On Campus with ross maghielse

Spartans should still be strong at WR position next year

2012-01-04T16:43:00.002-05:00

Losing your programs' record-holding quarterback and wide receiver, along with the other primary passing targets, usually doesn't bode well for the passing numbers the following season. In the case of the Spartans, who lose receivers B.J. Cunnigham, Keshawn Martin and Keith Nichol, the damage should be rather tame, however.
Michigan State still has the untapped potential of Bennie Fowler, the former multi-sport star and speedster from Birmingham Detroit Country Day. Injuries have prevented Fowler from being effective thus far in East Lansing, but if he's healthy next season he could put up big numbers in the Spartans' pro-style offense. Also returning to MSU is Tony Lippett. Lippett split time at WR and defensive back this season, but will likely be a full-time offensive player next year. The coaching staff is also very high on youngsters Juwan Caesar and Keith Mumphrey and have newcomer and four-star recruit Aaron Burbridge waiting in the wings. Usually freshman don't make an immediate impact in the upper-echelon of Division I football, but having the opportunity to see Burbrige a ton in person while he played at Farmington Hills Harrison, I think he's going to be an exception to that rule. Physically, Burbridge is already built for Big Ten play, and his conditioning should only improve. He's also got the potential to be a major playmaker, both down the field and gaining yards after the catch.
The wildcard, or in Michigan State's case the potential trump card, could be Saginaw native DeAnthony Arnett (pictured right), who's transferring from Tennessee after a strong freshman season with the Volunteers. Arnett has been granted his full release by Tennessee and has said he wants to transfer to either Michigan State or Michigan — he's returning to the state to be closer to his ailing father, and was upset at the initial response from UT that would have only granted him his release if he played for one of the MAC schools in the state.
Arnett will also likely get a waiver from the NCAA which will allow him to play immediately, wherever he ends up. Various message boards and social media posts around his situation have pointed to the fact he has a strong friendship with incumbent MSU starting quarterback Andrew Maxwell. Arnett could also be swayed to East Lansing and away from Ann Arbor based on the fact that the receiving core, in terms of experience at least, is thinner at MSU than with the Wolverines. Arnett has NFL talent and NFL aspirations, so the safe bet would be for him to choose to play in the Spartans' pro-style offense and not catch passes in a hybrid offense with Denard Robinson at quarterback at Michigan.
The Spartans will have to make up for the loss of both their primary tight ends (Brian Linthicum and Garrett Celek) but do have Dion Sims to step in at that position. Sims was a highly-regarded recruit coming out of Orchard Lake St. Mary's and if he lives up to his potential, and pure talent, will be a much better playmaker at that position.
As for the quarterback position, Cousins won't be easy to replace. I think he was the best quarterback in MSU history, and the stats back that up (my apologies to Tony Banks and Jim Miller... and yes even Jeff 'Slap my face' Smoker). Mark Dantonio said he wanted to get Maxwell more playing time this season, but a too close for comfort opener against Youngstown State and a rigorous schedule prevented that. Maxwell got in during the FAU and Central Michigan games and played fairly well given the circumstances. He'll be a work in progress next season, but as a whole the Spartans' passing attack should remain strong — if not even improve.

Sugar Bowl pre-game notes: Big games have meant big results for Robinson

2012-01-03T10:29:00.002-05:00

Say what you want about Denard Robinson. He's far from perfect at the quarterback position, and at times he can even be maddeningly dreadful. Yet, tonight he'll have a chance to lead Michigan to its first BCS bowl win since Tom Brady 12 years ago in the Orange Bowl. One thing the Wolverines have to like about their chances is that their quite, easy going QB has established a track record of becoming an absolute animal in big moments this season.
Whether it was leading Michigan back from a 24-7 deficit in 15 minutes against Notre Dame in the first night game ever played at the Big House, or closing out the season with arguably the best performances of his career in back-t0-back weeks against Nebraska and Ohio State — Robinson has showed a flash for excelling on the big stage.
Robinson's season stats aren't great: He's completed 56 percent of his passes for 2,056 yards, 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He's also rushed for 1,163 yards and 16 touchdowns (with the occasional fumble mixed in).
But the kid who went by the nickname "Shoelace" the past few years has taken on a different name under the new Michigan regime.
"I would classify Denard Robinson as a pure baller," Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges told the media this week in New Orleans. "He balls. When it's time to line up and go, he goes. He's going to perform. That's what he is."
It's what his teammates and coaches love about him. He never loses his composure, whether it be during an interception and incompletion loaded first half against Notre Dame or Northwestern, or a post-game press conference where he's getting peppered with questions about his accuracy, he just goes about his business.
It's a trait he's always had, as his former high school coach in Deefield Beach, Fla. explained to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Robinson just has "the look."
The Wolverines turnaround this season is also strongly attributed to the team's defense. The same group of players that ESPN analyst Chris Spielman said would be "a bunch of guys who would be nice little subs at Indiana," the Wolverines have become the 17th-ranked defense in the country this season under new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison.
Beating Virginia Tech in tonight's Sugar Bowl would serve as the ultimate validation for the job Mattison and head coach Brady Hoke have done "coaching up" a group of defensive players that they didn't recruit.
Defensive lineman Craig Roh and Ryan Van Bergen said the improved Wolverines defense is a credit to the approach that the new coaches brought this season.
Adding to the intrigue of tonight's game is the fact that both Michigan and Virginia Tech have so much in common. It's not out of bounds to say that the Wolverines play more like a ACC team than a Big Ten team — which given the Big Ten's track record in bowl games might not be a bad thing. Virginia Tech has a dual threat QB as well in Logan Thomas but also has the ACC's Offensive Player of the Year in running back David Wilson. And like Michigan, the Hokies are starving for success in a BCS bowl — they were blown out by Stanford last season.
While Michigan's turnaround has drawn much of the national attention around this game, there's also considerable pressure on Virginia Tech and coach Frank Beamer to start producing wins, not appearances, at the BCS level.
AthlonSports.com put together a statistical comparison of the two teams.
The Sugar Bowl kicks off tonight at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Outback Bowl pre-game notes: Cousins gets ultimate shot in spotlight

2012-01-02T10:37:00.004-05:00

When the lights have been brightest on the Michigan State football program, the Spartans haven't shined. Michigan State hasn't won a bowl game since 2001 (Yes, when Bobby Williams was the coach) and the Spartans were embarrassed in last year's rout against Alabama, 49-7. They also came up short in this year's conference championship game. However,
Michigan State is, in my opinion, hands down the best team not playing in a BCS bowl game and will be looking to prove so against Georgia today.
MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins will also get his moment under the national microscope, as he'll take part in Jon Gruden's QB Camp on ESPN. The segment will air approximately at 11:50 a.m. Spartans blogger Chris Vannini has a sneak peak of the segment on his blog.
The Spartans will also be trying to compete against the notion that Big Ten teams aren't fast enough to compete with the SEC. Northwestern already lost to soon-to-be SEC team Texas A&M and the Big Ten conference has never performed very well against SEC opponents, especially in bowl games.
MSU does have perhaps the best defense in the conference, with enough speed to match up with the Bulldogs playmakers. Pressure on Georgia QB Aaron Murray is crucial and MSU linebacker Denicos Allen said he plans on causing havoc for the Bulldogs signal caller. Allen leads MSU with 10 sacks this season, some of which have become known inside the Spartans locker room has "Waterboy sacks" in reference to Adam Sandler's Bobby Boucher character.
The Spartans will be up against a fully-loaded Georgia offense today, which will feature a convoy of receiving targets for Murray as well as a healthy Isaiah Crowell, the freshman running back who leads Georgia in rushing this season. There's also been some speculation that Georgia coach Mark Richt could be coaching for his job today. While I don't think Richt will be fired if the Bulldogs lose, a win would certainly go a long way towards improving his job security.
Besides getting the no bowl win moneky of his back, Dantonio is also well aware of the importance a win in this game has in terms of recruiting. With Urban Meyer now at Ohio State, Michigan back in the BCS and Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl yet again, the stakes have been raised in the Big Ten. Dantonio talked about the Spartans bowl losing streak, which includes a loss to Georgia and Matthew Stafford in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl. While the even keel coach is not the type to put a "must-win" label on any game, rest assured the importance of this game resonates throughout the Spartans' program.
Finally, there's the issue of being slighted. The Spartans are angry, and rightfully so, that they're in the Outback Bowl and Michigan is in a BCS game despite losing to MSU, playing a weaker schedule and not reaching the conference championship game. It's created a tough situation for MSU. A Spartan loss, compounded by a Michigan win over Virginia Tech could cause a considerable shift in recruiting momentum for the two programs. Oakland Press columnist Pat Caputo talked more about that very topic in a recent column.
Finally for Cousins, along with teammates Jerel Worthy and B.J. Cunningham, it's an audition for the NFL. Worthy said he's pretty much "50-50" on whether or not he'll return to East Lansing for his senior season. Cousins expressed his desire to play professionally as well and is ranked by ESPN's Mel Kiper as a Top 5 senior quarterback in this year's draft class. Cunningham is less of a known name nationally, but a big game today followed by a strong combine could put him in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft. He has 72 receptions for 1,240 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. I think all three will be drafted by the fourth round, but they'll need to convince NFL scouts that they're worth that early of a pick.
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. on ABC.

Little Caesars Pizza Pizza Bowl example of unneeded excess in college football

2011-12-26T12:39:00.003-05:00

Despite all its flaws, I like the college football bowl system in Division I. Maybe not the system itself, but the games. They do a great job showcasing more teams and players, allowing more teams to finish their seasons on a high note on national TV, which improves their brand and recruiting — thus in many ways improves the quality of college football across the board. It's a March Madness feel without the playoff reality (I'm currently 6-1 in The Oakland Press office pool by the way, which is another reason for optimism).
Having said that, there's too many. While it's hard to convince a corporate accountant of this, just because a sponsor is willing to underwrite a game doesn't mean it should exist. Sorry, but that includes the Little Caesars Pizza Pizza Bowl in Detroit (by the way, if it must exist, it should be called the Crazy Bread Bowl). The herd needs to be thinned.
This year's participants, Western Michigan (7-5) and Purdue (6-6) both are below average football teams. Winning six games in a college football season is so easy Eastern Michigan can do it. I saw both the Broncos and the Boilermakers play in person this year and flashes of a few of their other games on TV. Western has a nice quarterback-to-receiver combo in Alex Carder and All-American Jordan White. That's it. Purdue can point to Drew Brees and Cliff Avril and say 'They went here'. That's it. The Broncos didn't beat a single team with an over .500 record this season. Neither did Purdue.
Bad football in Detroit is outdated, remember.
Save the argument that it's good for the downtown area. Even with two relatively nearby opponents, that crowd is going to be sparse. And I'm not just picking on the Motor City Bowl (excuse me, the Pizza Pizza Bowl. I momentarily forgot Detroit's auto companies got their financial priorities in order). It's just an example of the bowl excess in college football. I've attended one Motor City Bowl — it was in 2007 when Purdue beat Central Michigan 51-48 as quarterbacks Curtis Painter and Dan LeFevour put on an offensive show. It was without question the best game in the bowl's history. I could have lived without it. I will say LeFevour was fun to watch, and Central deserved to be in a higher bowl that year but got stuck at Ford Field for attendance and other monetary reasons. Yet, it was nothing more than two really good QBs tacking advantage of really bad defenses. In other words, mediocre to bad football.
At minimum, the college bowl field should be cut to 25 games (it's at 35 this year). That's the top 50 teams in the country, in theory, playing in the postseason. That's more than enough. Also playing Wednesday are Louisville and North Carolina State in the Belk Bowl (If you didn't know, Belk is a department store. It's the fourth sponsor for this game). Get your popcorn ready. Or, you could do what I'm doing and make other plans.

Yet, for those who do care, here's a preview of the game out of Kalamazoo

Recruiting wars heating up for Wolverines

2011-12-15T13:51:00.002-05:00

While the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech is set for just after the new year, the Michigan coaching staff is also fiercely preparing to make the team better for next season.
Newly named Ohio State coach Urban Meyer wasted little time making a recruiting splash when he snagged star recruit Se'Von Pittman away from Michigan State this week. It's representative of something Michigan athletic director David Brandon said was unfair, in that Ohio State is currently allowed to employ two coaching staffs. The current staff led by Luke Fickell is preparing the team for its bowl game against Florida while Meyer's incoming staff is allowed to hit the recruiting trails with no other distractions. However, the Wolverines are recruiting, and recruiting well.
Here's some news from around the web:

Meyer, who was Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison's old boss at Florida — including when they won a national title together in 2006 — called Mattison one of the best recruiters in the country. Brady Hoke has also shared that opinion time and time again since Mattison's hire and Mattison himself said during the preseason that one major factor in him deciding to leave the Baltimore Ravens for Michigan was his love of recruiting. He also expressed full confidence in his, and the entire staff's, ability to recruit top-ranked players to Ann Arbor. Mattison declined to talk about his time working for Meyer in a recent article for AnnArbor.com.

Three prized recruits have indicated that Michigan is at the top of their lists as Signing Day approaches in February. Top 10 recruit Stefon Diggs (Maryland), who is being recruited as an "athlete" could be in a Michigan uniform next season. Diggs has taken just one official visit, which was to California but is far from committed.
Cornerback Yuri Wright (New Jersey) is ranked as the third best defensive back in the country and is a 4-star recruit. Mattison's recruiting skills and system could give the Wolverines an edge in landing him. ESPN.com's recruiting page says Wright is planning on attending the Sugar Bowl.
Offensive tackle Joshua Garnett (Washington) has already taken an official visit to Michigan and would be another great piece to add to an already impressive incoming group of offensive lineman. Read more about these recruits and see game highlights in this article from The Bleacher Report.

According to Scout.com, Michigan has the second-best recruiting class in the national already, behind only Texas. The Wolverines have 23 verbal commits and are expected to land a few more before Signing Day. See more info on Michigan's recruiting class along with additional players the Wolverines are pursing on Scout.com's football recruiting page.

The Wolverines will look a little different when they take the field in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl Jan. 3. Michigan will unveil new uniforms for that game, which will be white-based because the Wolverines are technically the road team. The uniforms are a modified version of the legacy uniforms Michigan wore against Notre Dame and Michigan State. See a photo of the jersey's from The Michigan Daily.

MSU's Worthy, Michigan's Molk named first-team All-Americans

2011-12-14T14:48:00.003-05:00

Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy came into the season with sky-high expectations. Michigan center David Molk had a little less fan fare (which goes with the territory of being an offensive lineman, particularly a center). However, both ended up on the Associated Press first-team All-American team today.
Worthy has been projected some NFL Draft experts to be as high as a first-round pick, but hasn't made a decision or announcement on whether or not he'll return to East Lansing for his senior year. Worthy said he'll make that decision after the Spartans face Georgia in the Outback Bowl Jan. 2. Worthy totaled 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks this season.
Molk became the first AP first-team All-American from Michigan since Jake Long in 2007. Molk as won the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's best center. Molk and Worthy were on the only selections from Michigan or Michigan State to be named to the AP's first or second team. Western Michigan wide reciever Jordan White was named to the third team. White was placed on the third team despite leading the nation in receiving yards with 1,646 on 127 catches with 16 touchdowns.
Other first-team selections from the Big Ten include Wisconsin's Monte Ball (RB) and Kevin Zeitler (OG) along with Illinois' Whitney Mercilus (DE) and Penn State's Devon Still (DT).

