DEATH

I never do this.

I am always one to take the time to let something digest so that my perspective isn't jaded.

Not this time.  I have too much frustration that needs to come out, and there are two therapy's for it.  1) Heavy drinking 2) A dose of the truth.  So let's get right down to what happened in this embarrassment.

Safety Play
I hate to sound like a broken record, but the safety play is what holding this defense back.  With two competent safeties, Michigan would have a ...dare I say this...good defense!  Mike Williams has consistently been about as bad as you can be, and his play tonight was worse than anything Stevie Brown ever put up while he was playing back there.  Hey Mike, YOU'VE GOT THE QUARTERBACK!  A coach can only put his players in the best situation to succeed, and Greg Robinson consistently put Mike Williams in a position to make a tackle on Juice Williams, only for Williams to play undisciplined football and totally screw the rest of his defensive peers.  The Jordan Kovacs Experiment just shows you how bad defensive recruiting has been the past three years.  Cissoko? Gone. Artis Chambers? Gone. Quick, name another safety that Michigan signed in the 2007 or 2008 recruiting classes.  You can't!  This is what put us in this hole that we are in right now.  So the question is do you play the freshman?  Michigan has Vlad Emilien playing special teams, so if he doesn't at least get a look next week I will have my first real beef with Rich Rodriguez.  Thomas Gordon should not have the redshirt taken off at this point for three games, because chances are he will not be any better than Kovacs or Williams at this point.  You cannot mortgage the future of the program for three games.  JT Turner failing to initially qualify this summer is damning this team in so many ways.  With Turner having a full fall camp, he would at least be ready to contribute allowing Troy Woolfolk to keep playing safety, and Jordan Kovacs to play the "in the box" safety, where he at least can make a difference and PLAY DISCIPLINED (unlike Williams).

OFFENSIVE PROBLEMS
I am done giving anyone a pass on the offense.  It is time for people to be held accountable, and that includes the quarterback.  This team makes too many mistakes offensively to be good consistently.  Tate looks like a little schoolgirl whenever there is a rush in his face.  He needs to learn that he cannot run around the pass rush, rather he has to step up in the pocket.  Teams have scouted him and know that he is going to try and escape through the outside.  Would we even be having this problem if Roy Roundtree didn't look like me in the open field?  I can't totally fault Roundtree, he made a great play for an offense that didn't have anyone else doing anything.  What really pissed me off was the goal line stand.  WHERE IS THE FIRE?! Carlos Brown looked like he had two broken legs in that series of plays.  It really hurts this offense that Brandon Minor is not healthy.  On Minor, he must have really been dinged up because he was only in there on pass protection situations.  So without Minor, Molk, and Martavious Odoms, it could be said that Michigan was without their three best offensive players.  Those three bring an attitude to this offense that isn't there when they are not playing.  Still, being stopped 4 times in a row is on the PLAYERS.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
This is what I want - no, NEED - to see from Rich Rodriguez.  Total accountability.  I want to see a pissed off coach that will not accept the effort he got from his team.  Every job needs to be up for competition in practice next week.  The only people that should be safe are Brandon Graham, Donovan Warren, Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergen, and Stevie Brown.  Outside of them, I see nobody that has a fire for playing the game of football.  I want to see Mike Williams, Tate Forcier, the entire OL, and the coaching staff held accountable for what they are doing on Saturday.  The reality is that Michigan has a very winnable game at home against Purdue next week.  I want to see a f'ing attitude from these players that hasn't been seen since Western Michigan.  It starts with the head coach.  Heads need to roll in practice next week, or else Rich Rodriguez will lose any semblance of respect that he had with the players and with the fans that still support him.  For the people that want his head: Rich Rod didn't get caught from behind, Rich Rod didn't get stuffed 4 times in a row, Rich Rod wasn't too slow to take a proper angle on a running back, and Rich Rod wasn't out there to fire up the troops when they needed to be.  That is on THE PLAYERS!  Somebody step up and get in somebody's face!  This is Michigan.  Any pansies that are left on this team should have gone away with Lloyd Carr.

This coming week is the most important week in the Rich Rodriguez era.  The ball is in his court to respond with passion.  Your move, coach.

And for god sakes NRTMFTS
Coach Deuce

Prognosticating 10-31

This weekend brings all the ghouls, goblins, and most importantly, slutty police officers out in full force as college campuses across the nation celebrate Halloween, aka Excuse To Dress Like A Hooker Day.  I have never really been a big Halloween guy, mostly because I am too lazy to get a good costume, but also because Halloween usually falls on a Michigan football Saturday.  The most memorable Halloween moment happened in my first year at Kent State.  Down by 17 with 7 minutes to go against Michigan State, Braylon Edwards decided to single handedly win the game in what is now simply called "The Braylon Game."  I was almost ready to turn the TV off and start the festivities until reserve FB/TE Brian Thompson recovered an onside kick that reinvigorated my hopes.  The rest is history on that one.

So what will this Halloween bring to the world of college football this year?  I'm trying something a little different here this week, as I will be picking 5 games against the spread and keeping a total to be updated through the rest of the year.  I always like to think that I could make a good sports better, now we will find out.  Onto the picks! (Home team will be CAPS)

IOWA (+17.5) vs. Indiana


I really hate that Iowa is starting to get national title talk.  The absolute worst scenario for the Big Ten would be for an undefeated Iowa team to sneak through the rest of their Big Ten schedule, into the National Title game against Florida, Texas, or Bama, and then receive the inevitable 35 point beatdown.  Iowa is not that good.  Do not get me wrong; Iowa is a good football team.  However, if they are put up against any of the three teams I mentioned above they would be overwhelmed like Dane Sanzenbacher in the NFL.  Iowa simply does enough to get by.  I have already heard comparisons of Iowa 09' to Ohio State 02'.  One huge difference: NFL talent.  That Buckeye team was loaded with NFL talent, while this Iowa team trots out a bunch of overachievers who do not make mistakes.  I like Iowa to win this game, but I will take a very improved Indiana team to cover the 17.5.

Penn State (+17) at NORTHWESTERN


This Penn State team will be trouble for the rest of the Big Ten as the year goes on.  They are starting to get healthy, with All-American LB Sean Lee rejoining Navarro Bowman and That Guy With The Awesome Mustache  to make a very formidable linebacking core for Linebacker U.  The offense got on track last week against Michigan, and Darryl Clark is showing signs of being the best QB in the Big Ten again.  I think Penn State runs the table the rest of the way out, and will be in Pasadena for the second straight year.  I like them to cover here against Northwestern, riding the momentum they gained last week with that spanking they gave Michigan in the Big House.

