I am going to be totally honest with you – I don’t think I could have psychologically handled another setback to the Bucks this past Saturday. 8 straight? My God – I would have had to go see a therapist. And don’t think I didn’t have plenty of pessimistic thoughts with Michigan hanging onto that precarious 40-34 lead heading into OSU’s final possession. A 41-40 nightmare was pounding its way into my brain with two minutes left in the contest.

But 2011 is not 2010 or 2009 or 2008 or …or ….or …all the way until you get to 2003. This is Michigan for God’s Sake, as Brady Hoke dramatically declares, and that horrific infamous drought of 2,926 days is now finally history.

I liked everything about this past Saturday in A2 – the weather (upper 50s, and NO RAIN), the passion (Michigan fans were GEEKED like I haven’t seen in a long time), Denard Robinson with his 337 yards of total offense and  three touchdown passes and running for another two and 14 of 17 passing, and the stadium looked spectacular. And let’s not forget the most beautiful sight of all – the look of disappointed Buckeye fans – the trashiest most abrasive fans in all of collegiate sports. I had forgotten what that looked like (Buckeye sad faces). And oh what a beautiful thing.

What Will Always A-Maize Me

How lucky Sparty didn’t have to deal with an experienced OSU QB Braxton Miller, or having Boom Heron and Devere Posey on the field when they knocked off the Bucks in the early season. Timing is everything in life, isn’t it? Braxton Miller is going to be outstanding, as scary as that is to ponder.

The constant reference to ESPN as the “four letter network” from media types (that don’t work for ESPN). It’s like the cool thing to say “the four letter network.” Like you are a cutting edge dude when you bark out that mantra. There is so much copycat BS going on in sports media these days…nauseates me.

UCLA getting beat 50 to zip by rival USC Saturday night. I used to love watching this game on a Saturday night…typically that Saturday night following the Michigan-OSU game. Man, that rivalry has totally tanked it. Even stranger about the Bruins – they are in the PAC 12 title game with a 6-6 overall mark and are 31-point underdogs??? Think about that for a second – a conference championship game that features a 31-point underdog!! Oregon will cover and CRUSH UCLA! I would give the points if I was a betting man.

Minnesota had more points (17) than Illinois had total yards in the first half of the thumping over the Fighting Illini on Saturday. It’s obvious Illini coach Ron Zook definitely deserved to get the hook – which he did earlier this week.

The droughts…and the flurries…that mark the play of Michigan standout Tim Hardaway, Junior. He is a marvelous talent nonetheless. And his teammate – freshman point guard Trey Burke is going to be outstanding before his Michigan career is completed. But all that being said, the 12-point setback at Virginia Tuesday night was incredibly disappointing. The Wolverines couldn’t get a rebound or a loose ball when they needed it. And sitting Hardaway for 16 minutes in the first half when he picked up 2 fouls really hurt. The Michigan offense stalled when they should have been up by double digits at intermission.

That Travis Conlan – the former Michigan basketball player now in his second season as the Director of Basketball Operations of Wolverine men's basketball program – spent no less than  12 years as a professional basketball player throughout Europe. We are talking Conlan playing with 11 different teams throughout the United States, England, Greece, Germany, Belgium and Poland. Wouldn’t be my cup of tea, but hey, he got to play a game he loved for a living for a good amount of time.

Yikes, you have to go back to November 22, 2003 for a Maize & Blue-filled feeling for the Michigan – Ohio State game. Or I should say Michigan – “Ohio” game as Brady Hoke likes to refer to the rival, not to confuse the Bucks with that school in Athens (Ohio U). How long ago that seems, that chilly but sunny late autumn afternoon watching John Navarre and Braylon Edwards connecting on a couple of TD  aerials and Chris Perry rambling for 154 yards on 31 carries.

Little did we know we would have to endure seven straight setbacks to those dastardly Buckeyes, who, without question, have the most obnoxious, abrasive fans in the history of college football. Oh, how sweet it would be if this Saturday that nightmare finally ends with a Meeeeee-chigan triumph.

It’s unfortunate this Saturday is not November 22. Yes, I realize it marks the 48^th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy being assassinated in Dallas. But it also marks the 42^nd anniversary of Michigan 24, Ohio State 12 (greatest upset in college football history) and Michigan 20, Ohio State 14 (en route to the Wolverines 12-0 National Championship campaign in 1997) – two of best moments in Michigan Stadium history.

Following the Wolverines 45-17 thumping of Nebraska last week, I am feeling relatively confident Michigan will be victorious this Saturday. But let me tell you, it’s not going to be easy. Ohio State’s defense is going to be extremely difficult to move the ball against. Greg Mattison’s defense is going to determine this outcome. I am seeing a 17-10…21-14 type of final tally, with the Wolverines on top. I wouldn’t care if it ended up 6-3 Michigan. Just get the damn Buckeye seven game win streak ENDED!  Tired of this crap.

 

What Will Always A-Maize Me

The play of Blake Countess, Desmond Morgan and Jake Ryan. All freshmen playing huge roles for this Michigan defense. That is great news for the future, and will hopefully offset the departures of stellar graduating seniors Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergen and Troy Woolfolk.

Fitzgerald Toussaint another 149 yards rushing in the triumph over the Huskers. The Michigan “feature back” rising to the occasion again. Hoping he has a Chris Perry-like performance against the Bucks on Saturday

Sparty Student section at the Indiana game. Again, another weak showing. They either show up late, leave early, or don’t come at all. Here it was senior day, and virtually the whole section had cleared out prior to those seniors having their last opportunity to bond with the students in the southeast corner of the end zone. You just don’t have a good student following, Sparty. Face it.

Last weekend’s upsets in college football. Iowa State, USC and Baylor making havoc of the BCS. A one item Christmas List for me – PLAYOFF.

The over usage of the The Wes Welker analogy. Have you ever noticed whenever a white wide receiver makes a great catch, they say “he is a Wes Welker like?” Latest example was white wide receiver Josh Cooper of Oklahoma State. Skin color always seems to part of the comparison. Tim Dwight used to be the “white receiver” comparison prior to Welker.

