2015 Butkus Award Watch List

The 2015 Butkus Award Watch List was released on Tuesday morning (LINK). There are two Michigan players on the list, along with some other notable players:

Joe Bolden - LB - Michigan
De'Vondre Campbell - LB - Minnesota
Su'a Cravens - LB - USC*
Kris Frost - LB - Auburn*
Darien Harris - LB - Michigan State
Jordan Jenkins - LB - Georgia*
Peter Kalambayi - LB - Stanford*
Raekwon McMillan - LB - Ohio State
Mason Monheim - LB - Illinois
Joshua Perry - LB - Ohio State
James Ross III - LB - Michigan
Anthony Sarao - LB - USC*
Jaylon Smith - LB - Notre Dame*
Jason Wittingham - LB - Utah

Bolden started 12 games last season for Michigan and made 102 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 pass breakup. Ross started 7 games last year and made 32 tackles and 3 tackles for loss. Both players are seniors.

*Offered by Michigan

U.S. Army All-American Bowl Participants: Michigan

2012 U.S. Army Bowl participants: Ondre Pipkins, Royce Jenkins-Stone, James Ross, Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson
(left to right; image via TheWolverine.com)

For your viewing pleasure, here's a comprehensive list of Michigan's past commitments who were selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

2016
Michael Onwenu - Detroit, MI

2015
None

2014
Mason Cole, OG - Tarpon Springs, FL

2013
Jake Butt, TE - Pickerington, OH
Chris Fox, OT - Parker, CO#
Derrick Green, RB - Richmond, VA
Jourdan Lewis, CB - Detroit, MI
Dymonte Thomas, S - Alliance, OH

2012
Kyle Kalis, OL - Lakewood, OH
Royce Jenkins-Stone, LB - Detroit, MI
Erik Magnuson, OL - Carlsbad, CA
Ondre Pipkins, DT - Kansas City, MO
James Ross, LB - Orchard Lake, MI

2011
Blake Countess, CB - Olney, MD
Wayne Lyons, CB - Fort Lauderdale, FL*
Matt Wile, K - San Diego, CA

2010
Cullen Christian, CB - Pittsburgh, PA
Will Hagerup, P - Whitefish Bay, WI

2009
William Campbell, DT - Detroit, MI
Jeremy Gallon, WR - Apopka, FL
Brendan Gibbons, K - West Palm Beach, FL
Anthony Lalota, DE - Princeton, NJ
Je'Ron Stokes, WR - Pittsburgh, PA
Justin Turner, CB - Massillon, OH

2008
Boubacar Cissoko, CB - Detroit, MI
Sam McGuffie, RB - Houston, TX
Brandon Smith, S - New Brunswick, NJ

2007
Donovan Warren, CB - Long Beach, CA
Michael Williams, S - St. Bonaventure, CA

2006
Justin Boren, OG - Pickerington, OH
Steve Brown, S - Columbus, IN
Brandon Graham, DE - Detroit, MI
Jonas Mouton, LB - Venice, CA
Steve Schilling, OT - Bellevue, WA

2005
James McKinney, DT - Louisville, KY
Zoltan Mesko, P - Twinsburg, OH
Marques Slocum, DT - Philadelphia, PA

2004
Adrian Arrington, WR - Cedar Rapids, IA
Alan Branch, DT - Albuquerque, NM
Jeremy Ciulla, OG - Kennesaw, GA
Doug Dutch, WR/CB - Washington, DC
Chad Henne, QB - West Lawn, PA
Tim Jamison, DE - Harvey, IL
Max Martin, RB - Madison, AL

2003
Prescott Burgess, LB - Warren, OH
Anton Campbell, S - O'Fallon, MO
Shawn Crable, LB - Massillon, OH
Leon Hall, CB - Vista, CA
Ryan Mundy, S - Pittsburgh, PA
Will Paul, FB - St. Louis, MO
Clayton Richard, QB - Lafayette, IN
Garrett Rivas, K - Tampa, FL

2002
Jason Avant, WR - Chicago, IL
Mike Kolodziej, OT - Joliet, IL

2001
Marlin Jackson, CB - Sharon, PA
Pierre Woods, DE - Cleveland, OH

*Transferred to Michigan
#Will not/did not play due to injury

Michigan vs. Northwestern Awards

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Dennis Norfleet. Norfleet injured his shoulder against Indiana, and he did not appear in this game. It was no surprise when Michigan couldn't find a big-play threat even once during the Northwestern game. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier tried an end around to Devin Funchess - which was an utter failure - and the Wolverines have no speed on the outside. Add that to the gimpy Devin Gardner and a gimpy De'Veon Smith, and things look bleak for big plays. Norfleet hasn't been able to make huge plays, but he does have the ability to make 10-20 yard gains on the occasional run or reception. Hopefully he can get healthy by the next game in two weeks.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Devin Funchess as the go-to receiver. The more reliable target this year has been Amara Darboh. Darboh is pretty slow and runs poor routes at times, but he makes both the easy and the tough catches. Funchess hasn't consistently made either. Michigan needs to spread the ball around, but when they need  a play to be made, I think Darboh has to be the guy.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . James Ross III. Ross has been playing better than the third corner. Against some packages, I guess it's necessary to put a fifth defensive back in the game, but you have to put your best eleven guys out there on defense. That actually probably would involve removing the free safety, but we've been over that before. Anytime Delonte Hollowell is out there on defense, I'd rather have Ross in the game.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Delonte Hollowell. As I mentioned in the game recap, it seems like opposing coordinators and quarterbacks are aware of his presence. If they watch game tape from earlier in the season, he's the guy they should realize they can pick on. He hasn't played a great deal on defense, but he has allowed at least three touchdowns this season on out routes near the left sideline (against Notre Dame, Utah, and now Northwestern). The kid is a decent special teams contributor, but he's a liability in coverage.

Play of the game . . . Matt Godin's interception on Frank Clark's tip. Late in the second quarter, Michigan ran a zone blitz that dropped defensive end Brennen Beyer into a short zone. On a three-man rush, defensive end Frank Clark bulled Northwestern offensive tackle Jason Konopka backward, getting a hand up to knock down a Trevor Siemian pass attempt. The ball was knocked up in the air, and defensive tackle Godin reeled it in as he was falling backward to the ground. There are several options - the thwarted two-point conversion, Jake Ryan's interception, several of the 6 Michigan sacks, etc. - but I'll give it to Godin (and Clark) because it involved multiple players.

MVP of the game . . . tie between Jake Ryan and Frank Clark. Both had stellar games, particularly in the first half. Ryan finished with 11 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, 1 interception (returned for 2 yards), and 1 other pass breakup. Clark had 8 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 3 batted balls, one of which was intercepted; he also sniffed out a reverse and made a very nice tackle in the backfield. This game was won by the defense, and those two really stood out.

2014 Season Countdown: #13 James Ross III

James Ross III (#15)

Name: James Ross III
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 227 lbs.
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
Position: Linebacker
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #15
Last year: I ranked Ross #6 and said he would be the starting will with 90 tackles and 2 sacks. He made 85 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.

For a starter who nearly led the team in tackles, Ross was disappointing to some fans in 2013. The three-man rotation at the inside linebacker spots eventually grew to include four men, and Ross started just nine games. He had 8+ tackles in five games, including a career-high 13 against Northwestern. And yet. Listed at a generous 6'1" and at roughly 220 lbs., it seemed at times that Ross was a little light and taking the hits rather than giving them. We know that he can hit hard - we just have to watch practice videos of him lighting up ball carriers and blockers. When Saturdays roll around, though, Ross just seems to play a tiny bit slower and a tiny bit less aggressively.

This year Ross faces a new challenge. He was moved to SAM linebacker in Michigan's 4-3 Over defense, where he will regularly be lining up over the tight end. He will also be fighting something familiar: competition. Junior Royce Jenkins-Stone bounced to SAM from middle linebacker, and he has reportedly taken to his new role. Michigan's current coaching staff has constantly rotated linebackers, so Jenkins-Stone will probably see plenty of playing time. But I have long been fond of Ross's abilities to read and react. The key this season will be to see how he deals with big bodies being thrown at him on the strong side, such as an offensive tackle on zone runs or a fullback on a zone read or a tight end blocking down on a power. Hopefully Ross can be a little quicker and a little more aggressive in his third year, but the tools are there to be all-conference.

