No Big Ten Title Game

Kirk Ferentz should be fired.  Big Al has a game tomorrow at noon to somewhat make up for his huge coaching mistake.  If not, he should join him.   It looks like ex-Michigan QB coach Scot Loeffler will be available.

Iowa had a chance to beat Nebraska and some stupid offensive calls cost them the game.   One decision was  punting from the 36 yard line in the first half or running 3 straight times with about 4 minutes left around mid field down 6.  Iowa looked like they were trying to lose the game. 

Iowa is terrible and Nebraska is 6 points better then terrible.  

What an awful Big Ten Championship game.   It's a match-up with the #2 conference team vs. the #6th team.   That should attract a ton of TV viewers.

Well the pressure for Michigan and playing for a championship is off on Saturday.  Pressure in now squarely in Ohio's corner and being 12-0.

Michigan Motivation Below?

Michigan Monday: Sugar with Some Spice

Let's get to the Spice first: the commitment of 4 star WR Amara Darboh. 

Amara is a 6'2 200 pound WR from Iowa.  He he rates out  as a 4 star to Rivals, Scouts and 24/7.  He is considered a physical WR with speed.  He runs a 4.4 forty.   He had offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Florida, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Vanderbilt.   Amara seemed very interested in ND, Michigan and Iowa.  Kirk Ferentz was even in home with Amara this weekend to try to pull him to his home state program. 

Amara only played in 7 games as a senior due to a shoulder injury.   He wanted to get his college decision out of the way so he could get surgery and rehab for his freshman year of college.  

Michigan's recruitment started early this football season with a unofficial visit for an early game and an official visit for Ohio State.  The rumor was Amara needed to get his family to Ann Arbor before he committed.  He did that waited a week and announced his decision for Michigan.

I expect Michigan to take one more WR, it seems it's now a race between Jordan Payton and Jehu Chesson.  Jordan seems to be all over the place with a decision and Jehu was just in Ann Arbor for the OSU game.  Stefon Diggs recruitment will have to heat up quickly if Michigan will have a shot.  He hasn't been to A2 yet and seems to be planning to announce near signing day.

Now on to the Sugar:

Michigan was rewarded as a "brand name" with a 10-2 record and a 13 place ranking in the BCS.  Michigan and Virginia Tech passed over a few teams to get their spot including Boise State and Kansas State.   Usually, you don't see an ACC team that just got blown out in their Championship game get an at large bid to the BCS.   I guess the Sugar Bowl though Va Tech could sell a few tickets.  Speaking of tickets, I have been looking at EBay and Stub Hub for about a week on Sugar Bowl tickets.   If you are planning on going, plan on spending some money for tickets.  Most tickets I have found are in the $200 per range.   I was watching an Ebay auction that ended last night for lower bowl tickets.  His minimum bid was $500 for 4 tickets.   The two pair sold for a $1000.  You can get tickets through the U of M athletic dept starting at $125 per.      

I have no idea what Va Tech has this year and have only caught bits and pieces of a couple of their games.  Like most of us, we were watching the Big Ten Championship game on Saturday night.  

Speaking of Sparty, nicely done on Saturday.  They played a very competitive game and you could say they had most of the momentum from the second quarter on.   They lost the game on a roughing the punter penalty, when they shouldn't have even bring rushing the punter and setting up the return.   Sparty being Sparty.  Then they drop all the way to the Outback Bowl in Tampa. 

Instead of being upset they didn't get into a BCS Bowl they should be happy about a good match up with Georgia.    They both seem evenly matched and play good defense.  

"Our focus is on winning our last football game -- the bowl game," he said. "It’s important for out seniors -- the winningest four-year class in Spartan history -- to add a bowl victory to its long list of accomplishments." said Mark Dantonio who is 0-4 in bowl games.

Michigan State senior quarterback Kirk Cousins:

"I’m still hurting," he said. "I would be lying to you if I told you I was moving forward and feeling great. It’s tough to come that close two years in a row. Its almost a tease. And we just need to keep moving forward, stay positive. We have time to get back on our feet.

"This program is in great hands. If any other program had 21 wins in the last two years, they would be talking about them like they are the program. Think it is forgotten all the success we have had, how good we really are, how good we have been."
BTW: State didn't qualify for a BCS Bowl in the final rankings.   They had a chance and decided to try to block a punt.

How about the Urban Meyer Bowl?  His former 6-6 team vs his current 6-6 team.  Best line from last night was on ESPN when they called this the "Former" Gator Bowl.  

Iowa Preview

Time: 12:00 EST
Location: Iowa City
TV: ESPN
Weather: Partly Cloudy High of 60 Low of 46
Line: Michigan -3.5

Each week the Michigan Football program has another test to see if they are a different team then the squad that took the field the last 3 years.   This week is no exception.   RR's Michigan's program had a hard time beating quality opponents on the road in the Big Ten.  If my memory servers me correctly, I think the wins on the road in the Big 10 over the past 3 years are against Minnesota, Indiana, and Purdue.  Not exactly a murders row is it?

Michigan has done a great job protecting the Big House where they have 6 wins this season.  That was a must, but they have found themselves 1-1 on the road with a win over Northwestern and a loss to MSU.  So which team will the Wolverines put on the field the next two weeks?  It will be easy for them to get up for Nebraska and OSU at the Big House but the season might be defined by these next two weeks.  

Iowa is one of those strange Big Ten teams this year.  They have looked decent at times and terrible at other times.  If you had asked me if Michigan could lose to a team that lost to Minnesota  after Michigan beat them 58-0, I would have given you a clear "no way".   Now, I'm not so sure. 

Why?  You might ask?

I think teams play very hard after an embarrassing loss and mostly at home.   There is nothing better to heal the team and a fan base is a big win over a named opponent.    Michigan won't see the same team that played at Minnesota last week, they will see a motivated squad that will be desperate for a win. 

Tale of the Tape  

Michigan Offense vs Iowa D = Denard and Fitz

Iowa Passing vs Michigan's Secondary = The Count and TWolf

Iowa Running Game vs Michigan Linebackers = Marcus Coker

Intangibles = Pink locker room, home field and bad loss last week

Coaching = Push (Greg Mattison sent his son to play for Iowa)

On paper Michigan has the better team and I actually like Michigan's pass defense a little bit better with The Count and JT Floyd at the corners and Troy at Safety.   Kovacs is the much better run stopper and I hope he is healthy, but if I had to guess he probably will be out. 

Iowa's game plan will be a balanced one.  They will want to be physical and throw to the tight ends and WR McNutt down the field.  Their offense is based off the Big Ten's leading rusher Marcus Coker who is a big physical back.   Iowa plays well at home and will be looking to score a ton of points to protect a pretty weak defense up front. 

Sing Hail to the Victors if..........................

• The Michigan Defense can stop the run
• The Michigan offense keeps drives alive with short accurate passes
• Denard and Fitz each have over 100 yards
• Michigan has no more then 1 turnover on offense
• Michigan slows McNutt and limits big plays

Say, how did this team lose to Minnesota if............

