MGoBlog: The MGoPodcast

MGoPodcast 18.0.c: Someone Always Has To Die

2 hours and 21 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing [https://undergroundshirts.com/custom-t-shirts?callout=mgoblog] for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com [http://undergroundshirts.com/]. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management [http://peakwm.com/mgoblog], Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender [http://www.realtorandlender.com/], Ann Arbor Elder Law [http://www.annarborelderlaw.com/], Michigan Law Grad [http://www.michiganlawgrad.com/], Human Element [https://www.human-element.com/], Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning [http://sharonsheating.com/], The Sklars Brothers [http://www.supersklars.com/], Champions Circle [https://givebutter.com/thosewhostay?utm_source=mgo&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=cfp-championship-mgo&utm_content=keep-team-together], Winewood Organics [http://winewoodorganics.com/], Community Pest Solutions [http://www.pestfreemi.com/], The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre [https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/08006486CA747139], Radecki Oral Surgery [https://www.drradecki.com/], Long Road Distillers [http://www.longroaddistillers.com/], and Venue by 4M [https://www.experience4m.com/venue/] where recorded this. 1. Michigan's Nonconference and Big Ten Teams 18-15 Starts at 0:54 We welcome in Alex Drain to go over Michigan's nonconference games and the rest of the Big Ten. Western Michigan Pretty good for a MAC team, they won the MAC last year.  Last year they were an offensively driven team, but they've lost their defensive coordinator to the LA Chargers. They have big offensive linemen (including Ben Roebuck). Michigan's questions at defensive tackle and linebacker will get an early test.  UTEP It's bad. Like... really bad. They're starting over with FCS guys.  Oklahoma They get John Mateer back (which can be good or bad at any given moment). His stats in the second half of last year weren't great, how much of that was because of injury? He's an athlete when he has to run the ball. They bring back All-SEC WR Isaiah Sategna. Their run game overall was really bad, it brought down their overall offensive SP+ to 51st. Current SP+ projections are 27th. Cole Sullivan might not even start. The starting line is Michigan -2.5 so consider it a toss-up. 18 - Purdue 7-29 in the last three years since losing Jeff Brohm, and there's not much optimism going into this year either. Their schedule might be a little easier at least. This is year two of a coach starting over for Baryy Odom. Can you name the Michigan player who is a projected starter for Purdue?  17 - Michigan State Pat Fitzgerald is... a weird hire. They bring back QB Alessio Milivojevic for some continuity, also PFF really likes UConn RB Cam Edwards. The offensive line looks okay-ish. However, Fred Moore is a projected starter. Do they get four wins?  16 - Rutgers Nobody cares about them except for Bryan Mac. Last year they had their best offense since 2007 but their defense was 131st in success rate. They have KJ Duff who has a claim for the 2nd best wide receiver in the Big Ten. The offense is projected at 37th in SP+, the defense at 90th.  15 - Maryland Someone always has to die in the Maryland preview. They're #2 in returning production in SP+. Give Locksley some credit for returning a lot of young and talented players. A nonconference game against James Franklin's Virginia Tech could be exciting.  [The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP]  2. Big Ten Teams 14-8 Starts at 38:57 14 - Northwestern They have Chip Kelly and a new stadium (we all liked Ryan Field, though). They start with South Dakota State and then get a week two bye, oddly enough. Can they fix Aidan Chiles? They have some returning wide receivers that are decent.  13 - Wisconsin The shell of Wisconsin, the week they though Luke Fickell would get fired he got an extension. They bring in QB Colton Joseph, the Sun Belt player of the year. Old Wisconsin would never have to go into the portal for a running back. By extending Fickell they gave him a bigger NIL budget which he used to get seven defensive starters. 12 - UCLA They have a new coach. The weird Deshaun Foster era ended before it started. Bob Chesney comes in from James Madison. Nico Iamaleava comes back (for better or worse). James Madison was in the playoffs last year, you might recall. There is a lot of reason to be optimistic about this hire. Semaj Morgan is there!  