Michigan Monday: No Lip Service

With Basketball bringing home the Natty and Football in between Spring Ball and Fall Camp, there isn't much to report on around these parts, until the Athletic Department investigation completes with the expectation that it either econerates Warde or walks him out.  

Both Basketball and Football are still recruiting.  Basketball in the portal and Football across the US.  Looks like Juke is either going Pro or to Rocky Top.  So he is out of the mix.  

Still Coach Whitt and his staff are doing work to catch up on the 2027 class.  They landed a local big fish this weekend in Jakari Lipsey a 4-star OT from KZoo.  Jakari is a pure athlete and a bit raw for OT right now but has a huge upside.  He is 6'5 290 and a 3 sport athlete in high school (Football, Basketball, and Track).  

His upside is clear as he is closer to his cellar then his ceiling at this point.  Many programs agreed and he had offers from the likes of LSU, UCLA, BC, Auburn, UNC, Tenn, Minnesota, MSU and many more. 

With Jim Harding in the Maize and Blue and considered the top OL coach in the country, I think its a perfect fit!  Welcome Big Man! 

• The Big Ten carved up $1.37B in revenue and sent it to the schools.  I don't think they need any outside funding/investing.

• No sponsorship of any kind but Dicks Sporting Goods has Basketball NC gear on sale now! 

• Coach Whitt calls for a Salary Cap, I'm sure that is in the works.

• I've been a fan of Duncan Robinson for a long time, I did not know about his brother's struggles until an ESPN report this weekend.  Duncan had a very poor National Championship game and now I know why, his brother went missing on that Final 4 trip.  Its a sad story and one that reminds us how important mental health is. 

• Cadeau and Trey Donaldson were not invited to the NBA Combine but the G-League Combine.  With a good performance they can get into the NBA combine, but probably a sign that Cadeau has a high percentage chance of returning to A2.

Michigan Friday: It's The Buckeyes for the 3rd Time

Michigan tips off their 2026 Big Ten Tournament campaign in just at few hours at 12:00 EST or 11 Central.  The Wolverines should be well rested as they haven't played since Sunday and Ohio State beat Iowa just Thursday afternoon.  Michigan beat the Buckeyes in A2 on 1/23 74-62 (the Trey Burke game) then in CBus on Super Bowl Sunday 82-61.  Since then OSU has gone 6-3 with loses to Virginia, MSU, and Iowa, with a highlight win over #8 Purdue at the time.  

• The Big 10 sent a letter to the NCAA to say the Tampering Investigations are silly, stop them and change the entire process.  Their right, but who sends letters anymore?  :-)

• I know the Partridge lawsuit will be settled quietly, but I would really love it to go to court so we could see what the Big 10 bull sh$t investigation looked like.  Remember when the other teams were scared for the safety of their players?  Jim got suspended while on a plane to play Penn State.  That was an unbelievable time and another clear example of very poor leadership from the Big Ten and Michigan Athletics Department for letting any of it happen.  You think that would've ever happened to Saban and the SEC?

Michigan Tuesday: Exploring Leaving The Big10

Michigan has not been treated very well by the Big10 lately.  The Jim Harbaugh and SignGate thing was a disaster.  You can't suspend a head coach when he is flying with his team to play a Big Ten opponent.  The Big10 is punch drunk with greed and has zero leadership.  They brought in some fool with TV experience to increase TV revenue not lead a complex organization/league. 

Michigan and USC are not in favor of this new capital investment deal and the Big Ten as recently as last week was saying they were moving forward with out 2 of its top brands.  Then Michigan signaled to the Big Ten, Thank you but if you intend to move forward, we intend to investigate leaving the conference.  I would assume USC did something similar.  

Those actions have put a hold on the investment deal, as it should.  The Big10 better start respecting some of its top brands, as the Michigan's, USC's, OSU's run this conference.  

The James Franklin experience

James is the first to find a new job after Penn State fired him earlier this season.  He is heading to Virginia Tech where they believe they can be a great program.  James is an interesting coach.  He leads the country in a coaches catorty of great recruiters but bad in game coaches.   It's a list you don't want to be on that includes the likes of  Matt Rhule and Mario Cristobal.  Can James recruit to Va Tech, that is the big question?  Is Virginia Tech happy with bowl game appearances then playoff appearances?  Those are the big questions that have yet to be answered.   The big winner in all of this was Penn State, who was on the hook for a nearly a $50M buyout which was negotiated down to $9M. 

