Input: [Date] 4 years 20 weeks ago [Body] Tressels actions here merit firing. He has cheated his entire career and he always has handled it in the same way -- trying to maintain he was ignorant of anything that was going on. That's what he tried to do here, but the Sin-ator got caught. And the truth is he also knew a lot more about all the past transgressions and he preferred to turn his head and portray himself as outraged when he learned of these things. It is amazing the NCAA can let this slide in comparison to the swooping in to Ann Arbor that occurred after the Free Press printed numerous factual errors to aggrandize some violations that, by comparison, seem hardly worth mentioning -- written by reporters who did not know the rules themselves. Granted, our previous coaching staff created an opening by failing to have players fill out simple, required forms on voluntary workouts, which, by the way, contributed to us being hit with violations more than any other single detail. That doesn't erase the fact that the Free Press report contained errors that were never corrected, a point Michigan made in its report to the NCAA, while in the case of Ohio State we have all of what we know to be true and much more. I've not seen one credible refutation of any of the allegations made against Ohio State over the past 10 years, particularly since most of the incriminating statements came from the Buckeyes players themselves, who have fully acknowledged they were given benefits that broke the rules. The NCAA simply does not enforce its rules across the board; it picks and chooses and it has purposely steered clear of Tressel. It can no longer do that, and his favored 'plausible deniability' defense has been blown up. He participated in a coverup and we can all know this to be true: If Jim Tressel is calling a press conference ONE DAY after a story runs that was built on an anonymous source, this is nothing more than a typical ploy be someone who has much more to hide -- make an effort to offer a quick mea culpa and hope to stop the investigation right here. That can only mean he is hoping no one takes a deeper look. The NCAA loses its last shreds of credibility if it accepts the Ohio State whitewash without a full investigation that ends with multi-year probation, a loss of scholarships and a new head coach. Because the truth is, the integrity of the football program matches the academic quality of the school. [Title]

Output: The Usual Response From The Sin-ator


Input: [Date] 4 years 22 weeks ago [Body] Most projections have the Big Ten getting six teams in. Even the SEC, which is not strong this year, is projected to get six teams in. Obviously, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin are in. And then three more out of these five: Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State. I don't think anything has changed for Michigan: Win two of the final three regular-season games and one Big Ten tourney game and the Wolverines are in. We have a great chance to help ourselves by beating two teams battling us for a spot -- Minnesota and Michigan State. There is a chance, even, that if Michigan beats Wisconsin, it could get in with that and one more regular-season win even if it dropped its first tourney game. But it's not a great situation to be in, because that would mean Michigan lost to a lower-rated conference opponent to open the tournament, and that's the last game the selection committee would see. But if Michigan wins two of three to finish 9-9 in the conference, and adds a first-round win in the Big Ten tourney, I think we're in. In that scenario, it won't matter who beat who in the conference in these final two weeks. I agree with the posters who say what's more important is to see the other nonconference teams we have beaten -- Oakland and Clemson, for example -- finish strong. [Title]

Output: I say six Big Ten teams get in


Input: [Date] 4 years 24 weeks ago [Body] What a great post. Right on the money on the South and how people think. I was born in the South, in Alabama, and my whole family is from Walker County, Alabama, a rural place between Birmingham and Memphis. But my grandparents were of the generation that aimed higher and they made something of themselves. They moved north for one reason and one reason only: To educate their children, to change their lives. So it was different for me. My grandfather was a major influence in my life and he would not hear of me going to a university in the South, where he had lived most of his life. To him, it was all about the long-term view and what would be best for me the rest of my life. And so he encouraged me to go to Michigan. We were living in Michigan and he said, "You can get in-state tuition at one of the best universities in the world. Why would you go anywhere else?" This was a man who grew up poor, he knew the value of a dollar. I looked around, got accepted at a number of places and even made visits to Dartmouth and Yale. For the difference in cost, I was simply not convinced the education I'd get at those places would be worth that much more than what I'd get at Michigan. I have often wondered how different I would be, how different my career would be, if I had gone to Alabama instead of Michigan. And I am grateful I had people in my life to steer me to the place that would mean the most to me down the line. And that's why I love Michigan. It's not the football team, though I enjoy football -- it's that Michigan changed my life. After graduation, I returned to Alabama, and I stayed in the South for many years. I had the ability to succeed in my chosen field, but the Michigan degree opened doors again and again. Even in places like Birmingham and New Orleans, a lot of people know about Michigan. And the ones that don't, the ones who see it as any other school like an Alabama, you'd never want to work for them anywhere because all they're really telling you is they don't have an evolved world-view. The number of people in my family who never left Alabama because they just didn't know any better, or were scared of what's out there, far outnumber those of us who went away and came back. It is a region of misplaced priorities and underachievers. It has great soul, but in general SEC universities do not serve their athletes well once the football ends and life begins. It just doesn't matter that much to them, it only matters that they give it lip-service a la SEC Commissioner Mike Silve. He perfectly represents the SEC rationalization brigade. The mindset the writer discusses here is sadly accurate. Most of the fans of the SEC cannot see beyond the football field. Worse, they don't even understand why anyone would care to. If I could talk to high school players in the South who have a chance to go to Michigan, that's what I'd tell them. They wouldn't all see the value, but many would, and later in life they'd be grateful just like I am. [Title]

Output: My Tennessee brother, I hear ya


Input: [Date] 4 years 24 weeks ago [Body] that 18-year-old always think nothing will ever happen to them. However, I also think there really is not that much awareness among recruits that this goes on to the degree it does in the Sleazy Equals Championships conference. So I would argue that if more recruits had one-on-one talks with past recruits who were told all sorts of things that turned out to mean nothing when their scholarships were pulled, it would make a big difference. But the schools who engage in this certainly are not going to tell them, and the recruits who got cut from the team after annual tryouts are not around to tell them. It will take some work to get this more out in the open. These stories are starting to get out there but more tales need to emerge. We should not fixate on these Jones kids and argue over what did or did not happen. There are plenty more examples. A deeper look would reveal just what it has done to disrupt the lives of a lot of kids who did nothing wrong, all so that guys like Nick Saban can feel better about his depth and not be saddled with educating players he recruited and who signed with him in good faith, but just didn't turn out to be the players he thought they were. [Title]

Output: I pretty much agree..


Input: [Date] 4 years 24 weeks ago [Body] That's a good question. There's a book waiting to be written. I have seen a number of players who got screwed quoted, mostly in the excellent takedown SI wrote on the subject (and they have continued to pound away.) But there's got to be more, and you wonder what they were told, how the schools broke it to them. I wonder how many guys learned then the sole power of the university to grant and revoke a football scholarship every year -- or move them to a fraudulent medical list so they still get school paid for, but the athletic dept doesn't have to count it against the 85 cap. There are no doubt some incredible stories about what these kids were told. [Title]

Output: A good point


Input: [Date] 4 years 24 weeks ago [Body] I'm glad to see this subject brought up on this board because it is so galling to see these schools subvert the rules to give themselves an advantage. To think that Michigan went on probation for not properly accounting for stretching, while these SEC schools skate even though they deny scholarships to kids after they've moved in on campus, well, that says it all about the NCAA's priorities. Paul Finebaum has been all over this in terms of it being the wrong way to treat student/athletes or, in the case of the SEC, football players who are registered for classes. But no newspaper in the South wants to touch this, which is why you see Sports Illustrated hitting it hard. Where are the newspapers in Jackson, Birmingham, Columbia and New Orleans? Not only is there no outrage, they think their schools are smart for finding ways to bend the rules. And it certainly is reprehensible. It also produces a huge competitive edge for the SEC. What you essentially have here is schools signing students and then basically requiring them to "tryout" for the team each year. And if a guy comes in who was less than advertised, or a better guy comes along at that position, they just kick the first player off the team. They try to come up with a reason, but the fact is no reason is needed. They can just do it if they want to, and they want to. Nothing fascinates an SEC coach like a new player who looks better than the one they signed last year. So imagine if everyone else lives with the 85-scholarship rule, but your school brings in 7-8 players each year beyond the standard 25-scholarship limit. Over a four-year period, that school has a pool of more than 30 extra players to evaluate and field a stronger team. It is a huge advantage: SEC teams don't have to live with their misses. They just oversign and cut the misses from previous years as needed, or force them to take medical exemptions even if they are not all that injured. Check how many medical exemptions Alabama has each year compared to any other school in the country. It's disgusting. You can see more here: www.oversigning.com Giving your team a pool of players to build out of that is more than 30 percent larger than other schools are able to use can make a real difference in winning games -- games in which even a few players can give a team a decided edge. The SEC builds in that edge, doesn't play by the same rules, and then boasts about how strong its teams are. The league's strength on the football field is not so surprising once one looks at how they go about it. They basically run them like NFL camps. Your grades don't matter. If a better player comes along, you're gone no matter how you're doing in school -- and it's not hard to do well at an SEC school. In the immortal words of former Auburn basketball coach Sonny Smith, who said this upon learning one of his players, Mike Jones, had failed out of Auburn. "How do you fail out of Auburn?" he asked. "We could pass a house plant at Auburn, if we could get it to go to class." [Title]

