Living Up To Expectations

In the world of sports, the toughest part of putting together an incredible season is coming back the next year to back it up with everyone expecting the same results. The world of Wolverine fans will be expecting nothing less than a BCS bowl win this season, plain and simple.

But before expectations can be met, expectations have to be established. For example, how many Michigan fans would say their number one goal for this season is a Big Ten Championship? That is exactly what Brady Hoke is saying, though. He has made it very clear from day one that his teams will strive for Big Ten Championship trophies before focusing on anything that comes after that, like a National Championship. Some reporters at Hoke's first press conference had a very hard time understanding that logic, so it is very easy to see where fan and coach expectations are colliding.

2012 Most Improved Returning Players #2 and #1

So far, we have gotten a look at #6 through #3 in the "Most Improved Returning Players" series, so it is finally time to round it off with #2 and #1.  This list is highly speculative and could be adjusted, but I think going off last season and most of the projections for next season, this list is pretty accurate.  It's important to combine both of these elements because there is always a chance to use too much of last season and a tendency to overrate some players for the next season simply because of the tendency for players to improve themselves over time.

Here is a quick look at my list before finishing this off:

6. J.T. Floyd (CB)

5. Fitz Toussaint (RB)

4. Roy Roundtree (WR)

3. Craig Roh (DE)

Without further adieu, I give you the top 2 returning players for the 2012 season.

2. Jake Ryan (LB)

Of all the names to be questioned in this segment, I feel like Jake Ryan's will receive the most question marks. After all, he had a very solid first season with the Wolverines (after taking a redshirt his freshman year). But I see so much potential in Ryan as a linebacker at Michigan. I think they intensity he brings to the team makes a world of a difference, and he has one of the biggest impacts on how the Wolverines defense performs.

Last season, as redshirt sophomore, Ryan saw his first action in the winged helmet. He did not disappoint. 37 total tackles is a great way to start off your career, and his biggest game just so happened to come in the Sugar Bowl against Virgina Tech, showing his will on the big stage. One of my favorite things about this hard-nosed linebacker is his ability to get to the ball. It doesn't really matter if the ball is on the ground or in the hands of the running back, Ryan can sniff it out with the rest of his teammates and gang up on the ball carrier.

My expectations for Jake Ryan in 2012 are: 42-45 total tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 interception.

The staple for any Wolverine linebacker is the ability to bring down the ball carrier, and I expect Jake Ryan to be one of the best at it this season. He showed his ability last year, and I believe there is even more in that tank of his. Ryan has an uncanny nose for the ball. Most tackles will show as assists because of the speed of the Michigan defense, but he also has the ability to go one-on-one with the carrier and win that battle.

Jake Ryan is a very hard-hitting linebacker. He centers his force into something that could probably bring down a building. That is going to end up resulting in some forced fumbles on his part. The Wolverines had a tremendous bounce back in 2011 in terms of turnovers forced, and Jake Ryan has the potential to be the biggest part of that formula this season.

Michigan linebackers aren't known for racking up interceptions by any stretch of the imagination, but hard work can get you anything. I'm expecting one INT for Ryan this season. Last season, he tipped a pass that was then intercepted by Brandon Herron and returned 94 yards for a TD. The next step is getting both hands on the ball and not letting it go.

 

1. Denard Robinson (QB)

Everyone knew Denard would make it on this list one way or another. Every snap "Shoelace" takes has the potential to be the most amazing thing you've ever seen, and you simply can't teach what he does for this program. I absolutely cannot wait to see what is in store for 2012.

The Denard Robinson trademark is obviously speed. His ability to quickly accelerate and then outrun everyone on the field is what makes him so exciting. But what about the passing game? After all, Robinson's title is "quarterback." That is the area of Denard's game that has been focused on since day one of the Brady Hoke era. He and offensive coordinator Al Borges have made some tremendous strides with Robinson through the air, and it is continuing to look up as we head into the 2012 season.

15 INTs led all Big Ten quarterbacks a year ago. Part of it can be blamed on mechanics; part of it can be blamed on decision making. The biggest thing I'm looking for in Denard this season is his decision making. Going through his progressions and ultimately making the right decision is what separates this offense from the very best in the nation. Fans have their faith in Robinson to continue his development, but, most importantly, he has faith in himself. It's no secret that Denard puts a lot of pressure on himself to become the very best he can be, and that has resulted in positive outcome lately. That will surely carry on over into the 2012 season.

