Michigan Tuesday: Purdue Comes To Crisler Tonight

Michigan is now the 20th ranked team in the nation and that is a 1000 miles from where they were last season.  Dusty has done a tremendous job of making Michigan Basketball relevant again. 

Still when Michigan visited Purdue a couple weeks ago, it was over quickly as Michigan kept turning the ball over and Purdue got easy baskets.  It was a blow out.   Tonight, the Boilermakers enter Crisler as the #7 team in the nation.  Dusty has replaced Gale (the OSU Double Agent as my son calls him) in the starting lineup.   Too bad we are not getting the Texas State Jones who shot from a high percentage from 3 and can defend.  He is the guy that goes for 30 in a Big Ten or NCAA Tournament game, right?

I really like Sam Walters offensive game and wish he could get more floor time.  His issue is, he can't guard a folding chair.  I think that is why they go zone when he is in the game.   Michigan needs a highlight win and this could be it tonight if they protect the ball and are efficient on offense.  

7:00 on Peacock. 

• I forgot to mention yesterday that Michigan had 4 players in the Super Bowl but 2 were on the not active list (Uche and Keegan).  Have to have all Wolverines active! 

• Brady was sporting a $740K watch on the broadcast.  I hear some of his watch collection is up for auction.  Wouldn't that be a nice item in your Wolverine collection? TB12 Rolex! Yes, please! 

Michigan Monday: Brandon Graham Goes Out a Winner

The Super Bowl reminded me of Michigan @ OSU this year.  Michigan's defensive line dominated the eventual Peach Bowl Champion offensive line.  The difference in the Super Bowl was the Eagles had a functioning offense, Michigan did not.  

When Harbaugh and staff worked on building Michigan's offensive and defensive lines, the Wolverines started winning.  Everyone and their brother knew Michigan wanted to run Corum and Edwards and nobody could stop it for 60 minutes.   KC stopped the Eagles running game but their lack of pass rush turned the Super Bowl into a route. 

I'm happy for Brandon Graham, he came back after his injury and played in the Super Bowl.  He goes out as a 2 time Super Bowl Champion and spent his entire career in Philly.  It was also a bit ironic, that the Super Bowl GOAT was on the call as Mahomes fails to continue to grab his crown. 

• Michigan welcomes home Erik "Soup" Campbell back to Ann Arbor as an assistant WR coach.  Soup was a former player and coach in Ann Arbor.  Also the best friend of Sam Webb. 

• Michigan signs a back-up place kicker from Texas State in the portal in Beckham Sunderland.  Can he punt?  Also can he bend it like Beckham?

• Happy for Dusty and Michigan Basketball getting a win at Indiana.  This team is somewhere between exciting and troubling.  Never boring.

Michigan Monday: Moody Blues

I don't think it's fair to put blame on the 49'ers Super Bowl loss on Jake Moody.  Yes, that extra point was kicked lower then it should've been and was blocked.  Yes, it was the difference between a 3 and 4 point lead, I get all of that.  Moody delivered 10 points and for about an hour even had a Super Bowl record.   Jake, hold your head high today.  I also feel bad for Ambry Thomas and Ronnie Bell.  

It amazes me that the Michigan Football news does not stop, not even on a Super Bowl Sunday. 

Bad News: 4 star LB signee Jaden Smith has requested a release from his NIL.  Which Michigan will grant.  Can't blame the kid, the entire defensive staff is gone.  

Good News: Sherrone looks to be hiring a former colleague of his and current Wisconsin DL coach Greg Scruggs.  He is known as a good coach and a hustler on the recruiting trail.  Seems like a good hire if they can complete the deal. 

Sherrone also made a very good hire on Saturday, when he brought back Sean Magee to be the Football General Manager and assistant AD.   Great hire! 

This was a bit of old news but the hire of Steve Casula as TE became official. 

• Rumor is that Jedd interviewed for the UCLA job.  That is a little crazy. 

• Sounds like PJ Fleck turned down the Bruins advances. 

• Remember the story of Washington OC Ryan Grubb?  He did end up going back to Seattle from Alabama as the Seahawks new OC.

Michigan Monday: I knew that Turf was a POS

I was watching an Arizona Cardinals on Redzone prior to the Fiesta Bowl and had a thought in the back of my mind.  This real grass seems very slippery and could be an issue for the Wolverines who normally play on field turf.  That prediction came true.  Now, I don't blame the grass for Michigan's loss, but it didn't help.  

