Daily Brews: Paul Finebaum takes another shot at Michigan Football

Midweek. Hump day. Three more days until Michigan Football, though it will feel like four because it is a night game. Let’s see what’s going on at home and across the country heading into the tail end of this week.

Finebaum continues dogging of Michigan

Paul Finebaum of SEC Network fame has been going after Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh for what seems like years now doubled down on some of his takes in a recent interview.

“I think part of it comes from people in the South not really believing Michigan is worthy of all the conversation that they get,” Finebaum told Bill Bender of the Sporting News.

“To me, Michigan always seems like that guy at the end of the bar that is just running his mouth, and then he sneaks out because he knows he’s about to get clocked,” Finebaum said. “I just don’t think there is a high level of respect for Michigan.”

Here is the thing about takes like this from Finebaum. To my knowledge, nobody at the university or in the program is running their mouths at all. Fans certainly are guilty of that, but even most level-headed people are being careful to build themselves up too high heading into this year.

Michigan has to earn this respect. They may not deserve it, and they may not get it even if they change some narratives, but if they want this to stop, they had better go out and start making people eat crow.

Forget the Revenge Tour. Bring on the Results Tour.

MTSU coach jokes about reason for trip to Ann Arbor

Everybody appreciates a good sport, and Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill is being just that this week as his team prepares to take on a Power-5 opponent as a huge underdog, so why would he put his program through that?

“1.6 million,” Stockstill said during his press conference earlier this week in a joking manner.

“It’s an opportunity for us to go compete against the so-called best players in the country,” Stockstill said. “They’re full of four- and five-stars, and it’s an opportunity for our team to go out there and compete. That’s what we do. We’re not going to bow down to anybody.”

The Blue Raiders coach seems to have a philosophy of playing these types of games, whether they get smacked around or not, to see how his squad matches up with the big boys and builds them up for success in Conference-USA. It’s worked for them so far.

Football coaches do not decide on the big paydays their schools get all the time in these matchups. It’s their job to coach their players up and hopefully deliver an experience playing in iconic venues that are lifelong memories.

If you pull the upset in the process, well that’s just gravy.

Josh Ross ready to take the baton from Devin Bush

Michigan has a major void to fill in the middle of its defense this fall with linebacker Devin Bush departing for the NFL after last season. Josh Ross is the player set to step into his role, asnd he said once he knew the now-Pittsburgh Steeler was moving on that it was going to be his time to step up and lead the Wolverine defense.

“He is passing the torch,” Ross said. ”It is my time now. It is my time to go get it, it is my time to lead the defense.

“Last year, playing with a guy like Devin Bush, that dude is one of the best players I have ever been around. Learning from him, him passing the torch this to me this year has been a big deal. I am ready to go.”

The speed is there, but what made Bush so good for the Wolverines was how instinctual he was and how fast he got to the football. That is different from straight athleticism or speed, but it certainly helps to have. Ross fits the bill of what Michigan wants to do in that role and should be in good shape there.

Juwan Howard welcomes Franz Wagner home

Michigan Basketball makes a cameo here, as head coach Juwan Howard took to Twitter on Tuesday to welcome incoming freshman Franz Wagner to Ann Arbor, as he is now officially in Ann Arbor.

Franz also brought a familiar guest with him.

National Brews

• Ryan Day may now be the enemy of the Wolverines officially, but the Ohio State head coach was profiled by Yahoo Sports on his background as an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention. It’s a pretty good and humanizing read for someone that will otherwise be someone who inspires nothing but anger among the Michigan fan base.
• Aubrey Solomon, the former five-star defensive tackle who was set to start this season for the Wolverines before transferring after 2018, has been granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA to play at Tennessee this season. It really stinks to see a national narrative about Michigan and blocking transfer crumble like this...
• The American Athletic Conference is applying for a waiver that would allow them to get rid of divisions as soon as next season. This would mean the top two teams in the conference standings at the end of the year would play for the league title.

That’s it for Wednesday. We will be back with you tomorrow morning!