Michigan Friday: Last Take on CJ

Many Michigan fans are conflicted on how they should feel about CJ Carr (grandson of Lloyd Carr) committing to ND for the 2024 class.  I know I mentioned this earlier this week, but now it's official I thought I would share a few more thoughts:

1. It's a long time from now and NSD 2024

2. CJ said he wanted to go away for college, ok fine.  

3. There are plenty of rumors that LC has not been a huge fan of the Michigan program since he retired.  

4. For the older BHB readers, you may remember, LC losing his mind when Greg Mattison left Ann Arbor (the first time) to go be ND's DC. 

5. Michigan will get a good/great QB in 2023 and/or 2024 class 

If CJ was not a 4/5star QB, nobody would care if he went to ND or not.   With that said, the Michigan faithful will want the best for CJ, while at the same time NOT ROOTING FOR ND.

Last thing, the Michigan fan base has been there for the Carr family with millions in generous donations to the Chad Tough Foundation.  Let's not get this twisted and compare a charity supporting patients with a deadly condition to a kid picking a college.  

• LIV golfers got suspended from the PGA Tour.   The players that are playing in the LIV tournaments are not stupid and did the math on losing status on the PGA Tour and losing sponsors.  The key to me is, will they be able to play in the majors?  The US and British Open seem to be OK to letting them play (unless they change a rule), the PGA Championship is out, and that leaves the Masters as a question mark.  The President and Ryder Cups are also out for the LIV golfers.    None of this was a surprise to anyone that tee'd it up in London on Thursday.   I love the idea of another professional golf league; I just wish it was funded by Amazon.  On a side note, smaller PGA Tournaments like the new one in Detroit, John Deere, etc. are in serious trouble. 

• Michigan is going to be hosting a number of prospects this weekend, let's hope that generates some commitments!

Michigan Thursday: A Look At The Big Ten Weekend

Today we will take a look at the Big Ten Games this weekend as it's been a slow news week for the Wolverines.

Maryland at MSU:  I expect the Spartans will have a bit of a hangover from their loss last weekend.  When you play with fire?  Still Maryland isn't very good with 2 wins this season.  The Spartans pull away in the second half.   They are a 14.5 favorite.

OSU at Illinois:  This could be an interesting game, Illinois is one of those teams that always plays the Buckeyes tough.  I don't think the Buckeyes will be upset but this game could be a little too close for comfort.  OSU -16

Purdue at Northwestern:  After this game, Northwestern is going to be 8-2 which is a pretty good record.  NW -16

Nebraska at Rutgers:  Nebraska has a bunch of momentum after beating the Top 10 Spartans last weekend.  They are trying to get to a bowl game and will win this game fairly easy if they don't roll over on the road.   Neb -9.5

Minnesota at Iowa:  It's a primetime game and could anyone have a tougher 3 game schedule then the Golden Gophers in the Big Ten (Michigan, OSU and Iowa in 3 weeks)?  This is another trophy game and watch out for an upset here.  A lot of people are talking Iowa and they might be reading how good they are.  Iowa -12.5

• When Penn State joined the Big Ten, didn't they have a clause that gave them a bye week before the Michigan game every year?  They are off this week.  

• FL Defensive lineman and USC commit Keyshon Camp will take an official to Michigan.

• Michigan is really working the State of Texas and the game against Florida at Jerry World .  Take a look at this tweet. 

• MSU had two more de-commitments yesterday.  That is 3 total for the week.

• Ryan Glasgow has been seen a sling this week and I wouldn't expect to see him play or even travel this weekend.

In some terrible news, Chad Carr (Lloyds Grandson) does not seem to be doing well.  Yesterday, the Michigan and OSU Basketball coaches decorated the outside of his house with Christmas lights.   God bless Chad and thank you OSU coaches for understanding there are more important things then the rivalry.  #CHADTOUGH

How the Mighty Have Fallen: 3 Big Ten Legends Ruin Their Legacies at the End of Their Careers

Let me first give you a quick disclaimer.  I don't know any of these men and don't have any inside information.  My opinion is 100% out of media reports and the book 3 and Out. 

#1 Offender Joe Paterno - Before last week Paterno was regarded as maybe college footballs #1 Living Legend.  Now he should be fired and all awards and any accolades taken away.    Here is he statement from yesterday:  ''It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the grand jury report,'' Paterno said in the statement. ''Regardless, it was clear that the witness saw something inappropriate involving Mr. Sandusky. As coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators.'' 

In another account:  “They kind of bent things, said it was not sexual assault but horseplay,” says Mr. Keneally after reading the indictment. “So, the president of the university is being told by Mr. Curley and Mr. Schultz that it is horseplay and he is being led to believe nothing else is necessary.”

Mr. Paterno and Penn State we are not idiots.  A distraught graduate assistant coach comes to your house, reporting a serious crime and it's considered horseplay?  Why was he distraught over horseplay?  Why was Sandusky then not allowed to enter PSU football facilities?  This is one of the most tragic and terrible cover ups I have ever heard a football coach do.   I assume the authorities are sparing Paterno on his community status and age.     He needs to resign and resign immediately.  

Here are Penn State's records during that time period:

2001: 5-6
2002: 9-4
2003: 3-9
2004: 4-7

Who were you protecting Mr. Paterno?  If I had to guess; yourself, your program and your friend.

Would you want to send your kid to play for this staff?  The Big Ten Championship trophy needs to be re-named and re-named quickly.

#2 Offender Jim Tressel:  We don't need to recap what happened in Columbus.  We now know Jim had been taking a "blind eye" to the rules off the field by letting his players engage in business deals around the community for his entire time at Ohio State.  He is now waiting for his "show clause" penalty from the NCAA after lying to that organization almost a year ago.  Jim was on the way to being the best coach at OSU since Woody now he is a replay coach for Indianapolis Colts.   He may never coach in college again.   Tressel probably had at least 10 more years as the head coach of the Buckeyes and he flushed it away.

#3 Offender Lloyd Carr:  A coach that brought Michigan a National Championship, something that Bo never did.  He also brought some embarrassing losses to the University as well, but those go forgotten with a big win over Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow in the Citrus Bowl during his last game.

Lloyd's crimes are against the University and Football Program on the way out the door.   He called a team meeting and told the players that he would sign transfer papers if they wanted to leave,  he made sure that Les Miles never got hired, he might have conspired to get Rich Rod removed from his position, he let former players talk against the program and he let players skip class during rivalry weeks.  If these accounts are correct in the book 3 and Out,  Lloyd has diminished his reputation and his Michigan legacy. 

All 3 of these coaches have done things that has now forever affected their legacy.   2 out of 3 are out of a job and the third should retire ASAP.   I don't expect that to happen right away but I do expect him to step down at the end of the year.  Like I mentioned earlier, how do you decide to send your son to play for Joe Paterno and this staff after this?   I don't think you do.

Three and Out: Wood Shed Edition

If you haven't read the book yet, 3 and Out gives us the "behind the curtain" look at the Rich Rodriguez disaster at Michigan.  It also sheds some light on 4 individuals that I will "take behind the BHB wood shed" today.  I have already taken Bill Martin there.  I still can't believe how he screwed up the coaching search and was so disconnected from the program.  He acted like a paid consultant who worked 10 hours a week and spent more time Up North or in Florida. 

The 4 guys taken to the wood shed today are Lloyd Carr, Rich Rodriguez, Mike Rosenberg and David Brandon. 

Lloyd Carr

If you follow this blog, you know I have mixed feelings on Lloyd Carr.   To summarize those feelings, I thought Lloyd never wanted to be the head coach at Michigan.  He was going to be a "Fred Jackson type" that was just a life long assistant coach who coached for Bo or one of Bo's guys.   Lloyd found himself head coach "overnight" as Gary Moeller drank his career away in Southfield.   Lloyd gave us a National Championship and confusing losses to OSU, USC, App State and Texas.  He was regularly out coached by his peers outside the Big Ten. 

