Answers To...Nothing?

Our resident Michigan blogger was able to pull himself away from outlet shopping long enough to grace us with a brief response. Perhaps he was in good spirits after snagging a good deal on a maize and blue Coach purse. Here's what I learned:

In the months of May and June, Mr. Bill likes to watch the NBA and the NHL. This is interesting but rather irrelevant, since the focus of this blog is the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. Given that Michigan hasn't won a single football or basketball game in three years, perhaps he's just conceding and moving on.

Besides the non-sequitur, is anyone still watching these other sports? The NBA lost whatever minimal credibility they had with the ridiculous suspensions in the Suns-Spurs series. So maybe San Antonio or Detroit will proclaim themselves the dominant team in an era when a sport basically died. Big deal. And hockey? More people watch the world's strongest man competition than this. If you don't live in Canada or some godforsaken northern state, this barely even qualifies as a sporting event. So my apologies, I can't tell you how the Columbus Blue Jackets are doing. The standings and playoff results were buring in the fine print of the paper beneath the local high school cross country news.

As for Lebron and the Cavs, I'm pretty sure they're in the conference finals, against the Pistons, having the exact same playoff record thus far as the Pistons. That sound about right? Apologies to our extensive readership for having to waste their time on this non-topical nonsense.

"Ohio is sending so many recuits Michigan's way..."

All two of them. Neither offered by Ohio State. Must be a very proud day for Michigan when they can grab our leftovers. Remember than if you ever try to argue that Michigan has more talent that Ohio. Not that it matters, since most talented Michigan folks go elsewhere. How you doing, Ronald Johnson? Oops, my bad. Can't forget the army of Carl Tabb clones coming to get us.

It's great for Michigan to get kids like Mealer, solid three-star players, who grew up with Buckeye stuff lining their walls. The ideal profile for a future Wolverine. If you think some sense of revenge is going to motivate them to become All Big Ten players, think again. You need great strength and conditioning and superior coaching to make that happen. Anyone want to bet whether LLLLLoyd can pull that off? You know, assuming he sticks around.

"...the more they protest the more worried they are."

I'll be honest with everyone, I've barely been able to sleep for the last few weeks. When I think about the future, it's like Sarah Connor in Terminator imagining the post-apocalyptic world. With just All-American candidates like Mike Adams, Mike Brewster and J.B. "#1 on the Michigan Big Board" Shugarts, Ohio State is in deep trouble. Could we possibly recruit a defensive end that could beat the likes of Mealer and O'Neill? Where are you, Reggie White? And Brandon Moore? He can't be defended. This is Ozzie Newsome, Kellen Winslow, Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates wrapped into one package with the speed of the Flash and the body of Godzilla. In the end, these were were Plan B players that never received offers from The Ohio State University. That's no knock on either kid, but it's not a huge coup for Michigan.

"Notice how Michigan fans don't need to break down every OSU recruit in a negative way."

I suppose it is tough to tear down Ohio State's recruits, since Michigan offered most of them. Or maybe they don't have time, because these folks are concentrating on hockey. I get it now. We only discuss Mealer and Moore because Ohio actually takes pride in players from its own state. And I'm not negative about all of Michigan's recruits. At least not the ones that Ohio State wants to take.

But Mr. Bill is being a tad disingenuous. Ask him to be honest...have Michigan fans been fretting about their recruiting? Have they worried about the number and quality of commits headed to Ohio State and Notre Dame? Are they biting their nails about whether Michigan can win heaad-to-head recruiting battles with these rivals? I think so.

One great thing about Michigan is they all drink the same blue flavored Kool-Aid. Instead of sugar it comes with two cups full of spin. The reporters and sources have to work overtime to make up excuses about why Michigan loses top notch recruits, why their lower ranked players are actually great "system" players who "fill a need" who are somehow better than the blue chippers they lost to competitors.

"If we do our thing than whatever OSU/PSU/MSU/etc. may or may not do doesn't matter. Its only when we slip up or lose interest that the others Big 10 schools "achieve" anything."

2001: Slip.
2002: Slip.

2004: Big slip by the favorite.

2005: Slip at home.

2006: Undeafeated season ruined by slip.

Thad Matta told me he'd get back to me about the basketball slips. He said I might not have room in this column to cover them.

