Recent Comments
mgoblue75- agreed 100%. This is a real marquee for our program and it is shaping up to be a fantastic match-up. I hope Big Blue's fan-base is getting up for the game and from what it sounds like two football-intelligent and raucous fan bases will be invading the Big Easy.
I tell you what- I loved playing Boise State last year in the opener during a "Kick-off game" but I can definitely see where playing them in a BCS Bowl game would be...well lets just call it what it is: not the most compelling of games. Honestly I agree and am getting tired of hearing about how they "smacked us in the mouth last year at FedEx." I don't think winning by 3 and your QB pulling a remarkable drive out of his kiester was smacking anyone in the mouth by any stretch after getting physically dominated for most of the second half minus one big running play (can't you feel the bitterness as I type this?). Also the "David" comparison has to go- I wanted to punch Musberger every time he said that as I had a cigar and drink in the cigar lounge at FedEx last year during the late stages of the second quarter.
Best of luck to both squads and hopefully the game lives up to the hype. In the immortal words of my favorite Jet Bart Scott: "CAN'T WAIT!"
I love your comparisons on Denard's bipolarity. The extra-long wait is something to watch out for. I remember it being brought up constantly when Ohio State was busy getting walloped in the National Championship Game a few years back.
I'm super excited! I can't wait for this game against Virginia Tech!
I'm the first person in my family to go to Tech after we moved to Virginia in 2000 so I wasn't a fan until I got to school in 2007. These are in no particular order.
1. Eddie Royal - bought the #4 jersey my freshman year. DW you're amazing but #4 will always be Eddie to me. (and I know there's been many great #4's before Eddie. great number to wear at VT)
2. Tyrod Taylor - Enough said there.
3. Darren Evans - To burst on the scene out of nowhere and always handle himself with class - before, during, and after his injury.
4. Jason Worilds - What a motor that guy had. And played through his dislocated shoulder for about two seasons. And the fact he refers to the school he went to as "Lunch Pail D" on TV now.
5. Danny Coale - Another class act on and off the field. If every player on the team played like him we'd win a national championship.
HM: Logan Thomas will be on many top 5 lists in the years to come. So will Kyle Fuller.
Would be Marcus Davis
Nice to hear some like sentiments...I am really looking forward to this game as well!
Sorry, but which receiver were you talking about? I couldn't quite figure it out.
Is it just me or do you see it too? I really try to not be biased, but does Stinney or Sherman not like the kid? I mean you let him have an awesome game against UVA. You get us all hyped with one pass and then don't give him the ball back until the 4th quarter? I just wonder what is going to happen next year. You will have no choice but to use him because you essentially have only him and DJ. I know we should concentrate on Jan 3rd. But when your guy comes to you as the supposed leader and says hey he can't check me, what are you supposed to do? (Ok off the lioness soapbox as I protect the boy)
As a Michigan fan I must say I'm pretty excited about meeting Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. I'm glad we get to play a team with a storied coach, a long history of winning, and from a repectable conference. I was glad that Houston lost. Now we get the #13 total defense Virginia Tech Hokies versus Denard Robinson. Instead of the #64 total defense Houston Cougars. We get to play a legend of a coach and a winning program instead of a C-USA schedule eating cupcake.
Also, Boise State? Please god no. Nobody wants to play that annoying "David" of a school. Every once in a while they hit Goliath in the eye with a rock from their slingshot, and Goliath has to hear about it forever...screw Boise State and screw their MWC schedule.
Kansas State? I respect some of what they did, but they have no where near the body of work that Virginia Tech has. A win over Kansas St would be nice but not nearly as sweet as a win over Virginia Tech.
I love a good challenge. David Wilson versus our linebackers is going to be a challenge. Denard Robinson versus your athletes is going to be a challenge. We get to test our offense and defense against a perennial top 10 team? Yes please.
To those saying you don't belong, we hear the same crap. You guys bring more money, you guys have Delaney pimping you, you're overrated, hell - we even heard that Delaney blocked Boise and Kansas St so we could get an easy (EASY??) Virginia Tech team. I'm not sure which part of that is bigger BS. The fact that Virginia Tech isn't as good as K St an Boise or that DElaney would actually have that clout.
Anyways, I'm pretty stoked about playing you guys for the first time. This should be a great game!
The football players got a choice between a PSP, TVs, and all sorts of stuff for the Sugar bowl. Without getting into too many sketchy details, they got hooked up.
For qualifying 6th at National Championships...I received a sleeping Coleman sleeping bag.
That was my way of saying I agreed with DW & not Helo_Hokie in regards to the post-game comments. Just like in the Roll Call article, "I honestly don't care that he [got frustrated and made those comments]. I was pissed off and I was [400] miles away." I've been pissed off for years with Stinespring as a part of the team. I'm not a fan of how they fake fired him. He's a cancer to the program and is holding our collective head underwater. He's the glass ceiling the Virginia Tech football program will never break through, so long as he's there.
I hope so, I put that link here for you guys, not for the VT coaches.
but I would be more cised just for the normal Nike gear they receive during the season. Glad they get some decent spending $.
Pretty sure the coaches have film on Michigan already.
mgoblog can be overwhelming and certainly there are lots of good offerings on other sites. I always love the picture pages and I enjoy burgeoningwolverinestar too.
