The Wolverine Digest Pod: Recent Episodes
Brandon Brown
Talking Michigan football, basketball, recruiting and anything else that Wolverine fans need to hear.
Michigan head basketball coach Dusty May has done a phenomenal job since taking over in late-March. He has put together a phenomenal staff, retained a few players who could really help when it comes to depth, landed three high school prospects from the recruiting trail and, most importantly, nabbed six big-time transfer targets to just about round out his roster. With all of those pieces in place, the Wolverines should be competitive on the hardwood in year one under May.
On the football field, Sherrone Moore is up against it just a bit. Recruiting has been very slow for a national championship team and there does seem to be a pretty big question mark at quarterback. A few staffers have been in trouble and in turn replaced and now it's all about the players themselves getting better over the summer before everyone reconvenes in August for fall camp. Michigan should be pretty good in 2024, but the quarterback situation, turnover of the roster and schedule will all be tough to navigate for Moore in his first year as the head man.
After a perfect 15-0, national championship season, Michigan is flying high but does have a lot to figure out heading into the 2024 season. New head coach Sherrone Moore had to hire six new assistants and move around a few others into new positions. He and his staff also have to find a new starting quarterback, a couple new wide receivers, a replacement for an injured Rod Moore, a cornerback opposite Will Johnson and a completely new offensive line. Not only is there plenty of work to do when it comes to the roster, Michigan's schedule is absolutely brutal in 2024. Moore seems ready, but he definitely has a lot of work ahead of him.
On the hardwood, it's probably even worse. For new head coach Dusty May, he came in with multiple openings alongside him on the bench and behind the scenes. He also inherited a roster that only had three or four names on it. Since being hired, May has hired three terrific young, ace recruiters types and has secured re-commitments from Will Tschetter and George Washington III. Things are still falling into place for May, but he's off to a good start.
We talk all of that and more, on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It's a new year, a new format and a essentially two new programs. Michigan football is now under the watchful eye of Sherrone Moore as the Wolverines look to defend their national title, while in basketball, the Juwan Howard era is over. The former Fab Fiver was fired after an abysmal 8-24 season and athletic director Warde Manuel is now looking for a new bball coach.
The two programs could not be in more different spots. Football is coming off a perfect 15-0, national championship season, while basketball is crumbling from the inside out after the worst finish in program history. It's not up to Moore to keep things going and whoever the new hoops coach will be to stop the bleeding and begin what could be a very difficult rebuild.
Jim Harbaugh got on a plane to head to Pennsylvania with his team to take on Penn State and found out, while airborne, that he was suspended. It was a cowardly move by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, but that's how it went down. With the news that Harbaugh wouldn't be allowed inside Beaver Stadium, the weight of the biggest game of the season fell onto Sherrone Moore's shoulders. The offensive line coach/offensive coordinator/acting head coach played his roles to perfection and led the Wolverines to a 24-15 win.
With Michigan now 10-0, it's about Maryland this weekend. But first, Harbaugh will go in front of a judge on Friday for a hearing following an injunction to put a temporary restraining order in place, which would allow him to coach in College Park on Saturday. If it's unsuccessful, it'll be Moore again running the show, and would likely pave the way for him to be the head man for the regular season finale against Ohio State as well. With so many strange, unprecedented moving parts, Michigan just keeps powering through and winning games. Expect that to happen again next weekend as the Wolverines go for win No. 1,000.
Well, Connor Stalions is out, the NCAA found nothing linking Jim Harbaugh to Stalions and the Wolverines are easily 2-0 since the sign-stealing allegations became public knowledge. Mix all of that in a bowl, with different media people reporting on all parts of this scandal in very different ways, and you have quite a storm when it comes to Michigan Football. However, the Wolverines are still rolling at 9-0 and will be tested, really for the first time, this weekend in Happy Valley.
Now it's time for things to really get interesting because the game on the field is finally going to be competitive and worth talking about like everything off the field has been. The Wolverines are going to face some legitimate competition for the first time in 2023. That's not Michigan's fault, but it is true. Penn State hasn't looked great this year, but probably looked their best just last week while throttling Maryland, 51-15. People are definitely excited to watch Michigan play another highly talented team so that way we can talk about football versus everything else.
Another day, another layer of weirdness surrounding the Michigan football program and the sign-stealing allegations. The latest — a gentleman resembling Connor Stalions on Central Michigan's sideline earlier this year as the Chippewas took on Michigan State. If it is Stalions, he's in full CMU coaching garb, with sunglasses on at a night game (and they might even record video), while rocking an uncharacteristic goatee and potentially a wig.
As Michigan prepares to absolutely obliterate Purdue on Saturday, there is definitely a black cloud hanging over the program. Other coaches and athletic directors from the Big Ten are calling for Jim Harbaugh's head, even though nothing has been proven yet and no governing body has formally accused the Wolverines of breaking any rules. The Wolverines are easily 8-0 and No. 3 in the country in the first round of the College Football Playoff rankings, but no one is talking about that...and that's a shame.
On Saturday, Oct. 21, Michigan beat the absolute piss out of Michigan State in East Lansing, 49-0, but unfortunately, it felt like old news by the time Monday rolled around because of new findings surrounding the sign stealing allegations at U-M. More evidence came out against Connor Stalions and it now seems like things are trending in a negative direction for the Michigan football program.
Instead of focusing on how good this team is, how dominant the defense has been, how JJ McCarthy is now the Heisman frontrunner and how they've cruised to 8-0 in pursuit of a third straight Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth, we're trying to figure out if Michigan cheated over the past three seasons and what might happen if they did.
Michigan is 6-0 overall, No. 2 in the country and winning by an average of 30.7 points each time it takes the field. Jim Harbaugh and his staff are firing on all cylinders and the the team seems locked in, yet is still improving. To put it bluntly — Michigan is in a great spot halfway through the season. Michigan is also quite healthy through six weeks, which is huge as teams try to jockey for College Football Playoff ranking position. Of course, Michigan is also thinking about that last regular season game in November, as well as the Big Ten Championship Game, which has played into how Harbaugh and Co. approach each opponent.
Michigan will be back home this week to host the Indiana Hoosiers after a two-week hiatus in Nebraska and Minnesota. Michigan won its two road games by an average of 40 points, and Indiana isn't as good as either of those programs. Michigan is a massive 34-point favorite over the Hoosiers, so 7-0 is the mark that everyone will be looking for when new rankings and discussions pop up next week.
Michigan is now sitting pretty at 5-0 after absolutely destroying Nebraska in Lincoln. Some dunces thought that the Huskers might actually give the Wolverines a game but instead, Michigan got out to a 45-0 lead before allowing a score by the home team. Jim Harbaugh, his coaches and just about every player are performing about as well as one can. Whether it's JJ McCarthy making just about every correct read, the entire defense being where it needs to be at all times or the entire staff pressing the right buttons series after series, the Wolverines are humming right along.
This week, it's another road test, this time in Minneapolis. The Wolverines are, once again, huge favorites and should move to 6-0 in similar fashion. Minnesota wants to do a lot of what Michigan does — run the ball, play stout defense against the run, fly around with passion and intensity and play a clean brand of football. Unfortunately for Minnesota, they're not as good at Michigan at its own game. Expect the Wolverines to roll again, this time away from home in the Twin Cities.
For the fourth week in a row, Michigan won pretty convincingly, but it didn't play out exactly how most thought it would. The Wolverines have yet to score 40 points and have not covered a spread yet against very inferior opponents. Still, 4-0 is 4-0, Jim Harbaugh is back and the Wolverines are, for the most part, healthy heading into the fifth game of the season.
That fifth game of the season, is the most interesting one to date, because it's on the road against Nebraska. The Huskers haven't been very impressive under first year head coach Matt Rhule thus far, but they do do some things well and Memorial Stadium can be a tough place to play. For Michigan, the running game still doesn't quite look as dominant as most thought it would, however JJ McCarthy returned to form against the Scarlet Knights and was as sharp as ever despite not putting up eye-popping numbers. The running game, defense and a poised McCarthy will all have to travel to Lincoln in order to get to 5-0 this week.
Michigan is now 3-0 after its less-than daunting non-conference schedule, but the wins weren't as impressive as most thought they would be. Of course, Jim Harbaugh was absent for all three, which begs the question — how big of a difference will Harbaugh make now that he's back?
That question will be answered the weekend as the Wolverines host Rutgers in the Big Ten opener. Harbaugh is back, Michigan is relatively healthy and everyone else on staff can return to their normal duties. To me, this should be the best Michigan has looked all season, even though it's against easily the best opponent in a 3-0 Rutgers team that has been a thorn in U-M's side in recent years.
There's plenty to talk about when it comes to Michigan football. JJ McCarthy has been razor sharp, the running game is just a little behind schedule, Jesse Minter's defense has been lights out and Jim Harbaugh has just one game remaining on his suspension. The Wolverines are easily 2-0 and still No. 2 in the country.
With that said, most people in the world of Big Ten football are talking about Mel Tucker and Michigan State. Tucker really blew it....and now it looks like he'll be out of a job as soon as the law allows. Michigan won't travel to East Lansing until October 21, which would be a little over two weeks after Tucker is officially terminated per the current timeline. It's really going to be interesting to see how things play out for MSU, as Michigan continues to win week after week.
Michigan is sitting at 1-0 after beating ECU pretty easily in week one, but it wasn't perfect and didn't look how most people thought it would. The Wolverines only scored one rushing touchdown and weren't able to run the ball like they did just about every week last year. Blake Corum led the way with 73 yards rushing and the lone score, while Donovan Edwards mustered just 37 yards on 12 carries. Obviously Michigan wants to run the ball, but it just wasn't working.
What was working, was the passing attack with JJ McCarthy. The junior signal caller was SHARP on Saturday going 26-of-30 for 280 yards and three touchdowns. At one point, No. 9 completed 15 passes in a row and could not miss no matter where he threw the ball from. Roman Wilson was McCarthy's favorite target on the day catching all three touchdown passes, while Cornelius Johnson and Colston Loveland both proved productive as well. At the end of the day, Michigan wins the game 30-3 without trying all that hard.
Just a few days before kicking off the 2023 season, Michigan assistants Ron Bellamy and Chris Partridge spoke to the media for the first time this offseason. For Bellamy, it's about finding a reliable third and fourth receiver behind Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson. For much of camp, Tyler Morris was in the No. 3 spot, but he's apparently "working through something" as game No. 1 approaches. Bellamy talked about a trio of freshmen and also Darrius Clemons when explaining who might be asked to step up.
Partridge spoke about his linebacker room but it was what he said about Jim Harbaugh that seemed to draw the most attention. After being here three years ago, Partridge says that now, this is officially Jim's team. The players have all taken on Harbaugh's personality and that's the reason for the A+ culture and two straight seasons of success. With the 2023 campaign literally just around the corner, Partridge can't wait to be standing on the sidelines again now that the team is ready for another big step.
The season hasn't started yet, but there's already a lot going on when it comes to Michigan football. Jim Harbaugh is suspended for the first three games, while offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Sherrone Moore is suspended for just the opener. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will call the shots in game one, while Moore, who will be back after his one game hiatus, will be the head man for game No. 3. The second game will be a split — Jay Harbaugh will run the show during the first half, while Mike Hart will call the shots in the second half. It's weird, but it's very on brand for Harbaugh.
As for the opener, Minter is excited to be in charge and seemed supremely confident during his Monday afternoon press conference. His defensive players are obviously very excited for their guy and he's as sharp as they come, giving the players confidence as well. Eastern Carolina is no slouch, but the Wolverines are favored by 35.5 and should roll to 1-0 even without two of their most important coaches.
It's a lot of fun to be a Michigan football fan right now. The Wolverines are No. 2 in the country, loaded on both sides of the ball, possess one of the best overall coaching staffs in the entire country and get the hated Ohio State Buckeyes at home. It's hard to find a weakness on this team and there's depth like never before under Jim Harbaugh. All of that has the maize and blue looking like potential national champions in 2023.
In the virtual world, EA Sports' college football game is set to come back next summer, which really makes you think about U-M's roster now and in the future. Discussing JJ McCarthy's throw power, Jaylen Harrell's pass rushing abilities and comparing Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards is a lot of fun. It's going to be very entertaining to play that game next summer, but it's going to be even more fun to watch the Wolverines in real life this fall.
Michigan football is officially back. The Wolverines kicked off fall camp on August 2 and will obviously take the field a month later in the season opener against Eastern Carolina. Jim Harbaugh was chipper and confident while in Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days because he knows he has a TEAM. He's got key guys in key place, fantastic leadership on the roster and arguably the best overall staff in the entire country. To say that Michigan is poised for a major run in 2023 is an understatement.
Yet for some reason, several major outlets and talking heads still have Ohio State at the top of the pile in the Big Ten. Michigan has dominated the Buckeyes for two straight years and appear to have the horses and the scheme to do it again in Ann Arbor. Ohio State, on the other hand, is breaking in a new quarterback and has a few question marks on the depth chart. It's going to be real interesting to see where the two teams are in November, but right now Michigan is the top dog and it's not close.
Whether it was new Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule talking about making the Huskers great again, Luke Fickell discussing what made Wisconsin an attractive job, Ryan Day looking a little less confident than he used to or Jim Harbaugh proudly taking the stage as the back-to-back defending Big Ten champ, media days in Indianapolis went off without a hitch. All 14 coaches took to the main stage and then broke out for their individual sessions, along with players from every program except Northwestern, in what has become the kickoff event for the football season.
Topics like the Michigan/Michigan State rivalry, potentially moving "The Game", the "Beat Georgia" drill and everything in between were discussed at length while everyone was gathered in Indianapolis and now, for Michigan, it's just about getting things going (on July 2), remaining healthy and taking care of business, with or without Jim Harbaugh.
Over the past couple of weeks, both Michigan basketball and football reeled in a player from the transfer portal that could help in a major way during the upcoming season. For Juwan Howard, it was Olivier Nkamhoua. The former Tennessee Volunteer is expected to contribute in a major way as a 6-9, 236-pound, high-energy, do-it-all kind of player. Last year, he was the lone Volunteer to play in all 36 games and had career-bests in scoring (10.8 ppg), assists (2.0 apg) and minutes played (25.3 mpg). On the gridiron, Michigan landed UMass transfer cornerback Josh Wallace, who has played more than 2,000 snaps of college football. He's expected to start opposite Will Johnson and might just shore up the one spot on U-M's defense that wasn't rock solid.
As for Michigan's offense, it might showcase JJ McCarthy and the pass catchers a bit more in 2023 than in 2022. Jim Harbaugh recently stated that last year's offense was a 50/50 run-pass split. This year, Harbaugh said things might be more like 60/40 in favor of the pass. If that happens, cool, if not, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards are certainly ready to carry the load.
Michigan basketball took another hit, this time a big one, as incoming transfer Caleb Love has decided not to come to Ann Arbor. Whether it's because of academics, admissions or because Love simply doesn't want to play for Juwan Howard doesn't really matter. What matters, is that he's not going to wear the maize and blue and the roster without him is quite unimpressive. Now, Howard has a small handful of scholarships to use before the upcoming season.
On the gridiron, Jim Harbaugh's program is humming along like a well-oiled machine. He has the No. 1 recruiting class in the entire country for the 2024 cycle, he just added Bo Schembechler's son to his staff (do with that what you want) and he's got one of the most complete and loaded rosters in the entire country.
Hunter Dickinson is no longer a Wolverine — the big center made it official by committing to Kansas. The fact that he's gone isn't a surprise and where he ultimately ended up really isn't either when you consider his reasoning. Upon leaving Michigan, Dickinson dished on what he made as a student athlete under the new NIL allowances now in place and it's pretty paltry compared to what stars are getting at other schools. Dickinson will now attempt to capitalize on his name, image and likeness while in a Jayhawks uniform, which he'll more than likely be able to do at a higher level than in a U-M fit.
