Bumped from the sidebar. As you read this, wonder aloud how long it'll be until a South Bend reporter tries to make a name for himself by writing a OMG RULZ R BROKN! article. Oh wait. Never mind. That's only in Ann Arbor. - Ed.

ESPN: Strength Coaches Doing Heavy Lifting

Reads an awful lot like the Barwis porn we all greedily consumed after RichRod was brought in.  One part is especially familiar:

Part of the Longo Method of being your best is unconventional. Notre Dame just finished installing Longo Beach -- an 80-yard-long, 10-foot-wide sand pit on one of the practice fields for players to run sprints through.

 Another interesting quote:

The players are making the effort by being in South Bend this summer. When Longo was at Iowa working under Hayden Fry, he'd have 55 out of more than 100 players on campus for summer conditioning. This summer at Notre Dame, attendance by scholarship players is 100 percent.

That's another sign of the changing emphasis on strength and conditioning. Offseason work is nowhere near as voluntary as it's billed.

"There's a very short window of your life you're able to do this," Longo said. "Why not do everything you can to be your best?"

Just a little something to read in the offseason.

Hello all.  I'm considering making the trip from Chicago to catch Michigan at Illinois and was looking for some gameday advice.  (Other than "get bent.")

If you can find it in your heart, I'm curious to know:

- What section do the visiting fans primarily sit in?

- Any must-sees on game-day in Chambana?

- Interesting stories or other worthwhile advice also apreciated.

- Insults are expected.  Comments along the lines of "3-9 dur, dur." have all been heard before.

Hello all.  I'm writing because I need to milk to collective Michigan conciousness.  I intend this season to make the trek from Chicago to catch Michigan at Illinois and Iowa and I need some advice.

Most importantly, what section do the Michigan fans sit in at both stadiums?  I'd prefer to be near allies if at all possible.

Secondly, where should I hang out before and/or after the games?

Finally, any other useful advice that strikes your fancy would be much appreciated.  Stories of personal experiences are also encouraged.

I went to a bar to watch last night's (Saturday's) game against the Irish and I didn't have audio.  Anyway, why was the last goal waved off?  Naturally without being able to hear what was going on, I was clueless.

Also, was it just me, or was Michigan's passing atrocious?  We looked way out of sync.  Still, great to take a split with the #1 team and should set us up well for a playoff run.

Per Rivals.com:

Rodriguez: Spring game at the Big House, no 3-3-5

By Chris Balas, TheWolverine.com Senior EditorJan 6, 2:51 pm EST

 

Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez confirmed yesterday that the Wolverines were planning to hold a spring game at Michigan Stadium in April. He also talked about the search for a defensive coordinator, his preferred base defense and more …

****

Rodriguez shared several thoughts with Michigan professor and author John U. Bacon on Bacon’s local radio show. Among them … that the Big House renovations wouldn’t prevent a spring game this year.

“It looks like we’ll be able to get a spring game in Michigan Stadium April 11,” he shared.

The Wolverines played their final spring scrimmage in miserable weather at Saline High School last year.

On the defensive coordinator search and base defense he’d like to play, Rodriguez said he’s still looking for the right guy … to run a 4-3 base with odd-man front looks at times.

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“The process is very early right now,” said Rodriguez. “I’ve talked to some guys on the phone, gathering information on things. I’ve talked to guys on the current staff. I’m going to take time with it, not going to rush into what I want to do defensively.

“The coordinator is a concern whether it’s in house or out of house, and I also want to make sure to leave all doors open. The national coaches convention is next week, there will be 5,000-plus coaches. I’ll see guys there. There are still bowl games and NFL games to be played. I want to leave all options open for the for best fit not only for the University of Michigan, but for what we have our team, recruiting and our current staff.”

Today’s offenses dictate that defense be multiple, he noted.

