The Wolverine Digest Pod

After a perfect 15-0, national championship season, Michigan is flying high but does have a lot to figure out heading into the 2024 season. New head coach Sherrone Moore had to hire six new assistants and move around a few others into new positions. He and his staff also have to find a new starting quarterback, a couple new wide receivers, a replacement for an injured Rod Moore, a cornerback opposite Will Johnson and a completely new offensive line. Not only is there plenty of work to do when it comes to the roster, Michigan's schedule is absolutely brutal in 2024. Moore seems ready, but he definitely has a lot of work ahead of him.

On the hardwood, it's probably even worse. For new head coach Dusty May, he came in with multiple openings alongside him on the bench and behind the scenes. He also inherited a roster that only had three or four names on it. Since being hired, May has hired three terrific young, ace recruiters types and has secured re-commitments from Will Tschetter and George Washington III. Things are still falling into place for May, but he's off to a good start.

We talk all of that and more, on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

It's a new year, a new format and a essentially two new programs. Michigan football is now under the watchful eye of Sherrone Moore as the Wolverines look to defend their national title, while in basketball, the Juwan Howard era is over. The former Fab Fiver was fired after an abysmal 8-24 season and athletic director Warde Manuel is now looking for a new bball coach.

The two programs could not be in more different spots. Football is coming off a perfect 15-0, national championship season, while basketball is crumbling from the inside out after the worst finish in program history. It's not up to Moore to keep things going and whoever the new hoops coach will be to stop the bleeding and begin what could be a very difficult rebuild.

Jim Harbaugh got on a plane to head to Pennsylvania with his team to take on Penn State and found out, while airborne, that he was suspended. It was a cowardly move by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, but that's how it went down. With the news that Harbaugh wouldn't be allowed inside Beaver Stadium, the weight of the biggest game of the season fell onto Sherrone Moore's shoulders. The offensive line coach/offensive coordinator/acting head coach played his roles to perfection and led the Wolverines to a 24-15 win.

With Michigan now 10-0, it's about Maryland this weekend. But first, Harbaugh will go in front of a judge on Friday for a hearing following an injunction to put a temporary restraining order in place, which would allow him to coach in College Park on Saturday. If it's unsuccessful, it'll be Moore again running the show, and would likely pave the way for him to be the head man for the regular season finale against Ohio State as well. With so many strange, unprecedented moving parts, Michigan just keeps powering through and winning games. Expect that to happen again next weekend as the Wolverines go for win No. 1,000.

Well, Connor Stalions is out, the NCAA found nothing linking Jim Harbaugh to Stalions and the Wolverines are easily 2-0 since the sign-stealing allegations became public knowledge. Mix all of that in a bowl, with different media people reporting on all parts of this scandal in very different ways, and you have quite a storm when it comes to Michigan Football. However, the Wolverines are still rolling at 9-0 and will be tested, really for the first time, this weekend in Happy Valley.

Now it's time for things to really get interesting because the game on the field is finally going to be competitive and worth talking about like everything off the field has been. The Wolverines are going to face some legitimate competition for the first time in 2023. That's not Michigan's fault, but it is true. Penn State hasn't looked great this year, but probably looked their best just last week while throttling Maryland, 51-15. People are definitely excited to watch Michigan play another highly talented team so that way we can talk about football versus everything else.

Another day, another layer of weirdness surrounding the Michigan football program and the sign-stealing allegations. The latest — a gentleman resembling Connor Stalions on Central Michigan's sideline earlier this year as the Chippewas took on Michigan State. If it is Stalions, he's in full CMU coaching garb, with sunglasses on at a night game (and they might even record video), while rocking an uncharacteristic goatee and potentially a wig.

As Michigan prepares to absolutely obliterate Purdue on Saturday, there is definitely a black cloud hanging over the program. Other coaches and athletic directors from the Big Ten are calling for Jim Harbaugh's head, even though nothing has been proven yet and no governing body has formally accused the Wolverines of breaking any rules. The Wolverines are easily 8-0 and No. 3 in the country in the first round of the College Football Playoff rankings, but no one is talking about that...and that's a shame.

On Saturday, Oct. 21, Michigan beat the absolute piss out of Michigan State in East Lansing, 49-0, but unfortunately, it felt like old news by the time Monday rolled around because of new findings surrounding the sign stealing allegations at U-M. More evidence came out against Connor Stalions and it now seems like things are trending in a negative direction for the Michigan football program.

Instead of focusing on how good this team is, how dominant the defense has been, how JJ McCarthy is now the Heisman frontrunner and how they've cruised to 8-0 in pursuit of a third straight Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth, we're trying to figure out if Michigan cheated over the past three seasons and what might happen if they did.

Michigan is 6-0 overall, No. 2 in the country and winning by an average of 30.7 points each time it takes the field. Jim Harbaugh and his staff are firing on all cylinders and the the team seems locked in, yet is still improving. To put it bluntly — Michigan is in a great spot halfway through the season. Michigan is also quite healthy through six weeks, which is huge as teams try to jockey for College Football Playoff ranking position. Of course, Michigan is also thinking about that last regular season game in November, as well as the Big Ten Championship Game, which has played into how Harbaugh and Co. approach each opponent. 

Michigan will be back home this week to host the Indiana Hoosiers after a two-week hiatus in Nebraska and Minnesota. Michigan won its two road games by an average of 40 points, and Indiana isn't as good as either of those programs. Michigan is a massive 34-point favorite over the Hoosiers, so 7-0 is the mark that everyone will be looking for when new rankings and discussions pop up next week.

Michigan is now sitting pretty at 5-0 after absolutely destroying Nebraska in Lincoln. Some dunces thought that the Huskers might actually give the Wolverines a game but instead, Michigan got out to a 45-0 lead before allowing a score by the home team. Jim Harbaugh, his coaches and just about every player are performing about as well as one can. Whether it's JJ McCarthy making just about every correct read, the entire defense being where it needs to be at all times or the entire staff pressing the right buttons series after series, the Wolverines are humming right along.

This week, it's another road test, this time in Minneapolis. The Wolverines are, once again, huge favorites and should move to 6-0 in similar fashion. Minnesota wants to do a lot of what Michigan does — run the ball, play stout defense against the run, fly around with passion and intensity and play a clean brand of football. Unfortunately for Minnesota, they're not as good at Michigan at its own game. Expect the Wolverines to roll again, this time away from home in the Twin Cities.

For the fourth week in a row, Michigan won pretty convincingly, but it didn't play out exactly how most thought it would. The Wolverines have yet to score 40 points and have not covered a spread yet against very inferior opponents. Still, 4-0 is 4-0, Jim Harbaugh is back and the Wolverines are, for the most part, healthy heading into the fifth game of the season.

That fifth game of the season, is the most interesting one to date, because it's on the road against Nebraska. The Huskers haven't been very impressive under first year head coach Matt Rhule thus far, but they do do some things well and Memorial Stadium can be a tough place to play. For Michigan, the running game still doesn't quite look as dominant as most thought it would, however JJ McCarthy returned to form against the Scarlet Knights and was as sharp as ever despite not putting up eye-popping numbers. The running game, defense and a poised McCarthy will all have to travel to Lincoln in order to get to 5-0 this week.

Michigan is now 3-0 after its less-than daunting non-conference schedule, but the wins weren't as impressive as most thought they would be. Of course, Jim Harbaugh was absent for all three, which begs the question — how big of a difference will Harbaugh make now that he's back?

That question will be answered the weekend as the Wolverines host Rutgers in the Big Ten opener. Harbaugh is back, Michigan is relatively healthy and everyone else on staff can return to their normal duties. To me, this should be the best Michigan has looked all season, even though it's against easily the best opponent in a 3-0 Rutgers team that has been a thorn in U-M's side in recent years.

There's plenty to talk about when it comes to Michigan football. JJ McCarthy has been razor sharp, the running game is just a little behind schedule, Jesse Minter's defense has been lights out and Jim Harbaugh has just one game remaining on his suspension. The Wolverines are easily 2-0 and still No. 2 in the country.

With that said, most people in the world of Big Ten football are talking about Mel Tucker and Michigan State. Tucker really blew it....and now it looks like he'll be out of a job as soon as the law allows. Michigan won't travel to East Lansing until October 21, which would be a little over two weeks after Tucker is officially terminated per the current timeline. It's really going to be interesting to see how things play out for MSU, as Michigan continues to win week after week.

Michigan is sitting at 1-0 after beating ECU pretty easily in week one, but it wasn't perfect and didn't look how most people thought it would. The Wolverines only scored one rushing touchdown and weren't able to run the ball like they did just about every week last year. Blake Corum led the way with 73 yards rushing and the lone score, while Donovan Edwards mustered just 37 yards on 12 carries. Obviously Michigan wants to run the ball, but it just wasn't working.

