MICHIGANS FUTURE LOOKS GREAT!

I remember when Rodriguez was interviewed that he would never say "we should win the big ten this year" or "This year, we could be really good". All I ever heard was "we are getting the pieces together, but we are still a ways away". Those days are over. Hoke says "If we don't win the conference then we have failed as coaches". This is what you want a coach to say. Personally, this will be the best team since 06. There is some depth at places there wasn't before. That is coaching, because Michigan has talent.

I was pondering over Michigans team today, this team is going to be very deep next year. This team is solid currently and will turn into a powerhouse. Look, they play Bama early next season. I think Hoke will be ready for it. Bama loses a ton but will replace those guys with quality talent. Lets look at how deep this team will be next season.

QB- Denard SR., D. Gardner JR. possibly a sophomore, Bellamy SO.

RB's- All back but Shaw- Fitz JR.,Hopkins JR,V.smith SR,Rawls SO,Hayes SO,Cox SR,Houma FR,possibly Dunn.

WR's- Tree SR, Stonum SR if they don't burn his redshirt, Gallon JR, Dileo JR, T. Robinson SR, Jackson JR, Robinson SO, and whoever they get in this class.

OL Lewan JR, Barnum SR, Molk will be gone, Omameh SR, Huyge will be gone.
This is the beauty of it- depth..Pace, Khoury, Bryant, Schofield, Mealer, Miller, Kalis, Bars, Braden, Magnuson, Stacey and possibly Diamond. WOW

TE- Funchess, B. Moore SR, Ricardo Miller JR, AJ Williams

DL-Roh SR, Martin and Van Bergen are gone, Brink JR, Jibreel Black JR. Will Campbell SR, Q Washington SR, Ash SO., Talbott SO., Wilkins SO., Paskorz SO. Rock SO., Heitzman RFR, F. Clark SO. Here we go...Pipkins, Wormley, Strobel, Pharaoh Brown, Godin. and O'Brien?

LB- Demens SR, M. Jones JR, Gordon JR, Hawthorne SR, Morgan SO., Poole SO., Beyer SO., Jake Ryan, SO., Bolden, RJS, Ross, Ringer

CB's- Floyd SR, Avery, JR, Countess SO. G. BRown SO., Talbott JR,Hollowell SO,R. Taylor SO., Standifer, Richardson,

S- Kovacs SR, Robinson JR, Furman SO., C. Johnson JR, T. Gordon JR, Simmons SR, Tamani carter SO, J. Wilson, Allen Gant.

Need I say anymore? This is the best and deepest team in the big ten next year.
Do you understand now folks?

WHAT ELSE WILL BE INTERESTING THIS SEASON?

With this being game week and all, the Wolverines are shaping up pretty well. I am always interested in what is going on with Michigan football but there are plenty of other things that interest me this season, in and out of the Big-Ten. I made predictions for the conference already but it seems my mind changes daily. I will never change my predictions but I am wondering how good Nebraska will really be. Martinez is a poor man's Denard but he is not a passer. Does Burkhead really seem like a top back? What I am trying to say is they may struggle offensively.

My other question is about MSU's offensive line? Sources say they are a disaster up front with numerous position changes to build a solid OL. Herbstreit loves Iowa and osu. Two years ago he picked Miami and ND in the NC game. I have osu at 7-5 because of obvious QB questions and inexperience at several positions. Talented? Yes. Experience? No. There are plenty of good QB's in this class lead by Andrew Luck, who in my opinion and many others, is probably the most sound QB I have ever seen at the college level. I would put Matt Barkely behind him followed by Landry Jones. Brandon Weeden is an under the radar guy who is 6'4" 220lbs and completed nearly 67% of his passes. Kellen Moore is a good college QB but will never make it in the NFL.

What about RB's? LaMichael James gets all the love but Trent Richardson is as impressive a back in the country. Justin Blackmon is the best WR in the country. And Alabama is ridiculously good. I also think Florida is as talented as they come but that schedule is vicious. Back to the Big-Ten. This conference isn't, by any means, scary. Which will make it the most interesting year in a while. With the fact that osu will have to follow rules, they will not be the team from the past. This conference is up for grabs. How many teams have a legit shot at the conference title? I would say this many.
Wisconsin
Nebraska
Iowa
MSU
Michigan
osu
outside shots
PSU
Illinois
Northwestern
Nobody blows my mind here folks so this year will be fun and every week will be a big game.

THINGS ARE SHAPING UP!

Pictures here are a load of major D1 committs. Michigan commits Kyle Kalis is the house on the very right, followed by Tom Strobel ( NO.36 in red) beside him Pharaoh Brown, all future wolverines.


The Michigan offense is taking shape with the two deep but a few injuries are hindering just a bit. For the most part, things look solid with the starters.

QB - Denard
FB - McColgan
RB - Shaw, Fitz
WR's - Roundtree and Hemingway
TE - Koger
OT's - Lewan and HUyge
OG's - Barnum and Omameh
OC - Molk
I look for the offense to be somewhat vanilla against WMU with a whole lot of carries for Shaw. I am sure the coaches would like to get the power running game chemistry before ND week without giving away too much.