• Sounds like Jordan Marshall has a shoulder injury and might miss Maryland but could be back for Ohio State. 

• Sherrone did confirm that Justice is done for the rest of the regular season.  He did not rule him out of the post season.  If that is a bowl game, he will be done for the season. 

• Marsh will return punts now.  I agree Morgan should be out of that role, but our #1 WR?

Wolverine Wednesday: A $5K Mistake

The Big Ten fined USC $5K for playing a player that was listed "Out" on the injury report.  Some have suggested that USC dressed the backup injured running back after the top 2 RB's went down with injuries.  

Now, let's be clear.  Michigan opponents don't ever make flag worthy mistakes on the field as Michigan opponents for some reason have the least amount of fouls called on them every week in the country.  Now Michigan opponents can play players that are ineligible.  Seems fair.     

If Michigan did this, the following would have happened immediately:

• Michigan would forfeit the game no matter if they won or lost.
• 5K fine would be $500K 
• Poor Chris Partridge would immediately be fired from the Seahawks
• Jim Harbaugh would have to sit out 3 Chargers games 
• The Michigan staffer that filled out the injury report would automatically have a Netflix documentary. 

Well done Big Ten.  It's also funny that Michigan and USC might be blocking the Billions in private equity money that the other programs want.   No doubt this is professional sports. 

• RIP to former Michigan DB Zia Combs who was seriously injured when he collided with Ernest Shazor while stopping a punt from going into the end zone against Penn State in 2002.  

• Congrats to Moody who kicked the winning field goal on Monday Night Football for the Bears.  Does anyone else hate the 2 games on Monday night?  

• T-Mobile put in some cell boosters this week at the Big House

• 2027 5 star RB Kemon Spell who decommitted from Penn State is expected to visit Ann Arbor. 

Big Ten Weekend Preview Week 4

The Big Ten season officially is underway with many Big Ten matchups this weekend.  I love it because I don't have to predict a ton of games, plus we can really see which teams can play and which can't.  Plus, a couple sneaky good games. 

Friday Night: 

Iowa (-2.5) @ Rutgers:  This is not a bad game between mid-tier Big Ten teams. I like Rutgers at home to get the win.  Rutgers 20 Iowa 13

Saturday:

Maryland @ Wisconsin (-9.5):  Wisconsin just got run off the field in Alabama and Maryland is 3-0 after playing a weak non-conference.  I don't love Maryland, but I think they could pull this one off against the struggling Badgers.   Maryland 28 Wisconsin 24

Oregon St @ Oregon (-34.5):  This used to be a rivalry game (The Civil War) that was fun to watch.  Not any longer!  OSU is terrible.   Oregon 100 Oregon State 10 

Purdue @ ND (-26.5):  ND is struggling, and the perfect elixir is ordering a number of the Boilermakers at the bar.   ND and CJ Carr are going to win but I like Purdue and the points.  ND 31 Purdue 17

Illinois @ IU (-6.5): I can never remember in my life this match-up being important.  Both teams are ranked and the #9 team in the nation is a nearly a TD dog on the road.  It will be interesting to watch IU not play a tomato can this season.  Illinois 24 IU 21

Washington (-20.5) @ Washington State:  The Apple Cup! WSU keeps losing really good QB's.  I expect this to be competitive, but UW wins in the end.   UW 34 WSU 21

Michigan State @ USC (-17.5): This game is at 11:00 Eastern Time.  Not 11:00 AM, PM!  Sparty and their fans are not happy.  I don't expect them to be happy after the game either.  USC 34 MSU 24

Michigan Tuesday: The Onside Kick

Michigan was in desperation mode late in the 4th quarter against PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers.  The blow out had become a tight game after Michigan's two TD lead had evaporated into a 3 point lead.  

Michigan was discombobulated thinking the "Little Brown Jug" was heading out of Ann Arbor and both  players and coaches were in a deep fog of despair.  Minnesota is clearly going to try an onsides kick and it was going to be directed towards the Golden Gophers sideline.   The kick off team nearest the Gophers sideline started early, but are already a few yards behind the line of scrimmage.  To the naked eye, it looked like they were way off sides.  Fox proved they weren't that far across the line and maybe just a head over it.  They tried again and failed, as of course Mullins saved the game.    

So the story line this week is that Minnesota got screwed by a bad call or at least one "too close to call".  The Big Ten has even moved one of the refs position for onsides kicks moving forward.   

Not so fast my friends, one of the Gophers illegally touched the ball prior it to passing the 45.  So lets not overreact to this kick and Minnesota getting screwed.  