11 - Nebraska They did not get year-three Matt Rhule, there was no lift-off and Raiola left. They picked up QB Anthony Colandrea from Virginia. They need a new RB. They're on their 4th defensive coordinator in five years, despite a soft schedule they still finished 7-6 last year. It feels like another 7-5 ish season. Is that Matt Rhule or is that just Nebraska now?  10 - Minnesota 68% returning production. They're always around here and they always win a bowl game. QB Drake Lindsey is appearing on 1st round mock drafts?? They're projecting 71st on offense and 24th on defense. They're Minnesota.  9 - Illinois They lose Luke Altmyer to the Detroit Lions and bring in Katin Houser (MSU plays three of their former QBs). Only one starter returns on the offensive line. They bring in Bobby Hauck as defensive coordinator, he left Montana claiming college football wasn't fun anymore and then took this job five days later. He might be their Wink. The defense needs to be fixed up a bit. 8 - Washington They forcibly detained QB Demond Williams for another year so... I guess we'll see how that goes. Last year he could just toss it up to Denzel Boston but he's out the door. They bring in a RB from Oregon and Christian Moss from Kennesaw State. Four of five starters return on the offensive line which could be solid. They lost some pretty good guys in the secondary, defensive tackle is still worrying since they have FCS and MAC guys to plug in positions. Their schedule is very favorable, they could even sneak into the playoffs (and get demolished). 3. Hot Takes and Secondary Starts at 1:19:11 Takes hotter than the hottest hot take that anyone has ever given the Sklars after one of their shows.  7 - Iowa They're Iowa. They haven't had an SP+ defense worse than 6th since 2018. They got all the way up to 37th last year in offensive SP+ (turns out Brian Ferentz was not good at offensive coordination). There are some all-Big Ten guys on the offensive line. Do they have any receivers? Ehhh. They have tight ends. Seth read three preview magazines and they all listed different starting QBs. They lost a lot on defense but they always rebuild. This could be a worrying game for Michigan (if Iowa can score).  6 - Penn State Well, the good news is last year they weren't as bad as they looked. Despite everything that happened they were close to beating Indiana at the end of the season. Matt Campbell comes in with Rocco Becht. A lot of players came over from Iowa State, it's just a matter of how quickly they can fit it all together. Their schedule is a joke, they could even sneak into the playoff or the Big Ten title game. Michigan should still be a favorite.  5 - USC They bring back QB Jayden Maiava, but they replace Makai Lemon. The receiver conveyer belt is moving. Everybody loves Waymond (and they bring back King Miller). Their new defensive coordinator is Gary Patterson (yeah that Gary Patterson). Too bad they don't play Northwestern. They always have a top 10 offense and they just need the defense to be okay. The schedule is brutal, though. Are they just permanently the 15th best team in college football under Lincoln Riley? 4 - Michigan? See: all other content. 3 - Indiana They are the portal team now. Despite losing so many players they recruited the transfer portal like an SEC team. QB Josh Hoover comes in from TCU, he's a good conference starter. They also bring in Nick Marsh (MSU) and Shazz Preston from Tulane. Add that to Charlie Becker and their WR room is stacked (also two time winning national champion Tyler Morris!). They bring in a RB named Turbo! They reload on defense and keep their defensive coordinator. Brian is not a believer and predicts 8-4, Alex thinks they'll be really good, Seth is somewhere in between. 2 - Oregon They get Dante Moore back with the regular trope of skill position players. The offensive line is a big question mark and they replace both of their coordinators with in-house hires. The defense has some good players including one of the best corners in the country. They have a Rimmington-quality center but that's about it for the line (the starting right tackle is a true freshman). Their talent is undeniable, but can they win the big game?  1 - Ohio State Last year they had the Penn State schedule of this year. Sayin's stats looked unbelievable through 12 games, then they couldn't score against Indiana and Miami. That needs to improve. Jeremiah Smith is a generational wide receiver, Chris Henry Jr will be really good but probably not quite Jeremiah Smith's level. The offense will need to make that next step. The defense was what was considered generational on SP+. They lose 9 of 11 starters on defense but they always have a conveyer belt. They had to portal some guys, though. They'll probably take a step back on defense but the offense stepping forward probably cancels that out. The schedule is pretty brutal.    