I'm sure the NFL and the Super Bowl won't make the same mistake.  Then they did.  I don't know if it's the air conditioning or having the roof open or closed, but that is one slippery field and not one you should be playing a championship game on. 

I hated how that great game ended.  I didn't have a dog in the fight but thought that holding call was one that they haven't called all night and should've kept the flag in their pocket on a play where Mahomes was clearly throwing it away.

Congratulations to Chad Henne who will be known has one of the best backup QB's ever. He just didn't hold a clip board and was vital in limited roles in the Chiefs Super Bowl runs.  He played 15 years and got 2 Super Bowl Rings as he announced his retirement last night after the Super Bowl.    The NFL has lost 2 Michigan QB's in 2 weeks with a total of 9 rings between them.  Not too shabby. 

• Michigan received a 2025 commitment from Georgia LB Mantrez Walker, he is 6'1 and 215 pounds and not rated yet.  He does have offers from LSU, Florida, and Penn State as well. 

Michigan Friday: Longhorns in the Big House

As you might have seen in the news on Thursday, Texas and OU are heading to the SEC a year earlier than expected, now on 7/1/2024.  The issue was working out the money and making a schedule change.  

I had totally forgotten about an agreement struck in 2014 that Michigan and Texas were going to do a home and home.  Michigan was to travel to Austin in 2024 and then Texas to Ann Arbor in 2027. There are some TV rights on the line here and now those games have been flipped.  Texas will be coming to Ann Arbor in 2024 and Michigan to Austin in 2027.   Which could be the start of the Arch Manning era in Texas, as he is expected to sit behind Ewers this season. 

I hope Jayden Davis is aware of this game and potential match-up with Manning.  Regular non-conference games don't get bigger than this. 

If you've ever wondered about the power or reach of Michigan Football.  This is a great example of one game being a key factor in two teams moving conferences outside the Big Ten. 

• Hutch lost the NFL Defensive Rookie of the year award to Sauce Gartner, which was expected.  He did win the Pepsi Rookie of the year award, which is voted on by the fans.  It's clear who the people's champion is! 

• Good Luck to all the Wolverines playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday! 

Michigan Monday: Always Good to Beat the Team Down South

Michigan Basketball put together back-to-back good wins last week with wins over Northwestern and Ohio State on Sunday.  This program still has some work to do before they're "invite worthy" but this is a good start at a strong finish. 

Not sure what Kobe was doing with 11 seconds left?  Neither did the folks that were holding the "under" bet. 

• I caught a little bit of the Orlando Magic game yesterday; one group had both Wagner brothers and Caleb Houstan on the floor. 

• Welcome to Super Bowl Week, I was in PHX last week and the city is ready to host the Super Bowl and Waste Management Open during the same week.  The Uber drivers are very excited. 

• Seems Kirk Campbell is already hitting the recruiting trail for a QB in the 2025 class, it would be nice if the 2024 QB was locked in and committed. 

• Get the popcorn ready for Kyrie working for Mark Cuban

• Will CJ Carr (Lloyd's Grandson) follow Tommy Rees to Alabama?

Michigan Monday: Super Bowl Review

The Cincinnati Bengals ran 2 plays in the Super Bowl for Chris Evans, one was incomplete the second one got a first down on a key 3rd down.   They of course lost the game, but I don't even know Chris could have imagined this a couple years ago.  Well done!   Michigan Man and now Super Bowl Champion David Long Jr. had 4 tackles (3 solo).   Congratulations David! 

As for the game, I enjoyed it was close, but I thought it was a bit of a dis-jointed.   The Rams lost a star WR early and Cincy's offensive line was offensive to Bengals fans.   I also hated that the winning TD drive had two penalties inside the 10-yard line.  How does the Bengals let Cooper Kupp beat them, when everyone and their brother knew, the ball was going to him?  

-Matt Stafford deserved this win as a long-time suffering Lions QB.  

-Can't believe Aaron Donald is even contemplating retirement.

-Did OBJ blow out his ACL?

-The Bengals should spend every draft pick on the offensive line.   

-Bengals should never run an important play to Perine. 

-Eli Apple should never line up against Kupp, mostly with the Super Bowl on the line.

-Loved the old school halftime show

Now on to the USFL and we will see how many weeks that league lasts.  

• RIP to long time Michigan radio play by play man Frank Beckman.  