I thought Lloyd was a fish out of water in the Big Chair of Michigan Football but I thought he ran a clean program, recruited hard, loved Michigan and was a man of integrity.    Those last two points take a hit in this book. 

Why?

#1:  LC calls Rich Rodriguez out of the blue to ask if he is interested in coming to Michigan to coach.  The reason he does this is to make sure Les Miles doesn't get the job.  It's a known fact that LC hates the grass eater and would do everything possible to make sure he never coaches here.

#2: For reasons only Lloyd knows, he turns his back on Michigan Football and Rich as soon as he gets the job.  He doesn't give RR direction and lets the former players take shots at Rich and what the program has become.  Don't forget, Lloyd is still on the payroll at this point.  His title is Assistant Athletic Director.  Which was just a way for Michigan to pay the remaining years on his contract.   From my perspective, Lloyd should of helped Rich because he recruited him and was getting paid to! 

#3:  After Rich was hired, Lloyd called a players meeting and told them that he would sign transfer papers for anyone who wanted to leave.   Are you F'ing kidding me!  Was this just the man at his retirement press conference that said, the reason he was announcing today was due to recruiting and making sure the program was on solid footing 2-3 years from now?   He then goes and tells his players, if you want to get leave - I will help you. The players hadn't even met Rich or the his staff yet.   This a clear attack against the establishment.

The book also details Rick Leach calling Lloyd out and pretty much keeping silent during the entire 3 years of the Rich Rod experience.     Lloyd let the Michigan family fall apart around him and he acted like he either didn't care or masterminded the fall out.    His love for Michigan and his professional ethics now should be highly in question.  

Rich Rodriguez

I don't think this book did any favors for RR getting another job.  It actually shows that he is a pretty good coach but a poor leader.  Good leaders are great when times are good and bad.  Rich felt the world was against him (and he was probably right) and he acted like it.   He took hits from the media, WVU,  fans and former Michigan players and the lawyers at Michigan just told him to stay quiet.   He kept quiet and it killed him at Michigan.

He also made some major mistakes on the field.  His defense is what killed him on the field at Michigan.  He let Jeff Castell stay at WVU because they were going to pay him $10,000 more.  Give me a break, he could of peeled that off his Salary or take it out of the $1M weight room.   If Jeff was that important and most people "in the know" said he was.  Find an extra $25,000 and get him here.  What a terrible decision. 

We know about other bad decisions like the banquet and how he handled many of his press conferences including the one on the first day of the job.  He struggled with a Michigan Man complex and looking back at it now was not a very strong recruiter.  He recruited a number of borderline guys academically and it cost him.    He was recruiting scared and that is not the way you attract kids to Michigan.  They didn't offer Jonathan Hankins a local DT until late in the recruiting cycle when he already had offers from OSU and Oklahoma.  He is now starting as a Sophomore for the Buckeyes and played a ton as a freshman.   Terrible decision.  Jonathan wanted a Michigan offer and even camped at Michigan to get one, but the Michigan coaches thought he was too out of shape. 

Rich had a ton against him at Michigan and he was clearly hired to be fired.   Guys like Bill Martin hired him when he had a foot out the door and Lloyd Carr who recruited him suddenly came down with laryngitis for 3 years straight.   With that said, he could have proved them wrong by going to two bowl games instead of one. 

Regarding my earlier statement on his next job.  If you were a major program looking for it's next coach would your read the book?  It's basically is a 433 page resume on how he runs a program.  I can see why RR didn't enjoy the final version of this book.   I think the guy can coach, I just think neither he or Michigan did the proper research on this job before he took it.   He was never the right fit, he was just a big name that was looking for a new gig.

David Brandon

David kept saying he didn't want to make a coaching decision until after the Gator Bowl, since the players and coaches had earned this trip.   Instead of playing like they earned a "special treat" the Wolverines laid down during the 1st quarter.   I was on the field after the game at it was 100% clear it was over and everyone knew it.   So I'm not sure that strategy played out well. 

Another theory in the book is that David wanted to make sure he kept attrition low with the upcoming coaching change and doing it in January would do that.  I really don't see the logic in that strategy.

David should have fired RR and Staff after the OSU game.  It would have allowed RR to get the Maryland job and David would of had much more runaway to discuss the job with The Harabaugh Brothers.  Yes, John was offered as well.  The book also says that they offered it to Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald.  I think Pat is a good young coach, but what made him Michigan ready?  How was he any different then RR?  He has had very limited success in the Big Ten and was a defensive guy but has no idea on how Michigan works.  This seems like a strange offer.

Lastly, David always says he has an open door policy to the players.  But the book says he said No to meetings with Denard on the coaching situation a number of times.   I hate hearing things like this, we all know Denard might have been supporting Rich Rod, but it's David's job to take the meeting.   Mostly when it's your top guy.  

Michael Rosenberg

This guy comes out off in the book as a buffoon who was un-prepared for the fallout against him.   It amazes me how he thought he could write a story with little to no research that cost the University Millions of dollars, while at the same time releasing a book on the U of M.  Rosenberg and Synder thought they were going to be Woodward and Bernstein and they came off like Abbott and Costello. 

Michael was quoted that he couldn't believe the negative comments on Amazon regarding his U of M book right after the story released.   Really?  How could you not have known.   He should feel lucky he has a job and that Michigan didn't sue him and the Freep for the damage he did to the program and the University.  Make a smart decision and go cover Nascar or something.  It seems to me the Freep needs a guy covering the Arena Football league.

This book is a difficult read and it changed my perception of many of the major players in the program.  Everybody that was mentioned in the book, pretty much hates it.   Those 3 years killed careers and some people's legacy with the program.   It's a painful, sad read and I couldn't put it down.      

Wolverine Wednesday: Sailboat Bill Blew It and Blew It Big

Good leaders are never surprised because they have a contingency plan for pretty much every situation.   Data centers in Iowa have back plans if a hurricane hits.

When Bill Martin was the AD of Michigan, he didn't have a plan to replace Lloyd Carr when he retired.   Which is un-explainable because Lloyd wanted to retire after USC beat Michigan on January 1st, 2007 and Bill talked him out of it.   So when Lloyd retired 11 months later, Bill was caught off guard.   How did that happen?  How could you not have plan?  How could you not have gauged interest in who might be available and who wanted the job?  Was the plan to give it to Mike Debord or Ron English?  Mike had a terrible run at CMU as a head coach and Ron's defense had just been embarrassed by App State and Oregon on back to back fall weekends. 

Hiring a new head football coach would be Bill's biggest job as AD at Michigan.  Not expanding the Big House, hiring the basketball coach or getting the athletic department back in the green.   It was hiring a football coach. 

As you can tell by now, I am deep in the middle of reading John Bacon's 3 and Out, which clearly details how Sailboat Bill completely screwed up the coaching search, which alienated pretty much every group associated with the University including; Alumni, former players, President Mary Sue Coleman, the media, and all Michigan fans.   If you think about it, being able to piss off so many people was quite an accomplishment. 

The Sailboat weekend pretty much went as we thought.

• Les Miles wants the job and tries to contact Bill.
• Bill doesn't return the messages and takes off for a long weekend (side note: when you are in the middle of the most important thing you do in your job, it's probably not the best time to take a long weekend)
• Bill gets a new cell phone and doesn't know how to use it.  Really?  How do you not know how to answer a phone?
• Herbie breaks the Miles to Michigan story
• All hell breaks loose and Bill is on his sailboat and listening to a Kansas CD.
• Bill doesn't realize what has happen until he gets home from Florida.  
• Complete disaster

Let's be clear about one thing.  Les Miles is hated in Ann Arbor by some powerful people and never would have been the head coach of Michigan.  Never.  If Les was ever offered the job in Ann Arbor he would have taken it a New York minute.  He never got offered before or after RR.  He turned those non-offers into two contract extensions with LSU.   So the next time Brent Musburger (who said just a couple of weeks ago) says that Miles turned down a couple of opportunities to coach Michigan is completely false and exactly what I would expect to hear from Musburger.

I am not beating down Sailboat Bill today because he didn't hire Miles.  I am beating him down because he was completely un-prepared to find the next Michigan coach and was trying to hire the Rutgers coach or was focused on guys like Tony Dungy (who was never going to come here).   It was a complete cluster of a coaching search and they panicked and hired the first big name that said yes. 

Lloyd Carr even called Rich and sold him on the job in Ann Arbor because he didn't want Miles.   (Be prepared because Lloyd will be taken to the Big House Blog Wood Shed in later posts).   Who Mary Sue was starting to have conversations with, when it was clear Sailboat Bill wasn't getting it done. 

So you might be asking, "Why bring this stuff back up?"

A few reasons:

1.  We haven't played a football game in a week and half and there isn't much Michigan news out there right now.
2. Three and Out came out yesterday
3. I have been waiting for the truth for over 3 years on what really happened. 

My last point is when Rich Rod took the Michigan job 3 + years ago, the Michigan community was split and upset at Bill and the program for many different reasons.  Rich had a target on his head starting day one.   I think Rich made a ton of mistakes of his own and had to be fired earlier this year, but consider one thing for a minute:  Are we blaming the wrong guy for Michigan's disaster for the last 3 years?

It seems to me Bill Martin was the guy that was asleep at the wheel and created this mess.  Rich was just the sucker who said yes.  Bill didn't do any research or know anything about Rich's situation at WVU.   Rich was having his own serious problems at WVU and was looking for a way out.  Bill gave him that platform and escape to Ann Arbor.   This entire transaction feels to me like a guy looking for a watch on Times Square and a buys a Rolex for $100 thinking he got a great deal. 

 BTW: don't buy that Bill retired a year or so ago, he retired just like Jim Tressel retired from Ohio State.     

(I don't want to diminish Bill's entire time at U of M.  He did some good things like expanding the Big House, hiring a number of good coaches for other sports including John Beilein)

Michigan Monday: 3 and Out 1-100

I'm not a big novel guy.  I don't read fiction, it really doesn't interest me at all.  My parents growing up tried to get me to read novels but I just wasn't interested.   If I was going to read something it was going to be the sports page in the newspaper.   I found it much more entertaining watching a movie then ever reading a book.  

All my life I have been watching the most intriguing movie ever written, called Michigan Football.  From the days of Anthony Carter beating Indiana to now watching the electric Denard Robinson.  I still get that nervous feeling on game days and can't imagine a better Saturday afternoon then watching football at the Big House or on TV with the family. 

Like most Michigan fans, I have been eagerly waiting for John Bacon's book called 3 and Out regarding the behind the scenes soap opera which has been the last 3 years of Michigan football.   I have been looking for the answers to all my questions:

• How could have Bill Martin not been prepared to replace Lloyd Carr?
• Why was the coaching search such a train wreck?
• Why did the Freep have it out for RR?
• How did RR not see how bad the defense was?
• Where was all this negative information about RR coming from?
• Where the hell was Lloyd Carr?
• Was Tate just lazy and didn't want to go to class?

The past 3 years has had more questions then answers for Michigan fans and I hope John's book will give us the answers we deserve being life long fans.  

IBooks has the first 100 pages available to download with the release of the book due out in a couple of weeks.   I sat down and read them in what seemed like a few minutes last night.   The first 100 basically starts to paint the story of John getting behind the scenes access through a common connection with RR.  The goal was write a success story similar to Fielding H. Yost who grew up in West Virgina and became a Michigan legend.   As we know, that story never played out and Rich's story became an Ann Arbor tragedy.

John does a good job telling the history of Michigan football and Rich's early coaching experience.  None of what I read really surprised me, except one thing.   John talks about how Michigan Football changed the day Bo died.  I never really thought of it that way, but boy was he right.  Even when Bo wasn't the AD or Head Coach he still controlled the program.  The day he died the Maize and Blue world changed and it wasn't a change for the better.   Michigan lost 4 straight games after Bo died and we all know the stories of those on the field losses.   

What I didn't realize until reading this book was that Lloyd Carr wasn't really the head coach, Bo was.  Even if he was President of Tigers or sitting at home. He controlled Michigan Football, sure Lloyd and his coaches recruited and called the plays but Bo still had his finger on the button.   I personally never felt Lloyd wanted to be the head coach of Michigan.  To me that never seemed to be his goal.  He got thrust into the job after Gary Moeller had a very bad night in Southfield and he sort of felt it was his duty to continue Bo legacy's or mission.   I didn't know what type of leader Lloyd was or if he really could coach.  His situation always reminded me of Steve Fisher, both of them found themselves head coaches of a powerful Michigan program overnight and they both had a National Championship to their credit.

I was very critical of Lloyd in his last year as coach.  He had one of the most talented teams in the country and one that was clearly not prepared to start the 2007 season.  I wasn't sure what his issues were but he clearly no longer wanted to be the head coach of Michigan.  His retirement came as a relief for me and a chance for Michigan to get some new blood in place and a chance to turn this battleship into something special again.  A team that could beat any team in the country on any given Saturday.

Love or hate RR, it really doesn't mater.   We all can agree that his time was up after the Gator Bowl and we seem to be back on the right track sitting here with Hoke, Mattison and Borgus at 6-0.   But back 3 years ago, when Bill Martin pretty much messed up the coaching search in every way possible, he tripped over and landed one of the hottest coaches out there.   A guy that had just turned down Alabama; a guy that could run an offense and knew about getting teams to BCS Bowls.  What he really didn't know was the mess that was going on behind the curtain at Michigan.  There is an old saying in coaching; "you don't want to be the guy that replaces the legend, you want to be the guy that replaces the guy that replaced the legend".  I always thought at Michigan the guy that replaced Bo was Gary Moeller, it turns out that it really was Rich Rodriguez. 

We all know the story on the field, I hope the rest of John's book will lets us connect the dots off the field.    The first 100 pages really makes you think, I am betting the rest of the book with shine a light on how the program was in decline even before RR got there and what he did and didn't do to try to right the ship.   We know now that RR wasn't the savior that I had hoped he was but was he cannon fodder?  Use Alabama as an example - how many coaches did they go through after Bear Bryant retired and before Saban came to town and turned the program around?  (The answer is 6, if you don't count Mike Price who never coached a game at Bama before getting fired)   Maybe Michigan should feel lucky if Hoke is our guy and that it only took 3 years to find him*

It's clearly a must read.


*Common Michigan Disclaimer: I know Hoke is only 6 games into his Michigan career and even though he seems like the guy that lets his coordinators coach and goes for it on 4th and 1 in the first half, it still might be a little pre-mature to crown him the next Bo Schembechler.

Michigan Monday: Loves in Game Adjustments

The one thing that really bothered me about the Carr Era was we never seemed to make any meaningful adjustments when something wasn't working.  When it seemed USC had our play book, nothing.   It drove me crazy and probably you as well.

I wondered what was the reason for that?  Did they try to make changes and it didn't work?  Was it Lloyd not letting his coordinators change the game plan?  What was it?  (Side note on the RR years, I think they tried to make some defense adjustments from time to time, they just didn't work)

I don't have the answer to the above questions but I do know when I see a good game plan working effectively and when I don't.  Both Greg Mattision and Al Borges has impressed me regarding the in game adjustments and changes.  Al is coaching like a 17 year old with the keys to a brand new Lamborghini.  He knows how to drive but has never had a car this fast.

