The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1433691
DECEMBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 11 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS The Wolverines need time to rebuild By Chris Balas Many wondered how head coach Juwan Howard would do incorporating some highly touted but still young freshmen into his lineup this year, espe- cially after losing two outstanding players to the NBA (Franz Wagner and Isaiah Livers), and key pieces in Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown. To say there have been a few bumps in the road would be an understatement. U-M gave one away in a disappointing home loss to Seton Hall and got crushed by Arizona in Las Vegas. The worst part about the latter — the effort seemed to be lacking on defense. The Wildcats got what they wanted when they wanted and finished with 18 dunks. Freshman Caleb Houstan has struggled — hit- ting only 25.8 percent from long range after six games — and he was supposed to be the Wol- verines' best shooter. The lack of a consistent three-point threat has allowed teams to collapse on sopho- more big man Hunter Dickinson, bogging down the offense. All is not lost. There is still a lot of talent on this team, and point guard DeVante' Jones hasn't played his best ball. Sometimes it takes time for teams to jell, and that appears to be the case with this group. Expect them to come around and finish in the top five of a weaker Big Ten and comfort- ably make the tournament. Michigan can still win the crown this year By Clayton Sayfie Michigan didn't look like a top-25 team in the second week of the season, losing to Seton Hall on its home floor and getting beaten down by Arizona in Las Vegas. Many wondered, 'How could this be the No. 4 team in the nation?' The Wolverines were clearly overvalued early in the season and don't look like a Final Four contender or potential Big Ten champion … yet. The Maize and Blue also didn't appear to have a national-title-game ceiling in 2017-18 after blowing a nine-point lead with five minutes to go and falling to LSU in Maui, 77-75, but they played on Monday night in April. Following the loss to the Wildcats, head coach Juwan Howard noted his team has a lot of work to do — and he's right. Michigan lost four of its top five players from a year ago, including play- makers Mike Smith and Franz Wagner, an elite shooter in Isa- iah Livers and a high-energy sixth man in Chaundee Brown. Bringing in seven newcomers isn't exactly the formula for early-season success, but there's enough talent for Howard and his excellent staff to forge the group into what everyone expected. Peaking at the right time is the key, and there are still a few weeks before Big Ten play gets into full swing. U-M still has a great shot at defending its conference title. POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT CAN MICHIGAN BASKETBALL IMPROVE AND DEFEND ITS BIG TEN TITLE? 1969 MICHIGAN vs OHIO STATE GAME Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan ON DVD!! One of the greatest upsets in the history of college football – The defending National Champion and undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes vs the 7-2 Michigan Wolverines under a new head coach! This was one of OSU coach Woody Hayes' finest teams. Ohio State had won 22 games in a row and had not lost a game at Ann Arbor in ten years! Some sportswriters were calling the Buckeyes the greatest college team of all time and had installed Ohio State as 17-point favorites –— at Michigan Stadium! But, by the end of the day, a sky-high Michigan team led by first year head coach Bo Schembechler, had totally outplayed Ohio State in front of an all-time NCAA record crowd of 103,588, had tied for the Big Ten Title and was heading to the Rose Bowl! The original network tapes have been digitally restored by Rare Sportsfilms for outstanding color and picture sharpness and now this historic classic is available for the first time on DVD! Bill Flemming and Lee Grosscup call the action! This entire TV broadcast, plus the pre-game show, includes all the original commercials and also features pre-game and halftime performances by both the Ohio State and University of Michigan Marching Bands! Pre-game interviews feature Jack Tatum of Ohio State and Jim Mandich of Michigan, as well as Buckeye coach Woody Hayes! Players in action you will see throughout the game include quarterback Don Moorhead, Billy Taylor, Marty Huff, Thom Darden, Dan Dierdorf, Glenn Doughty, Garvie Craw and Barry Pierson of Michigan. For Ohio State you'll see quarterback Rex Kern, Jim Otis, Mike Sensibaugh, Leo Hayden, Jan White, Jim Stillwagon, Larry Zelina, Stan White and many others! This game marked the beginning of the famous "Woody vs Bo Ten-Year War", and is one of the most significant games in the history of Michigan-Ohio State football! Running Time: 3 Hours, 20 Minutes $29.95 FREE SHIPPING! "RARE SPORTSFILMS W" 1126 Tennyson Lane, Naperville, IL 60540 1-630-527-8890 Juwan Howard's team started the year 4-2, losing to Seton Hall and Arizona. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL