him much lately he is ACE. His views are a little different than mine. He is more a realist, where I am more a optimist.

When I went to rivals I found out that this year to date our offense is ranked 31, and our def is ranked 5. Last year our offense was 22 and our def was.....wait for it......102. now last years def ranking was taking into consideration all of the games where this years is taking into consideration only the 7 games played, but if you can't see the improvement...well....I don't know what to tell you! now I used a new website football outsiders and this is what they said Michigan offense is ranked 16 overall this year and #2 last year, def this year was ranked 17 while last year we were 108th. This year our turnovers are +7 where last year we were like -100 (just kidding). please follow me on twitter at @no1repoman

Is MSU For Real?

Over the past several weeks I have been bombarded with comments from Michigan State students, alumni, and fans telling me about the strength of their team and their ability to crush Michigan again this year.

However, after watching the first 6 weeks of the season, I have been far less confident in Michigan State's ability to finish at the top of the Big Ten again this year. So, is Michigan State for real or are they closer to what Michigan was last season? Hot early, but likely to end the season as an average or above-average Big Ten team.

Here's What We Know About Michigan State:

• Finished 11-2 Last Season (Lost @ Iowa and to Alabama in a bowl)
  
• 13 Returning Starters From 2010 (8th in the Big Ten)
• 4-1 in 2011 (Loss @ Notre Dame)
• Ranked #23 in the AP Poll and #19 in the Coaches Poll
• Ranked #1 in Total Defense (173.4 yds/g)
• Ranked #3 in Rush Defense (64 yds/g)
• Ranked #64 in Total Offense (398 yds/g)
• Ranked #95 in 3rd down conversions (35.21%)

Well, from that limited info, one might believe this should be one of the best teams in the league. They only lost 1 game, had more than half their starters return from an 11 win team, and have one of the best defenses in the nation.

However, this assumption would not be completely accurate. Undoubtedly, Michigan State's defense is solid, a team isn't placed into the top 5 without at least a decent defense, but you can't help but notice the weakness of some of the teams they've faced. For instance, here are the offensive stats for Michigan State's opponents:

Total Offense Stats:

Youngstown State - FCS (hard to compare stats, but had 254 yds against MSU)
Florida Atlantic - 119th (230 yds/g)
Notre Dame - 20th (467.5yds/g)
Central Michigan - 88th (350.5 yds/g)
Ohio State - 105th (315.3 yds/g)

So, what does this tell us? Excluding Youngstown State, which can't really be compared seeing as they are an FCS team, MSU has faced one top 50 offense this year. Michigan has already faced two at this point (Western Michigan and Notre Dame) and another two in the top 70 (San Diego State and Northwestern).

Since it is unlikely many people have found Michigan's schedule brutal this year, you cannot help but question those defensive stats. There is no doubt Michigan State's defense is solid, but I would be hesitant to put it in the elite stats. They do typically hold their opponents to much fewer yards than they average, which is the typical sign of a good defense, but when 60% of your opponents are MAC level or below, a Big Ten team should be able to hold the defense to below its average yards per game.

Although the defensive stats may be skewed for Michigan State, the offensive stats illustrate some of the early season troubles. Michigan State has essentially been unable to run the ball behind its young line, Kirk Cousins has made many mistakes, and they have frankly struggled moving the ball. Here's a comparison

MSU Offensive Stats - 2011 - 2010:

Total Offense +9.5 yds/g
Passing Offense +32.8 yds/g
Rushing Offense -23.7 yds/g
Scoring Offense -1.5 pts/g

So, what can we see from this? Michigan State is actually moving the ball more than last year, but only by 9.5 yds/g. Along with this, they are being forced to pass the ball more (likely due to their weak offensive line) and are scoring less even though they are moving the ball further. At first glance, this doesn't seem significant. The difference of gaining 9.5 yds/g more and scoring 1.5 pts/g fewer isn't all that important.

However, let's take a look back at the schedule. The stats from 2010 cover the ENTIRE season. This means they include Michigan State's games against 6 teams in the Top 51 defenses of 2010 (Alabama, Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, Illinois, and Notre Dame). As of now, Michigan State has faced 2 defenses in the Top 51 (Ohio State #22 and Notre Dame #51).

Obviously, if a team faces tougher defenses, their stats are going to go down. Along with this, even the 2 defenses they have faced this season are in the middle or rear of the top 51 (Alabama, Wisconsin, and Iowa were all in the top 25 in 2010). Essentially, what this means is that not only are Michigan State's defensive stats boosted, their offensive stats (roughly equivalent to last season) are boosted as well.

Now, I don't expect Michigan State to lose the remainder of its games and miss a bowl, but I do not expect them to even come close to 11-2 or winning the Big Ten. They may be able to sneak past Michigan and Nebraska for the Legends Division, but I don't see them having any chance against Wisconsin (assuming they win the Leaders).

So, is Michigan State For Real?

I say not quite. They are an above average Big Ten team, but not championship or BCS-caliber.

Also, an MSU joke:

Did you hear they're going to start calling Spartan Stadium, "The Shed"?
Yeah, because every Big House has a shed behind it...

Michigan Moves Up To #11 In AP Poll

With today's announcement of the new rankings, Michigan has risen up to #11 in the AP Poll and #10 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll after its defeat of Northwestern 42-24.

Michigan has not been this high since pre-season 2007 and has steadily advanced in the rankings since Week 1. Although some of this has been due to some questionable opponents (Minnesota and Eastern Michigan) and losses from ranked teams (Texas, Florida State), this is still a significant event for the Michigan team to be ranked this high.

Michigan State (Michigan's next opponent) moved back into the rankings coming in at #23 in the AP Poll and #19 in the Coaches' Poll. Though MSU had a bye week last week, they still appear to be at least a rank-able team and should be a tough match-up for Michigan next week in East Lansing. Odds for the game have not yet been released, but it is sure to be a tight spread with both teams ranked and MSU playing at home.

