[Ed.: This was started right at the end of the season in hopes of getting it out before the Michigan football bust, but then I bought a new house, moved, etc, which resulted in less free time and no internet access at home for a few weeks. We apologize for the lack of content lately].

The 132nd team in Michigan football history began play in September with a new head coach and plenty of returning talent. It opened with a rain-soaked three-quarter win over Western Michigan and continued on with the first ever night game in Michigan Stadium history. It opened Big Ten play with a 58-0 route of Minnesota, then followed up with a second half comeback at Northwestern. It suffered defeat in East Lansing and Iowa City with a win over Purdue sandwiched in between, but bounced back with decisive wins over Illinois and Nebraska. And finally, it ended seven years of futility with a 40-34 win over Ohio State.

It’s hard to believe 12 games have already come and gone, but with season’s end comes awards and accolades. The All-Big Ten teams have been announced and Brady Hoke was named conference coach of the year, so we at Maize and Go Blue decided to announce our very first Maize and Go Blue Awards. Some of these will be painfully obvious and some you may disagree with, but we welcome the discussion and ultimately aim to honor the men of Team 132.

Harmon Player of the Year | Denard Robinson

Denard Robinson entered the season as a Heisman contender and almost singlehandedly beat Notre Dame in Week 2. However, his throwing mechanics seemed to tail off in the middle of the season, resulting in a number of interceptions and calls for Devin Gardner to replace him. But Robinson kept battling and delivered his best all-around performances of his career late in the season, including one of the greatest by any Michigan quarterback ever against Ohio State.

Last week, we found out that Robinson played much of the season with a staph infection on his arm and an abscess on his throwing elbow that at least in some part contributed to his midseason miscues.

He completed 133-of-237 passes for 2,056 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He also led the team in rushing with 1,163 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns. His rushing yards per game ranked 28th nationally and his total offense ranked 29th nationally. He also accounted for an average of 17 points per game, which ranked 15th in the nation, and despite his midseason passing struggles, he ranked 36th nationally in passing efficiency – just behind another preseason Heisman contender, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones.

Votes: 2
Others Receiving Votes: Fitzgerald Toussaint (1), Mike Martin (1)

Chappuis Offensive Player of the Year | Denard Robinson

As stated above, Denard Robinson led the team rushing with 1,163 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and completed 56 percent of his passes for 2,056 yards and 18 touchdowns. He finished 28th nationally in rushing and 36th in passing efficiency.

He also got better as the season progressed. After a fast start, and great performance against Notre Dame, he struggled against Northwestern and Michigan State. But he rebounded with three of his best performances of the season in Michigan’s final three games against Illinois, Nebraska, and Ohio State.

Robinson moved into 8th place in career completions, passing yards, and rushing yards at Michigan, 6th in career touchdown passes, 100-yard passing games, and 200-yard passing games, and 5th in rushing touchdowns. He’s also just 679 rushing yards away from Juice Williams’ Big Ten quarterback rushing record, which he should easily break next season.

Votes: 3
Others Receiving Votes: Fitzgerald Toussaint (1)

Schulz Defensive Player of the Year  | Mike Martin

Mike Martin was the rock of a Michigan defense that improved vastly in every statistical category from a year ago. Total defense ranked 18th nationally, rush defense ranked 35th, and scoring defense ranked 7th. While Martin didn’t have eye-popping numbers, he took on double-teams more often than not, freeing up the pass rush for the rest of the front seven. He was also solid in run defense, consistently clogging the middle of the line and taking away running lanes for opposing backs.

He made one of the best defensive plays of the season, fighting through the Purdue line to sack quarterback Caleb TerBush in the end zone for a safety to break a 7-7 tie. Michigan went on to score the next 27 points to put the game away.

Martin’s senior leadership and defensive tenacity was a stabilizing force for an all-around young Michigan defense. He benefited from Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison’s experience coaching NFL defensive linemen and had the best season of his career at Michigan. He finished with 54 tackles (5.5 for loss) and three sacks.

Votes: 3
Others Receiving Votes: Jordan Kovacs (1)

Yost Coach of the Year | Brady Hoke & Greg Mattison (tie)

In his first year at the helm, Brady Hoke took an underperforming Michigan squad and guided it to a 10-2 record, falling just a few plays short of an undefeated season and a chance to play for the Big Ten championship. His display of composure on the sidelines, his hiring of top-notch coordinators, his willingness to call a gameplan with what he called ‘controlled agression’, and his beating of Ohio State make him a lock for the award.

Hoke was awarded the Schembechler-Hayes Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the coaches and the media (the media’s award is called the Dave McClain Award). It was his third conference coach of the year award in four years, having received the honor as head coach of San Diego State in 2010 and Ball State in 2008.

Many Michigan fans were skeptical of his hiring back in January, but one would be hard pressed to find a Michigan fan who hasn’t bought in at this point. In Hoke’s introductory press conference, he proclaimed that he would have walked to Ann Arbor (from California) if he had to. After nearly a year on the job, Hoke has won over players, almuni, and fans alike who would probably walk to California for him if they had to. He’s also putting the finishing touches on what will be a highly-ranked recruiting class coming to Ann Arbor next season.

According to Matt, “Hoke came in post-RichRod, turned this team around, went 10-2, became BCS eligible, and beat Ohio State.”

Greg Mattison is one of those coordinators that Hoke hired and was a genius pick. In Mattison’s second stint in Ann Arbor (he coached at Michigan from 1992-96), Mattison turned a defensive unit that ranked 110th nationally in 2010 and gave up the most points in Michigan history into the nation’s 18th-ranked total defense and 7th-best scoring defense. Not once all season did an opponent score as many points as the Michigan defense averaged allowing last season. Ohio State came the closest but was still one short.

The turnaround was most impressive because it was largely the same players as last year with the addition of freshmen Jake Ryan, Desmond Morgan, and Blake Countess mixed in. That Mattison can take the same defense, add three true freshmen to the mix, and produce what he did is nothing short of miraculous. The Michigan defense is in good hands as long as Mattison is coordinating it.

Chris picked Mattison, saying “Tough call between Hoke and Mattison but I had to go with Mattison because he was more directly responsible for the greatly improved play of the defense. His blitz schemes were a nightmare for opposing coordinators and his ability to get essentially the same players as last year to play like they did was top notch.”

Votes: Hoke (2), Mattison (2)
Others Receiving Votes: None

Little Brown Jug Game of the Year | 40-34 win over Ohio State

Of all of the achievements this season – a 10-2 record, a BCS bowl game, beating Notre Dame at the last second, etc., the most satisfying for Michigan players, coaches, and fans was beating Ohio State and ending the seven-year drought. It wasn’t easy and the game had its share of twists and turns, but Michigan persevered and found a way to do what the previous seven Michigan teams could not: Beat Ohio.

The Buckeyes came in with a 6-5 record, a true freshman quarterback, and nothing to lose. The OSU offense was anemic all season, but in what would be interim head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman’s last game on the reigns, they turned the offense loose. Instead of pounding the ball up the middle all game, they let quarterback Braxton Miller make plays with his arm and legs.

But Michigan traded blow for blow and scored the most points of any Michigan team against Ohio State since 1946. Denard Robinson played the best game of his career, hitting 14-of-17 passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns and rushing 26 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns. It was one of the greatest performances by a quarterback against Ohio State in Michigan history.

The win ensured that another senior class would not graduate winless against Ohio State and served as a pleasing sendoff for the seniors who stayed through three head coaches and multiple coordinators.

“Streak ending statement game,” said Josh.

Votes: 4
Others Receiving Votes: None

Howard Play of the Year | Denard’s TD pass to Roundtree to beat Notre Dame

Another unanimous selection, the 16-yard touchdown pass from Denard Robinson to Roy Rountree with two seconds left to beat Notre Dame proved to be one of the greatest moments of the season.

It was the much-hyped and nationally televised Under the Lights game, the first ever night game in Michigan Stadium history. ESPN’s College Gameday broadcast live from Ann Arbor that morning and Brady Hoke needed the win to keep Michigan fans from another “here we go again” feeling.

The game itself was a candidate for game of the year and probably would have been had Michigan not ended its seven-year futility against Ohio State. It was back and forth throughout, but looked like Michigan was headed for a loss when Notre Dame answered a Michigan touchdown to take a three-point lead with 30 seconds to play. Michigan got the ball on its own 20-yard line, needing to drive 80 yards in 30 seconds to pull off a miracle. And that they did.

On the second play, Robinson found a wide open Jeremy Gallon on a wheel route for a 64-yard gain to the Notre Dame 16. One play later, Robinson floated a perfect jump ball to Roy Roundtree in the end zone. The junior receiver leaped above ND defensive back Gary Gray and hauled it in, touching a foot in bounds before falling out of bounds. Replay confirmed the catch and Michigan celebrated its third-straight win over Notre Dame.

Votes: 4
Others Receiving Votes: None

Biakabutuka Performance of the Year | Denard’s 5 TDs against Ohio State

Denard Robinson had his share of electrifying moments the past couple of seasons, even garnering Heisman talk at times the past to years. However, the major knock on the junior quarterback has been that he hasn’t played well in big games against the likes of rivals Michigan State and Ohio State. This time, in the season’s final game, he did.

Although Ohio State was limping in with a 6-5 record, it was still a rivalry game and Michigan was fighting the burden of the seven-year plague. Ohio State’s defense still had largely shut down two of the Big Ten’s best quarterbacks, Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins and Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson.

Robinson, however, was not to be stopped. He turned in one of the greatest single performances by a Michigan player against Ohio State in the history of the rivalry. He completed 14-of-17 passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 26 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He became just the fourth Michigan quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in a game against Ohio State (the first since Drew Henson in 2000) and his 170 rushing yards were the third-most by any Michigan rusher against the Buckeyes (behind Tim Biakabatuka’s 313 in 1995 and Jamie Morris’ 210 in ’86).

“Big players come up big in big games,” said Chris. “Denard did not disappoint.”

Votes: 4
Others Receiving Votes: None

Friedman Quarterback of the Year | Denard Robinson

Unlike the Yost Coach of the Year award, in which two coaches very much deserved the honor, this one is painfully obvious. Even though sophomore Devin Gardner got some playing time, no one is going to name him quarterback of the year.

Denard Robinson followed up a stellar sophomore season with an even better junior season. While his numbers were down overall (1,163 rushing yards vs. 1,702 in 2010 and 2,056 passing yards vs. 2,570 in 2010), he developed as a quarterback and as a leader. There were times early in the season where questions arose about Denard’s progress, but by season’s end, he proved that the job is his and his alone.

He ranked 28th nationally and 5th in the Big Ten in rushing, breaking the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season. He completed 56.1 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, though his TD-to-INT ratio grew as the season drew to a close. Most importantly, he turned in his best performance in leading Michigan to its first win over Ohio State in eight years, throwing for 167 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He became the fourth quarterback in Michigan history to throw for three touchdowns in a game against OSU – the first since Drew Henson in 2000 – and recorded the third-highest rushing total by any Michigan player against the Buckeyes.

Michigan fans should expect big things from Robinson in 2012.

Votes: 4
Others Receiving Votes: None

Heston Running Back of the Year | Fitzgerald Toussaint

It took a while for Fitzgerald Toussaint to get going, but once he did, he turned in a phenomenal season. After rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the rain-soaked season opener against Western Michigan, Toussaint didn’t play against Notre Dame and carried just twice for seven yards in a mid-season loss to Michigan State. After that, however, he gained at least 120 yards in four of the remaining five games, averaging six yards per carry.

Toussaint finished sixth in the Big Ten in rushing, right behind Robinson, and 40th nationally. He also eclipsed the 1,000 mark, becoming the first Michigan running back to do so since Mike Hart.

For the season, he gained 1,011 yards and scored nine touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and 91.9 yards per game.

Votes: 4
Others Receiving Votes: None

Carter Receiver of the Year | Junior Hemingway

With the exception of the Notre Dame and Northwestern games, Michigan didn’t put the ball in the air often. The emergence of Fitzgerald Toussaint allowed Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges to utilize the passing game just enough to keep the defense honest for the running game.

Junior Hemingway was a guy that Michigan fans had been waiting to break out for years, but was always hampered by injury. This season, he did so.

Hemingway emerged as the main receiving threat with his ability to stretch defenses and go up and get balls in the air. He made several great plays against Notre Dame and Northwestern, out-leaping the defensive back to give a shot in the arm to the offense. He finished the regular season with 32 receptions for 636 yards and two touchdowns.

Against Notre Dame, Hemingway had three catches for 165 yards and a touchdown and against Northwestern, he caught five passes for 124 yards. His second and only other touchdown of the year came against Ohio State, putting Michigan ahead 16-7 at the end of the first quarter.

“Hemingway gave the offense a deep threat which had been lacking over the last few seasons,” said Josh. “When he was catching the ball, his ability to stretch the field opened up windows in the defense for other receivers to run into.”

Votes: 3
Others Receiving Votes: Roy Roundtree (1)

Dierdorf Offensive Lineman of the Year | David Molk

David Molk was everything you could possibly ask for at the center position. He was the rock of the Michigan offense and a senior leader both on and off the field. He was a First-Team All-America selection and the Rimington Award winner which goes to the nation’s top center.

While many things could be pointed to for Michigan’s offensive success throughout the entire season, one of the biggest is the stability Molk provided to the offensive line. That was all the more apparent in 2009 when Molk missed eight games due to various injuries and the offense fell apart.This season, he was healthy throughout, and the offense never missed a beat.

Off the field, while Robinson could be considered the face of Michigan football, Molk was usually the voice of Michigan football, providing positive soundclips and keeping the team focused and together. He was one of the few seniors who stayed and triumphed through three head coaches and multiple coordinators. He beat Ohio State and will play in Michigan’s first BCS bowl game since the year before he arrived in Ann Arbor.

“Center is the most important player on the line,” said Chris. “Molk came through with leadership and stellar play.”

Votes: 4
Others Receiving Votes: None

Messner Defensive Lineman of the Year | Mike Martin & Ryan Van Bergen (tie)

The best position group on a vastly improved Michigan defense, and also the hardest to replace next season, was the defensive line. It was manned by a pair of senior leaders, Mike Martin and Ryan Van Bergen, both of which share the Messner Defensive Lineman of the Year award.

Martin was the clog in the middle of the defense that routinely took on double-teams and made it tough for opposing offenses to run the ball. Van Bergen had a knack for fighting his way through the line to pressure the opposing quarterback. Together, they formed the backbone of one of the Big Ten’s top units.

According to Josh, “While Martin was often fighting through double-teams, Van Bergen was making plays with his quick pass rushing abilities. He had five sacks, 12 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and four pass breakups. This is another Senior who will be difficult to replace.”

Votes: Martin (2), Van Bergen (2)
Others Receiving Votes: None

Simpkins Linebacker of the Year | Jake Ryan & Kenny Demens (tie)

Last year’s linebacker corps was plagued with unsound fundamentals and poor tackling and the unit entered this season as one of the biggest question marks on the team. Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton were gone and many wondered who would fill their spot. Kenny Demens entered the scene last season, but no one else had stepped up. Enter Jake Ryan.

The redshirt freshman broke out to provide some much-needed playmaking ability and combined with Demens to provide stability to the linebacking corps.

He finished the season with 30 tackles, seven for loss, and also recorded two sacks and recovered two fumbles. Against San Diego State, he recorded five tackles, one for loss, and two fumble recoveries. He was named to the ESPN.com and Big Ten All-Freshman team.

Demens led the team in tackles with 86, five for loss, and also tallied three sacks. He recorded a team-high 12 tackles against Notre Dame and also helped slow down Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, adding eight tackles and an assisted sack.

He was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honoree.

“Led the team in tackles and was a force in the middle of the field,” said Chris.

Votes: Ryan (2), Demens (2)
Others Receiving Votes: None

Woodson Defensive Back of the Year | Jordan Kovacs

Over the last couple of seasons, Jordan Kovacs has become one of the team’s most popular players. The former walk-on who earned a scholarship last season did a little bit of everything on defense.

He was second on the team in tackles with 64, second on the team with eight tackles for loss, tallied four sacks, forced two fumbles, recovered one, and picked off a pass.

In the season-opening win over Western Michigan, Kovacs led the team with 10 tackles, two for loss, recorded a pair of sacks, forced a fumble, and recorded a pass breakup. For his effort, he was named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week.

He also made one of the key defensive plays of the season when he sacked Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa on fourth down to give the ball back to Michigan and seal the win.

He was named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media.

Votes: 2
Others Receiving Votes: Blake Countess (1), J.T. Floyd (1)

Hamilton Special Teams Player of the Year | Brendan Gibbons & Jeremy Gallon (tie)

It’s fitting that two players split the special teams player of the year award given that Michigan’s special teams was a disaster the past couple of seasons and improved immensely this year.

A year ago, Gibbons made just made just 1-of-5 field goals before being replaced by Seth Broekhuisen for the remainder of the season. The kicking game was so bad that Rich Rodriguez elected to forego kicking unless the team was within about 30 yards. This year was a drastic turnaround. Gibbons hit 10-of-14 field goals and 52-of-53 extra points.

The night-and-day difference between last season and this was on display in the fourth quarter against Ohio State. Holding onto a three-point lead with two minutes left, and facing fourth-and-goal from the OSU-26, Hoke sent Gibbons out to attempt what would be a career long. With the pressure of the seven-year plague on his back, Gibbons nailed it, pushing the lead to six, and making Ohio State have to score a touchdown to win rather than a field goal to tie.

Another sore spot for Michigan the past couple years was the return game. Aside from not getting return yards, Michigan’s returnmen had trouble catching the ball. Michigan fans held their breath every time a punt was in the air, arcing down toward a Michigan returnman. Not so this year.

Jeremy Gallon provided a solid receiver on punts and proved capable of picking up yards as well. He averaged 10.1 yards per return and his 32-yard return against Illinois set up a Michigan touchdown. He was named an All-Big Ten Special Teams third teamer by Phil Steele.

Votes: Gibbons (2), Gallon (2)
Others Receiving Votes: None

Hart Newcomer of the Year | Blake Countess

As a true freshman, Blake Countess certainly impressed. He added a playmaking cover corner to a Michigan secondary that was desperately in need of one after getting torched game-in and game-out last season. He played in 11 of the team’s 12 games (10 at cornerback) and earned a starting spot in the last five.

Countess totaled 36 tackles, one for loss, and was second on the team in pass breakups with six. Against San Diego State, he tallied seven tackles and a pass breakup, and made a fantastic touchdown-saving pass breakup against Ohio State in the season finale (pictured right).

He was named to the ESPN.com and Big Ten All-Freshman team.

“Came into a starting role and never relinquished it,” said Josh. “Played with maturity and poise beyond his true freshman status.”

Chris was also impressed, saying, “The addition of Countess to Michigan’s secondary mid-way through the season was an excellent move by the coaches. In five starts, Countess had 36 tackles, 6 PBUs, and 1 forced fumble. Not bad for a true freshmen in such a short game span. Opposing QBs had to account for him on every passing play.”

Votes: 3
Others Receiving Votes: Drew Dileo (1)

Schembechler ‘Those Who Stay’ Senior of the Year | Mike Martin

Mike Martin was a senior leader who stuck it out through three head coaches, multiple defensive coordinators and various schemes. He very easily could have departed for the NFL after his junior season rather than try to learn a new scheme, but he stuck it out and emerged better off for it. The coaching he received from former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison should certainly help out his NFL Draft stock.

He routinely took on double teams, freeing up Ryan Van Bergen and Craig Roh to rush the passer, and clogged the middle of the line, making it hard for opposing running backs to find holes.

“Martin was the leader of this defense, starting in the offseason when Hoke was first hired,” said Chris. “He helped Hoke get the rest of the defense (and the team) to buy into the new coaching staff. Losing Van Bergen’s abilities off the edge will hurt too, but it’s always tough to replace a leader like Martin.”

Votes: 4
Others Receiving Votes: None

Harris Most Improved Player of the Year | Brendan Gibbons & Fitzgerald Toussaint (tie)

As noted above in the special teams player of the year award, Brendan Gibbons showed vast improvement compared to a year ago. He went from 1-for-5 last season to a dependable 10-for-14 this season. And when it mattered most, he connected on a career long 43-yarder in the fourth quarter against Ohio State. With two years of eligibility left, it looks as if Michigan will be solid at kicker at least until he graduates.

