Al Borges: "You've got to counter-punch to survive!"

So it's official.  Brady Hoke is the new Michigan head football coach.

I've made my views on Mr. Hoke's coaching abilities abundantly clear in an earlier post.  There are good reasons why Mr. Hoke was No.3 on the list folks.

But I cannot fault Mr. Hoke in terms of his offensive coordinator hire, Al Borges (age 55).

Borges is good.  How good? Let me count the ways below in a fairly detailed summary.

If Hoke is wise, he will follow his own road at Michigan, and take his OC Al Borges with him to Michigan. We will soon see.

Mr. Borges has crossed paths in interesting places during his career with the likes of Michigan's Anthony Carter, Ohio State's Jim Tressel and LSU's Les Miles, among many others.

San Diego State Aztecs Offensive Coordinator, Mr. Al Borges:

Mr. Borges Resume:

1984-1985 Oakland Invaders (OC)

1984: Under HC John Ralston, Finished 7-11. After 0-9 start, won 7 of last 9.

1985: Under HC Charlie Sumner. Finished 13-4-1, lost title game to Baltimore. QB Bobby Hebert was his signal caller (3,811 yards, 30 TDs, 19 INTs). Former Michigan WR Anthony Carter was Borges' star offensive player with 70 catches, 1,323 yards and 14 touchdowns.

1986-1992 Portland State (OC)

Limited information available

1993-1994 Boise State (OC) under head coach Pokey Allen

Limited statistical information available.

1993 - 3-8

1994 - 13-2 beat Nevada (9-2), beat Montana (11-3), beat Idaho (9-4), beat North Texas (7-4-1) in 1^st round, beat Appalachian State (9-4) in 2^nd round, beat Marshall (12-2) in 3^rd round, lost FCS Championship game to JIM TRESSEL and YSU (14-0-1).

1995 Oregon (OC) under first year HC Mike Bellotti, replacing Belotti's OC role

1994 were 9-4 (lost rose bowl to Penn State) under former HC Rich Brooks.

1995: Finished 9-3 - losses to Stanford (7-4-1), Arizona State (6-5), Colorado (10-2)

QB Tony Graziani (2,604 yards, 13 TDs, 10 INTs) RB Rickey Whittle (1,021 yards, 12 TDs) were main offensive stars for Oregon Ducks under Borges-Bellotti.

1996-2000 UCLA (OC) under Bob Toledo

As offensive coordinator at UCLA, Al Borges presided over a Golden Era offensively for the Bruins with QB Cade McNown (1995-1998) leading passer in UCLA history with 10,078 yards, 2^nd leading rusher all-time DeShaun Foster (1998-2001) 3,087 yards , 3^rd leading rusher Skip Hicks (1993-1997) 3,040 yards, and WR Danny Farmer (1996-1999) 3,020 yards.

1996: 5-6 QB Cade McNown, TB Skip Hicks, WR Danny Farmer

1997: 10-2 Beat Texas (4-7) 66-3, beat Washington (8-4), beat Texas A&M (9-4) in Cotton Bowl. Only losses to Tennessee by 6 (11-2) and Washington State by 3 (10-2)

1998: 10-2 Cade McNown, WR Danny Farmer, WR Freddie Mitchell, TB DeShaun Foster, Only losses to Miami (9-3) by 4 and to Wisconsin in Rose Bowl (11-1) by 7.

1999:  4-7, Major player suspensions on defense that year, also quarterback musical chairs with Drew Bennett and Corey Paus. Notable losses to Ohio State 20-42, lost to USC 7-17 and to league champ Stanford (8-4).

2000: 6-6, Notable win over Lloyd Carr's Michigan (9-3) 23-20. Other notable losses to Washington (11-1), USC (5-7) and Wisconsin (9-4) in Sun Bowl.

2001 California (OC)

Coming of 4^th year of HC Tom Holmoe and 3-8 record.  Finished 2001 at 1-10 and this cost Holmoe his job. Borges was OC and coached QB Kyle Boller (49%, 1,741 yards, 12, 10 INTs). Terrell Willliams had 688 yrds rushing and 4 TDs. Tedford replaced Holmoe in 2002.

Only win in 2001 was over Rutgers (2-9) in final game of season. Holmoe used ineligible players and cost Cal 2002 bowl eligibility (7-5), 9 scholarships over 4 years, and 5 years probation.

2002-2003 Indiana (OC) under first year HC Gerry DiNardo

2002: 3-9

2003: 2-10

2004: 3-8

Borges coached 2 quarterbacks: Gibran Hamdan in 2002 and Matt LoVecchio in 2003-2004.  Both were young and interception prone.  The two shining stars for Borges at Indiana were tailback Ben-Jarvis Green Ellis, the Hoosiers 7^th all-time leading rusher (1,732 yards) and WR Courtney Roby who finished 2^nd all time in receiving with 2,524 yards.  That's about it.

2004-2007 Auburn (OC) for HC Tommy Tuberville

2004: 13-0 notable wins at Tennessee (10-3),  at Alabama (6-6), vs Tenn in SEC title game (10-3), vs Georgia (9-4) and vs. Virginia Tech (10-3) in Sugar Bowl

Offense featured QB Jason Campbell (70%, 2,700, 20 TD, 7 INT) , TBs Cadillac Williams (1,165 yds, 12 TDs) and Ronnie Brown (913 yds, 8 TDs) and WR Courtney Taylor (737 yds, 6 TDs).

Tigers and finished No. 2 nationally.