• The Michigan linebackers lose contain on runs and forgets to cover the tight ends.
• Al Borges starts calling crazy plays from the press box 
• Iowa's defense is much improved from their performance last week
• The pink locker room and the 11:00AM local start causes the Wolverines to sleep walk

I don't like this game at all.  I could see a ton of things happening from a Michigan blow out to a Michigan loss.   Big Ten teams have played terrible on the road this year and Iowa got embarrassed last week with a loss to the worst team in the league.   Michigan might have played their most complete game of the year last week but will that translate to Iowa City?  Michigan's defense has played well against the run this year and is the one of thing that Coach Mattison and Hoke stresses with the defense everyday.    Though when they saw the most balanced offense they have seen in East Lansing they gave up lots of yards on the ground.    Iowa has a balanced offense but was stopped last week by Minnesota.    This is crazy!   Time to prove Michigan is one of the better teams in the Big Ten and it doesn't matter where they play the game.  Flush the last three years down the toilet and don't beat yourself.  Denard had a chance to beat Iowa at Iowa his freshman year and threw a pick on the last drive.  He hasn't forgot that and will finish the job this year.  Look for big games from Woolfolk, Demens and Martin on defense - Denard, Fitz and Hemingway on offense.   

Michigan 28 Iowa 21

GO BLUE

I'm not Hoking: The Big Ten Doesn't hire Big Name Coaches

I will be the first to admit that in early January, I made statements like: "You don't fire Rich Rodriguez to hire Brady Hoke".   At the time, that hire didn't make much sense to me.  Why would you bring in a guy that had limited success at Ball State and San Diego State to replace a guy that has lead his team to BCS Bowls and was one win/a QB's hand a way from the National Championship game?  Brady's name wasn't in the same class as a Jim Harbaugh, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, etc.

I will also have to admit that I was wrong and that Brady has impressed me so far in building his staff, keeping players (mostly Denard), and recruiting hard to finish the 2011 class and the momentum he has built for the 2012 class.  The proof will be on the field but so far so good.

That got me thinking about the Big Ten and hiring Big Name coaches.   I also thought back to when Minnesota fired Tim Brewster during the 2010 Season.  The Minnesota AD stood up in front of reporters and said he wanted to make a Tubby Smith type hire for his football program.   Which means he wanted a big name coach to run his football program.  They hired Jerry Kill from Northern Illinois.   Not exactly Vince Lombardi was it? 

So what about other Big Ten Programs?  Let's start with that school down south.

Ohio State:  Jim Tressel was hired in 2001 to replace John Copper.  Jim had spent a couple of years in the 80's coaching Ohio State's QB's and WR's but in 2001 was the head coach of Youngstown State for 14 years.   Jim was very successful at his current job but was he ready to lead the Buckeyes?  I think we all now know the answer to that question but could you imagine Michigan hiring the Grand Valley's Head Coach?  At the time that was a pretty risky hire that worked out well for the Buckeyes.

Purdue:  Back in 1997 Purdue needed a new coach after they had let go Jim Colletto and hired Joe Tiller from Wyoming.  Joe had spent 6 years at Wyoming with a 39-30 record and was coming off a good year where they finished 10-2 and #22 in the both polls.  Joe ended up at Purdue for 12 years and retired after the 2008 season and was replaced by Danny Hope who was on staff.   Danny had been on staff at Purdue for 1 year as the Assistant HC and OL coach.  Danny had spent 5 years as Eastern Kentucky's head coach before joining Purdue, he was 35-22 at EKU.

Indiana has tried to find lighting in a bottle with their head coaches.  Back in the day they had coaches with the names you might recognize like Lee Corso (41-68-2), Sam Wyche (1 year 3-8), and  Gerry DiNardo (8-27).  This year they have hired Oklahoma OC for the past 8 years Kevin Wilson, who doesn't have any D1 head coaching experience and has struggled to keep his staff together only being on the job for a few weeks.  Can any coach win at IU?  That is the big question. 

Iowa: Hyden Fry was a Big Ten legend when he retired.  He had been at Iowa from 1979 -1998 with a overall record of 143-98-6.   So in 1999 who did the Hawkeyes turn to?  Baltimore Raven's offensive line coach Kirk Ferentz.  Kirk's only head coaching experience at the time was two years as Maine's head coach.   Before hired at Iowa Kirk had spent 5 years as an OL coach in the NFL.   I would say this Risk = Reward as Kirk is one of the highest paid coaches in college football and has been rumored to been a candidate for a number of NFL jobs and Michigan's last two openings.  Recently, Kirk has had a number of off field issues with his players. 

Wisconsin:  Does any of these names ring a bell?  1986 - Jim Hilles, 1987-1989 - Don Morton?  Those were the two coaches before Barry Alvarez was hired.  Barry was Notre Dame's DC for 2 years before taking the Wisconsin job.  Barry had spent 7 years as Iowa's LB coach before moving to ND to coach the LB's for 1 year and then 2 as the DC.   Barry moved to Wisconsin's AD position in 2006 and Brett Bielema took over.  Brett was on Barry's staff for 2 years has his DC coming over from Kansas State where he was the DC for 2 years as well.  I guess Wisconsin likes those 2 year DC's.

Penn State: Does not hire new head coaches.  They have had the same head coach for 44 years.

Michigan State:  We all know that Nick Saban spent 5 years in East Lansing but his coaching success came after he left the Spartans.  Since Nick left the program in 1999 the Spartans have struggled to find it's next head coach.  Bobby Williams was there for 3 years, then John L. Smith for 4 and now Mark Dantonio.  Mark came to State from the University of Cincinnati where he spent two years has head coach with a 18-17 record.  Before UC Mark was the DC at OSU for 2 years and before that 5 years as MSU's DB coach.

Illinois has probably the closest "Big Name Hire" outside of Rich Rodriguez when they hired Ron Zook who was just fired as Florida's head man in 2007.   Illinois must like Ron's because Zook replaced Turner.  Ron Zook has had an up and down stint at Illinois with an overall record of 28-45 (really?) with one Rose Bowl appearance which was a 49-17 loss to USC.   Before Ron took over at Florida he was the New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator for 2 years.

Northwestern:  Sadly, Randy Walker (former head coach of Miami of Ohio) died unexpectedly in June 2006 of a heart attack.  At the time, Northwestern hired LB coach and recruiting coordinator Pat Fitzgerald as it's head coach.  We all know Pat was a famous LB for Northwestern but his coaching experience before joining NW included 1 year as Maryland's LB coach, 1 year as Colorado's LB coach, and 1 year as Idaho's LB coach.   Pat was NW's LB coach for 5 years before took the head coaching job.

