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Thursday, December 22, 2011

OHIO VS MICHIGAN

   National signing day is Feb. 3rd  for all college football verbal commits,  Michigan and Ohio both will end up in the top five nationally.  As a few spots for each team are vacant, I have been comparing the players committed for each team.  I am a Michigan fan and follow those recruits, at the same time I love evaluating the players in the state of Ohio and have watched film on a majority of them.  After signing day I will do a break down of all players and units to see who edged out who between the two teams.  At this current time, this is what I have. This is just a quick update of who is edging who at each unit.

QB's - Ohio,   Ohio has cardale jones who I think committed last season and Michigan won't recruit any considering 5star Shane Morris has committed for 2013.

 RB - ohio,  Ohio has Dunn and ball and Michigan has a couple decent kids headed up to Ann Arbor.



  Oh yea, this is for Dave .  You were asking me if Kalis was still solid with Michigan, I think this answers your question.


  WR's - ohio, ohio has three but Frank E. and Lewis are not very impressive. Michigan has two but this may change by signing day.

  TE's -  Michigan,  Devin Funchess is one of the top TE's in the country.  ohio's thomas is probably the best in the state of ohio, he's no slouch.

   OL - Michigan, This isn't close.  Michigans OL class is epic and may add another potential star before signing day.

  DL - Even,  Listen, I know I will hear about this with ohio's nice DL class but you should look at Michigans as well.  Michigan currently has one more DT , both teams are loaded here.

  LB's - Michigan,  Another unit that Michigan has absolutely stockpiled.  This is a special group with 3 of the 4 being all-americans.

  DB's - Michigan,  Michigan has the top cover guy in the midwest in Richardson and ohio's top safety in jarrod wilson. They also have allen gant and sleeper jeremy clark and may add armani reeves soon.  Ohio has a decent class with Bogard, murray and Powell. This may change before signing day.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

DREAM TEAM COMMITS



    When it comes to talent the state of  Michigan  isn't Florida, Texas or California by any means.  These seven Michigan commitments made the the state relevant this season and the three players on the left are all-Americans.  Let's look into these 7 players who were selected to the  "ALL STATE DREAM TEAM" and what they bring to the table for the wolverines next season. I'll do the players in order as shown above.

http://youtu.be/pw_72erkAMU

Terry Richardson, CB - Richardson possesses skills that only a handful of high school CB's can relate to.  At 5'9" 170lbs, he is a true cover corner in the sense.  His back pedal speed is excellent and breaks on the ball very well, watch him run the receiver's route for them in some of these highlights.  He picked off 8 balls this year for the state champs, Cass Tech.  He will fit right into the rotation with Floyd, Countess, Taylor and Hollowell.  Him and Countess could be a dynamic combo in the future.

http://youtu.be/yPduxCmeYkM

 James Ross, MLB - Ross is a two time all-American and it's easy to see why in his film.  Ross is 6'1" 215lbs and doesn't creep up on RB's but hits them at full speed.  He doesn't think but reacts to plays, he can get outside if necessary also. He recorded 179 tkls this season and 45 for loss.  I really don't need to explain much more, watch him play.  He will play behind Kenny Demens this season and probably push him for time, he is the future all conference MLB, no doubt.



 http://youtu.be/OlhNIxndegc

Royce jenkins-stone,LB- RJS will make the transition to OLB in college, he is an all-american LB who is a raw athlete.  6'2" 215lbs, RJS lacks that natural LB mentality but shouldn't have a problem being coached into a nice LB. He needs time and will sit for a while.  Michigan is deep at LB with demens, Ryan and morgan, that's without mentioning gordon, and newcomer bolden.
  


 
  http://youtu.be/_2CtODtf6SE

Matt Godin,DT/DE- Godin is a big, strong, physical kid.  At 6'5" 265lbs this DT/DE  sheds tackles with great hands and plays low for a tall kid.  Matt Godin is an underrated player who I think can gain weight and play the 3-tech or SDE as well.  Michigan isn't super deep at DL next season but do have size on the interior. It will be interesting to see if they red shirt him or not. 




  http://youtu.be/PL5F4q1qgyQ

Mario Ojemudia,DE - This kid is 6'3" 223 lbs and plays SDE like he is 280lbs.  He is an absolute sack machine with 14 on the season and watch him get through blockers as if they were tied to a tree.  This is a versatile kid, he can play SLB, SDE, WDE and is fast and athletic enough to play WLB which is my prediction.  He is good enough to play this season.



http://youtu.be/P15gEI5EGz8

Drake Johnson, RB - Johnson is a track star that shows good speed and he runs hard.  He is a decent
Rb who picks a crease and goes but his change of direction and agility is questionable.  I'm a little surprised he was offered.  He will likely red shirt and probably won't be a big time player in the near future but he could be productive and surprise some people.




 
http://youtu.be/iZSIIPiIZuY

Ben Braden, OL-  Braden is roughly 6'7"-6'8" 320 lbs.  Braden needs work but is absolutely massive and built like a truck, he isn't a slob and he moves pretty well.  He needs footwork and he will never play LT but provides depth on the line.  He seems awful tall to play OG so a 2nd team RT could be his future position and with some work could become a quality player.  He will probably sit behind Kalis and I would almost guarantee a red shirt this coming season.




 

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

OHIO'S MEYER BEEFING UP THE DL AND RECRUITING CLASS.

    Urban Meyer is the first coach to benefit from Penn State's problems, recieving a verbal commit from 5 star DL Tommy Schutt.  Penn State's 2012 class is falling apart and players are flocking elesewhere for visits.  Tommy Schutt was the first player to actually commit to a different team yesterday when he announced he would be joining Ohio's 2012 class.  I did a blog on saturday about Ohio's big weekend visits and who I thought could possibly commit, Schutt was one.  He's a stud, I will show you evidence in a minute.

    Ohio also recieved a commit from 4 star DE Se'von Pittman from Canton.  Pittman was verbaled to MSU but has been on the fence as of  late because of his girlfriend will play b-ball for Ohio.  I'm sure that's not the only reason but Ohio fans should thank that young lady for swaying him a bit.  Pittman is a huge DE, big enough to play SDE or WDE.  He is 6'5" and last that I seen, he was pushing 270 lbs.  Pittmans commit pushes Ohio into the top ten in the country, according to some sites.  I personally thought Ohio only had 4 or 5 slots left but a source I heard said 6 or 7.  That gives them 18 commitments with a chance to sign 22 -23.


    Since Urban has started his recruiting tour, he has had three players verbally commit.  I will go on and say that the addition of Pittman and Schutt should excite the hell out of Ohio fans.  Look at the possible future DL, barring any problems, injury, grades, a possible bust. 

Ohio's DL depth next season

DE's                                                         DT's                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
John Simon  SR                                        John Hankins JR            
Nathan Williams SR                                  Darryl Baldwin SO
Kenny Hayes SO                                      Goebel SR
Melvin Fellows SO                                    Michael Bennett SO
Adolphus Washington FR                         Adam Bellamy JR
Se'von Pittman FR                                   Tommy Schutt FR

FR. Washington and Schutt are both Army All-Americans.

Here are clips of all three of Urbans Commitments

Tommy Schutt 5 star DT, 6,3" 290 LBS 
http://youtu.be/ahEfQfUdSBs
 Yea, he's real good.  He moves well for a huge kid, great effort. 

Se'Von Pittman 4 star DE, 6'5" 270lbs

http://youtu.be/bbOraeJWwEE

Watch that third play for example. Pittman is a stud athletically.  If Ohio gets lucky enough to have Pittman on one side and Washington on the other in a couple years, it would actually remind you of those Florida DE's from his 06 team.

Ricquan Southward 2 star WR, 6'1" 190

http://youtu.be/9RpCT1DgiUg

My take on Southward is that he is a big athlete who has potential.  Most importantly is that Southward is from Lakeland, Florida.  For those who don't know, Lakeland High school was Meyer's stomping ground when at Florida. This is a way for him to get his foot back in the door and say " i'm back, come see me". At one time, Lakeland produced 10 Florida commits in one season.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

NOTRE DAME RECRUITING!



  Notre Dame has fifteen current commits with the latest being a 4 star and top ten ranked WR from California by the the name of Deontay Greenberry ( pictured above ).  I would like to go down the list and evaluate a few of  the  top players from their 2012 class.  I will not evaluate 5 star recruit Jarron Jones because I  already have in a previous blog.  Notre Dame has a nice class, anytime you  recieve commitments from two 5 star CB's who are ranked #1 and #3 in the country,  you are hard at work. 

Ronald Darby, 5'11" 175lbs, 5 star CB http://youtu.be/IkWYlm85rm0

this is some of the strangest film I have seen in a while. My only knock on Darby is his competition, that league looks awful, the field goal posts look like they are made of rubber.  Here is the lowdown on Darby.  He is ranked a 5star because of what he does at combines against elite talent not these scrubs.  He is a track star with sub 4.4 speed  and agility to match.  His main attribute could be his return skills, he is dynamic to say the least.  There is not enough film of his cover skills to make an accurate evaluation in that area.  He's a scoring machine.


Tee Sheppard, 6'0" 175lbs, 5 star CB   http://youtu.be/lIjqxwP0poE

The first thing that sticks out to me is his cover skills.  Natural cover corners with his awareness and patience are rare at the high school level.  Let me explain,  Watch his zone coverage, he doesn't try to do too much.  He will watch the play, read the QB and leave his reciever for a safety while he makes the play underneath.  He is also physical and strong which makes him hard for WR's to deal with him in press coverage.  He hits hard but needs  to learn how to wrap up which will come with top coaching.  Sheppard and Darby are similar when it comes to INT's, if they pick you off, they will try to take it to the house everytime.  A couple more skills that he posesses, he does a great job of staying with his man and not giving up seperation.  He also has the speed to close on recievers who have a step or two on him.
 

Deontay Greenberry, 6'3" 180 lbs, 4 star WR   http://youtu.be/RjptOb1GP7g


Bad film again but enough evidence to realize his talents.  Long and lean, nice hands, and yards after contact stick out immediately.  His move off the line against press coverage is above average and his height and jumping ability make him a red zone weapon.  I think he runs decent routes and can score from wideout, slot and  from the backfield as well.  His playmaking off the bubble screens is a plus, reminds me of AJ Green a bit.



William Mahone, 6'0" 205lbs, 4 star RB  http://youtu.be/YV7ep6zTX1A

I love Mahone, I have watched his film a dozen times.  My evaluation is that he is the second best RB in Ohio behind Warren Ball and in front of 5 star Brionte Dunn.  His vision is fantastic,  he always takes the right running lane and his first step and quickness are worthy of a ND offer.  He runs well but doesn't have great speed in the open field,  he is tough with his yards after contact.  He does a great job of staying low and quick through his holes.  Mahone is an under the radar gem.


Sheldon Day, 6'2" 280lbs, 4 star DT   http://youtu.be/N4h5tQ-wRjY


That's a highlight reel folks, short and sweet.  Day is absolutely explosive off the line and the quickest DT I have seen on film.  Those first four or five plays speak for themselves.  He looks to be shot out of a cannon,  working the center and guards over and over and over again, it becomes a pattern.  When the OL does have a chance to defend him,  he then uses his excellent technique to quickly spoil those plans.  Seriously, his technique and  skills are at a college level already.  He penetrates the OL with great urgency , with a little weight gain,  Day is a very productive college player.

Friday, December 9, 2011

HUGE WEEKEND FOR MICHIGAN AND OHIO!




  First things first.  Michigan 2012 commit James Ross was selected as an Army All-American yesterday.  Ross,  the second rank LB in the country according to scout.com is one of seven players headed to Ann Arbor that has been selected as an All-American.  That is impessive considering they have 23 commitments.  Almost 1/3 of the commits are All-Americans.  There is still time for more to be selected. 

Michigans Army All-Americans                 Michigans Under Armour All-Americans
1.OL Kyle Kalis                                        1. LB Joe Bolden
2.OL Erik Magnuson                                 2. DB Terry Richardson
3.LB Royce Jenkins-Stone
4.LB James Ross
5.DT Ondre Pipkins


 Michigan has a group of visitors this weekend.  All the current commits are on officials as others come for the first time.  With DB Anthony Standifer de-commiting, it opens up another scholarship.  It seems that the top targets currently are DB Yuri Wright, DB Armani Reeves who I personally think will end up a Wolverine.  He had Michigan no.2 behind Penn State when he committed.  I believe TE JP Holtz will be visiting also, another PSU Commit. WR Jehu Chesson is another top target who may commit this weekend.


 This is Ohio coach Urban Meyer's first weekend to make his presence felt.  He has a great group of prospects visiting that include a couple PSU commits with Noah Spence and Tommy Schutt.  Spence and Schutt are both huge targets considering Ohio only has maybe four or five spots left in this class and both, I'm sure, don't want to play for PSU.   A few more players of importance are 5 star OL Jordan Diamond,  4 star DE and  MSU commit SE'von Pittman,  and a surprising 5 star QB from Alabama named Jameis winston who has verbaled to FSU.  Why would Meyer recruit a QB with Miller being the QB of the future?  Another story is the recruitment of 5 star RB  Brionte Dunn out of Canton Glen Oak. His story is that he is committed to ohio but has visited Michigan twice with cousin and fellow Michigan commit Dymonte Thomas. Urban needs to convince him he will be relevant in his spread offense.  Here are some highlights of these kids in action.


 Jordan Diamond OL 

   He is huge and athletic.  He does a great job of extending his arms on his initial punch and he has good feet.  He gets out on his pulls well and stays in front of his RB but needs to improve his pad level and playing til the whistle blows.  His size and strength speak for themselves as he flattens LB's at the second level.

http://youtu.be/oUrgoQH_PZM


 Tommy Schutt DT

 Wow, that is only the second time I have watched his film.  Watch the play he makes  at 1:26.  Schutt is a PSU commit but is obviously looking around.  That first play he lines up as a WDE and runs down the QB on the opposite of the field, Schutt is 6'3" 290LBS, he gets there pretty quickly for a big fella.  He lines up on the weakside, strongside and inside, he can run and absolutely blows up the plays.  He is disciplined  also, watch him get off blocks and not over pursue the plays.  I hope he doesn't commit this weekend.

http://youtu.be/ahEfQfUdSBs


 Noah Spence DE

Spence is a 5 star DE who is committed to PSU.  He is 6'3" 235 lbs and has an offer sheet that allows him to go anywhere in the country.  He is 2 yds into the backfield before these tackles are coming out of their stance.  It seems as if he causes TO's as well.
http://youtu.be/Uc_kFOFhRmQ


Jameis Winston QB

 Winston is committed to FSU but is being recruited by Meyer.  He is the no.1 ranked duall threat QB in this years class and is 6'4" roughly 200 lbs.  Totally reminds me of Pryor but doesn't have the problems with his mechanics and accuracy.  Sources ay he was the best passer at the elite 11 and his leadership skills were second to none.  He throws the ball 60 yds in the air and his feet are not even set at 1:30.
http://youtu.be/Uc_kFOFhRmQ


  

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

RECRUITING UPDATES!

  
    

            This is the massive 6'5" 305 LB Kyle Kalis receiving his ARMY ALL-AMERICAN award.  Kalis,  who is a 5 star prospect and one of the top five OL in the country plays RT for Lakewood ST. Edwards in Northern Ohio.  This is the fourth Michigan commitment out of the 2012 class to be named an ARMY ALL-AMERICAN.  Anybody who follows Michigan recruiting is excited about the Kalis commitment because of his size,  strength,  and intensity.  Watch Kyle do work on opponents playing in arguably the toughest conference in Ohio high school football. Hit this link http://youtu.be/rOly-urn72I




  Yuri Wright is a four star DB on the second ranked team in the country, Don Bosco Prep.  Wright is down to two teams in his recruitment with Michigan and the surprising Colorado.  Wright is 6'2" and roughly 200 LBS, he may be a better fit at SS.


    If I had to bet on Michigans next commitment, it would be on 4 star WR Jehu Chesson.  Chesson is 6'3" 185 lbs and is as quick as a 5'6" RB.  He has excellent hands and runs tight routes that make him a mismatch for most DB's.  Athletically, he is as good as I have seen on film with his jumping ability and agility, he also is slick and picks up a considerable amount of yards after contact.  Personally, I think he is a better talent than Michigans other WR commit Amara Darboh and has a better chance of making an impact immediately. Here is his link  http://youtu.be/zSTTZUn5ZDE.

 Keep an eye on OL Josh Garnett and Jordan Diamond, WR Stefon Diggs, RB Brionte Dunn, and a TE who may be a surprise.
  


 

Sunday, December 4, 2011

DARBOH IS #24!

  When Brady Hoke took over at Michigan, he made a few things clear.  One,  the ohio game is the biggest game on the schedule, number two was they needed to get back to Michigan Football.  Michigan football would be described as big, tough and physical.  Today they added to a very big, tough and physical 2012 recruiting class with a verbal commitment from Des Moine, Iowa WR Amara Darboh.  Darboh becomes the 24th commitment to Michigans class leaving roughly 4 more open spots. 

  Darboh is an interesting story.  I was reading both his parents were killed when he was two yrs old in an act of violence.  He has been in foster homes most of his life and has only been playing football for three years. A kid like that who has been through such turmoil at a young age would  probably have things in perspective and be well grounded.  Even know Darboh has only been playing football for three years,  that hasn't kept him from being a top national talent.  He is 6'2" 200 LBS and runs anywhere from a 4.42 to a 4.4 flat  40 YD dash.  His offer sheet is as impressive as they come with a long list of schools wanting his services including....FLA, MSU, ND, Nebraska and  Wisconsin just to name a few.

  Darboh raved about his visits to Michigan games at the end of the season and his connection with other current 2012 commits including another top Michigan WR prospect, Jehu Chesson.  Darboh has been ranked  a  four star prospect by scout, rivals and 247 sports.  He is anywhere from the 33rd ranked WR in the country to as high as #19. When I evaluated Darboh's highlights, I am not blown away but impressed.  He has great speed, he is big and can go through press coverage.  He can also cut his routes short when receiving soft coverage and his out routes are nice and tight.  He can play in the slot or wide, he has hands, goes across the middle and is a red zone threat as well. Yes , he is a bit raw as far as his slants and getting in and out of his breaks , most high school kids are and those are quick fixes with quality coaches. It is a nice pickup for Michigan , here is a link to his film.
http://youtu.be/B5ZrtSB8lpU


Also, Michigan to the Sugar Bowl.  I'd much rather see them play Boise but Michigan in a BCS bowl is exciting and something too look forward to.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

WHO WINS THE OHIO RECRUITING WAR THIS YEAR?

 
  With 2012 being one of the greatest recruiting years this state has ever seen, Ohio gets the most players but Michigan gets the most quality.  Brady Hoke has done a fantastic job recruiting ohio for the Wolverines but ohio has spread it's talent generously.  According to Scouting Ohio's site, which is a credible site but a little bit of a homer, these are their rankings for the state's top players and where they have committed.

 Ohio
1.Josh Perry OLB, Olentangy
2.Devin Bogard, DB, Glenville
6.Warren Ball,RB,Desales
9.Brionte Dunn,RB,Canton Glen Oak
11.Adolphus Washington,DE,Cincinatti Taft
16.Najee Murray,DB,Steubenville
19.Frank Epitropolous,WR/S, Upper Arlington
20.Blake Thomas,TE,St.Ignatius
25.Luke Roberts,LB,Lancaster
27.Tyvis Powell,DB
32.One of the Boren brothers,C,Pick Central
35.Roger Lewis,WR,Pick Central

Michigan
10.Chris Wormley,DE,Toledo Whitmer
12.Kyle Kalis,OL,ST.Eds
13.Tom Strobel,DE,Mentor
14.Kaleb Ringer,LB,Northmont
17.Joe Bolden,LB,Colerain
23.Pharoah Brown,DE/TE,Lyndhurst Brush
28.Jarrod Wilson,DB,Akron Buchtel
38.Allen Gant,DB,Sylvania Southview
43.Caleb Stacey,OL,Oak Hills
45.AJ Williams,TE/OL,Withrow

Michigan State has 6 players

Now I have evaluated all the same kids and here is my view,

1.Adolphus Washington, He is an all american but the 11th ranked player in the state? He is as good as it gets in the state and he is a top 5 DE in the country.  He does play against inferior opponents considering he is D111 but his talent is top notch.
2.Kyle Kalis, Kalis was a top five player in the state until he de-committed from ohio and went to Michigan, now he is 12th? He is a top ten lineman in the country and a five star recruit. He plays against the best competition in the state.
3.Joe Bolden, there is no better LB in the state than bolden.  He may not be the most athletic which is why Perry is probably ranked higher and perry is also a ohio commit. Bolden can play MLB or OLB. Bolden plays against quality competition as well.
4.Warren Ball, he is the most complete back in the state. He is fast, quick,strong,agile and can catch the ball. Ball plays tough against tough teams.
5.Chris Wormley,Wormley shows signs of being the most intimidating and dominating SDE in the state.  He has the potential to be the best of any player on this list at the next level. Plays tough competition.
6.Brionte Dunn, as most know, Dunn is a ohio commit but swaying towards Michigan a bit. He is a big powerful back and a five star recruit.  Dunn plays in Canton, it's a quality conference.
7.Josh Perry,Olentangy, Perry is a very athletic OLB who also can play RB.  He is a big kid with great potential. He plays against inferior competition at Olentangy.
8.Tom Strobel, Mentor, Strobel is big and strong at 6'6" 255. He is intense, strong, and plays tough every play of  every game. Mentor plays tough competition.
9. Devin Bogard, Glenville, He is arguably the best DB in the state. At one time Akrons Jarrod Wilson was the no.1 ranked safety in the state but he committed to Michigan, he then dropped.  Now Bogard is the man. He is good though and athletic as hell.  Glenville is an open enrollment school, so all the talent in Cleveland plays there.  They play tough competition out of conference.
10.there are many players you can put in this spot.  I will not place anyone here but the rest of the talent is up for argument as well. MSU has some quality players with Benny McGowan who I think is the best OG in the state and SE'von Pittman who's potential is through the roof.
http://youtu.be/swO9Ir79Dvo

 If you think I am full of feces on my evaluations and that site being a little off,  just look at these. Above is a link to the highlights of the 17th ranked player in the state, Joe Bolden, a Michigan commit. Below is a link to perry's highlights who is the no.1 ranked player in ohio( according to scouting ohio) You tell me who is the better LB.

http://youtu.be/O0a9n7g_gtM





The reason I say Michigan gets more quality players out of this class is because ohio has some kids I am not impressed with whatsoever.
1.Boren is a good player but not big enough to play C in college , he may be the next FB in his brothers shadow. They always offer a player who's brother plays there as well.
2.Frank Epitropolous, if any kid from Arlington is a good player , ohio always offers him.  He is fast but not real physical and he is not real smooth with his turn n go's at safety.
3.Luke Roberts, he is a LB from Lancaster and Fickells commit. It was almost like a knee jerk reaction offer when ohio was falling behind in recruitng.
4.Roger Lewis, WR, He is another Pick Central kid who is an OK player but not real impressive.  I will be surprised if any of these kids make an impact in college.

The 43rd ranked player in ohio just happens to be an all state OG named caleb stacey. He is going to Michigan. That's what I'm talking about with quality over quantity.




Pharaoh Brown who committed to Michigan may have possibly been dropped from Michigans class.

Ohio has one all-american with A.Washington and Michigan has three with LB Royce Jenkins Stone from Detroit, Erik Magnuson OL from California and DT Ondre Pipkins from Missouri.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

FUTURE WOLVERINES

For those who don't follow recruiting, there is serious talent in the state of Michigan. Here are some players headed to Ann Arbor next season who made the all-state dream team.


Ben Braden is massive at 6'7" 320 LBS. His team averaged over 220 yds rushing a game. Braden was the first Michigan commit, he verbaled back in February. He is totally raw and needs coaching but his size cannot be overlooked. HE Will probably stay at tackle in college because of his height.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

RECRUITIN HEATS UP!


Picturesd above are the no.2 and no.3 ranked LB's in the country on each side. Royce Jenkins Stone on the left and James Ross on the right. In the middle is top ten CB Terry Richardson. All three are from Detroit and have committed to Michigan.

Now that the regular season is over, coaches enter one of the busiest times of the year, recruiting. With just a little over two months until signing day and plenty of players left to choose from, it becomes an absolute frenzy for coaches to sell their programs. I have experience in scouting and evaluating talent so this is one of my favorite times of the year.

I worked for "THE FORBES REPORT RECRUITING SERVICE" for five years. This is a national recruiting service, it caters to all college coaches from major D1 to DIII schools. I scouted for a man named Brandon Duplain from Illinois who was the midwest recruiting coordinator for Terry Forbes. My job was to cover central Ohio and focus mainly on the Columbus City league. My blog will cover recruiting until signing day. I am credible in scouting and have evaluated every top player in Ohio and surrounding states for 2012 and the past five seasons. If you are interested in recruiting, stay up to date with my blog because it will get interesting. Let's get some things out of the way.

