There are just 59 Days Left Till Kick-off, but we're running a little behind on the Countdown. So with 59 Days Left, we'll double up the countdown until we get caught up! So, here's #80 and #79 in our continuing Series of 100 Days to Football and 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor.

#80 - The Michigan Daily

First published on September 29, 1890, The Michigan Daily has been a staple in the lives of Michigan students for over century. Read that sentence again. It's pretty amazing to think that a student run anything could survive that long. I couldn't even keep a cactus alive in college. But every Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms the Daily appears in the morning, brimming with information, commentary and thoughtful analysis. The most amazing thing about the Daily is that it is completely and totally financially independent from the University. Further, the content in the Daily often outshines that of the "professional" work in the Detroit papers. As an added bonus, it's arguably the best Michigan Sports coverage you'll find. Period. Whether you were blowing off class, having breakfast, walking to the library, or having a cup of coffee at one of Ann Arbor's one zillion coffee shops, you probably had a copy of the Daily in your bag or within arms reach. That's why the Daily is #80 in our Countdown and Reason #80 to Love Ann Arbor

#79 - The Blue Nile

Ok, I have to admit this. I'm not a fan of Ethiopian food. But the Blue Nile is the exception to the rule. Of all the things you try in College, Ethiopian food may well be one of the strangest. Sponge bread. Chickpeas. Something bean-ish. No forks. Everywhere else I've tried it, it's made me ill. But I legitimately enjoy my time at Blue Nile. And so do a lot of other people. The restaurant is consistently voted one of the best in the area, and for good reason. The food is always good and the prices aren't out of this world. The Blue Nile is a staple in the booming vegetarian and vegan population in Ann Arbor. The place is always packed, yet another reason why it's #79 in our Countdown and Reason #79 to Love Ann Arbor.

If you've got suggestions on places you'd like to see, email me with a photo or a description and we'll get your favorite hangouts in the countdown as well. I'll also try to get a link on the sidebar in the coming days that allows you to see all 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor.

It's easy to write about a man you don't know. There's something the distance gives you. You can be objective. You can be analytical. Cold. Immune to emotion and prejudices while commenting on another man's genius or inadequacies. You're detached from it because you have nothing wrapped up in a relationship and nothing to lose by speaking your mind. At least that's what we tell ourselves.

via Athlonsports.com

This is especially true when you write about football coaches. We pretend we have nothing invested in these individuals, and this frees us to be as calculating as possible. But it's nothing more than a fallacy. If you follow college football intently, there is no way you can avoid the use of raw emotion when discussing a coach. Football is such an emotional game, both for player and fan that the difference between hero and villain, Nobel Laureate and village idiot, varies week to week and play to play. And after a season like Michigan's 2007-2008 campaign, separating emotion from fact when discussing a head coach is impossible.

Over the past few months I've tried to piece together an article on Lloyd Carr and what he means to Michigan. Its history, its present and future. I've also tried to reconcile the piece with what Carr means to me, as a fan, alumni and as a student under his tenure. I come to learn this is a nearly impossible thing to do.

Carr isn't an easy man to write about. To the outside observer he's a crotchety, grizzled old bastard. To his players he's a father figure. To segments of the Michigan fan base he embodied all that was wrong with the old style of college football. The guardian of a make-no-mistakes style of play that kept Michigan from the national titles that should be its birthright. To others he was all that was right in college football. Honorable, clean, and respectable. A decent man in a profession full of those who are not. He was pastor and a heretic, all at once.

Yet by any standard, he was the measuring stick for the values we aspire to as Michigan alumni. He decried the spotlight and instead allowed his accomplishments to speak for themselves. Carr believed there were right and wrong ways to do things, and didn't care whether anyone thought those values were outdated or better suited for bygone era. Things were to be done quietly, subtly, and without fanfare. He was as modest as a man in his position could possibly be. Always insisting credit be spread among many people while at the same time demanding that any blame be laid solely on his shoulders. Accomplishment, humility, and hope epitomize the qualities we wish to instill in a "Michigan" Man or Woman, and those were qualities Carr held in abundance.

My personal relationship with Coach Carr is limited to a few handshakes and perhaps twenty minutes in conversation. But the time I have spent watching, monitoring, reading, or talking about the man and his football program is measured in years. Since my freshman year in college he has been a constant presence in my late summer days, fall afternoons and early winter mornings.