Defensively? I really believe this will be shook up a hair. When the D comes out against WMU, I believe we will hear some " Damn, He is starting over him?" I am hearing Thomas Gordon may start at FS, which gives some depth with C. Johnson behind him. I personally think Jibreel Black is pushing Roh very hard at DE as well. With no clear cut Will, that is going to be an interesting watch. Demens is solid in the middle but Jake Ryan is also pushing C. Gordon at SAM. This is good, builds depth. Both guys want to be out there. I am hoping for a load of various packages out of the D considering all the competition going on. As bad as WMU is, It is still important for the defense to make a huge statement against them. Not a win like UMASS where you give up 450 yards to an inferior team but under 100 rushing and 200 passing. Save plenty for ND week. EASY FOLKS

RANDOM RAMBLINGS

With a fourth player leaving Michigan today, I was thinking this was a bad thing and wondering what is going on. Then I realized all those players have freed up scholarships for Hoke's mega class. What was going to be 25 or 26 kids has just moved up to 28-29. And with this OL class already being tops in the country, it should only get better. Five star recruit Jordan Diamond is a Michigan lean already and now more schollies freed up. This could be as good as that Florida class from a couple years ago. Two more OL, one DL ( o'brien hopefully)1RB and 2 WR's would be ideal. Hoke has been brilliant thus far and may just compile the greatest class, on paper, the Big-ten has ever seen.


Let's talk top players in the conference at each position.

QB
Kirk Cousins- Experience, accuracy and can actually read a defense makes him my top choice. One thing is MSU has a whole lot of questions on the OL.

Denard- He is absolutely electrifying.

Dan Persa- Persa completed almost 74% of his passes. That is unheard of but his arm strength isn't great. It doesn't matter in college ball as much as the NFL though.

RB
Montee Ball-Wisconsin, Ball rushed for over 1,000 yds in roughly seven games. He is your prototypical Wisconsin RB, big and slow but runs behind a stable of horses and averaged over six yards a carry.

Edwin Baker- MSU, Baker was the second leading rusher as a RB behind Leshoure last year. He will have a good year but that OL I mentioned may keep him from last years numbers.

James White- Yea, Wisconsin has two of the best once again. He may not have all big ten numbers but he just may be the best RB in the conference. Unfortunately he is a backup.

WR's

Demarlo Belcher- Indiana, this team can't run and find themselves coming from behind often. Belcher caught 78 balls last year, with a new QB coming in his numbers may slide. Belcher is a natural WR with good hands and feet.

Roy Roundtree- Michigan, Under the radar last year was this WR who caught 72 balls and just under 1,000 yds. Tree is slick and slim with excellent agility. He can play slot or wide, so look for him to have another good year.

Marvin McNutt-Iowa, McNutt is a deep threat and will be this years new QB's (vandenbergs) favorite target. Mcnutt is huge at 6'4" 215 and big ten corners will need plenty of safety help trying to contain this NFL talent.

DL

Jared Crick- Nebraska, UNSTOPPABLE

Mike Martin, Michigan- The heart and soul of the Defense. Excellent DT size at 6'2" 300lbs. He is short, compact and one of the strongest players in the country.

Jerel Worthy- MSU, Worthy is a house and eats up space. Beats double teams consistently and may end up being the best NFL prospect in the conference.

DE's

Nathan Williams- osu,I personally think williams is an NFL talent. A bit of a knucklehead but an absolute maniac on the field. Hard hitter and disciplined at his position. I wouldn't be surprised if he would drink a bottle of piss for a few bucks just to show you how crazy he is.

Vince Browne- NU, Brown is an under the radar player in his own right. 6'4" 265lbs, 58 tkls, 7 sacks and 6 hurries and athletic.

LB's

Lavonte David-Nebraska, never trust a man with two first names, unless he has over 150 tkls, 6 sacks, 9 tfl, 10 pbu, and 7 hurries. David is in on every defensive play.

Gary Tinsley- Minnesota, 6'1" 237lb Tinsley recorded 90 tackles and 8 tfl's last season. Playing on the strong side, he will meet those numbers again I'm sure and maybe more.

Kenny Demens-Michigan, Demens had 82 tackles in limited time last season. His numbers will jump transitioning to a 4-3. Demens is a stuffer and a sound tackler, look for him to have well over 100 tackles this season.

DB's

CB Alfonzo Dennard- Dennard is an all american and as close to a lock down as your going to get in the conference. When they throw his way, he picks or breaks it up. With the big ten being new to him, QB's may not know the problems he causes and his picks may rise.

Shaun Prater- Iowa, Prater is a veteran of this league and knows all the QB's too well. Prater is a complete corner who can cover and tackle. He had 68 tackles, 4 picks and 6 pbu's.

SS

Drew Astorino-PSU, Astorino is 5'10" 200lbs. Perfect size for a 5th LB whish is what a good SS is. 70 tackles, 5 pbu's and a pick make him my favorite at the SS spot in the conference.

FS- Trenton Robinson, MSU This was a hard position to pick with Wisconsins Aaron henry and Micah Hyde from Iowa also top FS's. Robinson is fast and don't let much get by him. He is the teams leading tackler returning and also had 4 picks and 8 pbu's.

OH MY. HERE WE GO AGAIN

The place? Ann Arbor, Michigan
The question? Transferring

Is this just a process of what happens when a new coach comes to town with different ideas? Junior. WR Jeron Stokes from Philadelphia was granted a transfer off the team. Freshman OL Tony Posada has also left. Before fall camp, highly touted LB Kellen Jones surprised everybody with his sudden departure. Yes, all these guys are Rodriguez recruits and yes, two of them, I believe would have never been relevant players on the team.

