Wolverine Wednesday: NBC and ND Thoughts

John Ourand from the Sports Business Journal speculated that with NBC potentially being part of the Big Ten deal that the Michigan - ND series would be brought back sooner due to pressure from the network.  

I disagree with this take. 

First off, any TV network would love a Michigan - ND game, so to think the AD's from both schools are going to be pressured by an angry Peacock is just silly.   One a side note, I don't usually give Ohio State much credit for anything but they finally decided to play ND and will host them to start the season in just a few weeks.  ND's new coach Markus Freeman played at Ohio State.  

Next, when the Big Ten adds UCLA and USC to the schedule, it's going to be difficult to find non-conference games.  For example, is Michigan going to play USC, PSU, MSU, Wisconsin, and Ohio State in the Big Ten regular season? Then schedule ND in the non-conference?  I believe there won't be an appetite to fill the non-conference spots with the likes of ND and other tough games.  

Lastly, ND is on an island and at some point, these conferences are going to have to play hard ball with them.   Meaning, I would think the rivalry game with USC is at risk and other Big Ten games.  Join us or don't play us.   That NBC contract will look pretty bad if ND is playing BYU, Wyoming, and Navy each week. 

ND doesn't want to join a conference but needs big time conferences to play them.  If you take away the games, then you take away their leverage.   Making it difficult for them to reach the playoffs is another reason ND would consider joining a conference.  

I know college fans love these traditional match-ups but you're seeing these games ripped off the schedule due to re-alignment.   The Big 12 and PAC 10 are struggling and ND is the largest recruit out there.   Pick a conference, even if it's the ACC full time.  

• OSU has lost Evan Pryor a back-up RB to a season ending knee injury

• Jimmy was ranked #8 by ESPN Top College Football Coaches Ranking 

Michigan Monday: Things We Learned This Weekend

Les and Cam gone at LSU:   Both guys obviously have ties to Ann Arbor.   I never understand why coaches have such at hard time at adapting.   Les is a players coach and very good recruiter.    His style of offense is just completely outdated.   I also don't understand why he didn't make changes in the off season, after he nearly got fired last season.  I would have waited until the end of the season, but it was clear a change had to be made.   He did win a lot of games at LSU and even a National Championship that we all remember too well.    Let us not forget where LSU went many years ago to hire a head coach when they had an opening - MSU. 

ND:  They aren't as good as we thought they were.  Which sort of spoils MSU's win over them a week ago. 

Wisconsin: Is pretty darn good.  Many had thought Wisconsin would be average this year.  They have a very difficult schedule, a new QB, and a no name defense.   They have now knocked off two top 10 teams and play another on Saturday.   Many of us on Michigan's schedule looked towards MSU, Iowa and OSU as being the big tests the Wolverines had to pass this year.   Saturday will be just as big or bigger.

MSU: Does have issues and Wisconsin exposed them.  It will be hard for them to move the ball on talented defenses this year.

Nebraska:  I'm not sure they are back after a close win over Northwestern but they are going to be in the hunt in the Big Ten West.

Iowa: 14-7 over Rutgers?  Might be some issues in Iowa.

Michigan

• Jimmy shows us something new every week on offense.  He will do whatever it takes to win.   He also doesn't like to pull out starters until under 4:00 minutes left in the game. 
• Taco and Jourdan make the defense so much better.   Jourdan locks down a side of the defense and Taco's consistent pressure always moves the pocket and gets the QB nervous.
• It looks like Kenny fixed his field goal and extra point issues from the week before.   He still makes me nervous in a big/close game.
• Jeremy Clark will be missed.  He was a consistently good DB and will be hard to replace.   He also gave Michigan flexibility at the safety position, which struggled against Colorado.  It would be great if he could get a injury redshirt.
• RB depth is unbelievable - Michigan has 5 starters at the RB position.  They also have a highly touted freshman who is redshirting and Drake Johnson who is hurt looking for a 6th year.  
• Mo Hurst could be a high NFL draft pick if he continues to play like this.
• Special teams is better this year because Michigan has it's starters on that squad.  When that happens, injuries like Jeremy Clark will also happen.