2005: 9-3, losses to George Tech (7-5), Les Miles' LSU (11-2) and Wisconsin (10-3) in Capital One Bowl

Offensive leaders were QB Brandon Cox (57%, 2,324 yds, 15 TD, 8 INT) and TB Kenny Irons (1,293 yards, 13 TDs)

2006: 11-2, only losses to Arkansas (10-4) and Georgia (9-4). Beat Nebraska (9-5) in Cotton Bowl.

Offensive leaders were QB Brandon Cox (60%, 2,198 yds, 14 TD, 9 INTs), tailback Kenny Irons 893 yards and 4 TDs, and WR Courtney Taylor (704 yards, 2 TDs).

2007: 9-4, losses to South Florida (9-4) by 3 pts, Mississipi State (8-5) by 4 pts, LSU (12-2, national champs) by 6 points and Georgia (11-2) by 25 pts. Beat Clemson in Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Offensive leaders were Brandon Cox (59%, 2,080 yds, 9 TD, 13 INTs), TB Ben Tate (903 yards, 8 TDs) and WR Rodgeriqus Smith (705 yds, 5 TDs).

Borges resigned from OC duties on Dec 10, 2007 and replaced by Tony Franklin.

Borges also coached some of the most decorated players in Auburn offensive history, including 2^nd and 3^rd all-time career passers Jason Campbell (7,373 yards) and Brandon Cox (6,959 yards).  Borges also coached explosive running backs RBs Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown and Ben Tate. Under Borges WR Courtney Taylor finished 3^rd all time among Tiger receivers with 2,098 yards.

2008: Took year off until Christmas Eve and was hired by Brady Hoke to be his next OC at San Diego State.

2009-present San Diego State (OC)

2009- 4-8 No notable victories. Main bright spot was increased production of QB Ryan Lindley with approximately same number of attempts passing from previous year (55%, 3,054 yrds, 23 TD, 16 INTs) and WR Demarco Sampson (only 111 yards receiving as a sophomore in 2007 to 851 yards and 8 TDs)

2010: 9-4 First successful season since 6-6 record under Tom Craft. First bowl victory since 1969 Pasadena bowl win over Boston University. Notable games: 3 pt loss at Missouri (10-3), 3 pt loss at BYU (7-6), 2 pt win vs Air Force (9-4), 5 pt loss at TCU (13-0), 4 pt loss to Utah (10-3), and decisive win over Navy (9-4) in Pointsettia Bowl 35-14.  Offensive leaders were QB Ryan Lindley (56%, 3,554 yrds, 26 TD, 15 INT), tailback Ronnie Hillman (1,304 yards and 14 TDs), WRs DeMarco Sampson (1,175 yds, 8 TDs) and Vincent Brown (1,187 yds, 9 TDs).

I think it's pretty easy to imagine Brady Hoke making similar statements and answering like questions once he signs the dotted line for David Brandon and the University of Michigan and provides his first press conference in Ann Arbor.

He talks slowly, clearly and methodically. His voice does remind me of Lloyd Carr's.

 
via theideagirlsays.files.wordpress.com

via abelarchitecture.com

How fitting is it for Brandon that scenes from movie Jerry Maguire were filmed here?

So David Brandon's heading to the OC, eh?

Look. Don't panic.  Lane Kiffin has a rock solid contract with USC, so he's not going to be interviewed.

But Brady Hoke just might be in Orange County, CA right now trying to recruit some football players for San Diego State this week.  Hmmmm... maybe meet up with Mr. Brandon for a nice, private steak dinner at Morton's in Santa Ana?

Why not?

Alright. Sorry. Don't let me interrupt you. Resume your "Michigan Man!" state of panic why don't you. Jeeze!

Then again, there is this guy named Norm Chow??

From time to time I read Michael Rosenberg's work over at the Freep.com.  I dislike most of what is written, mainly because I think the work is largely unoriginal, uninformative, poorly researched, and perhaps most surprisingly for a local newspaper organization in such close proximity to the epicenter of events,  frequently wrong. 

These aspects are especially true whenever Mr. Rosenberg's labors broach the subject of Michigan football and former head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Now, I admit that I have been, and continue to be a Rich Rodriguez supporter myself. I like the man. I think he's a good football coach and a good person.   He's not eloquent, nor the most polished person you'll ever meet in his profession perhaps.  But I like his offensive strategy, as well as his philosophy about college football player conditioning.  I also like that he genuinely cares about his players, their education, their families, and their well-being.

But I also agree with Rodriguez's many critics that he was stubborn at times and made many poor coaching decisions at Michigan that lead to his undoing.  Rich Rodriguez was fired this week, and it was Mr. Rosenberg who spent a great deal of his time and energy the last 4 years convincing the world how unworthy Rich Rodriguez was. 

Today's article was a surprise to me that the Freep and Mr. Rosenberg apparently remain restless. Rodriguez has been shown the door, but there's still some need to convince or remind people just why it was that Rich Rodriguez failed at U-M.

Rosenberg's piece is wordy and takes the readers all over the place, starting with tiresome stops about Michigan's recently launched national coaching search along with some pointless, uninformed guesses about Jim Harbaugh's career aspirations.  It's only at the end that we finally get to the real reasons. I summarize my understanding of the arguments why below:

Why Rich Rodriguez Failed at U-M according to the Freep and Mr. Rosenberg:

1. Because Rich Rodriguez forgot to coach overnight. (Rosenberg needs to start using a spelling and grammar checker on his editing program).