USC (+3) at OREGON


This one is going to be insane.  Last time USC played in Autzen Stadium, the Duck crowd set a national record for decibel level in a stadium.  I fully expect that crowd to match the intensity, as this game is essentially the Pac-10 title game.  The game will depend on how QB Matt Barkley responds to this crowd.  A huge advantage for him will have been to gone into Ohio Stadium and won earlier in the year.  Make no mistake though, Autzen is not Ohio Stadium; it's better.  Oregon has the best home field advantage in the entire nation, and the Ducks will be fired up and sporting some crazy new uniform design.  That being said, I do not think Oregon has the "Ducks" to compete with USC right now.  I like USC to win the game outright on the strength of a big day by WR Ronald Johnson.

OHIO STATE (+44) vs. New Mexico State


The Buckeyes get their cream puff for the year, as the mighty New Mexico State Aggies roll into Columbus.  This game (like the Delaware State game for Michigan) is the unfortunate result of the Big Ten refusing to go to a round robin schedule, while still having to add the 12th game.  I expect no trouble for the Buckeyes in this one, as they will simply try to stay injury free.  That 44 point spread is a tough one to call for a Jim Tressel coached team.  I am going to take NEW MEXICO STATE to cover the 44 point spread with a late touchdown against the scrubs.

Michigan (+7) at ILLINOIS


This game will swing Michigan's season one way or the other.  With a loss, the distinct possibility of 5-7 comes into play with remaining games against Purdue, at Wisconsin, and home against Ohio State.  Illinois put one on Michigan last year, with Juice Williams having a typical spread QB against a Michigan defense day.  However, Juice has struggled this year, and will split some time with pocket passing QB whose name escapes me now, but is much less scary than Juice Williams.  The Illini play-action passing game is what scares me in this one, as our safeties have been less than stellar against this all year.  If Michigan can avoid giving up the big play in the passing game, than I think they can stifle this Illinois offense.  Offensively, Michigan must establish a consistent running game and AVOID NEGATIVE PLAYS.  These plays have killed Michigan in the last couple games, with holding calls, illegal formations, and 3 yard losses effectively killing drives.  Also, the receivers need to get rid of their inner Brian Ceraldi's and catch the damn ball.  That being said, I think Michigan comes out and takes care of business against a reeling Illini squad, covering the spread and winning  by a couple touchdowns.

That does it for this post, hope everyone has a good Halloween weekend.  After Saturday, only 21 days until The Game.  Start getting pumped, and...

NRTTS
Coach Deuce

The Freshman 15

It happened.  The one thing all Michigan fans were hoping would somehow pass them by.  After all, it doesn't happen to every freshman.  Maybe Tate Forcier could be the one "hot girl" who doesn't go to college and gain that trusty 15 pounds of Natty Light and Taco Bell in the first year.  Maybe he could be the picture of success, guiding Michigan to an unlikely BCS bowl berth on the shoulders of his heady play and late game heroics.

Or maybe he could end up being like 99% of freshman that enroll and play early in the FBS, struggling come midseason as teams study film and exploit tendencies.  This scenario seems the more likely of the two as Michigan comes through the middle of the season into the homestretch.  Teams have figured out that a Tate Forcier that is comfortable and making plays outside of the pocket is a quarterback that is a legitimate All Big Ten candidate.  To counter that, teams are forcing Tate back inside the pocket (something PSU did tremendously by spying with future NFL linebacker Navarro Bowman) to make the 5'10" Forcier see over his 6'5" offensive lineman to make plays.  The result has been spotty at best for Michigan.  Sometimes, Forcier is still able to elude the pocket and have success.  However, oftentimes he gives up on the pocket too easily and averts his eyes from his receivers down the field to the oncoming pass rush.  This throws off the any  semblance of timing he could have with his receivers, and has thus made the passing game very limited.  (Ed note: it does not help when Kevin Koger, Martell Webb, and Kelvin Grady routinely drop catchable passes)  One thing is clear: Forcier has gained that Freshman 15.  Maybe it was all the early season hoopla surrounding his memorable game against Notre Dame; maybe it was the late game heroics against Indiana and MSU (even in a losing effort).  Whatever it is, Forcier has to realize this and reassess where he is at.  He needs to look at the pot-belly that got a little to big and start going back to basics.  He needs to hit the Rec Center for some pick-up basketball, or maybe go out for a nice jog or else he will be in danger of being passed over for the next crop of good looking freshman that come to Michigan.

I have confidence that Tate has been humbled and will do anything he can to become the player he was early in the season.  Even through the hysteria of the 4-0 start, Michigan fans had to have a sneaking suspicion that things would come back down to Earth.  When the season started, I said Michigan would be go as Brandon Minor goes.  Well, Minor has not been completely healthy for one single game, and if you throw in the season ending injury to David Molk than it seems two of our three (Forcier not included..although he could be re: the shoulder injury) best offensive players are not playing.  I do not profess to know how the rest of the season will turn out.  Can we beat the remaining teams on our schedule? Absolutely.  Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Ohio State have all looked very beatable at one point or another in the season.  Do I expect us to beat them all? No.  I think we lie somewhere in the middle.  If we go 0-4, the disappointment will be immense.  Let us not speak of that fate again.

Other notes from around the sports world:

• Boubacar Cissoko has been booted from the Michigan football team after a violation of team rules.  Supposedly this means that Cissoko had academic trouble, i.e. he was missing classes, as well as having team troubles, i.e. he was missing workouts.  I was hopeful that this was going to work itself out, as Cissoko actually saw time against Penn State.  Whatever the case, look for Cissoko to end up at Eastern Michigan with Johnny Sears and the rest of the Ron English All Stars. 
• It is amazing how a 38-0 win over Minnesota can calm the waters in Columbus.  Suddenly, Terrelle Pryor can play quarterback again and should not be moved to wide receiver.  That is, until his next Vince-Young-in-the-NFL-type-performance (hopefully against Michigan).  Like I have been saying all year, they can really play some defense.  It is amazing what a couple of safeties can do for your team.  Kurt Coleman has been making plays all year in the back end for the Buckeyes, and I long for the days when Michigan will actually have a playmaking safety.
• Is it time to start talking baseball now?  The World Series is upon us now and the Indian fans will be forced to sit through Sabathia vs. Lee in Game One.  For most cities, this would be torture.  For Indian fans, it should be expected.  In an alternate universe, Rick Vaughn and Eddie Harris probably started opposite each other in a 1991 Yankees vs. Phillies series.  
• I find it comical that A-Rod is all of a sudden a true Yankee.  Who even remembers that he was outed for steroid use earlier in the season?  
• Whatever happened to the Michael Vick in the NFL storyline?  This one disappeared faster than "Who Raised The Briefcase?" in the ladder match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince/Shane McMahon.  Thus far, he has had as much impact on the Eagles season as Barry Horowitz had on the WCW World Championship picture.

That is all the time I have for today.  Sorry for the lapse in content last week, but as the others have said I was very busy.  Should be a proper preview post for the upcoming weekend in college football on Friday, and as always..

NRTTS
Coach Deuce

Which Way Do We Go?

First the guest posters on this site owe the Coach and our loyal fan base an apology. Last week said Coach called upon us to help him out as he would be unable to put out any updates last week. We failed...we got lazy, we rested on our laurels, we thought, "Eh, what's one week...."And for that I say "We're sorry, Stefan The D. and I failed you."Now onto the real meat of this post...

I've spent the last three days, hell the last month on a voyage trying to figure out where our team is heading. We left September and we were looking for flights to Pasadena. Now as October comes to a close November looms. November is what college football is all about. November defines where you've been and where you're going in the future. November is the time to decide Which way do we go?

With trips to Illinois and the always strange Wisconsin there's a bit of trepidation for the this fan to turn the calendar to November with only 5 wins. While I firmly believe we should get a win this Saturday over the Illini I also realize our defense has more problems than a Steven Threet led offense. Anything can happen in the next 4 games at this point I wouldn't be surprised an another bowl-less year. Pissed, but not surprised.

I would be surprised if the offense can carry us through a late 4 game stretch the way it did to start the season. The injuries have just become to much, the weight of 10 defensive starters is just to much for the small framed Forcier. This defense has killed us and if Rich Rod's track record shows us anything its that D isn't nearly as important to him as putting up a gazillion points.

These last few days have also lead me to wonder if the "Wait til Rich get's ahold of all that talent Michigan can pull in" talk was misplaced. Can he get that "talent" that right now I'm not even sure exists? The reason we were loaded with talent previously could be attributed to the system we were using. Anyone, at any position, can be a star or NFL prospect in the pro-style system, but in this new scheme there are only QBs and RBs. And they're not really NFL prospects. So why would top talent come play for a terrible Defensive school and an Offense that only showcases 2 or 3 players?

Prognosticating 10-17

Brian Kelly is a damn good football coach.  What many of you may not know is that in his previous career, he was a world class play-by-play man in the wrestling industry known as Jim Ross (he also makes a helluva BBQ sauce).  In his short tenure at Cincinnati, he has turned the Bearcat program from an also-ran in the Big East, to a contender on the verge of being relevant in the national title picture.  Now, a lot of the success that Cincy is having is due to playing in the Big East.  When a road game at South Florida is your biggest hurdle for success, you know your conference is thin.  However, Cincinnati has done all it can up to this point - played the teams put in front of them and beaten them soundly - so if they finish undefeated, without two SEC or Big XII teams also finishing unbeaten, they SHOULD be given the chance to play in the Mythical National Title Game.

So what separates Brian Kelly's squad from Rich Rodriguez's squad?  After all, Brian Kelly was the choice for many fans to follow Lloyd Carr.  He had mucho' success at Grand Valley State, winning a couple national titles, and had equal success at Central Michigan.  Now, he has brought legitimacy to a school that hasn't turned out a decent athlete since Kenyon Martin.  The biggest and most obvious difference between these two schools is experience, especially at the quarterback position.  Redshirt Senior QB Tony Pike has led the Bearcat offense to explosive numbers in the first half of the season, finding Senior WR Marty Gilyard for much of his success.  When Pike went down with an injury last night against South Florida, Redshirt Sophomore Zach Collares stepped in and led the offense the rest of the way.  The spread offense schemes that Rod and Kelly run are similar, with Rod's leaning a little more to the running spread, so the main difference is that the Bearcats have someone who can legally drink a beer running their offense.  I know it is hard for fans to wait for the future, but GOD DAMN WAIT FOR THE FUTURE!  You see what this Michigan offense can be (times 1,000 with the athletes Rodriguez will bring in), so just sit back, strap in, and know that good times are coming.  In the meantime, root for the Bearcats, because another legitimate Ohio team is something Ohio State hasn't had to deal with since.....well, ever!

Now onto this weekend's games...

USC at Notre Dame


This is a really interesting game.  On one hand, Jimmy Claussen is getting hype as a Heisman Trophy candidate after beating no one in particular.  On the other hand, USC continues to break in a freshman quarterback.  If WR Michael Floyd were healthy, I would like the Irish to win this one in a shootout.  Without Floyd, Pete Carroll and his defensive staff can really key in on TE Kyle Rudolph and WR Golden Tate (Taint - trademark Mrs. Stefan The D).  Anytime the Trojans get extra time to prepare, they come out with an incredible game plan.  Michigan fans know this all too well after the many prison rapes we have received from Carroll and the Boys in the Rose Bowl.  My gut feeling is that this one is going to be a two touchdown game.  I think USC gets pressure on Jimmy Claussen, forcing him into a few mistakes and capitalizing on turnovers.  QB Matt Barkley will have WR Ronald Johnson back (another name that makes Michigan fans want to slit their wrists over not getting), so their offense should be able to score on the porous Irish D.  I see this one as about a ...

USC 38 ND 24


Ohio State at Purdue


Can someone please check the Ohio State offense for a pulse?  This is getting pretty ridiculous; they haven't had a good offensive output against a non-MAC team since Michigan last year.  Okay, that still means they haven't had a good offensive output in a while since Michigan was a lower division MAC team last year.  Can Jim Tressel make up his mind and decide what offense he is going to run?  He keeps showing some spread offense principles, trying desperately to get Terrelle Pryor to realize his potential.  The problem is that he has limited playmakers around him.  WR's Carter and Posey will be good someday, it's just not today.  They are young, and the Buckeye tailbacks are about as explosive as a Natalie Portman fart.  That leaves all the pressure on TP, and if teams can contain him in the pocket then the Buckeye offense really struggles.  They need to get that fixed, because the defense plays lights out, but not every team will give them two pick sixes and a punt return for a touchdown.

