Brent's Sports Blog

A year ago right now, UM football fans were scanning the 2007 schedule. They saw Appalachian State at the Big House week 1 and thought, "easy pickins." We all know what happened in that game. College football's biggest upset ever unfolded, ending Michigan's shot at a national championship in what ended up being Lloyd Carr's final season.

Moral of the story, nothing is "easy pickens" in sports.

Turn the page to 2008. New head coach Rich Rodriguez is set to unveil the spread offense in Ann Arbor, though he's remained pretty mum about how it will all work. Keep in mind, aside from his recruiting class he just brought in, the majority of the '08 Wolverines he inherited from the Carr regime, which didn't exactly focus on spread-offense-type talent. So, how does Rodriguez take a whole bunch of guys who aren't his type of players and make them into his type of players? That's the million dollar question.

Offensively, this team could struggle mightily in '08, to the likes UM football fans haven't seen in decades. Though Rodriguez has yet to officially name a starting QB, it's assumed that Georgia Tech transfer, Steven Threet will be the man under center to an offense that's only returning three starters: Tackle Stephen Schilling and part-time regulars Carson Butler at TE and fullback Mark Moundros.

Chad Henne and all his school records is gone. Tackle Jake Long, the top pick in this past April's NFL Draft, is no longer available to protect the QB and create holes for a running game. Mike Hart is also gone, taking with him UM's all-time records in carries and rushing yards.

For the first time since the early 1980's, UM football fans will head into a season with guarded optimism. If the majority of this team struggles to adapt to Rich Rodriguez's style, 2008 could be the first year in almost three decades the Wolverines football program doesn't appear in a post-season bowl game.

How weird will that be?

This coming Thursday, Fox 17 will make an in-road on the West Michigan TV landscape. We'll begin airing the "Blitz Pregame Show". It'll be a full hour, from 5-6pm, dedicated exclusively to high school football. The majority of the show will be broadcast from our Game of the Week site, while Tara Miller and I anchor the coverage back at the station. Tim Doty and Bret Bakita will be live in the field.

The entire hour is geared toward the high school football fans who are getting ready to head out to their respective games that night. Our coverage will not only focus on the Game of the Week, but also on some of the other big matchups around West Michigan.

The rematch of East Grand Rapids versus Orchard Lake St. Mary is our game of the week for week 1. How can you go wrong with that, since these two schools hooked up last November at Ford Field in what was arguably the greatest football game in MHSAA history.

We did a rehearsal for the show this past week and let me tell you it's gonna be great! Compelling feature stories, mixed in with previews of all the big games, plus all the excitement that builds at the games two hours before kickoff.

If you plan to attend the EGR/OLSM game Thursday, get out there early and be a part of our broadcast! If you're going to a different game that night, then be sure to check out the broadcast. It'll have everything you need to know before heading out to that game nearest to you.