Other notes from the poll:

This is the first time no Florida school has appeared in the rankings since 1982.

Ohio State still remains un ranked and received 0 votes this week

Notre Dame has not returned to the rankings, but has been increasing its vote totals (#28 in AP)

First Everything Michigan and More Chat Session October 13 @ 8:30PM ET

To all of you who have frequently read the blog, Twitter followers, or 'liked' us on Facebook, here's the big chance to get involved!

Starting next Thursday, October 13th @ 8:30pm - 9:30pm ET, Everything Michigan and More will be having our first Twitter "chat" session.

Now, you may ask, what's a Twitter "chat" session?

A Twitter "chat" session is essentially where we, the writers on Everything Michigan and More, will be answering questions, giving predictions, or simply holding Michigan related conversations.

You may also ask, how do I communicate on Twitter with the writers and what will we be talking about?

The simplest way to communicate with the writers during this "chat" session will simply be to send a tweet to the official Everything Michigan and More twitter or use our special hashtag:

Tweet This To Be In Our Chat Session:

@EverythingMich
#everythingmichigan

This will allow us be able to see your tweets and respond asap!

Now, you may be wondering what's special about the chat session. Well, aside from the chance to simply have a Michigan-related conversation on a Tuesday night (which can be a lot more uncommon than you think), all our writers will be available to respond to any questions, thoughts, or interesting topics. Topics include the Michigan game v. Northwestern, the upcoming battle with Sparty, and football recruiting. Plus, we will be having several guest appearances:

Guests Appearances:

Marcus Ray
Former Michigan Free Safety (1994-1998) -
Member of the 1997 National Championship Team
All-Big Ten Player
Played on the Oakland Raiders
@Marcus_Ray29







@MZoneBlog - Founder of the MZone - Michigan Football Blog

@MGoFish - Editor of MGoFish - Michigan Football and Detroit Spots Blog
(More Announcements in Coming Week)

So, make sure you send a tweet on Tuesday night @ 8:30pm ET to get involved in the action! Also, you can follow our official Twitter: here to get the best Michigan info on the web!

O-H- UUUUHHH- O-H

As if Ohio does not have enough problems this football season. A newspaper is reporting that suspensions could be extended for at least two of the four Ohio State players who were set to return to the team this week.

Athletic director Gene Smith will discuss developments in the NCAA case Monday.

Tailback Daniel Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey, left tackle Mike Adams and defensive end Solomon Thomas were expected to be cleared to join the team this week for the Buckeyes' game at No. 14 Nebraska. They have sat out the team's first five games for accepting cash and free or discounted tattoos in violation of NCAA rules.

The Dispatch reported that Herron and Posey could be held out longer for accepting inflated pay for summer jobs in the Cleveland area. As a lot of you have known for a while now. Ohio has issues all over the place. with the EPIC losses this season and the Mighty Nebraska coming in to attempt to give the bucks their 3rd loss of the season (which would put them at an even 3-3) they have a brand new head coach in Luke Fickell that just can't seem to grasp the the concept of scoring touchdowns, winning, or calling time outs. The future of the Ohio team looks....well.....not so bright. As a Die Hard Michigan fan makes me smile when I see them struggle for all those years of woopins that they gave us, but in the same breath it hurts to see the big ten as a whole take a black eye. lets hope Ohio gets over their issues soon and lets get back to wooping some buckeye ass when were both powerhouses. like the days of past!

Please follow me on twitter @no1repoman for breaking news the minute I hear it, and for some fun pokes at buckeyes everywhere!



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/10/03/Ohio.State.ap/index.html#ixzz1ZkEFL8CS

Michigan Vaults Up To #12 In The AP Poll

Earlier today, much to the shock of football fans, Michigan was reported to have jumped all the way to #11 in the coaches' poll and #12 in the AP poll. Michigan was ranked #19 last week in the USA Today poll, but after a huge 58-0 blowout victory in the Little Brown Jug game and losses by teams above Michigan in the rankings, they jumped 8 spots.

Last week I ran an article analyzing why Michigan was #19, but had a great shot to move up in the rankings (article: here). Obviously, this was proven correct when several teams sitting above Michigan in the polls including USF, Baylor, and Texas A & M lost.

Although I personally think Michigan is probably a bit overrated based on a schedule consisting of 2 MAC teams and Minnesota (1-4, 0-0), I see no reason to complain about the rankings love. For example, if Michigan were to theoretically lose 1 of the next 2 games, they would probably still remain in the rankings, which didn't happen last season when Michigan fell to Michigan State (Michigan did appear as #25 in the coaches poll, but this was after a bye week and only lasted 1 week).

Michigan has not been ranked this high in over 4 years since the season opener in 2007. Quite astonishing for Michigan's tradition, but also surprising considering the team's recent past (4-0 in 2009 and 5-0 in 2010) of late-season collapses. Regardless, it's a very exciting time to root for Michigan and Go Blue!

On the road with 2013 Michigan Commit Shane Morris!

The Everything Michigan And More Camera Crew was on the road again this weekend. They made the trip to St. Claire Shores Mi. to watch a Detroit Catholic League showdown between 2 of the states best teams. Shane Morris and his Warren De La Salle Pilots battled Matt Godin and his Detroit Catholic Central Shamrocks in one of the best high school games I've ever attended.

Shane Morris is a 2013 Michigan quarterback commit and is from Warren, Michigan. He is 6'3" and weighs 183 lbs. Although he has no official ranking from most of the rating agencies, most assume is at least the #1 or #2 in-state prospect and 1 of the elite quarterbacks in the country for 2013.