I will start by saying that Urban Meyer to Ohio is a huge get for them and he will make the conference more credible and interesting immediately. I am pretty sure ohio has about 16 commitments so far for 2012 and have around for or five schollies left to give out. Meyers first commit came this morning from a 2 star WR out of Lakeland Fla. Just to refresh peoples memory, Lakeland High School was Meyer's stomping ground at Florida and I think this is his way of saying "I'm back Lakeland".
Ohio's recruiting class is interesting considering three different coaches have been involved in it. Tressel has some of his commitments there while Fickell has a few and now Meyer will finish recruiting the class himself. Things of interest to keep an eye on here. Se'von Pittman, who has committed to MSU has been thinking of switching his commitment to ohio. Now that Meyer is there, look for him to visit real soon. I would almost expect a switch by him. Pittman is huge at 6'4" and 270 LBS, a bit of a hothead but is intense and athletic. Another big deal is 5 star RB Brionte Dunn out of Canton Glen Oak. He has been committed to ohio for a while but has been up to Ann Arbor the last two weeks with cousin and Michigan commit (2013)RB/S Dymonte Thomas. What is interesting is that Dunn was on Michigan's sidelines during the ohio vs. Michigan game. He is a bigger back at 6'1" 220lbs and fits into Hoke's offense well when Denard leaves. Sources say he is leaning blue but Meyer could possibly sway him. I don't think he is a spread RB though.


Here are the Big Ten teams who are in the national recruiting rankings according to Scout.com.

1. Michigan - Michigan currently has 23 commitments with players like no.1 Ohio OL KYle Kalis, no.2 and 3 ranked LB's nationally with James Ross and Royce Jenkins stone out of Michigan and also 6'6" 285 LB OL Erik Magnuson from California.

14. Ohio - they have 16 commitments led by last weeks commitment from Cincinatti Taft DE Adolphus Washington. Washington is a five star player who reminds me of Julius Peppers. He is 6'6" 245 lbs and is an absolute bitch to deal with. One of my favorite players in the class is 4 star RB Warren Ball out of Columbus Desales. I have ball ranked as my no.1 RB in the state because he is so versatile with strength, speed, quickness and he can catch the ball. Meyer will love him, he fits right into his kind of offense.


22. PSU - I don't know how many players will leave because of the crap that is going on there but they have a quality class. 5 star DE Noah Spence leads this class and DB Armani Reeves is a hard hitting safety from the Maryland area.


25. MSU - Mark Dantonio has done a great job recruiting ohio. He first recieved a commitment from OL Benny Mcgowan out of Centerville. Mcgowan is the best OG in the state of ohio, he is a great get for MSU. He also recieved a commitment from Canton's Se'von Pittman who was huge but he may lose him to ohio, keep an eye on this.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

MICHIGAN'S REGULAR SEASON 2011



Denard Robinson was the best player on the field in their 40-34 victory over the ohio tech lightning bolts today. With precision passing, decision making and slick running, Robinson gashed the defense at will for 5 total TD's. Robinson had no problem in the read option offense picking his holes and handing the ball to RB Fitzgerald Toussaint when necessary. Both Robinson and Toussaint eclipsed the century mark while the passing of Denard was intelligent and sharp. Michigans OL had a tremendous day, giving Robinson plenty of time to make the correct reads and hit open recievers. His best pass of the day was a rope over the head of a tech LB into the hands of a tightly covered Junior Hemingway in the end zone.


Defensively was a bit different. Coming into the game, Michigans defense was giving up just 15 pts a game. They gave up 34 to an ohio tech team that rarely completes more than five passes a game. Tech aired it out today and Michigan was caught off guard, but in the end, DB Courtney Avery broke on a ball and made an interception that sealed it for them. They held the money hungry boom herron to only 37 yds on 15 carries. On the other hand, Braxton miller sliced and diced Michigans defense like a veteran QB rather than a true freshman. Miller is a special runner but lacks accuracy which caused problems for the lightning bolts throughout the game. At the end of the day, Michigan's defense played well enough to cause miller problems in the pocket and the RB's never got rolling.

Hoke should be coach of the year as he took the Wolverines to a 10-2 record and a possible BCS bowl. More importantly, Hoke can recruit and has arguably the NO.1 recruiting class for 2012 coming in next season and already has a great start for 2013 with 5 star QB Shane Morris and 4 star S/RB Dymonte Thomas from ohio. All of this with 17 starters returning next season.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

TODAYS UPDATES

Last week I blogged about two players I thought were future commits to ohio. Teammates, 4 star WR Dwayne Stanford and 5 star DE Adolphus Washington were supposed to be a package deal no matter where they committed. Today the two made their announcements and surprisingly they went opposite directions. Stanford announced he would attend Oregon while teammate A. Washington committed to ohio. I believe ohio got the better player but a top WR was probably a bigger loss. What's interesting in Washington's commitment is quite a few teams cooled on him late in his recruitment. Teams like ND, Michigan and MSU seemed to back off a little bit, I found out why. Washington is athletically gifted but seems to be an academic liability. Some behind the scenes recruiting sources are saying he has some problems in the classroom, he will be one to keep an eye on. Remember that some of the schools that backed off, like Michigan, MSU and ND have a higher academic standard than ohio, Oregon as well. Here is an actual quote from a press conference immediately following the commitment. " It's the education part " Washington continued. " I know all these schools athletically can offer me the same thing. The academic support at ohio, there is no way you can fail. Even if your giving minimal effort there is no way to fail." Take what you want from that.


Urban Meyer rumors are flying. A matter a fact, I have heard that Herbstreit may coach QB's and Spielman LB's. What is true? Is this stuff a little over the top? My opinion is that Meyer just may be the next coach at ohio but I really would like to hear him say it. I don't believe anything until I hear it. I'm sure ohio would love to have him but this whole thing is entirely up to Urban Meyer himself. I don't know too much about his anxiety and heart problems but the rumor was they were a little serious. With the sanctions yet to be handed out and recruiting ending in early FEB. ( I don't know how many schollies ohio has left to give out ) this announcement should be soon, in the next couple weeks we should know. That's a hell of a pressure cooker for a man with stress problems to step into. Would he coach the bowl game? How would recruiting pan out? Meyer VS. Hoke for many years to come would be exciting for sure. For those who don't remember, Meyer and Michigan DC Greg Mattison were both on that 06-07 Florida staff that won the NC.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

IT'S OFFICIALLY ohio VS. MICHIGAN WEEK


This is an interesting picture. Michigans 2013 5 star QB commit Shane Morris on the left, 4 star RB/S commit Dymonte Thomas on the right and 2012 5 star RB commit Brionte Dunn in the middle. What is so interesting is that Dunn, who is also the cousin of the fellow on his left, is committed to ohio. Well, rumors are that he has been a soft verbal to ohio and has been considering Michigan for a while. What dedicated ohio commit would get his picture taken on the 50 YD. line of Michigan stadium with two other future wolverines? Yes, he was a visitor today for Nebraska. Michigan wants him, and Dunn's quote today "I have a lot of thinking to do" makes me think he may switch soon. Rumor has it that him and his father will return next week for the ohio game, I wonder which sideline he will stand on?


Michigan's upgraded defense held Nebraska to roughly 260 YDS. of offense today. 54 of those yards came on a TD pass early because of broken coverage. Michigan's defense is good and they played relentless for the second straight week. Confidence is not a problem currently. They are playing with a true freshman corner in Blake Countess who is one of the best corners in the conference already. LB's Desmond Morgan and Jake Ryan are also freshman who are disciplined and tenacious players who have totally disregarded the crucial mistakes made my most young players. These are the same players as last year for the most part defensively. What happened to these quotes "they don't have the personnel on defense"? They did have the players, it was the coach that was missing. Mattison is the perfect definition of coaching means everything.


"Nebraska is over with". I guarantee these words flew from the mouth of Brady Hoke today. There is one thing left on his mind, beating ohio. Let's not BS here, Michigan is just a better team currently than ohio on both sides of the ball. Now that both teams are playing with eligible players and the shadiness has been subtracted from ohio's team, it's an even playing field. I would never guarantee a Michigan victory because come noon Saturday, anything can happen. It doesn't matter who is better on paper, a couple turnovers, a few mistakes, a missed field goal, both teams are capable of winning. Actually, Michigan won last year because ohio forefitted the whole season because of the scandal. Also, since we all know pryor and others were recieving benefits illegally since 2008, that would be a three game win streak headed into this week. Nice, eh. Wait, Troy Smith and a few others also recieved cars and money, wait, damn, so did clarett and Gibson. Hell, if you really think about it, 2001 was the only clean win. That was all coopers kids. Michigans on a nine game win streak headed into this week. Should be a dandy Saturday.


One more thing. Who the hell lets spielman do Michigan games? What a Michigan hater, that guy roots against them the whole game. Get that homer out of there.

Friday, November 18, 2011

NEBRASKA / MICHIGAN


Gotta start something already, don't I? With the big game next week, hopefully Michigan isn't looking past this one. Why would they though? Nebraska hasn't traveled to Ann Arbor in I don't know how long, and they are good. Nebraska is typical of many Big-Ten teams on the offensive side of the ball. Stack the box and let the inefficient QB beat you with the pass. Martinez is, well, a mechanically bad passer. They have inferior WR's to Michigan and shouldn't surprise the secondary at all with talent. Can Michigan stop the run? They did last week but Nebraska is a heavy hitting, blue collar, smash mouth running team.

Nebraska's D isn't what it was hyped up to be before the season started, but adequate. Denard will start I'm sure, and if they go shotgun with two backs like they did early against Illinois, things should go well. Toussaint is hot and his confidence flying high and the OL has been sound. Once again, Nebraska will stack the box and make Denard beat them in the air. They need to run screens and short passes to get the WR's the ball and make plays. Every time Michigan plays, I see something new, tomorrow should not be different. Should be a dandy.


PSU at Ohio is interesting, two disfunctional teams off the field but should be interesting. Ohio has injuries but they should win in a close one.

Wisconsin shouldn't have trouble with Illinois but the Illini have not won in a while and this is their super bowl. It may be closer than expected.

Iowa at Purdue is interesting. Purdue can't stop the pass and Iowa can throw. Purdue in another upset.

Indiana at MSU is a joke right?

Minnesota at Northwestern will be an all out blowout. Cats roll!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Bowman's Football Planet: RECRUITING NEWS

Bowman's Football Planet: RECRUITING NEWS: Those who know me realize I have experience as a high school scout and take evaluating serious. Am I an expert? Well, considering the peopl...

RECRUITING NEWS

Those who know me realize I have experience as a high school scout and take evaluating serious. Am I an expert? Well, considering the people who are considered experts, yes I am. This brings me to a site that I frequent called "SCOUTING OHIO". These guys are credible and do a great job of evaluating but are also all buckeye homers. They do a "top 200 list", which is a list of the top 200 seniors in ohio in order from the top player to the last. I recently checked the list and it is a bit surprising how they have the NO.1 player in ohio as Olentangy senior, Josh Perry. Now , perry is a very good player but I have evaluated all the film on all players in ohio and he isn't NO.1. But he is a buckeye commit and Devin Bogard is NO.2 and a ohio commit as well.

Michigan commit Kyle Kalis was at one time, the NO.1 player but since has committed to Michigan, now he is twelve. Brionte Dunn was a top five player but is kind of soft with his verbal to ohio and is now NO.9. Joe Bolden (Michigan commit) is the best LB in the state and has taken a backseat to Josh Perry? Kalis is ranked as a top 10 OL in the country and Perry and Bogard are nowhere to be seen on the national level, but the top two players in Ohio? Come on Scouting Ohio, grow up and be objective.

On the recruiting end, ohio may be getting a double whammy on NOV.22. That is the date when the Cincinnati Taft duo of Adolphus Washington and Dwayne Stanford will be making their verbal commitment announcements. They want to go on the buddy system and both have offers from every top program in the country, from Oregon, USC, MSU, Bama, and ohio. According to my evaluations, Stanford is the best WR in the state of ohio and A. Washington is the best DE. Washington is a five star recruit and a top five DE nationally. Stanford is a four star and a top twenty WR in the country respectively. I personally think they are both heading towards Columbus to play. With ohio being underachievers this year and the consequences of the scandal still hanging over their heads, these would be huge pickups. Five star RB Brionte Dunn is a buckeye commit but will visit Michigan this weekend with cousin Dymonte Thomas (Michigan commit). Some think Dunn will switch his commitment to Michigan before signing day. That would set ohio back a few more steps and not help at all with this years mediocre recruiting class.



This is Stanford. He has been scrutinized for running 4.6 40's and not being too explosive. Here is what I see, quick off the line and kills press coverage. He catches the ball with his "hands" and turns short passes into long gains. He needs to get better seperation but he is 6'4" and can't be covered by one CB, and in high school not even two really do the job against him. He has a long stride, has great hops and is a huge red zone weapon. He would be a top target immediately for ohio.





Washignton, like Stanford is a basketball star also, a great athlete. It's humorous watching him in this video just bully others as if they are children. There is nothing not to like about his game, he's 6'6" 245 LBS, fast, strong and aggressive as hell. You can see him playing NT in this clip as well as SDE. Personally, I believe he is a WDE, he would dominate LT's and could play down and as a LB also in a 3-4. If he gains a little weight, he could be a quality SDE. Whatever the position, Washington is a great addition to any team, that includes SEC as well.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Bowman's Football Planet: WEEK 11

Bowman's Football Planet: WEEK 11: Can't wait til this guy gets to Michigan. This is 5 star QB recruit Shane Morris. He has already made his commitment to Michigan for the ...

WEEK 11


Can't wait til this guy gets to Michigan. This is 5 star QB recruit Shane Morris. He has already made his commitment to Michigan for the 2013 class. Look, we all know Denard is not a pocket passer, so use him like he is just that. Back to square one, plenty of running and short passes to keep the defense honest. As bad as I want to scrutinize my favorite team for all the negatives, they won, and it was needed. I don't know what happened offensively, between the first five minutes and the last five minutes, but it was like watching a crash about to happen. So many chances and no answers.


In the first five minutes of the game, I was watching a freight train. Denard in shotgun, two backs beside him, they were running the read option and it was marvelous. Fitz was picking his spots, the o-line was perfect, It was pulling the defense up, Denard was sitting his feet and threw a couple nice passes and then.........It went away. They tried to turn Denard into a pocket passer all of a sudden. The remainder of the first half was a disaster. I couldn't believe Michigan was winning by 17 points uncomfortably. Well...Floyds pick, Devins TD pass and they win going away. There was plenty of bright spots offensively though. Fitz was great, Devin did just enough without mistakes and stepped up in the pocket like a veteran on his TD pass to Odoms.


Let's talk defense. Are you kidding me? What a gem they played, the best game of the year from those guys. Woolfolk is not as good as T. Gordon, no way. Desmond Morgan, Jake Ryan, Frank Clark, Blake Countess are Freshman studs. What a group of young players. Van Bergen was running down QB's with three minutes left in the game that was all but over. Campbell came in late and pushed some guys around as well. Greg Mattison is a motivation machine, what a hire. Hoke should have recieved a promotion just for that alone. It's great to see the defense play that well this late in the season, especially with these last two games left. The biggest games of the year are headed towards Ann Arbor. I would much rather see the defense hitting on all cylinders than the offense. That's old Michigan football folks.



I know everybody was sad to see I didn't make my predictions last night. I couldn't get on my blog, computer problems. They would have been hard to pick this week anyways. No more power poll but this is what I witnessed.

Minnesota is still bad

Iowa can't win two big games in a row

MSU controls their own destiny

Purdue does ohio in again

Wisconsin is back on track

Penn State unfortunately finishes the season at ohio and at Wisconsin

ohio has some injuries but B. Miller is a weapon and posey is back next week

Illinois has lost 4 straight

Northwestern gets Minnesota and possible spoiler against MSU in two weeks, they are playing well

Nebraska Took care of penn state and travel to Ann Arbor for a big one next week


Oregon freshman DeAnthony Thomas is the fastest person in college football

Monday, November 7, 2011

Bowman's Football Planet: HOW DOES MICHIGAN RESPOND?

Bowman's Football Planet: HOW DOES MICHIGAN RESPOND?: First things first. They need to go into Champagne and beat Illinois. Michigan has only played three good teams. ND, Iowa and MSU. They l...

HOW DOES MICHIGAN RESPOND?

First things first. They need to go into Champagne and beat Illinois. Michigan has only played three good teams. ND, Iowa and MSU. They lost two of those three. This is the same thing that has happened the last few years, they dominate the bad teams and struggle with the good ones. There is something about the staff that I like, as far as sticking to their guns offensively. They are not gonna budge on making Denard a passer. If he completes half his passes, then they win these games. They understand they have good recievers who are typically open, now let's get them the ball in stride. Borges understands that this is the offense they will run next year and the years to come. Gardner needs to learn this offense as well as Denard and 5 star recruit Shane Morris will be learning this offense as well. It isn't going anywhere.

The defense has played well and now the offense needs to respond. They are as good on paper as any team in the conference. There are a few teams that are 2-2 in conference play. Michigan is one of them and can be 8-2 if they win saturday with Nebraska and ohio left on the schedule. They obviously don't control their own destiny but winning out would give them a hell of a chance. There are plenty of big games left for things to work out for them. Get healthy this week. Toussaint will be back also. After the Iowa loss I was thinking the worst, but Nebraska losing and MSU going to Iowa this week, there is time for things to happen. Denard can't play that bad again, can he? This week in Illinois we will see. If they don't win, that would be 1-3 in the last 4 games and the past will be the present once again.

Bowman's Football Planet: PENN STATE IS PATHETIC!

Bowman's Football Planet: PENN STATE IS PATHETIC!: Surely if this Penn State story involved illegal benefits it would be taken more seriously. I heard students and alumni defending paterno a...

PENN STATE IS PATHETIC!

Surely if this Penn State story involved illegal benefits it would be taken more seriously. I heard students and alumni defending paterno and justifying some staff saying " well, you can't let a few bad apples ruin a bunch ". Sure you can, a matter a fact, a few bad apples have ruined several lives in this case. Sandusky, the self proclaimed good citizen here, opening up his home to underpriveliged kids, should be gutted and fed a potpourri of bullets. Are you kidding me? Claiming to help young kids who have already been dealt a bad hand and led to believe they will be going to a safe place, where they will be given a chance to live a normal life and Sandusky has his way them. Does anybody want to defend this guy?

Then there is grad assistant McQueary. What a FN coward. Yea, whatever you do, don't help the defenseless child who is being brutally raped by a creepy ass old man, just turn a blind eye. Were not talking about $100 handshakes here, we are talking about the disgusting rape of a child. I was on a web site earlier where people were actually sharing this comment "well, until your in that situation, you can't say what you would do". These people are cowards as well. Anybody who would not react to that kind of a situation in a violent way is a cold hearted loser. Think of your own in that situation, not so pleasant then. McQueary as well should be quarter horsed and dropped off a steep cliff.

That brings us to King Paterno. Maybe where he comes from, you just shut your mouth and walk the other way. I had total respect for him as a coach and what he has done for college football. That has changed and the only thing I look forward to with him is the day he dies. Here is a man who is respected, looked up to, and has a voice that nobody even compares to at that university. He supposively passed on this info to his AD's and president. When nothing came of it, how come he didn't wonder why no action was taken. He continued to work with Sandusky, the same guy who brutally rapes children and didn't even question it. I am thinking any recruit that has committed to PSU for next season will go elsewhere, unless their parents are OK with their son playing for this shady staff. Hopefully kids will start transferring and the university will pay the ultimate price as well as the staff who was involved. My wish would be to see Sandusky put in general population of a max security prison, absolutely no mercy on that prick. McQueary and Paterno can rot in hell as well, and the AD and president who covered it up should be violently beaten. If you are offended by any of this, you should take a look at yourself.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

KIDDING ME?

I said a couple weeks ago that this weeks game was the start of what would define Michigans season. They failed the first test and now there is three more tests left on the schedule. I will defend the defense and say they did enough to win the game today, and just like the MSU game, the offense didn't do enough. Michigan gave up 140 yds on the ground and roughly 150 in the air. What Iowa did was play sound football and didn't turn the ball over, they won. Michigan on the other hand fell behind quick, turned the ball over twice and once again tried to make a pocket passer out of a running QB. I remember when people were whining because denard was running 20 times a game, there was a reason for that, that's what he does best.

I won't question play calling too much, I can't see the whole field like coordinators can, they see the holes and defenses on a bigger scale. I know that Denard is not much of a weapon when he doesn't escape the pocket. I see the frustration on WR's faces when he misses them wide open or can't hit them in stride. They have good WR's that are consistently open but the ball is rarely where they need it to be. Maybe they should run that two minute offense the whole game. Where do they go from here? Well they travel to Illinois to face a team who has an extra week to prepare for them. Michigan has to win or back to the gutter. There was a lot of complaining about a couple plays at the end of the game. Hemingways ball hit the ground, I seen it. There are always bad calls during games, if refs make a questionable call in the second quarter, you get over it. If there is a no call early in the fourth, you get over it. With two seconds on the clock and there is a blatant penalty, this is magnafied, you have to call it. The last play of the game was a pass interference, you must call it. What led up to that situation doesn't matter anymore. Was Michigan screwed on that play? Yes, but there was still work to do. They would have still had to make a two point conversion and they should not put themselves in that situation. When you start making too many excuses for your team, you have given up on them. Next week is huge and now Michigan is 1-2 in their last 3 games.

Unless these two are going on a dinner date, this would be considered interference.




I refuse to do a power poll for this conference anymore, there is nothing powerfull about it. If I woke up out of a coma and watched the big-ten today, I would have told you that Northwestern was the best team in the conference. Yea, A win is a win but the conference is sad. Nebraska gets beat by Northwestern at home, MSU barely gets by Minnesota at home. Ohio struggles with a one win Indiana team, at home. there isn't a consistent team in the conference. Here we go, whoever wins the conference is the best team, that's as good as I can do. Boise ST. would smack any big-ten team around on a neutral site in a big game. No question.

I am watching Bama and LSU. This is a different animal folks. They have the best players, best coaches, and they play hard the whole game. Hightower is an OLB who is 260 LBS, these defenses fly to the ball and are physical. They know where they are supposed to be, they are vocal and confident. Not all SEC teams are like these two, they are on a different level. I am not even saying that one of these teams couldn't be upset, but on a huge stage in front of a national audience, who would want to face these dudes? I almost want to say " OK, LSU's my favorite team", because that is what I would like to root for every week.

Friday, November 4, 2011

WEEK 10



Got the picture from MGOBLOG, gotta love it. If you could judge a team off what they did the week prior, Iowa wouldn't win another game for the remainder of the season. Reality is that they play good at home and should be ready for this one. Two years ago, Michigan took a rodriguez led team into Iowa City to face a superior team and almost pulled off a gem, but in didn't happen. Michigans secondary will be challenged this week. I have a feeling that Iowa will throw the ball downfield more than any team has against them this season. Marvin Mcnutt is 6'4" and maybe the best NFL prospect in the big ten, I wonder how Michigan will deal with him? On the other hand they also have a nice OL and Coker is the leading rusher in the conference.


Michigan will score points and if it is a shootout then UM is a favorite. I believe the line is 4 points and it seems Kovacs is healthy as well as Lewan, who may just be the best LT in the conference as a sophomore. Michigan adds a couple new plays every week it seems, and they work. I like the mix up and wonder if Iowa has the horses to deal with it? This is the game that starts the four game stretch that will define this team. We will see if they are really different than the last 3 years or not, pretenders or the real deal. We will find out soon enough.


Indiana at ohio - ohio is on a two game win streak that has built confidence in the team as well as a true freshman QB. Indiana is playing a true freshman at QB as well but he has to deal with a much better defense. This shouldn't be a good game.

ohio-42 IU-10


Purdue at Wisconsin

I wonder if Wisconsin has lost their will or not. If not, they will try to run it up on these cats, big time.

Wisconsin-48 purdue-16

Northwestern at Nebraska

Northwestern could play spoiler this week and shock the big ten. They won't, Nebraska is flying high coming off that MSU victory.

Nebraska-37 Northwestern 17

Minnesota at MSU

Should be A DANDY. Minnesota is out to show they are no one game wonder, unfortunately they are playing an upset monster.

MSU-40 Minnesota-9

LSU at Bama

LSU is steady as hell on both sides of the ball and that DL is something special. What sticks out to me is LSU's recievers, for some reason I think they will be the difference tomorrow. Bama is big on the OL and Richardson is a ball of muscle with good speed and dangerous in space. They do not have great recievers and LSU's secondary is second to none. It should be close but if it isn't I give LSU the nod. I give them the nod anyways.

LSU 24 Bama 20

Saturday, October 29, 2011

ANOTHER CRAZY WEEK



Thank god my life doesn't depend on how good my picks are. What a week. Does it seem like your favorite team is like your little brother? I mean, you can criticize them all you want but when somebody else does it hits a sore spot and you must defend them? I watched purdue score one TD in the first minute and a half and another one with about thirty seconds to go in the game and I was appauled. In the middle of both those TD's, Michigan pretty much destroyed the opposition. Michigan ran the ball effectively and Denard was efficient with his passing as well. Defensively? They gave up their fair share of yards but seemed to get tougher as the game went on. I have some questions about that OL, are they beat up? Are they thin? It seems that way. Lewan has been limping around and Barnum left without returning to the game again.


With all the gimmick plays and slicing and dicing by all the backs, I am still a bit of a skeptic. Yes, they are 7-1 and are a much better team defensively than last year. They score points in bundles and are dynamic as ever offensively. I guess I am kind of questioning that whole "toughness" attitude. That purdue defense stopped Michigan at the one yard line twice today. Michigans OL will be facing very tough defenses in the next four games, they will have to get a push in short yardage situations. What MSU did to them is what the next four teams are going to try to do to them as well. They need to toughen up in the trenches for the stretch.


BIG TEN POWER POLL

1. Nebraska- They beat MSU bad this week and host Northwestern next week.

2. MSU- it's hard to win three big games in a row, they will bounce back.

3. Wisconsin- lose a heartbreaker on the road to MSU and ohio surprises them this week in the last minute. They are set up to win out.

4. PSU- since Bama they have not lost. THey are tough and can win the close games.

5. Michigan- Looked great offensively without Denard doing all the work.

6. ohio- they have improved tremendously, especially on defense. Will be tough to beat the rest of the season.

7. Iowa- Fell asleep at Minnesota today, when they woke up it was too late. Host Michigan next week.

8. Illinois- They can't get out of that pit they are in, they get a bye next week.

9. Northwestern- Piled on the points against Indiana today. We will see if they are in upset mode when traveling to Nebraska next week.

10. Purdue- they upset Illinois last week but played beat up dummie today and travel to Wisconsin next week.

11. Indiana- Maybe next season they will be a bit relevant.

12. Minnesota- Won their super bowl today. Probably won't win again.

NEXT WEEK FOLKS- the national championship game is played between LSU and BAMA.

Friday, October 28, 2011

WEEK NINE



Just to refresh the memory of all Michigan fans, they are 4-15 combined after being beat by MSU the last three years. Two of those losses were to purdue in 08-09. Now we all know that they are a different team, right? Tomorrow will answer if they are pretenders or not and more importantly if they are ready for this stretch of games to end the season. How do you ask? They must dominate Purdue. C'mon, at home after a bye week, fresh, coached up and ready to go. No excuses for a bad outing here. We all have questions about this team and we probably shouldn't have any.


As far as the game goes, we should expect to watch a domination on both sides of the ball by a refreshed Michigan football team. RB'S should be involved heavily and I am not afraid to see a little Gardner in there either. I don't think we have a choice, they like him and he can throw well. Purdue will come out fighting with that fast offense and that will be expected and hopefully taken care of. After this game, @ Iowa, @ Illinois, and home for Nebraska and ohio. This stretch will answer many questions about this team. More than two losses will be a disaster and a loss to ohio will be an embarassment. Tomorrow I expect to see a lopsided victory.

OTHER GAMES

Wisconsin at ohio

Throw last weeks game out the window. Yes, Wisconsin is upset about last week but this is a different opponent, an inferior opponent. Bielema hates ohio and wants to bury them. ohio is coming off a weird victory with one completed pass, that will not work again.

Wisconsi-44 ohio-16

Illinois at PSU

Illinois has looked less than impressive and PSU has been consistent. They have not dominated teams but enough to win. They run, play D and pass just enough.

PSU 31 Illinois 17

Northwestern at Indiana

These teams are both bad but Indiana has some young talent. Northwestern has talent but can't win. Indiana is at home but Northwestern's offense should do a number on them.

NU 38 IU 27

MSU at Nebraska

Wow, can MSU play inspired football three weeks in a row? Nebraska had a week off with Minnesota last week and have a nice home field advantage. I think Nebraska plays great D but MSU is just better right now.

MSU23 Nebraska 20

Iowa at Minnesota

Unfortunately it looks like a bye week before they host Michigan next week. Iowa's passing game is hot right now and there is nothing Minnesota can do about it.

Iowa 48 Minnesota 10

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

IN DEPTH WITH TOM STROBEL







This is Tom Strobel. No. 36 SDE for Mentor and a 2012 Michigan commitment. I talked with Tom and done a Q and A with him, this is what he had to say.

ME: As the 2012 class is coming together with only a few more spots left. On paper, this is arguably the best class that Michigan has ever had coming in at once. What does it feel like to be a part of it?

TS: It's special. Michigan is already progressing as a team and I feel blessed to be a part of it in the future. I'm excited to get there and help them get back to the level Michigan has always been used to being at.

ME: Who was the first team to show serious interest in recruiting you?

TS: Cincinnati, they offered me after my freshman season.

ME: How hard did ohio recruit you?

TS: Hard, they hammered down on me after my SO. year.

ME: How close was you to commiting to ohio?

TS: Not at all. I knew I didn't want to go there.

ME: Different recruiting sites have you listed at 6'5", 6'6" and anywhere from 245 to 265 LBS. What is your actual height and weight?

TS: I'm 6'6" 255 LBS.

ME: When you went to Michigan to visit, did you talk to coach Mattison?

TS: Oh yea, he just stop by my school last week. We keep in touch quite a bit.

ME: Did he recruit you for SDE or does he have other plans for you?

TS: SDE, that's where he wants me.

ME: How important were academics when choosing you school?

TS: Incredibly important, they have everything I want academically. My parents are very hard on me with my academics. So yes , it was very important.

ME: Are you planning on enrolling in the spring at Michigan?

TS: NO, I am going to finish up my senior year in high school.

ME: Was there anything coach Hoke said or did that made you feel like Michigan was the place for you?

TS: Not just him, but the whole staff was great. They didn't talk a whole lot about football, they talked about life and what kind of a man Michigan would make me. They were really family oriented, I met coach Hoke's wife, it was all about family.

ME: WAs you influental in recruiting Kyle Kalis?

TS: definately, he was trying to recruit me to ohio at the beginning. All the controversy was going on there and I relayed to him what they had to offer and how great the staff was. He had decommited and was looking around, I pointed him in the right direction.

ME: What do you expect the team to accomplish by the end of your senior season at Michigan?

TS: National Championship, hands down.

Tom is a quality kid that knows what he wants. He seems very confident in himself and his commitment to Michigan. Michigan fans should be excited about Tom becoming a wolverine and a future leader for this team.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

WHAT A NIGHT!

College football is a week to week process. How else do you define it? One week, Michigan beats ND, then ND stomps MSU, then MSU beats Michigan and ND drops one to USC who struggled against Minnesota in week one. Currently TT is stomping Oklahoma, and like clock work, LSU and Bama bury their opponents. If I hear another person say "les miles is a liability" I am going to ask them to clarify that for me. He is a recruiting machine and a hell of a football coach. A coach is only as good as his staff and LSU is about as strong at each position than any other team in the country. At the beginning of the season, I said other than Andrew Luck that Matt Barkley was the best NFL ready QB coming out after the season. I like Landry Jones but Barkley is as nasty as they come, he has the arm, presence, poise and decision making of a future NFL star.

How about the Big-Ten? My predictions were way off considering I picked NU to beat PSU and Illinois to beat Purdue, not to mention Wisconsin over MSU. Wisconsin was finally challenged by a tough MSU D without top end Gholston and let it slip away. Just when I thought MSU was running out of gas halfway through the fourth, they won on a hail mary, and I believe the refs made the right call. If MSU can pull one off in Nebraska next week, that would put together a hell of a three game winning streak with only Iowa and a possible NU scare at the end of the season left to worry about.

BIG TEN POWER POLL

1.MSU- you can't argue this beating Wisconsin coming off a emotional win over rival Michigan. Will travel to Nebraska next week.

2.Wisconsin- They no longer are head and shoulders above the rest. They lost a tough one on the road to a good team, on a hail mary. Will travel to ohio next week.

3.Nebraska- destroyed the Big-Tens worst team of all time in Minnesota. Hosting MSU next week.

