I’m cool. Real cool. It’s all good. Seriously.
A fury of circumstances has turned me against writing anything for about an entire week. Most of all, I just needed a mental break from thinking about this football program and how this once promising season turned to dog poo. It sucks to be on the bottom of the Big 11. It sucks even worse to lose to rivals again. But it’s cool, really. This is something many elite programs have experienced, because they all go through transitions and most take time. Faster would be nicer, but it will happen.

Thoughts on the Ohio State game
I watched this game at a bar near Dayton, OH and I can tell you that I was one of two Michigan fans out of at least 100 people, and they were worried as Michigan found ways to move the ball. Unfortunately, Forcier found ways to make me drink more beer and not really threaten the OSU lead as the game was winding down. Also, most OSU fans were on my side relative to the hideousness of those throwback uniforms.

Tate had several nice plays throughout this game. The offense played relatively well throughout, and Vincent Smith showed signs of what a starter next year should look like. Roy Roundtree again showed that he deserves to be a starter next year along with Tay Odoms and Darryl Stonum. It was disappointing to see Brandon Minor unable to play in his final home game. Carlos Brown, or not Carlos Brown, na – still can’t break a damn tackle. Brandon Graham = freak, unreal dude. I hope BG is a top draft pick and becomes the next Lamarr Woodley.

About the whole fire Rich Rod thing.
At this point, we can all say that Rich Rodriguez has underachieved after two years as Michigan’s head coach. You cannot be pleased with the alleged NCAA allegations either. You can also scrape the news off of the Detroit Free Press, national media, Michael Wilbon, you name it; and think that Michigan needs to cut their losses with RR and bring in the next Michigan Man.

Or, you could take emotion out of it, spend the time to understand the dynamics of this roster in it’s current state, remember how bad you wanted a change after 2007, continue to remember how bad you wanted a change after 2007, and realize that year 2 was an improvement over year 1. Not a huge improvement, but 5 > 3. The offense improved by leaps and bounds, and somehow was the #1 scoring offense in the Big 11. Any team should be able to win a ball game scoring 36, see Purdue.

I see a coach that is resilient and not beaten down. As RR tells the media, they don’t know what goes on in that locker room, film room, weight room, etc. RR and his staff have created an environment where the players are very close to one another and believe in the system put in place. I’ve been pleased with RR’s demeanor in post-game press conferences, he sticks to his guns and doesn’t let ill-placed questions get the best of him. He often speaks of the bigger picture, the process, that he and his staff put their heart and soul in to – and it’s happening, just not as fast as an irrational fan wants it to.

Will Michigan be a better team in 2010?
Yes. Thank you for asking.

Why will Michigan be better offensively?
A starting quarterback is coming back, yay! And it’s a guy that is actually competent at times, yay! Tate should improve with an entire offseason to pick up where he left off after the Ohio State game. In general, Tate finished the season strong starting with the Purdue game. He will improve as he spends time adding some padding to that frame and slowing the game down in his head. Let’s just hope he’s got the work ethic to make all of that happen.

QB’s aside, the majority of the offense is back – and the unit should once again improve with another year under its belt. The year 1 to year 2 jump is always big, but so is the year 2 to 3 jump.

5 offensive players with 2010 expectations.

1. Vincent Smith
   Played lights out against Wisconsin and Ohio State, and shows the ability to break tackles and make something out of nothing. Oh yea, he can catch too.
2. Roy Roundtree
   Played lights out since the Purdue game. He’s got sure hands and great acceleration – although his breakaway speed could be improved, see Illinois game.
3. Denard Robinson / Tate Forcier
   Tate will start. Denard will play QB and find his way into other formations as a back or receiver, a la Percy Harvin. I know RR is keeping him at QB, but he’ll see time on field in other ways. Tate is a natural, it seems as though he needs to mature a bit and stay more focused during games. A lot will be expected from Tate.
4. Darryl Stonum
   Stonum really created a name for himself returning kicks this year, so that will naturally be the talk on his behalf leading into the season. Michigan needs a deep threat, and Stonum needs to be that guy. Would like to see him get a little more established as a key part of the offense.
5. David Molk
   Many believe this was Michigan’s most impactful injury of 2009, and it may have been. Once Molk was out, Michigan was out. Regardless, his rehab will be a major story and Michigan will need him back in the starting line up.

