• Sights & Sounds | Michigan 49, Western Michigan 3

    September 8, 2018 /

    The gist: A complete, all-cylinders win against a 28-point underdog doesn’t do much, but there’s something.  After the mess last week a game like that muffles the notion that this team might be going sideways and it restores a bit of the hope that you had preseason.  Based on what he did out there, it should also build your confidence that Shea Patterson is indeed a guy who could lead this team to good things in the big games. Mood:  Despite that most M fans would trade blowing the doors off a team like Western Michigan for a third down conversion in a big game, it still feels good.  “Mood” creeps up a couple slots: meta: Based on popular demand I added the little indicator arrows to represent where the mood was adjusted from the prior week (if applicable), and the mood history for the current season at the bottom.  As always thanks to Scott @TheBlockhams for the faces. Uncharmed Start:  For the superstitious among us, a couple things had you reaching for the rabbit’s foot: First off, I love the voice of stadium PA man Carl Grapentine, but he fumbled his traditional opening line when he wished the stadium “Good Afternoon“.  It was well before kickoff and thus several minutes before noon.  As many of you know Mr. Grapentine typically…

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  • Concourse Column Coverage

    September 8, 2018 /

    So this is an update for 2018.  The support columns that adorn the inside concourses of Michigan Stadium now feature a new set of large prints honoring U-M greats: As I understand it, here’s the list of players honored on the columns: Tom Brady Steve Breaston Jake Butt Tom Curtis Brandon Graham Jim Harbaugh Mike Hart Chad Henne Jon Jansen Jourdan Lewis Zoltan Mesko Mark Messner Jamie Morris Jabrill Peppers Garrett Rivas Denard Robinson Ron Simpkins Anthony Thomas LaMarr Woodley

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  • See Harry Newman Stuff Pug (1932)

    September 1, 2018 /

    Have a look at these shots from Michigan’s 1932 battle with Northwestern played in the Big House: The ball carrier is #23 Earnest “Pug” Rentner, an All-American back for the Wildcats.    Here’s another shot in a separate eBay auction featuring Michigan’s star Harry Newman apparently snatching a ball out of mid-air: The caption attached to the second shot claims this is Newman intercepting a pass from Rentner, but I’ve seen no evidence in the recaps that Newman got a pick in this game.  He did a bunch of other things (fumble recovery, long passes, punt return, a field goal, etc.) but no interception. Despite the sparse Big House crowd (it was the Depression, man) this game was one of the most anticipated match-ups along Michigan’s march to the 1932 national title.   The Wildcats had put together quite a squad in the early 1930s and shared the conference crown with Harry Kipke’s Wolverines in 1930 and 1931 but…the teams didn’t face each other those seasons.  Via Hail to the Victors 2012: Pug and The Purple GangThe next week was the most anticipated battle of the season. Northwestern and Michigan shared both the past two conference titles and two of the biggest stars in college football: the Wildcat’s 1931 All-American back Earnest “Pug” Rentner and of course U-M’s dangerous Harry Newman. As…

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  • Teaching the Irish, 9/11 and more | This Week in Michigan Football History

    August 31, 2018 /

    This Week in Michigan Football History is back for Season 9, featuring a sweeping look of Meechigan football over several decades including – 1887, and the origins of the Notre Dame rivalry.  And a several of canceled games: 2001 and the response to and reschedule following 9/11 1963 reschedule after Thanksgiving following the Kennedy assassination. 1918 handling WWI and the wicked worldwide flu epidemic Audio: Check it out Saturday on the WTKA 1050AM pregame show, live from Soaring Eagle Casino.  Props to Ira Weintraub on the 1s and 2s, and To Hell With Notre Dame!  Go Blue. Script: Tonight we renew the on-again, off-again, on-again storied rivalry with our Natural Enemy, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  The history of our prestigious pigskin institutions is very much intertwined starting with your beloved Wolverines traveling to South Bend to teach them how to play this sport back in 1887. Immediately after that lesson we taught them another lesson, beating them 8-0 – providing an early jump on the all time win percentage race.   The rivalry really heated up 2 decades later after the Irish (coached by Yost protege’ Frank “Shorty” Longman) finally won a game in 1909, then due an eligibility dispute the 1910 game was ABRUPTLY CANCELLED, literally hours before the scheduled kickoff.  Things would never, and I mean EV-ER – be…

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  • Big Ten Conference Divisional/Championship Tie-Breakers (2021)

    August 30, 2018 /

    The Big Ten divisional tiebreakers rules in a nutshell: Via bigten.org The Big Ten football championship will be decided by a game played between the two division champions. A team or teams that are not eligible to participate in a postseason football bowl game as a result of NCAA and/or Big Ten sanctions shall not be eligible to participate in the Big Ten Football Championship Game. The winner of the Big Ten Football Championship Game will represent the conference in one of the bowls that comprise the College Football Playoff – the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, or Sugar Bowl. If the Big Ten Champion is ranked No. 1, 2, 3, or 4 in the final College Football Playoff poll, the team will play in a semifinal game. Otherwise, the Big Ten Champion will play in the Rose Bowl Game (when not hosting a semifinal) or the Cotton, Fiesta, or Peach Bowl. The following procedure will determine the representative from each division in the event of a tie: If two teams are tied, the winner of the game between the two tied teams shall be the representative.If three or more teams are tied, steps 1 through 8 will be followed until a determination is made. If only two teams remain tied after any step (or sub-step), the winner of the…

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