Matt Godin is also a Michigan commit, but he is in the class of 2012 and will arrive on campus before next season. Godin is 6'6" defensive tackle weighing 270 lbs. He was rated as a 3 star recruit by Rivals, but is predicted to do big things, especially considering Michigan's lack of defensive tackle depth in the coming years.

The game went right down to the last play when De La Salle (Morris) faced a 4th down with less than 30 seconds remaining deep in Catholic Central (Godin) territory when Shane Morris couldn't connect with his receiver. Catholic Central took over on downs and ran the clock out to preserve a 14-10 victory.

Our camera crew got some great footage of the 2 UM commits battling against each other. Catholic Central also features Class of 2013 Target Wyatt Shallman. He is a RB that is 6'3" tall and 250 lbs. Check back in a few days to view the footage we captured!!!!

Michigan Adds UMass To Its 2012 Football Schedule

After waiting a significant amount of time to solidify its 2012 schedule, Michigan has announced that it officially added UMass as the final game of the season (September 15, 2012).

Though this is probably not an exciting game for most fans, it completes what could be the most difficult schedule for Michigan in recent memory. Here's a glimpse at the 2012 schedule:

Sept 1 - Alabama (Dallas, TX)

Sept 8 - Air Force

Sept 15 - UMass

Sept 22 - @ Notre Dame

Oct 6 - @ Purdue

Oct 13 - Illinois

Oct 20 - Michigan State

Oct 27 - @ Nebraska

Nov 3 - @ Minnesota

Nov 10 - Northwestern

Nov 17 - Iowa

Nov 24 - @ Ohio State

Frankly, with away trips to Norte Dame, Nebraska, and Ohio State accompanied by a neutral site game against Alabama, one can't help but thinking that 2012 will be an uphill battle. Along with this, the home schedule presents challenges of its own. Air Force has risen to prominence and has been ranked for significant stretches over the last several years, UMass nearly beat Michigan in 2010 and has moved into the MAC, and teams like Michigan State, Illinois, and Iowa can always be challenging.

Although scheduling tough non-conference opponents in 2012 may not have been the best idea with Michigan's road schedule, most speculate it was simply a move to spur ticket sales. Before Air Force and UMass were added to the schedule (assuming 2 random MAC or FCS teams would have filled their slots), Michigan probably only had 1 truly exciting game on the home schedule (Michigan State) and 3 relatively interesting games depending on the circumstances (Iowa, Illinois, and Northwestern).

The move may have been revenue-based, but Michigan should be able to 'avenge' its near loss in 2012 to UMass and give fans the chance to enjoy one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation in 2012.

Denard Robinson B1G Ten Offensive Player Of The Week...Again

After piling up 293 total yards of offense last Saturday against the then undefeated San Diego State Azteks, Denard Robinson has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. Denard earned his first Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after the comeback victory against Notre Dame in the Under the Lights game earlier this month.

Although Denard shared the award this week with Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin, it is quite impressive to be awarded this honor twice in just four weeks of game play. Denard certainly has suffered much criticism (detailed post on Denard as a quarterback: here), but since he has the highest average yards per game (NCAA doesn't count the Western game) he is sure to win some awards.

I anticipate Denard will have a tougher time winning this award down the stretch this season with some tougher defenses on the schedule, but clearly last season's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year has utilized his talents this season.

Michigan Ranked #19 In AP Poll, But Could Move Up

Several sites including the Detroit Free Press and ESPN have now released the new NCAA Week 5 rankings and have placed Michigan at #19. This is an improvement from last week's #23 ranking. Although some of Michigan's improvement in the rankings is due to other team's failure (West Virginia and Florida State's losses moved them behind Michigan), it is still nice to see Michigan inside the top 20.

Last season, Michigan made it up to #18 before falling to the eventual Big Ten Co-Champion Michigan State team. It is very likely that Michigan will fall at some point, but after being ranked for two consecutive weeks, the analysis of rankings is bound to start.

Michigan has a pretty winnable game this Saturday (Minnesota, 1-3), but many teams above or slightly below Michigan have a tougher task on Saturday. Here are the ranked teams above Michigan with "tough" games on Saturday:

#16 South Florida @ Pitt

#14 Texas A & M @ #18 Arkansas

Northwestern @ #24 Illinois

#15 Baylor @ Kansas State

#13 Clemson @ #11 Virginia Tech

#17 Texas @ Iowa State

Obviously, two of the six games featured two ranked teams, so at least one has to fall, but of the ranked v. non-ranked match-ups listed, 3 of the 4 teams are in the receiving votes categories:

Northwestern - #34 in coach's poll

Kansas State - #31 in AP poll and coach's poll

Iowa State - #29 in AP Poll and #30 in coach's poll

The fact that these teams received votes in the polls does not mean they are going to win any of the above games, but it does seem very likely that at least 1 or 2 of the non-ranked teams in the above match-ups can pull off the upset.

Essentially, for Michigan fans, this could be a VERY good week in the rankings. If Michigan wins, which is very likely, but we don't want to jinx anything, it is quite probable that both teams above or below Michigan will fall. Even if all the ranked teams win in the above match-ups (excluding the 2 games where ranked teams have to lose), Michigan's votes should go up as the quality of non-ranked bids go down.

Obviously rankings are hard to predict, but this could be the week that sets up the season nicely for Michigan. I don't want to speculate too much or get ahead of myself, but we could see a Michigan team that could lose a game in the coming weeks and stay ranked, which is exciting. Plus we know Michigan State or Ohio State has to lose this weekend, so it can't be too bad, right? Haha Go Blue!

Michigan Doesn't Have A Quarterback

If you've been following Michigan's 2011 season or read any newspaper or fan articles, you would probably have realized there is a lot disdain regarding Denard Robinson's throwing abilities. In fact, at Michigan's last home game against San Diego State, I overheard several fans commenting on how Devin Gardner (Michigan's backup quarterback) should be thrust into the game because Michigan "doesn't have a quarterback, just a running back."

