From Past to Present

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

Michigan had been at odds with Toledo for years (173 years to be exact), despite today marking the inaugural meeting between University of Michigan and University of Toledo on the football field. In 1835 a boundary dispute arose over the ownership of the so-called Toledo strip between Michigan and Ohio, which spurred the Toledo War. The Northerners claimed ownership of land that lies due south of Ann Arbor by just over 50 miles. Despite nay a casualty, Michigan eventually capitulated and struck a deal to surrender said land over to the state of Ohio. Many believe the Michigan/Ohio State football rivalry can be traced back to this early dispute.

It seems that Toledo, historically a stitch in Michigan’s side, has transformed into a thorn and now a bloodletting gash. The Rockets (2-4) walked in to the Big House for the first time in the history of their football program and accomplished what 24 of their MAC predecessors could not – win. Hats off to the University of Toledo for their 13-10 victory, unfortunately, those vested in Michigan football are scratching their heads and looking for something (anything) to stop the bleeding.

Most disconcerting for the Wolverine team is not just the defeats – but the fact that they are not improving week-to-week. In fact, in some facets of their game, notably the defense and quarterback play, they seem to actually be taking some steps backward. The quarterback shuffle is back into effect, as well as rotations in and out of the secondary. Two weeks ago, the heralded Michigan defense surrendered the most all-purpose yards ever to Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, and against Toledo, gave up an astounding record 20 receptions to Toledo wide receiver Nick Moore. The offense is equally guilty. Since their shocking win over Wisconsin, Michigan has averaged 305 yards offense, 15 points and 2.5 turnovers in their subsequent losses. Coach Rich Rodriguez challenged his team calling them “soft” publicly and they responded exactly so, getting blown off the ball against a seemingly weaker Toledo squad.

So much seems to be lost for the Maize and Blue after this week. In order to subvert a losing season (42 years) and to maintain their consecutive seasons of bowl eligibility (33 years), the Wolverines need to win four of their last six against teams who combine for a 32-8 record (at Penn State, Michigan State, at Purdue, at Minnesota, Northwestern, and at Ohio State). Michigan could not notch wins against Toledo, Utah, Illinois and Notre Dame in the first half of the season, so the season’s remainder seems grim and bleak at best. With the recent loss to the Rockets, who would have imagined Toledo would give reasons for Michigan to hang their heads again after all these years?

It’s a Trap! Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25

By Admiral Ackbar (John Sears)

“It’s a trap!”, Admiral Ackbar warns the Rebel Alliance that is planning an attack on the Death Star in Return of the Jedi. In retrospect, this notable quote and scene becomes and interesting descriptor of what transpired at the Big House on Saturday. Coach Brett Bielema of Wisconsin warned that their Big Ten opener against Michigan could be a “trap game”. Is this the type of battle that can make or break a Badger team on the losing end?

I saw it with my own eyes and I still don’t believe it or understand how the trap happened. Maybe that’s because the only time I left my seat was when the Badgers attempted a quick pass deep in their own territory that was tipped, intercepted by weak-side linebacker John Thompson, and returned for a lead-changing touchdown. The stadium started to erupt because the home team somehow took the lead, and I was ignorant - jamming a soft pretzel in my mouth behind section 42.

I am compelled to give an eye-witness account and feel for the roller-coaster transgressions that culminated in the second largest comeback in the Big House…ever (amazing considering Michigan was also celebrating their 500th game in Michigan Stadium). To start, the loudest cheer from the 109,000+ during the first three hours of attendance came when gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps was introduced just before kickoff. Surprisingly, the crowd didn’t crescendo to this level again really until said interception described above, which gave Michigan the lead for good.

The loudest booing prior to halftime was offered to the Wisconsin marching band just before kick-off…ironically while the band stood in block M formation respectfully offering their rendition of The Victors. Strange. Possibly afflicted by this bad karma the Maize and Blue closed out the first half horribly (down 19-0, 10 possessions netting 17 yards, five punts, three fumbles and two interceptions), They received a meteor shower of boos from a sea of maize exasperated and salty - reinforcing this is not how they envisioned their Big Ten campaign starting.

Fast forward to 2:27 left in the third quarter, out of nowhere (obviously in response to a mind-bending motivational half-time speech by none other than Yoda) and within 12:33 of game clock, the Wolverines rattle off four touchdowns, rack up 242 yards of offense and take the lead. In that same time period, the methodical power rushing attack of Wisconsin sunk in to a black hole, yielding three punts, one interception, one fumble and zero points.

And if that weren’t enough to make all of us feel like we’ve come out of a three hour cycle of being frozen in carbonite and standing toe-to-claw with the Rancor, the Badgers regroup and find themselves within Michigan’s red-zone thanks to some nifty passing by quarterback Allen Evridge. The Wolverines’ defensive line stepped up again as junior defensive end Brandon Graham took down Evridge, causing a fumble that Michigan recovered. Game in hand? Hardly: A three-and-out later, Evridge and company start a last-ditch effort out of the shotgun with just 1:19 left on the clock, down eight. With the sudden emergence of tight end Travis Beckum off the bench, the Badgers march down field and Evridge finally connects with David Gilreath in the end zone over cornerback Morgan Trent to come within a two-point conversion of a tie. And they convert! No, wait, penalty (illegal procedure). Do over fails and the trap game has come to fruition just as Coach Bielema warned.

So if there was a move script that seemed to recap all that transpired, it would sound something like this: The Galactic Empire (Michigan) is struggling on rebuilding its Death Star (rebuilding off of last year’s loss to the Badgers). Meanwhile the Rebel Alliance (Wisconsin) are trying to overcome the deadly power of an operational Death Star (not winning in Ann Arbor since 1994) with a full frontal attack force (power rushing attack). The Rebel attack seems to be primed for success and has all its pawns in place (19-0 lead at half-time) when Admiral Ackbar (Bielema) realizes they have fallen in to a trap (four unanswered Wolverine touchdowns). The fleet tries to withstand the onslaught (late touchdown pulls them within two to tie), but succumb to the power of the Empire (lose 27-25).

This sounds like a movie with a lot of potential, but it lacking the storybook ending. In Return of the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance persevered in the end by the leadership of their Jedi Master. As the Big Ten story continues to unfold, will the Badgers find a way to persevere after losing a battle to win the Big Ten war? Bucky would say, “The force is strong with this one.”

Michigan vs. Notre Dame: Irreverently Irrelevant?

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

November 23, 1887 – Keith Jackson calls a brilliant ABC broadcast of the first football game between U of M and Notre Dame. OK, a touch of exaggeration - TVs weren’t around in 1887 (But wouldn’t that have been great to see grainy footage of their first game, accompanied by a gritty voice over by the greatest college football broadcaster of all time? “The University of Michigan, after inhaling a morning’s worth of coal dust on their sleepy train ride from Ann Arbor to South Bend, limp to an 8-0 victory, tucked away on the vast potato patches that make up the Notre Dame end zones. The Notre Dame defense quivered as they approached their rivals - Michigan’s offensive line listed as an average weight of 230 lbs. And if you believe that you believe in fairy tales, because, folks, these boys had breakfast.”). But I digress.

Let’s try and put this rivalry in to perspective, especially in light of the rebuilding that is currently transpiring for both programs: new coaches, new systems, new quarterbacks, same old uniforms. But are the winged and bling-dipped helmets enough to keep this rivalry afloat, or even keep you interested? Has this rivalry “jumped the shark”, so to speak, gone with the ‘80s along with tapered jeans, racing stripes buzzed in to your crew cut (guilty as charged), and the wishbone offense? Since 2002, the Wolverines and Irish combined to salvage only two wins in nine bowl games (note: both wins by UM; Notre Dame’s bowl futility is more abysmal in the recent past with their last bowl game victory coming in 1994). To boot, Michigan has experienced some crushing defeats, most notably last year from that team from the Blue Ridge Mountains; only to be outdone by their rival’s “worst season in Irish history” (3-9) (that is, according to total number of losses in one season). With the current state of these two programs, we are left wondering--has this rivalry become irrelevant?

I think the answer is complicated as we often get too caught up in the here and now and lose sight (with daily blogs, for instance) of the larger storyline. To put this rivalry back into perspective, we need to tap in to a little history and tradition, starting with that fateful day in 1887. Occurring in this watershed year, Fielding Yost turns six years-old (Yes, that Fielding Yost), American Trotting Association is organized in Detroit (still going strong today, but you will most likely recognize them as the offensive consultants for the Detroit Lions), and the University of Michigan decides to take a train ride down to South Bend to teach a small, Catholic University the game of football. That’s how it all started.