On the football front, Jim Harbaugh is still killing it in every way. The 2024 recruiting class is No. 1 in the country and just added another very nice piece, the returning roster is one of the most talented and experienced ones in the entire country and his not-so-young quarterback is starting to pop up on draft boards as analysts and scouts dive deeper into just what JJ McCarthy is as a quarterback.
Now former Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson appeared on a podcast ahead of his decision and didn't really say much. Of course, we now know that Dickinson will play at Kansas next year, but at the time of this episode, we talked about his impact at Michigan, what he might do at a new school and what his overall legacy is as a Wolverine. We also touch on the rest of U-M's roster a bit now that Dickinson is now gone.
On the gridiron, things are humming a long as well as they have under Jim Harbaugh. Michigan is just one of two teams in the entire Big Ten with ZERO questions marks at quarterback. With that in mind, it's easy to understand why U-M is going to be the favorite in the Big Ten after winning two titles in a row. Michigan has even moved into the No. 2 spot of ESPN's power rankings behind only Georgia. All in all, Harbaugh has things rolling and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Jim Harbaugh has things absolutely humming right now, despite a few recent losses via the transfer portal. On the basketball side of things, the portal is still a factor as well. Both programs have benefitted from the portal, but recently we've seen players from both sports decide to look around a bit.
Harbaugh has been killing it with the transfer portal, and he's doing the same thing on the recruiting trail as of late. Right now, per 247 Sports, Michigan has the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the country, headlined by five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis and recent addition, four-star tight end Brady Prieskorn. Across the class, Michigan is adding talent while filling just about every position on the field.
Juwan Howard is trying to recover after a disappointing season and he's doing it mostly through the transfer portal. Hunter Dickinson is currently in the portal, but for how long and where will he end up? There's now smoke that Dickinson might actually return to Michigan. We shall see...
When it comes to the football program, things are humming along. Michigan is scoring wins on the recruiting trail and will likely score at least 11 of them on the field in 2023. We talk about that, what could happen if the wheels fall all the way off and make some predictions about the upcoming season.
Michigan's spring game ended up being one of the more entertaining versions in recent memory with the Maize Team edging out the Blue Team, 22-21, after a late-game two-point conversion call by head coach Mike Hart. After the game, Hart touched on some of the developments of the game, one of them being the performance of his freshman running back Benjamin Hall. All in all, the game was a hit, even though many big time Wolverines were watching from the sidelines.
A bunch of surefire contributors sat out of the spring game, which isn't awesome, but it did give everyone a chance to see some lesser known players on a bigger stage. One thing is for certain — this team is loaded. Jim Harbaugh has done a phenomenal job building the roster and should absolutely be recognized and applauded for the near-miraculous turnaround since the disappointing 2-4 season. After beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten title and making the College Football Playoff for two years in a row, that strange 2020 season seems like ages ago. Now, Harbaugh might have his best team ever heading into 2023.
Michigan advanced in the first round of the NIT after beating a solid Toledo team by 10, but Jett Howard opted out and the team just didn't look overly excited to be playing, at least early on. However, they got it together and now they'll face Vanderbilt in Nashville tomorrow. That'll be the real test in terms of who wants to play and who is just going through the motions.
As for football, we are getting closer and closer to Michigan's April 1 spring game. With that looming, U-M fans are excited to see some new faces and some familiar ones potentially doing new things. It's going to be vanilla, as always, but it's still football in The Big House in April. We all know that Michigan is loaded and will be a force in 2023, so watching the Wolverines in any capacity right now is going to be a nice sight.
Michigan basketball is in a weird place right now. As the No. 3-seeded Wolverines gear up to take on Toledo in the first round of the NIT Tournament, fans of the program don't know what to think. If Michigan runs the table and wins the NIT, cool. It's always good to end your season on a win, but no one is going to be very excited about winning that tourney. On the flip side, if Michigan loses tomorrow, or early in the NIT, it's only going to add to the angst that is U-M hoops right now.
On the gridiron, things are going considerably better. Jim Harbaugh has his program humming as many big time prospects are swinging through Ann Arbor right now. We're only about two weeks away from the spring game and the roster could not be in better shape as the Wolverines look to three-peat as Big Ten champs and return to the College Football Playoff before it expands to 12 teams in 2024, which we talk at length about.
Michigan basketball has been very up and down all year but the Big Ten Tournament was still there for them to make a statement and a run. With those ups and downs this year, that has been some talk about Juwan Howard's ability as a head coach and some have even started to use the words "hot seat" when referring ot his position at U-M.
On the gridiron, things could not be in better shape. Jim Harbaugh has the Michigan football machine humming and 2023 could be even more special than 2021 and 2022, which is really saying something. If the Wolverines can win against Ohio State again and bring home a third straight Big Ten title, advance to the playoffs and play for a national title, the word elite is going to be attached to the program for the first time in a long time, and deservedly so. We talk about all things football as the program marches through spring practice in preparation for the April 1 spring game.
Michigan basketball is slowly working its way back onto the bubble after beating Michigan State and Rutgers in impressive fashion. They're not there yet, but Joe Lunardi does have them back on the graphic. It's going to be fun to see how this team finishes the season.
On the gridiron, Jim Harbaugh and Co. have a couple of spring practices in the book and already have seen some nice things. The O-line is as deep as ever, the cornerback position looks and feels exciting and the Wolverines are very clearly the kings of the Big Ten at this point based on Vegas odds and overall predictions in the conference.
We're in the thick of the offseason when it comes to college football but things are still happening around Ann Arbor. Jim Harbaugh is back for good, for now, and he's made a few new hires that appear to have improved his already stellar staff. The 2023 recruiting class is now all set and several of those guys are already in Ann Arbor as Wolverines. All of that provides a little bit of excitement as spring football is just a handful of days away, with the spring game scheduled for April 1.
On the hardwood, Michigan has now won three games in a row with plenty of quad 1 opportunities coming up, staring with a home game against Indiana on Saturday. Nobody has U-M in the tournament right now, but these final seven regular season games of the year are just what the Wolverines need to bolster the resume in a hurry. Juwan Howard's seat isn't warm yet, but a heating coil is installed.
National Signing Day has a completely different feel now that most prospects announce and sign early in December, but the first Wednesday in February will always feel like the true NSD. For Michigan, a lot of the work was already done, but at least a couple of prospects made their decision earlier this week, with one going U-M's way and another heading elsewhere.
Jim Harbaugh was actually present for National Signing Day this year, which is obviously a good thing, and he recently hired a new quarterbacks coach as well. With Matt Weiss out, Kirk Campbell is now in, and reviews on him are solid. Michigan is poised to make another deep run in 2023, and Campbell might end up being a solid part of that compared to how little Weiss seemed to do.
Even though it wasn't the smoothest process in the world, Jim Harbaugh is back in Ann Arbor. He's already back out on the recruiting trail doing what he does and it seems like he's poised to lead another extremely successful team in 2023. Unfortunately, Harbaugh's flirtation with the NFL, Michigan's looming NCAA violation punishment and now co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss' legal trouble have the Wolverines looking like a flailing program in the offseason.
Fortunately, it likely won't matter come September. Michigan is poised to run through the Big Ten, including Ohio State, again. The Wolverines are two to three deep at most positions, but there are some questions marks at wide receiver and cornerback. However, the strengths everywhere else are so strong, it might not matter. We're eight full months away from football starting back up, but it's already fun to talk about a three-peat.
We're now two weeks removed from Michigan's unfortunate loss to TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinal, and instead of watching U-M's momentum build and build after a phenomenal season, we're witnessing more turmoil and uncertainty when it comes to head coach Jim Harbaugh's future with the program.
Harbaugh did a virtual interview with the Denver Broncos on Monday and is now in a bit of wait-and-see mode. The Broncos reportedly want Sean Payton above all others, but Harbaugh is right there. Payton is interviewing with the Broncos on Tuesday, so it'll likely be Wednesday at the earliest until we hear anything about what Harbaugh might be doing.
Jim Harbaugh has every right to look around for a better situation for himself and his family. Over the last three seasons, he's made it pretty clear that an opportunity in the NFL would be one of those situations. In 2020, no NFL teams wanted him after the uninspiring 2020 season that ended with a 2-4 record. Last year, after beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten and making it to the College Football Playoff, a few teams seemed interested, including the Minnesota Vikings, who actually flew him out, on National Signing Day, for a job interview that Harbaugh thought he had already aced. He didn't, so he returned to Michigan. All he did was follow up with an undefeated regular season, another win over Ohio State and another Big Ten title before making the CFP. Now, he's looking at the NFL again.
It's not that he's looking, it's that he's looking after saying he wouldn't. Adamantly. So instead of riding massive waves of momentum, and using the 2021 and 2022 seasons to build on, Harbaugh and his assistant coaches are instead doing damage control and putting out fires. Instead of signing one of the best recruiting classes in the country, prospects are looking elsewhere because of the perceived uncertainty in Ann Arbor. We'll probably get some answers soon, as Harbaugh prepares to interview with the Denver Broncos this week, but it's completely up to him as to how long all of this is going to take.
For the first part of the podcast, it's all about Jim Harbaugh and his future. Will it be at Michigan? Will it be somewhere in the NFL? After just going through this last year for more than a month at the detriment of his own program, Harbaugh is once again feeling things out with the NFL. That's obviously his prerogative, but it's not a good look and continues to hurt the very thing that he has built.
Once we navigate that topic, we discuss a trio of defensive transfers, which allows us to discuss the depth on Michigan's roster. When semi-productive, fifth-year guys are leaving, there's obviously a reason. The same can be said for someone who just finished their true freshman season. Throw in a tiny bit of basketball talk and some more discussion about the game against TCU and you have the most recent episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
At least 10 Michigan players and both pairs of coordinators talked with the media during the week of preparation for the Fiesta Bowl and all had something interesting to say. Each player and coordinator sat behind a microphone for more than 30 minutes giving media members plenty of time to ask all types of questions.
Mike Morris complimented TCU quarterback Max Duggan. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter talked about the importance of adjustments. JJ McCarthy shared that he listens to Bob Marley almost exclusively while preparing to play. Ronnie Bell spoke about his little brother Kendrick officially becoming a Wolverine last week. Olu Oluwatimi did a little bit of reflecting on his choice to become a Michigan Man. The list goes on and on.
Christmas is now in the rearview mirror and we're inside of a week until Michigan's playoff game against TCU. Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines arrived in Arizona on Monday evening to some excited folks and a pretty legitimate welcoming committee consisting of fans, bowl reps, members of the media and even the official mascot of the Fiesta Bowl. Now that the Wolverines are here, it's time to get to work.
Some of that work will include practices throughout the week ahead of Saturday's game. Harbaugh said that practices back in Ann Arbor have gone well in preparation for the bowl this week, but now that they're on location, the Wolverines need to lock all the way in and focus on the Horned Frogs. The team is likely already there, which should come has no surprise given how they have prepared and performed all season. Now, we're just five days away from see it potentially pay off.
Today marks the early, December edition of National Signing Day that has essentially become the National Signing Day as somewhere between 70 and 80% of recruits put pen to paper and officially sign with the team of their choice. For Michigan, it was a relatively quite day aside from landing two top-200 prospects in wide receiver Karmello English and cornerback Jyaire Hill. Once the dust settled on the first day of the period, Michigan sat at No. 17 nationally with 23 signees.
As for the current Wolverines, we're still all really excited to watch them take the field against TCU. So many people are curious about the matchups, especially the ones that involve Michigan's running game and TCU's rush defense. Most expect Donovan Edwards to have a big day and for U-M to improve to 14-0 and advance to the national title game.
In the first ever matchup between Michigan and TCU, many see the Wolverines being too much for the Horned Frogs. Whether it's Michigan's running game against a porous TCU rush defense, or U-M's multifaceted pass rush against a TCU offensive line that can get pushed around a bit, it seems like a tough draw for the Horned Frogs. Still, the games aren't played on paper, so everyone is anxious to see how things play out on December 31 in Arizona.
On a player by player basis, there are some intriguing comparisons. Obviously Max Duggan and JJ McCarthy aren't on the field at the same time, but how they each perform will be crucial to their respective teams' success. With Michigan's defense, it's about each player stepping up and rising to the occasion. There isn't any one guy that has to shine, but all 11 need to be sharp. Perhaps the most important part of Michigan's defense on that day, will be the secondary and covering TCU's talented receivers. However it plays out, it's going to be fun.
As the entire world gets ready to tune into bowl season, the Michigan Wolverines are two weeks away from taking on the Horned Frogs of TCU in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Most people still see U-M as the heavy favorite in the game, but as we discuss, TCU is no push over.
We also talk about a potential matchup with both Ohio State or Georgia, which are both very intriguing matchups for different reasons. With Georgia, they're the team who eliminated Michigan from the playoffs last year. With Ohio State...well, Michigan fans everywhere understand what that matchup would look like.
Michigan is definitely dealing with the transfer portal right now, in both directions. Second-year defensive lineman George Rooks his decided to leave Michigan, while U-M is still entertaining targets from other schools who have decided to jump into the portal themselves. We also talk about Cade McNamara's appearance on a podcast that makes his departure look worse than it once did.
On the field, we take a deep look at TCU as a team overall and really focus on the play and approach by quarterback Max Duggan. The seasoned veteran finished second in the Heisman voting and has shown that he'll lay it all on the line for his team. Still, TCU is goin to have its hands FULL against a physically dominant and confident Michigan team. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is absolutely rolling in 2022. The biggest opponents on the schedule all got served by more than 20 points and the same thing happened to Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. Next up is TCU in the first round of the CFP in the Fiesta Bowl out in Arizona. Everyone paying attention sees Michigan as the favorite and that flat out feels like the easy pick right now.
Of course, TCU was undefeated until last week as well. They've had many more scares, and aren't quite as talented as Michigan across the board, but they can play. Still, U-M just feels like a team of destiny this year and JJ McCarthy seems to have the "it" factor that's been missing at the QB position for several years. Jim Harbaugh and his staff have been masterful all year and are now just two wins away from being national champs.
In what should've been a busy week because of the upcoming Big Ten Championship game, the news cycle was instead flooded by breaking news. Michigan's star running back Blake Corum will be getting surgery on his left knee that will cause him to miss the rest of the season. Former U-M quarterback Cade McNamara announced his transfer to Iowa. And finally, Michigan captain and starting defensive tackle Mazi Smith is now facing weapons charges after being pulled over with a gun in the car in an incident that took place all the way back in October. Michigan is obviously playing a huge game on Saturday, but instead these items dominated the headlines.
On the field, Michigan is favored by 16.5 points over Purdue and is expected to handle the Boilers. Michigan's rushing attack, even without Corum, should be effective as should JJ McCarthy through the air after picking up a ton of confidence against the Buckeyes in Columbus.
Michigan is sitting at 12-0 and is basically a lock to play in the College Football Playoff. But first, U-M will head to Indianapolis to defend its Big Ten title against Purdue. The Wolverines are 16.5-point favorites against the Boilermakers and have the makeup to make it a long night for the fellas from West Lafayette.
Michigan is supremely stout up front, as evidenced by first-team All-Big Ten members Trevor Keegan, Olu Oluwatimi and Zak Zinter at left guard, center and right guard respectively, and have the best back in the Big Ten in Blake Corum running behind them. Of course, Corum is dinged up and may not play, but Donovan Edwards did just fine against Ohio State in Corum's absence. Throw in a confident and now proven JJ McCarthy, and it feels like it's going to be a rough one for Purdue.