Prediction: Starting SAM linebacker; 90 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks

Phil Steele's 2014 All-Big Ten team released

Devin Funchess

Phil Steele released his 2014 All-Big Ten team, and there are several Michigan players on the list.

FIRST TEAM
WR Devin Funchess
LB Jake Ryan
CB Blake Countess

SECOND TEAM
DE Frank Clark
LB Desmond Morgan

THIRD TEAM
P Will Hagerup

FOURTH TEAM
QB Devin Gardner
LB James Ross III

Many of these are interesting picks for various reasons. First of all, Devin Funchess is going into his first year as a full-time wideout, and he will also be without a proven commodity taking attention away from him in the form of Jeremy Gallon. Ryan is switching positions from strongside outside linebacker to middle linebacker in a new base defense. Countess has been rumored to be relegated to a backup role behind sophomore Jourdan Lewis, though Countess will start at slot corner. Morgan is another guy who changes positions, albeit slightly (middle linebacker to weakside linebacker). Gardner might be the most physically talented quarterback in the conference, but he's behind Braxton Miller (understandable due to winning and good talent), Connor Cook (who came out of nowhere last year), and Christian Hackenberg (who will be without his stud receiver, Allen Robinson). I think there's a decent chance that Gardner is a First Team or Second Team all-conference quarterback by year's end. Meanwhile, Ross is in a battle for his position with up-and-comer Royce Jenkins-Stone.

Michigan certainly has a lot of question marks going into 2014, but that's what happens when you go 8-5 and 7-6 in consecutive years.

Jake Ryan will be a middle linebacker and other news

This is my favorite picture of Jake Ryan.

Jake Ryan continues to amaze. Now that he's shown himself to be a pretty good outside linebacker, Ryan's next trick will be to show the world that he can play MIKE. Brady Hoke announced on WTKA Friday morning that Ryan will be moving to the middle, and since Ryan isn't a guy you move to shore up depth, I think we can assume that he will be installed as the new starter there. Back in January of 2010, here's part of what I said in his commitment post:

Regardless, I think Ryan is best suited for middle linebacker. He seems to do a good job of diagnosing plays and taking good angles toward the ballcarrier. He has a solid frame and could easily play at 240 or 245.

There are a couple other things in that article that turned out to be inaccurate (for example, he has turned out to be a sure tackler, though his high school wrist injury may have been a reason for questioning that area), but I generally agree with this move. Ryan has the body of an excellent middle linebacker, and while taking on lead blocks from a fullback might be a question mark, he has shown an ability to evade blockers on the edge.

The biggest thing this does for Michigan's defense is putting the Wolverines' best front seven player (and perhaps best defender overall) in the middle of the field always and forever. Spread teams or even just a spread formation would put Ryan on the edge covering a slot receiver whenever the offense wanted him out there. That took away chances for him to blitz, and it took away chances for him to help in the run game unless the offense attacked his side. Now he can be utilized as an inside rusher - which he has done well on the rare occasion he lined up there at SAM - and he can play the run from sideline to sideline.

What does the depth chart look like now? A lot of this is speculation, of course, since the coaches aren't going to release a depth chart right now or go through all 100+ players on the roster. There are two ways to look at this, in my opinion.

1. We like our philosophy, but Jake Ryan is a playmaker and needs to be in the middle.
2. Our philosophy needs to be tweaked, so we'll put bigger guys in the middle and hybrid types at SAM.

Number one only makes sense if there's a viable Ryan clone on the outside, who can both set the edge and still make plays in space against spread teams. For some reason, I find #1 unlikely because that would suggest that someone is ready to do what Ryan has been doing for the past few seasons. If that person exists on Michigan's roster, he's been hiding on the sideline or in redshirt land.

Number two is more likely, and Webb has said this move means former weakside linebacker James Ross will be playing SAM. This means more of a change in philosophy to *gulp* the ways of Greg Robinson. Robinson, of course, turned safety Stevie Brown into a pretty good outside linebacker in 2009. Ross's frame can't handle much more weight, so we appear to be looking at a guy who's going to have to set the edge with his quickness and not brute strength. Operating under the assumption that #2 is what Michigan's coaches are thinking, here's a mix of what I've heard and what I surmise:

• SAM linebacker: James Ross, Allen Gant
• MIKE linebacker: Jake Ryan, Desmond Morgan
• WILL linebacker: Joe Bolden, Ben Gedeon

I'm not going to bother with officially predicting what happens with the true freshmen, because for all we know, these position changes won't stick beyond the spring. And once Jake Ryan graduates, maybe the coaches will return to the old ways.

I do not expect this move to affect Brennen Beyer, who is expected to be a defensive end; he's more effective at setting the edge rather than playing in space.

Here's a Premature Two-Deep Depth Chart In Progress:

WDE: Frank Clark, Mario Ojemudia
DT: Willie Henry, Chris Wormley
NT: Ondre Pipkins, Maurice Hurst
SDE: Brennen Beyer, Taco Charlton

SAM: James Ross, Allen Gant
MIKE: Jake Ryan, Desmond Morgan
WILL: Joe Bolden, Ben Gedeon
CB: Blake Countess, Jabrill Peppers
CB: Raymon Taylor, Channing Stribling
FS: Jarrod Wilson, Jeremy Clark
SS: Dymonte Thomas, Delano Hill

Review of 2013 Season Predictions

Jeremy Gallon set several records this season.

Here's a link to my 2013 Season Predictions, which were posted at the end of August. This might be more fun for me than for you, but it's interesting to me to see how things played out this year.

LEADING RUSHER
Prediction: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 900 yards
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 658 yards
Thoughts: The offensive line was worse than anyone expected it to be, and Toussaint struggled to average 3.5 yards/carry. The next highest total was Devin Gardner's 483 yards.

LEADING RECEIVER
Prediction: Jeremy Gallon, 1100 yards
Actual: Jeremy Gallon, 1373 yards
Thoughts: Gallon had an outstanding season and goes down in the record books with the top yardage output by any receiver in Michigan history, surpassing Braylon Edwards's 1,330 yards in 2004. I expected him to have a very good season due to the Gardner-Gallon chemistry, but this was more explosive than anyone probably envisioned.

LEADING TACKLER
Prediction: James Ross III, 90 tackles
Actual: Raymon Taylor, 86 tackles
Thoughts: It's bad news when a cornerback leads the team in tackles, especially when that tackle total is so high. Opposing quarterbacks completed a lot of passes in front Taylor. Ross missed the second half of the Iowa game and the entire Ohio State game, so I'm pretty confident that he would have led the team in tackles if he had remained healthy.

LEADING SACKER
Prediction: Frank Clark, 8 sacks
Actual: Frank Clark and Cameron Gordon, 5 sacks (tie)
Thoughts: Clark started off slowly before turning on the jets a little bit in the middle of the season, but his season was somewhat of a disappointment considering all the offseason hype. Gordon started off quickly but lost some playing time once Jake Ryan returned midseason.

ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
Prediction: Taylor Lewan and Jeremy Gallon
Actual: Taylor Lewan was chosen by the Coaches and the Media. Devin Funchess and Blake Countess were chosen by the Media only.
Thoughts: Lewan was an obvious choice, and Gallon was robbed after conference finishes of #2 in receptions, #2 in yards, and #3 in touchdowns. Funchess earned his accolades as a tight end despite playing mostly at wide receiver, and Countess might be the Comeback Player of the Year in the conference after tearing his ACL in 2012. Nobody else on the team really had an argument to earn First Team honors.

LEADING SCORER (NON-QB, NON-KICKER)
Prediction: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 12 touchdowns
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 13 touchdowns
Thoughts: Toussaint ended up scoring 78 points on 13 rushing touchdowns, while I thought he would score 10 rushing and 2 receiving touchdowns, leaving him with 72 points. Gallon was next with 54 total points.

BREAKOUT OFFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jehu Chesson
Actual: Jake Butt
Thoughts: Chesson had an okay year with several devastating blocks, some nice plays on special teams coverage, and 15 catches for 221 yards and 1 touchdown. But I think Butt deserves this award as he improved as a blocker and became a reliable receiving target with 20 catches for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns.

