Michigan in Pictures

Saturday's Iowa Football win at Michigan was only the seventh time since 1900 the Hawkeyes won in Ann Arbor. Many Hawkeye fans were in attendance for this win on a beautiful Autumn afternoon in the Big House.

Departing two hours prior to the Hawkeyes arrival at Michigan Stadium, managers, trainers, cheerleaders, video personnel and the Hawkeye Radio team left the hotel in Romulus for the game. Play by play of Hawkeye Athletics is Gary Dolphin, who was getting in some last minute preparation on the bus for the four hour broadcast with Ed Podoolak.

Outside advertising is rare in the Big House. However fans can't go far without seeing the Michigan block "M" on anything. Whether is is on beverage coolers, concession stand signage, or on pastries (as seen here) that were served in the press box.

 Much controversy took place in the renovation of Michigan Stadium. Prior to the 2010 season, suites and luxury boxes were added making for a new look of the Big House. Volunteers in the press box said there were many who did not like the athletic department messing with the look of the beloved stadium. But what was an historic stadium has turned into a facility that takes Michigan Athletics far into the future.

Michigan is proud of their history and traditions. On the West concourse banners signifying national championships are hung.

A newer tradition is one that many other schools have been doing, a "Walk" to the stadium. Michigan coaches and players take campus buses into the parking area where they unload and walk through fans to the Michigan Stadium locker rooms. Head Football Coach, Rich Rodriguez leads his team amid fans, cheerleaders and marching band members.

Michigan alum, Erik Campbell returned to Ann Arbor as a member of the Iowa coaching staff. His last year at Michigan was 2007, the same season Lloyd Carr decided to retire as head football coach. The Wide Receiver coach talks with Michigan running back coach, Fred Jackson who worked with Cambell at Michigan.

Fans begin to enter Michigan Stadium minutes prior to kick off. Downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus is seen over the north end of the Big House.

After the Hawkeyes took a 21-7 halftime lead, the Wolverines made a comeback, but it was too little too late. Iowa went on to win 38-28 and the players celebrated with the fans.

College Football Preview

The adjacent picture is the right way to start of the season. ESPN College Football analyst, Kirk Herbstreit is joined by members of the Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleading squad as the 2010 season gets underway this Thursday night. Although not a premier weekend to get it started, a few good games will garner the interest of the fans nation wide. Of course the ESPN Thursday night broadcast will once again present South Carolina, this year taking on Southern Mississippi. From one USC to another, the Trojans of Southern California follow with a trip to Hawaii. On Friday another Pac-10 team, Arizona travels to a non-BCS school, Toledo. Saturday brings a very intriguing match-up as Randy Edsall's UConn Huskies travel to the Big House to face Michigan. Then two games round out the weekend with major BCS implications. Saturday night Oregon State takes on TCU in the Horned Frogs back yard of Arlington. On Monday Boise State takes on Virginia Tech in Washington D.C.

A few observations as we enter week 1:

• There is much pressure on Virginia Tech to prove Boise State does not belong among the nation's elite. When Boise State defeated Oklahoma in the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the Broncos had over a month to prepare. This time BSU has had over seven months to come up with a few new wrinkles for the Hokies.
• Rich Rodriguez would definitely like to start the 2010 season with an opponent easier than that of UConn. The Huskies played the end of 2009 determined and focused. Will that carry over to the season opener? Meanwhile if there is a must-win for the Wolverines, this would be it. Michigan cannot afford to travel to Notre Dame in a week looking for their first win.
• How different will the Big Ten look in one year when Nebraska joins? There are two names that consistently appear on every one's "Hot Seat" lists. They are Rich Rodriguez and Illinois' Ron Zook. However how safe are Minnesota's Tim Brewster and Indiana's Bill Lynch? The Big Ten has eight bowl tie-ins entering 2010. Will making a lower-tier bowl game be enough to keep any of these coaches from leaving their school?
• Texas has already named Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp as the Head Coach in waiting--waiting for Mack Brown to step down. It seems Brown has spent more time in ESPN's Bristol's studios this off-season than on the recruiting trail. Has he been auditioning for the ESPN Game Day job currently held by Lee Corso? Corso suffered a mild stroke prior in the spring of 2009, causing his workload to be lessened. I believe it is a matter of when, rather than if.
• Finally, what is the likelihood the popular ESPN College Game Day makes an early visit to Iowa City? The Hawkeye's game with Penn State has already been slated for 7pm. However there are a list of quality games on the schedule that day. Among them are Oklahoma - Texas, Florida - Alabama, and Stanford - Oregon. ESPN likes to schedule its pre game shows at games of teams with near perfect records. With Penn State making a trip to Alabama in week two, ESPN may find themselves sending Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit elsewhere. But Iowa fans shouldn't be frustrated as it may mean more to have the show on the shadows of the Pentacrest when Ohio State travels to Iowa City on November 20.

