We Got Fun and Games: Michigan 31, Western Michigan 7

A new dawn.

After a tumultuous Friday that had me freaking out due to poor tailgate preparation, I was awakened from my "evening nap" and popped up off the couch to the alarm on my new cell phone, a simultaneous phone call from an online wake up service, and eventually the alarm on Tuba's phone. I gave him the obligatory "I'm good," showered, shaved, put on my morning load-the-car clothes, and took off in Johnny Cleveland's truck on a mission to get a propane exchange from a gas station in Ypsi. I had already made arrangements to get the exchange with the clerk back at 2am the previous evening. It was now 6am. He remembered me, and he apologized for not being able to attend to me earlier in the evening, which to him was "earlier in his shift," but for me was "last night." I wondered what this guy must be thinking. Probably not that I was helping to host 100+ at a party that was to start in 90 minutes in the shadows of the largest college football stadium in the world. I added two bags of ice to my order, one to freshen the beer cooler, and one for the 100 kabobs and 8 pounds of bacon in the food cooler.

A new day.

Parking wasn't perfect at our new home, but given the circumstances, it went pretty smoothly. From the time the fires were lit on the grill and stove, I remember very few details of the 8-hour marathon tailgate. There were a lot of hugs, a lot of food, and a whole lot of people. Perhaps the smaller venue contributed to how crowded things were, but there's no doubt people came out of the woodwork to see where the group who spent 15 years on the 7th green of Ann Arbor Golf and Outing had moved, and how we would adjust. In short, we did well...maybe even very well. I even managed to drink a little.

We did a half pack up of loose equipment at around 3pm, and I left the tailgate at 3:10pm. I arrived at my gate at 3:20pm, high fived the fine event staff as I jumped the line, and was in my seat by 3:25pm. Ya, the tailgate is that close. After another round of hello-how-ya-been hugs with the section regulars, it was time to put the gameface on.

A new life.

Three-and-out. Forcier to Hemmingway. 7-0. Denard on a broken play, laces dangling, 14-0. Forcier to a wide open Koger, 21-0. I'd like to say that I remember how it used to feel, but I don't. This was different. We hadn't had our backs against the wall in this manner since before I cared this much...before National Championships were considered the goal, before the BCS, and before Lloyd Carr was beloved. A losing season does something to a fan, to a man. Especially when you've NEVER had one. When you long for victory, ANY victory, putting a team away before halftime is such a relief, such bliss, that you're not sure what to do. At 21-0, with the student section leading 100,000 in a chant of Rich-Rod-ri-guez, it was all I could do to hold back tears of joy. Michigan still has a long way to go to get to where they want to go. That won't happen this year. But it might be sooner than later that they make their way back to where they were. What was considered the ceiling on Friday night, might have become the floor on Sunday morning.

A rousing chorus of The Victors, a piped in Welcome to the Jungle, a well executed wave, and a group of men that are probably too young to realize that they changed our lives, if only for a week.

Western Michigan Theme Alert: Boats, Ho's, and The Catalina Wine Mixer

Western Michigan: A Bullet Point Preview Without Bullets

​Negativity...

Yes, Western Michigan is from the MAC. Yes, Western Michigan has a 30,000 seat stadium. But they are not necessarily a crappy program. WMU ranks 48th all time in winning percentage. And while that is nearly the textbook definition of middle of the pack, let me throw a few teams at you that they rank above...

Texas Tech
Oregon
Missouri
Iowa
Illinois

And ya, they've padded their record in a mid-major, but they also beat Illinois last year in Detroit. And they are undefeated (2-0) against Iowa, knocking them off in 2007 and 2000. They have four all-time wins against the Big Ten, and three of those wins have occurred this decade. That puts them at 3-8 in their last 11 against Big Ten opponents, yet 2-2 against Big Ten competition under their current coach, Bill Cubit. In short, they are not coming here to lay down. They are not here for the half-million dollars we paid them to travel 100 miles. They are here to win. They are here to knock off a Wolverine team that, while wounded, still provides the opportunity for a signature victory for an upstart program.

Further proving that the Broncos are peaking...with aspect to overall history...is that they are a program that has only been to 4 bowl games in their 104 year history, and two of those have come in the last two seasons.  That makes WMU's bowl streak longer than ours.  Ugh.

The Broncos broke or tied several records last year, including wins, touchdowns, pass completions, and passing yards.  I'm thinking they will be testing our young secondary.  I'm also thinking that if Michigan's offense has their shit together, the OVER will be a pretty solid bet.

Positivity...

Rich Rodriguez is no stranger to the Broncos, as his Mountaineers hosted WMU back on September 1, 2007. West Virginia, led by 4 Slaton TDs, routed the Broncos 62-24.

Michigan is 4-0 all time against Western, including victories of 35-13 and 38-21 in 2002 and 2001 respectively.

Western Michigan hasn't won an opener against a Division 1-A opponent since 1998.

Random Facts...

Our tailgate leader, the Godfather, attended Western Michigan.  Other famous alumni include John Saunders, Tim Allen, Bill Lajoie (Detroit Tiger's GM in 1984) and Stephen Lynch.

Western Michigan is the home to the International Congress on Medieval Studies, with means they play a lot of LAIRE.

Western Michigan will also face Indiana and Michigan State this season.

A cubit is a unit of measurement found in Egyptian history and in the Bible.  It is also Western Michigan's Football coach's last name.  It is said to equal twelve palms, or about 45 centimeters.  You are all now smarter.

Add we will bring the "Big Sticks"

​

Mr. Robinson's Michigan Defense 2009
Now that "we" have spoken, and are rallying behind our coach and for our team, it becomes obvious that we must "All be in for Michigan". As much as we might wish and hope, a new tailgate location and our rally cries will not be enough. As we inch closer to the first the first battle here are a few of the fellas that will be backing up the Webmasters spirit with some old fashioned "wood layin". Without further ado, your Game #1 Defensive Primer.

# 55, Senior, Brandon Graham DE

BG returns to anchor the squad from the DE position and will be moved around the field and given opportunities to play upright in one of variety of cleverly named spots in a "hybridish" style. The move by new D.C. Greg Robinson will allow Graham to contribute all over the field as opposed to mainly behind the LOS. Look for Graham to lead the team onto the field and escort the opponents off the field with hard hits while he adds to his 19 career sacks while raising is NFL stock as well. The Detroit Crockett Rocket will build upon his UM legacy by improving on his 2nd team All Big Ten and Bo Schembechler Team MVP performance of 2008. Although he is not the "Spinner" I dream of at 6'2/265, he should have quarterbacks Tim Hiller and Jimmy Clausen's heads' spinning.

# 45, RS Junior, Obi Ezeh LB 

Obi is coming off a quality '08 campaign where he was named All Big Ten HM. For the past two seasons Ezeh has led the team in tackles and will most likely make that streak 3 seasons while anchoring the Wolverines at the MLB position. Obi has been given the distinguished honor of being put on the 2009 Butkus Award watch list and will definitely be a centerpiece to what is shaping up to be one of the best defenses in the Big Ten this season. Look for some increased leadership as opposing running backs will realize that the mouth guard and facemask were necessary in maintaining their facial anatomy when they run into or across the middle against UM and Obi in 2009.

# 3, Senior, Stevie Brown LB

Stevie B. has been one of the most talked about defenders during the offseason as he is making the move from Safety to the Linebacker or second "hybrid" slot under G. Rob. His propensity for huge hits should only increase as he is asked to support the run earlier in the action as well as drop into coverage. With a lack of depth at the LB position and two lock down corners this could prove to be a wise move schematically. I anticipate a big year from #3 in both tackles and interceptions, you should too.

