Week 13 Rankings

It's gotten to the point where I watch games from multiple angles. Take the Ohio State-Michigan game for instance. I was upset that Michigan lost. I was upset that Michigan lost due to turnovers and stale play calling in the second half. I was upset Denard wasn't on the field for the last few plays of the game which I think he certainly earned. However, as much as it pained to admit, I was ready to give credit to the Buckeyes for going undefeated, albeit in a sanctioned shortened season. Although the Buckeyes were never spectacular on offense or defense during the season, they made it through without a loss. Then they decided to honor the 2002 national championship team, with Jim Tressel in attendance, and then proceeded to carry him on their shoulders. To celebrate the man who did win consistently at Ohio State, but also brought the school to where it has been the last couple of seasons is ghastly. Free cars to players, free tattoos, and cover ups. I don't understand it myself and maybe it's because I'm a Michigan Man, and those values are not acknowledged in Columbus. Whatever the reason may be, it's a sign of how blind some people can be when it comes to college football.
Now, as we await the conference title games, one thing is for certain--Notre Dame is playing for the BCS championship. I don't think you could find too many people out there who thought it could happen, especially in Brian Kelly's 3rd season, but here it is and a lot of it is due to the stellar defense led by Manti Te'O. I think Johnny Manziel is great, but there is no bigger MVP or Heisman candidate this season other than Te'O. He is the primary reason the Irish are in this spot to begin with. It will come down to Alabama or Georgia as to who faces Notre Dame, and I'd have to put my money on the Tide.As far as the Florida situation goes, if the loser of the SEC championship falls below Florida, it could find itself out of the BCS picture altogether because the No. 3 team is guaranteed a BCS bowl bid and no more than two schools per conference can receive bids. It's not THE final poll of the season, but here's the newest BCS poll:

Week 12 Rankings

It's amazing what can happen during a Saturday of college football. Overall, Kansas State and Oregon both lost and paved the way for a Notre Dame-Alabama national championship game. Now, The Irish still need to beat USC, and the Trojans look very beatable after losing to UCLA and accumulating 4 losses on the season already. If USC loses again next week, they'll be 7-5 on the season in which they were the preseason No.1. Kansas State didn't have much of a chance against Baylor which is glaring since Baylor has one of the worst defenses in the country. Stanford on the other hand gave Oregon everything they could, and held the Ducks offense to a scoring low for the season. In the end, I don't think there was a single person who really thought the Irish would be in the place that they are now, and I was one of them. Week after week they've knocked down their opponents, and for those who think their strength of schedule is weak, look up Oregon's, Kansas State's, and Alabama's--all of which are weaker than Notre Dame's.
On the other hand, we have Michigan. Yet again Brady Hoke and Al Borges surprise the fans by having Denard Robinson line up in the backfield, and even catch a few passes. It's that kind of offense some have been asking for a long time, and we finally saw it. It was also a sad day for Fitz Toussaint who left the game in the first quarter with an apparent broken left leg. Now, the chances of Michigan surpassing Nebraska for the Legends Division have dwindled down to almost nothing since the Huskers easily beat Minnesota and they have only one game left against Iowa. Iowa would need to win, and Michigan would need to beat an undefeated Ohio State team. Speaking of the Buckeyes, if it wasn't for a costly fumble by Montee Ball at the goal line in the 4th quarter, the Buckeyes might not be undefeated.  Michigan State lost to Northwestern despite outgaining them in every important category, except for the one that doomed them: turnovers. Now the Spartans will need to beat Minnesota just in order to become bowl eligible..all this after a season in which they did not win a Big Ten game at home. Either way. here's a look at the vastly different BCS poll:

Week 11 BCS Rankings

It's been dubbed The Catch Version 2.0. I tend to think of it in more fan type terms--Holy **** Roundtree!! With 18 seconds to go, and Michigan was down by 3 points, and being on the wrong side of the field, Devin Gardner heaved a game saving 53 yard pass to Roy Roundtree, which led to a Brendan Gibbons field goal, which led to Gardner running in a 1-yard touchdown in overtime, which made the Michigan defense make the most important stop they've needed to all afternoon. Granted, Northwestern did out gain Michigan in overall yardage by twelve. They ran on the defense to a tune of 248 yards. Michigan's defense has generally struggled with a spread option quarterback (See Air Force), and with Braxton Miller and Ohio State coming up in two weeks, Greg Mattison will have a lot of work to do. As for the rest of the Big Ten...yikes.Penn State loses a heartbreaker to Nebraska with some help from the officials. I don't like blaming officials for a loss or a win mainly because it never should have gotten to that point but at the same time when everyone in the nation is calling a play a touchdown, and the official doesn't agree, there will be backlash. Wisconsin won the Leaders Division by trouncing Indiana by rushing for over 550 yards! Their last game was a 19 yard rushing effort against Michigan State  Oh and as always I get one prediction wrong for the week, and this week the winner was Purdue over Iowa..I didn't think the Boilermakers had it in them. Now onto the poll:

Week 6 Big Ten/AP Rankings

Yesterday was a day of upsets, beatdowns, and quirkiness. Florida State, LSU, and Georgia all lost. Michigan is back into the Top 25 after a dominating performance by Denard Robinson over Purdue. Nebraska has fallen out of the poll for the second time this year after a humiliating, blowout loss to Ohio State . Northwestern took a huge fall after losing to Penn State, showing us that their 5-0 record was really just hype.

A few things stood out to me for the Big Ten games yesterday--1. Never count Denard out. Yes, he had a poor performance against Notre Dame  . Yet, after a bye week and knowing he had to take control, he did. Breaking the rushing record for a Big Ten QB was great, but winning  Michigan's first Big Ten game, and doing it on the road was even greater. 2. I think most people are aware that Ohio State is still undefeated, and is still not going to the postseason. The Buckeyes seem to be using this season as a statement, and it's a loud one by Urban Meyer. 3. Michigan State's win over Indiana could be construed as 2 things--they're not as good as anyone thought or, 2. Indiana is getting better. I'm tending to lean more towards the former point. Now onto the poll:

Week 5 AP/Big Ten Rankings

Week 5 AP rankings are out, and it shows that yesterday was a big one in college football. Geno Smith and West Virginia survived a shootout against Baylor, racking up over 1,500 yards between the two teams. Smith passed for almost 700 yards and 8 TDs, practically vaulting himself into the front spot of the Heisman trophy race. Louisville survived in a torrential downpour against Southern Mississippi. LSU looked to be quite mortal against the Towson Tigers in a game that the score was a lot closer than just 38-22.

Ohio State shut down Michigan State's vaunted running game, and following the loss against Ohio State, State's defensive coordinator, Pat Narduzzi, made complaints concerning "doctored" game tape from Meyer. Northwestern improved to 5-0, while Minnesota came in undefeated and were exposed against Iowa. Purdue gave up a lot of points against Marshall while Illinois was blown out again versus Penn State, probably giving them the title of worst in the Big Ten next to Indiana. Nebraska had their biggest comeback ever against Wisconsin, setting Wisconsin back to 3-2 on the season. Here's the poll:

Hot Topics: Reactions To The End of Notre Dame vs. Michigan

On a regular basis, our writers will break down a "Hot Topic" among the Michigan fans and express their personal opinions regarding the issue. Topics cover everything from major athletic department decisions to team apparel. Writers have their own opinions and readers and their views may not necessarily represent Hoke's Mad Magicians as an entity.  Readers are welcome to comment below or contact our writers via Twitter with their own thoughts.

Notre Dame Opts Out of Series With Michigan

It was announced earlier today that Jack Swarbrick sent a letter to Michigan AD Dave Brandon, exercising a clause in the Michigan- Notre Dame contract that cancels the games in 2015-2017. This information was obtained from the Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act. Now, I did touch on the story of Notre Dame football having to switch to playing 5 ACC schools in a couple years when Notre Dame and the rest of their sports have switched to the ACC. I outlined there what Notre Dame is probably going to end up doing as far as a buyout goes. I have a few thoughts about this whole thing, so please stick with me.