Fitz Toussaint also gets the nod because of the way he broke out in the second half of the season. He battled injuries a year ago when he got just eight carries for 87 yards all year. Of those 87, 61 came on one run. This year, he busted out for 1,011 yards on 174 carries, becoming a dependable every-down back and a perfect complement to Denard Robinson in the backfield. Like Gibbons, Toussaint is just a sophomore, ensuring two more years to continue improving and leaving Michigan with a solid running game.

“Emerged as the go-to back,” said Josh. “Gave offense a much needed added dimension to take pressure off Denard.”

Votes: Gibbons (2), Toussaint (2)
Others Receiving Votes: None

[Ed.: Sorry for the lateness on this one. I've been fighting a cold and the medicine knocked me out last night while I was trying to write the preview. I've also been in Pittsburgh for work the past couple of days and haven't had much free time. Darn real job!]

Michigan finds itself in a familiar position as the last two seasons. After racing out to a 6-0 record, Michigan has dropped two of its last three games, to Michigan State and Iowa – both on the road. In the last two seasons, it kept going downhill, ultimately leading to Rich Rodriguez’s dismissal. This year is beginning to look no different, but Michigan has a chance to change that tomorrow.

#24 Michigan v. Illinois
	Saturday Nov. 12 3:30 p.m. ET ESPN
7-2 (3-2)	Record	6-3 (2-3)
Western Michigan 34-10 Notre Dame 35-31 Eastern Michigan 31-3 San Diego State 28-7 Minnesota 58-0 Northwestern 42-24 Purdue 36-14	Wins	Arkansas State 33-15 S. Dakota State 56-3 #22 Arizona State 17-14 Western Michigan 23-20 Northwestern 38-35 Indiana 41-20
#23 Michigan State 14-28 Iowa 16-24	Losses	Ohio State 7-17 Purdue 14-21 #19 Penn State 7-10
32.7	Scoring Offense	26.2
232.2	Rushing YPG	198.4
195.9	Passing YPG	204.1
428.1	Total Offense	402.6
15.7	Scoring Defense	17.2
137.4	Rush Defense YPG	102.9
192.0	Pass Defense YPG	177.2
329.4	Total Defense YPG	280.1
20	Takeaways	16
16	Giveaways	19
17/12	Sacks By/Allowed	31/25
56-of-112 (50%)	Third-down Conv.	65-of-133 (49%)
7-for-9 (77.8%)	Field Goals	7-for-8 (87.5%)
32.9	Net Punt Avg.	33.8

With a pair of tough home games to close the season, tomorrow is a must-win for Brady Hoke’s squad. A win would give Michigan confidence heading back to Ann Arbor to face Nebraska and Ohio State. A loss, however, would put the pressure on Michigan to avoid ending the season on a four-game skid and finishing with a 7-5 record – identical to last year’s regular season record. That scenario would be a tough pill to swallow for Michigan supporters that expected the coaching change to yield better results, especially with so much returning talent.

Fortunately for Michigan, Illinois is on a slide of its own. The Illini began the season 6-0 and was ranked as high as 16th, but has dropped three straight, to Ohio State, Purdue, and Penn State. The Illini offense that averaged 34.6 points per game all but disappeared in the last three, averaging just 9.3.

Everybody remembers last season’s titanic show of offense – or lack of defense – in which Michigan won 67-65 in three overtimes. This time, both teams actually enter with respectable defenses – Michigan’s ranked 7th nationally, giving up 15.7 points per game, and Illinois’ ranked 13th nationally, allowing 17.2.

Something’s gotta give, so let’s take a look at the matchups. This week, we’re just going to look at Illinois’ position groups since we all know who Michigan has.

Quarterback:

Nathan Scheelhaase is a talented and dangerous runner. In fact, he’ll give Michigan a good practice for Taylor Martinez and Braxton Miller in the final two games. He’s the Illini’s leading rusher with 501 yards on 137 carries (just 3.7 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. Through the air, he completes 63.9 percent of his passes for 1,687 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. In other words, he’s no slouch.

Edge: Michigan

Running Backs:

Senior Jason Ford is the featured back, trailing Scheelhaase by just nine rushing yards despite 12 fewer carries. He leads the team in rushing touchdowns with six, and at 6’1″ and 235 pounds, he’s a load to bring down. He had his best game of the season two weeks ago against Penn State, rushing 24 times for 100 yards.

A couple other backs have gotten carries as well. Senior Troy Pollard has a pair of 100-yard games this season, against South Dakota State and Western Michigan. He averages 8.1 yards per carry. Freshman Donovonn Young has four touchdowns and recorded a 100-yard game against Western Michigan as well.

Edge: Illinois

Receivers and Tight Ends:

The best receiver in the Big Ten resides in Champagne. Senior A.J. Jenkins leads the conference with 68 receptions for 1,030 yards. He also has seven touchdowns. He terrorized Northwestern to the tune of 268 yards and three touchdowns on 12 receptions. He also caught six for 182 and two TDs against Indiana.

However, Jenkins is as much of a one-man show as you can possibly get. The next leading receiver on the team is sophomore Spencer Harris, who has 22 receptions for 189 yards and a touchdown. Two others – Darius Millines and Ford – have over 100 yards on the season, but that’s about it. Tight end Evan Wilson has just seven catches all season, but three have gone for touchdowns.

Edge: Even

Offensive Line:

Illinois has given up 25 sacks, third worst in the Big Ten, and has paved the way for the conference’s 5th-best rush attack. The Illini might be without juniro guard Hugh Thornton who had knee surgery during the bye week. Junior Tyler Sands, a former high school All-American may get his first start in his place. That should certainly be a hinderance for the Illini, since bout sixty percent of the offense is through the run.

Edge: Michigan

Defensive Line:

This is a major source of concern for Michigan. Illinois ranks third nationally in sacks with 31. The main guy is Whitney Mercilus, who 16.5 tackles-for-loss and leads the nation with 11.5 sacks. He has recorded at least one sack in all but two games – South Dakota State and Purdue. But he’s not one man show. Michael Buchanan has five sacks and 10.5 tackles-for-loss.

Edge: Illinois

Linebackers:

Jonathan Brown and Ian Thomas have a combined five sacks and are the team’s leading tacklers with 69 and 55, respectively. Illinois ranks 15th nationally against the run, giving up just 102.89 yards per game and just 2.7 yards per carry. That doesn’t bode well for Michigan’s run game on a day in which the wind looks to be a major factor.

Edge: Illinois

Secondary:

Illinois has also done well this season with its pass defense, ranking eighth nationally, allowing 177 yards per game through the air. Much of that is a result of the pass rush, but the secondary is certainly worthy as well. Defensive backs Terry Hawthorne and Trulon Henry each have a couple of interceptions. Henry is sometimes used as a linebacker in defensive coordinator Vic Koennig’s defense.  The unit has allowed just one 100-yard receiver all season, Western Michigan’s Jordan White, who caught 14 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Edge: Even

Special Teams:

Kicker Derek Dimke has connected on 7-of-8 field goals this season with a long of 49 and converted all 27 extra points. His only miss was the “doink” off the upright in overtime against Penn State. Punter Justin DuVernois has booted 43 punts for an average of 37.6 yards. One aspect that Illinois has been horrific at is the return game. The Illini rank 118th and 119th nationally in punt and kick returns, which certainly doesn’t help with field position.

Edge: Michigan

Coaching:

Ron Zook has been on the hot seat since he left Florida. He consistently pulls in solid recruiting classes but that hasn’t translated into wins. He’s always been viewed as a poor game management coach, especially when he goes for two because he forgets what the score is.

Edge: Michigan

Intangibles:

Michigan hasn’t fared well in road games the past few years, and this year is no different. Two of the three road trips so far have resulted in losses, and Michigan’s worst offensive performances of the year. Illinois has been strong at home, it’s only loss coming to Ohio State. The weather is calling for sustained wins around 19 miles per hour with gusts up into the 40s. That should favor the run game, which both teams excel at. However, Illinois does a better job stopping it.

Edge: Illinois

Prediction:

Both teams are on a slide right now but the pressure is on Michigan. With tough home games against Nebraska and Ohio State remaining, this one is virtually a must win to gain back some momentum heading into those games. A loss would undo much of the goodwill created early in the season about Brady Hoke, fair or not. It’s his first year at Michigan, but with so many returning starters, if Michigan slides at the end of the season like it did the past two years, questions will begin creeping up about whether keeping Rich Rodriguez would have been the better choice.

Illinois runs a shotgun-heavy spread run offense. Given Michigan’s inability to cut off the edge so far this season, look for Illinois to use the option and try to get to the edge a lot. If that happens, and Michigan’s safeties start creeping up, watch out for a couple of deep balls to Jenkins.

When Michigan has the ball, staying out of third-and-long situations is a must. If Denard is put in obvious passing situations, it could be a long day for the Michigan offense and the pressure Illinois will bring could force some of the bad Denard throws we see every every too often. If Michigan can counteract Mercilus’ rush and pick up chunks of yards on first and second down, it could move the ball pretty well.

Regardless, I think we’re looking at a close and fairly low-scoring game that will come down to which team takes better care of the ball.

Michigan 24 – Illinois 20

Good to Know:

Michigan leads the all-time series 67-23-2, including 40-6-2 in the last 48. Michigan is 33-12-1 in Champaign

Michigan ranks 2nd in Big Ten play in point differential (plus-76), has allowed the second-fewest points (90), and has scored the third-most (166)

Opponents have converted just 29.5 percent of third downs against Michigan’s defense this season (18-of-61)

Last week was the first game all season the Michigan defense did not force a turnover. UM ranks second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally in turnovers forced.

Michigan is tied for first nationally in red zone defense (18-of-28, 64 percent)

Record Watch:

With 2 passing touchdowns, Denard Robinson will tie Tom Brady (1996-99) for 7th place on Michigan’s career list. With 4, he will tie Todd Collins (1991-94) for 6th With 9 passing yards, Denard will pass Brian Griese (1994-97) for 8th in career passing yards. With a 100-yard passing game, Denard will tie Steve Smith (1980-83) for 7th in career 100-yard passing games. With 140 rushing yards, Denard will pass Billy Taylor (1969-71) for 8th on Michigan’s career rushing list With 1 rushing touchdown, Denard will move into a tie with Tom Harmon (1938-40) and Billy Taylor (1969-71) for 7th place. With 2, he will reach Steve Smith (1980-83) for 6th With 37 receiving yards, Junior Hemingway will pass Jim Mandich (1967-69) for 19th in career receiving yards. With 56, he can pass Marcus Knight (1996-99) for 18th and with 57, he will pass Vince Bean (1981-84) for 17th. Roy Roundtree can pass Jim Smith (1973-76) for 15th with 28 receiving yards, and with 37, he can pass Steve Breaston (2003-06) for 14th.