2. Because Rich Rodriguez was under-qualified. He had 3 good years at West Virginia and that's it.   It was not good enough for Michigan, ergo he should never have been hired.

3. Because Rich Rodriguez won most of his games against lousy competition.

4. Rich Rodriguez was 43-43 over last 7 years at WVU and Michigan (math error)

5. Rich Rodriguez failed at hiring assistant coaches.

6. Rich Rodriguez failed at recruiting.

7. Because the University of Michigan is "so much better" than Rich Rodriguez.

I think Rosenberg is right with No. 5. I agree half-heartedly with No. 3 because it's easy to damn Rodriguez and WVU's strength of schedule over that period, particularly in hindsight after RR's horrid record and coaching failures at UM.  If Rodriguez had won more games though, argument No. 3 would be irrelevant . This same approach could be applied to any coach's strength of schedule history really.  Why doesn't anybody care about Urban Meyer's strength of schedule while at Bowling Green or while at Utah? Does all of that disqualify him from the Florida post? Would Gary Patterson's work at Kansas State discount his undefeated TCU season in 13-0? No. Doing so just blows up the argument that insists Rich Rodriguez really is a good-for-nothing low life.

The remaining list of reasons by Rosenberg I consider to be a combination of stupidity, laziness and mean-spirited elitism.

I've got more to say about his article after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Delaware Head Coach KC Keeler,71-41 for the Blue Hens since 2002.

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

It turns out that back in 2007 Bill Martin did contact Delaware HC KC Keeler about the Michigan job, and that he had been one of three key candidates in the final stretch.    Here's KC Keeler's comments from Delaware online:

"That whole Michigan thing was for real," Keeler said."If [current coach Rich] Rodriguez hadn't taken the job, I was one of three they were going to bring in for an interview. That was Michigan. That was pretty flattering."

Keeler insists that he is not considering and would not consider the Michigan football opportunity because of his young family and their roots to the local community in Delaware. 

This week Keeler is preparing his Fightin' Blue Hens (12-2) for another FCS Championship game final against Eastern Washington Friday night, January 7.

OK, so the process is completed. The dough has risen.  It's ready to be kneaded into a disc-shapped.....Oh wait a minute.  Are we making pizzas here or what?

Alright. It's official. Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez has been fired, along with his entire coaching staff for all we know, and no replacement head coach has been named.  Instead Brandon has announced a national search for a new Michigan  head coach and staff commencing now. Like right now.  As is, NOW! No, I meant... NOW! Right NOW!

Fantastic job Dave! I mean, you had us all worried that things might spiral, you know, out of fucking control or something.

Then it occurred to me that you and Mary Sue might need a little help.

Continue reading this post »

Former Michigan Assistant Coach Brady Hoke

Brady Hoke is now a legitimate candidate for the head coaching position at Michigan.

Some people think he is a great college football coach and nothing to worry about. I think such ideas are preposterous. They are the cranial productions of blind fools who do not understand college football and offer no evidence to support their views.

Below I share a summary of Mr. Hoke's illustrious track record of college football coaching.  In the appropriate words of Charles Dickens, he has "labored on it since. Ah, it is a ponderous chain!"

Now settle down. You didn't let me finish:

Mr. Hoke is a certified, verified, triple-stamped, no erasies, quincies,......

                                                                            via www.findatruckingjob.com

No, NOT a Michelin man! What I was trying to say was that Brady Hoke is a verified......

                                                                        via profile.ak.fbcdn.net

.....No.  That's "Alabama Man".   Brady Hoke is a genuine "Michigan Man!". 

                                              via www.fluffyfleece.com

 Check!

 There.

 Good lookin' out, man. What a relief!

 Now on with the horror show:

1983 Grand Valley State (MI)  - Defensive Line Coach for Head Coach Bob Giesey. Lakers team record:  

1983: 4-6. At the time this was the worst and first losing season for GVSU football in over a decade.  

1984-1986 Western Michigan  - Defensive Line Coach for Head Coach Jack Harbaugh Broncos team records:

1984:   5-6, finished 44^th in scoring defense, 19 points per game

1985:   4-6-1, 43^rd in scoring defense, 19 points per game

1986:   3-8, 63^rd in scoring defense, 23 points per game

1987-1989 Toledo - Linebackers Coach for Head Coach Dan Simrell.

Rockets team records:  

1987: 3-7-1, finished 54^th in scoring defense, 22 points per game

1988: 6-5, finished 42^nd in scoring defense, 20 points per game

1989: 6-5, finished 60^th in scoring defense, 25 points per game.  

1990-1994 Oregon State - Defensive Line Coach for Head Coach Jerry Pettibone, a former OC for Barry Switzer at Oklahoma and major disciple of wishbone option offense, plus.....now wait for it....a "Michigan Man!" to boot. Pettibone was born in Detroit).

Beavers team records:

1990: 1-10, finished 99^th in scoring defense, 34 points per game

1991: 1-10, finished 100^th in scoring defense, 33 points per game

1992: 1-9-1, finished 99^th in scoring defense, 33 points per game

1993: 4-7, finished 68^th in scoring defense, 27 points per game

1994: 4-7, finished 32^nd in scoring defense, 22 points per game.

Not too shabby Mr. Hoke. Even a blind fool can see why you would be selected to run the defensive line at a storied college football program like.....