Detroit Mercy appears to be burning bridges with in-state teams

2011-12-09T14:11:00.004-05:00

If you're looking for a modern day symbol of the historical rift between the City of Detroit and its Michigan surroundings, the men's basketball program at University of Detroit Mercy might be it. It appears that either the Titans are burning bridges with in-state schools, or those schools are choosing to cast them aside.
Detroit beat Western Michigan 92-81 at Calihan Hall Thursday night but it will be the last time the two teams play each other for a while, as Broncos coach Steve Hawkins announced he's ending the 18-year series between the two schools. While Hawkins hasn't made specific comments on why he's opted not to renew the deal with Detroit, reports from the Kalamazoo Gazzette indicate that he's upset over how current Titans Juwan Howard Jr. and LaMarcus Lowe, both former Broncos, ended up playing for McCallum and the Titans.
Lowe, from Flint, is now a senior at UDM after transferring there sighting mostly family reasons following the 2008-2009 season. Howard Jr., from Detroit, joined his former Bronco teammate after last season and is currently sitting out the year in Detroit. At Detroit's media day earlier this year Howard Jr. said his decision to transfer was purely about basketball and his confidence in the direction of the Titans program.
There's no reason not to believe that. Under the direction of McCallum, the Titans basketball program has steadily improved. Detroit was a popular preseason pick to win the Horizon League this year and despite early-season troubles, the Titans still have a strong chance of coming through on that prediction. With remolded facilities, including the newly-named Dick Vitale Court, along with a regular TV series on Fox Sports Net Detroit and some nationally televised games coming their way, everything about Titans basketball is on the upswing.
However, the rift with the Titans is not exclusive to WMU. There's been a long-time grudge between UDM and Oakland as well. Those issues extend long before McCallum's arrival, but they've been amplified since. The Titans were supposed to restart a series with the Golden Grizzlies last season, but opted out late in the process, angering OU coach Greg Kampe.
There was early speculation that because both Oakland and Detroit are part of this year's ESPN BracketBusters the Titans and Grizzlies would play this season, but Kampe squashed those rumors by saying he'd refuse to play at Calihan Hall.
"We said we won't play them if it's a BracketBuster," Kampe told Matt Pocket and Bryan Everson on WXOU's "The Greg Kampe Show" last week. "We're not playing them there. They owe us a game. They can come here and play us and everything will be all nice again, but until (then) it's not going to happen. We just said if they pair us up with Detroit, we're not going."
Detroit does not regularly play Michigan or Michigan State either, however there are rumors of a regular series starting between the Titans and Eastern Michigan -- now coached by Detroit native Rob Murphy.
Another indicator that links this issue specifically to the Detroit men's basketball program is that the school regularly plays other state schools such as Oakland and Western Michigan in other sports, including women's basketball.

Led by local talent, Wayne State has chance to shock Division II football

2011-12-07T11:00:00.002-05:00

Grand Valley State is no longer the dominant Michigan team in Division II football. The Lakers are down, and my goodness are the Wayne State Warriors ever up.
Wayne State is just two wins away from what would be a shocking Division II title. The Warriors (11-3) will travel to unbeaten Winston-Salem (13-0) for a semifinal game Saturday.
Much of the Warriors' talent has been drawn from Oakland County. In total, Wayne State has 21 players from Oakland County, several of whom have made a major impact.
Senior running back Josh Renel of Rochester Adams has tallied over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns this season and is a Harlon Hill Award candidate (the Division II equivalent to the Heisman Trophy). Sophomore linebacker Ed Viverette (Birmingham Brother Rice) is a key contributor on defense with 69 total tackles and 7 1/2 sacks as is former South Lyon standout and WSU cornerback Anthony Baskin, who also contributes on special teams. Senior left tackle Joe Long from nearby Lapeer East recently won the the Upshaw Award for Super Region 3, which makes him a national finalist for the award given to the best lineman in Division II.
The players who took a chance on a downtrodden and frankly irrelevant program just a few years ago now have a shot to reshape the Warriors' image.
"It really has been an emotional roller-coaster ride," Renel said. "When we finally saw our name on there (the playoff bracket), it was really a second chance."
The Warriors have made the most of that opportunity.
Just making the playoffs, which they barely did less than a month ago, was a first-time accomplishment for the program. Wayne State lost 43-42, in overtime, to Findlay on the last game of the year -- finishing 8-3. Somehow, the Warriors not only got into the Division II playoffs, but have since reeled off three consecutive road wins including an upset over D-II power Minnesota Duluth last week.
"Losing the last game (to Findlay), you're thinking it's over," said safety Jeremy Jones, who has nine interceptions on the year, three of which came in an upset playoff win over Nebraska-Kearney. "It's very surreal. It's gone by so fast."
Jones, from Rockford High School, was named Division II Defensive Back of the Year this season.
Wayne State coach Paul Winters went 4-16 in his first two seasons after taking over the program in 2004. The talent cupboard was bare and the program's brand recognition extended little further than its stadium placed awkwardly off the highway in what will never be mistaken for the entertainment district of Detroit.
The perception of Wayne State football will change drastically if the Warriors cap off their already improbable run with a national championship. Winters isn't looking ahead though.
"It's hard to talk about what we've done... We're still in the process of doing it," he said.
With mid-December set to arrive and the onslaught of Division I college bowl games about to kickoff, what Wayne State has been able to do in its playoff run should serve as a reminder of what Division I teams are missing.
The chance to do the improbable. Just lining up, winning games and staying alive for another week. That's the way it should be and that's what's happening at Wayne State right now.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this post

Here's more news on the Warriors from around the web:
Warriors a tough team on the road -- The Winston-Salem Journal

Jones resist temptation to quite, finds success at Wayne State -- The Detroit News

Wayne State has built a football winner -- The Detroit News

Spartans have done enough to earn national respect, but haven't demanded it

2011-12-04T00:28:00.004-05:00

Michigan State safety Isaiah Lewis dove right underneath the leg of Wisconsin punter Brad Nortman to draw the penalty that costs MSU the game Saturday night, but in reality that kick went straight to the Spartans' gut.
Lewis' running into the kicker penalty, on a punt that was returned by Keshawn Martin inside the Wisconsin 10-yard line, denied MSU a Big Ten championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl. No luck this time for the Green and White.
It was a horrible call. While by definition Lewis did run into the kicker, that call can't be made in that circumstance. Officials should not take the fate of the game out of players' hands. Let 'em play ref. Let 'em play.
It's a shame, really. Michigan State outplayed Wisconsin Saturday and deserved to win that game. What's going to compound the heartbreak for the Spartans is that this game -- more specifically that penalty -- has cut the legs out from what was a program-defining season in East Lansing. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio wants so badly to be able to change the national image of Spartan football. He also believed whole wholeheartedly that this group of players was the group that was going to accomplish that. It's the reason for the "Little Giants" play call last season against Notre Dame. The reason he showed not the slightest bit of surprise when Kirk Cousins connected with Keith Nichol on the hail mary that beat the Badgers earlier in the year and why he called a fake extra, which was successful, early in Saturday's game.
This team, which features a senior class that has won more games than any other in the history of MSU's program, was supposed to finish on top -- at least in the minds of everyone associated with it. Michigan State even went as far as to put Rose Bowl perihelia up around the football complex this week, including Roses in the players lockers. That's the type of confidence this team had.
Yet, entering Saturday's Big Ten championship game, MSU was listed as 9.5 point underdogs to Wisconsin -- despite beating the Badgers in the regular season and finishing with the best record in the Big Ten.
Somehow, that logic rang true. The underdog Spartans did what the "experts" said they would do. They came up short.
"This is a good football team. This is a good program and their tired of being disrespected," MSU radio announcer and former Spartan quarterback Jim Miller said Saturday night.
They've got to be getting tired of losing big games, also.
While a Vegas betting line might not offend the Spartans, getting left out of the BCS pool should and likely will.
"We are the winningest program the last four years in terms of Big Ten conference games," Dantonio said prior to the championship game. "We're 24-8. We're 14-2 in the conference the past two years, so hopefully we're changing that thought process a little bit... I think we're changing perceptions as we go."
That being said, there's not a BCS bowl executive or board member in the country that would rather have Michigan State in its game over a more prestigious football school -- such as Michigan. In many ways the Spartans are the equivalent to a basketball mid-major when it comes to the top ranks of college football. The only way they're going to get respect is if they demand it. If they leave no doubt. Beating Wisconsin Saturday night was an opportunity to do that. I believe Michigan State should get an at-large bid to the BCS. In my mind the Spartans are one of the top 10 teams in the country. But it's no secret that is the minority opinion.
Instead, the Spartans will likely end up in either the Capitol One Bowl or the Outback Bowl against either Arkansas or Georgia. Until next year at least, Michigan State is still Michigan State. And like Saturday's performance, that's just not good enough.

Spartans, Wolverines now battling for BCS

2011-11-28T13:34:00.004-05:00

For Michigan State, the situation is simple: Beat Wisconsin in Saturday's Big Ten championship game and the Spartans are heading to the Rose Bowl. Yet, even though MSU is in control of its own destiny, Michigan might have the more favorable situation when it comes to getting a BCS bid.
While Michigan will have no other option than to sit and wait, a loss by MSU Saturday might propel the Wolverines into an at-large BCS invite.
The Spartans are ranked 13th in the latest BCS standings released Sunday night, Michigan is ranked 16th. In order to get an at-large bid to the BCS you have to be ranked in top 14. Many BCS experts from ESPN and CBS say Michigan would likely jump the loser of the Michigan State-Wisconsin game and or Georgia if it loses to LSU in the SEC championship game. Since three teams from the same conference can't get a BCS bid, that means a loss to Wisconsin will likely leave the Spartans as the odd-man out -- again.
Even though MSU beat Michigan in the regular season, won the Legends Division of the Big Ten and is currently ranked a full percentage point higher than the Wolverines in the BCS, the Spartans might fall victim to the flawed system of college football marketing which favors brand recognition over quality.
There's no question BCS sponsors would rather have Michigan than Michigan State. Michigan will draw better national TV ratings, bring more fans and flat about provide more flash.
As Michigan athletic director David Brandon told reporters after the Ohio State game, "We're Michigan. Everyone knows who we are and our tradition and our team."
Like it or not Spartan fans, that statement is undeniably true. Even MSU coach Mark Dantonio admits his program doesn't have the national recognition, yet, of the country's historically elite programs.
It's the same reason the Spartans were snubbed last season, even though they finished with an 11-1 regular season record.
The ideal scenario for this state, and the MSU-Michigan rivalry, would be for the Spartans to advance to the Rose Bowl and the Wolverines to get invited to the Sugar Bowl as an at-large team.
It's very possible.
The Spartans will either face the best team in the Pac 12 (unless Stanford or Oregon qualify for the National Championship Game) or the third team from the SEC in either the Capitol One Bowl or Outback Bowl.
If Michigan does get a BCS invite, they'll likely face the worst of the BCS crop in the Sugar Bowl -- probably Houston. Otherwise they'll end up in the same SEC matchup as a non-BCS Spartans team would.
As it stands, Michigan is the team with the best chance to win a BCS game this season -- which considering MSU had the better year and won the rivalry game in the regular season, won't sit well with Spartan fans.

Dantonio, Hoke both getting consideration for Coach of the Year
The Big Ten Coach of the Year award will be announced Wednesday and it should go to either Brady Hoke or Mark Dantonio.
What Hoke has been able to do at Michigan in his first-season, even with a schedule padded with eight home games and a down Ohio State, is spectacular. Nobody, even the Wal-Mart Wolverine faithful, saw Michigan winning 10 games this season. If the award goes to Hoke, it can't be questioned.
"I’m proud of Brady that he came in and ignored the naysayers and did his job and created a success story in his first year… He’s my coach of the year, I can tell you that,” Brandon said.
On the other side, Dantonio is establishing a level of consistency that's never been associated with Michigan State football. The Spartans have won back-to-back conference titles for the first time since 1998-1999 and have won 10 games in consecutive seasons for the first time ever.
The balance of power has shifted in the Big Ten and what Dantonio has been able to do at Michigan State is a big part of that.
“It’s an extremely competitive conference,” Dantonio said in conference call Sunday, not putting forth any lobbying on his behalf to win the award. “You look around and see people winning games that they would not normally. That's a credit to our conference."
A third candidate would be Wisconsin's Bret Bielema, who also praised what Dantonio has done at MSU in Sunday's Big Ten conference call.
"I've known Mark a long time and he's a tremendous football coach. The product on the field represents what those coaches are doing every day."
The Spartans and Badgers kickoff just after 8 p.m. Saturday in Indianapolis in a game that will determine a lot for each program, as well as Michigan, come bowl season.

Izzo has Spartans back to basics

2011-11-27T15:09:00.004-05:00

Last season Michigan State coach Tom Izzo relied on talent and experience to carry his team. It didn't work. This year, the Spartans have gone back to the style of play that made them a mainstay among college basketball's elite and gave Izzo the reputation of being a rebounding and defensive genius.
Michigan State's most recent 72-40 victory at Eastern Michigan Sunday, its fourth in a row, wasn't easy to watch. Yet, it was identifiably Spartan basketball. MSU out rebounded the Eagles by 20 and held them to 28.6 percent shooting from the floor. EMU had just 13 points at halftime (sure MSU had just 25, but that's the formula that works in East Lansing and in the Big Ten).
Michigan State (4-2) has out rebounded all six of its opponents this season and is doing so by an average of 11.6 boards per game. Izzo's club is also making up for a lack of offensive ability by crashing the offensive glass -- another Spartan trademark.
Senior Draymond Green is leading the rebounding effort, averaging 10.8 per game. It's also no coincidence he's leading MSU in scoring with an average of 12.4 points.
Scoring, or the lack of it, is an issue but it won't derail the Spartans' chances of making an impact both in the Big Ten and in the NCAA tournament this season. MSU had plenty of offense last year, but without the defensive effort or team commitment, it got the Spartans only as far as a 19-15 record and a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament.
The points will start to come for MSU. Sophomore point guard Keith Appling will need to start looking to score and transfer shooting guard Brandon Wood needs to find his shooting touch.
By the time Big Ten play begins Dec. 28 at home against Indiana, I think both will.
Appling's offensive ability is well known. He set the MHSAA scoring record for a state championship game with his 49 point performance as a senior at Detroit Pershing. I've seen Brandon Wood play twice in person when he was at Valparaiso. Both times he scored over 30 points. He doesn't look comfortable in the MSU starting lineup just yet, but make no mistake, he can score. Freshman Brandon Dawson is another player who looks trigger shy offensively right now, but he too has a lot to offer on the offensive end.
What matters most for the Spartans is that the defense, rebounding and team chemistry look strong so far.
The Spartans don't have the depth or talent they had a year ago, but they're back to doing the dirty work that gave the program its identity during Izzo's 17-year tenure as the head coach in East Lansing.

Wolverines have chance to turn the page with win over 'Ohio'

2011-11-21T14:40:00.003-05:00

Coming off an era of Michigan football that was so turbulent it warranted a book titled "Three and Out" to tell the story, the Wolverines now have a chance to officially start a new chapter of Michigan football. That chance is Saturday, the last in November, at high noon against the school Michigan coach Brady Hoke still won't mention by name.
"Beat Ohio," is all he really has to say.
That's been Hoke's message to his team since his first day back in Ann Arbor. It's almost fitting that Hoke refers to the school simply by the name of its state. The state that the Wolverines, and practically everyone else in our state -- whether maize and blue, green and white or somewhere in between -- universally despises.
We hate its cops. Hate its toll roads. Hate its cities. And for Michigan fans, that hate is compounded by not beating the Ohio State Buckeyes since 2003. Seven straight losses, most of which weren't even close.
Saturday, at home in the Big House, Michigan will be favored against the Buckeyes for the first time since 2004 (Wolverines are a 7.5 point favorites as of Tuesday).
The countdown clocks installed at Al Glick Field House have been running all season.
"Beat Ohio." The. Most. Important. Game. On. The. Schedule.
A win Saturday would give Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson something other, less-criticized pro-style quarterbacks such as Chade Henne and John Navarre never got. Robinson is coming off his most impressive game, given the circumstances, of his career with what he did against Nebraksa (11-for-18 180 yards, 2 TDs; 23 carries, 83 yards 2 TDs) this past weekend, earning him co-offensive player of the week honors. Saturday could become his best moment as a Wolverine -- a chance to end the losing streak, finish with 10 wins and potentially earn a bid to a BCS bowl.
"Beat Ohio," the capacity crowd at the Big House chanted as the Nebraska game came to an end.
At Tuesday's press conference, Hoke reiterated that the Wolverines have great respect for "that team" and "that school."
Respect is one thing, after all Hoke is a Kettering, Ohio native. But this game, this year, means as much as it ever has to Michigan. Because of the circumstances, it equals the stakes of the No. 1 vs. No 2. battle of 2006. It's a chance for Michigan, as a program, to move forward while at the same time stomp on its most hated rival while its down.
A loss Saturday derails what's been a joyride of a comeback season for Michigan. It's not only a must-win, it's a game in which the Wolverines need to make a statement.
It's the most important game on the schedule. It's not just the Wolverines vs. the Buckeyes. It's Michigan vs. Ohio.

