Tag: J.J. McCarthy

Ranking Michigan’s Quarterbacks

Drew Henson (image via Detroit News)

This was originally posted on March 17, 2017. It has been updated following the 2022 season.

Sports fans love to debate the greatness of players and rank them in order from most revered to most despised. And while despised probably doesn’t fit any of these players, since they played for the University of Michigan, we all have our favorites. I have endeavored to achieve the un-possible: Rank all of Michigan’s starting quarterbacks.

Okay, that’s too tall of a task for me right now. I’m working up to it. So I’m only going back to 1995, which was the beginning of the Lloyd Carr era. That’s the earliest full coaching tenure where I can count on my recollections of Michigan football. I was a big fan of Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller, and the Michigan Wolverines before then, but I’ll be damned if I say I was aware enough to understand what was happening on the field.

This ranking only takes into account what the quarterbacks achieved wearing the winged helmet. High school highlight tapes and NFL performance aren’t taken into account. (After all, we can agree that Tom Brady is far and away the best quarterback who ever played the game of football, and that includes Uncle Rico.)

So if you were starting a season with your pick of any Michigan QB since 1995, which one would you take?

On with the show:

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U.S. Army/Adidas All-American Bowl Participants: Michigan

Donovan Peoples-Jones

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a comprehensive list of Michigan’s commitments who were selected for the All-American Bowl (formerly the U.S. Army All-American Bowl). The next All-American Bowl will be on January 7, 2023 in San Antonio, TX.

2023
Semaj Bridgeman, LB – Philadelphia, PA

2022
Zeke Berry, S – Concord, CA#
Darrius Clemons, WR – Portland, OR#
Jayden Denegal, QB – Apple Valley, CA
Tyler Morris, WR – La Grange Park, IL#

2021
Junior Colson, LB – Brentwood, TN**
Tommy Doman, Jr., P – Orchard Lake, MI**
J.J. McCarthy, QB – La Grange Park, IL**

2020
Darion Green-Warren – Harbor City, CA
A.J. Henning – Frankfort, IL
Jordan Morant, S – Oradell, NJ
R.J. Moten, S – Delran, NJ
Kalel Mullings, LB – Milton, MA

2019
Daxton Hill, S – Tulsa, OK
Chris Hinton, DT – Norcross, GA
Cornelius Johnson, WR – Greenwich, CT

Hit the jump for the rest of the U.S. Army Bowl participants to play for Michigan since 2001.

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Michigan 43, Purdue 22

Hail to the Victors! It is truly incredible what this team, these coaches, and these players have accomplished over the past couple years. Michigan is 25-2 in that span. Back in the olden days, a 13-0 record would be good enough to be voted a national champion. Regardless of what happens in the College Football Playoff, this team is a national championship-caliber squad. Furthermore, Jim Harbaugh has cemented himself as one of the best coaches in modern football. If I had to name a top three, it would include Harbaugh, Urban Meyer (ugh), and Nick Saban (ugh again). Harbaugh has taken over struggling program after struggling program and made them elite, from Stanford to the San Francisco 49ers to Michigan. A lot of coaches are in the right place at the right time, including guys like Jimbo Fisher, Gene Chizik, Ed Orgeron, etc. to make once-in-a-lifetime runs and then fall off precipitously. There are very few who can consistently redirect a program wherever they go, and Harbaugh is one of them.

Hit the jump for more.

2022 All-Big Ten Teams

The Big Ten released its all-conference teams over the past couple days, and here’s a look at the honorees for Michigan:

FIRST TEAM
RB Blake Corum (Coaches, Media)
C Olu Oluwatimi (Coaches)
OG Trevor Keegan (Coaches)
OG Zak Zinter (Coaches, Media)
DL Mike Morris (Coaches, Media)
DL Mazi Smith (Coaches, Media)

SECOND TEAM
QB J.J. McCarthy (Media)
OT Ryan Hayes (Coaches)
LB Junior Colson (Coaches)
DB D.J. Turner II (Coaches)

THIRD TEAM
WR Ronnie Bell (Coaches, Media)
TE Luke Schoonmaker (Coaches)
LB Mike Barrett (Coaches)

COACH OF THE YEAR: Jim Harbaugh
RUNNING BACK OF THE YEAR: Blake Corum
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Mike Morris
KICKER OF THE YEAR: Jake Moody

Michigan 45, Ohio State 23

I was wrong. I predicted a 35-24 Ohio State victory, and it went almost exactly the opposite way. I didn’t expect Michigan’s offense to be able to keep up with Ohio State’s, especially if Blake Corum was unable to play. Oops.

Pound the rock. Ohio State held up very well against the run for much of the game. In the first half, Michigan rushed for just 20 total yards, including just 6 yards on 2 carries for Blake Corum. They also used C.J. Stokes on 2 carries for just 5 yards. The second half turned into a completely different story. An injured Donovan Edwards, wearing a cast on his right hand, took over the game, carrying the ball in his non-dominant hand. He finished with 22 carries for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. One was a 75-yarder where he outraced safety Lathan Ransom, and the other was a patient attempt where he waited for a crease and then gashed the Buckeyes for 85 yards. Even though Michigan wasn’t successful in the first half, they seemed to wear down Ohio State’s front.

Hit the jump for more.