Michigan Tuesday: Welcomes New Wolverines, Back Surgery and Final BCS Thoughts

Michigan has a large contingent arriving and moving into their dorm room from the 2014 class this week.   The Wolverine coaches won't have to sweat the signing day faxes from the following players:  Michael Ferns, Mason Cole, Drake Harris, Wilton Speight, Bryan Mone, Brandon Watson  and Freddy Canteen.  These 7 players have enrolled and will start classes and weight training with the current Wolverines this month.   Having 7 true freshman (out of 16 commits) participate in spring practice is huge.  Drake has a torn hamstring and I'm sure he will get the proper treatment even if he can't participate in spring ball.  Ferns also has an injury that kept him out of the UA game last week.  Welcome to Ann Arbor guys and to the future of Michigan Football.

Hoke: "We're very excited about these seven young men joining our family," said Hoke. "Each of them represents what we want in our program: high-character guys who take academics seriously, and football players who we believe have the potential and work ethic to be successful at the winningest football program in the country. We think enrolling and getting on campus helps them as they acclimate in those areas, as well as socially, and we look forward to them starting their classes and getting into our conditioning program."

• Mitch McGary tweeted out a picture of himself in a hospital bed which we assume means that today is the day he is having back surgery.  We don't really know the details of the surgery or how long he will be out, but it doesn't look good for him to come back to the Wolverines this season.  Best of luck to him on the surgery and rehab!

• It was sort of bitter sweet to see two former Michigan recruits Kris Frost and Alex Kozan on the field last night.  Both of these guys were Michigan recruits with strange recruitments.  Kris grew up a Michigan fan with Wolverine posters on his wall.  He seemed like a lock to come to Ann Arbor but never committed and picked Auburn during one of the HS All Star games. That didn't end his recruitment because it took about two weeks for Auburn to accept his commitment because they were full at the time (they obviously found the room).   Alex wasn't ready to make a decision on signing day and took weeks to make up his mind where he was going to go.  He finally picked Auburn and now is a starter on the offensive line.   I know they lost a heart breaker last night but they have to be happy to be playing on such a big stage after only winning a few games last year.  (funny what a new offensive minded coach can do for your program).

• Does Michigan not being able to take JUCO transfers hurt the program?   It was hard not to notice that Auburn's last two runs to the NC game were lead by two JUCO QB transfers to the program.  Michigan recruits specific athletes and I'm not suggesting they relax the qualifications so JUCO athletes can qualify but I see MSU and other programs filling needs with quality JUCO players.   I don't think the Wolverines problems can be solved by these type of transfers but you can clearly see how a team can go from winning 3 games to next year winning their conference when they are reloading with players with 2+ years of college football experience.  Auburn in 2012 beat ULM, New Mexico and Alabama A&M.

Michigan Friday: A Few Recruiting Nuggets and Updates College Football News

First a question from Uncle Ron: Big Bob my question still is Where is Nathan Brink?

Nathan had an un-disclosed injury that kept him out of his 5th year of eligibility.   He missed the final 8 games last year and graduated with a Sociology degree this past spring.   The inside buzz was he suffered a neck injury during practice.

• Winston not charged.   Which will open the door to him playing the NC game and a Heisman Trophy.  I'm all for innocent until proven guilty and don't have an issue with him playing in the ACC and BCS Championships.   I am really torn on the Heisman, to me it just doesn't feel right that his freedom is in question on a Wednesday and the next week he is standing in NYC accepting the Heisman.   It's just a very unique and worrisome situation.

• Reports are that Boise State Head Coach Chris Peterson is expected to accept the University of Washington job.  I'm not surprised at this move, Chris has turned down very high profile jobs and he seems like a Pacific Northwest type of guy.   This is a home run for UW. 

• Woodson thinks his friend Aaron Rodgers should shut it down for the rest of the year, if the Packers are out of the playoff race. 

• Gordon Gee is taking his "Carrot Top" act to West Virginia on an interim basis.  This is the "best" hire WVU has made since they replaced RR with Bill Stewart.   Nice job, Mountaineers.

• A sure bet in the Missouri vs. Auburn game is to bet on the Tigers to win. 

• RB Vic Enwere is expected to visit Ann Arbor next weekend 12/13.  RB Kalen Ballage is no longer an option for the Wolverines.

• Michigan commit Shaun Crawford who got a personal offer from Urban Meyer & OSU a couple weeks ago, is 100% committed to the Wolverines.

• One of the most interesting recruitments in 2015 will be with in-state four-star ATH Brian Cole.   Brian who most consider an MSU lean, recently called Fred Jackson "like family already" and has noticed how the Spartans have treated former Saginaw WR DeAnthony Arnett, who strangely is not getting any playing time.   Brian can play either WR or DB.  It seems the Wolverines prefer him at WR and State as a DB.

• Michigan's top target Malik McDowell got an in-home visit from Coach Mattison and Jackson this week.  They are pitching immediate playing time and improving Michigan's pass rush for him.  This is a very confusing recruitment and MM doesn't give the recruiting insiders any information at all.  It's very hard to tell where he is leaning and the word that he is a Michigan lean is purely speculation at this point.  

• If Michigan does miss out on MM and Hand that is a huge hit to defensive line on two prospects that were considered close to Wolverine locks.   I'm still looking for Michigan to pull a rabbit out of the hat and land one more big time prospect before signing day.  As it stands right now, there doesn't seem to be any big time prospects (outside of MM) considering Michigan at the moment.

Michigan Tuesday: Meeting Notes From the Bama Blow Out Club

Hello, everyone my name is John L. Smith and I will be running today's meeting.  I would like to remind everyone that you can say anything you want about Nick Saban or Alabama inside these walls.  This is a safe zone for all comments.   One side note, there is coffee and donuts in the back, you will also see a stack of papers next to the coffee.  It's my resume and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. 

Before we get started, I would like to introduce our newest member, Notre Dame to the club today.  ND can you please address the crowd and talk about your blow out?

