Things have been like whiplash over here so I haven’t had a chance to stop and smell the roses.

Thank you all for sticking with us and we hope you stay beyond this whole process with the Big Ten and NCAA. This is the kind of quality coverage we pledge to you all the time. No BS, no conjecture, just facts.

To the new folks around here, thanks for engaging and making this community grow.

For those who might have returned after leaving us, we welcome you back with open arms. Your opinion is always welcome here.

For those who have been here since day one, thank you for your patience and sticking with us and we grow and are handling the new exposure we’re getting. This is what we wanted and what I said would happen, right?

Either way, thank you. I can’t thank people enough. We’re doing the damn thing!

On Get Up (ESPN) if watched with Heather D and Pau F questioning how could a team go from 49-22 then all of a sudden go 34-3 with two wins over OSU ( who should never lose to Michigan). Just unbelievable they think that is the crux of the so called scandal. No way Michigan could change it around without cheating.

Shouldn't they be worried about their health and safety?

I’ve responded a couple of times that Michigan quitting the B1G for the ACC is a bad idea because of their long, low-paying TV contract and their grant-of-rights and exit penalty. But on second thought, the ACC might be a good landing spot. How about….

Cutting a deal with the ACC like Notre Dame…

• Football remains independent, but all other men’s and women’s sports are full ACC members.
• Michigan agrees to play five ACC teams each season.
• Michigan does not get a full share of the ACC TV money. Rather, only a reduced share (for playing less than the normal 8 game ACC schedule.)
• Assuming that Michigan will always schedule 7-8 home games, cut a TV deal with say NBC for the rights to all home games other than ACC games.
• By getting payments for TV rights from both the ACC and our own contract, we could make more money than we’d be paid by the Big Ten. That’s what Notre Dame does now and is expecting to get TV payments from two sources comparable to the B1G payments per team .
• Make sure that we schedule Ohio State and Notre Dame every year as the financial “anchors” for our own TV deal.
• From an academic perspective, the ACC is a better conference for Michigan than the Big Ten.
• We don’t need the Big Ten Academic Alliance to get financial grants. We have been hugely successful without BTAA and there’s no reason that can’t continue.

Thoughts?

@Josh Henschke On the latest Isiah Hole Podcast at 11:40, he says Athletic is working on an article related to the collusion stuff that they uncovered on their own without Michigan. Any idea what it would be?

OSU is going to have a rough week with press going into the showdown...

I've got a bit of an odd question, and I thought someone here may have some insight. For the Jumpman Invitational game (Dec 19th vs Florida, in Charlotte, NC) - does anyone know if Michigan is the home or away team? Based on a quick search, it looks like Michigan may be the home team but nothing concrete.

The reason I ask is that I'm buying tickets to the game, and want to sit in good spot as it relates to Michigan (possibly seeing players, etc). I'm driving up from Gainesville, FL with my 2 girls - it's going to be their first Michigan game. Super, super pumped!

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rittenberg.

No not that guy but Santa Ono. This guy really seems to get it. For taking that picture with the team shows me we are going to be just fine.

I posted this in a thread on another site. Wanted to see what others think of this thought.

Michigan should offer to pay the expense for helmet technology for the B1G; for the next year. In place of a fine.
Get ahead of this story and flip it to a positive.
Make a statement that the lack of clarity surrounding this rule; has had much to do
with creating this problem.
Offer a proactive solution to go forward.
This has been stressful for all sides involved.
The B1G is boxed in and needs a way out.
Don't punish the past. Solve the future.
Perception and reputation are an important part of the eventual outcome for M.
Michigan can regain and reframe the narrative.

Not sure if what I am suggesting is feasible expense wise.
Much better look to donate to solve the problem as opposed to a fine.
The statement made (words) are more important than the money.
Have a lot of thoughts of what that statement should say.

As the Big Ten continues to figure out what it’s going to do next, Michigan is certainly not going to sit on its hands idly by.

We have confirmed through multiple sources that Santa Ono has been busy behind the scenes, lobbying other Big Ten presidents for support.

Mainly, the message is “let’s just get this behind us” to other presidents as Ono states his case and it sounds like it’s working as multiple presidents are receptive to the message.

There appears to be hope between Michigan’s ask for no Harbaugh suspension and the Big Ten’s desire to “act now”.

More when I have it.

I ask this question knowing that Petitti is completely unpredictable, but wouldn’t he have had the decency to suspend Harbaugh today knowing that the team travels to HV tomorrow. It’s one thing to issue the suspension, but why do it on a travel day for an out of state game?

He is greatest creator of tweets that dig at MSU ever. His latest tweet about the opening game of the college basketball season made me laugh. A nice break from the football turmoil.

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the suspension comes down on Saturday?

Sunday. He highlights his top 4 (Michigan, Georgia, FSU, VT) in this Rivals article. Interesting note from the article, Khani is waiting for Ana Newell to commit and then he will commit. Does that mean he will choose same school or a different one? Ana chose Georgia on 10/25.

Surely there's nothing going on that has caused me to attempt to catch up on recruiting, right?