Michigan absolutely beat down Ohio State. Nothing more needs to be said.
Now, it's about getting ready for Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines are favored by 16.5 points over the Boilermakers and should be able to cover. Purdue is 8-4 with losses to Penn State, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Iowa. Michigan is 12-0 and handled both Penn State and Iowa over the course of the season. Obviously the transitive property doesn't work in football, but the Wolverines are expected to roll. We talk about the beatdown in Columbus, the matchup against Purdue, Michigan's talented roster and of course, Jim Harbaugh, as he prepares to add another trophy to the case.
It's finally here. When the 2022 season kicked off, everyone already had the showdown in Columbus circled because of how things played out in 2021 and because it's "The Game". It's unlikely that everyone thought it would be 11-0 vs. 11-0, No. 2 vs. No. 3 or so important to the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff pictures, but here we are. Jim Harbaugh and Ryan Day have both been pretty tight lipped this week, so it's time to let the play do the talking.
As for the teams actually taking the field, there are a lot of question marks. Michigan is banged up at several key positions, including at running back with both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards dealing with pretty significant injuries, at least for their position. Ohio State's backs are also a little dinged up, but they don't lean on the running game like Michigan does. However you slice it, this year's version of "The Game" is a massive one and everyone is anxious for kickoff.
It's THE GAME...nothing more needs to be said.
Especially this year, with both teams being 11-0 and Ohio State sitting at No. 2, Michigan at No. 3. The winner of this game will represent the East in the Big Ten title game and will also punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff. Giddy up!!!
It's here. It's "The Game" week. It's Michigan vs. Ohio State. It's 11-0 against 11-0. It's No. 2 vs. No. 3. Trips to the Big Ten Championship game and the College Football Playoff are on the line. To say that this weekend's game between U-M and OSU is huge is a monstrous understatement. Jim Harbaugh spoke about the matchup and called it the meeting of two "superheroes" as he heaped praise onto the Buckeyes. We know how Harbaugh really feels about that team down south, but he kept it respectful at the microphone.
In the locker room, it's probably a different story, which is totally fine. Between Ohio State's banged up running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams, and U-M's own pair of injured ball carries Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, everyone is really interested in how the offenses will look. Of course, much of the game will probably come down to how CJ Stroud performs with his stable of talented receivers against how JJ McCarthy operates as he tries to clean some recent issues up. However it plays out, it's going to be massive, entertaining and certainly influential as it pertains to the conference and the playoff picture.
Michigan is a big favorite over Illinois, which would make the Wolverines 11-0 ahead of the massive showdown against Ohio State. Everyone knows that the Illini are up first, but there's nothing wrong with putting some attention on the Buckeyes. That game is going to be massively important and for all the marbles. It would be silly not to talk about it.
It doesn't matter if you talk about Michigan taking on Illinois or The Game, the discussions are pretty similar. Michigan wants to run the ball and should be able to. It hasn't mattered who the opponent has been this year, the U-M run game has been successful and Blake Corum has been productive. Whether it's Illinois tomorrow, or Ohio State next week, the game plan is going to be the same. We talk about that and much more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
After speaking with Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, it's not hard to understand why this team is so good. Both coaches are sharp, detail-oriented, focused and highly organized. After hearing both of them speak, you get the sense that they absolutely know what they're doing and have every intention in putting their guys in a position to succeed. Have things been perfect on both side of the ball this year? Obviously not. But, Moore and Minter are chasing perfection as well as any coaching duo in the country.
As for the rest of the Wolverines, it's all about Illinois this week. Obviously that matchup with Ohio State looms very large, the Illini aren't scrubs. They will roll into Ann Arbor with one of the better defenses in the country and the nation's leading rusher in Chase Brown ready to tote it alongside Blake Corum. Brown is a little dinged, and certainly hasn't seen a defense like Michigan's, but he and his teammates can't be slept on. With that said, I see the Wolverines covering the large 18-point spread as the march to 12-0 continues.
As Michigan sits at 10-0 with 11-0 looking inevitable, it's a fun time to be a U-M fan and honestly, a fun time to cover the team. Even though U-M's record is perfect thus far, the on-field play has not been and that's what everyone seems to be talking about. The run game is dominant, but the passing game definitely is not. Blake Corum is on his way to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation, while the talented wide receivers are barely leaving an impact on the games. It's a very intriguing juxtaposition, which makes for some fantastic discussion.
At the end of the day, Michigan is undefeated. Only three teams can say that and one of them resides in Columbus. As U-M prepares for Illinois this weekend, all eyes are already on the much anticipated showdown with Ohio State. That game is going to be between two 11-0 teams, sitting at No. 2 and No. 3, with trips to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship and to the College Football Playoff on the line. How freakin awesome is that?!
Michigan fans have got to be pretty happy right now. The No. 3 Wolverines are 9-0 with 11-0 looking like a certainty. Blake Corum is arguably the best running back in the country and will probably be in New York for the Heisman ceremony, barring an unexpected decrease in production. And the showdown in Columbus at the end of November is looking more and more winnable with each passing week. And even with all of that, it still feels like the Wolverines can be even better.
In order to talk about all of those end-of-season goals, we have to talk about this weekend's game against Nebraska and next week's game against Illinois, which both seem like guaranteed wins at this point. Nebraska is just 3-6 with wins over North Dakota, Indiana and Rutgers only. Illinois, who looked like the class of the Big Ten West, just lost to a Michigan State team that got handled by the Wolverines a couple weeks ago. Nothing in college football is guaranteed, but everyone in maize and blue is feeling pretty good right now.
Michigan is one of just four undefeated teams left in college football and yet, they still have some things to work on. Once in a while the offense bogs down in the Red Zone and the first half performances have been decent but do not compare to how dominant the Wolverines have been after halftime. If those two areas improve, this team can absolutely win a national title. Before any of that, however, the Wolverines will take on Nebraska this weekend, Illinois next and then Ohio State to close out the regular season.
While discussing the big picture, we also dive into the emergence of Mike Barrett and Michigan's dominant defense in general, Blake Corum's Heisman campaign, the spread and expectations for this weekend's game against Nebraska and which Michigan player would win a hot dog eating contest. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It didn't start off well against Rutgers, as evidenced by Michigan's three-point halftime deficit, but a 38-0, second-half beatdown ended up being beyond convincing and puts Michigan at 9-0 during a wild weekend of college football. No. 1 Tennessee lost, No. 4 Clemson lost and No. 6 Alabama lost, which should pave the way for U-M to roll into the top four with ease.
Even though it took the Wolverines a little time to get going, a few mainstays once again showed up in a big way. Running back Blake Corum, along with his buddy Donovan Edwards, got very loose against the Scarlet Knights. The one-two punch ran for 109 yards apiece and accounted for three touchdowns. They seem to be peaking at the right time. On the defensive side of the ball, Jesse Minter once again, made some major adjustments at the break and blanked the Scarlet Knights in the second stanza. The Wolverines just keep on winning and should continue to do so during its next two home games against Nebraska and Illinois.
Michigan is favored by a whopping 25.5 points against Rutgers. Obviously the game is in Piscataway, and Michigan is reportedly going to be without several key players, but U-M is still expected to roll. With how U-M has been physically dominating teams, it's not surprising. How will it look against the Scarlet Knights? That remains to be seen, but it'll likely be a heavy dose of Blake Corum with a sprinkling of JJ McCarthy making some plays.
On the defensive side of the ball, Michigan should be just fine even if a key player like Mazi Smith is out. Rutgers simply doesn't have enough talent to challenge the Wolverines even in their own house. However Michigan can get a win, they'll gladly do it and move to 9-0 in the process. At this point, we know what Michigan is and Rutgers doesn't have what it takes to combat that.
With Michigan sitting at No. 5 in the first round of the College Football Playoff rankings, U-M fans everywhere are excited for the next three games. Of course after that, it's the HUGE showdown with Ohio State in late-November, which literally could be a top-two or top-three matchup. With No. 1 Tennessee and No. 3 Georgia playing this weekend, it's almost certain that U-M will be in the top four next week. Then after that, a few more home games, and then the Bucks.
Of course, Rutgers played U-M tough in Ann Arbor last year, so even though the Wolverines are favored by more than 25 points against the Scarlet Knights, business must be handled in New Jersey this weekend. If Michigan plays up to its potential, and continues to dominate in the trenches on both sides of the ball, they'll be 9-0 this weekend with two home games remaining before The Game. There's obviously a lot to talk about surrounding U-M's last four games, which is why Fan-Led Wednesday was such a hit.
Michigan got a big 29-7 win over Michigan State on Saturday night, but the entire contest was overshadowed by what happened in the tunnel after the game. Michigan cornerbacks Ja'Den McBurrows and Gemon Green were assaulted by numerous Michigan State players in the tunnel, which has resulted an investigation and charges being pressed. Jim Harbaugh and Mel Tucker both spoke about the incident on Monday afternoon and the messaging could not have been more different.
We also talk about Michigan's offense, which is dominating teams while at the same time struggling in the red zone. It's a weird conundrum, but the Wolverines are 8-0 and rolling. The offense is a machine, but it bogs down once close to the end zone too often. So far, it hasn't hurt them, even a little bit, but everyone already has an eye on that massive showdown in late-November.
Even though Michigan is expected to win by quite a bit on Saturday, U-M fans everywhere still have a lot of questions about the Spartans, how the game might go and ultimately, what the final score will be. Some see Sunday getting out of hand in favor of the Wolverines, others think it will be close because, well, it always seems to be when Paul Bunyan is on the line. Whichever camp you're in, you're excited about Saturday.
We also address the topic that's been at the forefront of our minds all season — Michigan's offense. On one hand, the running game has been dominant, Blake Corum has been special and Michigan is 7-0 and rolling. On the flip side, JJ McCarthy hasn't been asked to do much and has a pretty pedestrian stat line through seven games. If McCarthy needs to wing it 40+ times for more than 300 yards and some clutch late throws and scores, can he do it? Ability wise, yes, but it's more than that. It might not surface this weekend, but it might in late November.
Jim Harbaugh doesn't usually subscribe to clichés in the football world, but even he used the famous, "throw out the records," trope when referencing this weekend's matchup against Michigan State. The Spartans are just 3-4 on the year but everyone in The Great Lakes State knows what happens when these two teams get together. Paul Bunyan has been in East Lansing for a while so bringing him back to Ann Arbor is all Harbaugh and his guys can think about.
We also take some inventory after the first seven games. Even though we're technically past the halfway point of the season, it felt like a good time to breakdown everything we've seen from the Wolverines so far given the fact that the team just enjoyed a bye week. We look at Blake Corum's season so far, JJ McCarthy's first campaign as a starter, the wide receiver group and the defense, of course. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan hit the bye work unblemished and relatively healthy, but it's always good to grab a break ahead of a big rivalry week even if Michigan State isn't very good. The 2022 version of MSU doesn't have Kenneth Walker III and sits at just 3-4. Still, Michigan fans know that the records don't matter, as cliche as it sounds. Don't look at 7-0 vs. 3-4, look at maize and blue versus green and white at night. It's going to be fun.
Fans have already started asking about the Spartans just in case. No Michigan fans seem worried, but everyone knows about Mel Tucker's 2-0 record against Jim Harbaugh and those same fans know that Sparty is going to treat this week as their Super Bowl. They don't have much left to play for, so spoiling U-M's season might be it for them.
Besides the dominant win over Penn State, there is plenty to talk about in the Michigan market. Former Michigan hooper Jordan Poole cashed in on a massive contract, the kickoff time for the Michigan State game was officially announced by the program and James Franklin...had a day in Ann Arbor. With so much going on in the Michigan world of sports, we had plenty to talk about before we even got to the Penn State game.
Once our attention shifted to Michigan's win over the Nittany Lions, though, we really hit our stride. The running game was absolutely dominant, JJ McCarthy was very efficient once again and the Wolverine defense under the guidance of Jesse Minter kept PSU in check all day long. At the end of the contest, Michigan was up by 24 points and sitting at 7-0.
This weekend's tilt between No. 5 Michigan and No. 10 Penn State is a big one in the Big Ten East and nationally when it comes to the College Football Playoff picture. Obviously there's a lot of football still left to play, but whoever wins on Saturday is going to be sitting pretty for a little while as the first round of CFP rankings are just a couple weeks out.
When it comes to the Nittany Lions, Michigan fans have a lot of questions. How good and how effective can Sean Clifford be against U-M's defense? Will the front four be able to get home against Clifford? How good is running back Nick Singleton and can he pop off big runs agains Michigan like he has just about everyone else? On defense, just how good is Penn State? They have some dudes over there, but they haven't seen anyone like Michigan — what's that going to look like? We address all of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Well, for fans of Wolverine Digest and The Winged Helmet, we have quite an update when it comes to Rosie, our motorhome turned command center, the last two weeks or so and everything we've been up to as we build toward the biggest football game of the season. It's been a journey, and we're happy to share it with you.
Jim Harbaugh and Co. are 5-0 and likely on their way to 6-0 with a matchup against Indiana on the horizon. The Hoosiers pose a few problems but got blown out by Cincinnati a few weeks ago and lost by 14 points against a hapless Nebraska team last week. Michigan is favored by a lot and expected to roll in Bloomington.
With Blake Corum carrying the ball like he is, and JJ McCarthy and his receivers potentially ready to take a big step forward, Michigan could be getting ready to operate at full strength as we near the midpoint of the college football season. We discuss all of that on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is now 5-0 after beating Iowa in Iowa City and looking toward 6-0 with a matchup against Indiana in Bloomington coming up this weekend. The Hoosiers love to throw it around, which can be tricky in another team's house, but Michigan is expected to win by quite a bit. It's going to be interesting to see how the Wolverines prepare for IU after the trip to Kinnick and ahead of the big time matchup against Penn State.
Obviously a lot of Michigan's success depends on JJ McCarthy's continued development. The young quarterback was solid against Iowa, but not necessarily lights out and yet, Michigan got a 13-point win inside of a venue where that just doesn't happen. How will things look for McCarthy on the road this weekend and against the best team not named Ohio State next week? We're all very anxious to get the answer to that question.
Michigan is 1-0 in the Big Ten after hanging on to beat Maryland and will now be tested in a major way this weekend in Iowa City. The Wolverines haven't won inside Kinnick Stadium since 2005 and it's going to be tough again. Iowa isn't lethal on offense, but they are on defense. Jim Harbaugh knows it, the offensive coordinators know it and JJ McCarthy is about to find out as he prepares for his first road start.
McCarthy's performance on Saturday will be key, but everyone else needs to be sharp as well. Iowa doesn't make many mistakes and capitalizes on most made by their opponent. Earlier today, Harbaugh mentioned that in several different ways, as did Zak Zinter, Rod Moore and Kris Jenkins. Everyone seems to full understand what this weekend is all about, and why wouldn't they, after winning several big games on the road last year and taking Iowa apart in the Big Ten Championship game. All of that, plus 40+ minutes of burning questions, on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan was supposed to beat Maryland going away, but that didn't happen. Instead, Michigan won just 34-27 and the Terps actually had a chance to recover an onside kick at the end of the game. JJ McCarthy was solid but not electric and he also showed some signs of being a young, first-time starting quarterback. Blake Corum, on the other hand, was absolutely incredible. The 5-8, 210-pounder carried it 30 times for 243 yards and two scores and was the biggest reason Michigan came away victorious.
Next up for Michigan is a road game against Iowa. Heading to Iowa City for a showdown with the Hawkeyes inside Kinnick Stadium is always tough and that figures to be the case next weekend. Iowa's offense has struggled, and Michigan is more talented, but college football can get weird in a hurry. We talk about all of that after making our way back to the Command Center.
Michigan is sitting at 3-0 and hasn't been challenged, so everyone is anxious to see the Wolverines now that Big Ten play is upon us. Of course, Maryland isn't expected to challenge Michigan much, but Taulia Tagovailoa can sling it, there are athletes at the skill positions and it's a conference game that Mike Locksley and his squad would LOVE to win. All of that creates some intrigue even though U-M is supposed to win comfortably.
So with conference play comes true tests. We all expect to see the starters well beyond halftime and possibly deep into the fourth quarter. If that happens, what will it look like? Everyone is curious about a four-quarter JJ McCarthy stat line and Jesse Minter's defense, that has been absolutely dominant, hasn't been tested yet. What kind of a test will Maryland provide? We'll all see soon enough...
Some Michigan State fans and media members just can't handle the fact that Michigan is 3-0 after watching their precious Spartans take it on the chin in Seattle over the weekend. Because of that, all they can do is talk about Michigan's soft schedule and then hope and pray that U-M isn't as good as they appear to be. Luckily for everyone, Big Ten play starts this weekend as Michigan will host Maryland, which should give the maize and blue a chance to shut some folks up at least a little bit.
We also discuss the lack of production from a loaded wide receiver room after we learned that the receivers in that room aren't too pumped about their usage. Once through that, hundreds of fan-led questions push us well past an hour as we hunker down for another episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan has been quite dominant through three weeks albeit against vastly inferior opponents. Even though each team that came to the Big House was outmatch, the Wolverines did what they were supposed to do. Jim Harbaugh's squad is leading the country with 55.3 points scored per game and is only giving up 5.7 points per contest. To put it bluntly — Michigan is rolling.
As U-M gets ready to kick off Big Ten play, there are still some questions to answer. What's this offense going to look like when it really opens up? How will JJ McCarthy truly be utilized? There's only one ball and so many weapons...can they all eat? Is the defense really this good? Can the new faces on defense generate a consistent pass rush? What happens when the secondary is truly challenged? All of those questions are there as U-M gets ready to take on better athletes on better teams.
As expected, Michigan absolutely dominated UConn to the tune of 59-0. Junior running back Blake Corum found the end zone five times and the Wolverines made several impact plays in all three phases of the game. AJ Henning returned a punt for a touchdown, Caden Kolesar blocked a punt and Brad Robbins looked like one of the more powerful and accurate punters in the country.
It's also worth noting that Michigan played over 100 players and at least seven quarterbacks. Freshmen galore saw action and just about everyone who entered the game made their way into the box score. With the Wolverines sitting at an easily attained 3-0, everything gets real next week as Big Ten play starts. The Wolverines will host Maryland at noon next Saturday.
Now that we all know who Michigan's starter is, we're anxious to see him in action again. JJ McCarthy showed everyone that he's definitely the guy in his first career start last week against Hawaii, and now he's preparing to lead the team against UConn. The Huskies aren't much better than Hawaii according to the spread, which is currently at 47.5, so it's unclear how much McCarthy will actually play. Nevertheless, people are more and more excited about watching No. 9 against UConn and for the rest of the season.
We're also anxious to see how the defense looks in week three. In week one, it was a sack party. Last week, Michigan only got home once, which was mostly due to Hawaii's game plan. There simply wasn't enough time for pass rushers to get to the quarterback. So now that we've seen two extremes, what will it look like against UConn? That's what we're all wondering. Throw in some discussion about Cade McNamara, Roman Wilson and the coaching through two weeks, and you have the latest episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan fans now know that JJ McCarthy will be running the show on offense as the starting quarterback. He played 11 snaps against Colorado State and flashed some greatness as a runner, then played 27 snaps against Hawaii in his first start and was basically flawless as a signal caller. Now, he'll run the offense against a 47-point underdog in UConn. Michigan fans everywhere are anxious to watch No. 9 play again.
We also talk about Cade McNamara's future at Michigan or possibly elsewhere, the plethora of weapons at McCarthy's disposal and how much we'll see from them and obviously the defense, which has been pretty damn impressive through two weeks, albeit against inferior opponents. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
So it turns out, JJ McCarthy is really good at football and easily won the starting quarterback job after his first start. Now, The McCarthy Era is officially upon us as the young sophomore has two more games to get things tightened up before heading to Iowa for the first road game of the season. McCarthy didn't get to practice during the spring due to a shoulder injury and was apparently neck and neck with Cade McNamara throughout fall camp. Now, he's clearly far better than McNamara and ready to lead the Wolverines into the meat of the 2022 schedule.
We also discuss Cade's future. Last year's starter did lead Michigan to a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. He didn't stuff the stat sheet in the process, but he was still the starter and played clean, efficient football. So now we'll all wait and see what McNamara wants to do. All of that, plus some of Jim Harbaugh's words from his Monday press conference on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It's almost here — JJ McCarthy's first start. Even if you're a member of "Team Cade", as a Michigan fan you have to be curious about what McCarthy can do. Against Hawaii, he should be able to do whatever he wants. McNamara was up and down at best last week, while McCarthy did some nice things in just 11 snaps. Now, he's likely going to play at least a half of football, which should be more than enough to show what he can do.
On the flip side of the ball, Jesse Minter's defense is going to try to improve on last week's 7-sack performance. Michigan is going to be better than Hawaii, by a solid margin, at every position on the field. If McCarthy can shine, and the defense can dominate like they did last week, Michigan might just cover the massive 51.5-point spread and roll into week three with No. 9 as the true starter at quarterback. The game won't be competitive, but it should be intriguing for several reasons.
Jim Harbaugh has approached his quarterback battle in a unique way, but it feels like he's being accused of doing something that he's not really doing. Too many people view what Harbaugh is doing as turning his back on Cade McNamara, when in reality he's just trying to play the best guy, which is exactly what he's supposed to do. I will admit, giving Cade the start in week one, and JJ McCarthy the start in week two, is a little unorthodox, but it's not like he's cutting McNamara and forcing him to move out of the country. He gave Cade a shot last week and Cade didn't deliver. Now it's JJ's turn and we're all waiting anxiously.
We also discuss Mike Hart's comments about recruiting, what the game is going to be like under the lights, what uniform combination the Wolverines might wear and how Mike Elston uses his defensive linemen. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
So far, the 2022 season feels a lot like the 2021 season. Michigan won in dominant fashion, we some some good things out of pretty much everyone, yet we find ourselves a little confused as to what the ceiling ultimately is for this team. Of course, we're still trying to figure out what's going to happen at quarterback too, even though it feels like it's time for JJ McCarthy.
Plus, we answer the tough questions. Did Cade McNamara start his last game at Michigan? How would we each grade Jesse Minter's first game as U-M's defensive coordinator? How many sacks can this team record each week? How freakin good is Mike Sainristil? All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Cade McNamara got the start against Colorado State, but he didn't exactly light it up. JJ McCarthy, on the other hand, did in just 11 snaps of action. The dynamic sophomore went a modest 4-for-4 through the air for 30 yards but added a career high 50 yards rushing and a score on three carries. Now, McCarthy is in line to start against Hawaii and everyone is assuming that he's never going to look back.
With just a few days left until Michigan's 2022 season starts, it's time to start taking a look at the Colorado State Rams. The Rams aren't nearly as talented as Michigan but they are expected to throw the ball a ton under new head coach Jay Norvell. Because of that, things could get interesting for U-M on defense. Defending such a pass-heavy team can be tricky, but it can also be a great learning experience and a chance for Michigan's new pass rushers and veteran cornerbacks to shine. Sprinkle in some talented freshmen like Will Johnson, Mason Graham and Derrick Moore and you have what could be a very entertaining game even if it does get out of hand.
Plus, we take on dozens and dozens of fan-generated questions. From stat predictions, to breakout players, to questions about the RV and even some discussion about who would win a quarterback battle between Chris and Brandon, the fan-led portion of the podcast is now a staple of the Wednesday night show. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It's game week and Jim Harbaugh is dishing out information like never before. He's dropping the entire depth chart, explaining his decisions about the quarterback battle by referencing bible verses and confirming, over and over, that no one knows what the future holds. His game week media availability was a little odd, but it's pretty obvious that Harbaugh knows that he's got a great team and a very realistic chance at repeating at Big Ten champs.
It's also game week for us, which means the return of TFG, Burning Questions and some discussion about this weekend's game, obviously. We also unveil something that should be a game changer for The Winged Helmet and Wolverine Digest, and might just take everything we do to another level. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
As NIL continues to evolve and ramp up, Michigan finds itself struggling to keep up with some of the more aggressive programs across the country. Juwan Howard himself has questioned what's going on in Ann Arbor as he and coaches like Jim Harbaugh try to compete on the recruiting trail against schools doing NIL in a much bigger way.
We also talk about the quarterback battle again as we approach Michigan's season opener. It's starting to feel like Cade McNamara's job almost exclusively, which brings up a lot of interesting talking points. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
We're now just over two weeks away from Michigan's 2022 season kicking off and Jim Harbaugh is feeling good. He spoke to the media for the first time this fall after 10 or 11 practices and had many positive things to say about his team. Of course, he spoke at length about the quarterback battle and his revamped defense, but he also told a pretty cool story about Michael Phelps and actually named a fall camp MVP so far.
We also got a chance to sit down with Juwan Howard last week and the head basketball coach had some really interesting things to say about NIL at the University of Michigan. Name, image and likeness has now been a part of college athletics for more than a year, yet U-M is still dragging its feet. Why? No one seems to know, not even Juwan.
We discuss those things and excitedly bring back a fan favorite — TFG. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan football has been getting after it for about a week now as they prepare for the season opener against Colorado State. Jim Harbaugh and his assistants have been a little more forthcoming with information compared to past years, which has allowed us to really piece together a starting offense and defense. Co-offensive coordinators Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss gave some good insight into their positions groups, and we also got a chance to speak with Mike Morris, Luke Schoonmaker and Ryan Hayes.
Even though we haven't spoke to him since Big Ten Media Days, Mazi Smith has been a popular player. Morris referenced him and he's been dubbed as the "freakiest" player in the country by Bruce Feldman. Even though he hasn't recorded a sack while at Michigan, Smith seems poised for a monstrous year for various reason. We discuss those and many other things on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
As of August 3, Michigan football is officially back on the field and preparing for the 2022 season. We are 30 days away from U-M's opener against Colorado State and there are plenty of things to talk about. Who is going to start at quarterback? Who is going to lead this team in sacks with David Ojabo and Aidan Hutchinson gone? What about receptions? With so many weapons on offense, who is going to rise to a new level? All of these things are definitely fun to talk about as Michigan gets it rolling in 2022.
In the spirit of the season starting, we also make several predictions and do our best to answer the questions surrounding the team as fall camp begins. We throw out some predictions we consider locks, make some long shot guesses and also have some back and forth about position battles, potential stat leaders and U-M's overall success in 2022. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Jim Harbaugh has taken his teams on some incredible trips in the past, but never has he embarked on a week-long journey around the great state of Michigan, until now. Over the last week, the Wolverines made stops in Flint, Frankenmuth, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Muskegon, Silver Lake, Arcadia, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Glen Arbor, Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Drummond Island, Soo Locks, Tahquamenon Falls and finally the Pictured Rocks. We were along for some of the ride and were able to capture some incredible footage and photos, as well as some intel about the upcoming season.
Sandwiched in between Muskegon and Mackinac Island, Jim Harbaugh and four of his players were in Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days. The Wolverines were represented by Erick All, Cade McNamara, Mazi Smith and DJ Turner while in Indy and all of them did a phenomenal job at their respective podiums. Harbaugh also had plenty to say while discussing Ohio State and Ryan Day, some of his favorite players, NIL money and how that should be unfolding, the upcoming season, Michigan State and more.
Big Ten Media Days are under a week away and the Wolverines will be represented by Cade McNamara, DJ Turner, Mazi Smith and Erick All, along with Jim Harbaugh. There's plenty to talk about with the defending Big Ten champs as everyone gets excited about football being back on the calendar.
Plus, we recap our time spent in Grand Ledge with the Michigan Army National Guard and also preview some upcoming activities before the football team really gets it going for fall camp. Finally, we talk about the quarterback battle yet again as the Michigan fanbase seems pretty divided about who should be under center.
The University of Michigan has officially hired its 15th president. Dr. Santa J. Ono was formally announced as the new president of U-M, which has a lot of people very excited. He's extremely qualified, over-the-top intelligent and, perhaps most important to Wolverines fans, a big supporter of athletics. After dealing with Mark Schlissel for about eight years, Michigan fans seem excited to see what President Ono brings to the table.
On the recruiting trail, Michigan has gotten hot lately. Over the last two weeks, U-M has reeled in four, 4-star prospects, with the most recent being Enow Etta, a highly-ranked edge rusher out of Texas. We discuss U-M's recent run on the trail, what it means moving forward and what it all means as a part of the big picture. Throw in lots of fan questions and discussion and you have the most recent episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan has been experiencing a slight boon in recruiting lately and got another jolt on Thursday night in the form of four-star interior offensive lineman Amir Herring. We discuss that, along with the big picture that is Michigan recruiting as we march toward mid-July.
Plus, NIL is still a topic of discussion as other prospects get ready to make their decisions and other programs continue to push the limits on what's allowed and what is not. Wherever you fall on the subject, Michigan is still not doing enough to compete at the highest level when it comes to NIL. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It's almost July and Michigan is struggling in a major way on the recruiting trail. As of June 30, Michigan had the No. 13 recruiting class in the Big Ten ahead of only Indiana and was sitting at No. 55 in the country. How does that happen after such a successful season in 2021? We discuss...
Plus, Jim Harbaugh is on vacation and it's hilarious, but it does add to the angst that is U-M recruiting right now. We also dive deep into what Michigan is doing — or not doing — in the new world of NIL. When compared to other programs around the country, Michigan seems to be falling further and further behind in a major way.
Three Michigan football players — JJ McCarthy, Ronnie Bell and Traverse City native Ryan Hayes — spent the weekend in Traverse City at the Grand Traverse Resort with Michigan fans moonlighting as golfers. The trio posed for pictures, signed autographs and palled around with Wolverine fans young and old with beautiful skies overhead and a cool northern Michigan breeze mixing it all together perfectly. We were on hand to take it in and document it as another chapter of the NIL book was written.
While we were in Traverse City, Michigan basketball landed Duke transfer Joey Baker. Basketball is a ways off, but it's fun to talk about what the rotation might look like with Baker on the roster. We also talk Michigan football recruiting AGAIN and try to understand how it's playing out in the 2023 class. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It doesn't seem possible, but Mike Morris is entering his senior season at Michigan already. The big, 6-6, 280-pounder has played some but hasn't been the guy yet, but that could all change in 2022. Some of what he said makes you think he's really ready to take a massive leap in year four. Plus, he sheds some light on the 2-4 season, last year's season and expectations for 2022.
Additionally, we discuss Michigan baseball and Erik Bakich, along with some developments on the hardwood, football recruiting trail and the upcoming weekend in Traverse City, which should be a glorious time for everyone involved.
Third-year defensive lineman Kris Jenkins has a chance to take a big leap this season and he's preparing to do just that. The 6-3, 285-pounder stopped by to talk about shaping his body, Jesse Minter's defense, potential standout defenders and that leap he's trying to make. He also gave some really entertaining answers during our first ever edition of Teammate Confessionals.
