Quote:
Originally Posted by triQshot
I wouldn't count your egg's before they hatch.
New O, New ball coach, New strats. A big game like this, will be time for some key trick plays, over loading the strong side, utilizing the weak side on offense.
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I would add that the most understated part of the new Michigan coaching staff is Mike Barwis, the new Strength and Conditioning coach. He's a former MMA guy - I believe he was undefeated after over 20 fights. He took one look at Michigan's gym, and scrapped it, requesting Michigan to spend in excess of $1 M on new equipment. They did. Many Michigan fans have seen this video of Barwis, and I am really impressed by what has come out of his mouth.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoid=25899597 Many ex-Michigan NFL players and other professionals have come back to workout with Barwis and have said that he may be the best in the business. I'd say Ohio State may need to be most worried about how fast Michigan will be next year, ignoring the change in offense.
Nearly every Michigan player has dropped 10-25 pounds over the summer as a result of this guy. He strategically places trash cans around the gym for reasons I don't need to go into.
Here's a link about the impact he has already had on the program in like 3 months.
http://www.sportsline.com/collegefoo...story/10900421
The pet wolves died last year. Mike Barwis had two of them which, to anyone who knows Michigan's strength and conditioning coach, is hardly a surprise.
"Nobody would dare mess with him," said Jason Seville, a former West Virginia wrestler who swore he once saw the 195-pound Barwis force a 300-pound Mountaineer heavyweight to -- in MMA terms -- "tap out."
"Whenever he'd give us that tongue lashing we were scared for our lives."
.....
To get to the weight room, players passed under a sign with a bold proclamation:
Through these doors walks the best-conditioned, hardest-working team in America.
It's more than a motivational line. The word has gone out about Barwis. Thirty-six pro and amateur athletes have been through the facility this spring and summer. Most of them are former Michigan players in the NFL. But there also have been a couple of NHL players, an Olympic wrestler and a handful of former West Virginia players -- notably Avon Cobourne (in the CFL) and Steve Slaton, who came in to get ready for the NFL Draft. Veteran NFL linebacker and Michigan alum Larry Foote was so impressed with his workout that he offered to pay Barwis. He was politely turned down.
Under Barwis, everyone started out with 10 reps at 135 pounds. One of the prize pupils, defensive tackle Will Johnson, is now doing four reps in the clean at 335 and bench pressing 515 pounds. Junior defensive end Brandon Graham sliced his weight from 287 to 255 and saw his bench press go from 315 pounds to 430.
What does this have to do with getting Michigan's mojo back? Plenty. Rodriguez has been consistent in giving his strength coach much of the credit for the rise of West Virginia. Mountaineers linebacker Marc Magro came in at 207 pounds, running 5.19 in the 40. He left after last season weighing 250 having shaved almost a half-second off his 40 (running 4.7 seconds). Division III transfer Owen Schmitt developed into a punishing fullback who played with such ferocity that he routinely caved in his facemask. Ask quarterback Pat White how much he owes to Barwis for his speed (and Heisman candidacy).
"Everybody gets stronger in our program," Barwis said. "Everybody always gets faster in our program."
stu