Why will Michigan be better defensively?
Greg Robinson will be here. That means this defense doesn’t have to start over with a new defensive coordinator, first time this has happened in four years. This defense was not good, and simply having some consistency from a coaching standpoint gives the case for improvement credibility. Brandon Graham is gone, and was nothing short of amazing in his senior season. He was a game-changing beast, it’s too bad that he wasn’t complimented by a couple more playmakers in the back seven. The general feel is that Donovan Warren will stick his foot in the NFL pool and decide that it’s a little too cold to jump in. Losing only Stevie Brown and BG puts nine guys back in 2010, so the simple default of improvement from experience sets in here. Woolfolk and Warren should lock down the corners if GROB finds two safeties that can play at an average to above average level of play.

5 defensive players with 2010 expectations.

1. Justin Turner
   The 5 star from Ohio redshirted last year after much speculation that he would get his shot to prove himself on gameday
2. Craig Roh
   Roh has a hell of a motor and only stands to get a lot better. He’s played relatively well and was very undersized as a true freshman. Combine his experience with an entire offseason of bulking up and Roh should have a huge impact in 2010.
3. Brandon Smith
   All Brandon’s that play at Michigan are good right? Let’s hope some of Brandon Graham’s dominance rubbed off on Brandon Smith. He’s always played well on special teams and saw some time in the final two games in the defensive backfield. He’ll get his opportunity to be a starter and make an impact, whether it’s at safety or the quick position Stevie Brown was playing.
4. Will Campbell
   Will got some decent experience as a true freshman, while he didn’t always play well, he should anchor that D-line in 2010 along with Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergen, and Roh.
5. Donovan Warren
   I hesitated to include DW in this list, but he could stand to have an absolute breakthrough season if he comes back. His play was solid at best as the season progressed. If he comes back, he’ll be the spokesperson for the defense.

What do I do now?
Watch Michigan basketball have a decent season, hopefully better than last year. Watch Michigan’s hockey team recover from a rough start. Assume that the Michigan football program can stay out of the negative headline category this offseason. Let time do its thing. Then as next fall approaches, get psyched about a team that should give Michigan a winning season and a bowl game. It’s fun being optimistic, because that means we’re talking 8 or 9 wins for this team next season.

• Zac Johnson – Out
• Carlos Brown – Concussion – Probable
• Brandon Minor – Ankle – Probable
• David Molk – Foot – Probable

• Tate will be out today and probably wont throw as much – shoulder is just sore – might participate in some short throws but not deep throws. Trainer is confident that he should be good to go for Saturday.
• RR addressed the physicality of his team and that it’s more of a state of mind and not a result of the system – the coaching staff will challenge the guys this week to be more physical not because it’s MSU – because it’s the way they always want to play.
• On QB’s and RB’s splitting carries – Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor were banged up but mostly a result of how the defense was playing Michigan. In the system, often times the QB needs to keep it and run based on what the defense presents
• Moosman at center – some snaps were obviously off and some were probably catchable. Molk spoiled everybody because he is so good, but they will practice getting the snaps down this week.
• David Molk is going to be out closer to 4 weeks – surgery went will and there is a pin in place. Molk is doing what he can to speed up the healing process.
• On the defense – RR evaluated the defense and said the defense played well at times, but missed assignments that led to some big plays. Claimed they are all correctable errors. Going to challenge some guys in order to make sure the best 11 guys are on the field.
• Donovan Warren playing real well, but other corner spot is wide open. J.T. Turner getting better every week and he will compete with Cissoko and Floyd.
• Giving up big plays are a result of poor technique and simply being misaligned.
• On MSU’s defense – they have played some talented offenses and have given up some big plays. Very aggressive defensively and will pose Michigan’s offense with a different challenge.
• More on Tate – tough guy but will let you if he’s hurting.
• This week’s Wednesday practice will be closed to the public.
• QB’s will be able to go on a silent cadence if necessary this coming week.
• RR not using last year’s loss as a motivating factor or revenge factor – players probably use it more than the coaches do.
• The in-state recruiting war between Michigan and Michigan State is somewhat overblown. Teams go after different players for different purposes. RR doesn’t get the sense that there is much negative recruiting going on between Michigan’s major conference rivals.
• Michigan preparing for both MSU’s QB’s because they have some spread principles that they run.
• On this year’s offense compared to last – scoring a lot more points and the execution has been better but still have a long way to go. A big difference is the playmaking ability of the new guys this year.
• Kevin Grady has some great leadership qualities that have put him in position to get some playing time at fullback.
• Not much is going to be different about the routine this week – trying to narrow the focus of the team this week.

