Michigan 2012 Preview

BY: Ken W Paczas

Michigan Wolverines
Last year: 11-2, 6-2 in Big 10

Last season, under first year coach Brady Hoke, Michigan went 11-2 and went to BCS Bowl for the first time in 5 seasons. The Wolverines beat Virginia Tech 23-20 in overtime in the Sugar Bowl. The only 2 losses came to Michigan St and Iowa. They also beat Ohio St for the first time in seven seasons. All in all, it was a successful season, even if they didn’t win the Big Ten title.
This season, Michigan is favored to win the Big Ten Legends Division, and is the co-favorite to win the Big Ten Championship game with Wisconsin. The Wolverines are #8 in both pre-season polls, so expectations are sky high for Michigan fans. Everything went right for the Wolverines, including hail mary’s against Notre Dame, and a favorable home schedule. This year they don’t have that luxury, having road games against ND, OSU, Nebraska and a neutral site game against Bama.

Offense

Offensive coordinator Al Borges wanted to make sure Denard was able to make it through a full season. To do so, they wanted to limit the amount of hits he took. It worked to a degree. In 2010, Robinson had 256 carries, but that number was reduced down to 221 last year. His passing attempts also dropped from 291 to 258, but he was sacked 13 times last year as opposed to 7 in 2010. Robinson was the leading rusher for the Wolverines last year. He had over 3,300 combined rushing and passing yards, and 36 combined touchdowns (20 passing). He did struggle at times in the new offense as he threw 15 interceptions, up from 11 in 2010. That was higher than any quarterback in the Big Ten. Robinson is one of the favorites to win the Heisman trophy. His numbers should improve as he had another off season to learn the system. Robinson has been very vocal this off season. He says their goal is a Big Ten title, but it will be on his shoulders if he wants to get it.

The rushing attack took a hit when running back Fitzgerald Toussaint was suspended indefinitely after a DUI arrest. Toussaint had 187 carries last year for 1,041 yards, and 9 touchdowns, and also caught a touchdown pass. Without Toussaint, the feature back will likely be sophomore Thomas Rawls who only had 13 carries last year. He looked good in the spring though. Toussaint has began practicing with the team, but no word yet on whether or not he will be available week 1.
The Wolverines must replace receivers Junior Hemingway and Kevin Koger who combined for 57 catches, just under 1,000 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Jeremy Gallon returns after he caught 31 passes, 453 yards, and 3 touchdowns. In 2010, Roy Roundtree caught 72 passes for 935 yards, and 7 touchdowns. In 2011 his production dropped to just 19 catches, 355 yards, and just 2 touchdowns. He did average 18.7 yards per catch though. Michigan needs Roundtree to approach his production from his sophomore year. Jerald Robinson and Drew Dileo are also in the mix for wide receiver. Robinson played on special teams last year and didn’t have a catch. Dileo had 9 catches for 121 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Brandon Moore, Ricardo Miller, and Devin Funchess will compete for the starting tight end job.

The line must replace center David Molk and right tackle Mark Huyge. Senior Ricky Barnum will take over at center for Molk. Michael Schofield moves from left guard to right tackle to replace Huyge. Junior left tackle Taylor Lewan was second team All-Big Ten last year. Elliott Mealer moves to left guard to replace Schofield. The other guard is Patrick Omameh, who has started every game since 2010. Freshman Kyle Kalis, sophomore Kristian Mateus, and junior Erik Gunderson add depth to a very strong unit. Hoke has been very adamant that Michigan teams win the line of scrimmage, and this unit has the potential to do just that.

Defense

Last season, under defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, Michigan’s defense improved immensely from 2010. Michigan was #6 in scoring defense, 16th in the red zone, and 25th on standard downs. That unit was the main reason Michigan improved to 11 wins last year, as the defense was atrocious in 2010. The defense returns 7 starters from last year.

