The weekly recap goes year-end mode.

Like anyone else out there running a blog or any kind of news-site, you feel obligated to go out and make predictions at the start of the season. We thought now would be a good time to go back and take a look at what we predicted and compare those predictions to what came to be.

We're pretty new at this whole thing so we didn't really venture out on any limbs, but we're willing to take the beating if we were far off and trust us, if one of us really screwed up on something, the other is going to never let them forget about it.

We're going to start things off with Michigan, since they were easy.

Basically, we feel that while defense is the foundation of everything in the Big11Ten, when you’ve lost so many key pieces and have only one returning starter on your o-line, it’s bad times ahead. Throw in a new coach and a new system, and things probably aren’t going your way.

Our prediction for Michigan this season: 5-7 (3-5 Big11Ten).

So we gave them more credit than they deserved. They ended up 3-9 (2-6 Big Ten) and at or near the bottom of the conference in a whole heck of a lot meaningful statistic. Eleventh in scoring offense. Tenth in scoring defense. Eleventh in pass offense. Ninth in pass defense. You get the picture.

There was one statistic, however, where they stood supreme. The Wolverines led the conference with a sparkling 40.1 net yards per punt.

The Wolverines were about as bad as we had hoped but worse than we expected. We loved seeing them lose to teams like Toledo, hearing how this was the first time in a while they lost to all three of their big rivals and we really liked all the "since 1967" stats.

However, the Big11Ten needs Michigan to come back strong soon, if not next year. As much as we hate to admit it, the conference teams are all in it together when it comes to getting the big bowl bids. Why do you think there's 7 one-loss teams and probably a couple 2-loss teams ahead of PSU in the "trip to the championship game" queue?

The sooner Michigan comes back and does something meaningful, the better off the entire conference will be. Just so they don't beat Penn State anymore.


Moving on to Minnesota.

For as much positive potential the offense has, the defense seems to have as much negative potential. It would be a great story to see that terrible defense return with a couple junior college guys and turn into a competitor, but it's still a long shot for Minnesota to turn into anything resembling a contendor quite yet. Hopefully for the Gopher faithful, the 2009 team will put something special together for that new stadium they're building -- but 2008 looks like another year full of L's.

Our Prediction for 2008: 3-9 (0-8)

We were off by four games, but we were way off in predicting 0-8 in the conference. The Gophers ended up 7-5 (3-5) and to a team that was coming off a 1-11 (0-8) season, that's a huge turnaround. Sure, they had the benefit of playing Northern Illinois, Montana State, Bowling Green and Florida Atlantic, but hey, they lost to two of those teams the year before.

We noted that while the Gophers have the potential on offense to do something special, defense will ultimately bring them down. That suspect defense ended up allowing 378.4 yards per game, good for 10th in the conference. Pair that with an inability to run the ball (dead last in the conference with 105.8 ypg) and it was a recipe for disaster when you got against a solid opponent.

Had the Gophers finished a bit stronger and not lost their last four games of the season, including a beatdown of epic proportions by Iowa (55-0), this really could have been a special season. For Gopher fans it was probably a great surprise but moving forward the Gophers won't be sneaking up on anyone. Again, we hope they continue to improve because the more good teams in the conference, the better.

Next up: Wisconsin.

The chances of the Badgers to make an appearance in a BCS bowl this season probably rest entirely on the shoulders of PJ Hill. Make no mistake about it, he can run. It will be no surprise when Bielema starts calling for the ball to get to Hill early and often. As PJ Hill goes this season, so go the Badgers.

Also, PJ Hill has his own website We couldn't believe it when we saw it either. Hope you like the third person.

"Visit PJ Hill's website." - PJ Hill

Our Prediction for this season: 10-2 (6-2)

Yeah, we were pretty far off on this one. The Badgers actually ended up being 7-5 (3-5). PJ Hill did get his carries and put up 1000 yards (4.8 ypc average), but he also split time with John Clay who put up 845 yards of his own (5.9 ypc average!).

Wisconsin started off well enough as they won their first three games, but that brings us to the next part of our preview:

After that game (Fresno State), they get a week off to prep for a road trip to Michigan. Despite it being a down year for Michigan (potentially), it's never a good thing when you have to travel to Ann Arbor.