Greg on the other hand is trying to find the right personnel in game time situations.   Both have made very good in game changes and the reason the Wolverines today are 3-0 and ranked 21/22 in the polls.  I continue to be impressed on how Coach Hoke is letting them both do what they do best. 

Let's compare those strategies to our Rival to the north.  I was excited to see the match up this weekend between ND and MSU.  Sparty has owned ND over the past 10 years but was running into a difficult situation with a quality team that now found themselves 0-2.   MSU was ranked #15 in the polls and was a road dog to an 0-2 team.  

What happened was a terrible game plan by Mark Dantonio and staff.  It was like they didn't review any tape on ND the past two weeks.  ND continued to turn the ball over and MSU couldn't capitalize.  They even continued to call gimmick and trick plays.  A fake field goal from the goal line?  (side note; does anyone think ND practiced fake field goals a little bit extra this week? - just stupid).  MSU's game plan wasn't working and they just kept it and got blown out.  No adjustments = big loss. They weren't out manned on Saturday they got out coached.   If I was a MSU fan, I would be very upset at Dantonio playing Tressel Ball all day.

•  Michigan has taken a 2012 walk-on commitment from Fenton punter Kenny Allen.  Kenny had 1 scholarship offer from Oregon State and decided to stay close to home and punt for Michigan.  Kicking guy Chris Sailer had this to say about Kenny:   Kenny is a very talented young punter. He has the size and athleticism to dominate in this area. Can hit a huge ball. Also a great kicker. A top combo prospect in the Class of 2012. Will be a scholarship pick!  Kenny is averaging 43 yards per punt this year and is also a place kicker.   This is a good pickup for the Wolverines.  Anytime you can pick up a guy with scholarship offers to D1 schools as walk on, is a huge bonus.   If I was a fly on the wall, I'm guessing the Wolverines are concerned about their scholarship punter Will Hagerup who has been suspended 4 out of the last 5 games and still has one more game to sit out.

• Michigan is 21 in the Coaches and 22 in the AP.

• Michigan is an early 9 point favorite over San Diego State.

• 2013 State of Michigan offensive line recruit Steve Elmer surprisingly committed to ND over the weekend while he was on a visit.   Steve and Shane Morris are the top two prospects in Michigan for the 2013 class.  Michigan was recruiting Steve and had been on campus a number of times.

• Jordan Diamond took a visit to Illinois this weekend.  Has Michigan cooled on Jordan or has Jordan cooled on the Wolverines?

• RB Greg Garmon has Michigan in his top 4.   A month ago I thought there was no way Michigan was taking a RB in the 2012 class.  I now think Michigan has a fighters chance at landing Greg or Bri'onte Dunn. 

Michigan Monday: No Commits this Weekend but Is there Good News Coming?

Michigan got two verbals commits last week with 2013 QB Shane Morris and 2012 DT/DE Matt Godin.  With the early and midweek activity the Michigan coaches didn't get any verbal commits over the weekend, but they were busy with in school visits and continue to recruiting for both classes.   Michigan has 11 verbals for the 2012 class and might have 9-12 spots left in the class.  I estimate around 20 total spots which leave only a few spots for guys that want to be Wolverines. 

• Chris Wormley who was rumored to maybe the top player in Ohio (he did not make the Rivals 4 star list - which was a bit of a surprise since he has offers from the likes of Mich, OSU, ND, and MSU) is participating in track this Spring and talked to the Toledo Blade this weekend:  “Everything I do [in the three sports] helps all around,” said Wormley, whose top two colleges choices right now are Michigan first and Ohio State second, followed by Michigan State and Notre Dame. “It keeps me conditioned throughout the season. [Track] ties into everything.” Throughout Friday’s action, Wormley, who was ultimately named the meet’s outstanding male field events athlete, had his mind on an accident during warm-ups.  One of his practice efforts with the 12-pound shot put struck the forehead of Waite thrower Fred Schimmel, who sustained a significant head injury.  Schimmel reportedly maintained consciousness after the blow and was treated at the track before being transported to a local hospital by an emergency crew.  I hope that young man is ok.    The other news from that article is that Michigan is his leader and there are rumors he is getting closer to making a decision.  Probably after track season is over. 

• Coach Funk was in Texas to visit Offensive Lineman Trey Keenan last week.  Trey father is from Michigan and his grandmother still lives in metro Detroit.  Trey and his family are planning a visit to U of M this summer.

• There is more "buzz" around instate CB Terry Richardson making his announcement this week.  Many expect Terry is down to Michigan and MSU.  Terry's two close friends RJS and James Ross are both verbally committed to the Wolverines.  Terry and James visited Ann Arbor again this weekend.  Update: Terry's press conference is at 11:45 AM on Tuesay. He listed a top five of USC, Michigan, LSU, ND, and Alabama.  Go Blue TR!

• Michigan is expected to be getting a visit soon from highly rated teammates from Cincinnati, DE Adolphus Washington and WR Dwayne Stanford.

• TomVH reports there is another rumor floating around that the #1 QB in the nation Gunner Kiel might be making another visit to Ann Arbor.  Gunner doesn't really talk to recruiting services so there are a lot of rumors and speculation around his recruitment.  Gunner was in Ann Arbor for a quick visit a few weeks ago.

• We also would like to congratulate Coach Lloyd Carr on his acceptance to the College Football Hall of Fame!

Michigan Friday: Big House Briefs

• Thanks to reader Richard:   Mike Barwis has opened a new training facality in Michigan.  Here is a link to his new blog.

• Gus Johnson seems to be leaving CBS and maybe headed to Fox/Big Ten Network.  That would be a huge win for the Big Ten.  Gus has made it known he is a Michigan fan and I would love to hear him do some Michigan Football games.

• TomVH reports that Michigan has offered 2012 Illinois DT Jaleel Johnson.

• Michigan's incoming freshman Trey Burke went from the future point guard to potenital starting point guard and he hasn't even tried on his Michigan jersey yet.   

• Mallet's dad said that Lloyd Carr told Ryan and family to look at other options once RR got the job at Michigan.  I find that hard to believe.   

• Threet is still suffering from his concussions he suffered last year.  He is helping the team as a student assistant for ASU. 

• 5 star RB and soft verbal to OSU Bri'onte Dunn is expected to be in Ann Arbor today for a vist. 

It wasn't about everyone pulling in the same direction

I have now heard and read a couple of interviews by Rich Rodriguez since he was fired at Michigan.  He pretty much has repeated the same themes in both interviews.  Including an interview from today's ESPN Radio's show The Herd:

#1: He was disappointed that he didn't have more time
#2: The worst was past us and nothing but up side from here
#3: Everyone wasn't pulling in the same direction.

These are exactly why he didn't work out at Michigan.  He didn't get it and I pretty much agree with his 3 points.  Let me first break down why his 3 points are only sort of right:

#1 More Time:  Ok, 3 years might not have been enough but it's what he did in those 3 years.   Year 1 was a complete throw away now looking back.  If you remember, Michigan had a good defense that year and an offense that was lead by two QB's who were off the team the next year.   A complete waste of a year.  His "all in approach" on the recruitment of Pryor was a huge mistake.  His only back up plan was a Slot WR who preferred selling drugs then playing QB.  You can't tell me there wasn't another QB that year that RR and staff could have found in the 6 weeks they had.  Hoke and Company found one in two weeks.

Year 2 should have been Year 1 and son on.  That wasted year hurt his chances in David Brandon's office in early January.