Minnesota:  Had some famous named coaches that didn't stay very long.  Names all Michigan fans will remember like: Fitz Crisler 1930-31 he had a 10-7 record and  Lou Holtz for another 2 year stint from 84-85.  Lou went 10-12 in two years.  Recently, Glen Mason was the Golden Gophers coach for 10 years and a 64-57 record.  I guess Glen's record wasn't good enough and they hired Tim Brewster in 2007.  Before Minnesota Tim was the TE coach for the Denver Broncos, before that he was the TE coach for the Chargers.  His college experience came in 1998-2001 as Texas's TE coach and 87-89 as North Carolina's TE coach.  I'm not a coaching expert but it seems to be this guy is a good TE coach.   After Minnesota fired their good TE coach, they hired Jerry Kill from Northern Illinois who was 10-3 in MAC last year.  Jerry has been the head coach of Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and now Minnesota.

So to net it out, it seems Big Ten coaches who are successful and who are not successful usually don't come from other Big Time programs as head coaches.   It also seems some of the more successful hires were assistant coaches (at some point) at the programs they now run.

We all know Bo was from Miami of Ohio and the rest of Michigan's hires were internal before RR.   So maybe the Brady Hoke hire was the perfect fit for Michigan now and long term (the proof will be in his win loss record) and maybe the reason Rodriguez didn't do well at Michigan was because a Big Name + Big Program + Big Ten = Big Problems.

Michigan Friday: Thinks Out Loud

From time to time, I like to post some of my random thoughts on things related to Michigan football.  I usually don't have answers to these thoughts or questions, I just like to share them with the BHB cell mates. 

• Hoke really can recruit.  He has done a tremendous job in two weeks.  I wonder what he will do when he has years to build relationships with these kids.  I wonder what this class would look like if he was hired on 1/2 or even in December. 

• So Michigan got 3 years NCAA probation for not tracking stretching properly before practice and Iowa can send 12 kids to the hospital for overworking their players in off season work outs?  So RR gets thrown under the bus for maybe putting kids in danger (and it was proved he wasn't) and Coach Ferentz gets a free pass?  It seems Kirk Ferentz program really is putting kids in danger and he doesn't even come back from a recruiting trip.  Coach Ferentz has had all types of off season problems almost every year.  He continues to have a good reputation and is one of the highest paid coaches in the country.   Does this make sense to anyone? 

• Why can't Michigan recruit defensive tackles?  They have needed DT's for the past 3 years.

• Yes, $3M does come with access.  No you should haven't a say in which coach is hired, but you probably want to take his email or phone call about the head coach.   If I invest $3M in a pubic company, I get vote not the final say.   Al Glick gave Michigan millions for the new field house and he was watching tape with RR during the week.  I'm betting Nike founder Phil Knight has something to say about Oregon's coaches.  In fact, I know he does.  Millions = Access

• Tate Forcier did not transfer from Michigan - he was thrown out of the program.  Big difference.

• Was RR the last big name NCAA football coach to change jobs in college?  It seems everyone goes away from the big names these days. 

• I know hindsight is 20/20 but as we sit today, I am so much happier with the hire of Hoke over Miles. 

• What is the deal with West Virgina coaches that come to Michigan and do well against non-conference opponents but stink up the Big Ten season?  Edit: So the win over MSU last night helped this a little bit.  A little bit.

• How awkward is it going to be when SDSU plays at the Big House next season?  What if WVU was on the schedule to play Michigan the year after RR was hired?

• I sure hope some of the DB's in the 2011 class turn into a safeties and not linebackers.  That was a disturbing trend under RR.

• Two guys I expect to see more playing time from next year are Big Will Campbell and RB Mike Cox.  

Michigan Coaching Search Day 3: What the Hell is Going On Out There?

That is my emotion right now.  First David Brandon fired Michigan's high profile coach with out having another head coach signed up.  Then he cancels the official recruiting weekend that was due to kick off today.  Now he is starting a coaching search in early January when Michigan's head coach should be finishing up his recruiting class, not filling out his W4 form.

Here is the latest:

Jim Harbaugh - reports was he was expected to sign a contract with the Dolphins and now that isn't happening.   Reports now are saying that he is expected to either stay with Stanford or go to the 49ers.  What the hell is happening here?  He turned down $7M plus to coach the Dolphins?  Now he may get over $5M from Stanford?  He doesn't want to coach in the NFL now?  This is crazy stuff.  There is a book that could be written on the happenings with Jim between Monday and Friday of this week.

Pat Fitzgerald - seems to been a candidate but now he isn't.  Wants to stay in his home town and coach his college football team the Northwestern Wildcats.  Ok, I get that but its too bad.

Brady Hoke - is just wanting for the call to jump on a plane. 

Bo Pelini - likes to tie his name to every major opening so he can get a raise from Nebraska. 

Les Miles - probably won't know if Michigan contacted him or not.  He is also preparing to play in the Cotton Bowl (when do they play that game?  Sometime in February? - It's actually tonight)

Gary Patterson - No News

Kirk Ferentz - please! his entire team was just busted for selling pot.  I have heard that most of the team was involved in the "ring".

David Brandon basically has this weekend to name a new head coach.  If it goes beyond this weekend,  Michigan is in huge trouble with this recruiting class.   Hell, if gets past this weekend you might has well just hire Gary Moeller for a year. (that is a joke)

This search right now looks like a huge "cluster".  I might not even order Domino's Pizza this weekend!

The Army All American Bowl which was set up to be a big recruiting day for Michigan, now is highly in doubt.   Here are a list of guys that had some Michigan interest at some point in their recruitment:  Blake Countess, Dee Hart, Kris Frost, Sammy Watkins, Avery Walls, Wayne Lyons, Ray Drew, DeAnthony Arnett, and Lamar Dawson.

Big Ten Weekend Preview Week #9

Wow, nine weeks sure do fly bye when your having fun.   When I previewed the season, I got a couple of things right like Iowa losing at Arizona and Wisconsin beating Ohio State.  I also go a lot wrong like saying MSU would go .500 this year.   I thought they would lose to Michigan and Wisconsin but they have gotten through both games. So how will they do this week?

Big Ten Game of Week:

Michigan State at Iowa:  The Hawkeyes had it's table set for a Big Ten Championship with it's win in Ann Arbor and home games against: Wisconsin, MSU, and OSU.  Well, something strange happened on the way to dinner table and Kirk Ferentz went Les Miles and miss managed the clock and cost his team at a shot at least overtime.  After the Michigan game, MSU has struggled against Illinois and Northwestern before pulling both games out late.  The BCS has MSU ranked #5 but some folks are still not buying the Spartans.  You can put "Vegas" in that category and has the Spartans all most a touchdown underdog (6.5) in this game.    This is a put up or shut up game for the Spartans.  If they win this game they will win the Big Ten and go un-defeated this year.  Could Sparty really play for the BCS Championship?  Nope.   Iowa 31  MSU 21


The other games:

Northwestern at Indiana:  I think Northwestern is a decent Big Ten football team and should of had a win over Sparty last week.  Every year Michigan makes IU look really good and then they fall apart.  I was very surprised how they laid down at Illinois last week.  I am off the IU band wagon. NW is a 3 point favorite.  Northwestern 42 IU 28

Purdue at Illinois:  At the beginning of the year, I expected Purdue to be playing pretty good football by now and Illinois heading for a last place finish in the Big Ten.  Well, they have reserved roles and Purdue doesn't have any healthy QB's and Ron Zook is saving his job at Illinois, who has been the surprise of the Big Ten this year (outside of Sparty).  Ron's boys are a 17 point favorite in this game.   This game won't be close either.  Illinois 28 Purdue 7

Ohio State at Minnesota:  How is this a prime time game?  The TV executives whiffed on this one.   This is a match up between the most talented team in the Big Ten vs the least talented team in the Big Ten.  It won't be close.  OSU is favored by 25 points.   OSU 42 Minnesota 10


Wisconsin has a bye week.

