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Rivalry Series: Michigan Beat Ohio State

Monday, November 17, 2008 by Tim

Any Michigan fan knows that nearly any season can be salvaged with a victory over the hated Buckeyes of Ohio State. So, it must follow that any Michigan fan values the ability to watch some of Michigan’s victories over the Team Down South at any opportunity. Well, Michigan fans, the opportunity is now here.

Rivalry Series: Michigan Beat Ohio State is a 3-disc set of two of Michigan’s most important wins over Ohio State, and a bonus game from 1995. Of course, just say “two of Michigan’s most important wins,” and two contests against the Buckeyes immediately come to mind: Bo’s great upset in 1969 and the National Title-earning (and Heisman-sealing) victory in 1997.

The 1969 upset victory over one of the greatest teams of all time, in Bo’s first season at the helm in Ann Arbor, is part of Michigan lore. However, most Michigan fans have never had the chance to see this game in its entirety, and capture the magic of Schembechler’s boys turning the tide in sports’ greatest rivalry. The old general got the Ten Year War started by upsetting what Woody Hayes would later call “The greatest team I ever coached.”

As a relatively recent comer to Michigan fanhood, the 1995 game was not one I had known as a hallmark victory in Wolverine lore. However, in Lloyd’s first game against Ohio State, he pulled off what nearly every Michigan coach has been able to do in his first year: beat Ohio State. The Buckeyes were a juggernaut, as they were in most years of the Cooper era, but like most years of the Cooper era, the Wolverines prevented them from playing for a national championship.

The 1997 season in its entirety closely resembles Michigan fan nirvana, and the win over Ohio State may be its most satisfying victories. Charles Woodson notched a near-TD reception, a famous punt return for touchdown, and a game-sealing interception to seal the Heisman for himself, and the right to play for the national championship for his team. There are few things more satisfying than watching this game on endless repeat.

These DVDs put you right in the game, as they are the original TV broadcasts, with the added benefit of not having commercials. Unlike catching these games on the Big Ten Network or ESPN Classic, no game action is removed to allow for fitting into a neat 3-hour window. This greatly enhances the experience for the true college football fan. Just because a punt isn’t blocked or returned for a touchdown, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still an important play in the game.

If you’re a Michigan fan (or even a fan of another school, and you happen to hate Ohio State), this DVD collection is a must-have. And, in the spirit of rivalry week, I’ll give you the opportunity to get one! In the comments of this post, leave your prediction for the final score of the game between Michigan and Ohio State this weekend. The closest to the actual score will win a copy of Rivalry Series: Michigan Beat Ohio State.

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It Never Comes When You Expect It

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 by Paul







Michigan made a huge mistake in hiring Rich Rod. The season only get worse.
Minnesota-28 Michigan-7
Minnesota has a very tough defense and an offense that can really move the ball through the air. They'll beat Michigan by at least 14. Michigan is steamrolling towards 2-10.

Hail to this year's fraudulent Wolverines! U of M alums will shun each of you forever! Learn to pour some coffee because that's the job you'll get on graduation! 2 and 10!
This Rod hire looks worse every week, he is infamous for his arrogance and failure to make adjustments. Chances are his tenure at Michigan will be a failure. Whether the players fit his system or not, there is no reason for the ineptitude his Michigan team has displayed this season. Good coaches learn to adapt.
I agree. R Rod's master plan is to sacrifice this year's team and make it go 2-10, so he can claim what terrible team he inherited from Lloyd Carr. This will set the expectations way low for future years. That way, when he does finally have a winning record, say 7-5, he hopes to be praised for what genius he is. In the end, RR will turn Michigan into another Purdue. Few decent years followed by "rebuilding" year, followed by few decent years, and then so on. Don't expect another National Championship with him.
(Source)


Various outlets are reporting that Rich Rodriguez has called Steven Threet "very, very questionable" for Saturday's game against Minnesota. Justin Feagin has been moved back to QB to back up Nick Sheridan. If that sentence doesn't fill your veins with icy dread, I don't know what will. Who knows, maybe Sheridan will be lost for the season and Feagin will go nuts on the Gophers, a la Justin Siller against Michigan? (Source)



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The Braylon T-Shirt Thing...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 by Tim

I wasn't going to post about this, but it provides the opportunity to bitch about the mainstream media in general, and ESPN in particular.

If you're reading a college football blog now, you've undoubtedly heard about Braylon Edwards's wearing of a Penn State t-shirt for an interview on Monday Night Football a couple days ago. There has also been rampant speculation about why he did such a thing, and even joking photoshops (mspaints?) about the "actual shirt" he was wearing.

Whatever, I don't really care what T-shirt Braylon is wearing, and I doubt it has anything to do with the Rodriguez misunderstanding earlier this summer. Dude's still donating scholarship money to the school, something tells me he suddenly hates it. Whatever, he wore a t-shirt, who cares, right?

Well, on ESPN yesterday and today, the analysts have discussed what they think Braylon's motives might have been in the whole thing. College Football Live today discussed the possibility that it is residual bitterness from the aforementioned #1 jersey flap. Speculation, whatever. Most people on the Michigan side of things cite a previously-unheard of (at least to Google) tradition #1 has of wearing the shirt of the school Michigan plays that weekend. You know who has the opportunity to go right to the source and find out?

YOU DO, JESSE PALMER. YOU'RE ES-fucking-PN! Has one reporter from that network even tried to ask Braylon about it? You can bet not, otherwise they'd be citing his "no comment" as further evidence that it is RR-grudge related. Sure, it's great to have a monopoly on all the national sports coverage power, but for the love of god USE IT!

In conclusion, ESPN kinda sucks.

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Mike Gundy Responds to Big Ten Coaches

Monday, September 08, 2008 by Paul

Mike Gundy is sick and tired of Big Ten coaches telling lies and misleading not only the public, but also unwitting recruits. He's here to set the record straight. Enjoy:

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Sit Back and Reflect

Tuesday, September 02, 2008 by Tim

In yesterday's Unverified Voracity, Brian mentioned that the mass media will com up with a message that they want to write about, and then write their article about that whether or not the circumstances are true. For example, he said that the media would assume that fans would criticize Rodriguez's playcalling, and wrote their articles regardless of whether that was true or not.

Another annoying instance of this I've run across is the assumption that Michigan fans think the sky is falling down. With an upset against a far inferior team, among the worst that Michigan will play this year, fans clearly think that Michigan will struggle to win a single game this year...

...except that's not at all what Michigan fans are saying. Those who have a clue (which is, thankfully and surprisingly, a majority) realize that Utah might be the best non-Ohio State team (and certainly among them) that the Wolverines will face in 2008, and have set expectations accordingly. Sure, people are disappointed in the play of the offense, but nearly everyone I've talked to has been encouraged by the play of the defense in the second half, and thinks that the offense can only improve with Steven Threet the man in charge. The most negative article I've seen was Brian's game column.

So, mass media, don't make assumptions about fan perception and write your articles from your assumptions: you might want to take into account, you know, the truth.

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Media/Fan Day Photo Gallery

Monday, August 18, 2008 by Tim


As suspected, the Morgan Trent 4.13 was an agility drill, not a 40yd dash.

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Podcast: 7/20/08

Sunday, July 20, 2008 by Paul

Audio only again this week. Video will return for next week.

Enjoy:








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