BREAKOUT DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: James Ross
Actual: I don't even know who to pick here. Perhaps the answer here is Blake Countess, but I don't believe I even thought of him as being in the running since he was a starter as a true freshman in 2011. You could probably make an argument for Ross, Cam Gordon, or Frank Clark, who are the three guys I mentioned considering back in August.
Thoughts: Ross nearly led the team in tackles and might have surpassed 100 if he had been healthy. Gordon and Clark tied for the team lead in sacks. I don't really see any other legitimate options here, although we saw glimpses of what Chris Wormley, Willie Henry, Ben Gedeon, and Jarrod Wilson can do.

MOST DISAPPOINTING OFFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jack Miller
Actual: Jack Miller?
Thoughts: Again, I'm not sure whom to pick here. Miller started the first several games at center before being benched, never to see the field again. There was lots of disappointment to go around due to the underachieving offense (Devin Gardner, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Taylor Lewan, Kyle Kalis, even Devin Funchess). I guess Miller wins because he was really the only starter to get permanently benched, but I'm open to arguments.

MOST DISAPPOINTING DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jarrod Wilson
Actual: Courtney Avery
Thoughts: This is another tough choice, but Wilson made some nice plays early in the season. Avery proved to be kind of a lost cause at cornerback and safety, where he didn't really make one significant play all season except half of a sack against Michigan State. Otherwise, he was invisible except when guys were running past him. He went from a good nickel corner in 2011 to an okay one in 2012 to a liability at two different positions in 2013.

FINAL RECORD
Central Michigan: Win
Notre Dame: Win
Akron: Win
UConn: Win
Minnesota: Win
Penn State: Win Loss
Indiana: Win
Michigan State: Win Loss
Nebraska: Loss
Northwestern: Win
Iowa: Win Loss
Ohio State: Loss
-----------------------------
Prediction: 10-2
Actual: 7-5 (7-6 after bowl game) 

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Linebackers

Blake Slaughter (#53) helped seal a win against TCU with an interception and 39-yard return

MICHIGAN
Starters: Sophomore weakside linebacker James Ross III (6'1", 220 lbs.) leads the unit in tackles and is tied for the team lead despite missing the last 1.5 games with an injury; he has 81 stops, 5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Quick and decisive, Ross makes plays by beating blockers to the point of attack, but he's listed as "questionable" for the bowl game. Junior middle linebacker Desmond Morgan (6'1", 227 lbs.) is a thumper despite not being particularly big, and he has 73 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 highlight-reel interception this season. Morgan isn't the fastest linebacker around, but he can hold his ground in the run game. The "star" of the group is actually redshirt junior outside linebacker Jake Ryan (6'3", 240 lbs.), who has just 26 tackles and 4 tackles for loss; he tore his ACL in the spring and returned halfway through the season, so he has flashed his old athleticism but hasn't performed up to the standard he set in 2012.
Backups: Sophomore Joe Bolden (6'3", 225 lbs.) is fourth on the team with 50 tackles, along with 3 tackles for loss and 1 sack. He will likely be Ross's replacement if the starter can't go. Bolden has been the top sub at both inside linebacker positions all year in what was mostly a three-man rotation, thus the high tackle total. Freshman Ben Gedeon (6'3", 236 lbs.) took over Bolden's substitute role with Ross out, so he might see a significant amount of playing time; he made 14 tackles and 1 sack in limited duty. The other notable player is fifth year senior Cam Gordon (6'3", 237 lbs.), a fast and strong athlete who's been pushed to the side by Ryan's return despite having 38 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks on the season.

KANSAS STATE
Starters: Fifth year senior Blake Slaughter (5'10", 227 lbs.) is the team leader in tackles with 103 and was honorable mention all-conference; he also had 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 1 interception. Despite being a little stouter than fellow inside linebacker Jonathan Truman (5'11", 219 lbs.), Slaughter's the one who bounces outside the box against trips formations and slot receivers. Slaughter was a little used linebacker in 2009-2011 and then redshirted in 2012 in order to help the team in 2013, which was part of the reason he was voted team captain this year. Truman has 85 tackles and 4 tackles for loss to his credit. He's a redshirt sophomore former walk-on.
Backups: Senior Tre Walker (6'3", 225 lbs.) is the outside linebacker when Kansas State is in a 4-3 look, and he has 26 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss this season. Redshirt freshman Will Davis (6'0", 223 lbs.) has 16 tackles this season but doesn't see a lot of playing time.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan has had solid play from its linebackers for most of the year, and they generally tend to be technically sound. The Wolverines basically have five guys capable of starting (Ross, Morgan, Ryan, Bolden, and Gordon) with Gedeon as a pretty good fourth inside linebacker. The inside guys won't blitz often, but Ryan and Gordon can threaten the quarterback off the edge. In an admittedly limited study of Kansas State, I think Slaughter, Truman, and Walker are exploitable. Kansas State runs a lot of a 4-2-5 look, meaning their opponents are running at a six-man core that includes two linebackers who are the same weight as Michigan's linebackers but don't play quite as stout, in my opinion. They try to run around blocks and they have trouble disengaging. They are fairly quick, which might suit them well against some of the wide-open offenses in the Big 12 (Oregon State, Oklahoma, Baylor, etc.), but they might struggle against a straight-ahead running team that has power running backs in 240 lb. Derrick Green and 224 lb. De'Veon Smith.

ADVANTAGE: Michigan

Iowa 24, Michigan 21

Brennen Beyer returns an interception 7 yards for a touchdown (image via Times Union)

This happened because of three guys. In my opinion, this game came down to the absence - literally and figuratively - of three players. First of all, Michigan middle linebacker Desmond Morgan (0 tackles) left the game in the first quarter due to what was rumored to be a concussion, which would be at least his second in college. Then weakside linebacker James Ross (6 tackles) left the game in the second half, although it's unclear what that injury was. And Devin Funchess (1 catch, 2 yards; 1 carry, 10 yards) might as well have been out due to injury, because he was completely useless. He dropped four passes by my count, and he can't block. So the Wolverines were without their two leading tacklers, which suggests it wasn't a coincidence that the Hawkeyes were able to turn on their running game in the second half. Michigan's defensive line is solid but unspectacular, and what helped them rank #13 against the run going into this game was their technically sound linebackers. When you're left with sophomore Joe Bolden (4 tackles) and freshman Ben Gedeon (3 tackles) as your two inside linebackers, that's a recipe for struggles. Iowa running backs Damon Bullock (1 for 8), Jordan Canzeri (9 for 40), and Mark Weisman (10 for 45) had a total of 20 carries for 93 yards after halftime, helping Iowa to hold the ball for 18:23 of the second half.

Games are won in the trenches. I know this is an old adage, but it's true. And it's frustrating to watch Michigan get beaten so badly up front in every single game. I've said it over and over again, but Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield aren't dominating like they should, and the interior linemen can't get any kind of push ever. They say that even the best linemen in the NFL win just over half their battles, and that's what separates them from the other guys; well, Michigan's guards and center aren't close to winning half their battles in the run game. It's an abomination. Michigan's running backs combined for 17 carries and 35 yards in this one, with a long run of 9 yards. The offensive line allowed 11 tackles for loss. That sounds really bad, but that's been the norm - the Wolverines are averaging 10.5 tackles for loss allowed this year. For comparison's sake, Michigan has a pretty good defense and averages 5.7 TFL's a game.

Devin Gardner might retire. Gardner had one of his least effective performances this year, going 13/28 for 98 yards, 2 touchdowns, and giving away the game-clinching fumble; he also ran 10 times for 12 yards, despite only getting sacked once. He's lost a step, he's running tentatively, and he just looks downright scared of taking more of a beating at times. After the game, he was reportedly favoring his right arm. Obviously, Michigan needs him if they have any hope of beating Ohio State next week, but with his diminishing health and the sorry state of the offensive line, I would not be surprised at all if Gardner doesn't finish next week's contest.

Graham Glasgow snapping mistake? Check. I swear I don't think I've ever seen a college center with as many snapping issues as Glasgow. With the exception of the Northwestern game last week, Glasgow has had a snapping error every week. This week's blunder was a snap infraction on a 1st-and-Goal from the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter that pushed the Wolverines back to the 9. After an incomplete pass and a nothing run, Gardner bailed him out with a touchdown pass to Gallon.

Good grief, Jeremy Jackson is terrible. Usually I try to stay objective, so this is an angry rant I'm allowing myself near the completion of a frustrating season. Senior Jeremy Jackson's one late wide-open catch for a first down does not erase the fact that he should not be on the field. Like, at all. Ever. The final straw for this rant came yesterday when I saw him standing around not blocking anyone while Devin Gardner was getting tackled. He can't run, he can't jump, and he can't block. The guy is a preferred walk-on at best, or maybe a Division II athlete. I never understood* why he was offered by Rich Rodriguez in the 2010 class, and his performance over the last four years has only solidified those feelings. Da'Mario Jones, Dennis Norfleet, and Joe Reynolds are all better athletes, and you could probably get a better blocking effort out of walk-ons Bo Dever or Blaise Stearns, just to name a couple. I actually have some respect and empathy for Rodriguez, but one look at that 2010 class makes me want to vomit. The guy took 27 players in that class, and after you list the top three (Jake Ryan, Devin Gardner, Jibreel Black), you start to get in the murky territory of trying to rank Jackson, your holder/fifth receiver (Drew Dileo), your journeyman defensive back (Courtney Avery), your journeyman tight end/defensive end/linebacker (Jordan Paskorz), or your weed-loving suspended punter (Will Hagerup). Where was I going with this? Oh yeah. Erm . . . uh . . . yeah, Jeremy Jackson. He's bad.

Let's end on a high note. (Not that kind of high note, Hagerup.) So how about Blake Countess, Raymon Taylor, and Brennen Beyer picking off those terrible throws from Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock? Let's be honest - those picks were more about Rudock being bad than Michigan having great coverage, but these Michigan cornerbacks are better playmakers than we've had in a while. For a little while - the J.T. Floyd years, basically - Michigan struggled to make any plays at cornerback, and the notable plays from defensive backs had to come from the safeties. Taylor's still afraid to tackle running backs, but overall, I like where Michigan's headed in the defensive backfield. And kudos to Beyer, who has made some steps forward this year and tallied his first interception and first touchdown.

Just kidding. What does this mean for the Ohio State game? Probably doom.

*Of course, I know Jeremy Jackson was mainly offered because his dad is the running backs coach. Also, aliens.

Michigan vs. Northwestern Awards

Jake Butt's one-handed overtime touchdown (image via MGoBlog)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Derrick Green. I thought Green (19 carries, 79 yards) looked pretty solid in his first career start. He will never be the fastest back around, nor will he make many people miss. But what he's always done well is hit the hole hard. On Saturday night, he appeared to be less worried about finding the hole and less preoccupied with holding onto the football, and as long as he can do those things successfully without overthinking, he should be a good alternative to Fitzgerald Toussaint down the stretch. Those two should be splitting carries next week if Toussaint is healthy.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . nobody. I was happy with the wide receiver rotation, the tight end rotation, and the running backs. Even Graham Glasgow had an error-free day snapping the ball.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Jehu Chesson. Okay, okay, I'm not suggesting that he move to defense . . . but I have been very impressed with his physicality through ten games. Whether he's blocking or on special teams coverage, the guy hits people and is a solid tackler. Brady Hoke mentioned at the beginning of the year that Chesson almost moved to cornerback at one point last year, and I would not mind having his clone in the defensive backfield.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Keith Heitzman. I was in support of Heitzman early in the year, but the more I've seen of all these guys, the rotation right now seems to be pretty good. With Jake Ryan back at SAM linebacker and Cam Gordon a very athletic backup there, Beyer looks to be a more natural fit at defensive end with Chris Wormley playing rotation snaps. Even when Heitzman's broken hand is fully healed, I think he's a third-stringer - but if he's your third string defensive end, you're in pretty good shape.

Play of the game . . . Brendan Gibbons's game-tying 44-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. You know the story already, but here it is again: Jeremy Gallon was tackled with about 11 seconds remaining after a 16-yard reception. He promptly got up, got the ball to the official to place on the right hashmark, and the field goal unit ran onto the field. While the blockers got set, wide receiver Drew Dileo came sprinting in from the opposite side of the field after running his own route, tapped the ground, and took the snap from Jareth Glanda with barely 1 second left on the clock. Gibbons hurried through his steps to knock the ball through the uprights. Honorable mention goes to Jake Butt's one-handed touchdown grab from Devin Gardner in the first overtime.

MVP of the game . . . James Ross III. I came really close to picking Gardner (24/43, 226 yards, 1 touchdown; 17 carries for 19 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 two-point conversion), but Gardner had an off day throwing the ball. He was undoubtedly a tough competitor after getting beaten up the previous two weeks and working through five sacks in this game alone, but Ross was a big reason Michigan was able to hold down Northwestern's potent, multi-pronged rushing attack. Ross ended the game with 13 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack; his tackles were the most by a Wolverine in any game this season, and he now leads the team with 75 tackles

Preview: Michigan at Michigan State

Rush Offense vs. Michigan State Rush Defense
Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint had a breakout game two weeks ago against Indiana, but that was Indiana. Even now, Michigan averages just 4.15 yards/carry and Toussaint himself averages just 3.71. The Wolverines installed two new offensive guard starters last game, redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson and true freshman Kyle Bosch (the latter of whom technically did not start, replacing the injured Joey Burzynski). Michigan State leads the nation in rushing defense and allows just 55 yards/game and 2.07 yards/carry. The defensive tackles are large with seniors Micajah Reynolds (6'5", 307 lbs.) and Tyler Hoover (6'7", 290 lbs.), and the defensive ends are fairly light but very aggressive in the form of junior Marcus Rush (6'2", 245 lbs.) and sophomore Shilique Calhoun (6'4", 250 lbs.). Calhoun and senior linebacker Denicos Allen (5'11", 218 lbs.) are tied for the team lead with 8 tackles for loss each, and SAM linebacker Max Bullough (6'3", 230 lbs.) has 6.5 TFL's himself. Michigan is really going to struggle. They'll have to make hay on draws, quarterback scrambles, and shotgun runs where they spread the field, because running from under center will be out of the question.
Advantage: Michigan State

Pass Offense vs. Michigan State Pass Defense
Michigan is #42 in the country with 262.6 yards/game through the air, and quarterback Devin Gardner's ball security has improved since halftime of the Penn State game. He's completed 61% of his passes for 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions so far. Wideout Jeremy Gallon is coming off a 369-yard performance against Indiana and now has 45 receptions for 831 yards and 7 touchdowns this year, good enough to be the #7 receiver throughout the country; wide receiver/tight end Devin Funchess is #73 with 70.3 yards/game. Michigan State has allowed just 160.6 yards/game through the air. Senior cornerback Darqueze Dennard (5'11", 197 lbs.) and senior free safety Isaiah Lewis (5'11", 208 lbs.)  each have 2 interceptions, and strong safety Kurtis Drummond has 1. Calhoun leads the team with 4 sacks, and three other guys in the front seven have 3 or 3.5 each. The Spartans are #36 at sacking the quarterback, and Michigan is #39 at allowing sacks. It may seem like that's a pretty fair matchup, but the youth on Michigan's interior might make the stunts and inside blitzes problematic for the Wolverines.
Advantage: Michigan State