Here's what I love about Michigan. They trash Notre Dame for being a high and mighty bunch that live off the past. But Michigan is no different - take a look at the arguments they make about why their school and program are better. The hypocrisy is rich. They haven't won a whole national championship from the dominant polling source since the Truman administration.

Glory Days, they'll pass you by Glory Days. In the wink of a young girls eye...

Response Coming...

In Michigan, May and June means the Pistons and the Red Wings are gunning for a championship so posting is running a little behind. BTW- How are the Cavs and Blue Jackets doing? And why is The Colombus sports team nicknamed "Blue". Maybe that is why Ohio is sending so many recruits Michigan's way.

I will say this about OSU F-Ball fans- the more they protest the more worried they are. Notice how Michigan fans don't need to break down every OSU recruit in a negative way. The Reason- because for over a century the following has always been true: Its all about Michigan. If we do our thing than whatever OSU/PSU/MSU/etc. may or may not do doesn't matter. Its only when we slip up or lose interest that the others Big 10 schools "achieve" anything.

Sincerely,

The Michigan Nation

Moore is Less

Trotwood TE Brandon Moore has committed to the University of Michigan. If so, this is a nice get by the Wolverines, who are incredibly thin at TE right now. Moore has been the subject of a lot of discussion on Ohio State message boards this spring, because the talented player had not received an offer from the Buckeyes. What does the Moore commitment mean, and what impact could it have down the road?

First, Ohio State won't shed any tears about Moore leaving for Michigan. Not only did he not have an offer, it did not appear that an offer was coming anytime soon. Of the four elite TE prospects in the state (Rudolph, Stoneburner, Moore and DiLillo) the Buckeye coaching staff allegedly had Moore as the clear #4. This isn't to say he's not a very athletic, talent pass-catcher. But as I noted in yesterday's blog, Moore doesn't appear to be a superior blocker, nor does he project as someone with the flexibility to switch to DE. In that regard, he's probably not a great fit for OSU.

Watching his film, he uses his size in space extremely well to create mismatches and make big plays. Again, my highly topical, someone tongue in cheek post asked whether Moore would have the same success when the size differential is not so great.

Michigan fans will be happy because Moore as listed as a top 100 type player on some lists, but think that's a little high for him. I would speculate that his appearance on those lists, particularly for Rivals, was due to his early offers from SEC schools. Many of the analysts for that network have a not-so-subtle southern bias, and the eary rankings reflect those offer lists. You can argue with a player that has offers from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee Miami (FL) and LSU. But Michigan fans have to wonder about a player that was not preferredd by their two main competitors Ohio State (Stoneburner) and Notre Dame (Rudolph). As I undertand it, an Ohio State offer would have catapaulted the Buckeyes immediately into Moore's top five, possibly top three. But much like with Rudolph, Moore had some concerns about the way the tight end is used in the OSU offense. So it's possible an offer would not have ultimately made a difference.

Two other things that bear mentioning. The first is how will this commitment impact Kevin Koger, the TE/DE from Whitmer in Toledo. Koger came out of nowhere this spring to gain offers from Michigan and then Ohio State, and appears likely to choose between those two. With strong family ties to Michigan, the Wolverines probably hold a slight lead for his services. But Ohio State is coming on strong, with DeVier Posey and Mike Brewster working on Koger to become part of the Buckeye class. In reality, it doesn't affect Michigan in the least. They would be happy to take two tight ends, and may in fact be recruiting Koger as a DE. It may provide some marginal assistance to Ohio State, who can focus additional energy on Koger as the only TE on their board.

However, at the center of this commitment is that Michigan now has its second commitment from the state of Ohio. A trend? Re-establishing a foothold in a talent rich state? Ohio State fans believe (hope) this is an aberration based primarily on OSU's extremely limited scholarships. The Buckeyes already have 6 commitments from Ohio and have targeted a handful of other elite players (Mike Zordich, Dan McCarthy, Cordale Scott and the aforementioned Koger). But in a deep year, there are going to players that get away, and it is particluarly galling when they go to Michigan. Weve seen two, and you could see a third if Brandon Beachum fails to get a Buckeye offer. It will also be interesting to see how players like Elliott Mealer develop in Ann Arbor. Ohio State has already demonstrated success in turning in state 3-stars into key contributors. Will Michigan have the same luck? Further, will Michigan use commitments from Ohio players as a springboard to future recruiting victories? Or will Ohio State continue to hand pick the players they want from the state?

Check back for more recruiting updates and additional discussion on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

Michigan Targets – The Ohio State Perspective

Our Michigan man has finally chimed in after a long hiberation. I thought I'd toss my 2 cents into the pot on his updated list. Consider this a companion to be read along side Bill's last post.

OT: Zebrie Sanders – Rated as the number two offensive line prospect in Ohio behind Mike Adams, Sanders seems headed for the south. With two tackle commits for both Ohio State and Michigan, Sanders may be forced to warmer climates. If Ohio State gets involved, they may immediately jump into his top three.

Lucas Nix is a Pitt lock…you can cross him off now or later.

I would also be marginally interested in a stiched Michigan jersey that said “Hooey” on the back. So it would be great if you got Hooey. A verbal Hooey, if you will.

QB: I’m a little shocked that QB is this low down the list. With the Forcier transfer, depth must be a huge concern after Henne loses his fourth consecutive OSU/Bowl Game. There’s Mallet, who sounds like a homesick puppy, locked in his dorm listening to power ballads and dreaming of Texas. And behind him there’s something called Cone, who apparently averaged thirteen pass attempts per season during high school. Sweep the leg, Johnny!

HB: Christian Wilson looks like a real player. Very athletic, very versatile. I hope he doesn’t waste away in Ann Arbor, because we probably don’t have room in our smallish class.

DT: Lots of names, no descriptions. Apparently this is the Lloyd Carr “fling enough and something will stick” way of recruiting. Word is that Martin had a strong camp showing.

CB: Rahim Moore and E.J Woods will be great corners at Michigan. If by corner you mean safety, which is the position they actually play. And my Michigan you actually mean UCLA, to which they are both verbally committed.

Johnny Adams…I’m sad that he may not be a Buckeye, because he looks like a bad ass. But there are durability concerns and allegedly he likes to run backwards 15 yards on punt returns. We retired that with Ted Ginn Jr.

TE: Brandon Moore – Another good TE from Ohio; it’s just unbelievable how much more talent we have here than in Michigan. Moore looks like a stud receiver but OSU coaches think he's very limited as a blocker. He also seems limited to TE and Tressel like position flexibility. Watching his film, he looks like a man among boys. What happens when he has to play other boys? Maybe if Koger heads north to lose 3 out 4, we can get involved. But I would much rather have Koger than Moore. Why the heck is Moore listed above Koger on this list?

FS/CB: “Best Ann Arbor prospect since Carl Tabb.” What a ringing endorsement…I’m already worried.

OG: Just taking this opportunity to emphasize how much better our offensive line commits are. I might mention again later. If we get Jenkins or Shaw, this will be a historic class.

Another shock…Garrett Goebel is a “backup”? The kid has offers from the entire Big Ten, Notre Dam, Miami, Nebraska and Tennessee. I hope he ends up in Columbus as a DT.

WR: Darryl Stonum. “Don’t throw it to Stone Hands!” Man, Necessary Roughness was a classic. Where have you gone, Kathy Ireland?

Fred Smith is a player and Michael Floyd may be the top WR in the country. Hopefully Smith will play for D’Antonio, and Floyd seems destined for Charlie Cheesburger. Though if Cone is throwing the passes, it doesn’t matter who is running the routes.

WSDE: Shayne Hale, aka players who is still considered a linebacker. Amazing size and speed combination. Again, I’d be sad if he ended up in Michigan, but we can’t offer his munchkin friend just to get him. There are plenty of linebackers in this class, so Sweat, Zordich or others will be fine with me. At the Pittsburgh Combine, Hale was reportedly woofing at Buckeye commit DeVoe Torrence. Torrence preceded to barbeque him into drills. Is this a case of future teammates having fun and talking some smack, or a preview future November showdowns?

SS: Will Hill is a flat-out five-star stud. USC, the Florida schools and hometown Rutgers will be the major players. Did I forget to mention Michigan? No.

