Weekend Roundup, Down by the River Edition: 9/10/12

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​Here's what happened around the internets over the weekend while you bought porn instead of ice cream...

Weekend Roundup, Sticking Around Edition: September 4, 2012

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Penn State played football on Saturday.  They lost to Ohio.  They're in a place, mentally, physically, and as an institution, that is so horrific, that you wouldn't wish it upon your worst enemy.  But they had a packed stadium​.  They probably will continue to have a packed stadium for some time.  People in Happy Valley will ride this out.  And someday, someway, Penn State will have some semblance of a comeback as a football team.  And yes, this has nothing to do with Michigan.  And yes, this whole idea of sticktoittiveness having some link to where we are as Michigan fans now that we got our necks stepped on is way too dramatic, if not borderline inappropriate.  Ours is a football problem...but a problem nonetheless.  Alas, we have reached the point in the season (and this won't be the last time) where I bash the team soon after the game, then sleep on it, then look for reasons to make corned beef hash next Saturday morning by citing homer data.

Maybe Alabama is that good.  I give you this from MGoBlog:

Various recent Alabama scores:  2011 Citrus Bowl: Alabama 49, MSU 7...2011 Arkansas: 38-14...2011 Florida: 38-10...2011 Tennessee: 37-6...2011 Auburn: 42-14...National title game: 21-0 over LSU, LSU never crosses midfield.

Maybe Denard wasn't under orders, but instead was reading the impossible-for-Denard-to-run run coverage.  From the Labor Day presser:

Their nickel or their safeties, you could action the other way, they weren’t moving. They were waiting. It could have been the backer, depends if they dropped the safety down or the backer out, drop the safety inside -- they weren’t moving.  -  Brady Hoke

​Fitzgerald Toussiant will play against Air Force.  From MLive...

Toussaint's loss was particularly impactful against the Tide, who held Michigan (0-1) to 69 yards rushing. Tailbacks Vincent Smith and Thomas Rawls combined for just 42.  Toussaint surpassed 100 yards rushing in four of his six games last year as the Wolverines' designated featured back. He finished with 1,041 yards on the season, Michigan's first 1,000-yard tailback since Mike Hart in 2007.

​We are far from being "back," but the building blocks are here.  From Freep / Maize and Brew:​

The only thing to take away from this game is a deeper understanding of what greatness really looks like. Michigan got a glimpse of a truly great team, losing completely and in every aspect of the game. But U-M is also slowly building its program in the image of an Alabama or an LSU. Strong defense matched with an efficient pro-style offense. It may not be there yet -- Saturday showed just how far away things really are -- but if there is hope for Michigan, it is this: The kind of team the Wolverines hope to build exists already.

​The goal is still intact.  Angel writes...

What the effect of that loss might be was hard to tell in the moments following the loss. But at least one player, senior safety and team captain Jordan Kovacs while disappointed with the Wolverines' showing, knows that in the end, a loss to Alabama does not have to derail their overall season goals.  Michigan coach Brady Hoke has called last year's 11-2 season with a Sugar Bowl victory a disappointment because the Wolverines did not win the Big Ten title.  Kovacs' point after the Alabama loss was this: The Big Ten championship is still on the table.  "Oregon lost this game (last year) and did the same thing," Kovacs said, referring to the Ducks reaching the Rose Bowl.

Other links:​

  • Mark Snyder: U-M Can Recover From Drubbing [Freep] - Not as nice as the article title
  • It's Been A Tad While Since [MVictors] - Amazing​ historical stat
  • Michigan Basketball 2012-13 Schedule [UMHoops]​ - Feels so Sparty to put this up
  • What We Learned in Week 1  [ESPN Big Ten Blog]​ - Very Few Positive Things Regarding Michigan...especially compared to the rest of the Big Ten

Weekend Roundup, Underdog Edition: 8/27/2012

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Gameweek?  Gameweek.

Weekend Roundup, Media Guide Edition: August 12, 2012

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The 2012 Michigan Football Media Guide is out (actually it's been out for a little while).  I remember when the media guide was a heavy $20 bible you'd run out and get at the MDen before the season started, and you'd go through page by page, marveling ​at the amazing history and tradition of Michigan Football.  There's probably some old timers from the tailgate that remember when the media guide was reserved for the media.  Now it's a publicly distributed pdf file, and those same old timers are squinting and reading a manual to figure out how to download it and save it as a file on their "internet boxes."  Ah, times they are a changin'.  It's available here in all of its glory.  And it's a big pdf, so be patient....especially if you're still rolling free dial-up internet from Net Zero.

Anyway, here's what happened around the internets​ while you sat in the fetal position in a corner wondering if the fact that Fitz was cleared to practice means he might play in Dallas.