What was working, was the passing attack with JJ McCarthy. The junior signal caller was SHARP on Saturday going 26-of-30 for 280 yards and three touchdowns. At one point, No. 9 completed 15 passes in a row and could not miss no matter where he threw the ball from. Roman Wilson was McCarthy's favorite target on the day catching all three touchdown passes, while Cornelius Johnson and Colston Loveland both proved productive as well. At the end of the day, Michigan wins the game 30-3 without trying all that hard.

Just a few days before kicking off the 2023 season, Michigan assistants Ron Bellamy and Chris Partridge spoke to the media for the first time this offseason. For Bellamy, it's about finding a reliable third and fourth receiver behind Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson. For much of camp, Tyler Morris was in the No. 3 spot, but he's apparently "working through something" as game No. 1 approaches. Bellamy talked about a trio of freshmen and also Darrius Clemons when explaining who might be asked to step up.

Partridge spoke about his linebacker room but it was what he said about Jim Harbaugh that seemed to draw the most attention. After being here three years ago, Partridge says that now, this is officially Jim's team. The players have all taken on Harbaugh's personality and that's the reason for the A+ culture and two straight seasons of success. With the 2023 campaign literally just around the corner, Partridge can't wait to be standing on the sidelines again now that the team is ready for another big step.

The season hasn't started yet, but there's already a lot going on when it comes to Michigan football. Jim Harbaugh is suspended for the first three games, while offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Sherrone Moore is suspended for just the opener. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will call the shots in game one, while Moore, who will be back after his one game hiatus, will be the head man for game No. 3. The second game will be a split — Jay Harbaugh will run the show during the first half, while Mike Hart will call the shots in the second half. It's weird, but it's very on brand for Harbaugh.

As for the opener, Minter is excited to be in charge and seemed supremely confident during his Monday afternoon press conference. His defensive players are obviously very excited for their guy and he's as sharp as they come, giving the players confidence as well. Eastern Carolina is no slouch, but the Wolverines are favored by 35.5 and should roll to 1-0 even without two of their most important coaches.

It's a lot of fun to be a Michigan football fan right now. The Wolverines are No. 2 in the country, loaded on both sides of the ball, possess one of the best overall coaching staffs in the entire country and get the hated Ohio State Buckeyes at home. It's hard to find a weakness on this team and there's depth like never before under Jim Harbaugh. All of that has the maize and blue looking like potential national champions in 2023.

In the virtual world, EA Sports' college football game is set to come back next summer, which really makes you think about U-M's roster now and in the future. Discussing JJ McCarthy's throw power, Jaylen Harrell's pass rushing abilities and comparing Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards is a lot of fun. It's going to be very entertaining to play that game next summer, but it's going to be even more fun to watch the Wolverines in real life this fall.

Michigan football is officially back. The Wolverines kicked off fall camp on August 2 and will obviously take the field a month later in the season opener against Eastern Carolina. Jim Harbaugh was chipper and confident while in Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days because he knows he has a TEAM. He's got key guys in key place, fantastic leadership on the roster and arguably the best overall staff in the entire country. To say that Michigan is poised for a major run in 2023 is an understatement.

Yet for some reason, several major outlets and talking heads still have Ohio State at the top of the pile in the Big Ten. Michigan has dominated the Buckeyes for two straight years and appear to have the horses and the scheme to do it again in Ann Arbor. Ohio State, on the other hand, is breaking in a new quarterback and has a few question marks on the depth chart. It's going to be real interesting to see where the two teams are in November, but right now Michigan is the top dog and it's not close.

Whether it was new Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule talking about making the Huskers great again, Luke Fickell discussing what made Wisconsin an attractive job, Ryan Day looking a little less confident than he used to or Jim Harbaugh proudly taking the stage as the back-to-back defending Big Ten champ, media days in Indianapolis went off without a hitch. All 14 coaches took to the main stage and then broke out for their individual sessions, along with players from every program except Northwestern, in what has become the kickoff event for the football season.

Topics like the Michigan/Michigan State rivalry, potentially moving "The Game", the "Beat Georgia" drill and everything in between were discussed at length while everyone was gathered in Indianapolis and now, for Michigan, it's just about getting things going (on July 2), remaining healthy and taking care of business, with or without Jim Harbaugh.

Over the past couple of weeks, both Michigan basketball and football reeled in a player from the transfer portal that could help in a major way during the upcoming season. For Juwan Howard, it was Olivier Nkamhoua. The former Tennessee Volunteer is expected to contribute in a major way as a 6-9, 236-pound, high-energy, do-it-all kind of player. Last year, he was the lone Volunteer to play in all 36 games and had career-bests in scoring (10.8 ppg), assists (2.0 apg) and minutes played (25.3 mpg). On the gridiron, Michigan landed UMass transfer cornerback Josh Wallace, who has played more than 2,000 snaps of college football. He's expected to start opposite Will Johnson and might just shore up the one spot on U-M's defense that wasn't rock solid.

As for Michigan's offense, it might showcase JJ McCarthy and the pass catchers a bit more in 2023 than in 2022. Jim Harbaugh recently stated that last year's offense was a 50/50 run-pass split. This year, Harbaugh said things might be more like 60/40 in favor of the pass. If that happens, cool, if not, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards are certainly ready to carry the load.

Michigan basketball took another hit, this time a big one, as incoming transfer Caleb Love has decided not to come to Ann Arbor. Whether it's because of academics, admissions or because Love simply doesn't want to play for Juwan Howard doesn't really matter. What matters, is that he's not going to wear the maize and blue and the roster without him is quite unimpressive. Now, Howard has a small handful of scholarships to use before the upcoming season.

On the gridiron, Jim Harbaugh's program is humming along like a well-oiled machine. He has the No. 1 recruiting class in the entire country for the 2024 cycle, he just added Bo Schembechler's son to his staff (do with that what you want) and he's got one of the most complete and loaded rosters in the entire country.

Hunter Dickinson is no longer a Wolverine — the big center made it official by committing to Kansas. The fact that he's gone isn't a surprise and where he ultimately ended up really isn't either when you consider his reasoning. Upon leaving Michigan, Dickinson dished on what he made as a student athlete under the new NIL allowances now in place and it's pretty paltry compared to what stars are getting at other schools. Dickinson will now attempt to capitalize on his name, image and likeness while in a Jayhawks uniform, which he'll more than likely be able to do at a higher level than in a U-M fit.

On the football front, Jim Harbaugh is still killing it in every way. The 2024 recruiting class is No. 1 in the country and just added another very nice piece, the returning roster is one of the most talented and experienced ones in the entire country and his not-so-young quarterback is starting to pop up on draft boards as analysts and scouts dive deeper into just what JJ McCarthy is as a quarterback.

Now former Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson appeared on a podcast ahead of his decision and didn't really say much. Of course, we now know that Dickinson will play at Kansas next year, but at the time of this episode, we talked about his impact at Michigan, what he might do at a new school and what his overall legacy is as a Wolverine. We also touch on the rest of U-M's roster a bit now that Dickinson is now gone.

On the gridiron, things are humming a long as well as they have under Jim Harbaugh. Michigan is just one of two teams in the entire Big Ten with ZERO questions marks at quarterback. With that in mind, it's easy to understand why U-M is going to be the favorite in the Big Ten after winning two titles in a row. Michigan has even moved into the No. 2 spot of ESPN's power rankings behind only Georgia. All in all, Harbaugh has things rolling and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Jim Harbaugh has things absolutely humming right now, despite a few recent losses via the transfer portal. On the basketball side of things, the portal is still a factor as well. Both programs have benefitted from the portal, but recently we've seen players from both sports decide to look around a bit.

Harbaugh has been killing it with the transfer portal, and he's doing the same thing on the recruiting trail as of late. Right now, per 247 Sports, Michigan has the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the country, headlined by five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis and recent addition, four-star tight end Brady Prieskorn. Across the class, Michigan is adding talent while filling just about every position on the field.

Juwan Howard is trying to recover after a disappointing season and he's doing it mostly through the transfer portal. Hunter Dickinson is currently in the portal, but for how long and where will he end up? There's now smoke that Dickinson might actually return to Michigan. We shall see...

When it comes to the football program, things are humming along. Michigan is scoring wins on the recruiting trail and will likely score at least 11 of them on the field in 2023. We talk about that, what could happen if the wheels fall all the way off and make some predictions about the upcoming season.

Michigan's spring game ended up being one of the more entertaining versions in recent memory with the Maize Team edging out the Blue Team, 22-21, after a late-game two-point conversion call by head coach Mike Hart. After the game, Hart touched on some of the developments of the game, one of them being the performance of his freshman running back Benjamin Hall. All in all, the game was a hit, even though many big time Wolverines were watching from the sidelines.

A bunch of surefire contributors sat out of the spring game, which isn't awesome, but it did give everyone a chance to see some lesser known players on a bigger stage. One thing is for certain — this team is loaded. Jim Harbaugh has done a phenomenal job building the roster and should absolutely be recognized and applauded for the near-miraculous turnaround since the disappointing 2-4 season. After beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten title and making the College Football Playoff for two years in a row, that strange 2020 season seems like ages ago. Now, Harbaugh might have his best team ever heading into 2023.

Michigan advanced in the first round of the NIT after beating a solid Toledo team by 10, but Jett Howard opted out and the team just didn't look overly excited to be playing, at least early on. However, they got it together and now they'll face Vanderbilt in Nashville tomorrow. That'll be the real test in terms of who wants to play and who is just going through the motions.

As for football, we are getting closer and closer to Michigan's April 1 spring game. With that looming, U-M fans are excited to see some new faces and some familiar ones potentially doing new things. It's going to be vanilla, as always, but it's still football in The Big House in April. We all know that Michigan is loaded and will be a force in 2023, so watching the Wolverines in any capacity right now is going to be a nice sight.

Michigan basketball is in a weird place right now. As the No. 3-seeded Wolverines gear up to take on Toledo in the first round of the NIT Tournament, fans of the program don't know what to think. If Michigan runs the table and wins the NIT, cool. It's always good to end your season on a win, but no one is going to be very excited about winning that tourney. On the flip side, if Michigan loses tomorrow, or early in the NIT, it's only going to add to the angst that is U-M hoops right now.

On the gridiron, things are going considerably better. Jim Harbaugh has his program humming as many big time prospects are swinging through Ann Arbor right now. We're only about two weeks away from the spring game and the roster could not be in better shape as the Wolverines look to three-peat as Big Ten champs and return to the College Football Playoff before it expands to 12 teams in 2024, which we talk at length about.

Michigan basketball has been very up and down all year but the Big Ten Tournament was still there for them to make a statement and a run. With those ups and downs this year, that has been some talk about Juwan Howard's ability as a head coach and some have even started to use the words "hot seat" when referring ot his position at U-M.

On the gridiron, things could not be in better shape. Jim Harbaugh has the Michigan football machine humming and 2023 could be even more special than 2021 and 2022, which is really saying something. If the Wolverines can win against Ohio State again and bring home a third straight Big Ten title, advance to the playoffs and play for a national title, the word elite is going to be attached to the program for the first time in a long time, and deservedly so. We talk about all things football as the program marches through spring practice in preparation for the April 1 spring game.

Michigan basketball is slowly working its way back onto the bubble after beating Michigan State and Rutgers in impressive fashion. They're not there yet, but Joe Lunardi does have them back on the graphic. It's going to be fun to see how this team finishes the season.

On the gridiron, Jim Harbaugh and Co. have a couple of spring practices in the book and already have seen some nice things. The O-line is as deep as ever, the cornerback position looks and feels exciting and the Wolverines are very clearly the kings of the Big Ten at this point based on Vegas odds and overall predictions in the conference.

We're in the thick of the offseason when it comes to college football but things are still happening around Ann Arbor. Jim Harbaugh is back for good, for now, and he's made a few new hires that appear to have improved his already stellar staff. The 2023 recruiting class is now all set and several of those guys are already in Ann Arbor as Wolverines. All of that provides a little bit of excitement as spring football is just a handful of days away, with the spring game scheduled for April 1.

On the hardwood, Michigan has now won three games in a row with plenty of quad 1 opportunities coming up, staring with a home game against Indiana on Saturday. Nobody has U-M in the tournament right now, but these final seven regular season games of the year are just what the Wolverines need to bolster the resume in a hurry. Juwan Howard's seat isn't warm yet, but a heating coil is installed.

National Signing Day has a completely different feel now that most prospects announce and sign early in December, but the first Wednesday in February will always feel like the true NSD. For Michigan, a lot of the work was already done, but at least a couple of prospects made their decision earlier this week, with one going U-M's way and another heading elsewhere.

Jim Harbaugh was actually present for National Signing Day this year, which is obviously a good thing, and he recently hired a new quarterbacks coach as well. With Matt Weiss out, Kirk Campbell is now in, and reviews on him are solid. Michigan is poised to make another deep run in 2023, and Campbell might end up being a solid part of that compared to how little Weiss seemed to do.

Even though it wasn't the smoothest process in the world, Jim Harbaugh is back in Ann Arbor. He's already back out on the recruiting trail doing what he does and it seems like he's poised to lead another extremely successful team in 2023. Unfortunately, Harbaugh's flirtation with the NFL, Michigan's looming NCAA violation punishment and now co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss' legal trouble have the Wolverines looking like a flailing program in the offseason.

Fortunately, it likely won't matter come September. Michigan is poised to run through the Big Ten, including Ohio State, again. The Wolverines are two to three deep at most positions, but there are some questions marks at wide receiver and cornerback. However, the strengths everywhere else are so strong, it might not matter. We're eight full months away from football starting back up, but it's already fun to talk about a three-peat. 

We're now two weeks removed from Michigan's unfortunate loss to TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinal, and instead of watching U-M's momentum build and build after a phenomenal season, we're witnessing more turmoil and uncertainty when it comes to head coach Jim Harbaugh's future with the program.

Harbaugh did a virtual interview with the Denver Broncos on Monday and is now in a bit of wait-and-see mode. The Broncos reportedly want Sean Payton above all others, but Harbaugh is right there. Payton is interviewing with the Broncos on Tuesday, so it'll likely be Wednesday at the earliest until we hear anything about what Harbaugh might be doing.

Jim Harbaugh has every right to look around for a better situation for himself and his family. Over the last three seasons, he's made it pretty clear that an opportunity in the NFL would be one of those situations. In 2020, no NFL teams wanted him after the uninspiring 2020 season that ended with a 2-4 record. Last year, after beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten and making it to the College Football Playoff, a few teams seemed interested, including the Minnesota Vikings, who actually flew him out, on National Signing Day, for a job interview that Harbaugh thought he had already aced. He didn't, so he returned to Michigan. All he did was follow up with an undefeated regular season, another win over Ohio State and another Big Ten title before making the CFP. Now, he's looking at the NFL again.

It's not that he's looking, it's that he's looking after saying he wouldn't. Adamantly. So instead of riding massive waves of momentum, and using the 2021 and 2022 seasons to build on, Harbaugh and his assistant coaches are instead doing damage control and putting out fires. Instead of signing one of the best recruiting classes in the country, prospects are looking elsewhere because of the perceived uncertainty in Ann Arbor. We'll probably get some answers soon, as Harbaugh prepares to interview with the Denver Broncos this week, but it's completely up to him as to how long all of this is going to take.

For the first part of the podcast, it's all about Jim Harbaugh and his future. Will it be at Michigan? Will it be somewhere in the NFL? After just going through this last year for more than a month at the detriment of his own program, Harbaugh is once again feeling things out with the NFL. That's obviously his prerogative, but it's not a good look and continues to hurt the very thing that he has built.

Once we navigate that topic, we discuss a trio of defensive transfers, which allows us to discuss the depth on Michigan's roster. When semi-productive, fifth-year guys are leaving, there's obviously a reason. The same can be said for someone who just finished their true freshman season. Throw in a tiny bit of basketball talk and some more discussion about the game against TCU and you have the most recent episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

At least 10 Michigan players and both pairs of coordinators talked with the media during the week of preparation for the Fiesta Bowl and all had something interesting to say. Each player and coordinator sat behind a microphone for more than 30 minutes giving media members plenty of time to ask all types of questions.

Mike Morris complimented TCU quarterback Max Duggan. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter talked about the importance of adjustments. JJ McCarthy shared that he listens to Bob Marley almost exclusively while preparing to play. Ronnie Bell spoke about his little brother Kendrick officially becoming a Wolverine last week. Olu Oluwatimi did a little bit of reflecting on his choice to become a Michigan Man. The list goes on and on.

Christmas is now in the rearview mirror and we're inside of a week until Michigan's playoff game against TCU. Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines arrived in Arizona on Monday evening to some excited folks and a pretty legitimate welcoming committee consisting of fans, bowl reps, members of the media and even the official mascot of the Fiesta Bowl. Now that the Wolverines are here, it's time to get to work.

Some of that work will include practices throughout the week ahead of Saturday's game. Harbaugh said that practices back in Ann Arbor have gone well in preparation for the bowl this week, but now that they're on location, the Wolverines need to lock all the way in and focus on the Horned Frogs. The team is likely already there, which should come has no surprise given how they have prepared and performed all season. Now, we're just five days away from see it potentially pay off.

Today marks the early, December edition of National Signing Day that has essentially become the National Signing Day as somewhere between 70 and 80% of recruits put pen to paper and officially sign with the team of their choice. For Michigan, it was a relatively quite day aside from landing two top-200 prospects in wide receiver Karmello English and cornerback Jyaire Hill. Once the dust settled on the first day of the period, Michigan sat at No. 17 nationally with 23 signees.

