2008 Michigan Football Prediction

With all the anticipation surrounding this years Michigan football squad. Everybody is asking how many wins will Michigan get in 2008? Well I don't feel anyone can answer that including Coach Rich Rodriguez. One thing I can say is the games they need to win, should win, could win, or won't win throughout the season. I will take you through each week of the season and give you my prediction on how things will turn out.

The first game starts in about 3 hours against Utah. The University of Utah brings a lot of experienced players into the Big House today. Utah is ranked 28th in the USA Today Poll, the same poll Michigan is ranked 24th in. I feel Michigan will get the victory today. It's the home opener for the Coach Rodriguez regime and all the young freshman. I feel they will come out with a lot of energy and feed off the crowd for a close victory over the Utes of Utah. As of early this morning a report from WZAM Nick Sheridan will start today.

Second week brings the Miami(Ohio) to town, Michigan should have no problem taking out a mediocre MAC team especially being at home. So with the win Michigan moves to 2-0 in my mind. Next up Michigan travels to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. This will be a big test for the young and inexperienced Michigan squad. I feel they lose this one in a tight game coming down the stretch to pick up their first loss of the season.

Game #4 brings Wisconsin to Ann Arbor. Wisconsin is a top 25 team and I feel they are the second best team in the Big Ten Conference this season. Michigan will lose this game by 10+ points and drop to .500 at 2-2 on the season.

The next game Michigan will come out with a lot of passion and they will need it against Heisman Trophy Candidate Juice Williams of Illinois. The Fighting Illini are a very good team. Although, I feel after two losses Michigan will have just enough firepower to pull out a close victory in a barn burner of a game.

With Michigan now at 3-2 Toledo comes to town just from down the road. I don't think anyone will be betting on this game, as Michigan has too many athletes for Toledo to handle for four quarters. Michigan improves to 4-2 and now they travel to Happy Valley to take on the Penn St. Nittany Lions. Penn St. has a very good team and should remain in the Top 25 throughout the season. Penn St. should take this one by two touchdowns to drop Michigan to 4-3.

At 4-3, Michigan now has Michigan St. coming into town for the big rivalry game on October 25th. This should be a great game, I give the nod to Michigan because it's in Ann Arbor and I just feel Michigan has more athletes/speed than Michigan St. Now at 5-3, Michigan will play a veteran-laden team in Purdue in West Lafayette. Purdue should come up with the victory in a close game. As you can tell I expect their will be a lot of close games in 2008 for the Wolverines, but with a new coach and new team for the most part they will be some disappointing finishes for Michigan fans.

Now at 5-4 Michigan's heads to Minnesota, they will have no problem beating the Gophers who I believe are the worst team in the Big Ten in 2008. So at 6-4 Michigan heads back home to play the Northwestern Wildcats. Michigan will enjoy beating the Wildcats by two touchdowns and improve to 7-4 on the season.

Next up is the Big Showdown between Ohio St. and Michigan. This game is down in Columbus and it won't be pretty for Michigan fans. I expect Ohio St. to beat Michigan by 17+ points in this November 22nd game. Don't worry though I feel Michigan will be a Big Ten contender in year 2 and a BCS contender in year 3 of the Coach Rodriguez era.

So the 2008 season will be very exciting with a lot of ups and downs. In my mind Michigan will end up 7-5 on the season. I feel if Michigan wins more than 8 games in 2008 it will be a spectacular year for the team and Coach Rod. If Michigan wins less than 6 games in the 2008 season I feel it will be a disappointing year for everyone at Michigan. Remember it is a transition year, you must take a step back before you move forward. So expect 6-8 wins in 2008, my prediction is 7-5, we shall see where that holds up before we play in our bowl game come December.