It is a strange feeling preparing for another Michigan season knowing he's no longer roaming the sidelines. It's as if a favorite uncle suddenly retired and moved to Munich. It's not like you didn't have warning. You knew it was coming eventually. But when that time finally arrives it's still surprising, and perhaps a little shocking that reality has caught up with a portion of your life you consider a constant.

My first experience with Coach Carr dates back to the Summer of 1995. I, like so many college aged kids, attempted to escape the tedium of summer employment and living with my parents by signing up for summer school classes and living on campus. On paper it was a noble intention. I'd get my grades up and get a head start on sophomore year. But in reality, it was a lie. I knew it. My parents knew it, but they allowed it anyway. I suspect largely because they were simply relieved to have me out of the house. Even though I went to classes that summer and received passing grades, the only thing I concentrated on was enjoying myself. Reveling in the fact I wasn't employed and had no clue what my future held.

As the summer rolled on, my housemates and I became more brazen. Sitting on the front porch on Hill Street, grillin' and drinking from the time we woke up until the time the moon tucked itself away at the end of its 8 hour shift. Everyday. We didn't realize how quickly the weeks were passing by until August hit and the reality of school restarting crept into idle chatter.

But we sat there anyway. On the front steps. Yappin' away, with Creedence, Skynyrd or some other overplayed cliché playing in the background. And a little ways down Hill Street a solitary figure walked closer and closer. It wasn't till he got close enough that we knew who he was.

The first time we saw him was rather inconsequential. Despite the fact we were a bunch of noisy frat boys drinking beer in the middle of the afternoon, he didn't seem to mind. We were college kids. He wasn't, and he had other things on his mind.

via Michigandaily.com

It was one of those long summer afternoons where the sun hangs in the sky so long you forget the night exists. But when you're the head coach of the University of Michigan football team you have no choice but to be acutely aware of how quickly time passes. Even worse, you're aware of just how little time you have. I think deep inside he wished he could've said "To hell with it," and sat down with us to tell a story or two. But he never did. He always had the look of a man on his way to an appointment with barely enough time to make it.

Every early evening that summer he walked up Hill Street, with his mind on something else, somewhere else. Occasionally he'd flash us a cagey smile and throw a wave our way as he walked by to calls of "Hey Coach!" and "Go get ‘em Coach!" just to let us know he knew we were there, and he damn sure knew what we were up to. But he never stopped. We all knew Carr's reputation. Either Fun loving father figure to his players and trainers or the no bullshit, hardass we saw on ESPN.

What we got, that summer on Hill street, was something in between. The cagey, crotchety old bastard who still had his guard up in case a reporter was lurking around the corner; but also the affable figure who knew we were still kids and seemed to say "enjoy yourselves, boys," with each wave and smile.

And there he was, oddly accessible to us. That occasional wave or smile kept us at bay, but never forbade us from coming closer. He was there for the taking if any one of us ever got the nerve up to talk to him. We didn't.

It took me till I was 30 to finally shake his hand, and I almost chickened out then too. With a warm beer tightly clutched in one hand, and a right hand nervously extended as a greeting, I had the chance to confirm what I thought all those summers ago. If he'd had the time, he would've stopped for a beer in a heartbeat.

Carr was a difficult man to read. More often than not his public face was a sneer. His brow locked in one of those arches that always preceded someone yelling at you. He was also a revered figure in the athletic department and among his student athletes. Without the bright glare of a camera lamp shining in his face, he is one of the most charming men you'll ever meet. And it isn't forced. After five minutes of talking with him you realized he was the type of man you'd hope would coach your kid.

It was a side of Carr that rarely saw the public eye. But it was this part of his personality that his friends and players knew innately. A side of his personality that was fiercely loyal, funny, and caring. A side that was comfortable in a room full of strangers, because he knew he'd walk out with a room full of friends. You saw it on occasion in the oddest circumstances. At a banquet honoring a former player, or, oddly, during a post-game press conference when Russell Crowe shows up. He was a man who made friends easily and had the uncommon ability to make anyone he spoke with feel like they were the center of the universe.

But Carr was also guarded. Critics always pointed to the lack of access as a sign Carr did not understand the modern media. To the contrary, Carr was keenly aware of the "new" media and its affects. Perhaps that is why he was so ferocious in dealing with invasive questioning of his players and so protective of his players. If you asked a question about a player's health or something even remotely considered "personal information," you'd be lucky to leave the interview room with your life. Carr, no matter what anyone else thought of the NCAA or college football, considered his players students first, athletes second. You did not attempt to blur this line. Those dumb enough to try received a glare capable of melting titanium. You did not fuck with this man.