We also discussed Michigan's quarterback recruiting in both the 2023 and 2024 classes. Plus, we posted the leftover fan questions from last week and did our best to answer them as we march on through the summer. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan have made their decisions — their time at Michigan is over. Both freshmen decided to remain in the NBA Draft, which leaves two scholarship spots open for Juwan Howard and Co. to play around with. The basketball team is a little thin and somewhat inexperienced as it currently sits, so it'll be really interesting to see how it evolves over the next couple of months.
On the gridiron, the rest of the freshmen are starting to settle in on campus and summer workouts are kicking off very soon. There will be a quarterback battle between Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy, and that's what most people want to talk about according to our fan-led Q&A. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
More than 20 current Michigan players were attendance this weekend at the Big Ten Champions Mega Camp in an effort to help out young football players from across the Midwest. Guys like JJ McCarthy, Junior Colson, AJ Henning, Andrel Anthony, several offensive linemen and even specialists Tommy Doman and Jake Moody were on hand to help teach the game of football and spread the Michigan love. Even though it wasn't the Wolverines in action, there was still plenty to take away from the camp.
Also over the weekend, Juwan Howard made news by completely spurning the Los Angeles Lakers when it came to their head coaching vacancy. Howard wasn't offered the job or anything but he immediately let LA know that he was more than happy in Ann Arbor. All that and much, much more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
We're still months away from Michigan football kicking off in 2022, but it's always fun to talk about the upcoming season. The quarterback battle between Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy is at the top of everyone's list and there are a lot of reasons why, and not all of them are about just the upcoming season.
Plus, how good can Blake Corum and the rest of the skill players be in 2022? There's so much potential there that it's really hard to predict who will do what. Also, Vegas has released a few lines for Michigan games next year and all but one of them are very promising. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Because of recent buzz it didn't really surprise, but the news that Frankie Collins is transferring from Michigan still stinks. The explosive freshman looked to be the favorite to win the starting point guard spot next season and when he played as a rookie, looked ready to take that next step. Now, he'll be taking that step in another uniform.
On top of Collins transferring, other weird and potentially damaging developments seem to be unfolding within the Michigan basketball program. Are other transfers still inevitable? Is an incoming transfer the reason for some of the unrest? And finally, what is going to happen with Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate?
On the football side of thing, five former Wolverines are now officially NFL players as Aidan Hutchinson, Daxton Hill, David Ojabo, Hassan Haskins and Andrew Stueber were all drafted starting on Thursday. A few other players have since been signed as undrafted free agents, as U-M continues to churn out Sunday-level talent. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Over the past week, three big pieces of the Michigan basketball team have made decisions about their futures. Hunter Dickinson has decided to return for his junior campaign, while Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate have decided to test the NBA waters after just one season in Ann Arbor. Both could still return, but for now they're off to the next level. Michigan football also received a big transfer from defensive tackle Cam Goode and Michigan fans far and wide are excited about the NFL Draft kicking off tomorrow.
Plus, a full-length discussion about Michigan football's offense, defense and special teams in the form of over/under predictions. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Paul Juda is arguably the most dominant athlete on Michigan's campus right now and you probably don't even know who he is. After this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast, you'll know exactly who he is and exactly what he's about. His story is one that needs to be told and we're glad he got to do so with us.
We also discuss the men's basketball postseason awards that were announced this afternoon. Hunter Dickinson brought home the MVP, which is not surprising, but a couple of other awards are at least debatable.
Michigan fans got introduced to quarterback Davis Warren during the spring game but for a lot of fans, it stopped there. If you take the time to get to know this kid and his story, you'll be blown away. He stopped by to talk to us about his pre-Michigan journey, his time in Ann Arbor, the spring game and more, which all needs to be heard.
We also discuss Jordan Morant's transfer, Michigan State and Ohio State football during the spring and Jordan Poole and Duncan Robinson absolutely lighting it up in the NBA Playoffs for their respective teams. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
We are officially in the offseason for both major sports at Michigan but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. Juwan Howard's name has come up as a potential candidate in the NBA and Hunter Dickinson is currently weighing his options when it comes to the NBA. Naz Hillmon, meanwhile, just got drafted into the WNBA, which marks of the end of an era for women's basketball at U-M.
We also talk about the legend that is Denard Robinson. Plus, get to know Chris and Brandon in a way that you probably don't even want to. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It's been a few days but the spring game is all we have right now when it comes to Michigan football. We saw some freshmen, some guys playing new positions, a couple of new faces that are expected to step up and, at the end of the day, a Blue Team victory.
We also talk a little bit about Brandon Johns Jr. transferring and the Michigan basketball team moving into the future with the college basketball season now in the rear view mirror. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
A spring game honorary captain isn't really supposed to be the center of attention but that's how things are shaping up in Ann Arbor. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has invited his former quarterback Colin Kaepernick to be a captain during pregame festivities for tomorrow's spring game. Kaepernick will also throw to some wide receivers at halftime in front of dozens of NFL scouts as he continues to chase his NFL dreams. The announcement of Kaepernick's involvement has driven a bit of a wedge into the Michigan fanbase, which certainly wasn't Harbaugh's intention, but it's silly to think that he didn't know there would be some backlash.
Once we discussed the elephant in the room, we launched into our Michigan Football Spring Game Draft. Given some of the question marks on Michigan's roster, assembling a starting lineup on both sides of the ball for two teams can be tricky, but that's what makes spring ball so fun. It was fun to put our teams together ahead of the spring game that will be played between two teams that were drafted by the Michigan coaching staff.
As Michigan prepares for its spring game, rising junior offensive lineman Zak Zinter stops by to talk about that, the upcoming season, going into Columbus to take on Ohio State and more. As he prepares for his third year at Michigan, Zinter is focusing on being a leader on the field, but is also branching out off of it.
On the hardwood, Michigan is done for the year after a hell of a tournament run. Juwan Howard and his staff now have to figure out what next year will look like after somewhat disappointing seasons out of Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate, at least in terms of their pro potential. Hunter Dickinson also isn't showing up on many draft board so it's going to be really interesting to see what the Michigan hoopers look like next season.
We discuss all of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan spring practice is winding down and will culminate on April 2 with some semblance of a spring game. Obviously JJ McCarthy will miss the action, but returning quarterback Cade McNamara, stud playmakers Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards and AJ Henning, along with several highly touted freshmen and new center Olu Oluwatimi will likely be on the field. Everyone is anxious to see the new version of the Wolverines after last season's run and April 2 will be our first chance to do so.
All that is down the line a bit, as we prepare for Michigan's Sweet 16 matchup with Villanova tonight. The Wildcats are favored, but not by much. Hunter Dickinson should have his way against an undersized Villanova team. Obviously the Cats are well coached and veteran led, but a lot of people think U-M has more than a puncher's chance to win.
We discuss all of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It's been a big week for Michigan sports. On Tuesday, Jim Harbaugh took the podium for the first time since the season ended and addressed a myriad of topics. Harbaugh talked about JJ McCarthy's injury, the progress of both the defensive and offensive lines, the incoming freshmen, the planned team trip, the NFL situation and more. He gave a few "Harbaughisms" but overall was pretty forthcoming with information.
Then on Wednesday, Juwan Howard spoke with the media for the first time since he was suspended after the Wisconsin game. Howard was emotional in his return especially when talking about his actions, his players coming to see him during the hiatus and the support he received specifically from Phil Martelli as well as the rest of his assistants and the Michigan coaching family in general. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
A quote from Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy from our exclusive sit down interview has made the rounds and it made it all the way down to Columbus. Apparently the football folks at Ohio State saw McCarthy's quote and decided to make it into a decoration at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. We talk about that, the interview itself and what we learned from McCarthy, Andrel Anthony and Donovan Edwards.
We also discuss Juwan Howard, Phil Martelli and the Michigan's basketball team. After wins over Iowa and Rutgers and losses to Wisconsin and Illinois, Michigan is down to three games starting on Tuesday night at home against Michigan State. After that, it's Iowa and Ohio State to close out the season. What combination of wins will put U-M into the NCAA Tournament? We'll see...
Juwan Howard let his emotions get the best of him in Madison on Sunday following a 14-point loss to the Badgers. During the handshake like, Howard and Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard had words and an all-out brawl ensued. Now, punishments have been handed out and Juwan will miss the rest of the regular season.
On a brighter note, we go in depth about our sit down interview with JJ McCarthy, Andrel Anthony and Donovan Edwards. The three of them could not have been more pleasant and had plenty to say when it came to Jim Harbaugh, the 2022 season, a Sherrone Moore-led offense and more. All of that on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
After a bit of a hiatus, we're back to talk all things Michigan football and basketball. Since it's been a while, we finally take a deep dive into Michigan football's coaching staff with a person-by-person breakdown. It's interesting to talk about the staff right now because despite only bringing in two new faces, Jim Harbaugh will have a very revamped staff.
On the hardwood, Michigan is 2-1 in its last three and needs to continue winning over the course of its last six games. They're all tough, but wins would be big resumé builders. As of right now, Michigan making the NCAA Tournament feels iffy at best, but there are plenty of chances to make a case to make the dance. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Now that Jim Harbaugh is back, he's got a lot of work to do. He's already been in the market for a defensive coordinator and now he needs an offense coordinator too. Josh Gattis is heading down to Miami to run Mario Cristobal's offense and leaves a pretty big hole behind in Ann Arbor.
What do all of these changes on the staff, the roster and with Harbaugh in general mean for the the Wolverines in 2022? Luckily the maize and blue have a very favorable schedule, especially early on, to work out some of the kinks. We discuss all of that on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Jim Harbaugh flirted with the NFL but is now back at Michigan. What does that all mean? How do you feel about it? What do you think about how fans feel about it? Chris Castellani and Michael Spath join us to attempt to answer those questions and more surrounding the return of Michigan's head coach.
We also launch into Michigan's basketball program (before the loss to Purdue) and break down U-M's chances to make the NCAA Tournament in Juwan Howard's third season. Are there reasons to be concerned about Howard and Michigan basketball? All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Everyone thought that Jim Harbaugh would eventually return to Ann Arbor only to clean out his office. Instead, he's back as Michigan's head coach.
The whole saga just doesn't make much sense, but here we are. It's February, spring ball is right around the corner and Harbaugh is the head coach at the University of Michigan.
Quite a bit actually happened on a Saturday. Tom Brady reportedly retired but then didn't, Jim Harbaugh still hasn't signed an extension and went to a formal interview with the Minnesota Vikings, Michigan basketball got blown out by Michigan State in East Lansing and Michigan hockey is going through a pretty ugly looking scandal.
Of course, we spent a lot of time talking about Harbaugh and the most recent developments, but we also dove into the basketball game quite a bit. Michigan was just a three-point dog against the Spartans but ended up losing by 16. The Wolverines shot the ball horribly and never really challenged the Spartans on their home floor. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
John U. Bacon is a legend in the Michigan media market, so it was great to get him on to discuss the ongoing Jim Harbaugh saga. Bacon breaks down the ever-evolving situation between Harbaugh and the NFL and gives his take on what will ultimately happen. He admits that it's basically an educated guess at this point, but that's about as good as any of us can do.
We also talk about another football transfer, a couple of PWO commits, a very exciting interview in the works and the Michigan basketball team stepping up and getting ready for a big one in East Lansing on Saturday. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
We're heading into the weekend again and Jim Harbaugh is still out there with a lot of question marks surrounding him and his future. New information is constantly pouring in and new developments are happening as the situation with the Las Vegas Raiders and Michigan remains fluid. It feels really close to 50/50 at this point but it's ultimately going to come down to what Jim Harbaugh wants to do if the Raiders offer him the head coaching job.
We also tackle Michigan's 2022 schedule assign lines to each contest. As things stand right now, it's realistic that Michigan will be favored in 11 of its 12 regular season games and even the regular season finale against Ohio State in Columbus feels like it could be a close one. Throw in some more hypothetical Harbaugh chats and you have the latest episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Another day, another dollar and a bunch of new updates about Jim Harbaugh that really don't amount to anything. At this point, Jim Harbaugh is waiting to see if and what any NFL teams offer him. It's likely going to come down to the Raiders or Michigan for Harbaugh, but it's anyone's guess at this point.
We also talk some about Juwan Howard and Michigan basketball getting back in the win column against Maryland and what it might take for the hoopers to make the NCAA Tournament this season. We also revive Burning Questions as a way to address the latest in Michigan athletics with some semblance of organization.
Another day, another page in the Jim Harbaugh life story. Michigan's head coach is out on the recruiting trail, making new hires, smiling in photos at Michigan hockey games and doing everything he's supposed to do as U-M's leader. And why shouldn't he? After all, he is under contract and could very well be back as the head coach in Ann Arbor next year. Still, he's waiting on something, that's abundantly clear now. We do our best to make sense of all of that and cover this thing as it continues to drag out.
We also talk about Michigan losing a commitment and gaining a commitment in the 2023 class as well as the struggling U-M hoops team. Juwan Howard is certainly earning his pay this year as he tries to figure things out with his 7-7 squad. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It's now Friday night and still no movement on the Jim Harbaugh contract extension. Michigan's head coach is recruiting, setting up visits and making hires, but it definitely seems like he's still waiting on what happens with the Las Vegas Raiders. It still feels like him being back at U-M is the most likely scenario, but it's not a done deal just yet.
We also discuss Andre Seldon's transfer and his words on the way out, along with Juwan Howard and the men's basketball team getting back on the court against Illinois.
It's now Wednesday night and Jim Harbaugh still has not signed a contract extension. As we approach the weekend it's becoming more and more obvious that he's waiting some things out in the NFL. It's starting to feel like it's Raiders or bust when it comes to NFL opportunities. If it's bust, he'll be back at Michigan next year with a new contract and likely more money for his assistants. There's also a chance that an NIL program could be implemented.
We also got our hands on Michigan's official schedule for the 2022 season. It consists of eight home games and a slate that doesn't send the Wolverines away from Ann Arbor until October. There are about four tough-ish games on the schedule and 11-0 is a very real possibility. We talk about all of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Another day has passed and Jim Harbaugh still has not signed an extension that is reportedly sitting on his desk waiting for him. I don't know if the paperwork is actually ready for him like that, but I do know that if he wanted to be signed and looking forward, he could be. He's interested in the NFL and several NFL teams are interested in him. How will all of that play out? Only Harbaugh and the NFL teams know.
As Harbaugh tries to figure out what he wants, now-former Wolverines are making tough decisions to head off to the NFL or to another program. A couple key players have announced that they'll be back in 2022, which should end up being another solid season for the Wolverines. All of this is taking place as the U-M staff prepares to host a lot of recruits this weekend.
Finally, we talk about the College Football Playoff National Championship game. We cover a few bets, pick a winner and discuss what it might take for Michigan to get to that level someday.
Over the past week, several Michigan players have declared for the NFL Draft and several others have announced their intentions to transfer to other schools. Most were expected while a couple others were a tad surprising. It's worth breaking them down to see exactly how it affects the roster heading into next year.
Those are all fine and good to talk about, but the biggest topic is the future of Jim Harbaugh. There's real interest between him and the NFL, and, of course, Michigan certainly wants him back. That creates a very interesting dynamic during the early part of the calendar year. We do our best to break all of that down on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
It's Christmas Eve, 2021 is coming to a close and Michigan plays Georgia in the College Football Playoff in just one week. Life is good.
There has been a spike in COVID concerns in recent days but for now, Michigan is in good shape and ready to travel down to Fort Lauderdale. Once in town, the Wolverines will remain as secluded as possible thanks to some new precautions put in place by the Orange Bowl Committee. Everyone is super excited about the game, as long as it goes according to plan.
After the first day of the Early Signing Period, Michigan's class ranks inside the top ten according to all recruiting services thanks to several National Signing Day flips and a couple of commitments at the buzzer. Big time safety Keon Sabb, prototypical wide receiver Darrius Clemons and talented edge rusher Derrick Moore all picked U-M on Wednesday giving the Wolverines 23 total commits in the 2022 class.
We break down each recruiter, field questions about the day and get into a little bit of football discussion based on the events of the day. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Unfortunately, Michigan basketball is still trying to figure things out, and that led to a 10-point loss against Minnesota in Ann Arbor on Saturday night. The Wolverines, once again, could not find the range from deep and struggled to get stops against the Gophers when they needed them most. At one point Minnesota was up by 16 points in the second half. Juwan Howard and his Wolverines are now 1-1 in conference play.
The other news of the night was Aidan Hutchinson being in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Hutchinson came up short against Alabama's Bryce Young, but it's still noteworthy that he was in The Big Apple for the award. Now, Hutchinson, along with Young, will get ready for the first round of the college football playoffs at the end of the month.
Michigan's success on the field is resulting in success on the recruiting trail. The Wolverines picked up two big commitments earlier today — one in the 2022 class and one in the 2023 class — and may have more good news coming in the next couple of weeks. With a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten Championship trophy in the trophy case and an appearance in the College Football Playoff now under Jim Harbaugh's belt, recruiting is expectedly picking up.
We also talk some Michigan basketball after an incredibly impressive performance against Nebraska that gets U-M off to a 1-0 start in conference play. After that, it's all fan-led discussion that results in over an hour of back and forth dialogue about all things Michigan athletics. All of that on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan absolutely has a chance against Georgia despite what the current spread says. With how Michigan has been playing over the last three or four weeks, they can beat anyone they step onto the field with.
With a huge playoff matchup coming, it's easy to take things one day at a time, but it's also a lot of fun to talk about what next year might look like, especially at the quarterback position. Throw in how Mike Macdonald's defense might look in year two, and the conversation gets even more enjoyable.
Michigan and Iowa are less than a day away from getting after it in Indianapolis with a Big Ten title on the line. The Wolverines are favored by a pretty large 11 points and most expect U-M to win.
Iowa, however, is 10-2 in their own right and is always pesky. If Michigan turns the ball over, which they haven't really done all year, Iowa will have a shot. That's how they've been winning all season and that's what they'll need to beat Michigan.
We discuss all of that, talk Iowa with John Bohnenkamp of Inside The Hawkeyes, make some specific predictions and do our class over/under scenarios. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is really just one game away from punching a ticket to the College Football Playoff. Obviously beating Iowa is priority No. 1, and would result in the program's first Big Ten title since 2004, but making the playoff and potentially the national championship game are real possibilities for the Wolverines right now.
The Michigan football program is flying high, landing recruits and gearing up for a Big Ten title run. On the flip side, Michigan basketball is just 4-3 now and reeling after another lopsided loss, this time at the hands of North Carolina. What a 180 compared to where the two programs were at last year.
Michigan beat up on Ohio State and will now play Iowa for the Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines handled the Buckeyes in every way and will head into the title game as a big favorite.
Jim Harbaugh may have just changed the entire trajectory of the program with the win over Ohio State and everything will keep heading in that direction with a win over Iowa, an appearance in the College Football Playoff and a potential shot at a national title.
Unreal.
We're now just two days away from The Game and Michigan fans are diving deeper and deeper into the matchup. How will JJ McCarthy be used if at all? Will Blake Corum play? How much pressure can David Ojabo and Aidan Hutchinson put on CJ Stroud? Can Michigan's secondary handle Ohio State's dynamic wide receivers? All of those questions are swirling ahead of the biggest matchup of the season.
We also discuss Michigan basketball, which did win last night but definitely has some issues to clean up, along with Jim Harbaugh's record over Ohio State, what everything would look like in the case of a win and a loss. There's lots of good stuff in this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan vs. Ohio State. Not much more needs to be said.
The Wolverines and Buckeyes are on a collision course with each other and the winner gets to represent the Big Ten East in the title game in Indianapolis and likely 25% of the College Football Playoff picture. Michigan is currently an 8.5-point underdog, which we discuss in this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast, but there's a decent handful of people that think this year is Michigan's year.
We also talk about how different Jim Harbaugh's potential 1-5 or 0-6 record against the Buckeyes would feel. One of those scenarios is going to play out this Saturday, and man is there a big swing between the two. We also discuss Donovan Edwards, Ohio State's game against Michigan State, U-M's offensive approach and more.
Michigan football is going after win No. 10 against Maryland in College Park on Saturday afternoon and most expect them to win pretty easily. If the Wolverines can run the ball, pass in a timely fashion and contain Taulia Tagovailoa even a little bit, the 15.5-point spread should be no problem for the maize and blue.
Will JJ McCarthy play and if so, how much? Is Blake Corum going to be available? If he's not, how many carries will Hassan Haskins have? How involved is Erick All going to be after his heroics last week? Can Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo continue to terrorize opposing quarterbacks? All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Unfortunately, Michigan basketball experienced its first loss of the season at home against Seton Hall. The Pirates are big, athletic and shoot the ball well, and on Tuesday night, it was enough to beat the Wolverines. Juwan Howard and his squad are going to be fine, but the loss did expose a couple of weak areas in a developing and talented U-M team.
We also get into some talking points surrounding Michigan football and its 9-1 record with a very winnable game on the road at Maryland looming. Of course, the now potentially massive showdown with Ohio State is just under two weeks away and all anyone can think about. As U-M marches towards that game, we talk Blake Corum, Hassan Haskins, Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy, U-M's incredible duo of Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo and more.
All of that on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Jim Harbaugh and Juwan Howard both spoke to the media on Monday and they had very different feels. Howard was more short and terse than normal, while Harbaugh was expectedly chipper and ready for this weekend's game against Maryland that should push his Wolverines to 10-1.
We also field several burning questions and chat with U-M tight end Erick All on the heels of his massive play that gave Michigan a win in Happy Valley over the weekend. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Juwan Howard and the Michigan basketball team tipped off its season on Wednesday night against a very solid Buffalo team and came away with a 12-point victory. There's a lot to like about the 2021 version of the Wolverine hoopers and it seems like they're poised to defend the Big Ten title in Howard's third season at the helm.
With basketball now underway, that obviously means football season is coming to a close. The Wolverines will travel to Happy Valley this weekend to take on Penn State in what has become the next must-win game on the schedule. After that it'll be a road game against Maryland before taking on Ohio State in Ann Arbor. If Michigan can win out, they'll be in Indianapolis in December.
We discuss all of that, all while fielding fan questions and comments from our loyal listeners.
Even though the game against Michigan State was more than a week ago, people are still talking about the officials and apparent missed calls. Jim Harbaugh was asked about the Big Ten's review of some of those calls and he addressed all of that earlier today.
We also talk about the win over Indiana and several things to keep an eye out for this week and this weekend as the Wolverines prepare for the big matchup against Penn State. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is sitting at 7-1 and will have to bounce back for the first time this season after a tough loss against the Spartans last week. Fortunately for Michigan, a struggling Indiana team is up next inside The Big House.
One of Indiana's main struggles this year has been at quarterback as they try to figure out life without Michael Penix. Backup quarterback Jack Tuttle is also out, which means it'll be true freshman Donaven McCulley running the show against the Wolverines. We discuss all of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is 7-1 and No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings, but somehow it feels a little empty after last week's loss to Michigan State. Now, Michigan's season is four games long and contains to massive tests — at Penn State and at home against Ohio State. The outcome of those will truly define Michigan's season.
If the Wolverines can win out, they'll be in the discussion for the college football playoff. If they win out and Michigan State trips up a couple times, which is entirely possible with games against Purdue, Penn State and Ohio State remaining, they could still punch a ticket to Indianapolis. It feels like a long shot given Jim Harbaugh's track record, but there is still a lot left to play for.
We discuss all of that, along with Harbaugh's resume so far and what we think will happen down the stretch on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
The weekend is over and Michigan's loss to Michigan State still weighs heavy. Sure, the Wolverines are 7-1 and ranked No. 9 in the country in the AP Poll, but Jim Harbaugh is now 3-4 against Michigan State and 0-2 against Mel Tucker as the Spartans moved to 8-0 this year and into the playoff discussion.
Technically speaking the Wolverines still have a lot to play for but now it just feels like every other year under Harbaugh. They started strong, lost to a decent team or rival and now have to regroup in an attempt at salvaging the season before likely falling to Ohio State.
Michigan will try to get back into the win column this weekend against Indiana, which seems likely. But who really knows? After all, we haven't seen this team attempt to bounce back from a loss yet. I expect the Wolverines to win pretty easily, but the loss to MSU sucked a lot out of U-M.
Also, what's now going on at quarterback? Cade McNamara looked solid all day long in East Lansing, but is apparently a little banged up. JJ McCarthy had a great touchdown pass to Andrel Anthony, but also fumbled at least once. We'll see how everything looks on Saturday night, but it's fun to talk about it now.
The 2021 edition of the Michigan/Michigan State game is one for the ages. No one really seems to know how it will look and depending on who you ask, each team is a lock to win.
That's part of what makes the rivalry so fun, but tomorrow's game really does feel like a toss up. And this year, the stakes are higher than they've ever been.
You can go position group by position group and try to figure out who has the advantage, but what you'll soon realize is that the teams are quite similar. You can also dissect each team's 7-0 record and try to poke holes in the wins, but it's tough, because wins are wins and U-M and MSU are two of just nine undefeated teams remaining in the country. We'll know everything we need to know at about 3 pm tomorrow afternoon, and I personally can't wait.
This weekend's top ten matchup between Michigan and Michigan State has so many intriguing storylines.
The quarterback matchup is interesting because so far, Michigan State's Payton Thorne has been better than Michigan's Cade McNamara. Despite being 7-0, McNamara has only thrown five touchdown passes and hasn't been asked to do much downfield. What will that mean on Saturday?
Michigan State Kenneth Walker III is a legitimate Heisman contender by himself, but Michigan's overall rushing attack is far better than MSU's with Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins both putting up big numbers. Through seven games, Walker has 997 yards and nine touchdowns, while Corum and Haskins have 1,331 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns combined.
Michigan's cornerbacks haven't been tested much this year, but the overall pass defense has been solid. The Wolverines are currently No. 4 in the Big Ten giving up just 182.4 passing yards per game. Conversely, Michigan State is dead last in the conference and gives up 285.4 yards through the air per contest. On the flip side, MSU puts up north of 250 yards through the air, while U-M manages just 189.
All in all, it just feels like a classic matchup. It's hard to predict how the game will look, which makes it hard to pick who will prevail. That's what makes rivalry games like Saturday's so special.
Michigan vs. Michigan State always has a little stank on it but this year is on another level. Both teams are 7-0, ranked inside the top ten and ready to prove they belong.
Neither team has beaten a top flight opponent but, 7-0 is 7-0. There are some legitimate questions surrounding each team but both programs are confident and think they can beat one another. We're all going to know what each program is made of come Saturday, and the entire state of Michigan is ready for it.
Even though Michigan is favored by a massive 23.5 points, it's hard to figure out exactly how the game against Northwestern will look. Pat Fitzgerald always has his teams ready and Jim Harbaugh correctly said that the Wildcats are always better in the middle and later part of the season than they are at the beginning. Throw in the fact that Michigan has won four of its last five matchups against Northwestern by an average of just 4.75 points, and you start to really wonder how much Michigan can win by.
While trying to figure out how the game will look, it's fun to get into the actual stats of the game. How many times will Cade McNamara throw it? How well will Michigan be able to run the ball against Northwestern's porous defense? How often will we see Brad Robbins and Jake Moody? Those kinds of things will determine how the game looks, even though most people expect a win for the Wolverines.
We also get into some of the other games around the Big Ten and the country. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is expected to beat up on Northwestern this weekend, but will they? Jim Harbaugh respects the hell out of Pat Fitzgerald and how and his teams approach things and knows that the Wildcats get better each week. We talk with JP Acosta of Wildcats Daily to find out exactly what the Cats will bring with them to Ann Arbor.
Not only will the game be worth watching, the newly implemented trophy honoring the life of George H. Jewett will be worth recognizing. Jewett was the first African American player at both Michigan and Northwestern back in the 1890s, which is very unique and extremely significant. The winner of the game will take home the trophy and the trophy itself rotates to face the winning team's "side" of the base.
We also launch into just how important these next six games are. On the schedule are away games at Michigan State and Penn State, and of course the regular season finalé against Ohio State. Jim Harbaugh's seventh season will be defined by the next six games.
Blake Corum joins us again to talk about Michigan's 6-0 start, his own goals as a running back, the fastest player on the roster and Mike Hart's influence through six weeks. Corum also explains why Jim Harbaugh called Sunday's practice one of the best he's ever seen.
We also touch on Cade McNamara's play through the first half of the season, what Michigan needs to do against Northwestern this Saturday and the overall vibe of the team with three incredibly tough opponents ahead.
Friday afternoon marked Michigan basketball's media day and it was definitely eventful. Head coach Juwan Howard spoke with the media for more than 35 minutes and then almost every player took the podium for 10-15 minutes to talk about the early practices, upcoming season, team chemistry and more. After that, we got a chance to watch practice for about 30 minutes, which gave everyone a chance to see the talented freshmen and transfer point guard Devante Jones for the first time. That gives us plenty of time to talk about the upcoming season before the opener against Buffalo on Nov. 10.
We also had a chance to dive into the weekend's slate of Big Ten games with Michigan on a bye this week. Iowa fell to Purdue, Rutgers lost to Northwestern and Michigan State remained undefeated with a close win over Indiana. It really makes you wonder what's going on in the Big Ten and almost sets the stage for a massive showdown between the Wolverines and Spartans in two weeks. First, Michigan will have to take care of business against Northwestern, but all things are trending towards a huge top-ten showdown between heated and hated rivals.
Michigan is 6-0 and on a bye, which gives everyone a good chance to take a step back and really dissect what the Wolverines have done so far. It's always fun to take inventory and look ahead while the team rests up and gets ready for the second half of the season. Michigan is perfect through six games, but there is a gauntlet ahead down the back stretch of the schedule.
We tackle some really tough questions revolving around Michigan's performance against Adrian Martinez and Nebraska, U-M's run game, the tough three-game slate made up of Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State and Jim Harbaugh's approval rating through six games. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is just a 2.5-point favorite versus Nebraska, but if you talk to people who cover both programs, you should come away thinking the Wolverines will handle that number with relative ease.
The Huskers are 3-3, but the wins are over Fordham, Buffalo and Northwestern. The losses, while close, are to the only teams with a pulse — Illinois, Michigan State and Oklahoma.
At the end of the day, it's a conference road game for the Wolverines, which are always tough, but it just feels like Michigan is equipped to move to 6-0. We talk with long-time Husker beat writer Dave Feit about all the above and he gives his insight as to how the game might play out.
We also get into several over/under situations, tackle some game-specific predictions and do our best to place some bets on the ranked matchups from a pretty solid college football Saturday.
All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is 1-0 on the road this season after a very impressive win over Wisconsin last weekend but it's not going to be any easier for the Wolverines moving forward. Jim Harbaugh and his squad will square off against Nebraska this Saturday in the middle of a Husker ascension.
As Michigan prepares to take on Nebraska, there are still some questions surrounding this 5-0, ninth-ranked team. Is Cade McNamara going to be the long term answer for Michigan in 2021 with talented freshman JJ McCarthy on his heels? Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson have asserted themselves as trustworthy targets, but who will lead the Wolverines in receptions when the season is all over? Finally, is Michigan truly the No. 9 team in the country? We go through the poll and answer that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Junior defensive end/linebacker David Ojabo has always had a ton of talent. Now, he's starting to combine that with hand placement, technique, reading offensive linemen, knowledge and scheme. As a result, he has 3.5 sacks on the season and looks like a future NFL player. He stopped by to talk about his background, development, Michigan's defense, COVID and more.