Michigan Football Season Preview

The makeup of the 2008 Michigan roster is much different than last years or any recent year for that matter. Michigan fans are going to get to see a variety of freshman get significant playing time this season. We have the spread offense with plenty of small quick players running it. Offensively there are plenty of question marks but there is potential at the skill positions to be productive as the season progresses. As for the defense, they are fast and strong at a variety of positions. The defensive line is the best in the BIG TEN in my mind. So with all that said I am going to give you the projected starting lineup and tell you other players you can expect to see contribute this season.

The major problem this team has is having no proven quarterback. There are two players currently competing for the quarterback position. Two local kids, one from Saline, MI in Nick Sheridan who is a walk-on redshirted sophomore. The other is Steven Threet who is from Adrian, MI. Threet transferred from Georgia Tech and was a highly touted recruit coming out of High School. Threet is a redshirted freshman and is my pick to get most of the snaps this season as the starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines. I grew up in a small town called Clinton which is between both Saline and Adrian. I heard a lot about Threet when I was in High School and there is no doubt in my mind he can be a productive quarterback in the Big Ten as he gains more experience.

At the running back position Michigan looks pretty solid with 5 players expected to see action this season. Juniors Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor should get the bulk of the carries as the season starts. Expect to see freshman Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw get some action as well throughout the year. McGuffie as many have witnessed is the You Tube highlight star.The one outcast in the backfield is redshirted junior Kevin Grady. After being injured last season and not seeing any game action. Grady picked up a DUI this off season and has been in the "doghouse" so to speak with the entire Michigan coaching staff since. So with 5 options in the backfield this season, expect to see a little bit of everyone.

At the wide receiver position there are many options as well as far as who will be starting. Junior Greg Matthews should get the nod because of experience, although Coach Rodriguez likes to have small and quick receivers line up in the slot. With that said, expect to see freshman Martavious Odoms (nicknamed Lil Wayne by his Wolverine teammates) get plenty of touches. Two other freshman will be expected to contribute right away as well in Daryl Stonum and Terrance Robinson. So get ready to learn some new names and let me just tell you these freshman are very quick and elusive.

At the tight end position expect to see redshirted junior Carson Butler get most of the action. Coach Rodriguez also will play another freshman out of Ohio in Kevin Koger and senior Mike Massey at tight end from time to time. As for the offensive line, this is a revamped group with right tackle Stephen Schilling leading the group. The rest of the offensive line is made up of Mark Ortmann, (left tackle) Tim McAvoy (left guard), David Molk (center), and David Moosman (right guard).

Now let's switch sides and go over the defensive squad for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines. They have a very good defensive line with a lot of leadership up front. 320 pound senior defensive tackle Terrance Taylor leads this group. Along with Taylor, fifth year senior Will Johnson is the other defensive tackle. On the defensive end Michigan has Brandon Graham and Tim Jamison. This is a formidable group with a lot of familiar names who should all make some noise in the coming weeks.

As for the linebacking core Obi Ezeh is your middle linebacker, in my mind he is going to have a breakout season in 2008. Michigan's strong side starting linebacker is senior Austin Panter from Athol, Kansas. At weak side linebacker expect to see sophomore Marell Evans from Richmond, Virginia. Also expect to see freshman J.B. Fitzgerald from New Jersey get some playing time.

Let's now move to the secondary which has doomed us in recent bowl games. This season's secondary is pretty solid. Sophomore Donavan Warren stands out in the group. After starting last season as a true freshman, Warren has a year under his belt and his confidence continues to rise. At the other corner position Michigan has Morgan Trent who seems like he has played on the team since they year 2000. Trent brings plenty of experience and will be able to help out the younger players in the secondary throughout the season. At strong safety senior Brandon Harrison will need to help out junior free safety Stevie Brown back there in the secondary.

As far as the special teams unit. Redshirted junior Zoltan Mesko will be Michigan's punter this season. Mesko had a very good season last year and expect to see the same from him in 2008. Fifth year senior K.C. Lopata will handle the kicking duties, he had a good year as well in 2007. The team is deep but young on special teams, that will be shown with inconsistency from time to time.

Check out my next post where I will give you my prediction for wins and losses for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines.