Stokes was a Jr. and less than productive in his short career. Posada, If anyone has seen his film is an absolute slob and couldn't get out of the way of beach ball if it was coming at him. Why the transfer? To go to a lower level school and be mediocre? Neither player have shown signs of elite football skills. My question is, why every year are there three or four transfers? Kellen Jones is the one who got away. This kid could have pushed for playing time immediately. He has a nose for the ball, can hit and causes problems in the backfield. An excellent athlete who may just traveled a little too far from home to be comfortable (texas). Let's hope this is not a trend.

DREAMING OF GAMEDAY!

I feel guilty at times for this. There are times of anticipation, I'm anxious. Counting the days down like a teenager counting the final school days until summer. Wondering if all my predictions and defending my favorite team for the last nine months was worth it. It's two weeks from today, the most exciting time of the year for a majority of my friends from the ages of 30-45. All the talking will slow just a bit, but not totally. Justifying losses and exaggerating how good your team looks in a mediocre victory. Two weeks from today is GAMEDAY.

We all love our wives and children, I mean if it was a life or death situation, football would take a backseat to our family duties. I am sure if it was something important like a wedding or baptism, maybe a family reunion, we all would put Saturday footbal on the backburner to attend these functions with a smile on our faces. Reality is nothing except death (only if a close family member) would keep us away from our College Football. We are made fun of by other countries and even our wives and their friends when it comes the seriousness of being a fan of the game.

Who of us radical football fans are not longing for those early fall mornings. Myself? Get up, make coffee and turn on Gameday hoping they say something inspiring about my boys so I can call somebody and say " did you hear what they said about Michigan"? Throw on my Michigan sweatshirt and hat that I have been wearing for 4 or 5 years. Head over to my buddies house with butterflies in my stomach as if I was playing. Then we go over the strategies of the game, you know, what we need to do to win this baby (as if we have any control over it whatsoever, and if we did, that our input would actually be a factor in the outcome). These are normal Saturdays starting in early September.

As pathetic as all of this may sound, I wouldn't have it any other way. These upcoming months are the best months of the year. One more season of being glued to the tube at 10:00AM watching gameday until Pac-10 games go off around 1:00 A.M. Next time this happens I will be 40yrs old and then 41, so on and so on. We all have our favorite teams and the one's we hate. when it is all said and done, Football has become a ritual on Saturdays, during these crisp fall mornings. So enjoy, don't kill anybody and most of all GO BLUE.


.

ENOUGH ABOUT PRYOR ALREADY!

With the supplemental draft coming up Monday night, it seems Terrelle Pryor has become better than he really is. Look, TP is a fine athlete, nobody would disagree with that, but to even consider him an NFL caliber QB is so far from the truth. I have heard different sources make references about him being a backup util he develops into a starting QB.

Let's see here. First of all, if a college QB has not developed in the simple areas by now, will he ever? Pryor is impressive in only one thing. If he can get the edge on a player one on one, he is fast and has a nice stiff arm. This is not relevant in the NFL. I mentioned Pryor is fast but he is not quick. Open field running is about the least important factor for a QB in the league.

Here is what is important.
vision
footwork
pocket presence and poise
release
arm strength
knowledge
intelligence

After watching Pryor for a few years now, he has none of these tools.
His vision is awful, how many times has he threw a reciever open or looked off his primary guy to find a mismatch?

Footwork- drops are lousy and made numerous bad throws because of his bad balnce. Either he is throwing off his backfoot or across the field with his foot pointing in a different direction

Presence and Poise- please, this guy will run out of the pocket for no apparent reason. He is entirely too selfish to take a hit after releasing a strike to an open reciever. If primary isn't open, get the hell out of there, right?

Release- wherever the ball goes, it goes. He hasn't realized you actually have to take the ball passed your ear to get velocity on it. It's almost like he is trying to toss a ball into a can.

Arm strength- yea right...Jesus, could you imagine a 3rd and 12, and that arm trying to put an NFL sized football into a tight window? He's like watching kids throwing balloons in the air at a birthday party. Every good pass he has thrown was a fluke.

Knowledge- oh boy...I can see it now. "why is that safety moving"? "are those guys gonna blitz or not"? An NFL QB has about 3 or 4 seconds to recognize a defense. If not, he is toast. In Pryors case, he's toast.

Intelligence- Do I have to break this down? He's dumb folks. Here comes the OC with a small stack of pictures going over the last drive. "what do you see terrelle"? Terrelle responds "I have no idea, i'll just throw it to Sanzenbacher".

So let me wrap it up for those who think he may be a QB down the road. No he won't.

DEFENSE? REALLY?

After hearing about the offense over the last few years it seems I am hearing more about the defense for this season. I can't remember defense being the focus of fall camp recently. One huge detail is the emergence of Will Campbell. Not a mystery name to any Michigan fan considering we have been waiting for him to explode since his freshman season. If anybody thinks coaching is overrated in college football needs to look no further than Greg Mattison. Someone of his caliber has learned all the tricks of the trade over the years to make a player who has underachieved finally overachieve. He pushes buttons, challenges his desire, even one of those questionable coaching stares can fire a young man up.

I'm hearing about S Thomas Gordon, who I thought played well in Carvins absence last season. Jake Ryan has also been turning heads along with the usual suspects, Martin, Van Bergen even Roh. All this kids are quality players who have had to settle for less than satisfying results, no thanks to defensive coaching the last few years. Didn't we all shake our heads when they gave up almost 500 yds to UMASS. Didn't we as Michigan fans question the dreaded 3-3-5 almost immediately. How could a DC up in a sky box not see the destruction of the defense game in and game out. How come nobody had the balls to go to Rodriguez and say "this defense is garbage".