                                                  Michigan defensive lineman Glen Steele 1997

                                                  via grfx.cstv.com

1995-2002 Michigan - Defensive Line Coach for Lloyd Carr

Wolverines team records:

1995: 9-4, 17 points per game

1996: 8-4, 15 points per game

1997: 12-0, 9.5 points per game

1998: 10-3, 18 points per game

1999: 10-2, 21 points per game

2000: 9-3, 19 points per game

2001: 8-4, 20 points per game

2002: 10-3, 20 points per game

The 1997 defensive line was arguably one of the most talented in Michigan football history. Hoke won 3 Big Ten Championship rings while coaching at Michigan (1997, 1998 tie, 2000 tie).  Michigan was Hoke's longest, most consistent and most successful coaching stint noted on his coaching resume.

                                                           via www.midwestsportsfans.com

2003-2008 Ball State - Head Coach (34-38 over 6 seasons).

Cardinals team records:

2003: 4-8, offense ranked 88^th (22 ppg), defense ranked 92^nd (32 ppg)

2004: 2-9, offense ranked 101^st (20 ppg), defense ranked 111^th (37 ppg)

2005: 4-7, offense ranked 94^th (21 ppg), defense ranked 114^th (38 ppg)

2006: 5-7, offense ranked 39^th (27 ppg), defense ranked 84^th (26 ppg)

2007: 7-6, offense ranked 40^th (32 ppg), defense ranked 69^th (28 ppg)

2008: 12-1, offense ranked 18^th (35 ppg), defense ranked 29^th (21 ppg)

Ball State's football history is amazingly similar to that of San Diego State's (see more on SDSU below).  When it comes to meaningful victories on the gridiron, Ball State has been borderline bankrupt since about1978 when the Cardinals last finished 10-1 and Hoke himself was a star linebacker on the team. Unfortunately, the only truly memorable moments of Brady Hoke's Cardinal football teams took the form of "moral victories" only.  The first moral victory exhibit would have been the 26-34 loss at Michigan (12-2) in 2006, in a game where up until the 4^th quarter most of Michigan Stadium had their eyes closed, thinking to themselves "Please God, don't do it. Not this time. What would we tell our children?". This time God listened, allowed Ball State to lose the game, only to delay his wrath upon Michigan until September 1^st the following year.

The second memorable Ball State moment has to be the 40-41 defeat to Bill Callahan's Nebraska team at Lincoln in 2007. Hoke's Cardinals had there way with Nebraska's "Blackshirts" all day long and were literally within a nanometric butt-hair from handing the mighty Cornhuskers their most embarrassing defeat in school history. A Ball State win at Nebraska (gasp) might have rivaled Appalachian State's monster upset victory at Michigan only a few weeks earlier. OK, maybe not. Anyway Michigan fans everywhere said "thanks a lot Brady". 

The stand out season that everyone remembers was 2008, where Hoke prodded and cajoled his Cardinals to 12 wins and just one loss (a conference title-losing shellacking at the hands of Turner Gill's Buffalo Bulls team 24-42).  So how in the hell did Brady Hoke cook up 12 victories for Ball State?  It was easy, man.  Schedule the least difficult schedule imaginable (ranked 120^th among 120 teams that season) by peppering it with opponents like Northeastern and their ilk.

2009- 2010 San Diego State - Head Coach

Let's face it. For years San Diego State's football program has been a mixed up screenplay of both horror and comedy.  SDSU football had taken the form of a zombie: Not quite dead. Not quite alive. Sort of writhing to and fro, strapped to a gurney, begging to eat its fans' brains so that all the suffering and pain can finally subside.

The last winning football season at SDSU was under head coach Tom Craft back in 2003 and even then it was an unconvincing, undead-like, you-don't-know-where-you-are, it's dark, OMG ZOMBIE!, 6-6 finish.

You'd have to go way back to the Ted Tollner regime (1994-2001) at SDSU to find the last ray of sunshine in San Diego State football, when the then failed-USC-coach led the Aztes to a victory over Hernan Cortez, a 7-6 finish in 1998 (and another bowl loss). There was also that magical and mystical 8-4-1 finish back in 1991 (right again, another bowl loss) under Al Lugenbill that nobody talks about anymore.

Look, it's in no way easy for any man to follow the kind of abject head coaching failure that perfectly describes Chuck Long's HC stint for the San Diego State Aztecs between 2006-2008 (3-9, 4-8, 2-10). After the 2008 football season, Long had SDSU's offense running on all cylinders, ranked 104^th in the land with 19 points per game.  Defensively the Aztecs finished 114^th in the country, surrendering 37 points per game.

                                     Chuck Long, SDSU head coach 2006-2008. Waiting impatiently for spite to show up.

                                     via 2.bp.blogspot.com

So  Brady Hoke arrived on the scene and proceeded to pump untold voltage back into SDSU stammering corpse of a football program - reversing a 2-10 record in 2008 to 4-8 in 2009 and then 9-4 in 2010, including a surprising Pointsettia Bowl win in downtown San Diego against Navy.

                                                 Happy Aztecs, 9-4 with bowl win over Navy in 2010

                                                 via cdn1.sbnation.com

                          Stop everything. All you guys wearing in red and black right now. Yeah. You are no longer zombies.

                                                      via bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com

San Diego State Aztecs records:

2009: 4-8, offense ranked 85^th (23 ppg), defense ranked 98^th (31 ppg)

2010: 9-4, offense ranked 20^th (35 ppg), defense ranked 37^th (22 ppg)

Hoke achieved this success in large part with some "interesting" staff choices, namely Rocky Long (former New Mexico head coach, 65-69 career record) as his defensive coordinator, and selecting savvy offensive coordinator Al Borges (Boise State, Oregon, UCLA, Cal, Indiana, Auburn).

