Welcome! You’re “in the house” - a clear reference to Michigan Stadium’s moniker of “The Big House” … and so am I, as I am covering the Michigan football program for the Blade.
Prior to joining Blade’s sports staff in March, I spent 7 1/2 years at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, where I covered the University of Maine’s hockey and football teams, as well as high school and minor-league sports. I’ve been to Ann Arbor quite a bit this spring and have started to get a feel for the lay of the land. In Michigan’s second year under head coach Brady Hoke, there’s definitely a guardedness surrounding the program and its inner workings but at the same time there’s a lot of excitement in looking ahead to the 2012 season. Players have a stronger understanding of the offensive and defensive schemes that were new to them a year ago, or, like Jibreel Black, they’re undergoing the transition from one position to another in said schemes (Black moves from defensive tackle to defensive end).
And, of course, there’s the buzz surrounding quarterback Denard Robinson, whose name is already being mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate both by national publications and Vegas odds-makers. He’s also been mentioned as a candidate to inherit the uniform number “1,” a notion Robinson essentially dismissed after the April 14 spring game - in which Robinson took only a handful of snaps.
This blog will be a platform to communicate to readers, to post news, notes and updates on the Michigan football program - from polls to bowls and everything in between. I’ll post some analysis on the state of affairs in Ann Arbor, as well as how a national topic is relevant to the Wolverines football program, such as the Bowl Championship Series moving to a four-team playoff or the annual NFL Draft, or even Michigan players in the pros. I might also just post something a bit irreverent from time to time, as it relates to the Michigan football program. Maybe even something about “that school down south” …
You can also follow me on Twitter: @RLenziBlade. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to my first season “in the House.”
