Michigan's Season Through Week 2

A Look at Michigan's Season So Far

Written By: Jared Bouck (@MichiganBoyAA)  

     As I'm flying into Dallas with my Father sitting beside me, I'm holding my girlfriend's hand because I was nervous(that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it) I didn't know what to expect from this city, "The Big D" and the city of "America's Team", I had my doubts to say the least. What conclusion I came to as I landed at 4pm and departed at 3:30pm 4 days later, was that Dallas was....IS a sprawling city, you could feel the love, and the heat, from the moment you land. The people are as amazing as the picturesque views you can get from almost anywhere in the city. But I digress, we have a couple games to discuss.

     I feel the need to credit Florida fans for their realism, most fans knew that they weren't ready for this type of game, this type of stage, and the following 4 quarters proved that. Michigan was a brick wall and Florida's offense continuously tried to jump into it, this isn't Harry Potter. Florida gained 11 yards on 27 rushing attempts, a rousing 0.4 YPC. Florida QB's were a tad bit better, but not enough to score a single offensive touchdown in the game, they were a combined 14-26 for 181 yards. 

    While the Michigan defense was dominant, the offense left something to be desired. Michigan had a total of 433 first downs and 19 first downs, not bad considering Wilton Speight was 11-25 with two interceptions returned for touchdowns and one touchdown of his own. Speight WAS Florida's best offense. A couple positives for the Michigan offense though, Ty Isaac seems to have finally lived up to his lofty 5 star status. Isaac completed 3rd down run after 3rd down run to keep a stalling Michigan offense going, Isaac had 11 carries for 114 yards. Tarik Black also made his name known, the superfrosh had 2 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. 

      

     Week 2 Michigan played a Cincinnati team that struggled to put away FCS Austin Peay in week 1. Would should've been a complete and udder blowout turned out to be a bit of a nightmare for some, bringing boo's of all sorts from the Michigan faithful. The defense was once again dominant, allowing 200 total yards, 15-40 passing and 2.3 yards per carry, also returning 2 interceptions for touchdowns. The offense looked even worse in week 2 unfortunately. Michigan put up some okay yards(414 total, 221 passing, 193 rushing). Wilton Speight DID play better, he was 17-29 passing with two touchdowns. Isaac once again had a stellar performance on the ground, gaining 133 yards on only 20 carries. This game was closer then the 36-14 score Indicates. Cincinnati made the score 14-17 in the 3rd quarter before Michigan finally pulled away, a special teams blunder and an interception from Lavert Hill saved Michigan.

     All in all, what I've gathered from this Michigan team is youth, they are still very young, very inexperienced guys. This takes patience, the defense is the fastest I've seen from a Michigan team since....ever? Don Brown has done an incredible job but mistakes will be made, penalties, missed assignments etc. we've seen that in the first two weeks. Just be thankful that the defense we see now isn't the same we'll see against Ohio State in November. The offense has had many Michigan fans pulling hair, punching tv's and screaming, it's been that bad. Big plays haven't been the problem for Michigan, they've had 9 plays of over 30 yards in the first two weeks. The problem has been the red zone. Michigan is 127th in the nation in red zone scoring, for all you people that aren't too familiar with football, that's not good. Again, we have WEEKS before we see a real opponent that can threaten our offense, we will improve, but if we aren't careful, we could be in for a real scare against Air Force in week 3. 

      I know I said I'd only address this once in a previous article, but f*** it, I'm human. Stop calling for a new QB, if Wilton wasn't the best, he wouldn't be playing, period. Let's say for scenarios sake, that JOK starts next week and plays terrible, then what? Do we go BACK to Speight? Knowing that his job isn't safe can be one of the worst things for A QB, he starts to play scared, much like we're seeing JT Barrett do right now. Peters obviously isn't good enough yet. I know I know, I saw the spring game too, but are we really going to judge 1 practice enough to say that Peters should be starting? No. Speight has one valuable thing that almost no one else on this offense has, experience. He's been thrown in the fire before and came out on top. He needs to play better, no doubt, most of my last two Saturday's have had me yelling something along the lines "Noooo, what-are-you-doing? Why would you throw that?". But, we need to look on the bright side here, he's realistically only thrown 1 interception that was his fault this year, the other, the first interception in the Florida game, was admittedly a tad high, but a catch that Kekoa Crawford needs to make if he expects to make A significant impact on this team. 

