It could happen. They recently lost a good D-lineman to Texas A&M.

I share your lack of faith in the OSU areas you cited.

Here's my angle, which I've frequently shared on MGoBlog: Imagine how much fun this rivalry would be if OSU regressed to its historical level in recruiting (very good but not top three every f'ing year). The last three years have been nice, but I wouldn't mind seeing some games that are lopsided in Michigan's favor from the first half (as opposed to ones that are close as the fourth quarter begins).

I'd be OK with OSU losing the offseason recruiting championship for the first time since ... Tressel was coach?

I'm with you on the first half. As for the second half, SI had the scoop in the mid-'80s. There's a Bo reference in here:

https://vault.si.com/vault/1985/03/11/the-judgments-in-its-michigan

"... that isn't Bo Schembechler down there ducking the reality of the forward pass and losing another bowl game ..."

Oh, of course. That guy. :)

Michael Taylor, referring to Les Miles and Jim Harbaugh:

"... because of too many other guys who had direct links to making sure they didn't get an offer ..."

And who might those guys be? Let the speculation begin. Brandon? Anyone else?

Trimmed link:

https://twitter.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/1789747866216374660

Can't help myself ...

I'd also like to know if he thinks OSU had any "Stalions" in their stable. (Spoiler: They most certainly did.)

I agree on the SEC bias, but I sure wouldn't mind OSU falling out of the top three in recruiting for a few consecutive years. They've been up there for ten plus.

How long have you been reading MGoBlog? :)

DJ Waller is mostly potential at the moment. He hasn't done much on the field yet. (Sure, I wish Michigan still had him.)

Less unwieldy link:

https://twitter.com/finebaum/status/1789023006901031423

Finebaum is an ass, but it's nice to see him pick on another ass (Tim May, who's all over the place in that interview).

On the subject of Urban:

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/urban-meyer-believes-nil-in-college-football-has-evolved-into-cheating-thats-not-what-the-intent-is/

Best part:

"What's happened is the arms race of collecting money from donors and the donors are simply paying players. That's what I understand is happening, and I don't like that."

I wonder when he started disliking that?

There's not much else to say. Does anyone think they didn't have a whole staff of "Stalions" the past several years?

They're the most entitled fanbase in American sports. They believe Manifest Destiny demands they get the best players, best coaches, most favorable refereeing, most favorable conference commissioner backrubs, perfect weather, flu immunity, everything, always.

Excellent work on that.

Thanks for that. I think tavern style is Chicago's pizza way more than the touristy deep dish. I'm not alone with that position.

I can't count the number of times I've explained this to someone after hearing "I like Chicago, but I don't like your pizza."

Obvious (and probably overdone) idea: Send a Stalions message to key people at OSU.

I'm not going to say that they kept RichRod from succeeding at UM, but Lloyd's '05, '06, and '07 classes weren't very good.

Still, RichRod getting only one OL in '10 seems like an epic disaster, even in context (local press hounding him, etc.).

There were only three in 2009, too, and one of them moved to the D-line. On the plus side, the other two played multiple years in the NFL.

Seconded. It's worth a quick read.

Calling BS on one biographical item: There's a claim that he was the first OSU graduate hired by McKinsey. They're picky, sure, but could that really be true?

Look at the 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes. 2017 could've gone better, but it was short of 3rd- and 4th-year players and not destined to be a great season.

They lost 11 guys to the NFL the year before.

Some of the 2013s (Dymonte Thomas comes to mind) burned redshirts early and left UM a little short of 5th-years, too. I looked on Wikipedia just now. On offense you had Khalid Hill and Patrick Kugler. On defense, Mo Hurst (the only NFLer) and Mike McCray.

OSU gets lots of love from sports journalists year after year. It's almost as mysterious as their recruiting.

It's rough. Here's how 10-year numbers looked in 2023:

https://www.house.mi.gov/hfa/PDF/FiscalSnapshot/HigherEd_10_Year_University_Enrollment_Trends_Jan2023.pdf

Too many schools, not enough students.

It seems appropriate that Sparty would get stuck with the vapid "Pure Michigan" on their plates.

In case anyone is WTFing over this post:

https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/requested-wolverines-nfl-part-1

https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/requested-wolverines-nfl-part-2

Ralph, I'd also humbly suggest that your spacing and punctuation could use some work.

I know him only from film, but he seems underrated.