# 68, Sophomore, Mike Martin DT

With the departure of one of UMTailgates favorite players in TT, (until this week that is), we will witness the emergence of MM. Mike Martin already showed moments of brilliance last season as a true freshmen and looks to establish himself as the leagues premiere nose tackle/D-linemen. The Four Star recruit from Detroit Catholic Central seems to be a guy that is going to play at one speed all the time and that is what we will need for success with our thin numbers on the D-Line. So get ready for the Double M chants. (Maybe M squared?)

# 6, Junior, Donovan Warren CB

Donny is a NFL to be cornerback and if you think he 'fell off ' a bit last year, it was undoubtedly due to him being injured. Donovan will re-emerge to eliminate an entire 1/2 of the field and make life alot easier and enjoyable for the aforementioned defenders.  So if its halftime and your saying, where has #6 been?  Thats a good thing!  If some jack-in-the-box QB, ie. Hiller and Clausen to begin with, try to throw at him, we probably will have the ball back.

So there is your quick primer on returning stars the entire depth chart via the Michigan Daily is here

Others to watch for:

#33, Sophomore, Boubacar Cissoko CB:  Should be bang or bust playing opposite a healthy Warren, I vote BANG

#58, RS Sophomore, Brandon Herron LB:  Will he emerge or will true freshmen C. Roh steal time here?  Big ?

#8, RS Junior, Jonas Mouton LB:  Similar situation as Herron, need at least one of two to be real solid

The Sons of Stars:

#29, Junior, Troy Woolfolk S:  Dad was UM All American, can he step in to fill void at safety?

#31, RS Sophomore, Jared Van Slyke S:  Dad was All-Star for Cards and Pirates, son needs to be big hitter w/o bat.

The True Freshmen

#88 Craig Roh OLB:  Pushing for starting spot, projects to be good, real good.

#73 Will Campbell DL:  "Chunky Soup" needs to get refitted to ass whooping shape, will get there eventually!

Well there is our first look at the Defense that will start us towards a championship, whether it is a National Championship, Big Ten Championship, State Championship or County Championship is the big question.  Health and rest by a more productive O will determine this groups legacy!  The talent is there, I expect an OUTSTANDING year from the Wing Tipped Defenders!  Its almost Saturday, Lets Go BLUE!

A Call to Arms

The world woke up to "scandal in Ann Arbor" today, and in my life, there has never been anything more blown out of proportion than the allegations from the now-dead-to-me Free Press.  And wow, was it picked up everywhere.  It filled the airways of local and national talk radio, and took up the first 15 minutes of the 30 minute College Football Live.  It lead Sportscenter.  It came up in my RSS reader from CNN, Yahoo Sports, EDSBS, Deadspin, and literally every football blog large and small.  Sure, there were a few cheap shots taken, and that's fine.  There was also some signs of support, and a few comments about how the amount of workout time cited in the allegations seems to be in line with the rest of the college football world.  In the end, all the negatives will be dwelled upon, and all the evidence that shows Michigan did no wrong will be forgotten.  All that will remain is the stigma that has been created, even fabricated, that Rich Rodriguez is a bad person.

The press conference commenced at 11am, and it seemed all eyes were transfixed on Ann Arbor, and on the eyes of our coach.  He took to the podium, and choked up during his opening statement.  Welled up just short of streaming tears, he looked, on a day where he should be game-planning for the most important contest of his Michigan career, like a broken man.  A man that came here from West Virginia...a man that came HERE from West Virginia.  Somehow fault is found by Michigan fans in the fact that he left his alma mater...to come HERE.  It's held against him, against his character.  He's shady, they say, without recognizing that he sacrificed everything, his friends, his reputation in his hometown, and the affiliation with the University that he attended and played football for.  And he did it all, not for the money, as his raise was minuscule in comparison to most school to school transfers, but for MICHIGAN.  He fought the lawsuit for breach of contract not to save himself $4 million, but to save MICHIGAN $4 million.