1. Jack Swarbrick did so underhandedly--Now in the story that was released, Dave Brandon was given the letter of notification from Swarbrick on the field prior to the game beginning last Saturday. In doing so, Swarbrick and Notre Dame evade any penalty outlined in the Michigan-Notre Dame contract. I know there is a bit of communication between athletic directors that the public is generally not privy to, but it seems to me Swarbrick could have come up with a less conspicuous time to hand the letter to Brandon. Considering the date of the letter was on the Friday before the game, Swarbrick had obviously given it a lot of thought. Basically, he's telling Brandon "we'll do one more home-and-home contest, then you can kiss my butt." There will be no buyout clause, as is the case in breaking most contracts. Now, all that is left is one game in Ann Arbor in 2013, and one game in South Bend for 2014. The contract initially was supposed to go till 2020, and therefore negotiations might open up for more contests in future years. After 2014, I don't envision Michigan playing Notre Dame for quite a long time.

Profiling 2013 Prospect Demetrius Jackson

To most, Michigan basketball's recruiting in 2013 is all wrapped up.  However, there are a handful of key prospects that could massively impact Michigan's recruiting both now and in the future.  On our basketball recruiting page, I have three primary targets listed, but this does not mean that I believe that they will end up in Ann Arbor.  For instance, the recruit I am profiling in this article, Demetrius Jackson, has a very slim chance of ending up at Michigan.  Despite this, he is still a recruit that could impact Michigan's 2013 class and will surely impact some of Michigan's key opponents regardless of his decision.

Jackson is one of the best players in the 2013 recruiting class.  Not just at his position, point guard, but for all basketball players in the class.  He's so effective for one main reason, his amazing athleticism, which can be clearly seen in his tape.  He has tremendous speed and is practically unstoppable when he drives the basket.  Along with this, he has great ball handling skills, solid defense, and is a pretty good rebounder considering he's just 6'1".  The one area that he could improve on, as referenced by both Future150 and ESPN, is his shooting.  He's a fantastic point guard, but if he could truly threaten from the perimeter, he could be extremely effective.  I don't think he needs to add size because it would probably impact his speed, which is his major asset.  His athleticism, court vision, and passing abilities will carry him, but he can be elite at the college level with an improved jump shot, particularly from outside the arch.

Game Review: Notre Dame

This was one of the more frustrating losses for Michigan in recent history, losing 13-6 to the Irish. The Wolverines did not put up points until early in the 4^th quarter when the offense was pushed back after looking like they would punch it in the endzone, resulting in a field goal. The Irish then responded with a field goal of their own to cushion the lead to 10. Michigan would add another field goal late to come within 7, but the Irish, led by Tommy Rees, converted a late third down to put the game out of reach. It was the first Irish victory over the Wolverines in 4 years.

Helping break down this game and giving us his opinion will be The East Side Perspective's own Clayton Tinkle.

Michigan

Tyler Fenwick- The Wolverines played an incredibly sloppy game Saturday night in South Bend. Denard Robinson turned the ball over 5 times (4 INTs, 1 fumble), and Vincent Smith added one more to the pile by being picked off in the endzone on an attempted halfback pass. Only scoring 6 points while committing 6 turnovers will never take you very far.

The Spread Offense Doesn't Work

I mainly cover basketball on Hoke's Mad Magicians, but once in awhile I like to comment on a football related topic.  Earlier this year, I wrote an article called "When Will Michigan Be Michigan Again".  In the piece, I attacked the argument that Michigan isn't as good as Michigan used to be under coaches like Lloyd Carr and the notion that fans should want to go back to the old ways of Michigan football.  Today, I'm looking at another argument frequently made by Michigan fans and others on an almost routine basis.

Before I actually discuss the topic, I want to go through a few reasons why I actually decided to take the time to address it.  I have been in numerous conversations over the past few years that ended in someone telling me about the spread offense and its failures.  Whether it was the classic argument, "the spread doesn't work in the Big Ten", the "spread quarterbacks can't throw" argument, or the "spread offenses don't work against good defenses" argument, it always seemed to revolve around the failures of spread offenses and about how teams that use them will never succeed.

