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App. St. 34, Michigan 32

O.M.F.G.

This actually happened. At least for the rest of this year, the scourge of having lost to a 1-AA team will be hanging over the ehads of Michigan Wolverine players and fans. For players, it may provide the extra motivation they so clearly lacked yesterday. For fans, there is no recourse but to take the abuse from others, and hope to run the table the rest of the way.

Observations on the game:

  • Chad Henne had his worst day (by far) that I’ve observed. He was missing deep balls, making bad reads, throwing across his body, etc.
  • Mike Hart carried the team, despite being out for most of the game. Brandon Minor has yet to learn how to find a hole.
  • The defensive line was bad. The inside zone handoff was a guaranteed three yards for App St. the entire first half, and was still moderately effective in the second. Brandon Graham was in the doghouse and played limited snaps.
  • As expected, the secondary sucked. Stevie Brown and Johnny Sears were major liabilities. Morgan Trent was much improved over last year.
  • The coaching was bad. Sure, Brandon Minor isn’t cut out for the zone game unless there is a gaping hole, but you have one of the biggest offensive lines in the country, and you’re playing a bunch of guys who don’t breach 300 pounds. Just pound the ball all game.
  • We are back to not being able to stop a mobile quarterback. Scary, considering we’re playing Dennis Dixon next week.
  • The fans were pathetic except during the late 3rd and early 4th quarters.
  • I was interning for the Big Ten network. It is a poorly run organization at every level. Don’t expect it to last longer than a year.

Halfway through, I switch to the royal “we.” I’m too depressed to go back and fix it. I hope to god that this year isn’t 2005 redux.

Posted under Analysis, Coaching

Big Ten Network Open House

I got an e-mail from the Michigan Athletic Department announcing a Big Ten Network open house Wednesday, August 8 at 12:45pm. It will take place at the Junge Family Champions Center (so you can see where a recruit goes to be wowed). Big Ten Commissioner and Angry Letter Writer Jim Delany will be in attendance as well as the Mark Silverman, Big Ten Network President.

The e-mail and the event is being coordinated through the Michigan Athletic Department, so I’m kind of curious if this will be traveling show that will hit up every Big Ten school. It would seem a little weird to only have this event on one campus. It’s not as though Michigan is the only fan base who have their reservations.

It is definitely a ploy to try to control the dialogue. The most politically drenched section:

We at Michigan are extremely excited about the network and believe that local cable companies have an obligation to look out for the community’s interest. Their competitors, DirecTV and AT&T, are both carrying it on basic cable, and we think big cable is abusing their position in the market place.

The rest of the letter is basically logistics and posturing. It’s weird that it just went out in a direct e-mail without any corresponding link on mgoblue.com. Varsity Blue will be providing full team coverage. We’ll also be covering media day on Monday. Should be a big week.

Posted under Misc.

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