ND:  Good Morning Everyone, We are ND and we got blown out by Alabama last night. 

The Crowd:  Welcome ND! 

John L:  ND take your time and tell us what happened and the game specifics.  

ND:  Ok, well we lost 42-14, in the National Championship game last night.  

Michigan:  Don't worry ND, we lost by the same score to start the season.

Auburn:  At least you guys scored during the game,  we got beat 49-0

John L. We didn't score either and lost 52-0

Michigan:  ND at least you didn't have a choice to play Bama our AD scheduled our game. 

John L: Wait a minute!  Is it possible not to schedule Alabama? 

Auburn:  Only if you not in the SEC!  Arkansas is in the SEC.

John L:  Boy that Brett Bielema is a real brain surgeon to take that job, isn't he? Good luck with that decision. 

Michigan State:  Well we hired Saban first as a head coach!

Missouri:  How many National Titles did he win there?

The Crowd:  Laughs

Tennessee:  Nobody remembers that and you also hired John L. Smith! 

John L.  Was that a compliment?  I think it was.  Not sure though.

Michigan Monday: The Real Big Ten Title Game and ND #1

Here is my case that the Big Ten Title game is really being played at Noon in Columbus between Michigan and Ohio State. 

• Ohio State has beaten both Nebraska and Wisconsin
• Nebraska and Wisconsin already played this year and Nebraska won 30-27
• There are 4 Big Ten losses between Nebraska and Wisconsin
• There is 1 Big Ten loss between OSU and Michigan
• Nebraska did beat the Wolverines minus Denard or Devin under center
• More people will watch Saturday's game then probably the Big Ten Championship game
• As it looks right now, Michigan even with a win against OSU will not play in Indy.

Nebraska has earned the right to play in Indy with a win over Michigan and OSU has earned the right to not play in Indy because their former coach lied to the NCAA.   Fun Times!

So what happened to College Football after the Michigan game on Saturday at about 3:30?

Maryland and Rutgers rumored to be coming to the Big Ten?  To open two new TV markets out East?  I really don't like that move at all.   Neither team is a headliner and it just seems like a BTN money grab to me.   That news was very strange and rumors are we could hear something as early as today.

Then at around midnight EST all hell breaks loose with the BCS when both Oregon and Kansas State go down.  Now, Notre Dame is the #1 team in the country and they head West to play USC this weekend.   Matt Barkley will not play after being injured against UCLA.    If ND beats USC that would set up a game between Alabama (Bama has to beat Auburn & Georgia) and ND in the BCS National Championship.

Michigan lost to Alabama 41-14 on a neutral field.   Michigan lost to ND 13-6 in South Bend. 

Advantage Tide.

If OSU was eligible they could have been playing ND in the BCS National Championship.  That is when all Michigan fans would start believing the Mayan Calendar is really correct! 

Big Ten Power Rankings:

1. OSU
2. Nebraska
3. Michigan
4. Northwestern
5. Penn State

Recruiting News:

Michigan offered 2013 LB Jon Reschke who is committed to MSU for the class of 2013 and a legacy player.  Jon is a 4 star prospect but with only two offers (before Michigan's) with MSU and Toledo.

Tennessee has fired Derek Dooley, which should help Michigan's recruitment of Derrick Green.   Auburn's coach could be next after the Iron Bowl. 

Michigan Friday: Treadwell's Decision Soon?

Michigan's top WR target Laquon Treadwell has been hinting that he might commit on ESPN during the Opening this weekend.   For most insiders this should mean good news for the Wolverines if he pulls the trigger earlier then expected.    Let's hope that is the case.  It would be great to have a WR like Treadwell in this class and a future target for Shane Morris.

Another prospect at Nike's opening this week is running back Derrick Green who is saying good things about Michigan.   He expects to be back in A2 for the BBQ at the Big House and would like to spend some time with Coach Hoke.  When Derrick made his first visit to U of M, Brady was out of town.   Derrick is planning on making the trip to the BBQ with his parents, which is a very good sign.  Michigan would love to finish this class with both Laquon and Derrick on offense.    The Opening will consist of mostly 7on7 games but there will also be training advice, exercise programs and skill development from former and current NFL players. 

If you are interested in watching the Opening this weekend, here are the ESPN links and channels:

ESPNU – July 6: 8-9:30 p.m. ET

July 7: 8-10 p.m. ET

July 8: 8-10:30 p.m.

 ESPN3 links:

Fri, Jul 6, 2012 - 8:00 PM
High School Football: The Opening Day 1
http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/509609/the...

Sat, Jul 7, 2012 - 8:00 PM
High School Football: The Opening Day 2
http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/509632/the...

Sun, Jul 8, 2012 - 8:00 PM
High School Football: The Opening Day 3
http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/509463/the...

• It would be great if the new NCAA Football Playoff model had it's games on New Years Day. 

• Sam Webb profiles 2014 Florida wide receiver Corey Holmes who has a Michigan offer.

• Tremendous has a nice interview with 2013 commit Henry Poggi.   He does look like Ryan Van Bergen.

Michigan Tuesday: Walk Back and Walk On News

Josh Furman lost all of his Spring Practice and had to worry about a court date.  He was found not guilty and today is back on the football team.   We had heard he turned down a plea bargain because that would have meant he would have been dismissed from the team.  He saw the legal process out and it worked out in his favor.   Welcome back Josh! 

24/7 Sports is/was reporting Michigan had a new Walk-On QB in the 2012 class in Brian Cleary a 6'3, 205 pound pro style QB.  Brian played his HS ball at Detroit Jesuit.  He is ranked two stars by Rivals, Scouts and 24/7.  Brian doesn't currently list any offers but there was a rumor he had one from CMU. The reason I say "was reporting" above, is because the story on 24/7 was taken down or there is an error in the link.    We will see but it's nice to have a QB in between Bellomy and Morris. 