My expectations for Denard Robinson in 2012 are: 2,500+ passing yards, 1,000+ rushing yards, and 65%+ completion rate.

Last year, Denard actually had more than 30 less passing attempts than he did in 2010. That is to blame on the more consistent use of a running back, but it also means Denard needs to be more efficient with less attempts. Robinson is always developing his accuracy and decision making, so the final step to the process is to be able to go out on the field against a live defense and deliver for the Wolverines offense.

I'm not expecting a great statistic year from Denard on the ground, but he also set the bar very high through his first 2 years of action. I expect him to break the 1,000 yard mark once again, and there will most certainly be at least one "how did he do that" play per game, but his attempts should continue to be cut down by Al Borges. The use of Fitz Toussaint in the backfield will have a huge impact on how many cracks Robinson gets on the ground. Cutting back on attempts will also make him even more affective when he does run the ball. The defense will now have to be prepared for a developed passing game, a legitimate running back, and a running quarterback. It will be fun to watch.

The number one thing I will be watching for with Denard Robinson is completion percentage. Robinson needs to become a more efficient passer, which would in turn make everything else in that offense work even better. If he can spread the defense with his arm, it makes both him and Toussaint that much more affective on the ground. A 65% completion rate for Denard would be the best of his career at Michigan, but the best is what he expects out of himself.

The New Michigan Defense

Photo Credit: AnnArbor.com

Does anybody remember what the Michigan defense from 2008-2011 looked like? Let me rephrase that. Does anybody want to remember what they looked like?

A win for the Wolverines usually meant reaching up into the 40’s, and it would still be a tight game. If teams wanted to run the ball, they ran the ball with ease. If teams wanted to go through the air, they went through the air with ease. If the opposing coach wanted to play his 7-year old son, he could have done it and probably would have been successful. There was simply no resistance.

Now, let me ask this question: who is still shocked at the Wolverines' defense in 2011? Teams had a tough time doing anything to get points up on the board. The defensive line, led by Mike Martin, consistently came up with huge stops throughout the season, and, while it does still need some work, the secondary progressed in leaps. Of course, this was all with the same players who could only prove they played defense by the little position letter next to their name. So what changed?

We can talk technique and talent until the start of next season, but it all begins with heart, desire, and passion. When Brady Hoke came to Michigan in early 2011, he installed a new mind set before a new defense. Greg Mattison did the exact same thing when he was hired as Michigan’s Defensive Coordinator.

The very best part of Michigan’s defense in 2011 was their ability to make adjustments. I can’t remember a game when the 2^nd half was not better than the 1^st. Take the game against Northwestern for example. The Wildcats walked into the locker room at half time with a 10-point lead, 24-14. The final score of that game: Michigan won 42-24. Northwestern did not score a single point in the second half.

Situational defense was another huge part of the success in 2011. In the Sugar Bowl, Virginia Tech had a number of opportunities to bust the game wide open, especially with a seemingly handicapped Michigan offense. However, guys like Mike Martin and Ryan Van Burgen shut the door on the Hokies when it was most needed. Michigan does not win the Allstate Sugar Bowl without the stellar performance from Michigan's defense.

The Wolverines have some holes to fill on defense this off-season, but there is a lot to build off for next season with one of college football's best stories from last year.  Michigan's defense is finally back.

Junior Hemingway To The Kansas City Chiefs

Photo Credit: Big Ten Network

With the 238th Pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Junior Hemingway, WR from the University of Michigan. Yes!! Another pick from Michigan, thank goodness. This pick made a lot of sense because the Chiefs needed another weapon on offense, some quarterback that just signed with Denver (haha) is known for gun slinging and putting up a lot of points. Junior will join Michigan alum Steve Breaston, as well as Dwayne Bowe in Kansas City.

He should definitely go a long way in improving the receiving numbers for the Chiefs. The Chiefs ranked 27th in the NFL in total offense and 25th in the league in passing. At the combine, Hemingway put up 21 reps at 225 which was among tops among all receivers. Also, he ran a 4.53 in the 40, which is decent and had a 35.5" jump. Not crazy impressive numbers, but still pretty good for a wide receiver. He's 6'0 tall and weighs 225 lbs, but has some great hands.  The biggest thing that probably hurt his draft stock is his height.