Here's some other Wolverine news from around the web:
Win over Nebraska was signature moment for surprisingly fast-improving program -- The Oakland Press

Michigan coach Brady Hoke can't wait for Ohio State game -- The Detroit Free Press

The Game overshadows Michigan's win over Nebraska -- The Michigan Daily

Why Michigan will be too hyped following win over Nebraska -- The Bleacher Report

Michigan starving for win over Ohio State -- Ann Arbor.com

New era of Big Ten could belong to Spartans

2011-11-19T10:37:00.003-05:00

Three wins. That's all Michigan State needs to establish itself as the Big Ten's model program going forward in this new era of the conference. As of now, the Spartans are in control of their own destiny. They don't need any help -- and judging by the conversation in the Twitter world, they certainly don't want any from Michigan.
Today it's Indiana. Next week it's at Northwestern -- both teams MSU has a track record of beating. Should be no different this year, which would give MSU an opportunity to win the first-ever Big Ten championship game.
As it stands, the Big Ten at least for the immediate future is a three team race. Ohio State is a mess, even if Urban Meyer does take the job, it will take time. Iowa has become typecast as an eight-win football team. Purdue's ship has long since sailed. Michigan is still rebuilding towards becoming a championship caliber team. Who knows if Penn State will ever recover from what it's going through now. That leaves MSU, Wisconsin and Nebraska.
If the Spartans drop one of their final two games and allow Nebraska to face Wisconsin in the championship game, it will be a major setback. Yet, an inaugural championship game appearance -- potentially a win and Rose Bowl bid -- puts MSU at the top.
A win today against Indiana caps off back-to-back undefeated seasons at home for MSU. The next step will be winning its second-consecutive conference championship (this time it would be outright).
It's going to be a new Big Ten going forward. MSU has an opportunity to put itself in the drivers seat.

Here's some more Spartan news from around the web:
Michigan State-Indiana Preview: Stats and Facts -- Mlive.com

Mark Dantonio's first class on verge of leaving great legacy -- The Detroit News

Headset or no headset, Brady Hoke coaches Michigan football

2011-11-17T14:09:00.003-05:00

The conversation started Game 1 against Western Michigan: "Hey, did you notice Brady Hoke wasn't wearing a headset?"
Yeah, we did. Thanks Mike Rosenberg.
It was more of an interesting factoid about a new coach in is first game at that point, but the discussion has been raised again recently. This time with more weight being put on it.
Wednesday, 97.1 FM The Ticket radio host Mike Valenti pointed to Hoke's lack of headgear as evidence that he doesn't actually coach the Wolverines on game day. Valenti insinuated Hoke was nothing more than a motivator and PR guy for Michigan. That the coordinators Greg Mattison and Al Borges actually do the coaching.
Good fodder for talk radio. Yet, it's a very inaccurate accusation.
(Note: Hoke occasionally does put on a headset during games. See photographic evidence to the right)
True, Mattison sets up and calls in the defensive formations and Borges calls the plays. That's no different than virtually every other pro and major college football program. In fact, when a head coach actually does take over play calling -- Andy Reid in Philadelphia comes to mind -- it makes news.
Sure, most head coaches do wear headsets. Not sure exactly why Hoke doesn't and haven't asked him after any game. It's a non-issue.
All you need to do is watch one Michigan practice, or observe Hoke intently on game day to see that he no doubt coaches the Wolverines. Whether it's him lining up across from a defensive lineman on the practice field and going through drills or pulling aside Devin Gardner after one of his JaMarcus Russell-esque overthrows on third down. Or getting in the ear of Denard Robinson after one of his jackpot interception tosses. He's just as active, if not more so, than any other head football coach.
Michigan is 8-2 playing with the same players that struggled to finish 7-6 last season. That's coaching.
Yes, Mattison and Borges deserve a ton of credit for what they've done -- particularly Mattison with that defense -- but Hoke does as well.
He's not a figurehead. He's not a "football CEO." He's not a glorified defensive line coach like Rod Marinelli, which many threw out there on Twitter yesterday. He's a college head football coach to his core.
If you want to point to Joe Paterno (past tense) not wearing a headset or Birmingham Brother Rice's ancient Al Fracassa and say they're figureheads who's assistants handle game day coaching duties, fine. Brady Hoke's not in that same boat.

Here's some more Michigan news from around the web as the Wolverines prepare for Nebraska on Saturday:

Communication key to Michigan's defensive turnaround -- The Detroit Free Press

Kicker Brandon Gibbons opens up about struggles -- AnnArbor.com

Michigan's Five Most Likely Bowl Opponents -- BleacherReport.com

Robinson's fumbling issues addressed, Hoke plays quarterback -- The Michigan Daily

No need for NBA season in Detroit, plenty of basketball to go around

2011-11-13T14:21:00.003-05:00

All indications are that the NBA Players Association is set to reject the latest offer from David Stern and the owners, which will more than likely derail any chances of having a 2011-2012 NBA season. Count me among the many that don't care.
I love basketball. It's my favorite sport. Yet, the NBA as a whole has been a declining product for awhile now.
Unless your team has one of the 5-7 true superstars, you'll be investing your time and money to watch half-speed, low-effort basketball.
The Pistons have been a part of some great sports memories in Detroit during their history, but there's no need for them to take the floor for another 30 win season this year.
You want basketball, there's plenty of it.
The University of Michigan may have its best team in the past decade, if not further, and has a legitimate chance to win the Big Ten and make an NCAA tournament run. We all got our first look at the Spartans Friday against No. 1-ranked North Carolina and the early impressions are promising. They too, should contend for a Big Ten title this season.
For those in the Detroit area, there's good basketball closer to home as well.
Oakland lost Keith Benson, but gained Laval Lucas-Perry and returned Reggie Hamilton for what will be an exciting, high-scoring backcourt. The Golden Grizzlies open the season Monday night at Alabama -- and unlike year's past, they've got plenty of home games this season, including Tennessee at the O'rena and Michigan at The Palace. That's good basketball being played in Rochester.
Detroit Mercy is also loaded this year. Without currently suspended center Eli Holman, the Titans are still a very strong team. With him -- he is expected to return at some point -- Butler's got a huge problem in the Horizon League. Led by former Birmingham Detroit Country Day star Ray McCallum Jr., the Titans are going to have a fun team to watch and should be able to pack Calihan Hall. I'm already excited for the home game against St. John's Dec. 5.
As always, Oakland County is also home to some of the best high school hoops in the state.
Throw in the fact that the Lions, Spartans and Wolverines are all relevant on the football field -- as are the Red Wings on the ice -- and truth be told, our paper at The Oakland Press would be hard-pressed finding room to cover the Pistons' mediocrity this season. They're beyond second fiddle.
So forget about Ben Gordon's contract, Rodney Stuckey's jump shot, Ben Wallace's age and Rip Hamilton's ego. Take a year off.
I'll be updating coverage of Detroit Mercy, Michigan State and Michigan as best I can on this blog and Paul Kampe will have his usual coverage of the Golden Grizzlies on his blog, The Grizz Den, and in The Oakland Press.
You want basketball, there's plenty of it.
There's also going to be meaningful football in late December this year.

Spartans land Harris to complete 2012 recruiting class

2011-11-10T11:23:00.004-05:00

Although he did not sign a National Letter of Intent with Michigan State on signing day yesterday, it appears heralded recruit Gary Harris is heading to East Lansing to play for Tom Izzo and the Spartans.
The Indianapolis Star reported late last night that Harris will sign with MSU.
"(Michigan State) recruited me for a long time," Harris told the Star. "I liked the whole family atmosphere up there. I feel like I'm a part of them. It was a great environment and once I got around the players, I was really comfortable."
Harris (6-foot-4), from Hamilton, Ind., is ranked as the No. 2 shooting guard in the country by Scout.com. He was considering Indiana, Purdue and Kentucky, along with MSU.
The Spartans did get official National Letters of Intent from two other prized in-state recruits in power forward Matt Costello of Bay City Western and shooting guard Denzel Valentine of Lansing Sexton -- both of whom have been verbally committed to MSU since last year. Power forward Kenny Kaminski (6-8, 245) of Medina, Ohio also signed with MSU yesterday.
While that's a strong class even without Harris, adding a top-ranked national recruit such as him, particularly at a position of need, is a huge step for MSU getting back to its habit of reaching Final Fours and competing for Big Ten and national championships.
Costello averaged 19.8 points, 13 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game last season as he helped lead Bay City Western to the state semifinals. He's the likely front runner to win the state's Mr. Basketball Award this season. Valentine, who's father Carlton played at MSU in the 1980s and who's brother Drew currently plays at Oakland University, is a versatile wing who averaged 12.7 points and 7.9 rebounds while leading Sexton to a Class B state title last season. He's very similar is style to former Spartan Alan Anderson, with a little more athleticism.
Harris, assuming he does indeed sign, and Costello will be the stars of this class for MSU -- giving the Spartans a nice inside-out duo on a team that will be filled with solid role players and perhaps another star in current point guard Keith Appling.

Spartans in middle of 'playoff' run

2011-11-07T16:22:00.003-05:00

For those craving for college football playoffs, Michigan State's final three games may be as close as it gets to that atmosphere.
Alone in first place of the Big Ten Legends Division, the Spartans are in control of their own destiny when it comes to claiming a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl bid. One loss, however, and things get murky.
Nebraska, currently tied with Michigan for second, owns the tiebreaker over MSU but the Spartans own the tie breaker over Michigan. The Wolverines and Cornhuskers play in the second-to-last game of the regular season in Ann Arbor. If Michigan wins that game, even if MSU suffers another loss, the Spartans will go to the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis.
Up next for MSU is a game at Iowa, the same scenario that derailed the Spartans' Rose Bowl bid last season when they suffered their first loss of the season in a blowout in Iowa City. After that comes a home game against Indiana and a game at Northwestern to close out the year. That Northwestern game is what makes this Saturday against Iowa even more important.
Head coach Mark Dantonio has closed off his players from the media this week, citing a need for increased focus on the Iowa game. The last time he did this was the week leading up to Ohio State, and the Spartans nearly shut out the Buckeyes en route to getting a tough road win.
"We've got seven wins and are 4-1 in the conference so any way you look at it we're right there," Mark Dantonio said after the Spartans win over Minnesota. "We survived one playoff game as far as I'm concerned and we advanced. That's how we have to challenge ourselves to take this."
Iowa, even though technically still in the race for the Big Ten Legends Division as well, is down this year. MSU should win that game. Indiana at home should be no different than playing Indiana at home any other year. It's Indiana football.
The Northwestern game is the scary one for MSU. The Wildcats typically play well against the Spartans, even if they don't always come away successful. Northwestern will be playing at home and for an opportunity to add another marquee win to bolster its bowl positioning. Even without quarterback Dan Persa, Northwestern remains a very dangerous team. It was backup QB Kain Colter who led the charge in the win over Nebraska this past weekend.
There's a chance, say if Michigan loses to Illinois and then beats Nebraska, that a loss to the Wildcats won't matter. But for MSU's sake, every game from here on out will be approached as a must win. If MSU can avoid playing down to the level of competition it will coast into the first-ever Big Ten Championship Game and face either Wisconsin or Penn State.
If you wanted playoffs, you've got them in East Lansing.

Here's some other news and opinions about the Spartans from around the web:
Spartans have clear path to become Big Ten champs, now must start playing like it -- The Oakland Press

Michigan State will exact revenge on Iowa -- The Bleacher Report

Spartans know Rose Bowl hopes ride on Iowa game -- Mlive.com

Elsworth emerges as key contributor -- MSUSpartans.com

Top hoops prospect McGary expected to choose Michigan

2011-11-01T16:46:00.002-04:00

Come Thursday evening, the future of Michigan's basketball program may get a whole lot brighter. That is when the nation's No. 2 prospect Mitch McGary is expected to make his college decision with an announcement that will air at 5 p.m. on ESPN U.
McGary wrote on his blog that his recruiting process is over and that Michigan, along with Duke and Florida are the final three schools he's still considering. A report from ESPN.com's Dave Telep said Michigan is the leading destination to land the the 6-10 prospect from Chesterton, Ind.
Michigan's 2012 recruiting class already includes top prospects Glenn Robinson III (3-star recruit) from Indiana, the son of former NBA player Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson, and Nick Stauskas (3-star recruit) from Massachusetts. U-M's 2012 class also includes forward Max Bielfeldt from Illinois, who was sought after by several other Big Ten schools.
If McGary comes to Ann Arbor, the Wolverines will have perhaps the most talented team in the Big Ten for years to come.

Purdue Pre-game: Why this is a must win for Michigan

2011-10-29T11:02:00.002-04:00

The past two seasons, an undefeated Michigan team lost to rival Michigan State and subsequently saw its season spiral out of control. The Spartans dealt the Wolverines their first loss again two weeks ago, setting up what is, for confidence sake at least, a must win game today for the Wolverines against Purdue (4-3, 2-1) in Ann Arbor.
If Michigan wins today, it will improve to 7-1 and be set up for an 8 or 9 win season. A loss, however, would leave the Wolverines 6-2 heading into back-to-back road games at Iowa and Illinois, followed by home games against Nebraska and Ohio State to finish the season.
That's got late-season swoon written all over it.
This Michigan team has more confidence than talent, and that may be enough to turn in an overachieving season in Brady Hoke's first year. Yet, if that confidence fades, at it very well could with tw0-straight losses, Hokeamania in Ann Arbor could fade into an irrelevant bowl appearance and a bitter tasting offseason.

Notes:
Safety and defensive team leader Jordan Kovacs it out today for Michigan. He may be able to return next week at Iowa. Troy Woolfolk will start in his place... The Wolverines combined for just 82 yards rushing last game against MSU, 42 of those yards came from Denard Robinson. Look for Fitz Toussaint and Vincent Smith to get more carries today... Despite turning in the worst statistical game of his career as a starter, both passing and rushing, Robinson remains the unquestioned starter at QB for Hoke. Backup Devin Gardner may see time in certain packages, but Robinson remains Michigan's QB going forward.

