College Basketball Rivalries: Michigan vs. Ohio State - Status Check

An article composed for BTPowerhouse of SBNation looking at the rivalry between Michigan basketball and Ohio State basketball and where it might be headed.

College Basketball Rivalries: Michigan vs. Ohio State - Status Check http://t.co/npzQ39WOwr
— Thomas Beindit (@tbeindit) July 26, 2014

How Will Ohio State Defend Nik Stauskas?

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

Check out the article here:

How Will Ohio State Defend Nik Stauskas?

How Will The Big Ten Finish?

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

There are going to be a few crazy remaining weeks to decide how the Big Ten finishes.  For a full breakdown, read below:

How Will The Big Ten Finish?

Postgame Thoughts: Ohio at Michigan

"Crafting"

Last night was one of the biggest wins in recent Michigan basketball history and one of the best games I have ever seen in Crisler.  To read my postgame thoughts click here:

Postgame Thoughts: Ohio at Michigan

Chatting Ohio vs. Michigan Hoops With Bucknuts

We got the chance to sit down with Bucknuts (247 Ohio site) to talk about TUesday's game between Ohio and Michigan in Crisler.  To check it out, read below:

Chatting Ohio vs. Michigan Hoops With Bucknuts

Recapping Ohio State

Well, the regular season is over. And it ends with a loss to Ohio State.

Agony, pain.

When I was watching the game, the first thing that struck me was how predictable the Michigan offense was. It became pretty clear against Iowa that when Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner are in the game at the same time, it's hard to stop.

But Al Borges played them separately (for the most part) against the Buckeyes, and it obviously gave Urban Meyer the advantage. Both Gardner and Robinson still made plays; there is no way to completely shut them down. But something has to be taken away from this performance. Even a mediocre defense can get around the combination of those two electric players if they aren't in at the same time.

Something else that popped out to me was it looked like Gardner maybe folded under the pressure towards the end. I realize that's when the game is on the line, and he was being asked to do a lot. But he had proven himself worthy of the situation throughout the past couple of weeks.

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:

Preview And Prediction: Ohio State

"The Game" is here. We've waited so long so one of the greatest rivalries in sports to kick off once again, and the wait is finally over.

This chapter of Michigan - Ohio State takes place in Columbus, and that is bad news for a Michigan team that hasn't traveled particularly well this season. But, as Brady Hoke put it, "it's almost personal," talking about what this game means to him. In other words, it's not your average hop-on-a-bus-to-play-football kind of game. It's hop-on-a-bus-to-play-Ohio.

Here are the keys to the game.

Michigan

The Wolverines have looked like a completely different team these past few weeks, compared to what we were seeing earlier in the season, and it all has to do with the play of Devin Gardner. He has revived the Michigan offense into something to be feared. Couple with that with the play-making ability of Denard Robinson, and you have one of the most electric offenses in the Big Ten.

Week 3 Big Ten Update

I'm going to be starting a new recurring post on the blog updating the Big Ten on a regular basis.  Most fans are able to keep up with Michigan and maybe a couple of the other top teams like Indiana, Ohio State, and MSU, but a lot can get lost in between.  As a result, I'm going to post on a weekly basis (hopefully) to keep everyone updated on what's going on around the Big Ten.  Mainly, I'm going to address some of the main events, where the teams stand, and analyze what that means for the conference and Michigan.

I will start with the obvious, the rankings.  Not a lot changed in the most recent set of rankings.  The Big Ten currently has three teams in the Top 5, four in the Top 25, and two teams that are currently receiving votes (#26 & #27).  That is extremely impressive for one conference, especially at the top end.  So far, none of the ranked Big Ten teams has lost since the new set of rankings and only one of the teams receiving votes lost (Minnesota to Duke).  This basically means that the ranking position of the Big Ten teams will largely remain the same.  MSU and Wisconsin might be able to move up with some help, but most of the things will be the same, for now.

Week 13 Predictions and Notes

The 109th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State is slated for this Saturday in Columbus. Michigan leads the all-time series 58-44-2, and before winning last season’s clash lost seven straight. The Wolverines’ last win in Columbus came back in 2000. Together, the Buckeyes and Wolverines share 18 national championships from 1901-2002, and a whopping 79 conference titles stretching from 1898 all the way to 2010. In fact, of the 115 Big Ten football titles ever awarded, either Michigan or Ohio State, or a combination of the two, have won well over half. And from 1968-82 the Wolverines and/or Buckeyes captured 15 consecutive Big Ten crowns. Needless to say, Saturday will be one of the biggest games of the year in all of college football. Fitz Toussaint is out of the game, and the season for that matter with a broken leg, which means both Thomas Rawls and Vincent Smith will need to step it up. If Hoke and Borges decide to go with the "double deuce" package (Gardner at QB, Robinson at RB) then the Buckeye defense might be just as confused as Iowa's defense was. This years version of "The Game" will be mostly played for pride--Michigan's chances for the Legends Division win are pretty slim, and obviously Ohio State is ineligible for the postseason, so naturally this matchup is the Buckeye bowl game. One more week of Big Ten play before all the regular season is over, and things could not be more exciting.  I have researched all my predictions for the Big Ten conference season games, and with one week to go I'm 33-11. Let's see how I can finish up:

Ohio State Player Watch

For those fans who are interested in reading more about the Maryland-Rutgers additions to the Big Ten, this column won't touch on that. Neither will it address bowl projections for each eligible team--that will come soon. No, this one is about "The Game." Michigan fans are well aware of what happened last season--snapping the Buckeye's seven game winning streak with a 40-34 victory at home. Denard Robinson threw for 67 yards and three touchdowns and running for 170 yards and two more scores. Obviously, things won't go the same way this season. Urban Meyer is in his first season as head coach, and the Nuts are coming to the game undefeated. Maybe some would say it's contentious--they aren't spectacular on defense, especially with narrow victories over Cal and Indiana. However, they seem to have gotten the job done every week. No matter what the state is of football in the Big Ten, fans of either side can depend on a brutal, hard hitting game. Watch out for these guys:

2014 PF Keita Bates-Diop Picks Ohio State

For many, Keita Bates-Diop had become the most desired prospect in Michigan's 2014 recruiting.  When I posted on him visiting campus a few months back, he was already receiving rave reviews from the scouting services and he has only went up from there.  He performed very well during the summer and to no surprise, had been receiving some major attention from multiple programs including Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue, and Wisconsin.

When I first talked about Bates-Diop, there seemed to be a few schools that were really recruiting him hard, but Michigan and Purdue definitely seemed to be high up on his list.  However, Ohio State got in the mix and really recruited Bates-Diop pretty hard and ultimately, recruited him very effectively.  He tweeted earlier today that he committed to Ohio State.  He is now Ohio State's only commit for the 2014 class and will surely do a lot for them in the coming years.

Compiled 2012-2013 Big Ten Predictions

Every season comes with a flurry of predictions and rankings and this year is no different.  Right now, the best conference in college basketball is the Big Ten and they have received their fair share of preseason rankings and hype.  Well, everybody wants to know the team that will reign victorious at the end of the season.  It's a difficult challenge, but I'm going to be attempting to predict the Big Ten.  I will undoubtedly be wrong by the end of the season, but here's my best guess:

 Nebraska Cornhuskers--(12th in B1G) This team is going to be horrible.  I'm sorry I have to say it, but it's going to be true.  Will they be horrible by national standards?  No, but they are going to be pummeled by the Big Ten.  The Cornhuskers finished in last place at the end of last year and they've taken significant steps backward from that team.  They not only lost their best players, but they also fired their head coach.  I wouldn't call this a trainwreck because Nebraska is still adjusting to the major challenge of Big Ten basketball, but this is not going to be a pretty year for Nebraska.

 Penn State Nittany Lions--(11th in B1G) This is a team that I think has a chance to develop into a semi decent squad in the coming years.  They are a long way from vying for a Big Ten title, but they have a few pieces to help them get back to respectability.  Point guard Tim Frazier will lead the way again and he should have another big year.  They have a few decent pieces and recruits that should help him out and I definitely like the coaching that has occurred with the Nittany Lions.  They are a team that keeps fighting until the finish and I think they might have a chance at being the Iowa of last season.  Still a doormat to most of the big teams, but they might get an upset here or there.

Michigan Ranked #5 In Preseason USA Today Poll

The first rankings of the 2012-2013 season have been released and they have been very positive for Michigan.  The Wolverines have been ranked #5 in the preseason poll, which is their highest preseason ranking since 1993.  This means that this is the highest preseason ranking for Michigan basketball since the Fab Five era.  When you're talking about an almost two decade span since this type of ranking, it's a pretty significant achievement for the team and program.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, even with this type of ranking, but as I discussed in my 2012-2013 Expectations post, there is a lot of hope when a team is ranked in the Top 5.  For instance, four of the teams ranked in the Top 5 last season made it to the Elite Eight.  Really, only one of the teams had a letdown year, but they still had a pretty good record and made it to the NCAA Tournament.  If that's the floor for success, that's a pretty good sign for a program like Michigan that's still somewhat in the building stages.

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:

The 5 Toughest Games For 2012 - 2013

Michigan basketball is being projected for one of its best seasons in years.  Not only are expectations sky high, but there are numerous games on the schedule that will pose significant challenges.  Earlier this year, I did a breakdown on the biggest trap games on the schedule.  Those will be important, especially if the team is vying for the Big Ten title, but doing well against the toughest competition could be even more important.  Not only for success in the Big Ten season, but also for the NCAA Tournament because of the impact these games have on seeding.

When I first began to evaluate this topic, I ended up with a list of almost ten games.  Some of these included OSU, Wisconsin, MSU, NC State, and of course, Indiana.  However, I wanted to spotlight the specific games that I thought would be the most difficult to win this year.  One note to make when you look through the list is that I decided to avoid listing teams more than once.  Not only would it make this list kind of boring, but it would be extremely repetitive   If I did decided to do repeats, Indiana would appear twice and MSU would probably appear twice as well.  So, keep that in mind.

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:

Week 5 Notes And Predictions

This Saturday marks the bye week for Michigan. Michigan will be the only Big Ten school on a bye this week as the rest open up the conference game schedule. College Gameday is making their stop this Saturday in East Lansing, where the Buckeyes are going to take on the Spartans at home. Obviously, that makes it the premiere Big Ten matchup of the week. That being said, don't overlook the Wisconsin-Nebraska game, which should be a close game between two teams, one on the way up in Nebraska, and the other one on the way down in Wisconsin. Both teams are currently 3-1 and looking for a signature win in conference play. Here's a taste of each game:

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.

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.