From a Kentuckian, I would suggest Justin for all your UM football needs. Big Ten football don't play too well in those parts

I wouldn't place DG too far behind Pryor athletically. At a couple of camps he worked out at WR and DB just for kicks and was said to be one of the best at camp each of those positions as well. He's never played WR or DB.

Maybe you've seen this camp video before. It gives a little glimpse of where DG is athletically:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BAdmLPyVIo

It's on ABC at 3:30 EST but so is Georgia and Oklahoma State. You might be in trouble down there.

Isn't there a rule that if ABC picks up another game, the B10 game automatically defaults to ESPN2?

Actually, the ABC/ESPN2 thing sounds familiar now that you mention it. I just checked and there is no game on ESPN2 in that time slot so you're probably good to go.

I was gonna download the game afterwards most likely anyway.

Was just curious if I'd get to see any live.

yeah, it was...huh.

basically, it was a 4-way hs scrimmage where the entire highlight was him passing. he was a def a man among boys (which i think was my exact post on mgob). some of it was 'touch' on the qb, some of it was 'no scrambling', so i guess that tempers my other comment that i was impressed how he kept his eyes downfield when the pocket broke.

video's gone, but trust us when we say he looked GOOD. like he really should be playing right now.

problem is, if Tate is as accurate as the reports, and Denard is as fast as the reports, he may be headed to a red-shirt next year, unless they talk Denard into being a much faster desmond howard.

denard has apparently wowed people to the point where he isn't going to not be on the field.

I really wouldn't be opposed to sitting Gardner for a while. I know it sounds blasphemous to do that to a 5 star, but if Tate and Denard are doing the job, I think it sets up the future perfectly. USC has done it for years. DG could redshirt a year, get a little PT in his next two years, then take over as a three year system vet in his RS junior year.

I think RR can only really do this if we do well.

Now I see you basically said that, but w/e.

I'm in the camp that basically assumed it was Tate's job from the outset and Denard would be a nice little wrinkle (if we needed it).

But when the hell did the D-Rob hype train begin? Has he really been that sexy @ camp?

The more and more I hear, I'm thisclose to buying into it. And I like it.

AFAIK it's been going from day one. He's been breaking off a lot of big runs and throwing the ball better than expected. I'd guess they will run designed plays for him from the first game and the sooner he learns, the sooner he gets more snaps.

I guess I'm a Debbie Downer, but I remember last year thinking we'd potentially be an 8 or 9 win team because the defense was so strong. Johnson, Taylor, Jamison, and Graham were 86 Bears Dline, Trent was a potential 1st round pick, Warren looked better than Marlin Jackson at the same point in their careers, Stevie Brown figured it all out, Ezeh was going to be in on every play and looked alot like David Harris.

So I don't trust camp hype anymore.

But I'm buying the Drob hype.

Defense will be better this year, if for no other reason than the offense will keep them off the field some.

But, honestly, get Taylor and Johnson out of there who were worthless. Graham/Martin/RVB is a pretty solid 3 up front. Mouton is supposedly putting it together, Stevie Brown is in a much more appropriate position for his skill set. Warren is healthy, Boo boo is a year older. Plus, the biggest upgrade was at the DC adding Robinson. If the linebackers put it together, I expect big things from the D.

I'm honestly expecting some of the D's improvement to come from Robinson, insofar as in he probably won't repeat Shafer's annoying insistence to drop 8-9 into zone 70% of the game. I admit, however, that I might be more open to the idea now that Stevie Brown won't be the only man standing between a quick slant and the endzone.

A lot of it depends on individuals and depth, of course. Graham will be his soul-eating self, Martin is a hoss, Ezeh and Mouton look to be much improved, and I have faith in Warren and Boo-Boo on the corners. The question marks involve depth - we have a walk-on in the two-deep at safety, and DL depth (esp DT) will be huge. From most reports, Big Will isn't technically ready for college, and Roh needs some additional time, yet both will likely see the field due to lack of better options (and the fact that Martin can't play every snap ofc). Also, I am hopeful that Brandon Herron can match his physical gifts (which, btw, are SCARY) with improved play off the edge and can perhaps channel Crable somewhat.

From everything I've heard, Big Will and Roh have impressed a lot of people who doubted they could contribute right away. Roh gets to the QB, and that's something we desperately need. Big Will is in 1000 times better shape, and is learning to stay low. He can provide an extra push in the middle that we'll need.

IIRC the rap on Big Will is that despite him being in good-to-outstanding shape relative to when he entered the program, he still struggles with his technique; as you noted, mostly learning to stay low and using moves rather than beasting kids like he did Cass Tech style. While it wasn't ever doubted that he'd play due to depth and his immense size and future first-round talent, his technique is/was still a worrying point.

I'm excited about much of this preseason hype ldo, but NICK ****ING SHERIDAN IS ACTUALLY GOING TO TAKE MEANINGFUL SNAPS? WAT?

see mgoblog.com, no.

There's much better info out there than mgoblog that suggests Sheridan will definitely see some snaps

Why not let Sheridan see some snaps?

We don't wanna beat WMU 100-0, after all.

If you mean the AP story that completely distorted what Rod said about the quarterback situation, uh no.

Sheridan will definitely see some snaps - the million dollar question is whether they'll be meaningful snaps. This is pure speculation but if Rod is in any way displeased with Forcier/Robinson in practice he won't hesitate to have Sheridan "start" a game, and I wouldn't be surprised if Sheridan "started" against WMU and played about two series.

Not to turn this into a debate about blogs and stuff, but with the addition of the Varsity Blue guys and one of them getting full media credentials, it's really hard to say that there is a better source for information anywhere when it comes to U of M sports ... and that includes the News, Freep and AnnArborFAIL.com

The GBW guys are going to give you way better info than Brian can ever. Sam Webb is good friends with Fred Jackson and Tom Beaver has about a million contacts. Don't get me wrong, I think what Brian does is amazing. But, really, he's just a very well-informed, well-read fan. On the Sheridan thing, he's giving his opinion more than anything else. I also have a friend who I've known my whole life that used to be a player and is still in AA and friends with many players. People on and around the team insist that Sheridan's part of the plan at least early in the season. Now, maybe Denard and/or Tate blow up right away, and Sheridan isn't needed. I would be thrilled, because I'm not a Sheridan fan at all. But, having a guy in there with a full year of experience in the system can't hurt.

Sheridan was REALLY bad though. Experience doesn't matter that much when you're just not capable of doing the job.

And he's supposedly made huge strides. Look, I'm not saying he's going to be the permanent starter. But, he is expected to contribute. And familiarity with the offensive system, particularly in RR's sytem, is extremely underrated, something that has been perpetuated by the media. Having a guy that knows the system is valuable for multiple reasons.

like Brian said, 'let Sheridan have two straight 3 and outs, and just listen to the crowd'...

if Sheridan can really help, i mean, if the coaches really think he can help us win games, go for it. i'll look past last year, if RR really thinks it'll help.

jesus i've never been so pumped for a season to start.