Yardbarker: Michigan Wolverines

The Dantonio Double Standard

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:58:00 -0500

Last year, Glenn Winston put a hockey player in the hospital, costing him a whole year, and injured a second bystander. Neither victim did anything to provoke the violence, and Winston was fortunate to plea-bargain himself down to a misdemeanor and six months in jail. Mike Rosenberg on that: Plus, people forget this: Winston was convicted of a misdemeanor. If anything, his sentence (six months in jail) was excessive for a misdemeanor. So I understood why Dantonio reinstated Winston this ...

Unverified Voracity's Hiring Bob Stoops To Be An IHOP Line Chef

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:47:49 -0500

No, you don't get a pony. This Notre Dame coaching search is going to go exactly like the last three: everyone is going to get all hyped up about a wide variety of downright laughable names and they'll settle for someone not coaching at a power program. Unfortunately, the guy they "settle" for might be Brian Kelly—who ND Nation is hilariously opposed to—since there are exactly zero other major jobs opening up this year and Kelly has no buyout. But, still, come on peop...

Alternate Reality Heisman: Making the case for Brandon Graham

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:12:17 -0500

The most interesting aspect of the Heisman Trophy is always the players it excludes as a matter of course. With the field of favorites rapidly narrowing down the stretch, Alternate Heisman Reality looks at some of the more deserving candidates off the beaten path. Today: Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt. Generic Profile. Former five-star, all-world recruit turned two-time All-Big Ten pick at a high profile powerhouse and likely first-rounder in next April's draft. By the Numbers. Gr...

Hello: Cullen Christian

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:49:25 -0500

Michigan has gained a commitment from PA CB/S Cullen Christian, from Pittsburgh's Penn Hills High School. Yay and whatnot. How about we move on to the informative portion? GURU RATINGS Scout Rivals ESPN 4*, #3 CB 4*, #6 DB 4*, 79, #18 CB Christian can play either safety or corner, but he's ranked by all three sites as a corner. Scout.com's Bob Lichtenfels offers a scouting report: Christian is a nice sized cover corner who gets better with every re...

The Penitent Man

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:55:50 -0500

11/21/2009 – Michigan 10, Ohio State 21 – 5-7, 1-7 Big Ten Well… that could have gone worse. Unlike last year, it is possible to construct an alternate universe in which Michigan wins the game. This universe contains 80% fewer crippling Forcier errors; not much else is different. Like last week's admission of crippling ennui after game 11, this is progress of a sort. The sort is still "not very fun progress at all," but it's progress. Better than the slight com...

Buckeyes bury mistake-prone and bowl-less Wolverines

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:47:00 -0500

It has become routine for the Ohio State Buckeyes. The ninth-ranked and Rose Bowl-bound Buckeyes extended their dominance of Michigan with their sixth straight victory against the Wolverines.

Michigan-Ohio State Not All That Anymore

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:16:14 -0500

They’re putting a Michigan-Ohio State football game on this Saturday, right on schedule. The third Saturday in November, usually. You used to circle the date. Now you happen upon it, by accident... Read the full article on Bleacher Report...

Michigan Injury Report for Ohio State - Minor Out

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:20:00 -0500

Via UM Media Relations:Out David Molk (knee) Brandon Minor (shoulder) Doubtful (25 percent chance of playing) Mike Williams (ankle) Probable (75 percent chance of playing) Martavious Odoms (knee)Minor...out?! WOW. Star running back in his last game in Michigan Stadium and he's listed as "out" on the injury report?Now, granted these injury reports that surface each week from the athletic department are not always spot on...but "out" seems pretty definitive. That&#...

Upon Further Review: Defense vs Wisconsin

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:57:08 -0500

Personnel notes: Smith replaced Williams for the whole game, and the linebackers were always Ezeh and Mouton. On (rare) obvious passing downs Floyd came in for Smith. I think there may have been a few plays where Floyd subbed in for Woolfolk, too. Formation notes: Michigan spent the whole game in an eight-man front; late they moved up Kovacs for nine. Video note: there was no HD torrent this week so the quality is poor. Ln Dn Ds O Form D Form Type Play Player Yards O...

Michigan Brandon Graham Talks Justin Boren

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:59:04 -0500

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Michigan Brandon Graham Talks Justin Boren

Brandon Graham came out today when asked by the media about Justin Boren’s move to Ohio State with some hard words. He felt that Boren never gave the new coaching staff a chance and transferring is equivalent to quitting. Graham plans on making some noise on the field on Saturday and hopes Boren is on the receiving end of some of the trash talk.

By Steve Patterson

Not Justin Boren

When talking with the media today Michigan senior Brandon Graham started by stating that his kids would never be allowed to consider Ohio State. “I’m not Justin Boren. I couldn’t do that” he said. He plans on doing just as much talking on the field on Saturday. “Some people talk back, some people don’t”. he explained about the trash talking he customarily does during a game.

