There Are 102 Days to Michigan Football

Schembechler's team 102 had one large accomplishment in 1980. It was his first team to win the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl. Michigan dominated Washington 23-6 for Schembechler's first Rose Bowl victory in five tries. Seems incomprehensible that a Michigan team needed that many attempts to win a Rose Bowl, but John Wangler and Anthony Carter put them over the hump, putting them inside the top five in the final rankings.

Week in Review Doesn’t Chicken Out

Brady Hoke Called Notre Dame A Word And People Got Mad. Sure, it was a speech to a group of alumni and donors, but have we known Hoke to ever mince words? Of course he's going to call out Notre Dame if given the chance. Look on the bright side, though, that's fewer games we have to hear announced by Tom Hammond.

Michigan State Loses Another Recruit But Not to Michigan. The poor Spartans can't catch a break, and have become the Big Ten's resident swiss cheese school. Their latest football recruit chose rapping instead of playing football.

Moar Recruits. Lawrence Marshall chose Michigan, as did other guys. Careful, Michigan, if you sign even more recruits, some might think we're Alabama.

Michigan's Secondary Possibly Is Good. The weak spot in Michigan's defense the last few seasons might be good. Michigan will need a reliable unit back there with some weakness in the linebacker spots.

2014 B1G Schedule Released, Contains Teams From Faraway Lands. Michigan got the better division and its conference rivalries locked down, but a good home schedule that does not make. Instead of getting excited to play Wisconsin or Nebraska, Michigan gets Maryland and Rutgers. Throw in the game against a team we shall not name in the opener, and we've got a gauntlet of mediocrity to face.

There Are 103 Days to Michigan Football

Team 103 has a distinct pleasure among their brethren. Not because of any one star player or classic game on the field. Though they did beat top-ranked Notre Dame the second week of the season. 1981 was play-by-play man Bob Ufer's last year at the mic for WPAG-AM, the tiny Ann Arbor-based station. It would seem insignificant to distinguish a radio announcer, but it's not if Ufer's poetic musings and hysterical homerism have been heard.

Johns Hopkins and B1G Lacrosse

On this second weekend of the NCAA lacrosse tournament, everyone who watches/follows and reports on lacrosse is probably paying close attention to a team that didn't even make the tournament this year. Johns Hopkins University, the sport's most storied program, is officially looking into joining a conference. Johns Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels announced the decision in a letter to the university on Friday. The Jays missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 41 years, and now seem to recognize that conference affiliation will help prevent that from happening in the future.

The school's Blue Ribbon Committee to Study Conference Alignment for the Men's Lacrosse Team made the recommendation to Daniels, who then said,

The committee's unanimous conclusion...is that Johns Hopkins and its men's lacrosse student-athletes would best be served by our seeking affiliation for men's lacrosse only with an NCAA Division I conference.

I agree with the committee's analysis and have accepted its recommendations.

Considering the fact that they've been playing lacrosse as an independent for 130 years, Friday's announcement is huge. There are four criteria that they would like to see met in order for an affiliation to take place:

1. An initial membership term of five years.

2. An opportunity to evaluate Johns Hopkins' position in the conference after three years, at which point the option would exist to either extend the initial agreement or to part ways at the conclusion of the initial agreement.

3. A guarantee that a decision by an existing full member of the conference to sponsor the sport of men's lacrosse or the addition to the conference of a full member that sponsors men's lacrosse will not jeopardize Johns Hopkins' affiliation with the league.

4. The ability for Johns Hopkins to maintain its existing television broadcasting relationship with ESPNU.

The criteria are interesting, specifically number three. This is pointed directly at the Big Ten, where there are rumblings of sponsoring a league, and getting other schools such as Minnesota and Michigan State to elevate their programs. The question then becomes the Hopkins relationship with ESPNU and what happens with the Big Ten Network. Who shows Hopkins games, and when? That's a question best answered by those who are in a position to screw things up, so I will leave it to them. However, I'm sure that some sort of deal could be reached with ESPNU showcasing any games at Homewood Field, while BTN covers everything else. Having BTN televise more lacrosse can only benefit the sport and its expansion into the Midwest and West. Ohio State, via the ECAC, already is playing in this weekend's quarter finals, so the league has already shown success...albeit in a roundabout way. Plus, Penn State also made it into the tourney. That's not too bad considering it's only a sixteen team field.

There Are 104 Days to Michigan Football

Anthony Carter is the reason every Michigan receiver wants to be given the honor of wearing the number one jersey during their career. Carter played his final year on team 104, and while they lost to Ohio State and again in the Rose Bowl, they still finished on top of the Big Ten. AC is still the only Michigan receiver to be chosen an All-American three consecutive years, establishing himself as the pinnacle of receiving talent to wear the winged helmet.

