Thoughts on the changing of the season

I’m sitting on the couch at 4:00 in the morning because I can’t sleep. I’m used to it, so it’s no big deal. Since I have some free time, and the last rerun of The Soup just ended, now is as good a time for a post as any. Classes begin this week for your resident professional student, and I’m reminded of how much I have grown to truly love Fall (and it is Fall, don’t call it Autumn that’s just pretentious). It’s really a great time of year; the return of football coupled with the baseball playoffs makes it a sports fan’s paradise. Apple orchards, wearing a hooded sweat shirt with no jacket, haunted houses, and burning leaves are just a few of the things that make September and October my two favorite months on the calendar. This hasn’t always been the case, when I was younger I mourned the end of summer like the passing of an old friend. There would be no more days of sandlot baseball from breakfast until dark. Soon I would be sentenced to the kiddie version of a forced labor camp, public school. I honestly hated every minute of it, from the teachers who were forced to act more like prison guards, to the administrators who were so terrified of lawsuits that they could be reclassified as an inert gas. That’s not even mentioning my wonderful classmates who behaved as if Boyz in the Hood was an instructional video.

Luckily, I eventually transferred to a private school, but that still didn’t alter the feeling of dread that would rush through me as the calendar turned from August to September. Once school started, I would set about putting three times the effort into avoiding class as I did into trying to learn the material. Looking back on this, and considering the mountain of student loans I’ve taken out (enough that you might as well stamp Property of Sallie Mae on my butt) I can’t help but think it’s all a bit ironic (or maybe it isn’t ironic, I’ve misplaced my Alanis Morrisette’s Guide to Irony).

So as I watched Michigan stomp the snot out of Connecticut this Saturday, eating hickory-smoked roast, with a smile on my face, my thoughts trailed off. I wondered if the fondness for education that I had developed over the years was related to my growing appreciation for the season. After a bit of quick analysis I have to conclude that it is. The things I that like about Fall are things I’ve always liked: the sports, the food, the weather. Unfortunately, negativity was preventing me from fully making the connections that were right there in front of my face. I suppose I had what some might call a moment of grace, a realization of how blessed I was to be doing what it is I enjoy. I know that most students are putting in their time, working just to get the piece of paper that signals to potential employers: “Yes, I am hire-able.” I know that I will eventually have to leave school, and engage in that most adult of activities, career building. After this weekend though, I think it’s essential to remember the importance of enjoying what you do for its own sake and how that can give the rest of your life coherence.

Michigan Preview

There has been a lot of ink spilled this off-season, little of it positive. While the prognosticators may disagree on the number of wins that this Wolverines squad will have to come up with to save Coach Rodriguez's job, the consensus is that a repeat of last year's struggles will be unacceptable. Handicapping this squads chances is an opportunity to look incredibly foolish sometime in late November, and is a good illustration of why Las Vegas will always make money from the betting public. Anyone who says that they are confident in their predictions for this season is trying to sell you something. This team has a combination of talent and inexperience that could result in anything from a 4-win disaster, to a 9-victory campaign. Which is the same as saying: "They could be god-awful or they could be pretty good." That all being said, I'll point out some things to watch for this season.

The offense will put up points. Another off-season to work on the spread offense should help the Wolverines to light up score boards. Expect Sophomore Denard Robinson to get the majority of snaps from center. His athleticism has caused visions of Pat White to dance in the heads of optimistic analysts. There's no question that Robinson has speed to burn, and plenty of shake and bake; the key to his success will be effectiveness in the passing game. Accurate early down passing will prevent the safeties from cheating up to play the run, and will help the running game gain yards in chunks. Last season's starter Tate Forcier will likely see some snaps, but could see extended time if Robinson struggles throwing the ball. If super-frosh Devin Gardner sees the field, you know something has gone horribly awry. The backs and receivers are talented, with Michael Shaw and Roy Roundtree being counted on to lead their respective groups.

The defensive side of the ball is what will make or break Michigan's season. Fast but undersized, they won't pitch shut outs, but need to find a way to get off the field on third down. Last season's struggles in the time-of-possession battle were a key contributor to the Wolverine's collapse down the stretch. The defensive front is going to be forced to get pressure to protect a Michigan secondary hampered by injuries and inexperience. J. T. Floyd leads a defensive backfield that still gets carded at R-rated movies. Freshman Cullen Christian will probably be counted on to step up opposite Floyd. While this unit should improve as the season progresses, it will probably struggle with sophisticated pass attacks (thankfully they play in the Big10).


Prediction:

I expect this team to be exciting, and incredibly frustrating to watch. Points will be scored in bunches, but to win, the Wolverines will have to get defensive stops eventually. Expect some national columnist to dub them the "cardiac kids" by week 3, just remember you read it here first. As for their final record, I'm torn. My heart says this is an eight-win bowl team, my head says this is a young team that will finish 6-6. So I'll split the difference and predict a 7 win season, with a over Sparty, but a loss in Columbus.