As for the current Wolverines, we're still all really excited to watch them take the field against TCU. So many people are curious about the matchups, especially the ones that involve Michigan's running game and TCU's rush defense. Most expect Donovan Edwards to have a big day and for U-M to improve to 14-0 and advance to the national title game.

In the first ever matchup between Michigan and TCU, many see the Wolverines being too much for the Horned Frogs. Whether it's Michigan's running game against a porous TCU rush defense, or U-M's multifaceted pass rush against a TCU offensive line that can get pushed around a bit, it seems like a tough draw for the Horned Frogs. Still, the games aren't played on paper, so everyone is anxious to see how things play out on December 31 in Arizona.

On a player by player basis, there are some intriguing comparisons. Obviously Max Duggan and JJ McCarthy aren't on the field at the same time, but how they each perform will be crucial to their respective teams' success. With Michigan's defense, it's about each player stepping up and rising to the occasion. There isn't any one guy that has to shine, but all 11 need to be sharp. Perhaps the most important part of Michigan's defense on that day, will be the secondary and covering TCU's talented receivers. However it plays out, it's going to be fun.

As the entire world gets ready to tune into bowl season, the Michigan Wolverines are two weeks away from taking on the Horned Frogs of TCU in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Most people still see U-M as the heavy favorite in the game, but as we discuss, TCU is no push over.

We also talk about a potential matchup with both Ohio State or Georgia, which are both very intriguing matchups for different reasons. With Georgia, they're the team who eliminated Michigan from the playoffs last year. With Ohio State...well, Michigan fans everywhere understand what that matchup would look like.

Michigan is definitely dealing with the transfer portal right now, in both directions. Second-year defensive lineman George Rooks his decided to leave Michigan, while U-M is still entertaining targets from other schools who have decided to jump into the portal themselves. We also talk about Cade McNamara's appearance on a podcast that makes his departure look worse than it once did.

On the field, we take a deep look at TCU as a team overall and really focus on the play and approach by quarterback Max Duggan. The seasoned veteran finished second in the Heisman voting and has shown that he'll lay it all on the line for his team. Still, TCU is goin to have its hands FULL against a physically dominant and confident Michigan team. All of that and more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

Michigan is absolutely rolling in 2022. The biggest opponents on the schedule all got served by more than 20 points and the same thing happened to Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. Next up is TCU in the first round of the CFP in the Fiesta Bowl out in Arizona. Everyone paying attention sees Michigan as the favorite and that flat out feels like the easy pick right now.

Of course, TCU was undefeated until last week as well. They've had many more scares, and aren't quite as talented as Michigan across the board, but they can play. Still, U-M just feels like a team of destiny this year and JJ McCarthy seems to have the "it" factor that's been missing at the QB position for several years. Jim Harbaugh and his staff have been masterful all year and are now just two wins away from being national champs.

In what should've been a busy week because of the upcoming Big Ten Championship game, the news cycle was instead flooded by breaking news. Michigan's star running back Blake Corum will be getting surgery on his left knee that will cause him to miss the rest of the season. Former U-M quarterback Cade McNamara announced his transfer to Iowa. And finally, Michigan captain and starting defensive tackle Mazi Smith is now facing weapons charges after being pulled over with a gun in the car in an incident that took place all the way back in October. Michigan is obviously playing a huge game on Saturday, but instead these items dominated the headlines.

On the field, Michigan is favored by 16.5 points over Purdue and is expected to handle the Boilers. Michigan's rushing attack, even without Corum, should be effective as should JJ McCarthy through the air after picking up a ton of confidence against the Buckeyes in Columbus.

Michigan is sitting at 12-0 and is basically a lock to play in the College Football Playoff. But first, U-M will head to Indianapolis to defend its Big Ten title against Purdue. The Wolverines are 16.5-point favorites against the Boilermakers and have the makeup to make it a long night for the fellas from West Lafayette. 

Michigan is supremely stout up front, as evidenced by first-team All-Big Ten members Trevor Keegan, Olu Oluwatimi and Zak Zinter at left guard, center and right guard respectively, and have the best back in the Big Ten in Blake Corum running behind them. Of course, Corum is dinged up and may not play, but Donovan Edwards did just fine against Ohio State in Corum's absence. Throw in a confident and now proven JJ McCarthy, and it feels like it's going to be a rough one for Purdue.

Michigan absolutely beat down Ohio State. Nothing more needs to be said.