Trey Burke (and I know it is early in the season)  – but who would have thought the freshmen guard for the Wolverines would be this effective trying to fill the shoes of last year’s departure Darius Morris.

Duke shooting free shows. Damn, seemingly they just never miss. Hate Duke.

Rich Rod goes to Arizona. What a perfect fit. He can “spread offense” his little heart off in the low-priority defensive mentality of the PAC 12 football. Watching him at the presser on Tuesday from the McKale Center Tuesday made me glad he is not Michigan’s football coach anymore.

Last year’s Michigan team gave up an average of over 35 points per game, so I can’t tell you how “refreshing” this revised, good old days throwback Michigan Defense is coming across in this 2011 campaign. Granted, Illinois’s offense isn’t exactly a spin off of the Oregon Ducks, but the Wolverine performance in the 31-14 triumph on the road this past Saturday was sure refreshing to see.
It makes you realize how horrific it has recently been seeing Michigan’s swiss-cheese defenders phone it in during the Rich Rod era. I say Greg Mattison – you are freekin’ genius in my book.  You are worth every penny of that $750K annual compensation Michigan is providing you.
Now with an 8-2 mark, we head into two incredibly critical home games to close out the 2011 slate against the Huskers and those dastardly Buckeyes. A couple reasons they gotta win both – first, just like Michigan did when Penn State entered the Big 10 during the 1993 season -- the Wolverines had to cop that first encounter (to show the newbie who’s boss); and second, Ohio State coming in with four setbacks (and having beaten Michigan seven straight times) makes a Maize & Blue victory a non-negotiable requirement.
Along with the defense, the key element for those two triumphs to happen is the continued great play for Michigan’s rushing attack and “feature back” Fitzgerald Toussaint, who churned for 192 yards against the Illini. Now there is another flashback to the golden era of Michigan football – those vivid images of “feature backs” Billy Taylor,, Harlan Huckleby, Rob Lytle, Stan Edwards, Butch Woolfolk, Lawrence Ricks, Jamie Morris, Tony Boles, Leroy Hoard, Tyrone Wheatley, Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabutuka, Anthony Thomas, Chris Perry and Mike Hart. I am sure I missed some other worthy names I should have included, but you get the “just of it.” Michigan has had some great backs over years, and I think Toussaint is going to fall into that category.

What Will Always A-Maize Me

In college hoops, Purdue barely squeaks by High Point at home Monday night – I thought “High Point” was a country club – and Duke survives against Belmont (77-76) – and I thought Belmont was horse race track. All kidding aside, here is testimony that some of these non-conference early season cupcakes can bite you in the ass – or at least come close to it.

That Sparty fans will actually be cheering for Michigan to defeat Nebraska on Saturday to ensure an MSU Legends Division crown and berth in the Big 10 Championship game December 3 in Indy?...Nah, I take that back, they won’t.I don’t think they can get themselves to (including Mark Dantonio who admitted that at his Tuesday presser), and that’s probably the way it should be in a heated intra-state rivalry.

How Jay Leno disrespected Michigan State in his opening monolog on Friday night. On the Tonight Show, Jay referenced “that college basketball game being played down in San Diego on an aircraft carrier between North Carolina and Michigan.” Yep, Leno forgot the “State” following the “Michigan.” Ah yes, Sparty still lacking thatrespect, even when they truly deserve it.

This Penn State/Jerry Sandusky sex scandal that we are all tired of hearing about and are totally disgusted with. It’s Appalling more than A-Maize-ing. Yes, I read the entire 23-page Grand Jury report and wish I had not. But let me summarize with this over simplistic statement – “the number of people that turned their backs on children” in this tragic event, well, it just makes me want to throw up.

The Oregon Ducks. Yep, they A-Maize-Me all right with their sheer athleticism. I trust many of you saw the beat down the Quack Attack served up to previously unbeaten Stanford Saturday night in Palo Alto. A track meet indeed, whenever Nike U had the ball. Oregon’s offense – and LSU’s defense – now there is a speed combo that cannot be matched in college football.

College football attendance. NCAA Division 1 Eastern Michigan (experiencing a solid season with 6 wins) draws a little more than 3,800 fans in their home win over Buffalo. At the same time little westbound on I 94 you had Division 3 Albion College draw over 4,100 fans in their home victory over Trine University. Poor EMU just cannot draw fans to sporting events. That 30,000 seat Rynearson Stadium of theirs must have looked pretty damn empty. I feel bad for those players at EMU – they deserve so much better. Ron English has done a terrific job coaching that team.

My Bitter Rivals counterpart Ted Fox always accuses me of belittling the Big 10 ONLY when Michigan isn’t any good. That is a ridiculous accusation on his part. And besides, the Wolverines aren’t that bad this season – still potentially a solid year for first year coach Brady Hoke. I just call it the way I see it, and here in 2011, that is precisely how I see it. Big 10 Football is “at best” the third- ranked conference in the country – trailing the SEC and Big 12 by cavernous distances, and maybe no better than the PAC 12.

Those that make the fanny patting assessment of the Big 10 race this year will just say “well, it just doesn’t look like anybody wants to win it this year.” In contrast, I cannot resist being a little more “direct” about the good old Big 10 – the teams are just not very good. All Big 10 teams are mediocre at best when you compare them to other teams on a national scale. Now I am not saying that will be that way next year – but in 2011, I say “that is just the way it is.”

The true litmus test to evaluate the caliber of conference play is two-fold – 1. What did the teams accomplish in the non-conference part of the schedule?...and 2. How did they fare in the bowl games? We obviously don’t have a crystal ball in front of us to communicate how our Big 10 teams will do in bowl games -- we will have to wait for after the holidays for that. But part 1 data is in, and let me tell you, it is “ugly data” when you consider this “Big 10 Body of Work”:

 

Northwestern – lost to Army

Minnesota – lost to New Mexico State and North Dakota State

Indiana – lost to Ball State and North Texas (the scary part is IU’s willingness to play both of those schools on the road)

Purdue – barely held on to beat Middle Tennessee State and lost to Rice……again, let me repeat, lost to RICE!

