Holiday Weekend Roundup, I Feel...OK Edition: September 2, 2008

Here's what happened around the internet while you drank copious amounts of liquor and wondered what Michael Jackson should look like...

• A Big Ten reacap courtesy of Michigan Sports Center.  Good fodder for your efforts to refocus on the Big Ten season.


• Some game recap notes from the Michigan game courtesy of ESPN's Big Ten Blog.  Of note, injuries to Greg Matthews, Junior Hemmingway, and Terrance Taylor.  Matthews and Taylor are on the depth chart for Saturday...Hemmingway is out.


• Tate Forcier has committed to Michigan.  He is certain that he and RichRod share a brain.


• So much for my hope that Justin Feagin would somehow emerge as a viable option at the quarterback position...he has been redshirted.


• Varsity Blue covers recruits in this week's ediiton of Friday Night Lights.


• From last week...we are the number four reason to love Ann Arbor according to Maize and Brew.


• USC is #1 in the AP poll after dismantling Virginia.


• Two more commits from the home of Mr. Odoms.  Yes, we recruit Florida.


• Miami of Ohio is having QB troubles as well, but they are sticking with their guy, and his name is Raudabaugh.


• A look at week 2 from ESPN.com that includes some good news...Miami of Ohio gave up 269 rushing yards last week against Vandy.

The Tailgate Wins Again

There are times when we joke that the tailgate outshined the performance on the field.  Saturday, that would've been an understatement.  But that's not a fair comparison.  Twelve freshman saw the field for the Maize and Blue on Saturday...10 men and women over the age of fifty helped set up tents and cooked some food.  Our experience is unparalleled.  Hell, we've even had a website for 9 seasons, and we're pretty sure John Dogan fought in World War I.  So hey, when I tell you that our tailgate kicked ass and was led by a dream I've had for 10 years of sporting over 100,000 BTUs of grilling power...I mean it.

Our group's first All-American tailgate went off well, with Old Glory taking center stage lining the tents and adorning the chests of our tailgaters.  We had a good old fashioned American barbeque pot luck, and the participation levels, the amount of food, and the amount of people were all estimated as UMTailgate records.

Reality Bites

Somewhere in your mind, past the place where Michigan fanhood clouds your better judgment, past the place where hope kills all common sense...you knew.  It really is a rebuilding year.  And the reality is that in the near future, no matter what this team does to grow and learn, it would take a miracle of biblical proportions to have us win games in the manner to which we have become accustomed.

The football project is now on pace with the stadium project...both should be ready by the fall of 2010.

Utah dominated every facet of the game on Saturday, and despite the Utes best Michigan State impression through stupid penalties and turnovers, the Wolverines still managed to fall short.  The Utes at several points in the third and fourth quarter attempted to literally hand us a victory that we did not deserve.  Utah moved the ball for Michigan through penalties nearly as well as the Michigan offense moved the ball through offensive plays.  137 yards of penalties for Utah..203 yards of total offense for Michigan.  But even that blatant ineptitude was not enough to assist an offense that could not overcome two quarterbacks that looked like the 3rd and 4th members of a depth chart, and an offensive line whose best asset seems to be the speed at which they run to the line of scrimmage.  The defense took a full half of football to adjust to game speed, and by then it was too late.  All of Michigan's best plays were from the punt team (both Zoltan (minus 1 shank) and the coverage team) when they weren't getting inexcusable delays of game.

If your looking for more positives, they are few and far between.  The inevitable "we didn't quit" probably comes to mind...but that's akin to saying "I take care of my kids" or "I've never been arrested."  The defense, once awakened, made some big stops, especially late in the game.  Threet threw one really nice ball to Junior Hemmingway.  Finally, the biggest highlight for me...the new construction shaded my section by halftime.

Box Score

Enemy Article

Odd Website That Has Nothing To Do With the Football Game

Go To Bed

2am...

Car is loaded...food is ready and in the fridge.

Only one thing left to do.  We've got a business trip on the golf course tomorrow (today)...so we'll be back on Sunday.  See you then.

Return of the Utes

The co-architects of one of the worst football contests has returned to avenge their 10-7 defeat at the hands of our fair Wolverines.

No preview today, we're cooking (huge cop out)...but here are some fun facts/bullet points:




• Get a t-shirt from the BYU faithful


• Why the Utes sucked last year.


• That's what they did with the train from Silver Spoons!!!!


• The Utes may have been here before you.  Actually, the Utes may have been here before anyone.


• Yes, they are one of the few still allowed to have an American Indian mascot. They get a pass because they would also need to rename the state of Utah if it were deemed offensive.