Rush Defense vs. Michigan State Rush Offense
Michigan is #7 in the country, giving up just under 100 yards/game. Inside linebackers James Ross III and Desmond Morgan lead the team with 50 and 47 tackles, respectively. Defensive end Frank Clark leads with 6 tackles for loss and the Wolverines are tied for #101 overall with 38 TFL's. Despite not being particularly beefy on the interior, the last time Michigan lined up against a smashmouth running game, Penn State got just 85 yards on 44 carries. Michigan State is #37 in the nation at rushing with 196.5 yards/game. Junior running back Jeremy Langford (6'0", 206 lbs.) has 655 rushing yards, averages 4.7 yards/carry, and has scored 9 touchdowns. Junior backup Nick Hill (5'8", 198 lbs.) averages 5.3 yards/carry, and sturdy sophomore quarterback Connor Cook (6'4", 215 lbs.) can run a little bit, too. Michigan State's offensive line averages 6'4" and 299 lbs., and they are all fourth- or fifth-year players except redshirt freshman left tackle Jack Conklin (6'6", 326 lbs.). The Spartans will try to establish the run, but it should be tough sledding against a stout rush defense.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. Michigan State Pass Offense
The Wolverines are #99 in the country because they give up 255.4 yards/game through the air, a somewhat abysmal number considering Michigan's opponents; Indiana put up a ton of yards through the air, and Penn State's freshman quarterback had a fair amount of success, too. Clark leads the #49 team in sacks with 5, but the pass rush has not been consistent from any other player or position. Meanwhile, the Wolverines are doing fairly well in the interceptions category (#16 overall), and Blake Countess has 4 himself. Cook has taken the starting QB job for the Spartans and has completed 60% of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The receiving corps leaves a little something to be desired. The top five receivers have between 12 and 25 receptions, and none averages more than 13.9 yards/catch. Sophomore Macgarrett Kings (5'10", 196 lbs.) leads with 25 catches for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Spartans have allowed just 6 sacks this year, placing them #6 in the country in that category.
Advantage: Michigan State

Roster Notes

• Players with offers from Michigan include WR Aaron Burbridge, LB Ed Davis, S Kurtis Drummond, OT Dennis Finley, CB Mylan Hicks, DT Tyler Hoover, LB Shane Jones, WR Monty Madaris, LB Jon Reschke, DE Marcus Rush, and DT Lawrence Thomas.
• LS Taybor Pepper was once committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on but was given a scholarship by the Spartans.
• TE Dylan Chmura is the son of former Green Bay Packers TE Mark Chmura.

Visitors

• Brian Allen - C - Hinsdale (IL) Central (Michigan State)
• Dontre Boyd - CB - Detroit (MI) King
• Miles Boykin - TE - New Lenox (IL) Providence Catholic
• Ben Bredeson - OG - Hartland (WI) Arrowhead
• Daniel Cage - DT - Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods
• Martinez Calloway - QB - Detroit (MI) King
• Brian Cole - WR/CB - Saginaw (MI) Heritage
• Will Dawkins - S - Vero Beach (FL) Vero Beach
• Chase Gianacakos - OT - St. Charles (IL) North (Michigan State)
• Kyle Gibson - CB - Seffner (FL) Armwood (Vanderbilt)
• Kadeem Goulbourne - WR - Fort Lauderdale (FL) Cypress Bay
• T.J. Harrell - S - Tampa (FL) Catholic
• Justin Hilliard - LB - Cincinnati (OH) Xavier
• Chris James - RB - Niles (IL) Notre Dame
• Jake Johnson - QB - DeWitt (MI) DeWitt
• Jesse Johnson - S - Detroit (MI) King
• Jamil Kamara - WR - Virginia Beach (VA) Bishop Sullivan
• John Kelly - RB/S - Oak Park (MI) Oak Park
• Austin Mack - WR - Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers
• Jalen Martin - WR - Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park
• Malik McDowell - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield
• David Moorman - OT - Northville (MI) Northville
• Montae Nicholson - S - Monroeville (PA) Gateway
• Gerald Owens - FB - Westville (NJ) West Deptford
• JayJay Pinkney - WR - Sylvania (OH) Southview
• Eric Rogers - LB - Warren (MI) De La Salle
• Tyson Smith - CB - Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
• Kyonta Stallworth - OG - St. Clair Shores (MI) South Lake
• Omari Stringer - S - Crete (IL) Monee
• Tyriq Thompson - LB - Detroit (MI) King
• Ethan Tucky - LB - Delaware (OH) Hayes
• Michael Weber - RB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
• Jauan Wesley - WR - Harvey (IL) Thornton (Iowa State)
• Noah Wezensky - QB - Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers
• Khari Willis - RB - Jackson (MI) Lumen Christi

Predictions

• Michigan gets destroyed consistently up front, resulting in Fitzgerald Toussaint averaging less than 1 yard per carry.
• The Wolverines toy with using Jeremy Gallon in the slot to get him the ball.
• Devin Gardner throws a pick six to an MSU linebacker.
• Michigan State 20, Michigan 17

Last Time They Played . . . 

• Michigan won by a score of 12-10
• Brendan Gibbons and Matt Wile combined to score all 12 of Michigan's points on 4/4 kicking
• Denard Robinson ran 20 times for 96 yards, and Drew Dileo caught 4 passes for 92 yards
• Jake Ryan made 10 tackles, 1 sack, and forced a fumble

Poll results: Who will be Michigan's leading tackler in 2013?

Desmond Morgan (#48) and James Ross III (#15) are the top two tacklers so far.

Prior to the season, I asked which player would lead Michigan in tackles. So far the voting has been pretty accurate for the leader, although cornerback Raymon Taylor - whom I didn't even put on the list - is close to the lead with 44 total takedowns.

James Ross III: 56%
After seven games, Ross has 50 total tackles.

Desmond Morgan: 27%
Morgan has 47 tackles at this point.

Joe Bolden: 6%
Bolden has 23 tackles as the main backup inside linebacker.

Thomas Gordon: 3%
T. Gordon sits at 25 tackles.

Cameron Gordon: 2%
C. Gordon has just 13 tackles right now.

Brennen Beyer: 1%
Beyer has made 18 tackles through seven contests.

Other: 1%
The "other 1%" have made 257 tackles altogether.

Blake Countess: 0%
Countess is the third-leading tackler among defensive backs with 27.

Preview: Michigan at UConn

Rush Offense vs. UConn Rush Defense
The Wolverines have better rushing statistics than it might seem; they're averaging 4.96 yards/carry, but that's propped up by quarterback Devin Gardner's 30 carries for 237 yards (7.9 yards/carry) and 4 touchdowns. Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint (55 carries, 199 yards, 3.6 yards/carry, 3 touchdowns) looks recovered from his broken leg, but the offensive line is struggling to open holes. Primary backup Derrick Green has just 2 carries for 2 yards in the last couple games, so he's not really a factor in tight games. UConn's opponents are averaging 4.57 yards/carry; that list of opponents includes Maryland and FCS team Towson. Redshirt junior linebacker Yawin Smallwood (6'4", 236 lbs.) leads the team in tackles with 30, and the next guy on the list is redshirt freshman safety Obi Melifonwu (6'4", 208 lbs.) with 15. Melifonwu and and fifth year senior strongside end Tim Willman (6'4", 267 lbs.) lead the team with 1.5 tackles for loss each. The Huskies have decent size up front with redshirt senior weakside end Jesse Joseph (6'3", 262 lbs.), redshirt senior defensive tackle Shamar Stephen (6'5', 313 lbs.), and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Julian Campenni (6'0", 298 lbs.). If UConn uses their vanilla 4-3 Over front, Michigan should be able to handle the front four pretty well, but Smallwood can fly all over the field. My guess is that Michigan's offensive linemen come out angry and create some of the holes that were lacking against Akron last week.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. UConn Pass Defense
Gardner has been up and down this year, completing 47/78 passes (60.3%) for 704 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He has made some poor decisions in the passing game, and he has a tendency to lock onto his favorite receiver, Jeremy Gallon (18 catches, 297 yards, 4 touchdowns). Sophomore tight end Devin Funchess is the next most targeted receiver (7 catches, 131 yards, 1 touchdown), but the other guys have been somewhat pedestrian. One potential breakout player is 6'3", 196 lb. redshirt freshman Jehu Chesson, who caught a 33-yard touchdown pass last week and could develop into a deep threat. Melifonwu and senior cornerback Taylor Mack (5'9", 175 lbs.) have the team's only two picks thus far, but Melifonwu in particular is speed-deficient and could be taken advantage of in the passing game. As for the pass rush, well . . . Connecticut has zero sacks in two games. Smallwood had 3.5 last year, but 22.5 of their 33 sacks graduated after last season. They would be smart to run some twist stunts to confuse the young offensive guards, but as for pure athleticism and skill, it's not really there.
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. UConn Rush Offense
Redshirt junior running back Lyle McCombs (5'8", 175 lbs.) averaged 3.54 yards/carry in 2012, and this year he's all the way up to 3.58. He's the only significant ball carrier for the Huskies. Sixth year senior left tackle Jimmy Bennett (6'9", 307 lbs.), redshirt senior Steven Greene (6'5", 308 lbs.), redshirt junior Alex Mateas (6'4", 315 lbs.), redshirt junior Gus Cruz (6'4", 309 lbs.), and redshirt sophomore Xavier Hemingway (6'5", 273 lbs.) make up the line from left to right. Michigan holds opponents to 3.45 yards/carry, and the front seven is considered to be a strength, especially against pro-style running teams. Connecticut can't outmuscle the Wolverines if fifth year senior nose tackle Quinton Washington and/or sophomore nose tackle Ondre Pipkins is on the field. Junior middle linebacker Desmond Morgan and sophomore weakside linebacker James Ross are both very good against the run, so McCombs should find it to be tough sledding. I doubt the Huskies will be able to do much in the running game.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. UConn Pass Offense
Redshirt junior Chandler Whitmer (6'1", 193 lbs.) is the Huskies' quarterback. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 2,664 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions as a starter last year, and this year he's upped that percentage to 60.8% while throwing for 3 scores and 3 picks. Redshirt junior Shakim Phillips (6'2", 209 lbs.) is his favorite target with 15 catches for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns; classmate Geremy Davis (6'3", 215 lbs.) led the team in receiving in 2012 and has 10 catches for 154 yards this season; and junior slot receiver Deshon Foxx (5'10", 172 lbs.) has 4 catches for 54 yards. Meanwhile, Michigan has 5 sacks thus far, 4 of which have come from SAM linebackers Brennen Beyer and Cam Gordon. The Wolverines also have 5 picks, 3 of them dropping into the hands of redshirt sophomore corner Blake Countess. Michigan's defensive backs seem to be playing too far off their receivers this year, causing too few breakups and some easy completions. Unless that philosophy changes, I expect a lot of short completions and then some shots down the field.
Advantage: UConn