4. Lightning Round Starts at 2:09:30 Predictions! List yours in the comments. -Who will be offensive MVP? -Who will be defensive MVP? -Breakout player on offense?  -Breakout player on defense? -X-factor on offense? (Most variable in your estimation) -X-factor on defense? -Biggest strength on offense? -Biggest strength on defense?  -Biggest concern on offense? -Biggest concern on defense? -Who's your guy on offense? -Who's your guy on defense? -Michigan's record?   MUSIC: * "The Latter Teens"—Vansire * "Black Bear"—Hey, Nothing * "Funky Fanfare"—Keith Mansfield * “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra

MGoPodcast 18.0.b: Adonises of the Shield Wall

1 hour and 49 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing [https://undergroundshirts.com/custom-t-shirts?callout=mgoblog] for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com [http://undergroundshirts.com/]. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management [http://peakwm.com/mgoblog], Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender [http://www.realtorandlender.com/], Ann Arbor Elder Law [http://www.annarborelderlaw.com/], Michigan Law Grad [http://www.michiganlawgrad.com/], Human Element [https://www.human-element.com/], Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning [http://sharonsheating.com/], The Sklars Brothers [http://www.supersklars.com/], Champions Circle [https://givebutter.com/thosewhostay?utm_source=mgo&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=cfp-championship-mgo&utm_content=keep-team-together], Winewood Organics [http://winewoodorganics.com/], Community Pest Solutions [http://www.pestfreemi.com/], The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre [https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/08006486CA747139], Radecki Oral Surgery [https://www.drradecki.com/], Long Road Distillers [http://www.longroaddistillers.com/], and Venue by 4M [https://www.experience4m.com/venue/] where recorded this. 1. Defensive Line Starts at 0:54 The defense is older and more experienced overall compared to the offense, but there are some holes to fill. John Henry Daley transfers from Utah and claims to be ready to go. Aidan Hutchinson as his ceiling might be tough coming off of an injury, but Aidan Hutchinson's 2021 season was also coming off of an injury. There's also a version of JHD where he's not all the way back and is only pretty good. The other starter is either Cam Brandt or Dom Nichols. We're not hearing a lot about Nate Marshall. Benny Patterson, on the other hand, could be a guy that's coming on. A lot of the defensive ends have some experience and are just waiting for their turn. Defensive tackle is not as deep, has some question marks, and doesn't have an established star. Trey Pierce could be solid. Enow Etta has a chance of taking a big step forward. By the end of the season he was the one still standing up against Ohio State. Seth is not high on Jonah Lea'ea. Palepale is probably the 3rd defensive tackle, he's a big dude. Don't give up on defensive tackles. Everyone wants Alister Vallejo to be the high riser, the Mason Graham comparisons are out there. Bobby Kanka flashed in the spring game. Defensive tackle seems like a not great situation overall - there are a couple guys who are serviceable to good and then a lot of questions marks. You always need at least four.  [The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP]  2. Linebackers Starts at 33:40 The group that is probably the most uncertain, more-so than defensive tackle. They had a first and second team of linebackers that have left after last season. We get to see Cole Sullivan again this year after he transferred to Oklahoma. Nate Staehling is the guy we're most excited about, the transfer from North Dakota State. It would be so lovely if he was a generic Iowa linebacker! He has the ability to take on a lead block. The other portal takes are much less inspiring. Troy Bowles, Chase Taylor, and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng are the other major contributors. A lot of them look like safeties. Chase Taylor has high shoulder pads! Staehling probably starts with Bowles? After these three it drops off pretty quickly. The recruiting class has three guys that all ranked in flyer territory. Nobody in the program is complaining about defensive tackle, but there are a lot of concerns about linebackers. Keep the top guys mostly healthy and you've got a shot, though. 