Now, I think most fans realize qb controversies and criticisms are nothing new (I actually posted a 3 part series on Denard Robinson as a qb: here), but the amount of negative criticism from both the media and Michigan "fans" (you have to question their "fan" status if they spend 4 quarters criticizing everything Michigan does) has reached a new all-time high against Denard after 4 "lackluster" games.

So, if we believe this criticism what should we think? Well, Denard has good rushing ability, but he can do NOTHING against good competition and has almost no passing ability. He also cannot last the length of a season because the rushing breaks him down physically. Now, I addressed most of these points in my Denard QB series (located here), but that was pre-season, I think that since roughly 1/3 of the season is over and the anti-Denard folks have taken over, it's appropriate to take a new analysis of his performance.

So, first let's take a quick look at his stats for 2011:

Denard Robinson

35 of 72 passes completed

48.6% completion percentage

624 passing yards

8.67 yards per attempt

6 passing tds

6 interceptions

71 rushing attempts

552 rushing yards

7.8 yards per rush

5 rushing tds

At first glance, the rushing statistics are phenomenal, but the passing seems to be a little underwhelming. Completing less than half his passes and turns it over as much as he scores through the air? Wow....that's not a good sign. However, as I noted last summer and will repeat now, going off simple stats like this is NOT the best method for determining success either on the ground or through the air. It doesn't adjust for opponent difficulty, receiver failure, or luck.

Now, it may sound like I'm making excuses, but let's take a quick look at his "horrible" completion percentage. If a quarterback completes less than half his throws he must be doing bad, right? Well....not always. Arguably, the biggest factor this season in Denard's completion percentage has been his low number of passing attempts.

Theoretically, this should have no impact on Denard's completion percentage, but as we all know, that doesn't always work in real life. The reason is because there are so many factors impacting just one completion. Offensive blocking, defensive pressure, catching by the receiver, defensive coverage, and finally the quarterback's reads and throw. For example, in the game against San Diego State, Denard made a perfect pass to Koger, but it bounced right off his hands and resulted in an incompletion. Should Denard be blamed for this? Well of course not, he didn't drop the pass, but if you simply look at the stats, you don't realize this statistical problem.

This is even more important this season for Denard beccause he has been attempting such a low number of passes. I'll just use the Notre Dame game, since they are probably Michigan's best non-conference opponent. Denard attempted 24 passes (his only game this season with at least 20 attempts). However, in Michigan State's game against Notre Dame, Kirk Cousins attempted 53 passes. Cousins and Denard are not the best quarterbacks to compare, especially in varying game situations, but Cousins still attempted more than DOUBLE the amount of passes as Denard.

However, an even better comparison is Denard 2010 and Denard 2011 against Notre Dame. In 2010, Denard had his best game of the season against Notre Dame and attempted 40 passes. This means that against the same team a year later, Denard attempted 16 fewer passes. As I said earlier, this shouldn't impact percentage, but there's no doubt that any potential mistake either from Denard or a receiver would be much more significant with fewer passing attempts. An incompletion against Notre Dame last season would have lowered his completion percentage by just 2.5%, but this season an incompletion would have lowered it 4.2%. Clearly, this makes any one mistake much more important statistically.

So Denard's completion percentage isn't a good indicator this season, but what about his touchdown to interception ratio? He has 6 tds and 6 ints, certainly this shows that he doesn't have passing ability. However, as I pointed out last summer, this is not a good stat to use when analyzing Denard. It may work for most quarterbacks, but most quarterbacks typically don't score on the ground. If you've watched Michigan, you know that many times they will opt to run Denard in the red-zone instead of going to the air just because it's more effective.

For instance, Kirk Cousins currently has a +3 ratio, meaning he scored 3 more touchdowns than interceptions. Denard would be at 0, but if you include his rushing touchdowns he ends up at a +5 ratio. Although this is not the best quarterback comparison, it does illustrate that just because Denard uses a different method to score doesn't mean it's ineffective.

So if completion percentage and td/int ratio aren't good indicators, how is Denard doing this season? Well, first, let's not forget the team is 4-0 right now. It's hard to justify switching anything, if everything has gone well to this point. Along with that, let's not forget that against Michigan's toughest non-conference opponent this season, Notre Dame, Denard won Player of the Week honors and led the team to a comeback victory, relying much on the passing game (ended with a 193.3 qb rating for the Notre Dame game).

I can't sit here and claim Denard has NFL talent passing abilities or is the next Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but what I can say is that the anti-Denard folks have certainly been basing a lot of their claims and solutions (Devin Gardner has NEVER started a collegiate game) on questionable data.

Along with that, there seems to be this perception against rushing quarterbacks. For some reason if Denard had more passing yards than rushing it means he's a good quarterback. As far as I'm concerned, 293 total offensive yards is still 293 total offensive yards. Until it's proven that passing yards counts more than rushing, I don't see the difference.

Denard will need to improve this season, particularly passing, but let's not jump on the anti-Denard bandwagon. He's still the defending Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year who is averaging 294 total yards a game. Along with this, he has yet to leave a game because of injury (hopefully it stays this way...please!) after 4 games when he left for significant periods in almost all the first 4 games last year. I've always enjoyed watching Denard and have learned to never doubt his abilities. I say go get 'em Shoelace.

Full Summer Denard QB Series:

Part I: "Sure He Can Run, But When He Has to Throw He Can't Do Anything"

Part II: "He Can Play Well Until He Hits The Red Zone"

Part III: "You Looked Good For Five Games Against Nobody"

Vincent Smith Starting At Rb? Not Quite...

Over the past several days, I have witnessed the running back speculation from preseason reappear. However, instead of a battle between Michael Shaw and Fitz Toussaint, it has centered around #2, Vincent Smith.