• Michigan Basketball lost a tough one to Ohio State on Saturday night.  This team continues to ride a roller-coaster this season. 

• Tyrone Wheatley is leaving Morgan State as their head coach for the RB's role with the Broncos.  Wheat only won 5 games at Morgan State in 2 years. 

Michigan Friday: Super Bowl Players and Prediction

This is always a bittersweet weekend for me, as its Super Bowl Weekend and at the same time the final football game of the season.   I don't like watching Baseball on TV (will there even be a season?) and the NBA doesn't get good until the playoffs.   Michigan Basketball hopefully is getting hot at the right time! 

I like big game Joe Burrow as he never seems to get rattled.  He has a great WR core and a just good enough "no name" defense.   The problem is Cincinnati might have the worst offensive line in Super Bowl history.  Former Buckeye Isaiah Prince might be the worst NFL Tackle I've ever seen.   I would have pulled someone out of retirement before I put Prince back on the field. 

Match Bengals terrible OLine vs. maybe the Rams best defensive line in Super Bowl history, equals a long day for the Bengals.   It will be interesting to see if the Bengals can game plan around their offensive line.   They have been doing the entire playoffs, so there is a chance.   

I'm also happy for Matt Stafford getting his chance in the sun.  He deserves it and I hope he plays well.  The one thing Matt will have to guard against, is that game crushing interception he always seems to throw.  He threw in the NFC Championship game, it was just dropped by the San Fransico DB.  

Rams 31 Bengals 21

Congratulations to Chris Evans who in a very short window, has gone from delivery driver to playing in the Super Bowl!  

Congratulations to David Long Jr. who gets to play for his hometown team in a Super Bowl in his hometown.  

I was surprised to learn that Jordan Kovas is actually a Defensive Quality Control Coach for the Bengals.  Well done Jordan!

Another thing I learned while researching this post.  Did you know former Wolverine Safety Brandon Watson who plays in JAX has changed his last name to Brandon Rusnak?  He did it for Cancer awareness as "Rusnak" backwards sounds like Cancer. 

• Former NFL Executive Tom Gamble is becoming Michigan's Player Personnel Director.  

• Michigan Basketball got its biggest win of the season last night knocking off former #1 and current #3 Purdue 82-58.  Michigan shot 57% from 3-point land and made 12 of them.   There is no mystery to this team, if they can shoot make the 3 they can win basketball games.  If they don't, they lose.   It would be nice to go on a little run here late in the season and get into the tournament. 

Enjoy the Super Bowl!!! 

Michigan Friday: Does GOAT Things

What can be said about Tom Brady that hasn't already been said?   Tom realized where the Patriots were heading and jumped on the pirate ship.   He has that Dick Clark/Rob Lowe never ages magic formula and is now in the warm Florida sun.    He and his team will make history on Sunday either way as the Buccaneers are the first home team playing in a Super Bowl.  

I believe this game is a bettor's nightmare.  How do you pick against The Chiefs or Tom Brady?  On a side note, I believe Michigan Football has a Tom Brady jinx and won't win another championship until he retires.  I'm old enough to remember Michigan fans wanting the golden boy Drew Henson to play over the greatest NFL QB ever.   Then when Tom leaves for the NFL, Drew jumps to the Yankees.   You could argue that Michigan has struggled at that position ever since.  

I will be rooting for Tom on Sunday.   I know he is not done but would love for him to win another Super Bowl and walk off the field for the last time.  

• How about Mike Danna's journey the last couple of years?  Central Michigan to Michigan to East-West Shrine Bowl to NFL Draft to KC Chiefs to playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday.   I really liked Mike at Michigan and his work effort has led to all of his success! 

• I'm a little late on this but Michigan is keeping BJM and he will not be going to JAX.  

• I know this staff is still so new they have bubble wrap on, but they seem to be top notch recruiters.   Michigan has been trending for Taylor Groves a 4 star WR out of Tennessee.   I think Jimmy started to realize, you have to have coaches that can both recruit and develop.  

• Big Ten Basketball Tournament is moving from Chicago to Indy. 

• Dear Warde, I understand the shutdown and even supported it, buts its time for our #4 team in the nation to get back on the court.  

Michigan Monday: Super Bowl Steals A Play From Fritz Crisler

U of M had plenty of influence on the Super Bowl Champions KC Chiefs, with Chad Henne as a back-up QB and Frank Clark as the starting DE.   (Yes, I understand how Frank's time in Ann Arbor ended).  