    My last point I want to address is the offensive line, so so inconsistent, my God. I've been frustrated to say the least. I truly believe that some of Speights issues have been caused by this. Some plays, like the 48 yard pass to Nick Eubanks in the 4th quarter of week 1, Speight has all the time in the world to make a pass that he SHOULD make. Others, he's running for his life against Cincinnati. They are all individually good players, but when you have an offensive line that hasn't played together much in real live action games, it takes some time to gain that continuity. 

    This team as a whole has tremendous talent, and potential to be something of an animal, but potential just means you haven't done it yet. Fix the small problems, footwork issues, red zone offense etc, and we're golden. Luckily we have one of the best coaches in the country to get that done. Patience people, patience.

Predictions for Freshmen in 2017

PREDICTIONS FOR FRESHMEN IN 2017

Written By: Jared Bouck (@MichiganBoyAA)

     2017 is upon us and with that, that sweet smell of fresh cut grass(or field turf, whatever), those gameday hotdogs and "Popped Maize" that you can find all around the big house. Inside the stadium, we have some football to play ladies and gentlemen. Michigan has a total of 5 total starters returning this year from a team stocked full of seniors in '16. Now, this is all very subjective, players like Rashan Gary, Josh Metellus, and Khaleke Hudson all played meaningful snaps last year in big games, yet weren't termed "starters", but I digress. What does all this mean? Michigan fans are going to see quite a few new faces this year, and here to fill you in on most all of them is yours truly. Players who are not mentioned are predicted to either redshirt or see most snaps on Special Teams.

(Note: These are numbered but do not determine any type of ranking).

1. Kareem Walker RB 

Let's get this started off with one of my favorite recruits from the 2016 class. Walker was once the #1 RB in the country at one point as a senior, but grades and a few off field issues forced him to redshirt his first year. I don't see Kareem getting too many meaningful snaps this year, 2018 is when we'll see him more, but don't be surprised if he has a few big runs in games that were over by halftime. 

2. Tarik Black WR

STAR. That is my prediction, a bigger WR at 6'4 200lbs, Tarik has some excellent hands and decent speed for a big guy. Look for him to start as a freshman. 

3. Donovan Peoples-Jones WR

One of the highest rated recruits from the 2017 class, a physical specimen out of Detroit. Besides Gary, Michigan may not have a more physically gifted player then "DPJ". Seems very fluent with his motions and is incredible on the jump ball. I expect him to start opposite Tarik Black, I also see him making a few more mistakes, to go along with some "wow factor" plays. Michigan fans aren't going to like this, think of Donnie Corley without all the, ahem, you know.

4. Cesar Ruiz C

Now let's sway away from the speed guys and get to the big maulers up front. Ruiz was the #1 center recruit in the country but is battling a seasoned vet in Patrick Kugler for top dog. Rumor has it that Kugler has pulled ahead in this battle. Expect to see Ruiz in mop up duty against lesser teams.

5. Michael Onwenu G

Michael Onwenu is a MAN. Sitting at 360lbs, he's going to be a difficult man to move. Onwenu played on the defensive front in the spring game, but I fully expect him to make the shift to guard and start against Florida. Maurice Hurst has stated how big this man truly is, yet how quick his feet and reaction time is, you should be very excited to see him this Fall.

6. Brandon Peters, Dylan McCaffrey QB

I've decided to bunch these two players together on account of this "QB competition" hoppla that seems to be trending right now. Wilton Speight will be starting against Florida and the following 11-14 games, barring injury, mark my words on this. Peters, a redshirt, came in with a lot of hype and put his big arm on display during the spring game. He is without a doubt, the most talented of the QB's we've seen thus far, which brings me to my next point, Dylan McCaffrey. McCaffrey is as talented as they come and at one point, was the #1 QB recruit of the '17 class, but with a few players in front of him, don't expect to see Dylan much until Peters hears his name on draft day, fully expect him to redshirt. Listen, I'm going to give my hot take on this one time and one time only, Speight was a good QB last year, not great, more of a game manager and succeeded with all the talent around him, but you know what? We have the best QB coach in the country as our HEAD COACH. Go look at Andrew Lucks first year as starter, Kaepernick, then compare that to the 2nd year. Harbaugh develops the quarterback position better then anyone in America. Speight WILL be a great quarterback this year, and he's going to start, period. 