In fact, in an article posted by the Michigan Daily, they claim that, "Smith emerges as lead back." Although Smith certainly impressed last Saturday with his 112 rushing yards and 13.1 average per attempt, nothing has ever confirmed him as the "lead back" for Michigan.

In fact, Brady Hoke himself simply stated that "Vince has earned [the] right" to be Michigan's lead back. NEVER did he state that Vincent Smith was starting. In fact, in the article by the Michigan Daily, they admitted that the depth chart still had Shaw or Toussaint listed as the starter.

To me, this is just overblown hype from the media attempting to get hits. A story stating that Vincent Smith is in the mix to be Michigan's lead back is much less exciting than a story claiming he is the starting running back. If speculation is correct, it is very likely that Fitz Toussaint will still walk out to start the game on Saturday.

The depth chart could still certainly change, but I think the media and fans are getting a little bit ahead of themselves at this point. Remember, the last game was against Eastern Michigan. Yes, the same Eastern Michigan that was ranked as one of the worst offenses and defenses in 2010. Putting up a lot of rushing yards on the Eastern Michigan defense isn't likely to change too many aspects of the team.

Although I think Vincent Smith has a lot of talent, and may end up as the #2 running back (he already is the featured 3rd down back), I can't see him passing Toussaint anytime soon. I expect Toussaint to have a reasonable game on Saturday and remain as the starter for the foreseeable future.

Let's hope that even if Smith is chosen as the starter, which has not been done at this point, the running backs pick it up over the next several weeks.

Michigan Outranks Ohio State For First Time In Over 4 Years

Reports of the new college football rankings are surfacing and according to reports from the Detroit Free Press, the new AP pool has placed Michigan at #22 in the nation. Michigan State and Ohio State will be unranked.

This is an incredible development because Michigan has not been ranked higher than Ohio State since the pre-season poll from 2007. Along with this, Ohio State has at least by ranked since November 2004. This means that for over 6 full seasons the Buckeyes have at least been considered in the top 25 teams in the nation.

Though Michigan may be a tad overrated, fans can't help but get excited over this breaking news. I think it's very likely that Michigan State will reappear in the rankings, especially if they are able to beat Ohio State in Columbus, but as of now, Michigan is the highest ranked of the 3 schools at #22.

Along with this, the Coach's poll has Michigan at #21, but still leaves Ohio State unranked. With the Buckeye's horrible performance against Miami (Fl) last night, it's no surprise they dropped, but Michigan's massive upsurge was surprising.

Notre Dame Fan's Life Saved At The Big House

For those of you watching Saturday's night's great Under the Lights matchup, you probably felt a good amount of hostility towards Notre Dame and its fans. You may have even spurted out a couple insults when Notre Dame scored that last touchdown with about 30 seconds left in the game. However, several fans at Michigan Stadium truly showed why football is just a game.

As has been recently reported by both the Detroit Free Press and ESPN, Lee Staudacher, a Notre Dame fan, was attending Saturday's game with several of his sons, when suddenly he suffered a heart attack during the second quarter of the game.

In an extremely commendable act, several Michigan fans quickly began CPR and alerted emergency services in time for him to be transported to the nearby hospital. He even ended up being able to watch the end of the 4th quarter of the game and witnessed the Notre Dame collapse (although this seems a little risky for a man who just had a heart attack). However, I'm sure he was much happier to be recovering in the hospital than witness his team win a football game.

Personally, I just think it's fantastic to hear a story regarding a great act like this instead of some violence or hate between fan bases. We all love to beat our rivals and any other team we face, but it's just a game and it's great to witness that there are still fans out there that realize there are more important things in life.

We here at Everything Michigan hope Lee has a speedy recovery.

Note: The fans pictured are NOT those involved

To Rest Or Not To Rest

With the recent announcements regarding injured players Fitz Toussaint, Troy Woolfolk, and Cam Gordon, I got to thinking about injuries in relation to game time played. All three of these players have encountered at least one injury (Troy Woolfolk has suffered 3 just this season, following his season ending injury from last year), but were recently reported to be fit to play this Saturday during Brady Hoke's press conference.

So the question becomes, if these players are "fit to play," should they still receive decent playing time in this weeks match-up with Eastern Michigan? Michigan was picked by Vegas as more than a 30 point favorite when it takes to the field on Saturday, but there seems to still be an incentive to place these recently injured players back into the line-up immediately.

Some point to momentum and consistently as the reason to throw these players straight back into the lineup. This is certainly a major issue for most teams. Does the coaching staff want to risk re-injuring, or injuring, a starter in a game against a mind-boggling underdog?

To me, I think Michigan needs to find a nice balance. Because of the team's schedule in the upcoming weeks (Eastern Michigan, San Diego State, Minnesota, and Northwestern), I think there is much less risk for trouble than typical of most teams. For instance, Michigan is a heavy favorite against Eastern Michigan, but the ratio is sure to decrease in the following weeks (although Michigan should still be a decent favorite over at least San Diego State and Minnesota).

With this in mind, Eastern Michigan is probably the only game where Michigan could probably sit a good portion of its starters for an extended period and still win by a decent margin. However, if any particular starter did happen to get injured against Eastern Michigan this Saturday, the loss would not be devestating because they would very likely return by the end of this four game stretch, or before the Michigan State match-up on October 15th.

So when the starters stay in for perhaps a big too long on Saturday, or Hoke rushes some of these recently injured players back into the lineup, don't stress out too much, the potential loss to the team is relatively low considering the schedule, since starters will probably have to play for extended periods during the following weeks, but the team still maintaining a great chance at victory.

Also for great Michigan gameday updates, follow this Twitter:

@EverythingMich

Michigan State Releases Nike Pro Combat Jerseys For Michigan Game

Well, many of us thought there was a strong, negative reaction to Michigan's throwback jerseys for the Under the Lights game against Notre Dame, but the reaction to Michigan State's jerseys for the October 15th game against Michigan seems to have topped it.