3. Hot Takes and Secondary Starts at 53:56 Takes hotter than that other week this summer that wasn't even Art Fair but it was like 100 billion degrees and Brian was sitting outside watching his kids play tennis badly. This is a surprisingly veteran group! Not a lot of questions at cornerback, your starters are Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, and they import Smith Snowden from Utah. Jyaire Hill has first round upside and this year should be a star. Zeke Berry is at least solid but is he better than that? Could Shamari Earls start over Zeke by the end of the season? The other cornerbacks are Jo'Ziah Edmond, I'Marion Stewart, and Jamarion Vincent. Vincent is a freshman and Stewart is a flip from wide receiver; they're not generating a lot of buzz. Seth is ridiculously high on Smith Snowden at nickel. At safety - is Rod Moore going to be healthy? He says he's healthy but he's on a pitch count. If he's healthy and he's Rod Moore he's one of the best safeties in the country, but he might not be Rod Moore. Chris Bracy transfers in from Memphis and is one of the best transfers in the country. He's a huge asset in stopping the run. Too bad he's not big enough to play linebacker. Mason Curtis got a lot of experience last year and is the 3rd safety, he'll get a lot of opportunities this year. Jordan Young has some upside despite inexplicable snaps last season.  4. Special Teams and Overall Thoughts Starts at 1:28:04 This defense feels like it's going to be pretty decent but there are a lot of questions. If you get the ceiling of a lot of guys on the edge and maybe Staehling then they could be really good. But the middle of the field and the backup defensive tackles are shaky. Will it be fine and are we just spoiled as Michigan fans? There are a lot of guys that will be big pieces on the defense in two or three years and they're on the roster right now. The secondary will be especially exciting if Rod Moore is back, but could weird teams like Iowa take advantage of what Michigan's missing? Also, Michigan has a college defensive coordinator and not Wink Martindale. Michigan imported Trey Butkowski (kicker) and Cam Brown (Aussie punter). Pat Narduzzi was really mad that he lost his kicker so he must be really good. He's not Moody or Zvada but he makes a lot of kicks. The 25 yard line is probably field goal range now, rather than the 35, Justin Turner is your likely comparison. Cam Brown's an odd one. He's a Hudson Hollenbeck comparison but kicks it a little further. Michigan's long snapper, Gavin Magorien, is the only Michigan player on the Freaks List this year. Who do you want returning kickoffs, Moa? And Andrew Marsh on punts?  MUSIC: * "Take It"—Donnie and Joe Emerson * "Rabbits"—Thomas Dollbaum * "Dog Bite"—Mickey Leao * “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra

MGoPodcast 18.0.a: Surprise! We're Running Cam Newton

2 hours and 26 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing [https://undergroundshirts.com/custom-t-shirts?callout=mgoblog] for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com [http://undergroundshirts.com/]. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management [http://peakwm.com/mgoblog], Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender [http://www.realtorandlender.com/], Ann Arbor Elder Law [http://www.annarborelderlaw.com/], Michigan Law Grad [http://www.michiganlawgrad.com/], Human Element [https://www.human-element.com/], Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning [http://sharonsheating.com/], The Sklars Brothers [http://www.supersklars.com/], Champions Circle [https://givebutter.com/thosewhostay?utm_source=mgo&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=cfp-championship-mgo&utm_content=keep-team-together], Winewood Organics [http://winewoodorganics.com/], Community Pest Solutions [http://www.pestfreemi.com/], The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre [https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/08006486CA747139], Radecki Oral Surgery [https://www.drradecki.com/], Long Road Distillers [http://www.longroaddistillers.com/], and Venue by 4M [https://www.experience4m.com/venue/] where recorded this. 1. 