National Champions Tuesday: Those That Stay

Jacob Hamilton | jhamilt3/mlive.com/TNS

When we saw this team for the first time, we thought they could bring a National Championship to Ann Arbor.  When we saw the team play in Vegas, we thought they might go undefeated.  The team Dusty put on the floor this year was special and last night they proved it again, in a much different way. 

Dan Hurley might be a crazy man but he can coach basketball and he did all he could to derail the Wolverines last night.  As expected,  they slowed down the pace and tried to shoot the Wolverines out of the gym.  Whether it was Michigan's solid defense or the Husky shooters were just off, that plan failed.  Michigan was too big and too talented to lose on Monday night.  

Before I get to the star of the game, a huge hat tip goes to Yax.  His performance last night in my mind goes right up there with Isiah Thomas playing on a severely sprained ankle against the Lakers in the NBA Finals.   He gutted out 13 points in 36 minutes and didn't even come off the floor in the first half.  Now to Elliott Cadeau, the star of the game.  Michigan had a limited Yax, zero 3 point shooting for most of the game, and early Mara was not scoring down low.  This was setting up to be a Hurley special and Cadeau said no, thank you, this is our year! He lead the Wolverines with 19 points and instead of assisting he stepped up and scored a ton of big baskets.  He had one of his best scoring games of the year during the biggest game.  

UConn hit nine 3 point shots during the game and the Wolverines only made 2.  The difference in the game was Michigan scoring 25 points from the free throw line and UConn clearly being in foul trouble all game.  UConn only had 12 points from the line.  

The game wasn't pretty, it was a tough defensive match-up as both teams struggled to shoot the ball.  Michigan who had scored 90 points in every tournament game only managed to put up 69 points.   Still that was enough to beat the Huskies. I would also be remiss if I didn't call out McKinney who hit a huge late 3 and made 2 important free throws after Gayle had missed two from the line.  Those points from McKinney made it very difficult for UConn to make a Duke game comeback.

Dusty has done a tremendous job turning this program around and last night netted him and Michigan a National Championship.  I still think I'm in shock, I 100% know I was when Gayle threw the ball down the court to close out the game. To quote Dusty, "it still feels like we have another game to prepare for" It's going to be a really long day at work as I'm 100% gassed.  

Congratulations to this team, the Michigan Program, and to us!  We deserve nights like last night and I hope we have many more to come! 

Go Blue to the National Champions! 

• A sign this process never sleeps:  The transfer portal opened at Midnight last night while the Wolverines were celebrating in the locker room.  The staff had it opened and scouting for next year. 

Michigan Tuesday: The Big Ten 3-Peats

The Big Ten has taken over the reigns of college football from the SEC and has won 3 National Championships in the last 3 years.  2 of the 3 were undefeated National Champions including our own Michigan Wolverines.   I've been critical of the Big Ten over the years and I think that criticism has been warranted, but it is nice to be playing in the top conference in the college football.  With that said, I'm also glad Michigan didn't have IU on their schedule this season.  😀

The game last night went pretty much how I expected.  I thought both teams would score a little more in the first half, but that was probably nerves and getting used to the opponents physicality.   Raise your hand, if you were like me, thinking on that final drive that Beck was going to throw a INT to close out the game?  I was more confident in the pick then the TD.  

I thought the officials were terrible last night.  I'm 100% for letting them play, but some of those missed calls were unexcusable.  My last thought on the game is, I thought both OC's let their teams down.  Both had 10 days to prepare and it seemed both thought they could just run their regular stuff and beat the other team.  Get creative, get aggressive, game plan for the opponent.  I thought Fernando would have a quick passing attack to stop the Miami pass rush, that was not the plan.   Miami thought they were just going to run over IU's defense, which was clear if you watched any of the previous games, that was not going to happen. 

Curt Cignetti has done one of most incredible coaching jobs I've ever seen as Indiana Football is College Football's National Champion.  I guess having a mid-60's year old coach is a good thing after all.  😀

• There is a Mendoza already in the transfer portal!  It's Fernando's brother.   It seems GT has gotten really good at tampering as that is the rumored destination for the Heisman Trophy winning brother.  Here is a tip, hand it off to Justice. 