Danny McCarthy has Notre Dame (where is brother plays), Ohio State (where he loves the coaching staff) and Michigan as his top three. I think Michigan might be third. Kind of the way that Rosie O’Donnell would be third to Alessandra Ambrosio and Anna Kournikova.LB: Again, the class is loaded here. A prep player might actual be able to start for Michigan at middle linebacker this season. I am eagerly anticipating the debut of Austin Panter though. Watching him shed blocks and tackle is reportedly much like seeing Lord of the Dance.

Brendan Beal = Poindexter. He’s going to USC, with Notre Dame and OSU in the bridal party. And drinking heavily.

Brandon Beachum is another solid Ohio kid that deserves an offer in any other year. I still hope they find room and we sweep the Mooney three.Sam McGuffie – It’s amazing how this guy yo-yo’s up and down the Michigan list. Apparently fickle mistresses in Michigan. Reports are starting to circulate that J.B. Shugarts and Mike Brewster are trying to get the OSU coaches in on McGuffie. Now, we’re pretty limited in scholarships. And we have Torrence at RB, Posey at WR, Stoneburner at H-Back and hope to have Cordale Scott fill out the receivers.

I’ve already made it known that McGuffie isn’t at the top of my list. But he’s intriguing as a slot guy and return specialist. Since we’ve already taken Shugarts, who previously held the number 1 spot, is Sam next?

Michigan 2008 Football Recruiting- Targets Update

MICHIGAN FOOTBALL
2008 RECRUITING

Introduction

Obviously, understanding the current depth chart is important to understanding why I prioritize the way that I did. When I have more time I will send you a comprehensive breakdown of the Michigan depth chart but since that will be greatly effected by spring ball I consider it a low priority right now. You all pretty much know it already anyways.

Other than depth chart needs, how good a player is and how likely the player will be a Wolverine play into whether and where a player appears on this ranking. Obviously, this list has lots of “hopeful thinking” throughout it. Prior years have indicated that Michigan’s class is not going to actual resemble this list. On one hand I am optimistic about the upcoming recruiting season but I also worry about a pending head coaching change effect and the possibility that we are now facing two giants (SC and UF). At least at Michigan you always have “hopeful thinking” instead of “wishful thinking.”

Finally, I will at some point produce a Top 15 most worthless Wolverines list. This list will be a list of guys who I would rather have their scholarship than their presence.

This is an inexact science and the situation is incredibly fluid as we go through summer camps and the ‘07 high school football season but alas here it is…

Top 14 Targeted positions

Already Wolverines:

CB- B. Cissoko (Det., MI)
OT- D. O’Neil (MI)
OT- E. Mealer (OH)

