Quickie #1 - this article right here, which has U of M football ranked behind Ohio State and Iowa in the Big Ten for next year. I understand USC as the #1, but Iowa #3 and Ohio State #4, with Michigan #13? For the record, the Big Ten title goes thru U of M next year and I don't see Ohio State making any noise. They lost Tressel's good luck charm in Nugent, their place kicker, and he was the reason why they won so many games. Iowa? Good team yes, but sorry - not enough to get past Hart and Henne. Here is next seasons U of M Football schedule, have a look. They have seven home games and four road games. The home games are all but victories - Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan [because Oregon backed out again!], Minnesota, Penn State, Indiana and Ohio State. The hardest one out of that bunch is OSU, and sorry - ain't going to happen two years in a row! We open on the road in the Big Ten with are two toughest games, and I think that is where we will get our only loss of the season from - at Wisconsin followed by at MSU. They will likely lose one of those two games, and if I had to pick today it would be State, Wisconsin is a fraud! The other road games are at Iowa then at Northwestern ( they still play football there? ). Sorry, looking at that schedule I see a 10-1 season, no doubt about it. They are not going to lose at home, so that is 7-0. That leaves the four road games and I can only see one loss, if any, in that bunch - Wisconsin, MSU, Iowa and Northwestern. Pick one, if any, and it is definitely not Northwestern! Sorry Fox Sports Net dude, you screwed that one up!
Quickie #2 - the Pistons won last night, ending a four game slide. They looked pretty good, from what I saw, and hopefully this will be the beginning of a much better second half. That is, the type of second half we expected from them in the first half ( and all season for that matter! ). But I think the true measuring stick is tonight, against the Pacers in Indiana. Win tonight, stick it to them and I think that you will see much better basketball in the second half. But the jury is still out, so we shall see. But again, for the record, I still like the Pistons against anyone in the east in a seven game series, it is just the western opponent that scares me!
Well, that is all for now. I will check back later with some Tigers stuff, but I am out of time currently. Have a good morning my hearties - the sports dude!
Luke Waltons Forehead presented by the Sports Dude.
Thursday, January 27, 2005 at 9:12 AM
Thursday Morning Quickies.
Dan Joseph said...
It looks like this guy is putting a lot of weight on the loss of Shazor and Edwards. He also talks about Marlin Jackson and David Baas. I wonder how the tailbacks will be without Dudley though. No one talks about him graduating. He was a force and opened a lot of holes for Hart.
I guess they're probably ranked low because they have a lot of questions to be answered. Who will replace Edwards? Breaston? Avante? Someone else?
What about covering a running QB? Can Michigan learn to stop one? I am hopeful for a new defensive coordinator or a new defensive scheme. Something to fill this void. Had they been able to stop Young in the Rose Bowl, they would have eleminated 21 points or more of scoring from the Longhorns.
Iowa 3 and Ohio State 4... Ohio State will be ranked, a lot better, but won't be that good. Iowa also, I can't see them as a national title contender.
Too early to rank teams. These lists are always fueled by emotion.
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the sports dude said...
Edwards does not necessarily have to be replaced, it is impossible anyway. As far as that goes, Avant is a great possesion receiver, best I have seen in a long time. Also, the Stevie B. we saw in the Rose Bowl was finally healthy and will be like that for a full season next year - as long as he continues to stay healthy. Plus, Carl Tabb has looked good in limited action and we always seem to have that receiver waiting in the wings somewhere. Dudley will be missed, but not enough to hurt the running game too much. I think Bass will be missed more than anyone on the offense, but like receivers, U of M just seems to breed big O-Line men.
As far as the D, I think Shazor hurts, but we've got a lot of talent on the line and are deep in linebackers as well, that is why they switched to the 3-4 early on. The majority of those guys are returning. We also have a lot of young, promising kids in the secondary. Plus, Markus Curry is finally gone - I have always hated the Curry brothers, Julius the previous U of M one, and am glad they are both finally gone. I think the defense will be improved, and I also think, friends or not, Carr told Herrmann this off season - "Do it better or do it somewhere else!".
As far as a running QB, we only face two on the schedule next year - Stanton (MSU) and Smith (OSU). That is if Smith is still there anyway! Sorry, I can not see OSU beating us in the big house next year, Smith or not. MSU scares me, but only because we go there, and that always means the Spartans have an extra second to pull out a victory!
All in all, is it early - yes! But still, putting U of M #3 in the Big Ten, especially behind OSU and Iowa is a joke and, trust me, when OSU is in another Outback Bowl next year and Iowa finishes #2 in the Big Ten, U of M will be laughing all the way to Pasedena for the third straight year!
Later - T.S.D.
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Dan Joseph said...
Yeah, I expect nothing less than a third trip to the Rose Bowl as well. I expect a win this time too. Something has to change in the expectations. There is too much talent swirling around this Michigan team each year to lose bowl games.
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