Michigan Wolverines News

Sporting News staff reports It does not appear that Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez will punish offensive tackle Mark Ortmann for what many believe was a swing at an Illinois player's private parts last Saturday, the Detroit Free Press reports. Early in the fourth quarter of Illinois' 38-13 victory, Illini defensive tackle Corey Liuget recovered a fumble and was walking toward Ortmann with the ball raised in the air. Ortmann, who was on the... ground, wrapped one arm around Liuget's legs and swung the other toward Liuget's midsection, according to the Free Press. While many believe Ortmann was aiming for Liuget's testicles, it is unclear on video replays where contact was made. Liuget walked off the field in apparent pain. When asked about the incident, Rodriguez told the Free Press, "I watched all the angles that we had, and you couldn't see anything on the football copy. And then I watched the Internet thing. I met with Mark this morning. He was upset that a lot of folks were telling him that it was a cheap shot, or what have you. And then he explained to me: 'Coach, I just had an open hand. He was leaning up against me. Their players were even saying, telling him to get off me.' And he just kind of shoved him away real quick. "Mark, he's a great young man. I'm sure when the guy was leaning on him or something, he just wanted him to get off him at the time. I don't think that should be an issue there." The Big Ten will also review the incident, according to the newspaper. "The Big Ten has been made aware of a potential [unsportsmanlike] conduct issue and has contacted Michigan to begin the review process," Big Ten assistant commissioner Scott Chipman said. "If it is determined that an [unsportsmanlike] conduct violation occurred, we will comment at that time." While video of the incident has been removed from YouTube, two still frames can be seen at MGoBlog.com. On Monday, Florida coach Urban Meyer suspended Brandon Spikes for the first half of Saturday's game against Vanderbilt after video surfaced of the linebacker attempting to gouge the eyes of a Georgia running back last Saturday. In September, the Big Ten suspended Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton one game when video showed him punching a Notre Dame lineman after a play.more>>

Sporting News' Dave Curtis analyzes what Sunday's buzz means to college football. Head duck: Tim Tebow has proven the perfect quarterback for Florida's offense, and a year ago, Michael Crabtree looked born to play in Mike Leach's Texas Tech scheme. Now a perfect running back-offensive concept combination has emerged at Oregon, where redshirt freshman LaMichael James runs until he's too tired to run any farther every Saturday. James, who went all Quizz Rodgers on USC on Saturday night with 183... yards and a score on 24 carries, gets better every week, his Oregon coaches insist. He has five 100-yard performances in his first seven college starts. "His vision has improved," coach Chip Kelly said of his redshirt freshman back. "When you call a run to the right, he's not just burying his head and jamming it up the right side." James danced his way through the Trojans' back seven on several carries, but he also held up between the tackles, especially in the first half. Kelly described the 5-9, 190-pound James as "short, not small," and able to take a hit inside. If the burlier LeGarrette Blount returns, he and James could form the best 1-2 back tandem out West since Reggie Bush and LenDale White. Where are the victors? Sorry, state of Michigan. It's time to pile on a little more. The Great Lake State fell far short of gridiron greatness Saturday, with all five Division I-A teams losing. Central Michigan got pummeled at Boston College, Eastern Michigan gave up 63 in a blowout loss at Arkansas, Western Michigan added a stinker against Kent State, and Michigan State allowed Eric Decker-less Minnesota run wild in a shootout. The big blow came midday, when Michigan got shut out in the second half and made 2009 Juice Williams look like 2007 Juice Williams in a 38-13 loss at Illinois. "We just have a lot of things to fix and get right," Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters after the game. That's not good news for UM, which has lost four of five games and still needs a victory to become bowl eligible. Related Links SN's top 24 AP top 25 Hayes: Title picture comes into focus Curtis: Ducks are Pac 10's new studs Big Bernard: Duke and SMU might trump Temple down the road. But for now, the Owls rank as the most unlikely member of the bowl-eligible club. They gained membership after Saturday's 27-24 win at Navy, a game highlighted by true freshman running back Bernard Pierce's 267 yards. Pierce first attracted coach Al Golden with a 4.41 40-yard dash at an Owl camp and has become the fulcrum of a Temple offense that has won six straight games and eight of 10 dating to last year. "He is driven to be the very best," Golden told Sporting News in an e-mail. "He works hard every day on his game, but especially blocking, catching and finishing runs." Already Pierce owns most of the Owls' freshman rushing records. And as the MAC's leading rusher (and the nation's third-best), he should earn his third East Division offensive player of the week honor. Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences and the teams within each league. Conf. rankings No. 1 Pac-10 No. 2 SEC No. 3 ACC No. 4 Big East No. 5 Big Ten No. 6 Big 12 Nos. 7-11 5. Big Ten 1. Iowa 2. Penn State 3.... Michigan State 4. Ohio State 5. Wisconsin 6. Michigan 7. Minnesota 8. Northwestern 9. Purdue 10. Indiana 11. Illinois Rising Penn State: Lions break Michigan's mental hold; headed toward third BCS bowl in five seasons. Falling Illinois: AD Ron Guenther says coach Ron Zook will return for 2010. So will confounding losses. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Place: Ann Arbor, Mich. Time: 3:30 p.m. ET TV: ABC Line: Penn State by 4 1/2 Three reasons Penn State will win Fierce front seven: The Midwest's best set of defensive linemen and linebackers might dwell in Happy Valley. Last week's shutout of Minnesota marked the fifth time in seven games the Nits had held an opponent to single digits. And their exploits have gained the attention of the folks in maize and blue. "We're playing one of the best front sevens in the country," Michigan coach Rich... Rodriguez said on a teleconference. Jared Odrick, Jack Crawford, Eric Latimore, and the now-healthy linebacking duo of Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman compose the best defense an improving Michigan offensive line will see this regular season. Balanced offense: Quarterback Daryll Clark entered the fall as a Heisman Trophy dark horse ... and then stunk throughout September. His individual award hopes ended with a 12-for-32, three-interception performance against Iowa. But things have turned over the past three games. PSU's passing game has started to click, thanks to better play from a young group of receivers (highlighted by Derek Moye) and a suddenly stout offensive line that has had to replace three senior starters from last year. The Nits now rank second in rushing in the conference and fourth in passing. "We've got some people not overplaying the run so much," coach Joe Paterno said on a teleconference. Proving ground: Despite its six victories, Penn State's season remains defined by the Iowa meltdown. And only a run of victories down the stretch, starting Saturday, will change that label. The Nits need help to snag a share of the Big Ten title, though as 11-1 co-champs, they'd likely earn a Rose Bowl trip. But even without the conference tie-in, they still could earn a BCS at-large spot. The Nits' January slot starts to take shape in Ann Arbor. Three reasons Michigan will win Run, run, run: The Wolverines injury report on Thursday listed top backs Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor as probable for this Penn State matchup. That means Michigan's rushing attack, statistically the best in the Big Ten (though aided heavily by the Delaware State game), should be at full strength. Minor and Brown give UM a solid two-man rotation, with ex-basketball player Kevin Grady available as well. And Denard Robinson, whose confidence multiplies each week, might be the team's most dangerous rusher when he relieves Tate Forcier at quarterback. If the Wolverines can run with consistency, especially on first down, they should enjoy a big day in their home stadium. Tate still great: The rout of Western Michigan, the comeback over Notre Dame, the late-in-regulation heroics. All of the aboven have built Tate Forcier into the Wolverines' newest folk hero, a slimmer, sleeker Tim Tebow. And Rodriguez said the bad shoulder that has hampered Forcier for a month should be fine for this game. "This is the healthiest he's been in the past three or four weeks," Rodriguez said. Forcier's statistics look so-so – 58 percent completions, fewer than 200 passing yards per game. He's best in big spots, though, and Saturday might be Michigan's biggest of the fall. Related Links Hayes: Iowa, others on upset watch More Hayes: This week's picks Midseason report: Forcier the top freshmen Restart the buzz: Few programs enjoyed as much of an early lift this season as Michigan. Rallying to beat the Irish left fans giddy and erased any animosity built by reports of coaches working the players harder than the NCAA allows. A lot of that goodwill has faded, though, after consecutive road losses to Michigan State and Iowa. Taking down JoePa and the Nits would mark the biggest victory of the Rich Rod era and re-energize a campus to early September levels. Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Sporting News college football columnist Matt Hayes weighs in on the five biggest story lines of Week 8: 1. Upsets, upsets, upsets We see it every season: What looks like a relatively uneventful weekend evolves into something that shapes the race for conference championships and the BCS title game. This is your weekend, everyone. You want potential upsets? We've got a barrel full. Ranked teams in danger this weekend include No. 2 Florida (at Mississippi State), No. 7 Iowa (at Michigan State),... No. 10 TCU (at BYU), No. 11 Georgia Tech (at Virginia), No. 12 Oregon (at Washington), No. 13 Penn State (at Michigan) and No. 24 Kansas (vs. Oklahoma). The next question: Who's most vulnerable? Could Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen lead an upset over his former employer? • Florida still hasn't proven it can throw the ball downfield and is dinged up on defense. Former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen knows the Gators' personnel and their tendencies. If the Bulldogs can run effectively with Anthony Dixon, this will be a fourth-quarter game. • Iowa has been living off second-half comebacks and already has proven it can win on the road in the Big Ten (at Penn State, at Wisconsin). Michigan State, though, is more multiple on offense than any team Iowa has faced, and the two teams that have given Iowa trouble this fall (Northern Iowa and Arkansas State) threw the ball efficiently. • For BYU, it's simple: Motivation from last year's humiliation at TCU is the foundation. And QB Max Hall, whose senior season has been a struggle (10 INTs), is due for a breakthrough game. • The reality is, Georgia Tech should beat Virginia by 30. But this is the ACC, where absolutely nothing makes sense – least of all, Virginia's annual October run to save coach Al Groh's job. The Cavs have given up 19 points combined in the last three games and a measly 247 yards rushing (2.91 yards per carry). Uh-oh. • Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli still is trying to get on the field with a gimpy knee, and despite heady play from backup Nate Costa, the Ducks' offense gets bogged down when the quarterback isn't part of the run game (and Costa is not a runner). Masoli had better play in this bitter rivalry game with the Huskies, because Oregon will have to score in the 30s to win. • There's a reason Michigan is 5-0 at home and 0-2 on the road: Freshman quarterbacks make mistakes on the road. Michigan has seven turnovers in two games away from Ann Arbor, and the offense simply plays with more precision at home. That could make things tough for Penn State on Saturday. • Who here really thinks Oklahoma isn't one of the top 25 teams in the nation? The BCS voters/computers don't, despite the fact that the Sooners took No. 3 Texas to the last minute of last week's Red River Rivalry. It's only a matter of time until OU busts out on offense; why not now against Kansas? 2. Feeling orange Let's all put our hands together for Lane Kiffin. The dude just flat-out refuses to back down. When the first-year Tennessee coach was asked earlier this week about Alabama, Kiffin offered up that at least one of the polls got it right when it ranked the Tide No.1. Zzzing at you know who in Gainesville. Unfortunately for Kiff, he still has to deal with the Nicktator – the same guy he took verbal swipes at in the offseason after hiring Lance Thompson away from Tuscaloosa. My editor, for whom I have great respect and admiration, emailed me earlier this week to boldly proclaim that Tennessee is pulling the upset. It'll be an upset, all right – if Alabama doesn't win by three touchdowns. 3. The life of Terrelle So now we hear that LeBron James is mentoring Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor – or, as James said, trying to get Pryor through "life in the spotlight." Meanwhile, Ray Reitz, Pryor's high school coach, once again has become a source of (mis)information on the uber-talented one, and he's pushing Pryor farther into the (negative) spotlight. Reitz says Ohio State is "misusing" Pryor and that the Buckeyes need to utilize him more in the zone-read run game. I've got a novel idea: How about, you know, hiring someone who actually has a history developing quarterbacks to coach your quarterbacks? Not next year, next week. Ohio State isn't misusing Pryor; it's mis-coaching him. Watch how dicey Saturday's game against Minnesota gets – a game Ohio State should win comfortably. We've gone beyond Xs and Os with Pryor. He has been so poorly coached – he and Juice Williams are battling for the biggest regression award – that he's way over-thinking things and is mentally unsure about every step he takes. That's coaching, everyone. 4. The Pitt plan more>>