I would hope that most readers would realize the massive logical flaws in these arguments, but there is a strong faction that believes in these theories.  However, I'm not talking about just fans.  We all know there are some lunatic fans and predictions out there, but I'm talking about people who get national coverage.  I actually exchanged a few tweets last weekend with a nationally televised sports personality who told me that the spread offense doesn't work against athletic defenses.  This argument is out there and I really feel the need to address some of its points.

Does Loss to ND Hurt Recruiting?

So coming off of the horrible loss to Notre Dame last night, I figured I'd share my opinion on whether or not I think the game hurt us in recruiting.  Right off the bat, I'm going to have to say no and I'll state my reasons why.  There were lots of recruits at the game with interest in both teams such as Damon Webb, a 2014 DB/WR out of Detroit Cass Tech.  However, most of the responses that we heard were in regards to recruits believing that could have an earlier impact at Michigan, which is definitely not a negative sign.

It was a great atmosphere, but a guy like Webb has visited Michigan the last two weeks for needless to say not very big games.  Michigan hasn't had a big game atmosphere at home yet and I believe that come October 20th when the Spartans come to town, it could be huge.  A vast majority of the 2013 commits have scheduled their official visits for this game along with big time 2013 target RB Derrick Green.  Michigan is  2-2 right now, which isn't the start that we had all hoped for, but let's face it, we did lose to Alabama who is I think far and above the best team in college football.  We gave away the game to the #11 team in the country so it's not like we have been upset in any means.

Week 4 Rankings--The Fall of the B1G Ten?

College football is an amazing sport. Where else can you find all these men playing a violent game on scholarships? Or even those players without free rides trying to make the team? They don't get paid for the millions of dollars of revenue they produce for their schools. They don't get paid money for merchandise that carries their name on it. Sure, the usual argument is that the scholarship alone is worth enough money for that player and the players say they can't hold jobs or have time for a job, much less order a pizza.

Yesterday showed us that even among scholarship players, blue chippers and huge programs alike....that even the mightiest can fall. It was widely joked about yesterday as to the state of the Big Ten, and rightfully so. Ohio State was sluggish against UAB and nearly completely overlooked them. It wasn't until the end of the 2nd half that the Buckeyes put some touchdowns on the board, and even then didn't score in the 3rd. The scary part is that while the Buckeyes are still undefeated, UAB came into the contest winless, and never backed down. Michigan State struggled mightily against Eastern until the 4th quarter where it appeared as though the Eagles threw in the towel on some assignments (also bad 3rd down playcalling sunk the offense) and Bell ended up having a career day with 253 rushing yards. Iowa lost to Central Michigan 32-31 with 3 seconds to go...on the leg of a non-scholarship walk-on 3rd string kicker. Kinnick Stadium won't be the same for a while. Louisiana Tech completely blew out Illinois on a turnover filled night.

Week 4 Game Notes With Reactions To Rich Rod's Michigan Comments

1. To state that Michigan needs this win over Notre Dame is an understatement, and for multiple reasons. First, Michigan needs to win to put themselves back into the top 15. Currently, there are no Big Ten teams ranked in the top 15 for the first time in 11 years, and OSU along with MSU were the last teams holding onto the distinction. Secondly, and most importantly, it would put Michigan in good position for a BCS bowl. They are obviously out of the national title picture, but the Rose Bowl/Big Ten Championship or another BCS bowl is still within their grasp. By beating Notre Dame, that'll strengthen their quality of opponent factor and push them back into the top 15, and maybe even the 11 or 12 spot. Can they move back into the top 10? Probably not after this week, but give it time and win out from here.

2. We all know by now about Shane Morris and his case of mononucleosis. One thing that wasn't touched on was the fact that if he is out for the whole season, then more than likely he will lose that coveted 5* ranking. When that happens, and it's happened before, then Michigan's recruiting rankings will go down in points as well. Even with the possibility of getting Laquon Treadwell  in Ann Arbor, I don't think Michigan will overtake USC now in terms of the number 1 spot in overall points. In the end, it's all semantics anyway.