Even his players, those closest to him, knew that. And if they didn't know it, they learned it in an expedient manner. Carr was old school. A disciplinarian who took care of team issues behind the scenes rather than in the papers. Ask Adrian Arrington about his 5am stair running sessions or Carson Butler about getting booted from the team for his association with malfeasance, even though he was later acquitted of it. Even those who walked the straight and narrow could find themselves in Carr's crosshairs if they weren't careful. Carr was known to (sometimes literally) throw transfer papers in the face of players he considered content with underachieving. He had no problem singling out players whose effort was lacking or that wouldn't follow his lead.

But he did it behind closed doors. Frankly, he did just about everything behind closed doors. Carr was a master or saying nothing and withholding everything. If the Soviets had been half as good at stifling leaks as Carr we'd all be gearing up for a May Day parade and ass deep in statues of Lenin. Under Carr's tenure, Schembechler Hall gave fewer substantive quotes than the last four presidential administrations.  

Carr's quiet control not only brought championships, but peace of mind. During Carr's thirteen years, his teams finished the season ranked in the top 25 twelve times. His teams never missed a bowl game, went to four Rose Bowls, and captured a national title. Michigan won 5 Big Ten Titles and was 122-40 under his tenure. Michigan was consistently ranked in the top 20, and more often than not, in the top 10 incoming recruiting classes. As a result Michigan fans were never worried about the talent on the field or the possibility of a losing season under Carr's tenure. Perhaps most importantly, there was never a whiff of scandal in the football program at Michigan.

There was good reason for this. After years of watching Bo battle the media and watching the press dispose of his predecessor, Gary Moeller, he wasn't about to let his guard down. During the first half of his tenure made no secret of his detest for the press and their prying. Even after his national championship victory he wanted nothing to do with the reporters gathered there. Despite the fact that he could've easily changed his public persona with the slightest effort, Carr went to great lengths to cultivate the image of a difficult man.

On the sidelines Carr looked like a grizzly bear with a burr up its ass. He seemingly lacked the ability to stand still, never running, but always stalking the sidelines looking out onto the field as if it was full of fresh meat. He'd tear into a referee or a linesmen without remorse, and spent the remainder of his afternoons barking instructions at players and coaches. If things didn't go well for the Wolverines on Saturday it was safer to be in a Turkish prison than in the pressroom.

via www.aolcdn.com

But Carr was never publicly critical of players or staff. Even when the failure of an individual was apparent for all to see, Carr would never subject an employee or athlete to public scrutiny. If he was quiet in defeat, he was damn near mute in victory. Despite his success, during Carr's thirteen year tenure at Michigan he was modest almost to a fault. The Big Ten Titles, the national championship, and scores of players in the NFL were just part of his job. He never wanted or expected so much as a pat on the back. One of Carr's more endearing qualities, at least to his supporters, was that he was never comfortable in the limelight, never happy to accept praise or adulation, never willing to take credit for anything that he considered even the slightest bit someone else's doing or the result of someone else's contribution.

It is difficult to explain, but in person Carr seemed to radiate hope. It's a strange thing to say about a man whose public persona is closer to an angered Wilford Brimley than John Kennedy. But one of his truly remarkable qualities was the hope he had for his students. If you saw Carr at an alumni event, banquet, or simply talking to a stranger, he always had a twinkle in his eye describing his former and current players. How he always expected so much from them, and how they never disappointed. "Player X was always going to do something special, now I look out into the audience and he's an investment banker." Carr understood that his role was one of a teacher and not just a coach. He instilled confidence and discipline in young people and drove them to reach their goals. And that he found a way to do this quietly, out of sight, and out of the papers speaks volumes of his commitment to these principles.