• The fraud Big Ten Commission gets zero credit for any of these wins BTW.  Just a dope in the right place at the right time. 

Michigan Monday: Where Did They End Up?

While the Big Ten is hoping for a 3-peat in the National Championship game tonight, you might be wondering where all the portal Wolverines ended up.  

We have that answer for you! (ht to Wolverine Wire)

QB Jadyn Davis - East Tennessee State
QB Davis Warren - Stanford
QB Mikey Keene - Arizona State
RB Justice Haynes - Georgia Tech
RB Jasper Parker - Arkansas
WR Semaj Morgan - UCLA
WR Fred Moore - Michigan State
TE Brady Prieskorn - Ole Miss
OT Ty Haywood - Alabama
OT Connor Jones - Georgia State
IOL Kaden Strayhorn - Alabama
OT Ben Roebuck - Western Michigan
EDGE Devon Baxter - Virginia
LB Cole Sullivan - Oklahoma
LB Jaydon Hood - Memphis
S Brandyn Hillman - Virginia
S Jaden Mangham - Purdue
DB TJ Metcalf - Tennessee
DB Tevis Metcalf - Tennessee
CB Elijah Dotson - Missouri
CB Jayden Sanders - Notre Dame
K Beckham Sunderland - Minnesota
LS Evan Boutorwick - Northwestern

Biggest losses ranked:

1. Cole Sullivan 

2. Justice Haynes 

3. Ty Haywood

4. Jayden Sanders 

5. Brady Prieskorn

6. Elijah Dotson

For the rest of the guys, I wish them luck.  The latest news is Davis finding a spot and I hope he finds his confidence and works on his throwing motion with a good QB coach. 

Guys yet to find a new program:

RB Bryson Kuzdzal
OG Lawrence Hattar
QB Jake Garcia
WR Anthony Simpson
RB CJ Hester

Tonights prediction:

Miami will try to out physical IU, which they have seen in pretty much every game they have played.  Miami is at home but IU has the better coaching.  IU doesn't make mistakes, you know that Miami will.  IU 27 Miami 24 

Michigan Monday: Peach Bowl Preview

Michigan fans are in a bit of a pickle tonight watching the Peach Bowl.  Two rivals are playing each other for right to be named The National Champion of Peaches.  The first year of the 12 team playoffs lead by Michigan's often confused AD Warde Manuel has worked to perfection as the #7 seed is taking on the #8 seed.  Neither team played in a conference championship game and neither would have been in the traditional 4 team playoff.  

ND is known for their lock down man to man defense.  OSU's offense is known to be a huge man to man beater.  Tennessee and Oregon both thought they were smarter than Michigan and didn't follow the game plan the Wolverines used to beat the Buckeyes, both got blown out.   Texas did follow the plan and made it a game, until it wasn't late.  

Ohio State has the better team but we know they can sometimes lose their minds.  Maybe it's the Michigan helmets but the Irish is going to try to frustrate the Buckeyes tonight and win a close game.  I think ND is the lesser of two evils.  

A few words on the Detroit Lions.  At the end of day that never was a Super Bowl defense with the injuries they had.  Someone was going to expose that defense and it happened to be Washington.  With that said, I thought Ben Johnson called a terrible game.  In a drive where you need a TD, you let the player with the worst judgement on the team, throw a pass?  The trick plays are fun in the regular season, but play good sound football in the playoffs.  Terrible decision.  That play would give me second thoughts about hiring him as a head coach.  You don't need those plays when you were getting pretty much anything you wanted on offense.  It's also the playoffs.  The pass play on the goal line where Goff fumbled was also a terrible call.   Run it!!  Happy for Mikey and his 2 picks, just wish it came against a different team. 

• Michigan Basketball got back to their winning ways after a terrible loss to Minnesota last week.  Northwestern has a solid team and took the favored Wolverines into OT.  The game lasted forever but Michigan got the W.  Vlad went for over 30 again. 

• No feedback yet on how the visit with 5 star OT Ty Haywood went this weekend.  I wonder if he will announce on signing day. 