7. Ben Mason FB

I wasn't going to mention Mason as possibly playing this year, but after recent word from the head man himself, I think he backs up the freightliner that is Khalid Hill, yes that would mean he passed Poggi, let me explain. We're only going to see Mason in spare time, maybe 10-15 carries this year. Harbaugh recently said that Ben Mason was his favorite player, that's not something to be taken lightly, we're going to see him this year.

8. Luiji Vilain DE

Vilain has come in with a bit of hype, at 6'4 250lbs, he's a quick footed player with a lot of potential, he'll be a back up in the way that Gary was a back up to Taco last year....So not really a back up at all. He'll certainly add to the depth and, how awesome is that name? 

9. Donovan Jeter DT

Jeter is a big DT that Michigan stole from Notre Dame, God I love saying that. Jeter will have a chance to face his "what-could-have-been" team in 2018, but for right now, I expect him to be a rotational player with some great potential to be a future starter. 

10. Aubrey Solomon DT

I seem to remember a certain coach from SEC territory making a statement that went along the lines of "Any player we want from down here, we get, they won't be going up north". Well Michigan pulled the #1 DT recruit straight out of Georgia, for those not too familiar with Geography, that's south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Aubrey has come a long way from a leaked video appearing to show him saying a derogatory comment towards his future school. When questioned about the recruiting world, Aubrey said quote "I hate it. All that southern, and I'm supposed to be in the SEC? That stuff? That's a load of crap. Some people don't know what they're talking about". This 5 star will see playing time right away, simply because he's just too good. I don't expect him to start because well, let's be honest, Michigans DL is uber talented, but don't be surprised to see a 5 sack, 10 TFL type of year for the powerful freshman. 

11. Kwity Paye DE

Kwity is around the same size as Vilain(6'4 247lbs) but speed, speed and more speed is the name of his game. Coming in as only a 3 star, but the #1 player in the state of Rhode Island, I personally believe he's underrated. Paye has been making waves in Fall Practice, enough for the whole BTN crew to take note and mention him. That's not going unnoticed by Harbaugh. I expect to see him more then once this year, that's an understatement.

12. Drew Singleton LB

Drew Singleton is a player I'm very excited about. Coming in at 6'2 215 lbs out of Paramus Catholic(the same school as Gary, Peppers and Juwann Bushel-Beatty), Singleton was the #1 player in the state of New Jersey and the #5 outside LB in the country. Partridge, going as far as calling him a "freak", thinks he's going to be a special player and that's good enough me. With the LB starters pretty much locked up, I expect to see Singleton in mop-up duty **cough cough** Rutgers. 

13. Jordan Anthony LB

Anthony is another player with the potential to be very good, though maybe not as refined as Singleton, Anthony is very talented, but the talent is raw. Even so, we're going to see this guy this year. He's very quick and has almost the perfect frame for LB. Don Brown see's a man who can solve his problems with aggression, something we've come accustomed to at Michigan. To me, he seems like a guy who could make some big plays, along with some big mistakes, but no matter what it is, he'll be going 100mph. 

14. Brad Robbins P

Brad Robbins is coming in as just a 2 star, but the #1 punter in the country. Michigan offered Robbins on February 1st, and after 30 seconds, Robbins committed. Robbins has a solid leg with some decent accuracy, sounds generic but he's the best punter in the country, he'll be good. As Nordin is taking on kicking duties, I expect Robbins to start at punter. 

      So there it is, the 14 freshmen I expect to play this year, and possibly even start. This team is very young, but very talented. As much as it pains me to say it, look at Ohio State last year and how young they were, that's our benchmark right now. This team is going to be good in 2017, better in 2018, elite in 2019. I have Michigan at 10-2 this year, respectable for a team that lost so much. Thanks for reading and as always, Go Blue!

Welcome Cameron McGrone

Michigan Adds Cameron McGrone (2018) 

Written By: @VinnyRico_

The Facts

Newest Michigan football commit for the 2018 class is Cameron McGrone from Indianapolis, Indiana. He is ranked as the 14^th best outside linebacker in the country and the 217^th best prospect overall in the composite rankings. Although, 247 sports has him ranked as high as 3^rd best OLB and 40^th best player overall in the country. Most likely the reason for the huge discrepancy in the rankings is the fact that he tore his ACL six games into his JR year. Both McGrone and his coaches say that is back at 100% now heading into his final season of high school ball. He has descent size at 6’1 215 and runs between a 4.47 – 4.67 (both times listed on different sites), which if you split the difference is a pretty good time for a LB. It remains to be seen if he will retain that speed coming back from a serious injury but neither McGrone nor his coaches seemed worried. He is the second LB in this class with Otis Reese being recruited to play the viper position.