Following Michigan the Badgers play at home against Ohio State, Penn State, then travel to Iowa before returning home for a game against Illinois. If Wisconsin can get through that stretch, perhaps even with just one loss, they should be at the top of the running for Big11Ten Champs as they close with Michigan State, Indiana, Minnesota and a team that really strikes fear into everyone -- Cal Poly.

If you didn't know by now, The Badgers didn't get through that stretch. They lost to Michigan (somehow), Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa before breaking the slide with a win against the Illini. They would lose one more to Michigan State before closing out the season with three wins, BUT BARELY.

If not for a disastrous day kicking extra points (or not kicking extra points, that is), the Badgers would have lost to Cal-Poly. The Cal-Poly kicker missed three of those extra point attempts, including one in overtime that allowed Wisconsin to lock up the win.

Wisconsin's demise may have been one of the biggest surprises of the season, but there's no reason to believe they won't come back swinging next year. They were middle of the pack in a lot of categories this year, so it might just take a little fine tuning to get things rolling again. Unfortunately for Badger fans, Brett Bielema doesn't look like the kind of guy who could fine tune anything.

We'll continue this tomorrow....

Game 8 Recap: Penn State 46, Michigan 17

It was a scary start. We were legitimately nervous. But someone forgot to tell Michigan that you have to play two halves of football.

The streak is over.

1st Quarter

The game couldn't have started off worse for the Lions, as Clark couldn't handle an errant snap and fell on the ball for a 16-yard loss. Clark got the ball back near the original line of scrimmage by hitting Deon Butler with a pass, but his next toss was incomplete and it was an early three-and-out.

And then, as if the proverbial light bulb went off above the team's head, Michigan's offense methodically moved the ball down the field. Steven Threet completed three passes during the first five plays of the drive, and then the Wolverines ran the ball nine straight times, none of them going for more than nine yards, but it was enough as Brandon Minor took one in from five to give Michigan the early lead.

0-7

No big deal though, as Penn State went to work. Royster took his first carry of the game for 20 yards, and after an incompletion, Clark scrambled for a first dow..... oh snap.

He's clutching an imaginary ball, apparently.

If we work in the replay booth, PSU never loses the ball.

It was Michigan's ball at their own 44. After an incompletion, Minor busted a huge 36-yard run, as the line was dominated and Scirotto finds out you can't tackle a 215-pound running back around the shoulders.

After a short pass and a couple runs, the drive stalled and Michigan settled for a field goal.

0-10

Before we had time to get all freaked out, Penn State responded. Chaz Powell returned the kickoff to the Penn State 48, Clark hit Williams for an 8-yard completion, and then Royster decided to take one 44 yards to the house.

7-10

On the ensuing kickoff, we experienced the first of many we-can't-catch-a-break moments, as Sam McGuffie fumbled the ball on the return, only to recover it himself when it looked like it would easily be Penn State ball. Dammit.

Michigan didn't waste that gift as they went right to work. After completions by Threet for 21 and 28 yards, the Wolverines had the ball on the Penn State 24 as the first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

It was third and three to start the 2nd quarter, and instead of getting a big stop, the Lions let Threet scurry for a 14-yard pickup and a first down. After two short runs, Minor took it in from one yard out for his second TD of the day.

7-17

Shit.

But again, no worries, surely Penn State would ram the ball down Michigan's throa....oh snap. Three and out.

At right about this point, we had something of this effect running through our heads: "We're down 10 to Michigan, ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod...."

Any other opponent, and we probably don't go into panic mode, but it's funny what a nine-game/12-year losing streak will do to you.

As we silently repeated "the better team will win, the better team will" over and over in our heads, Penn state did what they needed to do on Michigan's next drive and forced a three and out.

The Lions got the ball at their own 31 and tried to make something happen on offense. Clark had three completions on the drive (Butler, Butler and Shuler) mixed in with a 16-yard carry by Royster. But on third and one from the Michigan 27, Clark fumbled the ball and couldn't pick up the first.

Not a problem, Kevin Kelly would get the team within a touchdow...

Clank.

This game was frustrating as hell.

The teams exchanged three and outs and it was Michigan's ball with only 2:53 left in the half. A first down or two and we would be looking at going into halftime down 10.

