I guess I’m few that hasn’t really notice meaningful difference in the level of crowd noise this season but we confirmed on Saturday how quiet that place can get.  There were times when it was ‘Moment of Silence’ quiet in there.   I sat 40 rows behind Michigan’s bench and during certain stretches I could hear Rodriguez…with his back to me.  And there were those uber tranquil moments when you could clearly make out the chirping of birds (a.k.a. Crisler crickets).  It’s eerie. I know there’s a lot of folks who are working for things to be louder.  While I think that effort is pretty pointless I’ll will offer this – if you really want to make Michigan Stadium louder you’ve got to work on the students and maybe the band.   And it’s more than just the keys that many hate.  I sat a few seats away from the senior edge of the student section and while they’re standing the whole game and certainly into it, they’re as quiet as the wine and cheese fans during the lulls. Other notes: I have friends that live about a mile from the stadium and they shared an interesting item.  Since the renovation structures were filled out this year, they can’t really hear the roars of the crowd or the PA announcer from their…

Props to Indiana’s Bill Lynch for the classic move of firing his gum down the sideline after the refs initially ruled on Donovan Warren’s interception that effectively ended the game.   I had about the same angle from my seats as the ESPN cameras (a bad one), but I kind of understand Lynch’s rage.  Nevertheless, unlike another state of Indiana coach, looks like Lynch took the high road after the game: "I couldn’t see," Lynch said. "Obviously, where I’m standing on the sidelines it looked like they both had it. That’s as far as I could go." As far as where the gum ended up, I pored over photos from the game and found something strange on one IU helmet: Update 9/28:  Interesting Zapruder frame-by-frame pulled together by SCM over at the great Maize N Brew including this snap shot of initial shot of the ball:

[More tomorrow.  Tonight, a few images from the game.] Fantastic from the M photo store [Ed., forgot to mention, you can use code mvctrs5 for a 5% discount on photo purchases.  I don’t get a piece of that action FWIW]:   Son of a–: Where’s Waldo?   Zack Novak burned the ships, kept the shirt:    MVP:

The Free Press published a Q&A-style follow-up on the Michigan practice-gate investigation.  Here’s a few of the items republished.  First, on who can take part in the interviews with the players: Who’s in the interview room? Michigan compliance director Judy Van Horn, U-M’s outside counsel (Alabama-based lawyer Gene Marsh, or a colleague), and an NCAA investigator. A university lawyer also might be in attendance. Players can have someone accompany them to the interviews, including a lawyer. On the anonymity of the players: The Free Press report was based in large part on interviews with former and current players who spoke on condition of anonymity because they said they feared repercussions if they criticized the program. Will the NCAA allow people to speak anonymously? Players are not granted anonymity in interviews. They are expected to cooperate and risk losing eligibility if they don’t, or are caught lying. It is routine for interviews to be recorded. But there are strict limitations on what information is eventually released to the public because of federal confidentiality laws protecting students. As for former players, if they are still playing college football they, too, can be compelled to testify. The NCAA can’t compel the testimony of former players no longer playing college ball, though. Former Michigan receiver Toney Clemons, who has transferred to Colorado, has said…

A repost, originally from January 2008: Check out Brian Cook’s AOL Fanhouse post [sorry, AOL removed the link?] on the new montage put together by the talented “expressfan”. It’s not just your same old Wangler to Carter. He’s got clips from the Bo and Brandstatter on Michigan Replay talking about the play and about broadcasting legend Bob Ufer. Plus, he thankfully includes a great clip of two plays prior to the famous pass when Michigan threw the ball right into Indiana coach Lee Corso’s hands to kill the clock. In one of the Ufer recordings (not provided here) you hear him talk about this but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. It’s hilarious. Here’s the YouTube:

During the wonderful Notre Dame game a couple weeks ago, the PA announcer asked folks to recognize a group of men in the north endzone.  They were members of the 1964 Michigan football squad led by coach Bump Elliott.  The Big Ten and Rose Bowl champs trotted out, waved, and headed back under the goal post to watch the game. More on this great, underappreciated, championship team:

I joined host Ira Weintraub and Brian Cook of mgoblog in studio at WTKA this morning & we covered a variety of topics from Mudbowl, to a little analysis of the EMU game, linebackers, depth, the Mouton/Delany aftermath (the ‘One Year Idiocy’) and much more.  Audio: [display_podcast] . FYI – Dennis Quaid from the epic film shot in Bloomington, Breaking Away, thinking that he could play QB for the Hoosiers just like current starter and local boy (Cutter) Ben Chappell:

There’s a great line in the show Cheers where the older gent who works at the bar says he thought that called him “Coach” because he never flew first class.   Thanks to reader ‘Spartan Robert’, here’s Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan this morning leaving Detroit headed back to Florida, seated in coach(!):   @UFCoachBillyD : ‘some weird dude is taking my picture..can’t believe i’m in coach class’ Memo to Coach Donovan: this is Beilein and yes, Izzo country.  Beat it!