Sporting News staff reports Michigan QB Tate Forcier told the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday that his head is clear and he has full range with his shoulder heading into Saturday's game against Penn State. Forcier has battled a sore shoulder for almost a month and concussion symptoms for two weeks, limiting his practice time and forcing him out of several games. "I'm real excited to be completely healthy going into the (Penn State) game,"... Forcier said.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences—and the teams within each league. 5. Big Ten 1. Iowa 2. Penn State 3. Michigan State 4. Michigan 5. Ohio State 6. Wisconsin 7. Minnesota 8. Northwestern 9. Purdue 10. Indiana 11. Illinois Rising Michigan State: Three straight wins for a team that could've tanked after a rough start. Sparty is a handful of plays from being unbeaten and can still win the Big Ten. Falling Ohio State: Big Ten preseason... player of the year Terrelle Pryor is on the verge of being benched. Buckeyes have no identity on offense and no moxie at the most important position on the field (quarterback).more>>

Sporting News staff reports While Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez is downplaying the severity of Tate Forcier's shoulder injury, the freshman quarterback's brother says it's more serious than many realize. Rodriguez said Tuesday he didn't think the injury, suffered Sept. 26 in a win over Indiana, would be a problem. "I don't think it's very limiting at all," Rodriguez said. "He said it wasn't an issue at all in the ballgame. When I saw him... yesterday (Monday) ... I didn't see him complaining at all about the shoulder, and it's not been much of an issue with the trainers." However, Jason Forcier, himself a former Wolverines quarterback, told Michigan's student newspaper, the Michigan Daily, "His shoulder is more injured than I think the public realizes. It's the same thing (Oklahoma quarterback) Sam Bradford did. Maybe not as severe, but an AC joint is an AC joint. Once you injure it, it's hurt for the rest of the year." Jason, his brother's roommate, told Tate to "be smart" about the injury, according to the Daily. Forcier struggled Saturday in a loss to Iowa, completing 8 of 19 passes for 94 yards and an interception. He was benched in favor of fellow freshman Denard Robinson, who Rodriguez controversially left in when the Wolverines needed a game-winning scoring drive. Forcier had suffered a mild concussion earlier in the game, though Rodriguez said it didn't affect his decision to play Robinson on the final drive, which ended in an interception that sealed the Hawkeyes' 30-28 win. Rodriguez said Forcier will keep his starting job if healthy.more>>

Sporting News' Matt Hayes analyzes what Monday's buzz means to college football. Dawg days Georgia (3-3) is off to its worst start since 1996. The quarterback is struggling, the defense can't stop anyone and the successful coach who has long been bulletproof is starting feel some heat. Yet Dawgs coach Mark Richt is standing firm. "You can get a knee-jerk reaction sometimes and make decisions that you probably shouldn't make," Richt said. "We're not going to sit here and make a bunch of... wholesale changes right this second." Georgia is 100th in the nation in scoring defense (30.7 ppg) and 75th in total defense (377.2 ypg). Quarterback Joe Cox is No. 6 in the SEC in pass efficiency and has thrown eight interceptions in six games. Richt, like his mentor, Bobby Bowden, is extremely loyal to his assistant coaches—sometimes to a fault. The defense has steadily declined under coordinator Willie Martinez, the point man of fans' frustration. Last year, Georgia's D looked awful against Alabama (41 points), Florida (49) and Georgia Tech (45). This year, Georgia has given up big numbers to South Carolina (37), Arkansas (41) and Tennessee (45). As for Cox, there's a reason Richt hasn't made a change. Behind Cox is too much of the unknown: an athlete playing quarterback (Logan Gray) or loads of inexperience (freshman Aaron Murray). This Week in Schadenfreude: Bulldog fans call for Richt's head Bullish reunion Months ago, it was framed like this: The Cincinnati defense is going in a different direction. In other words, Bearcats coach Brian Kelly had fired defensive coordinator Joe Tresey. Kelly said the change was made because he wanted his defense to play more with three down linemen to combat the influx of spread option offenses in the game and that Tresey's philosophy didn't match. Tresey was hired by South Florida, where his philosophy obviously matches well. The Bulls enter Thursday night's game in Tampa against Cincinnati fifth in the nation in scoring defense (9.4 ppg) and 10th in total defense (263.0 ypg). Meanwhile, Bob Diaco inherited a gutted Cincinnati defense, and the Bearcats are 10th in the nation in scoring defense (13.8) and 37th in total defense (314.4 ypg). The change looks good for both sides, but you just know Tresey, the son of a Warren, Ohio, steelworker, hasn't forgotten how it all went down last offseason. He knows the Bearcats' personnel—and knows their weaknesses. Head of the matter First it was Tim Tebow and then Taylor Potts. Now Michigan's Tate Forcier is the latest big-name quarterback to sustain a concussion. Forcier, who struggled in last week's loss to Iowa, could play a week after his injury. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says if Forcier is medically cleared and returns to practice by Wednesday, he'll play for the Wolverines against I-AA Delaware State. Tebow played in Florida's next game after his concussion, but the Gators had an off week that helped his healing. Potts sat out last weekend in Texas Tech's victory over Kansas State. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences—and the teams within each league. Conf. rankings No. 1 SEC No. 2 Big 12 No. 3 Pac-10 No. 4 ACC No. 5 Big Ten No. 6 Big East Nos. 7-11 5. Big Ten 1. Ohio State 2. Iowa 3.... Penn State 4. Wisconsin 5. Michigan 6. Minnesota 7. Michigan State 8. Northwestern 9. Purdue 10. Indiana 11. Illinois Rising Ohio State. It's not really pretty, and QB Terrelle Pryor still doesn't look comfortable as a thrower in big-game settings, but the Bucks are clearly the best team in a struggling conference. Falling Indiana. The late loss to Michigan—a game the Hoosiers should've won—was a devastating gut punch. The loss to Virginia last weekend will suck the very life out of this team. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Perhaps no freshman has changed a college football program this season as much as Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier. Not officially named the starter until mid-August, the kid from California has accounted for 11 touchdowns (nine passing) against three interceptions and completed close to 60 percent of his attempts. Forcier shared some quick reflections on the first half of his season with Sporting News' Dave Curtis. Sporting News: How would you sum up what these last few weeks have been like... for you? Tate Forcier: Just awesome. I think we're playing pretty good football. We've moved the ball pretty well in a lot of the games and had some great wins. Everybody's pretty disappointed about the Michigan State game, but we'll bounce back. I think the older guys are excited because we have a better team than last year, and the younger guys are just excited about the rest of the season. SN: What about life off the field? How aware are you of the attention and the things people are saying about you? TF: You know, I just play. It's great to get recognized, to have people care about what you're doing and cheer for you. But sometimes, people make more of it than what it is. The comebacks and all that stuff, that's just how I play. When the game is on the line, I'm not going to change what I do. It's the same in the first quarter as in the fourth quarter. The situation doesn't matter. SN: What's been the most surprising thing about the success and playing in college? TF: Um, wow. I don't know. One of the cool things is knowing that you're on the field with so many other great players. I kind of grew up watching guys like Colt McCoy and Tebow and all the great quarterbacks out there in college football. Now, I put on SportsCenter, and I'm on the same show as those guys. It's amazing. To see myself on TV and see myself in that class, it's something I've wanted to happen my whole life. SN: What about … TF: Oh, and there's something else. I don't know how people get my phone number, but I've been getting all these messages. It happened last week, before Michigan State, and before the Iowa and Notre Dame games, as well. They send texts about how we're going to lose the game. They call me. Sometimes they call at 2 a.m. I don't know how this happened. Where do they get the number? I might have to go ahead and change mine. SN: You stuck it to Notre Dame, and you had a great fourth quarter against Michigan State. What do you make of this Iowa game Saturday night? TF: They have a very aggressive defense. They're the type of team that's not going to give us anything. They've had a great season, and it's going to be tough going in there. Those guys are undefeated, and they're going to want to stay that way. It's a big challenge for us. Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences—and the teams within each league. Conf. rankings No. 1 SEC No. 2 Big 12 No. 3 ACC No. 4 Big Ten No. 5 Pac-10 No. 6 Big East Nos. 7-11 4. Big Ten 1. Iowa 2. Ohio State 3.... Penn State 4. Wisconsin 5. Michigan 6. Minnesota 7. Michigan State 8. Northwestern 9. Indiana 10. Purdue 11. Illinois Rising Wisconsin. Remember when coach Bret Bielema was feeling heat after last year's hiccup? The offense is back to its Crawl Ball ways and wearing down opponents. Falling Purdue. 'Boilers could easily be 4-1—close losses to Oregon, Notre Dame and Northern Illinois were devastating—but instead are quickly losing ground and desperate for a win.  more>>