The Person

Cam has been described as a leader and the most NFL ready player his coach has ever worked with. Prior to his injury, he was the leader of the defense and a team captain. His coaches have stated he has the mentality to play at the next level. He’s team oriented, self-motivated, hard working, and a great student. He’s currently taking AP and honors classes and plans to study kinesiology, physical therapy, or sports medicine. He said of himself that he’s “great on the field, but even better greater in the classroom.” Regardless of if he ever starts for the Wolverines, I love what he brings to the team in terms of his intangibles. Leaders are hard to come by and leadership is one of the most important traits for a linebacker to have.

The Tape

McGrone is a great fit in this defense as a weak side LB in my opinion. He is constantly in the backfield. Always fighting through blocks. He would eat in Don Brown’s blitz heavy packages. He has the speed to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. He’s the prototypical linebacker the staff has been recruiting; fast, aggressive, downhill, and athletic. He is constantly moving. Once he makes up his mind on where he’s going, he arrives with a thump. He reminds me a lot of Mike McCray. He’s not the biggest hitter, a la Josh Metellus, but does make his presence known and is a sure tackler. Cam is a relentless worker who plays whistle to whistle. When he’s not blitzing, he’s patient and trusts his eyes. There isn’t much tape of him in coverage, but he back pedals well and keeps his eyes on the QB when in zone. He plays bigger than his 6’1 215 frame and can be seen throwing blockers to the wayside to get to his target.

The Summary

Cameron McGrone is a good pick up for the staff. Once he gets back on the field, don’t be surprised if he shoots up the rankings. This kid can play and wants to get better. At 215 pounds, I do expect him to put on some more muscle when he gets to campus. He will thrive both on and off the field in the competitive atmosphere that Harbaugh has built around this team. Welcome to the Michigan Family Cameron McGrone, you’ve made a great lifetime decision. Go Blue!

Defensive Line University

DLU

Written By: @HarbaughWeTrust

Yesterday, Michigan picked up a commitment from another highly rated defensive lineman. Stephen Herron Jr. Stephen is a 5-Star commit and he's rated as the #4 Weak-Side Defensive End in the entire country. 

Herron was just another addition to an already stacked defensive line unit. Greg Mattison has to be licking his chops with all of the talent in Ann Arbor right now.

Update: On August 5th Michigan received a commitment from 5-Star Christopher Hinton. Chris is the # 1 ranked WDE & the # 9 overall prospect in the 2019 class.

In the 2016 NFL Draft, 3 UM DLmen were drafted. Taco Charlton who went round 1 #28 overall to the Dallas Cowboys, he was a former 4-Star recruit. Chris Wormley who went round 3 #10 overall to the Baltimore Ravens, also a former 4-star recruit. Then last but not least, Ryan Glasgow (a former walk-on) who went round 4 #31 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. Michigan also has several other DLMen in the NFL: Brandon Graham (Eagles), Frank Clark (Seahawks), Willie Henry (Ravens), and Alan Branch (Patriots).

Despite losing 3 starters to the NFL I don't expect the DL to miss a beat. I have no doubts that the DL should still be Michigan's best unit on defense. Mo Hurst, who was one of the best backups in nation will be helming the middle of that defensive line. Rashan Gary, who is primed to have a an enormous break-out season. He is the former #1 overall recruit in the 2016 class. Chase Winovich had a really nice last season. He accounted for 5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss. I also expect Aubrey Solomon to make an impact as a true freshmen. He and Rashan are going to be absolute terrors for opposing Offensive Linemen. I also have a high hopes for Bryan Mone. We need him to stay injury free this season. Bryan has been battling injuries during most of his college career. Also, look out for true freshman, Luiji Vilain, he is another young guy who could come in and make an immediate impact.

There's no doubt that Michigan has the deepest defensive line in the country. James Hudon, Donovan Jeter, Derron Irving-Bey, Ron Johnson, Michael Dwumfour, Carlo Kemp, Kwitty Paye Joshua Ache, Lawrence Marshall, and Phillp Paea. That's a very scary bench!

Michigan's Defensive Line looks to be set for years to come! Us Wolverines fans owe a lot to Greg Mattison, who is one of the best defensive minds in all of Football!