In aggregate Brady Hoke is 47-50 as a head football coach, and 127-109-3 as an assistant defensive football coach.

Mr. Hoke is already checked off as a "Michigan Man" by the sports media and Michigan fans, because of his 8 successful seasons of defensive line coaching under Jim Herrmann and Lloyd Carr outlined above.

But overall Brady Hoke's resume reads consistently below average and less than impressive. It's also full of shocking scenes of futility and defeat on the gridiron. Most importantly, Hoke's few accomplishments would probably pale in comparison to those of the man he would supposedly replace at Michigan - Rich Rodriguez. 

This is not an argument to keep Rodriguez as Michigan's head coach. Far from it.  Rich Rodriguez had his chance at Michigan and failed.

This is, however, a justified appeal that the "Michigan Man!" filter be shut off completely.  It should not be applied as the first and primary selection criteria to the exclusion of all others that might be both viable and available to Michigan football for 2011. Other candidates may be far better options for the Wolverines over the longer term. Choosing dilapidated, refurbished, versions of what was familial and/or familiar can have negative consequences too.   Insisting on "Made at Michigan" can be short-sighted. David Brandon must choose wisely and hire the very best coach available.  Brady Hoke can't be Michigan's only option.  Nor would he be Michigan's best.

Source San Jose Mercury News.

If Jim Harbaugh gets the money and the team control he wants, then the San Francisco 49ers head coaching job is his for the taking.  Article says that coaching announcement may come tomorrow night (Wednesday, Jan 5).

Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to take my Michael Rosenberg FREEP hat off when I wrote the title.

Ohio State football players Terrelle Pryor, Daniel Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams and Solomon Thomas will all be suspended for 5 games in 2011 but will get to enjoy the scheduled 2011 Sugar Bowl experience against Arkansas despite breaking NCAA rules bartering personal autographs for "free tatoos". 

Yeah for them.

Pryor says "I paid for my tattoos" and then this little gem:

"It's all good. Love you True buck fans. I promise I won't let you down again. Mark that down too!!!"

You mean, I could, say, tattoo it to my forearm, Terrelle?

As for doling out punishment, Ohio State University, aces. Nothing but aces.

A long revered member of the Michigan football family was suddenly lost weekend to a heart attack - former Wolverine running back Rob Lytle.  We all send out heartfelt condolences to Rob's family and friends.

Lytle came to Michigan from Ross, OH (Fremont Ross High School) to play fullback for head coach Bo Schembechler in Ann Arbor in 1973.  After 3 years as a starter, Lytle graduated from the University of Michigan with a school record at the time gaining 3,307 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns.  As a senior in 1976 Lytle amassed 1,469 yards and 14 touchdowns, finishing 3rd in the Heisman balloting behind the late great USC tailback Ricky Bell and Pittsburgh tailback Tony Dorsett.

The first thing I will always remember about Rob Lytle was his physical toughness and versatility.   Lytle was not a big player - 6' 1" and 190 lbs. As a fullback Lytle was equally comfortable running the ball like a battering ram or blasting opposing defenders into the bleachers for his fellow tailbacks Gil Chapman (1974) and Gordon Bell (1975).  In 1975 Michigan's option-I offensive attack featured two 1,000 yards rushers in Gordon Bell and Rob Lytle.

The second thing I will remember about Rob Lytle was his helmet.  He played alongside some really tough and mean customers like S Don Dufek, DT Greg "Mo" Morton, S Dwight Hicks and OLB Calvin O'Neal.  Most of these guys had Wolverine helmet awards completely covering the surface of their striped, winged, Michigan football helmet.  Lytle's Michigan helmet was loaded with helmet awards too, but he front of the helmet was a mess.  I mean, the Maize paint was all screwed up, scratched and blended.  Lytle's head covering was put through so much abuse, you couldn't tell where the Michigan wings ended and the stripes began.

As a young kid reading books about Michigan football in the 1970s, I thought that was cool.  And it was.  Rob Lytle was a great football player. He played the game with mental toughness and heart. reckless abandon.

But of course there always were and alwasys are things in life far more important than football.   Rob was only 56 when he passed away today.  He was young. His family and a huge circle of friends will no doubt miss him dearly.

Rest in peace Rob Lytle.

I'm not sure if this is Fiutak or one of his acolytes over at Scout.com, but they're predicting a Michigan upset of Wisconsin in the Big House this coming weekend?

Jeeze, put the doobies down guys?

Then again, maybe not.

Is a Michigan upset of Wisconsin possible this fall? Sure.  

I mean, ask Mike Riley at Oregon State if he ever thought in a million years that....a 17 point loss!...to a football program skimming the bottom of the ocean......at home!....Aw anyway, yeah it can happen.

Is it probable? Dude, don't ask. I'm just trying to bask in my own short-lived glory as a Michigan fan. You know, the glory that takes the form of two back-to-back wins (both by a nano-metric butt-hair, mind you) over Big Ten perennial "giants" Illinois and Purdue!

It must be said though that Michigan has had a hell of a time beating Wisconsin in Camp Randall in recent years. 2001 was the last Michigan win, and that over a really bad 5-7 Badger team.  Camp Randall really is tough environment to play in, let alone win a football game.  

Is Michigan's Big House that "tough"?

Continue reading this post »

Arnett puts on black "VOLS" hat to signal his choice.  Michigan, Michigan State and USC all jilted.