Michigan's Beilein shows optimism as season approaches

2011-10-27T15:58:00.006-04:00

Expectations for the University of Michigan men's basketball program are the highest they've been since 2009, when Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims returned for their final seasons in Ann Arbor. That Michigan team failed, finishing 15-17 in a dysfunctional season. The Wolverines expect a different outcome this year.
Michigan, ranked No. 18 in the USA Today preseason poll, not only won an NCAA Tournament game for the second straight year, but also nearly knocked off eventual champion Duke in the third round. Coach John Beilein, now in his sixth year at U-M, talked about the high expectations for his team this season at Thursday's Big Ten media day.
"The expectations for us in that season were very high, but Manny (Harris) never got to 100 percent (from an early-season injury), we felt. And we were probably too dependent on him and DeShawn (Sims)," Beilein said. "This team, I think, has a few more pieces and we've got great team chemistry."
Beilein also addressed the issue of replacing point guard Darius Morris, who left early to go to the NBA.
"We've got a scrimmage coming up and we've got an exhibition coming up. That will be a good time for us to figure out (who will replace Morris)," Beilein said. "Probably three or four days before our first game with Ferris State, we'll have made a decision."
Beilein also added: "We have an incredible team-first attitude that's been very healthy so far. I like the progress so far... we love the young men on this team."
The Wolverines return their second leading scorer from last season in Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.9 PPG) along with experienced guards Zack Novak and Stu Douglass. Without a lot of front court depth, Michigan will likely be a guard-oriented team. Freshman Carlton Brundidge (Southfield) could also get an opportunity to make an impact this season, as the Wolverines lack a true point guard.
Michigan's first test of the season will be Nov. 21, when it faces No. 9 Memphis in the Maui Invitational.
Beilein added about Crisler Arena, "The improvements are striking. You just feel like it's an entirely new arena when you walk into it."
Michigan is also two weeks or so away from the completion of a new practice facility and other basketball-specific facility improvements, which, combined with another good season, will greatly help recruiting.

Here's some more Michigan hoops coverage from around the web:
Beilein, Wolverines will rely on chemistry -- AnnArbor.com
No. 2 prospect Mitch McGary on verge of making decision, Michigan a possibility -- CBSSports.com
Big Ten watching conference expansion closely, but content to stay put for now: Detroit Free Press

Five keys for Michigan State against Wisconsin

2011-10-21T12:23:00.003-04:00

Michigan State knows what its up against when it faces Wisconsin Saturday night. The Badgers, ranked No. 6 in the nation, lead all FBS teams in offense, averaging 50.2 points per game. Defensively, Wisconsin is ranked third in the country, giving up just 9.7 points per game. Wisconsin, however, may not fully understand what its up against heading into East Lansing. Here's five keys for the Spartans to pull out a win Saturday:

1. Crowd must make a difference -- For all of Wisconsin's accomplishment's this season, the Badgers have yet to play a road game. On the road under coach Brent Bielema, Wisconsin is 14-10. Wilson, in his two full seasons as a starter at North Carolina State, was just 3-7 in road games. Michigan State hasn't lost in Spartan Stadium since Sept. 12 2009 (when Central Michigan came from behind to pull out the upset.) Add in an 8 p.m. start with a ESPN College Gamday crowd coming off a fourth straight win over rival Michigan, and you can expect a difficult atmosphere for Wisconsin. Part of me thinks this would have been the better game to unveil the Nike Pro Combats.
2. Score early, and often -- As good as Michigan State's defense is, the Spartans are going to have to put a healthy number of points on the scoreboard to win this game. It won't be a 10-7 outcome like it was over Ohio State. MSU's defense is the best Wisconsin has faced this season and is fully capable of holding the Badgers under 40 points -- but other than that, all bets are off. Kirk Cousin, who's one win shy of becoming MSU's all-time winningest quarterback, has to turn in his best game of the season and Edwin Baker has to keep moving the chains on the ground.
3. Make Wilson hurt -- Michigan State has to continually bring pressure on Wilson, force him to make quick decisions and land hits on him throughout the game. These are all things Nebraska didn't do against the Badgers, and it lost 48-17. Not having William Gholston for this game really hurts MSU. He's the type of player that can continually get off the ball and into the backfield. Jerel Worthy is going to need to have a Ndamukong Suh-type performance.
4. Turnover battle -- The Spartans had two inexcusable fumbles last week against Michigan, which against a better team -- or Michigan on a better day -- would have costs them that game. MSU can't get away with mistakes like that against Wisconsin and will also have to create some turnovers of its own to get a short field.

5. Need a hero -- Somebody other than the Spartan poster boys is going to have to step up in this game. Whether it be sparingly-used Bennie Fowler, Keith Nichole or Nick Hill on offense or players like Marcus Rush or Isaiah Lewis on defense -- a role player is going to have to become a star Saturday. A return for a TD from Hill would like nice, wouldn't it?

Festivities galore
In addition to College Gameday making its first visit to East Lansing since 2005, the Spartan fans have reasons other than Erin Andrews to celebrate. It's also homecoming for MSU. As part of the celebration, Michigan State and National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame will jointly honor former Spartan Gene Washington.
Washington closed out his college career as MSU's all-time leader in receptions (before later being passed by Matt Trannon and then current Spartan B.J. Cunningham this season) and was selected to two Pro Bowls during his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings.

Here's some other reports on conversation on the game from around the web:
A look at the history of 'GameDay' at MSU (and it hasn't always been pretty) -- The Oakland Press

Kirk Cousins used to being a long shot -- ESPN.com

Badgers know there's no guarantee of BCS title shot -- Madison.com

Inexperience will be a good thing for MSU hoops

2011-10-18T20:18:00.003-04:00

In wake of Michigan State's basketball media day, focus momentarily shifts away from football and to what will take place inside the Breslin Center this winter.
Tom Izzo said at one point in the middle of last season that his team was "trying to work our way out of hell."
They never really did.
Star players Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas went from borderline first-round picks to scrounging for offers oversees, a quest for a third straight Final Four appearance turned into a first-round exit to UCLA and the Spartans were weighed down with injures, infighting and inconsistency as they finished 19-15, 9-9 in Big Ten play.
Lucas and Summers, along with Korie Lucious (who transferred mid-season after being dismissed), Delvon Roe and Garrett Sherman (transferred to Notre Dame) are all gone.
Returning to the Spartans this season are just two players who averaged more than 20 minutes per game last year (Draymond Green and Keith Appling) and they'll be joined by seven players who have yet to play a minute in a Spartan uniform.
This year will be a chance to start over and get back on track.
Fifth-year transfer Brandon Wood was a huge get for Izzo. Wood was a dominant scorer last season for Valpariaso and will slide in nicely to the starting backcourt along with Appling this year. He's an upgrade over Lucas. Freshman Brandon Dawson is a true talent and will likely start at the small forward spot, replacing Summers. Adreian Payne is penciled in to be the team's starting center and his athleticism and pure talent will ultimately top Roe's work ethic and toughness. Add in Green, one of the more complete frontcourt players in college basketball, and MSU has a solid starting five. Travis Rice and Brandan Kearny are two freshman guards that add depth and Derrick Nix has lost weight and apparently rededicated himself to the program.
The bottom line in college basketball is that talent trumps experience, and this Spartan team is talented. They'll struggle early because of their ridiculously tough non-conference schedule, but by the time Big Ten play begins, MSU will have as good of chance to win the conference as anyone else.
Last year was a setback, not a change of course for Spartan basketball.

Here's some other reports from around the web:
Wood looking to make most of 1-and-done stint -- The Oakland Press

Nix, chemistry the talk of MSU media day -- Detroit Free Press

Izzo says Nix is 'miles ahead of last year' -- Lansing State Journal

Unlike year's past, Michigan will rebound after loss to MSU

2011-10-16T13:18:00.002-04:00

For the third straight year, Michigan had its undefeated boat rocked by rival Michigan State. The Wolverines entered Saturday's game undefeated with a high national ranking (No.11), and yet again were humbled by MSU.
In 2010, Michigan came in 5-0, got blowout 34-17 and finished 7-6. In '09, the Wolverines were 4-0 and the Rich Rodriguez bandwagon was temporarily picking up steam before a 26-20 overtime loss that turned into a tailspin and a 5-7 season.
I don't think that will happen with Michigan this year.
"They need to feel this one," said Michigan coach Brady Hoke, who admitted the Wolverines were overrated in the polls. "We all need to feel this one for a while. But we'll turn the page."
That's the difference. Michigan will turn the page. There's a level of confidence and composure there that wasn't present under the past coaching era.
"I think it's easy now to say that this is the same Michigan team as the last three years, but there's no doubt in my mind that we're not," junior safety Jordan Kovacs said. "We're going to improve, learn from this, and win."
Saturday's loss to the Spartans wasn't a meltdown like in '09 when Tate Forcier gave the game away. It wasn't a complete embarrassment like when the Wolverines were blow out in their own house last season. It was simply a loss to a better, more physical team.
That won't derail Michigan's season.
The Wolverines no doubt have some issues. What to do with Denard Robinson remains the primary one. Robinson again struggled to throw the ball and turned in the worst game of his career statistically. If Saturday's any indication, going to backup Devin Gardner is not the solution. Gardner was held to 3-for-7 passing for 45 yards and had a -15 yards rushing on six carries.
Michigan doesn't have the personnel to have an efficient offense this season. That will take a couple recruiting classes to change. Robinson, however, does give Michigan big-play potential, which combined with a much improved defense will be enough to win some games -- as it already has.
Michigan could easily still finish the regular season 9-3 with a chance to win a bowl game. If that -- or a result close to it -- happens, Saturday's loss won't set back Hoke and the rebuilding process of Michigan's program.
The difference between Saturday and MSU's three previous wins over Michigan was that the Spartans beat a good Michigan team, not a bad one.
Look for the Wolverines to respond after their bye week with a big win over Purdue.

Quick start key for Michigan in East Lansing

2011-10-15T09:53:00.002-04:00

If Michigan's going to improve to 7-0 and get a win today at Spartan Stadium, it won't be in come-from-behind fashion like its wins over Notre Dame and Northwestern. The Wolverines have to start fast and stay strong to have a chance.
Michigan State's defense, which outside of the Notre Dame loss hasn't given up more than seven points in a game, won't give up a lead at home. The defensive line is too strong and Michigan's lack of a trustworthy passing attack won't allow for it to happen.
If Denard Robinson breaks loose early, however, the Spartans could be in for a struggle. The Wolverines rushing attack has continually gotten better with the duo of Fitzgerald Toussaint and Vincent Smith -- add in Robinson's mobility and the Wolverines are plenty capable of moving the chains and killing the clock.
As for the Spartans, they need a good game out of Kirk Cousins today. Cousins has taken a step back this season and its not clear why. He's missed receivers and made poor decisions which have resulted in turnovers -- as he did in MSU's last game against Ohio State. That has to change today, and going forward, for MSU to stay in the Big Ten title hunt.
Here's some thoughts from other writers around the state:

Spartans D-line should be able to slow Robinson -- Mlive.com

Spartans defense looks to make Michigan one dimensional -- Grinz on Green blog

Big Ten championship game for Michigan anything but farfetched -- The Bleacher Report

If you're watching the game at home, head on over to The Oakland Press.com for a live chat with myself, Oakland Press columnist Pat Caputo and JRC college football writer Mike Larson starting at 11:45 a.m.

Deck stacked against Wolverines heading into East Lansing

2011-10-11T11:54:00.004-04:00

There may never be a better time to use the "perfect storm" metaphor in sports than this Saturday in East Lansing. That's exactly what the 6-0 No. 11-ranked Michigan Wolverines will be heading into when they face the Spartans (4-1) Saturday at noon.
Disrespected. Angry. Determined. Excited. Confident -- and throw in crazy.
Those words best describe Michigan State's football team for this game. They also describe the mindset of the Spartan fan base, which will be flooding into Spartan Stadium for a noon kickoff Saturday just several hours after celebrating Midnight Madness with the MSU basketball squad at the Breslin Center. That student section may be going on no sleep, but they'll be anything but tired.
Heck, Tom Izzo may even have his faced painted.
As for the players: It's a chance to show off their shiny new Nike Pro Combat uniforms; improve to 2-0 in Big Ten play; better their No. 23 ranking and beat their most emphasized rival for a fourth straight year.
The Spartans are also coming off of a bye week. They've had two weeks to prepare for Denard Robinson and Michigan's new packages which feature backup quarterback Devin Gardner. Two weeks to sit back and seethe over Mike Hart's ever-lasting "little brother" comment.
Michigan coach Brady Hoke emphatically labeled the Ohio State game at the end of the year as "The. Most. Important. Game. On . The. Schedule" in his introductory press conference -- pounding his fist with each fragment of that statement.
This game holds that title for MSU.
MSU coach Mark Dantonio will also be coaching his first game under his new lifetime contract with the school, signed last Saturday. In case there was any doubt, Dantonio won't be heading back to Columbus, Ohio -- or anywhere else -- after this season.
Dantonio loves being in East Lansing. And while he may respect it, he also hates the University of Michigan.
His players share that mindset. Just look at defensive tackle Jerel Worthy's new tattoo, which brands a Spartan stomping on the head of that fabled winged Michigan helmet. You know what the no-flash, all-business Dantonio did when asked about that tattoo? He smiled.
Michigan is without doubt a much improved team and one to be taken seriously again form this point on, but this version of the reborn Wolverines haven't gone up against what they're about to Saturday in East Lansing. A perfect storm.

Can't make it to the game on Saturday, be sure to join myself along with Oakland Press sports columnist Pat Caputo for a live chat during the game. Also, get all the latest sports news and breaking updates sent directly to your phone by texting the keyword "opsports" to 22700.

Cousins must combat pressure, inconsistency in wake of Michigan game

2011-10-03T15:05:00.008-04:00

Kirk Cousins' play has been so inconsistent this season that fans took to Twitter and various message boards making calls for backup Andrew Maxwell. A "what have you done for me lately" scenario to the bone.
While Cousins hasn't played to the hype of a Heisman hopeful that he entered the season with, he hasn't been terrible either. He was 20-32 with 250 yards and a touchdown Saturday in a win, yes a win, at Ohio State. Whether it be in spite of him or not, MSU is off to a 4-1 start and 1-0 in Big Ten play.
Yes, his accuracy has been shaky.
Yes, he almost gave the game away against the Buckeyes with an interception and a couple other dangerous pass attempts.
But the bottom line is he played well enough to win the game.
"I thought Cousins was on," MSU coach Mark Dantonio said during Saturday's post-game press conference. "Big time. I mean, that ball was humming out there. If you're sitting out there on the field, he was throwing strikes."
Something has been different — and by that I mean off — about Cousins this season. Perhaps it's that he's taken harsh criticism from the fans and media that he hasn't had to deal with ever in his career. As a result, Dantonio removed him and other Spartans from media availability leading up to the Ohio State game.
"He's got a tremendous amount of pressure on him," Dantonio said of Cousins. "Not only pressure to perform on the field but pressure to be the leader on this football team. Pressure in the community to do all the things that he does. And I just think he had a chance to step away from it. And I thought it was a positive thing."
Dantonio still has full faith in Cousins as his quarterback. So do Cousins' teammates. As they should. For fans questioning whether or not he's still the right guy to lead MSU, understand this: Andrew Maxwell can't beat Michigan Oct. 15. Kirk Cousins can. He's undefeated against the Wolverines in his career, by the way.
If the Spartans don't play in the first-ever Big Ten title game this season, it will be a result of their rigorous schedule stacked with tough road games — not because Cousins held them back.
He's still one of the top three quarterbacks in the Big Ten. In fact, he's one of the best quarterbacks MSU has ever had.
Cousins had no major D-1 scholarship offers coming out of high school. When he finally landed at MSU, he was buried on the depth chart. He's done nothing but exceed expectations his whole career. There's no reason to expect he'll crumble under them now.

Robinson/Gardner combo could be just what Michigan needs

2011-10-01T19:29:00.005-04:00

Denard Robinson is going to be Michigan's quarterback. Both this year and next. But the the Wolverines may have found another way to use him Saturday. Early in Michigan's 58-0 win over Minnesota, offensive coordinator Al Borges inserted backup quarterback Devin Gardner in the game and moved Robinson into the backfield. He later switched the two and had Gardner out wide. While no major plays came from it, the potential was exciting to watch.
“We’ve been doing that in practice and working on it and Coach Borges has been telling us to be ready for it," said Robinson, who had his best passing game of the season going 15-for-19 for 169 yards and two touchdowns. "We love doing new stuff like that on offense because it gives us an opportunity to make more plays.”
Gardner said they've been lobbying for the package to be used in a game ever since they started working on it in spring practice.
"We've been pushing for it but I don't think Al (Borges) cares much. It's a dictatorship," Gardner joked. "We trust him to come up with situations that will work for everybody and he knows what he's doing. I think that’s a really dangerous formation because you’ve also got guys like Fitz Toussaint and Vincent Smith back there too. You’ll have to wait and see, but I really like it.”
Smith joked that they call the package "2" after his jersey number. After all, he was the biggest benefactor of it when he was able to throw for a touchdown pass on a trick misdirection play.
The bottom line is that Michigan, along with any other team, is better when all of its best athletes are on the field. Gardner is one of those athletes.
"Devin will probably be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten once he gets a chance to start," Robinson said. "He's got a strong arm and is really fast and athletic so we like seeing him out on the field."
Michigan coach Brady Hoke didn't make any promises, but hinted that the Garnder/Robinson combo package, along with further developments, will be a part of the Wolverines' game plan going forward.
"We worked on it in camp and then we put it to bed for a little bit but that way the kids had the knowledge of it so they could come out and execute. Believe me, Al is very, very creative. It's not just going to be that package with those guys. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of creativity with our offense."
Hoke also knows the importance of finding other ways to use Robinson as well as getting other players involved in the offense now that Big Ten play has started. When asked if Michigan could contend in the Big Ten with Robinson carrying the bulk of the workload, Hoke didn't shy away from the reality.
"I don't think so," he said. "We're going to go up against some really good coaches with good personnel and when you do that they're going to make adjustments. You can't go out there and run the same thing each week."
Michigan faces a high-scoring Northwestern team in its first road game next week. The Wolverines may be using more of the "2" package in their second Big Ten game.

Follow me on Twitter @Maghielse.

My Michigan football column for Sunday's Oakland Press

Five Keys for Michigan today vs. Minnesota

2011-10-01T11:16:00.003-04:00

Michigan comes in ranked No. 19 in the country and with a perfect 4-0 record. Minnesota enters coming off back-to-back losses against New Mexico State and North Dakota State. This one could be ugly. Nonetheless, here are five keys to the game for the Wolverines today in their pursuit of winning the Little Brown Jug, which has been on hiatus since 2008:

1. Let Denard be Denard -- I've said it all season, just let Denard say hut and see what happens. He leads the Big Ten in rushing and is fourth in the country. Passsing, however, has not been very effective. Just let him go.

2. Find a back -- Fitzgerald Toussaint has been sharing time with Vincent Smith, but this may be an opportunity for Toussaint to establish himself as the feature back. I say give Toussaint 25-plus carries today, regardless of how the game's going, and see how he does.

3. Every win is a win -- Michigan has not fared well in Big Ten play the past three seasons. The Wolverines are undefeated in the past three Septembers, all non-conference games, but have fallen quickly in October. Starting 1-0 in a winnable game at home is critical.

4. Get a look at Gardner -- There's no reason Michigan shouldn't be able to jump on the Gophers and get out to a big lead today. If the Wolverines can do so, Brady Hoke should get backup quarterback Devin Gardner into the game, and much earlier than he did against Eastern Michigan. With the way Robinson plays, he's one hit away from being sidelined. Gardner is going to need game action at some point.

5. Keep it rolling -- We still don't really know how good this Michigan team is. The body of work isn't there yet. However, the Wolverines think they're really good. Good enough to win a Big Ten title even. Their very confident, perhaps overconfident. But in the words of George Costanza, "It's not a lie, if you believe it." Michigan needs a big win to keep its momentum and confidence sky high as it approaches two tough road games at Northwestern and Michigan State the next two weeks.

Follow me on Twitter @Maghielse for commentary during the game.

Toussaint should be No. 1 back for Michigan

2011-09-29T16:07:00.002-04:00

Sooner or later, Michigan will have one feature back getting the bulk of its carries in Al Borges offense. For now, the field of candidates has been narrowed from four down to two -- Fitzgerald Toussaint and Vincent Smith.
Toussaint should be the guy that emerges as No. 1.
He's rushed for 193 yards on 35 carries (5.5 YPC) and three touchdowns. But moreso, he's been consistent. His closest competitor, Smith, has shown more big-play ability, but his 8.8 yards per carry average is misleading. He's been hit or miss. The Wolverines already have a player like that in Denard Robinson, who's fourth in the nation in rushing. They need somebody who can be reliable and take some strain off of Robinson. Toussaint, a sophomore, also has a higher ceiling than any other back on Michigan's roster -- possibly with the exception of freshman Thomas Rawls, who just doesn't seem ready for consistent game action yet.
While Both Toussaint and Smith should get plenty of carries Saturday in what's sure to be a rout of Minnesota, going forward Toussaint should be the guy taking the pounding in Big Ten play.

Kill will be back on sidelines
Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill, who's battled seizures and other health issues the last three weeks, was released from the Mayo Clinic and said he will be back coaching the Gophers (1-3) Saturday against Michigan.
"I've done pretty good. I've already survived cancer," said Kill in an interview with the Associated Press. "I've survived about three losses right now. I'm still out here and practicing and trying to coach them up. I still said too many cuss words today, so I'd say I'm still in it pretty good. But our focus needs to be on the University of Michigan and on getting our players better."
Minnesota is coming off a 37-24 loss to North Dakota State, arguably the lowest point in program history.

Trip to Ohio State will be a homecoming for several Spartans

2011-09-26T16:13:00.003-04:00

B.J. Cunningham remembers the frustration from the last time Michigan State played in Columbus. It wasn't only with the Spartans' loss that day, but also the fact that he had to watch the game from his friends house in Ohio. The Westernville, Ohio native was a redshirt freshman with the Spartans and did not travel with the team to road games. But he returned home to watch that game.
"I remember just sitting with my friends back home and seeing that atmosphere, what that stadium was like and all that on TV and just wished I was out there playing," Cunningham said after the Spartans' win over CMU Saturday. "I'm looking forward to going down there, no doubt. We know what it's going to be like. It's Ohio State. We just have got to come out ready."
Cunningham isn't the only Spartan looking to take a shot at their home state's team.
In total, the Spartans have 25 Ohio natives on their roster. Two other Ohioans looking to make an impact for MSU are on the Spartans' defense in linebacker Marcus Rush and defensive tackle Jerel Worthy.
Worthy is the incumbent leader of the MSU defense, filling in for the departed Greg Jones, and Rush has exploded on the scene recently as a pass-rushing linebacker.
"Marcus has been great. He's a tough kid and has that blue-collar Cincinnati attitude that we like. We've got to go back there and get a few more guys just like him," MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said.
Rush was not recruited by Ohio State coming out of high school and has made it clear it left a chip on his shoulder. Helping MSU beat Ohio State Saturday would be a nice "I told you so" to the state school of Ohio.

Denard Robinson presents a dilemma for Michigan

2011-09-24T19:39:00.002-04:00

He's too good to sit. Yet, he's not good enough at what he needs to be for the program to move forward. Denard Robinson is a playmaker. He's not a quarterback.
I've said before that Michigan can win with Robinson as its QB, but it has to let Robinson have full reign. If the Wolverines are going to win this way, the way they won Saturday 28-7 over San Diego State, then Brady Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges have to be all in and turn over control of the offense to Robinson and his athleticism.
Stand back, watch and hope nobody can catch him.
Robinson rushed for a career-high 200 yards and three touchdowns to help lead Michigan over SDSU and to a 4-0 start. However, he completed just 8 of 17 passes and threw two interceptions. Against the Aztects, U-M survived those passing numbers and stalled drives. Against the upper echelon of the Big Ten, they likely will not.
Robinson, who consistently picks up more yardage on the ground than through the air, should be a run first, run second quarterback. Or, he should be at a different position.
One or the other.
It'd better for the long-term growth of the program under Hoke to have a pro style QB and start implementing a pro style offense. It'd better for the NFL future of Robinson to start playing as a slot receiver, running back and kick returner. Yet, it's better for Michigan right now to just let him run loose.
Robinson's like a great hitter on a National League team that can't play a single position in the field. If he were a senior, the answer would be simple: just ride it out for this year and start fresh next year. But Robinson is a junior and I just don't see him becoming a better pocket passer.
Considering there's no proof that backup Devin Gardner is capable of being a strong drop back quarterback either, I think Hoke's best bet is to worry about his pro style offense in 2013. This is Robinson's team right now, and the Michigan coaching staff has to turn it over to him, not try to find a gray area in the middle.

My column for Sunday's Oakland Press on Michigan State

Spartans' season could fall through the cracks of their offensive line

2011-09-22T11:45:00.004-04:00

If the statement, "you're only as strong as your weakest link" holds any truth, than Michigan State's football season could be hanging on by a thread. The Spartans offensive line, returning just two starters from last year, was a concern coming into the season. Now it's a nightmare.
More injuries and a lack of improvement by incoming lineman have placed a gaping hole in front of MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins. If MSU ever considered running the veer, or even Rich Rodriguez's spread option, now would be the time. No, seriously. Here's what MSU's starting offensive line will be for Saturday's game against Central Michigan.

LT - Dan France (6-foot-6, 315 lbs, sophomore): Two career starts.
LG - Joel Foreman (6-foot-4, 315 lbs, fifth year senior): The only remaining lineman with experience because of the injury to Blake Treadwell, Foreman must play flawless, which he didn't do last week against Notre Dame.
C - Travis Jackson (6-foot-3, 275 lbs, RS freshman): Zero career starts.
RG - Chris McDonald (6-foot-5, 300 lbs, junior): 12 career starts as an injury replacement.
RT - Fou Fonoti (6-foot-4, 300 lbs, junior): Zero career starts. Fonoti was a good junior college player, but he's yet to prove he can be effective in the Big Ten.

Expect the Chippewas to send the house at Cousins on Saturday. When Big Ten play begins, expect that strategy to become a major problem for the Spartans.

Dantonio, Hoke to face familiar opponents Saturday

2011-09-21T16:10:00.002-04:00

Saturday, both Mark Dantonio and Brady Hoke will be going up against an opposing coach who used to work for them. And neither is happy about it. Hoke admitted that he wished his former team San Diego State, now coached by his former defensive coordinator Rocky Long, wasn't on Michigan's schedule — and even asked U-M athletic director David Brandon about trying to buy the game out. The Aztecs will bring a 3-0 record into the Big House Saturday as they look to give their former coach his first setback at his new job.
Dantonio and the Spartans are set to take on Central Michigan, now coached by Dan Enos — who worked as an assistant under Dantonio at both Cincinnati and Michigan State. Dantonio said he and Enos are still close friends, and for that reason isn't looking forward to facing him this weekend. Hoke and Long also said they still communicate on a regular basis, but not about football. Nonetheless, the four coaching colleagues will all be looking to one-up each other on Saturday.
In my opinion, SDSU will be by far the toughest team Michigan has faced this season (yes, that includes Notre Dame). Michigan, with a brand new No. 22 ranking, could be on upset alert Saturday. As for MSU, the Chippewas aren't what they were two years ago when they came into Spartan Stadium and stole a win. Central has fallen fast and far since Enos took over the program from former coach Butch Jones, so the Spartans shouldn't have too much trouble. That being said, MSU's offensive line is terrible. Expect Enos, who could be coaching for his job in some respects, to try and bring a lot of pressure.
Picks: Michigan State 28, CMU 7. Michigan 34, San Diego State 31.

Five keys for the Wolverines today vs. EMU

2011-09-17T10:53:00.002-04:00

Michigan is indeed 2-0, but how good this Wolverine team is, or isn't, has yet to be determined. Michigan routed Western Michigan in Week 1 -- a game that could have gone differently if not for an untimely turnover by the Broncos at the goal line. Then came the back and fourth pillow fight between the Wolverines and Notre Dame last week. Michigan has another opportunity to win today vs. EMU, here's five keys to getting it done:

1. Run the ball (with the running backs) -- Michigan's running backs combined for just 10 yards rushing last week in a game in which the Wolverines scored 35 points. That has to change. Earlier in the spring, both head coach Brady Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges said they want one feature back to take over the lead rushing role. Three weeks into the season it's still Denard Robinson and nobody else running for Michigan.

2. Keep points off the board -- This game is an opportunity for Michigan to restore some faith in its defense. EMU is not a good offensive team and Michigan should be able to hold them to a maximum of 14 points and win going away.

3. Execute on special teams -- The Wolverines weakest link this season has been on special teams. While obviously Hoke is hoping they won't have to kick too many field goals today, they do need to sure things up in the return and coverage aspects. Stan Kwan had a better special teams approach than Michigan has had so far this season.

4. Remember Appalachian State (and Toledo) -- Michigan should win this game. But that by no means guarantees that it will. Underdog teams have come into the big house and win before, see Appalachian State and Toledo. Miami of Ohio almost did it a few years back. EMU is 2-0 (albeit only by defeating Howard and Alabama State) and coach Ron English would love nothing more than to get a win in the place where he felt he deserved the head job after Lloyd Carr stepped down.

5. Turnover margin -- The only reason Michigan didn't get crushed in the turnover battle last week was because Notre Dame may be the most careless team in the country when it comes to taking care of the football. Denard Robinson did not look good passing out of the pocket last week. This game could be an opportunity for him to work on improving that. No picks today would be a nice boost for his confidence.

Mateen Cleaves will be remembered as all-time MSU great

2011-09-15T13:16:00.002-04:00

Mateen Cleaves was inducted into the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame today. It was without doubt a well-deserved honor. To me, Cleaves -- who's No. 12 jersey already hangs from the rafters at the Breslin Center -- is the best college point guard I've ever seen and is a top 5 college point guard of all time. His success didn't translate to the NBA, but what he did during his time in East Lansing is something rarely seen in college athletics. He willed the Spartans to that national championship in 2000 over Florida. Sure, Mo Peterson had a monster game and was clutch down the stretch, but Cleaves limping up and down the court on a severely injured ankle put his teammates in the frame of mind that they couldn't let themselves lose that game.
"He demanded excellence from others, while always putting the team ahead of himself," said MSU coach Tom Izzo -- who's son's middle name is Mateen -- in a statement released by the university.
Cleaves spot on top of my list as the best college floor general's that I've ever seen (keep in mind I wasn't around for Jerry West, Magic Johnson or Isiah Thomas) is a distant one. The list is below and is based on what they accomplished in college, not the NBA.

1. Mateen Cleaves, MSU
2. Jayson Williams, Duke
3. Jameer Nelson, St. John's
4. Raymond Felton, North Carolina
5. Steve Blake, Maryland

If you want an eyesore, look at MSU's new nike Pro Combat jerseys

2011-09-13T09:16:00.000-04:00

Apparently Nike got Michigan State confused with Baylor -- or at least it looks that way based on the new Nike Pro Combat Spartan jerseys that were unveiled this morning. The jerseys, which can be seen on www.msuspartans.com, are dark green, with black pants and gold numbers and gold helmets with a green stripe. GOLD? The early rumors were that the jerseys were going to be a black and green combo, which I think had a chance, but these uniforms say anything but MSU. The Spartans may wear these for the Michigan game -- can't wait to here the crowd chanting Go Green!, Go White! ... and Gold! Nike recently released Pro Combat uniforms for Georgia which were also heavily criticized, but these new MSU unis may trump even the Under Armor Maryland uniforms as the most hideous of the new era.