Either way, it was a busy weekend for Michigan which hosted a number of recruits for the Purdue game and continues to sit well with many across multiple classes. A number of new offers were also extended in the process.

I am emptying my notebook into one piece.

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I feel very confident that Michigan currently sits in a very good position for 2025 tight end Eli Owens. After making another trip to campus this weekend, he said he has everything he needs to know about the program and his purpose of the trip was to watch the game as a fan. His relationship with Grant Newsome is one of the major reasons why the Wolverines sit so high for the Tennessee native he says that he would be 'very lucky' to play for him.

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We're starting to dip into the 2027 classes now (do you feel old yet?) and one of the prospects that should be a factor for the Wolverines moving forward is Pennsylvania offensive lineman Jimmy Kalis, who was in attendance for the Purdue game. He left the visit feeling good about the program.

"I can see Michigan playing a big factor in the decision of where I attend college. I really like the atmosphere and energy Michigan brings and I believe the O-line coach there can improve my skills and help me be the best player I can be."

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Michigan extended an offer to 2027 Detroit Country Day TE Anthony Cartwright over the weekend and was excited about receiving the offer. He was honored that one of the top programs in the country saw his talent. I expect the program to be a factor as he develops down the line.

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Another in-state 2027 recruit, ATH Darryl Flemister from Martin Luther King HS in Detroit, was offered over the weekend. This offer in particular holds significant value to Flemister, as the Wolverines are his dream school and dream offer. He says he grew up a fan of the basketball program and was always a Michigan fan. If his development stays on track, this one could be an easy take for the Wolverines down the line.

That's all I have for now. Will add more recruiting notes when I get them.

Shows U of M has done quite a bit of research into this already and they like their position.

So Day went on record
=

• On whether Ohio State shared information about Michigan with Purdue before the Boilermakers faced the Wolverines in the 2022 Big Ten Championship Game: "Nobody here did any of that. We went through and made sure we asked all the questions and got our compliance people involved. None of that came back at all. ... I can answer very strongly that it did not happen." When asked to follow up more on that, Day said, "I'm not gonna comment on that."

=

The AP story said it was confirmed not only with the sign sheets but text message screenshots.

So there's only a few possibilities.

1. An OSU staffer did it and Day didn't know
2. The AP writer and Michigan got duped with the report
3. Day is lying

As much as I think Day is a soft clown, I don't think he would be dumb enough to go on the record knowing his lie could be easily outed. I have to think it's 1 or 2.

Obviously, I know the folks on this board will assume #1 (and I do as well) but I'm interested if you can think of any other possibilities.

If in fact he is a “rogue” staffer, here’s just the current list of what he’s done:

1) distracted the coaches from the biggest November in recent history
2) cost the University hundreds of thousands of dollars in staff time, legal fees
3) cost the football program potentially irreparable damage to its reputation
4) places on asterisk on a possible National Championship season
5) ruined what to many of us has been the pinnacle season of our adult lives.

So, IF he is responsible, f*** him, what a POS. I’m in disbelief over what was possibly the greatest time to be a Michigan fan into a complete shit show.

BUT honestly, have they? I do not believe so one bit.

I believe they learned from watching the SEC to target certain schools strategically to gain eyeballs and those who will bring greater competitive balance. They've done this by high grade 2nd tier programs that are competitive. We have many of those in the B1G as well.

Moving forward IMHO we will see the SEC move sooner rather than later. WHY? They want to box the B1G out of the south in an attempt to limit B1G recruiting deep south.

Consider how a number of schools are better ac academic schools than given credit. They've shown to be higher in the US News reports. Yet, we know the B1G Presidents are committed to AAU and High Quality institutions, rightfully so.

With that said, I can see that the B1G isn't standing pat. WHY? Read between the lines with NBC working very hard to gain media rights to the B1G along with ND.

Like it or not ND is THE desired target and I suspect ND is getting an earful from the NBC execs working to get them to realize that joining a conference is a must and not a consideration. So what must be considered is what schools would grow media rights value and substantiate expanding to limit diluting the media rights deal per school.

#1: ND, #2: Miami, #3: FSU, #4: Clemson. 3 of these schools have been reported to be top choices for the SEC. What we know. ND has high quality academics and even though they aren't AAU the education at ND is first rate.

Miami is a much better school than we may wish to admit. In fact, a close friend had severe eye issues, floaters and such hindering his eyesight. The medical school at Miami has a very good program. In fact, they saved him from going blind. Another friend worked in medical research at Miami, he shared with me how their work was outstanding and how they attempt to collaborate with other schools med school research. Miami is a good school and best of all, they've got the south Florida markets.

FSU is a school which has a nationwide appeal and will most assuredly bring eyeballs. FSU has also been working diligently like as Miami in upgrading their academic reputation. IMHO FSU would make a great addition.

Clemson is a better school that given credit for being. I have two friend's whose two boy's attended grad school at Clemson. They have proven to be very successful in their field of architecture where they both specialized in restoration of older building, especially for those that appear on the national historic registry.

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If you a fan of single space 10-pt serif fancy font letters, then this is your letter. Some light lunchtime reading.

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From the top rope.....

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