I will preview the Michigan at Penn State game on Friday.

What I learned this Weekend

I think we all know there is a curse on being the #1 team in the nation.  3 weeks in a row the #1 team in the nation goes down.  Besides that here is what I learned this weekend.

Put a Tent on that Team?  Can someone explain to me what is going on with Michigan State this year?  They are winning games on fake field goals in overtime, going down 17-0 and faking punts, juggling catches for touchdowns.   What's next?  Statue of Liberty? They are expected to be #5 in the BCS standings later today.  I don't know if they are BCS contenders (they did beat Wisconsin) or Barnum and Bailey.  If State beats Iowa next week it's all downhill  from there.

Les Miles Timex Award:  Goes to Iowa's Kirk Ferentz when he called his last timeout with 12 seconds left down by 3, in field goal range, after they had a first down.  The play was to spike the ball and try one shot to win the game in the end zone.  The next play the ball was completed in bounds and the game was over.

Iowa's D is a bit Over-rated:  After giving up 500+ yards to the Wolverines a week ago, Iowa struggled at stopping Wisconsin yesterday and gave up 347 total yards.

Wisconsin's Defensive Backs:  Are physical but not really fast.  When Michigan plays them they should focus on passing the ball and trying to beat those DB's deep.  Wisconsin's D is pretty good against the run.

Demar Dorsey Trivia Question:  What does Demar and UConn have in common?  Both teams he signed with this year have wins over UConn (Michigan and Louisville).

What's Michigan's best win this year? I'm not sure.  This weekend: ND got beat by Navy, UConn gets shut out by Syracuse, UMass loses 39-13 to New Hampshire, IU gets embarrassed by Illinois, Bowling Green lost 30-6 to Kent State.   Every team Michigan beat this year lost this weekend.  

Illinois is for real:  One thing I really hate is that we make IU look good every year and they they just implode.  Happen last year, happening again this year.   Illinois beat IU yesterday 43-13.   Michigan will have to play well to beat Illinois when they come to the Big House.  Looks like Zook has saved his job.


Purdue isn't:  If RR can't beat Purdue this year, he should resign.  Going 0-3 vs Purdue the last 3 years would be criminal in my book.  I know it's at Purdue this year but Michigan should and needs to win this game by a lot!


Who will Michigan see at QB for Penn State?  Michigan high school star Robert Bolden suffered a concussion (we believe) against Minnesota on Saturday.  His status for next week is still unclear.  Kevin Newsome a former Michigan verbal commitment is also on Penn State but maybe 3rd string at this point with
Matt McGloin coming in for the injured Bolden.

Oregon is good.  Real Good.  If they don't make the NC game I'm afraid what they would do to a Big Ten team in the Rose and yes, I understand Ohio State beat them in the Rose Bowl last year.    Honestly, does State really want to play Oregon in the Rose?  I'm guessing no.

Isn't it strange that both Iowa and Michigan have two losses?

Michigan - Iowa Preview

Time: 8:00 PM EST
TV: ABC
Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City
Weather: 38 degrees with rain in the afternoon
Line: Michigan +8


Iowa has been a unique team this year. They should have lost to a D1AA Northern Iowa week one put blocked two field goals in the final seconds. They then go to Happy Valley and beat a top 10 Penn State team in their own house. Then last week, they come back home and beat Arkansas State a Sun Belt team (which sounds more like a fashion accessory then a football conference) by 3 points. Either way you slice it, Iowa is sitting at 5-0 at the top the Big Ten Standings. (No wonder Lloyd Carr liked Kirk Ferentz so much, that is exactly how Carr's Michigan teams played)

Iowa this year has been doing it with defense, which really doesn't have a weakness. They have a strong defensive line and aggressive defensive backs. If you remember, what turned the Penn State game was the defense creating turnovers and scoring off a fumble return.

Iowa defense has been strong but the offense has been inconsistent. Ricky Stanzi, Iowa's QB has been getting off to slow starts this year and almost gave Arkansas State a win last week with a late pick 6. He has thrown 8 touchdowns this year with 7 picks.

Michigan we all know too well. The running game that has been electric the first 4 weeks hit the skids last week with a total of 28 yards. Michigan's right side of it's offense line decided to take the day off and not block anyone and Tate Forcier was rushed into quick and sometime poor throws. The running backs didn't gain any thing and the rushing yardage mostly came from Tate's scrambles late in the game. Michigan's WR also had trouble catching the ball with 4 or 5 drops that killed drives.

Michigan's defense on the other hand, played a "bend but don't break" defense effectively most of the day, only allowing State 20 points in regulation and shutting down State's running back attack.

Key's to the Game:

- Michigan's O Line vs Iowa's D Line: This is a mis-match in Iowa's favor. Can Michigan pass protect or get running lanes for the running backs? If the answer is no, it's a long day for the Michigan offense.


-Michigan's D needs to stand tall. The Michigan D needs to play it's best game of the year and create turnovers and short fields for the Offense. Michigan will have trouble with 80-90 yard drives.


-The Weather, it will be cold in Iowa with a wet track from a day of rain. I hope the Florida kids are ready for this.


I hope it's not that cold at Kinnick Stadium at Kickoff!


Mix another drink if:

• Iowa's Defense Dominates


• Michigan thinks it's 38 degrees Celsius


• Michigan can't run the ball


• Michigan's offense line continues to struggle with out Molk


• Snaps are flying around the yard


• Michigan's defense bends and breaks

Sing "Hail to the Victors" if:

• Michigan has 200 yards on the ground


• Tate continue to play great and throws for 200


• Michigan's Defense can stop the run and put pressure on Stanzi


• Minor is 100% healthy and runs angry


• The Michigan D gets 3 or more turnovers

It seems Michigan will be with out two of it's weapons on Saturday. David Molk at center and Carlos Brown at running back (a home run threat). If Michigan is going to win this game, Forcier can't make freshman mistakes the the Michigan D has to shut down the Iowa offense. I said, last week that Michigan needed to go 1-1 on this road trip. They are now 0-1 after losing in OT to State last week. This could be a difficult night for the Wolverines: Iowa 21 Michigan 10 (don't listen to me Wolverines go out and play your ass off!)

GO BLUE!