Kevin Grady up next:

• Asked what his favorite MSU moment was – when Chris Perry carried the ball over 50 times. At the time he was in high school getting 40+ carries in games.
• Kevin has friends on MSU and family members that are State fans – he’s just trying to get ready for the game this weekend.
• On the rushing game and it’s historical ramifications – Grady feels that Michigan needs to fine tune the rushing attack for this week.
• The has a hunger that goes beyond this game – the team is working hard on and off the field to improve.
• On playing State – he’d tell his brother Kelvin and others that are freshman – “you better bring your hard hat”
• Kevin is enjoying his role at fullback and wants to improve so he can help his team and get more touches.
• On his key third down catch – he recognized the coverage and that the corner was in Cover 2 – Kevin slowed his pace to give himself space to catch the ball.

Carlos Brown up next:

• His knees were a little banged up on Saturday but he is ok now and will be fine for Saturday.
• On the RB rotation – not difficult at all and typically the coaches allow players to get in the zone. Saturday there wasn’t a specific reason for him coming out (contradicting himself a bit)

Obi Ezeh up next:

• Asked what the MSU game means to him – “whoever wins this game has bragging rights for the whole year – Paul Bunyan trophy is something we want to get back”
• Being from Michigan this is a huge game for Obi.
• Last year’s loss was a reminder – don’t want to add fuel to the fire and want MSU to think last year’s win was a fluke.
• Some think the game will be a shootout – Michigan’s defense is still growing and learning from each game.
• The entire defense is waiting to have a statement game and are hoping that this is the week.
• Doesn’t mind being on the field more because the offense is scoring points faster this year.
• Ohio State is a tougher environment than Michigan State – but it’s close.
• Tough to explain in words what this rivalry means to the team and to the state.

Donovan Warren up next:

• Said that he caught the ball first – focused on getting up with the ball to show he had it.
• When he came in as a freshman – the seniors taught him what the rivalry was all about. Michigan is motivated this year to get the win based on last year’s loss.
• Warren works with all the DB’s including Justin Turner – everyday in practice they do extra things to correct mistakes and get better.
• The defense needs to communicate better to avoid and prevent big plays from happening. Making sure everyone is on the same page in coverage and in the right gaps.
• D. Warren on coming to Michigan from Cali – “I’m a California guy- it’s all about USC and UCLA – as far as deep Michigan tradition I didn’t know much about it”

Well, Michigan is through September with a perfect 4-0 record. The record is perfect, but the play on the field is far from it. Rich Rodriguez and his coaching staff are going to have a field day when they go back and watch film of yesterday’s game. The linebacking play is terrible and Obi Ezeh is not having a stellar season as he continues to miss tackles and not make plays. Those snaps, GEEEEEEEZ…get it right. Michigan lost almost 50 yards and blew opportunities left and right because of problems with executing a shotgun snap.

Thoughts on Beating Indiana 36-33

• Ouch for the Defense
  What happened to the fundamental improvements when it comes to tackling, handling gap responsibilities, taking proper pursuit angles and getting off blocks? As I mentioned above, Obi Ezeh continues to miss tackles and play poorly and Jonas Mouton had his fair share of missed tackles and poor pursuit angles. A big factor in this game was the lack of a pass rush. I think Brandon Graham made a handful of plays and busted through a couple times, but in general the D-line was not impressive and their size again played in Indiana’s favor. Cissoko again played terrible at corner and was replaced by an undersized JT Floyd. A win is a win, but damn that was frustrating to watch.

• Offensive Inconsistency
  Scoring points is a lot of fun and big plays are a lot of fun, but as a Michigan fan you have to remember and consider the youth of Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson. Every game you can see their upside and their potential, however, against Indiana you saw Forcier try and do too much at times. I think, as he matures, those mistakes will be minimized. The bad snaps will not continue, but man did they have an affect on this game in a big way. David Moosman is not experienced enough to snap the ball early if a defender jumps across the line of scrimmage. Doing so took away a scoring opportunity and Michigan wound up punting.