The design is supposed to combine bronze in order to represent the Spartans from Ancient Greece. Though this certainly is a unique idea, these types of concepts do not always transition

well into a game jersey. For instance, at the beginning of the season, Maryland attempted to create a jersey that took elements of its state flag, but received much criticism for the "poor" design.

ESPN's Big Ten blog has even responded, stating that the new jerseys "get too far away from the traditional Michigan State look." Certainly this is true as one of Michigan State's primary school colors, white, is almost completely omitted from the uniform and replaced with bronze.

These jerseys will likely do nothing to change the elements of the Michigan v. MSU

game, but Michigan fans can certianly be thankful for the throwback jerseys in the Notre Dame game. Many fans criticized the design and wished to remain with the traditional jerseys, but Michigan State's jerseys completely abandon the school's traditional look and replace it with elements largely reminiscent of Oregon's jersey, except without the good aspects...

Dave Brandon

There certainly a glaring difference between the former director of athletics Bill Martin and the current one in Dave Brandon. I have to admit, I wasn't aware Bill Martin was Michigan's athletic director until I saw the press conference with the removal of the Fab Five banners from Crisler Arena some time ago.

Mr. Martin seemed to be a very reserved man and from comments of other Michigan fans, it also seemed he was more interested in keeping the Michigan athletic department budget in the black as opposed to monitoring the success and failures of the sports teams who bring in the revenue. Dave Brandon has been the complete opposite since he has taken control over the athletic department.

When you hear him speak, he speaks with passion and values the importance of success for the athletic teams, not only on the field, but in the classroom as well. We have seen Dave Brandon in press conferences, you are able to follow him on twitter, heck, you can even email him at his email address at the university. He also takes the time to reply to fans who follow him. What a guy, huh??

Let me play devil's advocate though for a bit. Now I firmly admit I follow what goes on at Michigan more now than what I did maybe ten years ago, but I have seen Dave Brandon on TV so much over the last 18 months or so, it makes me wonder why. Going back to the firing of Rich Rod. Even with the speculation swirling in Ann Arbor leading to his dismissal, Dave Brandon squarely put himself in the spotlight of the Michigan football program. Whether this was coincidental or intentional, that is debatable.

Then, look at the hiring of Brady Hoke. At the press conference, Dave Brandon took the stage first and seemed to take an awful long time to finally introduce Brady Hoke as the new Michigan head football coach. Did Dave Brandon steal Brady's thunder?? Or is it pure coincidence?? The ultimate question, "Is Dave Brandon too visible when it comes the Michigan athletics program, and the football team in particular? In my personal opinion, I do not feel he is too involved with the athletic department from the public eye standpoint. Not everyone shares my opinion on this subject, so I thought this would be a great time to bring up the issue. Dave Brandon has a passion for Michigan as a whole, especially the football program. Brady Hoke is his guy and wants to be sure his choice was correct. As Michigan fans we all hope so too. As long as Dave Brandon lets Brady Hoke coach football and doesn't become like Jerry Jones, things will be fine.

Denard Robinson B1G Ten Offensive Player Of The Week

Although Denard Robinson threw 3 interceptions in Saturday's Under the Lights game against Notre Dame and completed only 11 passes, he was selected as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week reports the Detroit Free Press this morning.

Though Robinson's statistics may not look superb, his fourth quarter play was very impressive. He led Michigan to 28 points in the fourth quarter for the second-biggest comeback in stadium history (17 points).

Denard ended up accounting for 446 total offensive yards (338 passing and 108 rushing), meaning that Denard was involved in almost 98.7% of all the offensive yardage. Along with this Denard ended up with 5 total touchdowns (4 passing and 1 rushing) which was Michigan's total touchdowns for the night.

Even although Denard's overall stats were not that impressive, his ability to contribute to every Michigan touchdown and 98.7% of the team's offensive yards allowed him to receive this distinct honor this week.

This is Denard's 4th Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award and the team's first since November 8th, 2010 when Roy Roundree won the award after the team's amazing win against Illinois in triple overtime.

Denard and Michigan both still need to improve to have a chance at larger goals for this season, but it's nice to have two Big Ten players of the week after the first 2 weeks of the season (Brandon Herron was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week last week. Read: here).

Allen Gant 2012 Michigan commit exclusive coverage 9/9/11 Sylvania Southview vs Toledo Start

 

Game of the week

On Friday Sept 9th 2011 the staff of Everything Michigan and More traveled to Toledo Start to get exclusive footage of 2012 Michigan commit Allen Gant. After a very long fought game the undefeated Southview Cougars came up short and was upset by the Toledo Spartans 28-22.

After speaking with Allen's father at half time I was informed that Allen suffered from a hip pointer! In Mr. Gant's opinion Allen should not have played. Playing through injury seems to be a great quality that Allen has and I am sure that will carry with him to the next level at Michigan. I am hoping that Allen can get back to 100% this week so he can help the Cougars get back to there winning ways. Even though Sylvania lost a very close game to the Spartans of Toledo there were many positives to take away from this game. Senior Rylee Neill #33 was flying around the field once again and made several tackles and an interception. I was also very impressed with the play of #47 Jay Fisher. Jay had a solid game while having tons of support from his friends and family in the stands. It was very hard to keep the camera still sitting close to Jay's fan base!

The upset bid began early as the Spartans' Chris Towns took the opening kickoff and returned it 93 yards for a quick 7-0 lead.
While Southview (2-1) responded with a 3-yard score by Jay Fisher, the Spartans reached the end zone three more times to extend their lead to 28-6.
Chris Jones scored on a 45-yard run and finished with 110 yards rushing. Tyler Ritter added two TDs, connecting with Tyrell Jones on a four-yard pass and tallying on a seven-yard TD.
The Cougars tried to mount a rally as Austin Valdez threw touchdown passes of 22 and 32 yards to J.Q. Bowers, but the Spartans (1-2) were able to hold on for their first win of the season. Please enjoy our exclusive footage and GO BLUE!

