Open Letter to RichRod: Please Deliver a Win Over Ohio State

Dear Rich Rodriguez,

The University of Michigan players, alumni, and fans have been dying for a win over the hated Ohio State Buckeyes. Please give us a win in what is clearly a “trap game” for the Buckeyes this Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 12:00 pm in Ann Arbor.

The Buckeyes have secured a Rose Bowl appearance and the Big 10 Championship. With all of that already in the bag for them before this game….you never know.

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Michigan v Notre Dame In the Big House: Preview and Prediction

Michigan and Notre Dame meet in Ann Arbor on Saturday and this year it will actually be a game worth watching. It will also be a game played in one of the only stadiums — The Big House — that is large enough to hold both schools’ massive  football egos.

The last two meetings between these teams were sloppy blowout games and neither team ended up having a good season. But this year both squads look to be back on track and the rivalry is being revived.

Last week, Michigan coasted to an easy 31-7 victory over Western Michigan, scoring all of their points in the first half. Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier solidified himself as the starter for the Wolverines while fellow freshman Denard Robinson flashed the speed and big play ability that quarterbacks in Rich Rodriguez’s system are known for having.

Rich Rodriguez’s spread option offense was effective against the Broncos, as Michigan racked up 242 rushing yards from 8 different ball carriers. The problem for the Wolverines is they are currently without a go-to running back. Backup quarterback Denard Robinson was the leading rusher with 74 yards.

In Notre Dame’s season opener, the Irish shut out Nevada 35-0 with Jimmy Clausen throwing for 4 TD’s. Claussen showed poise in the pocket, completing 15 of his 18 attempts.

Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish look ready to make it back to another bowl game this year, and possibly even compete for a BCS bid. The offense that was in complete disarray two seasons ago is now finally coming together.

Saturday’s matchup between these two bitter rivals is an intriguing one. Both teams have shown vast improvement from last year, but this will obviously be the first real test for each squad with Rodriguez and Weis both seated firmly on the hot seat to bring their teams back to the elite level of college football.

Before we get into an analysis of the matchup, let’s take a quick look at the particulars:

#18 Notre Dame (1-0) at Michigan (1-0)

• Notre Dame-Michigan Date: Saturday, September 12th
• Notre Dame-Michigan Time: 3:30 ET
• Notre Dame-Michigan TV: ABC
• Notre Dame-Michigan Location: The Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Notre Dame-Michigan Point Spread: Notre Dame -4.5
• StubHub: Michigan-Notre Dame tickets for as low as $95
• StubHub: Michigan football tickets
• StubHub: Notre Dame football tickets
• StubHub: all College Football tickets

Notre Dame-Michigan Preview and Analysis

Notre Dame comes into the game a slight favorite and rightfully so. Clausen is starting to fill in the void that was left when Brady Quinn left for the NFL draft. (Side note to Notre Dame fans: please don’t treat Claussen like the “golden boy” as you did with Quinn. Thank you.)

To win the game, the Irish must provide strong pass protection for Clausen and allow him to spread the ball around. Michigan, on the other hand, needs to pressure Clausen and limit his ability to locate WRs Golden Tate and Michael Floyd down the field. If Michigan tries to get in a shootout with Notre Dame, the Wolverines won’t be able to keep up with the Irish’s high-octane offense.

If Claussen can put up 300-plus yards passing Michigan won’t have a chance. Tate, a speedy and talented young receiver, could be the X-factor with his big play potential.

Michigan needs to control the pace and the clock by running the football over and over. Forcier looked good passing the ball last week, although he only put the ball in the air 20 times. He completed 13 of those passes for 175 yards and tallied 3 TDs. You might look at those stats and think the Wolverines should throw more.

On the contrary, Forcier’s efficient passing was set up by 50 rushing attempts at 4.8 yards per pop. Michigan would do well to follow attain a similar run:pass ratio. Forcier will have to be smart with the ball again when passing plays are called. An improving Irish defense picked off two passes last week and will be licking their chops going up against a freshman making only his second start.

Notre Dame-Michigan Prediction

This game can go either way and will likely be decided by one or two key plays. Notre Dame comes in ranked #18, but when playing in the Big House all rankings go out the window. [Editor's note: as do Division 1-A and 1-AA classifications...right App State?]

Rich Rodriguez will have the Wolverines amped up to start the game and the Irish will have to take the fans out of the game early. Luckily for Notre Dame fans and the embattled Weis, the Irish have an experienced quarterback to rely on in Jimmy Clausen, who is no stranger to pressure, expectation, and hostile environments.  

In this high profile matchup between two of the all-time giants of college football, Clausen’s experience will most likely be the difference.

My prediction for this game: Notre Dame- 31 Michigan- 24

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* – Notre Dame / Michigan helmets image credit: The Onion

* – Charlie Weis photo credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio via WSBT-2

* – Denard Robinson / Tate Forcier photo credit: Said Alsalah/Daily via Michigan Daily

* – Jimmy Clausen in high school photo credit: Pre Pro Sports

Wolverine Freshmen QBs Forcier, Robinson Impress In 31-7 Win

Rich Rodriguez kicked off the 2009 campaign with an impressive showing from his true freshmen quarterbacks in the Wolverines’ 31-7 win over Western Michigan.

Tate Forcier is only the third freshman quarterback to start for Michigan in the school’s history, with the others being Rick Leach and Chad Henne. He looked sharp and passed for three touchdowns in his debut. 

Even better than his three touchdowns, he had no completions to the other team, finishing 13-20 for 179 yards.  He also rushed for 37 yards on 11 carries.

Denard “Shoelace” Robinson was 2-4 for 18 yards through the air, but his running game was more impressive.  Robinson rushed 11 times for 74 yards, with an impressive touchdown run of 43 yards. The video of Robinson’s incredible debut run is below.

Denard “Shoelace” Robinson Runs for TD Against Toledo

The only letdown in this game was Rodriguez’s thought that putting Nick Sheridan into the game was a good idea.  Sheridan continued his stellar quarterbacking abilities that he so finely displayed last year by going 0-2 with a completion to the other team.  I had instant flashbacks to every game he played in last year. It seems that some things will never change.

This win was nice, but basking in the glory of a Week 1 victory is something that Michigan cannot afford to do, as they have a real test at home next week against Notre Dame, who rolled Nevada 35-0.

Kurt Fraschetti

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* – Denard Robinson / Tate Forcier photo credit: Said Alsalah/Daily via Michigan Daily

I’ll Tell You This: Dodgers Looking Strong, Pacman and RichRod Not So Much

[Editor's Note: This is the first of a new weekly series by Big MB called I'll Tell You This. MB loves to tell people things, and especially loves using that phrase when doing so, so this is a match made in sports blogging heaven. Have at it MB.]

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We are just over one week away from NFL kickoff 2009, less that a week from College Football, and coming down the stretch in Major League Baseball. Here are my top 5 stories for this week.

1 – LA Dodgers Make Deals to Solidify Playoff Roster

As the waiver deadline approaches the most active team seems to be the L.A. Dodgers, picking up White Sox slugger Jim Thome and Diamondbacks’ hurler Jon Garland. As of today the Dodgers hold a 5.5 game lead on Colorado, who also made a move trading for White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras.

I’ll tell you this: the Dodgers are putting together a team that will compete with the Yankees in the World Series. There is no doubt in my mind that the Dodgers are the team to beat in the National League, save for maybe (and this is painful for a Cub’s fan to admit) the Cardinals.

2 – A Tale of Two Cities: Minnesota and Philadelphia

Brett Favre and Michael Vick have made their comebacks and the inevitable debates have followed.

In Minnesota, talk of team mutiny was rumored, some sources saying that the locker room was split. These rumors were put to bed quickly, but Viking Nation may see it differently. One Vikings fan was found to have a live goat in her trunk painted purple and gold.

Vick has also been met with equivalent praise and disapproval, with Donovan McNabb going on record saying that Vick’s presence and the style of play-calling involving Vick was “a gimmick” and a distraction from their game plan.

I’ll tell you this: Like it or not, the Vikings became a contender when they signed Favre. However, Vick brings quite the distraction both on and off of the field. It will be interesting to see, but if McNabb is already skeptical about Vick’s role, then that can’t be a good sign for the Eagles.

3 – Trouble in Ann Arbor

In what has been a tumultuous summer of violations in College Football, one last situation has raised its ugly head right before the season’s start.

