The 2008 BCS Championship Game will take place in New Orleans on Jan. 7 and the Michigan Wolverines will make up half of the title game's field.
Several people have said they'll wait until some point midway through the '07 season to decide what the Wolverines are, but that's not necessary.
Heading into last season, all the talk in Columbus centered around the Buckeyes losing almost all of their defensive starters from a team that walloped Notre Dame in the '06 Fiesta Bowl. Well, for 12 games, at least, that group of no-named Buckeye defenders played well enough to help their team secure a spot in the 2007 National Title Game.
Michigan is in the same boat. The team's four best defensive players-Leon Hall, Alan Branch, LaMarr Woodley and David Harris-were among the first 50 players chosen during April's NFL Draft. Five of the seven UM players taken in the draft play on the defensive side of the ball. In total, the Wolverines lost 10 defensive standouts to either graduation or the NFL.
A group of unfamiliar names will be asked to step up this fall. It'd be easy to say they'll tak their lumps throughout the campaign, if it weren't for a few key items.
The schedule
I won't discuss Michigan opening with Appalachian State or the Wolverines scheduling Eastern Michigan halfway through the season. Even though I don't like either of those teams being on a top team's schedule, you have to play what you're given.
That's two Ws right there, with both games set to be played at the Big House. Six of the Wolverines other 10 games are in Ann Arbor, too, meaning Michigan only has to travel outside the Ann Arbor city limits four times this season-at Northwestern Sept. 29, at Illinois Oct. 20, at Michigan State Nov. 3, and at Wisconsin Nov. 10.
That's three road tilts against teams that will most likely finish at the bottom of the Big Ten and a tussle at Camp Randle that could have conference championship implications.
I'd say a rivalry game in East Lansing late in the season could be tough, but can you name me five starters for the Spartans? And the game at Wisconsin would be a question mark, as well, if it were played earlier in the season-like when the Wolverines lost a heartbreaker in Madison in 2005.
Home games against Oregon (Sept. 8), Penn State (Sept. 22), and Purdue (Oct. 13) should test Michigan's mettle; as will the season finale Nov. 17 against the hated Buckeyes. However, homefield advantage should play a role in the Wolverines coming out of those games unscathed.
The offense
At the beginning of each college basketball season, there's a list put out of the 50 players who could win the Player of the Year award. If there were a college football equivalent of that, three Michigan players-Michael Hart, Chad Henne, and Mario Manningham-would make the top 15 of that list.
The Wolverines are loaded on the offensive side of the ball, returning almost every major cog on a team that outscored opponents 29-16 in 2006. Imagine what that margin would be if head coach Lloyd Carr would open up the playbook every once in a while!
It'd be extremely difficult for Hart to outdo his 1562 yards, 14 scores and 4.9 yards per carry from a year ago; but, with Michigan turning out offensive linemen like a factory, it's possible.
Henne will look to end his career in Ann Arbor with a ####, and his first bowl win. The signal caller also has a good shot at improving on his 2,508 yards, 22 TD, eight pick performance from '06, too.
Manningham, who only appeared in 10 games last season, is sure to best his 703 yards, nine TD performance from last season. And sophomore-to-be Greg Matthews should make his name known this season, making for a potent 1-2 punch on the outside.
Those two things alone make it extremely possible that Michigan could mark the 10-year anniversary of its last national title with another trip to a title game.
If Hart or Henne sustain injury, however, all bets are off. Huge improvements need to be made in the secondary, as well, since the squad was out gained by an average of 225-195 through the air in 2006 and yielded 132 first downs through the air to its 118.
So, Wolverine fans can start making plans to migrate to the Bayou this holiday season. But, as a Spartan alum, if none of the things mentioned above happen, I'll be FAR from upset.
It was announced at 12:33 p.m. today that legendary University of Michigan head coach Glenn "Bo" Schembechler passed away at the age of 77 while taping a weekly show with a Detroit sports anchor.
Last month, the 77-year-old Schembechler, born April 1, 1929, had a pacemaker and defibrillator installed after he had dizziness and other symptoms while taping the show.