Something I continue to struggle with:  Michigan has 3 great defenders in Johnson, Graham, and Grant.  If you throw in Stewart and others on defense.  This defense could be and should be special.  There are two reasons in my mind, why they struggle sometimes.  #1 a bad offense and #2 Wink being Wink.   Do you notice how well the Michigan Defense plays after a Michigan TD?  If you had to list a 3rd reason, it would be depth.   It seems this defense is lacking depth in a lot of areas.

Deep thought: What point in the year do you throw the Freshman QB out there or give Tuttle a shot?  Tuttle has the most playing experience.  He is prone to throwing a pick or two, which is probably why (if he is healthy) he hasn't seen the field yet. 

• Coach Mac got his first loss as an NFL coach to the Lions in Detroit last night. 

• Brad Robbins got released by the Bengals who drafted him in the 6th round in 2023. 

Michigan Tuesday: Do we Really Need This Netflix Untold?

Netflix announced the Conor Stalions Untold story will premiere on August 27th.  It's expected Conor will be telling his version of events.  Yes, this will be the first time he has told his story and let's hope it comes off pro Michigan and Harbaugh.  Personally, I wish this would all just go away.   I expect Michigan will not be the only nervous program watching if the Central Michigan vs. MSU game comes up.    

• Franz goes for 18 and Mo scores 12 against USA Basketball on Monday. 

• The Big Ten Football Season Media Day starts today with the Champs taking the stage on Thursday.  

• The Texans cut LaDarius Henderson their 7th round draft pick out of Michigan due to a non-football injury status.  Tough break for Henderson who I hope can catch on with another team if he is healthy. 

Michigan Thursday: Big 10 Media Days at the End of the Month

The Big Ten Media days start at the end of the month and Michigan is sending the following players.  

• Which player has the highest grade in the new release of EA College Football?  Will Johnson is the highest graded player.  Cover Boy Donovan Edwards is ranked #49. 

• Southwest has been named the official airlines of the SEC.  Does that mean each team needs to fly Southwest to games?  Sorry coach you are not in A25. 

• Purdue has new football jerseys, they look like the old football jerseys. 

• TX 2025 four-star CB Jayden Sanders confirms his official visit for the BBQ at the Big House.

Michigan Monday: A Too Early Look At Maryland

Maryland won a game on Saturday; they beat Nebraska 13-10.  This stopped a 4-game losing streak, which preceded a 5-game win streak.   To call this team "streaking" is an understatement.   Either way, this team will be heading to a bowl game and I wonder if Tua 2 is rethinking the opportunity of millions in NIL money to leave this off season for a "Southern School".   

Maryland, believe it or not, has its own problems.  Co-Offensive coordinator Kevin Sumlin got a DUI on their Bye week in late October.  Remember Kevin used to be the head coach of Texas A&M?  I wonder how they are doing?  The other Co-OC might also get your attention, its former Michigan OC Josh Gattis.  Who flamed out at Miami after winning the Browles Award on Jimmy's offense.   Seems Maryland's offensive coordinators have a lot of trouble in Florida. 

Maryland is 6-4

Best Win: Indiana 

Worst Loss: Northwestern 

Pass: 281 yards per (24th in the country)

Run: 115.5 per (115th) 

Score: 28.9 points per (58th)

Give Up: 22.4 (46th)

Line: Michigan -21

Maryland wants to pass with Tua 2 at QB, the issue is their offensive line is one of the worst I've seen.   I could only watch a few minutes when they played OSU and PSU as it was a clear miss match.  That Penn State offense we just saw, scored 51 points on this team two weeks ago. 

• Texas A&M is in the market for a new head coach as they gave Jimbo Fisher his walking papers and $76+ Million to not work there. 

• James Franklin is running one of the best cons in college football.  He fired his OC on Sunday after bad performances against OSU and Michigan.   At some point, these losses have to stick to the head coach. 

• Michigan Basketball picked up a huge recruit on Sunday in 2024 5-star forward Khani Rhoots.  Is the signing window still open?

• Boise State also fired their head coach on Sunday.  Insiders are expecting this might affect Gatlin Bair who won't be enrolling for a few years due to his mission. 

• Michigan Basketball takes on St. Johns and Rick Pitino tonight in the Gavitt Games.

• Word is the Big Ten was able to stop the TRO on Friday by hiring local counsel.  Maybe Tony 4T's is not as dumb as we first thought.  Many believe it will be a close one if Michigan is able to win the TRO on Friday.   Lots of legal arguments come down to, if Tony 4T's had the right to suspend Jimmy under the Big Ten Sportsmanship rules.  Clearly, Michigan does not believe he has the power to do so. 