• Ty Isaac is in no hurry to make a decision.  This is one of those situations that the longer it goes on, I believe it hurts the Wolverines overall chances.   It's the difference of being the leader out of the gate vs. the leader at the finish line.

BCS Final 4:  It seems we are going to have a Final 4 in College Football.  It's not perfect but it's better then it's been.   One of the hang ups seems to be where they play the games.   For example they could keep the bowl sites and rotate the Championship game.  Which will be very costly for the fans. 

The second idea is to have the games played on campus at the higher seeds location.  This would give one team a huge advantage.  

I have an idea: They should have some sites lined up in each region.   For example a site in the South and there are plenty (Tampa, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans and any of the Texas locations), Midwest (Ford Field, Indy, and Minneapolis)  and Out West (Any California location, Seattle, Las Vegas, etc).

The only conflict I could see is the NFL Schedule, but of course you could play the college game on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday.  With this plan, you would have neutral sites and at least one fan base that could drive to the location.   The higher seed gets the game in their region. 

Michigan Monday: BCS Pieces, Urban Development, Recruiting Notes

If you haven't heard, the worst kept secret in sports is Urban Meyer to Ohio State.  Done deal, not sure I understand it but hay, welcome to the jungle and we will see you in a year.  Thanksgiving at the Meyer Family household:  "Family, I have decided to move you from Florida to Columbus, I spent enough time with you this year and I am feeling much better now.  Working once a day and cashing a nice pay check just isn't enough fun for me."  Wow Dad, Thanks!   The Ohio State Rivalry is back and they could have hired Bill Belichick for all I care.   A strong Michigan and Ohio State is good for the Big 10.   The rumored Gator Bowl between Florida and Ohio State should be nice and awkward.   


BCS

Many Michigan fans are wondering if Michigan is going to a BCS Bowl or not.   Most experts expect them to end up in the Sugar Bowl against Houston.       The problem is, Michigan hasn't qualified for a BCS Bowl yet.  They have to be in the top 14 in the BCS standings.      Right now they are #16 and actually dropped a spot after their win over Ohio State. 

So what has to happen next weekend for Michigan to qualify for a BCS Bowl ?  BTW, the Citrus Bowl has already tweeted that Michigan is their first choice if they don't qualify for a BCS Bowl.  So next weekend:

1. LSU has to beat #14 Georgia:  Many believe LSU could lose this game and still end up in the NC.  If that is the case, Michigan's BCS spot would go Georgia.   LSU not only has to beat them, they have to win by a nice margin.  A loss to the #1 team might not have a big effect if it's close.  They should drop below Michigan with 3 losses but a blow out helps Michigan.
2. A Houston,  Boise State or a Oregon  loss would help as well, but not likely.
3. The Big Ten Championship game loser should drop below Michigan because they will have 3 losses.  Currently, MSU is ranked 13 and Wisconsin is 15 in the BCS.    A close game could hurt Michigan here, some think MSU won't drop too low if they lose a close game to Wisconsin since they beat Michigan.  A Wisconsin blow out helps Michigan, even an MSU win helps Michigan because Wisconsin would drop for sure.
4. A Oklahoma loss to OK State, should drop Oklahoma below Michigan.  The game is being played in Stillwater.
5. It would be good for Texas to beat #17 Baylor just in case the Poll voters decide to move Baylor up a few spots if they win. 
6. It wouldn't hurt if Iowa State upset Kansas State either, but not likely. 

So there you have it, we have to have LSU beat Georgia and let's hope they put a whipping on them.  The other games is one to keep an eye on and could help or hurt Michigan's chances. 


Recruiting Notes from the Weekend

• Brionte Dunn:  Attended with his Dad and seemed to have another good time.  I think he is keeping his decision and his decision time frame pretty quiet right now.  The word on the street is that the Urban Meyer hire doesn't help his recruitment to C-Bus at all.  He prefers more of a power run game then the spread.   Having Michigan have 2 thousand yard rushers has to help his case to come to Ann Arbor.     I would say Michigan is trending strong right now but I'm sure Urban will be on the phone today with him.   Brionte is planning on enrolling in January so his decision should come in the next two weeks or so. 

• Josh Garnett:  tweeted some interesting things after his visit:   @taylormcnamara1 man Michigan was crazy fun. You can tell the legacy and tradition being there. We need to talk asap ---- Thank you to @umichfootball for showing me a great time I love it in michigan can't wait to be back! #GoBlue.   He also ran into Jake Long at a local Ann Arbor restaurant.   Taylor is a TE that Michigan is starting to recruit to replace Pharaoh Brown.  I would say it was a good visit.

• Amara Darboh visited Ann Arbor this weekend and some insiders expected a commit.  That didn't happen and he might take a couple more visits before he decides.  ND and Michigan are his top two right now.  Jordan Payton is all over the board, so Michigan might be looking at a few more WR's in the 2012 class.   A new name to keep an eye on is, 4 star WR Kenny Lawler who is a soft commit to ASU (which is firing their head coach today). 

• 2013 WR recruit Laquon Treadwell was on campus as well and wants to get his Mom up to Ann Arbor as soon as possible.

Michigan Friday: Wonders What You Do on Senior Day Without Any Seniors?

The only seniors on the floor in Crisler Arena on Saturday will be those wearing Green and White, Michigan only has juniors.   Let's hope the Wolverines give the Spartans seniors a going away loss.  I know the Maize and Blue faithful are feeling pretty good about this one, but let's hope the young Wolverines play loose, play great defensive, and shoot well from outside.  If you remember, the roles were reversed back in East Lansing about a month ago and Michigan got out of there with a win.  Be careful with a desperate and talented Spartan team. 

With that said, Go Blue and let's get the W!

• 2011 prospect basketball Max Bielfeldt will not make it up this weekend for his official visit.  He wants to wait and visit Ann Arbor again when he isn't distracted by playoffs and can spend more time with the coaches and players.