Fast forward a century and a quarter and their histories have paralleled remarkably: #1 (UM) and #2 (ND) in all-time wins, likewise for win percentage (.745 and .744 respectively), 11 national championships each, and a one vs. one tally where a coach has snickered some variation of “to hell with [rival]”: Bo Schembechler, in reference to scheduling with ND on an annual basis snubs the Irish, “To Hell with Notre Dame.” Perhaps in response to ghosts of “Bo Past”, Coach Charlie Weis recently added fuel to the rivalry’s fire by saying, “I think the first opportunity they’re going to have to really make a statement is that day [Sept. 6 against SDSU], and then we’ll listen to Michigan have all their excuses as they come runnin’ in and sayin’ how they have a new coaching staff and there’s changes. To Hell with Michigan.” It’s business as usual in the Midwest .

These two teams have settled the score on the playing field only 34 times, but the rivalry packs a mighty punch in its relative brevity for college football rivalries. In fact, Notre Dame vs. Michigan is what put college football on the map for me. I distinctly remember hometown favorite “The Rocket” Raghib Ismail, (Myers High School, Wilkes-Barre, PA, a 30 minute drive from my stomping grounds) where he torched everyone in track, and then went on to torch Big Blue in his version of track with pads, returning kicks like he was Forrest Gump (See: Rocket 1) in break-out Heisman fashion. Michigan responded with a Heisman Trophy showcase by its own Desmond Howard in 1991. I still remember Howard stretching out for a gutsy 4th-and-1 TD catch in 1991 against the Irish. I’ve only scratched the surface; we could trade a multitude of highlights and memories of these two teams over the years.

Has the game lost its memory--has the seriousness of the match-up fizzled due to the lack of quality play by both teams? I think not. With rivalries, it’s different; football feelings are not dissolved that easily. With rivalries, the old cliché stands that records are thrown out the window. It’s about turf wars, protecting your house, bragging rights ‘til next year, recruiting draws (Notre Dame fans should extend a heartfelt doff of the cap to Woody Hayes, notoriously known as being the best Notre Dame recruiter. If kids weren’t playing for Ohio State, they were going to play for ND, who of course, played Michigan), and for these two storied programs, it’s potentially about National Championships, BCS bids or huge momentum swings through the rest of their schedules.

Throw in the rich history: the teacher-student relationship that started this rivalry during the year of centennial celebration of the constitution of the United States, the 22 national titles, 89 current NFL players ( 45 Wolverines, 34 Fighting Irish ), 10 Heisman Trophy winners (7 Fighting Irish, 3 Wolverines), and you start to realize that this rivalry is not about a single snapshot in time. This rivalry transcends the bumps in the road, the rebuilding years, the temporary stumbles. It forces you to remember that Notre Dame vs. Michigan can be larger than all of college sports, while still remaining just a football game.

So I realize it’s not Holtz vs. Schembechler, #2 ND vs #1 UM, or Ismail vs. Howard. But it is Weis vs. Rodriguez as offensive masterminds gradually putting their pawns in place. It is YouTube Legends and superstars in the making Jimmy Clausen vs. Sam McGuffie as next generation athletes in traditional programs. It is,a nd always will be, the winged helmets versus the golden domes…a culmination of the 121-year history echoing through that narrow three hour corridor of I94 separating greatness from greatness.

To those who say that the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry has become irreverently irrelevant, I say, “To Hell with them!”

On to the match-up:

As much as we’d like to believe in the offensive promise and future both teams have-- flinging the ball down the field (ND) and out wide to their athletes (UM)--this game will be won or lost as the games of yore--in the trenches. To this end, look for the key match-up to be between ND’s offense line, best described as a sieve last year, finishing last in sacks allowed in all of the FBS subdivision, against by far-and-away the Wolverines’ strongest unit, their D-line. Michigan fans should be pleased to see this unit playing very solidly (nine of 11 sacks coming from the front four), harassing the QB in their first two games. Michigan looks to have the edge here, which could be the difference maker if the Wolverines are to grab their first win on the road in the Rich Rodriguez era.

