The I-AA-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named

We walk a fine line on this blog as it relates to that school up north. It's no surprise that this site was created to celebrate the rivalry with mutual respect for the Big Ten's two premier teams. The shocking opening day loss by Michigan to App. State was one of the most shocking things I can remember in all the years I've been watching sports. I was actually driving back from the beach when it happened and was feverishly refreshing my phone and getting text message updates just to follow the action. To put that in context, I had not missed a minute of live Ohio State football action in nearly a decade, and certainly never opening day. But I was so certain of an OSU win (and Michigan as well) that I thought TiVo was sufficient.

Now Michigan is the college football laughingstock, and it's hard to argue. As has been mentioned a couple (billion) times, this is the first time a ranked team ever lost to a I-AA team. And no, I won't call it the Bowl Subdvision Champion or whatever the hell they are calling it. Same way I'll never ever say Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I have no idea what this loss really means. Surely a lifetime of Appalachian State jokes. But will the hangover cast a cloud over the season and ultimately lead to Carr's dismissal/retirement? Or will Michigan roar back and run the table?

It's no secret such a loss is not good for the Big Ten conference. It will be hard this season to recover, barring a massive sweep of key nonconference games and a gangbusters bowl performance. Though Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State fans are revelling in Michigan's humiliation, there is surely recognition that everyone in the conference will suffer some in a game so dominated by perception. That's why Marlin Jackson, now with the Colts, said that his Ohio State teammates (Gonzo, Pitcock, Hall) have been better than most about the loss. Devaluing Michigan can only have a negative impact on the rivalry.

So that's my general opinion on this, which is equal parts sympathy and selfish frustration about how it will hurt Ohio State. Yes, I think there's a small part of OSU fans that can't resist the unparalleled downfall their biggest rival just suffered. And I can unequivocally say that UM fans would be playing the part if roles were reversed. But it certainly wasn't something I was hoping would happen. Though the pictures of cute cats on MGoBlog this week have been a bonus.

But that brings me to Dhani Jones, a Michigan alumni from their half-title team of 1997. Jones fancies himself something of a Renaissance football player. He's known for his snappy dressing, poetry writing and loving jazz. In my world, he's a mouthy fruitcake that sucks in the NFL. As an Eagles fan, I greatly enjoyed watching him constantly be out of position or get dragged a few yards after contact. Cutting him was a clear case of addition by subtraction this offseason for Philly.

But back to Michigan. the Detroit Free Press ran an article with reaction to the historic loss from former UM players. The piece focused on how it would impact the team reputation, as well as the legacy of Lloyd Carr. I won't get into the substance of that discussion; once our UM blogger has recovered he can address those issues. While most of the players were even-handed and remained proud of their school, Jones went over the top. Here's his arrogant babble:

"How do you put Appalachian State over Michigan as the greatest loss in history? Because you're the biggest team, the best team, the most profound team. Because of that, they look at you like the world has been turned upside down.

People are very jealous of Michigan. People have always been jealous of Michigan. If the same thing happened at Ohio State, USC or Notre Dame, they wouldn't be reacting like this (nationally), because Michigan is held to another standard. It's interesting how people say Michigan is not all that and Michigan gets beat and then people can't stop talking about it. Everybody wishes they went to Michigan."

Umm, my first and second reaction were not suitable for a PG-13 blog. Basically, Jones is doing his best Notre Dame imitation. Pounding his chest over a reputation that might have existed fifty years ago, but only lives on in the delusional mind of the fans of that school now. It's a ugly elitism that unfortunately pervades some of the UM fans. Just like Notre Dame, they want credit for kicking ass back in 1911 when teams scrimmaged nurses colleges and minorities weren't allowed to play.

Jones must have had too much Pinot Grigio if he thinks the reaction wouldn't have been the same, or stronger if this had happened to USC or Ohio State. We can all argue otherwise, but USC is still King Kong in college football until someone displaces them. They've got more talent than anyone and were one Vince Young away from an unbelievable three-peat. Ohio State, with its Yankees-style budget, great tradition and recent success, would surely get worse treatment that Michigan is receiving. ESPN would launch eight investigations, do endless special reports from Columbus, find random ways mention such a loss, and probably permanently loop the game on ESPN Classic. Jones may think UM is the big dog of college football, but USC and Ohio State are a combined 7-1 against Michigan over the last six years.

So I'd love to hear what standard Jones thinks Michigan is held to that other elite programs aren't. Is it because some Michigan act like their school is Harvard for football players? I think Jim Harbaugh is a loudmouth traitor, but I'm guessing the "General Studies" claims are closer to the truth than some fans who think they've got a lineup full of MENSA members would let you believe. Check it every time a recruit says they're "serious about academics" how the UM fans and experts act like this is only good for Michigan. And if such a kid chooses another school, they trash the kid.

I think Michigan is a great football school, and I know they'll bounce back and remain one of the greatest programs in the country. And no matter what, the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry will continue to be one of the fiercest, most important in all of sports. But I hope that for those UM fans (our blogger Bill not included) that insist on arrogantly promoting useless records and mouthing off about academic superiority will be humbled, at least for a moment.

