I really liked Tate Forcier as a freshman, I thought he was going to be sick. He had a decent campaign but then once Denard Robinson took the reigns of QB, you could never go back to him. Since then you can tell he was bummed out and especially since this last incident.
"GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A former University of Michigan quarterback was the subject of a strange police call in Grand Rapids last month, according to an officer report released to 24 Hour News 8 on Thursday.
Tate Forcier, who quit the football team earlier this year, had locked himself in a bedroom of a third-floor apartment April 22, and was hanging out the window, the report states.
A woman in the apartment complex, in the 100 block of South Division Avenue, called Grand Rapids police.
No one will say whether this was a suicide attempt, but the police report states the woman who called was concerned Forcier would jump from the window."
That's kind of frighting you know? I wonder if he's just been on a downward spiral since being dethroned at Michigan or what his deal is. There were rumors that he was going to transfer to USC or Miami, but I doubt they will give the kid a shot especially after these reports.
Contrary to early reports indicating Les Miles would be the next head coach at Michigan, LSU athletic director, Joe Alleva, announced today that coach Miles is staying in Baton Rouge.
While it did appear that Miles was headed to his alma mater to resurrect a program that previous coach, Rich Rodriguez, buried over his disastrous 3-year tenure. Alleva was able to lure Miles back to the bayou for at least one more season.
Michigan has now failed on two separate occasions to land their man. If you recall, Miles was wildly coveted by Michigan after the 2007 to succeed legendary coach, Lloyd Carr. Then, like now, Miles remained LSU. The move inevitably led to Rich-Rod's hiring and three embarrassing years for Wolverine fans.
There were also reports that Michigan reached out to former Stanford coach, Jim Harbaugh, about their coaching vacancy, however Harbaugh elected to make the jump to the NFL and coach the San Francisco 49ers.
Coming off three disappointing seasons, Michigan will look long and hard for a new head coach who can turn around one of the most prestigious programs in the country.
Les Miles met with Michigan officials on Monday evening about the Wolverines' coaching vacancy, shortly after the LSU Tigers coach said he is also "extremely happy" with his current job. ESPN
I didn't agree with the firing of Rich Rodriguez, but Les Miles would be a great fit in with Michigan who is in desperate need of a spark. Miles is 62-17 with a 2007 national championship in six seasons at LSU since taking over for Nick Saban in 2005. Also, he was 5-1 in Bowl games.
If I were Les though, I wouldn't leave baton Rougue, I don't believe Michigan at this point is an upgrade for a job. Les has one of the best recruiting classes in the nation coming to LSU headlined by troubled Junior College QB Zach Mettenberger, who is 6-5, 250 and can throw the ball. Something that has been somewhat inconsistant with Jordan Jefferson.
And with Auburn not going to be as good and the same could be said for Alabama, LSU is going to be my favorite for the National Championship.
I know it could be tempting, however, stay Les, it's a better job.
"Embattled Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez has been fired, a source tells ESPN's Joe Schad. Michigan released a statement Wednesday saying athletic director Dave Brandon will discuss the state of the program at 12:30 p.m. ET. The source told Schad that Rodriguez is meeting with his staff. A players meeting is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon (ESPN)."
They had been back and forth over the past couple of days, but ti seems like he is finally being let go. I hate Michigan, I really do, but even I think this is a mistake. He has only had 3 years, and I do think he had them generally going in the right direction. Instead of firing him I would've gone out and got a top notch defensive coordinator, because if they had any defense at all they could've been a top 25 team.
The NCAA is accusing Michigan of five potentially major rules violations under coach Rich Rodriguez, who admitted making "mistakes" but will be back for a third try at at Michigan. This makes his seat a little bit hotter. I've defended Rich Rod this far, but this is a make or break year for the coach. I think he made steps last year, but anything short of a 9 win season is a failure, and he should be fired. I don't know what these violations will do to him or the school, but it certainly wont make things easier for him.
“It’s really kind of ironic that the New Orleans Saints overcame the hurricane a few years back,” Rodriguez said, referring to Hurricane Katrina, which damaged large sections of the Gulf Coast in 2005. “I used to live and coach in New Orleans for a couple years, and I know how devastated that city is and how they overcome and rebuild the stadium and rebuild the program.
“And we’ve had a few hurricanes of our own. We had a big hurricane in August, and it kind of hit us like a ton of bricks. But you had 120 young men and a bunch of people on the staff that said this is not going to tear our program apart."
Well that's a little insensitive don't you think? Comparing a bad Michigan football program to Hurricane Katrina doesn't really work for me. One is a natural disaster one was man made. I like Rich Rod and I really do think that Michigan will be relevant soon.
On the radio show of Tony Kornheiser -- ESPN 980 AM in Washington DC -- his daily TV partner, Michael Wilbon, reported that a former player for Rich Rodriguez took out his wallet and said he would bet its contents that Rodriguez does not return to Ann Arbor.
"I had a solo conversation with someone who is affiliated with the current coach at Michigan," Wilbon said, "and he does not believe for a second that (Rodriguez) will be back." ESPN
I think this is BS. I understand Charlie Weis being on the hot seat because he isn't a proven winner in college football and can't win with his own players. But Rich Rod has done a serviceable job his second year in Michigan. He now has a reliable freshman QB to run a spread offense and he will only get better for years to come. Two years isn't enough time to judge a coach, even if it is Michigan. If this happens my blind alliance with Michigan could be over. Because if you get Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer or JoePa to coach, there is no way they could make it a successful program with the team Rich Rod was handed.
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says quarterback Tate Forcier's sore right shoulder will not prevent him from playing Michigan State this week. Rodriguez plans to limit Forcier in Monday's practice. He says the freshman is expected to be cleared to work out with the 23rd-ranked Wolverines on Tuesday. Forcier injured his throwing shoulder in Saturday's 36-33 win over Indiana, making the game-winning throw late in the fourth quarter after he was hurt earlier in the game.
I fucking hate Michigan so much, but I got to give credit where credit is due. Forcier put on one of the gutsiest performances I have ever seen. His shoulder was hurting so bad that a player on the team congratulated him by tapping his shoulder pads and he buckled in pain. Yet he was still able to go out there and throw a deep touchdown to win the game over Indiana.
We have a couple of good College football games this weekend, so here our are picks. (3) USC vs (8) Ohio State Ohio State again is going to choke again as true freshman Matt Barkley and Joe McKnight will be too much for Ohio State who could barely hang with Navy. Terrell Pryor is good, but still makes some dumb mistakes, and those dumb mistakes are going to kill any chance of Ohio State to win.
USC 35-21
(18) Notre Dame vs Michigan
Both teams have had an extremely impressive opening weeks. Notre Dame dismantled my Nevada Wolfpack, while Michigan beat some team bad. This game is going to push Michigan back on the map with this upset. Tate Forcier should get the bulk of the work under center again and is a shifty open-field runner who can pick up yards with his feet when nothing is available downfield, but he is more of a passer than a scrambler. He has a strong arm, keeps his eyes downfield and throws well on the run. And I like him over Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. Call me crazy but this is what is going to happen.
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says he plans to use Denard Robinson and two other quarterbacks in the season opener Sept. 5 against Western Michigan.
Rodriguez spent about the first 10 minutes of his news conference Sunday answering questions about freshmen Tate Forcier and Robinson, who are competing for snaps along with junior Nick Sheridan, who started four games last year. ESPN
I have only seen the 2 quarterback system work once and that was when Florida had Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. But in Michigan's case none of these quarterbacks are Chris Leak or Tim Tebow. I don't know much about Denard Robinson, and Tate Forcier, but I know that none of them are as highly touted as those guys are that highly touted. Nick Sheriden was terrible when he played last year, but he could have made progress since last season. With Rich Rodriguez already skating on thin ice in Ann Arbor, I doubt that this is the right way to do things, because people will constantly question your decision making. If I were him, I would start one of the guys and run with him, because I can guarantee one thing. If three QBs get used in one game, it will be a long season for the Wolverines.