But just before we started pulling our hair out over that thought, the D stepped up big, stuffing three runs and to set up a punt from Michigan. The punt was downed at the Penn State 26, but a personal foul from the Wolverines moved it up to the 41. Thanks, fellas.

After Clark hit Butler for 17 yards, Royster told the other guys to relax while he put the team on his back.

"I'm gonna need this later."

After runs of 14 and 10 yards, a 3-yard reception, and two more rushes of 5 and 2 yards, the ball was at the Michigan 5 and Royster rightly said, "I'm fucking tired, you guys handle it from here."

So Clark took the reigns and hit Norwood for an absolutely clutch 3-yard touchdown pass. Getting six before the half was HUGE for the team. And our health.

14-17

-Halftime-

Time to listen to every D-bag in the bar talk about how they got tickets to the fourth game of the World Series.
That Phillies hat sure is shiny.

Just kidding, we love Philly people.

3rd Quarter

The first Michigan drive of the third quarter was what we had hoped for. While they gained a few yards, they ended up being forced to punt, thanks in large part to a Maurice Evans sack.

We'd dedicate ourselves to an Evans photoshop, but we don't really care about him anymore.

PSU started the drive at their own 13 and promptly got the ball to Royster. He seemed to be ripping off five or ten yards on every run. He's a beast.

As the drive approached the red zone the passing picked up and the drive sputtered out after three consecutive incompletions. Call out the kicker.

17-17

On the ensuing kick-off Michigan ran the fumble play. Fortunately for them they were able to recover the ball.

This time, Nick Sheridan entered the game at quarterback for Michigan. This was probably not the scenario he had envisioned when he thought about this game during their Wednesday film session.

A holding call on first down backed the Wolverines up to their own 8.
Rich-Rod called 2 straight plays to keep the ball in Sheridan's hand and he was able to get -3 yards.
On third down and just inside their own 5, it was Jared Odrick time.

Put ya' hands up.

19-17

Following the safety and the kick-off being out of bounds, PSU began at the 50.
For some reason, PSU ran the two minute offense, scoring in only 1:35.
A Royster rush of three, Clark to Butler for 25, a Royster run of 21 yards and finally a 1 yard run by Clark to put the ball in end-zone.
The third could not be going any better.

26-17

After the kick-off, Sheridan trotted onto the field.
Three plays later he trotted back off.

4th Quarter

The Lions ran the ball a couple of times and got Kevin Kelly into field goal range where he knocked one down from 32 yards.

29-17

We would like to say we were beginning to feel a little comfortable, but we weren't quite yet. Again, a seemingly infinitely long losing streak will do that to you.

The next Michigan drive was all Aaron Maybin.

On second down, he chased down Minor in the backfield for a loss of 2 yards.
You could say he got stamped.



Following that play, he rescued a kayaker stranded in the Colorado river.


On third down, he got to Threet and forced a fumble.

Abe Koroma recovered at the Michigan 20 and we were finally beginning to feel pretty good.

A quick drive put the Lions in scoring position and Clark ran one in.

36-17

We heard that Michigan got the ball back, but we must have missed it.

Upon getting the ball back, PSU did what they had to do and ate up 6 minutes of game-time with a drive that ended with Kevin Kelly putting one through the uprights.

39-17

Again, Michigan got the ball back but was forced into another three and out.

Penn State came back onto the field with Devlin behind center and all he did was feed the screen pass to Stephfon Green who took it 80 yards for the touchdown. The game had long since been out of reach, but it was great to see that huge play. Nothings better than seeing a couple of second stringers make something big happen.

46-17

Michigan got the ball back and did nothing.

We love it.

Game.

46-17

3 Big Stat Lines

• Evan Royster: 18 carries, 174 yds, 1 TD
  
• Daryll Clark: 18-31, 171 yds, 1 TD
  
• Deon Butler: 8 rec, 105 yds
  

Our Quick Thoughts On The Game:

• The defense started off extremely slow in this one. The D-line was being dominated by a Michigan O-line with very little experience. But the D bounced back big time in the second half.
• Great job by Royster and the line to keep the game close in the first half.
• Needless to say (but we’ll say it anyway) if they start that slowly next weekend, it could be a loooonnnnng game.
• Awesome game from Deon Butler.
• Aaron Maybin didn’t have an outstanding game, but for that one drive in the 4th, he ruled the world.
• Seeing Rich Rodriguez start 2-5 at Michigan means that there is some sort of justice in the world.
• We wish the same could be said for Nick Saban.
• It’s a small sample, but from what we’ve seen, we like Ohio State tailgaters better than Michigan tailgaters.
• Don’t try to go to a bar at night in State College during homecoming. Just stay at home.
• Bring on the sweater vest.
• Tim Cowlishaw just defended the BCS, again.
• We like to make up quotes.
  