Chase for the Cup Update

With only 3 races remaining until the Chase for the Cup starts I will tell you who is and who isn't going to make the Chase.

The 3 races that remain are Bristol, California, and Richmond. Then the playoffs begin for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Bristol and Richmond are both short tracks. While California is much like this past weekend's Michigan International Speedway a 2 Mile Oval. Heading into the Chase it appears that it's a two man race between the Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards for the 2008 Sprint Cup Championship.

Busch has won 8 races and picked up 14 top 5's during the season. He has had a remarkable run and is going to be tough to beat for the championship. But if anyone can do it, Carl Edwards has to be your man. He has 5 victories on the season and he held off Kyle Busch this past weekend at Michigan to win the 3M Performance 400. I was at the race on Sunday since I only live about 10 miles from the track (lucky me right). Carl had a great race car and deserved to come out on top after 400 miles. Edwards even won the Nationwide series race on Saturday so I got to see two back-flips this weekend from "Concrete Carl." The winner down the stretch remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure they will both be in the chase and have had great seasons thus far.

As for the competitors they must step their game up to compete with Edwards and Busch. These are the current standings listed below after 23 of 36 races.

1. Kyle Busch
2. Carl Edwards -222
3. Jimmie Johnson -302
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -345
5. Jeff Burton -349
6. Tony Stewart -558
7. Greg Biffle -575
8. Kevin Harvick -617
9. Jeff Gordon -638
10. Matt Kenseth -646
11. Kasey Kahne -673
12. Denny Hamlin -694

Drivers outside of the Chase right now with a real chance to get in our Clint Bowyer and David Ragan who are both 26 points back of Denny Hamlin for the last spot in the Chase for the Cup.

One interesting statistic is drivers 6-10 in the points standings have not won a race all season. For any of these guys to contend once the chase starts they must pick up a victory. It would be hard to imagine a season going by without a victory from Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, or Jeff Gordon. I'm sure that will not be the case but something I thought I should point out.

As I get back to who is and who isn't going to make the Chase for the Cup। I like everybody in the Top 10 in points currently to make the Chase। I feel Kahne and Hamlin are two drivers who both could fall out of the Chase if they are not careful. I also feel Clint Bowyer has a real good shot at making the Chase. I heard Rusty Wallace say on NASCAR NOW today on ESPN that he feels Bowyer will make the Chase and Hamlin will fall out of it. It's tough to disagree with Rusty Wallace but one thing is for sure Denny Hamlin can race at Richmond which is the final race before the Chase starts. With that said and the fact Kasey Kahne ran so poorly at Michigan this past weekend. Look for that to continue at California for Kahne with Michigan being a similar track. Ultimately I think it will be close between all three drivers. My final take is Hamlin in, Bowyer in, and Kahne out. One thing is for certain it will be fun to watch as the Chase for the Cup nears closer.

West Michigan Whitecaps Prospect Update

With the season coming to a close for the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps, I am going to take you through the team and tell who to watch out for in the coming years. Also just recap the season that was for the West Michigan Whitecaps to this point in this season. Overall the Whitecaps are a mediocre team right now with a handful of good pitching prospects and a good catching prospect.

They have lost a variety of players throughout the season. A handful of players have been promoted up the Detroit Tigers organization to teams like Lakeland, Erie, and Toledo. These players include the likes of outfielder Casper Wells and pitcher Alfredo Figaro. That is a good thing for the organization, a concept West Michigan has been accustomed to for losing players after they play well at Fifth Third Ball Park in Comstock Park, MI.

Although the Whitecaps fans here in West Michigan got to see two big league players suit up this season in Caps uniforms. Curtis Granderson played a few games with the club. As well as Magglio Ordonez coming to play in early July which stirred up a ruckus in West Michigan. Those were some exciting times that definitely stick out to me when I think about the Whitecaps season.