Those days are over folks, thank god right? We can count on an aggressive defense with various blitzes from various angles. We can count on some press coverage to slow these mediocre recievers on their routes. Those LB's who have been running backwards for the last three years can actually run forward. And for the love of god, we can see free safeties in position and not being behind the deep recievers. I'm counting on BIG HITS, interceptions, caused fumbles, screaming and yelling, saying some not very nice things about the mother of the other teams QB. I'm counting on it because I know who the new coaches are. No more offensive shootouts, no more missed FG's, and no more losses to MSU and OSU. Get ready BIG-TEN for your worst nightmare to return.

2012 WAS THE YEAR!

Recruiting is everything when it comes to college football. Then it should be no mystery as why Michigan hasn't been relevant since 2006. Take a look back at some of them recruiting classes. Other than Brandon Graham, who was really a top notch player? Yes, Ryan Mallett left the program when Rodriguez took over the reigns as well. If I had a dollar for every 5'10" 175LB skill player he recruited, I would still be living off the royalties.
So what Brady Hoke has accomplished in a short period of time is astonishing. I believe in a couple years, Michigan fans will look back and say "2012 was when everything changed".

When Brady Hoke was called on by David Brandon to become the new Michigan coach, he took it serious. One of the first things he focused on was toughness. Toughness means, the trenches. Everything starts with your offense and defensive lines. Immediately coach Hoke went to work, recieving commitments from OL Ben Braden and road grader Caleb Stacey. Soon after the commitments kept rolling in with AJ williams who is massive and could actually grow into a lineman. Focus on the trenches and now Kalis, Barrs, Magnuson.

With defense being less than stellar over these last few years it became a huge focus as well. So what does coach Hoke do here, is he up to the challenge? Yes, he is. Michigan needs LB's as ferocious as anything else. Here comes the NO.2 and 3 ranked LB's in the country with Jenkins Stone and Big Ross. Not to be overlooked is Bolden and Ringer and from what I have seen from Bolden on film, he can drop in coverage as good as anyone I have seen. With the DL depth becoming an issue, Hoke pressed on with studs like Strobel, Pipkins, Wormley and Godin. This is an epic class and ranked NO.1 by a majority of recruiting sites. Michigan will be 9 games good this year and relevant in the Big-Ten. Two years from now they will be Big-Ten mullers and relevant all over the country.

Most Important Game Of The Year

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH

NOTRE DAME VS. MICHIGAN....... PRIMETIME...Under The Lights.

Winner goes to 2-0
Loser goes to 1-1

One team leaves ANN ARBOR with a head of steam going into game three and the other a possible step back.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR FOR BOTH TEAMS....PERIOD

WHO WILL BE THE HORSE?

In a recent interview with Michigan OC Al Borges, he explains the importance of having one go to RB. This is something our Michigan fans have not seen in a few years. There were times in the Rodriguez years that a RB would start to heat up and get a rhythm going just to be taken out of the game after four or five carries. We found ourselves saying "why is he taking him out"? Michael Shaw showed glimpses of being the guy, so did V. Smith, Hopkins and when healthy, Fitz may have looked better than all of them.

When you think back to Michigans dominant running game over the years, names like Hart, Biakabutuka, Wheatley, Chris Howard, Powers, all come to mind. These were good RB's with great offensive lines. We all as Michigan fans catch highlights from games from the past and say "that's when Michigan was the best in the big-ten". It is time to get back to those times, and there is no better time than the present.

With all that said, the question is this....WHO IS THE HORSE?
Here are the options in no particular order

Michael Shaw- He is the senior, he has gained weight and is close to
200 lbs now. He is a bit injury prone. He has yet to gain 1,000yds in his career, but has never had the chance to either. He did have 414yds on 75 carries ( 5.4 yac ) and 9 td's last season, but only five starts. A go to RB carries 20 times a game atleast, if he stays healthy then he is a 1,000 yd back.

Vincent Smith- This JR. RB seemed to be Rrod's favorite. Why? Yes he was productive but somewhat slow. He wasn't a big tackle breaker or short yardage guy. He has quick feet and looks great in drills but is this the guy I want carrying 200 times? He's tiny. He carried 136 times for 612yds for an avg. of 4.4. He is a great third down back because he can catch the ball out of the backfield but wouldn't be surprised to see his carries dwindle down considerably.

Stephen Hopkins- The 6'0" 230lb SO. was the short yardage guy last season but only avg. 4.1 a carry. Not once did I feel as if Rod would give him a chance to be the feature back. He is big, moves well, and has that tough running ability Michigan needs and is looking for. He would have fit well with those OL's of the past. Coaches seem to like him and has a great chance to be the man this year.

Fitz Toussant- A 5'10" 200lb SO. showed glimpses of greatness last year but would get hurt and dissappear for a few games. I think fans agree and wouldn't mind seeing him behind a fullback with the ball in his hands 20 - 25 times a game. A healthy Fitz has a shot of being just that.

Michael Cox- Cox is the guy you see in the spring that has you shaking your head saying "where has he been all this time"? He's been in Michigan but can't get to the next level. A 6'0" 210lb JR will rip off a long run in garbage time to never be seen again. In his defense, he has never had a shot to show what he can do in a big game with a fullback and experienced line in front of him. My guess is he is a long shot to get the majority of the carries.

