MGoBlog: The MGoPodcast

2 hours and 56 minutes

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com.

Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Radecki Oral Surgery, Long Road Distillers, and Venue by 4M where recorded this.

1. Offense vs Oklahoma

Starts at 0:54

That... went better than we expected. Seth was right about Oregon's offensive line. Michigan won this game by listening to the MGoPodcast! Or at least they looked at the film and did the obvious thing to do. Offensively it looks like they tightened it up and simplified things, they looked at things Bryce was good at a year ago and emphasized his legs. It looks like Bryce went through some progressions and then decided to scramble a couple times. There were some plays that could've gone better but it wasn't on Bryce's decision making, Oklahoma was just covering the field well. Savion Hiter screwed up a zone read twice, freshman mistake (that had us and Bryce rattled). If you want to win a game against Oklahoma you need to run Underwood 18 times a game and that's what they did - Whittingham wished he ran more. Bryce seems more comfortable rolling out - that lob to Hiter on the sidelines was right out of his high school film. Fumbles need to be cleaned up, QBs aren't active in practice so they're probably not practicing ball security as much. Don't pitch the ball over a defender's head. They won by game-managing and being content with 17 points. Jason Beck had a fantastic gameplan with what he had against a hyper-aggressive defense. The Marshall-Cat seems redundant when you have Bryce's legs. Savion Hiter has it and is making pre-season All-SEC players look silly. They're finding ways to get Marsh the ball. JJ Buchanan is... really good. They really only used the starting wide receivers, Goodwin, Travis Johnson, and Ffrench did not contribute. Pass protection was generally very good, they were also going against one of the best run defenses in America. Michigan doesn't quite have the mental processing speed yet but all things considered they did pretty well. We go about 47 minutes before complaining about the rhino, which means it went a lot better. 

2. Defense vs Oklahoma

Starts at 54:15

Can't ask for much more than only giving up 10 points. That said, it was apparent that Oklahoma's o-line was very banged up, they had two guys rushing back from knee sprains. Michigan ran a 3-3-5 because they only needed to run their two good defensive tackles, this probably won't translate well against better offensive lines. Dom Nichols has earned his star. Jay Hill's gameplan was a weird hybrid of Don Brown and Jesse Minter - we're a man-to-man team but we're also confusing the quarterback? Bracy punching the ball out was reminiscent of his play at Memphis. Nate Marshall is Josh Uche. He was a great pass rusher but got baited on some run plays. Cam Brandt only had six snaps, they're giving the snaps to guys who make plays (this didn't happen last year). Palepale didn't play but Lea'ea did. Overall the coverages were excellent and even zone (which they don't usually do) was good enough. NOB made a play. There were a lot of hugs with Cole Sullivan after the game, would've been nice to have him at Michigan on this defense. Snowden was excellent, you've got three NFL-ready defensive backs on the field (not including Earls yet). Jyaire Hill - stupid penalty, don't do it again. Pretty interception. Defensive tackles were nice, Pierce was the best to stand up to double teams. Defensive lines will be graded on a curve. 

3. Hot Takes, Special Teams, and Game Theory

Starts at 1:30:34

Takes hotter than Brian predicting the Oklahoma gameplan. We saw a field goal! What was the biggest punting EPA above expected? Punting might become a dangerous weapon on this team. Should the caught punt have been a touch back? It's when you have possession but that feels wrong. They go for it on 4th and 1, Bryce is a big guy for sneaks. Are the penalties partially because there's a new coaching staff with new schemes they're thinking through and also some "Sherrone"-ness leftover? Don't rush the punter on 4th and 5 or less. Remember, if you touch the ball you can assault the punter. Should that helmet coming off been a penalty? Certain penalties should go away over the course of the year, it's a very young offense learning new things. This crew was an SEC crew that was a bit more ticky-tacky about holds. The Oklahoma fans were great and everyone we've talked to said they had a great time. Home and home games like this are so fun and are what college football is all about. Everyone is going to remember this game, Michigan beat Oklahoma. Oklahoma fans will probably always remember the game last year. 
 

4. Around the Big Ten with Jamie Mac

Starts at 2:04:31

Lightning Round:
Indiana 55, Howard 0
Wisconsin 36, Western Illinois 9
Nebraska 56, BGSU 7
Michigan State 35, Eastern Michigan 7
Maryland 38, UConn 14
UCLA 28, SDSU 10
Minnesota 13, Mississippi State 38
Rutgers 21, Boston College 28
Purdue 35, Wake Forest 38

Oregon 31, Oklahoma State 39
The score was close but Oklahoma State dominated. Seth was right about Oregon's offensive line being a problem. Oklahoma State snaps a 21 game FBS losing streak (they still have an 18 game Big 12 losing streak). Oklahoma State outgained Oregon 554 to 281. 

Ohio State 23, Texas 24
Texas goes into the 4th quarter down 23-3 and rallies back. There's a hilariously missed 45 yard field goal. The Ohio State offense was Jeremiah Smith and that was about it. 16 of Julian Sayin's 32 passes went to Jeremiah Smith. This is Ohio State's third straight loss to a P4 team, in which they've scored 10, 10, and 23 points. 