The defensive line will be led by end Craig Roh and tackle Will Campbell, both seniors. Roh had 8 tackles for loss, including 4 sacks. He is better against the pass than stopping the run. Campbell hasn’t done much in his three years at Michigan, but reportedly had a good spring. He was a much hyped five star recruit when he came to Michigan, but has not been productive on the field. They will need him to be. Jibreel Black, Quinton Washington, and Ondre Pipkins will likely compete for the other tackle spot. The line is the biggest question on defense.

The linebackers will be led by Kenny Demens, Desmond Morgan, Brandin Hawthorne, and Jake Ryan. Ryan had 11 tackles for loss last year, and was a freshman sensation. Expect Ryan to continue this push and be the breakout player on the defense this season.
The secondary will be led by Corners Blake Countess and J.T. Floyd. Countess is a star in the making and has the talent to be a future first round NFL draft pick. Floyd had 2 interceptions last year, and the two combined for 14 pass break-ups. The starting safeties also return in Thomas Gordon, and Jordan Kovacs. Marvin Robinson, Raymon Taylor, and freshmen Jarrod Wilson and Terry Richardson add depth to a very strong unit.

Special Teams

Junior kicker Brendan Gibbons made 13 of 17 field goals last year. He returns, but his leg strength is average at best.
The punting unit was terrible last year. Junior Will Hagerup averaged 36 yards per punt, and was benched in favor of Matt Wile. Wile did slightly better averaging 41.7 yards, and he landed 4 inside the 20. Both return and will compete for the punter job this fall.
The kickoff return unit ranked just over 18 yards per return and was 117th out of 120 teams. Justice Hayes will return kicks and Jeremy Gallon will return punts, after he averaged over ten yards a return.

Schedule

Michigan opens in Dallas against Alabama, in a battle of top 10 teams. The Wolverines return home after that to face Air Force, which is no cake walk. If they have a let down after Alabama, they could be 0-2. After that they get Massachusetts. Michigan then travels to Notre Dame and Purdue. Michigan then comes home for games against Illinois and Michigan St. Then it’s back on the road to face Nebraska and Minnesota. The Wolverines host Northwestern and Iowa, before closing the season at Ohio St.

Outlook

Michigan is not ready to play against a team like Alabama. Expect a 14-17 point loss. They should come home to take the next two before heading to Notre Dame. The Irish have blown leads the last two years in the final seconds, and are craving revenge. They should get it. I fully expect Michigan then to run the table, including beating MSU before being beat by the Buckeyes to end the year. At 9-3, they will find themselves in the Capital One bowl where they will lose to Georgia. A 9-4 season isn’t great, but it’s acceptable with the schedule they have.

2012 MLB Bold Predictions

By Ken W Paczas

The weather has warmed up and that only means one thing….. It is time to be out with the old....

and in with the new

Yes!!! It is baseball time and with the season quickly approaching, here are my bold, wild, crazy and fun predictions for 2012.

Miggy will have less errors then Aramis Ramirez

This might sound crazy, but I fully expect Cabrera to play over 100 games at third base and play it well. The kid is having fun and he wants to play there. Even though he is a size of a mack truck, he is quite the athlete. Though I expect him to have 15 or 16 errors on the season that will be less than the 22 errors Aramis will have.

Andre Ethier will hit more home runs than Matt Kemp

Ethier's monster March (15 of his 18 hits have been for extra bases) shows he is prepared and primed for a salary-drive season. Having Kemp hitting in front of him in the order won't hurt, either. Both sluggers will top 30 homers, but only Ethier will reach 35.

Curtis Granderson will have less home runs then Brennan Boesch

Granderson came out of nowhere last season and showed power numbers that made Yankee fans forget about the Austin Jackson trade. Sorry but I am not buying it. Curtis is known to get hurt and I don’t expect him to show that kind of power again. He will have 29 home runs. While BB will finally blossom into the hitter Tiger’s fans have expected since his 28 HR barrage in AA. He will get plenty of balls to hit batting in front of Miggy and Prince, and he will take full advantage, hitting 32 home runs.

