FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[formerd3db]

sflzman:

Agree with you also re: Olivet for that same reason.

I could see Fleck at Minnesota.  I think that would be a good job for him if he decides to leave Western.  You know Minnesota, obviously.  While Kill did a great job when he was there with a good staff (which many of them still there) perhaps it is time for a change-once again.

As far as Bohl, he would be a good choice also, however, I would be surprised if he left Wyoming right now.  After his great success at NDSU, it appears he is on track to get Wyoming back to competitiveness as his second year this year showed great improvement.  Also, not sure what his buyout would be if he left Wyoming.  He did get quite a substantial salary increase, but I don't recall what the buyout is. 

Good points, my friend.  Anyway, wishing you a nice Christmas and New Year's holiday.

[Mr. Ypsi]

A realization that warms this Wolverine's heart:  there are five D1 football schools in Michigan.  Four are going to bowl games.  The only one that isn't is some 'cow college' in East Lansing!

After getting beaten down WAY too many years in a row, I couldn't resist!

[formerd3db]

A realization that warms this Wolverine's heart:  there are five D1 football schools in Michigan.  Four are going to bowl games.  The only one that isn't is some 'cow college' in East Lansing!

After getting beaten down WAY too many years in a row, I couldn't resist!

+k Mr. Ypsi.  I am with you!

[Raider 68]

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year to all the MIAA posters!

[Captain_Joe08]

Merry Christmas to all the MIAA posters from the NACC!

[sflzman]

Merry Christmas to everyone!

[formerd3db]

Thanks you guys and the same to all of you and everyone else here-Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  I hope you all have been enjoying the Christmas day and weekend with your families.

[formerd3db]

Mr. Ypsi:

I was so disappointed in Eastern Michigan's loss in the Bahamas Bowl.  It really was a great game, IMO, although Eastern just made too many mistakes, particularly poor defensive backfield coverage, which cost them the game.  But...at least they still had a winning season and a good one at that.  Here's hoping CC and staff can continue next season on the positive steps they made this year.

P.S.  Looks like the weather was fantastic for the game as well.  It was better than the weather at the Stagg Bowl!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Mr. Ypsi:

I was so disappointed in Eastern Michigan's loss in the Bahamas Bowl.  It really was a great game, IMO, although Eastern just made too many mistakes, particularly poor defensive backfield coverage, which cost them the game.  But...at least they still had a winning season and a good one at that.  Here's hoping CC and staff can continue next season on the positive steps they made this year.

P.S.  Looks like the weather was fantastic for the game as well.  It was better than the weather at the Stagg Bowl!

Yeah, I was sorry I missed the game!  Since the Detroit papers mostly ignore EMU, and we no longer have a local newspaper, I knew the game was Friday, but it was over before I checked out the starting time!

On the good side, they DID beat the Vegas spread!   They'll lose some very key players, but the qb (whom #2 son says is the best player on the team) returns.  Without further checking, I sense they should probably finish roughly the same as this year, though further improvement may be a stretch.

I had a great Christmas with the grandkids, etc.  Max (the 2.7 year-old) and Emmy (the 1.4 year-old) REALLY know how to push each other's buttons, with Emmy giving AT LEAST as well as she gets!  It will be fascinating to see in a year or so how adding now 3-week-old Maisie to the mix changes the dynamic!  (Currently, of course, she is just a protected bystander, with Max and Emmy mostly ignoring her existence.)

[formerd3db]

Mr. Ypsi:

I was so disappointed in Eastern Michigan's loss in the Bahamas Bowl.  It really was a great game, IMO, although Eastern just made too many mistakes, particularly poor defensive backfield coverage, which cost them the game.  But...at least they still had a winning season and a good one at that.  Here's hoping CC and staff can continue next season on the positive steps they made this year.

P.S.  Looks like the weather was fantastic for the game as well.  It was better than the weather at the Stagg Bowl!

Yeah, I was sorry I missed the game!  Since the Detroit papers mostly ignore EMU, and we no longer have a local newspaper, I knew the game was Friday, but it was over before I checked out the starting time!

On the good side, they DID beat the Vegas spread!   They'll lose some very key players, but the qb (whom #2 son says is the best player on the team) returns.  Without further checking, I sense they should probably finish roughly the same as this year, though further improvement may be a stretch.

I had a great Christmas with the grandkids, etc.  Max (the 2.7 year-old) and Emmy (the 1.4 year-old) REALLY know how to push each other's buttons, with Emmy giving AT LEAST as well as she gets!  It will be fascinating to see in a year or so how adding now 3-week-old Maisie to the mix changes the dynamic!  (Currently, of course, she is just a protected bystander, with Max and Emmy mostly ignoring her existence.)

Mr. Ypsi:

Like you, I also accidentally missed watching the game on ESPN.  I forgot the time, thought it was in the evening, and just simply missed it.  But my comments were based on seeing quite a few of the replays they showed at times and not just the scoring plays for each team.  Anyway, I agree with you that Eastern has a good base and good chance at doing as equally as good this next season as they did this year.

Glad to hear you had a nice Christmas with your family.  Always a good and, of course, very important, time.  Ours was nice as well.  Tkae care and enjoy the remainder of the holidays and the bowl games you get a chance to watch!

[wally_wabash]

On the good side, they DID beat the Vegas spread!   They'll lose some very key players, but the qb (whom #2 son says is the best player on the team) returns.  Without further checking, I sense they should probably finish roughly the same as this year, though further improvement may be a stretch.

Maybe do further checking? 

[Mr. Ypsi]

VERY disappointing Orange Bowl as Michigan falls by one point to Florida State.  FSU had three HUGE plays from scrimmage, two of which I'm convinced would not have happened if Jabrill Peppers was not out with a hamstring injury.

Football is generally the ultimate TEAM sport, with a single player (except maybe a QB) not making THAT big a difference.  Tonight was the exception - WITH Jabrill, UM wins by two TDs (with Jake Butt, out to injury in the first half, they probably win by three).

[formerd3db]

Yes, Mr. Ypsi, it was very disappointing for us Michigan fans.  Even before the announcement that Peppers was out for the game, I figured Michigan was not going to play a very good game.  In one sense, that might seem strange in not being confident in one's team as a die-hard fan, however, call it just a "gut feeling" otherwise.  Michigan sure hung in there and without question had their chances to win the game, even without Peppers and, as good as he is, they could certainly have won the game without him.  However, IMO, they did not deserve to win and the factors I attribute to their losing the game and in order of what effected it the most were...1) a pathetic performance in blocking by the offensive line-they couldn't block anyone all game and extremely poor protection of our QB Spieght; 2) extremely terrible play by our defensive backs, Lewis being one of Michigan's best, also in the Big Ten and arguably among one of the best in the nation, had a horrible game-there is no excuse for him or the other dbs for Michigan in letting anyone get behind them like they did in last night's game  (or for guys like veteran DE Taco Charleton consistently not keeping contain and going "inside" instead of "outside in" like we are taught to always do) and  3) after Michigan kicker Allen had blasted kickoffs out of the endzone all game, then he has to do his "worst kick" at the end by putting it barely past the goal line allowing a return AND then, Michigan's kick team allowing the return RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE.  Overall, this was very disappointing performance.  Not taking anything away from Florida State, as they played well, including, obviously their RB Cook, who BTW, today declared for the NFL draft (which, like most of those guys, is really their goal as opposed to getting an education ) and the defensive and offensive line, all of their cocky attitudes notwithstanding (including HC Fisher). But they deserved the win and overall, from a college football fan standpoint, it was a very exciting game.  Many of the bowl games have been like that this year, which, IMO, is a good thing despite the overwhelming number of bowl games now in existence.  But for Michigan, still a very good year and I'll take a 10-3 season anytime for any NCAA Div level team!  (IMO, Michigan should really have been 11-0 going into the bowl season, but I believe they would have probably lost in the playoff games anyway) .

Just finished watching the Alabama/Washington playoff game Chic-Filet Peach Bowl.  Washington, too, had their chances to beat Alabama-last Alabama score should not have happened had Washington not missed easy tackles on that play and their QB making a poor choice in not just throwing the ball away on that INT return for a TD right before the half as well as Washington not forcing Alabama to punt on the 6 inch line when they had them pinned down there late in the game.  We can say IF, IF, IF for these or any games, yet I'm sure we will all agree that it is almost always one or two key plays in games like this (and the Michigan/Florida State game) that make the difference and cost a team the game in many instances.  Also, I was glad to see the two Alabama players kicked out of the game near the end for unsportsmanlike conduct and, more so to see that Saban finally appeared to have said something to those guys expressing his displeasure (he has a history of not having done that in past years, including his days at Michigan State, LSU).  Anyway, Alabama is a great team, no doubt about it.

It will be interesting to see how the other playoff game tonight Ohio State/Clemson turns out and that give all of us some indication perhaps as to if the winner really has a good chance against Alabama or not.  Also, I will be pulling for Western Michigan for Monday's Cotton Bowl (sorry, Wisconsin fans! )

So those are my general thoughts to date on this.  Will look forward to any of you others posting your thoughts/opinions comments on these and some of the other bowl games if you decide to do so.  Wishing everyone here on our MIAA board as well as all our other colleagues on the other boards a very HAPPY NEW YEARS Eve tonight and New Years Day tomorrow with your families wherever you may be spending it either at home or on the road (and safe travels regarding the latter for those of you who are in that situation).

[formerd3db]

Okay, sflzman, you got your Christmas wish-Fleck moving on to Minnesota!  I agree with you that he will be a good fit there and, hopefully, will be able to bring some stability back to what Kill started.  Claeys was "thrown under the bus" by the AD and administration and I certainly agree with Kill's opinion on that. The AD handled it extremely poorly and should be ashamed, however, he isn't because he and the administration caved into the political left crowd (I have additional personal opinion on that entire situation, similar to Kill's, however, this is obviously not the venue to discuss that further here in accordance with Pat's rules of this website, ).

Anyway, the Western Michigan fans are certainly disappointed (with some venting their displeasure), however, we can't blame Fleck or any of these other younger coaches (like the group of Mount Union guys in the past 4-5 years+) for deciding to accept the opportunity to move up and also make a financial stability gain for their families.  As much as I like schools such as Western and the other MACs, we all have to be honest in that they really are never going to be FBS type schools continuously (IMO, which I've expressed here before, they really belong in FCS).  But that is not to take anything away from all the accomplishments that those players/teams and coaches in the MAC make from time to time as there are always some great teams that rise to the occasion.  Western's AD Kathy Beauregard (who, BTW,  is a Hope College graduate and former lady student-athlete there for those who did not know or recall that) will certainly have a challenge in selecting the next HC there to continue on the progress that Fleck established.  Not impossible, but it will be difficult, I believe.  You and others here might have an idea as to who some candidates might be, however, as much as I try to keep up with the coaching changes (including assistants) in general in college football, I admit I am clueless as to who would be a good fit and possibilities at this time.  She might consider one of Fleck's assistants, however, I tend to doubt that as I believe they will go with him to Minnesota.  We'll find out soon, I'm sure.

This, of course, is the time when tons of assistants across the country at all NCAA divisions often change jobs when the annual NCAA coaches conference occurs this month.  It is interesting to see where many of them end up-obviously easier for the younger single coaches to make a move up the coaching ladder, if that is the course they choose to pursue, rather than staying at one school for their careers.  The latter is rare these days, even at the DIII level, but does occur. 

Hope everyone's first week of the New Year 2017 went well.  Don't forget to watch the FCS National Championship game today on ESPN at noon.  A new champion will emerge as James Madison and Youngstown State go at it, the 5 time defending champion North Dakota State having lost in the late playoffs.  Then, of course, we'll see what happens Monday night.  I'm pulling for Clemson!  

[sflzman]

Former

First of all I completely agree that the way that Minnesota's administration handled that whole thing was horrible. Extremely unprofessional, and embarrassing. It should not come a surprise at all the lack of support that administration is getting from not just football alumni, but alumni and fans in general. Tracey Claeys was as good of a man that you could ask for. That staff was full of great people who had done a tremendous job of taking that program from pretty close to rock bottom (both on the field and off). Surely there will be times in every program where college kids do stupid college kid things (now not saying that sexual assault qualifies as that) but for administration to pretty much come out and say that Kill and Claeys and that staff needed to go because the program had a bad culture and everything he said amazes me.

But on to Fleck (who I learned this weekend had actually coached under Minnesota fan favorite Jerry Kill at NIU).

Interestingly enough it seemed Minnesota had its eye on 100% on fleck, and they went right out and got him with no consideration of anyone else. While initially I thought that he was probably the ideal selection, the position that Minnesota is in right now called for a proven winner IMO. Someone who could continue to put an elite defense on the field year in and year out. I was hoping for Les Miles or (speaking of Youngstown State) a return to the Big Ten West for Bo Pelini.

Nevertheless I am very excited to see what Fleck has to offer. I think it will more than  anything be a tremendous loss for WMU. I am really interested to see what direction they will go in now.

I was pulling for the Penguins yesterday, especially after upsetting Eastern Washington on the famed red turf last weekend. And of course I will be pulling for Clemson (aka anyone but Alabama) in Monday's title game as well!