AP Source is here (Larry Lage). [Please be true - Ed.]

The month of October used to be a damn fine month for Rodriguez.  At WVU between 2001 and 2007 Rodriguez was 15-5 in October.  At Michigan he's 1-8 so far.  Overall he's 16-16 (.500 winning pct).

And so here we are again - last week of September with October ready to barge in.

Michigan is 4-0, done with it's appetizers and ready to dig in to the main course of the Big Ten menu- starting on the road against perennial conference doormat, 3-0 Indiana in Bloomington

There is plenty of evidence that Michigan's 2010 squad is considerably better than the 2009 squad that also started their season off 4-0 but then spiraled out of control to lose 7 of their last 8. One big difference is a jaw-dropping offensive attack now ranked No. 2 in the land in total offense and ranked No.2 in rushing yardage. The other is Denard Robinson, who should be back to start for the Wolverines after a scary knee injury last weekend against Bowling Green.

The Michigan defense, however, led by DC Greg Robinson, remains to be a major liability for success after just 4 games played:

Scoring defense: 10th in the league, giving up 23 points per game

Rushing defense: 8th in the league, giving up 135 yards per game

Rushing 1st downs: 9th, permitting 29 first downs

Passing defense: 11th in the league (worst team), giving up 265 yards per game in the air

With a defense playing like that, sure, you might get to a bowl game, but the Big Ten Championship trophy might as well be need placed in a pretty little box, located on a shelf within a glorious display case on another planet 100 quadrillion light years away.

If you want to predict a Big Ten Champion for 2010, my advice would be to look at the top 3 or 4 teams in rushing and scoring defense right now.  One of those teams is going to reveal itself in the coming 3 weeks.  Even now, after 4 weeks of Big Ten teams dining on creampuffs, our findings will not surprise:

Best Total Defenses (Yds/Gm): Iowa, Ohio State, Wisconsin

Best Rushing Defenses: Iowa, Ohio State, Illinois (guh!?)

Best Scoring Defenses: Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin

Best Passing Defense: Penn State, Indiana and Iowa

Setting the laws of both physics and non-repeatable and ridiculous turnover margins aside, Iowa appears to be well positioned to compete for the Big Ten hardware once again, as do both Ohio State and Wisconsin. Penn State is playing fairly solid defense also.  Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin: Over the last several years, these 4 teams are almost always leading the rest of the Big Ten pack in defensive performance.

But not Michigan.

While I'm thoroughly enjoying Michigan's unceremonious smashing of long-standing offensive record books under Rodriguez this fall, I'm learning that my preseason concerns were valid ones. Michigan is probably a year or two away from fielding a decent defense, mainly because they are so damn young and mainly because they have had no consistency at the DC position since 2005. 

The Big Ten season starts for Michigan in Bloomington and we already know there will be trouble of some measure.  What's more, Rodriguez can no longer hide the grimaced exchanges with his defensive coaching staff on the sidelines, like the ones this last weekend against Bowling Green. RichRod's frustration on defense is more than evident. 

As for Saturday's game against the Hoosiers, Greg Robinson's defense (the most generous Michigan defensive unit in the modern era, ranked 93rd allowing 400 yard per game) will be tested once again. Hoosier quarterback Ben Chappell is playing very well albeit against questionable competition: 72% throwing accuracy, 890 yards, 9 TDs and zero interceptions. 

Preview: Michigan vs. Connecticut, September 4, 2010 - The *NEW* Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Kickoff 3:30 p.m. ABC

This is a supplemental post to the previous Maize n Brew preview to Never Too Early For A Michigan Football Preview: Connecticut at Michigan.

When You Crave Irrational Exuberance On A Level That Only Brett Musberger Can Deliver:

Mr. Exaggeration, Brett Musberger:

"Exactly, but can you even see the little footballs on the stylish tie I'm wearing?"

"And we're here LIIIIIIIIIIIVE again in the BIG HOUSE in Ann Arbor to witness the first meeting ever between the Wolverines of Michigan and the Huskies of Connecticut!

It is a perfect day for football here in Ann Arbor! It's sunny. 70 degrees, and just look at this magnificent stadium folks!  The renovations to this legendary old field are finally complete and we have over 110,000 plus fans stocking up on cups of water,  scrambling to find their seats for what should be an excellent football game.  

The Connecticut Huskies' young football program has never played a football game before this many onlookers before, but I'll tell you something - from head to stern  this may be the most confident and talented UConn football team ever assembled.  Last year Randy Edsall and this football team overcame the tragic death of cornerback Jaspar Howard. They started the season 4-5, but persevered to win their last 4 football games, including a thrashing of South Carolina in their bowl game.   This year essentially everyone is back on offense including a great offensive line and rushing attack that will challenge the Michigan Wolverines from the first snap.

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via imgsrv.1580thezone.com

Colin Cowherd, ESPN Radio: Not a Big Ten Fan.  But then again....

I'm not a big fan of Colin Cowherd at all, but I found his comments on his a.m. radio show today interesting.

Here are some of them summarized that I had listened to:

1. Adding Nebraska is going to make the Big Ten a lot tougher. The Big Ten is tough now, but Nebraska places the Big 10 right up there with SEC in terms of brutal conference schedules.

2. Ohio State has "had it easy" the last several years in the Big Ten, and that's gonna change.  What happens when PSU gets a non-80 year old head coach, Michigan turns it around, and Nebraska joins the league?  10 and 11 win seasons will be harder for the Buckeyes to come by.

