Heading to Happy Valley

After the bye week, which, 'Bye" the way, I don't like, the Wolverines get to play another football game.

And, even though there's a game this week, I'll still have to wait until 8 PM...what in the world!

Yes. I'm still, and always will be, old school.

I want my Michigan games @ high noon every week, and even the 3:30 games seem like they take forever to get to my TV screen.

OK, as for the game...

Penn State is not very good, sort of like the Michigan defense...sorry guys, but it's true.

The Wolverines are going to win, simply put, because they have Denard Robinson.

Michigan gets to 6 wins, becomes Bowl eligible, and continues on a forward path to becoming a much better team.

Michigan 47, Penn State 27

See you after the game to talk about the great Meeeechigan victory.

The Wolverine Nation Handbook

The Wolverine Nation Handbook

For years I've wanted to write about my favorite football team, the Michigan Wolverines, and what I believe it takes, and means, to be a fan of the winning est team in college football history.

Being a Wolverine fan isn't easy these days, but true fans of the Maize & Blue, myself included, are still there every Saturday, cheering on the Wolverines as they run out onto the gridiron, representing the team, the team, the team.

The past few years have been very taxing for fans of Michigan Football. 

At the end of the 2007 season the Wolverines stood atop every other Division 1/FBS team in wins All-Time, with 869.


Two and a half years later Michigan is still #1 on the list, but the total has only increase to 882, an increase of only 13 games. 

By comparison, the Wolverines won 11 games in 2006.


Web sites, sorts talk radio, print and TV media, and disgruntled fans have turned on the Michigan Program, calling out the Head Coach, the players, and the program.


I have been a Michigan fan since that day in 1976 when I saw that headline in my hometown newspaper, the Kalamazoo Gazette, that the #1 team in all of college football resided right down the road. I was a fan for life.


I will never, repeat, never, be one of those fans.


I love Michigan Football, and I believe the current culture of college football fans and attack media are ripping the game apart.


Because of my love for the Wolverines, I am writing what I believe should be the absolute guide to how to represent the University of Michigan Football team as a fan.


This guide is one of respect, of love, and of passion. 

Negative, hate filled rants at players, coaches, and the U of M will  not be found in it's pages.


If you are negative, complaining about things out of your control, just to be hateful and mean spirited, then this may, or may not, be the best thing for you.


Or maybe it is.


Go Blue!







 

Can the Wolverines rebound against thye Hawkeyes?

The Michigan Wolverines are facing a familiar task today as they get ready for their second Big Ten game of the season against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Last season the Wolverines started out the year by going 4-0, including a heart stopping game winning drive by QB Tate Forcier, before collapsing the rest of the year, finishing 5-7.

The collapse started on the road in East Lansing, where the Spartans beat Michigan 26-20 in OT, followed by another heart stopping loss, on the road to Iowa, 30-28.

This year is eerily similar, as Michigan started by going 5-0, again beating the Fighting Irish in the final seconds on a Denard Robinson TD run in the final seconds.

Last week the Wolverines started the back to back State-Iowa games by losing to the Spartans, only this time it wasn't close, as MSU beat the Wolverines, 34-17.

The Michigan defense is still the worst in the entire country, and if the Wolverines are to win, the defense has to make plays, it's that simple.

Iowa has the #1 ranked defense in the country, and they are coming off a off week of preparation after defeating Penn State in Happy Valley.

The Iowa defense is very good, but with the exception of the Nittany Lions, they haven't played an offense ranked higher than 80th in the country.

Michigan's Sophomore QB Robinson threw 3 INT's last week vs. the Spartans, and cannot afford to turn the ball over. 

The Wolverines offense will be missing WR Martavious Odoms, who is possibly out for the year with a broken foot.

Iowa's offense is led by QB Ricky Stanzi, who passed all over the Wolverine defense in 2009.

Michigan must keep the Hawkeyes from making big plays on offense, as Michigan State did last week.