Iowa 16, Iowa State 13
The most El Assico score possible. Iowa had a coherent looking offense at times, that's scary! Iowa has a wide receiver, Tony Diaz, who already has 15 catches on the year. The Hawkeyes did only rush for 3.2 yards per carry.

Illinois 27, Duke 31
This was close all game and was the opposite of El Assico until the 4th quarter. Katin Houser looks better at Illinois than he ever did at Michigan State, Collin Dixon is a dangerous wide receiver (11 catches for 166 yards, 3 TDs).

Washington 16, Utah State 14
This is alarm bells going off for Washington. The second week in a row that Washington QB Demon Williams is the lead rusher, their one-two punch is gone. No Denzel Boston? They just can't seem to score in the redzone. Washington was +3 in field goal margin and only won by two. 

Penn State 27, Temple 9
Penn State controlled this game but it was very un-inspiring. Temple had a 91 yard drive that ended in a field goal, Penn State was giving up 50 yard drives. 

USC 49, Louisiana 30
USC still looks like USC under Lincoln Riley. Louisiana's QB is named Lunch Winfield. 
 

MUSIC:

• "Rein Me In"—Sam Fender and Olivian Dean
• "The Rising"—Bruce Springsteen
• "4EVER"—Clairo
• “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra   

The Sponsors

We want to thank Underground Printing for starting this and making it possible—stop by and pick up some gear, check them out at ugpmichiganapparel.com, or check out our selection of shirts on the MGoBlogStore.com. And let’s not forget our associate sponsors: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Radecki Oral Surgery, Long Road Distillers, SignalWire where we are recording this, and introducing Applied Fitness Solutions, and The History of Michigan Football, an online course by Greg Dooley.

Featured Musician: Jacob Givens

THE VIDEO:

[After THE JUMP: The show notes, eventually.] 

---------------------

1. Oklahoma Preview: Offense

starts at the top

John Mateer is back; we got to see the Real Mateer last year—they ran him 15 times—before he got banged up, and that unfortunately is probably happening again. Still have Isaiah Sategna, the graduated slot who's going to be a handful no matter what, and three other WRs they like plus a rising sophomore who's going to be a star eventually. Run game is no longer hampered by the old RB coach, but they've got a lot of new cooks in the kitchen, and it's not clear who's running the show. There was a lot more under-center, they've imported blocking TEs and FBs, and they're playing 3 of them at a time. Last year Arbuckle ran his Wazzu RPO-heavy passing spread; this year the linemen are going downfield. Their OL situation is messed up right now with a lot of injuries clouding things at LT, C, and RG, and insiders are skeptical about the program's report that two of their ~6 starter-caliber guys will be fully back. So...true freshman center against Trey Pierce, eh? If Oklahoma turns this into a blowout it's because they are winning the TE vs Michigan LBs battle, which is a real concern given the LBs have to respect Mateer's legs and arm.

2. Oklahoma Preview: Defense

starts at 18:45

Last year Michigan tried to ease Underwood in by doing the things you do with freshman QBs and Venables was sitting on them. You know he can coach a defense because he took over a Lincoln Riley/Cale Gundy outfit and made it an elite outfit. Took him a few years to do that of course, because he had to raise his own elite recruits. But yo: Cole Sullivan isn't even starting. They've made him the more linebacker option at CHEETAH, the VIPER equivalent. Secondary are all returning starters, front are all experienced guys. Alex was surprised however how much the UTEP run game worked on them, especially on Stone, the DT expected to be the first taken in the Draft. That was a Rich Rod 2008 effect somewhat: UTEP spread out and ran the QB and did interesting things to mess with the way Oklahoma defenders get upfield quickly. Michigan can't do what they did last year: NEED to hit some deep shots on 1st down.

3. WMU After Review: Offense

starts at 38:04

4. WMU After Review: Defense

starts at 55:24

Not great, actually. Big mistake scores in the LBs, John-Henry Daley was JAG. Did find a lot of +1 or +0.5 events for Dominic Nichols, including playing AROs well, and think Bowles is exciting in a Don Brown death marmot kind of way if they can have him not blow Day 1 things. But want more at 3rd DT than Lea'ea being a supreme effort guy—got two plays from Palepale in six snaps so there's upside here. Cam Brandt getting crushed is bad news for all of the young DEs. Nate Marshall had a young guy mistake so you see why they preferred the senior, but these guys are going to have to get a lot better. Secondary not much to say: they were fighting screens but not a lot downfield.

Featured Artist: Jacob Givens

I'm only barely on Instagram, but when I'm on there I'm usually sharing music stuff with my besties, who were all in an Ann Arbor band that tried to "make it." Jacob Givens is us, minus the Michigan football text chain. He also was making music around the same time as my friends, and finally shared it online. He's not as good at singing, but the composition and lyrics are so good I want to make a Jacob Givens video of me and my friends listening to Jacob Givens for the first time. Probably of Fluorescent.

If you've got music and won't issue a takedown notice on YouTube, I'd love to feature it on future episodes.