3. Nebraska has an outstanding football tradition and is a great program, but they may be in for a surprise once OSU, PSU, Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin get added to the Huskers' schedule. 

Cowherd also touched upon recruiting talent not being that great in Ohio (which I disagree with). I don't know if adding Nebraska will adversely tip recruiting scales that much in the conference.

Colin's main idea seemed to be with Michigan obviously down, PSU with questions swirling around the head coaching position, and with improvements at Iowa and MSU (like Michigan being down, are these long term?)  that Ohio State had "had it easy" the last several years. 

Not sure I agree 100%. PSU hasn't exactly been down the last five years.  Plus Ohio State has done a good job of playing great defenses and good enough offense to hold of advances from Wisconsin, and some up and coming teams like Illinois, Iowa and MSU over this period.  I do agree that Michigan, obviously, has not been much of an obstacle for Ohio State in terms of winning the conference title and landing in BCS play during this period.

This is a sleek play.

I'm not sure what the exact name of this West Virginia rushing play is (if anyone knows, please share), but I never tire of watching it.

It's not a zone-read play at all. It's a designed outside zone run play from the get-go, but it looks so smooth when you watch the quarterback footwork, pitch exchange and offensive line movements.

The offensive formation is what Rich Rodriguez used to call a "Left formation", which is really an I-formation with a balanced line and 2 wide receivers (z and x receivers) and a slot receiver (y). There are only 5 lineman long the line of scrimmage and then there's a fullback and a tailback lined up behind the quarterback in the "I".

This play could be really cool for Michigan this year since opponents may be directing a lot of their attention to Denard Robinson and his dangerous legs on the zone-read plays out of the standard spread formations.   While Michigan doesn't appear to have a Steve Slaton at tailback yet, the Wolverines do have a power back in freshman Stephen Hopkins, and some speedy players that can take this pitch to the edge in a hurry. 

What I like about this play is how it's a break from the standard spread (applied at the opponent 35) and a step-change for the opponent's planned coverages. I also like the quick quarterback pivot to throw off the linebackers, the fake exchange between the quarterback and fullback, followed by a sudden and long toss to the trailing tailback. That tailback is headed completely opposite (counter) all of the zone blocking action.  By the time this running back snares the quarterback's long pitch, he is already stepping outside the far left hash and cutting up the sidelines.

The opposing defense in this example (Maryland 2006) is trying desperately to head downhill against wherever Pat White and Owen Schmitt are supposed be headed, but the effort backfires big time because the entire DL plus 3 linebackers took themselves completely out of the play.  Before that, the LBs seem frozen with lead in their shoes. Note the great seal block by the slot receiver.

I'd love to see Denard Robinson, Devin Gardner or Tate Forcier run this finesse running play this fall.

via maizeandgoblue.com

And the hits keep coming (Scout, $) to the Michigan roster.

The potential 2011 recruiting class size is starting to inflate as a result of these non-qualifiers and early departures.

Losing a speedster like White is not nice, but Michigan's stable of backs is still pretty deep. 

Best of luck to Mr. White and his future path.

He probably didn't get the memo about Woolfolk or Michigan's secondary implosion, but I still agree that this game is going to be close. 

Michigan Outside Linebacker Craig Roh: Not Giving Out Manicures

via isportsweb.com

Here's Part One of a week-by-week sneak preview of some of the opposing signal callers Michigan will be bumping into this coming football season.  Actually, I'm kind of hoping the Wolverine defense doesn't just bump into these guys, unless of course by "bumping into" we mean pile-driving into the turf with malice aforethought on as many consecutive downs as possible.  

Heh-Heh,  I'm just kidding.  I meant that for third downs only.

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via media3.washingtonpost.com

The world of college football recruiting is full of deceit and treachery. 

Not convinced? 

Well, look no further than the recruiting tactics employed by the Boston College Eagles football recruiting staff of head coach Frank Spaziani which were successfully uncovered recently by reporter Desmond Connor of the Hartford Courant and voiced by new UConn quarterback commit, Michael Nebrich, of Burke, Virginia.

Following his recruiting commitment to UConn head football coach Randy Edsall, Nebrich was courted via e-mail by BC's coaching staff to attend an upcoming BC football clinic.  Within the invite was a provocative assertion by the BC recruiter:

"Mike:

"We are hosting a one-day skill clinic on July 8. Would love to see you there. I know you're committed to UConn but You will have a new coaching staff there by next January. You have a plan for that?"

Sloppy work by Mr. Spaziani and staff.

Gee, this might be the part where we all wonder who sent that e-mail? Hmmm. Say, is this gonna be a real brain buster?

On one level it  probably should be considered a valiant effort.  Nebrich is an up and coming star, and BC definitely needs a quality quarterback for the future.  On another level, the reported incident makes BC's football recruiters look pretty unethical.  I mean, now that the entire college football community knows about your staff's recruiting tactics it might be wise to restrict the pathological lying bit to verbal conversations with recruits only from now on.  BC coaches probably didn't get the memo, but young athletes these days - they are sort of what we like to call "connected". You know - e-mail, cell phone texting, facebook, that sort of thing. Only a matter of seconds until the ridiculous things you write down in an e-mail enters the public domain.

The truth is UConn's coaching staff is going nowhere next year.  Edsall's job is more than safe. He has expressed no pressing aspirations for new opportunities at the college or NFL level. 

The thing is, most Michigan fans reading this example can only imagine the kind of negative recruiting being at fed wholesale prices to prospective recruits all across the country regarding the current and future state of Michigan football.