Roster Notes

• Zero Huskies players hail from the Great Lakes State.
• Offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach T.J. Weist was a grad assistant at Michigan from 1990-93.
• Quarterbacks coach Shane Day was a quality control assistant at Michigan in 2006.
• Director of Football Alumni/Community Affairs Andy Blaylock got a graduate degree from Michigan in 1962.
• On a personal note, I saw presentations by Connecticut head coach Paul Pasqualoni and running backs coach Kermit Buggs (at Penn State) at coaching clinics in recent years.

Predictions

• Michigan turns on the jets in the running game, going for 250 yards total.
• Greg Mattison keeps the corners in soft coverage because he thinks his guys can beat the other guys, anyway.
• Michigan comes out pissed off and embarrassed by last week's performance, taking out their frustrations on the Huskies and knocking Whitmer out of the game.
• Michigan 38, UConn 14

Last Time They Played . . . 

• Denard Robinson's first career start at quarterback netted 197 rushing yards, 186 passing yards, and a 30-10 victory.
• True freshman Devin Gardner entered the game when Robinson got nicked up, running for -4 yards and attempting 0 passes.
• Terrence Robinson had 1 catch for 43 yards, the longest play of the day.
• Obi Ezeh led the team in tackles with 9, adding a fumble recovery

2013 Season Predictions

Here are my 2012 predictions, in case you're interested.

Leading Rusher
Michigan no longer has a quarterback who's much of a threat to lead the team in rushing, although he's a pretty good runner. Fitzgerald Toussaint is the best running back currently on the roster, but he struggles to stay healthy. I make this choice with very little confidence.
Prediction: Toussaint, 900 yards

Leading Receiver
The top receiver returns from last year, and that player has great chemistry with quarterback Devin Gardner. Jeremy Gallon had 829 receiving yards last season, despite having Denard Robinson as the primary passer for the first half of the season. Gallon should see an uptick in receptions and yardage this season, but without another proven threat, he might be bracketed a little more often.
Prediction: Gallon, 1100 yards

Leading Tackler
Strongside linebacker Jake Ryan led the team in tackles with 88 last year, but he's out with a torn ACL until at least October. The choice comes down to middle linebacker Desmond Morgan or weakside linebacker James Ross III, and I think I'll go with sophomore Ross, whose instincts are unmatched by anyone else on the team.
Prediction: Ross, 90 tackles

Leading Sacker
Ryan also led the team in sacks with 5.5 last season, but he probably won't have time to get to the quarterback that much since he'll miss half the season or so. There's been a lot of buzz about weakside end Frank Clark's improvement this offseason, and I think he'll gather a few sacks in some early season games against the likes of Central Michigan and Akron.
Prediction: Clark, 8 sacks

Leading Interceptor
The safeties aren't huge playmakers, and the best cornerback (Blake Countess) is coming off a torn ACL. Countess has good cover skills but has never been known as a true ball hawk. I think three players end up tied for this honor.
Prediction: Countess, Thomas Gordon, Raymon Taylor, 2 interceptions each

All-Big Ten First Team
Prediction: Jeremy Gallon, Taylor Lewan

Leading Scorer (non-QB, non-kicker)
I'm calling 10 touchdowns for Toussaint and Gallon rushing and receiving, respectively, but add a couple touchdowns through the air for Toussaint.
Prediction: Toussaint

Breakout Offensive Player
There are a few options for breakout players. I'm not going to count Devin Funchess, who already showed what he can do last season, even if he didn't get targeted much toward the end of the year. This leaves some backup running backs and whoever shows up across from Gallon. I think I'll go with Jehu Chesson, who should be targeted plenty.
Prediction: Chesson

Breakout Defensive Player
This is a really tough choice, because I foresee a few guys stepping up this year to make some plays: Frank Clark, James Ross, and Cam Gordon. I'm most confident in Ross, but I think the other two will take large steps forward as well.
Prediction: Ross

Most Disappointing Offensive Player
I think the interior of the offensive line is going to struggle, and that starts with redshirt sophomore Jack Miller. Miller will be a new starter and he's not the biggest or strongest of guys, so there will be both mental and physical issues there.
Prediction: Miller

Most Disappointing Defensive Player
I think the issues at free safety will carry over from last season, when Jarrod Wilson really struggled as a backup. This year senior Courtney Avery is competing with sophomore Wilson for the job, but Avery's out for a couple weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery. Wilson has good physical abilities, but gets himself out of position too much.
Prediction: Wilson

The Big Finish
August 31 vs. Central Michigan: WIN. The Chippewas are a mediocre MAC team.

September 7 vs. Notre Dame: WIN. Notre Dame got lucky a lot last season, and while their defensive front seven will still be good, the offense will sputter too much.

September 14 vs. Akron: WIN. Another mediocre MAC team.

September 21 at Connecticut: WIN. If for no other reason than the fact that I saw Paul Pasqualoni at a clinic this offseason and didn't care for his attitude, I'm picking the Wolverines.

October 5 vs. Minnesota: WIN. Jerry Kill has a good history of improving teams, so I don't think it will be a cake walk, but Michigan is more talented.

October 12 at Penn State: WIN. I have a feeling Penn State will drop off a little bit after the emotion of last season carrying them a little bit. It won't be easy, but I think Michigan wins.

October 19 vs. Indiana: WIN. Indiana isn't very good at the football, but the offense will be entertaining.

November 2 at Michigan State: WIN. The Spartans will have a good defense, but they'll struggle this year on offense. Michigan is more balanced.

November 9 vs. Nebraska: LOSS. After the emotion of beating MSU and facing a pretty good team in the Cornhuskers, Michigan loses a squeaker.

November 16 at Northwestern: WIN. Michigan is getting more athletic on defense, and Jake Ryan should be back by this point to help out defensively. It might be a shootout again, but I pick the Wolverines.

November 23 at Iowa: WIN. Iowa will probably be bad.

November 30 vs. Ohio State: LOSS. Michigan just won't have the running game to keep Ohio State honest because of the mediocre interior line.

Final record: 10-2

Video: Countdown to Kickoff 2013 - Day 11: James Ross III

Countdown to Kickoff 2013: Day 11 - James Ross III by mgovideo

2013 Season Countdown: #6 James Ross III

James Ross III

Name: James Ross III
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
Position: Linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #15
Last year: I ranked Ross #62 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teams contributor. He started two games and played in all thirteen, making 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and .5 sacks.