Big House Thursday: Recruiting Update and Police Blotter

Many recruiting insiders believe Brennan Clay was a long shot to leave the west coast, Rivals and the USA Today have a different take on Michigan's chances to land Tate Forcier's former teammate: But many believe Clay will join Forcier at Michigan, and Clay is trying to find a way to attend the Wolverines' spring game this weekend.

"We are trying to figure everything out economically right now, but I'm really hoping I can make it there," he said. "Michigan, it's been there from the get-go and it is in my top five. They are definitely going to have a fair shot at me, and I'll be able to visit out there sooner or later."


Tate, is he any good? "Brennan and I are very close friends, so I have no problem saying he was one of the biggest reasons our offense was so explosive," Forcier said last fall before ending up at Michigan. "He's the real deal."

• In a dumb move, the Alamo Bowl will be played after January 1st on January 2nd. Now the Big Ten can compete against that bowl game in Canada. I don't know about you but they just keep making the bowl system soooo much better, I really don't think I have a need for a playoff system now. I wonder when we will get the first February Bowl Game? Maybe it could be in Florida and fans could watch a college football game and then a baseball spring training game. How can the people that run these conferences and Bowl games be so out of touch of what people what to see?

• Do you think Forcier has the starting job locked up? Here is what RR had to say on the radio on Wednesday: "(Freshman quarterback) Tate (Forcier) has been taking all the reps with the first group. I think it's good for him and it's helped in his development," Rodriguez said. "But we're going to be a lot more comfortable in August with (injured QB) Nick (Sheridan) coming back (to compete for the starting job)."
  


• Newly commited Wolverine Devin Gardner says he is going to help recruit some in-state talent: "I'll talk to Will Gholston (Detroit Southeastern) and Dior Mathis (Detroit Cass Tech). I'm going to try to get those guys because they're in-state. (C.J.) Olaniyan (Warren Mott) is a real good player. I don't know him, but that would be a real good pick up for Michigan, too." He is also trying to improve on his QB skills by attending some camps: He plans to further his development by heading to a number of skill camps this summer, including the one put on by Peyton and Eli Manning. "I don't know much about it, but I know that Matthew Stafford and (a number of other quarterbacks) all went to it," Gardner said.
  

• Michigan WR Darryl Stonum was sentenced to probation for his DUI last fall.
  


• Speaking of DUI's: Since Leon Hall is a Cincinnati Bengal, I guess it was only a matter of time before he got one. Which he did.
  


• SI Ranks RR #2 in Big Ten Coaches. Which I agree with, but Tressel should be #1 in what he has accomplished. Not Kirk Ferentz.
  

Fast Friday Michigan Update

• Top College Sports Town: Forbes.com ran an article listing the top college sports towns and Ann Arbor came up #1. Of course it is!



• Michigan Basketball: Remember the must win that didn't happen on Tuesday, well Michigan plays Northwestern this Sunday and of course it's a must (fill in the blank). Tip is at 3:00 BTN



• 2010 Slot WR Recruit: From Pahokee, Florida, De'Joshua Johnson, doesn't have Michigan in his top 5. He is listing WVU, Miami, Florida State, South Florida, and Alabama.



• Kirk Ferentz signed a new 7 year deal.



• Steve Stripling: Don't be fooled by hair replacement guy with the tag line "I'm not just the President, I'm a client". This is the former U of M Defensive Line coach under Lloyd Carr. Steve has taken a job with RR's close friend Butch Davis at Central Michigan as their associate head coach-defense and Defensive Back coach. Here is a picture of Steve, maybe he should call the "other" Steve. Never mind.

• Dugan's Brother: Dan Fife is the head basketball coach at IPFW and is only 29. You might remember Dan when he played at Indiana.

• The State of Michigan is loaded with Dual Threat QB's in the class of 2010. The headliner has been Devin Gardner but Robert Bolden might have something to say about that. Robert is also 6"4 200lbs. Here is what an analyst from Scouts had to say about Robert: "He's very smooth and polished," said Scout.com Midwest analyst Allen Trieu. "You watch him on his drops and his release, and it's very effortless. He probably has the best mechanics of any quarterback in the state. He's a good athlete that can run, but I like that he prefers to be in the pocket." "Bolden is more polished than Gardner or Boisture," Trieu continued, "but he has a different style from both of them. Gardner is more of a true dual-threat and Boisture is more of a gunner." Robert does hold an offer from The University of Michigan.

• Per Mgoblog and Varsity Blue: Here are the numbers for the already enrolled freshman: "Big Will" Campbell #73, Vlad Emilien #5, Tate Forcier #5, Mike Jones #27, Brandin Hawthorne #7, and Anthony LaLota #90. (you can have duplicate numbers, they just can't be on the field at the same time)

Big 10 Weekend Preview and Picks: Final Season Edition

How time flies by. It seems like yesterday we were previewing the season. Now it's the final weekend of the Big Ten season and a couple teams have played well but most of the Big Ten has been a disappointment.

So with out further adieu, here is this weeks Big Ten Match up and Picks (I know you all will miss this regular feature)......................

Indiana at Purdue: Both team are pretty bad and have an identical record at 3-8. This will be Joe Tiller's last game as head mustache at Purdue. Hopefully, the Purdue fans will pack the stadium and give him one last "Boiler Up" cheer as he walks off the field for the last time. Purdue is a 12 point favorite in this one. I think it's a bit closer then that. Purdue 21 IU 13

Cal Poly at Wisconsin: Are you kidding me? Is this August or November? I'm sure the boys from Cal Poly will love the late November weather in Madison. I had to look up Cal Poly to see how they are doing this year. They are 8-1! with their only loss coming at the hands of Montana by 2 points. The Badgers better be on upset alert on this one. I can't find a line on this one. So if Vegas doesn't have a clue, how can I? Wisconsin got it's 6th win last weekend but wants 7 to secure a Bowl. Wisconsin 24 Cal Poly 21

Illinois at Northwestern: What happened to Juice and Zook? They were in the Rose Bowl last year and were making pre-Season noise like they were going to compete against Penn State and Ohio State for the Big Ten Championship. They are 5-6 and coming off losses against Western Michigan and Ohio State. They need one more win just to qualify for a Bowl. On the other hand, Northwestern snuck out of Ann Arbor with a snowy win last weekend 21-14 where they didn't play very well but got the W anyway. I think this will be a very cold snowy Chicago game where there will be lots of running and not much throwing. Vegas has NW favored by 3. I think Juice can win this game by himself. Illinois 14 Northwestern 6

Iowa at Minnesota: Iowa is riding high after beating #3 ranked Penn State and Purdue the last two weeks. Minnesota is ridding low with 3 losses in a row to Northwestern, Michigan, and Wisconsin. I guess the turn around in Gopher land is not yet complete, but Kirk Ferentz might have turned the corner with his Hawkeyes. Iowa is playing the much better football at this point in the season in this match up of Big Ten bowl eligible teams. Iowa is favored by 6 in this one.