2026 Season Vibes Starts at 0:54 Well, that was an offseason! We win national championships and commit crimes, we are now an SEC program. Michigan has a good dude in Kyle Whittingham now, though! Everyone deserves a freshly showered Brian Cook. What's your excitement level going into this season? It's nice that there are adults in charge now. Some of the things that felt 'off' last season make more sense. There aren't many players on offense this year who you wouldn't project to come back next year, it's a big building year. We're in 2015 mode right now. They actually imported an entire wide receiver room. It feels like Bryce lost a year of development but at least he goes into this year knowing what to expect. The strength and conditioning should be greatly improved, it's telling when coaches leave somewhere and end up at a worse program.  2. Quarterback and Running Back Starts at 25:15 It felt like last year was a lost cause. Pass protection wasn't good enough because the line was super young, the wide receivers were... not sufficient enough. Tyler Huntley in his second year at Utah ran probably three times as much as Bryce, he's still in the NFL with the Ravens. The potential is still there but it feels like he's still a freshman. They ran Bryce like you would run John Navarre, thinking nobody will expect this! This year it will be a team that runs the quarterback. This is the most talent Kyle Whittingham's staff has ever had, they come from a college background and should be excited to execute with it. Bryce struggled passing last year but he was thrown into a bad situation with his receivers. Do you think Bryce will have fewer pass attempts this season? Physically Bryce is everything you could ask for, he just needs to get there mentally. He hasn't been golfing this offseason. Progress is not linear, he might not look great early but hope for him to get slowly better over the course of the season and have a watershed moment by mid-season. Some QBs you can tell just aren't happening in the spring game, but Tommy Carr was happening. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is here but did not enroll for spring, he's a multi-year starter at Colorado State but lost his job. Chase Herbstreit and Brady Smigiel... don't exist right now. Running back is similar to last year where the one-two punch is among the best in the country and Bryson Kuzdzal is the third guy. This is Jordan Marshall's year and just by the way he talks there's no way he's not going to try and be the best running back in the country. Savion Hiter already looks like the best running back prospect out of high school in many years. Is Kuzdzal the ceiling for an RB3? Any other program who looks at this running back room will look at us and say "shut up". You wouldn't expect meaningful playing time from anyone else.  3. Hot Takes, Wide Receivers, and Tight Ends Starts at 1:14:40 Takes hotter than Ann Arbor during Art Fair. The wide receiver room... exists! Do you remember the last Michigan receiver to have a 1,000 yard season? Some guys just have it, Andrew Marsh has it. Who's the last Michigan receiver to live up to this hype? Nico Collins? They import JJ Buchanan in the way that Devin Funchess was a tight end, he's your jump ball guy. Salesi Moa and Travis Johnson are true freshmen but they're the next two guys being mentioned. Salesi Moa blew everyone away at the Polynesian Bowl, you hope for him to be Michigan's Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Travis Johnson seems to be WR4 but also one of the fastest guys on the team, how much play time can you expect? Jaime Ffrench comes in from Texas, Michigan barely had a receiver room when he committed, he's in a weird situation. Channing Goodwin is getting some chatter again. Who are the jet sweep guys, Moa and Marsh? This is the thinnest tight end room we can remember. There isn't a Colston Loveland type guy but Zack Marshall looked really good last year and has a captain mentality. They say Hogan Hansen is healthy and ready to go but he's been hampered by injury and is probably a bit behind physically. Jalen Hoffman is ready to step up and be that dude as a blocker. Also he can catch the ball! They're talking about freshman Mason Bonner in wide receiver-y ways. Eli Owens (Thump) wants to be Max Bredeson but it's only his 2nd year.  4. Offensive Line Starts at 1:57:36 Brian was despondent when linemen hit the portal in the offseason but they all came back. Jake Guarnera is the center and there's no question about it - that being locked down is so important. Andrew Sprague should