Ohio State got drilled by the once SWAG/now lowly Miami Hurricanes, 24-6

Iowa lost to Iowa State (quick FYI, Iowa State is pathetic)

 

And the closest thing to a “quality win for the Big 10 this season in non-conference play? Well there is Illinois over Arizona State, Michigan over Notre Dame, Nebraska over Washington and Wisconsin over Oregon State  – but none of those four victories are over currently ranked teams.

I rest my case.

 

What Will Always A-Maize Me 

Missouri officially to join the SEC in 2012. That makes 14 teams for the SEC, and that will mean the Big 12 is heading closer and closer to its original number – 8 teams – when it was called the Big 8. This whole realignment saga just gets crazier as we go along. Geography is a moot point, I guess, when it comes to what conference you play in. When Boise State is a least rumored as a potential member of the Big East Conference, the “directional” name identification to a conference becomes completely laughable.

 

How apathetic the student section is at Michigan State football games. My MSU sophomore daughter is a die-hard Spartan football fan in the student section and gets frustrated with the majority of her friends because they are bored by the game and want to leave at halftime -- so she has to seek out other friends to sit with. My God, it was a close game down the wire against Minnesota, why don’t you stick around? Most of these Sparty coeds “just wanna make the scene” and leave because they are bored. Even more noteworthy is the aerial shot of the stadium during the game – the glaring empty seats in the student section. Sparty students only show up for the big games. Just not a football school, I guess. Oh well.

 

That I am actually going to finally go out on a limb and make a legitimate prediction where this Michigan football season is going to end up. I have been more hesitant than ever before, other than sheepishly predicting at the beginning that they would win “ah, either eight or nine games I see it.” Here is my prediction for these final three regular season games for the Wolverines – they are going to win all three of them. Don’t ask me why – just a flat-out gut feeling. Illinois on the road is the biggest challenge – Nebraska and the Bucks at home will be less of a challenge in that order. Because let me tell you -- the Wolverines will come out of the tunnel against “Ohio” as B Hoke likes to refer to them, with the 1969-game caliber of energy i.e. “fired up to beat the snot out of the Bucks” like we have not witnessed in recently memory. The seven-game skid against the Scarlet and Grey legions finally comes to a halt.

Why to hell is it so damn difficult to win on the road for Big 10 teams this year? Sparty looks like a total beast when they play at home. But this year when they go on the road to South Bend or Lincoln they play like crap – even though I actually enjoyed those two outcomes immensely. .

When Iowa plays at home – like they will be hosting the Wolverines this Saturday at LOUD Nile Kinnick Stadium – they average close to 40 points a game. Yet in contrast, last week they go to Minneapolis to play one of the worst teams in recent Big 10 memory – the Minnesota Gophers – and they get beat, 22-21.

There is no better example than Wisconsin. The Badgers have had a decade-long ineptitude of having a horrific record on the road against teams that end up losing three games or less per season. It’s something like 3-20, if I am not mistaken. Pathetic.

I have a theory as why the Big 10 is like this. It is because it seems to me every year they just don’t have a great team. Great teams are indifferent to road games. When you take a look at an LSU or Alabama type teams, those teams are capable of going out and destroying teams on the road to the same magnitude they do at home. They play defense with such speed and urgency right from the outset, it’s like they want to make a statement within the first minute of play. That will make it really interesting to see how LSU handles being the road team this Saturday night for the titanic battle between the Tigers and The Tide. That promises to be a classic.

Despite my declaration for Big 10 mediocrity this year, there are five Big 10 teams ranked in the top 17 teams in America with No. 9. Nebraska, No. 13. Michigan, No. 15. Penn State, No 16. MSU and No. 17. Wisconsin. But in my judgment, the Big 10 is just not very good this year – lots of average football teams. Not saying they are all bad – just a tad above average and obviously no great team in 2011 – at least not “great enough” to win road games very easily.

What Will Always A-Maize Me

That Brady Hoke listened to me and delivered upon my request. Last week I expressed my WANT for a Michigan rushing attack to return – whereby “running backs were running the football and not quarterbacks running the football.” And damn -- if he didn’t deliver. The Wolverines rode the career-best 170-yards from sophomore tailback Fitzgerald Toussaint towards a 36-14 Homecoming triumph over Purdue. Thank God Brady Hoke reads BlueBellyBlog for his weekly insight.

Usage of that middle initial for John U. Bacon – author of the recently-release and highly controversial“Three and Out” where Bacon was granted unrestricted access to Michigan’s football program, from the meals and the meetings, to the practices and the games, to the sidelines and the locker rooms during the RichRod era.  I mean, how many John Bacon’s are out there to begin with? I remember Michigan State had a running back in the 70s named David Brown, and he went by “David E. Brown” – that’s understandable. But John U. Bacon???  Come on “Johnny U” – that sounds a little “Michigan arrogant” if you ask me.

Where to Hell has the Defense gone in college football? Latest case in point was the Toledo-Northern Illinois ping pong match in a Tuesday Night MAC matchup, with the visiting Huskies of NIU outlasting the host Rockets, 63-60. This follows Stanford 56, USC 48 and Northwestern 59, Indiana 38, this past weekend just to name a couple examples of college football turning into college basketball played on FieldTurf.Reminds me of the feeling I got leaving Michigan Stadium last fall after the Wolverines outlasted Illinois 68-65 in triple OT – that feeling was that when you have that volume of offense consuming the game, it literally becomes boring and monotonous. Seeing a nice form tackle is the novelty of the day.

How the "chaos" is rampant with all these still undefeated teams that remain in college football, and the speculation that goes with it if these teams remain undefeated. College football’s National Champion chaos fuels this sport like no other sport. It becomes the ultimate "talk piece" for every radio show or message board in the land for four-plus months every year.

How the Wolverines could get bit in the ass once again by the Bye Week syndrome once again. Sparty had two weeks to prepare for the visiting Wolverines to come calling to The Little House on October 15^th, and we know how that ended up. Now Illinois (who has gotta be the most pissed off team in the country) has two weeks to prep with their Bye Week before the Wolverines come calling on November 12. Ugh. I guess you could say the same thing helped the Wolverines as they waiting for Purdue this past Saturday, but hey, I don’t care about the Boilermakers.