We've played speedy backs and against SDSU where we shut down Hillman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKTy9C2Subg) and against UNL we shut down Burkhead. However, I don't think we've matched up against a back this year who looks as good as Wilson. I don't think we have the speed at LB the edge to deal with him effectively. That said, our DC Mattison knows what he is up against. Honestly, I expect us to play you like we played SDSU. Not necessarily the same final score, but Hillman is pretty close to Wilson. VT has better athletes than SDSU so I expect it to be more of a battle, obviously. We rattled Lindley pretty badly with the various defensive fronts and shifts that we showed so that he never got into a rhythm until garbage time when were playing the bench. Mattison was the DC with the Ravens before coming to Michigan, so he knows how to confuse young quarterback. I don't expect Thomas to be as confused.
Our team strengths are different than they were in the UTL game. It was only the second game of the season and we were still cutting our teeth with the coaching staff. One thing that is the same is that the team never quits. Our running game is vastly improved and Denard has been lights out the last few games both passing and running. Against Ohio we were exposed defensively because we challenged Braxton Miller to throw on us by keeping Kovacs in the box all game long. Put a true freshman (Countess) on an island against a future NFL receiver (Posey) and you're going to have problems. Its doubtful that we repeat that against Thomas.
Another good read is Burgeoning Wolverine Star. http://www.burgeoningwolverinestar.com/
The guy does picture pages and offers really good analysis. I have learned a lot by reading his blog.
Offensive line = Wedding Dick. Stood right up at the snap.
I can speak to my concerns as a Michigan fan as it pertains to Denard. Denard gets happy feet sometimes. He fails to square up and make a direct throw. You hold your breath when it happens and hope that the throw is to an imaginary 12 foot tall reciever and not a defensive back. He has 14 interceptions and most of them came during the first part of the year (more on that later). Denard has also shown hesitation to scramble when there are open running lanes on a passing play. When you see 15 yards of green in front of him and he throws the ball instead (usually to the imaginary reciever), you find yourself screaming "JUST RUN!" at your TV. He can be a very powerful weapon with the read option. He has also had a bad tendency of making the wrong read (the Nebraska game) and walking right into a defensive end. With all that said he has settled down passing in the last 3 games. The last game against a pretty solid Ohio State defense we sustained offensive drives like this -
1. three and out
2. 47-yard touchdown drive
3. 52-yard touchdown drive
4. three and out
5. Michigan gets a first down, whereupon Denard fumbles
6. 80-yard touchdown drive
7. 80-yard touchdown drive
8. 40-yard drive from own nine followed by punt disaster
9. 75-yard touchdown drive
10. 80-yard touchdown drive that morphs into 54-yard field goal drive thanks to replay incompetence and penaltyfest
[credit for data goes to Brian Cook at mgoblog.com]
The reason I point all this out is that Denard will have not played in a game since November 26th. It concerns me that his progression at the end of the season will be lost and he will regress back to early season "happy feet" Denard. He is a very exciting and excitable player. This will be something to watch for. If he makes mistakes early it will be important for Virginia Tech to capitalize on them. He can perform miracles late in the game and is a threat to score any time he touches the ball. The offense will hinge on which Denard shows up. Good Denard makes rainbows and his smile cures cancer. Evil Denard steals your Christmas presents and kicks your puppy. The gap between November 26th and January 3rd has me worried that Evil Denard will get control of his body and he will cause me to scream at the TV.
There isn't a gameplan on the planet that works when your left guard is being driven 3 yards into the backfield on every play. Nosal, Lainer, Becton, Brooks, and Miller had rough games. Hopefully they get better, but the bowl game should be more about getting experience for the guys who are going to help you next year.
I'd really like to see Becton, Gibson, Painter, and Via at least get extra practice work over the next couple of weeks. Nick Dew's comments about Acree (skinny legs) tell me that Acree isn't serious about becoming a good tackle. Skinny legs don't equate to pancake blocks.
I feel like I am out of a job.
I didn't get to watch a whole bunch of Michigan this year, but the most comparable team the Hokies played offensively is Arkansas State. Granted, Denard Robinson is a MUCH better runner than the Arkansas State QB. I would envision that Michigan will run the zone play strong side, leaving Robinson one on one with Tariq Edwards all day. They will probably gameplan to stay away from Kyle Fuller in space. Meanwhile, their zone dives will likely bend back at Fuller, forcing him to deal with Michigan's offensive line all day.
The first could times Tech gets into "3rd-and-Logan," will they attack the weak perimeter, like you suggest? Or will they continue the trend of attempting to bulldoze up the middle.
Also, if Tech's O-line is able to seal the edge, do you feel the Michigan LBs have the lateral speed to catch David Wilson before he hits the second level?
I can't say I'm terribly familiar with Michigan. The only game I watched a majority of was the Notre Dame game UNDER THE LIGHTS, and that game played out in such a bat-shit insane manner that I couldn't get a solid grasp on team strengths and weakness. There will be much studying of mgoblog in the coming weeks.
Had to try really hard not to laugh out loud at this one.
Props to your work all year. Especially Hokie-Bird-Bourbon-Street-Troll.
"Evil Denard." Love it. Good Denard sounds like he's trying to compete with Chuck Norris...