We also get into the life and times of one Urban Meyer and break down our own shortcomings when it comes to last week's predictions for the Wisconsin game. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is a two-point underdog vs. Wisconsin, which is essentially a toss up in the world of college football. If Michigan can get a win in Camp Randall, however, it would be the first time in five tries and the first time in more than 20 years, making it a very big deal. It would also be Jim Harbaugh's first win as an underdog. Forget about the Badgers being 1-2, a win over Paul Chryst's crew would be a huge deal for the maize and blue.
How does Michigan go into Madison and win though? Can Cade McNamara do it or should Jim Harbaugh seriously consider playing JJ McCarthy? Will Michigan be able to run the ball against Wisconsin's No. 1 rush defense? There are a lot of interesting storylines heading into the week five matchup and we do our best to discuss them all on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
There's such a strange vibe around the Michigan football program right now. The Wolverines are 4-0, No. 14 in the country and running the ball as well as any team in the nation. But are they actually any good? Can they throw the ball if they need to? Is Cade McNamara a Big Ten title level quarterback? Is the defense effective or has it just been preying on inferior opponents? Those are all legitimate questions and several could be answered this weekend in Madison.
The current and long-term quarterback situation is also a hot topic. McNamara has barely thrown the ball and hasn't looked overly effective when he has. Meanwhile, the freshman phenom McCarthy is on the bench ready to be unleashed. Trotting the rook out there against the Badgers in Madison is not a good idea, but what about in a few weeks at home against Northwestern?
There are plenty of things to talk about right now and there will be even more after the game on Saturday. Michigan will either be 5-0 and marching toward a top-ten ranking or 4-1 with the same issues we've seen throughout the Jim Harbaugh era. All of those discussions and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan held off Rutgers for a 20-13 win on Saturday, but didn't look impressive in doing so. The Scarlet Knights outplayed Michigan in every way except for on the scoreboard. Obviously winning is the most important stat, but there are some very real issues that need to be addressed if Michigan wants to be competitive in Madison and beyond.
Through the first three weeks, Michigan dominant running the ball but barely even tried to throw it. Against Rutgers, the running game wasn't there and Michigan didn't have another approach. Only Army, Navy and Air Force have thrown the ball less than Michigan, and they're all triple option service academies. That type of offensive scheme will not work in today's world of college football and it almost cost Michigan the game on Saturday. Now, Michigan is preparing for the meat of the schedule and it starts on Saturday at Camp Randall.
It seems like the script is easy to predict for Michigan's game against Rutgers, but you never know. Obviously last year was a knock down, drag out fight in Piscataway. It took three overtimes and, while it was on the road in an empty stadium, Michigan did eke out a win.
We also take a look at some of the other games in the Big Ten and a couple of the bigger games from the national schedule. Throw in some over/under situations for Michigan vs. Rutgers and you have the latest episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is favored by 20.5 points over Rutgers, which seems like a lot, but even those who cover the Scarlet Knights see the game getting out of hand on Saturday. Richie Schnyderite of The Knight Report breaks down exactly why Rutgers will have its hands full against the Wolverines this weekend.
We also tackle a few topics after three games and try to figure out what we're going to see as we get into Big Ten play. Toss in a discussion about the most valuable players not named Aidan Hutchinson and Blake Corum and you have another solid episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Once again Blake Corum stops by to talk after a monster game against Northern Illinois. The sophomore running back simply can't be stopped through three games and is now leading the country in rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yards per game. He found the end zone three more times against the Huskies and had another long touchdown run where he erased an angle with pure speed.
We also tackle our weekly bunch of Burning Questions that included Michigan's approach against Rutgers on Saturday, ESPN's FPI, U-M's potential leading receiver and more. Obviously that means we talked about Michigan's offense and defense and we also got into exactly what Saturday will look like against the Scarlet Knights. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
We do our best to try and answer some questions about Michigan as they prepare to take on Northern Illinois. The biggest topic of discussion — Cade McNamara at quarterback and the passing attack in general. It hasn't been needed through two weeks, but is it there when it becomes a necessity? I'm not sure we'll find out against NIU, but we'll be watching for that.
We also tackle nearly 10 over/under scenarios for Michigan's game against NIU and do our best when it comes to picking some of the best games in the Big Ten and around the country. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Sophomore running back Blake Corum is becoming a regular on The Wolverine Digest Podcast because he keeps killing it on the field. He talks about that, his offensive line, his hurdle attempt and running backs coach Mike Hart on this 30-minute exclusive.
We also get into Cade McNamara's performance through two weeks and what Jim Harbaugh had to say about him. We also do our best to break down what we've seen out of Mike Macdonald's defense, which is easier said than done after two weeks.
It looked like Chris Webber was about to be welcomed back to Ann Arbor with open arms, but apparently Warde Manuel was misunderstood or spoken for altogether. It's been a weird couple of days, but the most popular member of the Fab Five should still be in line to get back in the good graces of U-M in the very near future.
Also, we talk about Michigan's night game against Washington in the form of 10 over/under questions. Some of the topics include JJ McCarthy's snap count, Blake Corum's production and Michigan's ability to take care of and take away the ball.
Finally, we do our best to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to the spreads of some of the best games around the country. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Apparently some fences between Chris Webber and Michigan are being mended. The near two decades of friction between Michigan and Webber looks to be coming to an end, as U-M athletic director Warde Manuel voices support for the former Wolverine. We talk about Webber, the rest of the Fab Five and what could end up happening this basketball season. We also take a deep look at the Washington Huskies. The Huskies are talented and will definitely be looking to right some wrongs this weekend. Dan Raley is posted out in Seattle and covers UW on a daily basis. Raley knows about the team and what he thinks Michigan fans should be on the look out for. Finally, we talk about Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy. Some think a QB controversy is brewing in Ann Arbor...do we? All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Sophomore running back Blake Corum is back for appearance No. 2 on The Wolverine Digest Podcast as he breaks down his big game against Western Michigan. The young back finished with more than 200 all-purpose yards and was deservedly named Michigan's Offensive Player of the Week just a little before joining us. Corum broke down his scoring plays, talked about what his teammates did to make his day easy and gave some really good insight about pre-snap reads and seeing this develop before and during his runs.
We also discuss the very unfortunate injury to Ronnie Bell's knee that will keep him out for the rest of the season. We talk about how much that flat out sucks and also try to figure out who will step up in Bell's absence.
Finally, we take a quick look at Washington and answer some burning questions about the week one game as we move through game week.
As Michigan gets ready to take on Western Michigan later today, it's fun to predict what we might see. How many touchdown passes will Cade McNamara throw? Can Aidan Hutchinson get to the quarterback? How disruptive will Michigan's defense be? How much will see of the true freshmen? All of those questions will be answered in just a few short hours.
We also talk to former Michigan standout Jalen Mayfield as he gets ready to start his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons. Mayfield talks about his time at Michigan, tells a funny and impactful story about Zak Zinter and makes game picks from this weekend's Big Ten slate. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan is a 17-point favorite against Western Michigan but the Broncos definitely have a few weapons to be aware of. Patrick Nothaft of the Kalamazoo Gazette and MLive stopped by to talk about WMU in detail and even gave his prediction for the game and how it might play out.
We also discuss Don Brown's defense, which has become a major talking point over the last few days after several different players spoke out against how broken things seemed to be, last year in particular. There's also plenty to talk about when it comes to who Cade McNamara is as a quarterback after comments from Jim Harbaugh and QB coach Matt Weiss contradicted each other.
Somehow Scott Frost makes another appearance on the podcast as does Oliver Martin, we talk about Cade McNamara as the starter and Kirk Herbstreit gives his opinion on the Michigan fanbase.
Plus, we each tackle Five Burning Questions as U-M prepares for Western Michigan. All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan fans can't stand Paul Finebaum almost as much as Paul Finebaum can't stand Jim Harbaugh.
For whatever reason, Finebaum feels the need to speak about Michigan's head coach every couple of months or so. I'll admit, most of what Finebaum says is warranted, but yesterday's rant just came off as cheap, personal and agenda driven. We're a week away from Michigan's season starting so talking about firing Harbaugh now is just a shot. Period.
As for what's actually happening with Michigan football, the 2021 captains have been selected. Wide receiver Ronnie Bell, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, linebacker Josh Ross and offensive lineman Andrew Vastardis were selected as captains by their teammates. If Vastardis wins the starting center job, all four seniors will be crucial players this season. We break down what each guy brings to the table on the field as players and also as leaders in a captain role.
All of that and more, including more NIL discussion, some compelling over/under situations and a preview of this weekend's week zero slate, on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Redshirt freshman defensive back Jordan Morant hasn't seen game action yet but he's still in the building, going through practice, working with the new coaches and getting a feel for the upcoming season. That makes him fun to talk to ahead of the season opener.
Another thing that makes him fun to talk to is his involvement with A2A Sports. Morant, along with Seth Sugar and Madeleine Calcagno, founded A2A Sports to help student-athletes benefit from the recent NCAA rule change, which allows student-athletes to be compensated for use of their name, image and likeness in connection with advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
A2A’s focus is connecting student-athletes with the top influencer marketing agencies in the United States to help student-athletes grow their personal brand and make them money from their social media accounts.
We got a chance to talk to Morant and Sugar about A2A Sports, and also picked Morant's brain about fall camp and upcoming the season.
We also discuss Mike Hart's plan for the running backs and what redshirt freshman linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green had to say about himself, Josh Ross and Michigan's running back room.
When you look at Michigan football as it prepares for the 2021 season, you can't help but be curious about A LOT of things.
If Cade McNamara truly is the starting quarterback, will he be the guy for all 12 regular season games? Will Michigan's defense be better in year one under Mike Macdonald than it was last year under Don Brown? Who was the best offseason hire? How many uniform combinations will Michigan wear this fall? Is Michigan good enough to compete for a Big Ten title? And finally, are you believing the preseason, fall camp talk?
All of those questions are legitimate and hard to answer — that's what makes them fun to discuss.
We also talk about Hunter Dickinson and his view on name, image and likeness, along with some people around college football who make you wonder, "What they hell are they doing?"
Former Michigan basketball player Stu Douglass has a lot of memories he can look back on from his days playing at U-M. He was part of the foundation that John Beilein created that has turned Michigan basketball into a national contender. It's interesting to hear Douglass talk about the Beilein days that have turned into the Juwan Howard days.
Douglass also talks about NIL developments, sophomore center Hunter Dickinson's comments about NIL and what this season could look like for Dickinson and the rest of the Wolverines. And, of course, we couldn't let him go without getting his thoughts on Jim Harbaugh and the football season as we're now less than three weeks from kickoff.
Everyone is anxious to see Mike Macdonald's defense, but the players seem even more excited to play in it. Junior defensive tackle Christopher Hinton definitely is as he prepares for a major role in Macdonald's defense.
The 310-pounder talked about his role in year three, Mazi Smith's growth and development, the defense as a whole and the new culture surrounding Michigan's program. He also talked about how Abigail O'Connor, Michigan's dietician, and strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert have the team as ready as ever. We also talk about Josh Gattis and Macdonald's press conference ahead of fall camp.
During a shortened 2020 season, Roman Wilson led all freshmen in receptions. He only had nine grabs but it still paced the group. Even though he didn't put up gaudy numbers, he showed flashes of what he's capable of. He might be the fastest player on Michigan's roster, and he's ready to breakout in 2021. The speedy Hawaiian spoke about his potential role this fall, his transition from the islands to Michigan and his relationship with fellow receiver and roommate AJ Henning. We also discuss Duncan Robinson's massive and record breaking new contract as well as conference expansion that is starting to feel massive and inevitable.
All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Sophomore wide receiver AJ Henning stops by to talk about how he'll be used in 2021, Michigan's offense overall, his potential role as a return man and Michigan's alternate uniforms that we're all but guaranteed to see on the field this year. The speedy receiver also talks about the other wide receivers in his group and touches on some of the quarterbacks as well. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Sophomore running back Blake Corum is poised for a breakout year for a lot of reasons. He's fast, tough, hard working and driven. Corum touches on how he's become the running back he is today and also goes into other parts of the upcoming season. Throw in some Football Feud and you have one of the best player interviews we've done so far.
We also recap the NBA Draft, where Franz Wagner went 8th overall to the Orlando Magic and Isaiah Livers went to the Detroit Pistons with pick No. 42. We discuss the BBQ at The Big House to close things out on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Cade McNamara is Michigan's starting quarterback — for now.
Texas Tech graduate transfer Alan Bowman has been in Ann Arbor since May and is definitely not going down without a fight. He's got a lot to learn compared to McNamara, and not much time to do it, but he's also got 19 games worth of playing time under his belt — something McNamara does not have. Bowman talked about all of that along with what it's like living in Michigan vs. Texas, the quarterback room in general, his time at Texas Tech and more.
We also discuss Jake Butt's unfortunate decision to retire from football and preview tonight's NBA Draft. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
After hearing Jim Harbaugh, Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Ross all mention third-year defensive tackle Mazi Smith by name, we had to talk to him. The now 322-pound big man is poised for a breakout year after two seasons of getting his body right and figuring some things out. He gives credit to a lot of people and seems to be ready for a much bigger role in 2021. We also discuss the defensive line as a whole, who might be able to step up along with Smith and talk about some of the unsung heroes within the Michigan football program.
Jim Harbaugh, Aidan Hutchinson, Hassan Haskins and Josh Ross said all the right things while in Indianapolis and gave Michigan fans and media members plenty to discuss. Between the four of them, just about every position group and most of the players we'll see on the field this fall were talked about. It's only right that everything they said gets dissected, analyzed and broken down, on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan freshman quarterback JJ McCarthy has been in Ann Arbor since January, so he's got six months of being a Wolverine under his belt. He talked about that, the battles taking place inside the quarterback room, what he does on a day to day basis and more during his first media appearance as a U-M quarterback. We also dive into what Michigan is and is not doing when it comes to NIL again as the first month of athletes being able to make money wraps up.
Michigan stayed hot on the recruiting trail yesterday picking up a very nice commitment in the form of Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood cornerback Myles Pollard. The long, rangy cover man pairs very nicely with long-time pledge Will Johnson, and now the two of them can work together to attract more top talent to Ann Arbor.
One talented player that's already in Ann Arbor, is sophomore running back Blake Corum. The 5-8, 210-pounder recently posted a picture to his Instagram account that would make some body builders jealous. The young running back is one of the speedier players on Michigan's roster, but he might be one of the strongest as well — at least pound for pound.
Finally, Michigan's upcoming season is a mystery at this point. There are so many question marks surrounding the team that predictions range anywhere from five to 10 wins, with three victories even seeming remotely possible.
Juwan Howard and Michigan basketball got a massive shot in the arm earlier today when center Hunter Dickinson announced that he'll be returning to Ann Arbor for his sophomore season. Dickinson test the NBA waters, but he opted to return to Michigan less than 24 hours before the deadline to withdraw from the draft.
Michigan football has also been receiving dose after does of good news on the recruiting trail. Jim Harbaugh and his staff haven't landed any monster targets, but they've picked up a few nice players over the last month.
Finally, NIL is here and Michigan could absolutely crush it. There hasn't been much evidence of that happening yet, but if the right people get in the right mindset, Michigan could truly be leaders and best when it comes to NIL.
