Yes Mother they do! So what is next? Why can we as Michigan fans take solice and eagerly await September 5th as opposed to anxiously? My friends I'll tell you why...because we freakin' rule!
Chicka chicka yeaaah!
But aside from the FACT the we are the all-time winningest program in the nation and freakin' rule, here are a few other observations...
6) We got a bunch of Luke Skywalkers in the backfield next to The Force! Brandon Minor was the number one fullback in the nation according to rivals has had 1156 yards rushing in a career where he has sat behind Mike Hart for two years and Sam McMuffie ;) for 6 games LY. Minor avgeraged 5.1 YPC behind a sub-par oline. Carlos Brown was a top 50 player overall in his class (ESPN/Rivals) and is a supremely athletic, fast running back. Same case as Minor, Brown sat behind Hart and was injured for the greater part of last season. However, when Carlos Brown has been given the opportunity to shine, he has always stepped up. He had a three game 100 yard rushing streak in 2007, averaging over 6 yards per carry in place of Mike Hart. Last season his only start was highlighted by 115 yards on 23 carries (5.0 avg.) against Northwestern. He did it within the context of a poor passing game but still showed he could hit the hole hard and fast even banged up. If you combine his 10 carry 146 yard performance in the spring game (82 yard TD run). Then there is Kevin Grady who is a former 5 star recruit who again has waited in the wings and battled injury, but never quite lived up to the hype suffering an ACL injury and sitting the bench most of last season. Don't count him out yet as he is not chopped liver and WILL play this fall! Unless he gets drunk and drives again, so.......on to Michael Shaw the track star and the Frosh RBs we have coming in. This is really a good group starting with Vincent Smith who everyone knows by now has enrolled early, participated in spring ball and looks like a solid addition. Plays BIG for a 5'6" kid, he's slippery, strong and hard to get a clean shot at; also, he is a good zone runner who uses his excellent vision to slash through the line...may be better than McGuffie or Shaw were at this stage. With 4 star Toussaint and nation sleeper Teric Jones and Michael Cox we have tremendous depth and experience at this position. Probably the best running back group in the Big Ten!
7) Team CHEMISTRY has improved, at least for the moment. We all know Chemistry sho is important to have, and use it, chemically..Chemistry(ankwardly)
If Justin the Belly Boren loses some weight he might look as good as Sherman Klump. If only he had some of Buddy Love's wonder tonic he might've been able to run the no huddle spread! But seriously folks, last year everything was new from the offensive scheme to the players and coaching staff, and alot of people didn't buy in to a system they weren't recruited for. Who can blame them? Some of these guys were asked to do things they couldn't physically manage...and alot of guys have left the program. There was a distinct atmosphere this year with this team, that it will be different. All throughout spring practice there has been a vibe of positive attitudes and a "yes we can" spirit. Everyone seems to have bought in to what the staff is preaching and seems to have grown closer through adversity. Of course it's easy to remain all high fives and smiles, when your first team offense is scoring at will on the second team defense in a vanilla scrimmage, but it's better than Threetidan in spring 2008 completing a combined 50% for oTD and 4INTs. Everyone was sloppy and out of sync, and kinda looked pissed off. If we can carry this vibe from April into fall camp then we should be in a much better position!
8) Rich Rodriguez is our coach (and Lame Kiffin isn't)...Rodriguez has been a tremendous success everywhere he has been, whether as an assistant or as the head guy. As an assistant at Tulane, he was 7-4 the first year, then the 2nd year 1998...they were 12-0! Then at Clemson they were 6-6 the first year (1999), and 9-3 the 2nd year(2000). His first season as HC at West Virginia, the Mountaineers were 3-8 and averaged 21.4 ppg. In 2002 they scored 30.5 ppg and averaged 419 yds. per game offensively. Year one to year two at Tulane saw an increase of 5 wins, Clemson increased their win total by three games...and West Virginia became a 9 win team. Many people think that Rod is a gimmick offensive coach and purely lucky to have a guy like Pat White at QB, and that his domination was the result of running the ball over 70% of the time in a weak Big East. Keep in mind though, his coaching helped Shaun King to lead the NCAA in pass efficiency (3500 yds. passing), so he has coached efficient passing offensives as well. Woody Danzler was the first QB to rush for 1,000 and pass for 2,000 yds. in a single season. Danzler was a serious Heisman cantidate! Shaun King was a 2nd round NFL draft choice, so Pat White wasn't his only day 1 pick in the draft. Rich is a "system" coach who runs a version of the spread offensive that is inflexible to guys like Steven Threet, however if you look at King, Danzler, White etc. guys with wheels, he adapts the system to meet each guys strengths and has been successful everywhere he has been (including a TOUGH ACC). Offensively his staff is solid, Calvin McGee came on in 2005, which happens to be the first year WVU won 11 games in a tough Big East, and Rod Smith has been a heck of a recuiter so far at Michigan. This is Rich's team now, and you get the sense that the system is installed so the guys know what they are supposed to be doing. This can only lead to a much better offensive team in 2009!
9) The Big Ten isn't as strong as it was last year. Nobody wants to acknowledge it, but it's true. If you look at every team top to bottom, the overall level of talent level of the conference is down. At the very least, it looks like Michigan is by far the most improved, which is something that bodes well for us since we lost 4 games by a grand total of 18 points Utah by 2, Toledo by 3, Purdue by 6, and Northwestern by 7. We also led a couple other games we shouldn't have even been in theoretically(see Illinois, Penn St. Michigan St.). The only games we weren't in were Notre Dame (6TO) and Ohio State (14-7 at halftime) so we'll see.
OSU loses 31 lettermen including Beanie Wells :) Brian Robiskie, Laurenitis/ Freeman/ Malcolm Jenkins...this list goes on. Unfortunately they still have you know who @QB :(
Penn St. loses 23 lettermen (3 All B10 lineman, 3 All-time receivers, NFL DEs)
Illinois was 5-7 and that was inexcusable with a QB like Juice Williams.
Indiana loses Kellen Lewis and gave up nearly 40ppg in 2008...WOW!!!
Purdue was 4-8 and loses their top 2 QBS...they have tons of issues!
Michigan State No Javon Ringer who almost single-handedly beat us last year. 37 of the last 40 in this series have been decided by who won the rushing total, which bodes well for UM again!
Iowa...no Shonn Green but they are still good with Jewel Hampton, Rick Stanzi and good everything! We are still more improved
Wisky...tons of ? s...
10) Weak non-conference schedule
Western Michigan @ home...they have a very inexperienced Defense that gave up 255 yards per game passing with NFL DBs
Notre Dame @ home...to hell with Charlie Weiss! I 'll get him a philly cheesesteak before the game.
Eastern Michigan @ home...another defense that gave up 40ppg last year
Delaware St.@ home...Sir, I knew App St., I served with App St., Delaware St...you are no App. St.
Even a sweep isn't impossible!
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