New MSU Nike Pro Combat jerseys will be revealed tomorrow

2011-09-12T20:19:00.000-04:00

The new Nike Pro Combat jerseys for Michigan State football will be unveiled tomorrow at 9 a.m. on the Nike Facebook page. The jerseys can also be seen on NikeFootball.com and MSUSpartans.com. The Nike series of jerseys, which has made uniforms for Oregon, Virginia Tech, Arizona State and Georgia, among others, in recent years has created quite a buzz around the MSU program. A false report briefly was posted online earlier this month by a local media outlet after it was given false information and a phony image. But tomorrow, the suspense will end. The jerseys are rumored to be black.

Five keys for the Spartans today vs. FAU

2011-09-10T10:32:00.000-04:00

A win is win, that statement doesn't change, but it was evident the Spartan fan base was less than enthused with Michigan State's 28-6 victory of Youngstown State last week. Coach Mark Dantonio shrugged off any concern, but he did say he'd like an opportunity to some of the backups in for more game reps. Here's five things to watch for as the Spartans take on Florida Atlantic today:

1. Looking for a quick start: Michigan State's offense spent a lot of time on the sidelines in the first half last week as the Penguins worked the clock with a deliberate running attack. Look for MSU to try and come out swinging and try to get some points on the board early.

2. Getting Maxwell in the game: In an ideal situation, the Spartans would like to build a comfortable enough lead by halftime to get backup quarterback Andrew Maxwell some quality time under center. The coaching staff is high on Maxwell and would like to get him more in-game experience.

3. Somebody sack somebody: Michigan State's defensive line didn't live up to the billing in Week 1. Jerel Worthy and William Gholston has plenty of promise, but need to produce some results on the field and get into a rhythm before the big games start (as in next week against Notre Dame).

4. Hill's day in the light: This could be the game were freshman running back Nick Hill gets plenty of carries and an opportunity to show off exactly how elusive he can be.

5. Needing another target: B.J. Cunningham tied the all-time reception record for the Spartans last week with his 9 catch game. Yet, Cousins would love another consistent target to emerge. The Spartans do have depth at the WR position, but nobody's stepped up as a for sure No. 2 threat.

Notes: DE Tyler Hoover (Novi) and WR Bennie Fowler are two Oakland County players not dressed for today's game, both are battling injuries... The Situation from Jersey Shore is reportedly going to be in attendance today, I'm sure the freshman dorms at MSU will be filled with excitement.

Wolverines keep it safe with 2011-2012 hoops schedule, but could see trouble in Maui

2011-09-07T19:25:00.000-04:00

Looking to build on the momentum accomplished with a strong finish to last season and a gutsy performance against Duke in the NCAA Tournament, the Michigan Wolverines have a fairly favorable non-conference schedule which could potentially boost their early-season ranking.
Outside of the Maui Invitational, Michigan's toughest non-conference game is a matchup with Oakland University at the Palace of Auburn Hills Dec. 10. Yet, considering Michigan typically saves its best game of the season for whenever OU is on the schedule, I'd expect the Wolverines to continue their trend of shooting 60-plus percent and coasting to a lopsided win over the Golden Grizzlies.
Maui could be the problem early on for UM.
Michigan opens the Maui Invitational against Memphis, a young but increasingly talented and athletic team. After that, Michigan will get a rematch with one of its NCAA Tournament foes from a year ago. The Wolverines could face Tennessee, which would be ideal considering the Vols are in flux and have a depleting talent pool. On the other hand, the Wolverines could also see Duke, which in that case... good luck.
Michigan plays an unimpressive Virginia team (on the road however) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge but otherwise has smooth sailings into the Big Ten season.
I'd expect an inflated win total for the Wolverines this season.

Spartans release daunting men's basketball schedule

2011-09-07T19:08:00.001-04:00

Tom Izzo has done it again. Only this time, he may have pushed further than ever before. Michigan State announced its 2011-2012 men's basketball schedule Wednesday -- and it's a duzy.
The Spartans begin the season in San Diego, playing on an air craft carrier against North Carolina, in the first-ever Carrier Classic. Four days later, MSU takes on Duke in Madison Square Garden. MSU if the first team to open a season with back-to-back games against North Carolina and Duke since 1976.
"With the one-two punch of North Carolina and Duke right out of the gates, it sets the tone for what, on paper, could prove to be one of our most difficult schedules ever," MSU coach Tom Izzo said in a statement released by the university. "Everyone said last year's schedule was one of our toughest, and yet, this year we are playing more teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament and postseason last year."
Michigan State plays 11 teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season and two others that played in the NIT.
Other difficult non-conference games include a road trip to Central Washington to take on Gonzaga and a home game against Florida State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Michigan State also makes its first trip to Ypsilanti to take on Eastern Michigan since 1987.
Why Izzo agreed to play a game at Eastern Michigan is beyond me, and having to play UNC and Duke back-to-back is an unfortunate timeframe, but both those games will be great exposure.
What will be interesting is to see how the Spartans fair with the adjusted conference schedule now that Nebraska has joined the Big Ten. MSU will play seven league opponents twice, while facing Northwestern, Illinois, Iowa and Penn State only once.
Another oddity to the Spartans' schedule is the Auto Owners Insurance Spartan Invitation -- a five-team, four-game round robin tournament with the likes of Texas Southern, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Univeristy of Arkansas-Little Rock. Not sure what the Spartans gain out of that, other than a few sponsorship dollars.
MSU also added another Summit League school, other than Oakland Univeristy, to its schedule as it will host UMKC for a non-conference game.

Nothing to worry about from Spartans' first game

2011-09-03T14:18:00.000-04:00

After hearing the response on Twitter and other online formats from Michigan State fans after the Spartans' season opener against Youngstown State, you'd think MSU lost to the Penguins as opposed to the 28-6 victory that took place in East Lansing Friday night. Sure, fans wanted something more along the lines of a 42-7 thumping, but the concern over a three-touchdown victory is unwarranted.
No, Michigan State's defense wasn't great, but Youngstown State scored its only touchdown as a result of a fumble recovery. Without that fumble, it's a shutout. The offense wasn't as terrible as described, either. Kirk Cousins completed 18 of 22 passes for 222 yards. Lead running back Edwin Baker ran for 91 yards and backup running back Le'Veon Bell scored two touchdowns. Receiver B.J. Cunningham caught nine passes for 130 yards and a score.
As far as season openers go, things could have been much worse. Ask Lloyd Carr and Chad Henne.
The Spartans have one more tune-up next week against Florida Atlantic before traveling to South Bend to take on Notre Dame. There's no reason to think MSU will have a letdown year just yet.

Lineups for Tigers-Indians, Game 2 (Aug. 10)

2011-08-10T14:50:00.000-04:00

The lineup for the Tigers (61-54):
Andy Dirks, CF (.261)
Brennan Boesch, LF (.285)
Magglio Ordonez, RF (.230)
Miguel Cabrera, 1B (.318)
Victor Martinez, DH (.325
Ryan Raburn, 2B (.227)
Alex Avila, C (.288)
Wilson Betemit, 3B (.282)
Ramon Santiago, SS (.240)
Rick Porcello, RHP (11-6, 4.44 ERA)

The Tigers have lost 12 straight at Progressive Field, dating back to last July. The Tigers' last win in Cleveland was June 3.

Porcello in his career is 4-0 with a 2.32 ERA in eight starts vs. the Indians. His stats overall are pretty darned good, with 50.1 IP (6.1 IP per start) and a WHIP of 1.093 and a .237 batting average against.

Think that's just a product of pitching at home? Nope. Porcello is 2-0 career in five starts at Progressive Field, with a 1.64 ERA and 6.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

He'll be facing the Indians' big trade deadline acquisition, Ubaldo Jimenez (6-9), who is making his home debut for Cleveland, his first-ever appearance in Progressive. Against the Tigers in his career, however, he's 1-2 in three career starts with a 5.63 ERA, a 1.813 WHIP and a .333 batting average against.

Robinson named to Paul Hornung Award Watch List, Big Ten/ACC Challenge schedule announced

2011-08-09T13:04:00.000-04:00

Michigan Quarterback Denard Robinson has been named to the Paul Hornung Award watch list. The Hornung award is given to college football's most versatile player. Robinson, the 2010 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, was also named to watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year award earlier this summer.

Big Ten vs. ACC Challenge schedule

The schedule for this coming year's 13th Annual Big Ten vs. ACC Challenge has been announced and both Michigan State and Michigan got favorable matchups. Michigan (ranked No. 23) will play at Virginia Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The Spartans are at home against No. 21 Florida State Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Michigan State ranked No. 17 in USA Today preseason poll

2011-08-04T12:39:00.000-04:00

Last season's shared Big Ten title and 11-2 record earned Michigan State a little more notoriety and national respect. Yet, the thumping MSU took at the hands of Alabama in the Capitol One Bowl may have prevented the Spartans from getting an overly lofting preseason ranking. In the latest USA Today coaches preseason poll released Thursday, the Spartans are ranked No. 17 in the country. The two teams they tied atop the Big Ten with, Wisconsin (No. 10) and Ohio State (No. 16) are both ranked higher.

Oklahoma was the runaway favorite at No. 1 with 42 of 59 first-place votes. Penn State came in ranked No. 25. Michigan received Top 25 votes, but finished unranked. Notre Dame received it's annual Top 25 ranking, this time coming in at No. 18.

The Spartans open the season Friday, Sept. 2 with a night game against Youngstown State. Michigan opens Sept. 3 against Western Michigan.

-- Ross Maghielse

Here's the entire USA Today Top 25 poll:

1. Oklahoma (12-2)

2. Alabama (10-3)

3. Oregon (12-1)

4. LSU (11-2)

5. Florida State (10-4)

6. Stanford (12-1)

7. Boise State (12-1)

8. Oklahoma State (11-2)

9. Texas A&M (9-4)

10. Wisconsin (11-2)

11. Nebraska (10-4)

12. South Carolina (9-5)

13. Virginia Tech (11-3)

14. Arkansas (10-3)

15. TCU (13-0)

16. Ohio State (12-1)

17. Michigan State (11-2)

18. Notre Dame (8-5)

19. Auburn (14-0)

20. Mississippi State (9-4)

21. Missouri (10-3)

22. Georgia (6-7)

23. Florida (8-5)

24. Texas (5-7)

25. Penn State (7-6)

GLIAC football recruiting classes 2011 (partial)

2011-02-03T04:23:00.000-05:00

While Mother Nature won Signing Day in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference — wiping out most ceremonies, except in places where there was little snow, or where snowmobiles sit in the driveway — Grand Valley has won almost everything else of late. Wednesday's early announcements were no different, as the Lakers brought in 23 recruits — including a pair of local skill-position players. The remainder of the league's teams will announce their classes either Thursday or Friday.

GRAND VALLEY

Dondre Adams, RB, 5-9, 175, Plainfield (Ill.) South

Mitch Bredberg, PK, 5-9, 150, Grand Rapids West Catholic

Coty Brown, OL, 6-6, 271, Elkhart (Ind.) Concord

Aaron Cox, TE, 6-4, 236, Utica Ford

Derek Deluca, DL/LS, 6-4, 212, Allen Park

Ninlo Diarrassouba, DL, 6-1, 220, East Kentwood

Marquez Gollman, LB, 5-10, 174, Ypsilanti

Conner Gould, OL, 6-4, 240, Battle Creek Harper Creek

Darius Hardin, DB, 6-1, 181, South Bend (Ind.) Washington

Josh Harris, QB, 6-1, 200, Birmingham Detroit Country Day

Deondre Hogan, LB, 6-1, 235, Livonia Clarenceville

Brad Horling, DB, 6-2, 205, Zeeland East

Dan Hummel, WR, 6-4, 177, Valparaiso, Ind.

Montae Jackson, DL, 6-1, 216, Muskegon Orchard View

Brett Johnson, DB, 6-2, 179, Grand Ledge

Andrew Klompstra, OL, 6-5, 250, Cedar Springs

Kyle Matthewson, LB, 6-1, 205, Churbusco, Ind.

Jeff O’Brien, QB, 6-0, 215, Stockbridge

Jamie Potts, TE, 6-2, 205, Muskegon Oakridge

Brandon Revenberg, DL, 6-3, 259, Essex, Ont.

Thomas Sellers, WR, 6-4, 183, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s

Robert Shelby, WR, 6-1, 176, Stevensville Lakeshore

Jim Walsh, OL, 6-5, 282, Howell

MICHIGAN TECH
Tanner Agen, DL, 6-3, 250, Kaukauna (Wis.)
Matt Bautch, PK, 6-0, 200, Wausau (Wis.) West
Jake Bednard, DL, 6-1, 220, Clinton Twp. Chippewa Valley
Chris Berndt, OL, 6-4, 245, Kingsford
Quinten Boddie, DL, 6-1, 220, Detroit Renaissance
Andrew Clark, WR, 6-3, 190, Green Bay (Wis.) Ashwaubenon
Conor Cocking, DL, 6-1, 240, Elk Rapids
Brandon Cowie, QB, 6-3, 185, West Bend (Wis.) West
Ethan Deshetsky, DL, 6-1, 240, North Branch
Derek Ferris, QB, 6-3, 210, Cheboygan
Spencer Firlik, OL, Gilbert (Ariz.) Perry
Johnny Foss, LB, 6-0, 190, Muskegon Reeths Puffer
Brett Gervais, DB, 5-11, 165, Lake Linden
Drew Janer, WR, 6-2, 165, Bay City All Saints
Brandon Kuc, DL, 6-2, 215, Northville
Paul Kuoppala, LB, 6-2, 220, Iron Mountain
Tyler Lendzion, QB, 6-0, 190, Birmingham Brother Rice
Matt Mateer, OL, 6-2, 230, Mt. Pleasant
Phil Morrow, OL, 6-2, 270, East Kentwood
Bradley Plec, WR, 6-1, 175, Sterling Heights Stevenson
James Roath, DL, 6-2, 230, Lansing Waverly
Anthony Root, WR, 5-10, 160, Montague
Kyle Schober, OL, 6-1, 275, Mequon (Wis.) Homestead
Eric Schwenk, DB, 5-9, 170, Midland Dow
Brian Steinbrink, TE, 6-5, 220, Pleasant Prairie (Wis.) Kenosha Tremper
Sonny Sullivan, DB, 5-9, 180, Mt. Pleasant
Ben Tauchen, LB, 6-2, 205, Bonduel (Wis.)
Nick Vieau, OL, 6-2, 270, Midland
Andrew Viviano, OL, 6-3, 270, Warren Cousino
Frank Vruwink, OL, 6-3, 250, Wisconsin Rapids (Wis.) Lincoln
Ian Weinke, TE, 6-5, 230, Kingsford

WAYNE STATE
Jon Alandt, WR, 6-1, 185, Northville
Zak Bielecki, S, 5-11, 185, Macomb Lutheran North
Christian Burks, RB, 5-8, 175, Detroit Cass Tech
Raafat El Hage, DT, 6-1, 312, Dearborn Edsel Ford
Ryan Hankins, DT, 6-1, 265, Davison
Jamel Hicks, WR, 5-9, 170, East Cleveland (Ohio) Shaw
Taven Howell, LB, 6-0, 220, Columbus (Ohio) Westerville South
Brandon McKay-Lee, CB, 6-0, 180, Detroit Southeastern
Carl Roscoe, QB, 6-3, 230, Wyoming Kelloggsville
Mike Sawchuck, S, 6-2, 190, Lapeer East
Mike Smith, LB, 6-2, 230, Holt
Nate Theaker, OT, 6-5, 285, Lakeland
Ethan Walsh, TE, 6-3, 250, Canton Salem
Will Wheat, WR, 6-1, 170, Grand Blanc
Jamil Williams, CB, 5-11, 175, Lima (Ohio) Shawnee

Mid-American Conference recruiting classes

2011-02-03T03:52:00.000-05:00

Perhaps no conference is as star driven as the MAC, where getting a top-notch player or two — i.e. Chester Taylor, Garrett Wolfe, Ben Roethlisberger, Randy Moss, Nate Davis or Josh Harris — can catapult you to the top.

