Tag: Michigan Football

Report: NFL hires away Michigan assistant

Despite the Wolverines best efforts to retain him, the one-year position coach is lured away by the pro ranks.

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Well, so much for that.

One day after reports surfaced that Michigan had managed to retain linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, the shoe has found itself on the other table, which has turned.

While it seems that Campanile wasn’t heading back to Boston College and had seemingly turned down the defensive coordinator role at Rutgers, his alma mater, the pro ranks came calling. And he answered.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins lured Campanile away from Ann Arbor, as he’ll be working with a yet to be specified position group in South Florida — a huge blow to Michigan’s plans to retain him.

Now, the Wolverines have two positions to fill, with Chris Partridge also departing this offseason, as he accepted a defensive coordinator role with Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin.

Locked On Wolverines Podcast (Ep. 281): Attrition and Retention

Reacting to Michael Dwumfour’s departure, the view that Anthony Campanile will remain on staff and OBJ handing out $$ to LSU players.

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We had heard from a very good source that Michael Dwumfour was staying in Ann Arbor, yet, on Tuesday, he announced his departure. What happened? We get to the bottom of it.

And why it’s crucial that Michigan seems to have kept Anthony Campanile on staff, and what that means given recent history.

Then: LSU’s brazen show of cheating after the national championship game and what the reaction should be.

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Notre Dame’s 2019 Season Gets a Grade

I tend to agree with Kelly who said immediately following the 33-9 win over Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl that it was a good team who had one bad night.

What letter-grade would you give Notre Dame for their 2019 football season?

Perhaps this is an exercise that myself and Jeff Feyerer will do in the coming days but the USA TODAY’s Paul Myerburg did exactly that, giving all 130 FBS teams a letter grade.

One thing to remember about the grade is that it was given strictly on final win-loss record but it’s also graded based on expectations back in the pre-season.

24 teams nationwide received a letter grade of at least an “A-“, but Notre Dame was not one of them.

The Irish instead checked in with a “B+”, as did 14 other teams including Wisconsin, Penn State and Week One opponent, Louisville.

I don’t have much of a fuss to make about Myerburg’s grade for the Irish as it was a successful failure to quote “Apollo 13”.

Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish accomplished a lot, winning a 10 or more games for the third time in a row, something that had only been done once previously in school history.

But they lost their two biggest contests of the year at Georgia and Michigan, with the loss in Ann Arbor being a 45-14 disaster that will unfortunately be the first thing many remember the 2019 squad for.

I tend to agree with Kelly who said immediately following the 33-9 win over Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl that it was a good team who had one bad night.

Unfortunately that one bad night kept them from potential A-territory and out of the College Football Playoff conversation in November.

For that I can’t be as generous and give them even a B+, as good as some things were.

My grade for the year is a solid “B” as the Michigan disaster did occur while the biggest wins came against two teams Navy and Virginia who you won’t find in any post-season top 15.

For what it’s worth, Notre Dame’s 2019 opponents received the following grades:
A: Navy
A-: Georgia, Virginia
B+: Louisville
B: Iowa State
B-: Michigan, Virginia Tech
C+: Duke
C: Boston College, USC
D+: Bowling Green, Stanford
D: New Mexico

USA TODAY Sports grades Michigan’s 2019 season

The Wolverines didn’t finish with either a failing or succeeding grade.

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The Wolverines did not have a successful 2019 season overall going 9-4 and losing their final two games — against rival Ohio State and the vaunted Alabama Crimson Tide — but there were some bright spots, too.

Michigan ended up beating two of the six ranked teams it faced this season, including a rout of rival Notre Dame in a torrential downpour, and an absolute shellacking of Michigan State — lopsided in ways that game hasn’t been in quite some time.

Regardless, not getting to 10 wins, losing to OSU again and in the bowl game, and in the two ranked road games of the season, it’s impossible to call it a rousing success. But given the wins over two rivals, it wasn’t a complete failure, either.

USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg sees it the same way in his 130 team grades, not giving Michigan a great great or a failing grade, but a slightly above average grade, with the Wolverines pulling in a B-.

With the given grades, Myerberg put Michigan in the same category as Illinois — who Michigan had to sustain a feverish comeback to hold onto victory against — 6-7 Eastern Michigan and 8-5 teams Oklahoma State and Washington. The Wolverines had the best record of those in B- grades and below.

There were few A+s given out. Just national championship winner LSU, runner-up Clemson and surprises Baylor and Minnesota attained such a grade. Rival OSU got an A, Notre Dame came in with a B+ and in-state foe MSU’s 2019 season received a C-. The only Fs were awarded to Akron, Arkansas and Houston.

