Since 1969, Michigan has dominated its in-state nemesis Michigan State by a margin of two-to-one. But in recent seasons Michigan State has turned the tide. Now with the Wolverines slated to face the Spartans in East Lansing for the second consecutive season, Brady Hoke’s squad will need a victory to compete for the Big Ten title and stop a six-year slide that began under previous coach Rich Rodriguez.
Michigan Football: Jabrill Peppers Tempering the Hype, Showing Maturity
The hype surrounding 5-star recruit Jabrill Peppers began building the moment he announced his Michigan commitment. Interest fueled by a steady stream of YouTube video highlights, his Twitter presence and personal blog Breezy’s World, via USA Today, has reached a fever pitch just as he prepares to join his new teammates in Ann Arbor.
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Re-Evaluating Michigan’s 2011 Recruiting Class
Now, Hoke finds himself at a crossroads, trying to rally the Wolverines after his own 7-6 third season and retooling his offense to better compete in the Big Ten.
He struck some gold in his first recruiting class but also missed—nine of the 20 commitments are no longer with the program.
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Michigan Wolverines Football: Examining the Discipline Problems Under Brady Hoke
The last thing he needed was for one of his returning linemen to be involved in an embarrassing off-the-field incident. But that’s the position he finds himself in after details emerged of center Graham Glasgow’s arrest during spring camp.
Players That Brady Hoke Needs Back by Next Season
Brady Hoke needs all the help he can get to put Michigan back on track.
He began this offseason by firing his friend Al Borges and hiring Doug Nussmeier from Alabama to fix the offense. Concerned that his seniors became entitled after attending the team’s annual leadership retreat with Navy SEALs last season, he canceled this spring’s trip according to Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com.