MGoPodcast 13.27: Should I Be Kicking a Field Goal?

1 hour and 10 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.

And let’s not forget our associate sponsors: Peak Wealth Management, HomeSure Lending, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, The Phil Klein Insurance Group, SignalWire (use the code MUPPETS), Prentice 4M, where we recorded this, Team Fan Club, and introducing The View from the Cheap Seats podcast by the Sklars, who join us for the Hot Takes segments. Please go subscribe and like their podcast,and leave your hot takes about this game in the reviews.

1. Remembering Gary Moeller

starts at 1:00

Welcome to a very special mid-summer podcast which starts out with a discussion of the corn in France. Brian and Seth reflect on the sad passing of Gary Moeller, who passed away last week at the age of 81. Gary was a very important step in the modernization of Michigan football, particularly the offense, and left the program in such a state when he left that they were able to win a national championship in two years. Listen to the "coach's audio" of Desmond's 4th and 1 against Notre Dame in which Gary Moeller asks a very important question. Rest in peace, Gary.

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

2. Big Ten Expansion

starts at 13:44

Hello USC and UCLA, welcome to the Big Ten? These teams have not really dominated their conference since the Pete Carroll days but this is a huge financial blow to the PAC-[10]/[12]. Should the Big Ten just go for 20 teams? Also what does this do for the actual fan experience? Going to play UCLA in the Rose Bowl every once in a while is fun but Seth misses just playing Illinois (editor's note: I also miss playing Purdue). Maybe the Big Ten should just do away with non-conference games and do a 12-game schedule. What was the point of scheduling UCLA for this season if they're just going to cancel it (the game that got replaced with Hawaii)? If you could add four more teams, who would you pick?

3. Recruiting

starts at 33:37

The 2023 recruiting class is trending from disastrous to generically disappointing. Feels like some position groups are not getting the treatment they should be getting and that is hurting commitments. It also does not help that Jim Harbaugh was flirting with the NFL and the staff is not taking full advantage of NIL possibilities. This incoming recruiting class has very long arms. 

4. Hot Takes and Coaching

starts at 50:53

Takes so hot they could be the temperatures in continental Europe right now (everyone's hot takes voice is a bit rusty). Time for performance-based conference relegation shuffles at the end of every season?? Tracy Smith is the new baseball coach. Brian dives into Tracy's past and what it means for the future. He had a lot of success at Indiana but not much success at Arizona State - Alex cites locker room and culture issues at Arizona State (which may have been more of an Arizona State problem than a Tracy Smith problem). Mel Pearson still does not have a contract and the report on his investigation is what is holding it up.

MUSIC:

• "Rhymes Like Dimes"--MF DOOM
• "PBR with girlhouse"--PBR
• "Stars"—Dehd
• "Next to Normal"--Lucius