Thomas Rawls- Hype surrounds this 5'10" 220 lb bulldozer who was compared to Mark Ingram by his high school coach. There is no reason to believe that Rawls is not the back of the future at Michigan. He has the size and ability, and with these OL recruits Hoke has coming in next year, just might be the next great in a Wolverine uniform. I'm just skeptical about a FR. coming in and being the feature back immediately. He wasn't there in the spring and I think it will be hard to build that chemistry with the OL in such a short time. I hope I am wrong.

Justice Hayes- Another true Freshman coming in with hype but more of a slasher and wouldn't be surprised if they redshirt him. He was built for Rods spread offense but now things have changed. I can't see a 175lb RB ever being the horse at Michigan again.

That would lead me to believe that Shaw would be the leader. Now I would not be surprised to see Hopkins or Fitz run out on the field for the first offensive drive opening day. One thing is for sure , the running game will be different this year. One that Michigan fans will be proud of and appreciate. This is the year of the 1,000 yd back again. Whether it is Shaw, Hopkins or Fitz, Michigan football is BACK.

CHANGES FOR THE BETTER

Here is the deal folks. Michigans D sucked last year, really sucked. I mean bottom shelf bad. Why is this a good thing? They won seven games...With a disaster of a defense. If last years defense is a top fifty defense, they win nine games. I'll give em PSU and Iowa. What was the problem? 3-3-5 was the problem, let's make sense of it. You have arguably the best NG/DT in the big-ten with Mike Martin, he weighs 290lbs. Not big enough to plug the middle. Martin finished the season with 37tkls, 2.5 sacks, 2 hurries.


Enter Will Campbell. Will is being challenged by coaches who know what he is capable of and know how to push players buttons. Not only will Campbell be productive but it free's up Martin. This in turn free's up Van Bergen and Roh. Roh was awful last season, 0.5 sacks from the WDE, totally dissapointing.

How bad was RROD and Greg Robinson? How long did it take them to realize Demens was better than Ezeh? Too long. Now Demens is a full time MLB and should easily top the 100 tackle mark. WLB is questionable, This needs to be amped up a bunch. Jones, Fitzgerald who will it be? I believe this is the biggest question mark on defense. As bad as Roh was last year, they need a LB who can rush and stop the run. SLB is good with Gordon and Ryan. I would not be surprised to see Ryan starting sometime during the season. He is impressive and more of a natural LB than Gordon, even in high school he looks tenacious.



How about the back end?
Well, Woolfolk had a year off and sometimes that will make a player hungrier and believe it or not, smarter. Just to watch the game from the sidelines and film room will add experience without even being on the field
Unfortunately he has never shown natural corner skills, he doesn't have one int in his career but is experienced and fast. Avery has a year under his belt and has been raved about by teammates, and Floyd, coming off an injury showed flashes of both good and bad last season. Corners will be an upgrade and this is without seeing if Countess or Brown will flourish. Kovacs and C. Johnson are now being backed up by good players. I think Carvin Johnson will be a stud at FS. He is a hitter and a ball hawk, here he is in action. If Furman can show that speed and athletic ability as he did in high school, they could be 2 deep comfortably. Kovacs is a tackler, Roibinson is a hitter and athleticlysuperior to him. It will be interesting if one of these guys can cover TE's and backs. One name I will throw out there is Antonio poole, he is a player. Probably the best player in the big 33 game. Here is carvin.

Everything Michigan

Now that bags of money and sports cars have been excluded from osu's recruiting process, they are picking up 2 star LB's from Lancaster and Westland. In the meantime, Michigan currently has the No.1 recruiting class for 2012 and already have a commitment for 2013 from DE LA Salle QB Shane Morris. Morris is a top five QB for his class and has been lighten up 7 on 7's all summer.

Here are some players from the 2012 class that are going to be beating osu year in and year out.












This is only four of 22 players. I'll save the rest for later. If you want to see osu's recruits, Westlands season starts at the end of August.

Who's next for osu?

There has been rumors about who may be the next starters for the bucks, here are a few that could be the standouts this year.





You can easily see why osu fans are excited about Roderick Smith. He is 6'3" 220 , and very physical. He does a great job of staying low going through holes and has a second gear. I am surprised how fast he is. Thank old coach Tressel for not burning that redshirt also. This kid is very good, now can he transition to the college game?



Sources say ATH Verlon Reed has been running with the NO.1's as a reciever. He is the second player the coach talks about in this clip. Listen, I scouted the Columbus city league for four years and Reed was arguably the best player I have seen. This Marion Franklin product played QB and safety and I have witnessed his games atleast a half dozen times. His athletic ability wasn't his best asset but his football smarts are off the charts. When Verlon spoke, every player listened. He was a great leader and very coachable. In the state championship game against Winton Woods two years ago, Verlon may have been the best player on the field. This doesn't surprise me a bit.




Mike Bennett hasn't been talked about too much and some buckeye fans may have never heard of him. They will, maybe not this year because he could redshirt but my goodness he is good. Watch him penetrate the OL with ease. He comes in as a DL, he runs like a LB and hits like a truck. This film speaks for itself.




This is for those who have not seen prized recruit Braxton Miller in action. Miller is gifted to say the least. He can run, no doubt, but watch his mechanics. He keeps the ball high and his drops are textbook. He has presence and poise in the pocket with great footwork. Sometimes just a little shimmy of the shoulders can pull the defense up and he kills them. The only thing he lacks is experience folks. As gifted as he is, he may not need a whole lot to be productive.

