Nm

6pm tonight, BTN
7pm tomorrow, BTN+

Looks like it’s down to LSU and Michigan for Underwood. @Josh Henschke have you heard any news recently?

Lucas best bet of the week: Arkansas -6.5
Dennis picks IU +6
M&BR's Lucas Reimink & Dennis Fithian handicap the upcoming weeks game always picking Michigan, Michigan State & the Detroit Lions game. Also, a trio of best bets, a parlay & prop and best bet of the week. It's time to Sharpen the Edge. #gambling
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This team is about to go scorched earth. I no longer think the PSU and OSU games will be close.

This team will be on a mission to prove this is all BS, and it hasn’t been the reason we have won so much.

No better way to do that then leave no doubt.

NCAA news came and went through Schembechler Hall today, with people shocked and “pissed off” about the news today.

Despite the players feeling a little uneasy, it was business as usual for the team. It was a great day of practice and everything went on without a hitch.

After practice, Harbaugh held a team meeting and the basic message was for the team to not worry about the news, to focus on the goal and things of that nature.

I expect this news to fire up the team and it’s not going to be a distraction this weekend.

Still trying to figure out what exactly is being excused, working on it.

Will post more when I have.

Watched the TNT broadcast last night. First time in a long time. I thought the Wings played great but I was surprised at the condescending comments from the broadcast crew. I think the majority were from Ed Olczyk, which would not surprise me being that he is a former Blackhawk, and Brian Boucher. Kenny Albert seemed to be the one who was more even keel across both games.

Some of the comments were about the great play which Malkin made on his goal, one which was a pass from a player on the right side of the ice through the feet and sticks of the WIngs defense and then the shot was into the pad of Husso, the goalie, and sort of deflected into the left side of the net as he was going right to left. Hardly a buried shot into the net. Malkin is a great player but they went on and on about it, like it was a superb play. Ok, I understand the hype. ... Yet when the WIngs (DeBrincat, IIRC) scored into a wide open right side of the net on a pass from the left, it was a lucky play and pass. Gimme a break. This seemed to carry on throughout the game.

I recognize the Wings have not been really good in several years and the Pens have been a top team, but all they could do was blather about how great Crosby, Malkin, Karlson and LaTang were... The only accolades give the Wings seemed to be related to their speed, which was repeated quicker and faster than the Penguins. There were an occasional good comment about JT Compher and Copp play, but even those were sort of followed up by some snide backhanded comments.

I think they were shocked when the Wings actually won.

was curious is anyone else watched the game and came away with similar thoughts.

Former Wolverine Jerry Diorio 1980-83 gives his thoughts on the NCAA investigation/distraction against Michigan for improper sign stealing. Jerry also weighs in on the game tomorrow night and what it will take to beat MSU. Jerry goes over a few plays from last weeks game against IU with video analysis.
Breakdown
Open 00:00-:55
UM & NCAA :56-19:20
Feedback on NCAA 19:21-40:43
UM @ MSU 40:44-50:33
UM film 50:34-102:02
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I’ll start by saying this is one of the more difficult news stories I’ve had to research in my career. Not because of subject matter but having to sift through fact and fiction and also dealing with the unknown at the same time.

Here’s what I know, and what I don’t, about the situation.

I can confirm that computers were seized by the NCAA as of yesterday at Schembechler Hall and that Connor Stallions is at the center of the investigation. He is well-liked in the building and it is common knowledge that he is responsible for helping to scout opponents with film. The players like him a lot.

What I don’t know is the methods of scouting Stallions used. The “vast network” sure seems a bit overblown because, at face value, this sure seems like a lone wolf situation. Until there is a paper trail leading back to a specific coach, I’m going to treat it as such.

This is opinion here, it’s entirely possible that Stallions paid someone who paid four other guys to scout teams in person and used that information. Again, that’s opinion and not based on facts.

There is a thought that the NCAA might not find anything at all and that what Michigan is doing isn’t some nefarious scheme never seen before in the college ranks, multiple programs do it, Michigan just happens to do it better than most.

Do I think this scouting gave Michigan a competitive advantage? No.

The amount of time it would take for an offense to call a play, the defense to call theirs and then decipher a sign, and adjust and communicate the opposing play to the entire defense, the defense would never be set. So I don’t think it benefits Michigan at all outside of a knowledge coming into the game. It’s not something that has been shown in the film room or discussed prior to games.

Do I think anything happens to Michigan right now? As of now, no. IF, and this is a big if, the NCAA finds anything on the computers that’s damning enough to implicate Harbaugh or the program, then I will start to worry. Until then, we wait and see what happens.

As to where the source of the complaints come from, I don’t have the information. There is plenty of discussion out there about it and I don’t want speculate.

Until I get anything else, I will continue to dig.

Paul Finebaum is even defending Michigan. Said the NCAA appears to be operating in “selective prosecution” and that the allegations happen pretty much everywhere. And if this were any other school, the investigation never would have gotten this far.

Patriotic Football T-Shirts

Big Ten statement from earlier is included as well.

I rememeber during Brady Hoke era, families who donated $500 or more would get four passes to private pratices & Signed helmets. I would see so many OSU guys watching the game ( i noticed four nuts commenting and provoking). Secuirty would watch like a hawk and see who was recording. Guess who was breaking the law.

It seems that, if something nefarious was going on, then performances should be affected- Especially in the passing game and on D.

For Rutgers, Gavin Wimsatt passed for 180 yards vs Michigan after passing for an average of 156 this season. In his other B1G games this season he passed for 181 yards vs MSU and Wisconsin. Scoring 13 points on the road vs Wisconsin is right in line with Rutgers scoring 7 against our far superior D.

Nebraska changed QBs from their first game, and Heinrich Haarberg, who has only played 5 games, had the most passing yards of his career vs Michigan (199 yards). here are Haarberg's numbers his last 2 games:
No significant difference in performance due to any scouting, other than the line play, which I will get to.

IU is in the process of playing two QBs. All three of these B1G teams, I'm sure have thinner playbooks for new starters, but was it a reasonable expectation that inexperienced QBs like Tayven Jackson, Brendan Sorsby, Heinrich Haarberg, and Gavin Wimsatt would struggle against Michigan's D.

Running games, run D, and pass pro as most football fans will already know, is key and many of these wars are won by talented, deep, units who defeat blocks or make holes due to better techniques and talent. Scheme oriented performances usual pertain to the passing game, timing blitzes, and getting folks open, which Michigan hasn't done at any rate that should cause more than normal alarm.

Not to mention, if the running game was using methods to scheme gaps in the D (how dumb does that sound? Of course they were...) tell me why Donovan Edwards is still scuffling? He didn't get the "inside scouting info" he needed to be successful?

Absurd.

I guess my point is, where in the F is the "performance smoking gun" that led to this investigation?

My thought is that there's nothing, NOTHING indicated in the way that these games were played with the exception of the fact that Michigan was able to make 2nd half adjustments, and other teams, including O$U, hasn't. If we had the information going into the games, then why would we wait until after halftime to use it?

Michigan's players are obviously better than any other team we've faced thus far. And while Michigan fans complain about "not winning by enough", the NCAA and Michigan opponents apparently believe that we didn't struggle enough...

He said he spoke to Harbaugh and Harbaugh told him he is extremely confident these allegations aren't true.

I'll start

Michigan 78
MSU 6

Na

The ncaa has no power to confiscate anything. Aside from the wrong use of that word, is this even true?

Be very skeptical of anything that elicits a very strong emotional reaction.

It may turn out to be true…..but just as likely not to be true.