Output: A reprehensible practice -- and a huge competitive edge


Input: [Date] 4 years 24 weeks ago [Body] This whole post seems to be just sarcasm and misguided anger masquerading as analysis, but the one comment that stands out as the most inane is this one: "Hopefully we'll start seeing some reason for optimism other than Mattison soon. Nothing in the intervening weeks qualifies, not even Jason Whitlock's endorsement." You haven't seen any reason for optimism from the moment Brady Hoke stepped behind the podium when he was introduced? Come on. None of us can predict the future, but if you cannot see any reason for substantial optimism in the way our new coach has gone about his first month on the job, then you're never going to see it. The way he has handled himself has been nothing but refreshing, along with the way he has represented the university and interacted with current and future players. He has a lot of excellent tangible and intangible qualities and I get a little tired of unsupported predictions that everything will get worse offensively just because the predictable spread run by RR piled up a lot of yardage against weaklings, making for some pretty, meaningless stats because it could not score against quality teams. For every stat this site continues to rely on to cast dirt on the new coaching staff, the simple counter-argument is Michigan went 0-6 last season against the six best teams on our schedule. Constantly dwelling on rushing stats means nothing. Those are averages run up against the weaklings on our schedule who were unable to tackle Denard -- but ranking high in rushing and much lower in scoring tells us a lot. When push came to shove, we got shoved -- for three seasons, not one. So be honest. No strong team had any problems keeping us out of the end zone, and that's really all that matters. I therefore don't get the point of the attacks on Al Borges, who is a highly qualified coach who has run lots of great offenses that do something the RR offense cannot: Score against physically imposing teams. I do not understand the constant praise of Rodriguez's offense. It did not succeed in the conference in which we play. You can't win a national title without winning the Big 10 first, no matter how flashy it looks. I don't know if Brady Hoke is the next superstar in coaching, but I think he's a pretty damn good coach. And I think he gets Michigan, and it shows. He has shown a lot of class, including toward Rodriguez, and including wisely staying silent as RR makes stupid comments about how he "didn't get to finish the job" (of completely destroying the football program, I assume) and how "we were just about to turn the corner," which is a galling statement after our final three games against Wisconsin, Ohio State and Mississippi State. Yeah, we were turning the corner -- right in to an oncoming locomotive known as our 2011 schedule. And based on Hoke's track record, I see no reason why he will not excel at Michigan starting this fall with a team that will be much more able to compete against the teams we play every year. So not only am I pleased with what he has done so far, I am more far more optimistic than I would be if RR had been given a fourth year. It's not even close in my mind. [Title]

Output: A meandering post of baseless anger in search of a target


Input: [Date] 4 years 24 weeks ago [Body] ... then we should be in regardless. Getting to 9-9 in conference play will be a tall order for our team. I like the direction and I like the young talent, but we've still got a lot of work to finish .500 in a very tough league. We do that, we'll get in and I agree with the poster who said that if we arrive at the MSU game with a 9-8 Big Ten record, we'll be in. Maybe one win in the conference tourney to assure it, but with the expanded field, I say we'd slip in. The hard part will be getting to 9-9 in the conference. A lot of good basketball will need to be played to reach that level. [Title]

Output: If Michigan is .500 in Big Ten play...


Input: [Date] 4 years 24 weeks ago [Body] I have to agree with LandonC. One cannot conclude much from this film. He was pushing down kids much smaller than him, I didn't see him tangling with guys who were more physically mature. And yes, he's 6-7 and has a great frame, but the world is filled with large men who suck at sports even though everyone sees how big they are and assumes otherwise. I don't think there's any question we'd love to have him as a preferred walk-on. We get depth that may project and we risk nothing. But a scholarship at this point? I just don't see it, but I'm not a coach. Maybe they work this kid out and like what they see. I just hope they're not seeing a kid who is a worthwhile project for a lower-tier school, but not for Michigan. He has been invited to visit by 3 Big Ten schools, so they are seeing something. But they'd have to be super impressed with his mental makeup, his agility and his upside to even think along those lines. He looks rawer than raw. And if he's playing at one of those 'academies,' that usually means weak competition, almost every week. To me, a big decision for Hoke and his staff only needs to be made if the kid has decided he'll only be a preferred walk-on at Ohio State, and it will take a scholarship for Michigan or another school to lure him away. Then it's a big decision. It may not come to that. Hopefully, we sell him on choosing Michigan as the place to be a preferred walk-on with an opportunity to earn a scholarship. Because it seems a stretch to think this kid, as of today, would beat out any of the potential members of the recruiting class of 2012, which is how he needs to be judged. We're going to want every scholarship we have to put together an outstanding class during a year that is being touted already for being full of great talent across the Midwest. [Title]

Output: 'Projects' need to earn schollies


Input: [Date] 4 years 26 weeks ago [Body] are even playing. RR also did not recruit Mike Martin, and would not have wanted him. Go to some games. Wisconsin ran 31 straight running plays on us. If that's not getting run over, I do't know what is. And if you don't think RR purposely built a smaller team, you're just wrong. That was a stated goal. [Title]

Output: Almost none of the guys you list...


Input: [Date] 4 years 26 weeks ago [Body] .. if only because Cooper is from ACC country. But I like our chances if it's a Big Ten school. I can't see him picking MSU over Michigan. I have felt, based on his comments, that Ferentz impressed him and Iowa was the leader. Cooper bringing his mom and brother with him to Ann Arbor is a big plus. Can only help us. Plus, he wants to go to business school and play early. We have a great business school and he can play right away. It really comes down to how he did or did not connect with the coaches and players. [Title]

Output: Don't count out Tech


Input: [Date] 4 years 26 weeks ago [Body] Michigan always has recruited well because of its academics. Lamar Woodley was a 5-star player who came because he said it was the best school. People go to SEC schools only for football, and then they either make the NFL or work as greeters at casinos and soup kitchens -- a degree from LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn, etc., is worth almost nothing. A houseplant could graduate there if you could get it to go to class. RichRod recruited smaller players. The star rating systems attach a lot to SIZE and speed, not just speed, and that's why we saw him bring in a lot of 3-star recruits. But to say recruits don't care about the academics is preposterous. It's one of the top public universities on Earth and anyone has ever had a job that involves hiring can tell you there is no comparison between Michigan grads and, for example, Michigan State grads. The intellectual divide between those two schools is great and it's simply because Michigan attracts and demands far better high school graduates. Secondly, recruiting players means recruiting their parents, and the parents care almost totally about academics and are persuasive with their sons. Finally, all those 'better football teams' at Tech, State and Iowa only became better against RichRod's little guys, who have been run over for 3 straight years. I don't think there's anything in your comment that has a factual basis. [Title]

Output: Just a brainless comment


Input: [Date] 4 years 26 weeks ago [Body] DT Darian Cooper, who is from a town right up the road from me, is a key recruit if we can land him. We really need a defensive tackle. Very thin on roster, though there is an expectation that Hoke will move some players around because the previous staff seemed to be very unsure of where some players fit -- either due to the players underperforming (Campbell) or the defensive staff not all being on the same page about the player's position (Roh and a host of DBs). But even if we find a few DTs on the roster (and new recruit Chris Rock may end up there) we still need bonafide tackles. Doubt it will be a problem after this year because it is a position Hoke really knows how to recruit, but landing Cooper -- and LB Leilon Willingham -- gives us some players in this class who might get on the field this fall. (I put Cooper and Willingham both in that category). And I think we have a chance. I'd still call Iowa the favorite -- they had him almost locked up until Mattison visited his home and persuaded him to at least visit. But the weightlifting incident, and more importantly, how Ferentz handled it by largely blowing it off and staying on the road recruiting, has produced a backlash and some concerns. It provides an opening. Unsure if Hoke and Mattison can turn Cooper this weekend, but don't forget Cooper is well aware of the Ravens D -- that's his hometown NFL team -- and the draw of playing for a coach who can get him ready for the NFL is he has that kind of ability, well, that's one of selling points. One more point: Cooper wants to go to business school. The Ross Business School is in the top 5 in the U.S. Will be interesting to see how it plays out, but I will say we have taken our best shot with this youngster, and I think he's a heckuva talent with a big upside because he is not close to topping out and plays with an unbelievable motor. If you read his comments on twitter, it's pretty clear he has opened up his mind and came to Ann Arbor this weekend sincerely interested. He's not just taking a visit because he had one more to take, which is what a lot of kids do and what I hope Jake Fisher is doing at Oregon. [Title]

Output: We need Super Cooper


Input: [Date] 4 years 26 weeks ago [Body] That's my prediction. They're not going to offer or not offer a guy based on whether some silly recruiting service gives him 3 or 4 stars. Those are just scouting reports and consensus views, they are hardly scientific. It's not like kids go on to perform based on their spot on those lists. How hard they work, their mental makeup, a lot of things carry them further along or see them plateau. People associate great recruiters with being persuasive. That is only part of it. The most important part is talent evaluation -- is the kid's best football ahead of him or behind him? There are a zillion instances in which a coach's evaluation has a kid higher or lower than he appears on a list. The guess here is they like Rawls' talent. I like what Hoke is doing in terms of evaluating upside and taking players who will excel as they physically mature. It is not true that only the guys with Big Ten-ready bodies in high school go on to be big stars in college. The All-Big Ten lists are filled with guys who were 3-star recruits. They also expect some attrition, so the current scholarship number is not a hard cap. We're going to lose a few players after this year, it's inevitable. It also is true that our biggest needs left in this class our, in this order: Defensive tackle, offensive line, tight end and then an RB. That assumes we get Willingham. Michigan needs LBs who can come in and compete for playing time. If we land Bryant and Fisher, and then get Cooper at DT, it's a strong class. Add Clark, Barnett and Rawls on top of that, it's an excellent class. Personally, I think Barnett will be tough to land, but given Hoke's performance so far, don't count him out. I think we will get Clark, which is a great get and a takeaway from State, which already is counting him out after his U-M visit. [Title]

Output: If test score is there, he gets offered


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] Unless he gets hurt, VanBergen definitely starts next season. It was the other side, played by Greg Banks and others, where we were really hurting, But if we put our best four out there on the D-line, it's going to be Martin, VanBergen, Roh and someone else. We need players who are in the system to make their mark, possibly starting with Richard Ash and Terry Talbott. It's hard to say from the mix of recruits over the past two seasons who is still even on the defensive line. One task for Mattison and crew is to straighten that out. Are Campbell and Washington on the O-line or D-line? To me, the DT spot is overall, the weakest on our team, so we may be looking at playing a lot of 3-man fronts with varied, zone blitzers. Everyone is so focused on recruiting for the secondary, but the fact is the biggest glaring weakness is most likely going to be problems stopping the run. We just don't have depth there and we have not yet identified depth out of what we have. It will be very interesting to see what this coaching staff does with the roster it inherits. At LB, guys like Kenny Demens, J.B. Fitzgerald, Josh Furman, Jake Ryan, Isaiah Bell, Marvin Robinson. Who steps up? Guys who have been on the team will most likely outplay freshman. Experience is not everything. Greg Banks has been there forever and all he really proved last season was why he never played when we had better talent I don't think we've signed a new defender yet who will get on the field this season, but if we get Willingham maybe he plays at LB. McClure possible at DB. We are signing a lot of talent, but these guys need some experience being in college, getting bigger, stronger, working their way up on the team. I would say the goal is to redshirt most of the class, with just a few exceptions. If it's more than that, then our class has some surprises in it or our defense is just that bad. I have to think Mattison is going to go with experience and see how those players respond to his staff's coaching. [Title]