Penn State Player of the Game: Evan Royster
He's been rock solid all year, but in this game, he was an absolute beast. His huge gains early on had us asking why we weren't running the ball more, and his touchdown run and work on the scoring drive before the half kept the game from getting out of hand early. He was great in the second half too, picking up yards in huge chunks, as well as first downs in key situations. Another sick yards-per-carry number as well. In a year where he's done so much already, Royster just continues to impress. We're all looking at an elite college running back.

Michigan Player of the Game: RB Brandon Minor

He didn't quite have a Royster-like performance, but it was a fine game from Minor overall. We were expecting to see McGuffie from the start, but it was the junior Minor who came out and ran over the Penn State defense early on. This guy is a bruiser and had some impressive runs Saturday night. Unfortunately for him, Penn State started to figure out the zone read and actually shed some blocks as the game went on, and Minor was a non-factor in the second half. Still, a nice job.

Game 8 Preview: Michigan @ Penn State

Gametime: 4:30 pm

Records: Penn State: 7-0 (3-0), Michigan: 2-4 (1-1)

Series Record: Michigan leads, 10-3 (ouch)

TV: ESPN

Audio: Here

Weather: Partly cloudy, high of 55, 0% chance of rain, 100% of beer can chicken at our tailgate, 98% of beatdown in the Beav.

Where to begin? We all know about the losing streak (we even wrote about it Wednesday). Usually we would down-play it and say it doesn't matter, even though we all know it does. But this year, it totally works out in Penn State's favor for once. First of all, against any other team this game would have "TRAP" written all over it. But against a team to which you've lost nine in a row, you're not going to take the game lightly, no matter how bad said team is.

Which brings us to our second point: Michigan has been awful this season. Does that mean they'll be awful tomorrow? Well, not necessarily, but there's a pretty good chance. The Wolverines' loss to Toledo last week was a microcosm of their season so far: good enough defense, virtually zero offense, enough mistakes to cost you the game, and pretty much embarrassing for everyone on the team. The whole season has been rough for the Big Blue, but last week took it a step further. It's not uncommon for Michigan to have trouble with teams from Ohio, but this is a little ridiculous.

Of course, we've been there before. We lost to Toledo earlier in the decade. This stuff happens. Teams go through ups and downs. With an exception or two, usually we match up really well with Michigan, they (or the refs) have just done the little things to pull out the wins over the years. Well, finally, the tables have turned. We are having an outstanding season, steamrolling almost everyone, dominating on both sides of the ball. And Michigan? Well, not so much.

So what exactly is going to happen in this one? Well if we knew that, we would be getting paid for this, hopefully. But since we don't, here's our token analysis:

Michigan Offense vs. Penn State Defense
This match-up is a joke. Penn State has the best defense in the conference right now, allowing 259 yards of offense per game. Combine that with Michigan's offense, which is 10th in the conference in passing (only Ohio State is worse, imagine that), 9th in rushing, and dead last in total offense, with 291 yards a game. Having watched Michigan, we're not sure how they're averaging even that much.

Wolverines quarterback Steven Threet has been shaky at best so far, showing pretty awful accuracy by completing only half of his passes. His favorite targets are Martavious Odoms and Greg Matthews, who have combined for 43 receptions through six games. Freshman running back Sam McGuffie leads the squad in rushing with 470 yards and 3 TDs. He also sports a stellar 3.9 ypc average, and we'd imagine he's going to have a tough time against Penn State's run D, which is only allowing 89 yards a game on the ground.

To be frank, if Michigan puts up two touchdowns on the Lions D, we'll be surprised.

Michigan Defense vs. Penn State Offense
Well, this is a better match-up, but we obviously still like our chances. Michigan is 6th in the conference in total defense, and third in rush defense, allowing just over 102 yards per game. Of course, Penn State is leading the conference in rushing (as well as total offense), so it should be interesting to see how that match-up plays out. It should be a decent test for Royster and the line.

On pass defense, Michigan is faring much worse however, as they are allowing 241 yards per game, good for just 10th in the Big11Ten. It could be a field day out there for Clark and company, so look for the big play down field early and often.

As for individual standouts, sophomore linebacker Obi Ezeh has done a solid job in his role and leads the team with 56 tackles. Junior defensive end Brandon Graham has 5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, and senior cornerback Morgan Trent has two picks. But again, we still think the Lions will fare just fine against this D.

Michigan Player To Watch: RB Sam McGuffie
Hey, we had to pick someone. He has made some decent plays, and is having a good enough year for a freshman. Probably Michigan's best chance at getting points on the board this weekend.

Penn State Player To Watch: DE Aaron Maybin
Note to Steven Threet: be afraid. Be very afraid.

3 Bold Predictions:

• Evan Royster out-gains the entire Michigan offense by himself.
• Aaron Maybin records a record 14 sacks against the woeful Michigan offensive line.
  
• During the post-game presser, after the worst ass-whooping of his professional coaching career, Rich Rodriguez announces that he's taking his dream job at Clemson after the season.

And finally, just in case you need any more motivation this weekend, remember this:

Let's go out and end the streak this weekend.

Game Prediction: Penn State 38, Michigan 7

Big Blue Heartbreak

So by now we have all been inundated with the talk about Penn State's infamous nine-game losing streak to Michigan. Every year we're reminded of the streak, and every year it gets worse as the Lions we somehow find a way to blow it against the Wolverines.

This year, that should change. But before this weekend's clash, to get you fired up we thought we'd take a look at the three toughest losses to Michigan over the streak. Hopefully these sour memories will make this weekend sweet.

1999: Michigan 31, Penn State 27
Recap

10 years ago, and wouldn't you know it, Tom Brady was pissing us off.

This was a helluva matchup, with the 9-1 Lions coming off of a heartbreaker of a loss to Minnesota the week before, and 7-2 Michigan just having gone through a rough three-game run where they gave up 100 points and went 1-2.

Penn State had a pretty horrible day on offense, as they rushed for only 7 yards (!) on 20 carries, and only put up one offensive touchdown. A punt return TD and interception return for a TD contributed the bulk of the points. But they still managed to lead 27-17 with just over nine minutes left in the 4th. This is where Brady took control (shades of things to come, we suppose).

Damn you, Brady.

Brady put the team on his back for the most part, first leading a 81-yard drive and scrambling for a 5-yard touchdown to make it 27-24. After Michigan's D forced a three-and-out (we have no way of knowing this, but we'll bet those three plays were all runs), Brady led another drive, this time capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass that went down as the game winner. What a dick.

Of course, Brady has since paid for the sorrow of Penn State fans everywhere.

Karma.

2002: Michigan 27, Penn State 24 (OT)
Recap

Another ill-fated match-up where Penn State squandered a 4th quarter lead, this one featured such quarterbacking legends as Zach Mills and John Navarre. Sometimes, as a sports fan, you look back on the past and think it's superior, and then you remember that Zach Mills and John Navarre were leading big-time programs.

Not exactly legendary.

The Lions led this game 13-7 at the end of the 3rd, and then a shootout ensued. Michigan struck first to make it 14-13, then Mills hit Bryant Johnson on a 19-yard touchdown strike and added a two-point conversion, going ahead 21-14. Not surprisingly, Navarre led the Wolverines on a 64-yard drive to tie it up.

Then came the controversy. Penn State was driving with the clock winding down, and a long pass to Tony Johnson was called incomplete because Johnson was ruled out of bounds. Replays showed Johnson was clearly in bounds, but alas, instant replay was not a part of college football in the old days of 2002. The Lions were forced to punt, and Michigan ran out the clock to send it into OT tied at 21.

In overtime, Penn State managed only a field goal by the great Robbie Gould, and Michigan's Chris Perry managed to plunge into the end zone from three yards out. Shit.