Ross was one of my favorite and highest rated players coming into 2012, and he didn't disappoint. Early practice buzz suggested he was going to be hard to keep off the field, and that held true once the season began. When starting WILL linebacker Desmond Morgan missed the Iowa game due to injury, Ross stepped in and made a career-high 12 tackles. This spring when Desmond Morgan moved from WILL to MIKE to replace the graduated Kenny Demens, Ross was inserted into the starting lineup.

I expect good things from Ross this year. He's excellent at diagnosing plays and he can cover a lot of ground. He struggled a little bit with pass drops last season, but that's a problem for many young linebackers. Ross's primary backup on the depth chart is sophomore Royce Jenkins-Stone, whom I don't really trust yet as a football player. I suspect that if Ross were to miss any length of time, Morgan might slide back over to WILL to make room for sophomore Joe Bolden, who's a superior player to Jenkins-Stone. Morgan, Bolden, and Ross are three starter-quality inside linebackers, but then there's a drop-off to Jenkins-Stone and a freshman like Ben Gedeon. If Michigan's defensive line can keep offensive linemen off of the linebackers, I think Ross could be in the discussion for all-conference honors by the end of the year.

Prediction: Starting weakside linebacker; 90 tackles, 2 sacks

Spring Game Preview: Michigan vs. Michigan

Devin Gardner

Top five things to watch for when Michigan has the ball . . . 
1. That Devin Gardner's ACL stays intact. Michigan has already lost two players to ACL tears this spring (linebacker Jake Ryan and backup quarterback Russell Bellomy). An injury to Gardner would be catastrophic, since redshirt freshman walk-on Brian Cleary is the current backup and Shane Morris won't arrive until June.

2. The interior offensive line. Michigan's defensive line should be playing at a pretty high level because of the guys who return on that side, so will the three "starters" at left guard, center, and right guard get the job done?  Those three positions seem to be held by Ben Braden, Jack Miller, and Joe Burzynski currently, but there are a few players hot on their heels.

3. Who's next at wide receiver? We know Jeremy Gallon can be an explosive player, and we know what Michigan has in Drew Dileo and Jeremy Jackson.  Redshirt freshman Jehu Chesson has made some nice plays in practice, and sophomore Amara Darboh has done the same.  At least one of those two guys needs to step up by the fall if Michigan wants to have a high-powered offense.

4. Adequate Michigan running backs. The chance that we see a stellar performance from any of the currently available running backs looks slim.  With fifth year senior Fitzgerald Toussaint out with a broken leg, the job comes down to junior Thomas Rawls, redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes, sophomore Dennis Norfleet, and redshirt freshman Drake Johnson.  Rawls and Hayes have been unimpressive in their live game action so far - although Rawls did have a long touchdown in garbage time last year - and Norfleet was mostly limited to kickoff returns last season.  Drake Johnson has earned praise from the coaches at times, but he has looked so-so in a few spring practice clips.  It would be nice to see a developing, viable option this spring, but we might have to wait until Toussaint comes back or until Derrick Green arrives on campus.

5. What does the offense look like these days? Denard Robinson is gone, and we all loved him, but now Michigan should have an actual, bona fide quarterback.  The kind of quarterback that can sit in the pocket and throw the ball without tricking the defense into thinking it might be a run.  I don't expect Al Borges to give much away in a spring game, but we should get an inkling of the direction he wants to take the offense.  If the Pistol isn't installed by now, I would expect to see it in the fall; I also expect a little more threat of the downfield pass this year.

Top five things to watch for when Michigan is on defense . . .
1. How does Cam Gordon look filling in for the team's best defender? Cam Gordon had a pretty darn good season when he was a redshirt freshman playing free safety and linebacker, although the free safety thing was a bit of a stretch.  Since that 2010 season, he has mostly been an afterthought.  Jake Ryan was a terror of a pass rusher and made his fair share of plays against the run, too, and Michigan will have to manufacture a replacement for him.

2. Safety reps. Thomas Gordon is capable of playing both safety positions, and he's guaranteed to start at one of them.  Sophomore Jarrod Wilson can play free safety; senior Marvin Robinson can play strong.  Which player will get the most reps?

3. First world inside linebacker problems. Michigan probably has three starter-quality inside linebackers, along with some other guys who have potential.  As I have been predicting for a while, it appears junior Desmond Morgan will be your new middle linebacker (moving over from WILL) and sophomore James Ross will step in at weakside linebacker.  Meanwhile, sophomore Joe Bolden could conceivably be a starter at inside linebacker, although he might be a little large and stiff for WILL.

4. Cornerback depth. Redshirt sophomore Blake Countess might not do much in the spring game, since he's recovering from an ACL injury.  His replacement last year, junior Raymon Taylor, continues to fight for his job, and senior Courtney Avery appears to have abandoned the nickel corner position to compete at field corner.  Two of the three will presumably start in the fall, but the starting combo we'll likely see in the spring game will probably be Taylor and Avery.  It will also be interesting to see if young guys Delonte Hollowell and Terry Richardson have developed.

5. Freshman early enrollees. Defensive end Taco Charlton (6'6", 265 lbs.), cornerback Ross Douglas (5'10", 176 lbs.), and safety Dymonte Thomas (6'2", 187 lbs.) enrolled in January, and each one has a chance to contribute somewhere in the fall.  Charlton apparently looks the part, but his technique was rough coming out of high school; Douglas came in bigger than expected; and Thomas has been practicing some at corner and some at the nickel position, both of which are departures from what he played in high school.

Michigan vs. South Carolina Awards

Jeremy Gallon had 2 touchdown receptions, including this leaping grab
(image via MLive)

Since the season is over, this is going to be a look toward next year.  Seniors are excluded from being named for the "Let's see more/less" awards.

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Devin Funchess.  For whatever reason(s), Michigan seemed to target freshman tight end Devin Funchess less as the year went along.  Other than a middle screen early in the game, the plays and the quarterback didn't seem to be targeting Funchess.  At 6'5", likely to be 240-ish next year, and with some speed, the coaches need to concentrate on finding ways to get him the ball.  I believe this will happen naturally because wide receiver Roy Roundtree will have graduated and the offense won't center around Denard Robinson.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Justice Hayes.  Hayes does not appear to have a future role as a feature back.  He might be able to catch screen passes and do some things in the passing game a la Vincent Smith, but he's just average in all categories - size, strength, speed, elusiveness, etc.  I don't really think he fits in with what Michigan wants to do.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . James Ross.  It's tough for freshman linebackers to play big-time college football, and Michigan has two pretty good ones in Ross and Joe Bolden.  Ross had a nice blitz late in the game and has generally played well, although his pass drops could use some work.  Ideally, he would have been redshirting this season to hone those drops, but he looks to have a bright future.  My guess is that he'll take over the weakside linebacker position next season, allowing Desmond Morgan to play middle linebacker.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Courtney Avery.  I had high hopes for Avery after the 2011 season, and he has been solid as a slot corner.  The problem is that he's a primary backup on the outside, too, and he really struggled against Alabama and South Carolina when he was asked to fill in for Blake Countess and J.T. Floyd, respectively.  I still want to see him on the field playing the slot, but Michigan has to get Countess healthy and develop a better option behind the starters on the outside.

Play of the game . . . Drew Dileo's fake field goal scramble.  Michigan's staff got creative by shifting from a field goal formation to an empty backfield with holder Dileo playing quarterback.  A high school baseball star, Dileo can throw the ball a little bit.  When he didn't see anyone open, he decided to scramble, made a guy miss in the open field, and gained 7 yards to convert the first down.  The kid has reliable hands, can return kicks, and is a versatile threat as a holder.  He won't ever be a star, but he's a fun guy to have on the football team.

MVP of the game . . . Jeremy Gallon.  Gallon did drop a slightly inaccurate pass, but he ended the game with 9 catches, 145 yards, and 2 touchdowns, along with an 11-yard return on the final kickoff.  Brady Hoke noted that he was playing hurt, and I thought I saw him a little bit gimpy with what appeared to be a hamstring issue.  Overall, he had a very good performance and should be the centerpiece of the receiving corps in 2013.