In his career at Michigan, Hemingway started 31 games at WR and appeared in 48 games overall. He ranks 17th in Michigan history with 1,638 yards receiving, he also amassed six 100-yard receiving games placing him 9th in school history.  Let's not forget about his 2 touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl this past year, which earned him Sugar Bowl MVP. Along with this, he earned All Big-Ten team honorable mention.

In 2011, he led the team in receiving with 34 catches for 699 yards averaging 20.6 yards per catch, and tied for the team lead with 4 touchdowns. His biggest game was against the Irish, where he grabbed 3 balls for 165 yards and 1 touchdown. In 2010, he caught 32 balls for 593 yards averaging 18.5 yards a catch and also had 4 touchdowns. 2009 he had 16 catches for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns. In 2007 and 2008, he didn't play much, but he did have 6 catches for 30.5 yards and 1 touchdown. Now, Hemingway wasn't just a receiver, he also did some work in the return game early on in his career.  He had 11 career returns for 120 yards, averaged 10.9 yards a return and a career long of 34 yards.  

This by no means is a Rich Rod bashing, but I definitely think that playing in his era hurt Hemingway. We all know it was a run heavy offense due to the spread. In a more traditional offense, or even the one that they ran this year, he would have had better numbers. If he had been in this offense, who knows how high he would have been taken in the draft.  Regardless, Hemingway should do some solid things in Kansas City in the future.

Lookin' Back On What Was And What Wasn't For The Wolverines

On the drive home from what turned out to be an epic overtime Sugar Bowl victory for Michigan, I couldn't help but looking back on not only the past season, but also the last few years.  Sure, Michigan had just won its first bowl game since the 2008 Capital One Bowl and its first BCS game since 2000, but this win seemed to solidify a lot more than just that.  This was not a perfect team, but when Brendan Gibbon's field goal cleared the uprights, the finish felt perfect.

Since Michigan's loss to Ohio State in 2006, almost nothing has been the same.  Michigan went through, without doubt, the worst period in its history.  Not only did the team end the season with a loss to Ohio State and the loss of long-time coach Bo Schembechler, which is bad enough, but they followed with a loss in the Rose Bowl.  Losing in the Rose Bowl isn't necessarily something to be ashamed of, especially because Michigan faced a great team, but losing by a significant margin is never something that should cause pride.

However, what followed this loss was really what changed Michigan and its culture.  Michigan opened its season ranked #5 and appeared to be set for a great year.  There were some tough opponents on the schedule, but with Notre Dame and Ohio State at home, things looked bright.  Michigan may have collapsed to end the year, but there was no way that happened again.  However, we all know the story.  Michigan loses its first two games to Appalachian State and Oregon and remains un-ranked for much of the year.  The team recovered to finish 9-4 with a victory over Florida and Tim Tebow in the 2008 Capital One Bowl, but afterward Michigan lost a great senior class and Lloyd Carr.

Rich Rodriguez entered the scene and frankly, never had a relevant team after September.  He finished with the horrid career record of 15-22.  Along with this, he never beat Michigan State or Ohio State.  The only ranked teams he managed to beat collapsed over the course of the year, removing all relevance.  The defense and special teams were in ruins and even the hailed offense didn't put up as many points as desired and seemed to rely far too much on one single player (though it was still a solid unit).

So what's the story? Why am I bringing up things that happened in 2006?  Michigan entered "The Game" ranked #2 and undefeated (11-0).  However, from that game until Brady Hoke's first game at Michigan this season, the team was 24-28.  Over that period Michigan never finished with more than 9 wins, were 1-2 in bowl games, never defeated Ohio State, and ultimately finished 4-9 in rivalry games.  I bring up these facts not to torture Michigan fans, but because I want to show the significance of this team..  Over that period, the culture of winning had largely faded from Schembechler Hall.  The team and fans wanted to win, but their expectations seemed to drop every year.  The team had national championship hopes in 2007, which faded to bowl hopes in 2010.

So what changed for a team that went a combined 24-28 from the 2006 Ohio State game to 2011?  Well, that culture changed.  The team finished 11-2 this year.  Along with this, the team went 2-1 in rivalry games (beating Notre Dame and Ohio State) and beat Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.  This team certainly wasn't perfect, losing to Michigan State and Iowa, but they were exactly what Michigan needed.  Michigan desperately needed something to return the team to its winning ways and Team 132 fit the bill.