• Cade transfers to East Tennessee State, I guess he got a waiver for his 20th year in college.   Let's review his decision to leave Michigan:  Lead a historically bad offense for the Hawkeyes, had 2 knee surgeries, suffered a bad concussion. and then loses his starting job.  If he stayed, he would have a National Championship and startered last season.   Thank you, Cade for what you did for Michigan Football and helping Michigan win a Big Ten Championship. 

• Mason Graham has a younger brother Carson that plays football and just finished his Freshman season at 6'2 230.  I don't care if the kid can play or not (I'm betting he can!), give him a scholarship! That would be 2 gifts from the football gods! 

Michigan Monday: Michigan's Rivals Play For a National Championship

I know Michigan hasn't played Notre Dame in a minute and MSU is on the schedule every year.   But for me (and I would imagine many Michigan fans) rank the Wolverines Rivals as follows:

1. Ohio State 

2. Notre Dame 

3. Michigan State 

The Michigan - MSU thing is more of a nasty distraction then a rivalry.   MSU fans know that and they hate that.   When ND was on the schedule every year, there would be two must wins for me: ND and OSU.  Some years it was the first game and the last game of the season.  

So now they match-up in a National Championship game a week from today.  As of right now OSU is a -8.5 favorite, I've seen it as high as 13.  So the money is moving to ND and the points.  Marcus Freeman plays his old team in the biggest game of his career.   

I was actually proud of Texas as they watched the Michigan game and played defense that took away the long ball and controlled the OSU offense.   The issue was they didn't tackle very well on the dump off routes and clearly didn't score enough points on offense.   I expect Marcus is smart enough to game plan like Wink and Texas did vs. doing their own thing like Tennessee and Oregon did.  

Lots of stuff happened this weekend so let's get to the news bullets:

• Orji transfers to UNLV.  They like to throw the ball, so not sure the play here.   I'm sure Dan Mullen has a plan. 

• Owen Wafle transfers to Penn State.  He is from NJ and this gets him closer to home. 

• Michigan adds UMASS WR Anthony Simpson his stops also includes Arizona.  Simpson put up some decent numbers at UMass in 2023 and less so at Arizona prior.  He only played in 2 games in 2024 before getting injured and jumping into the portal during the season.   He is also known as a returner. Simpson played for Michigan TE coach Steve Casula, so I assume Steve sees his upside.  If your looking for a comp, I would say AJ Henning.  Maybe a couple catches a game and a many touches as a returner.  Michigan needs WR's and this is an important pick-up. 

• Michigan adds Louisiana CB Caleb Anderson.  I don't know much about Caleb, but I like this pick up because he used to be coached by Michigan's DB coach Lamar Morgan.  He is 6'3 and this will be his 6 year of college football, so Yes, Please! 

• Robinson the WR from App State commits to UCLA

• Michigan Basketball has the top offense in the country over the last month as they beat UW at Crisler on Sunday.  Love that Vlad found his game after a slow start to the season. 

• RIP Bo assistant and Colorado Head Coach Bill McCartney

Wolverine Wednesday: Dusty Blows Through LA

It's not a secret to the regular readers of BHB what I think of Warde as the AD at Michigan.  I'm sure he is a nice guy but that guy would not be running a McDonalds for me.   That doesn't mean all his decisions are bad decisions.  He went out and got the best head basketball coach in the country in my mind in Dusty May.  As you know, my son attended FAU and graduated a year ago.  He got to watch Dusty work every winter on turning a nothing basketball program into a Final 4 school.  The man can flat out coach and develop talent.  Well done Warde.  

Dusty promised a competitive team and that is what we got.  Michigan just went out to LA for little under a week to play both USC and UCLA on the road.  He beat them both.  Last night Vlad went for 36 point in what turned out to be a blowout win over UCLA. The Bruins were ranked #20 and had the 4th best defense in the country.   I wondered when a Michigan player had scored so many points, the answer is 2006 when Daniel Horton went for 39 against Illinois.   It's a good day when you get a Daniel Horton reference on the blog!  

If Michigan can protect leads and stop turning the ball over, they will be in great shape for the rest of the Big Ten season and March Madness. 

Pretty special game with Jalen Rose on the call! 

• Mick Cronin calls his team soft after the Michigan loss and said he is toughest person in practice.  I don't know his team but I would say this is 100% accurate. 