#2 The Worst Was Behind Us?  I get his point.  21 starters coming back.  Guys back from injury on defense and the MVP of the league in his 3rd year.  This was his only real point in trying to save his job.  Having a Heisman Trophy candidate in Denard and those guys back from injury could equal a good 2011 campaign.   The problem I have with this statement is two things.  Defensive Coordinators and The Gator Bowl.   RR if retained would of had his 3rd DC in 4 years.   His clear lack of attention and bad DC hires killed any chance RR had at saving his job.  Defense is important and his bad hires, killed any chances of him saving his job. 

The second part is the Gator Bowl.  Michigan last year got worse as the year went on, not better.  In fact, you could probably make that case for all the Michigan teams under RR.  Having a month to prepare to work on defense fundamentals and everything else and then to get blown out by a fairly one dimensional mid tier SEC schools is un-acceptable.   To quote a reporter who I was sitting next to in the press box.  "all this game did, was make David's Brandon's decision and easy one".   I agreed with him and David's decision now.

#3: Everyone pulling in the same direction:  Sure RR had people against him from the beginning.  I never understood what the Freep had against him but his ride to the Michigan job was messy and full of accidents at every turn.   These events are off the top of my head, I'm sure there are plenty of others that I left out:

• WVU fans up in arms after he left for the Michigan job
• Allegations of shredding documents and lost player records
• The loss of QB Ryan Mallett
• Contesting his buyout from WVU
• Losing Pryor to Ohio State
• 3-9 Year 1
• Freep Allegations
• NCAA Investigation and Penalty
• Getting sued for a bad condo deal
• 5-7 Year 2
• 7-6 Year 3
• Josh Groban Fan Club Meeting
• Blow Out loss in the Bowl Game
• 0-3 vs. OSU and MSU
• Getting sued on the purchase of his home in West Virgina the day he was fired from Michigan.

If just one of the things happened under his watch, it wouldn't of been a big deal.  All of them together is a big deal.   I'm not sure the stance that everyone was not pulling in the same direction with all the history makes a lot of sense.  If RR was 10-2 and beating Michigan rivals he would still be the coach.  He didn't and he isn't.   Bottom line.

So RR take a gig at ESPN or CBS College Sports and save us the Michigan talk.  It's been a month, we have moved on and so should you.   Good luck at your next stop.

Looking More and More Like Les

It seems David Brandon is on his way to Baton Rouge to finalize talks or a contract with Les Miles. 

As you will see from this link.  A U of M plane is heading from Hilton Head to Baton Rouge.  Why you ask would be the Michigan plane be in Hilton Head?  One theory suggests that Lloyd Carr has a home in Hilton Head and David Brandon is there "selling" LC on the Miles hire.  Lloyd and Les notably did not get along due to some past history on the recruiting trail and maybe some other past issues.

Les has always made it well known that Michigan is his dream job and probably his last job as a head coach.

I will give you my feedback on the pros and cons if the deal is finalized.

Stay tuned.  There could be an announcement as early as late this afternoon or tonight.

Wolverine Wednesday: More Recruiting News

The Prince of Ann Arbor?:  It sounds like 3 star Slot WR Prince Holloway has Michigan very high on his list: (freep link) Dallas is my cousin and for a month we planned on committing to Michigan,” Holloway said.


Crawford committed to U-M last month, but Holloway has not had the right opportunity to offer his pledge to the Wolverines. He has yet to visit the Ann Arbor campus, but has been given a preview by his cousin, who took two trips to the school in the last eight months. “He says it is very nice and he loves it up there,” Holloway said. “If he can love it up there, I know I can.”

Michigan recently took the surprise commitment of instate running back Justice Hayes, who many believe was offered as a slot WR.   Does Michigan have room for Prince at this point?  That is a valid question.  I wonder if the Prince can play corner. 

• Do you wonder if Quality Control staff coached players at Michigan before RR got there?  Dave Hutchinson was just hired as Glenville State's head coach.  He was the offensive quality control coach at Michigan under Lloyd Carr in 2007.   On the ironic side of this, RR was the Glenville State head man from 1990 to 1996.   The key words above are that Dave should not have been "coaching" in his QC role at Michigan.

• Desmond Howard and his million dollar smile went into the College Hall of Fame last night!  Congrats Des!

• Dave Molk is a finalist for the 2010 Rimington Trophy for the best center in the country.  It seems Dave will get a free trip Disney World this week to see if he is the winner.    

• It seems the Michigan players will receive a watch, Oakley sunglasses, a leather duffel bag, ring and commemorative football for participating in the Gator Bowl.  The players in the Citrus Bowl get a $420 shopping spree to Best Buy.  Players are allowed $500 in Bowl Gifts from the hosting Bowl.  

• 4 star instate CB/Athlete from Highland Park Raymon Taylor who verbally committed to Indiana is re-thinking his college choice after IU let go the gum throwing Bill Lynch.  He seems to be interested in the Wolverines, but currently doesn't have an offer.   Are the Wolverines interested in this 4 star athlete?  We should know soon. 

• Recruits do read blogs! 4 Star WR Devin Lucien was impressed by the feedback from the readers on Mgoblog on him considering Michigan. 

• Jack Tabb a TE that Michigan is recruiting visited North Carolina last weekend and had a "great time".  He is visiting Arkansas this weekend and has one more visit left.  Maybe to Rutgers or BC.

Wolverine Wednesday: Trying to Win with Freshman

Being a freshman is hard.  Your away from home for the first time, you have to figure out where your classes are, you have to meet a bunch of new people, your classes are much more difficult then high school, and by the way you have a new full time job - Michigan football.   That is a lot to take on for an 18 year old kid.

That is why if coaches had the option they would hardly ever play a freshman.  They need time to get used to college life, the Michigan football program, the weight room, their position, the schemes and the plays.  It's like getting to college and starting a job where millions of fans are counting on you.  That is a lot to put on anyone, mostly a kid that just got to campus in July or August.  Kids that enrolled in January do have an advantage because they can join the program at a much less hectic time before spring ball starts.

I get that, but why are some freshman more successful then others?

Sure some kids are just naturally talented and make a "better on the field" transition then others.  The best example this year is Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina.  He was clearly one of the best football players in the country last year in the class of 2010.  A Michigan example is Chad Henne.  Chad came to Ann Arbor in Early August as the QB of the future but was pretty much going to be second string as a freshman.  The week of the first game, Michigan's starter hurts his throwing shoulder and Chad is now the starter on opening day.  With a veteran WR core and a good running game, Chad leads the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl and never gives up the starting gig for 4 years.

Those are great stories but I wouldn't consider them the norm.  Running Back is probably one of the quickest ways to get on to the field right away.  You just need to teach them the plays and then let their natural talent take over.  The biggest things freshman running backs struggle with is blocking assignments and blitz pick ups. 

Justin Turner is another example of a talented kid out of high school (5 star recruit).  Who struggled with the transition to college football on and off the field.  He didn't play his freshman year and only made it through two days of fall practice in his sophomore year before he left the team   The rumors were he was having some programs in his personal life and couldn't focus on football at Michigan.

Most kids that are recruited to Michigan are the best athletes on their high school team, the best athlete in the county, or maybe even the best player in the entire state where they grew up.   High school coaches aren't dumb and when you have a special player on your team you put them at a position where they can touch the ball a lot, like QB  Which is exactly the example I want to use.

Courtney Avery is a talented smart athlete.  He played QB for Lexington High School in Mansfield, OH and broke a number of records, passing and running with the ball.  He had offers from a number of programs including Stanford and Florida but picked the Wolverines last year.  The key is that Courtney's ticket to Michigan or any other top programs was as a defensive back not as a QB.  His 5'11 167 pound frame just wasn't what these programs were looking for in a QB.  Courtney knew the value of a Stanford or Michigan education and decided that DB was the place for him.