What was more interesting to me was the play that KC OC Eric Bieniemy stole from the 1948 Rose Bowl and Fritz Crisler.   The play was the 4th and 1 full house backfield, 3 spin move and direct snap to the RB.   The play worked for a first down and ended up on the 1 yard line.   Here are both plays if your interested.  

I tip my hat to the Super Bowl champs and to Eric going old school and plucking a heck of a good play from the Mad Magicians.  I remember when Michigan's head coach would run old school unique plays in his first year at Michigan.  

• X came back and Brandon Johns went for 20 as Michigan got a nice home win in NYC on Saturday over a ranked Rutgers team.  I agree there are a lot of confusing statements in that sentence.  Michigan did play a home game at MSG and Rutgers is ranked 25th in the country.   This was a brilliant move for Coach B who scheduled this game as Michigan plays it best basketball at neutral sites.   The Wolverines get to play Ohio State and Michigan State this week.  

• Cade McNamara's brother Kyle has committed to Michigan.  Kyle is a 5'8 170 pound WR.  I assume this is a PWO offer as Kyle is ranked as a 2 star to 24/7.   Kyle reports two offers to CMU and Ohio State.   I'm guessing the OSU offer wasn't committable.  Welcome Kyle!  

• Michigan did get a confirmed PWO commit from Traverse City QB Peyton Smith. Peyton is a 2 star QB and the 153rd Pro Style QB in the 2020 class. 

• Former Wolverine Stephen Spanellis is transferring to Vandy.  Congrats Stephen and get that Vanderbilt graduate degree with your Michigan degree.

• Former Wolverine offense lineman Steve Hutchinson was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Congrats Hutch! 

Michigan Monday: The Legend/Curse of Tom Brady

For the life of me I have been trying to figure out, What the hell is wrong with Michigan Football?   In my mind, it started with App. State and continues today.   Michigan can't beat Ohio State and has never played in the Big Ten Championship game.   The Wolverines have 4 and 5 star talent and a very strong coaching staff and still can't get over the hump.  We know the situation all too well.  

Then something hit me as Tom Brady was walking off the field as a Super Bowl Champion for the 6th time in 9 tries.  Michigan won't get back to being Michigan until Tom Brady retires.   Why?  Because we had the greatest football champion as our QB and all we wanted was Mr. High School All American Drew Henson to play.  We are being punished by the Football Gods,

Yes folks, you have heard about the curse of the Bambino now we have the curse of Mr. America Tom Brady.   It's a bit of strange curse, because Tom doesn't hold any ill will towards U of M and the Michigan fan base is very proud of what he has accomplished in the NFL.   So how do we reverse the curse?

Michigan needs to go "Major League" on Schembechler Hall, hire Jobu and cleanse the entire building including the Big House.   Pray to the football gods to share the Championship Glory that Tom Brady has rightfully owned since he left Ann Arbor.   There has to be room in there for his college team!

On a side note, during the Jobu cleanse it wouldn't hurt if everyone was wearing the TB12 Recovery Sleepwear and Uggs. :-)

Congratulations to the GOAT for his 6th Super Bowl! 

• In what seems like not so great news, Rivals is reporting that Michigan has told Amauri Pesek-Hickson not to sign on Wednesday. That the team will be looking for defensive line grad transfers instead.   I don't like the timing of that decision and hope he was aware of what was going on for a couple of months.   When kids don't sign in December, I think there is big risk on both sides.  

• So Ty Law had a good weekend!  Saturday named to the Hall of Fame, Sunday his team wins the Super Bowl

• More PWO News: Matt Harrison, Samih Beydoun, and Zonterio Weekley!  Welcome! 

Michigan Friday: Michigan Gets Some Future Help In The Kicking Game

First is Karl Kerska who committed to Michigan as PWO.  If your name is Karl Kerska you have to be a kicker right?  Wait, there is more, he is also a punter and ranks as the #69th kicker and #100 punter in the US by Kohl's  Kicking.

From Kohl's: "Kerska had a solid showing at the 2018 National Scholarship Camp. He displayed excellent coordination and ball striking ability. He was excellent on field goals by scoring 31 points on the field goal charting and finishing 14th at the camp in his class on field goals. Commanding his tempo and confidence should help him improve his kickoffs to where his field goals currently are. He showed the ability to roll out punt and scored points during the punt charting on it. Increasing his command of his drop should help his punting develop even more."