Preview And Prediction: Notre Dame

For the second time in four weeks, both Notre Dame and Michigan will be stepping onto the field for a prime time match up that the nation will be watching. It is one of college football's most storied rivalries. Notre Dame and Michigan carry so much tradition on their backs, it's hard not to get goose bumps at the just the thought of the game.

Of course, last season's game ended up being one of the most exciting in the history of these two programs getting together. It was the first night game in the Big House. It was 28 points in the 4th quarter. It was Denard Robinson to Roy Roundtree with 2 seconds left. It was beautiful chaos.

But for this meeting, Notre Dame seems to have already hit that curve and propelled forward into something called relativity. It will be exciting to see if they can continue their early season success against a Wolverine team that has won 3 meetings in a row.

Notre Dame Players to Watch

Entering week 4, Michigan has yet another tough contest against Notre Dame. Notre Dame is looking for it's first 4-0 record since 2002, and Michigan is after a 3-1 start before the conference schedule begins. Notre Dame has only allowed 30 points thus far in the season, including a great defensive performance against Michigan State in which they won 20-3. ND is also ranked 8th in the nation in points allowed, but are in the middle of the pecking order when it comes to the other major stats: passing yards, rushing yards, and points scored. That all boils down to how stingy their defense is and how Michigan can score on them. Right now, Michigan is ranked 33rd in points scored, and will need to score on every opportunity come Saturday in South Bend. Michigan has won 5 out of the last 6 meetings, with the last 3 being decided by a touchdown in the waning minutes of the game. This year figures to be no different, but Michigan has a much tougher task than usual. Here are a few players Michigan needs to keep contained:


1. Manti Te'o--Since this season there has been such an emphasis on defense for the Fighting Irish, then their defense begins with Te'o. A consensus first team preseason All-American,  Te'o has recorded 28 tackles so far this season, with one interception, one forced fumble and fumble return, and one tackle for loss. That might not sound like much to some people, but that is only over a span of 3 games so far. He is a stud inside linebacker that will probably go in the first round of the NFL draft. A 2011 finalist for the Butkus and Lott awards, he will roam all over the defense as Ray Lewis does for the Ravens. Michigan will need to run a no-huddle offense at times to wear him out and keep him from blitzing against the pass. It will be a difficult task for Michigan to contain him. Denard Robinson will not only need to not telegraph his passing reads, but also stay mobile enough out of the pocket to avoid him.

Michigan and Big Ten Rankings Review--Week 3

The AP rankings of Week 3 are out. It was a hectic couple days of college football. USC lost to Stanford for the 4th straight year, leaving any chance of the national championship on the doorstep. That's not to say USC is a bad team; they're just not as invincible as the preseason analysts made them out to be over the summer. Florida State is looking like a powerhouse team again, reminiscent of the Seminole's teams from the 90s. Notre Dame thoroughly beat the Spartans, breaking their 14-game home winning streak. Even though the Tennessee Vols have improved, they showed they still have a long way to go in their loss against Florida. Wisconsin needed the whole game to put away Utah State, and of course Indiana lost to Ball State.

All in all it was a decent weekend for Big Ten teams, with only Indiana and Michigan State losing their respective games. Yet, Michigan blew out UMass 63-13, and still ended up dropping one spot in the polls. This is where the fallacy of the strength of schedule comes into play. Remember last week when then No. 6 FSU played Savannah St, were up 55-0 in the 3rd when lightning stopped the game? They were moved to the 5 spot after that. Up one spot after beating a team that is far behind even UMass, and they gained a spot. However, Michigan moved down a spot. Needless to say...I'm not happy. Here's the rest of the polls:

Week 3 Notes With Analysis Of The Irish

Are we into Week 3 already? Michigan fans--we have this game against UMass and then Notre Dame, and then we have our conference opponents. Here's just a few thoughts I had coming into this week's slate of games:

1. I'm sure most people have heard of the Notre Dame/ACC decision by now. While Notre Dame is not a Big Ten school, and now probably never will be, this still does affect some teams. Michigan currently has a contract with ND to play them up until the contract expires in 2020, with years 2018 and 2019 not being played. Okay, so Michigan will be playing ND up through 2017, which amounts to 5 more games. Michigan State has a contract with ND that is valid through 2031, so within the next 5 years neither school will be booted from the schedule. By signing this agreement with the ACC, ND will have to schedule 5 ACC games per season in football. ND is not leaving any conference in football, therefore I'm not sure when the agreement goes into effect. For other sports it's a 5 million buyout and they must wait two years...for football that might start as of next year. So think of it...for 5 years ND has to schedule 5 ACC games, Michigan, MSU, probably Purdue; and traditional games against Navy, USC, and Stanford. That's 11 games right there folks.