Ohio State 24 Purdue 7


Delaware State at Michigan


This is exactly what the Wolverines needed at this point in the season.  With the schedule moving to twelve games, Michigan does not have a bye week *theoretically* this year.  An ideal situation would involve Michigan jumping out to a huge early lead, mixing in Denard and Tate, and then letting Denard have the rest of the reps for experience.  If the Wolverines are going to be successful the rest of the way, Denard must become more comfortable in the offense.  Mark my words, Tate Forcier is not 100% healthy, and he will continue to get banged up as the season goes along as teams try to force him into bad decisions.  If (maybe when) he goes down, Denard has to step in and be the weapon that the coaching staff knows he can be.  Another thing I will be looking for in this game is the performance of the running backs not named Minor.  While Delaware State is definitely not an elite opponent (in Division 1-AA even), I would like to see Michael Shaw, Vincent Smith, and Mike Cox get some opportunities to show that they can play against some competition.  Shaw has proven that he has the ability to become the next go-to-back in this spread offense, so I am anxious to see how he responds to more opportunities to carry the ball.  Naturally, this one will be a blowout, so much more analysis at this point would just be redundant.  I will stray from the norm and actually make a score prediction this week.

Michigan 51 Delaware State 10


That does it for this edition of Prognosticating, feel free to weigh in with your opinions and as always...
NRTTS
Coach Deuce

QB Controversy

"Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'.  That's God damn right." - Red - Shawshank Redemption


Down by 9 with roughly seven minutes and change to go in the fourth quarter against Iowa, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez must have had Red's famous line from Shawshank running through his head.  To that point, he had seen his freshman quarterback Tate Forcier struggle against an Iowa defense that had knocked him around, confused him, intercepted him, and generally beaten him for 3 1/2 quarters of football.

It was time to get busy living, or get busy dying.  So he made the call.

*IN MY BEST RE-ENACTMENT OF THE MAJOR LEAGUE SCENE*

Rod (as Manager Lou Brown): Gimme Robinson!
Offensive Coordinator Calvin McGee (as Catcher Jake Taylor): You want Robinson?
Rod: I know he hasn't done very well in these situations, but I got a hunch he's do.

Of course, Forcier would be playing the part of crafty right hander Eddie Harris, who had engineered a gem up to that point.  He had simply run out of gas.  And I feel the same way about this situation.  Forcier had engineered a first five games that had any Michigan fan dreaming of the Heisman Trophy's he would put up when he was older.  WHEN HE WAS OLDER.  At this point, he was far from the finished product that we envision.  Even in a loss against Michigan State, he was putting the ball on the numbers, but was a victim of many drops.  Against Iowa, he resorted to the scramble far too early, leaving his receivers to try and read him, rather than run the routes (many of which were open!).  You could see Rodriguez visibly upset at Tate multiple times when Forcier would get the snap and look for the first available scramble.  He was not going through his reads; he was simply playing in his own offense.  We had to expect this kind of game would be coming.  It had been too good for five games for there not to be some kind of road bump.  So when Iowa stayed in their two-deep safety look the entire game - daring Forcier to beat them through the air - I knew it was likely to be a long night.

Which is why I contend it was a smart move to go to Robinson.  Rodriguez had "danced with the girl he brought" for as long as he could, and it was time to consider other alternatives.  Michigan was having tons of success running Brandon Minor and Michael Shaw - even Forcier had some success on some zone-read plays, although many times he kept the ball when he shouldn't have.  For as much success they were having on the ground, it was equally bad through the air.  I give much of the credit to the Iowa defense.  They are a smart, hard-nosed, disciplined bunch of guys that will make you "snap it again".  They will not give up big plays through the air, and they counted on being able to make the tackle on Tate when he kept the ball.

So "Shoelace" Robinson was the clear move.  In his first series, he marched the Wolverines down with efficiency, both on the ground and through the air.  Suddenly, Iowa was back on their heels with another weapon to worry about.  When they played their 6-in-the-box Nickel look, they got shredded.  The only problem for Michigan was that the time was running out.  After the first score, which took almost 4 1/2 minutes, the Wolverines tried an onside kick, a questionable decision.  Unsuccessful, the defense did what it had been doing all year - it gave the offense the ball with a chance at the end of the game.  So it was with a minute and a half that Coach Rodriguez made the decision that many Michigan fans have been jumping all over.

I'll admit, at the time I was one of those fans.  Tate was the one that had led us to so many comebacks through this season, he should be the one out there!  Predictably, Robinson made a freshman mistake and threw an interception.  The rest is history.  So should Tate have been brought back?  Like I said, initially I was in the "YES HOLY HELL!@#!#@! YESS!!@ WHY COACH ROD!@????" camp.  Now, I'm firmly in the other camp: Robinson was the choice.  Here are the reasons:

• It was clear that Coach Rodriguez was upset with Tate for many of his decisions throughout the game.  The troubling thing was that when they showed some of the interactions on the sidelines, it appeared that Tate was trying to make excuses for his decisions.  Not a good thing.  Being coachable is the number one priority for a freshman quarterback.  Tate was clearly making some bad decisions, he needed to know that there were consequences for them.  He is not a senior 4 year starter - he is a freshman and he has a lot to learn.  I actually compare this situation to one many Michigan basketball fans saw last year.  It was a road game against Iowa, and star player Manny Harris was having a turd of a game.  Michigan was firmly entrenched on the bubble at this point - the season was still in doubt.  So when the Wolverines forced overtime, many of us thought that Manny would turn it around and lead us back to a win.  When overtime started, Harris was on the bench.  There he stayed for the entire five minute period.  Afterwards, John Beilein said it was a coaches decision not to play Manny.  This had many fans up in arms; how can the best player sit when it is such an important game?!  Come to find out that Manny had been pouting on the bench the whole game, and did not take to coaching too well. So Beilein made a decision FOR THE PROGRAM.  No one player is above the program.  The result?  Michigan finished strong down the stretch with a rejuvinated and humbled Manny Harris leading the way.  Similarities to this?  You betcha - Michigan Football and Tate Forcier both took a step forward with this situation.
• Was there any belief that on this day Tate was going to lead Michigan back?  Can any of you honestly say that Tate looked good during the game?  Against Michigan State, he had at least given us and idea that he had a pulse.  No such pulse was present during this game, which is why Rodriguez made the decision.  
• The X's and O's called for this decision.  Robinson is much (MUCH) better runner between the two.  With Iowa only playing the 6-7 in the box, Rich Rod had to exploit the weakness and hope for Denard to break off a big play.  To anyone that has seen him play in practice and in games, they will tell you that Denard can break a big play from anywhere with his legs.  He showed that he could lead the offense to a score after the first drive, so it was only fair that he get the chance to lead them to a win.  Remember, all they needed was a field goal.
• What if Tate would have gone back in and failed?  How many would then be calling for Rodriguez's head because he took Denard out?  Experts would be crying about how Rodriguez is too loyal to Forcier, and how he isn't giving Denard a chance.  