Sophomore safety Carvin Johnson – who has played in all eight games for the Wolverines this season – has left the program this week. What to Hell? How can you leave the greatest college football program at the greatest university in the land? And his follows freshman cornerback Greg Brown leaving last week. I just don’t get it – Brady Hoke has lost four DBs since taking over the program. Again, I just Don’t Get It !!!

It ain’t easy being “Blue” living in the land of “Green” these days. The four straight losses to Sparty… Sparty’s  “ESPN GameDay” center of attention…the Saturday night “prime time” dramatic last play of the game victory over Wisky, their rare Top. 10 ranking….blah, blah, blah…do I need to say more? Thanks for stopping me – I am ‘bout ready to get sick. Only saving grace was the fact the Sparty football program getting an overall PR beat-down by the national media last week, centering on the Will Gholston bottle cap/helmet twist of Denard Robinson and subsequent one-game suspension.

You know – to start off this week, I am going to throw just one more “this is what pisses me off about Sparty” rant your way, and then I will be good. It stems from the jubilant crowd reaction at the ESPN College GameDay live remote at Munn Field Saturday morning, when they showed that helmet twist of D Rob on the big screen – and the majority of the classless crowd of ass-clowns went nuts with jubilation! Surprised? No. Do I have an on-site witness? Yes, -- my MSU sophomore daughter  – who bleeds green like none other and totally embraced the entire day bleeding Green till 2 a.m. the following morning. She was there in attendance at GameDay and called that verbal reaction to the video “just totally disgusting.” Yep, maybe that is the main reason I am “Sparty-ed” out. Do I  Hate ‘em as I declared last week?....Well, perhaps that is too harsh? “Disdain ‘em” then? That work better for you? OK. Disdain ‘em.

Nuff about Sparty -- other than this plea: “Please Huskers – derail these dudes this Saturday would ya? – or they will ‘run the table’ I can promise you throughout the regular season. That is until Wisky gets to serve up a little payback at the neutral venue called Lucus Oil Stadium in Indy followed by Dantonio suffering his fifth straight bowl loss at holiday time.” Then I will feel much, much better.

So, let’s talk Wolverines…and it’s not like they are in dire straits with a 6-1 mark. Yes, they have had to endure the convincing thumping by the Green Bellies with the lingering sour taste in the mouth bye week. And yes, they are at that same spot as the last couple of years whereby a loss to Sparty (first setback of the year) could turn into another virtual tailspin. As seasoned senior leaders Kevin Koger and Ryan Van Bergen have declared this week in the press that will not happen this year. I sure hope not. But it is not going to be easy – a daunting task (even the Homecoming bout with Purdue, after the Boilers just upset Illinois this past weekend). You gotta go to Iowa and Illinois, then the Huskers and Bucks at home. If this team goes 9-3 after that slate, then you can pencil me in the category “I will take it!”

Michigan has gotta find a way to run the football more effectively/consistently – that is pure and simple. I am talking running backs running the football…not quarterbacks running the football. It just opens the door for everything, and helps generate the old style Michigan football mentality that has been missing for so long. You know Michigan and Penn State have been so similar over the years – that is until 2008 when Rich Rod arrived. Hard- nosed defense, a good running game, and no gimmicks. JoePa’s guys are just always going to be in the hunt for at least a legitimate title chase every year. The Nittany Lions are back at it again in 2011, overachieving like nobody else in college football. I want the Wolverines to be like that again. Yep, “I will take it.”

 

What Will Always A-Maize Me

How stupid Bret Bielema played out the final moments in the climatic loss to State Saturday night. The ridiculous timeouts he used, allowing Sparty that eventual Kirk Cousins missile shot into the end zone to Keith Nichol. Then, of course, the infamous, three-man rush as opposed to rushing four to not allow Cousins too much time to set his feet on the launching pad. Didn’t Wisky learn from Michigan’s same bonehead approach with the Kordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook dagger in the heart i.e. loss to Colorado in ’94?. No less than 17 years later horrible memories of that fateful day in A2 still linger. A punch in the testicles.

 

How open minded I can be – sometimes I will say something nice about Sparty. Case in point, yes long-time MSU Strength & Conditioning Coach Ken Mannie is a Sparty, but dang, I love his creed he goes by, referencing the countless off-season early morning workouts college football players put themselves through, that that majority of fans don’t ever realize: "Champions are built on a thousand invisible mornings." -Ken Mannie, MSU Strength and Conditioning coach

You’ve heard the classic warning throughout your lives – “You better watch what you wish for.” And what has been my particular wish I have had during my five-decades and counting of passion for the University of Michigan? That my fellow Wolverines fans would push their disdain (ah, screw it, let’s be totally candid and call it “hate”) towards Michigan State University to my level. I have always wanted Sparty hatred to trump Buckeye hatred!. My thought was this – for most of us (as typical of an intra-state rivalry) you gotta live with Sparty fans all the time – they are all around you. The Buckeye fans are a state away and not in your face as much. So why don’t you hate State more than Ohio State? If you didn’t before, you should now.

Yes indeed, there is a legitimate reason to have your Maize & Blue blood boiling. An unprecedented Four in a Row the Wolverines have lost to the Green Bellies should do that to you – especially when you are used to having the upper hand and your school has been enjoying winning streaks of eight, five and six over “Little Brother” these past few decades.

Well, considering what just happened a few days ago -- progress is being made, my BlueBellyBlog readers. After Saturday’s physical beat down that Sparty served up to the Wolverines, the venom towards “that school 63 miles to the Northwest of Ann Arbor” is at a fever pitch. Sparty poked its stick into the hornets’ nest, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s Game On – Hatred on! Love it, Love it, Love it.