This week some former and current players accused Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff of exceeding the NCAA’s practice guidelines and complained that the staff was over-working student athletes beyond the maximum weekly and daily hours limitations. Rodriguez responded with an emotional press conference, completely denying the allegations by saying that they were “miscommunications” and “just not true.”

I’ll Tell You This: The Wolverines went 3-9 last year in Rodriguez’s first year at the helm. While it would not surprise me that these players were over-worked, I think the bigger issue is that, to save his job, Rodriguez has to find a way to bring Michigan back to being one of the premier teams in the NCAA.

4 – Injuries in the NFL Preseason

With the NFL preseason coming to an end, injuries have already begun to raise their ugly heads at big-time positions for teams.

Patriots QB Tom Brady injured his shoulder when Redskins $100 million dollar man Albert Haynesworth crushed him in the second quarter of their game last week. The master of masking issues, Bill Belichick, down-played the injury saying that Brady would be ready for the regular season.

Brett Favre has said that he has a cracked rib, but played in the Vikings’ preseason game against Houston without any protection. Could it be that Favre is preparing an excuse for what might become a disappointing season?

Finally, all of Kansas City stopped breathing for about 24 hours when off-season acquisition QB Matt Cassel went down hard with a knee injury. At first the prognosis was 4-6 weeks, seemingly a finishing blow to KC before the season even started; however, now reports are saying that the MCL strain that Cassel suffered was minor and he would return to the lineup possibly sooner rather that later, maybe even for the season opener.

I’ll Tell You This: Nothing can kill a team’s season faster than an unexpected and unnecessary preseason injury. Hopefully all of the above stay healthy so we can watch as many teams battle it out for the playoffs at full strength as possible. A healthy NFL is a more fan-friendly NFL.

5 – The Return of Pacman

Adam “Pacman” Jones has returned to football. But this time it’s not in the NFL. It’s not even with the upstart AFL, which launches next month. 

No, Pacman Jones is headed to the Canadian Football League. He has signed “in principal” a one year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

I’ll tell you this: Who cares?

Apparently no-one in the NFL is ok with giving Jones yet another chance to prove that he can’t control his personal life, and honestly, I can’t blame them. Jones is just one of those players with all the talent in the world but no self-control. And playing professional sports is a luxury. He can’t control his life, he is a thug, and he is not a role model like we want our athletes of today to be.

Good riddance Pacman. Canada, you can have him.

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You can follow BigMB on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

* – Jose Contreras and Jim Thome photo credit: by Charles Rex Arbogast – AP via South Side Sox

Has the Next Pat White Come to Michigan? Florida QB Denard Robinson Signs with Wolverines

Rich Rodriguez’s newest version of Pat White may have just landed. The buzz came this morning from Deerfield Beach High School in Florida when their senior Quarterback Denard Robinson announced his intentions to play college football for the University of Michigan.

Deerfield Beach Head Coach Art Taylor stated that Robinson picked Michigan over the University of Florida, and other schools as well. Robinson was described by Taylor as a 6-foot, 179-pound quarterback with a 40-yard dash time of 4.3 seconds. Taylor stated that playing in a spread offense was something that Robinson really wanted, adding that the chance to compete for time as a freshman was appealing to Robinson as well.

Taylor was also quoted as saying, “Oh my god, Michigan is going to get an explosive, explosive quarterback.  He is a leader, he pushes his will to win on others. I’ve never seen a kid so competitive.”

Robinson will face competition from Tate Forcier from California, who is currently enrolled in classes at Michigan. Both of these guys should be a huge upgrade at the quarterback position for the Wolverines from last year.

This news should be pleasing to every Wolverine fan who had to endure the mess we called an offense last year. Last year’s offense looked like they were in a constant race to punt the ball as fast as possible. I have never seen a team go 3-and-out with the speed that the Wolverines pulled it off in last year. My heart went out to the Wolverines defense that played its ass off, only to have to go back onto the field 45 seconds after forcing a punt.

I have faith in Rich Rodriguez and his system. This was a talented football team last year that was missing, in my opinion, only one key element: a quarterback. Yes, Steven Threet grew on me over the year, but was way too inconsistent. Nick Sheridan just grew on my patience. His uncanny ability to complete passes to the other team with great regularity that  made me want to gouge my eyeballs out every time I saw #8 take the field. The only time #8 did not offend me was when Michael Phelps wore a #8 jersey and walked onto the field.