Output: Agree on VanBergen


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] How would he know it? Any recruiting coordinator worth having would know it. It is their job to collect background information, tapes, anything of note. Indeed, making sure the coach has everything he needs on any potential recruit of interest is the one thing they must make a priority. Have you ever spent any time around a D-I college football program? I have. I have seen Saban's system when he was at LSU. I can guarantee you if this kid had four previous generations at U-M, Saban would not only know it, he'd act on it. These programs have all of this information on everyone. They get tapes, they have full biographical information. If he did not know it, it confirms what most people who have worked with Rodriguez -- he is not detail-oriented, which is why he didn't have the players fill out the required forms on voluntary workouts, which is the sole reason we got put on NCAA probation. A coach who said he thought that had been done and "didn't know" that it wasn't, even though it his job to know. He is ultimately responsible. And so we went on probation because when the NCAA asked for the forms every single team in the country fills out, Michigan had none. It's right there in the NCAA investigation. He should've been fired immediately for being so stupid. So if he didn't know about Wile, well, that's consistent with all the things he should have known but didn't. If he did know it and didn't recruit him at all, which is the case, then it's just more arrogance on his part. Stop making excuses for the guy. To say he should not have been expected to know Wile's background is naive. That is what recruiting coordinators do. The stuff they have on these guys is remarkable. My guess is he did know it and didn't care. And for all who say, Rodriguez is gone, let's move on, he's not gone. We're paying for it for the next 3 years because this guy just drew up plays all the time and did nothing else. It appeared no other unit on the team even had a coach -- the defense or the special teams. Everyone knows the voluntary workouts aren't really voluntary, at any school -- Ohio State's players said as much. But they said they understood what was voluntary and what was not by filling out and signing the forms. Only our former coach blew off the paperwork. So we have this guy hanging over us until the probation ends. Let's not be cutting him slack on Matt Wile. It is just another example of incompetence, not the only one by a long shot. [Title]

Output: Are you kidding me?


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] Yeah, other guys got on some little list, and Wile was picked to kick in the Army All-American game, where he played well. The rankings are always, always wrong. Smart coaches don't recruit by them. A bunch of recruiting experts on the web don't know anything and these rankings, especially on positions like kickers, are always wildly off. I stand by what I said: Expecting the coaching staff to know that a Div. I kicker has four generations of Michigan history is hardly asking him to know the background of every recruit in the country. That is a highly unusual fact, not simply where his mom and dad went to school. If it were a routine fact, I could see it, but kids like this don't come along too often. And it's a valid point to make now, because it demonstrates all the qualities Hoke had that we have needed. He gets it. [Title]

Output: Those rankings mean very little


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] I know Gibbons is on scholarship, is the other guy? Let's hope they finish their degrees. Nothing wrong with them as people, and they are still on our team. We all want them to succeed. [Title]

Output: Agreed


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] ...going to give us points where we couldn't get them the past two seasons. The bar is not too high. We just want a guy we can send out there if we get to the 25 or closer, that's all we ask. He doesn't need to be Janikowski. They other two, Brookshankin and Squibbons, can't hit their ass with both hands. One question: How in the world was Rodriguez not recruiting an All-American kicker with all this Michigan lineage? Every day, I am more and more glad he's gone. Think of the year of rebuilding we have saved by bringing in Coach Hoke -- and Greg Mattison -- right now. Amazing. [Title]

Output: Look, if he can make a 35-yarder, that's


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] We are quickly moving from hoping to salvage a decent recruiting class to now wondering just how good it can be? Don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but in two weeks Michigan football has come a long way from what it would have looked like headed into next season. I like the kinds of guys Hoke is going after -- and landing. If we can get Stefan McClure, Jake Fisher (again), Tony Posada, Leilon Willingham, Frank Clark and Matt Wile -- and a QB (as in, switch the kid who pledged to BC), a D tackle and Chris Bryant, that is one helluva class and might even finish as a top 25 class (of course,the rankings never turn out to be right four years later). And it would be nice to get a WR, whether it is Hakeem Flowers or someone else. It also sounds like RB Thomas Rawls, who is visiting next weekend, will commit just as soon as U-M offers (Rawls may be an academic question). That would give us in the neighborhood of 19-21 recruits and we're off to a nice start in the Brady Hoke era. [Title]

Output: No stopping the Hoke freight train


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] I am reminded of what Nick Saban once told me about recruiting -- ignore the experts, evaluate the kid, make your own call. Watch the tape, check out his character, does he have skills and, if so, does he work hard? Don't take kids who are lazy by nature. The hardest part about recruiting, he said, is to separate the kids who are playing close to their best football in high school, and will only get a little better, from the ones you are catching early. There are lots of stars in every college sport who were not high-profile commits. As I always like to point out, Glen Rice was Bill Frieder's third choice at small forward -- true story. You know, the guy who broke the scoring record for a single NCAA tournament. Signing kids such as Keith Heitzman is smart. I don't mind people taking stock of where he is now, but writing speculative predictions such as whether he will or will not ever make All-Big Ten, we start stepping off the ledge with that kind of talk. Heitzman will redshirt, and he's still getting bigger -- who knows what he'll look like in two years, much less five. Michigan history is filled with guys who transformed. Watch the tape on this kid. He runs well and he's going to get unbelievably stronger with Wellman. You may not recognize this kid in two years because I bet he'll never miss a workout. And I love the name: How many times have we had some kid from Ohio with a name like Heitzman playing for Ohio State and drilling us? Heitzman is the kind of guy you hate if he's on the other team, the constant motor type, but you love him on our side. So welcome Keith Heitzman. We can use smart athletes with a big upside. And the mark of a great program is you recruit guys to come in and work for a few years, then see what you've got. That is the preferable way to operate. Freshman who play should be great, not a desperation move. So let's use Heitzman as a guy to watch. Almost no buzz when he committed, yet he was going to a good school in Vandy, which by the way actually has produced some strong SEC defenses. I predict he's going to help us and he's not going to be a dumbass doing dumb things. I trust this staff's ability to evaluate. Let us not forget that when Hoke's Ball State team played Michigan, they nearly beat our butts. He's building this thing back to be strong for a decade, not just the next few years. [Title]

Output: Heitzman, Remember That Name


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] I like this breakdown. Don't know for sure if it all will turn out that way, but it's logical and it illustrates a key point -- don't underestimate the probability that the last staff's defensive coaches had many players out of position. I thought Glen Mason had a good point when he looked at our players and said, "I saw good athletes who could run," but they couldn't make they plays because they were often fundamentally unsound. The problem was the scheme and they probably had a lot of the wrong guys out there. So I have to think we'll see players put in places where they can excel and I think Robinson could be a star at linebacker. I also am high on Carvin Johnson on the back end. He's a smart, private school kid from New Orleans who knows what to do and hits. Kenny Demens, J.B. Fitzgerald, Quinton Washington, Jibreel Black, Richard Ash, William Campbell -- it is not as hopeless as one might think if some of these guys step up. The season between the first and second year is the one when most players improve the most and we have a number of guys in that category. I think we have some players. If Woolfolk steps right in and another corner emerges (sleeper: Christian is a great athlete, let's see how he does with better coaching), and we can land one hotshot (McClure? Taylor?), things start to look better. If we could get a handful of guys who redshirted last year and out of this year's class who can help on defense, this unit will get a lot better in a hurry. It's being coached now. [Title]

Output: Solid analysis


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] I just want to say that I not only agree with the writer raising the issue, I commend him. Of course he is right. These kids come from all kinds of backgrounds and cultures, and the coaching staff should reflect that, not in rigid percentages or quotas, but significantly enough to show the university's good intentions. At the end of the day, you always choose the best person. But if you find yourself never choosing a minority coach as the best person, in my view perhaps the evaluators need to at least discuss whether they're making every effort. Football is a social society as much as anything, it should reflect society. There's a diverse group of great coaches out there and it's not like Michigan is a tough sell. And it would seem that with coach Brady Hoke, as real as they come and off to a start that I'd call masterful, a world-class university such as Michigan would see the value in bringing in a few young, talented coaches who also bring diversity to the staff. You never know, one of them might go on to be head coach at Michigan. [Title]

Output: Diversity on the coaching staff


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] Let's face it folks: People don't just like Brady Hoke, they respect him and really admire him. It's coming from all corners. Once people meet this guy, they love this guy, and they love him forever, want to be around him. He's obviously treated scores of people well in his life and it's flowing right back to him in multiple ways. His former players couldn't wait to help him. His former fellow assistants can't wait to work with him. Regardless of what you thought the day he was announced, it would be hard for any new coach to turn in a stronger performance than he has his first week. He has done everything right. Check out Mattison's comments about Hoke in the story up tonight on the Detroit News site. If it wasn't Brady Hoke, he's not coming. Our new head coach is the real deal and we may be on to something with this guy. I love his OC and DC, and I love the way he has attacked this job. So, we're all wondering, is it too good to be true? Is it too much to believe that Michigan really has found the right guy? I don't think so. I think it's our fatalist attitude. I think this guy is going to win and I think we're going to land bigtime players on both sides of the ball. A defense led by Hoke and a former NFL coordinator won't hurt us on the recruiting trail, and neither will Al Borges' pro style offense. And these guys, we should note, are smart: They sell the school, the school, the school. We forget sometimes, but a Michigan degree gets your foot in the door of places other degrees can't. Our coaches don't have to sell the football facilities. Just give a tour and the kids are wowed. When it comes to recruiting, it's obvious Hoke knows what he's doing. I'm willing to say right now he'll have a strong class next fall, after his first season. And who knows, maybe he'll pull some surprises over the last few weeks this year. I'm not counting him out. He seems like a relentless force of positivity. I'm not fightin the feelin, I'm lovin it. Have a cold one, sit back and let the man do his thing. [Title]