• Michigan has offered New Mexico State 6'8 OT Shiyazh Pete from the portal

• A year ago today, Michigan was crowned National Champions! One of the best days of my life! 

Wolverine Wednesday: Can't Stop Smiling

Yesterday was a terrible weather day for the US and getting home from Houston was a challenge.  The upside was, every airport, shuttle ride, and airplane was full of happy Wolverine fans.   Even had the opportunity to say hello to Desmond in the Houston airport on Tuesday morning.   It was the best worst travel day of my life.  Just glad the delays were on Tuesday and not Monday.  

Monday at the game there were a ton of former players there, we saw Braylon, Big Mo Hurst, Jehu Chesson, and randomly Adrian Peterson just to name a few.  My invite to the suite with Jordan, Jeter, and Travis Scott must have gotten lost in my email somewhere. 

The most questions I was getting from fans, was What's Next?

So I thought I would give you my $.02 on what I expect for the important decisions:

1. Jimmy's future - I believe Jim will consider NFL offers and most likely will jump to the NFL with the right opportunity.  He has won 3 Big Ten Titles in a row and now a National Championship.  He has accomplished what he wanted to do at Michigan.  Yes, he can stay and continue to win or take on a new challenge.   Jim probably has 10 more years of coaching left in him.  Where he wants to live and the opportunity in the NFL will be key.  His top options will probably be the Chargers due to a young talented QB already on roster or Washington to be in the same market as his brother.  The NCAA does not affect his decision and the NFL opportunity has to be the right one, he is not working for Tepper for example. 

2. Who would replace Jimmy?  Leader in the clubhouse is Sherrone.  He would be a great choice, my only concern is,  having Michigan being your first head coaching job won't be easy and I would lean towards someone with head coaching experience.  My pick right now is Jedd Fisch, he knows the program, has NFL ties to great minds and resources, done an excellent job at Arizona, and was an interim head coach at UCLA.   To me he has the right mix of experience and talent. 

3. JJ to the NFL?  If Jimmy leaves, JJ goes for sure.  Right now, I think it's a 50/50 decision for him.  I've seen him with 1st round grades and could be a guy that rockets up the draft boards.  I expect he will go to the NFL but loves Michigan and could be a Heisman front runner if he stayed.  

4. Transfer Portal - Don't be surprised if we see a number of guys jump into the portal.  This is college football right now and players will be jumping in for sure in the next week. 

5. Donovan Edwards to the NFL?  I hope not, outside of Monday, he didn't have his best year.  He has a a chance to be the guy next season and I hope he takes that opportunity vs. gambling on the NFL draft. 

6. Jessie Minter?  Jesse is going to have opportunities in the NFL.  If Mike MacDonald gets a head coaching job, Jessie will be the Ravens DC.  If Jimmy leaves for the NFL, I think he takes Jessie with him.  His resume took a huge boost the last 2 weeks.  I would love for him to stay at Michigan but my expectation is someone will grab him up in the NFL. 

7.  Who would replace JJ at QB?  Alex Orji is a guy Michigan would develop as a dual threat QB, would like an experienced "portal" guy to back him up as they give Jadyn Davis some experience.  Similar to they way they gave JJ experience in his freshman year. 

8. Portal Needs?  Will be determined as Michigan loses players to the NFL or Portal.  WR is a high priority. 

9. Future stars? Sabb, Grant, and Morgan. 

10. Best National Championship gear - All of it!

Washington Post Game -- Tears

WolverineWire

Summit Achieved ☑ 

Icing Received ☑ 

Michigan Football is your National Champion ☑ 

Tears are a funny thing.  There can be tears of joy or tears of pain.  Why can one emotion be a sign of two completely opposite things?  When Mikey was running 82 yards with a game clinching interception, tears of joy ran down my face. 

Being a Michigan fan, we have had plenty of other types of tears.  A loss to App. State, OSU having 10 years of domination, TCU last season, and Final 4 Championship games come to mind.   It also seemed Michigan was a program that was known for being close but rarely the champion.   That changed tonight in a dominant fashion.  UW was less physical, out coached, and out played.  The only thing that stopped this from being an TCU/Georgia score was Michigan’s lack of offense in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters. 