[Ed: Yes, this is a couple days late, but hey, it's the bye week for me too].

In the wake of Michigan’s fourth-straight loss at the hands of Michigan State it’s easy to find every little thing to criticize and jump to conslusions. Denard had a bad game so he shouldn’t play quarterback anymore. Al Borges didn’t call the right plays so he’s not as good an offensive coordinator as Calvin Magee. Michigan wore ugly uniforms so Brady Hoke and Athletic Director Dave Brandon don’t understand tradition.

I’ve heard each of these themes echoed around the Michigan blogosphere since Saturday afternoon, and each is equally ridiculous. Michigan has a rich and passionate fan base that likes to voice its opinion perhaps as much as any other. However, many of the sentiments expressed in the aftermath are vast overreactions.

Did Denard have a bad game? Of course, and he’ll be the first to tell you that. He’s not Tim Tebow (yet at least) and even Tebow had a handful of bad games during his illustrious career at Florida. We must remember that while Denard is an incredible athlete, he’s still a work in progress as a quarterback.

Yes, he’s a second-year starter, but he’s in his first year in Al Borges’ offense. He’s being asked to do more than last year – to make tougher throws, to make more reads, and to shoulder the load of an increasingly ineffective running back unit. Last year, in Rich Rodriguez’s offense, it was pretty basic. When he was asked to pass, it was mostly short routes that were set up by the threat of a run.

As he progresses in the offense, he will continue to get better. The coaches are working with him day in and day out on correct footwork, on making the right reads, and on grasping the new offense. What has anybody seen out of Devin Gardner that makes him the better quarterback for Michigan right now?

Gardner has looked good in limited action so far this season, such as against Northwestern, but he looked every bit the redshirt freshman he is on Saturday. He mishandled a couple of snaps, he missed a wide open Stephen Hopkins down the middle for a sure touchdown, he failed to notice where the line of scrimmage was on a pass completion, and he took a sack on Michigan’s final play instead of launching a ball downfield to give his receivers a chance to make a play or draw pass interference.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not criticizing Gardner. I believe he will eventually become a very good quarterback, probably a better overall quarterback than Denard by the time he graduates. But right now he does not give Michigan the best shot to win. Denard does.

As Chris said in this week’s Monday Morning Quarterback, Borges’ playcalling handicapped Michigan on Saturday. Again, that’s not saying Borges doesn’t know how to coach. He’s had his share of rodeos in the past and has done a good job this season up until this point. But I think he outsmarted himself on Saturday.

I think he let MSU’s defense dictate the game. Rather than adjusting to what MSU was doing, he stuck to his preconceived game plan. And you know what? It almost worked. That’s why it’s hard to really criticize him for it. As bad as the playcalling seemed, Michigan was right there in the game until Denard was sacked on fourth-and-inches at the MSU nine-yard line.

Michigan was on the verge of tying up the game with 6:16 to play when the most questionable of Borges’ play calls didn’t work. As was said on the live broadcast, however, that’s the kind of play that if it works he’s a genius. Hoke said it’s a play that has worked for he and Borges in the past. Unfortunately, MSU defensive back Johnny Adams read it perfectly and made the play. Had Adams been blocked by Martell Webb, Denard either had plenty of room to run to the left side of the field or Kevin Koger wide open for the touchdown.

I would have liked to see a lot more running back screens or hot reads to neutralize the second half pass rush instead of dropbacks. The MSU defensive backs were doing a good job of pressing the Michigan receivers so quick screens wouldn’t have really worked without anything else to push them back, but a couple of running back screens could have forced State to back off with the blitzes.

The one hot read that was run resulted in a pick-six, but you can’t fault Denard for that. Vincent Smith, a running back, should not be the one out wide making that read. It’s got to be Roy Roundtree or Jeremy Gallon.

Chris also hit the nail on the head yesterday by saying that Denard can’t flourish in a two-quarterback system. He’s not the type of quarterback that can come in and out of the game without missing a beat. He’s a rhythm quarterback, and when he gets in a rhythm, he’s really good, such as the second halves against Notre Dame and Northwestern.

Running a few plays a game with Gardner in either as a decoy or to set up other plays is perfectly fine. But if the coaches are going to increase his role as the season progresses, I think it’s a mistake.

As I mentioned above, Michigan had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter. It fell behind 21-7 in the third due to putting the defense against the ropes with poor field position, but battled back with a 34-yard strike to Roundtree and getting to the MSU nine before the failed fourth down.

Michigan still recorded 250 yards of total offense, which isn’t up to par with the season average, but is 74 more than State allows on average and is just 25 short of what Notre Dame put up in its 31-13 win.

No one expected the team to go undefeated this season. The 6-0 start was exciting, but even Hoke has admitted that his team was overrated. Plain and simple, this was not the 11th-best team in the country. As much as we all hate to admit it, Michigan State is the better team at this point. That will soon change under Hoke’s guidance, but it’s the sad reality at this point.

However, Michigan still is not out of the Big Ten championship race. It’s a long shot now, but it’s not out of the question. Michigan State has to face fourth-ranked Wisconsin this Saturday, a team that hasn’t scored less than 35 points all season, leads the nation in scoring, and has the defense to match it. Then the Spartans travel to Lincoln to battle Nebraska. Those are two very possible losses, especially if the Big Ten decides to do the right thing and suspend William Gholston for a game or two.

Michigan gets a bye week to recuperate and let the sting of the loss settle in before returning to the field against Purdue next Saturday. At a likely 7-1, Michigan will then have four tough remaining games at Iowa and Illinois and home for Nebraska and Ohio State.

Before the season started, this was a 9-3 or 8-4 team, and that’s the current trajectory. We don’t have to be okay with that; this is Michigan for God’s sake. But we do need to accept it. Brady Hoke isn’t a miracle worker. He has a good but not great team built for the Big East, not the Big Ten, and it showed on Saturday, just like it showed against the rough and tumble Big Ten the last couple of seasons.

Smaller, quicker offensive lines just aren’t suitable for Big Ten play, and that’s where it all starts. Put the Steve Hutchinsons, the Jake Longs, and the John Runyan’s in there and MSU’s defensive front doesn’t pose as much of a problem to Denard and the Michigan running game.

That will change with time as Hoke gets his recruits in. He’s already off to a good start with Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson, Blake Bars, and Ben Braden committed to play for the Wolverines. As offensive linemen, they’re not going to come in and start right away, so we need to be patient in that respect. Offensive linemen rarely play, effectively at least, as true freshmen. But they will form the backbone of the offense for the coming years as Hoke builds the kind of championship team we were used to pre-RR.

I have little doubt that Hoke, Borges, and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison are a better coaching staff than Rodriguez, Magee, and Greg Robinson. They’re better in preparation, they’re better in motivation, and they’re better in-game. Let’s let that play out before jumping to rash overreactions.

To question certain play calls or to voice your opinion about something is one thing; but the sky is falling mentality is unwarranted.

The great Fielding Yost once said, “True loyalty is that quality of service that grows under adversity and expands in defeat. Any street urchin can shout applause in victory, but it takes character to stand fast in defeat. One is noise — the other, loyalty.”

Let’s stand by beloved maize and blue in defeat and leave the whining to the rest of the country.

Last week, we were all fairly close to predicting the final score, but Matt was the closest, predicting 38-24. The final score was 42-24 good guys. It was Matt’s first pick’em win of the year. He gets the honor of winning Prince’s Purple Rain album and a 2002 Northwestern media guide. Lucky him.

This time around, we have all kinds of ammo to play with, being a rivalry game and all. This week’s winner will receive a Little Bro outfit to give to his favorite State fan, as well as a Paul Bunyan children’s book to read to said Sparty to remind him of the trophy that will no longer reside in East Lansing after Saturday.

Beating Michigan State tomorrow would make Brady Hoke the first Michigan head coach to do so in his first season since Bennie Ooserbaan in 1948. It would also make Michigan 7-0 heading into its bye week and will likely get Michigan into the Top 10 when the BCS standings are released Sunday night. So who thinks Michigan can win?

The picks:

Justin (1): On paper, Michigan State looks like the team to beat in this one. Sparty boasts the nation’s top total defense, an experienced senior quarterback, and NFL-caliber playmakers on both sides of the ball. But games are never won on paper. State is as much a paper tiger as any team in the country.

The offenses that the Spartan defense has shut down this season rank 118, 21, 88, and 105 nationally. Youngstown State’s offense ranks 8th in the Football Championship Subdivision. That’s not exactly awe-inspiring. The one good offense Michigan State faced, Notre Dame (21st in total offense), beat them 31-13. True, the Irish gained a season-low in total yardage, but take away the 89-yard kickoff return touchdown and a Robert Blanton interception return that gave ND the ball at the MSU 12-yardline, and that offensive yardage is likely right up to where it usually is for the Irish.

In short, it’s nearly impossible to draw conclusions as to how good this Spartan defense actually is yet, until it can prove it can beat a team with a good offense.

Michigan is that team, averaging 38 points and 458 yards per game. It’s easy for one to look at Michigan from a distance and say, “Well, Michigan started hot the past two years but couldn’t hold up against Big Ten competition.” And that’s true. But comparing those two teams to this year’s team is like comparing apples to oranges. One makes apple sauce and one makes orange juice. They’re both good, but one is a breakfast staple and the other is reserved for middle school lunch boxes.

This year’s Michigan offense is the orange juice. It shares some similarities to the offense under Rich Rodriguez, but it’s much more complex, and that’s the way Brady Hoke wanted it when he took over. More than simply a zone-read, quick pass offense, it has elements of a power game, some trick plays, and a wide assortment of packages that we’re just starting to see. It has lots of pulp, some pulp, no pulp, fresh squeezed, even juice from concentrate. It’s a diverse offense that keeps breaking out new looks and is sure to have something new tomorrow.

This game marks the first time since Chad Henne in 2007 – the last time Michigan beat Sparty – that Michigan brings a second-year starting quarterback into the game. And that can’t be taken lightly. Though Denard Robinson is still prone to mistakes, it’s from fundamentals, not that he simply can’t make plays. He’s proven time and again that he can make big plays when needed. Ask Notre Dame or Northwestern.

Look for Borges to try to get Denard comfortable early on with some quick screens and designed runs to counter Jerel Worthy. You can be rest assured that Borges will have a gameplan to neutralize Worthy’s quick jump off the ball and take advantage of an aggressive front seven.

Defensively, Greg Mattison will install an effective blitz package to pressure Kirk Cousins early, forcing him into some mistakes.

The game will go back and forth and be tight until the clock hits zero, but I think the magic of Denard will shine brightly once again and will Michigan to victory.

Michigan 27 – Michigan State 23

Josh (2): Little Brother hasn’t given up more than seven points in a game this season, other than the beat down Notre Dame gave it. But, is hasn’t really played any “good” offenses. Everyone wants to talk about how Michigan hasn’t beaten anyone good either, but they’re beating teams they’re supposed to beat and doing it convincingly. That’s what good teams do.

Not to mention that Michigan is only giving up 12.5 points per game against better teams than through the first six games last year.

It seems like we say this every week: this is going to be the toughest test for Michigan thus far. First, it was Western Michigan’s Alex Carder. Then, ND’s Tommy Rees, and then Northwestern’s Dan Persa. Michigan gave up yards, but not a lot of points and last I checked, you win the game by scoring more points than you give up. It has nothing to do with the amount of yards. True, Michigan is giving up a lot less yards per game than last season’s first six, but the important thing to note is it’s giving up two touchdowns less per game, and that is huge.

Michigan State can put up some decent yardage through the air and Kirk Cousins is probably the best quarterback Michigan has faced so far. He isn’t going to pose the same threat as Persa did with his legs, but he is still a good quarterback. Give any good QB enough time and he will pick you apart. That is the key on defense: hurry Cousins into making quick, bad throws and make him move out of the pocket.

Michigan’s front four has improved each game and they know they need to get more pressure on the QB. If they can, then it could be a long day for Cousins.

Michigan State’s offensive line has been a bit suspect at times this year, and if that continues, Michigan should be able to get some good pressure on Cousins.

On the other side of the ball, Michigan absolutely has to limit its turnovers. Michigan will not win this game throwing three picks in the first half, like last week, putting itself in a deep hole.

State lost a couple of good defenders from last season, but is still a stout defense, giving up just 173 yards per game and ranked No. 1 in the FBS in total defense. Fortunately for Michigan, the Wolverines boast the No. 10 total offense in the land, racking up 457 yards per game.

Much like pundits want to look at who Michigan has put up those numbers against, we will look at who Michigan State has been stuffing yardage-wise: Youngstown State – an FCS school; Florida Atlantic – a winless school from the Sun Belt Conference; Central Michigan – no more needs to be said about them; and Ohio State – one of the most inept offenses in the country. Notre Dame did spank the Spartans but managed only 275 yards.

So four of the five teams State has played were vastly inferior or poor offenses. Not to take anything away from what they’ve done, but State has not faced anyone near as good as Denard and Co.

If Michigan wins this game, everyone will be drinking the Kool-Aid, and some already are. I’ve bought in completely to Hoke and Mattison, though I didn’t think it would pay dividends so quickly. This is not the same Michigan team as last year, and they’re proving it to everyone each and every week. After this week, people will stop flying their “fraud flags” and buy into what’s going on in A2.

Michigan will limit its turnovers and force a couple as it tents to do. The defense will keep Cousins in check and Borges opens the drawer some more and will confuse State’s defense on their way to seven in a row.

Michigan 35 – Michigan State 17

Matt (1): This is the first prediction where I have no idea what to say. I am truly worried about Michigan’s 6-0 undefeated streak. I would love to see Brady Hoke’s start at Michigan to improve to 7-0, but this one is going to be a tough one. Maybe the toughest yet.

Kirk Cousins is a good quarterback, but Denard has proven that although he may toss some picks, he’s a pretty good QB too. I dont see there being a shortage of points in this game. I just hope that if Michigan comes up a little short in the first half (which seems to be typical), that Hoke, Borges and Mattison can rally the troops like they have in many of our games.

I see Denard being Denard again: a few picks, a couple of TD tosses, and a few rushing TDs. Cousins will play a good game too.

I am going to go out on a limb and say the Wolverines pull this one out last minute, like they have a few times this season. A lot of TDs for both teams and this one goes to OT!

Michigan 49 – Michigan State 42 (2 OT)

Chris (2): This week’s game at Michigan State will be the toughest test yet for the Wolverines, especially for the Michigan offense. The strength of the MSU defense is a strong defensive front led by defensive tackle Jerel Worthy and end William Gholston. The linebackers are down a notch from last year after the loss of Greg Jones, who was drafted by the New York Giants, and the secondary has two starter returning from last year’s unit.

The numbers say that MSU has the third-best defensive unit in the nation, allowing an average of only 10.2 points per game. However, I think that number is a little low due to the schedule the Spartans have played thus far. This includes games against Youngstown State (of the Football Championship Subdivision), Florida Atlantic, Notre Dame, Central Michigan, and Ohio State. Taking out ND, who put up 31 points on MSU, the Spartans have not played a tough schedule.

So while I believe that this MSU defense is pretty good and can cause problems due to its aggressiveness, I don’t think it is as good as most people are saying.

On offense, Michigan State has a two-headed rushing combo with running backs Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell, as well as a standout receiver in B.J. Cunningham. Five games into the season, the MSU offense has performed average for the amount of talent it had returning at the skill positions, including those mentioned above and senior quarterback Kirk Cousins. This is especially true in the running game.

This is a tough game to make a prediction for. MSU hasn’t played any great teams and the best team it played so far, Notre Dame, beat the Spartans badly. The same can be said for Michigan, however, although the Wolverines did beat Notre Dame at home.

Both teams have questions on defense as to how good they really are. I think both teams have offenses that can put up high scores against an opponent.

It will be interesting to see how Michigan Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison handles star wide receiver Cunningham with a secondary that is still young and struggles at times. He’s probably the best in the Big Ten.

Since his first day as head coach at the University of Michigan, Brady Hoke has re-focused the program on the big rivalries, MUS and Ohio State, and I expect that Michigan will come into this game extremely motivated after three straight losses to the Spartans.

On the other side, MSU Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi held Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense in check last year, so he knows how to defend against this offense. With that being said, I have to give the edge to Michigan in this game.

Both teams will come in excited to play, but I like a more experienced Michigan offense against Narduzzi’s defense. As long as offensive coordinator Al Borges can settle Denard down early in the game by calling plays, which allow him to stay in his comfort zone, Michigan will be fine. But Michigan cannot get down early because then, Denard will be forced to pass and MSU will know it’s coming. This will not lead to success or a win.

I expect both teams to put up points and I think this game will come down to who can run the ball bet and which team can protect the ball from turnovers.

Michigan 28 – Michigan State 24

This week’s game against Northwestern was about what I expected: a close game for three quarters before Michigan pulled away for the win. All in all, Michigan completely dominated the second half. In fact, the defense didn’t give up a single point and came up with two big turnovers, and the offense scored almost every time it touched the football.

It was really a tale of two halves. In the first half, the Michigan offense seemed to get away from the things it had been successful with in the first five games: Denard Robinson in the shotgun, running the zone-read and using that to help set up the play-action pass. Not deep passes, but short, quick passes which gave Denard the ability to get rid of the ball quickly and not force him to sit in the pocket while trying to look down field to make a read.

We especially saw this in the Minnesota game. That was the best the Michigan offense had looked all season up to that point. Then, Michigan went to Northwestern and started trying to pound the ball out of a two-back set with Denard under center. There were very few called zone-read plays from the shotgun. In the passing game, Michigan went back to dropping Denard straight back in the pocket. WHY!?!? All that did was surround Denard with pass rushers, which led to three interceptions, all of which were a result of the pressure causing Denard to forget about his fundamentals and throw the ball off of his back foot.

Defensively, the secondary was tested just as predicted and the Michigan front seven put very little pressure on Northwestern quarterbacks, Dan Persa and Kain Colter. Michigan could not stop the option and failed to adjust its defensive alignment for the entire first half. A simple shift of the defensive line or linebackers would have fixed the problem.

I vividly remember sitting in my living room saying, “They’re going to run it left, they’re going to run it left.” And what happened? THEY RAN IT LEFT! This happened multiple times, including on Northwestern’s touchdown drives. It’s really pretty easy. All Northwestern was doing was running the ball, especially the option, to the side of the defense where they either outnumbered Michigan or were even with Michigan in terms of blockers vs defenders.

The 2nd half was totally different. Yes, Michigan outscored Northwestern 28-0 and looked like an entirely different team. It didn’t happen because all of a sudden the Michigan players woke up and started playing football again. It was because of the adjustments made by the Michigan coaching staff at halftime. I give Head Coach Brady Hoke, Offensive Coordinator Al Borges, and Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison a lot of credit. They did a great job of realizing what it was that Northwestern was doing to beat them, and making the changes necessary to stop it.

On offense, Borges stopped calling so many two-back sets which have netted the Michigan offense so little yardage all year, especially against better defenses. The running game came from Denard running the zone-read and also the QB Lead play (which I am not a big fan of because Denard takes so many hits whenever he runs it). Even more so, Michigan won the second half with the pass. I don’t know what Denard’s best single-game passing performance is, but against Northwestern he threw for 337 yards. About half of that total came in each half, but it was the way he did it that helped Michigan be so successful on offense.

Instead of throwing the ball deep downfield as Michigan tried to do in the first half, which led to Denard’s three interceptions, Michigan ran a much more methodical passing attack involving play-action. Play calls which got the ball out of Denard’s hands quicker, shorter routes, and less reads for Denard led to just as many passing yards as in the 1st half…minus the interceptions! What a concept!

On defense, Mattison shifted the Michigan front seven to take away the option and turned up the pressure on Persa, which led to some key sacks and two takeaways. True, the defense was on the field a lot less in the second half because the offense controlled the clock and wasn’t turning the ball over every possession, so Northwestern’s opportunities to score were less. But, the simple adjustments made by Mattison kept the Northwestern offense out of the end zone for the entire half.

The thing that came to mind for me as the game was ending on Saturday night was this: If this game had happened at any time over the past three years, would Michigan have won?? I submit that it would not have. Under the previous coaching staff, adjustments on offense and defense to what the other team was trying to do was almost a foreign concept. Last year in this same situation, Northwestern would have continued to score during the second half due to no adjustments by the Michigan defense. The offense would have kept trying to run Denard left and right, hoping that he would eventually break one for a score. Not anymore. Not with this coaching staff.