Now, it's about getting ready for Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines are favored by 16.5 points over the Boilermakers and should be able to cover. Purdue is 8-4 with losses to Penn State, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Iowa. Michigan is 12-0 and handled both Penn State and Iowa over the course of the season. Obviously the transitive property doesn't work in football, but the Wolverines are expected to roll. We talk about the beatdown in Columbus, the matchup against Purdue, Michigan's talented roster and of course, Jim Harbaugh, as he prepares to add another trophy to the case.

It's finally here. When the 2022 season kicked off, everyone already had the showdown in Columbus circled because of how things played out in 2021 and because it's "The Game". It's unlikely that everyone thought it would be 11-0 vs. 11-0, No. 2 vs. No. 3 or so important to the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff pictures, but here we are. Jim Harbaugh and Ryan Day have both been pretty tight lipped this week, so it's time to let the play do the talking.

As for the teams actually taking the field, there are a lot of question marks. Michigan is banged up at several key positions, including at running back with both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards dealing with pretty significant injuries, at least for their position. Ohio State's backs are also a little dinged up, but they don't lean on the running game like Michigan does. However you slice it, this year's version of "The Game" is a massive one and everyone is anxious for kickoff.

It's THE GAME...nothing more needs to be said.

Especially this year, with both teams being 11-0 and Ohio State sitting at No. 2, Michigan at No. 3. The winner of this game will represent the East in the Big Ten title game and will also punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff. Giddy up!!!

It's here. It's "The Game" week. It's Michigan vs. Ohio State. It's 11-0 against 11-0. It's No. 2 vs. No. 3. Trips to the Big Ten Championship game and the College Football Playoff are on the line. To say that this weekend's game between U-M and OSU is huge is a monstrous understatement. Jim Harbaugh spoke about the matchup and called it the meeting of two "superheroes" as he heaped praise onto the Buckeyes. We know how Harbaugh really feels about that team down south, but he kept it respectful at the microphone.

In the locker room, it's probably a different story, which is totally fine. Between Ohio State's banged up running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams, and U-M's own pair of injured ball carries Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, everyone is really interested in how the offenses will look. Of course, much of the game will probably come down to how CJ Stroud performs with his stable of talented receivers against how JJ McCarthy operates as he tries to clean some recent issues up. However it plays out, it's going to be massive, entertaining and certainly influential as it pertains to the conference and the playoff picture.

Michigan is a big favorite over Illinois, which would make the Wolverines 11-0 ahead of the massive showdown against Ohio State. Everyone knows that the Illini are up first, but there's nothing wrong with putting some attention on the Buckeyes. That game is going to be massively important and for all the marbles. It would be silly not to talk about it.

It doesn't matter if you talk about Michigan taking on Illinois or The Game, the discussions are pretty similar. Michigan wants to run the ball and should be able to. It hasn't mattered who the opponent has been this year, the U-M run game has been successful and Blake Corum has been productive. Whether it's Illinois tomorrow, or Ohio State next week, the game plan is going to be the same. We talk about that and much more on this episode of The Wolverine Digest Podcast.

After speaking with Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, it's not hard to understand why this team is so good. Both coaches are sharp, detail-oriented, focused and highly organized. After hearing both of them speak, you get the sense that they absolutely know what they're doing and have every intention in putting their guys in a position to succeed. Have things been perfect on both side of the ball this year? Obviously not. But, Moore and Minter are chasing perfection as well as any coaching duo in the country.

As for the rest of the Wolverines, it's all about Illinois this week. Obviously that matchup with Ohio State looms very large, the Illini aren't scrubs. They will roll into Ann Arbor with one of the better defenses in the country and the nation's leading rusher in Chase Brown ready to tote it alongside Blake Corum. Brown is a little dinged, and certainly hasn't seen a defense like Michigan's, but he and his teammates can't be slept on. With that said, I see the Wolverines covering the large 18-point spread as the march to 12-0 continues.

As Michigan sits at 10-0 with 11-0 looking inevitable, it's a fun time to be a U-M fan and honestly, a fun time to cover the team. Even though U-M's record is perfect thus far, the on-field play has not been and that's what everyone seems to be talking about. The run game is dominant, but the passing game definitely is not. Blake Corum is on his way to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation, while the talented wide receivers are barely leaving an impact on the games. It's a very intriguing juxtaposition, which makes for some fantastic discussion. 

At the end of the day, Michigan is undefeated. Only three teams can say that and one of them resides in Columbus. As U-M prepares for Illinois this weekend, all eyes are already on the much anticipated showdown with Ohio State. That game is going to be between two 11-0 teams, sitting at No. 2 and No. 3, with trips to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship and to the College Football Playoff on the line. How freakin awesome is that?!