Thought for the day:  In two years will either team in this years BCS National Championship game be  eligible to win the game?  NCAA is now looking at the Ducks for a $25K recruiting fee that they paid. 

When Smart People Do Dumb Things

The title of my post sounds like a Fox TV special, but it's really about the the men that run college football.

These men presumably have degrees from the top universities and have a resume full of experience that qualify them to be leaders of the NCAA or the top conferences around the US.

You would think these leaders, can make sound decision and do whats in the best interest of college football and the fans that support the system. Think again! These guys continue to make decisions/mistakes and give zero reasons on why they made that decision.

Case in point: An early signing period (mid December) for College Football recruits: That was just proposed by the coaches: Per the USA Today: But just as quickly as the proposal was sent to Division I conference commissioners, it was shot down.

"It wasn't that close a vote," SEC associate commissioner Greg Sankey, who attended the vote at the NCAA convention, told The Associated Press. "I would say for now an early signing period is done. I wouldn't want to suggest there's not another idea out there. But there's not one that's been identified at this point."

Ok, why was it shot down? "When you start breaking it down and dissecting it, you say, 'That's not going to work. That's not going to work. That's not going to work,' "Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said. "I'm not sure our coaches have really thought it through."

That is not an answer Commissioners! Why was it shot down? Give us at least one valid reason! As you might have expected they didn't.

Some of the Con's to an early signing period are:

It's hurts the little schools: "I'm definitely in favor of an early signing period," North Texas safeties coach/recruiting coordinator Chuck Petersen said. "It takes kids and coaches out of the middle of the whole situation after they've been committed for months."It also saves time and money, which is a big deal when you recruit for a school that doesn't have quite the same budget as a (school) in the SEC, Big 12 or Big Ten."

What if kids are still in high school playoffs: In the proposal, recruits who still are playing high school games would have not be eligible to sign early.

What if the head coach gets fired or moves jobs? Most of that activity is done before Mid December and of course if there is a transition, recruits wouldn't have to sign early.

So those are the points, I have heard against an early signing period and none of them seem like deal breakers to me. I also don't understand if the coaches are for it, why would he commissioners care? 73% of FBS (i.e., Division I-A) head coaches and 82% of FCS (i.e., Division I-AA) head coaches backed the plan.

Then there is that whole, playoff system problem. Which ND's Athletic Director said had no momentum last night on ESPN. Really? Which world are these guys living in?

Everyone Loves a Good Coordinator

If I am Brian Kelly, Brady Hoke, or Turner Gill, I have to wonder what I have to do to get a premier coaching job these days? This "hiring" season has to be titled the Year of the Coordinator! It's crazy how many coordinators are getting college head coaching jobs.

Breaking News: It seems head coach "in waiting" at Texas and defensive coordinator Will Muscamp will be named the new Auburn head football coach today. Auburn interviewed but did not hire, Turner Gill, Brady Hoke, and Tulsa's Todd Graham before choosing Will. Of course this will be looked at as an solid hire since Will was in such huge demand and most likely turned down the Washington job. Update: Will is saying he is not going to Auburn.

Syracuse: tried to hire a current head coach but Skip Hotz turned down the job. Which was actually a smart move, I'm not sure Syracuse is a better job then East Carolina anyway. Now, The Big Orange is planning on naming New Orleans Saints' offensive coordinator Doug Marrone. That same Doug Marrone who just lost in overtime to the Bears last night. I'm sure Doug is a good coach but to choose him over Brady Hoke and or Turner Gill is crazy in my mind.

Washington: Also got "one of the hottest" coordinators in the country in hiring USC's offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. I really can't argue with this hire, he is from out West, he knows the PAC 10, and is a great recruiter. Very good choice.

Tennessee: Picked another former USC offensive coordinator who had a "cup of coffee" in the NFL as a head football coach with the Raiders. Lane Kiffin has been a head football coach for a total of 20 games. So most of his experience comes from being a coordinator under Pete Carroll since 2005.

New Mexico: Hired Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. I believe this is a great pick up and that Mike was another "hot" commodity in the coordinator ranks. No offense to the New Mexico program but this is the type of job a very good coordinator should be getting.

Mississippi State: Hired Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen who now has to decide to build his staff and recruit or coach in the National Championship Game which is played sometime in mid-January. I think this was a solid hire, but I would have leaned to someone with some head coaching experience.

So there you have it, 5 "Big Time" college football job openings and all of them (depending on how your rate Lane Kiffin) went to a former coordinator. I think college athletic directors are getting to focused on trying to find the next great coach and passing up 3 really good candidates with leadership skills. These AD's should know more then anyone that everyone doesn't have leadership skills. Do you really want your new head coach learning his job at the expense of your program? Sure, some of these guys will do well but others will fail. If it was my couple of million dollars a year, I sure would want a guy that knew how to captain the ship.

These three guys, Brian Kelly, Brady Hoke, and Turner Gill should be leading top college programs. Brady now has to interview with San Diego State, Brian is happy at Cincinnati if they double the capacity of their stadium and get a practice field, and Turner Gill keeps doing something with nothing at Buffalo. I can't believe how many AD's missed the boat on these 3. Keep your chin up boys, the Notre Dame Job will be open next year!

A Quick Look at the Big Ten Bowl Games

So the BCS did what they usually do, which is nothing exciting. With that said, let's take a quick initial look at all the Big Ten games:

1. Rose Bowl: USC vs Penn State: A great accomplishment for Penn State, for USC it's like a home game. In fact, didn't USC just play in that same stadium on Saturday night? If you look at both teams, USC is much more talented and could make a case for the National Championship game. (Does the winner of this game, play the winner of Oklahoma vs Florida?). If USC has their hearts and mind in this one, then they should win easily. They have already opened up as a double digit favorite (10.5). Poor match up for the Big Ten.



2. Fiesta: OSU vs Texas: Ohio State attends more fiesta's then Dora the Explorer. This year is no exception as they get to face the "very mad" Texas Longhorns who feel they should not have only played in the Big 12 Championship game but be on it's way to Miami for the National Championship game. Again, Ohio State is way over matched in this game against a Texas team that could easily put up 40+ points against the Buckeyes. The Longhorn again are double digit favorites to win this game (10.5). Another poor match up for the Big Ten.



3. Capital One: Michigan State vs. Georgia. Wow, Dog fans had hoped to be in the National Championship game as the pre-season #1 rated team. Instead they get a trip to Disney World to play the Michigan State Spartans. This has been a good year for "Sparty" but they have more then their hands full with this Georgia team. Did you watch MSU play Ohio State and Penn State? Well expect an even worse blow out against he Dogs! Terrible match up for the Big Ten.



4. Outback: Iowa vs. South Carolina. This is an interesting match up between good coaches that should compare bank account balances before the game. Neither team is play a very exciting brand of football but Iowa finished the year must stronger then USC with their highlighted win over Penn State. Look for Iowa to win this game. A good match up for the Big Ten!



5. Alamo: Northwestern vs. Missouri. Let me understand this correctly: One team just played in it's conference title game and the other finished 4th in the conference? With that said, I expect Northwestern to be competitive in this game but lose a close one to Mizzu who is more battle tested this year. An average match up for the Big Ten.



6. Champs Sports: Wisconsin vs. Florida State. This will be a decent match up of teams that had high hopes at the beginning of the season. Wisconsin pulled their season out of the fire late in the season but has struggled all year. Florida State all most made the ACC Championship Game. Advantage: Seminoles. An average match up for the Big Ten.



7. Insight: Minnesota vs. Kansas: Quick question for the group. What do you get when you lose 55-0 in your last game? A trip to the Insight Bowl! Minnesota is coming of 4 losses in a row where they really were only competitive in one. Kansas attended a BCS Bowl game last year and has a pretty good Big 12 passing attack. This one won't be competitive at all. A terrible match-up for the Big Ten.

From the looks of it, the Big Ten could have another "embarrassing" bowl season. Let's hope someone can pull a "Michigan" and pull an upset, like Michigan did over Florida last year. BTW: In the last 12 months the two teams that have beat Florida and Heisman Tim are Michigan and Old Miss. Very strange.............

Side Note: The BCS put together 3 games with double digit lines and two games with lines under 5. Not exactly the great match ups we were looking for.

• Bama -11 over Utah



• USC -10.5 over PSU



• Texas - 10.5 over OSU



• Cincy -2 over VTech



• OK -3 over Florida

Memo to BCS: Please Don't!

Thank goodness Oregon beat Oregon State this weekend. Who would have wanted to see a replay of Oregon State vs Penn State a 44-14 whipping by PSU in September. USC vs Penn State will be a much better match up and it will be interesting to see if PSU is ready for prime time. (JoPa may want to retire before the game)

Ok, BCS you got lucky on that one. With that said, please give us good match ups this holiday season. Here are some games, that I want and don't want to see.

Fiesta: Texas vs Ohio State: Haven't we seen this game enough the past few years? Let's have a different match up please. What is the deal with Ohio State and the Fiesta Bowl? Does Columbus eat more nacho chips then any other city in America? Come on, give some else a shot to dip the nachos! BHB Pick: Texas vs Utah

Sugar: Will most likely get the loser in the Florida - Alabama game this weekend. This could be a nice match up between quality teams. BHB Pick: Alabama vs Ohio State/Boise State

Orange Bowl is pretty much a lock with Cincinnati vs Virgina Tech/Boston College winner. I think this could be a very entertaining game. BHB Pick: Cincinnati vs Virgina Tech

National Championship: Oklahoma vs Florida

Note: If Ohio State excepts a bid to a BCS game they should be required by the NCAA to sign a 10 year home and away contract with Cincinnati. This would be great not only for the State of Ohio it would also help Brian Kelly (one of the hottest coaching candidates) stay in the Big East. We also know that Ohio State needs another rival and not just two year contracts with major programs.

In fact, a Cincinnati - Ohio State Orange Bowl would be quite entertaining. Book it Orange!

BCS please stay away from the re-tread games, we don't want to see them and they make your system look even worse then it already is.

Most likely BCS Losers:

• 12-0 Boise State: All they do is wins games but most likely will be left out in the Idaho cold over a two loss Ohio State team. BSU is also rated #9 in the BCS, while OSU is rated #10. Doesn't make a lot of sense. What a great system we have!
• 11-1 Texas Tech: All they did was have one bad Saturday to the team in the National Championship game and they can't get a BCS invite because of the 3 team rule. Another example of how this system if flawed. Who wouldn't want to see an Alabama - Texas Tech match up in the Sugar Bowl?