In Courtney's case it would have been prefect if Michigan could have him 3rd or 4th on the depth chart so he could learn the position, learn the defensive schemes, understand the different WR routes he was going to see and make the proper transition from quarterback to cornerback.  As we know, something happened on the way to redshirtville and Courtney finds himself in the below situation. 

This was a miss tackle on one of the drives where Michigan was starting to muster up a comeback attempt late in the 4th quarter.  When all of sudden Michigan's CB depth goes "Boom" due to injuries, transfers, non-enrollments and crime/prison.   You have a freshman/former QB trying to make a tackle on a running back to save a game. 

Anyway you slice it that is not a good position for Michigan or the Michigan coaches to be in.

Who's to blame? Everyone.

Lloyd Carr is on the list for not recruiting defense for a number of years. 
Rich Rodriguez is on the list for recruiting kids that were borderline in getting in to Michigan.
Michigan's 3 defensive coordinators over the past 4 years.
It's everyone.

Every D1 prospect in the 2011 class wants to start as soon as they get to college.  A better approach would be to take a redshirt or work you way up the depth chart and get some spot play.  This "trial by fire" is causing way too many burns in the Wolverine family right now.

Lloyd Carr Retires from U of M

Some of you maybe confused with this but Lloyd has held an assistant AD job for the past two years and now if officially retiring from U of M.  The job was basically just a title and a way for Michigan to pay him the final two years of his contract.  Now on to the press release:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After 30 years of distinguished service to the University of Michigan, associate athletic director and former U-M head football head coach Lloyd Carr will officially retire from the athletic department on Sept. 1.


"I am thankful for the wonderful opportunity to assist two great coaches here in Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller and I will always appreciate Joe Roberson's decision to name me the head coach in 1995," said Carr. "I am also appreciative for those I worked with and for all the great friendships I have developed.

"Most of all, I am thankful for the young men I coached and for all the memories I have from my time at Michigan."

Carr's accomplishments off the field can be measured by his success as a fundraiser for many charitable causes, including his role as co-chair for the campaign to build a new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, which will open in the fall of 2011. He will remain active in fundraising and keep his position as co-chair for the fundraising effort for the hospitals. He has also aided both the athletic department and the university as a highly sought-after speaker, serving on special committees, and providing helpful advice and mentoring to coaches and staff.

"Lloyd Carr's legacy is an impressive and important part of Michigan's rich history and tradition of excellence in football," said U-M President Mary Sue Coleman. "He has served the university as well through his advocacy and passion for a number of philanthropic causes. We are grateful for his long and successful service and wish him well in retirement."

"I have known Lloyd since he came to Michigan as an assistant coach," said Dave Brandon, U-M Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. "Coach Carr is a man of integrity. I admire and appreciate his love for all of our student-athletes and his many contributions to not only our university, but his work on behalf of numerous charitable causes throughout the state of Michigan."

Carr is retiring after two-and-one-half years as an associate athletic director, but his accomplishments as U-M's 17th head football coach will be an enduring memory.

Following the 2008 Capital One Bowl, Carr retired as U-M football coach with an overall record of 122-40 (81-23 Big Ten), a national championship and five Big Ten Conference titles. He is one of only three U-M coaches to win more than 100 games on the gridiron, an achievement only surpassed by Bo Schembechler and Fielding H. Yost. He is the only coach to have taken Michigan teams to a bowl game in each year he served as head coach, and he is only the fifth head football coach to lead Michigan to a national title (1997).

Carr became just the second Big Ten coach to post an undefeated regular-season record in only his third year of head coaching. He also wrote himself into the NCAA record books, becoming the seventh coach in NCAA history to have reached 29 wins in only three seasons of coaching.

Carr has also been involved in the university, community and coaching fraternity. He has been active in support of women's athletics, endowing a women's athletics scholarship that is presented annually to a U-M female student-athlete. He initiated the Women's Football Academy and U-M Men's Fantasy Football Experience, which donate all proceeds to the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center through the establishment of the Coach Carr Cancer Fund in 1998 in memory of his mother, Pauline, who died of breast cancer. The "Carr Wash for Kids" was an annual event benefiting Mott Children's Hospital, a cause he continues to support today. He also serves as spokesperson for Mentor Michigan to help recruit men and women to help children in need. He has been involved with local charities such as the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, Washtenaw Literacy and the United Way.

In the past, he also worked with Special Olympics, served on the NCAA Rules Committee and was a member of the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees. He annually hosts the Hall of Fame football camp in his hometown of Riverview, Mich.

Throughout his tenure, he was given the Philip Hart Public Service Award from the Michigan Women's Studies Association and the Dodge National Athletic Lifetime Achievement Award.

Carr is married to the former Laurie McCartney. They have six children: Melissa, Brett, Jason, Ryan, Emily and Jarrett. Jason was a quarterback at U-M and Emily lettered in volleyball. Carr also has 11 grandchildren: Tyler John McCartney, Brendan Massey McCartney, Drew Elizabeth Vigo, Austin Patrick McCartney, Colin Lloyd McCartney, Sydney Ann Vigo, Ethan Michael McCartney, Casey Carr Vigo, Noah Thomas McCartney, Curtis Jason (C.J.) Carr and Thomas Lloyd Carr, with another grandson expected in October.

CAREER COACHING HIGHLIGHTS

1995-2007: Overall record 122-40 (81-23 Big Ten)

Championships

1-National (1997)

5-Big Ten (1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004)


Awards
AFCA Coach of the Year (1997)

Walter Camp Coach of the Year (1997)

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1997)

AFQ/Schutt Coach of the Year (1997)

Northern Michigan University Hall of Fame (1997)

Catholic League Hall of Fame (1997)

Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year (2007)

Robert R. Neyland Award (2008)


College Coaching

1976-77 Assistant (Eastern Michigan)

1978-79 Assistant (Illinois)

1980-86 Defensive Backs (Michigan)

1987-94 Defensive Coordinator (Michigan)

1995-2007 Head Coach (Michigan)



High School Coaching

1968-69 Assistant Nativity HS (Detroit)

1970-73 Assistant Belleville (Mich.)

1973-75 Head coach Westland (Mich.) John Glenn

Regional Class A Coach of the Year (1975)

Wolverine Wednesday: Lloyd Carr and QC Staff & SDSU Cashes a Big Check!

Here is a question for you to ponder:  Did Quality Control staff ever give coaching advice under Lloyd Carr's tenure as Michigan head coach?  Some Michigan fans have pointed the finger at Rich Rodriguez as being the only one that would do such a thing.   Well, here is an article from Daily Illini that has an interesting quote regarding the chances of Juice Williams making a roster spot on the Bears:

Before entering the NFL as a coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the Bears, Day coached in the Big Ten in 2006 when Williams was a freshman. Day was the quality control coach for the University of Michigan and also spent time working with the quarterbacks there.

The bold is mine.  Of course it's not a fact but interesting none the less.  We also know that is was common under the Carr staff for players to run the Big House stairs every morning during the summer if they got into some type of trouble.  So let's not put a 100% of the blame on RR and staff for all the NCAA violations.

The Big House is always been an attractive revenue for visiting teams because they know they can get a nice pay day and are pretty much guaranteed TV coverage with great exposure.  If they win look out!  App. State is still living off the hype from their win 3 years ago.  Well, Michigan announced that San Diego State was rounding out their 2011 home schedule and it seems Michigan is paying them big dollars to travel across country.   The Aztecs' will receive over 1 Million dollars to make the trip to Ann Arbor in the Fall of 2011.   This will for sure help San Diego State's athletic department budget and maybe even them pay former Wolverine and current Aztecs' head coach Brady Hoke's salary. 