“You can’t just be a 3-4 guy or a 4-3 guy. At West Virginia we ran a 3-3-5 base, which was a little different. We’ll maintain here the 4-3, 3-4 principle,” he insisted. “We did a lot of 3-4 stuff in our second- and third-down packages this year, and we’ll continue to do more four-man and odd front.

“I know what I want to do philosophically, but I don’t want to change everything because of what we have on our team and what we’ve recruited so far. Our full-time defensive coaches, Jay Hopson, Tony Gibson and Bruce Tall … I’ve coached with Bruce and Tony for several years, Jay this past year but I’ve known him for several years … all have been college coordinators, so they’ve got a lot of experience in the 4-3 and 3-4 packages. They get along great, they are good people and they are going to be involved in which direction we want to go.”

Other notes:

• On recruiting: “The recruiting part most of it is very enjoyable. I love the home visits, I love going to the schools, having them on campus all those things. I love building the relationships.

“The hard part about recruiting is what you can’t control. There will be rumors on the internet that aren’t even close to being true, or people will do negative recruiting and say things about your school or staff. That’s the part that’s frustrating.

“[The Internet] has changed it quite a bit. It’s not all bad, at least more information is available for prospects and their families to research. The bad thing is the rumor mill about recruiting. Sometimes kids or parents take it to heart what’s being said or written. A lot of recruiting sites do a great job, at least present solid information. The rumor mills are things you have to deal with, but society today, and as a coach and parent you have to be ready for it.”

• On recruiting and the seven early enrollees: “We’re excited about the way recruiting is going; it’s going very, very well. But the true measure will be in two or three years after they’ve had a chance to develop and learn the system.

“You have to put some perspective on guys after you sign them that it was a fun process, a difficult process in some respects, but you still have to realize they will be freshmen in college … even though you might be built up as the next Herschel Walker or Tom Brady, you have to earn your stripes.

“We don’t make them [enroll early], but if they graduate early and want to move on, it’s the right fit, I think it’s a good situation. They get a head start on the degree, ahead on the winter strength program and spring practice.”

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From rivals.com

McGuffie receives his release

By Brian Perroni, Special to TheWolverine.comDec 12, 11:49 am EST

University of Michigan true freshman tailback Sam McGuffie will no longer be wearing the maize and blue. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Houston, Tex. native confirmed to Rivals.com that he received his official release from the university on Friday morning.

“I just got out of the compliance office and picked up my release,” said McGuffie. “They gave me a full release – no restrictions. I will be somewhere else in January.”

McGuffie says the decision to transfer was not an easy one and he did not take it lightly.

“It’s just been weighing on me for a while,” he said. “There are a number of factors that went into [the decision]. It’s nothing against the Michigan football team or the university. I felt that I had to what is best for myself and my family.”

McGuffie does not have a future destination set, but did mention that he would prefer to be closer to his hometown.

“I’m looking to stay in or around Texas,” he said. “There are a couple of schools that I’m interested in such as Texas A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State and a couple of others.”

He did say that Texas A&M would likely be considered the frontrunner as of right now.

“They were one of my top teams last year,” McGuffie said of the Aggies. “I have a former teammate, Chris Lathrop, that signed with them last year and he loves it. I’ve talked to him a bunch about it. I know a lot of guys on the team there and I have a bunch of friends from home that go there, too.”

McGuffie, a four-star prospect coming out of Cy-Fair High School a year ago, made a significant contribution as a freshman with the Wolverines this year. He started the first six games of the season and finished as the team’s second-leading rusher and third-leading receiver, despite missing two games with injuries.

His best performance of the year came against Notre Dame, where he rushed for 138 yards and had four receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. He ended the season with 486 yards and three touchdowns rushing as well as 19 receptions for 175 yards and one touchdown. In addition, he averaged 21.1 yards on seven kickoff returns.

McGuffie will have to sit out a year if he transfers to another Football Bowl Subdivision school. He will then have three years of eligibility remaining.

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