Wildcard Wednesday: Things I don't Understand in Sports

• Why doesn't Division 1 College Football have a playoff system? I don't want to hear the arguments about kids missing class, please! Other college sports travel more and miss much more class. D1A and D2 has playoffs, are those students academics worth less then a D1 athlete? Money - Come on, a D1 playoff system would generate more. The importance of the regular reason - How would that change? If you had an 8 team playoff system or even a +1, the regular season games are still very important. I do like the traditions of the bowl games, but there are ways to keep them involved. I think the only real losers would be the Motor City Bowl and Poulan Weed Eater Bowls if still around would become the equivalent of the NIT in Basketball. If you think about it, aren't they the NIT already?
• Al Davis? I'm know when you own the team, you can make any damn decision you want. But if this guy was my Grandfather, I wouldn't let him hold the TV remote! I saw on ESPN last night that he was taking away play calling from Greg Knapp, the team's offensive coordinator. Are you kidding me? I believe the only thing this guy has done right over the past 10 years was hire Jon Gruden. Then of course he traded him. I'm sorry, but the NFL or someone has to step in and relieve Al of his duties, he is making a mockery out of himself and his once proud franchise. What quality coach would want to coach the Raiders? I'm sure his head coaching wish list looks like this right now: #1 John Cooper, #2 Wayne Fontes, #3 Jerry Faust, #4 Greg Robinson current headman at Syracuse.
• Signing Day: Basketball vs Football: Did you know today is one of the official signing days for high school seniors to officially sign their letter of intent for the 2009 class in Basketball. Yes, today! Why is college football so behind college basketball? Most major college football programs have their 2009 class filled or close to full and have moved on to the 2010 class. There should be an early signing period for Football as well. This seems like a no brainier. Of course people will argue, what if kids change their minds, etc. Well don't sign early or make it easier for schools to let kids out without a penalty. Last point, with all these kids enrolling early, does it make sense that kids could enroll in college, start class in January and not have to sign their letter of intent until late February? It doesn't, change the rule and add an earlier date.
• Every play in college football is reviewed? Varsity Blue another fine Michigan blog, made this same point this week. It seems the guys in the booth only look at replays if: a catch is trapped, if a runners knee was down before the end zone, or did the ball come out on a possible fumble. I see at least two or three plays each game that should be reviewed but isn't. Michigan clearly recovered a fumble in the Minnesota game and it wasn't reviewed. Come on guys! Push the button and watch the game!
• Why do we care so much about Notre Dame? There was a constant stream on the ESPN ticker last night that Charlie Wies is going to take over play calling for his Offensive Coordinator who is at a funeral this week and will miss some practice time. Who Cares? How is this news? Information like this should be reserved for Notre Dame Blogs not a national news story on ESPN. Let's also be honest here for a second, the reason he is taking over play calling is because Boston College beat them 17-0. Not because his OC is attending a funeral.

State of the Big Ten

BHB Ranking of Major Conferences:

1. Big 12
2. SEC
3. PAC 10
4. Big 10
5. ACC
6. Mountain West
7. WAC
8. USA
9. MAC
10. Big East

So the Big Ten currently has 4 teams in the top 25 BCS standing. Which isn't bad right? Penn State is undefeated and ranked #3, OSU is ranked 12, Minnesota at 17, and MSU at 21.

With the regular powers of Wisconsin and Michigan having off years and Illinois not living up to it's potential, the Big Ten office sure must be happy with 4 ranked teams.

Let's take a look at the schedule and see how it could play out for the Big Ten and Bowl games:

PSU: off, at Iowa, IU, MSU

OSU: off, NW, at Ill., Michigan

Minn: NW, Michigan, at Wisc, Iowa

MSU: Wisconsin, Purdue, off, at PSU

Northwestern: at Minn, OSU, at Michigan, Ill.

BHB End of the Year Record and Bowl Predictions:

Penn State 12-0: BCS Bowl (NC or Rose)

Ohio State 10-2: Capital One Bowl vs #2 SEC

Michigan State 9-3: Outback Bowl vs #3 SEC

Minnesota 8-4: Alamo Bowl vs #4 Big 12

Northwestern 7-5: Champs Sports Bowl vs #4 ACC

Iowa 7-5: Insight Bowl vs Big 12 #5

Wisconsin 6-6 Motor City Bowl vs MAC Champ

As it stands today, outside of Penn State's fate which is the NC game or Rose Bowl:

Ohio State would play (Alabama, Georgia, Florida or LSU) Not good for OSU.

MSU would play someone from the same group (depending on how many SEC teams go to the BCS you could also throw in Vandy, SC, and Miss in there as well) Really not good!

Minnesota could play (Nebraska, Kansas, OK State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech.) Not good for the Gophers.

Iowa would play 5th team from the above group. Again not good.

Northwestern is looking at (Va Tech, GT, Wake, BC, Maryland) Maybe a chance but NW would not be favored.

When you look at those match-ups, the Big Ten might be in for another year of pain when it comes to the Bowl Tie ins. With two games against the SEC and Big 12 spells a ton of trouble.

I believe the Big Ten continues to be over rated and does not match up well against the better teams from the top conferences. I guess we will see in the next couple months.

BHB Review of the Big Ten Title Game

Defense, Defense, Defense.

That was the theme for both teams. Both teams played hard,but the offenses didn't exactly click.

• Did people forget Pryor was a Freshman? There is one thing for certain in college football: if your QB is a true freshman (no matter how good he is) he will make some major freshman mistakes. There is no doubt that his fumble was the difference in the game. His pick late, was just a desperation throw.
• Michigan scores 17 points in Happy Valley in the first half and OSU scored 6 in Columbus? That just isn't right.
• I know Buckeye fans don't' want to hear it, but I have seen some very similar characteristics in Ohio State that I have seen in the Michigan program the last 5 years. You can't play to NOT lose (you have to play to win). The Buckeyes played that way on Saturday and lost. I have been watching the Lloyd Carr lead Wolverines do that same thing for a decade. How about putting in your senior QB and trying to throw the ball around the yard a bit? This philosophy will keep you close against good teams and get you blown out by elite ones.
• Smalls made a huge mistake on his catch late in the 4th quarter. Your on the sideline, get the heck out of bounds and save some clock.
• I'm not on the Penn State band wagon yet. I think they are a solid team but I don't believe they are an elite/National Championship team. The problem is Texas seems to play a top 10 team every week and Alabama still has the difficult SEC to get through. Penn State has to beat an average Michigan State team. Looks like we are going to have another Big Ten team in the NC game. My vote would be for USC to play Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
• Pryor, no need to hang your head after the game. You will have plenty more games to play and to win. Stay in Columbus this summer and live with the QB Coach and fix that delivery. You will be fine.
• Did Ohio State sell it's soul to the devil to beat the #2 ranked Wolverines in 2006? Was that questionable hit on "Heisman Smith" on the sideline the turning point in the program? OSU is 0-4 against top 5 teams since that play.
• Either way Ohio State will finally get a trip to Florida for the Capital One Bowl and play a good SEC team. You also can look forward to putting up 50 points on the Wolverines in a couple of weeks. That sounds fun doesn't it?