In terms of between the lines, what specifically transpired at The Little House on Saturday was obviously disappointing to me. The Maize & Blue got pounded by a better team. Michigan is a program in transition like none other. The transition going from a finesse team to a physical team is not accomplished in one season. In fact it might take a couple years of solid recruiting getting the Big 10 Wisconsin type players that Michigan used to garner on a regular basis -- that is until that infamous Rich Rod era screwed all of that up (thanks so much Bill Martin for that great hire).Instead we have been dealing with a disgusting flag football approach to Michigan football. Thus, the residual effect seeing Michigan’s offensive line fold like a cheap suit right from the start against Sparty made me wanna puke. Michigan allowing seven sacks, when they had only given up two all season prior to that and converting on only three of 16 third down conversions says it all. It was your classic “taken to the woodshed” experience.

Compounding the physical upstaging Sparty held over Michigan, was of course one particular play that will stoke this rivalry like none other for many years to come. We have seen it over and over, and click here and you can see it again. Nope, not the punching part (I mean, Taylor Lewan is no choir boy),and not the fact there were six personal fouls called against State over the course of the game. If you want to take that approach and move your team back 15 yards, so be it, fine. But the graphic twisting of the helmet of the opposing team’s quarterback – like Will Gholston served up to Denard Robinson was downright stupid and stepped way over the line. God, that pissed me off. When there is a quarterback under a pile, unable to move, and you have an opposing player twist his helmet with an obvious intent to cause injury – well, that is just flat-out bush league bullshit right out of WWF.

But there is always some silver lining to everything I say. Bush league bullshit by one team stokes a rivalry for sure, and a “rivalry” – like this website “Bitter Rivals” celebrates and builds as its theme – is what I truly embrace. Hatred on!!!

What Will Always A-Maize Me

Amount of “jawing” Sparty cornerback Johnny Adams served up on Saturday --  jawing from the first play. Now looking back, it is kinda ironic Sparty coach Mark Dantonio was so pissed off at Michigan’s Mike Hart for jawing during the 2007 game.  Fast forward four years, and his players are doing the same thing now. So I guess he must have seen the light and is buying into that concept after all. Or else he is a total hypocrite. Hmm? ESPN College Game Day returning to East Lansing. After the ‘97 game (Michigan at MSU),  show host Chris Fowler was so pissed (after a beer bottle thrown by some idiot almost nailed colleague Lee Corso in the head) he declared they are never coming back to Michigan State to deal with any more lunatic behavior. Well, GameDay did come back two years later for the ’99 Michigan-MSU game – this time in a closed protective environment inside the stadium. But other than that – it’s been zippo! Should be interesting how the Sparty fans behave. I am betting the lunatics will come out to play. If Sparty doesn’t try to delay, delay, delay to its fullest extent the process of investigating the Will Gholston personal fouls after being called out by the Big 10. Their delay objective is simple and obvious – just get that suspension to take place “conveniently” after the Wisconsin and Nebraska tilts coming up. Hey, I am betting the perfect time would be, say November 5th when State hosts lowly Minnesota – one of the worst Big 10 teams in recent history. Yep, a perfect time for Gholston to serve out his penalty. No doubt at all that is the strategy.

I am not going to downplay the importance of this game, from my personal perspective. It is THE most IMPORTANT sporting event that I get myself emotionally attached to throughout the entire course of the year. Michigan-Michigan State is the ultimate sporting event for me – followers of one schoolfeeling intense levels of animosity towards the other school.

Ok, call me the epitome of “guarded optimism” but I am just not ready to say this Michigan team is truly legit until they win a couple road games – as in these two road games coming up. Five straight triumphs to start the season are nice, and the Wolverines are obviously unscathed and improving. However, when all of those conquests take place at HOME, it’s almost like an incomplete. Only way to get the true “passing grade” is when you get quality road victories (like Bama has done, LSU, Okie State, etc.), so here lies that challenge these next couple of weeks.  Admittedly, it is no easy task winning in Evanston against Northwestern followed by The Heart Attack Bowl (Oh my God that will not be for the faint of heart, there is just so much riding on Oct. 15) against Sparty up in The Little House.

Sparty has a good D, so Michigan’s offense will be tested in EL. The Wolverines just need to go up there and get first downs, move those chains and quiet that lunatic alcohol-enhanced Sparty crowd as best they can. The Buckeyes were pathetic offensively against Sparty and are a football program totally going in the crapper (ah, what a perfect place for the Scarlet and Gray legions). Yet still, you win in Columbus (like Sparty did), and that gets my attention. A quality win for sure.

Couple things about the Big 10 thus far – Wisky is friggin AWESOME, and they granted my wish I mentioned last week with a total Husker Beat down, Minny is pure pathetic, Illinois still hasn’t beaten a quality opponent (yet getting all of the raves), Penn State can’t move the football across the street, MSU’s offense “strangely” ignores its two high quality tight ends, and “Purdue” is just flat-out “Pur-Don’t.” Here is a vote for the College Football’s “Crummy Game of the Year” – taking place this Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette (Minnesota at Purdue). They might actually have to “pay people” to attend that game.

What Will Always A-Maize Me

NBA analyst Chris Collinsworth remarking Sunday night about New York Jet Derrick Mason “known for being a little chippy throughout his career.” Gee, big surprise there, CC – Derrick Mason’s a  friggin Sparty – what else do you expect?...lol….that was bad of me to say that, wasn’t it?...that was just being mean I guess. Oh well.

The anticipated build-up of the Lions and Packers duel on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field. I know-I know…I am getting ahead of myself with both the Lions and the defending Super Bowl Champions currently 4-0 seemingly headed on a collision course. But when we see Ford Field filled year after year during the multiple years of losing for the Lions, it brings a smile to my face. There are no better fans in the NFL in my opinion than Lions fans. They are hungry for a winner, and damn loyal. This is so much fun!

EMU, WMU, CMU, Michigan, MSU and Lions all winning the same weekend………that is just shocking….throw in the Tigers and their playoff duel with the Yankees, and it is a sign folks that the State of Michigan is Da Place….brighter days ahead! Sports sure provides a great revolving point during challenging economic times. I love every inch of this State – even the MSU campus, if you can believe that. The State of Michigan is part of me, and I get pissed off as hell when it gets victimized by public mocking from media and others throughout the country. The State of Michigan is going to get the last laugh though – when the West Coast and Sun Belt folks run out of water and come running to us, we can all jointly tell them to take a flying leap!

