99 hours 'til Michigan football

Four days, three hours!

Western Michigan will be a good initial test for this defense. They've got a good quarterback and a veteran offensive line. Receivers are another question. [WCA is all over this.] If the game turns into a shootout, then it's going to be a long season. If the defense shuts them down, that's a step in the right direction.

Everybody's going to be watching the offense, though. I'd much prefer that Rich start one of the freshmen, but if he was going to do that he would have made the announcement by now -- it will be Sheridan. I imagine they want to make the Notre Dame players study all of the Sheridan film from last year. I've no doubt Nick has improved, maybe even a whole lot, likely enough to score on WMU's anemic defense, but we've all seen him run. End of discussion. No way he starts against Notre Dame, unless Forcier throws six interceptions and fumbles eight times against the Broncos.

Anyhow, the Free Press scandal will become a running joke in the locker room by next week, and shouldn't be enough to derail the Wolverines this week.

PS: A buckeye is a hairless nut, and always will be.