Output: Don't Fight the Feeling


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Body] I don't personally know Stanley Jacobs of the LSU supervisors, but I did work in New Orleans for a number of years and I do know about the Tiger Athletic Foundation, the giant fundraising arm formed as a private nonprofit so it can basically do whatever it wants for LSU football, so I want to offer a sane scenario of why Brandon's visit to Baton Rouge was not necessarily to land Les Miles. 1. If Brandon had really wanted to land Les Miles, Miles would be at Michigan. 2. The people saying Miles was twice offered the job are Lousiana politicians. They certainly aren't going to say they got snookered, because a lot of LSU fans don't even like Miles. He has to be portrayed as being wanted elsewhere because he is substantially unloved by LSU fans. 3. Brandon's plan was indeed to fire Rodriguez and hire Harbaugh, who definitely would be the coach if he had wanted it. But by Brandon saying he didn't offer the job to Harbaugh, whenever everyone knows he would have, it gives Miles cover to secure a contract extension at LSU, which is all he really asked for out of the deal from Brandon, his teammate at Michigan. And Harbaugh was just one of those things: The NFL got in a feeding frenzy over him, and he was gone. And it was an itch he was bound to scratch, so better than dealing with those rumors every offseason even if he had come to Michigan. 4. The reason most LSU fans were ready to fire Miles during the 2010 season is because he is a wacky coach, but he's a consistently fortunate coach if that's the case. He wins, but somehow you don't end up sold on him. Ultimately, Brandon wasn't sold on him. And he met with Miles after he'd already spent a lot of time with Hoke, and was wowed by his interview. Miles was not the right fit and Brandon knew it, but a faction of Michigan faithful wanted him to get a look. It was a four-hour deal, period. 5. Michigan would've had to break the bank to hire LSU and his very highly paid assistants, which is fine if you're getting a coach you are super excited about. But what if you aren't excited? What if, at the end of it all, you kind of liked Hoke, the guy you had just spent the weekend with? Why unload all that cash for a staff you don't really want? 6. Brandon flew in to Baton Rouge for a pit stop. He didn't even stay overnight. He wasn't there to hire a coach, he was there to have dinner with an old teammate, tell him it was going to be Hoke and discuss how to handle it. 7. A lot of NFL players and a lot of former Michigan players who didn't make the league but are doing well in life called Brandon to recommend Hoke, with many saying he was an influence on players on both sides of the ball even then. Do not underestimate the cumulative impact of this display of loyalty. Also don't underestimate its value to Michigan going forward. 8. With more momentum than the public realized rolling behind Hoke, Brandon was never locked in on Miles. After Harbaugh, it was open, and as soon as Brandon got to know Hoke, he was the new favorite. 9. Brandon is not modeling himself after Bill Martin's pursuit of a big name. Brandon would more like to emulate the Michigan Godfather, Don Canham. Canham didn't set out to hire big names, he set out to hire promising coaches who were about to become big names once they got to Michigan, with all its resources. Hoke is an excellent recruiter -- just iike he was at Michigan -- and the two turnarounds he just pulled off did not happen at quality programs suffering a down period. We're talking Ball State and San Diego State, and his impact on those programs is impressive. The overall record is meaningless. You're getting a great coach for Michigan with almost 100 college games of head coaching experience. Hiring purely off stats is just stupid. And we also should look back and think about the defenses we had in the eight seasons when Hoke was previously on the staff. I think he will be fine. 10. So I can definitely see why Brandon did it the way he did it. He was a CEO. You check out all the candidates, then you make a decision. You don't hire in midstream, ever. Hoke is a very sincere guy, a hard-working coach who knows defense and knows to turn the offense over to a guy like Al Borges. He's also beloved by his players, the classic father figure, a guy who really can coach and also happens to love the place. Think about this: As I am writing this, you can rest assured Hoke is working for Michigan tonight and well into the night. That's the guy Brandon was spending time with before he met Miles, and that's why the Michigan plane wasn't on the ground in Louisiana for very long. 11. No matter what your view of the process, ultimately you have to judge the AD by whether he got the right guy. I am confident Brandon did get the right guy and I think Hoke will have success because of how he does things and because he's going to be a lights-out recruiter at Michigan, if not this year definitely after his first season. I'm really not worried that Hoke won't win. He's got the knack, the evidence is there and know one can sell Michigan any better than he can. 12. LSU was still smart to extend Miles and they are nuts if they ever get rid of him. He has enough talent returning to win a national title this year, and he knows it. I wish him the best and I'm glad we have Brady Hoke instead. [Title]

Output: A defense of Brandon, and moving on


Input: [Date] 4 years 28 weeks ago [Body] All Lynn Henning pieces would prefer to be fluff pieces about Michigan State. That's the place he loves the most, because MSU students actually consider his writing to be somewhat avangarde, at least by East Lansing standards. They don't question his average-ness. MSU is all about average. Occasionally, he is forced to fluff someone else, but it's must a momentary diversion until he returns to servicing Dantonio. That was the entire point of praising Hoke for potentially making an immediate impact -- an impact "just like Dantonio." [Title]

Output: Hack Henning and Michigan State


Input: [Date] 4 years 28 weeks ago [Body] Puh-leeze. We'd be better off if we hired every San Diego State assistants compared to the creampuff staff of buddies brought in by Rich Rod (with the exception of Barwis, who we hate to lose.) But let's be candid: If Rodriguez's Michigan team would've played Hoke's San Diego State team in a bowl game this past season, we would've gotten killed. The Aztecs had a great offense, not that it takes a great offense to score on a Rodriguez defense cuz even UMass runs wild, but SDSU also had a defense. . Indeed, Hoke's old San Diego State team will give Michigan all it wants this season, and if Rodriguez were still the coach, it would be a loss for sure. The band of not-so-speedy-midgets signed by Rodriguez gets run over by everyone. And for all this criticism of 'manball' by this site, it is in fact the style of play that wins games in the SEC and every other self-respecting league. Midget ball does not win, and we proved it, except maybe in the Big East or CUSA, where everyone is undersized. The silly stats on this site that tout 'improvement' also don't win games. Our players are going to grade out a lot better once they are really coached. I'm not going to criticize Hoke for being a coach who believes the game is won up front, on the offensive and defensive lines. That is an undeniable fact. It's exactly how Tressel builds his teams. Anyone who thinks otherwise knows nothing about football. Try telling an NFL coach the game does not start there. He'll laugh in your face. Rodriguez always believed the game was won in a little room where he and Clueless Calvin Magee draw up plays that they think no one can stop, though honestly, we really only ran about 5-6 plays in his 'innovative' offense for most of the game. The Mississippi State players said they had great coaching on which play Michigan would favor out of which formation, and that's how it went in the game. They toyed with us. Hoke is ten times the coach Rodriguez is. It's not even close. Any coach who presides over the three worst defenses at a school that has been playing football for more than 100 years must really suck. And to blame it all on Carr's players -- when in fact the defense got worse the more Carr's players moved on and Rodriguez's came in -- is just a fraud. And RichRod took a school not so known for a strong kicking game and made it not just worse, but remarkably worse. Breathtakingly bad. So I for one am glad the worst coach in the history of Michigan football is gone. And I welcomed him when he came: The guy can't win in a bigtime league and that's all there is to it. No amount of so-called 'analysis' will convince me he was about to turn the corner next year. That's all designed to avoid giving credit to Hoke when he starts winning. RichRod would've gone 7-5 again if we were lucky, and he would've gotten physically dominated by every good team on our schedule. Imagine Nebraska against a Rodriguez team? Ouch. He got outscored 100-24 in three games against Ohio State. Things were not getting better. This site needs to stop whining about the lost promise of RichRod's program. He devastated us with his giant ego and 'me first' approach to everything. It's not about the press picking on RichRod and loving Hoke. RichRod brought it on himself, he totally deserved it because of how he treated people. Arrogant and unyielding in fitting the schemes to the talent. Often wrong, never in doubt. His first order of business was to make sure Ryan Mallet knew he did not want him. The guy is a jerk. It's also not true the players all loved him -- we're already seeing that come out. Now that he's gone, maybe our best running backs can play -- the big, strong ones -- not just the ones who kissed his ass because they were 5-foot-6. Yeah, we'll take our lumps in recruiting and next season. But at least we got the revival started and did not waste another year watching Michigan get drilled with a predictable spread offense and a bend over defense. [Title]

Output: Hoke's staff vastly superior to Rodriguez's 'innovators'


Input: [Date] 4 years 30 weeks ago [Body] Not about BCS bowls. All I'm saying is, Michigan owns the SEC. [Title]