Michigan's 2019 Class Starts Off Strong

Michigan Adds 2

Nolan Rumer (2019)

Earlier today Michigan received a commitment from 4-Star Offensive Lineman, Nolan Rumler out of Akron, Ohio! He is the #15 ranked offensive lineman and the #123 overall prospect in the 2019 class. Check out his commitment post here. 

Nolan's Highlights

Stephen Herron Jr. (2019)

Just now Michigan received a commitment from 5-Star Defensive End, Stephen Herron Jr. out of Louisville, Kentucky! He is the #4 ranked weak-side defensive end and the #34 overall prospect in the 2019 class. Check out his commitment post here.

Stephen's Highlights

Freshmen Freshmen Freshmen!

The New Guys

Our newest Wolverines from the 2017 class have their jersey numbers!

Jordan Anthony (LB) #1

Oliver Martin (WR) #2

Brad Robbins (P) #3

Nico Collins (WR) #4

Kurt Taylor (RB) #5

Aubrey Solomon (DT) #5

Tarik Black (WR) #7

Drew Singleton (LB) #8

Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR) #9

Dylan McCaffrey (QB) #10

Josh Ross (LB) #12

Ambry Thomas (CB) #13

Josh Metellus (S) switched to #14

Jaylen Kelly-Powell (S) #16

Luiji Vilain (WDE) #18

Kwity Paye (WDE) #19

Brad Hawkins (S) #20

O'Maury Samuels (RB) #23

Benjamin St-Juste (CB) #25

J'Marick Woods (S) #28

Deron Irving-Bey (SDE) #28

Phillip Paea (DT) #31

Ben Mason (FB/LB) #42

Cesar Ruiz (C) #51

James Hudson (SDE) #55

Chuck Filiaga (OT) #66

Ja'Raymond Hall (OT) #73

Grant Perry (WR) switched to #88

Donovan Jeter (SDE) #95

Another Michigan Season Prediction

Semi-Early Michigan Season Predictions

 Written By: Jared Bouck (@MichiganBoyAA)  

Can you feel it Michigan football fans? The season is almost here. In a little more then a month, 42 days to be exact, players donning the Maize and Blue, and Blue and Orange will lace up the cleats, put on the fitted helmets and kick-off what should be another great year, starting in Jerry's World. As the great Bob Ufer once said "football is a religion and Saturday is the holy day of obligation". Michigan is poised for a rebuilding year, according to national pundits, but I like the word "reload" much better. This team is going to be faster and stronger then any team we've seen in awhile, BUT, much like with every new team, we will have some growing pains. We're going to go through the schedule one by one and see if we can find them in this edition of early season predictions.

September 2nd, Florida

Here it is folks, game one, and it's not the sisters of the poor. This is our first chance to see all the progress and work these young kids have put on during the summer. Florida, much like us, is a very young team. This game is strength on strength, two powerhouses going at it on national TV. Expect to see a defensive slug fest in the first half, with Florida taking a 17-7 lead at halftime, showing their more experienced offense. Michigan adjust's just enough in the second half and scores 2 TD's in the 3rd, making it 21-17. Florida gets an early TD in the 4th to take the lead once more. But Michigan finds magic late as they score the final TD with 2 minutes left.

W-28-24

September 9th, Cincinnati 

Luke Fickell will lead this team into the Big House, in his first season. Not exactly a good welcoming. I don't expect much from a team that went 4-8 last year, even though they did earn a nice win over Purdue. Expect this game to be over quickly. 

W-45-13

September 16th, Air Force

This is the tricky one, a potential trap game before Big Ten play starts. Air Force runs the triple option, a very tough offense to stop in its own right, even harder when most of the defense is new. Expect some defensive frustration in the first half. I could see Air Force easily scoring 20+ on this Michigan defense. But expect the Michigan offense to make up for it in a big way. 

W-41-27

September 23rd, Purdue

Jeff Brohm, oh boy, what did you get yourself into? I have a tremendous amount of respect for what Brohm was able to do at WKU, that being said, the B1G schedule makers did Purdue absolutely no favors as Brohm's first B1G game is Michigan. Hey at least you get them at home! All in all, it's Purdue. Don't expect much more then a little "first year confidence" and a tad bit more fight then usual. This should be an easy win for Michigan 

W-48-7

October 7th, Michigan State

What an off-season for our rivals to the west, after an absolutely dismal 2016 season in which we saw the Spartans plateau at 3 wins and 9 losses. After allegations against players for issues that I won't get into, it seems that Mark Dantonio will hardly have a team to field this year. That being said, Michigan is the circled game on that green and white calendar in East Lansing. They are going to come at us with everything they have. After a close first half, expect to see Michigan's superior strength, speed and overall talent to show up as they start to pull away.