This is all relative to one thing: wins and losses.  If Denard had led Michigan to a game-winning drive, then he and Rodriguez would be the hero.  That is not how it happened, though, so this program has to live and grow with it.  The only criticism I have with the coaching staff was not going to Robinson sooner - but even this is a criticism that comes in hindsight.  The old saying is that hindsight is 20/20, and that cannot be any truer than it is in this situation.  

So relax, Michigan fans.  We are still growing at the quarterback position.  Neither of these guys is going to have a perfect season.  Hell, come next year neither of these guys may even be starting.  But before you go and rip on Rich Rodriguez for his decision making, take some time to think about how the game played out.  Like I said, I was one that was furious at Rich Rod for not playing Tate.  After some perspective, I am firmly in the other camp.  Some may still disagree, but I am in the camp of "In Rod We Trust". 

NRTTS

Coach Deuce

Prognosticating 10-10 (321)

So as I was writing this post title, I decided to add the date that I would be prognosticating for.  Saturday will be the 10th of the 10th month, thus leading to the 10-10 in the title.  However, upon saying the 10-10 in my head something immediately popped into my head.  Remember these annoying ads in the mid-to-late 90s for long distance services? 10-10-321 is the one that comes to mind first, but I also remember 10-10-220 being equally annoying.  The one celebrity that stuck out for pimping these ads was John Lithgow, who at the time starred in the annoying comedy "Third Rock From The Sun."  Thank you, Third Rock for giving us French Stewart and Home Alone 3; I give you the big cyber middle finger.  On the subject of Lithgow, who would have thought at that time that he could pull of a serial killer so well?  He is stunningly creepy in the newest season of Dexter, and I'm sure his character will ramp it up a few notches as the season goes along.  Other celebrities that pushed the 10-10's: Dennis Miller, Alf, John Romijn-Stamos, Tony Danza, James Garner, George Carlin, and Reginald VelJohnson.  Quick, off the top of your head tell me who Reginald Vel Johnson is......Give up?



Carl Winslow!  There hasn't been someone who has needed a name change this bad since Stone Cold Steve Austin debuted in the WWF as The Ringmaster.  He has got to go by Reggie, doesn't he?  Random fact: VelJohnson played Sgt. Al Powell in the first and second Die Hard movies.  The first was a pretty big role, but the second was just a cameo.  His Wikipedia page says that he reprised this role in 2007 for the NBC show "Chuck."  Has there ever been a less needed and more obscure re-birth of a character than this?  It would be like Jackson Vahue doing a cameo on a Law and Order.

Anyways, that went a little longer than it probably should have, but nothing gets me going like a good Reginald VelJohnson reference.  There are games to be played this weekend, and that means that I will once again try to give you what you should be watching for.  Last week, the Oklahoma/Miami prediction proved to be off, but my prediction was based on Sam Bradford playing, so HA!  The Ohio State/Indiana prediction would have been dead on had it not been for an Indiana touchdown as time expired.  Notre Dame and Washington was close, as predicted, but Notre Dame made a play or two more than the Huskies.  And in the main event, I just realized that I did not make a prediction, but it is safe to say that I never pick against Michigan.  It is just bad karma.

Florida at LSU


Did you know Tim Tebow was hurt against Kentucky?  ESPN has done the college equivalent of Brett Favre coverage on Tebow's concussion.  And what would some coverage of Tim Tebow be without this picture?

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Yes, it should be great to be Tim Tebow.  However, we all know about his supposed vow of chastity.  Regardless if Tebow wins or not, I expect Florida to win by double digits in this one.  There has been no undefeated team less impressive than LSU, and Florida's defense will shut them down.  John Brantley is a talented enough backup quarterback that he can get the ball to the assembly of weapons that Urban Meyer has assembled.  I like Florida by 17.

Wisconsin at Ohio State


If there is one team that has been a thorn in Jim Tressel's side it is the Wisconsin Badgers.  Whatever the reason, the corn-fed Badgers have had more success against Tressel than anybody outside of the SEC/USC. This version of the Badgers is much the same as it has always been: a huge offensive line, an opportunistic quarterback, a play-making TE, and a bruising running back.  RB John Clay may be the best in the Big 10, so it will be up to the OSU front 7 to control him.  Limiting the success of Clay will shut down the play action passing game that makes Wisconsin so dangerous.  TE Garrett Graham is no Travis Beckum, but he is much better all around player and he catches anything thrown near him.  If he starts getting in a rhythm with Scott Tolzien than the Ohio State defense may have trouble.  Defensively, Wisconsin is just average, so if Ohio State can build on the success they had against Indiana than they can have success.  Barring Ohio State turnovers, I think the Buckeyes win this one.  It will be close, though.  I like Ohio State by 7.

Michigan at Iowa


Once again, the young Wolverines find themselves going on the road into a hostile environment.  This time, it is the Kinnick Stadium and the Iowa Hawkeyes, as they prepare to battle in Michigan's first night showcase in a long while.  The Hawkeyes impressed everyone by soundly defeating Penn State in Happy Valley.  They did it by playing great defense and getting plays from QB Ricky Stanzi when they were there.  It is clear that Michigan must establish a rhythm offensively if they want to have any chance of winning this football game.  It will be tough sledding against the Hawkeyes, who have not given up a rushing touchdown in a staggering 33 quarters.  Add to that Michigan likely being without Carlos Brown (knees), and much of the big play ability of the Wolverines will be taken away.  Brandon Minor has to be healthy and productive if Michigan is to have a shot.  Outside of Minor, Tate Forcier has to play within himself and get better at "living to play another down."  There can be no desperation throws falling down that come into the hands of a Hawkeye defensive lineman.  Also, special teams need to have an A+ game.  Jason Olesnavage has done outstanding in his place kicking duties - a worry of mine going into the year.  If he continues to not have anybody notice him than he will be doing his job.  The return game needs to give Michigan good field position if it is going to have success on offense.