• Minor or Brown?
  This is tough – Brown continues to score on big plays and produce, while Minor tends to make an impact in smaller doses at critical times in close games. RR must continue to use both, but it will be interesting to see how each will continue to receive playing time. I think Minor is the better back running between the tackles, but doesn’t quite have the breakaway speed that Brown has – although he is fast and bursts through a hole with serious force. And Brown is a bit better catching the ball out of the backfield and moving upfield in a hurry. Nobody knows if Minor is truly banged up with a nagging ankle injury primarily because when he gets in the game he looks to be 100%. Michigan is better when both are playing and both are healthy – let’s hope they both continue to make an impact.



Tay Odoms / Det. News

• Tay Odom’s TD
  Over 4 games Martavious Odoms hasn’t quite filled up the stat sheet, but there is no doubt that his presence on the field makes a difference. He’s made several great blocks and some clutch catches – most notably on the final drive against Notre Dame. It was great to see him get in the endzone and pull in the game-winner yesterday.

Thoughts on Being 4-0

• The Eye Test
  The eye test is an easy one – after watching 4 games – do they pass the eye test? Well, Michigan is averaging 37.5 points per game so far and have pulled out two games in the final minutes. Exciting, yes – perfect – of course not. The offense is producing big plays and scoring points when it counts. The defense is an issue and needs to focus on the fundamentals once more. If the defense continues to play like it did against Indiana – Michigan will struggle against 3 of their next 4 opponents – Michigan State, Iowa and Penn State. In general, Michigan has grabbed some national media attention and has passed the eye test.



Tate Forcier / Det. News

• T. Force & D. Rob
  Both Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson have made some plays that really only scratch the surface of their potential. Rich Rodriguez is still trying to figure out his strategy when it comes to playing both of these guys. Forcier’s health is becoming a concern – without him healthy I’m not sure how far this team can go. Although, I would be interested to see Denard taking snaps for an entire game – how many long ones would he break and can he throw the ball with any consistency.

• The Defense Struggles
  This has to be the greatest concern for the remainder of the season. The defense started the season strong – hammering Western Michigan – then allowed Notre Dame to pile on over 400 yards of offense. Notre Dame’s supposed high-powered offense allowed Michigan to give the D a pass, but against Eastern Michigan the D again looked weak. Against Indiana, ouch. Seriously, IU busts an 85 yard 4th quarter touchdown run where tackles were missed and the pursuit angles were terrible. Michigan’s season might be full of shootouts where the offense will have to be spectacular late in games because the defense simply lacks the talent and depth to control games.

• 4-0
  Michigan has played four games and has won all four. You can’t do any better than that. Finding ways to win games is what counts – last year Michigan found ways to lose games – quite a difference. Michigan will learn a lot in the next two weeks going on the road to face Michigan State and Iowa. So far it’s been fun, because there’s a zero in the loss column and Michigan’s young stars are making plays when it counts.

• Now Michigan State gets to sit on pins and needles as William Gholston, a high-profile linebacker recruit out of Detroit Southeastern plans to take some official visits to other schools offering him a scholarship. Some schools that appear to be on Gholston’s list are USC, Alabama, Florida and potentially Tennessee or Virginia. If you are a Michigan State fan, you have to be a little nervous about Gholston falling in love with the lifestyle that one of these schools will portray to the young and inexperience, fresh out of high school prep star. Gholston says this about his planned official visits to other schools…
  

  “I never really got out there, so I have to make sure. Michigan State has everything I want, but I just want to make sure everybody else has the opportunity to get me down to their school and try to persuade and convince me. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. If it does, it does.”

• Check out some shots of inside and out of Minnesota’s new stadium – I’m just happy I don’t have to watch Michigan or any other team for that matter playing in that dome!
• ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg is releasing his Big Ten position rankings and has Michigan’s running back unit third in the conference. Penn State coming in first with Evan Royster leading the way and Wisconsin coming in second with John Clay and Zach Brown heading the charge. Below is the snippet on Michigan’s unit…
  

  This is without a doubt Michigan’s strongest unit and one that must perform consistently for the offense to succeed. Senior Brandon Minor looks primed for an All-Big Ten season after a strong finish to 2008, a season during which he played through several injuries. Senior Carlos Brown and sophomore Michael Shaw are also healthy, and freshman Vincent Smith turned heads during spring ball with his quickness.

  Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown need to stay healthy for this unit to live up to being on of the best in the Big Ten. Their past brings down that hope a bit as neither one have been able to make it through an entire season without missing several games.

• For the best recruiting breakdown you’ll find – check out mgoblog’s latest recruiting breakdown from earlier this week.
• More on Brandon Minor – he’s been added as a candidate for this year’s Doak Walker Award watch list.
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