To me, the losses against Michigan State and Iowa do nothing to taint what was a spectacular season.  Sure, it would have been great to play in the Big Ten Championship Game for a shot to go to the Rose Bowl, but this team still made a great bowl and capitalized on that opportunity.  In fact, Michigan actually finished with the best winning percentage of any Big Ten team.  Yes, Michigan State also finished with 11 wins, but they also had 3 losses, giving Michigan the best winning percentage.  I doubt this will do anything to remove some of the hurt from the loss to Michigan State, but it's still significant.

So what was this team?  Bottom line, it was a WINNING team.  Something Ann Arbor hasn't seen since November 11, 2006 against Indiana.  I fully admit that the 2007 Michigan Wolverines were not a complete failure, but a 9-4 season with losses to Ohio State and Appalachian State are certainly not something to be proud of, at least in my opinion.  Will next year's team win like the Team 132?  I'm not sure, a tough schedule with a lot of road games may interfere with that, but what's great is I believe they can.  To me, that's what this team brought back to Michigan, that "belief" in winning.  Most people used to assume and expect Michigan victories.  However, that seemed to fade away over the last few years.

By not only winning, but winning with players the media and previous coaches have referred to as "busts" or "un-coachable", it made this season even better.  Doesn't it say something when the roster is virtually identical yet the results largely differ?  I say so.  I believe in Brady Hoke and this coaching staff and I believe in Michigan.  I think most fans supported the team even during the darkest times, but it's even better when the team is assumed to win.  To steal a quote from the infamous Charlie Sheen, I think Brady Hoke will be doing a lot of "winning" in the future.  This team has returned the bright future to a trouble fan base and frankly restored order.

Photo Credit: Michigan Daily  

Previewing The Sugar Bowl

Over the past few weeks, we've been looking at all the aspects of Michigan's first BCS bid since the 2006- 2007 season.  We took a look at Virginia Tech's background and then focused on their team performance this season.  However, we've never broken down the specifics of the Sugar Bowl.  How will the game play out on January 3rd?  Will Virginia Tech falter as it did against Clemson, or will they be able to beat Michigan with their solid defense?

Over the past few weeks this game may have received some criticism from fans and the media, but most have not denied the great match-up between the teams.  Two teams that are relatively even matched will have a great opportunity to prove they belong in a BCS game.  Virginia Tech will have to overcome their poor performance lately in bowls and Michigan will have to try to overcome the last three seasons. There's a lot of pride and expectations riding on this game, and I don't think it will disappoint.

Offense

This game is predicted to be pretty exciting because of the two high-powered offenses both teams are bringing to the field.  Here are some of the basic stats regarding Michigan and Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech

• 36th in Total Offense (415.8 yds/g)
• 53rd in Scoring Offense (28.5 pts/g)
• 30th in Rushing Offense (188.69 yds/g)
• 66th in Passing Offense (227.1 yds/g)

Michigan

• 35th in Total Offense (423.2 yds/g)
• 22nd in Scoring Offense (34.2 pts/g)
• 12th in Rushing Offense (235.67 yds/g)
• 90th in Passing Offense (187.4 yds/g)

Overall, the two offenses are pretty even, but with a little more analysis, there are some significant differences between the two teams.  Michigan tends to move the ball on the ground, while Virginia Tech tends to rely more on the pass.  Typically, it doesn't make a significant difference whether a team rushes or passes, but it could be a key factor in this game.

These differences are important because Virginia Tech has a solid rush defense and Michigan has a pretty solid passing defense.  This is important because it's going to force each team to use a strategy different than they have for much of this year.  Michigan typically runs the ball for the majority of the game, but they're probably going to have to pass a fair amount.  Similarity, Virginia Tech typically passes the ball, but they're probably going to have to put the ball on the ground a lot more against Michigan.

With a little more analysis of the two teams, I believe this challenge gives the advantage to Michigan.  Michigan may be forced to pass the ball, but the stats listed above are misleading.  Michigan may not have a lot of passing yards this season, but Denard has played very well in the last two games.  In fact, against Nebraska and Ohio State, Denard completed a combined 71% of his passes, 347 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and only 1 interception.  For a dual-threat quarterback, this is extremely impressive.

David Wilson, Virginia Tech's starting running back, has had some great games this season, but he is coming off what was perhaps his worst performance of the season.  He ran 11 times for just 32 yards against Clemson and was never able to reach the end-zone.  Obviously, Denard is coming in with a lot more momentum than Virginia Tech's running game.  Of course, the Hokie's may figure out how to move the ball on the ground, but I think Denard has shown he will be able to outplay Wilson.

Advantage: Lean Michigan

Defense

Virginia Tech

• 15th in Total Defense (313.9 yds/g)
• 7th in Points Allowed (17.2 pts/g)
• 16th in Rushing Defense (107.77 yds/g)
• 39th in Passing Defense (206.2 yds/g)

Michigan

• 17th in Total Defense (317.6 yds/g)
• 7th in Points Allowed (17.2 pts/g)
• 36th in Rushing Defense (129.08 yds/g)
• 17th in Passing Defense (188.5 yds/g)

In terms of stats, these defenses are almost dead even.  In fact, they are exactly even in terms of points allowed.  I think Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense does offer something Virginia Tech has not really seen this season and will represent a challenge, but Michigan will have its own challenge with Virginia Tech's passing attack.  There's really no way to say one defense will be significantly better than the other without using an insane amount of speculation.

Advantage: Dead-lock

Special Teams


Now, special teams is one area where Michigan will have a significant advantage.  Neither team is particularly skilled on special teams (both teams are buried deep in almost all the special teams rankings), but the loss of Virginia Tech's two best kickers over the previous week has the Hokie's scrambling for someone to kick field goals.  With the teams so evenly matched, this may be the thing that ultimately decides the game.

Advantage: Michigan

Intangibles/Crowd

Both teams have much to prove in this game as many in the national media have exclaimed that neither team belong in New Orleans.  Regardless of opinion, both teams will be fired up to prove the national media wrong and assert themselves.  However, Michigan has an outstanding team chemistry, strong leadership, a desire to prove Michigan's "back," and a lot of momentum.  Virginia Tech is coming off a huge loss, has been in several BCS bowls recently, and have a lot of controversy surrounding player son their team.

Along with this, I expect a strong showing for the Maize and Blue.  Tickets have sold significantly faster than Virginia Tech and I expect many others have bought tickets on secondary sites such as StubHub (even though I hate the site, they do have some good deals).  Virginia Tech's poor bowl record will probably get the best of them with a strong Michigan presence in the stands.

Advantage: Michigan

Overall


Assuming neither team implodes or gives away a ton of turnovers (both teams are almost identical in turnover margin) the game will likely come down to Denard Robinson and David Wilson.  If either of them can have a big game and convert on some key plays, they will probably get the margin needed to win the game.  I think with the home atmosphere, Denard Robinson makes the plays through the air needed to win the game, but it should be a close one.


Final Score: Michigan 30-27


Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus

Virginia Tech, Not So Bad After All

Now that we've officially established what constitutes a "Hokie" and talked about the significance of Michigan's BCS bid, we can get into some serious football talk. Most Michigan fans, including myself, admittedly probably don't watch a lot of ACC football. When's there are dozens of games every week, including Michigan games, there probably isn't a lot of time to analyze random out of conference opponents such as Virginia Tech.

However, that doesn't mean one can't go back and analyze what Virginia Tech has accomplished this season. Let's start with some basics.

Virginia Tech

• 11-2 record (ACC Coastal Champs - Lost in ACC Champ Game)
• 55th in Scoring Offense (28.5 pts/g)
• 38th in Total Offense (415.8 yds/g)
• 14th in Total Defense (313.9 yds/g)
• 7th in Points Allowed (17.2 pts/g)
• 29th in Turnover Margin (+0.46)
• 51st in Strength of Schedule

So from looking at those stats what do could one speculate? Well, defense seems to be their strong suit. Their offense is far from horrible, but when a defense only allows 17.2 points on average, the offense doesn't exactly have to do a lot to win the game. Virginia Tech held 8 opponents this season to less than 20 points, which is a significant accomplishment.  For instance, Michigan was only held to less than 20 points twice this year (Michigan State and Iowa).

Although the defense appears to be quite strong, 7th in points allowed, 14th in total yards, and 17th in rush defense, the team's stats have been criticized because of Virginia Tech's "weak" schedule.  When I first started writing this article, I was under the impression that Virginia Tech had not only played few quality opponents, but were also blown out in against those teams.  However, after I took a deep analysis of the stats and schedule, I can no longer believe this argument.

When looking at a schedule, tend to take a quick glance for the number of ranked and "big name" opponents on a team's schedule.  However, this method does not yield accurate results for a team's strength of schedule.  Just because a team isn't ranked doesn't mean they aren't a quality team.  For instance, Notre Dame is not ranked, but they received the most votes in the rankings of any team outside the top 25 (effectively making them ranked #26) and played an extremely difficult schedule this year.

Using this logic, I attempted to make a more accurate analysis of Virginia Tech's schedule.  I did this by judging the number of opponents receiving votes or ranked, the number of teams with at least 6 wins, and the margin of victory in those games.

Virginia Tech Schedule Performance

• Number of Opponents Ranked or Receiving Votes - 5
• Locations Against Ranked or Voted - 2 Home, 2 Away, 1 Neutral
• Record Against Ranked or Voted - 3-2
• Margin of Victory Against Ranked or Voted - 8 pts/g

• Number of Opponents With At Least 6 Wins - 10
• Locations Against 6 Win Opponents - 5 Home,4 Away, 1 Neutral
• Record Against 6 Win Opponents - 8-2
• Margin of Victory Against 6 Win Opponents - 12 pts/g

After analyzing the actual games played against decent and quality competition, it's hard to still believe in the argument that Virginia Tech has played "nobody" and beaten "nobody."  Sure, they were only 3-2 against opponents who were ranked or received votes in the AP poll, but they still ended up outscoring those teams by an average of 8 points per game.  Along with this, both losses were against the same team, Clemson.  Two  losses against quality competition in which Clemson outscored Virginia Tech by an average of 24 pts/g is hardly impressive or excusable, but one can't help but speculate.

Perhaps Clemson was just a bad match-up for Virginia Tech this season?  It is rare, but sometimes there just seems to be 1 or 2 teams that a certain team cannot beat just because of certain match-ups.  I'm not going to claim this was the case for Virginia Tech against Clemson, but the rest of their season and these two games just don't add up.  How does a team handle or blow out quality opponents at home and on the road (Arkansas State, Georgia Tech, Virginia) and then get blown out against #15 Clemson?  There are many reasons to explain this including a poor match-up, but I go with a different reasoning.

I think the reason Virginia Tech did so well against other quality opponents and so bad against Clemson is simply because they aren't an "elite" team.  Is Virginia Tech as bad as some of the pundits would make it seem?  Not even close.  Their performance this season against both decent and quality teams showcases their talent and ability, but their massive let-downs against Clemson also shows they are vulnerable.

Not only using my analysis, but using advanced stats provided by Football Outsiders, one can see Virginia Tech is at least a decent team.  FEI ranking, which is what Football Outsiders uses, analyzes not only wins and losses, but who and what causes each loss.  If a team loses to a bad opponent, they are punished in the FEI rankings much more than losing to a good team.  Basically, they do the type of break-downs I did above, except using a computer formula.  They have Virginia Tech ranked as #20 in the nation.  This is pretty far behind their #11 BCS ranking, but relatively near their #17 AP poll ranking.

After a long analysis, I think Virginia Tech falls in roughly this range.  They are a 15-20 ranked team that managed to make a BCS bowl due to some luck and flaws in the polls (Coaches had them at #11).  However, they are no push-over team.  They may not be "elite," but they will certainly pose a challenge for Michigan in the Sugar Bowl.  Just for a comparison, Notre Dame is ranked #21 in the FEI ranking.  So essentially, Michigan is going to be facing a team roughly as good as Notre Dame was this season and I think we all remember that game...

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Virginia Tech's Story

Before Michigan's Sugar Bowl selection, most probably would have thought the term "Hokie" was some sort of joke about Michigan coach Brady Hoke. However, now that Michigan has been scheduled to play Virginia Tech for the first time in its 132 year history, many have been eager to learn about this school rich in tradition and athletic prominence. So here's a summary of Virginia Tech's Story:


Virginia Tech Basics

• Virginia Tech or VT is located in Blacksburg, Virginia
• Officially named "Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University" (Yeah, I like Virginia Tech better too)
• Founded in 1872
• 30,739 Students (Michigan has about 41,000 students overall)
• Ranked #71 in the nation by US News

Fun Facts

• A student coined the term "Hokie" in 1896
• The "Hokie Stone" is the image of the campus (imagine the Spartan statute at MSU)
• Before the Homecoming game, the Army ROTC group on campus runs the game ball over 100 miles on campus
• Virginia Tech is one of the few colleges that still has a "class ring" system
• VT's mascot started out as a "Gobbler" and became a "Hokie Bird"

Game Day Traditions

• Team walks to the stadium 2 hours before the game with cheerleaders, etc.
• Fans shake keys on 3rd down (Hey we do this too!)
• A Huge "Let's Go Hokies!" Cheer
• Fire off a huge cannon after scoring
• Turkey legs at their stadium
• They do the hokey pokey after the 3rd quarter

Famous Alumni

• Kylene Barker - Miss America 1979
• Michael Vick - NFL QB
• DeAngelo Hall - NFL DB
• Roger Craig - Winner of 2011 Jeopardy Tournament of Champions
• Chris Kraft - First NASA flight director

Obviously, the school not only has a rich athletic history, but also has a lot of history surrounding campus and academics. Unfortunately, because of Virginia Tech's inability to sell tickets, there is probably not going to be a huge Hokie presence in New Orleans. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech head football coach, remains confident in the team's ability to travel, but I'm still skeptical. There have been reports showing that they are significantly behind their goals in ticket sales and even added an option to purchase tickets that will be donated to charities for fans and alumni that cannot attend the game.

Regardless of how many Virginia Tech fans are there, it will still be a great game with a lot of excitement. It's been quite a while since Michigan has been in a BCS game, and it's great to have interesting opponents.

On a side-note, I did not mention the two shootings that have occurred on Virginia Tech's campus since 2007. These are extremely unfortunate events, but not something this blog is designed to report or analyze. However, we encourage all readers to learn from these horrible events and pray for the victims and their families. If you wish to read more look here and here.

Photo Credit: Hokie Sports

Michigan Back To The BCS

Just in case you've been living under a rock, Michigan is heading to the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on January 3rd to play against Virginia Tech. Most Michigan fans spent last week on the edge of their seats watching to see if teams such as Houston, Oklahoma, and Georgia would lose to allow Michigan its spot in the Sugar Bowl. Thankfully, you guys were right when 64% of you said that Michigan was heading to the Sugar Bowl

Along with a great match-up against Virginia Tech (11-2), we get to watch the "Urban Meyer" bowl. I think we all remember the last time Ohio State went to the Gator Bowl. A certain coach (Woody Hayes) ended up punching a player on the opposing team and getting fired. I think we can all remember last year's trip to the Gator Bowl and be thankful it is our rival and not us headed there.

Now, to address the big issue of the day. Michigan (10-2) gets selected for an at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl, but Michigan State (10-3) gets passed over, even though they won the regular season game. Frankly, when analyzed, there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two teams. Michigan State played some tough teams and in some tough environments, but when they fell, they fell pretty hard (Blowout losses to Notre Dame and Nebraska). Michigan may have had a slightly easier schedule, but the current BCS system is set-up to favor end of the season play, not 1 single game back in October. Michigan State had its chance to go to the Rose Bowl, but made a vital error at the end of the game that cost them their bid.

Along with this, it's not as if Michigan was a bad team with a horrible record and schedule. In fact, Michigan was the ONLY team in the nation that played 10 bowl teams. Granted, some of them barely crossed the 6 win requirement to be eligible for a bowl, but it still means that Michigan didn't have any cupcakes on the schedule. Bowl teams typically have at least one decent win on the schedule. The bottom line is that Michigan was playing better than Michigan State at the end of the season. It seems odd that a team is "punished" for playing in a conference championship game, but the team playing also has a chance to win the B1G and go to the Rose Bowl, something I think almost any Michigan fan would want.

Of course, we should also point out the LSU v. Alabama debacle. I don't want to get too much into the debate regarding the rematch, but it just becomes more obvious by the year that Michigan truly got the "short end of the stick" in 2006 when they lost on the road to #1 Ohio State by 3 points and were not allowed to play in the championship game even though they were ranked #2 at the time. Obviously there are some significant flaws in the BCS system, but I guess it's the one we use so we just have to get used to it.

Now, we'll have a full preview for the Sugar Bowl later on, but I did get to watch a few Virginia Tech games this year. At first glance they looked like a pretty well-rounded team, but after some quick analysis, this seems to be a facade. They faced two ranked teams this season (Clemson twice) and suffered blow-out losses. Now, anything can happen in this game, but I think my early prediction has Michigan winning by a significant margin.

Congratulations once again to the coaches and players on Team 132. Should be a great bowl, game, and trip for you all and the fans going down to New Orleans. We here at Hoke's Mad Magicians are ecstatic for Michigan to be heading to the Sugar Bowl and are looking forward to more coverage of the team in the weeks to come.

Photo Credit: ESPN