Rain Down on Me - Big Ten National Perception Week 3

Rain was the theme for Saturday and the Big Ten. This was maybe the biggest weekend for the Big Ten nationally. Ohio State was taking on the #1 ranked Trojans, Purdue had the Ducks at home, Michigan was playing it's rival Notre Dame, and Wisconsin was going into no-man's land to play the Fresno State Bulldogs.

How was rain the theme you ask? Well it rained in East Lansing for Michigan State's win, It rained in South Bend for ND's win, and USC reigned over The Buckeyes in California.

The Big Ten took the national stage and fell flat again.

OSU 3 - USC 33: What most folks predicted happened in this one. Which is too bad for the Big Ten. Many national writers are saying that Tressel is too predictable and no longer can compete with the the top teams. Sounds like a coach from Michigan I once knew named Lloyd Carr. Huge Loss of Respect

Wisconsin 13 Fresno State 10: I tried to watch this game but feel asleep. Wisconsin only scored 3 points in the second half but that was enough to get the win. Thank goodness! The Big Ten got away with one good win on Saturday. Gained respect.

Oregon 32 Purdue 26 (2OT): I saw Purdue take the first play of the game for an 80 yard touchdown and it looked like it was going to be Purdue's day. Then I saw the highlight of Purdue's kicker schanking the winning field goal in regulation. That is more of the Purdue I know. Loss of Respect


ND 35 Michigan 17: Michigan walked the ball in to the end zone 3 times for ND with 6 total turnovers in what many thought was a JV game. Michigan like a year ago is now 1-2 entering Big Ten play. Not good. Loss of respect.

Penn State Housed The Orangemen: 55-17 Push
Illinois continues to struggle but wins 20-17 over Louisiana-Lafayette. Push
Iowa had a nice win over interstate rival Iowa State 17-5 in 9 innings. Push
MSU was soaked by beat Florida Atlantic 17-0. Push
Minnesota takes care of business with Montana St 35-23 Push
Northwestern continues it's quiet but good season with another win over Southern Ill. 33-7 Push

So the Big weekend for the Big Ten ended up as a Big Flop. Only Wisconsin came through with a win in one of the big match ups.

I would say the chances of The Big Ten seeing a BCS game outside of the Rose Bowl are slim and none.

How can The Big Ten earn back some respect? Not a great week to earn back respect, maybe some with an MSU win over ND in East Lansing.


Can the Big Ten lose anymore respect next week? Upset Alert: Central Michigan vs Purdue, Ball State vs IU, Ohio vs Northwestern.

Big Ten National Respect Level Status: a very low RED

Respect Level Meter:
High is Green (example SEC)
Medium is Purple (example PAC 10 or Big 12) (changed color - yellow wasn't showing up so well)
Low is Red (example MAC, Conference USA)

Big Ten Picks Week 3

Picking most of the Big Ten's non-conference schedule is similar to shooting fish in a barrel. This week is no exception but there are a couple of high profile games, maybe you have heard of them? Yes, it's Minnesota vs Montana State and Illinois vs Louisiana-Lafayette.

Ok, funny guy get to your picks.........

Montana State at Minn: Another Big Ten Network classic! Maybe these games should be kept off TV? Minnesota is 2-0 coming off a nice road win just south of Toledo at Bowling Green. I have no idea what Montana State has done this year. Minnesota 34 MS 10

Florida Atlantic at MSU: This is my upset special of the week. FAU is 1-1 with a blowout loss thanks to Texas but a win at home last week to UAB. This is a trap game for MSU with ND coming to East Lansing next week. The Spartans need to very careful of FAU offense lead by QB Rusty Smith. FAU is getting 16.5 points. Look for a ton of scoring in this one. FAU 32 MSU 28

Louisiana-Lafayette at Illinois: I am not sold on Illinois defense at all. But they will play well enough to get a win in this one even though they will give up a couple of TD's. Juice 44 -LLSU 17

Southern Illionis vs Northwestern: Another inter-state rivalry where friends and even family members don't speak to each other the week of the game. Ok, maybe not. Northwestern has been quietly playing some decent football this year. I think they get this one at home.

NW 21 SIU 14

Penn State at Syracuse: JoPa vs Syracuse. Which long standing American football tradition will call it quits first? Will JoPa leave coaching or will Syracuse give up football and focus on basketball? Those are the real questions, because this game won't be competitive at all. Syracuse's program has fallen of the face of the earth and JoPa is still running down the side lines in his little rascal. PSU 55 Syracuse 0 (maybe they will both meet in the middle of the field at half time and walk off together hand in hand, JoPA and the Big Orange Mascot)

Iowa State at Iowa: Here is the first real inter-state rivalry we have had this year. This game pits two teams that used to be pretty good, but now are just mediocre. Which doesn't matter when you are talking about this rivalry which many fans rank as the best non-conference rivalry in the Big Ten. Iowa is giving 12.5 points at home in this one, but I expect it to be closer. Iowa 17 ISU 14

Now to the Big Games..............................

Oregon at Purdue: Purdue is getting 8 points at home but Oregon is by the far the better team. Purdue is Purdon't when it comes to playing against ranked teams. This one won't be competitive after the 1st quarter and it will encourage Joe Tiller to look for his snake oil.

Ducks 31 Snake Oil 13

Wisconsin at Fresno State:

Things I know for sure:

1)Fresno doesn't get too many teams to play them on their home field

2)The Big Ten doesn't travel well to the West Coast

Doesn't sound too good for The Badgers that went down 14-0 to Marshall last weekend before running off 51 straight points. I watched Fresno's first game against Rutgers and it wasn't pretty, I look for Wisconsin to struggle in the first half but to play much better in the second. Wisc 24 Fresno State 20

Game of the year (so far):

OSU vists USC: #1 vs #5: The vest says Beanie will play, but I get all my football advice from Lou Holtz who says that foot injuries always feel like they will be better the next day, but after 6 weeks the guy still can't play. I think Beanie will get some snaps but then the big question is, "Who is better? Beanie at 70% or the other OSU backs at 100%?" I can't answer that, but I do know you better be on your game against the Trojans.