The players have improved, I’ll agree with that. They are a year older and more experienced. But players still have to be put in positions to succeed, which is what the Michigan coaches did in the second half against Northwestern. As a Michigan football fan, I couldn’t be happier with Brady Hoke and his staff running the show. Good things are on the horizon for this program!

[Ed: Welcome to a new column titled The Rear View Mirror, in which we will periodically reflect on certain aspects of Michigan's play, whether in the previous game or the season as a whole, and apply it to the bigger picture. The aim is to not just recap or preview a game, but to put everything into a bigger context.]

With the non-conference portion of the schedule out of the way, and Michigan heading into the meat of the schedule, let’s take a look back at what we’ve seen so far and what that means going forward. Yes, I’m aware that Minnesota is a Big Ten team, but since it’s not the 1960s anymore, the Gophers might as well hop on the conference expansion bandwagon and join the MAC.

Anyway, to start with, we all finally got what we’ve been asking for the past two-plus seasons: Denard in the backfield. Offensive Coordinator Al Borges broke out a diamond formation on Saturday against Minnesota with Devin Gardner at quarterback and Denard offset behind him. He ran a variety of plays out of the formation, some working better than others, but all felt like crack to Michigan football junkies.

Even if the formation isn’t used the rest of the season, it at the very least gives opponents more looks to prepare for. If it is used, the options are endless (no pun intended). Options, pitches, halfback passes, reverses, throwbacks; you name it, it’s possible with two freak athletes like Robinson and Gardner on the field at the same time. Obviously, you don’t want to base your entire offense around it, but when used as a special package a few plays a game, it can be deadly.

The offensive playcalling seemed suspect in the first few games of the season, and I’ll admit to being unimpressed at the way the offense was run in the Eastern Michigan game, but I think we haven’t given Borges enough credit. He’s just getting started.

Against Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan, there was no reason to break out more than what was needed. Against Notre Dame, the traditional offense wasn’t working so he turned it into the Denard show in the fourth quarter. Against San Diego State, Michigan put it away early enough that it didn’t need to show off anything else, likely because of Borges’ familiarity with the Aztec defense. For the most part, Borges has been able to keep the playbook vanilla enough to get the job done, all the while adapting to the situation at hand. Unlike Rich Rodriguez, he’s willing to change when things aren’t working. He’s willing to change up the offense based on the opponent.

Yesterday, with the Big Ten schedule looming, Borges decided it was time to put some new formations to work. The team had reportedly been practicing it all season; it was just a matter of when it would be used.

When asked about it after the game, Robinson said “We’ve been doing that in practice. We’ve been working on it. Coach said he’d throw it at us, and just be ready. And he called it, so we were ready.”

That’s the sign of a good coach, keeping his players ready for anything he throws at them. Even though the plays had never been run in a game situation before, Robinson, Gardner, et al. were prepared.

The first play went for a short loss, but it set up the next one which went for a good gain. The beauty of the formation is that it allows for so many variations that even though one play may not gain any yards, it sets up the next one.

In addition to the diamond set, Borges broke out the halfback pass with Vincent Smith tossing it to Drew Dileo for an easy touchdown. It was perhaps the most beautiful half of Michiagn football we’ve seen in quite a while.

The offensive scoring pace is slightly lower than last season’s at this point, but that’s a good thing. One of the main problems with last year’s offense was that it sometimes scored too quickly, leaving the exhausted defense on the field far too often. Of course, it’s a delicate balance because you want to score every time you have the ball, but you want to give your defense a rest by putting together long scoring drives.

The offense is averaging nearly a play more per drive this season compared to this point last season and the drives are on average five yards shorter. That means Michigan eats up a little bit more time on scoring drives than it did last season, which helps the defense.

Speaking of the defense, the improvement thus far has been enormous. Hiring Greg Mattison away from the Baltimore Ravens may have been the greatest move Brady Hoke ever made. The defense has seemed to improve in each game this season and is much more fundamentally sound than it was the previous three years. Gone are the missed tackles, the blown coverages, and the general lack of fundamentals. In place is a good pass rush, players in the right place (for the most part), and competent safety play.

The emergence of Thomas Gordon at safety has kept opponents from being able to beat Michigan over the top, which seemed to happen with regularity the past couple seasons. Getting Troy Woolfolk back from injury and solid coverage from J.T.Floyd and Courtney Avery allows the front seven more time to get to the quarterback. Yes, opponents have scored, but no defensive back has been beaten badly for a score yet this season, and that’s a major improvement.

Freshman lineman/linebacker Jake Ryan has emerged as a good pass rusher and Craig Roh has returned to form after suffering from the effects of a respiratory infection.

The most important improvement brought about by Hoke and Mattison is one that sort of marked the Lloyd Carr tenure, at least until the last year or two. Michigan won’t get blown out. Go back and look at the scores of Carr’s losses. Until the last year or two of his career, all of Michigan’s losses were within a few points. Even in defeat, the Wolverines always fought to the end, and that will be a staple of this coaching staff as well.

Under Rich Rodriguez, when things started going south, they kept going…and going…and going. Look at the Ohio State game last year or the Gator Bowl loss to Mississippi State. Whether it was not enough coaching focus on the defense, too little hitting in practice, or a lack of a killer mentality, his teams were rarely able to overcome adversity. When the scales started tipping, they overflowed.

Michigan will likely lose some games the rest of the season, but whether it’s Michigan State, Illinois, Nebraska, or Ohio, Michigan will be in the game until the end. The embarrassing blowout losses that plagued the past few seasons are gone. This is a staff that knows not only how to coach but how to coach sound fundamentals and how to manage the situation.

You may be saying, “You’re pretty optimistic for beating Minnesota,” however no one watching that came can come away unimpressed with every facet of the game. Even the vaunted defense from the 1997 National Championship team gave up a Minnesota field goal, and the 2006 Michigan defense allowed 14 points to the Gophers. While this defense is nowhere near that caliber just yet, it’s headed in the right direction and that’s a nice change from allowing the most points in school history the past few seasons.

Going back to the offense, Michigan finally found its go-to backs to take the pressure off of Denard. Fitz Toussaint and Vincent Smith provide a great change-of-pace to Denard. Where Denard is fast and slippery, Toussaint is able to run north-south, break tackles and hit the hole hard, while Smith is shifty and a great pass-catcher out of the backfield. This is a three-headed monster that has the potential to be great for the balance of the season and beyond. Toussaint is averaging 6.5 yards per carry and Smith a whopping 7.9.

With the running game chugging along, the offense starting to click and expand, and the defense actually playing defense, this is a Michigan team that could be looking at nine or 10 wins this season. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Northwestern is next and it’s the first road game of the season. How will the team handle being outside the friendly confines of the Big House? Honestly, I’m glad its sets up this way since it provides a good buffer and trial run before the big matchup two weeks from now in East Lansing.

Many are raising the caution flags on this good start, reminding us of the hot starts of the past few seasons that fizzled in Big Ten play. However, this is different. Of course Michigan won’t go undefeated this year, but the wheels won’t fall off either. It has a coaching staff that “gets it.” It has a junior quarterback who isn’t a first-year starter. It has stable of experienced running backs, receivers, and offensive linemen. It has a competent defense with a genius coordinating it. In short, this is a different Michigan team than we have seen over the past three years. Rodriguez planted the seeds, but Hoke and Co. are plowing, watering, and harvesting the crop.

[Ed: Please welcome Chris to the Maize and Go Blue team. This is the first installment of his Monday Morning Quarterback feature. Also, please click here to see this week's Michigan Man 5-Spot Challenge results and here for the overall standings. Congratulations to this week's winner, BoMoHo]

This week I will be debuting the first edition of the Monday Morning Quarterback segment.  This feature will be dedicated to an analysis of some portion of the previous week’s game.  As a former Division 1 football player, I will do this through the lens of a player/coach, not just analyzing the game and talking about what happened, but discussing ways in which I believe the Wolverine coaches and/or players could be doing things better.  Of course, I don’t want this writing to always be negative in nature.  It’s easy to sit here at a computer and write my opinion instead of being on the field in the heat of the moment, so I will also write about some of the positive things that I see the Michigan team doing.  With all that being said, let’s get started.

After watching the entire Michigan-Notre Dame game on Saturday night, most of you will probably agree that it took almost an entire three quarters for the Michigan offense to get things going.  Other than a 43-yard TD pass from Denard Robinson to Junior Hemingway in the second quarter, it was the Michigan defense that kept the game within reach for the Wolverines, coming up with three turnovers.  During this time, I do not feel that offensive coordinator Al Borges did a good job of calling plays that would be successful against the Notre Dame defense.

From where I was sitting, I saw the offense attempt to be a full-time power running team, drop Robinson straight back in the pocket to pass, and even thought I was watching a Rich Rodriguez-called game when I saw three plays in a row go: 1. Robinson Right, 2.Robinson Left, 3. Robinson Right, all out of the shotgun.

I think that it’s evident that the Notre Dame defensive front was not going to allow Michigan to line up and run a power attack at them and be successful.  Michigan tried that for three quarters, never getting more than a short gain.  Michigan just couldn’t match up O-line vs. D-line like they did against Western Michigan last week or like they will against Eastern Michigan next week.

While I do think that Robinson has improved in the passing game, it was very obvious that he still is not best suited to be throwing from the pocket.  With no pressure and given the time to set his feet before making the throw, he does okay.  However, that generally was not the case against the Notre Dame pass rush.  On plays in which Robinson dropped back to pass, Notre Dame brought pressure from the outside to keep him inside the pocket and rushed hard from the middle to close the pocket quickly.  This forced Robinson to either rush the throw, which usually went into double-coverage, or throw off his  back foot, which caused the ball to be overthrown, landing either in the hands of a defender or yards away from the intended receiver.

In terms of the Rich Rod playcalling, which only happened a few times throughout the game, I think this was more of a “Well, this play isn’t working, so let’s try this” type of play call.  That’s fine to do when you’re grasping at straws, trying to find something that will work, but let’s be honest, the QB Sweep is not the best play in football, even with Denard Robinson in your backfield.  Robinson is much more effective when he can run the ball out of the zone-read option, which freezes the defense and forces it to respect the fake to the running back before committing to the QB.  I believe that the development of a quality running back at Michigan will make this play even more effective in the future, but that’s a topic for another day.

