Hardaway Jr., Michigan - So Far, So Good

Haters please step to the front of the line.

A common trend this week among college basketball insiders is admitting that they were wrong to have pegged Michigan as being overrated after the preseason polls ranked them at #5 to start the year.

Coming off an impressive win against an equally matched #16 NC State team last night, #3 Michigan is 6-0 and off to their best start since the '06-'07 season - where they began the year 7-0. The difference being in '06 they beat teams like Youngstown State and Central Connecticut State, and this season they are taking down established programs like Pittsburgh and Kansas State.

Highlighting all players on the Wolverine roster is the junior guard, Tim Hardaway Jr. 

After slumping during his sophomore season in '11-'12, in which he only shot 41.8% from the field, Hardaway is on a resurgence. Through the first six games of the season, Hardaway's pedigree is beginning to show as he leads his team in scoring, averaging close to 18 points per game, and by shooting an unbelievable 56.2% from the field.

With last night's win, Coach Belein and his team have managed to make it through the difficult portion of their non-conference schedule unscathed. Looking forward at their next seven match-ups, Michigan has a prime opportunity to enter Big Ten play undefeated. The opponents highlighting their next stretch of games being three interstate MAC schools and a struggling 1-3 West Virginia team.

This grace period of games is beneficial to Belein and his staff as it gives them a little over a month to further mature one of the younger rosters in the nation. Doing so is crucial once Big Ten play opens up on Jan. 3rd. With six Big Ten teams are currently ranked in the nations top 25, each game is going to be a battle.

Torii Hunter to the Tigers

Daddy Warbucks does it again.

With today's signing of Torii Hunter, Tigers owner Mike Ilitch once more shows the baseball world that he is willing to do anything - and by that I mean pay anything - to bring a World Series to Detroit.

Hunter (seen right), visited Detroit on Monday and was inked to a 2yr/$26 million deal by early Wednesday. Coming off a season in which he hit a career-high .313 with the Angels, many people still feel that the Tigers paid too much to bring him to Motown.

Now age 37, Hunter is a .277 career hitter with 14-years of experience at the major league level; playing for both Minnesota and most recently the Angels. With the return of Victor Martinez in 2013, who missed the entire 2012 season with a torn ACL, placing Hunter in the two spot next season behind Austin Jackson will on paper make the Tigers 1-6 line-up the most dangerous in the AL, and arguably even the majors (Jackson, Hunter, Cabrera, Fielder, Martinez, and Dirks).

 Also, having won nine career Gold Gloves, Hunter is a perfect fit defensively to fill into that corner outfield position for the Tigers. A position in which Detroit spent all of 2012 searching for some stability.

What makes this Tigers organization so intriguing is that they realize what city their team plays in.

With the exception of hockey, Detroit is not, and has never been, a hot ticket destination for big name free agents. Ilitch and GM Dave Dombrowski (seen left), both know that the only way to bring names like Prince Fielder and Torii Hunter to Detroit is to overpay.

I do have to agree with some of the critics. Overpaying players doesn't guarantee a championship by any means. But if you've watched the New York Yankees over the past 20 or so years, you know that it sure helps. Since 1996, the Yankees have made 10 trips to the ALCS and won seven World Series titles. More than any other team in baseball during that time span.

Detroit's early aggressiveness this offseason may be a sign of things to come. In 2012, the Tigers shed over $20 million in payroll with the departures of  Jose Valverde, Delmon Young, and Brandon Inge.

This puts a little more cash into the pockets of an owner who seemingly has no price limit.

Big Ten - Bizzaro World

It's no secret - Big Ten football is struggling.

Entering a season with five teams ranked in the preseason top 25 polls (Michigan #9, Michigan State #12, Ohio State #14, Wisconsin #15, and Nebraska #21), they have since fielded a gridiron debacle that could have never been foreseen.

Only Michigan and Nebraska are currently still ranked (Nebraska at #14, and Michigan at #21). Ohio State is undefeated and ranked highly in certain polls, but excluded from the BCS due to NCAA sanctions. Wisconsin is receiving votes at 7-3, but having not notched a win against a ranked opponent, they sit outside of the top 25. And Michigan State with a record of 5-5 tops all teams as the conference's biggest disappointment.

Throughout the rest of the conference, almost every team has under-performed. Other than Northwestern sitting at 7-3, no team is achieving anything worthy of analysis.

Luckily, there is a shining light for the Big Ten. A light so bright, it could potentially help erase the embarrassment brought about but their football programs. That light is... college basketball.

Similar to football, entering the college basketball season the Big Ten once again has five teams in the preseason polls; three of them in the top five. Indiana comes in at #1, Ohio St #4, Michigan #5, Michigan State #21, and Wisconsin #22.

Many analysts made claims before the college football season kicked off that certain teams in the Big Ten were ranked too high. Michigan highlighted that talk. Their predictions have for the most part come to pass. However for basketball, there aren't many people doubted the Big Ten's positions in the polls.

As we saw with football, just because a team is ranked high, that doesn't mean they deserve it. There's still a chance that the Big Ten doesn't live up to its preseason basketball rankings, as Michigan State and Purdue have already earned early season losses. But we'll have to wait a couple of months before we make any final conclusions.

For now most of the media buzz still surrounds football, and most likely will until after the bowl season in January. Lets just hope that when the smoke clears, the Big Ten has managed to salvage something positive to take into next fall.

Adrian Peterson Gashes Lions

Before playing Sunday at Minnesota, the Lions appeared to be on a resurgence; winning three of their previous four games. With a chance to go over .500 for the first time since starting the season 1-0, the Vikings thwarted Detroit's attempt, topping the Lions 34-24.

As usual, the Lions were trailing going into the 4th quarter, 20-10. Also as usual, the Lions scored multiple touchdowns in the 4th quarter. The unusual thing was that in most of the Lions comeback wins, their defense stepped up and kept opposing offenses off the scoreboard. Allowing our offense to cut the deficit.

The Viking offense apparently didn't get that memo. They scored 18-points in the final quarter, stifling any comeback attempt by the Lions. One of the big blows coming with eight minutes left on a 61-yard Peterson touchdown run (see video below at 1:43). Peterson finished the day with 171-yards rushing and one touchdown.

The loss came regardless of Stafford and Johnson having arguably their best games of the season. Stafford threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, and Johnson caught 12 passes for 207 yards and a score.

If the Lions can't win when their big-guns bring their 'A' game, then they are definitely in trouble for their remaining seven-game schedule. With a combined opponent winning percentage of .714, this is likely the most daunting stretch of games in all of the NFL. Match-ups include Houston (8-1), Atlanta (8-1), Chicago (7-2), and twice against Green Bay (6-3).

With the inconsistent play of the Lions, you can definitely field an argument that this team could potentially go win-less to close out the season. My bold prediction is exactly that; a 4-12 finish for Detroit. But only time will truly tell.

However, one thing that remains consistent with this team are the crippling 4th quarter deficits that they find themselves in almost weekly.

Someone needs to tell them that the game start at 1:00 PM, not 3:30 PM.

Wolverines top 'Cardiac Cats' - Remain in Hunt for Rose Bowl

Players celebrate with the student section after the overtime victory

Once more, and against all odds, Michigan wins a thriller at the Big House.

Brady Hoke is now 13-0 in Ann Arbor since taking over the head coaching role in 2011. Five of those wins being decided by seven points or less. Saturday's overtime win against Northwestern becoming the most improbable victory for Hoke since the Notre Dame game under the lights last season.

Down three points with 18 seconds remaining in regulation, zero timeouts, and 62-yards of field in front of them, nothing short of a miraculous play was going to keep the Wolverines out of the losing column. And of course, the prayers of 112,000 fans were answered on the following play. 

Devin Gardner hurled a 55-yard bomb to receiver Roy Roundtree, who found himself in single coverage. As the pass showed great arm strength from Gardner, all credit goes to Roundtree on the catch. Seen below in the video, the ball is initially just out of Roundtree's reach, but the defender behind him tips it. Displaying an amazing amount of concentration, Roundtree locates the ball and brings it in for what is now being called one of the plays of the year.

Brandon Gibbons would notch things up at 31 with a 26-yard field goal, sending the game to overtime . Michigan would go on to win after a one-yard touchdown run by Gardner, followed by a huge defensive stop by linebacker Kenny Demens on a 4th and short to end the game. Final score 38-31.

With this win Michigan improves to 7-3 (5-1 in conference play). Nebraska however, remains resilient on their road to Indy. Behind quarterback Taylor Martinez, they managed to pull out another close win; this time a comeback victory against Penn State in which they were down 20-6 at halftime.

As it is not entirely impossible for Michigan to reach the B1G Championship, and potentially the Rose Bowl, it is improbable. They would need win out, and also need Nebraska to lose one game. The remaining two games for Nebraska are against weak opponents in Minnesota and Iowa. Both tied for last in the Legends Division with Michigan State, touting a 2-4 record in conference play.

But if Saturday's wild win is any indication, don't rule the Wolverines out of anything just yet.

Devin Gardner Makes A Statement

Before Saturdays match-up against Minnesota, Michigan's quarterback situation for 2013 was seemingly all but decided.

With 2012 being Denard Robinson's senior season, it was assumed that current high school recruit Shane Morris would be taking the reigns of the Michigan offense next fall. But after an impressive showing from Devin Gardner on Saturday, it appears Michigan may have a future quarterback controversy on their hands.

Michigan 2013 recruit, Shane Morris

Morris (seen right), is a Michigan native who hails from Warren De La Salle high school. Currently, he is listed by ESPN as the nations 26th best recruit for the class of 2013; 4th overall at his given position of quarterback.

For many, he encapsulates everything that a traditional Michigan quarterback should be. A polar opposite from Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner, Morris is an under-center pocket passer who relies more strongly on his arm than legs.

On Saturday, Brady Hoke made a literal game-time decision, and decided to give Devin Gardner the nod at quarterback. This decision was influenced by a lingering nerve injury in the throwing hand of Denard Robinson suffered a week earlier at Nebraska. This injury sidelined Robinson for the remainder of the loss against the Cornhuskers, and also exposed freshman red shirt quarterback Russell Bellomy to be far from game ready.

Gardner, who in 2011 was less than impressive at quarterback, made the switch to wide receiver this season. With Bellomy clearly not ready to take the field again, Gardner took snaps in practice all week leading up to Saturday's match-up against Minnesota.

After a shaky 1st quarter for Gardner that included an interception, he settled in and had one of the better quarterback performances that Michigan had seen in quite sometime. Gardner finished Saturdays 35-10 rout of Minnesota with 12 of 18 passing, 234 yards, and three total touchdowns (one rush TD). His first touchdown (see video - 1:07) in the 2nd quarter jump started his entire performance.

Shane Morris chose to become a Wolverine after refusing offers from both Alabama and rival Michigan State. It was presumed that Brady Hoke would return the favor next fall and choose Morris to be his starter. Devin Gardner has now made Hoke's decision far from final.