After working out for the Green Bay Packers last week, Pro Football Talk reported that other teams have expressed interest in seeing what the former Duke PG could bring to the table. The only problem? He had no agent to contact.
Then late yesterday, word broke out that Paulus attended a Michigan practice and had interest in walking on to the Wolverines squad this fall. The idea that a year of college ball would better prepare the former Gatorade HS Player of the Year for the NFL. The reaction by Michigan fans was mixed. Some see this as a blessing for Rich Rod's second season as there is no incumbent QB ready to lead the charge while others would rather suffer another 3 win season before watching a Dukie run their offense.
Either way, God bless GP for trying to live the dream. Most guys in his shoes would flunk out of some D League in Europe and then try to get into the coaching.
I'm sure a lot of Bears fans started laughing when they read that the Packers worked out former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus. If you were one of those people, let me give you some advice: Wipe the grin off your face.
While Paulus might have looked goofy and out of place sometimes on the basketball court, he was anything but on gridiron. I actually covered several of his football games while I was in school at Syracuse. At the time, he was leading his Christian Brothers Academy squad to a state title, and in the process, earning the Gatorade National Player of the Year award.
I played high school football in Florida and have followed the recruiting game for years, and I can honestly tell you that Paulus was one of the most impressive high school quarterbacks I've ever seen. Seriously. The kid could throw the ball 60 to 70 yards down the field with just a flick of the wrist. He was sneaky fast and eluded tacklers all over the field. He made plays that you wouldn't believe.
102 Nova, 84 Marquette Scottie Reynolds scored 27 points and Corey Fisher 21 as the 13th ranks Villanova continued it's impressive big east run as it upended number 10 Marquette. Villanova knocked off its third top 25 team in its six game win streak.
54 #9 Michigan State, 42 Michigan Looks like BMack's team won again as they beat rival Michigan last night. Freshman Delvoe Roe scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half and Kalin Lucas scored 13 of his 15 after the half. State has now moved 2.5 games ahead of Ohio State and Illinois.
This is a really funny game for me since I hate both teams, but I hate Duke a lot more. I have had to hear all the hype about how Duke was going to be great this year, but I have not been impressed with any of the games I have seen. The barely beat URI, and how they lost to unranked Michigan. Duke seemed to rely on the 3 pointers too much in this game, hitting only 7 of 33. Michigan got a great game out of junior forward DeShawn Sims (28 points). Before this game Duke had won 31 straight games against unranked, nonconference opponents dating to a loss against Georgetown on Jan. 21, 2006, but now it has to be asked...Is this team worth all the hype they are getting?
(1) USC vs (5) Ohio State Instead of telling you what USC has, I will tell you what Ohio State doesn't have. A Heisman candidate runningback, a consistent QB, a better back-up QB than the starting QB, and a consistent vertical threat. All of these things added up together is an equation for a huge blow-out by USC.
Score 42-10 USC
(2) Georgia vs South Carolina Last year head ball coach's Gamecocks upset a strong Georgia team and this year will be no different. Sike. Georgia is too strong to lose this early in the season to a weak SEC opponent. Knowshon Moreno does not only have one of the coolest names in college football he is also the best runningback in college football. Last week he rushed for 168 yards on 18 carries and this week I am expecting him to eclipse the 200 yard mark.
35-14 Georgia
(10) Wisconsin vs (21) Fresno State Quarterback Allan Evridge has been a huge asset to Wisconsin since transfering from K-State. Last week he passed for 308 yards against Marshall. However, I don't think Evridge will be the reason they win this game, it will be runningback PJ Hill. Even though PJ is only averaging 3.2 yards per carry I expect this will be a break-out game for him.
Oh yea, that shitty other game.
Michigan vs Notre Dame I hate Charlie Weis more than I hate Rich Rodriguez. Both of these teams suck. Michigan will win. 21-10 Michigan Let the good times roll Dana.