He always seemed happier, off in the distance. Out of the spotlight, where he could run his program the way it should be run without the intrusive commentary or opinions those he could give a Goddamn about. For a man who exerted this much quiet control over his program, his farewell seemed the antithesis of how he had worked for those 13 years. Oddly, his departure from the Michigan sideline wasn't under his own power. It was on the shoulders of the players, kids and young men he coached, rather than on his grass stained Nikes.

via mlive.com

It was a funny moment. Even with the smile on his face, Lloyd couldn't have looked more uncomfortable as his players hoisted him onto their shoulders and carried him victoriously toward midfield. Perhaps it was the shoulder pads digging into 61 year-old hip, but I doubt it. The last thing Lloyd ever wanted was the spotlight. Despite the win and the giant smile on his face, Lloyd never wanted to be above his team or school. Yet there he was. On the shoulders of his kids, who were determined to see he not only got the send off they felt he earned, but the recognition he deserved. So onto their shoulders he went, whether he wanted it or not.

And as he was lugged towards the 50 yard line, despite grinning ear to ear, Carr squirmed from his players' grip back to the ground. Once back on the terra firma Carr's smile got even bigger. He was back among the masses, crowds and turf where he found anonymity and success for so many years. Back among his players. Back where he has always felt most comfortable, Carr shook Urban Meyer's hand before walking off the field for final time. This time without his players help.

It's strange to think that the next time Michigan takes the football field Carr will not be the man to lead them out of the tunnel. Strange to think he won't even be on the field.

via Michigandaily.com

For so many years Carr has been the face of a program, and to some extent a university. When people talked about Michigan, inevitably, the conversation turned to Carr. Now the conversation has shifted. People talk about Rich Rodriguez and what he will do with what Carr left. How Rich will fit into the legacy left by Bo and by Carr. Whether he will live up to the standard of integrity and accomplishment left by his predecessor. These conversations begin and end with what Carr inherited and has since bequeathed. A thriving program.  Perhaps a program in need of some elbow grease and a polish, but a program that is the envy of all but a handful of other intuitions.

Now Lloyd will move on to another, more important portion of his life. Instead of full time coach and mentor he will return to his role a full time husband and grandfather. All those hours in film sessions, drills and recruiting trips will now be spent with family and charitable endeavors. The old grizzly bear we knew and loved will fade away, while the affable charmer that convinced so many of us to believe in him will come permanently into focus.

Yet, for me at least, Carr will always be that man walking up Hill Street with his mind somewhere else, on something else. The guy who lived and worked as modestly as he could and was never too good to answer a question or shake a hand. A man of importance who never lost the touch of his common roots. And finally, a man who took a brief moment to smile and wave as a couple of nare-do-well kids raised a Budweiser in toast as he passed by.

there are just 63 Days Left Till Kick-off, but we're running a little behind on the Countdown. So with 63 Days Left, we'll double up the countdown until we get caught up! So, here's #82 and #81 in our continuing Series of 100 Days to Football and 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor.

#82 - The Ark

One of the best places to listen to live music in the county. The Ark is one of those places that is uniquely, Ann Arbor. Tucked away on Main Street in Ann Arbor, The Ark's current location is it's third and arguably best incarnation. The Ark has been hosting live music and providing a welcome atmosphere for students and graduates since the 1960's. Founded initially by a host of local churches, The Ark grew beyond its initial walls and is now an independent 501(c)(3) which puts on 250 shows a year. If you're a music lover and their Mission Statement doesn't give you goosebumps, check your pulse:

The Ark is a non-profit organization dedicated to the enrichment of the human spirit through the presentation, preservation and encouragement of folk, roots and ethnic music and related arts. The Ark provides a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all people to listen to, learn about, perform and share music.

An incredible place that is #82 in our Countdown and Reason #82 to Love Ann Arbor.

#81 - The Pumas

You know the story. yada yada... freshmen... yada yada... leaves a virgin... yada yada... pumas run away. Or is it the other one about having to run from the block "M" in the Diag to the Pumas or you're cursed if you step on the "M"? There are so many variations on a theme. Regardless of all that, the Pumas are just friggin' cool. Originally donated in 1940, the original Pumas were cement structures that were beginning to show the wear of time. So what did the University do? The had them cast in bronze and kept their tradition alive, whatever tradition you embrace might be. They're beautiful. They're legendary. They've got some weird, weird stories associated with them. That's why they're #81 in our Countdown and Reason #81 to Love Ann Arbor. [By the way, if you've got the rest of the various stories associated with the Pumas, by all means, please leave them in the comments! - Ed.]

If you've got suggestions on places you'd like to see, email me with a photo or a description and we'll get your favorite hangouts in the countdown as well.

There are just 64 Days Left Till Kick-off, but we're running a little behind on the Countdown. So with 64 Days Left, we'll double up the countdown until we get caught up! So, here's #84 and #83 in our continuing Series of 100 Days to Football and 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor.

#84 - Dominick's

via www.leeandkristin.net

Located just behind the law quad and law library Dominick's is a little haven of sanity and sangria amidst a swirling storm of crazed students and Milwaukee's best serving frat parties. In the interest of full disclosure, I attended both, but upon the reaching of the age of twenty-one vastly preferred the quiet of the Dominick's courtyard and the quality of their beer list and mason jar served sangria. Dominick's has excellent pizza and full-on Italian style bench seating complete with red and white checkered table cloths. You honestly never know who you'll strike up a conversation with while you sit there. It could be the Notre Dame dad whose sone went to Michigan or the new grads from Wisconsin who came down just for the hell of it and somehow stumbled into Dominick's three hours ago. There's something about the place that drains animosity, makes total strangers friends, and keeps you coming back year after year. My money's on the sangria, but everyone's got their reasons, and that's why it's #84 in our Countdown and Reason #84 to Love Ann Arbor

#83 - LSA Building

via i.pbase.com

Put simply, it's an Art Deco monstrosity. It looks like a tractor factory. In Kazakhstan. In 1964. But it's there and it's funneled more LSA grads in and out of its doors than it can remember. Whether it was being used for registration, classes, or was a construction site during your time in Ann Arbor it was always there as you walked up State Street. With people filling in and out of it it seemed like the kindly grand mother of the University's buildings. Not because of its age, but because of how it appeared. It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world, but it gave everything it could to help you graduate in four, five, six... whatever... years. She may be ugly, but she's ours, and the LSA Building is #83 in our Countdown and Reason #83 to Love Ann Arbor.

If you've got suggestions on places you'd like to see, email me with a photo or a description and we'll get your favorite hangouts in the countdown as well.

I'll be a little swamped today and tomorrow, but you need time wasters. Enjoy Arrington's sensational grabs from the Citrus Capital One Bowl.

There are just 66 Days Left Till Kick-off, but we're running a little behind on the Countdown. So with 66 Days Left, we'll double up the countdown until we get caught up! So, here's #88 and #87 in our continuing Series of 100 Days to Football and 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor

#88 - Amer's

via arborwiki.org

Home of the Best Sandwiches in Ann Arbor, and arguably the world. I spent a lot of time and money at Amer's studying, but mostly eating. It's one of my favorite places to visit when I'm back on campus and reason #88 to Love Ann Arbor.

#87 - Mr. Stadium Coin Laundry

via www.mrstadium.com

A mainstay for the laundry-less student. Mr. Stadium is not just a t-shirt but an Ann Arbor institution for students and townies alike. Cheap laundry services, dry cleaning, even a drop off service which I abused more than I should have. It's been around for generations and its our Reason #87 to Love Ann Arbor

If you've got suggestions on places you'd like to see, email me with a photo or a description and we'll get your favorite hangouts in the countdown as well.

Over the past weekend I spent a little time in various bookstores magazine looking for some insight into the coming college football season. Thought I didn’t learn a thing about any of Michigan’s upcoming opponents other than their won-loss record from last year, I did learn three things of interest.

First, if you hang out in a book store long enough while wearing bike shoes, shorts, and a t-shirt dripping with sweat, all while intermittently scratching yourself, even the girl who smells like bong water, sporting three nose rings, white girl deadlocks down to her ankles, and is dressed in clothing made entirely from hemp will ask you to leave the store. Second, magazine porn is expensive and overrated. You can get the same thing by purchasing a copy of any truck, low rider, or motorcycle enthusiast magazine at half the price. Hell, Cosmo is a close second in the “shouldn’t these pictures be elsewhere?” category. Third, no one has a clue what to make of Michigan this year.

As a guy who follows Michigan athletics somewhat closely, this lack of information is a tad bit disturbing. Aren’t these guys paid to do this? Even the venerable Phil Steele’s Michigan preview (on the offensive side at least) is sadly lacking information on the current season. The picks vary from Athalon’s optimistic 8-4 worst case scenario to Steele declaring an over .500 will necessitate a Bowl win. On the plus side, it is nice to see that the “credentialed” media are just as lazy as bloggers when it comes to accessing new situations.

“New coach, New Scheme, New Everything” = .500 

Hurray for fall backs clichés!