Ondre Pipkins...THANK YOU

Finally Michigan got that top DT they have been needing for the last five years. 6'3" 320lb Ondre pipkins has been added to the No.1 recruiting class in the country for 2012. His offer sheet is a who's who of great teams including Bama, Florida, you get the picture, even osu. Another thing is Brady Hoke takes no fesces from his players. Redshirting starting WR Stonum and suspending two more is exactly what Michigan needs in a coach. Hoke recieves an Aplus currently. Yes, I know he hasn't coached a game yet but a top notch recruiting class and taking disciplinary action on players is an excellent start.

National Talent

With camps starting up this week and incoming freshman reporting, I wanted to give my opinion on who out of this years class will make a splash. Just some skill players I have evaluated and think they are excellent athletes. These kids are stepping into good situations to make an impact immediately

RB's


Malcolm Brown, Texas

Pretty much a unanimous NO.1 RB in the country. Watch him shed tackles and make defenses look like garbage. It's as if he is looking past the guy in front of him to set up the next would be tackler. He is penciled in as a starter at Texas already and they are just about to start camp. That is respect.





James Wilder, FSU

People throw the word freak around when talking about athletes sometimes without really thinking about what they are saying. Wilder is freakish, what is scary is he may be a better LB than RB. JR. Chris Thompson will be the starter headed into camp but he is 5'8" 190. Wilder is 6'2" 220 and hasn't been pushed into showing his next level of ability. He looks as if he is fooling with the young neighbor children.

WR's



Sammy Watkins, Clemson

He reminds me of moss so much. He is shorter but what a nightmare for defenses. He creates so much seperaton and at times he just outjumps the double teams. Listed as a starter already as well at Clemson, look for this kid to be a freshman all-american this season.




DeAnthony Arnett, Tennesee

Kind of a lame film. Shirts n t-shirt, combine drills, but he is matched against top national talent here. You get the idea anyways with his elite agility and quickness. He will start as a third reciever for the Volunteers and shouldn't have a problem against backup corners and safeties. Probably not as explosive as Watkins but should cause problems for defenses.

Relax osu fans, relax.

I recieved a comment from a someone on my blog trying to convince me that osu had too much talent to win my prediction of seven games, and Michigan winning nine was unreachable because of last years defense.... I said last years defense. Look folks, I take my Michigan glasses off when evaluating players, simple as that. If osu was going into this season with no scandal, Tressel as coach and no players suspended then they would be a 10-2 team, maybe better. Reality is that there have been numerous coaching changes, not just fickell. How will these players react?

You talk about talent and osu has plenty. They have had nice recruiting classes the last few years. This years class not only has Miller coming in but, C. Grant, Mike Bennett is a solid player as well. That is just a few of many talented players coming out of high school. Here is something you should take into consideration. If you go back to the year 2000, I can prove to you that 75 to 100 kids labeled highly touted through those years never made it. Regardless of injury, undisciplined, or just wasn't that good. Los Angelas has more talent in 5 city blocks than the entire state of Ohio and they all go to USC, they were 8-5 last year. You could say the same for Florida, much better talent than Ohio, 8-5 last year.

I'm looking over the big-ten units and osu doesn't have the best at any position. Don't talk about last years team, they are gone and drastic changes have been made. Take a look for yourself.

QB's

I will choose nine QB's from the big-ten before I take osu's starter this year.

Persa, denard, cousins, vandenberg, Russell wilson, Scheelhaase, T. Martinez, Rob Henry, Mcgloin, and he may ride the pine.

Rod Smith is talented but has 0 carries in a college football game, he is predicted as a starter. Until posey returns to action the assumed starters are C. Brown- 8 receptions last year, Chris Fields- 0 catches last year
who else? maybe TY williams- 0 catches last year or newcomer devin smith? 0 catches last year. Stoneburner- 21 catches. Now remember that I am taking this into consideration when looking at the schedule, lack of recievers with a young QB and a questionable running game. Other than Brewster on the line and the return of adams. All these guys played limited roles and have been placed in different positions on the line to see where they fit.

Defensively

D-line is solid and deep. Again though, Hankerson and Goebel? Limited roles. Hey, let me finish, you are the ones who said more talent than anyone and no way of losing five games. I am just breaking down so you understand. Here is what I believe the starting LB's will be, sweat- 41 tackles in 10 games last year. Sabino- again talented at the high school level but 0 tackles last year, no experience. Storm klein- 18 tackles last year and I could be wrong but I think he's a dud. Moeller is solid but not a true LB, FR. C. Grant could play early or even Westland high schools own Tony jackson. So how deep are they there?

This secondary is not very experienced. O. Johnson had 11 starts, Barnett had 2, Howard and Clarke played roles but not veteran like. They have good young players there wih D. grant, cash. So overall here was my prediction.

they lose to Miami, MSU, Nebraska, Illinois look at both teams schedules for you to understand that, and Michigan. I think they will beat Wisconsin. I'm just being honest.

I have to do this!

This is Aaron lynch. He will be playing for ND, this kid is awesome. When you see a kid like this on film it is something special. Watch at :53 seconds when he turns around a decleats the QB with a simple shove.

This is my preview for ND. I know this will interest you Dameheads.

NOTRE DAME

OFFENSE

I know with the way Rees played in Daynes absence may sway some of the fans to say, "start Tommy". Rees completed 61% to Daynes 59%, and he was brilliant against Tulsa in relief of the injured Crist. Honestly, ND is secure at the QB position for a few years with Hendrix and the athletic Golson joining the team. But Dayne must be the starter. In those early losses, the D gave up too many points and losing to Michigan in a good game and Michigan States fluky win can discourage a team. They loss to an excellent Stanford team then went on a three game run and lost a crapper to Navy. They ended the season hot, which is always good. If Dayne starts all season, he wins those games as well as throwing for 2,500yds 22 TDS and maybe 10 picks. That is a quality QB.