At the end of the third quarter, Borges finally started calling a game which took advantage of the skills of his All-American quarterback.  No more drop-back passing, no more QB Sweep.  In the running game, Michigan still ran some power run, but they mixed it in with some zone-read plays for Robinson.  This kept the Notre Dame defense more off balance and allowed Robinson to keep the ball in his hands longer so he could make a play, which he did when he broke some big runs.

As this mix became more effective, Michigan then started running play-action pass off of it, getting Robinson out of the pocket instead of keeping him surrounded by the oncoming Notre Dame pass rush.

To be successful and take full advantage of Robinson’s skill set, this is what Michigan needs to do to win.  When Robinson got out on the edge with a run-pass option, it allowed him to better find the open receiver and also kept the defense from committing to tackling him because they still had to respect the pass.  The Michigan offense scored 28 points in one quarter doing this, as compared to the seven points through three quarters which they put up running the other stuff.  Even still, those seven points were more a result of poor defensive play by the Notre Dame defense as opposed to quality offensive play by the Michigan offense.

Now, you are probably saying to yourself, “How can you criticize Robinson’s passing when he was 11-24, 338 yds and 4 TD, including an outstanding game-winning last-minute drive?!” Obviously I was thrilled with the way that Robinson engineered that last drive, but it never would have happened if the Notre Dame defense, again, would not have blown the coverage on Jeremy Gallon, allowing him to gain 64 yards to get to the ND 16-yard line.  Furthermore, when one sees a stat line like Robinson’s, it must be realized that the majority of the yards came from deep passes, not from being accurate and hitting pass after pass.  Against a better secondary, those passes will be intercepted more often in the future.

For Michigan to be successful on offense, Borges and head coach Brady Hoke need to take advantage of Robinson’s skills and stop trying to make him something that he isn’t, all for the sake of running a more “traditional” Michigan offense.  I’m not saying to run the offense that we saw over the past three years.  We all know that Robinson cannot take the pounding of an eight-game Big Ten schedule without sustaining an injury.  Use bits and pieces of the traditional offense with a fullback and the power run, but get him out of the pocket on passing plays.  He is not, and never will be, a drop back passer.  Robinson is still the best player on the team, and as he goes, Michigan goes.

When Hoke arrived in Ann Arbor, he said that he would run an offense designed to take full advantage of the talent that he had in Denard Robinson while at the same time keeping him healthy by calling less designed runs strictly for him.  Let’s see it.

It was going to make history no matter what, but the first night game in Michigan history became an instant classic. In one of the best games in the history of the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry, Michigan was the last man standing, scoring twice in the final 1:13 to win 35-31.

From the beginning, it seemed as if Notre Dame was going to damper the festivities in front of the largest crowd in Michigan Stadium (and college football) history of 114,804. After holding Michigan to a three-and-out, the Irish marched down the field for a score. Quarterback Tommy Rees connected with Theo Riddick for a 7-yard touchdown. ND forced another three-and-out and went 83 yards in 10 plays for another touchdown, this time a 4-yard run by Cierre Wood. Just like that, Michigan was in a 14-0 hole.

But there lies the difference between a Brady Hoke-led team and a Rich Rodriguez-led team. In the last three years, that lead would have widened. Sure, the offense may have scored some points, but it would have ended up a 52-27 loss or something of that sort. Hoke’s teams will hang around and always have a chance to win just like his mentor Lloyd Carr’s teams.

Michigan vs. Notre Dame
	Final Stats
35	Final Score	31
2-0	Record	0-2
452	Total Yards	513
114	Net Rushing Yards	198
338	Net Passing Yards	315
16	First Downs	28
1-0	Fumbles – Lost	4-3
9-82	Penalties – Yards	9-75
5-193	Punts – Yards	4-134
22:59	Time of Possession	37:01
3-for-9	Third Down Conversions	8-for-14
0-for-0	Fourth Down Conversions	0-for-0
0	Sacks By – Yards	1-5
0-for-0	Field Goals	1-for-1
5-for-5	PATs	4-for-4
3-3	Red Zone Scores – Chances	3-5

Tonight, even when the offense was struggling to string together drives of more than three plays, the defense clamped down well enough to keep Michigan in the game. No, it wasn’t perfect. It still gave up over 500 yards of total offense and was the beneficiary of some lucky bounces, but defensive coordinator Greg Mattison turned up the pressure on Rees and forced some turnovers.

Michigan finally got on the board midway through the second quarter on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Denard Robinson to Junior Hemingway. ND added a field goal before the half to take a 17-7 lead into the locker room.

In the third quarter, the two teams traded punts and turnovers before ND punched it in again on a 15-yard pass from Rees to TJ Jones. At 24-7, the prospect looked bleak for Michigan, but that’s where things got interesting.

Denard found Hemingway for 77 yards down to the ND 6-yard line and three plays later, he recovered a Stephen Hopkins fumble on the goal line and took it in for the score to cut the lead to 24-14.

Michigan’s defense forced a punt and five plays later, Robinson hit Jeremy Gallon for a 14-yard touchdown to trim the lead to 24-21.

The teams traded turnovers once again and Michigan forced a Notre Dame punt with 2:16 to play. On 3rd-and-2, Robinson found Kelvin Grady for a 27-yard gain to the ND 21. On the next play, offensive coordinator Al Borges called a beautiful delayed screen to Vincent Smith, who weaved 21 yards into the endzone for the go-ahead score.

Unfortunately, Michigan left too much time on the clock and Rees hit a wide open Theo Riddick to take a 31-28 lead with just 30 seconds to play to seemingly dash Michigan’s hopes. On that play, Mattison had the entire defense up near the line of scrimmage, dropping back into a cover-3. However, Riddick went uncovered and the gamble to take away Michael Floyd didn’t pay off.

With 30 seconds to play, Michigan took over on its own 20. After an incomplete pass, Robinson stepped up in the pocket and threw a beautiful strike to a wide open Gallon on a wheel route, who scampered 64 yards like a hot herring in a cummerbund down to the ND 16-yard line.

Already in field goal range, with only eight seconds left and two time outs, Borges elected to go for it all with a jump ball in the end zone. Roy Roundtree hauled it in despite a defensive pass interference and the celebration was on.

For the third straight year, Michigan beat Notre Dame in the final minute. In 2009, it was Tate Forcier hitting Greg Mathews with 11 seconds left. Last year, it was Denard on a two-yard run with 27 seconds remaining. And tonight, Robinson connected with Roundtree with just two seconds left.

While Notre Dame dominated most of the game, Robinson and Michigan took over in the fourth quarter to outlast the Irish. Hoke said after the game that the team still has a long way to go to get to playing Michigan football, but it’s in a much better position that Kelly’s Irish who have started 0-2 for the third time in the last 10 years.

The Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry has always produced some great games and this year didn’t disappoint. Michigan won its third straight over ND for the first time since 1908 and for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

Robinson completed just 11-of-24 passes but four of those went four touchdowns and he threw for 338 yards. He also rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Robinson moved into the top 10 on Michigan’s career passing list, which is amazing considering the quarterbacks Michigan has had over the years. He now needs 1,270 yards to reach Rich Leach at the 9-spot. He also moved into third in Big Ten career yardage by a quarterback. With 350 more total yards, he will pass Illinois’ Juice Williams for second.

Next week, Michigan gets a breather against Eastern Michigan at 12pm on the Big Ten Network.

Nearly every starter returns next season for Michigan’s offense, including Big Ten Player of the Year Denard Robinson. Offensive coordinator Al Borges has vowed to build the playbook around Robinson’s talents while limiting his carries. Seven newcomers will join the crew, along with one kicker. Let’s meet the newest Wolverines.