None of the state of Michigan's three MAC schools were anywhere near that lofty perch last year.

According to one scouting service, however, at least one of them — Central Michigan — at least reloaded enough to be considered a possibility to head upward again. Scout.com ranked the Chippewas' 26-commit class as the second-best in the conference behind Toledo's — and just outside the top 75 in the nation.

CMU's class is headlined by Ithaca quarterback Alex Niznak —a consensus top-20 player in the state, and an early enrollee — and includes a whopping 15 in-state players, including five from Oakland County alone. Southfield Christian defensive tackle Shafer Johnson, one of the final additions to the class, and Birmingham Brother Rice linebacker Tim Hamilton, one of its first members, are both three-star prospects. The class also includes University of Michigan transfer Austin White.

The recruiting classes for Western and Eastern are both ranked near the bottom of the league by most of the scouting services, and neither of them include nearly as many in-state recruits — just four for WMU and three for EMU. The Broncos continued to milk their pipeline to Florida, though — the same one that brought them players like the Lions' Louis Delmas — getting seven of their 17 commits from the Sunshine State. The Eagles picked up seven JUCO players among their 19 commitments.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN (26)
Ramadan Ahmeti, OL, Lansing Waverly, 6-5, 280
Stefon Armstead, DB, Southfield-Lathrup, 5-10, 170
Nick Beamish, OL, Riverview, 6-5, 260
Josh Carter, RB, South Haven, 5-11, 195
Jarret Chapman, DB, Port Huron, 5-11, 180
Titus Davis, WR, Wheaton (Ill.) Warrenville South, 6-2, 180
Dorian Dawson, DE, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, 6-1, 243
Andrew Flory, WR, Plantation (Fla.) Heritage, 5-11, 164
Anthony Garland, RB, Ferndale, 6-1, 215
Tim Hamilton, LB, Birmingham Brother Rice, 6-1, 247
Curtis Huge, PK, Bakersfield (Calif.), 6-0, 190
Shafer Johnson, DT, Southfield Christian, 6-1, 300
Jesse Kroll, WR, Algoma (Wis.), 6-3, 195
Cody Lopez, LB, Plainfield (Ill.) North, 6-1, 215
Matt Losiniecki, Ath, Waukesha (Wis.) West, 6-3, 261
Ben McCord, WR, 6-3, 196, Warren Cousino
Dennis Nalor, DB, Miami (Fla.) Central, 5-10, 175
Alex Niznak, QB, Ithaca, 6-3, 226
Ryan Petro, LB, Winter Springs (Fla.), 6-3, 205
Ben Randle, TE, Big Rapids, 6-4, 250
Kenny Rogers, OL, Holt, 6-6, 255
Blake Serpa, Ath, Maple Park (Ill.) Kaneland, 6-3, 230
Austin White, RB, Livonia Stevenson (Michigan transfer)
Courtney Williams, WR, Melvindale, 6-1, 205
Jason Wilson, WR, Farmington, 6-0, 178
Denzel Wimberly, Ath, Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons, 5-9, 198

EASTERN MICHIGAN (19)
Tyler Allen, RB, Lansing Eastern, 5-9, 175
Dylan Brooks, TE, Stevensville Lakeshore, 6-3, 233
Ryan Brumfield, RB, Pottstown (Pa.) Roberts, 5-10, 180
Sean Cotton, DB, Melrose Park (Ill.) Walther Lutheran, 6-2, 197
Justin Cudworth, LB, College of the Canyons, 6-1, 230
Chris Dunlap, DB, East Los Angeles College, 5-8, 183
Devin Henderson, DE, Palatine (Ill.) Junior College, 6-4, 275
Bronson Hill, RB, Grand Rapids CC, 5-10, 200
Mark Ianotti, QB, Schaumburg (Ill.), 6-4, 215
Kevin Johnson, DB, McKeesport (Pa.), 6-0, 185
Sean Kurtz, LB, Santa Ana Community College, 6-0, 235
Bryan Pall, DB, Orange Coast Comm. College, 6-1, 205
Blake Poole, LB, Santa Ana Comm. College, 6-3, 230
Demarius Reed, DB, Chicago Simeon, 5-10, 155
Tyreese Russell, TE, Melrose Park (Ill.) Walther Lutheran, 6-4, 220
Darius Scott, DB, Chicago Simeon, 5-9, 145
Kris Strange, DB, Pickerington (Ohio) Central, 5-11, 185
Tyrone Taylor, DB, Cerritos Comm. College, 5-11, 190

WESTERN MICHIGAN (17)
Rontavious Atkins, S, Pahokee (Fla.), 5-11, 169
Eric Boyden, TE, Lawrenceville (NJ) Notre Dame, 6-3, 236
Devon Brant, ILB, North Marion (Fla.), 5-11, 212
Donald Celiscar, S, Winter Haven (Fla.), 6-1, 185
Justin Currie, S, Big Rapids, 6-1, 190
Nicholas Dance, OLB, Nashville (Tenn.) Pearl-Cohn, 6-0, 210
Ben Davisson, OT, Rensselaer (Ind.) Central, 6-9, 290
Tyler Hrycak, QB, Valley Forge (Pa.) Military Academy, 6-2, 186
Trevor Ishmael, S, North Miami Beach (Fla.), 6-0, 185
John Jackson, OG, Detroit Cass Tech, 6-3, 290
Joe Keels, DE, 6-2, 219, Kenosha (Wis.) Bradford, 6-2, 219
Timmy Keith, WR, Manassas (Va.) Osbourn Senior, 6-0, 206
James Kristoff, OG, Barrington (Ill.), 6-3, 297
Jarell McKinney, OLB, Detroit Cooley, 6-5, 220
Dustin Pringle, OG, Beaver Falls (Pa.) Blackhawk, 6-5, 260
Kendrick Roberts, WR, Flint Southwestern, 6-3, 180
Cleveland Smith, MLB, North Miami Beach (Fla.), 6-2, 230
Damian Thomas, DT, Pace (Fla.), 6-2, 260
Travis Turner, OT, North Miami Beach, 6-4, 265

MSU's 2011 football recruiting class

2011-02-03T02:48:00.000-05:00

While the Spartans' Signing Day was a bit understated — weather washed out the planned press conference to introduce the class, and most of the potential last-minute surprise additions fell through — that doesn't mean that it wasn't successful.

The Spartans loaded up on defensive linemen (6), offensive linemen (4) and linebackers (4) in this class, nabbing one guy for the trenches — JUCO OL Fou Fonoti — on Signing Day. Reactions to the class were mixed — ESPN rated it third, fifth by both Rivals and Scout — but for the second straight year included the state's best player, five-star linebacker Lawrence Thomas, as well as a good mix of local (six in-state players) and national talent. Traverse City St. Francis OL Kyle Lints turned down MAC scholarship offers to come to MSU as a preferred walk-on.

(List taken in its entirety from MSUSpartans.com)

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown (Last School)
Jack Allen	C	6-2	262	Hinsdale, Ill. (Hinsdale Central)
Juwan Caesar	WR	6-4	205	Miami, Fla. (Miami Coral Park Senior)
Shilique Calhoun	DE	6-5	225	Middletown, N.J. (Middletown North)
Donavon Clark	OL	6-4	305	Cincinnati, Ohio (Finneytown)
Brandon Clemons	DL	6-4	265	Milford, Pa. (Delaware Valley)
Arjen Colquhoun	DB	6-1	180	Windsor, Ontario (W.F. Herman Secondary School)
Connor Cook	QB	6-3	197	Hinckley, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit)
Ed Davis	LB	6-3	215	Detroit Southeastern
Fou Fonoti	OL	6-5	295	Lakewood, Calif. (Cerritos College)
Darien Harris	LB	6-1	215	Silver Spring, Md. (DeMatha Catholic)
Joel Heath	DE	6-6	250	Cincinnati, Ohio (Mount Healthy)
Taiwan Jones	LB	6-3	220	New Baltimore Anchor Bay
Damon Knox	DE	6-5	265	Muskegon
Paul Lang	TE	6-5	235	Pittsburgh, Pa. (Mount Lebanon)
Kyle Lints	OG	6-3	275	Traverse City St. Francis
Onaje Miller	ATH	5-10	180	Lansing Sexton
Matt Ramondo	DT	6-4	285	Las Cruces, N.M. (Mayfield)
Mark Scarpinato	DT	6-3	270	Milwaukee, Wis. (Marquette University)
Andre Sims Jr.	WR	5-9	170	Snellville, Ga. (Brookwood)
Lawrence Thomas	LB	6-4	245	Detroit Renaissance
Trae Waynes	DB	6-0	165	Kenosha, Wis. (Bradford)
RJ Williamson	DB	6-1	190	Middletown, Ohio (Dunbar)

Michigan's 2011 football recruiting class

2011-02-03T02:23:00.000-05:00

The following list includes the 20 players who signed a National Letter Intent to play for Michigan on Wednesday, as a part of new head coach Brady Hoke's first class. (To read more on Hoke's Signing Day, click here.)

At his press conference, Hoke mentioned an intentional emphasis on big offensive linemen (like Tony Posada and Chris Bryant), as well as running backs (Thomas Rawls and Justice Hayes). More than that, though, there was a definitive stress on players to fill out the defense, which will return to the traditional 4-3 scheme under Hoke and coordinator Greg Mattison. Of the 20 commits, 12 are on defense.

Chris Barnett	TE	6-5	250	Hurst, Texas (L.D. Bell)	Gary Olivo
Russell Bellomy	QB	6-3	178	Arlington, Texas (Martin)	Bob Wager
Brennen Beyer	DE	6-3	225	Plymouth Canton	Mike Swachuck
Greg Brown	DB	5-10	180	Fremont, Ohio (Ross)	Derek Kidwell
Chris Bryant	OL	6-4	330	Chicago, Ill. (Simeon)	Dante Culbreath
Tamani Carter	DB	5-11	175	Pickerington, Ohio (Central)	Jay Sharrett
Frank Clark	LB	6-2	210	Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville)	Ted Ginn Sr.
Blake Countess	DB	5-10	175	Owings Mills, Md. (Our Lady of Good Counsel)	Bob Milloy
Justice Hayes	RB	5-10	175	Grand Blanc	Joe Delaney
Keith Heitzman	DE	6-3	237	Hilliard, Ohio (Hilliard Davidson)	Brian White
Delonte Hollowell	DB	5-9	170	Detroit Cass Tech	Thomas Wilcher
Kellen Jones	LB	6-1	215	Houston, Texas (St. Pius X)	Jason Kimball
Jack Miller	OL	6-4	268	Perrysburg, Ohio (St. John's Jesuit)	Doug Pearson
Desmond Morgan	LB	6-1	225	Holland West Ottawa	Jim Caserta
Antonio Poole	LB	6-2	210	Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods)	Andre Parker
Tony Posada	OL	6-4	330	Tampa, Fla. (Plant)	Rob Weiner
Thomas Rawls	RB	5-10	220	Flint Northern	Fred Jackson Jr.
Chris Rock	DE	6-5	250	Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales)	Ryan Wiggins
Raymon Taylor	DB	5-10	170	Highland Park	Cedric Dertch
Matt Wile	K	6-2	210	San Diego, Calif. (Francis Parker)	John Morrison

(List taken in its entirety from www.MGoBlue.com)

Tate Forcier gives farewell statement on Twitter?

2011-01-20T01:24:00.000-05:00

Maybe the mystery is finally over, if the Twitter account @QBForce — the account for the Forcier family — can be believed.

Over the last few weeks, there's been plenty of speculation about whether or not sophomore quarterback Tate Forcier would stay with the University of Michigan football program. Granted, it certainly wasn't the panic that the Wolverine fan base invested in the "will-he-stay, will-he-go" drama surrounding the man who sent Forcier to the bench, fellow soph Denard Robinson, who actually carried his Heisman campaign through most of the regular season before it lost momentum — unlike Forcier in 2009.

But the fans — and beat writers — were still interested. Enough so that the topic came up at new head coach Brady Hoke's introductory press conference. While Forcier had been dismissed from the team prior to the bowl game, some attributed that to the quarterback's on-again, off-again, love/hate (or maybe more appropriately, "hug/sulk") relationship with deposed head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Instead of answers, however, Michigan AD David Brandon insisted he couldn't give too many details, since it was an academic matter. Tate's father, Mike, insisted numerous times that his son wanted to stay at Michigan, and that the matter had just been incomplete grades in classes, not failing ones.
Seems like the cat's finally out of the bag now, thanks to a string of tweets late Wednesday night.

I'll string them all here, in chronological order:

"Immediate Press/Sports Release: January 20, 2011 — Robert "Tate" Forcier University of Michigan Sophomore Quarterback ...
"Why do we all wait until we are at our lowest point to seek God's help? ...
"I've been kicked, pushed, knocked down, publicly berated, belittled, emasculated and more. ...
"There are plenty of legitimate reasons to give up for feel the victim. ...
"The humility of it all is indescribable and that is exactly my point. ...
"I had to reach rock bottom in order to see the light, and for that, I am thankful. ...
"It was not until then, I realized that it was my lack of accountability and maturity and not to pass blame. ...
"I do hope all my young fans forgive me and benefit from my lessons that I have learned. ...
"Be grateful for what you have and be humble for your successes. ...
"Don't wait to ask God into your life as he will help you see things clearer. ...
"In summary, I believe, I will become a better student and a person of stronger character from these experiences at Michigan. ...
"I can proudly state, 'I worked hard on the practice field, in the film room at at meetings' after all, football is my passion. ...
"I had fun celebrating with the fans. ...
"I even competed hard while injured as a true freshman through the last (8) games in 2009, but I always played the game giving it my all. ...
"I am proud to have been part of Michigan Football history and will always cherish the memory. ...
"The last few weeks I worked extremely hard to catch back up. ...
"I really wanted to stay. I was not giving up on Michigan, but in the end, it was made clear they had given up on me. ...
"With that being said, it's time for me to go. ...
"I promise the Michigan family and fans I will make you proud again. ...
"Tate Forcier #5 - A Michigan Man Forever - Go Blue ..."

Forcier was an instant sensation for Michigan as a true freshman, leading the Wolverines to a 4-0 start, and a national ranking. The freshman earned rock-star status, too, earning early mention for the Heisman Trophy. Things went downhill from there, however, as the Wolverines lost seven of their final eight games, and Forcier's relationship with Rodriguez seemed to deteriorate.

There were rumors of a possible transfer last summer, as well, when Robinson, Forcier and even true freshman Devin Gardner were locked in a wide-open battle for the starting quarterback job. When Robinson earned the start in the 2010 opener, and led U-M to a 30-10 win over Connecticut in spectacular fashion, the rumors resurfaced, as Forcier appeared to sulk on the bench.

Rumors have already mentioned Montana as a destination for the quarterback, who has a redshirt season remaining. Both of Tate's older brothers — Jason (U-M) and Chris (UCLA) — transferred from their first collegiate stop. The text of Chris Forcier's press release, when he transferred to Furman, can be read here.

Renel among honorees for GLIAC Commissioner's Award

2011-01-17T23:21:00.000-05:00

Wayne State running back Josh Renel (Rochester Adams) was one of 12 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference athletes (six male, six female) to receive the Commissioner's Award for the fall season.

The award honors those who excel both in the classroom, and on the field of play.

A junior running back for Wayne State, Renel holds a 3.69 GPA with a double major of business administration and marketing, earning CoSIDA Academic All-District honors and a spot on the GLIAC All-Academic team for football, both for the second year in a row.