When Jim Harbaugh was hired by Michigan, everyone saw it as the perfect hire. He was coming home, he was extremely successful everywhere he'd been and he was poised to use Michigan's immense resources to make the Wolverines elite. That hasn't happened, but he has won nearly 70% of his games. When he was hired, most would've put him in the top five nationally among all coaches. Now, he's coming in a bit lower than that. Is it fair? We discuss...
We also talk about Pro Football Focus' Preseason All-Big Ten team that is noticeably light when it comes to Michigan players. There are seven Wolverines on the list, but that's less than some Big Ten bottom feeders. How does that happen and is that fair?
In a surprising and impressive move, Mel Tucker and Michigan State has hired now former Cass Tech head coach Thomas Wilcher. The move is surprising because Wilcher is a former Wolverine running back and has been a staple at Cass Tech for more than two decades. There have also been multiple reports over the years that he may end up at U-M in some capacity but instead, he's a Spartan.
In other news, Michigan has added five new commitments in the 2022 class in the month of June, including two on Friday afternoon.
Finally, another player has come forward to share his story about Dr. Robert Anderson. Former Michigan star Jarrod Bunch sat down with Mike Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated to paint the picture of what his time was like while in Ann Arbor. There are several mentions of Bo Schembechler, more examples of abuse by Anderson and further evidence that the problems at U-M were essentially common knowledge, widespread and either willingly or accidentally ignored.
Michigan missed on several of its top targets at quarterback in the 2022 cycle, but the staff didn't give up and landed a signal caller Wednesday afternoon. Apple Valley (Calif.) High quarterback Jayden Denegal visited Michigan, threw for the coaches, picked up an offer and committed all within a few hours. Even though he wasn't U-M's top option at the position, he's big at 6-4, 215 pounds and talented.
Plus, the University of Michigan reportedly made an offer to the victims of Dr. Robert Anderson that was declined. Michigan has remained silent over the last several months and reportedly fell well short of what the victims were looking for.
It seems like everyday brings a new chapter in the Robert Anderson Saga, and Friday was no different. More than 100 prominent people signed a letter defending Bo Schembechler, which basically means those same people are calling the victims of Dr. Robert Anderson liars on some level. It's not good and it needs to be handled, but so far — nothing.
While that development is all bad, Michigan did receiver three commitments since our last episode — two for football and one on the hardwood. Unfortunately, football also had a big swing and miss on the recruiting trail.
Former Michigan running back Jon Vaughn was a force on the field during his three years in Ann Arbor, but unfortunately, those three years were filled with dozens of trips to see Dr. Robert Anderson. Vaughn has been very outspoken over the last year when it comes to Bo Schembechler, Dr. Anderson and the University of Michigan, and he doesn't shy away from discussing what happened to him. Vaughn fields a ton of questions and even addresses a few Bo defenders in a way that most simply could not given what he's been through.
Local product Daylen Baldwin spent last year at Jackson State after three years at Morgan State, but now the 6-3, 210-pound wide receiver will finish up his college career at Michigan. The Southfield native played his high school ball at Farmington High School before college, and now, he's a Wolverine. He could bolster an already talented wide receiver room and certainly understands Michigan football as a hometown kid.
Unfortunately, the splash of positive news was squashed by the discussion of Jim Brandstatter's comments. The former Wolverine and current play-by-play announcer gave interviews to two different radio stations over the weekend and vehemently defended Bo Schembechler while taking veiled shots at Matt Schembechler and Dan Kwiatkowski. He also essentially said that Bo Schembechler was incapable of any form of wrongdoing. As a current employee of the University of Michigan, his comments were very insensitive and incredibly biased.
Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard has squashed NBA rumors per Adrian Wojnarowski, the College Football Playoff is going to expand and Will Johnson is officially visiting USC as we speak. Plus, we wrap up our discussion about the Bo Schembechler/Dr. Robert Anderson situation until further notice.
Michigan looked to be in a great spot with USC transfer Jay Toia, but now he's a Bruin. How and why did that happen? We discuss that, what camp season has showed us so far and also break down what Michigan might end up getting in dual-threat quarterback Nate Johnson.
Camp season has officially returned and the Michigan staff has been busy. We got a chance to see them in action at Ferris State during the week and several left lasting impressions. Plus, Juwan Howard's name pops up again as another NBA job opens up.
When you're as likable and successful as Juwan Howard is, you're going to be a commodity. The Boston Celtics suddenly have a head coaching vacancy and some around the league think Howard should be on the short list to replace Brad Stevens.
We talk at length about that and also discuss Cornell Wheeler transferring. We also talk about the recruiting world opening back up and camp season.
Michigan is currently recruiting three quarterbacks in the 2022 class and seems to be in pretty good shape with all three. One of them is officially visiting in a couple weeks and might just pull the trigger. Also, people are dumb...you'll have to listen to hear why.
Michigan fans can't handle anymore bad news, but they got two doses of it over the last few days with news of cornerback commit Will Johnson planning an official visit to USC and freshman phenom big man Hunter Dickinson announcing that he has entered the NBA Draft. Johnson is still committed to the Wolverines, and Dickinson could still return to the basketball team, but as a Michigan fan you'd much rather these things not happen in the first place. We also discuss which Wolverine we'd want to hang out with in a social setting.
The busiest offseason of Jim Harbaugh's tenure continued today when he hired Sydney Sims to be the Director of Football Strategic Communications & Branding. Sims comes to Michigan from Notre Dame where she led up the social media arenas for the Irish and also spent some time in front of a camera as she brought content to the fans. She's expected to do some of the same things in Ann Arbor.
Harbaugh has not only been hiring new people, he also extended offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. Michigan's offenses have declined under Gattis, but you simply can't have a coach entering a season on the last leg of his contract and expect him to have any semblance of success on the recruiting trail. The extension was necessary for appearances, but Gattis is definitely on thin ice.
Finally, we take another, different look at Michigan's schedule, as we rank each opponent from easiest to most difficult. Every single Michigan fan on the planet can pick the most difficult opponent, but there's some wiggle room with the rest.
Michigan added a BIG piece to its defense on Friday when 358-pound defensive tackle Jordan Whittley announced his commitment to the Wolverines. The graduate transfer from Oregon State isn't necessarily a superstar, but he should fill a very specific need for Michigan as Mike Macdonald installs some version of a 3-4 defense. Also, six of Michigan's marquee games now have a betting line and some are a little surprising. We discuss Whittley's commitment, the betting lines and also touch on Steve Clinkscale's new contract during Episode 20 of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Jim Harbaugh has shaken his program to the core this offseason by hiring six new assistant coaches and three new support staffers who will drastically change the recruiting department. No one knows if all the changes will work, but you have to give Harbaugh credit for identifying issues and doing everything he possible can to fix them. We also dive into Alan Bowman's chances of winning the starting job over Cade McNamara.
With Mike Macdonald running a defense that stems from a base 3-4, Michigan is in need of a jumbo defensive tackle and they might be close to landing one from the transfer portal. We talk about that, a promotion in house to replace Matt Dudek and the ten Wolverines we're most excited to see in 2021.
An independent investigation conducted by the law firm WilmerHale has uncovered decades of sexual abuse by former University of Michigan employee and school doctor Robert Anderson. In a 240-page report released by the law firm on Tuesday, nearly 600 former patients of Anderson came forward to share their experiences - often describing inappropriate and disturbing conduct by the former university doctor.
Employed by the University of Michigan from 1966 to 2003, Anderson's habit of sexually assaulting his patients was reportedly common knowledge among Michigan's student athletes, coaches and even some officials. According to the report released by WilmerHale, Anderson would often perform unnecessary examinations of students who were seeking treatment for unrelated issues.
Beyond the disturbing conduct carried about by Anderson during his time at the University of Michigan, the investigation also examined the University's handling of the allegations - including former Michigan head football coach Bo Schembechler.
We try to make sense of it all as we discuss the findings and also examine options as Michigan tries to make things right moving forward.
When Mo Linguist left Michigan for the head coaching job at Buffalo, it was not well received. It was viewed as an unfortunate development for the Wolverines and left the maize and blue in a very unenviable position. Now, it looks like a blessing in disguise. Linguist was replaced by former Kentucky defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale, who is viewed as one of the best recruiters in the country and a solid position coach as well. Jamie Morris and Dennis Fithian invited me on to The M Zone to talk all things Clinkscale, and Michigan fans should be excited about what was said.
Former Wolverine Digest publisher Steve Deace drops by to explain a formula that he came up with that assigns points for talent and ranks college teams by the amount of talent they have. Unfortunately for Michigan fans, the last five years of data proves that Michigan has underperformed as much as any team in the country. All of that explained, plus a look at the potential record in 2021 based on those numbers and an overall viewpoint of the state of the program all things considered.
On today's episode, we talk about Franz Wagner's unsurprising decision to enter the NBA Draft and discuss what kind of pro he might be. We also briefly talk about Tony Fair, a 340-pound transfer defensive tackle who is considering Michigan. Finally, and for most of the time, we talk about Michigan's cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator Mo Linguist, who is a finalist for the head coaching job at Buffalo. If Linguist gets the job, his stay in Ann Arbor will be less than four months long. All that and more on The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Jim Harbaugh is heading into year No. 7 at Michigan, but instead of nearing a decade of stability, more questions surround the program now than at any other point during Harbaugh's tenure.
During a segment on The M Zone with Jamie Morris and Dennis Fithian, we discuss the quarterback situation, expectations for Michigan football in 2021 and what exactly it all means for Jim Harbaugh.
In a very unsurprising development, Franz Wagner has announced that he will enter the NBA Draft. The 6-10 sophomore built up his body, sharpened his handle and became a defensive stopper this past season and is oozing potential. All of those traits have him looking like a lottery pick.
Losing a player like Wagner isn't awesome, but the overall state of Michigan basketball is. Juwan Howard has been outstanding in just about every way and he's got the No. 1 recruiting class in the country coming in next year. Throw Coastal Carolina graduate transfer point guard DeVante' Jones into the mix, and Howard and Co. will very likely be in position to repeat as Big Ten champs.
Jamie Morris and Dennis Fithian invited me onto The M Zone to talk about all of that and more earlier today.
This episode covers the gamut. Eight former Wolverines heard their names called during the NFL Draft over the weekend and a few of them landed in terrific spots. During that same draft, a former NFL star took a shot at Ohio State, while a current U-M staffer jabbed Michigan State after no Spartans were selected for the first time ever. We also discuss some some of the excuses that are made for Michigan football and Jim Harbaugh and attempt to understand why they're made. Finally, Juwan Howard does it again as he lands a top transfer target who should bolster the roster in a big way next season. All that and more during Episode 14 of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Today's episode focuses mostly on why Juwan Howard has been so good as a recruiter and why he likely won't slow down anytime soon. We also broke down some of Jim Harbaugh's words after he recently joined Jon Jansen on the In The Trenches podcast. We also talked about the experience at Michigan Stadium, along with some of the other venues in the Big Ten, and finally sprinkled some recruiting info in there as well.
Offensive tackle Willie Allen is in the transfer portal and leaving Michigan, Xavier Worthy has been released from his national letter of intent and will enroll at Texas this summer and Joe Milton formally announces his transfer to Tennessee. All three of those developments change how U-M's roster will look during the 2021 season.
On the hardwood, Juwan Howard's squad continues to get more respect and more national attention as the Wolverines are now the third most likely team to win the national title in 2022.
All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Mo Hurst is on the move and Tom Brady is sounding off. The viper position seems to be all but dead under Mike Macdonald, but why? Jim Harbaugh has fallen short of expectations, while Juwan Howard has exceeded them. We even manage to talk about Rich Rodriguez during this episode. All that and more on Episode 11 of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
Michigan's spring game is in the rearview mirror now, which still resonates as a bummer. Michigan fans and media didn't get to see anything from the new coaching staff, any of the new touted true freshmen or the all blue uniforms. There's nothing concrete for fans to talk about since they didn't get to see anything firsthand, and now everyone in Maize and Blue apparel has to wait five long months before seeing their beloved Wolverines. We talk about how big of a deal that is and what it means for the program from various angles and also touch on how other programs are handling their spring games. On a positive note, Michigan secured a big commitment from touted 2022 wide receiver Tyler Morris yesterday, further proving that the Michigan brand is very powerful even when the chips are down a bit, and also broke down several positive and encouraging scenarios as we look ahead to the 2021 season.
Is the deck really stacked against Michigan football? Are admissions the biggest reason why Jim Harbaugh and U-M can't reach elite levels? Do Michigan graduates really care that much about how many players graduate and what kind of degree they get? These are just some of the questions that seemed to be asked on a pretty regular basis when it comes to the Michigan football program. Michael Spath is as qualified as anyone to answer them as someone who grew up as a Michigan legacy, covered the team for nearly two decades and now teaches at the university. His unique perspectives allow him to answer some of these questions in a way that most can't. His opinions and more drive this episode as we try to figure out what direction U-M football is traveling in.
Wednesday evening and Thursday were big news days for Michigan athletics so we used today's episode to catch up on everything that happened. Another player is in the transfer portal, Jim Harbaugh's recruiting staff is changing in a big way following the resignation of Matt Dudek and what the hell happened with Xavier Worthy? All that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.
I had a chance to join Jamie Morris and Dennis Fithian today on The M Zone to discuss the Xavier Worthy situation, Matt Dudek's departure, Juwan Howard's roster management, which includes Eli Brooks returning, and more.
Depending on where you look and who you talk to, Michigan might finish anywhere between 4-8 and 11-1 this fall. Even the trust staff at Wolverine Digest sees this playing out in a pretty different way. Chris Breiler and I go game by game and talk about each Michigan opponent and make a prediction for the matchups.
Michigan held its annual spring game on Saturday and, even though it was closed to the public and the media, we were able to learn a little bit about what went down. The Cade McNamara-led Blue team defeated the JJ McCarthy-led Maize team by a score of 22-10. Both quarterbacks made some plays, but there are still a lot of of things to figure out by the time the season kicks off in September. We discuss that, the all blue uniforms, potential wins and losses on U-M's fall schedule and Jim Harbaugh's job security heading into the 2021 campaign. All that and a little more on the latest episode of The Wolverine Digest Pod.
In this episode Brandon Brown and Chris Breiler discuss Michigan's spring practices so far, which includes a viral clip of freshman quarterback JJ McCarthy, along with what the spring game might look like even though it's not on TV and isn't open to the public or media. Plus, is it fair to talk about Juwan Howard's success alongside Jim Harbaugh's shortcomings?
While Brandon Brown was on vacation, Chris Breiler held down the fort. Five players were made available to the media to discuss practices as U-M gets closer to wrapping up spring football and some pretty interesting things were said. Michigan also lost a couple more players to the transfer portal as the numbers over the last three years were examined.
Michigan advanced to the Elite Eight after defeating Florida State in the Sweet 16 and will take on UCLA tomorrow night. The Wolverines didn't have their best stuff against the Seminoles but they still dominated the No. 4 team in the region. Chris Breiler and myself talk about that win, the upcoming matchup against the Bruins and Giles Jackson's departure from the football program. We may also launch into a few other things within and around the football team.
Brandon Brown and Chris Breiler talk about the men and women in the Sweet 16, Juwan Howard as an overall dude and some developments on the football field after a Pro Day and an impending NFL Draft.
Juwan Howard and his Wolverines now know that they'll play Texas Southern on Saturday after the Tigers defeated Mt. St. Mary's 60-52 in the First Four play-in game on Thursday night.
The tallest player on the roster for Texas Southern is 6-9, which leads most to believe that Michigan freshman center Hunter Dickinson will have a big game. It also seems like the Wolverines should be able to get what they want on offense from the outside, but without Isaiah Livers, what does that look like? Finally, most believe Michigan will win pretty easily, but how easily?