Quarterback (1)
	RUSSELL BELLOMY Height: 6-3 Weight: 178 Hometown: Arlington, Texas (Martin) Rivals Ranking: NR (3-star) Scout Ranking: #39 Quarterback (3-star) ESPN Ranking: #35 Quarterback, 78 rating (3-star) Chose Michigan Over: Purdue, Michigan State, Minnesota, South Florida, Colorado How He Fits In: Bellomy was originally a Purdue commitment who switched to Michigan after Hoke was named Rodriguez’s replacement. He’s an important commit because of the current state of Michigan’s quarterback roster. Denard Robinson will be a junior next season and Devin Gardner a redshirt freshman likely to assume the starting role in 2013 after Robinson graduates. Bellomy should redshirt next season so he’s not the same as Gardner eligibility-wise, but because of Tate Forcier’s transfer, Hoke may have to keep Bellomy ready to play. He held offers from Michigan State and Boise State, so he’s not a throwaway recruit just to build depth, though he’ll benefit from a few years developing behind Robinson and Gardner.
Running Back (2)
	JUSTICE HAYES Height: 5-10 Weight: 175 Hometown: Grand Blanc, Mich. (Grand Blanc) Rivals Rank: #3 Running Back, #85 Overall (4-star) Scout Rank: #14 Running Back (4-star) ESPN Rank: #22 Running Back, 79 rating (4-star) Chose Michigan Over: Notre Dame, Michigan State, Tennessee, Iowa, Wisconsin How He Fits In: The various recruiting sites differ slightly as to how good Hayes is, but judging by his offer sheet, many of the top schools think he can be a good college back. At Michigan, he’s likely to redshirt next season due to a crowded backfield, and there’s a slight chance he could move to slot receiver, but he could be a very good player in a couple of years. He originally committed to Notre Dame, but switched to Michigan and then helped lobby for other recruits to follow him to Ann Arbor. He has good speed and is high character kid who will work hard to get better. Fans will love him in a few years.
	THOMAS RAWLS Height: 5-10 Weight: 214 Hometown: Flint, Mich. (Northern) Rivals Rank: NR (3-star) Scout Rank: #77 Running Back (3-star) ESPN Rank: #84 Running Back, 76 rating (3-star) Chose Michigan Over: Cincinnati, Central Michigan, Toledo How He Fits In: Rawls was a late addition and the type of back Hoke wants for his offense. He may be a bit of a sleeper, not being rated highly by the recruiting sites. He has the body to compete right away, although with Stephen Hopkins already on the team, the smart move may be to redshirt him to create some separation. Longtime running backs coach Fred Jackson whose son coached Rawls at Flint Northern, compared him to Flint native and 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. If Rawls can prove adept at blocking and taking care of the ball, he could see the field sooner rather than later.
Offensive Line (3)
	CHRIS BRYANT Height: 6-5 Weight: 330 Hometown: Chicago, Ill. (Simeon) Rivals Ranking: #19 Offensive Tackle, #203 overall (4-star) Scout Ranking: #21 Offensive Guard (3-star) ESPN Ranking: #37 Offensive Guard, 77 rating (3-star) Chose Michigan Over: Illinois, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Stanford, Ohio State How He Fits In: Bryant fills a position of great need for this class and is a big pickup for Hoke. He represents a shift back to the traditional Big Ten linemen that Michigan utilized for years before Rodriguez’s spread called for smaller, quicker linemen. Bryant needs a redshirt season to lose some weight and build some strength, but once current Wolverines Patrick Omameh and Ricky Barnum graduate, Bryant should be able to work his way into the lineup in 2013 and blossom into an all-conference guard.
	TONY POSADA Height: 6-6 Weight: 315 Hometown: Tampa, Fla. (Plant) Rivals Ranking: NR (3-star) Scout Ranking: #45 Offensive Tackle (3-star) ESPN Ranking: #34 Offensive Tackle, 78 rating (3-star) Chose Michigan Over: South Florida, Texas Tech, Missouri, Tennessee, Rutgers How He Fits In: Posada is a strong and physical lineman with a good body for Hoke’s offense. Conditioning and technique are called into question, so like most offensive linemen, Posada will benefit greatly from a redshirt season. He could play either guard or tackle, but will most likely play tackle opposite Taylor Lewan if he can work his way into the lineup by 2013.
	JACK MILLER Height: 6-4 Weight: 268 Hometown: Perrysburg, Ohio (St. John’s) Rivals Ranking: NR (3-star) Scout Ranking: #16 Center (3-star) ESPN Ranking: #53 Defensive Tackle, 78 rating (3-star) Chose Michigan Over: Cincinnati, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Boston College How He Fits In: Miller will most likely play offensive line for the Wolverines, although ESPN rates him as a defensive tackle. Rodriguez and Hoke’s staffs recruited him as a guard/center, so that’s where he’ll end up. At 6-4, 268, he will need to add some weight to become a Big Ten offensive lineman, especially in Hoke’s power run offense as compared to Rodriguez’s spread. His freshman year will certainly be a redshirt and he could work his way into the lineup in a couple years. If he’s at center, he’ll have a chance in 2012 when David Molk graduates.
Tight End (1)
	CHRIS BARNETT Height: 6-6 Weight: 245 Hometown: Hurst, Texas (L.D. Bell) Rivals Ranking: #14 Tight End, #224 overall (4-star) Scout Ranking: #16 Tight End (3-star) ESPN Ranking: #20 Tight End, 78 rating (3-star) Chose Michigan Over: Arkansas, Miami, Florida State, USC, Oklahoma State How He Fits In: Barnett was the last commitment to round out the 20-man class and a big get for Hoke. Tight end is a position of need since Martell Webb’s eligibility expired and Kevin Koger is a senior next season. The only other tight end is Brandon Moore, a redshirt sophomore who will be a redshirt junior next season and has hardly played. Barnett is a big and lean tight end with good hands and long arms. In Hoke’s offense, he could be a star in the mold of former Florida (and current New England Patriot) tight end Aaron Hernandez.
Kicker (1)
	MATT WILE Height: 6-2 Weight: 210 Hometown: San Diego, Calif. (Francis Parker) Rivals Ranking: NR (2-star) Scout Ranking: #4 Kicker(3-star) ESPN Ranking: #37 Kicker, 74 rating (2-star) Chose Michigan Over: Nebraska, Washington, San Diego State How He Fits In: Wile is probably the biggest benefactor of Hoke landing the job at Michigan. He was being recruited by Hoke to San Diego State and followed Hoke to Ann Arbor. He’ll have a chance to win the kicking job right off the bat given Michigan’s struggles last season. The last kicker recruit, Brendan Gibbons, struggled mightily last season, going just 1-for-5, and losing his spot to Seth Broekhuizen. Wile is a good athlete with a repeatable kicking stroke, which is very inspiring.

Overview

Hoke filled needs at tight end, offensive line, and kicker, but wasn’t able to reel in any receivers. Bryant, Posada, and Barnett could all be eventual stars for the Wolverines, while Rawls and Hayes will have to battle a loaded and experienced backfield.

Not landing a receiver was certainly a letdown (though not much of Hoke’s fault, since he had just three weeks of recruiting) and will have to be a focus next season. Landing Barnett was a great way to close out the class with a pass catching tight end who can spread the field.

I’ll give this class a C+ but since it didn’t really nab any top-notch recruits, it can’t get any higher than that. Hoke has certainly built some momentum to carry into the 2012 class, which I think can be a top 10 or 15 class.

Six days after Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon announced he was firing embattled head coach Rich Rodriguez, the speculation, flight-tracking, and rumor-mongering was put to rest with the announcement of the hiring of Brady Hoke as the 19th head coach in Michigan football history. But while the waiting ended, questions abound as to whether this was the right move.

After proclaiming in last Wednesday’s press conference that he would seek out a “Michigan Man,” Brandon met with Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles, both former Wolverine players under legendary coach Bo Schembechler. Harbaugh was considered the top choice for most Wolverine faithful, and when he accepted the head job with the San Francisco 49ers, Brandon seemingly turned to Miles. While Miles’ ethics were called into question by many Michigan fans, most accepted him as a logical choice to replace Rodriguez given his success at LSU.

We went to bed Monday night expecting Miles to become Michigan’s new head man on Tuesday. However, early Tuesday afternoon, Miles was taken out of consideration when LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva stated, “Les has led this program to many great successes on the field and his players represent LSU well off the field. We look forward to many great years of LSU football under his leadership.”

It didn’t take long before Hoke was named head coach and Michigan fans are left with more questions than answers. Brandon insists Hoke was the guy from the beginning and that Harbaugh and Miles were never even offered the job, but if that’s the case, then Brandon has a lot at stake in the coming years.

Don’t get me wrong; beginning with Hoke’s introductory press conference on Wednesday, I’ll fully back the new coach and root for him to become Michigan’s next Bo. If he can turn the program around, he will certainly become a legend in Ann Arbor. But that doesn’t mean I think it was the right move for the short term or the long term.

For starters, I think Brandon jumped the gun and caved into the pressure in his first year as Michigan’s AD. Of course he will mask it by saying that leaders have to be willing to make tough decisions even when unpopular, but in reality, the pressure from the media and boosters was too much, forcing Brandon’s hand at least a year early.

Rodriguez had improved each season, from 3-9 to 5-7 to 7-6 and a New Years Day bowl game. Granted, the bowl wound up being the worst bowl loss in Michigan history and the three-year stretch is the worst percentage-wise in in Michigan history, but that’s as much a reflection on the original decision to hire him as it is about his ability to coach. Fans, boosters, and alumni were screaming for change when Lloyd Carr retired and then-AD Bill Martin hired just what they wanted. However, it was going to take time, which apparently was never agreed to by those requesting the change. The year-over-year improvement at least warranted a fourth year, given the number of returning starters and the vast amount of youth on the defensive side of the ball. At the very worst, if Rodriguez failed to improve in year four, Hoke would still be available and Brandon could make the decision much earlier in the process than Jan. 11 so as to not hurt the incoming recruiting class.

This is nothing against Hoke as a man or as a coach. He represents everything a Michigan football coach should: a passion for Michigan football, previous coaching experience at Michigan, a history of success, hard-nosed recruiting, and unquestioned ethics. I grew up with his niece and nephew, proud that I had a connection to a Michigan coach during the glory years of the late 90s. I like the guy and think he will succeed at Michigan…eventually.

Unfortunately, I think this decision means another two or three years before we can expect to challenge for Big Ten titles. The past three years have been spent recruiting for the spread offense. Recruiting Denard Robinsons instead of Tom Bradys, Martavious Odoms instead of Braylon Edwards, Vincent Smiths instead of Tyrone Wheatleys, and Patrick Omamehs instead of Jake Longs. In short, Hoke will have to fit Rodriguez’s guys into a completely different system than what they were recruited for and have practiced in the past three years, which is exactly the issue that landed Rodriguez on the unemployment line after just three seasons.

Brandon said one of the pieces of criteria for the new coach is the ability to adapt his system. The biggest question Hoke will face early on is whether he can adapt his traditional pro-style offense to fit the skills of Robinson, the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. If Robinson chooses to remain in Ann Arbor, this move could ultimately help his NFL potential by making him a more complete quarterback. Perhaps Hoke will bring back former UM quarterbacks coach Scott Loeffler who developed John Navarre and Chad Henne, and in his most recent gig, Tim Tebow at Florida.

Regardless, it’s hard to imagine hiring Hoke as being an upgrade from keeping Rodriguez for a fourth year. Will 2011 yield better results with Hoke? It’s doubtful.

Next season’s Wolverines are going to be a good team no matter who is coaching, with 10 starters returning on each side of the ball and the addition of senior cornerback Troy Woolfolk who missed the entire year with an injury. The schedule sets up nicely with Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Ohio State all at home and Penn State and Wisconsin off the schedule. A fourth year in Rodriguez’s system and a second-year starter in Robinson would have surely improved on its 33 points per game. And the defense would have been better with the return of Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd, who missed the final five games, and simply because as the nation’s 110th-ranked total defense, there’s virtually nowhere to go but up.

A serious run at the Big Ten title was not out of the question for next season under Rodriguez, and with several top recruits including Demetrius Hart, who had committed to Rodriguez (and has since committed to Alabama) in the fold, the program was destined for success. It just didn’t happen quickly enough for an impatient and arrogant fan base.

Now, here we are with the irony of all ironies, with the same fans and boosters who were clamoring for change because nine wins a season wasn’t good enough now calling for a mulligan. The school was embarrassed the past week with a national coaching search which, at least on the outside, looked like a joke, because of a decision that leaves Brandon in a tough spot if the transition this time around turns out similar three-year results as the one he just ended. I don’t think we’ve become Notre Dame yet, but if that happens, we’re well on our way.

All that said, I hope Hoke proves to be the best possible option for Michigan football and goes out and wins the Big Ten championship in 2011 and restores a sense of pride and the air of ‘the Victors’ to Ann Arbor. He certainly knows Michigan traditions, the importance of beating Michigan State and Ohio State, and how to win in the Big Ten. While I can’t fault Rodriguez for lacking those attributes, it’s one area in which Hoke is an improvement. And who knows, maybe it means more than we think. Welcome back, Coach.