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Wide Receiver Haiku
Alone on the field -
running routes, hydrating, then
gassers in the sun
Offensive Lineman Haiku
Strength, then speed, then blitz -
Frustration on the sideline
A helpless feeling
Tight End Haiku
A perfect storm brews -
the security blanket
picks the right moment
Hitting the Links Likes Clouds And Dust
Ohio Stadium Will Host Cleveland Browns
This is a good move by Gene Smith - who has been a great athletic director for a long time - and the Buckeyes. Smith is the vice-president of the university, as well, and shuffles between athletic and academic management.
Michigan Football's APR Is All-Time High
'All-time' doesn't cover that many years in this case, but it's still a great accomplishment that's worth applauding.
Michigan's Athletic Department Revenue Paces Big Ten
Michigan may not be winning on the field, but they are, um, winning.
Michigan Hype Video | Early Betting Lines For 2015
I love that Jim Harbaugh got help from Xzibit, who's a Detroit native, for this. Harbaugh has solidified the Michigan community, and added to it everywhere from Detroit to Peru. Las Vegas is less enthused, though, setting the over/under for Michigan at 7.5 wins. Then again, they set the over/under for Rutgers at 5.
MGoBlog talks more of Rudock's game, including some bad decision-making and missed opportunities.
Harbaugh Praises Michigan State's Success
Really, there's little else Harbaugh could do. Dantonio has taken a program with a poor reputation and turned it around with two-star recruits. He helped the state, and plenty of student-athletes who were willing to work hard but got overlooked by everyone else. And he did it without smiling once, which is pretty impressive too.
The NFC West, with Seattle, San Fran, and St. Louis, is pushing the NFL a little more into run-oriented offense. It's also bringing an interesting dynamic to a league with less offensive diversity than the college game.
This is a great, angry column that lays out exactly what moral high ground the SEC is coming from.
Thoughts on Countess and Hayes Transfers
The success that Michigan's outgoing transfers have had has gone under the radar, but it's worth attention. Josh Furman actually got drafted. Richard Ash started 12 games, after playing in 14 his entire Michigan career. Thomas Rawls ran for 1,100 yards in nine games, on 5.3 yards a carry, at Central Michigan. That included two consecutive games, against Ohio and Northern Illinois, that he got 499 yards.
To an extent, Ash's and Rawls' success is fitting for a drop down in competition. Players who don't make the cut at Michigan should compete at a high level at smaller schools. But Furman was a revelation. Even though he had problems with the law during his time at Michigan, it's certainly proof that Hoke mismanaged the talent he had to work with.
"You can quote me on this," Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator said, "they must have an outstanding secondary out there."
Hegarty started 11 games last year, and he'll be an important piece for Oregon's follow-up. Under the hood of Marcus Mariota's attack, center Hroniss Grasu (a third-round NFL pick), left tackle Jake Fisher (a 2nd-round pick, originally out of Michigan), and left guard Hamani Stevens all played big roles.
Big Ten Mailbag: Bigger OOC Matchup?
Brian Bennett lays out whether Alabama-Wisconsin or MSU-Oregon is more important for the Big Ten's credibility.
SB Nation's Iowa Preview | Most Likely to Flop?
Obviously it would be ideal to go and watch more film - but from what I've seen, the stats do not accurately assign blame in Bill Connelly's discussion of offensive line vs. running backs. The use of Weisman was inane, and Akrum Wadley did not help at all. In some sense, perhaps it's a moot argument. But the offensive line allowed penetration regularly from the interior, and could not handle athletic bigs like Maliek Collins. The running lanes were not there often enough.
SB Nation's Northwestern Preview | Could Losing Veterans Help?
Inside NU's article is, I believe, correct. The offensive linemen that Northwestern loses, for example, were - despite their extensive experience - some of the weakest parts of the entire offense. Of course, that's moot if the young blood can't play any better.
Oregon State Non-Conference Primer
Gary Andersen may have left the conference, but Michigan will get to re-acquaint themselves regardless.
SEC Stuck With ... Uninspiring Quarterbacks
This is something I've brought up a while ago, but the SEC's season will in some ways be defined by their quarterback success. There's been heavy amounts of attrition, especially to the MLB farm system, and quarterback was a position the SEC hadn't out-recruited the other conferences anyway. At the same time, there may not be two other leagues with the same amount of wide receiver talent that the SEC has right now. It'll be an interesting give-and-take.
Travin Dural One-Handed Grab (Against D.J. Durkin's Defense)
Casual fans know of Dural as a talented but green receiver for LSU, and that's perfectly true. He'll have more of an opportunity to shine, perhaps, in 2015.
Laquon Treadwell Freshman Highlights
This is a bit light, but also interesting in how it occasionally shows mirror plays from his time in high school. Also, the touchdown he manufactured at 1:53 is great play-making.
Florida vs. Georgia is somehow one of the most under-the-radar rivalries in the game. The game takes place every year at a neutral-site location, Jacksonville, Florida.
South Carolina's star wide receiver, and occasional running back, is one of the few remaining stalwarts from last season's offense, which has to replace key players at quarterback, running back, and on the line. Steve Spurrier had some good things to say about the front-runner at quarterback, though.
"Connor Mitch is tremendously improved from when he first got here. He seems to have a little bit more confidence and knows what to do now. I think he's ready to take some giant steps."