This running game totally shifts to Wood and he will get quite a bit more carries considering Allen is gone and Gray has never panned out. If Wood gets hurt, they may struggle. If not, he will run for 1,000 because the line is solid and two deep.

That brings me to the motor of the offense, MR. Floyd. He is a WR in a LB's body. Good luck covering him one on one, he has to be doubled. All three reception leaders are back and TJ Jones caught 23 balls as a freshman. ND's passing game should be very solid, one of the best in the country.

DEFENSE

Te'o. Should I stop there? 113 tackles as a sophomore and gets better every year. If Kelly could clone ten more they would be in heaven. These LB's are solid and a top five unit in the country. Calabrese had 60 tackles as a freshman and Steven Filer was the #1 ranked LB coming out of high school. Not to mention Ishaq Williams who is a raw talent. As good as they are at LB they may not want to burn a redshirt on him, let him learn for a year. The DL is very good, they lost Williams but are big up front and backup Louis Nix is massive. He will platoon with Cwynar. I watched a highlight of newcomer Aaron Lynch and turned it off after thirty seconds. He cannot ride the pine, he is a filthy SOB and will wreak havoc immediately.

Then there is the secondary. Harrison Smith is an all-american caliber safety who had seven picks and 93 tackles. That is what you want from a SS. Gary Gray is solid as well and makes up a fine ND secondary. They get MSU, USC and Navy at home. They owe MSU bad and Navy as well. USC at night will be a gameday visit I'm sure.

My prediction
10-2

Legends Division

LEGENDS CONF. OVERALL

Nebraska 6-2 10-2
Michigan 6-2 9-3
State
Michigan 5-3 9-3
Iowa 4-4 8-4
NWestern 4-4 7-5
Minnesota 1-7 3-9


NEBRASKA

OFFENSE
QB Taylor Martinez is brilliant with his ball fakes, quickness and speed in the open field but he only threw 10 td's with 8 ints. Nebraska lost RB Roy Helu but does return Burkhead who should hit 1,000 yds and FR. Aaron Green should be the No.2 back in the lineup. Kinnie led the team in receptions last year and does return with FR. sensation Jamal Turner looking to turn heads like he did in the spring. TE Kyler Reed caught 22 balls with 8 tds and should help out considerably in this offense. This OL returns 3 but will have it's hands full with big ten defenses.

DEFENSE
This D has all-americans in Crick, David and Dennard. Crick recorded 70 tackles and 9.5 sacks while Lavonte David had over 150 tackles. Corner Dennard is the best in the big ten, 4 ints and 7 pbu's. With 7 starters back on D, they should keep Nebraska in every game this year.

MICHIGAN STATE

OFFENSE
Cousins is NFL talent, and my opinion, he has been the best pro style QB in the conference the last two years. He has size, smarts, arm and decision making. Completed almost 67% last year with 20-10. Baker ran for over 1,200 yds, 5.8 a carry and scored 13 td's. Baker and Groveports Leveon Bell make up the second best big ten RB duo (ball and white). Both top recievers are back in Cunningham and Martin, combining for 82 catches and just over 1,000 yds. This OL isn't deep losing three starters and transitioning a couple DL to offense.

DEFENSE
The top three tacklers are gone. FS Trenton Robinson is back and had 76 tackles, a free safety with that many tackles isn't good. SLB Norman returns but the other two LB's played limited roles and Bullough may be a star in the making. This DL is good, and could be great if Will Gholston stays healthy. Gholston is huge at 6'7" 270 and will be a bitch for a LT to deal with. Jerel Worthy is awesome. He may not have the numbers Crick has but could end up being as productive this year and in the NFL.


Michigan

OFFENSE
There is only a handful of players in college that can get a step on a defense and not get caught from behind, Denard is one of them. Even know he completed almost 63% with 18 td's, he will struggle a bit in this new offense. Stats will be down but RB's will benefit. V. Smith, who was the leading rusher last season will become a third down back making way for Shaw and Hopkins. Michigan returns all the recievers and Roundtree caught 72 , stonum, 49, hemingway, 32. This OL is experienced anchored by Molk and SO. Taylor Lewan.

DEFENSE
Mike Martin is the best nose tackle in the conference.But in a 3-3-5 he is worthless, not big enough. That is why 6'5" 333lb Will Campbell is the key to this D. If Mattison can't motivate this kid than nobody can. MLB, Demens will have over 100 tackles this year but WLB is questionable and SLB CAm Gordon was a FS last year (tells you how out of place Rodriguez had people). Look for Jake Ryan to push him hard. The secondary has been weak for years and CB's Woolfolk, Floyd and Avery are the keys to shutting down recievers. Carvin Johson, Marvin Robinson are strong at safety. Kovacs was the second leading tackler last year but cannot cover anyone. Look for Furman to loom the back end in a nickel.


IOWA

OFFENSE
Vandenberg has some experience but not enough to say he will light it up during a full season.This team only has nine starters back and Coker will become the top RB. High school stud Rodney Coe comes in and will have a chance to back up. Coker should get close to 1,000 if healthy. WR McNutt is back and led in yards and receptions last year. Huge target Keenan Davis played a limited role last season but will give smaller corners fits and keep McNutt from being double teamed. This OL is good and that is why coker should produce and I wouldn't be surprised if FR. Coe doesn't turn heads.