Let's get to the prospects who we could see move up soon in the organization and may very well see in a Tigers uniform in a couple years. Pitcher Jonathan Kibler has to lead this list. Kibler is from Michigan St. and is a 22 year-old 6'5 left-handed pitcher having a lot of success with the Caps. He is 14-4 with a 1.63 ERA in 22 games started on the season. He has piled up 121 strikeouts in 149 innings. He has only given up 31 walks, 4 homers, has pitched two complete games (one in which was a shutout). These are impressive numbers for sure and I'm sure Dave Dombrowski has taken notice even if they are numbers put up at the Single-A level.

The next prospect is Scott Green who is a 23 year old 6'7 right-handed pitcher from Kentucky। Green was drafted in the 3rd round in the 2008 MLB players draft by the Tigers. Green is a reliever and has only pitched 14 innings for the Caps in limited action. Another very good relief prospect is Brett Jacobsen who the Tigers drafted in the 4th round of the 2008 MLB players draft. Jacobsen is 21 year-old 6'6 right hander who has pitched 23 innings with the Whitecaps who improves each and every appearance. Jacobsen has tallied up 26 strikeouts and has an ERA of 1.96.

I have two more pitching prospects I want to talk about in Charles Furbush and Mauricio Robles. Furbush is a 22 year old left hander who stands 6'5 and has pitched really well at West Michigan. He is a starting pitcher with 4-1 record and a 2.17 ERA on the season. In 45 innings he has struck out 46 batters and walked only 11. Furbush was selected in the fourth round by the Tigers in the 2007 player's draft. As for Robles he is a bit of a wildcard player. He is only 19 and from Venezulea. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent back in 2006. He is a starter and definitely a player to watch with a 4-3 record and posting a 2.58 ERA on the season.

Now to the Whitecaps most prized position player. Alex Avila is the Tigers best catching prospect in the minors right now. Avila was drafted in the fifth round this year out of the University of Alabama. He is a left handed batter who is pretty good behind the plate. He reminds me of Dionar Navarro of the Tampa Bay Rays a lot in how he plays. He could possibly be a career backup at the major league level if his doesn't start to hit for pop. He is batting .300 in 180 at bats, has driven in 17 runners, but doesn't have a home run yet. One thing that sticks out to me is he is a patient hitter and he is a gap hitter. He has 17 doubles on the season so far so that is impressive.

A few other players you should watch out for our shortstop Brandon Douglas and Pitcher Joey Hamilton. Douglas is currently playing with the Oneonta Tigers in New York which is another Single-A affiliate of the Tigers. Hamilton is playing in the Gulf Coast League for the Tigers down in Lakeland, FL.

Overall the Tigers have some pretty good pieces down at the Single-A level currently. Most of these guys will never see Single-A ball after this season in my estimation. Some may never see a Detroit Tigers uniform which is alright, we can use them as trade bait to help our roster in the end at the major-league level.

So just remember next time you are at Fifth Third Ballpark keep an eye out for some of the guys I suggested to watch for.

Olympics "Not the same as it once was"

After two weeks of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. I came to one conclusion the Olympics are clearly not as fun to watch this year in comparison to the 96 Olympics in Atlanta or the 04 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

The headlines, there are only two that are of any real importance to the typical sports fanatic in America. Michael Phelps and his quest for 8 Olympic golds. As well as the U.S. Olympic basketball team reclaiming the top spot among the world by winning the gold medal. Other than that, I don't know what else to say, sure you have the incredible 100 meter dash World Record by Jamaican Usain Bolt and the the story of a 41 year old swimmer getting back in the pool to compete among the World's best in Dara Torres. There are no marquee names that came into this years Olympics except the one's mentioned above. Names like track stars Michael Johnson and Marian Jones are missing here. What about wrestler Rulon Gardner or gymnast Kerri Strug who all made huge headlines in past Olympics.

Usually the names change but the headlines remain. Not this year. How about knowing everything you are watching is tape delayed, never something you want to here about. Or what about the fact every time you watch the Olympics during the day, the actual athletes you are watching are sleeping over in Beijing. Those are just a few things to think about as you make your decision whether or not to watch the remaining weeks of the Olympics.

