Tag: Nico Collins

Nico Collins announces return to Michigan in 2020

Huge win for the Wolverines retaining arguably their top receiver.

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It isn’t all bad news for the maize and blue faithful coming out of the VRBO Citrus Bowl loss to Alabama.

Yes, juniors center Cesar Ruiz and receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones both declared for the NFL Draft, and Tarik Black announced he will transfer, but the Wolverines will still have some continuity on offense.

Ronnie Bell has to return for another year, considering he was a sophomore, but Nico Collins has long been considered the top wideout of the Peoples-Jones-DPJ-Black-Collins trio. And despite his counterparts moving on, it turns out Collins still has some ‘unfinished business’ as he put it.

As WolverinesWire reported during bowl week, Collins is set to return to the Wolverines next season, which he made official on Sunday evening, via Twitter.

At 6-foot-4, Collins is Michigan’s big play threat, and his junior season was his best, with 37 receptions for 729 yards and 7 touchdowns in 12 games.

Michigan football offense grades from the 2019 season

Michigan football ended their season 9-4 with some big losses in big games. When looking at the offense, how did everything go?

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Headed into the 2019 season for Michigan there was a lot of hype around the team, more than it ever it seemed like. They were favorites to win the Big Ten Championship with Ohio State losing their head coach Urban Meyer and replaced with Ryan Day. They hired Josh Gattis from Alabama to be their offensive coordinator and preached “Speed in Space” all off-season long.

Michigan got quarterback Shea Patterson back for his senior year. After deciding to return to Michigan for another year, Patterson brought back leadership and experience. The biggest return besides Patterson was the healthy trio of wide receivers in Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins, and Tarik Black. They would look to dominate for the first time together as a group and with this new offense, they could excel their abilities.

While those two positions looked strong, the running back room looked questionable. With Chris Evans getting suspended for the entire season due to academics, Michigan lost their best receiving running back, and one that was fast and shifty, making defenders left and right miss. They would have to rely on the youth that had never really played for the Wolverines yet. The offensive line would be filled with veteran starters except for right tackle as that battle was between Jalen Mayfield and Andrew Steuber, and it looked to be head coach Jim Harbaugh’s best group of guys he’s ever had.

Overall it was looked at a great chance for the Wolverines to finally claim the top spot in the Big Ten, yet, they finished the season 9-4. They beat Michigan State in back-to-back years for the first time since 2006-2007 and got revenge on Notre Dame from the loss in 2018. But when it came to taking on Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State, and even Alabama, Michigan couldn’t figure out how to get the job done.

With that said, it’s time to review how each position, including head coach and coordinators, did in the 2019 season, starting with the offense. While it wasn’t the result that everyone wanted, there are still some positives to take away from the 2019 season as the 2020 season is the next focus.

Quarterback: B+

Patterson had his final season in Ann Arbor be the best one he’s ever had. While he wasn’t in the Heisman conversation or blowing up the stat sheet, Patterson overall had a good year. His struggles with fumbling were the main issue in the first half of the season and it was a serious issue for him that was hurting the team. He did have some accuracy issues as well, overthrowing open wide receivers, or making some questionable throws into coverage.

The second half of the season though, his fumbling issues were almost gone, and he started clicking with his receivers on some big plays. Patterson finished the year going 214/381 with a 56.2 completion percentage for 3,061 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 87 carries for 50 yards and five touchdowns. The completion percentage was his worst since his freshman year at Ole Miss, and while he is to blame for some of the issues, there were games where the ball would be right where it needed to be and the wide receivers couldn’t hold onto the football.

Patterson was inconsistent at times and that’s not what you can be when it’s time to play in the big games. Either way, Patterson did all he could and in the end, it wasn’t enough to push Michigan to the next level.

The backups got some action this year. Backup Dylan McCaffrey went 10/20 with a 50 percent completion percentage for 116 yards and a touchdown, along with 13 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. Third-string Joe Milton went 3/7 with a 42.9 completion percentage for 59 yards with a touchdown and an interception, along with five carries for 16 yards and a touchdown. These two will duke it out over the offseason this year and battle for the starting rights in 2020.

Running Back: B

With Evans suspended, that left freshman Zach Charbonnet as the projected starter, but he would have to earn it. Harbaugh named Tru Wilson the starter at the Big Ten Media Days, but Wilson would never start. Charbonnet would eventually start, but as the season progressed, that job went to Hassan Haskins. Those three running backs, along with Christian Turner, would see some playing time, but it was Charbonnet and Haskins who ended up being the best of the group.

Charbonnet finished the season as the leading rusher with 149 carries for 726 yards and 14 touchdowns, along with eight catches for 30 yards. Charbonnet would have some wear and tear heading into the season coming off a minor surgery on his knee in March and he would be limited after a few games into the season, but he’d play in every game. He had the best season as a freshman running back in school history since Mike Hart back in 2004. Charbonnet has a bright future with a full off-season to prepare for the 2020 season and without going to surgery.

Haskins finished the season with 121 carries for 622 yards and four touchdowns, along with six catches for 40 yards. Haskins took advantage of the time Charbonnet was limited and forced himself to be involved with the offense more. His involvement will be interesting next season with Evans returning.

Wilson would get involved with the running game still, finishing with 44 carries for 221 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 14 yards. Turner, a player projected to compete for the starting running back job, only played in eight games and was pushed down the depth chart with others out-performing him. He finished the year with 44 carries for 171 yards and a touchdown, along with four catches for 13 yards.

Wide Receiver: B-

The wide receivers at Michigan were projected to have a big year in the new offense, along with the others as it fits their style and it could help them open up some lanes for the running backs as well. In the end, they weren’t as explosive as they’d like to be, but it took six games to get things to click and when things are clicking, this offense is putting up points easily.

Peoples-Jones would somewhat regress in the offense, getting only 34 catches for 438 yards and six touchdowns, along with 24 punt returns for 173 yards. 2018 saw more catches, yards, touchdowns, return yards and even a punt return touchdown for Peoples-Jones. While Peoples-Jones took a small step back, Collins improved off his sophomore campaign. Collins finished the season with 37 catches for 729 yards and seven touchdowns.

Collins and Peoples-Jones were the big two wide receivers, but Black was the third piece that has been limited since arriving in Ann Arbor in 2017 as he’s dealt with two separate foot injuries that held him to just six games the past two seasons. Black would play in 11 games this year, but his play seemed to have taken a hit, along with others around him emerging, his playtime would be limited, finishing with just 25 catches for 323 yards and a touchdown.

One of the biggest wide receivers to play big this season was Ronnie Bell, who finished as the leading receiver in yards and catches, with 47 catches for 747 yards and a touchdown. Three freshman wide receivers got involved with the offense as well, showing the future is bright at the position. Giles Jackson had nine catches for 142 yards with one touchdown, along with 10 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. Mike Sainristil had eight catches for 145 yards and a touchdown, while Cornelius Johnson had four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.

The biggest flaw for the group this year was dropping catches. Some of the drops were due to good hits by the defense, others were wide open and the ball would drop out of their hands. They couldn’t hold onto the football when they needed it most sometimes and that is not what you want to see when down and trying to move the ball down the field.

Tight End: C+

With the change of the offense, the tight ends wouldn’t be used as much in the passing game as their blocking was more of the focus to help the running game get extra help. Senior Sean McKeon’s final season was this year and he finished with 13 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Eubanks was used more as the receiver with 26 catches for 254 yards and four touchdowns.

Some of the blocking by both men was inconsistent, as one week they’d do well, the other they’d miss and struggle. With the offense not using the tight ends as much, they became less of an offensive weapon and more of a blocker, which opened up doors for more wide receivers to get in on the receiving action.

Offensive Line: A-

The lone position to get an A this season, the offensive line was the strongest it’s been at Michigan in a very long time. While Michigan would be without starting left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. for the first two games, backup Ryan Hayes did well in his place and will certainly be a starter or close to it next season. Left guard Ben Bredeson had another solid season, starting center Cesar Ruiz was great once again, and he declared for the draft after another great year, and starting right guard Michael Onwenu was huge once again.

The big battle at right tackle between Andrew Stueber and Jalen Mayfield ended before the season started as Stueber tore his ACL. Mayfield would play well as the starting right tackle and will look to defend his job in 2020 as Stueber returns and will be looking to start at that position or left tackle, possibly even at guard too.

When reviewing the season as a whole, the coaches got to get involved too…
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Predicting who returns to Michigan in 2020

Michigan football has many players who could leave for the NFL draft after the Citrus bowl. Who has a high risk of leaving or returning?

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The final game of the 2019 season is coming up quick for the Michigan football team. They take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, January 1 at 1 p.m. in the Citrus Bowl. While the matchup is what everyone is talking about, there are two other questions people are asking and wondering before the game.

Who will be playing in the game, and who will be declaring for the NFL draft? While players participating in the bowl game in the past few years has been a controversial subject, Michigan expects it to be all hands on deck against Alabama as no players are expected to miss the bowl game this year.

The NFL declarations though, those haven’t been finalized just yet. Underclassmen have until January 20 to decide whether they are going to the NFL draft, or return to college for another year or two depending on their class. So far, only one Michigan player has declared for the draft, linebacker Josh Uche.

Now no information is known on whether any of these players will return or leave, this is solely a prediction. First, let’s get the easy one out of the way.

QB  Shea Patterson – Leaves

This one is the most obvious of them all. Quarterback Shea Patterson could possibly pursue a fifth-year of eligibility, but he’s already accepted an invite to the East-West Shrine Game to help his NFL draft stock. While that doesn’t mean he is officially leaving, it’s a sign that he’s ready to move on.

Patterson has said he hasn’t thought about a possible fifth-year of eligibility and there honestly isn’t a reason for him to return. Patterson has had a solid career at Michigan, throwing for 5,428 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. While the 2021 NFL Draft class isn’t as loaded at the quarterback position as the 2020 NFL Draft class, Patterson has shown everything he can do at Michigan. Against Alabama too, it’s the perfect game to go out on.

WR Nico Collins – Stays

One of the top two wide receivers for Michigan that could declare for the draft this year is Nico Collins. Collins came onto the scene last year with former Michigan wide receiver Tarik Black getting injured before the season started. Since then Collins has been a big part in the Michigan passing game, known for his catches in coverage, drawing pass interference penalties and gaining big chunks of yardage as the deep threat.

In his three years at Michigan, Collins has 74 catches for 1,340 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s shown his potential to be an NFL wide receiver, but this class is deep and there are more talented players than him out there right now. He’s improved since last season, but not enough to put him higher on a draft board. A senior year would be perfect for him to be a possible first-round wide receiver in 2021.

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones – Leaves

The other star wide receiver getting attention is Donovan Peoples-Jones. Peoples-Jones had a slow start at Michigan during his freshman year, but in 2018 he broke out and had another good year this season. While his numbers aren’t impressive to receive a first-round grade, if he can do well at the combine, he could see himself as a second-round pick.

In his three years at Michigan, Peoples-Jones has 102 catches for 1,293 yards with 14 touchdowns, along with 88 punt returns for 745 yards and two touchdowns. Peoples-Jones made some spectacular catches this season and his potential alone is the reason why he could declare.

TE Nick Eubanks – Stays

Backup tight end Nick Eubanks could declare for the NFL draft, and with starting tight end Sean McKeon graduating, Eubanks is projected to start next season at the position. Eubanks also hasn’t had that impressive of a career so far at Michigan, getting just 34 catches for 458 yards and four touchdowns.

Those numbers aren’t eye-popping and while Eubanks is talented, another year at Michigan would certainly help his chances at getting drafted in 2021. A good performance against Alabama though could possibly turn some heads.

C Cesar Ruiz – Leaves

Out of all of the players on this list, this one is the biggest one of them all. Starting center Cesar Ruiz returning would be a huge boost for an offensive line that is losing a lot next season. Left tackle Jon Runyan Jr, left guard Ben Bredeson, and right guard Michael Onwenu are all graduating. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield will return, so if Ruiz leaves, only one returning offensive lineman will be back in 2020.

Ruiz returning would be a big boost for the interior offensive line, and with tackle Andrew Stueber returning from his injury, that’d be three experienced linemen on the 2020 squad instead of two. Ruiz is one of the top centers in this draft class though, so his odds of getting drafted high are possible.

DT Michael Dwumfour – Stays

After having a powerful 2018 season, defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour didn’t have an impressive 2019 campaign to add on top of it. He is eligible to be a fifth-year senior and that would be a good option for him.

Dwumfour has 33 total tackles, six and a half tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass deflections, and an interception. His NFL draft stock isn’t high as of today as is, so another year wearing the winged helmet could give him a chance at getting his name called in April 2021.

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Schemmy Awards: Offensive Player of the Year

One Wolverine stood out above the rest on the offensive side of the ball.

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Michigan’s offense was a work in progress in 2019, but really started to show out as the season progressed.

Therefore, at the annual Schemmy Awards, formerly the Michigan football bust, held on Sunday at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, there were a lot of candidates for the best player on that side of the ball.

Naturally, with new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis installing a new ‘speed in space’ attack, it took some Herculean efforts to get the offense on track. As Gattis noted: “It takes all 11 players on the field, each and every play,” further praising how the Wolverines faced eight Top 30 defenses in 2019, and still ended up being one of the most efficient attacks in the country.

The nominees for offensive player of the year, given to the best player on offense, regardless of position, were: WR Ronnie Bell, who led the team in receiving; two-time team captain and LG Ben Bredeson; WR Nico Collins, who leads the Big Ten in yards-per-catch and QB Shea Patterson.

But only one could take home the award, and though he wasn’t targeted as much as some fans would have liked, Nico Collins won the award, as voted on by his teammates.

Collins finished the regular season with 33 receptions for 681 yards and 7 touchdowns. He averaged 20.64 yards per catch.

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Michigan players: Beating Ohio State is season-defining

Michigan football will try and upset the Buckeyes on Saturday, as the Wolverines know this is a season-defining game for them.

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No matter the record, no matter the history, no matter what is going on, every year the biggest game for Michigan is against Ohio State. The same goes for the Buckeyes as they treat it just as serious as the Wolverines, if not a step further.

Michigan has been on the losing end of the rivalry for the past 15 years, winning just once in 2011. Despite the lopsidedness in recent years, both teams still want to go out and win this game more than any other on their schedule. It’s the Superbowl for both teams and even if they ever both come into the game 0-11, that one win would mean even more knowing that it was against their rival and that 12th loss would sting more than the rest.

This year’s win could be a huge defining game for both teams. If Michigan wins, it’s easily their best win on the season as they would beat the best team in college football and have the Buckeyes only loss be to them would be something they could throw at them, even if they win the national championship.

If Ohio State wins the game, they go undefeated and secure a playoff spot for themselves and defeat another ranked team to boost their strength of schedule argument and once again proclaim that they own the Wolverines.

The players on Michigan know just how much of a season-defining game this can be for this team, and how important it is to their season every year.

“I believe this game is a big part of our season, put the icing on top of our season,” linebacker Khaleke Hudson said. “It’s huge for us. Feel like we don’t got nothing to lose, we’re going out there with just a dawg mentality. Just try to go out there and try to ruin anything they got planned on going while still staying to our task. Staying true to what we want to do for the rest of our season. Just going out there and trying to be the best team.”

“We always want to win the game, (go) against this team with a win,” wide receiver Nico Collins said. “This is probably the most important time of the year in November. Those are the ones you remember.

Not only do the players know it’s a big game for them, but they also know how important it is to Ohio State, their players and the coaching staff.

“Absolutely, I think this is a huge part of both of our programs, is this matchup,” offensive lineman Ben Bredeson said. “I think any time you beat Ohio State or they beat us, it’s considered a good season at the respective school. Obviously, there’s other games on the schedule, but we all know which one’s the most important.”

“Yeah, to me, I think it does, probably them, too,” tight end Nick Eubanks said. “It probably defines their season as well. We know what type of game this is. We know what we need in this game. We’re looking for the results on Saturday.”

What kind of results will be on the stat sheet when the clock it’s all zeros after the fourth quarter happens? Only time will tell on that answer but both teams will be hoping their team scored more after 60 minutes as their seasons could drastically change after this game, win or lose.

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Playing spoiler to Buckeyes season on the minds of Wolverines on Saturday

Michigan football takes on Ohio State this week with OSU heavily favored. The Wolverines are ignoring that and looking to play spoiler.

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Michigan vs. Ohio State this year has some hefty implications with it. Michigan needs all the help they can get to reach the College Football Playoffs and are most likely playing for a New Year’s Six bowl game, while the Buckeyes are almost a CFP guarantee if they are able to win at least one of their final two games.

Ohio State is coming in 11-0 and has a lot of pressure on them to win this game and finish the year undefeated. Not only finish undefeated but beating Michigan for the eighth year in a row and walk into the Big Ten title game as a playoff team no matter what.

While Michigan most likely won’t reach the playoffs, they can ruin the chances of the Buckeyes reaching there. They can also ruin the perfect season for the Buckeyes, making them see that the only loss was to Michigan. Playing as a spoiler can be another added layer to the game this year as Michigan would love nothing better than to put a damper on Ohio State’s season.

“This is something that’s not only important to them, but important to us,” tight end Nick Eubanks said. “This is going to be a physical game and we’re looking forward to the outcome. We can control the outcome. That’s one thing we’re looking for Saturday.”

Michigan is coming off a four-game winning streak after losing a heartbreaker to Penn State, and since that loss to the Nittany Lions, the Wolverines have rebounded well. The defense is playing tighter and the offense is finally hitting on all cylinders. Michigan knows they are playing well, and they know how good Ohio State is too.

“We know Ohio State is a great team — we’re a great team also,” wide receiver Nico Collins said. “We’ll see how it is on Saturday. Our goal is to end our season with a win. (I’m sure that’s their goal), too — we’ll just see who wants it more on Saturday.”

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3 Things to Watch for Against Ohio State

Michigan football takes on Ohio State this week as they look to pull off a huge upset. What are the three main things to focus on?

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Michigan is fresh off a 39-14 win over Indiana last week. This week has more substance and grit as they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the annual rivalry game that the Buckeyes have had control of for the past 15 years, with Michigan getting just one win within that time frame.

Michigan is 9-2 with another chance for a 10 win season once again, as a win would be Harbaugh’s fourth season with at least 10 wins at Michigan. Michigan needs to do everything it can to pull off this upset as the Buckeyes are coming in undefeated and the best version that Harbaugh has ever seen in the past four games. If Michigan wants to ruin anyone’s season, it’s Ohio State’s and their opportunity is right in front of them.

Check out my main three things to watch this week against Ohio State.

1. Is containing Chase Young possible?

Michigan’s offensive line has its biggest challenge this year as they are going up against Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. Young is having a phenomenal year, getting 38 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and one pass deflection. Michigan hasn’t played any defensive ends like Young all year long.

He will bring a challenge to not only the offensive line, but the tight ends and they will need to help the tackles in making sure Young can’t get past them and in the backfield. If Michigan is able to even keep Young somewhat out of the game, that’s a big win for them. He came off his two-game suspension by getting nine total tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Young is out for blood after the suspension and with the Wolverines up next he’s going to want his best game of the season against them. Michigan State was the only team to really quiet Young down this year, holding him to four tackles, one for loss and a half a sack. The Wolverines need to find out what MSU did and do something similar to that in order to keep him on a leash. If Michigan can’t control Young, he will be feasting on them all day long.

2. Michigan’s receivers vs. Ohio State’s secondary

The most interesting battle for this game is the matchup between the Michigan wide receivers and the Ohio State secondary. Ohio State has the number one overall defense and when it comes to their passing defense they are number one in that category as well. They’ve allowed 1,388 yards, six touchdowns, and have 14 interceptions. They allow an average 126.2 yards a game and the completion percentage of opposing quarterbacks is 51.9 percent.

Michigan’s wide receivers might be a problem for the Buckeyes secondary as it could be the best group they’ve matched up with all season long. You have Nico Collins who wins a majority of the 50/50 balls and is a huge deep threat for the Wolverines, Ronnie Bell who can quickly get open and get past the defenders, Donovan Peoples-Jones who can make some tough contested catches, and Tarik Black who can hurt you deep or short.

That isn’t all though. There are three freshman wide receivers who’ve had an impact on the offense. Cornelius Johnson can beat you deep with his speed, or make you miss a tackle or two. Mike Sainristil has been making low catches, high catches, almost everything near his direction he has a chance at catching, and Giles Jackson who could be the fastest offensive player on the team as he can be lined up in the slot, out wide, or even at running back, and run right by everyone.

Ohio State has some cornerbacks that are projected to get drafted in the NFL this year and that will certainly be the toughest secondary the Wolverines have gone up against all season long. Will the receivers still be able to get open? Will the secondary struggle against the depth of the Wolverines? That won’t be decided until the game kicks off.

3. Which Shea Patterson will show up?

Michigan starting quarterback Shea Patterson has had an impressive career in his two years at Michigan. Last year, Patterson struggled in his debut against Notre Dame, but then fixed his mistakes and played well up until Ohio State and Florida in the bowl game.

This year the struggles weren’t just for a game to start the year, on the first play of the season Patterson scrambled and fumbled the football, along with injuring his oblique. Patterson did fine in the first half of the season. Fine though, was just that. He was horrendous when holding onto the football, fumbling six times in the first six games, losing four of them. He was able to pass the ball with some success, but not many passes were thrown deep and he never threw for over 300 yards.

Then once the second half of the season started against Penn State, the first half was tough for Patterson, but in the second half he and the rest of the team found their groove and since then the fumbling issues have subsided. Patterson has fumbled the ball four times, three times against Notre Dame in a downpour. Patterson hasn’t had much fumble issues, when the weather is fine, in the second half of the season. Patterson also started taking shots downfield, using his legs more to run, throwing for over 300 yards in two straight games, and setting new records at Michigan.

So going up against Ohio State, what version of Patterson will we see? The one that could still produce and score for the team, but coughed up the football and gave the defense more chances to win, and wasn’t using his receivers to their full potential? Or will he play like he has since that loss to Penn State, like a man on a mission who has found the answers to the questions he had earlier in the year and has the comfortable playstyle to do what he wants?

This game could define his legacy in Ann Arbor, and with an undefeated record at home, Patterson could leave the Big House for the final time without ever losing in front of the Wolverine fans.

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5 Players to Watch Against Ohio State

Michigan football takes on Ohio State in the season finale as the Wolverines try and pull off an upset. Who are the five players to watch?

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Michigan’s biggest challenge of the year, Ohio State, is this week as the Wolverines look to try and pull off something nobody has been able to do this season, beat the Buckeyes. Michigan is coming off a 39-14 win over Indiana. Ohio State is coming off a 28-17 win over Penn State that made the Buckeyes look human.

Ohio State’s playoff hopes are on the line this week as a loss would put them up in the air. A win in the Big Ten championship off a loss to Michigan would put them right back in the fight. A loss could still be something as if they beat Michigan, then lose in the title game next week, their season could be over. Beating Michigan gives them a cushion if they lose the conference championship game next week.

Michigan would love nothing more than to ruin the Buckeyes playoff hopes and undefeated season. For that to happen, they will need everyone to help out and contribute to their absolute best. Check out which five players to watch for Saturday’s game below.

1. QB Shea Patterson – MICHIGAN

When you talk about Michigan’s recent success, it all starts with the quarterback play by Shea Patterson. Patterson has been playing the best football he’s ever played lately, throwing for 1,001 yards, 12 touchdowns and an interception in his team’s four-game winning streak. Patterson is taking control of the offense and doing things we haven’t seen until recently.

He’s taking shots downfield, letting his receivers go up and grab the football where the defender can’t grab it. He isn’t running as much as he was earlier in the year, but that can certainly change this week when going up against the best defense in the country. Patterson needs to keep playing with the hot hand that he’s had recently if he wants to keep his record in Ann Arbor without a loss.

For Ohio State’s offense, their quarterback who is in the Heisman race this year…
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Ravens bolster their offensive depth in Draft Wire’s latest 4-round mock

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire put together a four-round mock draft after Week 12 that has the Baltimore Ravens adding valuable depth

The Baltimore Ravens are on a roll right now. Having won seven-straight games and looking like the best team in the NFL, all eyes are on Baltimore. But part of what makes the Ravens such a consistently great franchise is that they continuously look forward. So while they sit at 9-2 and are fighting for the top seed in the AFC playoff picture, expect scouts and general manager Eric DeCosta to already be paying some attention to the 2020 NFL draft.

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire is also starting to look at how the 2020 NFL draft could play out. In a four-round mock draft, Easterling has Baltimore grabbing Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor with the 30th pick in the first round.

“This rushing attack is already dangerous, but Mark Ingram won’t be around forever, so the Ravens should be targeting a potential replacement sooner than later. Justice Hill is a promising change-of-pace back, but Taylor’s complete skill set and physical running style would be too perfect to pass up here.”

Easterling has three running backs coming off the board in the first round, which seems unlikely. Though Baltimore is certainly proving a potent rushing attack can still be deadly in the NFL, pretty much the entire league has focused on high-flying aerial attacks instead. But if the board does play out this way, Baltimore would be getting Easterling’s second running back of the night and a good fit for their scheme.

As noted, Ingram is towards the tail end of his career. Though he’s having a career season with the Ravens, Ingram will turn 30 later this season. If Baltimore is smart, they’ll be looking for his eventual replacement as the power back between the tackles. And that’s where Taylor excels.

Still, with Ingram and Hill still under contract and Gus Edwards set to be an exclusive-rights free agent (effectively keeping him on the roster if the Ravens want him next year), I’m not sure if Baltimore has to spend their first-round pick on a running back with the future in mind. If Taylor is a guy they absolutely love, the Ravens have shown they’ll use a first-round pick and bring him into the fold slowly but really good running backs can often be found in the middle rounds where they’re a better value.

Click on the next page to see who Baltimore grabs with their other selections.

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Even amidst one-sided stretch, The Game remains as important as ever

Michigan hasn’t won the Big Ten in 15 years. They’ve beaten Ohio State once in that stretch. The two facts coinciding are not a coincidence.

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It’s often said that college football is built on rivalry games. Other sports have them – Yankees-Red Sox, Lakers-Celtics, Packers-Bears, Duke-North Carolina – but college football rivalries burn with a special intensity.

And if the sport itself is built on these rivalries, it isn’t too much of a stretch to suggest that programs are built on them as well.

Michigan-Ohio State is, in the minds of many, the greatest rivalry in college football. Some would go as far as to say it’s the greatest rivalry in all of sports, period.

As special as this game is to the fans on both sides, there’s nothing that compares to being an actual participant, whether as a coach or a player.

“I’m very aware of the rivalry, having played in it, having coached in it,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “I grew up here and my dad was a coach. As I liken the Michigan State game to a state championship, this is even bigger. This is two-states’ championship, Michigan and Ohio. We’re excited about it. We’re excited for the challenge.”

Harbaugh watched his father coach in the game. He watched his mentor, Bo Schembechler, compete against Woody Hayes in the game.

“Pretty much had a pretty good understanding of this rivalry at a very young age,” Harbaugh said, noting also that he had great respect for the coaches and players on both sides.

Players born in these two states grow up with an appreciation for ‘The Game.’ Others born outside the rivalry, like Michigan’s Nick Eubanks – a native of Florida – quickly learn what it’s about once they step on campus.

“Michigan and Ohio State probably wasn’t relevant in my time, but as I grew up, started watching more football, it became known that this was a big rivalry,” Eubanks said. “I looked at this game more, the more I started getting interested in it. When I committed here, I had a chance my freshman year to see the big rivalry, it became very important to me and the team, too.”

Having grown up in Alabama, wide receiver Nico Collins is certainly aware of the ‘Iron Bowl’ between Alabama and Auburn – the rivalry that is often debated against ‘The Game’ as the top feud in the sport.

Collins may have grown up with the Iron Bowl, but his attention is fully on The Game this week.

“This game means a lot to me,” Collins said. “This game means a lot obviously to both teams, coaches. This game is really personal for everybody. I’ll go out Saturday, just have fun and enjoy the moment.”

Senior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp noted that even with a game-by-game approach, rivalry games stick in players’ minds throughout a season.

“This game means a lot to all of us just because there’s two games that you think about the entire year when you come to Michigan,” Kemp said. “Two of the most historic rivalries in all of football, in college sports. Nothing’s gonna change in our approach. Our whole approach this year has been day-by-day, brick-by-brick, game-by-game and on defense, play-by-play. That’s what it’s gonna take for us to be successful on Saturday.”

Linebacker Khaleke Hudson, a defensive captain alongside Kemp, agrees with his co-captain’s sentiments.

“It means a lot to me,” Hudson said. “Coming here, that’s one of your main goals, to come out and beat Ohio, beat Michigan State, beat Penn State, beat Wisconsin, beat the best teams in the Big Ten. This game means a lot to me.”

The past decade and a half of the rivalry has been unkind to the Wolverines. Michigan is 1-14 in that stretch, and it should come as no surprise that the Wolverines have failed to win a Big Ten championship over the same period.

Programs are built by beating their rivals. Ohio State has thrived in Big Ten play these past 15 seasons, winning or sharing the conference title nine times. Michigan’s program crumbled in the period, leading to an unprecedented conference title drought.

There are a lot of reasons why this game means so much to both programs, but the evidence above points to perhaps the biggest reason this rivalry is so important.

The Wolverines desperately need a win in The Game. Harbaugh desperately needs to end his winless streak as Michigan’s head coach in The Game. His program is depending on it.

“My feelings? I’m excited for the game. Excited. Up for and ready for the challenge,” Harbaugh said. “I love the competition. This is the biggest game of the year.”

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