Penguins in Review

So when I wrote last Saturday night that we'd review the Youngstown State victory "tomorrow", I'm sure our fearless readers understood that to mean "basically a week from now". Not that you were all on the edge of your seats for the groundbreaking analysis that would come after a ho-hum 38-6 victory against an in-state I-AA team. (whoops, treading carefully with that reference...more for later).

So what should you take away, just 14 hours away from a showdown with Akron?

*As we've been saying all along, Todd Boeckman started and performed quite well. No, he's not going to win a Heisman, but thus far he appears to have the tools to run the offense. It will be interesting to see how things go as the competition is amped up. Boeckman displayed a good connection with #1 WR Brian Robiskie, but seemed to miss other open receivers like Brian Hartline. And some of his careless throws could easily turn into interceptions down the road.

*Rob Schoenhoft didn't play a lot but didn't look good when he was in. A career 2nd teamer? That might be harsh at this point, but Schoenhoft should be further along than he is. He's the highest rated of the three scholarship quarterbacks, but seems caught in no man's land. He lacks Boeckman's familiarity with the offense and experience, and he doesn't have the athleticism or upside of Antonio Henton.

*Arguably the most talented player on the Buckeye roster, Chris Wells was a non-factor. And that's being generous to a player would claimed his "mind was elsewhere" during the first half. Fans are hoping that the (a) lack of significant opponent; (b) failure of the offensive line to step up; and (c) the unimaginative play calling were rally to blame. Could he still be shaking off the rust from a spring ankle injury?

*Brian Robiskie has officially replaced Lawrence Wilson as the junior most likely to make a surprise jump to the draft. He looks primed for a monster season, and his stock might not benefit from a senior season if he keeps producing this way.

*True freshmen Dane Sanzenbacher, Taurian Washington and Brandon Saine all scored touchdowns in their first contest. Folks, the '07 class may be small, but is going to be special. Saine looked every bit the part of an elite running back, showing off his elite speed and some nice moves. Sanzenbacher has been the talk of the camp, and despite a few drops, he looks like a keeper. Washington broke away on a long TD from Henton and showed a great burst and stride in the open field. Since he's from Michigan, any success will be all that sweeter.

*Good news: Maurice Wells was actually productive, as the coaches got him the ball in space and let him do his thing. Bad news: Saine looks like a legitimate threat to co-op the #2 RB spot.

*The offensive line was mediocre at best. Given their size, they should have blown Y-State off the ball at will. Instead, the short yardage game struggled. Jim Cordle and Steve Rehring in particular seemed out of sync. Alex Boone, who was extremely dedicated in the off-season after the Florida loss, didn't play anywhere near his talent level. On the plus side, backups Conner Smith and Bryant Browning were solid in limited reps. Browning, a former three-star from Glenville, appears poised to take Rehring's job if the big guy continues to struggle.

*The young defensive tackles were adequate but will need to improve. They have a set four player rotation with Todd Denlinger, Doug Worthington, Dexter Larimore and Nader Abdullah. At this juncture, none of them have the ability to wreak havoc and be a true difference maker. But give the lack of game experience, significant improvements are expected...fingers crossed.

*The loss of Lawrence Wilson cannot be underestimated. He had break-out written all over until the injury occurred, now OSU will have to cope with a reduced pass rush. Wilson could have had a better year than Gholston, though in some part due to the double teams Vernon will see. Now, the best that can be hoped for is a return in November for the big stretch. Though the injury is minor as far as breaks go, don't expect the coaches to rush him back. This is a future NFL defensive end, and OSU is not going to risk his future for a few snaps.

Robert Rose, Cameron Heyward and Alex Barrow will now assume the #2-4 spots at the end rotation. Rose is a monster waiting to happen, though he inexplicably didn't see a lot of action on Saturday. Heyward has shocked everyone with his size and strength as a true freshman, so he's going to get a ridiculous amount of on-the-job training.

*The linebackers failed to impress, at least by Ohio State standards. Yes, they made all of the plays and didn't seem to make a lot of mistakes. But they made a lot of stops a few yards down the field, and there were no big plays like turnover or tackles for loss. Ross Homan was the best of the bunch, Little Animal included. Marcus Freeman also seems like he's turning a corner. He'll be good this year, but he should be a great senior next season.

*A lot of open receivers, and almost all were missed by the Youngstown quarterback. Better teams will hit those receivers, so OSU must exert more pressure and cover tighter. The coaches love Donald Washington, but he plays like Dustin Fox, which I don't mean as a complement. Maybe there's something in the Tressel scheme that keeps these guys open in space.

*The best news in the secondary was the redshirt freshman Chimdi Chekwa and true freshman Gene Clifford were great in nickel situations. With Malcolm off to collect his money next year, the position looks to be in good hands.

*Kurt Coleman might have been the best player on the defensive side. He was hitting hard in run support and flying all over the place in coverage. Jamario O'Neal is going to have a tough time reclaiming his spot.