I will again give Ben Herbet his flowers as the Michigan defenders were gassed many times tonight but found the will and the extra fuel tank to win many of the battles. Cam Goode and Junior Colston were playing on fumes at the end. 

Jesse Minter didn't take my advice and didn't blitz Penix has much as I expected.  He stayed in coverage and tried to give the talent QB different cover looks.  Michigan's D-line had to win its one-on-one battles with UW's Joe Moore Award winning line (told you that award is a curse!).  That worked to perfection as Washington only scored 1 TD. 

Michigan went crazy in the run game with Blake and Big Game Don. Most of the yards came in quarter 1, but still managed to get over 300 yards and 4 TDs on the ground for the game.  Michigan played Michigan Football and welcomed Washington to the Big Ten.  It was one of the most special game atmospheres I've ever been a part of and will be a lifetime memory. 

Cheers:

•  Michigan won the National Championship

Jeers:

• See above!

Now we will wait to see what Jimmy does with the NFL.  The Washington job would be close to his brother and The Chargers have a talent at QB.  Whether he stays or goes, he got this program back to the Summit! 

S

N

Michigan Tuesday: A Too Early Look at Washington

How is everyone feeling this morning?  I know it was sort of hard to sleep after that incredible win.  I watched the Washington - Texas game and really don't remember much as my mind continued to race.  That feeling continued as I tried to sleep last night. 

Michigan is going to play Washington in Houston on Monday night.  A few thoughts:

-Is this a Big Ten National Championship?

-A game against a PAC 12 and Big 10 Championship should be played in the Rose Bowl!

-Jedd Fisch kept Washington to 10 points in the 2nd half and lost a close game.  Jimmy and Jedd discussion this week?  Count on it! 

-Michigan has played Penix a couple times a IU, with him getting a win in 2020.  Giles Jackson revenge game?

Washington 14-0

Best win: Oregon twice and Texas 

Worst loss: none, strangest game: win over Arizona State 15-7

Pass yards: 350 yards per (#1)

Run: 123 yards per (102nd )

Score: 37.6 per (11th)

Give up: 23.6 (50th) 

So its clear what Washington wants to do, they like to pass the ball and will give up a few points in the process.  Penix is an NFL QB playing on college team and will be a high pick in the next NFL draft in Detroit.  His only issue is he has a history of bad injuries. 

The best comp I can think of a team Michigan has played recently.  This is TCU with a better QB. 

Lastly: If anyone has extra National Championship tickets and want a reasonable price, please email me, I'm interested in a pair.  Thank you!! 

Per PFF College on Will Johnson last night:

33 Coverage Snaps 2 Times Targeted Zero Catches Allowed

Michigan Tuesday: Georgia Wins NC

I guess there is some solace in losing to the National Champion/best team in America.   For what's it worth, I was hoping the Michigan - GA game was going to look a lot like last night game through 3 quarters.  It didn't and I don't know if that was on a bad gameplan or Cade missing his reads.   I do know GA was the better team and had more talent. 

Harbaugh watch - Per John U Bacon, nothing new to report.   If you missed it, Stephen Ross came out and said he is not taking Jimmy from Michigan and it seems the Bears are prioritizing other candidates.  Sounds like Jimmy is waiting to hear from the Raiders who we know are in the playoffs right now, so this might not end soon.  

• Michigan is ranked #3 in the final AP Poll 

• Punter Brad Robbins will return for his Super Senior Year 6th year 

• Looks like Caleb Williams is going to follow his head coach to USC 

Michigan Monday: Congratulations to Women's Gymnastics - National Champions!

We don't get to say National Champions around here much and a great reason to celebrate the Michigan Women's Gymnastics team, who won a National Championship on Saturday!   Congrats to the team and everyone involved.   Thank you for bringing hardware back to Ann Arbor!!! 

• Kofi Cockburn - the Illinois center who is built like the Incredible Hulk, is moving on to the NBA or a movie studio! 

• The Boston Celtics in a head scratcher cut Mo Wagner so they can sign washed up Jabari Parker. 

• Michigan welcomed some PWO's over the weekend Alexander Lidback and Noah Howes

• Speaking of Michigan walk-on's Hunter Reynolds will finish his football career at Utah State.  Congrats to Hunter for finding a spot. 