• Saw Blake Corum in a national Celsius TV AD on Sunday Night Football that also included Bo Nix and Penix. 

Michigan Thursday: While We're Waiting

If you're missing your weekly tradition of reading the Big Ten Weekend preview, it was posted earlier today. 

I'm really proud how Michigan is responding to the Big Ten and the NCAA during this scandal.  Yes, the media have overblown this situation but the NCAA and Tony 4T's from the Big Ten have welcomed those leaks. 

Michigan took its shot last night with a 10-page response to the Big Ten and Jimmy's lawyer came in with an 8-page response.  

To summarize the responses:

• Over scouting is very common and has happened to Michigan many times.  
• A lower-level staffer gave little to no competitive advantage to Michigan
• You can't punish Michigan on a rumor and not until the NCAA investigation is complete
• Harbaugh was not aware of this situation 
• The Big Ten commissioner does not have the power to suspend a coach under this matter
• Michigan has hired one of the most powerful law firms in the country 

Dan Wetzel has just put the entire 10-page response on twitter/X

Now the media is becoming more level headed and starting to report items in a fair manner. 

• Wake Forrest was having its game plans sent to it's opposition for 3 years and the NCAA did nothing. 

• A Michigan Law Professor gives his take in the Yale Journal on Regulation, that if this goes to court, the NCAA will lose on Anti-Trust laws, like they have in the past. 

If you're wondering if Michigan Football is focused this week, with all this off field sh*t?  Manny Diaz comes in to troll the Wolverines, while trying to fire up the fans in Happy Valley. 

Manny Diaz wants to troll Michigan with a signal joke. 😑

We'll see if he's laughing on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/PSyzvxGtS7

— Trevor Woods (@WoodsFootball) November 9, 2023

Michigan Friday: Conference Changes Everywhere

The Big Ten has been vetting Oregon and Washington for some time now, it seems those discussions are now going to the next step.  The travel departments at UCLA and USC are really hoping that happens.  

FSU said that they are looking at options due to the lack of money the ACC has with their bad ESPN deal.  Arizona looks to be going to the Big 12.  I wouldn't be surprised if ASU and Utah followed them out the door to the Big 12.  The one thing we know for certain is the PAC (6?) is now on its death bed.  That proposed Apple deal isn't a factor and shouldn't be. 

Standford and CAL academically are a great fit for the Big Ten as well, even though questionable for the revenue generating sports. We all know Stanford is great at non-revenue generating sports.   ND of course doesn't want to do anything, which is fine with me.  

Reports are that the Big Ten Presidents will meet today.  The topic is unknown but it's likely the addition of Ducks and Huskies.

Update: The Big Ten is expected to invite Oregon and Washington to join.

It will be interesting to see where this all ends up.

• CB target Jeremiah Lowe set his announcement date for 8/10 at 3:00

Michigan Monday: Big Ten Rumors, BBQ, and Needs at CB

Michigan is just coming off the BBQ weekend and it seems the feedback was positive from the visitors but we haven't seen any commits yet.   It would be great if Michigan could lock down 5-star instate QB Byrce Underwood.  Michigan also hosted the #1 player in the 2025 class in Charlotte NC OT David Sanders. 

Last night, Aaron Scott the CB from Ohio didn't surprise anyone by picking the Buckeyes.  There is so much pressure from family, friends, the pharmacist, everyone in Ohio to pick Ohio State when you live in that state.   This does put some pressure on Michigan's top 5 class to attract cornerback talent in the 2024 class as they lost their 2 top CB prospects to OSU. 

There is also an internet rumor that the Big Ten is planning on adding FSU, Clemson, Oregon, and Washington this week.  This comes after Big Ten Media days where the new commissioner said he was not focused on adding teams, just integrating UCLA and USC.  I'm not sure that FSU and Clemson really fit the Big Ten's academic profile and neither is in the AAU. 

• Since we're doing rumors today, it's rumored that some of Michigan's NCAA trouble is coming from former recruiting director Matt Dudek.  Matt is the associate AD at Mississippi State now.   

• That massive OT from Texas, Bennett Warren is trending towards TN, he announces today.

• Camp Sanderson son Jonthan is a baller and just got offered by the team that employs his dad. 

• The Goat Charles Woodson was in Ann Arbor kicking it with recruits at teh BBQ this weekend.