With the showing against Ohio U last week, most folks are going to say that OSU will get run out of Compton. They also said the same thing against Miami of Florida in a BCS title game 5 years back. So what's going to happen? I think OSU will surprise us early, but Boekman gets in trouble when he is pressured and USC will put on ton of heat on him that will force him to make some bad reads and throw a couple of picks. OSU can't turn the ball over and think they will win. The key to this game is OSU weak offensive line vs USC pressure rush. That equals a long day for the Bucks. Pryor won't be a factor in this one. USC 28 OSU 10

*side note if OSU is not competitive in this game and only loses to USC all year, they will not get invited back to the BCS Championship game for the third straight year. If they lose a close one, they could get an invite.

Big Ten Respect Meter: Week Two

It seems the Big Ten just can't get out of it's way sometimes. In a week where Big Ten Teams should be dominating it's opponents it was a near disaster for 3 of the top programs in the Big Ten. Marshall was up 14- 0 over Wisconsin, Miami (OH) played Michigan close for 3 quarters, and Ohio U all most had the biggest upset of the year over Ohio State.

In the eyes of the nation, not good Big Ten, not good at all.

Let's see how week two went overall:

OSU 26 Ohio U 14 Lost Respect

Michigan 16 Miami (OH) 6 Lost Respect

MSU 42 EMU 10 Push

Illinois 47 EIll 21 Push

Wisconsin 51 Marshall 14 (after going down 14-0, Wisc went on a 51-0 run) Push

Iowa 42 Florida International Airport 0 Push (but should lose respect for scheduling an Airport)

Purdue 42 Northern Colorado Ski Resort 10 Push

Penn State 42 Oregon State 14 Gain Respect

IU 42 Murray State 3 Push

Northwestern 24 Duke 20 Gain Respect (it's a win over the ACC at Duke)

Minnesota 42 Bowling Green 17 Gain Respect

Michigan and Ohio State were on upset alert all day and got away with non-impressive wins, Penn State fans can hold their chin up high in blowing out a well coached PAC Ten team and Northwestern and Minnesota win games over teams they could have easily lost to. (BGSU beat Pitt the week before). Since the national attention rarely shines on Minnesota and NW, not much gained in the overall respect department.

How can The Big Ten earn back some respect? Wisconsin needs to win at Fresno State, Ohio State needs to win at USC, Purdue also has #16 Oregon at home. Big week for National Respect.

Can the Big Ten lose anymore respect next week? Yes, lose all those games. If OSU gets "housed "at USC, that will hurt even more.

Big Ten National Respect Level Status: RED

Respect Level Meter:

High is Green (example SEC)

Medium is Yellow (example PAC 10 or Big 12)

Low is Red (example MAC or currently the ACC)

Big Ten Respectability

A big issue nationally is the lack of respect that the Big Ten has been getting. Michigan has lost it's opener two straight years to non-BCS teams, Ohio State has gotten "housed" in the last two National Championship games, Illinois has lost two straight games to USC and Missouri and neither one of them were close, PSU has been a mid tier Big Ten team for the last 5+ years and Wisconsin plays power non-interesting football.

A regular weekly feature 0n this blog will be to look back at the past weekend Big Ten games to see if they did anything to gain back respect nationally. Let's take a look back at this weekend's scores:

Scores and National Respect
Northwestern 30 Syracuse - 10 Push
OSU 43 YSU 0 Push
Wisc 38 Akron 17 Push
Iowa 46 Maine 3 Push
PSU 66 CC 10 Push
Utah 25 Mich 23 Lost Respect
Minn 31 N. Ill 27 Lost Respect
Cal 38 MSU 31 Lost Respect
Mizzu 52 Ill 42 Lost Respect

Michigan lost another opener, MSU was all talk and very little action against Cal, Minnesota struggles against a MAC team, and Illinois loses big to another top 10 team (the score wasn't really that close). With the Youngstown State's, Coastal Carolina's, Maine's, this week the Big Ten continued to lose respect nationally as they lost most of thier Network National Televised games. (NW was on ESPN)

How can The Big Ten earn back some respect? Wisconsin needs to win at Fresno State, Ohio State needs to win at USC, Michigan needs to beat ND, all 3 games are in two weeks.

Can the Big Ten lose anymore respect next week? Bowling Green plays Minnesota. Sounds like trouble to me.

Big Ten National Respect Level Status: RED

Respect Level Meter:
High is Green (example SEC)
Medium is Yellow (example PAC 10 or Big 12)
Low is Red (example MAC or as of last weekend the ACC)

No Plus 1 in College Football

I have to wonder what the BCS commissioners are thinking. Yesterday they shot down the +1 proposal where number 1 would play #4, and #2 would play #3 in the traditional BCS Bowls. The winners would play a week later. For some reason that proposal had too many holes in it and the commissioners shot it down. No real reasons were given why.

This is ridiculous. They didn't want to add more excitement to College football? They enjoy controversy? The have a problem at doing what most of America wants? They enjoy watching Ohio State get beat by 21 points each year?

What gives? Auburn, USC, Georgia, and even Michigan have had a legitimate beef on not making it to the Big Game in the past few years.

This plan would keep all the Bowl Games and yes there still could be Bowl games in Detroit and Toronto. Why wasn't this proposal considered more closely. Maybe it goes to the intelligence of the commissioners. Here is a quote from ND athletic director Kevin White on why they didn't do the +1 game. "If it isn't broke," White said, "don't fix it."

Wow, I guess these guys just don't get it. I wonder what Kevin would say if a one loss ND team got passed over for the National Championship game for a one loss each USC - Florida match up?
College football is the perfect game with an un-perfect ending every year. On a personal side note: The BCS has really hurt the American tradition of New Years Day Bowls. It's just not the same when two or three bowls are a few days to a week later.