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Michigan Wolverines weekly headlines: New recruit, hockey sweep, and more

All of the biggest and best Michigan Wolverines headlines from this week in one place!

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© Cheryl Evans/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

It has been an eventful week for the Michigan Wolverines. Here are the highlights from this past week — from new football recruits to a hockey sweep, there has been a lot going on in Ann Arbor.

Michigan football

Michigan football had itself a great, yet quiet, week thus far. Obviously, tonight’s Super Bowl features four former Wolverines, though Michigan landed some more important news earlier in the week.

On Saturday, Michigan football received its second commitment in the 2025 class. The Wolverines landed Mantrez Walker, whom they pulled straight from SEC country. The Georgia native chose the Wolverines over an extensive offer list and will likely be a foundational part of Michigan’s next recruiting class.

In the 2024 class, the Wolverines just landed four-star Jacob Oden (two weeks ago) and could be trending for more big-name players. Oden has been hard at work recruiting some of the nation’s other top prospects to Ann Arbor; additionally, Jim Harbaugh and his staff are still hot on the trail with five-star 2024 quarterback Jadyn Davis.

Once the recruiting dead period ends, look for the Wolverines to make more waves with some of the biggest names nationally.

Michigan hockey sweeps Michigan State

On Friday and Saturday nights, the Michigan Wolverines hockey team took the ice against bitter rival Michigan State, and boy, did the series live up to the hype. On Friday night, Michigan faced off with Michigan State in game one of the weekend series and game three of the season series — the Wolverines’ dominant first period proved to be fruitful in the end as Michigan escaped with a 4-2 victory.

After the game, the Wolverines and Spartans saw a massive, hate-fueled brawl on the ice. Following the postgame fights, Michigan hockey coach Brandon Naurato had some interesting comments about the Spartans: “[Michigan State] can’t play with us — they can’t play with us unless they goon it up.”

The comments sparked an even tighter matchup on Saturday — the annual ‘Dual in the D’ game. Still, with 0.6 seconds remaining in overtime, the Michigan Wolverines buried a game-winning goal to make the final score 4-3 and take the season series 3-1. The Wolverines’ next series will be at Ohio State — Michigan hockey looks to take the season series from the Buckeyes as well, as their series currently sits at 1-1.

Michigan softball starts season on the right foot (kinda)

Well, it’s that time of year again! The Michigan softball and baseball seasons are upon us, and the Wolverines are already off to a great start. Despite coming into this season unranked with a ton of youth and inexperience (not to mention a new head coach for the first time since the 1980s), there is a mixed bag of expectations for the Michigan Wolverines this year.

In game one of the Bonnie Tholl era, the Wolverines narrowly lost to USF, 2-1. That is the only bad news I have regarding Michigan softball thus far. The Wolverines won their next four games in a row and sit at 4-1 overall. Michigan has claimed victories over Colgate (10-0), WKU (5-2), WKU again (5-2), and Portland State (9-1).

Michigan’s next contest will be this Friday at 3:00 PM (EST) against the University of Central Florida in the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational.

Michigan basketball disappoints, is likely out of tournament picture

The 2022-23 Michigan Wolverines basketball season has been disappointing thus far, and it got a little bit worse on Saturday night. Despite leading for most of the game, Michigan could not hang on and was eventually bested by the 18th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers.

The loss was the Wolverines’ 11th of the season (in 25 games) and essentially eliminates Michigan from NCAA tournament contention later this March. With a few regular-season games remaining and the Big Ten tournament looming, Michigan has two unlikely paths to a tournament berth: win out, or win the conference tournament and secure the automatic bid.

Michigan basketball is not done just yet, but honestly, it seems like the Wolverines’ season has already ended. At this point, the best we could realistically ask for would be a deep run in the NIT to build momentum into the next season.

Michigan women’s basketball earns 20th victory of 2022-23

Unlike the men’s team, the women’s team has seen a stellar season thus far and is looking like one of the best teams in the country right now. Throughout the week (both Sundays), the Michigan Wolverines took down two Big Ten foes and improved to 20-5 on the season.

Last weekend, Michigan went into East Lansing and earned a gritty 10-point victory over the Michigan State Spartans. This Sunday, the Wolverines performed similarly, taking down the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.

The Michigan women’s basketball team has now won four in a row heading into their contest at Indiana — a huge, top-ranked matchup, to say the least.

Michigan wrestling splits weekend, 1-1

It was an up-and-down weekend for the Michigan wrestling team, which currently sits at 10-4 overall and 5-3 in Big Ten play. As of late, the Wolverines have been dominating some of the lesser programs in the Big Ten yet being relatively uncompetitive with the nation’s best teams.