Michigan Front Four

Graham feels the Michigan front four on the defense will be able to handle the offensive line of Ohio State. “I trust and believe we’ve got a good front four that’s going to get the job done.” he said about his defensive teammates. And he added about Boren, “He’s going to have to prove to me he’s still got it. He was good here, but I don’t think he’s good there because it’s O-State”

Ohio State Proficiency

Boren will be the starting left guard for the Buckeyes when they face the 5-6 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday in the Big House. Ohio State has already secured a piece of the Big Ten title for 2009 and been invited to play in the Rose Bowl versus the winner of the Pacific 10 Conference. The OSU offensive line has provided space for the running backs the past two weeks to run for more than 220 yards a game against two ranked opponents. Ohio State hopes to have similar success against the Wolverines, ranked 84th nationally against the run.

The Sea Wants To Take Me

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:14:45 -0500

11/14/2009 – Michigan 24, Wisconsin 45 – 5-6, 1-6 Big Ten Henri says post away Well, I finally broke: I've checked out emotionally. This happened last year, too, and the game columns from the on were pleas for something else to do and grim, brief recaps of the latest indignity. It's progress of a sort that it took eleven games for the team to TKO any interest in what might happen the rest of this year, but it's not a fun sort of progress. A serious thematic analysis of the Wisc...

Wednesday Presser Notes 11-11-09

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:23:45 -0500

Injuries: Brandon Minor practiced a little bit yesterday, and they're hoping he can go today. Minor is day-to-day with a shoulder injury from the Purdue game. Playing can't do any more damage, but he needs to get practice reps in order to see the field Saturday. Carlos Brown should be fully healthy for this week. Junior Hemingway is day-to-day with a back issue. Martavious Odoms is still day-to-day with his knee injury. David Molk's knee surgery will take place tomorrow. ...

Minor Healthy? tOSU to Wear Old Unis at Michigan

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:55:00 -0500

• According to reports, Brandon Minor is about as healthy as he's been all season. We've been told for the last two weeks now that Minor's high ankle sprain is getting better and that he should be close to 100%. But last week, he came in for one play and fumbled the ball after getting stuffed at the goal-line by the mighty Illinois defense. • That special school from Columbus is going to be a little more special in 3 weeks when they come up to the Big House. Apparently, Nike ha...

Upon Further Review: Defense vs Illinois

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:24:00 -0500

Video note: Unfortunately my computer rebooted itself after applying an "important update" last night, which obliterated a 14-hour process via which I convert the torrent into something clippable. So no video today. I will go back in an add it later, and I'll revisit the key points in a couple of Picture Pages posts. Personnel notes: Leach replaced Ezeh until very late; Ezeh and Kenny Demens were part of the goal line package, though, with Leach apparently relegated to the benc...

The Decimated Defense

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:33:28 -0500

[Editor's note: I was working on a post similar to this today that examined the past five years of defensive recruiting with a particular focus on the secondary. This is broader but I may as well not reinvent such a well-put-together wheel. I will take this opportunity at the top of the post to rephrase something I stuck in a mailbag. Here are the members of the secondary in the recruiting classes that comprise this year's team: 2005: None. (Harrison, Sears, Richards all gone.) 2...

Don't Panic

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:58:00 -0500

Alright Michigan fans, let's just calm down a little bit. I know expectations for this team sckyrocketed after starting off the season 4-0. Even though we struggled to get past a mediocre at best Indiana team, people suddenly thought Michigan was going to go undefeated and contend for a national title. Remember, we were 3-9 last year. Realistic pre-season expectations for this season had Michigan going 6-6. OR a best case-scenario of probably 8-4 if all goes well. I personally t...

Penn State Defense Controls Game From Beginning

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:14:00 -0500

This game was the battle of the lines. Specifically, the offensive lines. I could not have been more wrong in my prediction (about Michigan) in this game. I thought Michigan would come out and play inspired football. And in a way we did, driving 70 yards on the first drive to take the 7-0 lead. But that's when the game took a terrible turn - our defense took the field. We had no answer for Darryl Clark and the Nittany Lion offense. He picked us apart all day throwing for 230 yards and ...

Baby Seals

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:40:42 -0500

10/17/2009 – Michigan 63, Delaware State 6 – 5-2, 1-2 Big Ten This what everyone wanted after last year's decision to schedule Utah didn't go as planned and Michigan slumped to a 3-9 record: a tomato can's tomato can. Someone to take lunch money or candy from. A baby seal to club, and then club some more, and then club some more until David Cone's lyrical daggers were targeting only a wet, damp smear. This is what we got, a game in which I was pondering at which poi...