Maize n Brew gives you your daily (or semi-daily) rundown of all the Michigan Football, Michigan Basketball, College Football, and College Basketball news you need to get through the tedium of your boring desk job. For good measure we'll throw in a little irreverent information, comedy and commentary to help you salt away the time until the clock strikes 5pm. We're on a Facebook and Twitter drive, so be our friend or follow us! If you don't know what that means, you're old. If you want Maize n Brew in 140 characters or less, follow us on Twitter! Or you can friend us on Facebook and become a fan of Maize n Brew on Facebook for more links. Here's What's ON TAP:
Stuff You Need To Read Right Now
U-M's Manny Harris to show off skills at pre-draft camp - Manny Harris, along with 53 players, will work out for league executives and scouts in Chicago in preparation of the June draft. Harris is still slated as a second round pick or an undrafted free agent. Hopefully this will help his draft stock and get him into the league. Good luck Manny.
OSU's Smith: Irish players might miss out - Ohio State AD Gene Smith was once a two time national championship winning Notre Dame offensive lineman. Now, as the AD of Ohio State, Smith is at odds with his alma mater on the issue of joining the Big Ten, but for different reasons than you'd think.
"I've just got to believe that a Notre Dame football player winning a conference championship and having that conference ring, is a memorable experience," Smith said. "And then, chasing a national championship. You can do both, but when you only have one, I struggle with that.
"Now back in the day when I was playing, different deal. The landscape was different. You didn't have the BCS, you didn't have the bowl alliance. Notre Dame could dominate. When I coached there, we selected, we didn't recruit. It's a different time space."
This is, in a nutshell, the constant conflict the reigns in Notre Dame's reality. Massive HT to Rittenberg for this one.
Michigan Completes 2011 Schedule with San Deigo State - Goddammit.
21 Questions: What every recruit should know about prospective schools - Question 15: "How many time has your school been represented in a "Girls of the [insert conference]" issue? Please provide examples." The Doc FTW.
U-M waiting on Demar Dorsey's status - Coach Rich Rodriguez said he is waiting for senior transcripts for a 'handful' of signed commitments for the 2010 freshman class, including standout defensive back Demar Dorsey. Antonio Kinard must still has a test to pass before he can enroll too. Guh.
Big Ten Expansion
Will Nebraska Join the Big 10? (and other current events) - Yes. And that's Corn Nation's answer too.
U-M's David Brandon concerned about student travel with Big Ten expansion - One of the unspoken issues with expansion is what happens to the kids with all the extra travel time. It's one of the things on Dave Brandon's mind:
'I've got to get student-athletes to and from competitions, and I've got to get them in class,' Michigan's athletic director said. 'How will we make that happen in a way that's affordable and consistent with our values?'
Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez has been through expansion before - Ate a sandwich and became bloated.
Population shift driving Big Ten expansion study - Commissioner Jim Delany outlined two major forces behind the Big Ten's expansion study in his meeting with reporters Tuesday. Worth a read.
Big Ten expansion: Delany says "We’re taking our time" - Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany won't tell you when it will happen other than to say it may or may not happen at a time and place yet to be determined as far as you know.
Big 12, Pac-10 talking about partnership for TV alliance, football schedules - Will it happen? Probably not. As long as texas wants its own cable network, don't count on a Big XII channel.
As usual, you can follow our snarky coverage of Big Ten Expansion here.
Michigan Football
Forcier Looking Forward to Pounding San Diego State - HT: to Doctor Saturday - Tate Forcier, a San Diego native, said he's "pumped" to see his hometown Aztecs come to Ann rbor because he felt the Aztecs ignored him as a recruit, thereby becoming the first player in Michigan history to feel dissed by a perennial Mountain West bottom feeder:
"Honestly, San Diego State is a team right in my backyard and they didn’t show me any love or attention. Coach (Chuck) Long didn’t pay much attention to me, which was surprising because I showed some interest in them."
I'm sorry Tate, that's pretty funny.
New Turf at the Big House - Maize and Blue Nation takes an in-depth look at the new Michigan Field turf.
Michigan quarterback battle destined to drag into fall practice - It's going to be awesome. I still think Denard wins the starting slot. He's just too electric not to put the ball in his hands. Tate's going to see plenty of time on the field, but he simply can't match what Robinson can do in space.
U-M, Ohio State will work to preserve annual rivalry game - One of the concerns about Big Ten expansion is whether the sanctity of the Michigan-Ohio State game will be preserved. Sadly, I doubt it will be.
NCAA probe a 'big weight on everybody,' - Man, I can't imagine what dealing with this feels like to the coaches.
'The process ... has really been kind of like a big weight on everybody,' Rich Rodriguez said Tuesday. 'I've had a whole lot more talks with my attorney than I've wanted, so I'll be happy to get that all over with.'
David Brandon's mission: Make U-M football a one-time offender - Recycled content.
It will be up to Rodriguez to make amends and prove to his boss that this was isolated behavior -- flawed events attributable to people who aim to be perfect and who don't quite pull it off. This has happened once. And in Michigan's world, that's once too often.
Coaches on the Hot Seat: Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez - The first of a five-part series on college football coaches on the Hot Seat. File under "duh."
College Football
Iowa's Greatest Strength - Aligned Stars - Iowa's weakness? Offensive line. Ask 2008 Clemson how that worked out.
The Wiz of Odds: Should the NCAA Forever Own Athletes' Rights? - A new class action lawsuit brought by an Oregon Tight End aims to break the NCAA's right to own an athlete's profitable identity after they leave college.
ESPN outbids Fox for ACC television rights - $155 million to broadcast the ACC. Not Big Ten or SEC money, but a HUGE step forward for the viability of the ACC.
Notre Dame looks like it's working on independent future - There are reportedly contracts being signed, filling slots in Notre Dame's football schedule far into the decade, and Dodd thinks that's the behavior of an institution that still likes flying solo. Big. Flippin'. Deal. Contracts or not, Notre Dame may end up eating some of those contracts.
QB Play: Maybe We Can Be Average - Black Shoe Diaries is bending over backwards to find good things to say about their quarterbacks. Reminds me of Michigan fans in 2008.