As Rade gets up to check in the first game after Merle fouls out, even though Coach Dale has benched him. Coach Dale: Where are you going?   [Rade, puzzled, looks at him] Sit down. Rade Butcher: You gotta have five out there! Coach Dale: Sit… down. Referee: You need one more, coach. Coach Dale: My team is on the floor. This great movie scene came to mind as Forcier trotted past Rodriguez, trying to put himself back in the game with 1:30 to go.  Rodriguez told him to Sit….down, albeit with a helmet love slap: Looking at the tape, I’m not sure exactly sure what Forcier was trying to do beyond demonstrating to Rodriguez who he thought should be taking the snaps.  It was clear that Robinson was going to stay in (several guys on defense were pumping up Denard, Sheridan was giving him a few words and the offense huddled with Tate just listening along from the outside).  He finally looked like a freshman on the field and with this, acted like one on the sideline.  I don’t know what he said or did (beyond the bad decisions with the ball) but it must have been egregious for Rodriguez to put the outcome in the hands of Robinson instead of the guy that’s done it again and again.  Sure,…

A few thoughts just as the game wrapped up tonight. We lost this game despite all these things you were looking for: Minor busting off sizeable chunks of yards.  He looked great and Michigan re-established a running game. Stanzi continuing to throw to “spaz routes” including two directly to Warren resulting in one pick six. Weather not being a factor. Woolfolk showing tight coverage at corner including solid break-ups. Denard (at times) looking like a viable option at quarterback. Progressing on defense despite the first half points surrendered. Rich Rod dressing as though he was off to rediscover the North Pole after the game. And yet, they came up short.  Talk now will be on the decision to hold Robinson in the game despite the late game brilliance that is Forcier.  I give credit to Denard for getting them back in the game but it’s #5 that has the gift (the “I was born to do this” stuff ceased being silly a couple weeks ago) -and he should have been in there in the last drive.  Really no question.  Robinson’s last pass was a high school heave. Where to from here?  More confusion over where this team sits in the Big Ten.  They’re clearly on par with Iowa despite the mistakes, yet could be nipped by the likes of Indiana. …

Folks, many of you know former Michigan kicker Phil Brabbs is fighting cancer.  Click here to visit Phil’s blog that candidly discusses his quest to kick cancer, or better yet, donate a few bucks (even $2 helps) please to support him.   I’m in, so should you.   They’ll even give you a kick ass bracelet:   Questions, comments or what have you?  cancerkicker@gmail.com or visit the blog and support the man who gave you this memory (go to 5:20)

I’ll be sitting in with Ira Weintraub on WTKA 1050AM’s Key Bank Countdown to Kick-off show from 4-7:30ish tomorrow.  You can listen live via the stream on WTKA.com, email the show at studio@wtka.com or call 734-998-1050.  Ira will be taking a lot of calls, emails and the like. I may have my laptop with me so follow on Twitter. I will be covering some Little Brown Jug history if your interested, along with some talk about the Michigan State game, the Big Ten, Florida/LSU and of course a lot of looking ahead to tomorrow night’s game against Iowa. P.S. If I mention that Iowa’s defense is solid, here’s why – from Iowa’s official pregame press release:

Brandon Graham’s hit on Glenn Winston that got me out of my seat at Spartan Stadium:

  Yikes.  While don’t think Jeff ‘SuperFan’ Holzhausen is going to abandon his uniform or cowbell anytime soon, the Michigan State loss caused SuperFan to blow a gasket that may be beyond repair: I’m sick.  I’m disgusted.  I’m nasty and pissed off. The honeymoon is over for me ladies and gentlemen.  Every coach compiles what I see as UNFORGIVABLE losses…and I will never…NEVER…forgive Rich Rodriguez or his staff for that absolute horsecrap game plan and team motivation…and team focus…and team execution.  Pathetic.  Rich Rod got a free pass in 2008 no matter how much that season killed me…SO COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE FREAKIN EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WE GET DOMINATED FOR MOST OF THE GAME BY A WEAK STATE DEFENSE AND WE SCORE MORE POINTS LAST YEAR WITH THREET AT THE HELM???  Fee pass over.  Honeymoon over.  I’m a TNT Popeye explodin’ motha right now folks…I takes all I’s can stands till I can’t stands no more. I’m shifting SF from ‘All In’ to ‘Barely In’ on my fan tracker.  Hang in there SF!

I took my 5-year-old daughter to the M hockey exhibition against the University of Windsor on Sunday evening so excuse me if I missed this, as the only War Chant I recall is the one for Twizzlers and popcorn.  Brian at mgoblog: Major plus points for playing Temptation—all of Temptation—and Hawaiian War Chant in the first intermission. The You Can’t Have One Without The Other duo is criminally underused across all Michigan sports and should be implemented whenever and wherever possible. Hopefully they continue that all season. And props to Cook for employing the tag, “yost is not nam there are rules” on the post. This note offers a good time to answer a recent question posed to me, just after the Indiana game.  Reader Doug Dewitt tossed in this question: How did Temptation and Hawaiian War Chant become part of Michigan tradition? After a fruitless Google search, I went to the authorities over at the Hoover Street Rag.   Thanks to Craig, Geoff, Jeremy and Gary, they posed the question to band historian Joseph Dobos who dropped some knowledge: Jerry Bilik’s “Temptation” and “War Chant” were performed first as part of two different half time shows in the mid 1950s.  As is done now, highlights of half time shows were performed at postgame shows.  Both feature the percussion section and…