That New York Yankee Steve Swisher ended up a Major League Baseball player. I mean with a last name like “Swisher” I mean shouldn’t have he been an NBA player? Same thing goes for Holt High School football coach Al Slammer. His last name tells me he “spear jams” with the best of the NBA high wire acts – he’s gotta have a 40-inch vertical with that last name.

Ok, just a couple things off the top before I serve ya up a list of highly-opinionated “What Will Always A-Maize Me.”

I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of victory for the Wolverines over San Diego State this past Saturday. Quite candidly, I had a bad feeling going into that game – I thought it had Aztec upset written all over it. But that Michigan defense of Greg Mattison continues to show progress, which they will hopefully fine tune as we sit on the threshold of the Big 10 campaign. I never anticipated a 21 point halftime lead or 21-point final margin of victory. Michigan’s defense determines the fate of this 2011 season.

One thing is for sure in terms of the “body of work” (damn, I hate that cliché but continue to use it) comparison between Michigan’s 4-0 mark with their opponents and Michigan State’s 3-1 output against their opponents. Michigan’s accomplishments shine above and beyond. The thrilling victory over Notre Dame at home was a good feather in the cap, when you combo that with the escalating value in the WMU win (the 2-2 Broncos are downright decent, almost beating Illinois in Champaign) along with the three TD triumph over previously unbeaten SDSU. Sparty on the other hand has defeated three “not very good” opponents (Youngstown State, FAU and CMU) and was stymied by 18 points on the road against The Irish…The Irish…The Irish!!!

Nuff said.

What Will Always A-Maize Me

Cost of a hot dog at an Albion College football game -- $1.50. Cost of a hot dog at a University of Michigan football game -- $6.00. Cost to attend an Albion College football game -- $5.00. Cost to attend a University of Michigan football game -- $70 (and that doesn’t apply for the so-called premium games this year as in ND, Nebraska or Ohio State – those cost $85 per).

21 carries for 200 yards for Denard Robinson against SDSU. D Rob has netted 552 yards for the year already in just four outings. I know you gotta go with your strengths—like having No. 16 in the gun with the read option his gig. Yes, that brings out the best offensively for the Wolverines. But dang it sure would be nice to have a 200 yard rushing effort coming out of a Fitz Toussaint, Michael Shaw or Vincent Smith. Where is Tshimanga Biakabutuka when you need him? Hits to a college football player (a running back or “running” QB in this case) are like miles on a car. They eventually add up and lead to maintenance issues.

Wisconsin and Nebraska – as in how freakin’ similar they are. It’s like they are absolute clones – same colors, same philosophies of having that ultra-physical mentality with running the football and having a tough defense year in, year out. And how fitting – Nebraska at Wisconsin this Saturday night for PRIME TIME with Brent and Herbie on ABC. The Huskers will be making their debuting league contest as a member of the Big 10 Conference. Love to see Wisky bury them. Nebraska is still Big 12 in my mind. They are not “one of us”….shoot, I don’t even look at Penn State as “one of us.”

No access to players this week (Ohio State week) for Sparty football. Hey-hey-hey -- what happened to the sacred “open to the media” policy of Mark Dantonio?  Is Sparty becoming Michigan-esque – i.e. the rival’s reputation of being known as Fort Schembechler? So now it looks like we suddenly have Fort Duffy. Sparty following the lead of the Wolverines – too funny. (well, other than having a mascot on their own – I will give ‘em that.)

Indiana playing at North Texas this past week? What to hell is IU doing agreeing to play a Sun Belt team on the road – having to go all the way to Denton, Texas of all God forsaken places? IU also went to Ball State earlier this year, followed by making the trek to North Texas to take on the Mean Green. The kicker to all of this – the Hoosiers got beat in both cases. For the life of me, I just can’t figure out why that IU program can’t be more competitive. Don’t give me “it’s a basketball school crap.” There are a lot of schools with solid basketball programs that have good football teams. It’s worked for Florida, Ohio State, and Texas, just to name a few. Bring back the Cardiac Kids of Harry Gonso, John Isenbarger and Jade Butcher of the Rose Bowl team of the 1967 campaign. Now that was a fun team to watch – albeit 44 years ago! And for the most part, that was the last time this program was relevant (other than a few blips of success during the Bill Mallory era). Indiana University has so much going for it – a great academic institution, great campus, attractive coeds, a nice little Disney movie-like town in Bloomington, blah, blah, blah – they got the entire infrastructure to make it happen. Yet, it’s the same script every year. They go thru coaches like Kleenex and their fans continue to just yearn for the start of hoops season. An IU football Saturday centers on a tailgate party – and for those interested – there is a football game also taking place that day over at Memorial Stadium.

You could feel the “hangover” from the start. At 11:45 a.m. at The Big House. Saturday, a mere 15 or so minutes prior to kick off to the EMU game, fans were barely trickling into the stadium. The student section was barely dotted with yellow T-shirts. The Michigan fans weren’t ready to cheer – and the Michigan players initially weren’t ready to play.

The hangover lasted a quarter, then everybody decided to show up and wake up, and the Wolverines (and their happy fans) roared to a 31-3 triumph over their Washtenaw County counterparts. Well, that happens when a college football team comes off an emotional last “two second” victory, like the Wolverines were experiencing off the conquest of Notre Dame

I still don’t really know how to evaluate Michigan yet. Their wins over WMU and Notre Dame got ramped up a little in value with those teams waltzing to 44-14 and 31-13 triumphs, respectively, over the weekend. But I am still one who doesn’t even try to draw long term conclusions as to how far this Michigan team can go in 2011. We will probably learn a lot more this coming Saturday when Brady Hoke’s former team (San Diego State) will probably come in seething with a “dissed” attitude toward their former coach. The Aztecs are 3-0, including wins over Army and Washington State -- an Army is a team that Northwestern couldn’t beat this past weekend.

But I am smart enough to realize this -- when Denard Robinson is in the shotgun with the read-option is the attack, there is a just this comfort zone you can see from No. 16, which on Saturday evolved into runaway victory after the sluggish start. He garnered 198 yards on 26 carries which calls for a “yikes” – as you fear injury with that kind physical demand. Football carries are like miles on a car. Wear and tear eventually comes into play for those lugging the pigskin. I would rather have more carries going to Fitz Toussaint and Vincent Smith, and perhaps more throws to Jeremy Gallon. Man that kid (Gallon) out of Apopka, Fla.is in my estimation going to end up being Michigan’s next outstanding receiver with still this year and two more years of eligibility remaining.

Next game is a critical one for Michigan to get to that 9 wins for the season prediction that I served up at the start of the season. But quite candidly as I stated a couple paragraphs ago, it is still way too early to tell where this season is truly headed.

What Will Always A-Maize Me

How warm the feeling was inside me watching the TV coverage of the Buckeye fans parading out of the stadium early Saturday night after their team got slapped around by the Canes. And you know the images I am referring to that we all saw on ESPN – video clips of the “grown men” OSU fans wearing Buckeye football jerseys walking up the aisles and out the exists. What a wonderful sight. And to my point about grown men (supporting any team) wearing football jerseys – there just needs to be some type of law against that. It’s like I am so embarrassed for all of them.

The Tigers, Lions and Michigan football  -- having extremely positive outlooks concurrently. It hasn't been this way around here in a long time. “Lions and Tigers and Wolverines, Oh My!!”….that Lion defense is relentless! Good times, as I speak, in The Mitten State.

The Glen Rice-Sarah Palin supposed “tryst” of 24 years ago? Yes, that truly a-maizes me. No wonder Arizona got the best of the Wolverines during that version of The Great Alaska Shootout.” Number 41 might have been a little worn out, if that actually happened. Probably hurt his lift when shooting beyond the arc.

MSU’s fake field goal deep in the red zone against Notre Dame in the waning minutes of the first half. Don’t even need to discuss further. Other than the fact 80,000-plus fans and 11 dudes dressed in blue jerseys “sure saw that coming.”

A MAC team (Toledo) having the No. 4 team (Boise State) in the country come to their place,  which was the case this past Friday night? When has there been anything remotely close to that?

Sparty not being able to run the football against The Irish. That really A-Maized-Me. It all adds up to making Kirk Cousins force the ball late down the middle in nasty third and long situations….which contributed as much as anything in their 31-13 thumping in South Bend. Getting controlled on the line of scrimmage puts too much pressure on Cousins to have to make plays – and his lack of mobility comes onto play. I still like the guy though (even though he wears green). No. 8 will still end up having a solid 5^th-year senior campaign. His post-game interview after the setback – damn that kid has class – he recently turned 23 years old – seemingly going on 35 in terms of how he articulates himself.

That B.J. Cunningham seems to be the only wide-out Kirk Cousins connects with. Yes, No. 3 is a marvelous talent, but I am surprised we are not seeing Keith Nichol more in the mix. Nichol had a mere one grab for 9 yards. Based on last year’s great progression (in his new role as a receiver moving over from QB) I really thought he would be a more relevant target this year. Just four catches in three games thus far.

How bad of a week it was for the Big 10. Yes, there were some positive elements – Illinois knocking off No. 22-ranked Arizona State at home, Wisky just punishing everybody in their path again….but when you have Northwestern, Ohio State and Michigan State all look the way they did in bad losses, and Penn State sliding by Temple, it really was a credibility crusher for the Big 10. If Iowa had not made that great comeback to avoid Pitt knocking them off at home, it would have been even worse. When I heard that 27-10 score announced in Ann Arbor with the Hawkeyes trailing, I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing. A good comeback though for sure.

I am sure there will end up being 300,000 who say they attended

Yes, it was truly one of those “never forget” moments at Michigan Stadium Saturday night with the two seconds go TD aerial grab by Roy Roundtree. What a triumph for Brady Hoke’s Wolverines, who admittedly have a long way to go to become a good football team, but showed remarkable resiliency  It’s going to be one of those games people will talk about for years to come, and people will grab tightly to their “I was there” ownership – even for those who actually weren’t there.

Makes me think of that Houston-UCLA college basketball game in the Houston Astrodome in 1968 (you remember -- Elvin Hayes and his 39 points and the 71-69 upset victory) with the 50,000 plus in attendance. Well the “oh yeah, I was at that game” count probably measured 10 times that much over the years that followed, according to some Houston media I used to know when working down there a few decades ago. By the accounts from those who said they were there, that attendance mark rose to over 500,000.

For those of you who know that I am a passionate five decade season ticket holder for Michigan football games, I am sure you assumed I was at the game Saturday night soaking up the Maize & Blue euphoria. But I was not. Instead I was in Wheaton, Illinois for another night college football going on that was way more important to me. It was a NCAA Division III college football encounter where the Albion Britons were taking on the No. 8 ranked Wheaton Thunder. I was there to watch my son Cody play in this -- his freshmen year --  as a slot receiver for Albion. I was there because I felt it was way more important to watch my own son play football, as opposed to watching other people’s sons play football.

Sure, I was checking my cell phone from time to time for ESPN updates and personal text messages from Ann Arbor. But I was more focused on what No. 17 in the white jersey (Cody) was doing in front of me. It’s funny how that works. But then when I got in the car for the long trek home and flipped on the satellite radio broadcast (with Frank Beckman and Jim Brandstatter), it was business as usual -- instant Michigan passion and enjoying the final five minutes.

Regardless what you think about the status of this Michigan football team, that’s a score (35-31) that will be etched in people’s minds for many years to come. Yes, the defense has soooooooooooooo much work to do, and the offense needs to establish way more potent rushing production and a mid-level passing attack. But what a building block that was for Brady Hoke in his first year to have his team pull off that kind of comeback victory.

Indeed, 2011 should prove to be a very interesting college football season, as it always is. And it will be especially interesting for me -- at the Division III level.