On the field, he was the only player in NCAA Division II football to break the 2,000 all-purpose yard plateau for the regular season, earning All-GLIAC honors as a runner and return specialist, and all-region honors from Hansen's Football Gazette.

Academic All-MAC teams announced

Oakland County was also well represented when the Mid-American Conference recently announced its all-academic teams.

Central Michigan University placed four players on the all-academic team, including Milford's Mike Petrucci and Rochester Adams' Cody Wilson, while Novi Detroit Catholic Central grad Scott Kovanda was one of Ball State's three representatives.

A junior linebacker, Petrucci carries a 3.70 GPA in mathematics, while Wilson, a sophomore wide receiver, has a 3.91 GPA. Kovanda, a junior punter, carries a 3.95 GPA in business.

Miami (Ohio) defensive end Jason Semmes (Orchard Lake St. Mary's) and Bowling Green center Ben Bojicic (Farmington Hills Harrison) earned honorable mention.

Wayne State's Renel named Harlon Hill semifinalist

2010-11-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

The good couple of weeks continued in the Renel household in Rochester Hills, as Rochester Adams grad Josh Renel led the Wayne State Warriors to the inaugural South Division football title in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, a day after being named a semifinalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy.

Renel, a junior running back for WSU, is one of 24 finalists for the award. His 2,133 all-purpose yards this season are the third-best total in school history, ranking only behind the 2006 (2,462) and 2009 (2,392) totals posted by his predecessor at RB for Wayne State, Joique Bell. Now a member of the Indianapolis Colts — his third team this season, after going undrafted in the spring — Bell won the Harlon Hill Trophy last year.

Also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team within the last two weeks, Renel had 207 all-purpose yards for the Warriors Saturday, as they beat Findlay, 44-27, to earn their school-record ninth win, and the South Division title at 8-2. Renel's 115-yard, 2-TD effort marked his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game.

Renel was one of three GLIAC players — along with Hillsdale QB Troy Weatherhead and Michigan Tech RB Phil Milbrath — to make the list of six candidates from Super Regional 3. The top two vote-getters from voting in each of the four regions will go onto the national ballot. The winner will be announced on Dec. 17.

Josh Renel leads locals earning CoSIDA Academic All-District honors

2010-11-09T16:49:00.001-05:00

It was a good week in the Renel household.

Josh Renel, a graduate of Rochester Adams and a junior running back for Wayne State, had a career day in the Warriors' 41-27 win over Indianapolis, earning himself Offensive Player of the Week honors in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. His 177 rushing yards — part of a day on which he totaled 319 all-purpose yards, fifth-best in WSU history — helped Wayne State match its school record for wins. Led by Renel, who ranks second in NCAA Division II in all-purpose yards, the Warriors (8-2, 7-2 GLIAC) are tied with Hillsdale atop the GLIAC South Division.

That was the second honor conferred upon Renel in the last week, though.

The business administration/marketing major was one of several local players who earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District teams last week, when they were announced for football, men's soccer and women's soccer. One of just six D-II players named to the first team in District 4, Renel will be eligible to earn ESPN The Magazine All-American honors. WSU linebacker Nick Thomas earned second-team honors.

Renel's high-school teammate and friend, Cody Wilson, was one of three members of the Central Michigan University football team to earn first-team honors in District 4, along with seniors LB Matt Berning and DT Sean Murnane. It's the first time Wilson, a sophomore wide receiver with an undeclared major and a 3.91 GPA, has been honored. All three are eligible for the same All-American honors as Renel. Eastern Michigan TE Ben Thayer was the only other player from the state to earn first-team honors in the district.

Penn State University senior linebacker Chris Colasanti, a native of Leonard and a graduate of Birmingham Brother Rice, was a first-team all-District 2 honoree, sporting a 3.61 GPA in kinesiology/pre-med. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest grad Matt Rolf, a sophomore defensive back at Concordia (Chicago), was a second-team honoree in District 5.

In women's soccer, Davidson College senior midfielder Allison Drutchas (Bloomfield Hills Lahser) sports a 3.98 GPA, earning her first-team honors in District 3. Rochester grad Jackie Carron, a senior defender and two-time captain for the University of Michigan, earned second-team honors in District 4, while Troy Athens grad Tiffany Bell, a sophomore midfielder for Saginaw Valley State, earned third-team honors in district 4 with a 3.93 GPA in chemistry.

Live chat from Illinois vs. U-M at the Big House

2010-11-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

Stuck in the grip of the three-game losing skid that followed the perfect 5-0 start, the Michigan Wolverines (5-3, 1-3 Big Ten) are still seeking their sixth win of the season to become bowl eligible. The chances to do that are beginning to dwindle. The number of winnable games left on the schedule — shoot, the number of games period — is going down quickly. With only one home game left after Saturday — and that against Wisconsin — it's becoming imperative that the Wolverines take care of business in this week's game against Illinois.

U-M vs. Illinois live chat

Clarkston grad Jenna Coates helps CMU volleyball turn in play of week nominee

2010-10-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

When a spike glanced off the leg of Central Michigan libero Lisa Johnson in a recent match, right at the feet of freshman defensive specialist Jenna Coates, the Clarkston grad's reflexes took over, and she did what any recreational player would: She punted the ball over the net.

The play, from CMU's match over Bowling Green on Oct. 15, is a nominee for the American Volleyball Coaches' Association play of the week. To watch it, and vote, go here.

Milford's Schultz earns MAC Offensive POW honors in volleyball for CMU

2010-10-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

Central Michigan junior middle hitter Kaitlyn Schultz was named the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week this week.

The Milford grad — two seasons removed from being the second Chippewa ever to earn conference Freshman of the Year honors — recorded a 22-kill, six-block weekend as the Chippewas swept a pair of MAC matches against Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio).

Schultz ranks second in kills (180) and first in blocks (62) for CMU (9-11, 3-5 MAC), ranking among the conference leaders in both hitting and blocking.

2010-10-15T15:59:00.000-04:00

The No. 13-ranked Michigan State Spartans (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are looking to go to 7-0 for the first time since the national championship year in 1966 when they host Illinois for a homecoming game on Saturday. The Illini (3-2, 1-1) are coming off their first-ever win in Happy Valley last week, knocking off Penn State to turn down the hot seat for coach Ron Zook. Can they ruin Michigan State's homecoming and end the dream of a Rose Bowl appearance? Tune in 15 minutes before kickoff at 11:45 a.m. to find out my thoughts.

No. 13 MSU vs Illinois live chat

Showdown for state supremacy: live chat from MSU/U-M game

2010-10-07T21:20:00.000-04:00

Join me for a live chat from Saturday's showdown for state supremacy, as No. 17 Michigan State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) visits No. 18 Michigan (5-0, 1-0), featuring the one-man gang, Denny (Denard Robinson) and his jets, against the ground green rushing attack of Edwin Baker, Le'Veon Bell and Larry Caper. If you don't want to listen to former Lions president/GM Matt Millen call the game on ABC, and aren't partisan enough to enjoy either radio broadcast — MSU's Jim Miller and George Blaha on WJR-AM (760), or U-M's Jim Brandstatter and Frank Beckmann on WOMC-FM (104.3) — then feel free to log on here for unbiased analysis. Or if you're a bit more partisan, and want to stop by with some trash talking, feel free to do that, as well.

No. 18 MSU at No. 19 UM

WEEK FIVE ROUNDUP: Fisher moves into starting role at RT for CMU

2010-10-05T13:55:00.000-04:00

The new Central Michigan coaching staff went into the season with the knowledge that it had seven starter-ready offensive linemen to man the five positions — four returning starters, and three more backups who were ready to contribute whenever needed.

Now, the Chippewas (2-3, 1-2 MAC) are down to just six. The Mount Pleasant Morning Sun is reporting that left tackle Jake Olson will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury he suffered during the Eastern Michigan game. He's missed the last two losses, forcing starting right tackle Rocky Weaver to flip to the other end of the line, and pushing Stoney Creek sophomore Eric Fisher into the starting lineup in Weaver's old spot. It appears that reshuffling will be permanent.

Fisher appeared headed for a redshirt as a true freshman, but blew that chance when he was needed as an injury replacement for Olson last year. The 6-foot-7, 295-pound Fisher has played in every game but one this season.

It will be paramount for CMU to quickly figure out the pass protection schemes with the new alignment, if first-year starter Ryan Radcliff is going to survive, especially with the Chippewas going on the road to Virginia Tech this week. In last week's 31-17 loss to Ball State, the Cardinals — who'd had just three sacks in their first three games — had six sacks of Radcliff, including 4.5 by end Robert Eddins, who was the MAC West Defensive Player of the Week for the performance.

Radcliff still threw for 295 yards and two TDs — one each to tight end David Blackburn (7 catches, 89 yards) and wideout Cody Wilson (5-84), a Rochester Adams grad — keeping himself and Wilson among the MAC and NCAA leaders in at their respective positions.

It was the CMU defense, though, that may have let the Chippewas down in their first home loss and first loss to a MAC West team since 2008. The Cardinals racked up 306 yards on the ground against what had been a top-20 rush defense, doubling the total of yards the Chippewas had given up on the ground. Backup linebacker Mike Petrucci (Milford) had a career-high 10 tackles and a sack for CMU.

Siller's versatility may pay off for Purdue — it may have to

2010-10-01T21:56:00.000-04:00

When Orchard Lake St. Mary's grad Justin Siller was reinstated to the Purdue football team last spring, the former quarterback was going to have to switch positions in order to contribute, considering the Boilermakers had Miami (Fla.) transfer Robert Marve tabbed as the next signalcaller to come through the 'Cradle of Quarterbacks.'

Siller did that willingly, joining what looked like a stacked wide receiver corps.

Four weeks into the season, and injuries may force the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Siller — who'd been flip-flopped from QB to RB and back to QB as a reshirt freshman, because of injuries — to have to change positions again.

Only question? Which position.

Marve is out after an MRI Monday revealed a torn ACL. One of his two backups, Caleb TerBush, fell victim to academics, leaving just redshirt freshman Rob Henry. The running back situation is no better, as last year's leading rusher, Ralph Bolden, tore an ACL in spring practice. At one point, the Boilermakers were down to just one healthy tailback, Dan Dierking.

Shoot, Purdue probably could use him still at the wideout position, which is without one of the Big Ten's best receivers, Keith Smith, who tore up both major ligaments in his knee two weeks ago.

"We can go further down the depth chart or go to an older player that's played some," Purdue coach Danny Hope was quoted by the West Lafayette Journal and Courier as saying about the quarterback position. "We might have to from a necessity standpoint."

Earlier this week, the Journal and Courier reported that Siller hadn't been approached about making a switch. It may just be a matter of time.

"If the coaches feel like me going to quarterback is the best thing for our team, then yes," Siller said. "Right now, I'm still focused on receiver. Rob Henry and (freshman) Sean Robinson are fully capable of leading the team."

UPDATE: Siller won't be contributing at any position anytime soon, according to Hope. On the Big Ten conference call on Tuesday (Oct. 5), Hope said that Siller would likely be out 3-6 weeks with a sprained foot.

Wayne State's Faulkner named semifinalist for William V. Campbell Trophy

2010-09-30T14:35:00.000-04:00

Wayne State reserve linebacker Matt Faulkner, a redshirt senior from Bloomfield Hills Lahser, was one of 121 players from all divisions of college football named as a semifinalist for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy on Thursday.

Formerly known as the Draddy Trophy, and now named after the chairman of Intuit and a former Columbia University head football coach, the award is given to the college football player with "the best combination of academics, community service and on-the-field performance. It's often referred to as the "Academic Heisman."

Nominees must be in their final year of eligibility and carry a minimum 3.2 GPA and be a significant contributor. According to the Wayne State website, Faulkner had eight tackles through the first two weeks of the season, but none since. Faulkner is a two-time GLIAC All-Academic honoree.

Finalists will be announced on Oct. 28.

Unlike many of the major college football awards — which are theoretically open to players from all divisions, but always go to D-I players — the Campbell Trophy (or Draddy) has been awarded to players from lower divisions. Along with Faulkner, there are 11 other Division II players, and 27 from Division III. Western Michigan's Phil Swanson is the only other player from a Michigan school to be named a semifinalist, however.

Live chat Northern Colorado vs. No. 25 MSU

2010-09-24T18:34:00.000-04:00

Week 4 of the college football season sends me back to Spartan Stadium, where I'll be live chatting from Michigan State's noon game against an FCS (or I-AA) opponent in Northern Colorado. Join me a little before kickoff insight from my perch high above the field. It's a view that offensive coordinator Don Treadwell — who's filling in for head coach Mark Dantonio — won't have for once. In the absence of Dantonio, who suffered a mild heart attack after last Saturday's epic overtime gamble against Notre Dame, Treadwell will be on the sidelines for the game, running the Spartan ship.

Northern Colorado at No. 25 MSU

West Bloomfield's Terrance Turner shines under stage lights, too

2010-09-24T18:24:00.000-04:00

Indiana University's Terrance Turner, a graduate of West Bloomfield High School, has been on the big stage on the gridiron for years, but he's also an accomplished actor, majoring in theater and drama at IU.

Here is a good story about the kid from the Indy Star.
The York Daily Record in York County, Pa., also did a story on the the IU senior last year. The link is here.

Central Michigan gets easy road win at Eastern Michigan

2010-09-19T01:53:00.001-04:00

The Central Michigan University Chippewas, coming off a 13-10 overtime road loss to MAC East preseason favorite Temple, got back on the winning track with an easy 52-14 win over winless Eastern Michigan. The Eagles (0-3) are on a 15-game losing skid, but had a chance to win each of their first two contests, and had given CMU fits in the last few years.

UMass at No. 20 Michigan live chat

2010-09-17T13:32:00.000-04:00

Join me for a live chat from Michigan Stadium, as the Minutemen of the University of Massachusetts visit the Big House to play the No. 20-ranked Wolverines and quarterback sensation Denard Robinson.

UMass at U-M

Michigan State live blog from game vs. FAU at Ford Field

2010-09-11T11:27:00.001-04:00

Join me for a live chat from Michigan State's once-in-a-generation game in Detroit, when the Spartans (1-0) face Florida Atlantic (1-0) for a "road" game at Ford Field on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010.

MSU vs FAU at Ford Field

Cody-pendent

2010-09-10T00:22:00.000-04:00

Where would Central Michigan be without Cody Wilson this season?

Well, probably still 1-1 after two Thursday contests — but still, it's clear that just two games into the Dan Enos era, the Chippewa offense — in serious flux after the departure of the record-setting trio of Dan LeFevour, Antonio Brown and Bryan Anderson — is dependent on the contributions of the 5-foot-10 sophomore from Rochester Adams.

Wilson's big play — an 81-yard kick return — set up CMU's first score in Week One's 33-0 shutout of Hampton, and the diminutive wideout made a similar game-altering play — a 70-yard reception — to set up the Chippewas' only TD in a 13-10 overtime loss to MAC East Division favorite Temple.

What's more, Wilson — who accounted for a full half (188 yards) of CMU's total offensive output Thursday — played a bit of quarterback in the Wildcat formation, running it well enough to help set up kicker David Harman's 31-yard, game-tying field goal to send the contest to overtime.
In all, Wilson has 344 all-purpose yards so far this season, on just 21 touches, averaging out to 16.4 yards per play.

The only flaw? Finishing.

Both of Wilson's big plays saw him get caught on the doorstep of the end zone, something that teammates teased him about after the opener. Both plays set up a short TD dive by a running back, though, so I can't imagine the teasing was too harsh.

For full disclosure, Wilson did have a fumble after a reception in the first half, one that — coming as it did on CMU's half of the field — could have cost the Chippewas, but teammate Matt Berning took him off the hook by forcing a fumble from Temple quarterback Chester Stewart a few plays later.