Starting Out on the Right Foot

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Changing Your Expectations

You may have wanted John Navarre to play well, maybe even 'wow' you. You may have wanted the running game to be efficient, and the line to gel. You may have wanted Marlin Jackson to return an interception for a touchdown. You may have wanted to see consistency from the special teams. When Troy Nienberg missed a 27-yard field goal with 1:24 left on the clock, you may have wanted to bury your head in the sand. But when the Wolverines lined up for a 44-yard field goal with :05 on the clock, you remembered the ONLY important thing. You wanted to win. Each of us shared that same 'feeling' as the kick went seemingly perfectly through the uprights, giving Michigan a season opening 31-29 victory. That elation will be something that stays with us. However, as the days, weeks, and months pass, and the season progresses, the sunburn on our faces will heal, the score will dissappear. That feeling will eventually fade, perhaps even faster than the feeling of dissappointment would have. One thing will remain, and it is the most important thing in all of competitive sports...the 'W'. We won. We are 1-0. Hail to the Victors!

Thanks For Visiting

A quick nod to our tailgating friends and relatives of the Godfather that made the trek from the Northwest to the Big House. We always welcome those who come bearing pretzels and smoked salmon. You folks are a class act and we wish you and Tyler the best for the rest of the season...unless we cross paths again in Pasedena that is.
Movin' On Up

The Wolverines moved up 3 spots in the ESPN/USA Today Poll to #7, leapfrogging the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In the AP Poll, the Wolverines moved up 6 spots from #13 to #7, again leapfrogging the Cornhuskers, but also the Buckeyes, who had been bumped ahead of us after their opening victory.

Award Winners

Chris Perry earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors with his 120-yard, 3 TD performance. Philip Brabbs collected the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his game-winning field goal.

GO BLUE!!!

The Webmaster

Michigan Who?

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No Respect...Or Nothing To Respect?

Feverish, excited, dedicated, determined, engulfed? Ready. That's what I feel right now. I'm ready. I spent the opening weekend of college football glued to the television. Season previews abound on ESPN and ABC, Wisconsin on Friday, Buckeyes on Saturday, while in between the action, I delved into my newly arrived ESPN The Magazine, SI's, and Playboy's (Note: Big 12 College Girl's Edition) college football preview editions. Here's an afterthought... MICHIGAN IS AN AFTERTHOUGHT. Quite possibly the most off the radar top 10 team ever.

Ask the 'experts' and the Wolverines aren't even mentioned in the same paragraph, let alone the same breath, as the words 'National Championship' or even 'noise maker'. The question du jour in the early previews was undoubtably 'Which team has a chance to come from no where to make it to the Fiesta Bowl?'. It came up on ESPN Gameday before the Wisconsin game, it came up on ABC before the Buckeye game, it came up several times on ESPN radio while I drove around Ann Arbor, scouting our spot on the golf course and giving a reverent nod to The Big House. Which team is going to be the surprise? The Georgia Bulldogs were mentioned often. Corso mentioned the Saban led LSU Tigers. Michigan State was talked about. Washington State got a nod. But no Michigan.

Is that because Michigan wouldn't be a surprise? Nope. The concensus around the media world is Ohio State will win the Big Ten. If not, then Sparty will surely win. No mention of the Maize and Blue. These media folk must have been absent during the Big Ten meeting where the Wolverines were picked to win the Big Ten just a month ago, and just weeks ago when the Wolverines became the highest ranked team in the Big Ten in the associated press poll. We're a victim of silent ballot syndrome. Sure, they'll write the Wolverines down on a piece of paper and send it in, but ask them a question on national television, and the Wolverines are no longer the glamorous pick. In the wake of a mediocre 8-4 season, the glamor is in NOT picking the Wolverines.

It sucks not to be talked about nationally, and it pisses you off a little more when your red-headed step-child of a neighbor is getting all the local press. Yet, there is a certain amount of gumption that builds when you feel you are underrated. The problem is, we're losing it both ways in the media battle. We aren't talked about, which may cause a team or two to not think of us as their biggest challenge, which would be to our advantage. However, we are a top ten team, and that's difficult for anyone to look past when preparing for us. So I take it all back. I no longer want the top ten ranking. I want to be 20. I want to come from no where, which is exactly where the media seems to want to put us in everything... except for the polls.

Michigan Replay Premier

Just when I thought that no one believed in us, Sunday morning Jim Brandstatter hosted the first episode of Michigan Replay with Lloyd Carr. The proverbial Michigan homer show brought up my spirits. Notably different this year were the preseason comments from the players. Everyone knows Michigan's goals each year are to win the Big Ten and let everything else fall into place on its own. But you'd never know it by the comments of the likes of Ronald Bellamy and defensive captain Victor Hobson. 'National Championship' was uttered by both players. Have the goals been changed?

Dawg Day Revenge

It's palpable now. The season is almost here. The Huskies are coming, and they're bringing 6'4'' 220 pound Reggie Williams with them. Pay backs are on the minds of Michigan fans, especially those that travelled the 2300 plus miles to see John Navarre and Special Teams throw away last year's game, giving the Huskies 2 touchdowns in 60 seconds off of turnovers.

Important tip for the season: Just remember that Marlin Jackson is #3 now, not #20. That's kind of important. Some of you may remember the previous #3 in the defensive backfield. I assure you this is not the same guy. The previous #3 is gone, I promise. This is particularly important for Steph and Bubba to keep in mind, especially after a few cocktails.

The pregame page is available by clicking here, or by going to the events page and clciking on the next game box.

GO BLUE!!!

The Webmaster

Let the Debate Begin

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Unhealthy Addictions

I can't stop playing NCAA 2003 for the X-Box. It has become a serious problem. In anticipation of the coming season, and because I can't bear to watch the Colorado game on ESPN Classic anymore, I have actually watched the computer play itself on several occasions. The realism is ridiculous, and JJ (soon to be nicknamed The Firestarter) and I have often bet on the games being played. Upon being greeted by Lloyd Carr saying "It's in the game." when I started up this afternoon, I felt the fantasy world and the real world were coming dangerously close.

Sound ridiculous? It is. But the college football and tailgating season is supposed to be ridiculous. Come one, come all, and live a fantasy life with your surrogate family. Don't worry, they're all alcoholics, so you'll fit right in. Throw all your cares aside, except for one. Rest your laurals in the hands of a group of 18-24 year old amazingly conditioned atheletes wearing the most recognizable uniforms in all of sport, and plan your Sundays accordingly, for sulking or celebrating, but know that the family will return the following week to do it all again.

The Simulated 2002 Overview

So, in an attempt to make a season preview without my Michigan tilted mind involved, I used the NCAA 2003 for the X-Box. First, let's look at the the final season rankings up to Michigan after all of the games were simulated.

1. Texas

2. Florida

3. Miami

4. Oklahoma

5. Oregon

6. Utah (yes, Utah)

7. UCLA

8. Ohio State

9. Florida State

10. Marshall

11. LSU

12. Michigan

Texas wins the National Championship, beating Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. Florida QB Rex Grossman wins the Heisman, throwing for 4587 yards and 51 TDs....thats alot of friggin' TDs.

Michigan's game by game analysis will come week by week as the season progresses, but Michigan will end the season with 10 wins, and 3 losses. Michigan earned a bid to the BCS, and travelled to New Orleans for the Nokia Sugar Bowl. They reached as high as #4 in both polls during the season.

Statistically...

John Navarre completed just over 50% of his passes (157/302) throwing for 2216 yards with 18 TDs and 13 INTs. Spencer Brinton received limited action, going 24/42 with 1 TD and 1 INT. Ronald Bellamy caught the bulk of the receptions, with 660 yards and 8 TDs.

Chris Perry leads the team with 979 yards rushing and 11 TDs. BJ Askew came in with 439 yards and 6 TDs.

Defensively, Marlin Jackson lead the team with 6 INTs and 2 defensive touchdowns. Victor Hobson lead the team in tackles with 61.

On the special teams front, Philip Brabbs went 15/22 on field goals, his longest being a 44 yarder.

Summing Up

What does this all mean? Well, considering the lackluster output by the offense, the defense must have stepped up and scored some points as well as giving Michigan some solid field position. That may be the story on the field this year. However, I would hate to weather those 13 interceptions given up by John Navarre. So there it is, the season in review...er, uh...preview. Whatever, August 31 is coming up awfully quick, so I will have to set down the controller, and pick up my mug. Note to Godfather: Bring enough Coke.

Next week: Washington preview

GO BLUE!!!

The Webmaster

Looks Good...On Paper

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9 vs. 10 Matchup Starts Season

Ah, the dawg days of summer. The Michigan Wolverines are ranked #10 in the pre-season ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Analyzing what it means to be number 10 is mind boggling. Granted, it is only the preseason poll. Much of the polling can be attributed to school prestige, and moreover, not having a major conference like the Big Ten represented in the top ten would be unheard of. By process of elimination, and by recently being named as the preseason media favorite in the Big Ten, we get the nod. What an opportunity we have been presented with. Granted, by virtue of it still being the pre-season, every 1A team controls its own destiny, but our path to the BCS...don't laugh just yet...seems to be a "maize" bricked road.

So, here is who is in front of us: Miami, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State, Tennessee, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, and Washington.

#1: Miami, #4: Florida State, #7 Florida, #5 Tennessee

#1 Miami plays Florida, Florida State, Tennessee. Can they win all three of these? #7 Florida plays Tennessee, Miami, and Florida State. Somebody has to lose. #4 Florida State plays Miami and Florida, as mentioned above. #5 Tennesse is the only exception...only playing Florida.

#2 Texas,#3 Oklahoma, #6 Colorado, #8 Nebraska Yes, 4 teams from the Big 12 are in the top ten. #2 Texas plays Oklahoma and Nebraska. #3 Oklahoma plays Colorado and Texas. #6 Colorado plays Oklahoma and Nebraska. #8 Nebraska plays Texas and Colorado. Looks like a round robin elimination.

Confused yet? Too crazy a scenario for you yet? Were left with one more team #9 Washington. Defeat the Huskies, and your guaranteed to be at least #8. That's #8 after game 1. The top eight teams...those are your BCS teams. Even a less than #8 ranking can get you into the Rose Bowl with a Big Ten Championship. Ya, I'm taking alot for granted here, and I'm not saying I even believe that the Wolverines are a national power. We have to win the games. But you can't be disappointed with the position we find ourselves in going into the season...on paper, and if we win the first few games, the national spotlight will start to burn a little brighter as the Wolverines crack into the single digit area.

The Rest

With 8 home games, Ohio State comes in at #12. Sparty is #18. Wisconsin and Penn State, despite sub .500 records last season, are #23 and #24 respectively. Utah, #20 in Athlon Sports preseason rankings, has 44 votes, good enough for 38th place in the poll. To put that in perspective, Purdue received 45 votes, Notre Dame received 18 votes, Iowa received 11, and Minnesota just 2. Not quite the pushover you were looking for.

Upcoming

The X-Box is plugging away, determining the season preview for UMTailgate.com. Look for that next week.

GO BLUE!!!

The Webmaster