10 Years Later

Today marks the 10th anniversary of September 11th, the day when the United States suffered a series of terrorist attacks that took the lives of almost 3,000 Americans. Although most the Michigan faithful will likely be celebrating an amazing win over the Irish in the Big House's first ever night game, please take a moment to look back and remember.

The terrorists 10 years ago certainly shook the nation and its citizens, but we can hardly say they shook the bedrock of democracy and freedom in America. It has now been 10 years and the United States and our nation's hearts may have been blemished, but they certainly couldn't blemish our endurance and courage for the future.

Take a moment away from the enthusiasm about Michigan and remember the values September 11th showed the nation. We may have to endure horrible events, but as long as the citizens continue to pursue freedom, the nation can never fail. So enjoy the victory, but remember the significance of today and the toll it took on our country. If you live near campus, there will be a Vigil taking place tonight at 8pm.

We Have a new commitment!

RB Dymonte Thomas

They sure didn't waste any time! After the AMAZING finish to tonight's Under the Lights game against Notre Dame, prospect Dymonte Thomas committed to Michigan. Dymonte is from Ohio and played several positions in high school including running back. However, Hoke's staff has opted to recruit him as a defensive back for the 2013 recruiting class.

Though he has not officially been rated by groups such as Rivals, he will likely be considered a 4 or 5 star recruit, making this a huge pickup for the Wolverines.

Dymonte also has a very athletic family.
His cousin, Bri'onte Dunn, who is an Ohio State commit (right now), is also rated as a 4 or 5 star recruit. Dunn is being recruited as a running back, and is still rumored to be considering Michigan for college. With the verbal from Thomas, it will be interesting if he can provide the necessary persuasion to bring Dunn to Ann Arbor.

There will very likely be more recruiting developments to come not only from Dymont Thomas and Bri'onte Dunn, but from the numerous other recruits who visted campus for Under the Lights. Stayed tuned for all the updates.

Je'Ron Stokes Finds A Home At Bowling Green

The Toledo Blade has just reported that Je'Ron Stokes has set up his transfer to Bowling Green. We originally reported Stokes had decided to leave Michigan last August and left a hole for Michigan at wide receiver.

Though he only had 1 catch last season, the loss was significant because of Stonum's suspension for all of this year. He originally signed his letter of intent for Rich Rodriguez and had been rated as a 4 star recruit by Rivals.

The transfer to Bowling Green is not a big surprise since Stoke's brother is already a quarterback at Bowling Green. Stokes stated that he felt it would be a "smooth transition" to his new school although he will be required to sit out this season because of his transfer. He will have two years left to play at Bowling Green after sitting out this year.

Though I'm sure most fans would like to still see him in the maize and blue, we can only wish him the best of luck with his new team and family members. Perhaps he can do big things in the MAC and potentially make it to the NFL.

Notre Dame Loses... So What?

Like many of you may have done, I spent the remnants of my Saturday watching Notre Dame in their game against South Florida in South Bend. Though there were some clear similarities to Michigan's Saturday game, (both suffered several rain delays) I still think that most of the nation was surprised at the outcome.

Notre Dame entered as #16 in the country and was hailed by many as a potential BCS or National Championship team. However, what we saw early was the complete opposite. Though Notre Dame's statistics may cloud judgment on their play, there is no question that they looked undisciplined and consistently "shot themselves in the foot."

I guess what I'm trying to say is that South Florida really didn't win Saturday's game, Notre Dame lost the game. Notre Dame ended with 5 turnovers (3 interceptions and 2 lost fumbles) and 8 total penalties that amounted to 73 total yards. Overcoming those deficits in any game is almost impossible. Looking at this game, Notre Dame amassed 391 passing yards and 117 rushing yards, far from a bad day.

The problem was that every time Notre Dame would begin to have success, they would make some mistake that cost them the chance to actually benefit. For instance, you can have a great 99 yard drive, but if you throw a pick 6 on the goal line, it didn't really benefit the team.

So if Notre Dame "shot themselves in the foot," what does this mean for Michigan? Should we celebrate in their immense failure or fear for their potential? Though some are going to call this simply a "bad day" for the Irish or claim the media has just boosted up Notre Dame as usual, I think we should take a more rational route.

Clearly, Notre Dame did not play like the #16 team or as a potential BCS team, but that doesn't mean they are a pushover either. Teams have bad games, and in many ways, that's what occurred on Saturday for Notre Dame. If they had corrected even 1 of those turnovers or a couple penalties, they likely win that game. However, just because they could have done something doesn't mean they will or that any difference would have been made.

For example, if you look at Michigan's season and pick things that could have went right or wrong, Michigan could have ended with 5-9 wins, but we live in reality. Notre Dame seems still incapable of putting together a banner season or winning the "big game." I simply think Michigan fans need to look at the Irish's Saturday game from an outside perspective. Sure, we want them to be thoroughly dominated this Saturday Under the Lights, but that doesn't mean that Michigan should be a huge favorite this Saturday.

Notre Dame ended last season on a hot streak that included a bowl victory and should be given at least a fair amount of respect considering they are virtually the same team. Michigan will certainly be out to win this historic match up, but the victories in 2009 and 2010 does not accurately depict the 2011 game. This will mark the 3rd different coaching match up in just 3 years for the Notre Dame - Michigan rivalry game.

As I said, get hyped for this Saturday as it marks a historic game for the Big House and Michigan football history, but remember this is no pushover opponent. They make some mistakes, but we can hardly act as if they're not talented or well coached. Let's hope they are truly outplayed and don't need to "shoot themselves in the foot" on Saturday to give Michigan a win.