"So what will the coordinates of head coach Rich Rodriguez be come January 2011? You got a plan for that?"

The other truth is that negative recruiting tactics are highly effective.  Many prospective Michigan football recruits are holding off their commitments, taking more visits than they otherwise would, and waiting until later in the year, when Rich Rodriguez's fate may be more certain.  Negative recruiting pays off.  If it did not then it would be more seldom used. 

I, for one, was pleased to read about Mr. Nebrich's observations. Behind the curtains of college football recruiting is a world of lies and douche-baggery indeed.  Sure, this crap goes on everywhere, but at least some young bright individuals are calling it publicly for what it is: asinine.

via i2.cdn.turner.com

Does anybody know what Phil Steele is smoking this month?  So USC gets NCAA sanctions and the guy is suddenly high on Michigan? What gives?

I agree with the prediction of Michigan returning to bowl eligibility in 2010, but the freaking Gator Bowl?

Rich Rodriguez versus Les Miles!  LSU vs. Michigan for the first time ever!  Wow man, like far out!  Except I'm not rolling large enough joints to share Phil Steele's magnificent clairvoyance on this one.  Sure, it'd be an excellent game to watch.  And all Michigan has to do is finish 4th or 5th in the Big Ten this fall.  Looking back on last year's standings, that's like asking 2010 Michigan to pull off a 2009 Northwestern or Wisconsin. Possible yes. I'm just not sure right now. Maybe after Michigan defeats UConn in the opener and then has Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish in a 4th quarter chokehold, it'll all become crystal clear to me.

via www.mkrob.com

Rock me like a Hurricane: Offensive Lineman Seantrel Henderson

More USC players are migrating eastward.  This time Minnesota native, 5-star lineman and former USC commit, Seantrel Henderson, has joined Randy Shannon's minions at Miami (FL).  Most college football analysts already considered the Hurricanes as major contenders for their first ACC title this season. The addition of Henderson will surely help their cause.

Michigan fans can perhaps breath a small sigh of relief now that Henderson did not choose to join Ohio State's already talented team. The Buckeyes were on his list of favorites beside USC and Miami (FL). 

via www.mkrob.com

Bumped for obvious opponent related reasons.... - Ed

Michigan has another dangerous weapon to prepare for prior to the September 4 match up against UConn.

Photo via Stan Lim/The Press-Enterprise www.pe.com

USC's fullback DJ Shoemate will transfer to Connecticut and join the Huskies roster for the game against Michigan in Ann Arbor.  Shoemate was actually recruited by Pete Carroll as a wide receiver, but he played tailback at Orange County football powerhouse Servite High School (Anaheim, CA).   Shoemate is 6-1, 205 lbs and blazing fast (4.5 sec 40 time).  He should be an outstanding complement to the Huskies' already bruising rushing attack which includes scatback tailback and 1,000 yard rusher, Jordan Todman (5-10, 180 lbs).  

The MSU football helmet. Never to be left alone.

If you ask any semi-read student of marketing, they would reveal to you the number one rule in brand management: consistency.  Well, Michigan State University will apparently have none of it, as they decide to fumble about and screw with MSU's athletic identity on the gridiron once again.  The Michigan State Spartans' football helmet used to be a decent mix of Duffy Daughtery and Darryl Rodgers.  Now it's just Sparty meet California, in reverse.

Textbook F performance in terms marketing creativity and originality.

Michigan State, please,  just stop it.  Leave it alone! You think you know what you're doing, but you just don't.  Now you're just being dangerous for no reason - and mostly to yourself.

I, for one, am excited about this news. My dad is a Cornhusker and my mom's family are Wolverines.  November weekends were a lot of fun (or not) with Nebraska vs. Oklahoma and Michigan vs. Ohio State.   And New Year's Day results weren't a lot of fun, come to think of it....Anyway, I digress.

A big warm welcome to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Bo Pelini and Big Red fans everywhere!  And a modest request:

Please don't run this play against our beleaguered Wolverine secondary. 

Ever. 

Thank you

Sincerely,

Michigan Wolverine football fans

Here's a nice link that highlights some of the young football talent in Orange County, California - favorite recruiting grounds for USC, UCLA and Cal over many years.  Mater Dei H.S. has a pipeline in place to USC for quarterbacks.

Maybe Calvin Magee and Greg Robinson will be visiting the OC with greater fervor in the future?

I find it interesting that the top two recruits (QB and WR at Mater Dei H.S.) coming in next year to USC aren't phased by the announcement of NCAA sanctions.

It will be interesting to see what will happen once Mike Garrett is fired. This replacement might apply some unwanted heat on Mr. Kiffin should Lane continue the secondary violations parade and otherwise fail to perform.

Former USC head coach Pete Carroll and USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett (AP Photo, Reed Saxon)

While USC athletic director, Mike Garrett, former head coach Pete Carroll, and even current Trojan head coach Lane Kiffin all remain defiant and unashamed following the NCAA's announcement of harsh penalties against the Trojan football program , members of the local sports media have turned in some interesting responses.

"How could we have known?"

Yeah, like seriously, how in the world could they have known?

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Beano Cook, College Football Analyst for ESPN

Sometimes when you read an informative article, or you hear a great presentation from someone, you may walk away and say to yourself, "That was impressive. I mean, that guy expressed some excellent points that were well-thought out and well-argued."

Other times the content and delivery may be so garbled, obtuse and messed up....

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