1. ND offensive line vs. UM defensive line (as stated above). EDGE: MICHIGAN

2. Jimmy Clausen vs. Stevie Brown: Clausen made some good throws against SDSU last week and seems to play best when his confidence is high and worst when he is forced in to pressure situations. I personally don’t believe Michigan has their center-fielders playing consistent ball as evidenced by the gaping hole in the middle of their pass defense. If the safety play is formidable and can fluster Clausen into making tougher decisions, it may be another anemic day for the ND offense. If Clausen finds a groove with open receivers downfield, we’ll be talking about how UM’s defense is still vulnerable to the big play. EDGE: PUSH

3. ND two-deep WRs vs. UM two-deep DBs: Not only a corollary to point two with Clausen’s confidence level dictating the outcome of this game, I believe the outcome will hang in the balance of one big pass play. Promising frosh Michael Floyd and savvy vet David Grimes helped lift ND to a victory last week, hauling in key receptions and scores in the second half. On the Michigan side of the ball, Donovan Warren has looked like a strong vet so far, at least in pass defense (they need to replace him as PR), but I am concerned with the strong side play of Morgan Trent. Trent is sometimes over-confident, lazy-looking, and relies on his reputation of being a big-time player as opposed to actually making big time plays. Something big over the top on Trent’s side may be a difference maker. EDGE: PUSH

4. Home field advantage: In this instance, home field makes a huge difference with all the youth the Wolverines have on offense. First road game, first rivalry game, first game against the Irish, first time QBs. EDGE: IRISH

Prediction: This will be a very sloppy, grinder of a game, which will come down to a late, luck-of-the-Irish big pass play, lifting ND over UM in an offensive yawner. The outcome will be dictated by the ratio of pressure to confidence Clausen feels for the duration as well as the poor showing by Michigan’s offense (too young, key injury on the O-line with starting LT Mark Ortmann slated as out). ND steals a game mostly controlled by Michigan’s defense.
Final: ND 10 Mich 9.

Michigan’s Real Deal Freshmen to watch this week: Sam McGuffie, Martavious Odoms, Mike Martin, Boubacar Cissoko (if assigned PR duty).

CFI RANKINGS: #23 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

2007 RECORD: 9-4; BIG TEN: 6-2
Won Capitol One Bowl vs. Florida 41-35
LOCATION: Ann Arbor, Michigan
STADIUM: Michigan Stadium (107,501)
HEAD COACH: Rich Rodriguez
OVERALL: 105-62-2 (15 seasons)
AT MICHIGAN: First Season

Everyone is expecting a down season for the Wolverines with a complete upheaval in system and philosophy, not to mention a ton of losses on the offensive side of the ball…but they still cracked the Coaches Poll at No. 24. Michigan is still Michigan and there will be no shortage of talent—particularly on the defensive side of the ball. If Rich Rodriguez can find a quarterback, watch out.

WHEN THE MAIZE & BLUE HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Calvin Magee (1st Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 2
KEY LOSSES: Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Jake Long, Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington, Adam Krause, Ryan Mallet (TRAN), Justin Boren (TRAN)

As if losing super seniors QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and OT Jake Long (No. 1 overall pick in ’08 NFL Draft) wasn’t bad enough, junior wideouts Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington left early for the pros, and blue chip recruit Ryan Mallet transferred out. With WR Greg Matthews, RB Brandon Minor and RB Kevin Grady leading a stable of skill players, there is no shortage of playmakers. But who will run the offense? No one knows for sure. Another area of uncertainty is the offensive line, typically a position of stability in Ann Arbor. Sophomore Steve Schilling is a stud tackle and they always bring in top recruits, but it could take time for them to gel as a unit.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) OT Steve Schilling (SO), 2) WR Greg Matthews (JR)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Scott Shafer (1st Season)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 7
KEY LOSSES: Shawn Crable, Jamar Adams, Chris Graham, Brandent Englemon

The Wolverines have the pieces in place to have one of the top defenses in the nation and it starts up front where they return all four starters. DT Terrance Taylor can dominate opponents at the point of attack, and ends Tim Jamison and Brandon Graham are each capable of reaching double digits in sacks. All three need to play with more consistency. The second unit has to replace two starters on the outside, including sack-master Shawn Crable, but sophomore MIKE Obi Ezeh is ready to step up and is a star in the making. The secondary returns both corners with Donavan Warren, one of the top freshman in the nation last season. They should be better at safety with junior Stevie Brown ready to bust out.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) CB Donavan Warren (SO), 2) DT Terrance Taylor (SR)

THE SCHEDULE

I know, I know, it begins and ends with Ohio St., but before they get to “the game” the Maize and Blue must protect the Big House. The season opens with the upstart Utes from Utah and how fast can you say Appalachian St.? Big Ten action begins with home games versus ranked foes Wisconsin and Illinois. They also play host to rival Michigan St., who could be much improved. Both their season and conference play begin in the Big House and Rodriguez had better take advantage of that.

