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Funeral Blues
Michigan may be at risk of further embarrassment (that was possible?) this weekend in East Lansing. But no matter. There are still some wonderful things to celebrate - like literature, for example, or things with butter in them. On that note, below is a wonderful poem from W.H. Auden, which is completely unrelated to anything Michigan-related and in no way signifies a white flag or an upcoming funeral.
The battle for the state will be well-fought, and Michigan has the players on hand to win it. Hopefully that translates to success. Go Blue.
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Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Hitting the Links Hates Sparty
Jerome Baker Flips From Florida to tOSU
The Buckeyes also secured a commitment from Rashod Berry, an Ohio product and Rivals (5.7) defensive end.
Well... it is MSU, after all.
Connor Cook Discusses Michigan Game
This is full of some good quotes. It's galvanizing to be in a rivalry week despite all the turmoil of the season. It's a reminder of why football is played.
SI runs through the teams looking for new coaches, and sees a thin market of available options. Like with aces in baseball, football coaches are more likely to stay home with a large contract regardless of whether the team is in a "small market" - like, in Dan Mullen's case, Mississippi State. Sumlin turned down some powerhouses to stay at Texas A&M, Mark Dantonio has done the same, and Chris Petersen was averse to USC's interest. The big-name schools of the aughts - USC, Texas, Florida, and Michigan - have not carried over their success.
Mandel talks Bob Stoops and Oklahoma expectations, and goes into more detail about the lack of coaching options.
To that, one possible solution is to expand the pie. That is to say, find an NFL coordinator or head coach whose skill set fits well to the college game.
Big Ten Awards Tracker: Week 8
Checking back in on who is leading the race for the Big Ten's individual trophies. Rimington-Pace isn't mentioned, but it's obvious it will be Scherff.
Purdue, Midseason: Some Failures, But More Successes
Indy Star takes a closer look at a team still piecing itself together, but doing a good job all the same.
There were some good statements from the Big Ten's coaches this week, which reporters turned into some very solid tweets.
There was a link on the Brews a while ago about Utah's kicker dressing up his newborn son in Utes gear. This is a follow-up on how he has become one of the best kickers in the country and even brought some more toughness to the punt return defense.
David Shaw Opens Up About Stanford's Struggles
This was some surprising honesty. Shaw admits that his offense hasn't been tailored the right way for his receivers, and vows to do something about it.
Pac-12 Quarterback Rankings: Week 8
A quick rundown on who performed the best this past week at the conference's darling position.
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Stat of the week: Ole Miss's defense has surrendered 6 touchdowns, and scored four.