 

What Will Always A-Maize Me

How some folks are making a big deal about Mike Hart’s comment this week: “I am Eastern Michigan. I coach at Eastern Michigan. I want Eastern Michigan to win every game. I don't cheer for Michigan ever anymore. I watch the game and I watch as a coach trying to see what they're going to do," Hart stated. Comment does not surprise me. As many coaches as I have talked too over the years, they are just a different breed -- so focused on the task at hand, they become callous to previous allegiances. I am pretty sure Mike Hart would like nothing better than coach at Michigan, and maybe someday he will. But it certainly doesn’t surprise me he is putting on his blinders on this week, and letting everybody now he is exclusively an “Eastern Michigan Man” in his new role as “quality control coach” for the Eagles of Ron English.

How bad of a week it was for the Big 10. Yes, there were some decent triumphs (for Michigan, MSU, Wisky), but the Minny setback to New Mexico State at home and the Iowa triple OT loss to state rival Iowa State, and Ohio State almost losing to Toledo at home – OUCH !!. Even Nebraska looked like crap against Fresno State for much of that game. I don’t think this is going to be a vintage year for the Big 10 (in terms of National Title contenders).

Michigan State’s schedule this year. Starts out easy with a pair of cream puffs in Youngstown State and FAU. And stays cream puffy with Notre Dame, after hearing how “both those teams suck (Michigan and Notre Dame)” from bitter Michigan State fans (seeing Michigan pull out a victory).  It stays pretty easy with CMU at home, then it gets interesting with Ohio State on the road, a BYE week before Michigan (even though Michigan sucks, according to Sparty fans, so that should be easy, right?), followed by Wisky at home and the Huskers on the road. October is “tell-tale month” for Sparty as they via to defend their “Co- Big 10 Title.”

BlueBellyBlog and Bitter Rivals returns…we are BACK….

Badder and Better than ever!!!

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee’s back…Your’s Truly….Tom Crawford… with his Blue Belly Blog, is back for another year of Michigan Wolverine unadulterated “one-sided-ness supporting the boys in Maize & Blue. He lives and dies with his ole alma mater, and he will give you his die-hard fan/alumnus perspective of his team’s status. Geez – I am talking in Third Person – where did that come from?...who do I think I am here – Chris Webber?

BlueBellyBlog – which readers of last year’s version already know and newbies will soon realize – will also be marked by me providing my opinion of Sparty – that school up the road that plays in that snug as a bug in the rug stadium on the Banks of the Red Cedar. The school is known for attractive coeds, small ticket stubs (Michigan’s are twice as big), hideous pint-sized scoreboards (with no running stat totals), and totally obnoxious fans with a permanent inferior complex when it comes to their brethren 63 miles southeast of them in a quaint town called Ann Arbor.

So how do you like the opening thus far? Did I do enough to stoke the fire enough, to get your green blood boiling Sparty fans? Did I bond with you well enough, Michigan fans, as we yearn together counting the days down to the opportunity of a little payback served up on October 15 at The Little House (aka Spartan Stadium)? It’s time to tee it up!!!

All kidding aside, this will be fun again writing the weekly BlueBellyBlogs here for LifeInLansing.com and I am especially pleased to welcome back my long time counterpart/great friend Ted Fox. Ted and I used to spar on Bitter Rivals for multiple years, even being featured on ESPN College GameDay back in 1997. Well, with LifeInLansing.com as our platform for weekly columns and our video webcasts titled “BitterRivals with Ted and Tom,” I can promise you that guaranteed fun is on the horizon.

Shoot, Ted and I even bonded recently, taking in a college football game together this weekend – Sparty hosting Cream Puff No. 1 on their schedule in Youngstown State Friday night. Now Sparty fans don’t get me wrong – I think your team is going to be decent this year with a 9 win max total, but I was not exactly impressed with the lackluster fundamentally “un-sound” effort against the Penguins. If you play like that for the lion’s share of 2011, you will be lucky to land a bid to Ford Field’s Motor City Bowl.

The Wolverines on the other hand were at least playing a legitimate D 1 (FBS) team in WMU, and 34-10 was decent start for the Brady Hoke era in the storm-shortened encounter. I will certainly take it, but all of us Blue Bellies will have a lot better gauge on their team following the Saturday night Big House duel with Dr. Lou U (Notre Dame). I can’t wait. Embracing the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry is what this is all about, and we are going to have great fun dueling each week.

What Will Always A-Maize Me

Portable lights at The Little House versus permanent lights at The Big House. Come on Sparty – you are due for an upgrade to keep up with Big Brother.

Michigan’s Defense making plays, specifically Brandon Herron with his two defensive touchdown returns, including a 94-yard return off his first interception, against Western Michigan. “Pick Sixes” and “Scoop and Scores” are the most high impact plays in all of football, and if the Wolverines can provide similar tallies throughout the season, it is going to be “:just fine” in getting back to their winning ways

What Earle Robinson was thinking when the WKAR Sports Director told his media buddy Jack Ebling when Michigan State earned a big to the Rose Bowl back in November 1987 that he is going to pass making the trip to Pasadena and declaring “Oh, I will just go next year to watch them.” Ah, Earle, does the 24 years of WAITING prompt you back to a lot of rapid-fire “What was I thinking” regrets?

How similar Michigan State football is to Iowa football, in terms of delivering (or I should say NOT delivering) during seasons where there is a high level of expectation. Typically, Sparty (like Iowa) flounders when they are picked high. I expect more of the same pattern to occur in 2011.

There are now over 47,000 students at MSU this fall. What to Hell – are Sparty admissions people getting caught up on the “size thing” – striving to have the biggest college enrollment population in the country? Talk about Michigan folks being cut up in having the largest football stadium.

We are already one game into the Brady Hoke era – and there is just not as much buzz going on that I would have anticipated. Is it "guarded" Wolverine optimism? Two wins out of the gate will cure that – we got the weather-shortened technical knockout over the Broncos, so that is good. But now it’s the THE IRISH…THE IRISH…THE IRISH!...and with a W there, the buzz will just humming big time!!! But you gotta have that victory over Coach Carpetbagger (Brian Kelly) to make it all happen.