The Wolverine

September 2022

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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16 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2022 BY THE NUMBERS 5.5 5.5 Preseason top-10 teams (in the Associated Press poll) on aver- age have finished in the top 10 since 1989, including six in the 2021 season. U-M was ranked No. 8 to begin this campaign, its highest to start a year since 2019 (No. 7). The Maize and Blue were slotted behind No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Clemson, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 7 Utah. Besides U-M and the No. 2-ranked Buck- eyes, two other Big Ten teams made the top 25 — Michigan State at No. 15 and Wisconsin at No. 18. The Wolverines were No. 6 in the coaches poll, its highest preseason placement since 2007 (No. 5). $1 Billion $1 Billion Average dollars per year over seven years for the Big Ten Conference, marking the richest-ever television agreement for a college athletic league. On Aug. 18, the Big Ten an- nounced landmark media rights agreements with CBS, FOX, NBC and NBCUniversal's Peacock. The new partnerships are in addition to FS1 and Big Ten Network and will begin in the summer of 2023. That means this fall will mark the 40th — and final — season in which ESPN will broadcast Big Ten football games. "This team, we need to win again. We need to show that last year was not a fluke. … We need to continue to help Michigan football keep this winning mentality and this atmosphere that we have as a foun- dation for the guys that come after us." — Senior quarterback Cade McNamara "Please silence all mobile devices. Also, for your safety and the safety of all those in attendance, I'm be- ing asked to tell you, please take a moment to locate the nearest exit, in case of an emergency. And if you need help locating that nearest exit, just think of your- self as a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the middle of the fourth quarter last November in Michi- gan Stadium. That's the way you look for an exit!" — U-M graduate and media personality Rich Eisen, who emceed the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony and was met with boos while taking a jab at Ohio State in Buckeye territory (Canton, Ohio) "The guys who do well here are the guys who like football. The guys who are good guys who just want to play football and that's what they want to do, this is a football cathedral. It's all the football you can handle, and more." — Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss on recruiting "Observe a guy, emulate him, then go surpass him." — JIM HARBAUGH on U-M players watching former Wolverines in the pros   INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS 4 Michigan players appeared on The Athletic's an- nual "Freaks List" put together by Bruce Feldman, including senior defensive tackle MAZI SMITH, who checked in No. 1. That marks the third straight season in which U-M has had a top-two player on the list. Per Feldman, Smith can pump out 22 reps of 325 pounds (100 more than the weight at the NFL Combine), close-grip bench 550 pounds, ver- tical jump 33 inches and post a 6.95-second three- cone time, which would have led all defensive tackles at this past spring's NFL Combine. The other Wolverines to make the list were gradu- ate edge Julius Welschof (seventh), senior cor- nerback DJ Turner (31st) and freshman defensive tackle Kenneth Grant (46th). 356 Pounds is what freshman defensive tackle Kenneth Grant weighs, according to U-M's roster, which is the most on the team. He's one of 20 Wolverines to tip the scales at 300-plus pounds. On the flip side, freshman walk-on quarterback Declan Byle is the lightest player on the squad at 169 pounds. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL

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