At any rate, I am looking forward to the Wolverines returning to the top of the Big 10 in the near future so I can walk the streets of Ohio again with my head up high. God I miss John Cooper in Scarlet and Gray.

Go Blue!

Kurt Fraschetti, fraschetti@midwestsportsfans.com

Robinson signing information courtesy of John Heuser at annarbornews.com.

Michigan vs. Ohio State | Another Historic Game This Weekend

In recent years we have seen The Game between Ohio State and Michigan create about as much hype as any rivalry in any sport.

In 2006, it was the first #1 vs. #2 match up in The Game’s rich tradition. It was the first time the two teams entered the game undefeated since the 1970s Bo vs. Woody days.

Only a day after the passing of Michigan great Bo Schembechler, The Game ended 42-39 with Ohio State being victorious and it was the highest point total in the history of the rivalry. And easily one of the most exciting, regardless of which side you are on.

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Now we have a plethora of firsts in this weekend’s Ohio State-Michigan game, even though it is nothing College Game Day would set up shop for, as they did in Columbus in 2006.

One reason is that the 19 point spread in favor of the Buckeyes is the largest spread in the history of The Game. Two, win or lose, at 3-8 it is already Michigan’s worst record in the football program’s history. Three, Ohio State is going for their fifth straight victory over for the team up north which would be a first in Ohio State’s rich history. Four, this is the first time these two teams will both start Freshman quarterbacks: Terrelle Pryor and Steven Threet (though Threet is questionable with a shoulder injury). That fourth historic first might bring out the over used but realistic saying, “Throw the records out for this one.”

I would never miss this game no matter what the situation is and I have often gone into this weekend (always the weekend by or on my birthday) on the other end, salvaging the season by busting Michigan’s Rose Bowl berth with an upset. That is what Michigan has to play for this year and if you don’t know, Jim Tressel-coached teams always seem to have trouble defending against spread offenses. Last week, Illinois’ spread offense diced up the Buckeyes defense with 455 total yards of offense.

If you are laughing at my cautioned tone about the game this weekend I have two words for you: John Cooper. Coop’s 2-10-1 record versus Michigan is branded into my head and I know all too well the better team doesn’t always in this one. Since polls were started in 1936, the lower ranked team has won 21 times, most recently in 2004 when the unranked Buckeyes won 37-21 over #7 Michigan in Troy Smith’s first season.

We know John Cooper is no Jim Tressel, when JC called the rivalry with Michigan “Just like any other game” and called the established 1922 Ohio Stadium, “Buckeye Field.” 2-10-1, it still burns doesn’t it Buckeye fans?

And Michigan’s 57-41-6 advantage will make us feel like the underdog for at least the better part of this century won’t it?

Ohio State I know cannot wait to beat Michigan now when they are down. And say what you want about Rich Rod, Michigan cannot wait to beat Ohio State now when they are flying high.

See you Noon EST on ABC live from Columbus.

Click here to F*ck Michigan

[tags]college football, rivalries, ohio state buckeyes, michigan wolverines, big ten football[/tags]

Michigan Loses to Penn State | Nick Sheridan: Big 10 Player of the year!

That’s right, Nick Sheridan should be the Big 10 Player of the year! All he does week in and week out is support Big 10 teams. Really, think about it. He scores more points for the opposing team than he does his own week in and week out.

Yesterday, Michigan had a lead at the half over the #3 Penn State Nittany Lions, in their house! Michigan had momentum and the ball after the half. Then Rich Rodiguez had a brianstorm and placed the one person who when he walks on the field, his whole team collectively knows regardless of the score, the game is now officially over.

Once the Big 10 player of the year entered the game, he did what he does best, score for the other team. He gave up a safety after sitting in the pocket for far too long without throwing the ball away, only to complete a pass to his lineman two feet infront of him while falling into the end zone.

I think that Sheridan has naked pictures of Rich Rodriguez because for the life of me, I do not understand how else this turnover machine could take snaps for the Wolverines.

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Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin Supports Rich Rodriguez

I’ve been hard on Rich Rodriguez in recent weeks. I’ll just come right out and say it: I don’t like him. I lump Rich Rodriguez in the same dubious group with other notorious, two-faced, ego beasts like Bobby Petrino and even His Royal Highness Nick Saban. I don’t like how he handled his departure from West Virginia, I don’t like the lack of respect he showed to Michigan football when he arrived in Ann Arbor, and I have reveled in each and everyone one of their struggles this season; such as the struggle I expect Michigan to have this weekend in Happy Valley.

But, one thing should be clear: I absolutely think that Rich Rodriguez will win games, and plenty of them, at Michigan. That is why I was not surprised to read this article on ESPN.com regarding Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin voicing full support for Rich Rodriguez despite a 2-4 record and a home loss last weekend to Toledo.

(Note: in an effort to be fair to Rich Rodriguez considering the posts I’ve written the past few days, this article from mgoblog.com gives a good overview of Rich Rodriguez’s history at West Virginia and how it likely portends good things for the on-field success of Michigan in the future.)

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Braylon Edwards Wears Penn State Shirt on MNF | Secretly Wants to Be a Buckeye

Braylon Edwards had an outstanding game last night in the Cleveland Browns’ 35-14 victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. He finished with a career-high 154 receiving yards, helped build early momentum for the Browns with a couple of big plays, and talked like a team leader in the postgame interviews. All in all, the Michigan alum probably made the folks back home in Ann Arbor mighty proud last night.

Well, other than when he was shown in the pre-recorded interview wearing a Penn State shirt (picture, left).

Thanks to Deadspin.com for the tip on this one. I wonder if this was Braylon’s subtle way of trying to ingratiate himself with the Browns fan base, most of which are rabid Jim Tressel butt kissers and Ohio State Buckeye fanatics. Something tells me that even though Braylon Edwards was in the midst of a stellar night, someone at the Browns Backers gathering where I watched the game would have booed if the dirty maize and blue “M” had been emblazoned on Braylon’s shirt.

As it was, when Braylon got caught from behind on the deep pass early in the game, one of the Browns (and ostensibly Ohio State) fans seated near me muttered, “No one catches him if he was a Buckeye.”

(Yes, because as the last two National Championship games and this year’s USC game have proven, Ohio State is renowned for their speed.)

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Biggest Losers: Phil Fulmer, Rich Rodriguez, Bob Stoops, Bret Bielema

(Photo art by Midwest Sports Fans)

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Rich Rodriguez Sucks – Toledo Beats Michigan in the Big House

It is only 2:40 on Saturday, with plenty of interesting games still to come, and the upsets are already pouring in.

Let’s begin with the most obvious statement of today:  Rich Rodriguez sucks.

Toledo upset Rich Rodriguez and Michigan in the Big House. I think I heard that this makes Toledo the first MAC team to beat Michigan. So, in the last two years Michigan has been defeated by Appalachian State and by Toledo at the Big House. What is that KVB always says? Michigan sucks? Muck Fichigan? Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane and relive Michigan’s pathetic performance last year, in light of their continued patheticness this year.

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Michigan Football: The Rich Rodriguez Era Has Just Begun

by Sean Kane

This isn’t Bo Schembecler’s Michigan and it’s not Llyod Carr’s, either. It’s a talent loaded soon to be spread offense super force in the Big Ten. The record doesn’t show it, but the film and numbers do.

While the Blue and maize posted a loss to ND on Saturday, they showcased a couple of things worth serious note. The first and foremost being that the RichRod era is just beginning. Despite the turnovers, six in all, four in the second half, handing a ND defense a game they didn’t earn in the first half, Michigan showed some promise. While Notre Dame jumped out to a quick first quarter lead the Wolverines were able to battle back with an offense that has the patented Rich Rodriguez thrill written all over it.

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Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable: Rivalries

by KVB

Often I read my college friend’s Off The Tracks Purdue blog and he has gotten the attention of the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable for his site on the Boilermakers. If I’m not mistaken he got slammed last year by readers for crossing the line in a rant about Notre Dame Football, but otherwise he’s a great writer and Notre Dame still sucks.

Soon maybe Midwest Sports Fans could have some writers in the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable (even though I got rejected by the MAC Conference Bloggers) but until then below I answered their preseason questions. Keep in mind I’m wearing a sweatervest with no pants right now….

1. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently ranked the top 5 rivalries in the Big Ten and there were some controversial results (Illinois v Ohio State as #3?). Clearly Ohio State vs. Michigan is the #1 rivalry in the Big Ten, but give me your next three. … Continue Reading