2005: Michigan 27, Penn State 25
Recap

Well, this one really sucked. It is certainly fresh in our minds, as this was our senior year and we were screwed once again by the Big Blue. This one was easily the most painful of these three losses, as it was one of those games that you thought you had no shot of winning, then there was no way you could lose, and then...welllll...

After an insanely boring first half which saw a lone field goal from Michigan, the Wolverines struck again in the 3rd quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run from Mike Hart to make it 10-0. Penn State finally got on the board in the 3rd with a field goal from freshman Kevin Kelly, and the score was 10-3 going into the 4th. An old-fashioned Big11Ten shootout.

The 4th actually was a shootout, and the scoreboard really started to light up. The Lions tied the game at 10 after a 61-yard run by Tony Hunt and a 2-yard touchdown run by Michael Robinson. On Michigan's next drive, Alan Zemaitis stripped world class a-hole Chad Henne of the ball and ran it back for a touchdown. Kelly ran one in for two after a botched snap. 18-10, Lions.

Henne led Michigan right back down the field and fired a 33-yard TD to Mario Manningham. The Wolverines added 2 to tie the game. Penn State failed on its next drive and Michigan added a field goal on the following possession to make it 21-18. M-Rob tossed an interception, but Penn State stopped Michigan while using some timeouts and got the ball back. M-Rob then got redemption for the pick, leading the team on a 13-play, 81-yard drive and took another one in himself to put Penn State up 25-21.

Then, continuing the theme from the 2002 game, Michigan was given a gift on the final drive when the refs added 2 seconds to the clock after Lloyd Carr called timeout and then argued the clock continued to run.

We tried to get a comment from Carr, but we found this loser in his office:


Anyway, 2 seconds doesn't seem like a lot, but Michigan kept moving the ball, and they ran their last play with 1 second on the clock and... well, you know the rest.


Misery.

So let these games sit and fester in your mind for a couple days. Then, whether you're at your apartment, a bar, or inside the Beav, take that aggression out on Saturday.

The Links

We're so excited about the team right now that we're actually posting on a Tuesday. Don't get used to it.

Starting off in the Blue & White world, Gene Wojciechowski says that Joe deserves a contract for next season. -Wojo-

By the way, are you tired of Joe injury news yet? If you are, don't click this link. -Rivals-

Adam Rittenberg points out how much the playbook has opened up this year. -E!SPN-

Speaking of that, it now looks as if Galen and JayPa purposely kept the play calling conservative against Purdue to sort of set up Wisconsin. If so (and that is based on 0% fact), it was a great move.

Jeff Rice of the CDT talks about how well Penn State's offensive weapons performed in the 'Sconsin game. -CDT-

However, as a commenter points out, maybe it's not the best idea to give a Penn State football article the headline of "Weapons abound in PSU domination." We just think maybe that could be a little misleading. Maybe.

The Lions' dominating performance did not go unnoticed, as Daryll Clark and Aaron Maybin were named Big11Ten offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively. -Altoona Mirror-

Moving on to our upcoming foes, South Florida coach Jim Leavitt took some shots at UM coach and resident ass clown, Rich Rodriguez. Consider us fans of Jim Leavitt. -Nice-

Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free-Press talks about Michigan leaving the Toledo game in the past and focusing on the Lions. Just take a minute to take in that sentence and have a chuckle. -DFP-

Of course Snyder buried the lead in that article. Check out the part about RichRod not being interested in the Clemson job, which Tommy Bowden just vacated. If Rodriguez left Michigan after this year for Clemson, on a comedy scale of 1 to 10, that would be a 40.

Yesterday Adam Rittenberg said Steven Threet was expected back for this weekend's game. -E!SPN-

Today, John Heuser of the Ann Arbor news says Threet could miss the game (and gives other injury updates). -AAN-

We don't know who to believe, but really, we could care less either way.

Threet, desperately trying to escape high expectations.

Now, in national news...

A dude from Rivals lists his early top 5 Heisman candidates. Enjoy flavor-of-the-week status, Colt! -Heisman-

Chase Daniel, a guy who no doubt fell out of that Top 5 this past weekend, will try to lead Missouri to a win over the new #1. -Rivals-

Keep your eye on USC the next couple weeks. They're going to sneak back into this thing before all is said and done. That is if QB Mark Sanchez can rebound from a shaky outing against Arizona State last weekend. -Trojans-

Finally, here are bowl projections from two losers from E!SPN. Obviously, not a lot of love. Feel free to email Bruce Feldman and tell him he's a dick. -Blah-

2008 Preview: Michigan

With the PSU previews out of the way, we thought it'd be a good idea to move on to all the other teams in the Big11Ten. Odds are we won't finish these before the season starts but hey, we're trying.