Output: The comment was about the SEC


Input: [Date] 4 years 30 weeks ago [Body] I personally think RichRod is gone only if Harbaugh wants the job and I think that is the right move. If Harbaugh says no, Rodriguez is back with certain stipulations, though in looking at our schedule and the little guys RR recruits, I don't see him doing better than 7-5 next year. We were so far from winning the five games we lost, really, not even competitive, that we aren't going to jump up and win those games next year. Wisconsin, Nebraska, Ohio State -- they will steamroll our small, speedy defense. I really like Rodriguez as an OC, but he runs a system built for the Big East or ACC, not the Big Ten, SEC or Pac-10. My reasoning? It's a turnover-prone offense (his WVU and M teams have led their respective conferences in turnovers for five straight years), his defensive approach struggles against power teams, and his offense is so tricky to run that you're constantly in the position of suffering a dip whenever the starting QB leaves. True, a dropoff is inevitable when any offense sees a change at QB, but it is more pronounced with the spread because of the type of offense it is. Look at Florida: Tebow leaves and Brantley might be talented, but their offense looked horrible this season. Ohio State changes QBs and it doesn't even matter. Of course, they play defense, and not with little fast guys. Look at LSU: Their offense has been average or worse, their QBs are sporadic, but Les Miles recruits defense and they average 8 or 9 wins a year, even with the down years. Sometimes, they win 10-12 games. With a more traditional pro set or I-formation approach, the offense is not so totally reliant on the QB. You can spread the risk, bring the player along slowly and the winning from year to year is more consistent. There is a reason Tressel's buttoned-down style wins -- it can be tailored to use the more experienced players more often until the QB grows up. There is a reason teams that run the spread are so up and down -- the QB is the whole offense, far more than in other offenses. They build for that one great season, then suffer a huge drop when new personnel comes in. You see it with every team that runs it. We don't want that at Michigan. It cannot consistently win. My fear is more that we won't get Harbaugh, we'll go 7-5 or 6-6 next year and we've then lost another year to get the team straightened out. I am not too impressed by the 7 teams we beat this year. We had 5 quality teams on our schedule and they all manhandled us. That's not happening if Harbaugh is the coach. Our defense will get better immediately and our offense won't get our QB killed. Denard is not going anywhere. He'll do great in any offense and, given that he did not make it through a single complete game this year, he'll see the wisdom of remaining healthy, using his teammates more, building a power running attack with Hopkins and winning a lot of games. He would love Harbaugh, who will help him become a complete quarterback and prepare him for the pros. This guy is a great recruiter and the NFL resume makes a difference with these kids. I'm for Michigan no matter what, and that means supporting Dave Brandon. If he thinks a change is the best long-term move for the program, it's his job to think about the long-term. The sky is not falling if he pays RR $2.5 million and sends him on his way. RR will get hired somewhere else and Michigan will be far better equipped to compete in the Big Ten than we are now. The nonconference inflated 4-0 record means nothing to me. If we can't win in the Big Ten, nothing else matters. So let's recognize that RR has a gift for his style of offense, but also recognize its limits. [Title]

Output: We will be fine, and Denard won't leave


Input: [Date] 4 years 30 weeks ago [Body] I believe we are 7-3 in bowl games against the SEC, including wins in 3 of 4 appearances in the Cap One bowl, which includes a 2-0 record against Florida and another win over Auburn. Indeed, we own the SEC. It's the Pac-10 teams that have given us trouble. [Title]

Output: M vs. the SEC


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] Anyone seeing anything they did not expect? I would dearly love to see a second-half miracle. It is nauseating to watch these Buckeye fans have a 3-hour party in the stands. But I agree with you. RR is a great offensive coordinator, but let's end it right there. And I think he is a nice guy who the players love. He is not a head coach. He ignored the defense and the special teams and that's why we cannot beat a good team. We don't have a half-team, we have one-third of a team. Our special teams are the worst in the country. The worst. And our defense is -- by far -- the worst defense of any team in a BCS conference, and it's the worst one we have had under Rodriguez. Hard to believe it could be worse than his first two, but it is. We gain a lot of yards. But we are not a fundamentally sound team. We have been dominated by every good team we played this year and really, the only reason Rich Rod had any chance of saving his job is because of one guy -- Denard Robinson. Take him off the team, we lose to Illinois, we lose to UMass, we probably lose to Indiana. There is no real 'progress' from the first 3-9 team except we have a superstar at quarterback. But there is more to the game. Tressel's teams are always solid across the board. They win. Flashy may be fun, but RR runs a mistake-prone brand of football that often beats itself. It takes the whole package to be the Michigan coach. We can keep some of the spread plays -- who says you have to be all one or the other? -- but we should not keep the coach. If we do, it means next year you can expect lots of yardage and about seven wins. Anyone who expects differently with this staff is just dreaming, hoping for the best. We need a head coach who can recruit across the board, not an offensive tinkerer who is literally obsessed with only one part of the game. [Title]

Output: Agreed


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] Cmon, is this that hard? Politically it becomes difficult to fire Rodriguez if he beat Ohio State. That's pretty obvious. I threw that in there because it would become a consideration, but it is so unlikely, let's not worry too much about that. It's not going to happen. And I am not saying that definitely save Rodriguez. I am saying that is his only chance. Personally, if I knew I could get Harbaugh, I'd fire Rodriguez win or lose. Harbaugh will not set us back two more years, he'll stop us from getting set back 4 years on defense. As for whether Harbaugh wants it, yes, he wants it. But lots of times it does not work out. What if the 49ers offer him $6 million a year? There can be other factors. He may very well want it, he may want more millions even more. Go out on the Web right now and look up what Andrew Luck said about next season. He considers Harbaugh like a second father and he is already saying he is concerned whether Harbaugh will be back. He loves Michigan, but what if someone offers him twice the money? These things do happen. But he is gone from Stanford. I'll pass on responding to the sarcasm. No one believes RR purposely chose overmatched players. But it is true that he pays little attention to it because he believes great offense solves all. He's not a great evaluator of defensive talent. He's not even a good defensive coach. And he is loyal to his friends to a fault. Opposing teams look at the Michigan defense and are amazed at how fundamentally unsound it is, no matter who is playing. Look, I don't hate Rodriguez. But no one should feel bad when he gets canned. The bottom line is we should be competing with the big boys, not desperately seeking to score our way into the top half of the Big Ten. [Title]

Output: Actually...


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] ... maybe you don't know what sources I have. Be sure to tell me I'm right when this goes down. [Title]

Output: Stay tuned


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] Come on. We did not beat a single good team this year. As for whether RR will make the defense better, no, he won't! That's the point. It will never be any good. He's never had a defense that could play in the Big Ten anywhere he's been. But what you're missing is this is about Harbaugh's intention to leave and Brandon not wanting to pass him up. If it were not for that, and the fact that we'll be humiliated tomorrow, perhaps RichRod gets another year. But don't tell me he's a great coach. He's a great offensive coordinator. As for asking me what record would make me happy, well, that's the point I am making. A winning record should not save the coach. We are non-competitive with the best teams, we beat only the bad teams. I don't care about any specific record, but this is a non-competitive team that will do no better against the top Big Ten teams -- plus Nebraska -- in 2011. And Brandon knows it. Everybody wants to attack when someone offers a real analysis of an offensive-minded coach who cannot win in the Big Ten. But I'm not wrong and there's nothing in this guy's performance to merit keeping him if Jim Harbaugh is saying he'd love to be the coach. If you put the two side by side, who would you hire? That's how Brandon is looking at it, not whether RichRod has made 'progress' from his first 3-9 team. If you say you'd take Rodriguez, great, we disagree. Of those two, I'd hire Harbaugh. That is the decision. [Title]

Output: Improved every year?


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] ...but I notice you did not offer any evidence to refute it. The argument I put forth is the analysis going on at Michigan. Remember what I wrote. The reason it's going to happen is Harbaugh is forcing their hand and Brandon really, really likes him. He doesn't hate Rodriguez (Mary Sue Coleman does not really care for him) but Brandon also is not sold enough on Rodriguez to pass up Harbaugh. He sees next year's schedule and he sees 7-5 again, maybe. Plus, if Michigan does not hire Harbaugh, the San Francisco 49ers will, or some other NFL team. So Michigan will make the move, as you shall see. My sources are not wrong and they are the same ones who told me three years ago that Michigan had decided not to offer Les Miles the job, which prompted Miles' famous press conference in which he acted like he had turned down a job he had never been offered. Every bit of that information was right on the money. The only way Rodriguez stays is if Michigan beats Ohio State (not going to happen) or cannot close the deal with Harbaugh (doubtful, given both sides' interests). But even if Michigan strikes out with Harbaugh and keeps RichRod, he will then be forced to hire a top DC and let him pick his assistants. Things can always go wrong in a negotiaton, but that's all that will save RichRod. Brandon is shrewd. If Harbaugh wants it, he's the new coach. [Title]

Output: Say what you want...


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] ... of course, it's easy to be cool when you know your team is going to kill us. The only silver lining is it will be crystal clear to all Michigan fans why David Brandon has decided to replace Rodriguez with Harbaugh. You can't win with half a team, or a coach who only knows half the game and won't turn the other half over to someone who could turn it around. [Title]

Output: Cool post


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] ...that won't matter. If they can hand the ball off, that will be enough against the Michigan defense. Used to be knocking out a star player meant something in this game, but Michigan cannot stop any offense, good or bad. If Ohio State has no turnovers, they win by 21, easy. Because they will stop our offense enough by just forcing it into mistakes. [Title]

Output: The OSU backup QBs are awful, but....


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] Here's now you will know it's Harbaugh: If Rich Rod gets fired. If he's not fired, that means Brandon could not land Harbaugh. He won't make a move unless he is certain. He won't fire the coach and take a chance on a coaching search. If he cannot get JH, Rich Rod gets another year with a new defensive staff. But if RichRod gets fired, then you can be sure Brandon has his man ready to take over. It's down to that. [Title]

Output: What's next? Harbaugh


Input: [Date] 4 years 35 weeks ago [Body] All you have to do is look at how we did against the four best teams we played -- Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan State and Penn State -- and you will know we have absolutely no chance in this game unless Ohio State has 5-plus turnovers and we get touchdowns off of four of them. I like the spread offense, I really do, but I am a little tired of all these people on here saying that, 'Now that we have the offense in shape, once we add the defense next year, we'll be great!" No, we won't. Rich Rodriguez has never had a great defense. In the Big East, there is no such thing. His 'great' 3-3-5 defenses there would have gotten decimated in the Big Ten. All you need to do is note that Michigan, which is not close to contending for the Big Ten, whipped a mediocre UConn team that may very well clinch the Big East's BCS berth. There is absolutely nothing to support the argument that our itty bitty defenders are going to do any better next year. The truth is, no matter how dynamic the offense, it means nothing because touchdowns mean nothing in Michigan games. They only mean something if we can stop other teams from scoring at will, which we have not been able to do for 3 years. The recruiting claim is hogwash. This defense has gotten worse every year. Indeed, the three worst defenses in Michigan history are the past three seasons -- and this season's is the worst of all. If he was still our coach next year, the defense might even get better, but it still will be the fourth-worst defense in Michigan history. No one can argue that. It's over folks. Laugh at Wojo and Lynn Henning all you want, but has no one noticed the abrupt change in the tone of Wojo's writing the past few weeks? In his long interview with RichRod about a month ago, he sounded quite supportive. He's not banging that drum anymore. You know why? He's got sources and he knows something. So does Henning. These guys are around the program a lot. They know that Rodriguez is gone. The winning record will not save him. Michigan has not beaten a good team all season. It's a joke. These columnists are sending signals in their columns, they're not guessing. If you're not seeing those signals, that may be because most are analyzing this the wrong way. It has nothing to do with whether one can argue Rich Rodriguez deserves another year. In a perfect world, he does. Hard to argue that. He's only had 3 years. But here's the problem: Harbaugh is leaving Stanford. Gone. Period. It might be Michigan, it might be the NFL, but he is gone. Bank it. Even Andrew Luck, who is going to turn pro, mentioned that one reason is he's not sure Harbaugh will be back. So for David Brandon, here is the crossroads: If you don't want Harbaugh, then you bring Rich Rod back. If he doesn't work out next year, you get someone else. By then, Harbaugh is someplace else. But if you do want Harbaugh, you make the move when you can get him. And quite frankly, it's a move I would make. I like Rich Rod, I think he is one great offensive coach. I do not think he is a great head coach. I think he shows it all the time. A great coach does not let his defense get this bad. A great coach does not keep his friends on staff on a defense this bad, he fires them. A great coach does not get so obsessed with his offense that he convinces himself marginal defenders won't matter, because no one will stop us. There is a problem when the offense is in the top 10 in the nation and the defense is in the bottom 10. If you see that kind of disparity, there is a problem with the head coach. That cannot happen at a place like Michigan and there's nothing to make me believe he has it in him to admit he knows nothing about defense, get rid of his buddies and bring in a DC who has full authority. Rodriguez thinks he has it on the right track. He is that stubborn. And Brandon has figured that out and he's going to end this now. So the reason Rodriguez will be fired is two-fold: 1) The 'progress' is deceptive, and the 'progress' does not win games. Yes, the team is better on offense this season, but that's only because it has been so horrendous the past two seasons. But the gap between where Michigan is now and actually DEFEATING talented teams is wider than ever. We are not just losing, we were non-competitive against every good team we played except maybe Iowa, and even in that one we were only within striking distance, but not outclassed completely. Brandon is looking at that competitive gap and he does not see this staff, with its philosophy and the head coach's stubbornness, closing that gap. Brandon might have given him one more year except... 2) Harbaugh is leaving Stanford, he has made sure Michigan knows it, and so it is now or never for Michigan. It is going to be now. The man is a complete football coach who could be at Michigan 20 years. It's the job he wants. He wants to coach in the Big Ten, and we should be thankful Michigan State did not hire him four years ago. Brandon cannot pass him up and don't look at our current 7-4 record (7-5 after tomorrow) to make a case for Rich Rod. Look at the huge competitive gap in the games involving the Big Ten's top teams. Brandon has to address it and he knows that if he brings Rich Rod back, it will be another year of big scoring and giving up big scoring. No one should say Rich Rod did a great job. He cost himself a winning season with stubborness and stupid personnel decisions in year 1. He was an interesting experiment and that's how we'll remember him, but he took 40 years of winning and replaced it with a speedy team of midgets that gets steamrolled by quality Big Ten opponents. A head coach with a big-picture view of what it takes would never have made that mistake, and Harbaugh will start correcting it immediately. Denard is not going anywhere. He'll win more games when we have a complete team, led by a complete coach. So don't argue about the pros and cons of Rich Rodriguez. We all have seen it. This is about Harbaugh's availability and a new CEO-minded AD who is going to grab him before someone else does. We should all wish Rodriguez well. He has quite an impact on college offenses. But he is not the complete package, as our half-team proves. Go Blue! [Title]

Output: The Night Before Rodriguez's Last Michigan Game


Input: [Date] 4 years 38 weeks ago [Body] I like J.T. Floyd. He seems like a good kid, probably could be a pretty good Big Ten player. But let's be honest: It simply does not matter with this defense. I can tell you, on very good authority, that the press corps that covered Greg Robinson at Syracuse thought he was a nice guy, but quite possibly the worst coach in the history of the Orangemen. He speaks in code, his teams always suck, and his great resume touts his defenses at Texas and with the Denver Broncos, but neither of those teams won with defense. Texas had Vince Young, the Broncos had John Elway. Does anyone even remember the defenses on those teams? And now, Robinson gets fired at Syracuse and the team is instantly better, in terms of record and on defense. I am so tired of hearing youth blamed. I am so tired of hearing Lloyd Carr blamed. The best part of this defense is the D-line -- all recruited by Carr. Has Rodriguez recruited a single impact player on defense? The only way I keep this coach is if he is ordered to bring in a strong D coordinator and leave him be. Hell, bring back Gary Moeller, the best post-Bo coach we have had. And if Rodriguez resisted, I'd fire him and not look back. Also, all everyone talks about is Harbaugh. He's not coming to Michigan. I went to school with the guy. He wants an NFL job. We don't need someone who just wants to step to the NFL. Great coach, but he's likely headed to the Carolina Panthers. He sees his brother's success and all the fame and money of the NFL and that is his preference. Don't expect to see him in Ann Arbor, even if Rodriguez is fired. [Title]

Output: It doesn't matter who plays....


Input: [Date] 4 years 47 weeks ago [Body] I will admit to a feeling of falling off the cliff when I heard about Troy Woolfolk's injury until I remembered that he is a super athlete, really fast, but not a great football player, at least at DB. And I recalled what Nick Saban once told me at an LSU practice about a highly recruited, super fast guy, who never played, as he raced down the field ahead of everyone else: "He's fast, he's strong, he's a great athlete, but he can't cover anyone and every time he has a chance to make a play, he doesn't. I don't play those guys." So I'm going with our freshman, just because I've seen our 'experienced' players. My sleeper for the secondary is Cullen Christian, who has the goods to pick things up quickly and play well. I stand by my 8-4 call, which means we go 3-1 in nonconference (we might drop one in South Bend, though the Irish are also defenseless and their coach seems to hate stopping people even more than ours). I'm not buying the MSU hype and we correct that little, disturbing trend and anger the most classless coach in the league. We'll also beat Indiana, Illinois and Purdue, the latter not as tough as some might expect. And if we start 3-1, we'll need one win out of this group: Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn State (word is Kevin Newsome can't hit the broad side of a barn), Ohio State. I know which one I'd prefer. [Title]

Output: Very good analysis, but I'll stick with 8-4


Input: [Date] 4 years 47 weeks ago [Body] Folks, Not to throw cold water on this discussion, because the Free Press so-called investigation of Michigan was about as flawed and biased as they come (not helped, of course, by the failure of the Rodriguez staff to fill out routine forms regarding voluntary workouts that all D-I programs lie on), but the Detroit Free Press is owned by Gannett Newspapers and was previously owned by Dean Singleton's company. It has never been owned by Newhouse. Also true, and more to the bias point: The Free Press reporters lied to Michigan players, particularly freshman, and wrote a series that was deceptive in its breathless declarations that greatly embellished and exagerrated the facts. And then the paper took the view that any NCAA violations made their entire series true, but as we know, that is not so and the reporters remain guilty of lying. The JeRon Stokes quotes, and the response from the kid's father, are exhibit A on that point. Anyway, way back when, Newhouse bought Booth Newspapers, which was a family chain, and that gave Newhouse the papers in Ann Arbor, Flint, Bay City, Saginaw, Jackson and Grand Rapids. Curiously, they decided to close Ann Arbor, a city with more potential readers than any of the others, as a grand online experiment which led to what could arguably be called the worst newspaper-converted-to-online-only-disaster in the history of the internet. If you pulled Charles Woodson and replaced him with Jordan Kovacs' little sister, that would be an appropriate football analogy. I have no quarrel with the point about the inherent bias of the MSU grad being in charge at mlive.com, though I am not surprised an MSU grad is at the helm as it is one of the ugliest, most poorly organized web sites around with millions of dollars behind it. The problem with bias here, in my experience, is that Michigan grads always have found it much easier to view Michigan State properly and objectively (which is to say, if you cannot get in to Michigan and you don't care all that much about future total household income, MSU is a reasonably decent place to get a degree that will make you one of the more polished barristas at Starbucks) than Michigan State fans have in viewing graduates of the great, world-class research institution in Ann Arbor. (The overall problem, I believe, stems from every MSU grad secretly wishing they were U-M grads, because that degree can take you somewhere that is not an A) lowly paid school teacher, and God knows MSU cranks out a lot of dumbass teachers or B) a hotel manager, because you can major in that there, which is the suit-and-tie version of majoring in welding.) Personally, I don't think MSU grads should be able to draw unemployment because they knew that was going to happen and they went to school there anyway. So of course the mlive.com guy is a little mad. That job pays like crap, too, and you can tell by looking at that sea of garish type that passes for one of the state's major news sites. Now, back to the bias discussion! [Title]

Output: Free Press owned by Gannett, not Newhouse


Input: [Date] 4 years 47 weeks ago [Body] Hey folks, I am new to this site, which I turned to because some genius decided to stop publishing the Ann Arbor News, I cannot stomach the writing of Michael Rosenberg and Drew Not-So-Sharp in the Free Press, and I am so happy that someone else has stepped up. So good for the founders of mgoblog. While I thank god for Wojo in the News (and what a mismatch it is when he and Rosenberg write on the same days) I firmly believe this site is now the best thing out there covering Michigan football. I'm also in the media business, having previously run the East region sports coverage for The Associated Press before moving to D.C. a few months ago. So I have seen a lot of these East region football teams play and overall, I'm not all that impressed with the Big East. That great Cinci team of last year would've gotten drilled four times in the Big Ten. In fact, I think one of the reasons Rich Rod's defenses at Michigan have struggled is because he came from the Big East, where teams are simply do not play the same physical, bruising style seen from teams that have given Rodriguez's Michigan teams a lot of problems. This data is interesting and worth noting, but the problem is these teams play in different leagues, so it must be qualified. The Big Ten is stronger than the Big East, markedly so. No one in the Big East is great on defense. Cinci had one of the worst defenses I've ever seen, and they won the league. (A story for next week, but when it comes to not playing defense, Brian Kelly takes a backseat to no coach. Expect a porous Irish team.) So, sure, UConn is a scrappy bunch and Edsall is a disciplined, Carr-like caveman who has done a great job. LET'S NOT GET CARRIED AWAY. 8-5 in the Big East doesn't wow me. Being picked as one of four teams that could win a league only tells us no one is that great. UConn has a lot of weaknesses. They don't have great team speed, the QB is very suspect (the better one got suspended), they essentially have one quality RB and they are burdened with - yes, it's true - a secondary that looks as bad as Michigan's only doesn't even have the potential upside of youthful talent. They'll try to line up and jam the ball down Michigan's throat because, hey, it works for everyone else. That's the key thing to notice here: If we cannot stop a running team that doesn't throw it all that well, we've got problems. Again. Never mind the secondary. Can't stop the run? Done. I expect Michigan to be better against the run, if only because we literally cannot get much worse. And this may not be what anyone wants to hear, since the last thing we'd like is to ponder another new defensive coordinator, but Greg Robinson made Syracuse a lot better just by leaving. Doug Marrone comes in from the New Orleans Saints, has very little to work with, and the Orange defense is immediately, markedly better. Did anyone catch Robinson talking about his defensive philosophy on the Big Ten network? He is incomprehensible. If that's how he teaches it to players, no wonder we stink. The jargon-laden nonsense he spews makes everything sound a lot more complicated than it should. Let's hope 'simplifying' the defense started with getting another coach to handle explaining it to the players. He makes my eyes glaze over. The only stat that really matters in games in which one team has significantly better talent - but perhaps lacks confidence - is turnovers. Michigan has a lot more talent than UConn - if the Wolverines don't put the ball on the ground or throw it to the other team, Michigan wins. WINS BY 10 POINTS OR MORE. The skill positions are a mismatch, with the possible exception of Todman (who piled up yards, but in the Big East.) UConn does not have great speed on defense or offense. The Huskies come with a very workmanline attack. Our problem going in is that, under Rodriguez, Michigan has become a turnover machine. Everyone seems to fumble. It's the biggest problem the team has had. Under Bo/Moeller/Carr, to beat Michigan, you had to beat us, and our defense was going to make it hard. You just did not often see Michigan beat itself. Under Rodriguez, you just wait for Michigan to screw up and pick up easy scores against our matador defense. So, I know we all should be respectful and all that, but let's be honest: Michigan should shred this team if it doesn't bring about its own demise with the sloppy play that has been the hallmark of Rodriguez's tenure. [Title]

Output: Stats are worth analyzing, but we should hammer UConn


Input: [Date] 3 years 38 weeks ago [Title] Yes. They are brothers. [Body]

Output: Yes. They are brothers.


Input: [Date] 4 years 11 weeks ago [Title] I think we need one [Body]

Output: I think we need one regardless of win total for all the pairs of recruits!


Input: [Date] 4 years 12 weeks ago [Title] I'm pretty sure gay people [Body]

Output: I'm pretty sure gay people like having sex too...


Input: [Date] 4 years 13 weeks ago [Title] Well, for starters, I clearly [Body]

Output: Well, for starters, I clearly state that I wasn't huge on the pick, so I have no idea where you are getting "happy" from. As to your point, I'm not suggesting we use that standard, just refuting the post's assertion that wealways do poorly in free agency. While Matt Millen was GM, he didn't do anything well, which includes both the draft and free agency. The original post suggested that because of said free agency problems (under Millen), we shouldn't/can't succeed doing that now (with Mayhew). I think that is completely incorrect.


Input: [Date] 4 years 13 weeks ago [Title] Yea, because our round 1 and [Body]

Output: Yea, because our round 1 and 2 cornerbacks have really worked out, right? I sure loved Terry Fair getting burned every play. Or how about Bryant Westbrook leading the league in pass interference calls against? I'm not huge on the pick, but if we had him ranked as the best player, I'll give Mayhew credit for not reaching on a CB who he had lower on his list.


Input: [Date] 4 years 13 weeks ago [Title] I think that making players [Body]

Output: I think that making players stay in college for three years would improve the quality of play in both college and the NBA. As of right now, players with lots of potential are bolting early before they develop and before they are ready for the next level. And while it would possibly minimize mid-majors, I think it would make the power conferences deeper because Kentucky and Duke could no longer pick up 2-4 top 25 players, since they wouldn't be able to find playing time for everyone.


Input: [Date] 4 years 14 weeks ago [Title] The Hangover is absolutely [Body]

Output: The Hangover is absolutely hysterical, IMO. Old School and Dodgeball are also very funny.


Input: [Date] 4 years 14 weeks ago [Title] This post was awesome. It's [Body]

Output: This post was awesome. It's also comforting that people who know much more about football than me also feel encouraged by the progress being made on the defensive side of the ball.


Input: [Date] 4 years 14 weeks ago [Title] Manningham and Arrington [Body]

Output: Manningham and Arrington still had eligibility left. McGuffie and Mallet transferred. The amount of attrition during the RR years was absolutely ridiculous. . And while people will argue over who was to blame for the mass exodus, Lloyd Carr cannot possibly be blamed for it, IME.


Input: [Date] 4 years 14 weeks ago [Title] That's great news. I actually [Body]

Output: That's great news. I actually have pretty high hopes for both Michigan and the Lions this year.


Input: [Date] 4 years 14 weeks ago [Title] My guess is that they are [Body]

Output: My guess is that they are actually rewarding us for finally beginning resemble an NFL football team. (though I'm sure the MInnesota thing didn't hurt)


Input: [Date] 4 years 14 weeks ago [Title] Wow, you are a douchebag. I'm [Body]

Output: Wow, you are a douchebag. I'm pretty sure that is something both pro- and anti-RR factions could agree on.


Input: [Date] 4 years 14 weeks ago [Title] Like I said, I agree Carr [Body]

Output: Like I said, I agree Carr that Carr lost his edge by the end. But declining as an in-game coach and torpedoing the program are two VERY different things. You seem to be forgetting the venue in which we were playing USC that year. Oh yea, it was the Rose Bowl. A bowl game we frequented during Carr's tenure. By the way, you might also recall Mississippi State players talking about how they knew all of our plays in the Gator Bowl this year too.


Input: [Date] 4 years 14 weeks ago [Title] Saying that Michigan was run [Body]

Output: Saying that Michigan was run into the ground by Lloyd Carr is even more ignorant than believing a "Michigan Man" is necessary to win at the University of Michigan. Sure, Lloyd had a bad final season (which also happened to be one win better than RR's best season) and had clearly lost his edge. However, the year before, we were literally a very questionable late-hit call away from playing for the National Championship.


Input: [Date] 4 years 15 weeks ago [Title] First of all, the fact that [Body]

Output: First of all, the fact that you are actually comparing SDSU's performance against top 25 teams to Michigan's is just another indication of how far the Michigan program has fallen in the past 3 years. As for our offense, touting how many points we put up against one top team who was playing a borderline prevent defense when we scored said points doesn't exactly strengthen your argument. I'll admit, I wasn't thrilled about the Hoke hire. That being said, I feel better about the direction of the team and am looking forward to not being embarrassed against good Big Ten teams. By the way, you must be so proud of yourself by taking an (annoying) meme, and turning it into a noun. Congrats, you're awfully clever.


Input: [Date] 4 years 15 weeks ago [Title] This [Body]

Output: People continue to allude to this unstoppable offense of a year ago which simply did not exist against top 25 teams.


Input: [Date] 4 years 15 weeks ago [Title] The offense will be fine. We [Body]

Output: The offense will be fine. We have too many playmakers not to be well above average by the time September roles around. And, did you notice the defense? For starters they actually made tackles AND were able to bring some pressure up front. Maybe we won't consistently be down three touchdowns at halftime against top 25 teams next year. I would be shocked if we didn't win at least 8 games (not including the bowl).


Input: [Date] 4 years 15 weeks ago [Title] Seeing as our defense [Body]

Output: Seeing as our defense routinely made opposing teams look like offensive juggernauts last year, using Michigan's performance last year in the Spring Game seems silly to me. I honestly think the RR loyalists and/or Hoke haters would have ripped this game regardless of the outcome. If our offense looked great they would contend we haven't done enough on defense. I don't think anyone could watch this and say with a straight face that our defense doesn't appear to be making significant improvement (as opposed to consistent regression the last three years).


Input: [Date] 4 years 15 weeks ago [Title] I don't actually have a [Body]

Output: I don't actually have a specific memory that caused my fandom to click on, I can just always remember rooting hard for the Maize and Blue, and aspiring to go to school in Ann Arbor. My first MIchigan memory though is going to the Big House with my dad to watch the MSU game. We won 40-20 and Tyrone Wheatley will forever be my favorite MIchigan player. I only sent out one application for undergrad... glad I got accepted.


Input: [Date] 4 years 16 weeks ago [Title] I love Tom Brady, but there [Body]

Output: I love Tom Brady, but there is no way his number gets retired at MIchigan, nor should it quite frankly. He will just have to be content with being a first ballot NFL Hall of Famer and in the conversation for best NFL quarterback of all time.


Input: [Date] 4 years 16 weeks ago [Title] I'm setting the over/under [Body]

Output: I'm setting the over/under that Brian is able to go two consecutive weeks without bringing up Rich Rodriguez or "the process" at 1 year. I am taking the over.


Input: [Date] 4 years 18 weeks ago [Title] I have to believe that what [Body]

Output: I have to believe that what you wrote was a (very bad) satire. If not, then wow. Last I checked the program had already been ran into the ground by Hoke's predecessor. My guess is Hoke's record will look significantly better than 15-22 after three years, though, admittedly, his offense will most likely look much less flashy. Oh no!!


Input: [Date] 4 years 18 weeks ago [Title] "Hurrah for the yellow and [Body]

Output: "Hurrah for the yellow and blue" is a line from the alma mater...a song disappointingly few are familiar with these days.


Input: [Date] 4 years 18 weeks ago [Title] There is no "worst part" [Body]

Output: There is no "worst part" about winning football games after three years of...not winning football games.