• Ohio State doesn't know who is gong to start at QB.  That might be the first time in 15 years that has happened.  Jack Miller, C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord are all in the hunt for the #1 job after the Spring Game this past weekend. 

Michigan Tuesday: Better Team Won

Vegas probably took a bath on the National Championship game, as the rumor was all the money was on LSU and for good reason.   It was basically a home game and they have one of the most confident QB's under center that I have seen in college football.

As much as we want to hope, Michigan is not close to either team.   Both teams had elite QB play (even though Lawrence struggled at times), elite RB's, and elite WR play.   Clemson on defense went with 3 DL's, 1 LB, and 7 DB's to try to stop the LSU passing game.   That and some bad field position worked for a quarter, until the LSU figured it out.  Then it was over.

I was also impressed by both defensive lines and how they were able to rush the passer even with only 3 guys rushing.   The lack of quality DT recruiting is going to hurt Michigan upfront for years to come.

Good job on the comments from yesterdays post!

LSU was the best team and it was a Cinderella year for them.  Congratulations to the LSU Tigers, now everyone is 0-0 again and its time to get back to work and see if the Wolverines can shrink the gap.

• Time Machine commit from DB Myles Rowser in the 2022 class.  Myles is an instate product at Belleville and brother of Andre Seldon.   Still very early for 2022 rankings but he is not in 24/7 way too early top 100.  Myles continues the brother theme for the 2022 with Alex VanSumeren the only 2 commits in that class so far.  Myles reports a Penn State and West Virginia offers so far. 

• Michigan finishes 18th in the final AP Poll.  Michigan lost to the #3,#8, #9, and #11 teams in the nation.   At least there wasn't any bad loses this year. 

• In an expected move,  LB Edward Warriner has transferred from MSU to Michigan to join his dad who is the Wolverines OL coach.  Ed was a 3 star LB and probably will have to sit out next year with 2 to play.  No word if he is on scholarship or a walk-on, either way I support this move to keep daddy happy.  

Michigan Tuesday: Jimmy Are You Watching?

If I could put a game on tape to show everyone what Michigan isn't, that would be the NC game last night.

Clemson has one of the best RB's in the country and rushed for 135 yards.  They threw for 347 yards or like I say, throw to run.   Clemson gets the ball to it's playmakers.

Clemson's defense showed Tua a bunch of different formations and blitzes.   Yes, their front 4 was able to get pressure but the defensive backfield was confusing the talented sophomore QB all night.   They just didn't play the way they have been all year.

Plays don't win games, players do.   I think Jimmy believes just the opposite, but I don't.  I think you have to feed your best most talented players to win big games.   This is mostly true in college football and probably conflicts with Jimmy's NFL sensibilities.

Clemson blew out Bama last night but Bama on offense was also passing to run, their issue was turnover and the defense not being able to stop a Surfer Dude.

----
Well it seems my Greg Mattison post yesterday afternoon, might not hold up a day or two.   OSU has now also approached Michigan coach Al Washington with an offer.  I had heard, that had already happened and Al had turned the Buckeyes down.  That information seems to have been incorrect and Al has a decision to make.   Like I said yesterday, this would be a bigger loss then losing Greg to Columbus.

Jimmy will work hard to keep Al with a raise and probably a promotion to DL coach to replace Mattison.  Hopefully that approach will be successful.  It also seems like there is room for John B the former CMU coach as a special teams coach, if they want to go in that direction.

Update: Reports are that Al is now headed to Ohio State

If your wondering, still no new news on the Temple head coaching search.  Strange they are moving this slow, the longer this takes the more I believe Don Brown is not the choice.

Update: Bruce Feldman reports that Wisconsin offensive coordinator/OL coach Joe Rudolph interviewed for the Temple job and was very impressive. Reports are that EMU's head man is also being interviewed.

Michigan Monday: It's National Title Game Day!

15minutenews.com

This team is unbelievable, they have fought and scratched their way to the National Championship game.   They were clearly the better team on Saturday against Loyola but struggled with their shot for most of the game.   I guess a tiger can't change their spots because Michigan had a huge advantage in the post and continued to shoot the 3 ball unsuccessfully.   Thank goodness for Wagner and Matthews who kept the Wolverines in the game.   Loyola midway through the second half started their turnover streak and Michigan took advantage and won the game. 