This make tomorrow's hugely hyped contest between Ohio State and Bo's Wolverines not as important as it was 15 minutes ago.
Schembechler was a living legend in Ann Arbor. When he arrived at UM after coaching at his alma mater, Miami, Ohio, in 1969, he took the campus by storm by amassing an 8-3 record and taking his squad to the Rose Bowl. That would put the rest of the college football world on notice because while at Michigan, Schembechler became one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. He won a school-record 194 games, lost only 48, and tied five for a winning percentage of .796. His Michigan teams won or shared 13 Big Ten titles and made 10 Rose Bowl appearances.
Schembechler led the Wolverines to 17 bowl games in 21 years, placing him ninth in all-time bowl appearances, while never posting a losing record. He was voted national Coach of the Year during his first season as a Wolverine.
I'm sure he would have been on his way to Cloumbus to take in tomorrow's game with the hopes that his team could pull out a win and have a shot at a possible national title.
I'm not sure what kind of an affect this will have on the roster or the coaching staff, though. If this were a Disney film, Chad Henne would complete 75 percent of his passes, Mike Hart would rush for 175 yards and LaMarr Woodley would have six sacks. But I don't know what this is going to do to the group.
I'm going to put my Spartan allegiance aside and say that this is a big loss for college football. And, honestly, this has me pulling for the Maize and Blue now. It's a bigger loss for the Michigan family, though.
One of the things I first read about Bo took place when he served as Michigan athletic director from 1988-1990. Just prior to the start of the 1989 NCAA basketball tournament, head coach Bill Frieder announced that he would be taking the vacant head position at Arizona State University. Bo fired Frieder almost right on the spot, saying, "A Michigan man is gonna coach Michigan." The squad went on to take its only basketball title.
I know a lot of people say they bleed a certain color. But I'm sure that whenever he fell, whenever he got a paper cut, Maize and Blue blood dripped from his body.
Yea, I know I said I'm a Spartan through and through. And I stand by that. But how bad it is that this had to happen the day before the biggest game in the biggest rivalry in ALL of sports?
Ohio State-Michigan.
1 vs. 2 for the first time in the 103-year history of this match-up.
Winner take all.
His school against his most hated rival.
He'll still be watching. And, hey, maybe him and Woody Hayes can watch together now and exchange a few pleasantries.
Disclaimer:I graduated from Michigan State. You know, the first power conference school to fire its head coach this season. So I could give 28 @&*!# about Michigan or Ohio State. However, I do realize the ginormousness of their impending battle on Nov. 18, so I took the liberty of sending an e-mail to both head coaches before their games this week against Northwestern (OSU) and Indiana (UM).
I know you’re busy with getting ready for those EXTREMELY tough games this weekend, but I feel the need to make you two fine gentlemen aware of something.
I hate both of you. I hate your schools, your cities, those stupid winged helmets and that overgrown, cheap peanut butter cup you call a mascot. I’ll admit, my vitriol may seem unwarranted, but my alma mater is 0-8 against you two %^#(* the last four years. I guess that’s not all bad, since you helped get that caricature of a football coach fired, right? Right?
Anyway, even though I’d probably siphon gasoline out of someone’s car and pour it on both of you if you were on fire, I love football. I realize that next week’s game is exceedingly important to you two and a host of other people. Myself included. Whoever wins the “big game” will most likely be a heavy favorite no matter what team opposes it in the BCS title game Jan. 8.
I’m sure both of you know what winning this game means. Especially you, Sweatervest, since you’ve beaten Jimmy Stewart 4 of 5 times. But it also means a lot to our conference.
It’s been said that the Big Ten has been “down” for a few years now — basically since O$U bought, I mean won the ’03 national title. A classic contest next week, coupled with a national title win, would bring some respect back to the Big Ten.
But first things first, fellas. You both have to hold up your end of the bargain by beating Northwestern and Indiana Saturday.
And I can say, from watching my beloved Spartans battle both the Wildcats and Hoosiers earlier this season, those are some tough teams. You better not overlook them the way you did Ball State (Lloyd) and Illinois (Jim).