  • ESPN's power rankings discuss Michigan at #8.  The have the weight of the world resting on Denard's shoulders.  Denard covers some boilerplate keys to season, and the pundits talk about our difficult schedule, and O and D line issues.
  • Michigan Basketball is on the map.  ESPN hopes to cover a rekindling of the rivalry of the 70's and 80's between Michigan and Indiana when Gameday travels to Bloomington on February 2.  I'm in.  Somebody find me some tickets.​
  • The Shreveport Times covers the flame out and exit of the Honey Badger, who will be taking his talents to FCS football in the hopes he can make an impact worthy of an NFL draft position.  I'm not sure what Musburger and Lundquist will do with all that airtime during LSU games that has been freed up now that they don't have to suck Honey Badger's nuts.
  • ​MVictors breaks down the media guide records section, and covers the historical numbers that might be in play this season.
  • Trey Burke is thinking national championship, and an ESPN blogger thinks he's not crazy.​
  • Ugh Ugh Ugh.  Roy Roundtree had arthroscopic knee surgery and is out for the next two weeks...as in  "A lot of guys come back in two weeks (from surgery like this)," Hoke said. "Our doctors did a tremendous job, we have a great medical staff."  Let's hope it's as minor as everybody at Fort Schembechler says it is.

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Weekend Roundup: Big Ten Meetings Edition 7-30-12

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My god it's nearly August.  Jet plane for Jerry's World leaves in less than a month.  Game with defending national champion in 32 days.  Whoa.​

Here's what happened across the internets while you pondered how much it would cost to actually become Batman:​

  • ​AnnArbor.com takes a look at Michigan's new roster, which now includes the incoming freshmen.  Of note, everybody is fully embracing the Gittleson plan, packing on pounds and no doubt getting slower, namely Jibreel Black and Craig Roh.  We are about to Lloyd the shit out of this team.  Soon after its release, Mgoblog took that roster and analyzed it like it was their job...which I guess it is.   You wish your job was that cool.
  • Denard comes out of games for injuries.  You've seen it.  I've seen it.  His style of play makes it an inevitability.  So it's a good idea to have a good back up.  We have a serviceable one whose abilities have yet to be tapped...and we've decided that he needs to get time at wide receiver.  I guess we've got to appease him before Shane Morris gets here and forces him to switch positions in the name of pro-style philosophies., but does it make sense for THIS season?  Anyway, the Freep says he's busy adjusting to his role.
  • From ESPN...Brady speaks at Big Ten Media Days about being the preseason Big Ten favorite, moving Roh and Black, and Will Campbell's abs.
  • ​Denard Robinson, whose 3229 rushing yards is just 667 shy of Randle El's Big Ten QB record, spoke at the Big Ten media days.  
  • Black Shoe Diaries covers the six top recruits that have decided to reaffirm their verbals to Penn State.  I sympathize ​with what the Penn State blogosphere is going through...it sucks and its not your fault it sucks.  I also appreciate the fact that this is good news for Penn State right now.  I also want to be clear that these six kids will not be signing with Penn State in February.  You'd have to be bat shit crazy to sign up for four years of no bowls, a team short on scholarship athletes, and no ability (short of a fifth year of eligibility) to reap any benefits of your efforts.
  • Urban Meyer's camp "Friday Night Lights" debuted in Columbus this weekend.  From the sound of the Eleven Warriors recap, it was a resounding success, and it gave onlookers a chance to gaze upon the horseshoe's new scoreboard and new and louder music.  And the scoreboard wars continue....​
  • Boiled Sports presents 2012's pivotal Boilermakers, players that are going to need to step up to get them the success they pine for, which is apparently 8 wins.​
  • Derrick Walton, who is about a year from his arrival at Michigan, lead his AAU team to the Adidas Super 64 Championship in Las Vegas on Sunday, and was named the tournament MVP.  UMHoops has more.
  • Iowa has beaten Michigan three times in a row, a first in the series that dates back to 1900.  No player our team has beaten Iowa.​..or Michigan State for that matter.  Damn you Rodriguez Years!  Anyway, Hawk Central reminds you of your Hawkeye problem.
  • For all things recruiting, you need yourself some UM BBQ.  Maize and Brew covers the event in great detail.​
  • People in glass houses are occasionally allowed to throw stones.  So, despite this...I still take great pleasure in this.​  Maybe if Brady and Urban get together they can universally decide not to have their players miss playing time in a closed door meeting.  That way, nobody can talk shit about the other, and Fitz can start in Texas.
  • AnnArbor.com covers Brady Hoke's proficiency in night games.  3-0 last year....9-0 in that Ball State miracle year.  Good news considering the schedule is skewed toward the latter part of the day on Saturdays this fall.​
  • They're going to let students into the Big House to watch the Cowboys Classic on the big screens.  Very cool.  Good luck keeping the alcohol out of there on a Saturday night on welcome weekend.​
  • Jalen Rose will join ESPN College Gameday...the hoops version...this fall along with Bruce Pearl.
  • Eleven Warriors doesn't exactly pine for Shane Morris, but they certainly do pine for there own version of this recruiting recruit.​