Sadly, they’re probably not that far off.  But other than generic platitudes about everyone leaving with eligibility left and “new everything” there is surprisingly little information about the people that, you know, will play the damn games this fall. Seriously, don’t people pay for these things to garner information past what a team did the previous year?

The biggest information gap is probably the most important. No one, Steele, Lindys, Athalon, etc… knows anything about the offensive line. I don’t know anything about the line other than Steve Schilling will start, is our best lineman, and is returning to the system he ran in high school (read: Yay!).  The rest of the group is a massive, yet talented, question mark. Most magazines don’t even list their names. The Offensive Line has names. Mark Ortmann, Corey Zirbel, Perry Dorrestein, David Moosman, Tim MacAvoy, Mark Huyge, David Molk. 

Part of the reason for this confusion is Brian’s well chronicled disparity between talent and production in Michigan’s offensive line over the past few years. For each Jake Long, there were a dozen Adam Kraus-esssess (e.g., long-term, starting linemen who basically regressed as their time in college went on). At the helm was the (now departed) brutally incompetent hand of Andy Moeller. Perhaps that is an unfair thing to write/say, but the results this past year, with a veteran line, bare the statement out. Blame predicable game calling. Blame the system. Blame the players. Blame the Earth itself, if you must. But the line was out of sync from the first game of the season until its Bowl game, and had Carr not been retiring I willing to wager they wouldn’t have come around then either.

However, another reason for this lack of information is pure laziness on the part of the previewers. Just go to Mgoblog and type in “offensive line.” A wealth of information is available on who, what, when, where will play, or at least looked like they’d play this year. I also place the blame for this on failing to at least monitor the local media following Michigan’s spring practice. But I’m getting off on a tangent, so I’ll veer back towards the point. 

Based on spring practice, at least, Michigan’s offensive line will be Moosman, Schilling, Ortmann, MacAvoy and Zirbel. Moosman was one of the better linemen, in terms of improvement and Schilling is easily the most talented player on the line, so both will play key roles. Because Schilling is a known entity and uber-recruit, I’ll just say that he should have an outstanding year returning to the spread and without Moeller screwing him up. Here’s the skinny on his likely starting linemates.

Ortmann has a varsity letter to his name, but was used largely in a reserve role this past year at right tackle. He’s eligible as a junior this year, and should be your starting right tackle in the fall.  There’s really not a lot to go on with Ortmann other than his size. He’s played very little with limited success in two seasons. However, he’s also one of the players who had a decent spring when the pressure was put on.  I’m guessing he’ll have a rough go the first few games, but at 6-7 with a strength and conditioning regimen not centered on ice cream could grow into a monster tackle. He’s definitely got the feet for it (former high school tight end). Jury’s out, but could be a nice surprise.

Zirbel is a redshirt Junior who saw action in every game last season and is the most experienced returning lineman at Michigan this year. Zirbel checks in a 6-5 and 300 lbs. He’s another of the highly touted recruits that haven’t quite lived up to their billing (No. 1 prospect in Kentucky, creepy Tom Lemming said No. 7 tackle in his class). Zirbel started out at Tackle his sophomore year but saw time exclusively on the PAT/FG teams and at right guard, and was clearly being groomed to move inside before the coaching change. He’s clearly an athletic dude, averaging a double double as a four year starter on his HS basketball team. Certainly he’d prefer to play his natural tackle position, but I’ve got to believe a season playing inside and with the talented true-frosh Dan O’Neil, Planet Eater, coming to a line near him (same one actually), Zirbel’s got a better shot to play if he stays inside.

Moosman, nicknamed “the Marmot,” (not really – ed), a redshirt Junior thrust into a starting role despite limited action. At 6-5 and close to 300, he’s a good bet to start at one of the guard spots and could get a shot at center depending on injuries. Moosman was a highly rated lineman out of high school with creepy Tom Lemming rating him the No. 7 interior lineman in his class. Moosman’s got experience as a backup center, but seems ideal for a guard spot with his size and wrestling background (4^th in Illinois his junior year, sat out senior season with shoulder injury). Additionally, former prep no. 1 center, David Molk (RSF), is banging on the door and is a good bet to break someone in half to get the starting center slot. Molk may be 6-1, but he was rated as the meanest, nastiest S.O.B at his camps and was one of the strongest linemen at Michigan last year.