We've lived in a box for far too long.  40 years of the same regime.  40 years of the same type of athletes.  40 years of establishing the run.  40 years of Big Ten dominance and Big Bowl losses.  40 years of the quiet band and quieter crowds, waiting around for something really special to happen before they utter anything but "down in front," waiting as if the team owed them something.  40 years of calling plays from the stands, and praying that the next play was going to be that signature trick play, the double-reverse.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  You asked for it to end.

Rich Rodriguez brought in a new system.  Well, new to Michigan.  And somehow we were all surprised when it failed the first year.  Really?  You thought that the athletes recruited to play in Lloyd Carr's offense would be able to run Florida's offense?  When's the last time Michigan stopped a mobile quarterback?  That's the type of player that played for Michigan...tough, slow, deliberate.  We had all the talent in the world when it came to stopping Ron Dayne, but Donavon McNabb...not so much.  We had the men in place to jam it down your throat 50 times with Chris Perry, but ask John Navarre to dodge a rush or throw on the run?  Forget about it.  So we had 100+ square pegs slated to perform in their round holes.  Not surprising, many of those players did not like their round holes, so they transferred.  With every dissention, the world laughed and mocked us.  The dissenters cited family values and coach's character, because leaving and saying "I'm a complete pussy" doesn't read well in the paper.  They left because either they were not made for this system (Ryan Mallet), or they were not willing to make the sacrafice to change their bodies and their regimen to become a contributor in the new system (Benedict Boren).  Conclusion:  THE RICH RODRIGUEZ SYSTEM IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE OLD SYSTEM.  In my world, that equates to THE RICH RODRIGUEZ SYSTEM IS BETTER FOR WINNING FOOTBALL GAMES THAN THE OLD SYSTEM.  And yet, with every transfer, you felt like we were losing something, that Coach was doing something wrong.  The truth is, he was doing something right.

They are saying we are working too much. Personally, I don´t think we´re working hard enough. - Mark Ortman

So when the Freep article cited their anonymous sources that included some "current players," you would be wise to conclude that either they were naive Freshmen that had their words twisted, or that they were current players, "square pegs," that have found themselves usurped on the depth chart by a younger player or find themselves without the wherewithal or balls to transfer themselves.  In short, on the Michigan roster right now, there are players that are cowards, and perhaps a few that are cowards with an agenda.  And yes, I'm probably bashing them a little too much.  They are student athletes.  They are young men that were put into a difficult situation, an odd transition.  Perhaps it's not all their fault.  But I am absolutely certain of one thing....it's not Rich Rodriguez's fault either.

What I saw today at that podium was a man that has tried to do everything to appease the fanbase.  He is a man that believes in his system and is trying to make the right decisions on how to mesh his youthful process with very old traditions.  He has taken his family and uprooted them from all that they've ever known, transplanted them here, and engulfed them in maize and blue.  And what has he found?  What is his reward?  A fanbase that doesn't believe in him, and a local media that treats him worse than the alma mater he left behind.  He might be better off back in West Virginia.  WE, however, will not be.  How much more of this can Rich Rodriguez take?  How much pressure can be put on him?  This is not Philadelphia.  This is not New York.  We are not assholes.  So why are we acting like assholes?

When Michigan takes the field on Saturday, they will be going up against so much more than just Western Michigan.  They will be facing a mass media that is ready to pounce on them if they lose, and ready to talk about workout schedules if they win.  They will be facing a fan base more ready to boo an offensive three-and-out than cheer a defensive one.  They will be facing the internal fight between those who believe in the system and those who don't.  With all of that, it's hard to believe that they are expected to win on Saturday.  But that's what I expect.  Because I believe.  In Michigan.  In Rich Rodriguez.

Because I'm FUCKING ALL IN, and if you're not, then stay out of my way.

You're next Clausen, you little bitch.