Friday Michigan Football Recruiting Roundup is Psychic

Peppers Sets Decision Date

Consensus five-star athlete and Michigan target Jabrill Peppers will make his decision on national television on May 26th. Is this a good thing for Michigan? Absolutely. The Wolverines have been firmly in the driver's seat ever since Peppers came to Ann Arbor for an unofficial visit, and no one has made up any significant ground since.

Yes, Peppers will take a visit to Penn State and maybe even Rutgers, but he still looks like a lock to end up in the maize and blue. There simply isn't enough time for another school to overtake Michigan.

Wolverines Offer a Pair of Young Lone Star Linebackers

TX LB Malik Jefferson (2015)
6'3", 215 pounds
Hudl highlights

Jefferson is one mean dude. He already holds offers from Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and many others, and the Longhorns are the presumed leader. He's a very heady, explosive SAM prospect who probably won't end up at Michigan, but it's hard not to offer a player like him under any circumstances.

TX LB Cameron Townsend (2015)
6'1", 195 pounds

Townsend is an inside prospect who holds offers from Texas, Houston, Baylor and Michigan as of now. He's a good but not great athlete and should be on the four-star line when his cycle comes around.

Crystal Ball Predictions: Happening

247 Sports began to invite non-247 authors to join in on their crystal ball predictions not too long ago, and I was lucky enough to get an invitation. Whether or not my predictions will be legitimate or plain wrong has yet to be determined, but they exist nonetheless:

Surprise: Alex Bars commits to Notre Dame, and I'm already O-fer. Embry to Michigan State is the only real reach as of now; the Spartans haven't offered him yet, but I think they'll eventually pull through and get one hell of a sleeper. Smith to the Irish and Winovich to Michigan are the only cases where I went against the grain.

You can check out my page here. I'll make more predictions as more information comes to light.

General Notes and Multimedia Items

WILL/MIKE prospect Kyron Watson was once considered a Michigan lock, but things changed quickly when he checked into a spring camp well under six feet tall. The staff cooled on him, and he quickly committed to Kansas. Chase Winovich makes up the entire linebacker board as of now, but someone like Noah Furbush could pop up should Winovich drop in favor of Ohio State.

Michigan is atop ESPN's class rankings.. for now:

Hey Michigan, you are now No. 1 in the latest ESPN recruiting rankings for the 2014 football class: es.pn/12gLqDs

— WolverineNation ESPN (@WolverineNation) May 17, 2013

I've never been able to trust their recruiting rankings, for what it's worth.

Class of 2015 offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez is a name to keep an eye on. The staff has been in touch with him; he could be one of the next 2015 offers.

Finally, Michigan plans on recruiting some football royalty down the line:

Hearing #Michigan dropped in on another son of a famous father yesterday. 6-2, 190 lb. Plano (TX) Prestonwood Christian WR, Michael Irvin Jr

— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) May 14, 2013

They're also recruiting 2015 receiver Cordell Broadus to some extend. Cordell is the son of Snoop Dogg.. err.. Snoop Lion. Hopefully he doesn't mumble like his father: every time i listen to a Snoop track I end up screaming at him to speak up.

Power Dynamics & Chickens

A lot has already been written regarding Brady Hoke's comments on Notre Dame's "chickening out" of their series with the Wolverines, but something caught my ear on Tuesday and I'm just getting around to beating this dead chicken. During the Tuesday episode of ESPN's Around the Horn, the chicken subject came up and Pablo S. Torre said...

The reality of the situation is the power dynamic is so tilted in Notre Dame's favor. Notre Dame doesn't need Michigan; they have a nine-figure T.V. deal with NBC. They are big brother; Michigan, in this case, is unfortunately little brother.

What?! I don't care if Notre Dame had a bazillion-figure deal (I'm pretty sure that's a real number) with some network, the power dynamic is on the field, not on television or in your ability to work out some half-assed way to get into a bowl when it's undeserved; let me remind big brother (and Pablo S. Torre) that the all-time record has Michigan in the lead at 23-16-1, and has won five of the last seven. So, Notre Dame can have their television deals and their ACC teams, and keep their series with Michigan State and Purdue. That's power dynamics at its finest, I guess. It's also convenient for the Irish to be giving up a series against the one team that has owned them. It sounds like big brother just wants to take his ball and go home. I never had a big brother, but I was one; I don't recall picking on my sister and then hearing her claim to be superior and older while walking away. Maybe I just don't understand the power dynamics of sibling rivalry, or maybe I just don't understand chickens.

2014 Big Ten schedule released, two takes on the awfulness

Pete:

Starting things off against a team that shall remain nameless is like when your parents bring up embarrassing pictures or stories to your friends or a girlfriend. We get it, it was terrible, but let's not revisit. It isn't funny or endearing.