Defensively, Michigan has to keep an eye on Ricky Stanzi.  While Stanzi won't remind anybody of Denard Robinson, he does have some Drew Tate in him.  If last week was any indication, Michigan has trouble when quarterbacks get out of the pocket.  This doens't just fall on the linebackers - the defensive line needs to stay in their rush lanes, and when someone is charged with spying Stanzi (usually the NT), they must perform their responsibility.  The corner opposite Donovan Warren is still in question, and some insiders are hinting that Troy Woolfolk may see some time there this week, with Kovacs and Mike Williams filling the safety spots.  It is a never ending quest to try to get the best 11 players on the field, and it's pretty clear that Jordan Kovacs has been one of those 11 to this point.  Will he continue to do it?  Nobody knows, but this staff has proven that it will yank someone for bad performance (Cissoko).  I expect Ezeh and Mouton to be on alert this week, as their performance last week was less than stellar.  The problem is who do you bring in?  Kenny Demens?  JB Fitzgerald?  Kevin Leach?  Can a defense really be successful in the Big 10 by playing 3 walk-ons? (Kovacs, Leach, DE Will Heineger)  These are all questions that will continue to be asked and answered as Michigan plays their remaining games.

My gut feeling on this one?  It isn't good.  I feel like MSU out-physicaled Michigan last week, and Iowa is a much more physical team than MSU.  Can we win this game?  Absolutely.  I sincerely believe that this team has the mentality that they can beat anyone at anytime.  It will all come down to how the team responds to another road game.  Can Michigan take advantage of turnovers that the defense gives them?  Can the defense get off the field on third and long?  Will Zoltan Mesko continue to think that he is QB Eagles?  Tune in to ABC at 8:00 on Saturday to find out!

As always, NRTTS.
Coach Deuce

The Elliot Mealer Story

An amazing story.  Amidst all of our hysteria over college football, it is important to remember stories like Elliot Mealer.  I have never rooted for a kid so hard as I will Elliot.

Is Cleveland Imploding?

Hey, NRTTS Nation! Let me introduce myself as the newest guest blogger. I am Stefan The D. Coach Deuce has graciously allowed me to join the team, and I hope to add even more to the already strong duo of "Coach" and "The Gate."

Now that the formalities are over and done with, let's get to the meat of this post.

Am I being punished by the sports gods? Has someone up above deemed that Cleveland Sports are not already horrible enough? Did some deity decide that Stefan Diehm's two favorite athletes need to be embroiled in a spat that involves the less successful of the two cold-cocking a little peon outside of a night club at 3am? Who's idea was it to make that little 130 lb. entertainment promoter a close personal friend of my favorite baketball player since Shawn "want a kid?" Kemp, Lebron James?

When I saw the article headline "Edwards Allegedly Hit Lebron's Friend", my heart sank into a familiar depth - the lowest level of depression after a Michigan loss to Michigan State after a valiant comeback. I was starting to feel better, when the clash of these two handsome titans hurt my insides. Braylon is likely to be run out of Cleveland, and if Lebron has a hand in running him out of the city only to bail himself in 2010... LOOK OUT! THERE WILL BE A GEYSER OF RAGE AND VIOLENT FEELINGS COMING FROM SPRINGFIELD, OHIO THAT COVERS THE MIDWEST IN A POISONOUS FLUORIDE CLOUD THE LIKES OF WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE DONORA, PENNSYLVANIA OCT. 31, 1948!!!

At least the Browns are collectively horrible and Braylon is not singled out as a weak link. The whole team needs a Herb Brooks pep-talk from this little kid.

Maybe the Browns win 3 games, maybe they only win 1. What I do know is...

You've just been D'ed up...

-Stefan The D.

Perils of Fanaticism

Celine Dion said it best.

"And my heart will go on...and...on!"

You heard it thousands of times in it's Titanic heyday, and now you hear it again...in a sports blog? The world works in funny ways, and so does my mind; thus, I am using Celine Dion to make a point about what it means to be a fan.

See I was blessed. From the time I graduated from diapers to the toilet, I can remember having a passion within me for being a fan. It started with "big time wrestling." Hulk Hogan was my favorite. When The Ultimate Warrior beat him in their classic Wrestlemania VI showdown, I remember being paralyzed with shock. I had no idea how to react. The only thing that I knew was that it felt like my heart had been ripped out Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom style. I knew that I would never get over this loss, that it would stay with me and haunt my dreams for years. Silently within myself, I vowed to never again watch the WWF so that I could avoid disappointments like this. It was just too unbearable, too life altering. I couldn't stay away, though. Every time I thought I was out, they'd pullllllllll me back in.

I remember the first football game that I really cared about. The year was 1991, and the Giants and Bills were playing in the Super Bowl. It was a spectacle that I had never seen before. The country was just getting into Desert Storm, Whitney Houston sang the National Anthem, and planes flew over the field before the game. My dad being a huge Giants fan, I was naturally inclined to root for them. The game was a seesaw battle which saw lead changes and big plays, finally coming down to Scott Norwood's legendary miss to give the Giants the win. This was my first feeling of utter satisfaction with a sporting event. From there, my life forever changed.

Once you get a taste of something as sweet as a Super Bowl win, you come back for more. Suddenly, I was fanatical about all my dad's favorite teams. The aforementioned Giants, the New York Yankees, our hometown Oak Harbor Rockets, and most of all - the Michigan Wolverines. From that fateful moment where Norwood's kicked sailed wide right, my life has been littered with highs and lows dealing with sports. The 90's domination of John Cooper, Mariano Rivera's blown save against Arizona in the 01' World Series, Shawn Crable's helmet-to- helmet hit against Troy Smith in 07', and most recently the overtime thriller Michigan just played against in-state rival Michigan State.

To try and describe my emotions during this game would be like trying to describe someone high on cocaine, heroine, PCP, and meth all at the same time. First, there is the anticipation leading up to the game. For any big game (say, Michigan vs. Ohio State), the week is not measured in "Mondays" and "Tuesdays"; the week is measured in "4 days until gametime" and "2 hours until gametime." When your team takes the field, there is an adrenaline rush as if you were taking the field with them. Emotions are sky high through the first stage of the game. There is the feeling out process, as you gauge how your team may fare through the game. There are certain to be a few "what the hell are we doings'?" thrown in there, along with some "Hell Yeah's!"

At halftime, you have no idea what the hell to do with yourself. Is anyone else with me in thinking that college halftimes are way too long? The NFL has it right with their ten minute intermission. Should I get something to eat? Can I really take a dump that lasts the entire halftime? Should I change seats to get some different mojo? All questions that every fan has probably thought at one point or another. Once halftime is over, it's back to the grind. With every possession in a close game, you eye the clock to see where your team stands. Every third down conversion or failure changes the game and your emotions. Want to feel like you've been kicked in the balls? Watch your team give up 4 consecutive third and longs and tell me how your doing. The 4th quarter is heart attack time. With Michigan trailing 20-6 with 6 minutes to go against MSU, even I was getting a little doubtful. Trademark phrases like "there is still meat on this bone" were turning sour - "There might only be gristle left on this bone." But then you get hope - one big play that vaults your team back into the game. Now you need some defense. Can the defense really force a 3 and out? Why am I sweating like I just filmed a porno in a sauna? When the impossible happens and your team gets the ball back, it is a whole new feeling of apprehension. Can we really drive the length of the field to tie it up? In this case, I watched a skinny freshman take his team on his shoulders and make play after play - with a few heart attack inducing moments (one bad snap turned into a 12 yard scramble and completion, one fluttering ball that managed to fall to the ground around 3 MSU players) - and lead his team to an improbably touchdown amidst a pouring rain that was surely a big middle finger from the football gods to Michigan.

I was on top of the world. The impossible had happened - Michigan had tied it up and was going to overtime. There was no way we were losing this game! Too much momentum was on our side - too much moxie was in that quarterback's heart. But then, it happened. An interception on the first drive of overtime brought that sinking feeling back to my stomach. My positive vibes went out the window as the prospects of losing again sunk back in. Then, on that fateful 3rd and 12 run, Larry Caper broke through a Troy Woolfolk tackle and scampered into the endzone for the winning 6. Those last 10 yards of his run played in my mind in slow motion for a good five minutes after that.

After that comeback, how could this team lose? Why do I do this to myself? Every fan knows that feeling. Michigan fans have felt it against OSU for years - Ohio State fans have felt it against Texas, USC, Florida, LSU. That moment where you are resigned to defeat, where your dreams of victory are officially out the window. The big celebration plans no longer seem very fun and you start to replay key moments from the game in your head. What if we didn't miss this tackle? What if this play was called? This continues for a couple hours until the shock wears off. You can finally turn on ESPN and see what the rest of the football world is up to. When those dreaded highlights come on, there is still a powerful twinge of hurt that runs through your body when you see that final score posted.

This is what being a fan is all about. The highs and the lows - the glorious victories and the gut wrenching losses. When I finally laid down to go to bed that night after the Michigan State loss, I made a mental note to put that loss to bed as well. It was time to move on - time for Iowa. Time for a primetime showcase for with our gutsy freshman quarterback and our spotty defense. My heart had finally calmed down from the days events. Would I change anything? Hell no. There is a trademark shot that ABC uses during it's games: it is of the college campus during the game. I always see people walking around and I wonder to myself, how much would it suck to be these people? To not care about sports, to not go through each Saturday with 110,000+ people on pins and needles as your team wins or loses. Some people say it's only a game, and yes, that is true. However, it is HELL of a game. One that keeps you coming back for more and more. One that has your heart racing every Saturday like Antonio Henton at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. Like I said earlier, Celine Dion had it right.

My heart will indeed go on.

Never Run The Toss Sweep

Coach Deuce

24 Hours

We get 24 hours, then we've gotta get ready for Iowa. And we've got A LOT of work to do to get ready for Iowa. Yesterday's performance was abysmal. There were many different factors that played into the loss yesterday; so lets take a calm, collected, rational approach to what caused us to take a shit on one of the biggest games against MSU in a long time.

The offense seemed to be playing with a tight playbook. I can't understand why it takes until the last 10 minutes to see an some explosiveness. Why don't we play with that urgency the entire game? This isn't just a plea for victories, its for my personal health. I can't put up with this for four years. One of these days the wife is going to come home and find me stroked out with replays of Tate Forcier on the TV.

My feelings aren't quite as reserved for the offense as they are for the D. Just thinking about it pisses me off again...but Coach Rod says I've got 24 hours, so lets get at it. While I think the offense needs to find a spark when the D doesn't hold up their end of he deal, I put this loss on the D....and Zoltan Mesko.

Its 3rd and Long, and the play relayed in is all coverage. Why? We don't have the D-Lineman to get a formidable pass rush. If we could get a decent pass rush with just three than we're fine, but WE DON'T. Not only did we not have this yesterday, we haven't been able to do it all YEAR. That's 5 games now, and our coaching staff has decided that they're going to just stick it out. Mike Martin is a smaller even more useless DT than Gabe Watson. I can't complain much about Brandon Graham, who played up to snuff in the 4th quarter. But where was he in the first half? On the other end Ryan Van Bergen is touch and go, but he's too young to expect a dominant performance. I think these guys are the start of the problem but they sure as shit aren't the only problem.

Obi Ezeh had the stat line that made you think he was everywhere yesterday. He wasn't, he was nowhere to be found on a couple receptions by the TE and just didn't play "Up to the moment" to quote that annoying Chris Martin of BTN. Jonas Mouton...wow...I would rather watch a 12 hour loop of Scott McClintock highlights that watch Jonas Mouton play another 7 games. He played out of position and on the long 3rd down scramble he looked like he'd rather be somewhere else. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in this position, should be leaders and best by now but they're nowhere near the caliber LBs they should be. The young guys played well and Craig Roh's pass breakup should be shown in the Secondary's meeting room all fucking year, it was that good and they're that bad...speaking of the secondary...

Pathetic. Absolutely a joke. Old Man Gate and I had a rousing discussion about the use of Boubicar Cissoko, or the lack of use. This is a regime based upon the idea of get the best athletes on the field. And I watched one of our best guys sit the entire day on the bench. I feel like his benching is a witch hunt. He's not the cover corner that Donovan Warren is and that's why he gets picked on. JT Floyd didn't play horrendous, but I wasn't impressed. Kovacs is another point father and I discussed. Sure its a great story, but come on...he's in the wrong position. He should be Stevie Brown's backup. His run support is fantastic but his coverage is that of the previously mentioned McClintock. This secondary is a joke and its not a very funny one.