A loss by either of your teams — or even worse yet, both— and your game next week goes from being one of the most highly anticipated games ever regardless of sport to just another Saturday afternoon game between rivals. Sure, it’ll mean a lot to the NASCAR psychos in Ann Arbor and some humpbacked people in Columbus, but nobody else’ll care.
Tressel, if you lose to Northwestern, which happened the last time your group played in Evanston, then follow that up with an L to the Wolverines, you go from Penthouse to Champs Sports Bowl.
If you lose to Indiana, Mr. Carr, and follow that up with your fifth loss in six games versus Tressel — UM lost 37-21 in its last trip to The Shoe — Go Blue goes from possibly holding that shiny ball to playing in El Paso, TX on a Wednesday night. For the second year in a row.
Losses by both of you, coupled with a Michigan loss to the Bucks, would put Wisconsin the Rose Bowl and send you both to purgatory. It would also ruin a perfectly good fall Saturday for millions and MILLIONS of college football fans.
So, please, don’t mess up. I already put the deposit down on my keg and a 12-foot party sub.
Thank you both for your time
P.S. If either of you ever want a change of scenery, you’ll be welcomed with open arms in East Lansing ;-)
He didn't have an awesome showing against Minnesota last weekend, but Ohio State QB Troy Smith remains at the top of my Heisman list. There's a new entrant into the top five, too.
Troy Smith, Sr. QB, Ohio State: Smith had a very pedestrian day in the Buckeyes' 44-0 win over the Gophers: 14-21, 183 yards and a TD. He did have a nice 21-yard rushing score, though-his first of the season. YTD: 1,878 yards, 21 TDs, 2 INTs, 67.8 completion percentage.
Steve Slaton, So. RB, West Virginia: Slaton and the Mountaineers were off last weekend. They have a huge showdown with Louisville on Thursday. I'm sure the Cardinals remember Slaton after his five touchdown performance against them last season. YTD: 151 carries, 1,059 YDS, 9 TD, 7.0 yards per carry.
Brady Quinn, Sr. QB, Notre Dame: The USC game Nov. 25 doesn't mean as much after the Trojans' loss at Oregon State last weekend. But Quinn's stock can continue to improve is he continues to have days like he did Saturday as the Irish routed Navy, 38-14. Quinn completed 18 of 25 passes for 295 yards and 3 scores. He also scampered for a 19-yard score. YTD: 2,233 yards, 21 TDs, 4 INTs, 63.7 completion percentage.
Michael Hart, Jr. RB, Michigan: In Michigan's 17-3 win over Northwestern last weekend, Hart failed to reach the 100-yard mark for the second time in nine games this season. He was close, though, as he tallied 95 yards on 20 carries and ran for a score. YTD: 234 carries, 1,127 yards, 9 TDs, 4.8 yards per carry.
Colt McCoy, Fr. QB, Texas: McCoy orchestrated a Horns second-half comeback at Texas Tech last weekend. Down 31-21 at halftime, McCoy led Texas on two scoring drives to eek out a 35-31 win. The youngster went 21-31 for 256 yards, 4 TDs and a pick. His numbers on the season are actually better than Smith and Quinn;s, too. YTD: 1,705 yards, 24 TDs, 4 INTs, 67.7 completion percentage.
It's less than three weeks until the (presumably) epic showdown between Ohio State and Michigan. USC's 33-31 loss at Oregon State makes it even more likely that, in the event of a close game, the two Big Ten powers could face off twice this season-on Nov. 18 in Columbus, and again on Jan. 8 in Tempe for the naitonal title.
My name is Jason Carmel Davis, and I am a graduate of the Michigan State University School of Journalism. Yes, we do go to class in East Lansing, not just to bars and the liquor store.
I'm almost positive I had an SI with me in the womb, checking out Ralph Wiley. He's the main reason I ever decided to pursue a career in sportswriting .
I even remember the first highlight I ever saw on SportsCenter. I don't remember who was reading it, but it was Michael Jordan's 63-point game against the Celtics in the Garden in the 86 Playoffs. I've been hooked ever since.