MacAvoy, yet another redshirt Junior, earned his first varisty letter last season and met with limited success at guard. Tall, rangy, and a little light to be on the interior MacAvoy needs to add some weight to his frame to live up to relatively decent prep billing. It’s worth noting only saw action in five games and didn’t play after the Minnesota game. The games I remember with MacAvoy in don’t stand out, but I certainly don’t remember anything that made he say “oh, there’s a good one.” Any enthusiasm should be tempered on his expectations for this year. Like all linemen, I’m sure he needed some time to grow into the position and Barwis’ system will be a tremendous help, but he’ll need to improve dramatically to keep a starting slot. 

My guess is O’Neil will probably take over a guard slot this season from MacAvoy or Zirbel (probably MacAvoy). Moosman will be pushed by Molk at center, and Schilling and Ortmann will be more than serviceable at tackle. On talent alone, this is a fairly good group. The bench isn’t too deep, but a couple on incoming recruits should sure up the middle of the line and it seems everyone’s got some experience at tackle.

However, it wasn’t like the spring game was a ringing endorsement of the line. Brandon Graham whipped the right side of the line seemingly at will, before doing his best Unicron impersonation and engulfing Kevin Grady in the game’s best and loudest hit. Even so, the line opened enough holes for Brandon Minor to rush for a pair of scores and seemed to congeal, at least a little bit. A summer of hitting the weights should help prepare these guys for the hell that is a full season in the Big Ten. But then again, nothing prepares you for the first game of the season, especially when it’s your first start. Or for that matter your 30^th (re: ASU, dammit). The line will be a work in progress this season, but there is enough talent and capability for you not to jump in front of a bus in distress.

All the information I just provided is freely available on the interwebs. So, before you waste an hour or two pissing off the smelly hippies at Borders, save yourself some time and money and surf the net for Michigan information on this season.

#93 in our continuing Series of 100 Days to Football and 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor

#93 - The Michigan Busses

You know you love it. Don't fight it. (via farm2.static.flickr.com)

This outstanding suggestion from reader PMZ simply had to be next on the countdown. How can you think of your undergraduate days, or any time in Ann Arbor without remembering a trip on one of Michigan's Big Blue Busses. These guys were my only link to a social life my freshman year when the administration stuffed me in Bursley even though I wasn't an engineer. Michigan does a lot of things well, but it gets major props for maintaining a well oiled public transportation system that effectively links a diverse, spread out campus. Going to Briarwood? No problem. The train station. Easy. Gotta get to the game from the Engineering School? You're covered. Haven't slept in four days because you drank too much espresso and need to get the University Hospital? Climb on board. These, along with still running the "vomit comet" at 2am to North Campus, are just some of many reasons the Big Blue Busses are #93 on our Countdown.

If you've got suggestions on places you'd like to see, email me with a photo or a description and we'll get your favorite hangouts in the countdown as well.

#94 in our continuing Series of 100 Days to Football and 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor

#94 - Espresso Royale

Students at work inside the Royale (via PETER SCHOTTENFELS/michigandaily.com)

You can't throw a latte two feet in Ann Arbor without it hitting a coffee shop. And when you do, its more than likely the coffee shop you hit will be Espresso Royale. Despite the fact it's a chain, with locations in seven states, Espresso Royale somehow manages to retain that local feel that allows so many students to call it home when the books become more important than the weather. I spent more time than I care to think about hopped up on espresso, trying to to cram two months worth of studying into a weekend at their South U location. But I also spent plenty of summer days with my feet on an extra chair sipping a cup of coffee, sitting in the July sun and reading a newspaper. Whether studying or, inversely, watching the day slowly drift by at an outside table, Espresso Royale is #94 on our Countdown.

If you've got suggestions on places you'd like to see, email me with a photo or a description and we'll get your favorite hangouts in the countdown as well.

#96 in our continuing Series of 100 Days to Football and 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor

#96 - The Fleetwood Diner

It's 3am and I'm hungry. (via jim.rees.org)

The venerable Fleetwood, home to many late night eats, hangover helpers, and enough grease to supply every McDonalds in the world for six years uninterrupted. I'm hungry yet sick at the same time, and it's 96 in the Countdown.

If you've got suggestions on places you'd like to see, email me with a photo or a description and we'll get your favorite hangouts in the countdown as well (especially you, engineers, I have no idea what you did when you weren't tethered to the computers in North Campus).