I hate the BigTen. I hate it because I don't like the Midwest. I hate Michigan. I hate Ohio State. And the state of Wisconsin sucks. And most of all, I hate people who can't count. And if you don't hate the BigTen, just realize it's the biggest supporter of the BCS system, and the biggest fighter of a playoff.
I think the BigTen is a bit overrated. They were 3-5 in Bowl games last year. Then again, the BCS decided to put Illinois into the Rose Bowl to face USC, which was a complete joke.
Let's get to the teams...
1. Ohio State One of the favorites to win a national title, as always. OSU is usually ballsy enough to schedule a big non-conference game and this year is not different. They play USC on the road. But they never play more than one quality team. Their other non-conference opponents are Ohio, Youngstown State, and Troy. The Buckeyes have 9 returning offensive starters, and a loaded defense. They'll go 11-1 and make the national championship game... unfortunately.
2. Wisconsin The Badgers are solid, but I don't know why anyone considers them to be close to a top ten team in the country. They have Zach Brown and Lance Smith at QB, but neither has significant experience, nor does either one stand out. PJ Hill rushed for 1200+ yards last year and is the main reason Wisconsin will end up in the Rose Bowl. Actually, the main reason is that the rest of the BigTen blows.
3. Illinois Without Rashard Mendenhall, the Fighting Illini become one of those teams that drifts into and out of the top 20 from week to week. Juice Williams returns at QB, but his 13 TDs and 12 INTs are a cause for concern. They've got a solid and deep defensive line, but elsewhere their defense is missing that little extra something that makes a unit great. Missouri will avenge their BCS snub on August 30th when they destroy Illinois.
4. Penn State There's always a great deal of optimism surrounding Penn State, and that's why I hate them. Although the Nittany Lions have some promising players like RB Evan Royster (6.3 yards per carry in limited time last year), there are too many questions that will go unanswered (like who will be QB, what kind of offense will the team have, etc.). Like Illinois, they'll drift in and out of the top 20 all season.
5. Michigan No I-AA teams on Michigan's schedule this year. Michigan will be utilizing a speedier spread offense, which may work out in 2009 or 2010, but will be funny to watch in 2008. Only 3 returning starters for the Michigan offense, none of whom are significant. On the other side of the coin, the defense returns 8 starters, including all 4 linemen. So they'll be in a lot of games, but their offense will struggle to capitalize on the opportunities their defense creates for them. It will be a frustrating season for Wolverine fans, which makes me very happy.
6. Purdue The only BigTen team I like. QB Curtis Painter returns to lead the offense. He threw for 3,846 yards and 29 TDs in 2007. But he'll miss Dorian Bryant and Dustin Keller, his top two receivers from last year. The offensive line will also struggle, and the defense won't do much to impress. But they'll have a solid season and make a bowl game.
7. Michigan State RB Javon Ringer will be the star of the MSU offense. He ran for 1,484 yards and 6 TDs last year. Jehuu Caulcrick got the goal line carries, but he's gone. But QB Brian Hoyer has a problem: he threw 20 TDs last year, but 14 of them were to players who are now in the NFL (Devin Thomas and Kellen Davis). The Spartan defense is slightly above average. It won't win games on its own, but it won't lose games on its own either. MSU will be a fun team to watch in '08 because they'll be capable of stealing a few games here and there.
8. Iowa The Hawkeyes averaged a pitiful 18.5 points per game on offense last year, and things won't be much better in 2008. The offensive line allowed 46 sacks in 2007, but maybe returning most of the starters will help minimize that problem. The defense lost its best players from last year. So basically, a team that was 6-6 (4-4 conference) got a little bit worse.
9. Northwestern They'll probably finish higher than 9th in the BigTen standings. They return 15 starters from a 6-6 team, but they're still Northwestern. Their players go to class, so they're not competitive.
10. Minnesota Minnesota has 15 returning starters, but I don't know if that's much of a good thing for a 1-11 team to do.
11. Indiana The battle for 11th place in the BigTen will be more dramatic than the battle for 1st. But I think Indiana wins out.