PIVOTAL POINT

Quarterback: The fact that they’re replacing four of five starters along the offensive line is not getting enough attention. Nevertheless, Rodriguez’s version of the spread offense is all about the quarterback (see Pat White). Freshman Steven Threat and sophomore Nick Sheridan come into camp as the top two players on the depth chart, but the player who is creating the most buzz and may ultimately be the best fit in shotgun is incoming true freshman Justin Feagin.

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

Talent at Michigan is a given. However it has been quite some time since the Wolverines have had to replace this much ability on the offensive side of the ball. There is also a new attitude adjustment they have had to make, as the traditionalists went “outside the family” in hiring Rodriguez to replace Lloyd Carr. Those who wonder whether their bowl streak is jeopardy are going a bit too far into the realm of doom and gloom, but a spot in the final top 25 is not guaranteed. They will go as far as their quarterback (whoever he is) takes them.

From humble beginnings, WVU, UC coaches now gunning for BCS bid

JOHN RABY
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Like most major college football coaches, West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez and Cincinnati's Brian Kelly toiled for years on little known campuses.

They built obscure programs brick by brick - Kelly at Grand Valley State and Rodriguez at Glenville State - and eventually earned national recognition.

Two coaches with their own versions of the no-huddle, spread offense can gain an edge for their team in the tight Big East race when No. 5 West Virginia (8-1, 3-1) plays at No. 21 Cincinnati (8-2, 3-2) on Saturday night.

For Kelly, the son of an alderman in Chelsea, Mass., his early calling was in politics.

He once held campaign signs for his father outside polling places, earned a political science degree at Amherst College and worked on former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart's 1984 Massachusetts campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination before football took over.

Kelly joined the staff at Division II Grand Valley State in 1987 and eventually became head coach in 1991, a job he would hold for 13 seasons.

``It taught us how to do our own laundry,'' Kelly said. ``We had to do things on our own. We generally had three or four staff members. Not that we're control freaks or that we micromanage. We definitely have our hands in a lot of things and I think that goes back to our backgrounds and being in Division II football. You had to do all those things.

``I think it's served me well and I think it's served Rich very well.''

The Lakers won back-to-back Division II national titles in 2002-03. Kelly spent three seasons as head coach at Central Michigan before moving on to Cincinnati last December.

Rodriguez was a defensive back at West Virginia in the early 1980s and became the nation's youngest college head coach at age 24 when he was hired at NAIA Salem College in 1988. But Salem dropped football the following summer when it formed a partnership with Japan's Teikyo University.

He was the only candidate with any coaching experience when he was hired in 1990 at Glenville State, where the team had only about 30 players. They got dressed in the locker room and were carpooled several miles to a makeshift practice facility.

``They say necessity is the mother of invention,'' Rodriguez said last month after his 100th career coaching win. ``Not only was it a smaller place, but they were so hungry to just get a first down. They would be happy with anything you did.''

It was there that Rodriguez developed the run-oriented offense that he still sticks with today.

``The first couple of years it was trial and error. After the second year, we said we know what we want and since then it's been evolving,'' he said.

Rodriguez guided the Pioneers to their first West Virginia Conference championship in more than three decades. Glenville State won four league titles from 1993-96 and earned an NAIA runner-up finish in 1993. He was rewarded with the additional duties as athletic director in 1995, the year the school moved to Division II.

Glenville State President Bill Simmons' prediction about Rodriguez was on the mark when in 1996 he said, ``I'm sure sometime within the next five years a major institution will show a great deal of interest in him.''

After assistant coaching stints at Tulane and Clemson under Tommy Bowden, Rodriguez took over at West Virginia in 2001.

Opponents are still trying to figure out Rodriguez's offenses, which annually rank among the top five in the nation in rushing.

``What you are seeing now as opposed to when we were running the spread 10-15 years ago, you are seeing more of a variety of how they are defending it. So offensively you've got to have an answer,'' Rodriguez said. ``The versions and parts of the spread will always be here.

``But those defensive guys are smart, too. So it's ever evolving like it always has been.''

Approaching the end of his first season in the Big East, Kelly's expectations have been met.

``I came in knowing full well that top to bottom you had the most balanced BCS league in the country, and to win a championship you have to go through West Virginia,'' he said.
Courtesy: ncaafootball.com, Photo Credit: Collegiate Images