4.PSU- I thought they would falter this week, but instead they run the ball and play enough defense to take out NU. They will host a downgraded Illinois team next week desperate for a win.

5.Michigan- IDLE and hosting Purdue next Saturday.

6.Iowa- toyed with Indiana this week and shouldn't have a problem with Minnesota in their next game.

7.Illinois- Took one on the chin today against Purdue and didn't look good doing it. If they think Purdue played tough D, wait til PSU welcomes them in next week.

8.ohio- IDLE this week and host a Wisconsin team hoping to prove they are not a fraud against good defenses.

9.Purdue- Yes, over NU. They have actually beat a descent team atleast. They travel to Ann Arbor next week.

10.NU- they have officially joined the cellar dwellars of the conference, they can't win.

11.Indiana- May have a descent team in a couple years with some young talent but currently just a scrimmage game.

12.Minnesota stinks

Friday, October 21, 2011

THIS WEEKS GAMES

With Michigan off this week, I thought I would go over some of the other games. These are some big games heading into the final stretch of the season.


PSU at Northwestern

I pushed PSU up to fourth on my power poll heading into this week. They seem to me to be running the ball well and the defense has been very strong. Northwestern on the other hand has been on a losing streak and are due for a win. A homecoming game against PSU would be a nice start and Indiana next week could be a two game win streak. I think I like them.

NU 24 PSU 17

Indiana at Iowa

This is a crucial game for the hawkeyes. They have IU and Minnesota the next two weeks and then play a tough four game run to end the season. Indiana isn't good and they are on the road at that.


Iowa 37 IU 13


Nebraska at Minnesota

This is ugly early and often

Nebraska 33 Minnesota 10

Illinois at Purdue

Illinois coming off a loss and going on the road to a bad Purdue team. This is a game that explains if this Illinois team is hung over or hungry to get back on track. I will go with the hungry, but not big.

Illinois 23 Purdue20

Wisconsin at MSU

MSU is very strong up front on defense and will be Wisconsins biggest defensive test yet. MSU is not a high scoring team and Wisconsin hasn't been tested much on defense as well. With that said, who will run the ball better? MSU is a very undisciplined team but this game is closer than the score.

Wisconsin 30 MSU 20

Saturday, October 15, 2011

BATTERED!



Where do you start? Michigan State had a ton of penalties, turned the ball over twice and Hagerup put them in bad field position more than once. Michigan had plenty of chances to win the game but was abused in the trenches all day. MSU blitzed at will with no problems getting in the backfield on a consistent basis. Wait a second, I think I just seen RT Mark Huyge holding someone again coming off the edge. Sure, you can question play calling, even Michigan looking lethargic on defense many times but just wasn't prepared for the biggest game of the season thus far. Maybe they could have used that bye last week because they looked unfocused and unmotivated. Those are not excuses because MSU played a part in that as well, they took them out of their game.

If I could ask a few questions, here is what they would be? Why was Gardner such a factor today? When did a play action pass on 4th and 1 become a part of Michigans arsenal? Where was the screen passes with all that blitzing? ETC. Whatever the case, Michigan needs a rest and it couldn't have come at a better time. Hopefully Denard is fine and they can prepare for the meat of the schedule that will start up in two weeks. After today, none of those next five are gimmes, even Purdue. Will we witness that losing streak that snowballs after MSU in the past or see a refocused, hungry Michigan team that still has a chance to make it to a title game at the end of the season? Only time will tell.


BIG TEN POWER POLL



1. Wisconsin- No question, play MSU and ohio in the next two. Both on the road.

2. MSU- If that defense can cut penalties and play more disciplined, they are solid. Wisconsin next week will be huge.

3. Nebraska- Idle this week and considering Minnesota is next, that would be two weeks off.

4. Penn State- Yea I know, What the hell. They keep winning and Bama is the only loss. They seem to have worked out the 2 QB rotation. Next week at NU.

5. Michigan- I have been become a bit skeptic myself, but they have weapons and a bye week.

6. Illinois- totally exposed today. Looked like the old Illinois teams of the past.

7. Iowa- WE found out a little more about them today. They are inconsistent but when playing well are dangerous. Indiana and Minnesota next on the schedule.

8. Ohio- If not for the 4-3 record, would have moved up more. Herrons fresh legs and a stingy D manhandles Illinois. Get a bye week before a matchup with the mighty Badgers in two weeks.

9.Northwestern- They are going to surprise someone with that offense. It may be next week against PSU @ home.

10.Purdue- Same as NU. They host Illinois next week for homecoming. Can you say upset? I don't know, but they can score.

11. Indiana- Whatever you think about them is fine.

12. Minnesota- they play NEB, Iowa, MSU, Wisc, NU and Illinois to finish the season. I see a winning streak coming on.

Friday, October 14, 2011

WHAT TO EXPECT?



Stole the picture from MGOBLOG, thought it was sweet. I keep hearing that if MSU can stop Denard then they should win. Do they mean rushing? Or passing? WMU kept him to 81 yards on the ground and 98 passing yards and Michigan was winning by 4 TD's when they stopped it in the 3rd quarter. EMU shut him down for only 51 YDS on the ground and 169 YDs passing and we see how that ended. ND kept him to a modest 122 yds on the ground but he threw for 338 yds. I guess what I am saying is how do you stop Michigan? MSU has been off two weeks, does that help or not? Michigan is rolling, they know they have a bye after this week. "give it everything this game and you can rest next week". That is what Hoke pounds in their head I'm sure.

When looking at MSU's offense, they have a makeshift OL and less than dynamic offense. Cousins is experienced but mistake prone as of late. Who is the stud RB currently? A whole lot of questions offensively but the D is solid, especially in the middle. Michigan should stay away from the middle and work the spread, Borges should have some things saved for this week. Michigans D is solid as well, especially as the game goes on. The secondary will be tested with Cunningham but T. Gordon has been good and they have not given up the long ball all season. These are just questions and matchups I cannot answer but are very interesting. Everything comes into play tomorrow and I expect a dandy in East Lansing. I will not predict this week but Michigan has a great chance.

I will predict these though

Indiana at Wisconsin - Wisconsin rested last week, as if they needed it. Indiana may start another new QB against Wisconsin. This is a joke.

Wisconsin 50 IU 13

Northwestern at Iowa - both teams are struggling a bit but Iowa is the better team. Iowa is at home, Coker, Mcnutt and Vandenberg should all shine.

Iowa 24 NU 23

Purdue at PSU - Purdue can put up points but PSU's D has been stingy lately. Silas Redd has been productive and should be tomorrow. Know way this is a blowout.

PSU 27 Purdue 17

Ohio at Illinois

People have been high on Ohio this week but for what reason? Illinois have not slaughtered opponents but have Scheelhause and Jenkins to count on. I don't believe Ohio wins until I see it.

Illinois 20 ohio 13

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

FOR GOOD MEASURE!

Just wanted to show a few more studs that are going to MICHIGAN next season.



This is 6'6" 250LB Tom Strobel, a one time ohio lock. Strobel is a inteligent kid and also a prototypical SDE. Brady Hoke got him on campus, showed off the academics available and recieved a commitment. Strobel has a motor and is a disciplined player, rarely biting on play actions, not to mention a vicious hitter. He will be a great addition to Hokes style of smash mouth football.




If you have a problem following James Ross here, he is the guy knocking helmets off of guys and plugging the middle up. Ross is a compact 6'1" and roughly 220 LBS. When he hits kids, they go no further. Ranked the NO.2 LB in the country respectively, Ross is a LB coaches dream and a RB's worst nightmare. Another reason Michigan will be upgraded next season on defense.




At 6'6" 280LBS, Magnuson is an athlete excelling at basketball as well. His balance is great, footwork is nice and his QB never has to worry about his blindside. That sounds like a top national LT, and he is, watch his pass protection and run blocking skills. Michigan will be so loaded on the offensive line that he may not be guarantted a LT position but he will be a gem on either edge.





Chris Wormley has been criticized by some evaluaters for being lazy and taking plays off. Wormley is modest, somewhat quiet, but he is massive and athletic. He is a track standout as you can tell by the way he chases QB's 20 yards into the backfield. Whatever the case, he can play SDE or WDE and in Michigans case, maybe even a 3 tech. When you get a kid of his caliber and let Greg Mattison coach him, that equals trouble for the opposition. Just another beast Hoke has added to his zoo of animals he will unleash next season.