Michigan can become bowl eligible for the first time in the Rich Rodriguez coaching era, and I believe this team will make that happen.

After the loss to Sparty, Robinson talked to his team and took responsibility for the loss, a speech that has resonated through the Wolverines this week in practice.

The Michigan offense is head and shoulders above anything Iowa has seen this year, and I like Michigan to do what they want on offense, scoring TD's against an Iowa defense that is stepping up in class vs. the Wolverines.

This is Homecoming at Michigan Stadium, and the Wolverines will send the 110,000+ fans in attendance home very happy today, a Maize and Blue happiness, as Michigan defeats Iowa, 37-31.

Go Blue!

Michigan and Alabama to Cowboy Up in 2012

New Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon has made it clear that the Michigan Football program will be very aggressive in scheduling games that put the Wolverines prominently on a National Championship scale.

Today that promised was fulfilled, as Michigan officially announced that it will play current National Champion Alabama at Cowboys Stadium to open the season on September 1st, 2012.

2012 Michigan-Alabama Game

"This is a great way to kick off the 2012 season with two of the nation's winningest college football programs," said U-M director of athletics Dave Brandon. "We are excited about playing a regular-season game in the state of Texas, a region of the country where we have traditionally recruited. Our goal is to get as many Michigan fans to the game as possible to witness this match-up of traditional powers." (mgoblue.com)

The 2010 schedule now looks like it might be the hardest in the FBS, with the Wolverines also scheduled to play Notre Dame in the non-conference part of the schedule, and, as usual, they still have the Spartans, Hawkeyes, and Buckeyes, and the rest of the conference schedule.

Sept. 1 — vs. Alabama (at Arlington, Texas)

Sept. 22 — at Notre Dame

Oct. 6 — at Purdue

Oct. 13 — Illinois

Oct. 20 — Michigan State

Oct. 27 — at Nebraska

Nov. 3 — at Minnesota

Nov. 10 — Northwestern

Nov. 17 — Iowa

Nov. 24 — at Ohio State 

What a year the Maize and Blue are set for, let's hope it's one to remember.

Go Blue!

Gameday Saturday

Time to get it on.

For the 103rd time, the Green and White from East Lansing and the Maize and Blue from Ann Arbor tee up the football in the annual in state battle for college football supremacy.

The infamous Paul Bunyan Trophy will be on the line once again today as the 16th ranked Spartans face the 17th ranked Wolverines.

Michigan State's defense is going to give the Michigan offense it's biggest test of the 2010 season so far, led by All-American linebacker Greg Jones.

The Spartans also have a solid offensive team, capable to scoring from anywhere on the field, both on the ground, and in the passing game.

Michigan Sophomore QB Denard Robinson, who leads college football in rushing yards will need help for his team mates today.

The running backs, led by Michael Shaw, the offensive line, and the receiving corps must all have solid games to keep the Spartans from keying on Robinson.

The Michigan defense must continue to pressure the Spartans at the line of scrimmage, and control the MSU running game.

This is a bigger game for the Wolverines to win, the pressure is squarely on the Wolverines at home today, and I believe the Michigan coaching staff will have the players ready to play the biggest game at Michigan Stadium this year.

Michigan wins a thriller, 42-37.

Go Blue!

Denard Robinson Facebook Page

Michigan fans, heck, college football fans, here's a new Facebook page for Michigan QB Denard Robinson.

Denard Robinson Facebook Page

I know there are a lot of people out there saying the Spartans defense is the best test so far, and that Robinson won't be able to do the things he's done so far this year. That's what makes me so sure Denard will have a fantastic day.

Don't tell this kid what he can and can't do.

This is a special kid, on his way to a special year, and he has the weapons around him to get the job done. Just ask the Wolverines first 5 opponents, who thought they could slow Denard Robinson down.

Sparty Week is here

The celebration of the Wolverines win at Indiana is now over, it's Sparty week.