Iowa 31 Minnesota 21

The Big Ten Game of the Week:

#15 Michigan State vs #8 Penn State: Sparty has been reading their press clipping on how good they are. Even their coach is rumored to be a candidate for the Tennessee and Clemson openings. Mark Dantonio even said this week he is rooting for Ohio State to beat Michigan. Which makes zero sense, because if Michigan beat OSU and Michigan State beat Penn State, his Spartans would be going to the Rose Bowl. Again, it amazes me how stupid some people can be when it comes to a rival. I hope he stays at MSU, because you can see he is not very bright.

Penn State shook off the loss to Iowa and beat Indiana last week. Which is good for Penn State and not so good for Sparty. Michigan State had a better chance to upset JoPa and the boys after their Iowa hang over but they were off last week resting for this match up.

If Penn State wins they go to the Rose Bowl

If Penn State loses and OSU wins. OSU goes to the Rose Bowl

If both lose: Michigan State goes to the Rose Bowl

Michigan State is way over rated and Penn State has a lot of line with a Rose Bowl bid and potentially JoPa's final home game. Vegas has Penn State a two touchdown favorite (14.5). So Vegas isn't buying Sparty either. Penn State 41 Michigan State 14

The Michigan - Ohio State game will be previewed on Friday.

What if?

With Michigan knee deep in water from Bill Martin's sailboat over flowing last December, we felt pretty bad about getting a good quality coach. To Bill's credit he pulled a rabbit out of the hat and got one of the top flight coaches in Division 1.

We all know, how the last few weeks have gone and for all of you that thought Michigan was going to the Rose Bowl this year, take some smelling salts and call me in the morning.

With that said, it's always fun to look back and see how some of the known candidates are doing this year with their current teams.

1. Les Miles: We all know what happened with this mess. But Les continues to impress with his "damn good football team" and his "large stones" when it comes to decision making. He continues to win games with his "risky but rewarding" coaching style and has his team ranked #4 in the country 4-0 and heading into a showdown with Florida this weekend. Coaching Stock: Way UP!

2. Greg Schiano: Greg was offered the Michigan job and for some reason turned it down to stay at Rutgers. Many believe he wants to replace JoPa at Penn State. Like that would be a good reason to turn down the Michigan job? Rutgers this year has been one of the biggest disappointments in D1 and is currently 1-4 (with a win over Morgan State) and things don't look good with Cincinnati this week and other good teams still left on the schedule. His QB punched a WR on the sideline and things seem to be going down hill quickly. Coaching Stock: is Way Down

3. Kirk Ferentz: Kirk was believed to be Lloyd's first choice to replace him at Michigan. He makes a ton of money at Iowa and had a ton of off field issues with his current players. Kirk's team this year has played hard but they missed a big opportunity to upset Michigan State last week with a very weak 4th down call. Coaching Stock: Down

4. Brady Hoke: Brady was always a plan B or C for the Michigan job, but as things look this year should have been near the top of the list. Brady has his Ball State team ranked for the first time in history with a 6-0 record and sights on running the table. Look for Brady to get a big D1 job next year. My guess is Syracuse with Lloyd having some sort of involvement. Coaching Stock: Way UP!

5. Jim Grobe: Jim has has a good year at Wake Forest and just beat Clemson last night. His team is ranked #21 with 4 wins to 1 loss (a bad loss to Navy). Jim continues to impress and is considered one of the best coaches in the ACC. Wake is considered one of the best teams in a down the ACC this year. Coaching Stock: UP


So with everything all said and done, Michigan should still feel pretty good about the coach they hired. Les would have been a good choice, but not sure Michigan could have solved the "rock and the hard place" he was in. The one person Bill publicly offered the job to, turns out is having he worst year. Brady who was every ones last pick, might have been a pretty good choice after all and will end up at a major program soon!

Big 10 Weekend Previews and Picks

Time for your favorite feature of the week! Ok, but is it in your top 10?

What does the Big 11 have in store for us this week? Last week highlights include a lot of yards by a "Beverage in the Big House", "Pryor's Punch Out" of the declining Badgers , and "Ferentz Follies" as he blows a chance for Iowa to upset MSU in East Lansing.

So what does this week have in store for us? Is it excting games like The Red River Shoot Out or LSU vs Florida. Not exactly. But hey this is Big Ten Country and we like it this way!


Iowa at Indiana: A classic Big Ten Network Television event (what would we do if we didn't see this game? I guess watch Michigan Game during the same time..my bad). Both teams are coming off road losses. Iowa stopped Javon Ringer all day and had a chance to win the game, when they called a sweep on 4th and 1 that went for -5 yards. Indiana went to Minnesota and lost a thrilling 16-7 game. So what does this showdown have in store for us? Iowa is a 5+ favorite on the road and is the better team. Iowa 17 IU 10

Minnesota at Illinois: The poor Gophers have had some tough road games this year in Big Ten play, first they go to Columbus and now to Champlain. Illinois might have a let down after the Juice ran wild against Michigan, but Zook and company will wake them up soon enough to sneak away with a victory. Minnesota is getting 11 points in this one and will need everyone of those. Juice 31 Minnesota 14

Purdue at #12 Ohio State: This is Joe Tiller's last trip to Columbus and his team is just like every other Joe Tiller Purdue team. Their "Heisman Candidate" got benched last week in a loss to Penn State. (I'm pretty sure you have to be a starter to win the Heisman - someone wake Geno Torretta and ask him!). Ohio State came off a nice win in Madison where TP ran for a last minute touchdown. Vegas thinks Purdue is a joke by giving them 18.5 points. I happened to agree. OSU 34 Purdue 13

#6 Penn State at Wisconsin: Back to Back night games in Madison for Wisconsin with back to back top 15 opponents. Wisconsin must love the people in the Big Ten office who put the schedule out for Michigan, OSU, and PSU all back to back to back. Will Wisconsin go 0-3 in these games? The answer is yes. Part of me wants to say no and talk about things like Penn State hasn't had a difficult road game yet and Wisconsin will play hard and hand PSU a road upset but I just don't see it happening with the vanilla Wisconsin game plan. PSU is a 6 point favorite in this one. PSU 20 Wisconsin 17


Big Ten Game of the Week:

#23 Michigan State at Northwestern: Some of you might be surprised that I didn't pick PSU vs Wisky? Well, this match up is much more important since both teams are un-defeated in Big Ten Play. In fact, Northwestern hasn't lost a game all year! MSU is not going to fool anyone with their game plan: Run Ringer and Play Tough D. Northwestern is going to have to mix the pass and the run to keep the Michigan State D off balance. MSU does not want an shoot out, Northwestern does. Vegas has MSU favored by a field goal. This could be a close game. MSU 27 Northwestern 21


Michigan's match up vs Toledo will be previewed on Friday.

Big Ten Preview and Picks Week 5

The cupcakes are gone and everyone is happy and fat for the regular Big Ten season. Well, not everyone. The Wolverines are 1-2 the Buckeyes are 2-1 but still hurting from the trip to L.A..

So it's time to see who the real Big Ten teams are as conference play begins. There are some interesting match-ups in week one. Including Purdue vs (Big Ten want-to-be or should be) Notre Dame.

Let's get to the games:

Minnesota at #14 OSU: The golden gophers are 4-0, yes the Gophers are 4-0 and not the Buckeyes. Which seems to be a surprise but really it isn't. Minnesota's toughest non-conference game was also in the state of Ohio against a pretty good Bowling Green team. (I will be driving by BGSU on Friday does anyone want a T-shirt or a starbucks?) Well, OSU isn't BGSU and "little Beanie" seems to back for this game. So expect a lot of this from the radio announcer: "Pryor hands off to Beanie, Beanie scrambles for 7 yards". This game should be re-named the Glen Mason Bowl (OSU want is wrong with you? He should be your head coach right now!) Is Minnesota for real this year? Vegas doesn't think so and is making OSU an 18 favorite. Still, TP is 3 throws away from an upset. Minn 14 OSU 28 (is it me or does the Big Ten Network have OSU on just about every week? - Glen Mason and the BTN that is, another Glen tie in!)

Northwestern at Iowa: As I have been saying in this blog, I think the Northwestern program will make strides this year at becoming a solid football program. I think Iowa is heading in the other direction with all their off the field problems. Coach Ferentz was cleared of any wrong doing in one of those crimes this past week. These are two teams with similar skill levels so the advantage has to go to the home team. Vegas likes Iowa at home as an 8.5 favorite. I tend to think this game will be low scoring and close. NW 10 Iowa 14

Michigan State and Indiana: MSU is coming off a big win against another Indiana team from South Bend, IU just got beat by another Indiana team Ball State. Lot's of football in Indiana! MSU is the better team but sometimes doesn't show up for road games. Ringer will run wild against the IU defense. I expect him to have a 200 yard day. MSU 24 IU 9 (IU is getting 8.5 at home)

Purdue at ND: Did I mention something about football in Indiana? Here it is again. It must be some type of rule you have to play at least 2 teams from this state every season. ND had a nice win over Michigan, then got beat by MSU. Purdue had a tough loss to Oregon and then followed it up with a win over new rival Central Michigan at home. Purdue gets to play ND, PSU, and OSU in a row. How Fun! If Purdue doesn't go "Michigan" and turn the ball over a 100 times, they should win this game. Purdue 31 ND 21 (Purdue is a 3 pt favorite)

Big Ten Game of the Week:

#22 Illinois at #12 Penn State: Who is for real in this one? Penn State has played St. Judy for the Blind in all their non-conference games and Illinois has played a tough Mizzu team. Penn State as a lot of momentum going in to this game and it's ABC Saturday Night game of the week, so expect some type of "White Out" for this one. Illinois hasn't impressed me and feel they are way over rated. Penn State has been impressive against terrible opponents. Vegas has PSU a two touchdown favorite and I agree with them. Zook's 13 JoPa's 28

The Michigan - Wisconsin game preview will be on this same bat station on Friday.

What did ND get when they hired Charlie Weis?

The recent Michigan coaching search is still fresh in our minds. Talk about a roller-coaster; It was a Michigan Man, then it was at Rutgers Man, after that who was left? At the time it looked like maybe Kirk Ferentz (who is now on the hot seat) or even the Ball State Head Coach. Yikes! It seemed Sailboat Bill had little to no options when he pulled Rich "the Rabbit" Rodriguez out of his hat. Problem solved - all forgotten.

Ohio State had similar problems before they hired "the vest". Looking back, that was a pretty big risk giving the Ohio State head coaching job to the head coach of Youngstown State. It would have been similar to Michigan hiring the Grand Valley head coach. That risk paid off and Tressel has done quite well for himself.

One of the worst coaching searches in history had to be the Notre Dame search after George "the resume" O'Leary left the program. They interviewed and supposedly offered the job to everyone from Lombardi to Ditka. Many high profile coaches in college and pro turned down the job in South Bend. Even the Lions, Steve Mariucci turned it down. (Steve you want to re-think that now?). ND finally settled on the Offensive Genius of the New England Patriots, Charlie Weis. At the time, I thought it was a great hire. Charlie was a ND grad and was winning Super Bowl on what seemed like a yearly basis. Here was a guy that wanted the job and was one of the hottest coaching prospects in the NFL.

With what we know now, would you consider that a good hire? I think Charlie has proved he is a good recruiter, I also think Charlie can X and O against anyone. But that maybe it. We know now that the Patriots "were reading the other teams mail". Which meant, Charlie knew what was coming. It's pretty easy to ace the test when you know the questions.

Charlie is skilled at taking professional athletes and putting them in the proper position to make successful plays. This is the part that doesn't translate to college football. In college you have to be able to see that a running back is a step slow but would make a good Linebacker. You have to see that your speedy WR will never see the field and turn him into a cover corner. You also have to take the 3, 4, and 5 star recruits and teach them how to play/excel in their positions. Can Charlie do that?

I think this is one area Tressel does very well in. AJ Hawk was a 3 star linebacker from outside of Dayton that he turned into a top NFL first round draft pick.

We also know that RR over achieved with his recruiting classes at WVU. Does Charlie have that skill?

Here is what we know so far:

• 2007 Final Record 3-9
• Most Losses in Notre Dame History in a Season
• Longest Home Losing Streak (6)
• 2 of the Programs Top 10 Worst Losses (38-0 to Michigan and USC)
• Lost to Two Military Academy's in 1 season for first time since 1944
• Notre Dame has lost their last 9 Bowl Appearances
• Over their last 9 Bowl losses they have averaged a deficit of 17 points

You make the call if this was a good hire or not. Maybe it's too early to tell but I don't think the ND faithful is going to take too many more 3-9 seasons before they find a way to get out of that 10 year contract extension.

The new ND Athletic Director is a lawyer right? Well, that might come in handy.

ND fired George O'Leary for having "a creative resume". With what we know now about Charlie's success at New England, wouldn't you say he had a "creative resume" as well?

Thank Goodness Kirk Ferentz didn't come to Ann Arbor

Would you want to send your son to play for Kirk Ferentz at Iowa right now? I'm guessing no.

The Iowa program is a complete mess at the moment and it seems to be getting worse by the minute.

The Iowa state Board of Regents is planning to have a special meeting this week to address a letter sent to University of Iowa officials by the mother of the alleged victim of the alleged Hillcrest Hall sexual assault involving Iowa football players last fall.

The mother's letter alleges that the Iowa Football program asked her daughter to keep this matter "quiet and in-house".

The two Iowa players involved are Clemmie Jevon Pugh and Abeberell Satterfield.

Warrants for the arrest of Satterfield and Everson were not issued until May 29, more than a week after Mason received the second letter from the mother of the alleged victim. The men later surrendered to authorities. Satterfield has been charged with second- and third-degree sexual abuse. Everson has been charged with, and has pleaded not guilty to, second-degree sexual abuse. Satterfield will plead not guilty, according to his attorney.