• John Beilein is looking to Europe for some of their player needs in the 2011 class.  They had a 6'7 forward named Jonathan Gilling (sp?) in from Europe last week visiting Ann Arbor.  Speaking of Europe it seems John Beilein is trying to schedule a European tour for the Wolverines this summer.   "We’re working through some of the possibilities there right now," Beilein said from the Big Ten spring meetings. "We can get games, it’s where we can get them because the Italian leagues are just finishing, the German leagues are just finishing, the Belgian leagues are just finishing. It’s hard to get a coach to make a commitment for Aug. 23, so we’re working. That’s what we would like to do." 

• Former Detroit Lion Daunte Culpepper signs with the UFL and coach Dennis Green.

• Add one more hot dog on the BBQ this weekend.  It seems Brandon Jackson a LB from PA will be heading to the BBQ at the Big House.

Michigan Friday: Thinks about the "Good Old Days"

I'm not ready to write Rich Rod and staff off yet.  They need at least 3-4 years to completely fail at Michigan.  With that said, I do miss some things from the old time Michigan Wolverine Football program.   So I thought I would to a quick comparison of Then and Now and how things are really different. 

Then: The local newspaper would do a "ground breaking" story un-covering that Michigan football players seem to take easier classes then regular Michigan students.   The response from Michigan fans was laughter and the paper turned into an online edition and the author was sent to law school in Toledo. 

Now:  A local paper does a "ground breaking" story that should have months of research in a couple of weeks on illegal stretching.  Response is an NCAA investigation and possible penalties.  The newspaper in question currently is losing money like an broken ATM and the author of the story has moved to SI.com.


Then: Freshman weren't allowed to play or speak and mostly to the media.
Now: Freshman make up a large percentage of Michigan's starting lineup.  They also were quoted in the "stretch-gate piece" because they said they were working hard during the off season.

Then: Lloyd Carr's response to an injury was "he seems ok to me?"
Now: Weekly injury reports.

Then: Media access to the Michigan program was pretty much limited to press conferences.  When something went down, Lloyd pretty much didn't answer and made the kid run the stairs at the Big House. 
Now:  The media has a lot more access and there happens to be some type of controversy per week. 

Then: Under preforming meant 8-4.
Now: Under preforming means no bowl game.

Then: You might have to catch the Michigan - Eastern Michigan game on the radio if you didn't have a ticket.
Now: We have the Big Ten Network.

Then: The Big Ten had 10 teams
Now: The Big Ten might have 16 teams?

Then: The Big House had what two bath rooms and we liked it!
Now: There are new buildings just for that purpose.

Then: The Big House Press Box was cold and had a couple of tube TV's
Now: Not sure, but hope it's heated and has some nice HD TV's

Then:  A luxury seat was a small bench seat near the 50 yard line.
Now:  Brand new luxury suites with catering and entertaining.  The seats look comfortable and it looks like you don't have to seat sideways during a big game. :)

Then: When our coach got in trouble in the off season, he got drunk in Southfield. 
Now: It's bad real estate deals.

Then: Our coach used "foul" language in practice.
Now: Our coach uses "foul" language in practice and the media is there to prove it.

Then: Michigan had QB's as big a tight ends
Now: QB's are mobile athletes

Then: Michigan had maybe one Junior Day for recruiting.
Now: Michigan now has BBQ's, Night of Champions, and many other Junior Days.

Then: Michigan players arrived at the stadium a few hours before the game.
Now: We now have the Victors Walk.

Then: A pretty boring Spring Game scrimmage.
Now: Now a Spring Game Event with Alumni Flag Football, Locker Room Tours, with a boring scrimmage.

Then: Never a Night Game at home
2011:  A Night Game against ND at the Big House

Then: You could buy your Michigan gear at the game from the MDen.
Now:  It's some company that is partly owned by Jerry Jones.

Then: An upgrade to the Big House was that ugly yellow siding. 
Now: It costs $226 Million.

Then: Michigan had a indoor practice facility that you couldn't practice special teams in.
Now: Michigan has a new practice facility that is similar in size to the Silver Dome.  (just kidding - but it's big).

Then: Michigan's strength and conditioning program was invented somewhere in the 1970's.
Now: Michigan's program is state of the art with Mike Barwis.


Those were just the top of my head and I'm sure you have many more.  As you can see, believe it or not Rich Rod and staff has brought some positives things to the program.   It's really not all negative.

• An Mgoblog reader heard U of M President Mary Sue Coleman speak in Boston this week.  Highlights:  Self imposed sanctions are due by the end of the month.  The reason the overages happened was due to confusion between the compliance office (internally at U of M) and the coaching staff.  She believes most Universities will be dropping compliance people on the football staff due to the confusion with giving coaching advice. 

Michigan Tuesday: Carr Clears the Air and Big Ten Rumors at 31 Flavors

Detroit News Michigan insider Angelique Chengelis spoke to Coach Carr yesterday on the Morgan Trent situation.  Here is his response:

"That paragraph is completely a distortion of my conversation with Morgan," Carr said. "That is a complete distortion, and it is not accurate. I have never spoken with the author. I have never met him. I have never had a conversation with him to the best of my knowledge."

Morgan Trent then responds:

"Lloyd didn't bring any of this to my attention," Trent said. "When we spoke, I brought it up to him, and he said he had heard some of the same things."

"I heard it from enough different sources as far as coaches and scouts, obviously it wasn't make believe," Trent said. "I'm not losing sleep over it. It's something that happened a year ago, and I've got other things I need to worry about."At that time, it was motivation for me to prove that wrong and to show these scouts and the Bengals that I could play, that that wasn't my character. It's dead and gone now. It's water under the bridge."

Morgan Trent is clearly not a Rich Rod fan.

Now on to the Big Ten's latest rumors. 

This process has been nothing short of hilarious.  How many reports have we had that this institution had been offered by the Big Ten to find out they aren't accurate?  I think Ferris Bueller will have a report next week on who the Big Ten has offered.  An ESPN radio station out of Kansas City reported yesterday that Missouri, Rutgers, Nebraska, and ND were all invited to join the Big Ten.  Andy Katz quickly jumped on the phone and said his sources close to the situation at a couple Universities on the list denied being offered by the Big Ten.   I think we should only accept reports from the Wall Street Journal on this topic moving forward.  Not a radio station from Kansas City.  With that said, If I was in charge of the Big Ten those would be 4 schools near the top of my list.

Some Recruiting News:

• Trey DePreist still may make it up to the BBQ at the Big House.  It depends if he has a conflict with his baseball schedule.

• Louisiana friends who have Michigan offers might visit Ann Arbor together this summer.  The friends are Mickey Johnson and Trai Turner. 

• Michigan is also recruiting two linebackers from Cincinnati: Antonio Poole and Sean Duggan.

• TomVH from Mgoblog gives us a nice recruiting update.  The biggest news is D. Hart is still not confirmed to attend the BBQ.  It seems it might just be a scheduling issue.  Many of us expect him to announce his commitment at the BBQ.

• The rumor mill is saying that the Michigan Basketball program might be getting a new basketball commitment this week.  

Michigan Monday: Trent Said - RR Said - Carr Said

It wouldn't be a Monday if the Michigan coaches didn't have to respond to some type of controversy.  The latest comes from a book by Rivals.com writer Bobby Deren that states Morgan Trent slipped in the NFL draft because Rich Rodriguez had bad mouthed him to NFL Scouts.

Here is the excerpt from a Detroit newspaper (warning! for those that are Freep-less): 

In the book, “Draft Season: Four Months on the Clock” Deren follows Trent and three other draft prospects. The most controversial part came at the end of the book.

“Shortly after the draft, Morgan made good on his promise to pay his former head coach (Lloyd Carr) a visit. Morgan was always happy to see Coach Carr and gave him a warm greeting. However, it didn’t take long for Coach Carr to get to the main reason why he wanted to see Morgan. It was there that Coach Carr told Morgan why he wasn’t drafted until the sixth round.

