Game 1 -- Middle Tennessee State at Michigan -- 7:30 PM August 31, 2019 -- BTN

[THE_WIZARD_]

Liney:

hello

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yeah. He's pretty much a Twitter joke.

Did this Yoder guy used to (or maybe still does) post on the Michigan Scout board? That handle is extremely familiar but can't place where I've seen him.

[*JD*]

James T. Yoder. I only heard of him from others on Twitter and then the official statement from the University.

[WM Wolverine]

Used to have a blog quite a bit ago where he used the name Ace. I only know of him from others referring to him at mgoblog, 247/rivals...

[Hannibal]

Did he ever admit to being "Ace Williams"? Because Ace was supposedly in high school not very long ago and I think that Yoder is older than the supposed Ace Williams character.

Yoder's track record is really good. He has scooped the blogs on a lot of stories the past couple of years. He may not have great connections, but whoever supposedly does isn't beating him in the accuracy department. He called the Oliver Martin transfer early and stuck by the story even when Sam Webb was saying it wasn't true. A lot of his bravado and other stuff gets taken too literally by his critics. At any rate, he immediately called the Steuber thing as being out for the season, 100% for sure. We'll see if that one holds up.

[hack]

He's willing to speculate in a way that Webb and others aren't. Webb and others are also working on an access-based model, in which they're going to hold back on spec and publish only what's pretty damn reasonable. Yoder is not working on an access-based model, which means he can guess at likely outcomes others just aren't willing to publicly talk about, and later claim the scoop. He seems to be a total dirtbag about it in ways that other non-access-based guys are not, but overall I think as a consumer of news you want both types.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Sam Webb, as others in the past, have been non-M employee mouth pieces for the M athletic department and Schembechler Hall. That's not a criticism. That fact just needs to be recognized because it means that Webb gets information, supposedly in advance, that the program wants in the public domain.

I'm not entirely sure how Warde Manuel has his PR staff organized. But Dave Ablauf always seemed to be the font of accurate info about the football program. I don't know that he holds that title anymore as I think he got promoted. I did a search of the AD roster and couldn't ID "a guy" like I think Ablauf was during his time in that role.

There's also some kind of "Omerta" among competent bloggers - Brian at mgo as an example - that honors a hold on promoting unsubstantiated information. I've read Brian speak of this and his unwillingness to comment or speculate on certain subjects - injuries being one of them. There are those that fault that kind of position - Yoder is among them.

[WM Wolverine]

When Insiders like Sam Webb know something, they don't report it unless it's okay with the person(s) they received the information from. This happens a ton where many people know something but only someone like Yoder would actually report it.

??????Yoder would pass this as inside information, but he's been wrong far too often to be taken seriously.

Ace and Yoder are the same, email accounts to his blog/accounts matched.
??????

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yoder = the Amish insider. "Barn''s going up well, I reckon. Will check again tomorrow"

[THE_WIZARD_]

shaddup

[Jeff Buchanan]

Not enough predictions. It's time.

Final: M 53, MTSU 13

Half: M 35, MTSU 3

While M's offense is new and there will be some snags, MTSU lacks the size and skills on D to exploit them when M's #1s are in.

M's D has to prove that the interior DL and DEs can produce the pressure that assures the obvious weakness in Don Brown's tactical approach can't be exploited. Pretty sure MTSU is not up to the task of taking advantage.

MTSU: New starting QB in the Big House, 6'2" OTs, 265lb NTs.

Post game, watch out for the likely unbridled enthusiasm about M's BT Championship and CFP chances.

[lineygoblue]

You prediction sounds about right, Jeff. Just to be a bit different, I'll take M, 49-10. What a shocker, huh?

Unbridled enthusiasm for the opening week winners is allowed. That's college football. Reality usually starts to settle in around weeks 5-6.

I was really impressed with Clemson last night. Looks like they're taking up where they left off.

[WM Wolverine]

Offense might not click out of the gate... Defense should get pressure, what matters is exactly like last season. Will the offensive and defensive lines do their job when they play very good competition? They won't have competition for a month.

[lineygoblue]

Its going to be strange watching a night season opener at Michigan Stadium. Not sure how that will affect the game atmosphere. Hopefully its a positive, and the fans will behave themselves.

I'm glad I'm not on the event staff anymore. I'd be getting home about 2 am if I was.

Looking ahead a bit .. Army beat Rice tonight 14-7. So, maybe that offense isn't as formidable as we thought.

[Hannibal]

DPJ out and in a boot. I assume that he won't be back next week either.

Get heathy ASAP, dude. Hopefully we'll at least see Black back.