Input: [Date] 4 years 18 weeks ago [Title] Duke Win [Body]

Output: I believe a trip to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 90s would have meant more to our basketball program (including a major benefit to recruiting) than one individual recruit would mean to our football program.


Input: [Date] 4 years 19 weeks ago [Title] Wow, what a ridiculous [Body]

Output: Wow, what a ridiculous finish.


Input: [Date] 4 years 19 weeks ago [Title] Wow, I am surprised at how [Body]

Output: Wow, I am surprised at how unimpressive all of their numbers are (besides offensive rebounding), especially considering almost every national "expert" that I have seen has Tennesse winning. I like this matchup. So they have two stud players and not much else offensively? That sounds awfully similar to our team last year.


Input: [Date] 4 years 20 weeks ago [Title] True JR, unfortunately. [Body]

Output: True JR, unfortunately.


Input: [Date] 4 years 20 weeks ago [Title] WDFN is definitely the better [Body]

Output: WDFN is definitely the better of the two (now that Drew Sharp is no longer on the air), although I think Karsch and Anderson are great You have a Michigan guy and very reasonable (and funny) Sparty.


Input: [Date] 4 years 21 weeks ago [Title] Bust out your brooms! And, [Body]

Output: Bust out your brooms! And, more importantly, your dancing shoes! It is literally impossible to not love this team.


Input: [Date] 4 years 21 weeks ago [Title] 229 [Body]

Output: 229 Go Blue!


Input: [Date] 4 years 21 weeks ago [Title] Right, but WERE they best [Body]

Output: Right, but WERE they best available, we would pass on them for a position of need, which was my whole point. As for Julio Jones, there is absolutely no chance the Lions would take him in the first round. Mayhew's old boss liked to pick WRs in the first round and we saw how that worked out. We can address WR in free agency by picking up a moderately priced possession reciever.


Input: [Date] 4 years 21 weeks ago [Title] So you think if the best [Body]

Output: So you think if the best player available is a WR, TE, or RB we should take them? If so, that's absolutely ridiculous. I agree that OT would be an acceptable pick, but we have a much bigger need at OLB and CB. As for your comment about the defensive line, apparently you didn't watch the games too closely last year, because they generally dominated the line of scrimmage despite having a terrible secondary and linebacking core behind them. And KVB, who you for some reason want to replace, goes 100% every play and still has 3 years left on his contract. Are the Lions great? Absolutely not. However, best player available is no longer an option.


Input: [Date] 4 years 21 weeks ago [Title] For the first time in years, [Body]

Output: For the first time in years, "best player available" is not the right strategy, which is sweet but makes the 13th spot less than optimal. I think we should and will go CB and OLB in the first two rounds (the order will depend on who is on the board). Offensive tackle and then maybe a fat back or possession reciever in the later rounds sounds good. As for all the safety talk, I really think Spievey will be solid alongside Delmas. He showed flashes last season and will only get better, considering he was new to the position last year.


Input: [Date] 4 years 21 weeks ago [Title] Having a broken foot has [Body]

Output: Having a broken foot has nothing to do with Peterman's insistence on getting at least one false start penalty nearly every game. Nor being a below-average NFL guard his entire career.


Input: [Date] 4 years 22 weeks ago [Title] Couldn't agree more. He is, [Body]

Output: Couldn't agree more. He is, admittedly, quite athletic and coordinated for a skinny, 6'8 middle schooler, but when you are that much bigger than the kids you are playing against you are going to dominate. If he plays varsity at a D-1 high school as a freshman, I would be surprised if he made much noise.


Input: [Date] 4 years 22 weeks ago [Title] Seeing as DB wasn't AD at [Body]

Output: Seeing as DB wasn't AD at that point, it's pretty hard to blame him for that.


Input: [Date] 4 years 23 weeks ago [Title] With the talent Hoke has [Body]

Output: With the talent Hoke has coming in, I see anything less than 7-5 as a disappointment. That being said, the more important thing will be to see steady improvement throughout the season. Yes, our team was young last year, but to show absolutely no improvement on defense and special teams was quite alarming.


Input: [Date] 4 years 26 weeks ago [Title] You sound a bit like Holden [Body]

Output: You sound a bit like Holden Caufield. Admittedly, the search was an absolute circus, however, it wound up netting Greg Mattison and a solid head coach.


Input: [Date] 4 years 27 weeks ago [Title] I made it through both CMU [Body]

Output: I made it through both CMU and NW as well. Though I would have to say staying through the whole OSU was easily the most miserable. It was cold, rainy, and an absolute blow-out.


Input: [Date] 4 weeks 1 day ago [Title] Punch the idiot ump for not overturning on replay too [Body]

Output: It was clearly going to clear the yellow line without the fan interference. Seriously, what in the flying fuck is going on with replay reviews this year? There have been quite a few calls that should have overturned. The only thing that I can think of is that the replay ump is protecting his fellow umps, by letting some of these calls stand.


Input: [Date] 6 weeks 4 days ago [Title] The Tigers are just not an intelligent team at the plate [Body]

Output: Game ending double play was the perfect example of that. JD should have been looking for a pitch up to at least get the tying run in, instead he stupidly swings at a pitch low in the zone on the very first pitch. He should have elimated the low pitch as something he would not swing at before even going to the plate. There is a reason why this team is somehow is at the top in OBP( which actually could be higher if they took more walks) and BA, but in the bottom half of the AL in runs scored. They are just awful at using their heads at the plate, with regards to situational hitting. The added speed is going to waste, because they don't do the little things to scratch out runs. Hate to say it, but barring a move or two at the deadline and V-Mart turning into last year's version, the window might have already closed.


Input: [Date] 14 weeks 5 days ago [Title] Have we been watching the same game ? [Body]

Output: The Wings actually have more scoring chances than TB, they have played far better today than in game one.


Input: [Date] 14 weeks 5 days ago [Title] Actually feel better about this series after today [Body]

Output: It is strange to say down 4-0, but the play has been pretty even today in terms of chances. In game one the Wings didn't look like they belonged on the ice with TB, despite the win.


Input: [Date] 14 weeks 5 days ago [Title] They have played much better [Body]

Output: They have carried the play at times, unfortunately one of those strange games where the scoreboard tells a different story.


Input: [Date] 14 weeks 5 days ago [Title] That is fucking bullshit [Body]

Output: How the hell did the Red Wings get an extra penalty out of that? TB started the whole thing.


Input: [Date] 15 weeks 1 day ago [Title] All the prosecution had to prove is that he was there [Body]

Output: Under the law they have, whether he pulled the trigger or not didn't matter. Admitting he was there was actually a idiotic move on the part of the defense, given that fact.


Input: [Date] 16 weeks 2 days ago [Title] Somebody in the other thread said these were [Body]

Output: the same officials from the title game against Louisville. Is that true? If it is, what in the fuck were these jokers doing near another title game?


Input: [Date] 16 weeks 2 days ago [Title] Didn't catch the names of the officials [Body]

Output: Are they really the same ones, who officiated the title game against Louisville? If so, they have possibly cost two teams national titles. They should have been nowhere near a title game after the previous one.


Input: [Date] 16 weeks 2 days ago [Title] Tigers should still be the favorite in the division [Body]

Output: Even with the question marks and the improvement of the Sox, they still have the most starpower in the division. The Royals lost some key pieces, and the Indians will still have the same flaws they had last year. The combination of Cabrera, Martinez, Martinez, and Cespedes could be the best 3-6 in the game and will be very difficult for opposing pitchers to deal with. The one and two combination of Price and a healthy Anibal Sanchez at the top of the rotation, regardless of what happens with Verlander is still top notch. I think non-Tiger fans underestimate Sanchez, the guy was the ERA champion in the AL two years ago. The bullpen, Verlander's performance/health and other question marks like the leadoff spot against righties might keep this team from reaching it's ultimate goal again, though.


Input: [Date] 17 weeks 1 hour ago [Title] True [Body]

Output: The foul that was called on the wrong Louisville player and should have fouled Hancock out of the game was arguably even worse.


Input: [Date] 19 weeks 6 days ago [Title] Was not able to watch the game [Body]

Output: 16 free throw attempts to 2, and 13 fouls to 5 seems pretty slanted. Looking at the box score it looks like they outplayed or at least matched Wisconsin in most areas, shot a higher percentage and made more field goals. Like I said I wasn't able to watch, so I don't know if the officiating was as one sided as it appears, but I would hate if a team with as much heart as this one had their NCAA dreams ended, due in part to bulllshit.


Input: [Date] 21 weeks 5 days ago [Title] Counterpoints [Body]

Output: 1. Stanford was an absolute wreck before Harbaugh arrived, even a great recruiter would not be able to walk into that place and bring in top 10 recruiting classes. Stanford's recruiting classes in 2009 and 2010 (after he had established himself) were both significantly better than anything Stanford had brought in prior to Harbaugh arriving. Before arriving at Stanford he was also not on most people's radar as a great coach, that is clearly not the case this time around. Given the fact that Hoke and his staff were able to bring in a couple of top 10 classes I think you are being somewhat delusional, if you don't think a guy with Harbaugh's pedigree and his staff can't do the same. 2. You can win with any style. Harbaugh didn't have Alabama like talent at Stanford either, but that didn't stop him from going 12-1 in his final year. Offense regardless of what a team runs still ultimately comes down to execution and having a good gameplan. Acting as though a defense can't slow down a spread offense with a good gameplan and execution is also silly. You are also assuming that Harbaugh is more rigid than he actually is, his teams at Stanford while being heavy pro style also utilized some spread elements and SF was also one of the first teams in the NFL to start using the pistol. Harbaugh is not Hoke, his staff will call the game in the manner that it takes to win. 3. If he wins more games than the previous two HC's here none of that will matter. Winning solves everything. I am also not sure where you getting that he wore out his welcome at Stanford to an unfathomable degree, he left for he thought was a better job. Do you really think Stanford would not have wanted him back? He led them to a level of success, which was a pipe dream before he arrived


Input: [Date] 28 weeks 1 day ago [Title] Was going to point that out too [Body]

Output: Saying Miller didn't win a title is little disengeous when he quarterbacked a team that went undefeated and would have played for the national title (and been favored), without the sanctions.