Linebackers Preview: Michigan vs. South Carolina

Jake Ryan is Michigan's best defensive player

MICHIGAN
Starters: Redshirt sophomore SAM linebacker Jake Ryan (6'3", 242 lbs.) is the best defensive player on the squad with 84 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 pass breakups; he also plays some defensive end in passing situations.  Senior MIKE Kenny Demens (6'1", 242 lbs.) struggled early in the season, but has played well down the stretch to notch 81 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 1 interception.  Sophomore WILL Desmond Morgan (6'1", 227 lbs.) has 78 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups on the year.  Whereas South Carolina's defensive linemen make a lot of plays, Michigan's defensive linemen eat up space and have allowed these linebackers to all make 80-ish tackles this season.
Backups: Freshman WILL James Ross (6'1", 225 lbs.) was named to the conference's All-Freshman team and made 34 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and .5 sacks during the regular season; despite his youth and lack of size, he has been the most consistent backup.  Fellow freshman linebacker Joe Bolden (6'3", 223 lbs.) backs up Demens at the MIKE and has 28 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery on the year.  Redshirt junior Cam Gordon (6'3", 236 lbs.) hasn't made as many plays as I expected from him this year, but he has made 17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup while spelling Ryan.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Starters: The Gamecocks basically run a 4-2-5 defensive, but safety-ish player DeVonte Holloman mostly plays like a linebacker, so I'll include him in this portion.  Senior Holloman (6'2", 241 lbs.) plays the Spur position, a strongside outside linebacker position much like former Wolverine Steve Brown played in 2009; Holloman has 54 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions.  Fifth year senior middle linebacker Reginald Bowens (6'3", 254 lbs.) has put up mostly modest numbers with 55 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 pass breakup, but has created several turnover opportunities with 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.  Senior weakside linebacker Shaq Wilson (5'11", 224 lbs.) leads the team with 77 tackles and has 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 pass breakup, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.

Backups: Senior middle linebacker Damario Jeffery (6'4", 233 lbs.) has 22 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup on the year.  Senior weakside linebacker Quin Smith (6'1", 239 lbs.) has 47 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks on the year.  Holloman rarely comes off the field.

THE TAKEAWAY
This is a tough choice.  While Michigan's guys put up bigger tackle numbers, South Carolina's guys create more big plays with sacks, turnovers, etc.  Additionally, all five  Gamecocks who see significant time at linebacker are seniors.  Both units are pretty good, but the playmakers and seniority are on the other side.

Advantage: South Carolina

Ohio State 26, Michigan 21

Here's some Kate Upton to make you feel better.

I told you so but I wish I didn't.  Last week I railed against the usage of Denard Robinson, saying that using Denard so much last week a) set him up to get injured, b) might limit his effectiveness against OSU, and c) took away the element of surprise of using him in the backfield and at receiver.  People responded by saying that they were glad Michigan used him because it would give Urban Meyer trouble preparing for this week's game.  How did that go for you?  Denard tweaked his elbow injury last week and didn't throw even once this game.  Michigan also ran very few plays with Robinson and Devin Gardner on the field, running a very vanilla and predictable offense.  I guess all that stuff last week was just for fun.

WTF.  There's really no excuse for the play calling in the second half, and that falls on both Brady Hoke and Al Borges.  People want to fire Al Borges, but the head coach has to step in and call shenanigans on the crappy play calling.  Now I'm not suggesting that either one get fired, but you can't separate the two entities. As the head guy, Hoke is responsible for the calls that are made by his coordinators.  Michigan tried running the ball up the middle with Vincent Smith - which has been a terrible idea for years - and generally went into a shell on offense.  There was no element of surprise, and all the plays and counter plays that were opened up last week by Robinson's utility were apparently erased from this week's playbook.

Derrick Green, come on down.  Outside of Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michigan's running backs are terrible.  Thomas Rawls has no vision, lacks speed, and isn't as powerful as a short yardage back should be.  Vincent Smith is gone anyway, and while I always liked him as a third down-type back, plugging him in for short-yardage plays against OSU was a poor decision.  You simply cannot expect him to gain yardage when Michigan's interior offensive line is this bad.  He did okay running outside on the inverted veer plays, but good grief, Borges has to put him in a position to be successful.  Even fullback Stephen Hopkins comes in for some criticism here, because he missed two key blocks and generally looked like he didn't understand his job.  Michigan needs running backs in a bad way, and I don't see game-breaking ability in either DeVeon Smith or Wyatt Shallman.  The coaches need to bring in a bunch of backs and let them improve through competition.

Play action bulls***. Here's the part that perhaps irked me most about the play calling in the second half.  Borges kept calling play action passes when there was clearly no threat of running the ball.  That doesn't work against teams who aren't stupid, and the Buckeyes are a lot of things - cheaters, ugly, arrogant, etc. - but their defense is always well coached.  When Devin Gardner turns around to give play action fakes, he's diverting his attention from the coverage and sometimes he's limiting himself to throwing to half the field.  The linebackers and safeties weren't biting on play action fakes to Vincent Smith because Smith gets tackled by a stiff breeze, so there's no tactical advantage.  But again and again, Gardner wasted time by running around with his back to the defense and pretending like the Buckeyes gave a s*** about the 5'7", 175 lb. running back.  Just drop Gardner straight back or roll him out.

Carlos Hyde played well.  I actually thought Michigan's interior defense would hold Hyde down pretty well, but Michigan's defensive ends and play calls seemed so concerned with Braxton Miller that they unclogged the middle a little bit.  Hyde got downhill and broke a few tackles, but there were several occasions where he got to the second and third levels without being touched.  Greg Mattison seemed to call more 4-3 Over defensive fronts than normal.

Freshman frustration.  I do not like seeing guys like James Ross and Joe Bolden out there in games like this.  It was somewhat inevitable, I guess, because of a lack of depth, but today is an example of why you need depth at linebacker.  Bolden in particular got out of position a couple times and allowed some key gains, and Ross got caught inside on a Braxton Miller run.  Both of those guys have high upsides, but freshmen are freshmen.  Next year the Wolverines should be able to go two-deep with experienced guys at every linebacker position, so we should see even more improvement in the linebacker group.

Mike Jones and Brandin Hawthorne exist in bad ways.  I was not a fan when Rich Rodriguez recruited Jones and Hawthorne, and they have worked their ways down the depth chart.  Jones incurred a 15-yard penalty for a late hit in this game, and Hawthorne has made similarly poor plays this season on special teams.  It's not a coincidence that Ross and Bolden passed those guys for playing time.  Hawthorne will graduate after this season, and I would not be surprised to see redshirt junior Jones depart with a year of eligibility remaining.

This was Gardner's worst game.  Gardner was visibly frustrated at a couple points, and it showed in his play.  Especially in the second half, it looked like he was trying to throw pinpoint passes instead if letting it fly.  He's always had a slightly awkward throwing motion, but he just didn't seem to be following through with his normal verve.  That's somewhat understandable for a kid playing quarterback in such a big game for the first time, which is why it would have been helpful to have Robinson ready to throw the ball.  Robinson had his best quarterbacking performance against these Buckeyes last season, so limiting him to 10 touches seems like a bad idea.  Gardner finished 11/20 for 171 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, and he took 4 sacks despite the absence of John Simon, OSU's best defensive lineman.  There was nobody to take the pressure off of Gardner - Robinson out of the backfield, Toussaint, Borges - and thus it was left on his shoulders to try to make plays when there none to make.

The better team won.  I argued with people all week who said that Michigan was the better team but that the Wolverines played a tougher schedule.  The bottom line is that any of us would rather be 11-0 than 8-3 coming into the game, regardless of who was on the schedule.  The Buckeyes ran the ball well, threw the ball well, and played pretty solid defense except for a couple huge plays (Robinson's 67-yard touchdown, Roundtree's 75-yard TD reception).  The bottom line is that Michigan replaced David Molk, Mike Martin, and Ryan Van Bergen with Elliott Mealer, Quinton Washington, and Craig Roh, respectively, all of which are steps backward.  I fully believe that an influx of talent is coming with Hoke's recruiting classes, but right now Michigan has a deficit that will take some time to fix.