Brandon Herron Named B1G Ten Defensive Player of the Week

The Detroit Free Press just reported that Brandon Herron was announced as the B1G Ten Defensive Player of the week. This comes after Herron returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown and recovered a fumble and returned it 29 yards for another touchdown.

In fact, Herron's performance was so great that he ended up scoring more points himself than the entire Western team. Though Herron's touchdowns was largely due to help from other players (the interception was tipped and the fumble was caused by Jordan Kovacs) he still did a great job in his touchdown returns.

Herron will become the first Michigan player to win this honor since Brandon Graham earned it almost 3 years ago in September 2008. Though having a great performance in Western does not always show great things for the season, there has obviously been some change in the "feel" of this defense, as they've already scored more defensive touchdowns than all of last season and Herron received a reward that was not awarded to any Michigan player last season.

Hopefully this is a sign of the future and Greg Mattison's new defense.

Game of the week Southview vs Toledo Start Michigan commit Allan Gant Friday

The staff from Everything Michigan and More will be traveling this Friday to Toledo Start high school to get you the viewers some excellent footage of Michigan Commit Allen Gant. The staff will be getting additional footage of a senior from Allen's team Rylee Neill. Rylee plays Linebacker/Tackle on defense and fullback on offense and has not committed anywhere but is raising a few eyebrows as of late . Word on the street is Rylee was incredible force on defense! Last week he laid some bone crushing blocks as fullback. Week 2 he was player of the week with 11 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery while playing linebacker. Rylee also holds "ALL" of the schools weight lifting records. We have been excited to watch his progress over the past 4 years. Rylee would like to play football at the next level at Arizona State University.

If you want to see the best footage of Michigan recruits and prospects stay tuned to Everything Michigan and More for the best coverage of these young stars.

Chris Wormley and Toledo Whitmer Panthers shut out Canadian team!

                                                                                                                    

Chris Wormley 9/3/11

                            Game of the week 

Everything Michigan and More was at Toledo Whitmer on Friday night to watch Michigan 2012 commit Chris Wormley and the (2-0) Panther team breeze to another victory. This was a very interesting battle that matched Whitmer with a team north of the border. I was very excited to go see what kind of talent A B Lucas Secondary School (London, Ontario, Canada) could bring to the table against one of the best teams in the state of Ohio? Needless to say this game was over at halftime. Chris Wormley and the Whitmer defense was just to much for the Canadians. At one point during the 1st quarter when Lucus Secondary was about to score  Wormley shut them down with a devastating sack that almost took there quarterbacks head off. Our video shows this very clearly! This must of broke the Canadian players hearts because on one of the following plays RB Jody Webb came gunning in to block a field goal and they seemed to be dazed. Chris and Jody were not the only Panthers having a great night Springfield transfer Leroy Alexander had a good game also intercepting a pass and taking it to the house. Leroy is an outstanding player and I look for him to contribute much more as the season progresses. Coach Joe Palka has this team on the right track that is for sure! I will be looking forward to watching them all season.

Hey!!!  Kevin Koger I guess you were on the right track when you told me Whitmer will be at states this year! With only 6 points allowed this season so far they are looking like a major contender to go all the way! Everyone please enjoy our exclusive coverage of this game. And stay tuned for our next Game Of The Week! And if you did not get a chance to see our video from last week of Cass Tech and Farmington Hills Harrison check it out! There are four Michigan commits in that one. Royce Jenkins-Stone,Devin Funchess,Mario Ojemudia and Terry Richardson.

 Link below:

Cass-tech-vs-farmington-hills-harrison

Jeff Matthews 9/3/11

Whitmer Memorial Stadium 9/3/11

A B Lucas Secondary 9/3/11

Toledo Whitmer 9/3/11

Toledo Whitmer 9/3/11

Everything Michigan and More staff  9/3/11

Huge basketball prospect visiting tomorrow!

Mitch McGary will be terrorizing NCAA soon and my hope is that he will land at Michigan. The 6'10", 250 pound center, who is considering offers from Michigan,Kentucky,Duke,North Carolina,Florida, and Maryland.  The 6-foot-10 McGary, who attends Brewster Academy prep school, is originally from Chesterton, Ind., which is located close to Lake Michigan. Mitch will be visiting Ann Arbor tomorrow. Mitch is considered to be the #3 prospect overall in the 2012 class. He could be a one and done for our recruiting class. He is a monster take a look at this Youtube video.

Ohio States Suspends 3 More Players For Akron Game

Well, in another "surprise," Ohio State has reported more violations. Apparently 3 players received "benefits of $300 or less" in the report from CBS Sports. The players involved were Jordan Hall, Travis Howard, and Corey Brown. Hall and Howard are both starters and were expected to contribute much in the wake of the previous suspension of 4 Ohio States players (it would have been 5, but Terrelle Pryor left for the NFL).

What is most "surprising" about this announcement was that this was virtually the same violations that Jim Tressel failed to report before last football season. Ohio State is currently in the process of reporting these violations to the NCAA and receiving their punishment.

Though full details on this in regards to the previous investigation have not been released, Ohio State's self-imposed sanctions of a 1 game suspension are sure to have little impact since it is against Akron. Ohio State is listed at more than a 34 point favorite over Akron.

Let's hope that the NCAA is able to look past Ohio State's scandal and get to the facts of the investigation. If Tressel was the person to blame for the past violations, then why are they still occurring? There obviously appears to be some sort of lack of institutional control within the athletic department. And if so, Ohio State's punishment is sure to be more severe than first speculated.

In fact, the Big Ten recently confirmed that if a team is banned from the post season, (bowl games) they will be unable to play in the Big Ten Championship game. This is important because if Ohio State was hypothetically banned from a bowl game, they would be unable to win the Big Ten for at least a couple years, ending their current Big Ten Championship streak.