U of M thread (in the Lions Forum) :)

[Malto Marko]

It was however, Appalachian State.

I want to see that against MSU or Suckeyes.

[DanO]

True it was App State but I think UM looked better in beating a lower class school than they have in the past. Take that for what it's worth.

[Drew]

What's the deal with Jake Ryan? I was expecting him to be a constant on the d side of the ball this season but saw him on the field only once that I recall. Is he still hurt after all this time?

[*JD*]

Nope. He's now playing middle linebacker, though. He had 3 tackles, 1 for a loss.

I think he needs to grow his hair back out.

[*JD*]

True it was App State but I think UM looked better in beating a lower class school than they have in the past. Take that for what it's worth.

I agree. Appy State is nowhere near as good as they were in 2007 but they're still probably not that far off from being in that 2013 Akron-range & Michigan barely beat those guys.

That said, I was hoping they'd get the shutout. The domers will be a much better indicator of how much (if any) better this year's team is. Can they really run the ball? That, to me, is the biggest question.

[Drew]

Nope. He's now playing middle linebacker, though. He had 3 tackles, 1 for a loss.

I think he needs to grow his hair back out.

Thanks, I was looking for him on the edge.

[Newbomb Turk]

The domers will be a much better indicator of how much (if any) better this year's team is. Can they really run the ball? That, to me, is the biggest question.

I fear you are correct.

[Drew]

Okay, well what's next on this Saturday's evening activities.

[Newbomb Turk]

Okay, well what's next on the Saturday evening activities.

dog kicking ?

[Paul L]

Okay, well what's next on the Saturday evening activities.

Stay tuned for the postgame activities where Hoke will be participating in a fat and gristle-eating contest; going for the record of 10 lbs in 10 minutes!

[Newbomb Turk]

I bet a yellow stripe on the stadium would help...........

[Cody_Russell]

People are still defending the B10 lol.. K it's true there is plenty of time left for this season, but it would be hard for the B10 to start off worse.

It's just a fact that there is more "football talent" in the south & probably the west compared to the Midwest. That has been gradually increasing (more football talent drawn from the South) over the years for some reason (population shift, high school football, etc). This plus how most B10 teams want to keep academic integrity (which is a positive for the B10, but explains the talent thing). Why go to a B10 team like Purdue that has tough classes (excluding OLS / Liberal Arts) when you can go to LSU & probably do little academically.

As for Michigan. I like Brady Hoke. I love how he loves Michigan. I like that they are recruiting "highly ranked players", but now that could come into question because they aren't turning out. Brady Hoke actually reminds me of Charlie Weis at ND.
You have to win at Michigan and Hoke hasn't done it. For Michigan, there is plenty of time left this season. If Michigan beats MSU & OSU (on the road), maybe that makes up for it.

I would root for the 49ers to miss the playoffs, which could happen because they have a lot of problems on defense right now. Then let's hope that it is true how Trent Baalke & Harbaugh don't get along. 49ers let Harbaugh go & he returns to Michigan... wishful thinking.

[chemiclord]

Michigan needs to drop a lot of their pride. Period.

Their insistence that Michigan is a "final stop" in a coach's career is a HUGE part of the problem why they have to settle for people like Hoke. The longer they keep pretending that coaching at Michigan is a "privilege" rather than, "We'll pay you more than anywhere else", they will continue to have this problem.

[SeattleLionsFan]

Chemi, pay isn't the problem. Hoke is the eighth highest paid college coach. I know Mattison and Nuss are both top five for coordinators.

They are paying enough for coaches. They just aren't getting anything for it.

[chemiclord]

Chemi, pay isn't the problem. Hoke is the eighth highest paid college coach. I know Mattison and Nuss are both top five for coordinators.

They are paying enough for coaches. They just aren't getting anything for it.

Because of the former part. They cut themselves off from a lot of the prospective pool by insisting that Michigan is a "final stop." They need someone who can turn the program around. If that means that coach jumps ship in 5 years to go the NFL, so fucking what? You can demand loyalty once you're back at the top, not when you're a second rate program.

And on top of that, the pay scale increase is VERY recent, especially for the assistants (in fact, that started with Hoke, if I remember correctly).