Here's Michigan to start things off.

2007: 9-4 (6-2), Defeated Florida in the Capital One Bowl

It seems like it’s been forever since Penn State last beat Michigan. They were the one team that marred our stellar record in 2005, they nearly killed two of our quarterbacks in 2006, and last year they managed to squeak out an extremely underwhelming game.

With that being said, if there was ever a year to break this losing streak, this is the one.

Let’s start by taking a look at some names for Michigan: Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Mario Manningham, Jake Long, Adrian Arrington, Ryan Mallett, Shawn Crable, Adam Kraus, Justin Boren.

No, those aren’t the key performers for this Wolverines squad, they’re the guys who are gone.

That is, of course, quite a list. And it leaves Michigan in quite a hole, as the team returns only three starters on offense, and seven on defense. Now, this sort of thing happens all the time, and as an opponent, you have to take advantage while you can. But what makes this rebuilding year even more difficult for the Big Blue is the fact new coach and resident a-hole Rich Rodriguez is coming to town, and he’s bringing his spread offense with him.

We feel dirtier just having him in the conference.

No matter how crappy it may be for the players, the fans, or the school itself, this season is all about Rodriguez and his new schemes. Of course, he’s going to get a bit of a pass for this season because of his relative lack of talent, but it should be interesting to see how his more progressive offensive system will fit in the conservative Big11Ten. But it’s not going to be easy for him. It’s enough that Michigan is already a big time school with a target on its back. It doesn’t help the team’s chances that most of the coaches in the conference hate Rich Rod already and will be circling their respective dates with Michigan on their mental calendars.

But enough talk about the coach, let’s have a look at the guys who will actually be doing the work on the field this year, if and when we can find any that we’ve ever heard of.

The Wolverines’ offense could go through some serious growing pains this year. There are three quarterbacks in the mix this season, but none is above the sophomore level. The projected starter is redshirt freshman Steven Threet. Here’s what we know about Threet………. yep, that’s about it. Actually, Threet is 6’6”, 230, and is more of a pocket passer. Given that knowledge, we could see some of freshman Justin Feagin, who fits better in the spread.

Is this guy Michigan's QB? Could be, how the hell would we know?

Of course, all of this is contingent upon the QBs not getting killed. Michigan’s offensive line will be shaky at best, as it returns only one starter, sophomore Steve Schilling. Good luck with us and Ohio State, fellas.

The backfield might be a high point for the team this year, as it returns junior running back Brandon Minor, who had 429 yards filling in for Mike Hart at various points last year. The receiving corps is depleted after the loss of Manningham and Arrington, but junior Greg Matthews and junior tight end Carson Butler were the third and fourth options last year and will try to pick up the slack. Michigan also has a duo of talented freshman receivers (Daryl Stonum and Terrence Robinson) looking to make an impact.

On the defensive side of the ball things are much more solid. Michigan returns all four defensive lineman, with tackle Terrence Taylor (yay alliteration!) anchoring the line. Taylor had 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last year.

The linebackers will have to fill two spots behind returning starter Obi Ezeh (5th on the team in tackles), but the team’s cornerback duo of Morgan Trent and Donavan Warren combine to form a quick yet hard-hitting defensive backfield.

So how will the Wolverines fare this year? The media have given us all a non-committal picture so far (imagine that). At first, most talking heads were ripping Michigan’s chances. Then, as if they all got bored, everyone seemed to say, “Not so fast, this team could be decent.” There’s a happy medium in there, and it’s something we like to use, if only from time to time.

It’s called common sense.

Basically, we feel that while defense is the foundation of everything in the Big11Ten, when you’ve lost so many key pieces and have only one returning starter on your o-line, it’s bad times ahead. Throw in a new coach and a new system, and things probably aren’t going your way.

Our prediction for Michigan this season: 5-7 (3-5 Big11Ten).