Songs:

• Tabula Rasa
• Fluorescent       
• Pendulum

Also because Across 110th Street will get our Youtubes taken down, the opener and outro:

• “The Employee is Not Afraid”—Bear vs. Shark
• “Ruska Vodka”—Motorboat

Things Discussed:

• Offensive line: one guy issues. Disappointment high, recalibrating, but not 3-9 bad.
• Bryce had a hand in everything that was wrong. Staring down the receiver isn't just a problem; he shouldn't even be looking there. Making decisions before the snap and not coming off them.
• Why is there a State Street/Main Street discrepancy? Don't know.
• Sam: They didn't have a plan for Bryce to be that bad, which tells you they didn't think he would be?
• Brian: Last year he was very up and down. Look at him like RS Fr Vince Young. He wasn't the Rose Bowl winner until that Rose Bowl. Guys like this don't come fully formed. Not writing him off. You need to do what he can do now and lean on it. Run the Dampier offense.
• Seth: We set up the expectations, Bryce and the program and the system did too, and maybe that's just wrong.
• What to do vs Oklahoma? They're a next-evolution Don Brown defense built to suffocate a QB run game (Cole Sullivan at CHEETAH sometimes). Hit them deep: slot fade, JJ down the sideline.
• Hockey hazing lawsuit: Not surprised because that was widespread in hockey and at Michigan in that era. Seth points out it was a massive historical success that we conquered that culture 25 years ago. It was brutally hard to do that. Open that can of worms. See how ugly things were. People should know we can fix this.
• Not naming Mel and Red in lawsuit: Figure UM will settle, if you add them they'll fight to preserve their reputations.

2 hours and 13 minutes

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com.

Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Radecki Oral Surgery, Long Road Distillers, and Venue by 4M where recorded this.

1. Clocks and Vibes

Starts at 0:54

Brian left early. The clock said zero so he left the building. Spiritually the result of this game doesn't matter, they lost the game spiritually. After Zapruder Film Analysis, either NBC showed the wrong clock or the clock in the stadium is bad. The seconds weren't the same length?? Does college football need tenths of seconds? Was this the most disappointing game you've seen as a Michigan fan? The plays don't look coherent, it doesn't look like players are running the same thing. The run game was disappointing and Bryce Underwood does not look like he's improved from a year ago. 

[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 

2. Offense vs Western Michigan

Starts at 19:30

Bad. Bad in ways that make you scared about where the program is. Bryce is still zeroing in on one receiver without seeing the field. Manuel Beigel is not one of the best eight offensive linemen, why is he on the field as the rhino? He can't block. Half the line ran stretch and the other half didn't. They didn't try to just run power down their throat. It felt like they were trying to run frippery without establishing the basic stuff first. The coaches are from Utah and BYU, programs that have been established for 20 years. Are the coaches running plays like Michigan has the stability and continuity of Utah and BYU? We were hearing that Bryce's footwork was improving, is he just not learning/processing fast enough? He's got the talent but if he can't read a defense then it doesn't matter. Age-wise, Bryce is still a freshman. Why did Bryson Kuzdzal start the second half, the other two RBs barely had any plays. JJ Buchanan is pretty good! Jalen Hoffman looked good, put him out there instead of a rhino. Evan Link came a long distance last year but was disappointing this week.

3. Hot Takes, Defense, and More Vibes

Starts at 54:57

Takes hotter than the internet at about 10:30pm Saturday night. Can't be too mad at the defense because functionally they only really gave up six points. You can see things happening on the defense, the young linebackers have talent but they're making mistakes. On the ground game there's a huge difference between the starters and everybody else. They don't think they have a 3rd defensive tackle. Pierce and Etta looked pretty good. Too much Brandt. Salesi Moa didn't look terrible out there, he's an... interesting player. Defense tried to be heroes too many times. Punting was really good, Zeke Berry was an excellent gunner. Let's talk 4th downs and clock management. Nine penalties is concerning. The uniforms have got to go. The stadium volume was really low, the music wasn't deafening but you also couldn't hear the refs. The stadium experience felt "very generic". They replaced the Rose Bowl logo with a Google Gemini ad. They had to put the corporate logos on the banner that had the national championship logos on it. It feels like every year that you go to the stadium the experience gets worse. This is important to us and not to the people who are selling it. There's nothing about it now that wouldn't be materialistically different than if Dave Brandon was currently the athletic director. It looks like Michigan didn't let Western bring their band. Fans rushing the field might've been the most organic thing to happen during the game but players wanted nothing to do with it. 
 

4. Around the Big Ten with Jamie Mac

Starts at 1:46:06

Lightning round:

Indiana 52, North Texas 16
Nebraska 49, Ohio 21
Ohio State 56, Ball State 3
Penn State 45, Marshall 0
Iowa 40, Northern Illinois 0
Maryland 62, Ham 0
USC 39, Fresno State 0
Minnesota 59, Eastern Illinois 7
Northwestern 34, South Dakota State 18
Illinois 42, UAB 23
Purdue 44, Indiana State 19

Washington 24, Washington State 10
Sadly this is probably how the Apple Cup will go from now on. Washington really struggled to move the ball but Wazzu has no offense. 

Notre Dame 41, Wisconsin 13
Wisconsin's uniforms looked like Rutgers. This was not the blowout that the score suggests. Neither team could really run the ball. Wisconsin looks like a team that could make a bowl game again. 

Oregon 34, Boise State 27
Oregon almost doubles Boise State in yardage. Remember Seth's hot take about the Oregon offensive line? Dan Lanning is not building strong up front. 

UCLA 42, Cal 24
Could UCLA maybe be 7-3 when they come into Ann Arbor? They rushed for over 8 YPC. 

Michigan State 30, Toledo 20
This game was funnier Saturday morning. Toledo had some explosive plays. Doesn't move the needle on Michigan State much. 

UMass 37, Rutgers 21
UMass rushing rutger'd Rutgers. 
 

MUSIC:

• "Too Much Time On My Hands"—Styx
• "Against All Odds"—Phil Collins
• "Walking On A Thin Line"—Huey Lewis the Names
• “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra   

The Sponsors

We want to thank Underground Printing for starting this and making it possible—stop by and pick up some gear, check them out at ugpmichiganapparel.com, or check out our selection of shirts on the MGoBlogStore.com. And let’s not forget our associate sponsors: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Radecki Oral Surgery, Long Road Distillers, SignalWire where we are recording this, and introducing Applied Fitness Solutions, and The History of Michigan Football, an online course by Greg Dooley.

Featured Musician: The Unsustainables

THE VIDEO:

[After THE JUMP: The show notes, eventually.] 

---------------------

1. WMU Preview: Offense

starts at the top

It's a Walt Bell offense! They're going to put the WRs and TEs at the sideline to draw the secondary away from a running game that goes tempo, shifts late, and has a great backfield to punish any mistakes. Big OL includes a returning all-MAC guy and two 6'6" heavies at guard. Expect the WR screens to be the main passing attack, and if it's 3rd & long they dead.

2. WMU Preview: Defense

starts at 15:27

The front seven got raided. They're finally out of Lou Esposito defensive linemen, went to the portal for an OSU walk-on and a weird DT/LB hybrid from LIU. Linebackers were formerly blitzy types, now 5th years. Secondary has one star in Joshua Franklin, the corner who returned when he could have gone to Ohio State or something, and another decent returning starter in former UConn/CMU CB Jarvarius Sims. Turner's been moved to nickel however and they're starting Presbyterian CB Willard Ferrell, who's listed at 6'1"/155, which: I believe you if you say you've gotten bigger but if that's your starting point woah. Ditto for returning free safety Joey Pope, and former Michigan walk-on, who also started for WMU last year.

3. Upon Further Preview

starts at 28:41

Things we learned while doing the previews. One is that people are calling Bryce Underwood a bust: uh, too early folks! Linebacker panic in spring was probably because they saw nine walk-on caliber players with three young guys and zero Nate Staehlings. Also Chris Bracy's arrival was like Dani Rojas.

4. The NCAA's Eligibility Crisis

starts at 53:32

Is LSU trying to corner the market on most unlikeable coaches? They are pushing this thing so hard it's turning people in favor of the NCAA. Such an incredible own goal from the NCAA to not grandfather this properly, because there were guys waiting and they drew a harsh line. Because they gave everybody the 2020-21 season for free it's really only those two classes—2021 and 2022—that didn't get a free fifth year, and all they had to do to make this make sense was extend it to players who 1) Didn't do anything pro after this rule was an option (read: not the guys LSU tried to sign, who were trying out on NFL teams); and 2) Would have eligibility under the new five-for-five rule (read: only recent grads who played four in four). Michigan would like them to play anyways because Roddy Gayle is now crucial with the McCoy injury, and it would be nice to bring back Ernest Hausmann as well.

Featured Artist: The Unsustainables

From MGoUser TxWolverine44:

My band is The Unsustainables and we're based out of Chapel Hill. We're a rock-steady ska group and recently released our first album Every Broken Heart Will Mend (we have sent out the opening title track as our unofficial single). Worst case, I hope you enjoy it! The loose Michigan connection is that I'm an alum (c/o 2012) so tenuous

Best case, I enjoy it, listen to it a bunch while writing the previews this year, and use it for our first MGoRadio episode this year. They say rock-steady ska, but if ska is a confluence of jazz and pop-punk, the jazz influence here is a much bigger part of the mix. Seeing them live up here probably isn't an option, but they have a couple of EPs that preceded this album so you can turn this on and leave it boppin' while you go through a bunch of linebacker film or whatever it is you do during the day. I used three thematic songs but the Chesterfields song was my fav when I had this on.

If you've got music and won't issue a takedown notice on YouTube, I'd love to feature it on future episodes.

Songs:

• Every Broken Heart
• Friday Nite
• Honeydrippers   

Also because Across 110th Street will get our Youtubes taken down, the opener and outro:

• “The Employee is Not Afraid”—Bear vs. Shark
• “Ruska Vodka”—Motorboat

Things Discussed:

• Smart, old secondary. Can play those Fangio games where you recognize patterns in how they align and switch coverages. Going to be special to watch that.
• DTs: Lea'ea and Etta are not doubles-eaters, so we may have to play differently than we have in the past up front. Can you play 3-4? Sure but that will wear out Pierce. Would love for Palepale to come online
• Utah best offense in Whittingham's tenure last year with Dampier, who is not remotely accurate.
• Bryce: Surrounding cast much better (28 drops last year!), his legs included. Dante Moore at UCLA was the comp to last year.
• Okay gets you to 20th in SP+, better than that needs Bryce to step up. Can he? Yeah, think Gardner is too low on Bryce's ability to read a defense and hit tiny windows.
• DB on Marsh was scared and that gave breathing room.
• WMU: Not the kind of offense you expect to see from a MAC team. Big offensive line, Walt Bell runs a complicated run offense that really tests how well your defensive rules work inside.
• WMU Defense: I love their nickel, but they have some tiny guys in the secondary who are just not going to be able to handle JJ Buchanan. Expect Bryce to look better in this game than he will most of the year.
• Roddy Gayle litigation: NCAA shot themselves in the foot, but not certain how the court will rule. TRO is a good start, next step is a preliminary injunction it's important to win so he can keep practicing, but the emergency ruling will be the ballgame, and it's not certain the judges will side with him. Sucks because the McCoy injury means they need Roddy now.

Things Discussed:

• Online Q&A Tomorrow hosted by U-M Club of Fairfield. Detroit Kickoff Dinner on Monday at Ford's Garage, and the following day I'm in D.C.
• Pre-show, Sam & Ira were talking NFL doing away with Pro Bowl. Seth suggests they have college alumni games. Certainly there are some NFL players from Ohio State who want to beat Michigan at something once in their lives? Pick different rivalries every year.
• Best Fred Jacksonism ever: Anton Campbell is Gayle Sayers.
• Sorting the camp facts from camp lies. Tariq Boney is believable because he's probably getting to the quarterback, could be used in an Uche role this year, but isn't going to be on the field in a run situation.
• Use what you know and how players develop. Lea'ea has gotten bigger, but can he get so much bigger to be one of the three, or isn't it more likely he's just going to be who he is and what you're hearing about Kanka and Palepale is they're not impact guys right now, and Moten etc. are not playable yet?
• Linebacker is where this gets scary, because once you start talking about Max Alford: I know what Max Alford looks like.
• Basketball trip to Lithuania takeaways:
• Quinn Costello is a movement shooter. Taller Foster Loyer.
• Brandon McCoy is going to be a problem on both ends of the court. Think his shot is busted; his free throws are not that close. Craig: teach him some midrange.
• Center: Can't play without Thiam. Estrella looks like a four, Moller is not ready this year.
• New rules to prevent pros from coming back: schools will punish coaches and schools, hope to muddle things for inevitable lawsuits. Big Ten hasn't promulgated a basketball rule, football rule means no Ernest Hausmann though, because (before they made the rule) his name was in the Draft. Roddy would be ineligible if they extend this to basketball because he played in summer league, which is a pro league. NCAA won some recent cases.

2 hours and 21 minutes

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com.

Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Radecki Oral Surgery, Long Road Distillers, and Venue by 4M where recorded this.

1. Michigan's Nonconference and Big Ten Teams 18-15

Starts at 0:54

We welcome in Alex Drain to go over Michigan's nonconference games and the rest of the Big Ten.

Western Michigan
Pretty good for a MAC team, they won the MAC last year.  Last year they were an offensively driven team, but they've lost their defensive coordinator to the LA Chargers. They have big offensive linemen (including Ben Roebuck). Michigan's questions at defensive tackle and linebacker will get an early test. 

UTEP
It's bad. Like... really bad. They're starting over with FCS guys. 

Oklahoma
They get John Mateer back (which can be good or bad at any given moment). His stats in the second half of last year weren't great, how much of that was because of injury? He's an athlete when he has to run the ball. They bring back All-SEC WR Isaiah Sategna. Their run game overall was really bad, it brought down their overall offensive SP+ to 51st. Current SP+ projections are 27th. Cole Sullivan might not even start. The starting line is Michigan -2.5 so consider it a toss-up.

18 - Purdue
7-29 in the last three years since losing Jeff Brohm, and there's not much optimism going into this year either. Their schedule might be a little easier at least. This is year two of a coach starting over for Baryy Odom. Can you name the Michigan player who is a projected starter for Purdue? 

17 - Michigan State
Pat Fitzgerald is... a weird hire. They bring back QB Alessio Milivojevic for some continuity, also PFF really likes UConn RB Cam Edwards. The offensive line looks okay-ish. However, Fred Moore is a projected starter. Do they get four wins? 

16 - Rutgers
Nobody cares about them except for Bryan Mac. Last year they had their best offense since 2007 but their defense was 131st in success rate. They have KJ Duff who has a claim for the 2nd best wide receiver in the Big Ten. The offense is projected at 37th in SP+, the defense at 90th. 

15 - Maryland
Someone always has to die in the Maryland preview. They're #2 in returning production in SP+. Give Locksley some credit for returning a lot of young and talented players. A nonconference game against James Franklin's Virginia Tech could be exciting. 

[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 

2. Big Ten Teams 14-8

Starts at 38:57

14 - Northwestern
They have Chip Kelly and a new stadium (we all liked Ryan Field, though). They start with South Dakota State and then get a week two bye, oddly enough. Can they fix Aidan Chiles? They have some returning wide receivers that are decent. 

13 - Wisconsin
The shell of Wisconsin, the week they though Luke Fickell would get fired he got an extension. They bring in QB Colton Joseph, the Sun Belt player of the year. Old Wisconsin would never have to go into the portal for a running back. By extending Fickell they gave him a bigger NIL budget which he used to get seven defensive starters.

12 - UCLA
They have a new coach. The weird Deshaun Foster era ended before it started. Bob Chesney comes in from James Madison. Nico Iamaleava comes back (for better or worse). James Madison was in the playoffs last year, you might recall. There is a lot of reason to be optimistic about this hire. Semaj Morgan is there! 

11 - Nebraska
They did not get year-three Matt Rhule, there was no lift-off and Raiola left. They picked up QB Anthony Colandrea from Virginia. They need a new RB. They're on their 4th defensive coordinator in five years, despite a soft schedule they still finished 7-6 last year. It feels like another 7-5 ish season. Is that Matt Rhule or is that just Nebraska now? 

10 - Minnesota
68% returning production. They're always around here and they always win a bowl game. QB Drake Lindsey is appearing on 1st round mock drafts?? They're projecting 71st on offense and 24th on defense. They're Minnesota. 

9 - Illinois
They lose Luke Altmyer to the Detroit Lions and bring in Katin Houser (MSU plays three of their former QBs). Only one starter returns on the offensive line. They bring in Bobby Hauck as defensive coordinator, he left Montana claiming college football wasn't fun anymore and then took this job five days later. He might be their Wink. The defense needs to be fixed up a bit.

8 - Washington
They forcibly detained QB Demond Williams for another year so... I guess we'll see how that goes. Last year he could just toss it up to Denzel Boston but he's out the door. They bring in a RB from Oregon and Christian Moss from Kennesaw State. Four of five starters return on the offensive line which could be solid. They lost some pretty good guys in the secondary, defensive tackle is still worrying since they have FCS and MAC guys to plug in positions. Their schedule is very favorable, they could even sneak into the playoffs (and get demolished).

3. Hot Takes and Secondary

Starts at 1:19:11

Takes hotter than the hottest hot take that anyone has ever given the Sklars after one of their shows. 

7 - Iowa
They're Iowa. They haven't had an SP+ defense worse than 6th since 2018. They got all the way up to 37th last year in offensive SP+ (turns out Brian Ferentz was not good at offensive coordination). There are some all-Big Ten guys on the offensive line. Do they have any receivers? Ehhh. They have tight ends. Seth read three preview magazines and they all listed different starting QBs. They lost a lot on defense but they always rebuild. This could be a worrying game for Michigan (if Iowa can score). 

6 - Penn State
Well, the good news is last year they weren't as bad as they looked. Despite everything that happened they were close to beating Indiana at the end of the season. Matt Campbell comes in with Rocco Becht. A lot of players came over from Iowa State, it's just a matter of how quickly they can fit it all together. Their schedule is a joke, they could even sneak into the playoff or the Big Ten title game. Michigan should still be a favorite. 

5 - USC
They bring back QB Jayden Maiava, but they replace Makai Lemon. The receiver conveyer belt is moving. Everybody loves Waymond (and they bring back King Miller). Their new defensive coordinator is Gary Patterson (yeah that Gary Patterson). Too bad they don't play Northwestern. They always have a top 10 offense and they just need the defense to be okay. The schedule is brutal, though. Are they just permanently the 15th best team in college football under Lincoln Riley?

4 - Michigan?
See: all other content.

3 - Indiana
They are the portal team now. Despite losing so many players they recruited the transfer portal like an SEC team. QB Josh Hoover comes in from TCU, he's a good conference starter. They also bring in Nick Marsh (MSU) and Shazz Preston from Tulane. Add that to Charlie Becker and their WR room is stacked (also two time winning national champion Tyler Morris!). They bring in a RB named Turbo! They reload on defense and keep their defensive coordinator. Brian is not a believer and predicts 8-4, Alex thinks they'll be really good, Seth is somewhere in between.

2 - Oregon
They get Dante Moore back with the regular trope of skill position players. The offensive line is a big question mark and they replace both of their coordinators with in-house hires. The defense has some good players including one of the best corners in the country. They have a Rimmington-quality center but that's about it for the line (the starting right tackle is a true freshman). Their talent is undeniable, but can they win the big game? 

1 - Ohio State
Last year they had the Penn State schedule of this year. Sayin's stats looked unbelievable through 12 games, then they couldn't score against Indiana and Miami. That needs to improve. Jeremiah Smith is a generational wide receiver, Chris Henry Jr will be really good but probably not quite Jeremiah Smith's level. The offense will need to make that next step. The defense was what was considered generational on SP+. They lose 9 of 11 starters on defense but they always have a conveyer belt. They had to portal some guys, though. They'll probably take a step back on defense but the offense stepping forward probably cancels that out. The schedule is pretty brutal. 
 

4. Lightning Round

Starts at 2:09:30

Predictions! List yours in the comments.

-Who will be offensive MVP?
-Who will be defensive MVP?
-Breakout player on offense? 
-Breakout player on defense?
-X-factor on offense? (Most variable in your estimation)
-X-factor on defense?
-Biggest strength on offense?
-Biggest strength on defense? 
-Biggest concern on offense?
-Biggest concern on defense?
-Who's your guy on offense?
-Who's your guy on defense?
-Michigan's record?
 

MUSIC:

• "The Latter Teens"—Vansire
• "Black Bear"—Hey, Nothing
• "Funky Fanfare"—Keith Mansfield
• “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra   

1 hour and 49 minutes

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com.

Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Radecki Oral Surgery, Long Road Distillers, and Venue by 4M where recorded this.

1. Defensive Line

Starts at 0:54

The defense is older and more experienced overall compared to the offense, but there are some holes to fill. John Henry Daley transfers from Utah and claims to be ready to go. Aidan Hutchinson as his ceiling might be tough coming off of an injury, but Aidan Hutchinson's 2021 season was also coming off of an injury. There's also a version of JHD where he's not all the way back and is only pretty good. The other starter is either Cam Brandt or Dom Nichols. We're not hearing a lot about Nate Marshall. Benny Patterson, on the other hand, could be a guy that's coming on. A lot of the defensive ends have some experience and are just waiting for their turn. Defensive tackle is not as deep, has some question marks, and doesn't have an established star. Trey Pierce could be solid. Enow Etta has a chance of taking a big step forward. By the end of the season he was the one still standing up against Ohio State. Seth is not high on Jonah Lea'ea. Palepale is probably the 3rd defensive tackle, he's a big dude. Don't give up on defensive tackles. Everyone wants Alister Vallejo to be the high riser, the Mason Graham comparisons are out there. Bobby Kanka flashed in the spring game. Defensive tackle seems like a not great situation overall - there are a couple guys who are serviceable to good and then a lot of questions marks. You always need at least four. 

[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 

2. Linebackers

Starts at 33:40

The group that is probably the most uncertain, more-so than defensive tackle. They had a first and second team of linebackers that have left after last season. We get to see Cole Sullivan again this year after he transferred to Oklahoma. Nate Staehling is the guy we're most excited about, the transfer from North Dakota State. It would be so lovely if he was a generic Iowa linebacker! He has the ability to take on a lead block. The other portal takes are much less inspiring. Troy Bowles, Chase Taylor, and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng are the other major contributors. A lot of them look like safeties. Chase Taylor has high shoulder pads! Staehling probably starts with Bowles? After these three it drops off pretty quickly. The recruiting class has three guys that all ranked in flyer territory. Nobody in the program is complaining about defensive tackle, but there are a lot of concerns about linebackers. Keep the top guys mostly healthy and you've got a shot, though.

3. Hot Takes and Secondary

Starts at 53:56

Takes hotter than that other week this summer that wasn't even Art Fair but it was like 100 billion degrees and Brian was sitting outside watching his kids play tennis badly. This is a surprisingly veteran group! Not a lot of questions at cornerback, your starters are Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, and they import Smith Snowden from Utah. Jyaire Hill has first round upside and this year should be a star. Zeke Berry is at least solid but is he better than that? Could Shamari Earls start over Zeke by the end of the season? The other cornerbacks are Jo'Ziah Edmond, I'Marion Stewart, and Jamarion Vincent. Vincent is a freshman and Stewart is a flip from wide receiver; they're not generating a lot of buzz. Seth is ridiculously high on Smith Snowden at nickel. At safety - is Rod Moore going to be healthy? He says he's healthy but he's on a pitch count. If he's healthy and he's Rod Moore he's one of the best safeties in the country, but he might not be Rod Moore. Chris Bracy transfers in from Memphis and is one of the best transfers in the country. He's a huge asset in stopping the run. Too bad he's not big enough to play linebacker. Mason Curtis got a lot of experience last year and is the 3rd safety, he'll get a lot of opportunities this year. Jordan Young has some upside despite inexplicable snaps last season. 

4. Special Teams and Overall Thoughts

Starts at 1:28:04

This defense feels like it's going to be pretty decent but there are a lot of questions. If you get the ceiling of a lot of guys on the edge and maybe Staehling then they could be really good. But the middle of the field and the backup defensive tackles are shaky. Will it be fine and are we just spoiled as Michigan fans? There are a lot of guys that will be big pieces on the defense in two or three years and they're on the roster right now. The secondary will be especially exciting if Rod Moore is back, but could weird teams like Iowa take advantage of what Michigan's missing? Also, Michigan has a college defensive coordinator and not Wink Martindale. Michigan imported Trey Butkowski (kicker) and Cam Brown (Aussie punter). Pat Narduzzi was really mad that he lost his kicker so he must be really good. He's not Moody or Zvada but he makes a lot of kicks. The 25 yard line is probably field goal range now, rather than the 35, Justin Turner is your likely comparison. Cam Brown's an odd one. He's a Hudson Hollenbeck comparison but kicks it a little further. Michigan's long snapper, Gavin Magorien, is the only Michigan player on the Freaks List this year. Who do you want returning kickoffs, Moa? And Andrew Marsh on punts? 

MUSIC:

• "Take It"—Donnie and Joe Emerson
• "Rabbits"—Thomas Dollbaum
• "Dog Bite"—Mickey Leao
• “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra   

2 hours and 26 minutes

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com.

Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Radecki Oral Surgery, Long Road Distillers, and Venue by 4M where recorded this.

1. 2026 Season Vibes

Starts at 0:54

Well, that was an offseason! We win national championships and commit crimes, we are now an SEC program. Michigan has a good dude in Kyle Whittingham now, though! Everyone deserves a freshly showered Brian Cook. What's your excitement level going into this season? It's nice that there are adults in charge now. Some of the things that felt 'off' last season make more sense. There aren't many players on offense this year who you wouldn't project to come back next year, it's a big building year. We're in 2015 mode right now. They actually imported an entire wide receiver room. It feels like Bryce lost a year of development but at least he goes into this year knowing what to expect. The strength and conditioning should be greatly improved, it's telling when coaches leave somewhere and end up at a worse program. 

2. Quarterback and Running Back

Starts at 25:15

It felt like last year was a lost cause. Pass protection wasn't good enough because the line was super young, the wide receivers were... not sufficient enough. Tyler Huntley in his second year at Utah ran probably three times as much as Bryce, he's still in the NFL with the Ravens. The potential is still there but it feels like he's still a freshman. They ran Bryce like you would run John Navarre, thinking nobody will expect this! This year it will be a team that runs the quarterback. This is the most talent Kyle Whittingham's staff has ever had, they come from a college background and should be excited to execute with it. Bryce struggled passing last year but he was thrown into a bad situation with his receivers. Do you think Bryce will have fewer pass attempts this season? Physically Bryce is everything you could ask for, he just needs to get there mentally. He hasn't been golfing this offseason. Progress is not linear, he might not look great early but hope for him to get slowly better over the course of the season and have a watershed moment by mid-season. Some QBs you can tell just aren't happening in the spring game, but Tommy Carr was happening. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is here but did not enroll for spring, he's a multi-year starter at Colorado State but lost his job. Chase Herbstreit and Brady Smigiel... don't exist right now. Running back is similar to last year where the one-two punch is among the best in the country and Bryson Kuzdzal is the third guy. This is Jordan Marshall's year and just by the way he talks there's no way he's not going to try and be the best running back in the country. Savion Hiter already looks like the best running back prospect out of high school in many years. Is Kuzdzal the ceiling for an RB3? Any other program who looks at this running back room will look at us and say "shut up". You wouldn't expect meaningful playing time from anyone else. 

3. Hot Takes, Wide Receivers, and Tight Ends

Starts at 1:14:40

Takes hotter than Ann Arbor during Art Fair. The wide receiver room... exists! Do you remember the last Michigan receiver to have a 1,000 yard season? Some guys just have it, Andrew Marsh has it. Who's the last Michigan receiver to live up to this hype? Nico Collins? They import JJ Buchanan in the way that Devin Funchess was a tight end, he's your jump ball guy. Salesi Moa and Travis Johnson are true freshmen but they're the next two guys being mentioned. Salesi Moa blew everyone away at the Polynesian Bowl, you hope for him to be Michigan's Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Travis Johnson seems to be WR4 but also one of the fastest guys on the team, how much play time can you expect? Jaime Ffrench comes in from Texas, Michigan barely had a receiver room when he committed, he's in a weird situation. Channing Goodwin is getting some chatter again. Who are the jet sweep guys, Moa and Marsh? This is the thinnest tight end room we can remember. There isn't a Colston Loveland type guy but Zack Marshall looked really good last year and has a captain mentality. They say Hogan Hansen is healthy and ready to go but he's been hampered by injury and is probably a bit behind physically. Jalen Hoffman is ready to step up and be that dude as a blocker. Also he can catch the ball! They're talking about freshman Mason Bonner in wide receiver-y ways. Eli Owens (Thump) wants to be Max Bredeson but it's only his 2nd year. 

4. Offensive Line

Starts at 1:57:36

Brian was despondent when linemen hit the portal in the offseason but they all came back. Jake Guarnera is the center and there's no question about it - that being locked down is so important. Andrew Sprague should also be great, he's the locked in right tackle. It's a good thing when Texas comes for your linemen (as long as you keep them). How good of a pass protector can he be, though? They just imported Jim Harding from Utah, regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the country. The offensive line has question marks but they're good question marks. Blake Frazier was the lightest guy on the line but he's put on 20 lbs, he should be improved at left tackle. Babalola's progress is the only reason he's not locked in. There's the "Rhino" role for a 6th offensive lineman so there are positions for everyone. They're hyping up Babalola a lot in practice. The incoming freshmen are great but they're freshmen. Evan Link looks to be your starting left guard, he massively improved at left tackle last year after a rough freshman year but this should be a better suited role for him. There's competition for right guard but not for left guard so he might be a pretty solid option. Right guard is a competition between Brady Norton and Nathan Efobi. People are very high on Ace Hamilton. The offense as a whole has a lot of talent but it's so young, they don't have a senior leader. This team will probably still feel like they're a year away. 

MUSIC:

• "King of the Night"—Rubber Band Gum
• "Fools"—Drugdealer
• "Mobile Home"—Jesse Woods
• “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra