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Posted on Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 11:30 a.m.

Meandering through the maize (and blue): ESPN likes Michigan's running backs

By Michael Rothstein

At many positions this year, Michigan will be a young team with a lot of questions.

There's quarterback, where no one knows the starter yet. There's questions in the secondary and at wide receiver, where there's a bunch of players who still need to make names for themselves.

At running back, though, ESPN believes Michigan is set. Adam Rittenberg of the Big Ten blog named the Wolverines as the third-best running back group in the league. Brandon Minor leads that group.

While you're debating whether or not Rittenberg is right, check out these links:

FOOTBALL:

  • Michigan and Tennessee may have ended up costing Notre Dame a sweetheart deal with Connecticut. The Wolverines and Vols have made decisions to go home-and-home with the Huskies. The Irish had refused and now their six-year deal might be in serious jeopardy.
  • Mgoblog gives its usual in-depth Tuesday recruiting breakdown.
  • Quintin Woods signed with Michigan out of high school. Now at Kansas, he's a pretty big deal in Lawrence.
  • Maize n' Brew breaks down the spread offense and why it'll work.
  • BASKETBALL:

  • Potential recruit Ray McCallum Jr. picked up even more attention during the July recruiting period, Chris Monter writes for Scout.com.
  • In the file this away category for the future, Grand Rapids is making a push to host first-and-second round NCAA tournament games beginning in 2011. That could lead to an extremely close couple of games for the Wolverines if they are good enough.
  • OTHER STUFF:

  • This may only interest me and other journalists, but Joe Posnanski, one of the best writers in the country, is moving to Sports Illustrated full-time. You know, in case you still read it.
  • Not sports, but an amazing story about The Smoking Gun catching notorious pranksters who made life very difficult for hotels around the country.
  • James Briggs of annarbor.com catches up with Betsey Armstrong, the former Michigan water polo goalkeeper and a recent gold medalist with the United States at the World Championships.
  • Comments

    Txmaizenblue

    Thu, Aug 6, 2009 : 12:19 p.m.

    Yep, that time of year when everyone thinks their teams is the best thing since sliced bread. Here come to glossy-eyed predictions Michigan will go 10-2, beat OSU and blah, blah, blah. I'll be satisfied to get over.500....cautiously optimistic that Michigan will somehow do it. I just hope to see a quarterback that presents hope for a future, and a defense that can show some physical prowess.

    tater

    Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 6:07 p.m.

    Rittenberg can't decide whether UM will be elite this year or struggle again.