Welcome Karl the Kicker! 

Next is William Wagner who also committed to Michigan as a PWO.  If your name is William Wagner you must be a Wide Receiver, but he isn't.  William is a long snapper and is the #14 LS in the nation to Kohl's Kicking.  

"Wagner was dominant throughout the Kohl’s Southern Showcase. I have seen glimpses of his talent at previous camps but Wagner put it all on display in Atlanta. He finished camp with the second highest charting score in the country. Not only was he dominant during the charting session but he also won the camp wide snapping competition. Wagner has great size and will be able to make an immediate impact for any program in the country."

Welcome William "Braveheart" Wallace Wagner. 

• Michigan Basketball has another weird road game today as they tip of at 6:30 in Iowa.  This will be another tough game as Iowa can score the ball vs. Michigan's great defense.  Let's hope Michigan shoots the ball well and pulls away at the end of the game.

• The Knicks traded two Wolverines yesterday to Dallas:  Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke.  

• Good Luck to Tom Brady in  his 9th Super Bowl this weekend.  

• 5 former Wolverines on final rosters for the AAF which kicks off a week from Saturday:  Denard is on Atlanta, Ty Isaac is on Birmingham, De'Veon Smith in on Orlando, Channing Stribling is on Memphis, and Matt Godin is on San Antonio. 

Michigan Monday: Tom In the Super Bowl Again

Raise your hand, if you knew Tom Brady would be the greatest QB in NFL history when he was at Michigan?  I assume many of you (like myself), had no idea.   He was always a smart QB and seemed to make the right reads at Michigan, but I was concerned about the next level.  I thought maybe he would have a Todd Collins type of career, being a solid back-up.  

I sure was wrong, Tom is the greatest QB and again proved it last night for anyone that might have forgotten.   A fun fact, Tom was on Michigan's 1997 National Championship team as a freshman.  He passed 15 times, completed 12, for 103 yards that season.

Congrats to the GOAT!

• Michigan Basketball suffered its first loss of the season.  It was only a matter of time as winning Big Ten games on the road is no easy task.  11:00 AM local start, a slippery surface, and Iggy/Mathews combine for 5 points is recipe for an L. 

• I wonder if that guy that missed that call in the Saints/Rams game ever was a referee in the Big Ten? Because it sure did look like it.  

• If you think the news regarding Michigan closing the 2019 class has been quiet, you are exactly right.  Michigan had two 2019 visitors his weekend:  Collin Duncan is a 3 star WR without an offer and FL CB Josh Sanguinetti a 4 Star CB with a ton of offers.    The WOTS is that Michigan is trying to set up a big recruiting weekend for this weekend.    As the focus has clearly turned to 2020 and future classes.  For the 2019 class, I think the Wolverines would love to close with a DT, RB, and either a WR or CB.  

• Speaking of DT's, Jimmy and new DT coach Shaun Tua were in Houston this weekend to recruit, Rice Graduate Transfer Zach Abercrumbia. Pretty much every school is trying to recruit Zach to their program as a rent-a-DT for next season. 

Michigan Monday: Michigan vs. Michigan Super Bowl Crime

Yahoo Sports

Last night in the Super Bowl the difference in the game was a Brandon Graham strip sack of Tom Brady.   That play stopped the New England offense and with a field goal pushed the lead to 8 with less then a minute and no timeouts.  Game over.   That play sort of reminds me of the time Charles Woodson stripped sacked Tom Brady in the snow but it was ruled an incomplete pass.   That call went the Patriots way, the one last night didn't.  Congratulations to the Eagles and Brandon Graham, he deserves to be a Champion after some of the poor Michigan teams he was on.

• Hutchinson and Law didn't get into the Hall of Fame with the latest vote.

• I felt this might be coming.  QB Kevin Doyle de-commits this weekend.   His recruitment had gone completely silent and I wondered if he would be part of the class weeks ago.   The word on the street is that Michigan wanted him to take a prep year or Gray Shirt and he said, "No thanks".   It will be interesting to see where he signs on Wednesday.   Seems Arizona is now in play for Kevin.

• Lose one get one - Instate QB Max Wittwer has accepted a PWO to play at Michigan next season.  Max was committed to Air Force and had other scholarship offers to EMU and other smaller schools.  A solid commitment here.

