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Maize Pants Big Ten Football Podcast #3: Two Jokers Prod Dr. Saturday For Information
by Maize n Brew Dave on Sep 2, 2010 10:02 AM CDT
in Michigan Football
0 comments
Oh yeah, we're back with more knowledge to drop on your skulls. This week we cornered Yahoo's Dr. Saturday and forced him to answer our hounding questions. We cover Ohio State at number one, Alabama losing Mark Ingram, and all kinds of Big Ten topics.
More awesome guest to follow. So enjoy. Click on the link below for the audio.
When Wolverines Attack Huskies: A Michigan vs. UConn Football Preview
by markusr2007 on Sep 2, 2010 3:59 AM CDT
in Michigan Football
18 comments
Preview: Michigan vs. Connecticut, September 4, 2010 - The *NEW* Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Kickoff 3:30 p.m. ABC
This is a supplemental post to the previous Maize n Brew preview to Never Too Early For A Michigan Football Preview: Connecticut at Michigan.
When You Crave Irrational Exuberance On A Level That Only Brett Musberger Can Deliver:
Mr. Exaggeration, Brett Musberger:
"Exactly, but can you even see the little footballs on the stylish tie I'm wearing?"
"And we're here LIIIIIIIIIIIVE again in the BIG HOUSE in Ann Arbor to witness the first meeting ever between the Wolverines of Michigan and the Huskies of Connecticut!
It is a perfect day for football here in Ann Arbor! It's sunny. 70 degrees, and just look at this magnificent stadium folks! The renovations to this legendary old field are finally complete and we have over 110,000 plus fans stocking up on cups of water, scrambling to find their seats for what should be an excellent football game.
The Connecticut Huskies' young football program has never played a football game before this many onlookers before, but I'll tell you something - from head to stern this may be the most confident and talented UConn football team ever assembled. Last year Randy Edsall and this football team overcame the tragic death of cornerback Jaspar Howard. They started the season 4-5, but persevered to win their last 4 football games, including a thrashing of South Carolina in their bowl game. This year essentially everyone is back on offense including a great offensive line and rushing attack that will challenge the Michigan Wolverines from the first snap.
18 comments | 1 recs |
It's Official: Big Ten Divisional Alignment
by Beauford on Sep 1, 2010 6:05 PM CDT
in College Football
11 comments
Your divisions were as stated previously:
• Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota.
• Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.
Ugh. I don't like it, but Ohio State vs. Michigan will remain at the end of the season. Small win.
Michigan is in a much tougher division, at least at first glance. Thoughts are welcome below. Sorry for the brevity - more in depth analysis over the next 48 hours, and updates throughout the evening.
UPDATE:
Schedules are announced for 2011 and 2012:
2011:
- 10/1 – Minnesota
- 10/8 – @ Northwestern
- 10/15 – @ Michigan State
- 10/22 – BYE
- 10/29 – Purdue
- 11/5 – @ Iowa
- 11/12 – @ Illinois
- 11/19 – Nebraska
- 11/26 - Ohio State
2012:
- 9/29 – BYE
- 10/6 – @ Purdue
- 10/13 – Illinois
- 10/20 – Michigan State
- 10/27 – @ Nebraska
- 11/3 – @ Minnesota
- 11/10 – Northwestern
- 11/17 – Iowa
- 11/24 – @ Ohio State
UPDATE II
Athletic Directors interviewed:
David Brandon:
On his reaction to the schedule and divisions: Brandon said that he was very happy, and credits a lot of advice and feedback from a lot of people
On separating divisions from Ohio State: Brandon is happy with decision to spearate divisions. It was "exceedingly important" to be able to play Ohio State in the Championship Game. "We don't mind playing Ohio State twice in a year."
On reaction from fans to potential of moving THE GAME: Brandon got lots of opinions on lots of decisions. Most common response was "keep it as the last game." There were "very few people who didn't feel strongly on that principle." All of the AD's came together to come up with what you see now.
On the rivalry, and whether the expanded schedule would impact OOC schedules in the future: Brandon does not anticipate there being a change in the way OOC games are scheduled. Notre Dame will remain.
FWIW: Gene Smith, Ohio State AD, agreed on nearly all thoughts put forth by David, stating that there was a lot of fan feedback, and that the new schedules/expansion will NOT affect OOC scheduling going forward.
Did the Big Ten Network Just Tip Its... er... Helmet on the New Big Ten Divisions?
by Maize n Brew Dave on Sep 1, 2010 4:32 PM CDT
in Michigan Football
13 comments
Massive HT to reader Dan TrueBlue for spotting this on the Big Ten Network's main page. Anyone else think this particular alignment looks surprisingly balanced? This limits Penn State's western travel, means Nebraska doesn't have to play in Happy Valley (travel) every year, and seems amazingly well grouped. Right down to Iowa and Wisconsin and Michigan and Ohio State being opposite each other.
As Beauford points out:
If you "save image as" the default name of that image is: "Big Ten Helmet Divisions"
A preview of what's to come? This puts the divisions as:
1: UM, Penn State, Wisconsin, Indiana, MSU, Northwestern
2: Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota.
For the record, I think we all like this much better... More to come...at 7PM EDT. Or was this all an evil plot by Jim Delany to give us utter crap to look at before giving us something slightly less bad? What do you guys think?
Big Ten Divisions to be Announced Tonight on the Big Ten Network
by Maize n Brew Dave on Sep 1, 2010 1:48 PM CDT
in Michigan Football
51 comments
And if ESPN is reporting what's going to happen, I'm joining MGoBlog in the angry mob. The Big Ten Network just announced via press release that at 7pm EST tonight, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany (along with athletic directors David Brandon of Michigan, Mark Hollis of Michigan State, Gene Smith of Ohio State, Tom Osborne of Nebraska) will announce the Big Ten's realignment. I'm still mad about what I've heard so forgive me if some of my rambling doens't quite make sense.
Unfortunately, the rumors swirling about the realignment are not positive. In fact, they don't even make sense. ESPN is reporting the following:
Multiple sources told ESPN.com that the two divisions in the Big Ten will look like:
• Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota.
• And Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.
No. A thousand times, no. If this is the case hand me a pitchfork and I'm burning this place to the ground. These divisions are NOT competitive. They make no sense. And they do nothing to preserve any of the Big Ten's rivalries or history. This is awful.
Just take a look at the Ohio State division. You are veritably guaranteeing that Purdue, Indiana and Illinois will win one, maybe two games total against the top three every year. Indiana and Illinois will be doomed to the cellar and Purdue, improvements or not, is getting screwed. These are three just about guaranteed victories for OSU, PSU and Wisconsin.
Now look at the Michigan bracket. The only doormat in that division is Minnesota. Otherwise, top to bottom, it's the most competitive division in all of college football. Northwestern won nine games and is on the upswing, just as is MSU. Nebraska and Iowa will remain powers so long as their coaches remain. Then there's Michigan. If the Wolverines return to form you're talking about 5 yearly above .500 teams beating the hell out of one another and disadvantaging the whole Conference.
Geographically this makes no sense. Competitively this makes no sense. I'm totally lost. If this is what we added Nebraska to do, then Jim Delany should be fired. I count two rivalries being preserved, Purdue and Indiana and Michigan Michigan State. Really? I was okay, to an extent, if some things changed within the conference. I was okay, to an extent even if Michigan and OSU were split up.
But this is beyond ridiculous. It is change simply for the sake of stupid, stupid change. It does nothing for the fans, it does nothing for the conference. I was on board if any of this made sense, but it doesn't.
Please, God, let it not be true.
Nervous? Don't Be! The All Optimism Preview
by Beauford on Sep 1, 2010 12:11 PM CDT
in Michigan Football
2 comments
Tomorrow, folks, the boys start hitting for real, and the lights come up on the greatest carnival in American sports; a 4 month party of color, sound, beer, nachos, fizz, fuckery, and everything else that goes with the crash of pads and the sound go "GO" echoed across that beautiful, cavernous stadium to be answered by "BLUE" from the other side. It's like that one night that you woke up outside a strange hotel room on a tropical island, not knowing how you got there, but somehow you've got a SCUBA dive scheduled for that next morning; except spread out over 4 months.
There are, as always, plenty of reasons to be pessimistic about the upcoming season. These are all very real and very valid points, which have been addressed ad nauseum by nearly everyone who follows this team closely. This will not be another one of those. Instead, I've attempted to aggregate every single reason to be optimistic about this upcoming season. So, in the only way I really know how, I'd like to offer a general "GO SCREW" to all those reasons to be pessimistic. We all get it. So piss off, negativity, and BRING ON THE HUSKIES.
Offense
Denard Robinson: As camp has progressed, it's become obvious to everyone that, somehow, Denard Robinson has made so much progress as a Quarterback that he might unseat Tate Forcier as the "primary" guy. Remember Tate Forcier before Molk went out, and before his shoulder was hanging on by tendons scrapped together from spare parts?
Yeah, Tate Forcier was pretty darn good, and if Denard has made enough strides to actually compete with what we saw the first half of the season from Forcier, then that's pretty impressive. Combine a fully-functional thowing arm with Denard's vision and speed, and you've got a weapon that I'm not sure the Big Ten has ever seen. The dude is faster than Pat White.* When was the last time Michigan had a guy who could turn any play - even a broken play - into a TD every time he touched the ball? When was the last time that guy touched the ball every single play?
*probably
David Molk's Knee 2.0
The anchor of the offensive line, David Molk, is back, hopefully this time without his treasonous ACL that forced him to miss the majority of last season. Last year, a clear delineation existed in offensive production when David Molk went out. Prior to Molk's injury, this team was rolling up 40 points and beating Notre Dame. Post injury, the team limped through tough losses to MSU and Iowa before the wheels came off entirely. With Molk back, the offensive line has the ability to be one of the more underrated units in the conference, and with the speed we have in the backfield, hopefully they can get a block and spring them for long gains throughout the season.
3rd Year System
This is the offense's 3rd year in the system, and the first time that Rodriguez has been able to have a "returning starter" at the quarterback position (whether Denard or Tate is used, they at least both played significantly last year). That additional year of experience shows not just in how the playbook is understood and executed, it shows in getting meaningful practice time in. Coaches have to spend less time getting everyone up to expectations, and getting players "on board" and have more time to actually, you know, coach.
A Bevy of Backs
Stephen Dunn: Getty Images Sport
There has been some consternation as to how Michigan will fare without a "go-to back." However, I see this as a strength. With Michael Shaw (with bonus eligibility!) and Vincent Smith ready to go as starters, and Michael Cox and Stephen Hopkins ready to go for short-yardage MINOR RAGE kinds of runs, it keeps the defense just off balance enough for that extra yard or two. Additionally, it keeps fresh legs in the backfield so that when that opposing DB is running out of steam, Vincent Smith can just blast by him because he's still fresh in the 4th quarter.
2 comments | 1 recs |
A New Way To Look At the Big Ten's Historical Numbers
by Maize n Brew Dave on Sep 1, 2010 11:23 AM CDT
in Michigan Football
0 comments
Every now and then something unbelievably cool drops in your lap out of nowhere. This is one of those times.
Following the announcement that Nebraska would join the Big Ten, I did a little Q&A with our friends over at Husker Hype to welcome them to the conference and give them the lowdown on the Big Ten, our happiness that the Huskers were joining the conference, and our general thoughts on the future. One of the cool results of that Q&A was a college football fan with a great sense of humor and a knack for statistical analysis shooting me an email about a new system of analyzing a team's historical value kind of like a stock chart. What were the highest points? What were the lowest points? Everyone has a different take on that, but this gives us some numbers to discuss and new things to argue over! What's not to love!?
The method our buddy redroy (who resides in Michigan, and goes to one UM game every year) came up with was this: the Game Performance. It's a per game measure of any given team's history. Personally, I think the method captures the ups and downs pretty well, though there's always room to improve the model. The cool thing abotu this is that we can look at the statisitcal per game "value" of a program from 1998 through the present time. How doesn't Michigan stack up? Where does Iowa's rise fit in? What about Nebraksa? But to keep it simple, lets start with Michigan's per game value. Soooo.... Charts?
Charts. (w/apologies to MGo).
Click for the larger version
Click for the larger version
As you can see, the charts above are somewhat self explanatory. Even so, for the sake of clarity, black labels are wins, red are losses, the blue line that appears each year is the season average, and the squiggly line is a moving average trend line. The Y-axis scale is the index - note that 1 game performance point equals a football point. The index is largely based on quality of opponent and margin of victory. A diminishing return is applied to the margin of victory to temper blow out wins or losses. The formula is closely guarded by watch dogs, armed guards, and Lil' Red, but it's safe to say that some of the numbers fed into the formula come from the Sagarin Predictor numbers. You'll notice that the OSU trendline is present for an obvious comparison to our main rival.
Little Rock, Arkansas - Let's Help Out a Michigan Fan!
by Kevin Benedict on Sep 1, 2010 8:34 AM CDT
8 comments
[Ed Note - Bumped for obvious reasons! Thanks for you service to our country Kevin. Come on Michigan fans, let's get Kevin a place to catch the game with other Michigan fans!]
As fate would have it, the Air Force has me beginning a long training trip this weekend. I am driving from Georgia to New Mexico (where I will be for the next 5 + months), and am stopping in Little Rock all day Saturday to watch football. Are there any Michigan/Big Ten friendly spots to watch the game? Also if you know of any good spots in Albuquerque, let me know that too; I will be there for the whole season. Thanks!
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