W-31-14

October 14th, Indiana

Indiana hasn't beaten a Michigan team since 1987, for those counting, that's 30 years. Indiana has given us some scares over the years, and some absolute instant classics, that won't happen this year. After a late season scandal that booted Kevin Wilson, Tom Allen took over and gave Utah the fight of their life in the bowl game, but let's be honest, Allen has an uphill climb in Bloomington, the defense should be stingy but lack of overall talent, and frankly coaching, is going to be tough to overcome. Michigan sails.

W-38-10

October 21st, Penn State

Oh boy, this is a big one. Last year, Penn State cruised to victories over Ohio State and Wisconsin and claimed A Big Ten Championship, something that has eluded the Wolverines since 2004. Michigan dismantled Penn State last year 49-10, after that game, the two teams went in two completely different directions, Michigan lost 2 games by the end of the season and Penn State rolled until an eventual loss to USC in the Rose Bowl. Don't expect a beat down like that this year. Happy Valley will be rocking for this white out game, this will be the Wolverines first real test in a hostile environment. This will be a great game, but Michigan is still too young. It will take everything in Penn States power to beat Michigan, but I think they get it done and hand a likely top 10 Wolverines team their first loss of the season.

L-27-24

October 28th, Rutgers

After a heartbreaking loss to Penn State, Michigan will have a chance to exercise some demons against the team we've all come to love, Rutgers. After a 78-0 skull dragging in last years game, Rutgers is going to want some revenge, but they're going to be disappointed. I don't think I need to say much else, it's Rutgers.

W-56-3

November 4th, Minnesota 

P. J. Fleck, you've made quite a name for yourself good sir! After taking every Michigan fans second favorite team, Western Michigan, to one of the greatest seasons they've ever had, he finally gets his chance at the big boy table. I have tremendous respect for Minnesota and what they became under coach Kill and coach Claeys, I really hope to see that continue under coach Fleck, just not against Michigan. Minnesota should be a good team this year with maybe the best group of runningbacks in the Big Ten. The potential for another thriller like in 2015 is exciting, but shouldn't happen this year. Tough battle but Michigan pulls away late.

W-34-17

November 11th, Maryland

What a job coach Durkin has done at Maryland, it seems as though some of the Harbaugh magic has rubbed off on Durkin, he took Maryland from dumpster fire to average in just one year, will he make another jump in 2017? Only time will tell. This game is AT Maryland so that poses a bit of an advantage, but much like other teams on this list, overall talent and coaching leads to a rather easy win for Michigan.

W-41-17

November 18th, Wisconsin 

Michigan and Wisconsin played an absolute instant classic last year, with Michigan winning 14-7 in a defensive slug fest of two heavy hitters, and I expect the exact same this year. This game scares me for many reasons, one of them being that I think Chryst is the most underrated coach in the Big Ten, another being Hornibrook. The freshman QB had his fair share of playing time last year and was above average for a first timer. I expect another year of development will make him one of the best in the Big Ten this year. Camp Randall is one of the toughest places in America to win a football game and much like the Penn State game, that might be a tad much for this still young Michigan team. I'm taking Wisconsin this year. 

L-21-17

November 25th, Ohio State

This is it folks, The Game, the greatest rivalry in Sports. "That school up north" and "the suckeyes". Who doesn't love a good old fashioned rivalry like this? Hmm well us Michigan fans haven't been too keen on it for awhile now, and that's because Ohio State has had our number, period. I'm one of the 90% around America who believe last years game was an atrocity, and a shame to great college referees everywhere, the better team lost that day. But forget about all of that, it's a new year and two new teams, this is the game where everything is put on the line, hearts and dreams are left on that field, the two states stop for about 3 hours for the most glorious rivalry in sports. This is a home game for Michigan and you better believe they want revenge. Ohio State is Ohio State, they're elite. The great thing is, Michigan proves they can play with the best every year, and that's why Michigan finally gets its win against Ohio State, its first win in 6 years against the dreaded scarlet and grey. Michigan needs to fight "tooth and nail". For every yard Ohio State gets, Michigan needs to get two. No more interceptions, no more fumbles or bad mistakes, take the game out of the refs hands. Play better then the refs ref -Rich Eisen. Michigan will get this win, believe it.

W-34-31

At 10-2, does Michigan get into the B1G championship? Let me know what your predictions are for the season @MichiganBoyAA on twitter 

Expected Visitors for Michigan's Annual BBQ

Expected

(ratings are based on 247)

Michigan Commits

Emil Ekiyor (Indianapolis, IN) 4-Star OT #5 overall OG (committed)

Myles Sims (Atlanta, GA) 4-Star CB #39 overall CB (committed)

Jalen Mayfield (Grand Rapids, MI) 4-Star OT #7 overall OT (committed)

Christian Turner (Buford, GA) 3-Star RB #23 overall RB (committed)

Gemon Green (DeSoto, TX) 3-Star CB #38 overall CB (committed)

German Green (DeSoto, TX) 3-Star CB #89 overall CB (committed)

Players Not Committed 

Cameron McGrone (Indianapolis, IN) 4-Star LB #3 overall OLB (2018)

Michael Thompson (St. Louis, MO) 4-Star DT #5 overall DT (2018)

Bryan Addison (Gardena, CA) 4-Star ATH #3 overall ATH (2018)

Rafiti Ghirmai (Frisco, TX) 4-Star OT #25 overall OT (2018)

Quavaris Crouch (Charlotte, NC) 5-Star RB #2 overall RB (2019)

J.T. Daniels (Santa Ana, CA) 5-Star QB #1 overall QB (2019)

Nolan Rumler (Akron, OH) 4-Star OT #15 overall OT (2019)

Kyle Ford (Anaheim, CA) 5-Star WR #4 overall WR (2019)

Stephen Herron (Louisville, KY) 5-Star DE #4 overall WDE (2019)

Jerrion Ealy (Jackson, MS) 4-Star RB #11 overall RB (2019)

Isaiah Williams (St. Louis, MO) 4-Star ATH #3 overall ATH (2019)

Shammond Cooper (St. Louis, MO) 4-Star LB #11 overall OLB (2019)

Marcus Washington (St. Louis, MO) 4-Star WR #13 overall WR (2019)

Marvin Grant (Detroit, MI) 4-Star S #6 overall S (2019)

David Bell (Indianapolis, IN) 4-Star WR #11 overall WR (2019)

Logan Brown (Grand Rapids, MI) 4-Star OT #10 overall OT (2019)

George Karlaftis (West Lafayette, IN) 4-Star DE #22 overall SDE (2019)

Nazi Smith (Grand Rapids, MI) 4-Star DT #10 overall DT (2019)

Trevor Keegan (Crystal Lake, IL) 4-Star OL #7 overall OL (2019)

David Bell (Indianapolis, IN) 4-Star WR #11 overall WR (2019)


There are A LOT of big time visitors to put it lightly. Hopefully Michigan makes an impression with all of them!

Some Thoughts on Chris Evans

Chris Evans

Written By: Josh LaFond (@JoshLaFond)

Chris Evans grew up a Buckeye fan, and going to Ohio State was always his dream. But in June of 2015 a man we all Jim Harbaugh hosted a satellite camp which Evans decided to attend, and as they say, “the rest is history.”
Michigan hasn't had a dominant running back since Mike Hart walked off the field for the last time. In my eyes, though, Chris Evans can be the heir to the Hart throne. That being said, why do I think that Evans can be successful as the starting running back, and what kind of numbers do I see him posting in the 2017-18 campaign? Let's take a look.

Vision:

Having the vision to look for the hole in the defense, and hit it is something that is somewhat rare in the college landscape today.

From his first play against his Hawaii - where he waited patiently for the block, made a move, and then burst forward for a generous gain that resulted in a first down - it was apparent that he had the aforementioned vision to identify those gaps in the defense and exploit them. As the season went on he continued to show this innate ability to find those weaknesses.

Another perfect example of his vision would be his touchdown run against Florida State in the Orange Bowl (seen at the 3:00 mark). Although it didn't end up winning the game for Michigan, it might be the most beautiful run I've ever seen. He showed the patience again by waiting for the hole to open up, made that beautiful juke we all remember, and then cut to the outside where he knew he would have the space to beat the last defender.

Speed & Quickness:

Vision isn't Evans only exceptional attribute, though. To be a successful collegiate running back you not only need to find the window, you need to be able to get through it before it closes. You can see some of that speed and quickness in the links I shared in the last subheading, but you really see more of it in the highlights of the Hawaii, Rutgers, Maryland, and Florida State games.