The 17th ranked Wolverines are 5-0, 1-0 in the Big Ten, and will host the 16th ranked Spartans, 5-0, 1-0, from Michigan State in a huge conference showdown in Ann Arbor.

The last time the two in state rivals met when both were undefeated was in 1999, when the Spartans defeated Michigan, 34-31.

The Wolverines are rolling on offense, lead by Sophomore QB Denard Robinson, who is electrifying college football from coast to coast.

Robinson is once again the Big Ten Player of the Week, the 3rd time in 5 weeks that the spectacular QB has been so honored.

Robinson is the first player in the FBS Division of the NCAA to rush for 200+ yards, and to pass for 200+ yards twice in one season.

Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana, Robinson totaled 494 yards of offense, scoring the game winning TD on a 4 yard run with just :17 seconds left in the 4th quarter.

Michigan must improve their defense to beat a very talented MSU offense, it's that simple.

Junior nose tackle Mike Martin is playing at the level of an All-American. 

Martin and the front 7 on the Michigan defense must pressure Spartan QB Kirk Cousins all day to help out the porous Wolverine secondary. 

Michigan is dead last, 120th, in pass defense in the NCAA, and that must improve for Michigan to challenge in the Big Ten.

Michigan should be healthy on offense this week, getting back RB Michael Shaw, who sat out the Indiana game with an injury, to help take some of the pressure off Robinson, who has basically been the Wolverines rushing attack this year.

Close games are going to be the norm the rest of the way for Michigan as they play familiar conference foes in Michigan State and Iowa the next two weeks.

If the Wolverines manage to win both games, they will be sitting at 7-0, and have a off week before heading to play at Penn State on a Saturday night in Happy Valley.

Here's hoping the Michigan defense finds that next level of play, a level that will tell opponents that they will be coming after them on every play, and own the line of scrimmage, smacking them in the mouth on every play.

Go Blue!

Mr. Robinson's domination of the State of Indiana is complete

The dismantling of the State of Indiana by Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is two thirds of the way from being accomplished. The Purdue Boilermakers are now on the clock.

After running and passing his way through the Notre Dame defense in September for 502 yards, leading the Wolverines to a 28-24 come from behind win, the man who Michigan fans call "Shoelace," sent football fans from Indiana home shaking their heads once again.

Michigan defeated the Indiana Hoosiers, hanging on for a 42-35 victory at Memorial Stadium.

The Wolverines defense continued to struggle, giving up a total of 568 yards of total offense, 480 of which came via the right arm of Hoosier Senior quarterback Ben Chappell. 


The defense, to their credit, came up with 3 straight three and outs in the second half, keeping Indiana from scoring while the Michigan offense sputtered.

It was the Wolverines 17th consecutive win against the Hoosiers, who haven't beaten Michigan since 1987.


Just like he did in South Bend, Robinson lead the Wolverines on a game winning drive, scoring on a 4 yard run against Indiana that gave Michigan the lead for good with :17 seconds left in the game.

Robinson set up his 4 yard game winning run by hitting Junior Hemingway on 42 yard pass to the Indiana 4 yard line.

Robinson set up his 4 yard game winning run by hitting Junior Hemingway on 42 yard pass to the Indiana 4 yard line.

Robinson's  495 yards against the Hoosiers makes it 997 yards of total offense against the State of Indiana this year. 


Robinson will go for the Hoosier State tri-fecta in November when Michigan returns to Indiana to face Purdue

The Wolverines are now 5-0, 1-0 in the Big Ten, and will return home next week to face the Spartans of Michigan State, who are also 5-0, and 1-0 in conference play.

Michigan State defeated the Wisconsin Badgers  at Spartan Stadium, 34-24.

 The Wolverines haven't beaten the Spartans in head coach Rich Rodriguez's two years at Michigan, and the Spartans haven't beaten the Wolverines three years in a row since 1965-66-67.