“Apparently, current Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez had cost Morgan quite a bit of money. Rodriguez had bad-mouthed Morgan to every NFL scout he could. Rodriguez claimed that Morgan was lazy, he had an attitude problem and he was a big reason why the Wolverines finished with a 3-9 record, the worst in school history. In essence, an entire draft season and an entire college career of hard work were decimated by a few petty words. Those words may have meant the difference between a $1.86 million deal and a $2.86 million deal. It may have meant the difference between the sixth round and the third round.”

Of course Rich Rod gave a strong denial:

“The comments attributed to me are inaccurate and absolutely ridiculous,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “I said just the opposite about Morgan Trent to NFL scouts and wish him well with the Bengals.”

The book doesn't give a source to where RR's negative comments came from and the Bengals said they didn't talk to Rodriguez. 

Here is my take:

• Morgan Trent's junior and senior year was his strongest at cornerback for Michigan.  Which in my opinion weren't very strong at all.  He was pretty much known as a fast corner not a cover guy.
• I never heard Morgan was rated to be a 3rd round prospect.  I always heard his grade was a late round to not drafted at all. 
• I don't see any reason for RR to bad mouth Trent to NFL scouts.  If his players get drafted it helps with recruiting. 
• I know Lloyd is respected in the football communities, but he had Trent for 3 years vs 1 with RR. Wouldn't the scouts take his opinion over RR's?  Are Scouts really calling Lloyd to gossip on his former players?  Hey, guess what Rodriguez said about Morgan? Since the author didn't give a source maybe he confused ARod with RRod?
• I'm happy Trent has found a home in Cincinnati and that he got a lot of time during his rookie year, but this seems silly and pretty far fetched.

Michigan Tuesday: More Answers to U of M's 2010 Recruiting Class

Let's start today off with a question from John MacLean: Not a comment on your blog as much as on the "poll." My vote: give me 4 years and then we can tell. Isn't that the (way) Bo would have done it?

BHB: John, thank you for the question and yes, your 100% right on Bo and his evaluation after 4 years. Though that is sort of like saying, I can win the lotto after I have seen the numbers drawn. Sure the only way to truly tell how these kids will transition to college football is after they see the field in practice and in games. With that said, let me give you my biggest reason, why I think this is a solid class right now.

One of the reasons Michigan is having trouble on the defensive side of the ball is due to depth issues. The last few years under the Carr Era, Lloyd didn't focus on the defensive side of the ball in his recruiting efforts and it's now showing the effects. Coach Rod said at his NSD presser that last year they had 24 defensive players on scholarship and you want between 38-40. That's a huge issue.

So, John to go back to your question. Recruiting classes have a number of goals including: replacing starters (CB- Donovan Warren, both safety positions, DE- Brandon Graham, Punter - Zoltan) but they also need to fill the important depth positions with 2nd and 3rd team players as well. So when you see Michigan sign 16 quality defensive players to add depth, I consider that a good recruiting year. Thanks again for your question.


Star Rankings? So I have seen a number of messages boards, radio shows, etc talking about Michigan and it's lack of 4 and 5 star players in the 2010 class. Or another way to say it is: Too many 3 stars!!

Would you be surprised to learn that no college program averaged 4 stars in their overall rankings on Scout's recruiting service? #1 Florida came in at 3.89 and Michigan's average was 3.33. Now to be fair on Rival's, there was one school that was over the magic 4 star average: that was USC at 4.20, Florida was at 3.89 and Texas at 3.92. Michigan's class on Rival's has an average star rating of 3.19.


CollegeFootballNews.com liked Michigan's class and ranked them in the top 10:

9. Michigan The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive backs. If Rich Rodriguez was in trouble, you wouldn't know if from this fantastic class. The offense got more options with Devin Gardner a 6-4 playmaking quarterback to give Tate Forcier a push, while RB Austin White is a dangerous running back prospect with speed and good all-around skills. RichRod also stepped up the receiving corps with Ricardo Miller and Jerald Robinson leading the way. But for all the good things about this class, nothing was bigger than pulling off a shocker with the signing of Demar Dorsey out of Florida on Signing Day to join Josh Furman and Marvin Robinson as some of the team's new safety stars. Cullen Christian out of Pittsburgh is one of the nation's best corner prospects with NFL size and quickness.


More Walk On News: Quintin Tucker a former teammate of Tate Forcier at San Diego Scripps Ranch will walk on at Michigan and join their 2010 recruiting class. Quintin is a middle linebacker and comes to Ann Arbor at 6"1 and 230 pounds. Quintin said, he turned down some scholarship offers to play at Michigan. As you may have noticed from the recruiting class, Michigan signed a number of defensive backs and rush linebackers, not a lot of middle linebackers. Quintin seems to be a solid pick up at a position of need.

Michigan Monday: Recruits, Clothing, and Carr gets a new job.

• In a surprise move, Brennan Clay one of the top RB's in the 2010 class and former teammate of Tate Forcier verbally committed to Bob Stoops and Oklahoma over the weekend. The surprising thing was Brennan's quick trigger to commit after he had set up a number of official visits, including one to Michigan in September. (I assume to watch his friend play QB for Michigan.) The key will be if BC keeps those official visits or not, all college coaches follow one rule in recruiting: "if you take visits to other schools, your not committed". We will see how this plays out and let's hope Michigan still has a chance. I"m thinking Tate believes Michigan is still in the race.

• William Campbell last year committed to Michigan very early, decided to take some visits, and even said he had dropped Michigan from his list before he picked Michigan at the Army All American Game. It seems another "Big Will" from Michigan is planning something similar. William Gholston has long been rumored to be a Michigan State lean, but has been to the Big House a number of times and continues to say his recruitment is wide open. I submit you proof of William's attention via the Tux he wore to his high school prom. I have a feeling Will, knows where he is going to play his college football.

• With two posts of bad news, some good news: It seems that Michigan QB commit for 2010 Devin Gardner performed well in a Nike Camp in Illinois over the weekend. He also seems to have a nice connection with the #1WR recruit in the nation, Kyle Prater (both were also at the BBQ at the Big House). Michigan already has enough WR's committed in the 2010 class but would definitely make room for Kyle. Also, Michigan recruit Austin White won the RB award. per ESPN: Gardner started a bit slow, but by the end of the camp was throwing very well. He showed a strong arm throwing the out pattern. ----ESPNU 150 Watch List wide receiver Kyle Prater (Hillside, Ill./Proviso West) was impressive on Saturday. He stands every bit of his listed 6-foot-4 height, and runs with an effortless gate. Prater made a number of nice catches and had little trouble getting the best of the defensive backs during drills. It was anything but a surprise when Prater was named the MVP for wide receivers at the end of the camp.
  If a "look test" award were given out, it almost certainly would have gone to Gholston, another ESPNU 150 Watch List prospect. Gholston not only looked great physically, but he showed speed and agility for a big guy. On more than one occasion, Gholston blew by his opponent with an outside speed rush.

• DHR hires former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr to it's sports practice: DHR's sports practice conducts searches for both collegiate and professional sports, recruiting athletic directors, head coaches and other executives. Carr “is one of the most celebrated and successful coaches in the history of the NCAA,” said DHR CEO David Hoffmann. “His character, integrity and leadership qualities are, in our opinion, second to none in the sports world.”

• Update: Lo Wood Announcing June 26th. Early on Lo (a DB from Florida) was a strong Michigan lean but ND jumped into the picture and many believe that Lo will announce that he will become a "golden domer" on the 26th of this month. Hopefully, Lo will dream about a 40 yard dash between "good time Charlie" and "RR". The winner of the race is Lo's school of choice. :-)