A Look Ahead to Wisconsin:

• 4-0 wins over MSU and LSU.  Struggled against Georgia State.
• Ranked #8 in both polls
• Give up 11.8 points per game, which ranks #7 in the country
• Score 30 points per game (66th in the country)
• Played two QB's this year
• Play Michigan, OSU, Iowa and Nebraska in the next 4 games
• ESPN Big Ten Power rankings is #2 behind OSU
• Michigan is a 10 point favorite on Saturday ( Hello Big Ten Power Ranking people?)

Michigan Friday: BG Goes High in the Draft

If your Brandon Graham you have to love going to a team that was 11-5 and in the playoffs with Philly.

I also like how the ESPN panel raved about BG. Gruden "loved" Brandon and thought it was a great pick for the Eagles. It has to make Brandon feel welcomed since Philly gave up two 3rd round draft picks to move up to get him. Well done BG!



HT: Mgoblog


We are not expecting to see any Wolverines drafted in today's 2nd and 3rd rounds.

• Sad Situation for Chris Perry: He was recently arrested and his Mom is not doing well in a New York hospital.

• The Rumor Mill is rumbling that Demar Dorsey will not make it to Ann Arbor this summer due to academics. At this point, these are just rumors and it seems strange to me to find out his academics are not in line before the end of the school year.

• Lions fans have to like their picks in the first round with Suh and Best. This might be the best first round for the Lions since they picked Barry Sanders. Reading body language, I'm not sure Suh was all that excited about becoming a Lion.

• With the number of CB and Safeties taken in round one, I'm guessing that has to be good news for Donovan Warren to get drafted in day 3. That's just my opinion.

• Lou Holtz sees a return to glory for ND under Kelly. Or Weis, or any other guy they get to coach the Irish.

• Michigan State is going to introduce their new uniforms on Friday. I'm guessing they are hoping these don't have the .500 curse.

Don't Eat AstroTurf! and Ted Sr's Magic Bus ride is over

• Conelius Jones hasn’t played a down for the Spartanburg Vikings varsity football team yet, but Michigan has seen enough to offer him a scholarship. The junior quarterback received his first offer Tuesday, after Vikings coach Freddie Brown sent the Big Ten school a five-minute video of Jones from a scrimmage. He is fast, but may come with some baggage.

  Jones hasn’t played football in the Spartanburg system for a couple of years after he got into some trouble, he said.

  Maybe Coach Rod should have taken a pass on Mr. Jones. This sounds more like a WVU recruit then a Michigan recruit.
• The Ted Ginn Sr. Summer Tour Bus has ended. For those that don't' know Ted Sr. would pack up some of his players and other HS football players around Cleveland and take them to University Camps so they could showcase their talents. He has been doing this since 2001 and was the reason Pierre Woods was signed by Michigan. The tour trip has a $50,000 budget where the kids pay $400 and Ted Sr. provides $10,000 out of his pocket. The rest comes from donations. I guess his former NFL players are not pitching in as much as he had hoped.

They should know what to do, he said. As a result, the only former player who has offered financial assistance is his son, Ted Ginn Jr., a first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2007. "It goes back to what I feel is important," Ginn said. "You need to give back."

• Astroturf does not have a ton of lead in it. But if your a 50 pound child, you should not eat 23 pounds of Astroturf. Because if you did you would reach the federal minimum threshold of elevated blood lead, assuming a bioavailability level of 50 percent. If that child eats closer to 100 pounds of synthetic turf he or she would have elevated blood lead levels. On a side note, if your child is eating 23-100 pounds of Astroturf they have other problems!
• Fluff on incoming Freshmen JT. Floyd.
• ND assistant, Bernie Parmalee has this to say: "

I guarantee you (Irish fans) that you won't be disappointed this season. Mark it down, we're on a mission," Bernie Parmalee, tight ends coach, told members of the Notre Dame Club of Northwest Indiana in St. Patrick's church hall.

• Is being the AD at Duke a better job then being the AD at Notre Dame? I think not, my feeling is Kevin White was on the way out and if "Good time Charlie" throws another losing season up in South Bend, he would have been looking for work. At Duke the football team doesn't have any expectations and he is pretty safe with Coach K.