With the conference schedule coming out, there is only one game that is worth it for me to make the long drive from Madison, and that is Penn State. All of us who are fans of Michigan football must now pray that Penn State is a good team and that this isn't the year when their wheels start to fall off. Another reason to hope for a good Penn State team is the fact that Michigan won't have Michigan State (for the second straight year) OR Ohio State at home, so this needs to be the one good home game in even years. Please, Bill O'Brien, keep the Nittany Lions competitive! Although it isn't terrible that the Wolverines are kicking off the conference schedule against Minnesota, this home slate is probably the worst in history. Perhaps Jerry Kill will do what he has done with his other stops and will bring a competitive Gophers squad into Ann Arbor, but my money is on a typically lopsided score in Michigan's favor. What's the next most attractive match-up after Goldy and PSU? Maryland. Man, that sucks. Now, unlike 99% of everyone else, I'm not as pissed off about having to face the Terps every year, but I don't want to see them as a part of this home schedule. A schedule with ND, MSU, and OSU on the road is less than ideal, but at least we can have a good home slate in 2015, minus the Fighting Chickens, of course.

My one fear, and it may be groundless, is that 2014 could be the year that sees the attendance streak end. It wouldn't surprise me to see people stay home, and find it difficult to sell tickets to these games.

Zach:

The one thing that really gets me is that Michigan doesn't even travel to Maryland that first year, depriving me of one game that I could feasibly drive to. Add another line to the "why living in Virginia sucks" list.

But despite all the terribleness, you really have to look at this schedule and salivate. Michigan's non-conference is App State, Miami (OH), and Utah at home with the final trip to ND the second week of the season. If Michigan beats the Irish, it sets up for a pretty easy slate.

Granted, Michigan State and Northwestern aren't going to be pushovers, and the final game against Ohio State in the 'Shoe is always going to be a battle, but overall the apathy this schedule incites is good for one thing: it means Michigan should have a solid chance at running the table. No cross-division games with Wisconsin or Nebraska, no excuse not to finish undefeated at home, and just enough star power on the away schedule to give Michigan some trophies if the Wolverines do go undefeated.

And think about the team that is going to be playing this schedule. Devin Gardner will be a Sr., Jake Ryan will be recovered from injury, the offensive and defensive lines will be young but very highly touted, and the defense should be even stronger as Mattison will have a couple more years to mold his recruits into a ferocious, attacking unit capable of being a top-10 defense.

While the games don't jump off the page at you, this could be a good year for Michigan football if it can take care of business away from home.

There Are 105 Days to Michigan Football

What to say about team 105. Michigan was between star quarterbacks -- Rick Leach had left and Jim Harbaugh wasn't here yet. Yes, they did upset Ohio State that year, but no Big Ten championship or bowl win.

Instead, enjoy the theme to "Michigan Replay":

Must not write 1,200 words on why that show needs to be brought back.

Five-star CB Jabrill Peppers to announce college decision May 26th

No. 2 prospect, Jabrill Peppers, set to announce on ESPNU: es.pn/16fHIAk

— WolverineNation ESPN (@WolverineNation) May 15, 2013

Kind of a big deal, you guys.

There are plan-A recruits, and then there are "holy crap he is really strongly considering us?" recruits that headline a class. Peppers, widely regarded as the second overall prospect in the country and a unanimous five-star prospect, is certainly the latter.

Michigan has been on Peppers' radar for a while now, and while he has visited a few schools and come back with nice comments, his visit reaction after spending a weekend in Ann Arbor was positively glowing. As he told Rivals':

"Now I don't even know what to expect anymore," Peppers laughed. "Michigan just completely exceeded my expectations. I'm just going to have to see how Michigan and Ohio State pair up and it should be a great experience but Michigan was probably one of the best visits I've been on without a doubt. Everything felt right."

The other major leader for Peppers' commitment was long held to be Stanford (always love hearing a kid is high on Stanford) and it was going to be his summer visit to Palo Alto that ultimately made his decision. That is, until that visit became hard to schedule being as it is in Palo Alto and Peppers lives in New Jersey.

2014 DB Jabrill Peppers hasn't cancelled his Stanford visit but it is proving difficult to plan around his track schedule, per his coach.

— The M Block (@TheMBlock) May 8, 2013

In its stead, Peppers will visit one last school, Penn State, this weekend before announcing his college decision next week on May 26th.

Lest all this talk of visits and announcement dates distract you from the matter at hand, let me once again remind you that Jabrill Peppers is a monster recruit, DO WANT DO WANT DO WANT.

Seriously, we've already told you about his ridiculous track exploits, and SBN's Bud Elliot basically said everything short of "Jabrill Peppers is from outer space". If Michigan can land Peppers -- and as of now all 20 of 247's Crystal Ball predictions have Peppers ending up blue -- it will be getting the kind of recruit that can become a mainstay in the secondary and a potential all-American.

Rest assured, this is the biggest announcement Michigan recruiting has been involved in since, well, Derrick Green committed to the Wolverines a few months ago.

Michigan recruiting these days: pretty good. Srsly, you guys.

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