• Michigan has also accepted a Gray Shirt commitment from instate kicker Jake Moody.   That means he will have to pay his own way for a year and then Michigan will provide him a scholarship for the rest of his time in Ann Arbor.

NSD is two days away and there seems to be no buzz on Michigan signing anymore players to the 2018 class.   Right now the only drama is whether Otis Reese stays in the class or goes to Georgia. 


Including Otis, here is the rest of the 2018 class that are still un-signed in the early period:

• WR Ronnie Bell is expected to sign
• CB Vincent Gray is expected to sign
• Athlete Michael Barrett is expected to sign

Michigan Monday: Tom Brady is the GOAT

Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports           

It's hard to have watched last nights Super Bowl and come away with words to describe what our eyes saw.  That game was over at 28-3 with the Falcons defense playing well and rushing Tom Brady.   The key to beating New England and Tom Brady has always been, get pressure with the front four.  

That was exactly what was happening for two + quarters last night.  Until it wasn't.   An unbelievable Super Bowl for an unbelievable QB.   It feels so good that he is a Michigan Man!

(For those of you that might not understand GOAT - it stands for Greatest of All Time)

• Breaking News: It looks like Brady Hoke is heading to The University of Tennessee as their defensive line coach.   Which is a good hire and a good spot for Brady.  We all know that is his sweet spot.  He is also a good recruiter.    The down side, Brady just took a job as the Oregon DC a year ago with a head coach on the hot seat.  Butch Jones is clearly on the hot seat as well and this will probably be his last year if he doesn't make it to the SEC Championship game. (Bruce Feldman is source on the Hoke to UT)

• Now some bad news, many BHB readers have been wondering where the Michigan roster will loose a few players.  I believe with the 2017 recruiting class, Michigan is +3 over the 85 scholarship limit for next year.   We might have our first surprise and disappointing reduction to the roster.   The name is Freshman TE Devin Asiasi from California.   It seems Devin is having some serious family issues and has been back home for a couple of weeks.   Now it's expected that Devin will transfer to another school in California so he can be closer to his family.   There are more important things then Michigan football and I hope his family issues get resolved.   

• Devin is a talented young player that played in 12 games this year and even caught a TD.  Michigan is deep at that position but will feel the loss of this talented young TE.  There are also some rumors that Michigan could lose another offensive lineman.   There hasn't been any names tied to this rumor but it comes from a reliable insider source.    This loss could be a devastating one as Michigan is very thin at all offensive line positions.

• If your wondering about Scout's bankruptcy.   It seems 24/7 was the highest and only bidder for the recruiting service. It's likely Sam Webb will end up at 24/7 over the next 6 months as many of the Scouts contracts will be picked up by 24/7.    This would be a good match as Sam is the #1 insider and 24/7 is one of the best recruiting services for Michigan Football.  Update: Looks like 24/7 is going to keep Scout's a separate brand from it's 24/7 service.  So Sam is probably staying where he is at currently.

Michigan Friday: Wolverines In The Super Bowl

How is Devin Funchess feeling right about now?  He is coming off a dumpster fire of a season at Michigan, runs a poor 40 at the combine and now finds himself in the Super Bowl as a rookie.   I would say that is huge turnaround. 

Michael Schofield only has two years of pro experience but is a starting tackle in the Super Bowl. 

Congratulations to both players and hopefully we will have a great game. 

Carolina 24 Denver 21

• Jimmy hires another HS coach to his (non-coaching) staff in Coach Antonio “Bam” Richards as an offensive analyst.  Bam was a coach at Prattville in Alabama.

• Jimmy is at the Super Bowl today and doing radio interviews on Mike and Mike and Dan Patrick. 

Michigan Monday: It was Bound to Happen

Michigan finally laid an egg on the road in the Big Ten.  Yogi hit everything he looked at and most of Nik's shot went in and then bounced out for a total of 6 points.  It was a frustrating game to watch as you could tell Michigan had more talent on the floor but on Sunday afternoon the shots weren't dropping for the Wolverines and they couldn't find a answer for Yogi or Boo Boo on the other side of the floor.

Two things bothered me watching the game.  The first was Michigan basically letting Yogi get any 3 point shot he wanted, second was that Michigan should have taken the ball to the basket more then shooting threes all day.   Nik and GR3 could of had a layup drill all afternoon if they wanted it, the guys guarding them could not stay in front of them.   Morgan passed up a layup when a small guard had him in the low post for a open 3 point shot miss.  That was pretty much the story of the entire game for the Wolverines. 