DEFENSE
Only 4 starters back here , Hyde and Prater who are both all big-ten. So. MLB James Morris is back and should top 100 tackles, but this front seven is thin and inexperienced.

NORTHWESTERN

OFFENSE
NU has nine starters back on offense. Dan Persa is back and could be the leader as preseason OPY. He was a one man wrecking crew last season but RB Trumpy returns and is a productive back, not a stud. Hilliards Jeremy Ebert returns and had a sensational season last year and should this years as well. The OL is experienced and deep, Persa should have a great season and this offense should score a ton of points.

DEFENSE
7 starters back. S Brian peters returns and led the team in tacles with 107 last year. You know what I say about safeties who lead in tackles " wheres the front seven"? WLB Mcnaul returns and led the LB's in tackles while the DL is somewhat deep. Look for this D to be mediocre in the big ten, they are Northwestern you know.

Michigan Preview

Michigan Preview: "A quick-hitting look at Brady Hoke and the Michigan Wolverines heading into the 2011 season."

Big ten predictions and preview. Here is the leaders division.

This is a four dog race. Yes I said four because nobody is a shoe in here to win it. I won't waste my time on Purdue or Indiana.

Leaders division Conference Overall
1. Wisconsin 6-2 10-2
2. Illinois 4-4 8-4
3. OSU 4-4 7-5
3. Penn State 4-4 7-5
4. Purdue 3-5 6-6
5. Indiana 1-7 5-7

Wisconsin

Offense
Newcomer Russel Wilson will be an upgrade from So. Jon Budmayr and the RB combo of Ball and White is the best the Big Ten has to offer. They lost TE Lance Kendricks, who led the team in catches, but Jake Byrne is a huge target waiting in the wings. Look for Nick toons production to pick up a bit as well. This OL lost two all-americans in Moffit and Carimi but 6'7" 330LB Josh Oglesby returns after an injury and there are huge bodies just waiting to open holes for this RB tandem.

Defense
They return six starters but JJ Watt has left.LB Chris Borland is a stud if he stays healthy and S AAron Henry is one of the best in the big ten. This schedule is weak but will meet up with Nebraska in the Big Ten opener that will probably be the game of the year in the conference.

Illinois

OFFENSE
Scheelhaase completed almost 60% of his passes last year with 17 TD's and 8 picks. That was a freshman learning year also. This young man rushed for over 800 yds and 5 TD's on top of that and Jason Ford is back to take over the RB job. AJ Jenkins returns at reciever and caught 56 balls last year for 746 yds and 7 TD's. He will top that this season. They return 4 on the line and are in good shape with all Big Ten LT Jeff Allen.

DEFENSE
Illinois returns six on D but are less than stellar in the front seven. Terry Hawthorne is back at corner and MLB Ian Thomas will have a great year, FS Trulon Henry can play the run and pass very well. Is this team great? No, but the schedule is lame and they play teams at the right time.

OSU

OFFENSE
When is the last time osu wondered who the QB was going to be come game time? This year it's either 27 yr old Bauserman or an 18 yr old high school stud. A majority says play the high school stud. There is potential at RB but the starter may be FR. Rod Thomas who's reputation was built off a Bowl game practice. Berry ran well in garbage time last year but there isn't anyone in the backfield who rushed for over 266 yds last season. Stoneburner may be the top target for the QB this year and he only caught 21 passes. This OL is led by all-american Mike Brewster but every other position will need to be filled.

Defense
Only 4 starters back with 3 secondary spots needing to be filled. Andrew Sweat is the anchor of the LB's this year with Nate Williams and Simon on the edges. Both ends are quality players but the interior line is green.

Penn State

OFFENSE
This team has QB questions as well. Do you start the walk on with a year under his belt or the SO. spring game star? Silas redd and Green will be the 1-2 punch in the backfield and could have a descent year. WR Derek Moye is one of the best in the big ten and Justin Brown and Devon Smith compliment him well. This OL is sketchy and they may struggle running the ball with a young QB.

DEFENSE
There is 7 back on D and PSU is a blue collar fundamental defense. five of the top six in tackles are back. People expect a lot out of ILB Mauti this year and Crawford, Still and Gerald Hodges should make this defense a top one in the Big Ten. Between Alabama in week 2 and Nebraska in week 11 they could ratlle off 7 straight.

I refuse to talk abot Purdue and Indiana

With the college teams about to start camp. Who is NO.1? That's easy. Let me tell you.

I do quite a bit of research on football, websites, magazines, ETC. What I keep finding? Alabama is absolutely loaded. This team has a new QB coming in and the loss of Julio Jones doesn't help, but the whole OL returns (a loaded line at that) and so does Trent Richardson. Richardson, in my mind, is the best RB in college football. Another fact is the defense returns ten starters. They have arguably the best LB corp in the country, the fact that LB Trey Depriest could start for any team in the big ten and maybe the country is sitting the bench says a lot. Also they have the best FS and SS in the country (no argument please).

Now I am a Michigan fan so I follow the big ten and it will be great competition this year, especially with Nebraska joining. But to say Bama wouldn't mop the floor with any of them would be amusing (MSU last year). Yes they play in the SEC and it is the best conference, so I am not guaranteeing anything. Lsu is very good on paper and Oklahoma will probably average 40 points a game but at the end of the day one thing is clear to me. Give me one team at the end of the year, on the biggest stage in college football and everything is on the line. I can't take no other team over ALABAMA.