I don't generally envy journalists in 2024. It's a rough life.

I agree. I think that's an easy call, even if you limit the view to the years at UM (which seems to be the point).

Impressive that Colson, Anderson, and Tschetter finished in three years. The last two have graduate study opportunities upcoming.

I don't really see that in the article. They cherry-picked a single season (2016). Later, "Past regimes leaned harder and harder into the path, embracing every big boy program they could find." (I'm not comfortable taking that on faith.)

In "The New Path" section you get ...

... the ACC Deal led to some lighter difficulty each season. Sure, you got Clemson a few times and FSU was good in 2014, but mostly they've had to play a bunch of 8-4 or worse ACC teams 4 to 6 times a year. USC falling flat most seasons also assisted in this lighter schedule, and Stanford and Navy rapidly descended into hot garbage perennial opponents.

... and then:

With a schedule like this, it should be easy to win 8 games in the regular season and winning 10 is well within the realm of possibility each year.

Still, I can't prove offhand that they were often lucky pre-ACC. It just feels that way.

I don't have the data in front of me, but it seems like there have been many years where the Domers have caught bluebloods in "dip" years, making their schedule look more fearsome than it really is.

Slight correction there: Top 3, for many years straight, by average player ranking.

Question for the readers: Where do you suppose OSU ranked in payments (NIL and otherwise) to players prior to "getting its act together?" I'd be surprised if they weren't already near the top.

Just another excuse for them .....

This (from the article) also needs fixing:

"After all, nobody in the junior class has beaten the Wolverines."

They last won in 2019. There are at most a couple of players on the whole roster who've beaten Michigan.

OT, ask the Mets or Yankees (https://www.theonion.com/yankees-ensure-2003-pennant-by-signing-every-player-in-1819566731):

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2024/04/03/mlb-team-payrolls-2024-highest-lowest-mets/73139425007/

For that reason (payroll disparities) alone I have limited interest in MLB.

A nanny-state comment to start the day:

I'm not thrilled that U.S. citizens are easily able to place bets of all types from their phones. Many of them have poor impulse control, a shallow understanding of probability, and are living check-to-check.

Not that it matters at this point, but he had a pretty impressive offer list:

https://247sports.com/recruitment/jaden-mangham-121054/recruitinterests/

Look at RichRod's lousy numbers. Sure, the sample size was small, and Lloyd's last few recruiting classes were mediocre, but he'd later prove (at Arizona) that he was bad at recruiting, player development, or both. Schools with recruiting classes in his range (like Iowa) had way more guys get close to NFL rosters.

"... thinking about all the things I never got around to doing."

I'm sure you have plenty of company. A while back there was a thread here about what you should "definitely" experience at UM. I remember thinking that you'd have to be loaded, highly intelligent, in an easy major, and ... on the eight-year plan to get through the list. Mere mortals (like me) had no hope.

Thank you.

From one of the links:

Michigan is one of nearly 40 schools to offer Suggs, who entered the portal April 22. Suggs has already visited Arkansas, Wisconsin, Florida State and Kentucky, and is scheduled to see Michigan State Sunday (May 5).

HS class of 2019, so Quentin Johnson would have another 6th-year around. :)

I had a performance review with something like that early in my career.

He got at least one good mention after their spring practice:

https://cdispatch.com/sports/what-did-we-learn-about-ole-miss-football-this-spring/

I understand your lack of faith, but he was their third-leading receiver (33 receptions for 467 yards, 4 TDs) last year:

https://youngstown_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/fball/2023-24/indgbg.htm#IGBG.RSH

I think that elevates him above "role player."

I'm hoping he'll be the Josh Wallace of WRs.

Press conference from YSU game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjwk5qNCw3s

You got a +1 just for posting a working link.

They make really good decisions, too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandin_Podziemski

Departures of both championship coaches also seems like a significant outlier. Saban, too. Only "Sark" remains from last year's CFP roster.

I get your last sentence. But, bourbon? Do they serve it in the dorms[1] there?

[1] Or, what Monkey House is describing.

Best wishes to him. He was last year's Scout Team Player of the Year on defense.

https://michaeljdouma.com/2019/07/07/a-brief-history-of-the-phrase-if-you-aint-dutch-you-aint-much/

It's really too bad. He has talent. There's a universe (a very remote universe) where we're all proud of him for his accomplishments.

He's insecure, though, and that's just for starters.