Now don't get me wrong, the thought of the Olympics is great. Bringing countries together throughout the world to compete in a variety of different competitions is the ultimate sports event. I am so happy when I see the United States athletes take the gold and defeat other countries. I am proud to be an American for a variety of reasons and if you know anyone who knows me they could tell you that in an instant. I just don't get excited over the Olympics and really don't care to watch it.

I mean I will watch preseason football on Monday Night between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns instead of watching the Olympics. That should say it all, I sure hope this is not a sign of things to come for me and the rest of sports fans across America for the next 3 to 4 Olympic summer games.

The whole Michael Phelps experience was great. He did thee unthinkable winning 8 gold medals breaking Mark Spitz' longstanding record. He won close races, he blew out the field in some and he truly showed that he lives in the aquarium so to speak. That story is over though, what else can we expect to see for the rest of this Olympics?

With football season upon us, I have turned the page. See you at the next Olympics, on second thought maybe I won't watch that one either.

Favre to the Jets

What is this? The Jets, they play in the AFC East. This is not a team he can make the AFC Championship with. They were 4-12 last season and play in a division that is much improved from last season. The Patriots will be a 12 or 13 win team this season. The Bills are getting closer to a playoff berth and probably destined for .500 season. As for the Dolphins, well they couldn't get much worse than last season. With Bill Parcells on board they will at least play hard for 60 minutes and could surprise some teams this season.

At least this means the Favre saga is over. Wow, ESPN was living off this for the past 3 weeks. Every sports fan got to know names like Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson way too much. Mike McCarthy didn't look to stressed in his press conference earlier this week. Unless he deals with stress by eating everything he can possibly swallow. Where's nutrisystem when you need it? The point we can all take from this was Favre retired when he shouldn't have, he tried to fix it and it just wasn't meant to be. Sorry the Packers used a first round pick 3 years ago on a QB and had to move on sooner or later.

Yes I know the pick was on Aaron Rodgers, but come on he was a highly-touted player coming out of California and Heisman Trophy winning candidate. They had to move on at some point and it was a sticky situation and I am just happy it's over.

The question I have is why the Jets and not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Tampa would have been a good fit, they have Joey Galloway, Cadillac Williams, Jon Gruden, and a strong defense. Tampa made the playoffs last season. With the addition of Favre they would be a top 2 or 3 team in the NFC instantly. Plus in week 4 he would get payback on those Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium. I just see the Bucs as a much better situation for Favre. Maybe we will soon find out why he didn't end up in a Bucs uniform.

It would have been great to see Favre go to the Vikings or the Bears. Then he could have played at Lambeau Field in another teams uniform. Now wouldn't that have been a sight to see! Ultimately as stupid as Ted Thompson appeared, he wasn't that dumb to trade a living-legend to a division rival. If Favre would have went to the Vikings, they would've instantly been my pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Oh well, I am just glad this is over. Let's talk about some other things that matter this year in the NFL. Will the Patriots repeat a performance like last year? Can the Giants and Eli Manning get back to the Super Bowl without Michael Strahan? Can PacMan oops Adam Jones help take the Cowboys back to the promise land? Will the addition of Jason Taylor and a new head coach make the Redskins a contender in the NFC? How will Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packers react to this whole Favre situation on the footballl field? Will the Lions take a step back this season? Will Steve Smith knockout another Panther teammate? How much will Jeremy Shockey help the Saints this year? How much better do the Dolphins improve in their first year with Bill Parcells in charge? Will Chad Johnson survive another season with the Cincinnati Bengals? How about those Cleveland Browns, can they take the next step with Big Baby Shaun Rogers? These are just some of the questions I have and topics that should be interesting to watch unfold throughout the season.

All in all, no more Brett Favre talk, I am sick of all this. Favre makes the Jets a possible Wild card team but that is about it. Favre in a green #4 will never be the same.