Michigan can't play like that tonight and win the National Championship.   The joy and relief of winning the Final 4 game was quickly lessen after Villanova shot Kansas out of the building.  Villanova looked like Michigan in the Texas A&M game and we know that type of streaking shooting can come and go quickly.  Every person on the Villanova can shoot and this game will be the toughest Michigan has had all year. 


If Michigan is going to stay in the game, MAAR and Simpson have to play better then they did against Loyola and Robinson will need to score 16 or more points.   MAAR's shooting is the key for this game, if he struggles again from the field, it could be a long night for the Wolverines. 


Simpson's turnovers and forced shots seemed a bit strange against Loyola.  He will have open looks again tonight and I hope he looks to drive and dish rather then shoot the 3.  I also expect he will run the offense better then he did on Saturday.


One of the hero's from Saturday was Jordan Poole.   He came off the bench and gave the Wolverines a lift on some dribble drive layups and his unlimited swag.   Michigan will again need him tonight and I hope he can impact the game, #belikeSpike tonight!


Michigan is an underdog tonight and should be.  The Wolverines have only shot the ball well once in the tournament and will need to find their range tonight.  It's important they continue their defense and shoot the ball to be competitive in this game.  Villanova is a very good deep team and will score even if they don't shoot like they did on Saturday.   Michigan has to shoot the 3 to be in the game in the 2nd half. 


Michigan also has to have solid performances from every player:


Simpson - Run the offense, play your elite D, limit turnovers
MAAR - Play like a senior, shoot the 3 well, lead the team through the storm
Wagner - Stay hot, get looks in the post, limit your 3 attempts, stay out of foul trouble
Matthews - Be athletic on both sides of the ball, rebound, dribble drives, limit the 3
Robinson - Be confident from 3, don't miss this opportunity, play like there is no tomorrow
Poole - Keep up the swag, play smart, keep everyone up!
Teske - Don't forget your 7 feet on defense!, rebound, get 3 blocks!
Simmons - This is why your transferred! stay in the moment, play smart
Livers & Watson - Play smart, get boards and loose balls


Whatever happens tonight, this has been a great run and it feels so good to have your team play at a championship level.  Coach B and Team you have made your fan base very proud.   Have fun, play with a clear mind, and compete tonight.  We have your back no matter what!  Enjoy the night! 


Coach B is one win short of 800 wins.  I'm just saying!

Go Blue!

• Insiders are saying that Ole' Miss has actually responded negatively on the players that transferred being eligible right away.   This is a complete reversal on what Michigan and the lawyer representing the players were expecting.   The expectation was that Ole Miss would stand down due to the NCAA Violations and support the players being eligible with the NCAA.  That didn't happen and now Patterson's eligibility could be in question.   The NCAA has the final verdict and they don't need Mississippi's support, but many believed it was a slam dunk with it. 

Michigan Monday: Welcomes Crawford and Other AA Thoughts

Michigan as expected picked up a talented 4 star WR at the AA game in Dylan Crawford.   Dylan was rated 4 stars to all the services and comes in at 6'1 and 175 pounds.   He had a ton of offers from the likes of ND, USC, Oregon, UCLA, Oklahoma, Arizona and many more.  

The strange thing is, Dylan mentions he would still like to take his official visits to Georgia, Miami, UCLA, and Washington.  There are only 3 more weekends before signing day, so we will see if he still takes visits now he is committed to the Wolverines.  

I like this pick up and could see him getting on the field as a true freshman.   I really like his hands, speed and route running.  He will to add weight and get stronger with the S&C program in Ann Arbor.  This is a very good pick-up and leaves only a few more spots in this class.  

Top priorities:

1. Gary - Of course
2. David Long - could be a silent, still has a UW visit to go on.
3. LaVert Hill - Good friend Corley is going to MSU, brother on Michigan
4. Jon Jones - Coach Brown to visit
5. TE, OL, DT, DE, WR, Kicker?  