The "New" Big Ten vs. ACC Challenge

In today's somewhat surprising news, Notre Dame has opted to leave the Big East conference and football independence to join the ACC.  It's expected that all of Notre Dame's sports will join officially except for football and hockey.  However, Notre Dame will be playing five annual football games against ACC opponents, which is a departure from its traditional past.  Their football program has always maintained complete independence and "cementing" five games on the schedule will be something new.  It's not exactly crazy considering that Notre Dame is playing four games against ACC or future ACC teams this season, but it will definitely be something different in the future.  The ACC also doesn't have a hockey conference, so Notre Dame really didn't have a choice there.

So Notre Dame has joined the ACC.  Why am I posting on this topic today?  Well, Notre Dame joining the ACC is pretty noteworthy in itsel,f since they are one of Michigan's three biggest rivals, but the issue that I believe is being overlooked today is the future impact on basketball.  Notre Dame has a pretty respectable basketball program, having played in the tough Big East, made the tournament in 5 of the last 6 years, and had some impressive wins last year including a victory over then #1 Syracuse.

Michigan & Big Ten Rankings Review--Week 2--Always About The "W"

The new rankings are out, and there has been quite an upheaval after week 2. Arkansas plummeted out of the Top 25 completely after losing their starting quarterback, and then losing to Louisiana-Monroe. History says it's the second biggest drop next to Appalachian State beating Michigan. Wisconsin is out after losing a tough battle against Oregon St, which then prompted them to fire their offensive coordinator after only 2 games, and Montee Ball probably lost hope of being a Heisman finalist. Nebraska is out after a scorefest with UCLA. And painfully, Oklahoma St is out after losing badly to a RichRod coached Arizona, which after losing Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, is understandable. So here's more tidbits on the new rankings:

AP Top 25
1) Alabama--The "33rd NFL team" holds onto this distinction for the 2nd straight week, and will be there for more 
2) USC--Even with Barkley throwing for 6 TDs, the defense still allowed 21 points from Syracuse. There are some major concerns for the former "best" team in America
3) LSU--Les Miles and Co. should have taken the 2nd spot after dismantling Washington 41-3
4) Oregon--The way Oregon runs the ball is sickeningly good. Won't be surprised if a Heisman finalist appears from this team. 
5) Oklahoma

Michigan & Big Ten Rankings Review--Week 1

Week 1 of 2012 is in the books. There were highlights and lowlights from pretty much every single game. The first week always takes longer, since it was spread out over the course of 5 days until the NFL regular season arrives. South Carolina was there in the beginning, winning a close one over Vanderbilt, and we ended with Virginia Tech winning in overtime against Georgia Tech.  Whoever said the first week everyone played cupcake teams? Even Texas State beating Houston somehow received national attention. Dennis Franchione somehow got a No.16 vote from a voter for that win. The new rankings were released this afternoon (typically on Sunday evening any other week) and I'm giving my two cents worth...if that's cheap enough.

1. Alabama--It's no surprise the Tide were bumped up to the No.1 spot. They completely handled Michigan from start to finish to win 41-14. Rolling up over 400 yds of offense, particularly on the ground, while shutting down Michigan's offense earns them this spot.
2. USC--USC lost the No.1 spot mostly due to they played Hawaii, not Michigan. Barkley looked every bit of a Heisman candidate and Lee caught 10 balls for almost 200 yards. Dominant yes, but not Alabama
3. LSU
4. Oregon
5. Oklahoma--completely overrated in this spot. They did not look clean and smooth and make several mental errors. Missed field goals by UTEP make the score look further out of reach than it really was.