This defense is part of the offense. This offense is very different from the Pro Style in that effect. When the defense gave up that 13 minute drive in the first quarter it just threw the offense off. Tate and the team spent a half an hour just twiddling their thumbs waiting for a chance to get back on the field after the first Field Goal. They never got into a rhythm and after 3 and out it just got worse and worse. You could see at the end of the game when the D was able to get off the field the offense was able to get into this rhythm and get something going. (If you're looking at his and saying, "Man, he just stole this off the Coach Rod post game conference, I had it first. Stefan the D can attest to this."

So where do we go from here? In this writers opinion, we've gotta say the hell with it. We need to line our D up with the best athletes we have in the secondary. Move Cissoko to the free safety position shaded over Floyd. Then we need to look at the opponents and say "We're coming, I don't care if you see it, I'm giving you 4 seconds to get rid of that ball, or you're on your ass." Will it give up some big plays? Yup. Will it get us some big plays? Yup. Will our offense be on the field more? Yup. And when our offense is on the field they'll find that rhythm and we'll punish teams for their mistakes. The New York Jets have become one of the best teams in the NFL with one corner and a bunch of mediocre athletes on the rest of their defense, blitzing more than 80% of snaps. I'm willing to bet we'd generate more big plays for our D than we'd give up...BigTen QBs are easily rattled, and they make mistakes, look at the two picks our D had yesterday, with big time pressure.

We're all disappointed, but all our goals are still ahead of us. The BigTen title is still out there to be won. Could we still win the National Title? Probably not, but its still possible. Things keep looking better and better with this team and you can see that its moving in the right direction. Yesterday the Defense looked worse than last years Offense. Time to move on...Beat IOWA!!

I said it would be long...


P.S. Zoltan, for one moment you were an idiot. Why would you ever think you could beat someone of the snap? That play worked last year, with ND in a return, not a block...next time just kick the damn ball!!


Let the Gate Swing Freely

Prognosticating

Finally, it is Friday and the football weekend is here. The weather is starting to feel like fall, the pretenders are beginning to separate themselves from the contenders, and we are starting to get into the meat of conference schedules.

Ohio State vs. Indiana

I do not expect this one to be close. Although this is by Ohio State standards, not Oklahoma vs. Div 1AA West standards. I feel like Indiana brought out a lot of their offensive package last week against Michigan, which caught the Wolverines a bit off guard. Now, with a good tape to study, Ohio State's defense will overwhelm the Hoosiers with speed and talent. Defensively, Indiana could not stop the run against Michigan; I expect that Ohio State will have success and Brandon "Slowest Fast Guy Ever" Saine gets his first career start. However, Indiana's safeties proved that they can make plays, so if Terrelle Pryor get careless with the ball then Indiana may force some turnovers, making this more interesting than it has any right to be. I've got this one at...

Ohio State 34 Indiana 6

Miami (FL) vs. Oklahoma

Well, the media is trying to jump off The U's bandwagon as fast as they can since Miami got waxed by Va. Tech last week. Sam Bradford is supposedly back, and will likely start, but I am not sure how rusty he will be. Backup QB Landry Jones proved he could manage the offense against the junior high teams that Oklahoma has played since BYU. I'm not sure Miami is the team to be coming back from injury against, but I think Bradford gives the Sooners the better chance to win. I'm predicting Canes QB Jacory Harris is still exhausted from the proverbial blowjob the media gave him leading up to last week, and the Oklahoma defense makes him look like the first year starter that he is. Oklahoma will establish the run and wear down the Canes defense, this one looks like...

Oklahoma 38 Miami 17

Washington vs. Notre Dame

Locker > Claussen

Washington 183 Notre Dame -34

But seriously, without Michael Floyd, the Irish offense loses a ton of the explosiveness that made it so good against Michigan. Floyd has 1st round draft pick written all over him, and now teams can focus on Golden Shower Tate. This is about as close to a pick em' as you can get, but I'm gonna go with Washington on the strength of Charlie Weis out geniusing himself.

Washington 24 Notre Dame 20

Michigan vs. Michigan State

The main event for many of NRTTS reader. This one is gonna be an intense, physical game that hinges on a couple different factors.

• How will Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson and the rest of the Michigan squad handle their first road test? All signs point to Forcier being healthy, so there is no excuse there. The key in the quarterback match up will be whether or not Forcier can make big plays by keeping the play alive, and whether or not Rich Rod and Calvin McGee decide to take the Forrest Gump Tag off of Denard Robinson. MSU LB Greg Jones will likely be in some kind of spy role, and the MSU D will no doubt be looking to put The Force out of the game with one big hit (legal or illegal).
• How will Michigan counteract MSU's power running/play action offense. MSU featured RB Glenn Winston (fresh out of the California Penal League) heavily in their lopsided loss to Wisconsin, so he looks to have one the RB derby. If Michigan can make the Spartans one dimensional, their chances of success jumps infinitely. I expect MSU will employ the same game plan Notre Dame did: run, and then max protect off of play action, forcing Michigan's inexperienced corner (in this case it will be JT Floyd) to cover the deep ball. This is a very scary proposition for Michigan, as Floyd looks no faster than Justin Slauterbeck did on the football field. Floyd also does not have the power of the "boom, jigga jigga" like Slauterbeck did, so Michigan fans, say your prayers.
• Will Michigan still have Trey Junkin playing center for them? Or will David Moosman settle into the role and deliver solid, catchable snaps back to the QBs. This offense can absolutely not have negative plays; multiply that factor by a million considering this is a freshman QBs first road test. Moos' needs to get that part of his game corrected and Michigan will have a lot of success on offense.

So what does all of this mean? It means I have no idea what is going to happen tomorrow. I would like to think that MSU's 1-3 record is indicative of the type of team they have, but I know better than that. This is Mark Dantonio's whole life - beating Michigan. He has been puffing his chest out ever since last year's 2 TD victory at the Big House against the two headed monster that was Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet. He will be in for an all kind of different 2-headed monster this year, as Tate/Denard and Carlos/Minor have proven they are playmakers, not playruiners. Buckle up, Michigan fans. It may not be pretty, but this is definitely the biggest game in this series since the Burress/Duckett years. One win at East Lansing, and the "Dantonio is taking over the state" arguments die down. A loss, and more fuel is added to the fire.

I cannot wait.

NRTTS
Coach Deuce