Crazy 4 Maize and Blue

Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan coaching staff are wrapping things up for the 2020 recruiting class to mixed reviews. It's hard to argue against the talent they did acquire, but most detractors point to the lack of 5-Stars and the few big whiffs on top recruits to end the cycle. The simple fact of the matter is that it is another class by Harbaugh that ranks among the top 10% of college programs. In other words, with a 12th ranked rectuiting class, they were still better than 118 of the other 129 teams out there. Anyway I look at it, it still amazes me how people can be upset about it. Yes, it is true that they are not landing the big-time top-heavy classes that Ohio State, Alabama, and Clemson continue to land, but that is okay. It has to be okay because that's just not where the Wolverines are at right now. It is still a lot better than most though. And just ask Texas, UCLA, Tennessee, USC, and Nebraska fans how they would feel about the prospect of playing the Crimson Tide...

The State of the Program:  Last week nobody was giving the Wolverines a chance in this game against Ohio State. This week however, now that The Game is upon us, the sentiment is shifting a little bit. Folks are starting to believe that there is a good chance for an upset. The Vegas line has definitely shifted in that direction, coming down to nine after being in two touchdown territory. There is talk of a Justin Fields injury. There is also talk that this game isn't as important to OSU, who is going to the Big Ten Championship game next week anyway, as it is to Michigan, who's entire season is basically coming down to it. The Harbaugh legacy is defiitely on the line a little bit as he does not want to go 0-5 in The Rivalry. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes could lose this game and still make the playoff as long as they win big next week. There is the fact that Michigan is certainly peaking at the right time in regards to their season, so Michigan Nation is feeling a lot more conf...

Gut check time. Good news for Michigan: Defensive end Kwity Paye and cornerback Lavert Hill should both be back in the lineup after sitting out last week's game against Illinois. It was good that they sat out, as it gave opportunities for other younger players to get some experience, and it kept these two guys fresh for their matchup next week against Penn State. I mean, you can't tell me that Michigan wasn't looking ahead just a little bit. Linebacker Josh Ross could be back as well, though he should not have to start the game as redshirt freshman Cam McGrone has made the most of his opportunity and is quickly becoming a star in Don Brown's defense. It doesn't help Ross either that Jordan Glasgow is coming off his best game ever as a Wolverine at the Will position. Five Signs of Life: Young Defense Emerging - For the most part this defense has been solid all year, minus the the trip to Madison where they got run over by Jonathan Taylor. They have really come...

Week 1: UM 40 - Middle Tennessee 21 This home-opener under the lights game was not as close as the score indicates. Michigan seemed to never not be in control. It just wasn't very pretty in the early stages of the game. And Patterson fumbling on the very first play of the season seemed to really set a tone for the year so far. Still, despite shooting themselves in the foot to the tune of three turnovers, Patterson and the receivers ultimately put on a decent showing while producing three TD's. McCaffrey also had one rushing TD, showing he does indeed have some ability. Things didn't really look that bad when you considered that the key plays in MTSU's favor were correctable mistakes made by Michigan. In fact, all three TD's came off drives after a turnover. And, ultimately, the Wolverines were in no-way getting manhandled by the Blue Raiders. And, poetically speaking, the game could have just as easily been 50-7. Again, Michigan actually never felt like it was in ...

Depth Chart Point Guard - Zavier Simpson, David DeJulius Simpson is one of the top returning point guards in the conference as an All-Big Ten 2nd Team player last season. He can play defense, pass the ball, and drive it down low, but he needs to improve his long range shooting to really help this team improve from last year. If he gets his three-point shooting up closer to 40% than 30%, then this team will truly have one of the best point guards in the country on its hands. He was starting to truly develop a great sky-hook shot last year that was often quite pretty. That leads me to believe that he can achieve just about anything he sets his mind to accomplishing. Two-Guard - Eli Brooks, Adrien Nunez, Cole Bajema No real front-runner here but Brooks has the most experience and flashed a couple times late in the season. Whoever proves to be the best shooter of this bunch will get the majority of the playing time. The Wolverines need somebody - anybody! -  to hit about 40% of t...

Week 1: Middle Tennessee Not the biggest cupcake you could put on the schedule to start the season, but this team only ranked 77th in the country in scoring offense and 66th in scoring defense. They could put up some passing yards against a Michigan secondary trying out some new starters at both safety and corner if they can find a QB, as they did well enough throwing it last year. However, the Michigan players are eager to make a statement and I don't see them disappointing in this contest. Michigan 38 - Middle Tennessee 17 Week 2: Army Even more so than previous week, this is no cupcake of an opponent. In fact, Army is fairly impressive overall. They are bringing the triple option offense that was second in the country in yards per game (312), as well as a rugged defense that was 10th in the nation in points allowed last year. They will be coming to town in hopes of catching a Michigan team off guard. This one will be a lot closer than the home town fans would like, but...

These are the top players that will most likely get any playing time this year. Whether it be as a starter, special teams cover man, role player, or mop-up duty specialist, these are all the names and numbers to watch out for this fall (names and numbers subject to change). The thing that jumps off the page with this roster is that it doesn't seem top heavy at all. In fact, despite a lot of youth, this roster is one of the deepest I have ever seen at Michigan. It might not have a lot of returning stars, but there are definitely enough to lead the younger talent. And I feel at a number of positions they could get hit with a rash of injuries and barely notice. Quarterback and receiver are the two big ones that I can think of off the top of my head. Go ahead, name a deeper quarterback room than the one in Ann Arbor right now. And while you're at it, name another group of receivers with as many as three possible high NFL draft picks who might be at risk of losing their jobs to a ...