14. OT- Might take a third tackle from the following list: Z. Sanders (OH), G. Pocic (ILL), L. Nix (PA)/DT, M. Lipski (OR), T. Sands (PA), & S. Hooey (MI).
13. QB- B. Kay (MI) - Best in MI. Important since Forcier is transferring. C. Lum (MI) is the backup plan.
12. HB- C. Wilson (PA)/LB
11. DT- O. Hunter (GA) - M. Martin (MI), E. Johnson (OR), C. Henderson (PA), L. Guy (NV), R. Ellis (DC), A. Woods (Det., MI), & S. Barnett (IND) (another Warren Central kid) are the backups. Not a very high priority, but, might take two.
10. CB- J. Holley (PA) – B. Barnes (NC)/RB, R. Moore (CA), E.J. Woods (CA), J. Adams (OH), & A. Hollis (Det., MI) are the backup plans.
9. TE- B. Moore (OH) - Need another solid all-around TE & a TE to replace Butler. H. Graham (PA), K. Koger (OH), M. Wedderburn (PA), T. Hoover (MI)/DE, B. Ayles (CA), S. Ladner (MO), T. Edwards (LA) are the backups. Will probably take two.
8. FS/CB- R. Blanton (NC) - P. Johnson (FLA) is the backup. L. Green (PA), T. Tidwell (Det., MI), R. Butler (TX), & J. Wade (MI) (best Ann Arbor prospect since C. Tabb) are other backup plans.
7. OG- K. Wermers (IND) - A. Sampson (CO) and D. Mathis (Det., MI) are the backup plans. Might take a third interior lineman also.
6. OG- K. Page (SC) - V. Dotsy (CA), Z. Schlink (AZ), & G. Goebel (ILL) are the backups.
5. WR- D. Stonum (TX) – Wants UM. From Herron and Woolfolk’s school. J. Baldwin (PA), F. Smith (Det., MI), V. Carraway (PA) (the ’07 Z. Babb), D. Walker (VA), S. Johnson (TX), D. Jordan (AZ), M. Floyd (MN), D. Miller (NJ), & R. Jenkins (VA) are the backups. Will take at least two here.
4. WSDE- S. Hale (PA) - K. Middleton (WA), D. Heyman (KEN.), K. Lewis-Moore (TX), N.Price (Det., MI), & P. Phillips (Det., MI) are the backups, SSDE- T. Hoover (MI) - C. McDonald (HFII, SH, MI) is the backup. May take two here.
3. SS- W. Hill (NJ) – S. Adams (NC), K. Staley (OK), D. McCarthy (OH), B. Smith (NJ), K. Cooper (TX), D. Simmons (GA), B. Leslie (CA), & E. Biakabatuka (CAN) are the backup plans. May take two here.
2. LB- A. Brown (KAN), J. Major (CO), S. Filler (ILL), B. Beal (PA), J.B. Fitzgerald (NJ), M. Witherspoon (NJ), M. Dowtin (VA), B. Beachum (OH), L. Murray (NY- M. Hart’s school), J. Williams (OH), J. Staples (OH), & S. Blake (PA) are the backups in approximate order. Will take at least two if not three or four.
1. RB- S. McGuffie (TX) - D. Scott (CA), C. Deboskie (AZ), J. Grey (Det., MI), J. Haden (MD), E. Smith (FLA), & C. Saddler (PA) (Third down back who was offered to lure S. Hale) are the backup plans. Might very well take two here.

BY: WILLIAM LAWRENCE, former UM employee

Recruiting Update: Long to Florida State

The only uncommitted member of the original "Block O" is headed to Florida State....to play baseball. Kyle Long, son of for Oakland Raider Howie Long, recently committed to play for the Seminoles highly regarded baseball team. Long is a left-handed pitchers with a mid-90's fastball, and if drafted high enough next year may never make it to Florida State.

At one point in time, Long seemed a lock to join Brewster, Adams and Shugarts in Columbus. Long attended the (tragic) BCS National Championship with Brewster, with tickets from his Dad and sporting an OSU jersey. In fact, most Buckeye fans were more confident of him that Shugarts, who seemed to have a number of favorite schools. But baseball was always the top threat, and Long has publicly indicated that he won't even suit up for Bobby Bowden at Florida State. It appears that if Long had wanted to play college football, he would have become a Buckeye. But OSU doesn't have an elite baseball program, so this choice makes sense for him. Some delusional Virginia fans thought he was a silent lock to follow his brother to UVA, but people close to the situation believe that was never really considered.

With Long off board, Josh Jenkins is now OSU's top offensive line target. Jenkins is currently a soft verbal to West Virginia, and it will be difficult for him to switch to another school. However, if he de-commits from his hometown it will be for Ohio State. Brewster and the rest of the class continue to work him hard, and having a natural guard would be a great way to finish off the line class. There will be tremendous pressure for Jenkins to stay at home, so his recruitment will be an interesting one to watch.

Though Jenkins would be the fourth commit and conceivably close out the offensive line class with four outstanding prospects, a number of other names remain on the radar for Ohio State.
Greg Shaw (FL) is will be in Columbus for camp, and the coaches will get a chance to evaluate him in-person. An offer could come with a solid camp performance, and if his grades are in order. Shaw currently holds offers from the big three Florida schools and many of the upper echelon ACC and SEC schools.

As I've mentioned on a few occasions, Ohio has a very deep pool of linemen this year. Should the Buckeyes miss on both Jenkins and Shaw, they have options to fill the last line spot. Though Elliot Mealer is already off the board, there are other potential three-stars out there that don't need to be offered right away. The following four players have been hearing from Ohio State, but don't have offers as of now. You'll notice Zebrie Sanders is not on this list, and it sounds like he currently has no chance to get an offer from the Buckeyes.

Harold Coates: Youngstown Ursuline
Nick Scott: Bedford
Blaec Walker: Middletown
Marc Stevens: Lexington