Hopefully the Wolverines will now understand the difference from being the hunter to the hunted. 

• I guess the Super Bowl answered my question on Friday.  A good defense beats a good offense.  That was quite a performance by the Seahawks.   The Seattle defense outscored the entire Broncos offense.  Throw in the kick return and the Seahawks offense didn't even need to score to win the game. 

• Malik will announce his decision at 9:30 AM on signing day/Wednesday.  He is now back from his Ohio State visit and it's time to make a decision.   If you want to understand more of this complex decision, check out this story in the Detroit News.

Michigan Friday: Can a Great Defense Beat a Great Offense?

That is the real question for the Super Bowl fans isn't?  Can Payton's arm hold up against the pass rush and DB's of the Seahawks?   It should be a great game, even if it's in cold temperatures.  My only concern in the game is can the Seahawks offense score enough points to win?  Russell Wilson will have to play a near perfect game or the Seahawks defense will have to score a couple of times.   Broncos 24 Seahawks 17


John Beilein's squad did it again last night and won another Big Ten game.   The game wasn't pretty for the most part with the Wolverines committing 16 turnovers but the much improved play of Derrick Walton and Nik Stauskas carried the Wolverines to another comfortable win.    I love LeVert's athleticism and how he can effect a game, but his dribble around the key drives me crazy.  If he can take out a couple of young mental mistakes in his game, the sky is the limit for him. 

I have two concerns right now.  First is how the defense gives up way too many uncontested layups.  The other is how GR3 continues to get lost on the floor a bit.  His shot has been off a bit and he scored under 10 points last night.   If Michigan has it's eyes on a Big Ten Title and Final 4 run, they will need him to set up and be a difference maker in each game (on both sides of the ball). 

• To recap MM's recruitment:  MSU assistants visited yesterday, Jimbo Fisher visited yesterday as well and Brady Hoke and a couple coaches will be in home this morning with the McDowell family.   The McDowell's will then head to Columbus for their final official visit before signing day.   When they get home this weekend, they will then sit down as a family and make a decision and announce it on signing day.   Michigan's signing day close will come down to this decision.  Yes, there could be a surprise commit but I see very little options outside Malik in the Wolverines last spot in this class.

Bob, if you had to pick a signing day surprise for the Wolverines if MM doesn't come here?  Who do you think it might be? 

I think the Wolverines would "eat" the scholarship and save it for next year and give it to a walk-on this season.   If you made me guess who the Wolverines might throw a late offer to in this class, here are a couple of options that I have zero inside information on.  It's just a 100% total guess:

- Darius West is a 4 star safety from Lima, OH.  He is 6'0 and 195 pounds.  He is currently committed to Kentucky and was recruited by Michigan but not offered.   

-Daniel Cage is a DT from Cincinnati, OH and is 6'3 and 295 pounds.   He has not committed but has offers from the likes of MSU and ND.   Michigan has not offered and I expect he wouldn't flip with the quality offers he already has. 

-Chukwuma Okorafor is a 6'6 285 pound OT from Southfield.   He plays with MM and current Michigan commit Lawrence Marshall.   He is committed to Western but sounds like he might flip on signing day to Iowa.  He also has an Oklahoma offer. 

I believe Chukwuma is the best available prospect in Michigan.  It seems Damon Webb is not going to come to his senses and is 100% solid to Ohio State.  If Urban pulls DW and MM out of Michigan that is going to be tough.  It must be how Urban feels, when Michigan pulls top prospects out of his state.

I checked Glenville and Cass Tech, places Michigan likes to fish for athletes and I don't see any late addition options at either school.  The best bet is they save it for the small 2015 class.

• Hardaway went for 29 points for the Knicks last night.

Michigan Monday: Tough Stretch and Super Thoughts

Like I mentioned after the game, I'm really proud how Michigan's Basketball team is playing.   To go into Bloomington, get down big and still play a competitive game is a sign of good coaching, a little lack of experience, and a bunch of kids that keep their heads up and always believe they can win. 