also be great, he's the locked in right tackle. It's a good thing when Texas comes for your linemen (as long as you keep them). How good of a pass protector can he be, though? They just imported Jim Harding from Utah, regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the country. The offensive line has question marks but they're good question marks. Blake Frazier was the lightest guy on the line but he's put on 20 lbs, he should be improved at left tackle. Babalola's progress is the only reason he's not locked in. There's the "Rhino" role for a 6th offensive lineman so there are positions for everyone. They're hyping up Babalola a lot in practice. The incoming freshmen are great but they're freshmen. Evan Link looks to be your starting left guard, he massively improved at left tackle last year after a rough freshman year but this should be a better suited role for him. There's competition for right guard but not for left guard so he might be a pretty solid option. Right guard is a competition between Brady Norton and Nathan Efobi. People are very high on Ace Hamilton. The offense as a whole has a lot of talent but it's so young, they don't have a senior leader. This team will probably still feel like they're a year away.  MUSIC: * "King of the Night"—Rubber Band Gum * "Fools"—Drugdealer * "Mobile Home"—Jesse Woods * “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra

WTKA Roundtable 8/13/2026: Mike Sainristils But Fast

Things Discussed: * We need a Sicario entrance. * Special guest Ron English got to see practice. Recalls 2011 Sugar Bowl prep was all Kyle Whittingham. * Strength gains: different S&C approach, or different feel in the program? * Jay Hill defense: A lot of disguise, a lot of movement. Reminded Ron he came to visit in 2005. * Ron's a big fan of Jyaire Hill, recruited the hell out of him when at Purdue. * When a hyperathletic quarterback comes to college they run a lot, was coaching malpractice not to let Bryce develop the way QBs like him are supposed to. Change in philosophy will be helpful on multiple levels. * The 2023 mission was get JJ to the championship game healthy. The 2025 mission is run Bryce into the ground. * Zone reads are a basketball play; you need to rep it to get a feel for who you can beat, when a scrape exchange is coming, because everyone practices how to defend it. It was the height of arrogance to put Bryce in and expect him to run it. * Coaching philosophy change: more go-get-it. Are we a * 2026 is a process year: let's see them get better and buy in so they can make a run (comp: 2015). * This is a very good, very experienced secondary. Probably can get those guys to play Don Brown I'm-gonna-beat-ya and play Mac/Minter/Martindale complex zone-swapping games. * Jay Hill does a great job of running confusing defense without confusing his defense. * Minter got it: in college you can threaten and threaten without running what you're threatening.

WTKA Roundtable 8/6/2026: All Phonebooks Are Real

Things Discussed: * Seth and Craig are on early to talk about 5th year seniors returning if they're able (won't be that many because roster spots and NIL budgets are used up). Also Detroit Tigers trades. You coulda been a contender, given the next generation something to love. Dads with young kids in Polanco jerseys, but you never see a Deivi Cruz jersey because they weren't watchable enough to care. * FOOOOOOOTBALL!!! * Weight gains/strength gains? Sort of an indictment on the state of the program last year if guys like Etta are making big gains (Staehling makes more sense). May also just mean the team is marketing this. * Frazier we believe in, because we hear it from many places. OL was good last year but when they got to Ohio State that was a bridge too far. * Babalola/Frazier/Sprague/Link? They're all tackles. Can't move Sprague. We don't know this staff well enough yet to read between the lines. * Whittingham walked in like "this cupboard ain't bare." * Jake Guarnera will be a great center. One thing Sherrone did well was recruit Cs. Can tell because Texas went right at him in the offseason. * Bracy is going to start. Second-best safety in run support on PFF, and it really translated on his tape. That guy fills! * Players insist Staehling will be a breakout guy. Sam recalls the interviews he did with a bunch of players. Expecting the anchor of the defense will be the DL. Dom Nichols will step up. Deyvid Palepale will be an impact guy. Brian: This is a harder sell for me. * Let Urban in the building? Sure but don't let him see anything.