Adam Dunn Will Hit At Least 35 Home Runs

Adam Dunn signed a big contract and the White Sox expected big things even though he was going to play DH for first time in his career. They saw Dunn hitting in U.S. Cellular Field and fans started to drool.

What resulted was one of the worst offensive seasons in MLB History, with Dunn hitting an otherworldly .159 and hitting a career worst 11 home runs. However, this spring training Dunn has shown great signs that he is ready to bounce back. In his 32 spring training at-bats, he's hit four home runs, and more importantly has a .250 batting average to go along with a 12:4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Though he will probably come close to leading the league in strikeouts again, he will be the offense in Chicago and he will deliver.

The Giants will trade either Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain

The writing is on the wall, and the sooner Giants' management acknowledges it, the better. They just don't have the finances to keep both long term. Poor contracts and shortsightedness have put the Giants in this quandary that doesn't have an easy answer. The Giants are trying to preserve money to keep both, but with no offense, there is little reason for either Cain or Lincecum to stay. However with Bumgarner becoming a fantasy and pitching stud, they can afford to trade one of them for some hitters.

Cubs will make the post season on the back of Jeff Smardzija

The Shark came into baseball straight out of Notre Dame Lore. He could have been a first round pick in NFL but turned it down to pitch for the Cubs. After a couple disappointing seasons, he finally blew up out of the bullpen in 2011. This season he enters the rotation as the number three starter but will pitch like the ace. His fastball is up to 95 MPH, and he has a nasty slider that has proven to be his bread and butter. I may be a Notre Dame fan, but make no mistake about it, he has the potential to throw for 180 innings, a 3.00 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP with an outstanding K rate. Straight Stud.

AWARDS

Cy Young- King Felix & Cliff Lee

MVP- Adrian Gonzalez & Joey Votto

Coach of the year – Bobby Valentine & Dusty Baker

Playoff Predictions

AL

The Tigers, Angels and Red Sox will win their divisions in the AL with Yankees and Rays winning the wild cards.

Yankees knock out the Rays before losing to the Angels. The Red Sox defeat the Tigers in five and then beat the Angels in 7 to go back to the World Series.

NL

The Marlins, Reds, Giants will win their divisions with the Cubs and Phillies winning the wild cards.

The Phillies knock out the Cubs and then knock out the Reds in the next round. The Marlins battle the Giants to a tough 7 games, but don’t have the pitching to keep the Giants down. The Giants then knock out the Phillies thanks to Madison Bumgarners two shutouts in the series.

World Series

The Red Sox have too much power and knock out the Giants in 5 games to win their 3^rd World Series of this Millennium. 

Top 2012 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

By KEN W PACZAS

In 2012, There are 7 key guys poised for big years. You will be able to draft them four or 5 rounds after where they should be drafted. Take advantage, and you can win your league.

Wilson Ramos C, Washington – Ramos is best known as the guy who got kidnapped in Venezuela this off season before a daring rescue saved him. However, now that Pudge is gone, 2012 he will become a household name. He is 24 and his ability to hit for power and average makes him an exciting prospect as a catcher. He hit .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI with just 389 at bats. He is now the full time catcher and should hit 20 home runs and bat for 80 RBI in this improved National line up.

Dee Gordon, SS, Dodgers – Gordon is the man you want to target if you want to own the stolen base category. In just 56 games last year, Gordan swiped 24 bases. If he plays in 156 games in 2012, that projects him at 67 stolen bases and possible league lead. Unlike other players who steal bases, he also hits for average. Last year he batted .304, and is only 23.

Cameron Maybin, OF, Padres – In Maybin’s first season with the Padres, he hit .264, with 9 HRs, 40 RBI, and 40 steals, 26 came after the break. In 2012, he is cemented as an every day player, and those numbers should increase in every category.

Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Indians – Choo struggled with injuries and a much publicized DUI in 2011, but Choo has been nothing but consistent, hitting .300 or better in three full seasons. At age 28, he is in the prime of his career, and with an improved team around him, his numbers should bounce back nicely.

Matt Moore, P, Rays – Moore might not make the rotation, but if he does, watch out. Moore pitched 5 innings against the Yankees in September and struck out 11. Against the Rangers in the ALDS, Moore gave up one run in 10 innings of work. Moore was lights out dominant in AA and AAA, striking out 210 and walking just 46 in 155 innings. The Rays might want to start him in AAA till June, but if they don’t, he will be their second best starter. PERIOD.

Jason Heyward, OF, Braves – Heyward was TERRIBLE in 2011, hitting just .227 with 14 home runs. He even lost playing time down the stretch. However, he is just 22. He has lost 20 pounds and refocused on what made him a deadly hitter in 2010. He was banged up and pressed too much. Heyward still has 30 HR, 20 Steal ability and though he might not hit it this year, he will be more 2010, then 2011.

Carl Crawford, OF, Red Sox – I know, Crawford is not a sleeper. Yet, if you look at where people are rating him, he should be. In 2011, he was the #3 overall player, #1 OF heading into the season in the fantasy world. Now Espn has him at 92, the 28^th best OF behind the likes of Jason Werth, Adam Jones and BJ Upton. Are you kidding me? Don’t give me the pressure of Boston. Newsflash, they love hustlers and nobody hustles more than Crawford. His terrible year came at 29, so you can’t make the argument his skills are in decline due to age. Truth of the matter is, he was hurt, and pressed too much trying to live up to the contract. However, with 6 years left, Boston is going to do everything they can to fix him and get him out of this rut. I truly believe in 2013, when they make their list, Crawford will once again be a top 12 player. I fully expect him to bat .306, 19 HR, 42 SB, and 88 RBI. 

Congrats Detroit!!!! with an Asterisk

By Kenneth W Paczas

The Motor City Red Wings just did something we haven't seen in NHL history but twice before. They won their 20th consecutive home game. They did so knocking off the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night.

Ironically enough, the 20-game streak ties the Flyers for longest all time. The Bruins are the other holder of the record from way back in the 1920’s. What a great accomplishment, and in today’s NHL, this is a remarkable feat. However, anyone know doesn’t wear Red Wing tinted glasses, knows that this streak deserves an asterisk.

The Flyers won all of theirs in regulation. No shootouts, just 20 straight victories in regulation. The Wings have won three times during this streak because of the shootout.

The Red Wings had a benefit the other two teams didn't. They have the shootout to help them settle ties. In the pre-shootout era, this streak would be described as a 20-game unbeaten streak. Again, that's exceptional and very noteworthy. It's just not the same.

This reminds me a lot of Roger Maris surpassing Babe Ruth's record with 61 home runs in 1961. He had the benefit of playing eight extra games. Maris was still honored as the record holder for years, but there was always that little asterisk.

Different eras hold different advantages. When the Bruins won, they had full overtimes. The Flyers didn’t have free agency or a salary cap. However, you can’t deny that the Flyers winning 20 in a row is more impressive than the Wings.

The Wings can shut everyone up by winning 3-5 more games. Then at that point, everyone, including me, can stick that in our pipes and smoke it. However, I don’t think they care much to get to 25. They have one goal in mind and that is Lord Stanley.

The one positive this has done for the Wings, is put them in position for the Presidents Trophy. If they were to get home ice for the entire playoffs, they would have to be one of the favorites to win their first cup since 2008.

If history follows suit, the Wings won’t win it. In 1929-30, and 1975-76, when the Bruins and Flyers won 20 in a row, the Montreal Canadians won the cup both years. So the smart money is to bet the Habs right?

However, the last two times the Patriots lost in the Superbowl, in 1997, and 2008, the Wings won the cup. Can the third time be a charm? Either way, this season has been amazing to watch.