Michigan DT announces intentions to transfer

The senior will pursue his fifth-year elsewhere.

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So much for the starting defensive line returning intact in 2020.

After a report surfaced on Tuesday that Michigan DT Carlo Kemp intends to return for a fifth year, it looked like all four starters would be returning for a second consecutive season. But some water got thrown on that plan.

Michigan defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour, who dealt with injury all through the season, and didn’t play in the bowl game due to having season ending surgery in December, looks to depart, as he announced on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that he is now in the NCAA transfer portal and will finish his final year in another uniform.

One person close to Dwumfour, as mentioned on the Locked On Wolverines Podcast, had indicated that he intended to return to Michigan for his fifth-year. Plans seem to have changed on that front.

That means the Wolverines will be counting on either Chris Hinton, Mazi Smith or Jess Speight to fill the big void left by Dwumfour’s departure.

He will be eligible immediately with one year left of eligibility at his school of choice.

Locked On Wolverines Podcast (Ep. 280): What Michigan has to do to win big

Big news to discuss, and what the Wolverines have to do in order to reach the upper echelon of college football.

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Per Brandon Justice, Michigan is getting two fifth-year players back in 2020. Why that’s big news and why it is hard to beat the cheaters, but how Michigan puts itself at a disadvantage.

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Report: Two Wolverines to return for fifth years in 2020

According to The Wolverine Lounge’s Brandon Justice, two key players will come back to Ann Arbor in 2020.

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Michigan got some big news on Tuesday with ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reporting that Rutgers filled its defensive coordinator position, thus signaling that linebackers coach Anthony Campanile is likely to return to Ann Arbor for a second season.

But, what about the personnel themselves?

According to The Wolverine Lounge‘s Brandon Justice, it looks like Michigan could be retaining two fifth-year players in 2020, and both are incredibly important to the success of their respective units.

First reported is kicker Quinn Nordin, the big-legged place kicker who booted the go-ahead score just before halftime against Alabama. With second-year kicker Jake Moody chomping at his heels all season, Justice reports that Nordin is going to finish out his intercollegiate eligibility in Ann Arbor, despite getting a solid NFL Draft grade.

Perhaps even more importantly, however, given the (lack of) depth on the interior defensive line, Justice reports that senior defensive tackle and team captain Carlo Kemp will also be returning, per his sources.

In order for Kemp to return, he would have to have an NCAA waiver, as he played in one game in his true freshman season, a mid-season romp over Rutgers in 2016. Given that NCAA rules at that time stated that a redshirt could only be received so long that a player did not participate in any games outside of the first four, Justice indicates that Kemp has gotten said waiver.

Kemp played in 12 games in 2019, but was unable to perform in the VRBO Citrus Bowl to finish out the season, despite dressing for the game and practicing all week. His return bolsters a thin unit, that hasn’t brought in many interior defensive line players as of late, and had former walk-on Jess Speight starting in his place against Alabama. In 2020, Michigan will then have Kemp, Speight, Michael Dwumfour and second-year players Chris Hinton and Mazi Smith available in the middle.

Where Michigan football ranks in final Amway Coaches Poll of 2019

Where the Wolverines rank in the final Amway Coaches Poll and which ranked teams they won and lost to.

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There’s very little difference in the final AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll as it pertains to Michigan.

The Wolverines came in at No. 19 in the final AP Top 25 of 2019, and likewise, that’s where they ranked in the final Amway Coaches Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Also, just like in the AP Top 25, Michigan finished the 2019 season having played six ranked teams, going 2-4 in those games. The maize and blue beat No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 15 Iowa, but lost to No. 3 Ohio State, No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 Penn State and No. 13 Wisconsin.

With four losses on the season, Michigan finished ranked below both teams that it beat, as Notre Dame had but two losses on the season while Iowa had 3.

Full rankings:

1 Louisiana State 15-0 1625 65 1 — 1/6
2 Clemson 14-1 1558 0 3 1 1/3
3 Ohio State 13-1 1497 0 2 -1 2/6
4 Georgia 12-2 1395 0 5 1 3/10
5 Oregon 12-2 1314 0 6 1 5/18
6 Oklahoma 12-2 1275 0 4 -2 4/9
7 Florida 11-2 1250 0 7 — 6/12
8 Alabama 11-2 1198 0 9 1 1/9
9 Penn State 11-2 1080 0 12 3 5/14
10 Minnesota 11-2 962 0 16 6 7/NR
11 Notre Dame 11-2 932 0 14 3 7/16
12 Baylor 11-3 929 0 8 -4 8/NR
13 Wisconsin 10-4 901 0 11 -2 6/17
14 Auburn 9-4 703 0 13 -1 7/16
15 Iowa 10-3 686 0 19 4 14/22
16 Utah 11-3 673 0 10 -6 5/19
17 Memphis 12-2 553 0 15 -2 15/NR
18 Appalachian State 13-1 474 0 20 2 18/NR
19 Michigan 9-4 437 0 17 -2 7/20
20 Navy 11-2 396 0 21 1 20/NR
21 Cincinnati 11-3 382 0 22 1 17/NR
22 Boise State 12-2 273 0 18 -4 13/NR
23 Air Force 11-2 265 0 24 1 23/NR
24 Central Florida 10-3 72 0 NR 6 16/NR
25 Virginia 9-5 47 0 25 — 18/NR

Schools dropped out:

No. 23 Southern California.

Others receiving votes:

Texas 42; Florida Atlantic 32; Washington 29; UL Lafayette 26; Texas A&M 26; Southern California 23; San Diego State 20; Southern Methodist 14; Louisiana Tech 9; Tennessee 8; Kentucky 5; California 4; Louisville 3; Kansas State 3; Hawaii 3; Oklahoma State 1.

ESPN: Anthony Campanile likely retained by Michigan

The positions that the Wolverines LB coach was rumored for are now filled.

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Tuesday looks like it brought some good news to the Michigan football coaching staff.

With special teams coordinator and safeties coach Chris Partridge departing for Ole Miss as the likely defensive coordinator (the Rebels have not announced titles or assignments yet to their new hires), all eyes were on linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, who was in contention for both the Boston College and Rutgers — his alma mater — defensive coordinator positions.

While Jeff Hafley’s BC filling the DC role last week, Rutgers seemed like an obvious destination for Campanile, but on Tuesday, the Scarlet Knights hired away Robb Smith, who coached at Minnesota and was an analyst for Texas A&M in 2019.

According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, that signals that Campanile is likely to stay put in Ann Arbor.

Given Campanile’s prowess in recruiting and having the continuity on the coaching staff, this is excellent news for the Wolverines. At this moment, should that hold true, Michigan will only have to replace Partridge, which would make for the least amount of coaching turnover for the maize and blue in the offseason in Jim Harbaugh’s tenure.

Where Michigan finished in final 2019 AP Top 25 poll

Where the Wolverines came in to finish the 2019 season according to the AP Top 25

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Turns out, there’s little shame in losing to Alabama.

The Wolverines couldn’t survive a second-half against the Crimson Tide in the VRBO Citrus Bowl, with Michigan unable to find any offense being shut out in the final two quarters after its halftime lead.

But with the final AP Top 25, Michigan only fell one spot to No. 19 while Alabama rose one to No. 8.

Ultimately, the maize and blue faced six teams that finished in the AP Top 25, having gone 2-4, with the wins being against No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 16 Iowa at home. The losses came to No. 3 Ohio State, Alabama, No. 9 Penn State and No. 11 Wisconsin.

Full rankings below:

RANK TEAM PV RANK CONFERENCE POINTS
1 LSU (15-0) 1 SEC 1,550
2 Clemson (14-1) 3 ACC 1,487
3 Ohio State (13-1) 2 Big Ten 1,426
4 Georgia (12-2) 5 SEC 1,336
5 Oregon (12-2) 7 Pac-12 1,249
6 Florida (11-2) 6 SEC 1,211
7 Oklahoma (12-2) 4 Big 12 1,179
8 Alabama (11-2) 9 SEC 1,159
9 Penn State (11-2) 13 Big Ten 1,038
10 Minnesota (11-2) 16 Big Ten 952
11 Wisconsin (10-4) 11 Big Ten 883
12 Notre Dame (11-2) 14 IA Independents 879
13 Baylor (11-3) 8 Big 12 827
14 Auburn (9-4) 9 SEC 726
15 Iowa (10-3) 19 Big Ten 699
16 Utah (11-3) 12 Pac-12 543
17 Memphis (12-2) 15 American Athletic 528
18 Michigan (9-4) 17 Big Ten 468
19 Appalachian State (13-1) 20 Sun Belt 466
20 Navy (11-2) 21 American Athletic 415
21 Cincinnati (11-3) 23 American Athletic 343
22 Air Force (11-2) 24 Mountain West 209
23 Boise State (12-2) 18 Mountain West 188
24 UCF (10-3) American Athletic 78
25 Texas (8-5) Big 12 69