Michigan’s starting running back last year (who I won't name) may have had heart, but he didn't have an ounce of speed or quickness within him. Chris Evans will bring flash and flare that hasn't been seen in a Wolverine backfield in a long, long time.

Elusiveness:

Being able to evade would be tacklers is a combination of the aforementioned skills; vision, and speed & quickness. This is a attribute that the truly great backs in college football have. The ability to slip off a defender like you took a bath is cooking oil has always amazed me, and Chris Evans does this so well.

Season Projections:

Rushing Yards: 1,200 Touchdowns: 10 Receiving Yards: 400 Receiving Touchdowns: 4

I've long said that Chris Evans would have a great campaign this upcoming season, and I see that coming to fruition. 

With the addition of Pep Hamilton’s play calling, and Coach Harbaugh speaking on the record that they will feature more spread looks (as we in the spring game, will include Evans lined up in the slot as a receiver), it should aid Chris in posting a solid statistical season.

Adding to my previous comment about Chris lined up as a receiver... I see him getting at least a couple touches a game. He has the speed, the agility, and the hands to make a grab and go. Couple that with him in the slot, the screen passes he's going to get out of the backfield, and that's why I see him performing well as a receiver.

The running back depth chart may be loaded top to bottom, but when you have a special talent like Chris Evans, you find a way to keep the ball in his hands... and that's exactly what Michigan will do. 

Chris Evans Pt.2

Written By: Jared Bouck (@MichiganBoyAA)        

         "His name is Chris Evans" the color commentator announces as #12 steps onto the field for the first time. The date is September 3rd, 2016. The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors didn't know it, but they were part of a special day, even if the 63-3 drubbing didn't quite feel like it. They were the first opponent to have the "glorious" opportunity to stop Chris Evans, freshman sensation. With 3:12left in the first quarter, Evans converted a 3rd and 2 with ease. Evans finished the day with 122 yards on 8 carries and 2 touchdowns, his first game. Flash-forward 14 weeks and Evans is scoring the "go-ahead" touchdown against Florida State with a minute left on the biggest stage he's ever played on, Michigan lost but the point in moot, Chris Evans is a star in the making.

        Stop reading this article for a second, go to YouTube or whatever media streaming website your Wolverine heart desires, and look up Saquon Barkley highlights, then Chris Evans highlights, you tell me the difference. Now, I'm not saying Evans is even close to the level Barkley, heisman contender, is....yet. But the magic word is "potential". He was one of the more overlooked recruits of the 2016 class, coming out of Ben Davis high school in Indiana. Evans finished the year with 88 caries, 614 yards and 4 touchdowns in a stuffed backfield, not bad for a player who was expected to redshirt. 

         I'm not going to bash Brady Hoke or any former regime, that's not why I'm writing this piece, but with Jim Harbaugh in place, we've seen players like Chris Evans, Eddie McDoom, Rashan Gary, and Devin Bush, players with REAL speed, speed that the Wolverines haven't seen in, hmm any takers? The point is, players like Chris Evans are what is going to take this team to the next level. We want to win like OSU, Alabama, Clemson right? It's almost a feeling of euphoria to have a coach that can take us there when it seemed the previous two regimes had such trouble. 

         Karan Higdon, Ty Isaac, Chris Evans, Kareem Walker, get used to hearing those names. I'll be completely honest, the passing game is going to take some time, Wilton can deliver, but the timing between him and his new set of 4 and 5 star receivers needs some "in-game" experience to really become deadly. Players like Chris Evans and Karan Higdon NEED to step up against Florida, Air Force, Cincinnati etc. and I believe they will, I've never heard anyone complain about 250 rushing yards per game, have you? 

       Are you listening ESPN? Are you listening Fox? You're going to be saying #12's name a lot the next few years. That 5'9 200lb kid from Indianapolis? He's the next Michigan man for you to salivate over. Long gone are the days of Denard Robinson and Jabrill Peppers. It's Chris Evans turn. Pop quiz, who is the last Michigan running back to eclipse that elusive 1000 yard mark in one season? Anyone? Fitzgerald Toussaint 2011. 6 YEARS! That's over. Chris could easily hit the 1,200 yard mark this year and be in discussions for the Doak Walker award. Don't take my word for it, I'm just a 22 year old kid living in the thumb of Michigan, let him prove it.