The Iowa Program is a complete mess and they are almost averaging an arrest a month. Something has to change and it's hard to believe but Kirk Ferentz job is on the line. This program and case seems very similar to Colorado and Gary Barrnet. Gary very much like Kirk was the toast of the town when he was with Northwestern and now is searching for any program to hire him. Gary could not get past the mess he made at Colorado and Kirk might be heading in that same direction.

Just think for a moment if Michigan had hired Kirk this winter and allegations like this came out (of course this matter happen after Michigan would have hired him), Michigan would have had to fire it's new coach after just hiring him. Not good! There has been a long pattern of questionable activity in Iowa City from players living in government funded homes to a long line of criminal activity.

I'm not saying Kirk was involved in the "keeping quiet" part or that he will lose his job. But something stinks in Iowa City and the captain always goes down with the ship. The Iowa Hawkeye boat is sinking and sinking fast. Kirk might coach like Vince Lombardi but if he doesn't clean up this program, it won't matter one bit.

Just this weekend: Defensive end Riley Reiff, an incoming freshman from South Dakota, was arrested after allegedly leading at least eight Iowa City police officers on a 20-minute foot chase, multiple media outlets reported. The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of public intoxication and interference with official acts.

Do you think Kirk is looking forward to addressing the media this week at the Big Ten Kickoff in Chicago?

Gone Missing: Iowa Hawkeye Athletics

Remember the days when Kirk Frentz was pulling in high profile top 10 recruiting classes? Remember when Iowa was competing for the Rose Bowl every year? Kirk was on the top of every NFL GM's wish list? Iowa was winning wrestling championships every year?

Ok, Wrestling is still strong in Iowa City but the other programs have suffered lately. One example is the Directors Cup which rates each D1 Athletics program nationally. In the Directors Cup point system, a championship in Women's Softball is equal to a championship in Men's Basketball. Michigan as you know finished 3rd behind Stanford (who wins it every year) and UCLA.

Where did Iowa finish? 51 out of 279 D1 Schools.

Iowa was the lowest rated Big Ten Team finishing 11 places lower then Northwestern. Yes, Northwestern. Iowa's highest preforming sports last year were Wrestling (Big 10 and NCAA title) and a Big Ten Tournament Champion Field Hockey team.

Maybe it's just an off year for their Athletic programs? Michigan lost to App. State last year right? Maybe Kirk is doing well in recruiting and rebuilding his program? Let's check it out:

For the 2009 Class: Iowa has two commits: a three star OL and a one star FB. Compared to 12 commits for Michigan and PSU and 23 at OSU. Not Good!

What about the 2008 Class? Rivals ranked them at the 53rd class with no 4 or 5 star recruits: 13 three stars and 11 recruits rated two stars or below.

Iowa finished their 2007 football campaign with a loss to Western Michigan and with out a bowl game. The problems for the football program unfortunately wasn't just on the field, 12 players had legal trouble in 2007 (charges ranging from drug use, theft, and drunk driving).

They open the 2008 campaign against the fighting Maine Bears, Florida International, Iowa State, and Pitt.

Memo to John Wienke and Kirk Ferentz: You both had a chance to become Wolverines in this off season right? You both decided to stay Hawkeyes right? Ok, just checking.

If any of these programs are found please return them to their rightful owners in Iowa City. Good Luck Iowa the Big Ten needs you! (and the Big Ten Network).

Where do the Wolverines Rank in the Draft?

USA Today's Top 100 players in the NFL Draft

4. Jake Long, OT, Michigan, 6-7, 315, 5.08, 1: This two-time Big Ten offensive lineman of the year is best known as a mauler who can power a running lane through the toughest defenders. He uses big hands and aggression to move people in any direction. Long does not have the speed or agility to be a consistent pass protector, so NFL scouts are projecting him as a right tackle. He is a take-charge guy who has the look of a future team captain. Long was a key in the Michigan offense, which averaged 373.5 yards a game in 2007; he registered 119 knockdowns with 18 touchdown-resulting blocks. He led Big Ten blockers with an 87.85% grade for blocking consistency based on coaching grades.

30. Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan, 6-0, 185, 4.48, 1-2: Manningham is a big-play threat with good hands who has excellent burst. He returned quickly from knee surgery in 2006 but didn't really play back to form until last season, when he caught 74 passes for 1,174 yards and a dozen TDs.

33. Chad Henne, QB, Michigan, 6-3, 228, 5.18, 1-2: Henne has excellent drop-and-throw mechanics, especially on three- and five-step drops and possesses an excellent release. Henne set school records with 828 completions on 1,387 pass attempts for 9,715 yards and 87 touchdowns. His senior season was marred by a series of leg, ankle and shoulder injuries, but he was still selected as first team All-Big Ten.

84. Mike Hart RB Michigan 5-09 195 4.57 3

91. Jamar Adams SS Michigan 6-2 209 4.52 3

__________________________________

Lying in bed just like Christian Wilson did....... (and why he picked NC over Michigan)

Erik Cambell former Michigan WR coach likes his new gig at Iowa. This seems to be big news in Iowa.

Being Bill Martin

"He's the lonely man there on the corner, who he is waiting for I don't know. But he waits everyday now, just waiting for that someone to show" - Phil Collins

What's it like being Bill Martin these days? He has to answer to just about everyone on this historic hire for Michigan Football. This is the most important hire since Bo back in 1969. Here are just a few things that Bill has to think about each day.

• His current boss most likely wants her BFF Kirk Ferentz, who she hired at Iowa


• The overall public believes that Les Miles is a lock, since he is a Michigan man


• Many people that read blogs like this one or mgoblog believe Brian Kelly, Cincinnati Head Coach is a good fit


• Some in the Media would argue that Jeff Tedford fits the bill at Michigan perfectly


• Then people start wondering about timing: Do you hire a coach before Bowl Season or after? Before a conference championship game or after? How does it all effect the current list of recruits that have verbally committed? Texas AM and Ole Miss hired their coach of choice in a day. Bill haven't you been putting together a plan since September?


• Bill has to interview DeBord and English but neither is truly a real candidate. (they better not be - I would take English over DeBord any day).


• He has to work with this new search committee, which just met for the first time yesterday. Good to hear we have a Heisman trophy winner on the job!


• and by the way you have a Day job sir! Your new basketball coach with very little talent takes on BC tonight.

Bill has done a nice job saving the Baseball Coach and getting a real Basketball Coach. Now he has the Grand Daddy of all hires looking him straight in the eye. Will he make everyone happy? Nope. That's impossible, but he better make the right decision for the football program and that decision needs to be a fresh face with a new approach. The old school approach doesn't play well around here anymore.

Michael Rosenberg makes his case for Jeff Tedford. It's a good read with some valid points.

Angelique S. Chengelis says that Les will be contacted as early as Sunday. Also the DeBord has support from people like the "golden boy" Tom Brady. Yikes Tom!

A source saying The Captain is staying at Iowa. Maybe we can all take a breathe now.