2 Weeks Worth

Hey all, Jeff here. I realize you all probably forgot about me as I've been quiet over here but I'm going to try to post every so often. I do get Michigan players occasionally and I actually stopped posting them on my other blog with the intent of posting them here and never got around to it. I'm going to save up the cards and post ever week or 2 depending on how many cards I got for this blog. I went back 2 weeks for this post so let's see what I got. I guess I'll go alphabetical this week.

I'll start off with this Red, White and Blue version of Prizm. This is the 2nd Burke I've picked up this year which is good considering I only got 1 of his all of last year. This came to me for $.15/shipped and is my 12th card of Trey.

Now this card shouldn't be to surprising since I have a bunch of different versions of it from various Panini. I only paid $2/shipped for my 14th different Darboh. This one is actually serial numbered to /99 which I don't remember all the others being numbered.

Who knew Caris LeVert would be such a good NBA player? Not myself. Luckily his cards are still fairly cheap. I got this jersey/ball swatch that is also numbered to /149 and it came to me for $2.99/shipped. It is my 10th different card of LeVert but only my 1st this year.

This is only my 7th card of Robinson and only the 2nd one in the last 3 years that I've picked up so I was really surprised to win it. I picked up this relic card for only $1.77/shipped.

One of my newest player collections even though it's up to 5 different cards now. This is the 2nd relic of his and the first auto. It's also numbered to /99 and I picked it up for $3/shipped. I couldn't win his cards at all when they first got released but I've been picking them up recently.

This card is the start of my newest player collection. This is the first of his and while it's not a very flashy card, it is only the 1st of hopefully many. I picked it up for $.24/shipped.

Last but not least, I picked up another of Wormley. It's my 1st this year but I did manage to grab 4 others last year along with a couple of dupes to make it 6 last year and 7 total. I picked this one up for $2.25/shipped.

Like I said, I'll try to be back on a regular basis but I'm not going to guarantee anything, I know myself too well. As I'm typing this, Devin Bush and Rashan Gary have been drafted, so hopefully we'll start seeing their cards here soon. Until next time.

2018 Michigan gameday #13: vs. Florida (Peach Bowl)

Just a few minutes after I post this the Wolverines will kick off their final game of the 2018 season.  While the destination isn't the one they ultimately had in mind thanks to a stunning collapse against the hated Buckeyes, an 11-win season is up for grabs, as are bragging rights, pride, and plenty more.

#7 Michigan's (10-2) Peach Bowl opponents are very familiar to this team:  #10 Florida (9-3).  This will be the fifth meeting in the series, and the Wolverines are undefeated to this point.  The programs faced off in 2003's Outback Bowl, the '08 Capital One Bowl (a nice sendoff for Lloyd Carr and my favorite draft class), 2016's Citrus Bowl, and the season opener in 2017.  Yep, Michigan's meeting the Gators for the third straight year.

The Wolverines will be without a number of their stars today as those players heal up or prepare for the draft, but it'll be nice to have the very effective Shea Patterson under center after last year's subpar bowl appearance.  Outgoing DE Chase Winovich will also be around, opting to play in his final appearance for the Wolverines, a move that's earned him a ton of respect (not that I blame any of the potential draftees for skipping the game).

These teams obviously know each other well and the line appears to be around six points in favor of my guys, so as is usually the case I have no idea what to expect, but I hope coach Jim Harbaugh's guys wash some of the bad taste of The Game out of their mouth's with a big win to finish the season off on a positive note.  Skin the Gators!

LET'S GO BLUE

2018 Michigan gameday #12: at Ohio State

It all comes down to this:  The Game.  #10 Ohio State hosts #4 Michigan in a matchup of 10-1 teams that have had completely different seasons.  While Michigan has mostly cruised to 10 straight wins (a three-point victory at Northwestern being the closest), unapologetic asshole Urban Meyer's bunch has struggled without a true dual-threat QB, getting curb stomped by Purdue and needing plenty of luck to survive Maryland.

But as been the case very often throughout the series (still 58-49-6 in favor of the Wolverines, despite the last 20 years going the Buckeyes' way) the path to a conference (or division) championship will be decided here in game 12, the best rivalry in all of sports (YMMV).

Despite a feisty Indiana team keeping last week's game largely close, and despite their best effort to prevent Michigan from getting out of the game healthy with a huge dose of cheap shots and dirty play the Wolverines won't soon forget, Jim Harbaugh's group got it done.  Now they have one last stop on the Revenge Tour, a concept that proves this team has the attitude to go all the way.

A great coach, dominant defense, and an offense that's been clicking thanks to a true dual-threat quarterback in Shea Patterson all have Michigan poised to do something they haven't achieved since 2000:  beat the Buckeyes in Columbus.  Meanwhile, OSU's offense has been mostly one-dimensional this year, they've struggled against lesser teams, and Meyer's "health" has been in question.  It's there for the taking, and if things go right it won't even come down to a bad spot or the wrong play on a game-deciding two-point conversion.

Complete the Revenge Tour.  Book a trip to Indy.  Beat Ohio.

LET'S GO BLUE

2018 Michigan gameday #11: vs. Indiana

It's a chilly November Saturday in Ann Arbor, textbook "football weather", and it's also Senior Day.  Players such as RB Karan Higdon and DL Chase Winovich will be playing their final game at the Big House, so it's sure to be an emotional day.  Add to that the almost guaranteed early departure of star DL Rashan Gary and the very possible draft entry of transfer QB Shea Patterson and you've got a number of key guys who'll be basking in the sights and sounds one last time.

They'll join their Michigan (#4) teammates on a 9-1 squad that still hasn't lost since week 1 against Notre Dame.  This week they're facing a 5-5 Indiana team looking for one more win for bowl eligibility, though they'll likely have to wait until their final game against Purdue for that.  They'll have to match up against the Wolverines, who were in complete control at Rutgers last week, other than one big run bust that led to the Knights' only points.

Of course, history is still against the Hoosiers in a series that's seen Michigan win 57 of 66 games, not to mention 22 straight since a loss in '87.  That and they're up against a team with conference and postseason aspirations.

I expect an Indiana team searching for one more win to try to keep things close early with Michigan limiting the playbook and trying to keep players healthy.  Still, the Wolverine offense has been getting it done week after week and should be able to do so one more time against a pretty bad defense while the Michigan D does its usual job of stifling the opposition.  This game should end with a return to double-digit wins for Jim Harbaugh's team and a huge matchup in The Game next Saturday.

LET'S GO BLUE