Big Ten Expansion Talk

At a downtown Chicago hotel, the focus of the college athletic world centered on a bunch of coaches, faculty reps and athletic directors. The reason for the attention is the recent talk of the Big Ten on expansion, the first since Penn State joined the league in the early 90s. National writers joined the school's beat reporters for a chance to get a quote from Commissioner Delaney or one of the famed head coaches of a nation's elite programs. Hovering in the swanky hotel lobby, reporters on laptops joined local tv station cameramen for any comment or response on where the Big Ten is heading.

Among those who caught the media's attention was Northwestern Football Coach, Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald works the Windy City media scene hard. In a sports town which follows the Bulls, Bears, White Sox, Cubs and Stanley Cup Semi-fianlist Blackhawks, Fitzgerald works hard to get his Wildcats into the media headlines. When he isn't promoting his University through a Chicago media outlet, he works the current social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to connect to the computer savvy youth. He'll do whatever it takes, but a crowd that surrounded him on this May morning was more interested in his take of a potential super-conference rather than how the 'Cats will fare coming off their first New Year's Day bowl in almost fifteen years. Fitzgerald knows that as long as his face is in front of the camera, or his comments reach the newspapers and their web sites, what ever the topic, it is good for Northwestern Football.

Michigan football coach, Rich Rodriguez had more to talk about than Big Ten expansion. A day after news hit that self-imposed sanctions would be made on his football program due to NCAA regulated contact hours, Rodriguez had to face the media for the first time. Although the Wolverines haven't been to a bowl under the two years of Rodriguez, the attention to the Michigan program doesn't wane. Reporters hung on every word, and Rodriguez was among the most accomodating of all coaches to the media.

AFCA

Annually the largest congregation of football coaches takes place days following the BCS National Championship game. This year's American Football Coaches Association convention convened in Orlando, Florida at the World Marriot Resort and Convention Center. AFCA attracts coaches from all levels allowing them opportunities to sit in clinic sessions from masters of the game, listen to the best in the college coaching profession talk about their philosophy and what makes them so successful as well as learning from the different manufacturers on how their program can be better with the newest and latest technology available.

AFCA is the true networking center of football coaches. While much time is spent inside the different ballrooms listening to the X's and O's from the nation's best, time is also well spent in the informal meeting of the lobby area to talk with different coaches, see old friends and possibly make that initial connection that may lead to a future job possibility. Among the notables being seen in the lobby of the World Marriott are Rich Rodriguez, Vince Dooley, R.C. Slocumb, Mike Riley, and Brian Kelly.AFCA is also attracts vendors from around the football community. Companies representing video technology, clothing and gear, on-field equipment, travel, recruiting and strength training assemble trying to get minutes of the coaches time to show them the importance of their product to the success of their football team.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the AFCA convention for up and coming coaches is the opportunity to interview for potential jobs. On the above bulletin boards are countless resumes of coaches looking for any opportunity. It is also customary for head coaches to conduct interviews. This allows a coach to meet many people over a short period of time. Graduate Assistants as well as other young coaches at lower levels find this as a great opportunity to get their foot in the door.

College Football Week 9

Blue is the best way to describe Michigan faithful following a 38-13 drubbing to the Big Ten basement dweller, Illinois. The Fighting Illini outscored the Wolverines 31-0 in the second half. The turning point of the game was an Illini goal line stand from the 1 on four downs. Although Michigan is one win away from being bowl eligible, the faithful were expecting better things from head coach Rich Rodriguez in his second year. Much of the talk prior to the season reinforced how Rodriguez was able to turn around the West Virginia program in year two. Home games against Purdue and Ohio State as well as a trip to Wisconsin realistically gives them one more win in 2009, fans may not be patient nor may be the school. Michigan Stadium re-opens in 2010 with brand new luxury boxes which aren't completely sold. The athletic director who hired Rodriguez will be out before the start of the 2010 season, and perhaps a new coach will be running out of the tunnel, too. Les Miles?....Much has been made of poor officiating in the SEC, Pac 10 and Big 10 over the last few weeks, but lost in the shuffle is the poor job done by the on-field clock official. For example in the three of Iowa's wins the clock operator has been questioned. Against Northern Iowa in the opener, the Panthers lined up for a game winning field goal with :08 to play. The kick was blocked, ball rolled around while a Northern Iowa lineman picked it up to maintain position. The clock ticked to :01 giving the Panthers a second shot. Many believed the time should've run out, but due to a replay that did not have the clock on-screen, the replay officials could not overturn it. A week ago at East Lansing, the Hawkeyes had a 3rd and goal from inside the five with :05 to play. A slant pass only lasted three seconds allowing the Hawkeyes one more opportunity. Then Saturday following a Hoosier touchdown the 0n-field timer did not stop the clock and let it click to 4:55. My video showed it ticked from 5:01 to 4:58, yet time was reset to 5:00. Moments like these would be better handled by placing the timer in the press box, not on field. It is difficult to see across the field, and they become too involved in the action and forget about the job at hand. There is only one of these situations that have proved to be incorrect (Indiana), but the Big Ten cannot afford more bad press in an area that should be governed better....Over the weekend two SEC schools made adjustments to the uniforms prior to taking the field. Georgia came out for pre-game warm-ups wearing their custom red helmets. Once they took the playing field against the Florida Gators they wore black helmets. Elsewhere the Tennessee Volunteers ditched the home orange tops for black, making them look more like Halloween pumpkins, than the Volunteers. The SEC has always been known as a football first conference, yet these uniform changes are ridiculous and the money could be used in better ways. The NCAA has instituted rules based on certain decals that can be found on a team's jersey, but they should be more concerned about wasteful spending on multiple uniform styles.

College Football Week 7

The adjacent pictures tells it all from Ann Arbor. Rich Rodriguez may be able to get the storied Michigan football program back to national prominence, but it is suffering some very low times. For the first time in 25 attempts a Mid American Conference school has beaten the Michigan Wolverines. Toledo pulled off what many would consider an upset when a Michigan Field Goal went wide left with four seconds to play. It is hard to say when the next victory will come for the Maize and Blue. They have yet to face Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State and Minnesota. Yes, Minnesota. There are no easy teams left on the Michigan schedule. They must go 4-2 to be bowl eligible and keep their consecutive bowl streak of 33 alive.

The National Title should be decided between representatives of teams in the Big 12 and SEC. Each have had schools hold the #1 spot in the polls and the top tens have been dominated by schools from these conferences. Texas is the current holder of the top spot and with wins over their next three opponents will solidify their spot. It begins this week with Missouri, followed by Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Those three teams have a combined one loss among them. That loss came this past week when Missouri fell to Okie State.

Who is the worst football team in Division I? While Syracuse has been losing, the Orange has had least made games competitive. They held a lead in the fourth quarter against Pitt two weeks ago, and lost 17-6 at West Virginia this past Saturday? There are many contenders such as Washington and I saw first hand how poor Indiana can be. But my vote goes to Washington State. They gave up 66 points to Oregon State over the weekend and 42 of those came in the second half. It has gotten so bad for Wazzu that current students have been asked to audition for the role of scout team QB. Whoever played that role this previous week may look to be a starter soon, that is if they prepared the defense for what 66 points would look like.

Goodbye Tommy Bowden. Too bad you couldn't schedule your father more.