Still lots of names on the board including the likes of Chase Allen, Pie Young, Don Stewert, Jordan Fuller, Levi Onwuzurike, Connor Murphy, Devin Asiasi, Boss Tagaloa, Dontavoius Jackson and Jacob Mathis.

As you also know by now, Isaac Nauta stayed home and picked Georgia.  He said he missed being at home by attending IMG.  Good luck to him. 

• AA four-star TE Devin Asiasi will visit Ann Arbor in January.

Other AA thoughts:

• Peters is raw and will 100% redshirt next year.  I see the potential but he will need a couple of years at Jimmy's QB Camp before he is ready to play. 
• David Long had a nice pick and you can tell he is an athlete playing corner.  Yes, please!
• Mike Onwenu is huge and if he can keep that weight and still be quick, he will be a nice offensive lineman at Michigan.  Can't wait to see what good coaching and the S&C program does for him.

Tonight ends the college football season.  This year was finally as success for the Wolverines.   Tonight the SEC Champ Alabama vs. The ACC Champ Clemson in the National Championship game.    History says if your going to beat a Saban coached team, you must spread them out with a talented QB.   I think if Clemson has a shot tonight they will have to throw the ball and maybe get lucky in special teams or a pick 6.    Alabama's front 7 is just too good for Clemson to run the ball.  Let's see if Dabo has a much better game plan then Mark Dantonio  (which was no game plan at all) did. 

Alabama 28 Clemson 14

Michigan Monday: The NFL Has A Common Sense Problem

I have a friend that likes to say, "don't pee on my head and tell me it's raining".  That is exactly what the NFL is doing to it's fans. 

They didn't see the tape and then hired a guy to confirm they didn't see it but confirmed they were dumb not to.    Wow, I wonder how much that cost?

Concussions don't cause long term problems, wait a second now they do.

Two games for Rice is spot on and the right punishment, wait a second he is suspended for the entire year after we watch the tape.  What did they expect was on the tape?

$45,000 PSL's for the new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons.  Really? 

Now we get to the officiating:

• Let's look for more WR holding and illegal contact downfield this year guys and they now call it way too many times a game.

• If you have the guts to throw a PI flag on a very important play of the game, keep it on the field.   Don't be talked out of it.   During the playoffs they should use the best crews and not just the best officials at that position.   Crews understand each other and have worked as a team all year.   These guys don't know each other. 

• Understand what a catch and what an athletic move is.   The officials that keep supporting that call from yesterday, just don't understand what happened in that play. 

The officials have become robots and are not using common sense.  A clear example is offensive holding, officials say they could call offensive holding on each play.   So why don't they?  Because they now know what really is a hold and what isn't, after years of calling it.    Now any tug on a jersey is defensive holding, USE COMMON SENSE.   They are paid a large salary for working 4 hours a week, the fans and teams deserve better.   Don't be a robot and use common sense and make a call. 

Just frustrating watching the NFL the last couple of weeks.
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Who to root for tonight?

On one hand its Ohio State on the other hand it's the Big Ten in the National Championship game.   You of course can make your own decisions.  I'm rooting for Oregon, I have a really hard time with the Buckeyes competing for a National Championship when Michigan is not even making a bowl game.   The Big Ten got enough love by beating Bama last week.   Thank goodness Jimmy came home, because Urban is a coaching wizard how he is winning with a 3rd string QB and just beat Saban at his own game. 

Side note:  This game should have been played on Friday or Saturday night.   Having kids not able to watch this game being its a school night is a crime.  The NFL should have worked with the NCAA on the schedule.   Also expect to see Jimmy doing some ESPN stuff tonight. (he has pulled out of the ESPN telecast today - plenty of work to do in A2)

• Sounds like Jimmy is interested in a 2015 QB sleeper from Texas, McLane Carter.
• Wheat signed his contract on Friday!
• The last day of the quiet/dead period is Thursday of this week.
• Was nice to see Fitz get a couple carries for the Ravens on Saturday night.  He is a good kid and happy to see him find a home in the NFL.
• The Michigan BBall team had a nice come from behind win against Minnesota on Saturday.  It is key for Michigan to win their home games if they are going to make the NCAA tournament.  Right now it seems Coach B is doing it with mirrors.