Now on to the schedule, early in the Big Ten season some of us wondered where the MSU's, OSU's, Wisconsin's and Indiana's  of the world were on Michigan's schedule.  Well we found them.   Here is how Michigan's schedule finishes:

Tue., Feb. 5	vs. Ohio State *
Sat., Feb. 9	at Wisconsin *
Tue., Feb. 12	at Michigan State *
Sun., Feb. 17	vs. Penn State *
Sun., Feb. 24	vs. Illinois (9) *
Wed., Feb. 27	at Penn State *
Sat., Mar. 2	vs. Michigan State (10) *
Sun., Mar. 3	vs. Michigan State (10) *
Wed., Mar. 6	at Purdue *
Sun., Mar. 10	vs. Indiana (11) *

IU, OSU, Wisconsin and MSU is murders row.   Let's hope Michigan can win at home and steal a few on the road. 

• Another 2014 QB prospect to keep an eye on is Wilton Speight who the Michigan coaches were just out to see.   Brady and Big Al have yet to give out a 2014 QB offer yet.   The top 3 candidates seem to be Wilton, Michael O'Connor and David Cornwell.

A few Super Bowl thoughts:

• CBS production was pretty bad.  There was a ton of talking going into taped stories and the studio guys commentary was terrible.   Sharpe was clearly supporting his former team, Marino seemed like he was watching another game and Cowher was calling for SF to put in Alex Smith.  The booth of Nance and Simms pretty much took all the excitement out of the game.   I know Gus Johnson is with Fox now, but that is the kind of excitement that booth needed.  To their credit, they did do a nice job when the lights when out.  

• The commercials were average.  The Go Daddy kissing was terrible but liked Paul Harvey Farmer and the Clydesdale one.

• I liked the officiating as a whole and thought they let them play.   I think the 4th down pass was a clear holding call.  They called a similar call on SF on a Raven's 3rd down pass in the 4th quarter.

• I thought Anquan Boldin was the MVP of the game.  He made some really good catches to keep drives going when the Ravens had lost momentum.

• SF was clearly the better team after the black out.  They just couldn't score that last touchdown.

• I can't confirm this, but I think I have bought a used car from Steve Bisciotti at some point in my life.

• Ravens are a class organization to hire OJ Brigance and keeping him part of the team.  (I don't know the reason behind OJ's battle with ALS, but ALS has been tied to a history of head trauma and concussions- here is a small post I did on it in 2010)

Michigan Friday: Don't Expect Any Surprises

Welcome to February and signing day is just a few days away.   Michigan has 27 commits and all seem very solid.  Michigan has one scholarship left to offer and right now I'm not expecting any last minute offers/commitment surprises.   I think they will "bank" it and give it to a walk-on player that deserves it. 

Michigan's estimated class for 2014 (with some expected attrition) right now is rounding towards roughly 20 players.   As you know, things can change and that number could go up near a full class of 25.

If there was a signing day surprise, who are the candidates to get a very late (Norfleet type) of offer?

• Kendall Gibbs, DT Cass Tech - committed to NC State
• Shane Jones, LB from Moeller in Cincinnati. - committed to MSU
• Berkley Edwards, RB from Chelsea - committed to Minnesota

My choice would be Antonio Allen a 4 star safety out of Indy who is committed to IU.  He is 5'11 and 200 pounds and looked really good in the Army All-American game.

Those would be my guesses.  Berkley would have to come in as a returner or slot WR.  Shane Jones would be a complete surprise but Michigan was looking for another LB and I always think you could use another DT in Gibbs.    Again, I doubt anything will happen but you never know.  If there was a weekend, for a quiet visit it would be this one.   The basketball team is out of town and most recruiting services believe Michigan is on to recruiting the 2014 class.   On a side note:  Cincinnati has a committed DB in the 2013 class named Mike Tyson.   He better be a big hitter with that name.

• There is a little bit of buzz that John Wangler's son Jack might walk-on to the Wolverines.  He is a 6-2 WR and doesn't hold any D1 offers.   We will see more news on walk-ons after Wednesday.

• Hoke was ranked the 5th best head coach recruiter in the country.

• The Michigan Basketball Team might have one of their biggest regular season games in over a decade on Saturday when they play IU in Bloomington.   9:00 ESPN - Go Blue!

• My prediction for the Super Bowl.  SF is the better team and I think Jim is the better coach.  John has the "hot" team and the hot team has been winning Super Bowls of late.   I still can't pick against the best team.  SF will have to stop Flacco's long throws.  It would be very cool for a player from Bo's legacy to lead a team to a Super Bowl win as a head coach.     SF 28 Baltimore 23