A few weekends ago, Michigan ranked in the top 3, though it has lost thrice since and continues to fall. This weekend, the Wolverines were dominated at No. 2 Iowa, though they edged out a victory over a ranked Indiana team and earned their 10th dual meet victory of the season.

The Michigan Wolverines return home next weekend for their final dual meet of the season — a senior day meet at the Crisler Center against Central Michigan. The meet is scheduled for 5:00 PM (EST) on Sunday, February 19th.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebookand Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and all other steaming platforms.

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Top analyst has an interesting message for Michigan football fans

Top analyst Joel Klatt has some interesting thoughts about Michigan football heading into the Wolverines’ Big Ten opener this weekend.

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Michigan football fans, Joel Klatt, Big Ten conference, Penn State, Ohio State
Sep 9, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Roman Wilson (1) celebrates his touchdown against the UNLV Rebels with teammates during the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

Last weekend, the Maize and Blue won their third-straight game of the 2023 season, downing the Bowling Green State Falcons by 25 points at home. While JJ McCarthy and the offense struggled, the Wolverines are still undefeated heading into Big Ten conference play this weekend. Still, with Penn State and Ohio State playing great football right now, top college football analyst Joel Klatt has an interesting message for Michigan football fans — he thinks that folks in Ann Arbor should be “antsy” right now.

Joel Klatt has an interesting take for Michigan football fans

Sure, last weekend’s victory over Bowling Green wasn’t pretty; however, Ohio State and Penn State have both seen their fair share of struggles so far this year. In fact, even outside of the Big Ten conference, schools like Texas, Alabama, and even Georgia have not been looking like their usual selves lately. Still, Joel Klatt says that there should be some tension among the Michigan football fanbase due to recent lackluster play during the non-conference slate.

“With what’s going on in the Big Ten East, namely Penn State and Ohio State? I would feel antsy if I were you, Michigan fans,” Joel Klatt explained on his show, ‘The Joel Klatt Show.’ “The one thing that will derail your season faster than anything else is if JJ McCarthy starts to turn the ball over. That’s why I would be antsy.”

“I know you’re going to run the football fine, I really do. I’m pretty confident that the defense is going to play really well. The one unknown is how efficient can JJ (McCarthy) play? Now, he was really good a year ago until late. Obviously, the TCU game (last year’s College Football Playoff semi-final), it got a little bit loose, and guess what? They (Michigan football) lost.”

Thoughts on what Klatt said about the Wolverines heading into Big Ten conference play

Now, I am going to disagree with Joel Klatt a bit here in a few aspects. First off, Michigan football has not proven that it can run the football consistently yet, and the offensive line is yet to mesh. This idea that the rushing attack will be elite this year because it was last year is simply not true — it’s a hard thing to admit, but fans are yet to see the same bruising Wolverines that they did over the past two seasons. Not that it won’t develop, but so far, Michigan is not nearly as dominant on the ground as it was in 2021 and 2022.

Additionally, Klatt said that JJ McCarthy was good in 2022 until late in the season, which is really not that accurate. JJ McCarthy was not seen as a great quarterback until the Ohio State game hit — not to say that fans didn’t see the talent, but he struggled to really get things going consistently until the final three games of the year, including the Wolverines’ CFP loss.

Right now, Michigan football fans should not be too concerned, if you ask me. That said, as the weeks go by and the Penn State and Ohio State matchups get closer, we need to see more from the Wolverines. The fact of the matter is that, with Michigan’s schedule this year, the Maize and Blue can have many shortcomings and still begin the year 9-0 — it’s the final three games that will truly define the 2023 team, so long as they can avoid upset beforehand.


Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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Michigan football coach explains what makes Rutgers’ offense dangerous

Michigan football coach Jesse Minter explains what makes Rutgers’ offense so dangerous.

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Michigan football, Jesse Minter, Rutgers, Greg Schiano
Nov 5, 2022; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Michael Barrett (23) returns an interception during the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are coming to town this weekend to face off against the 2nd-ranked Wolverines for both teams’ Big Ten opener. Both Rutgers and Michigan are 3-0 right now with two of the top defenses in the nation, and on Saturday, Greg Schiano and Jim Harbaugh will clash in a Big Ten matchup for the fourth time. It’s worth noting that, while the Wolverines are undefeated against Rutgers during Harbaugh’s tenure, Schiano has always given the Maize and Blue a close game. Yesterday, second-year Michigan football coach Jesse Minter (DC) explained why the Scarlet Knights’ offense is dangerous.

Michigan football cannot afford to overlook the Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are heading into Big Ten play with their heads held high, boasting a 3-0 record on the season thus far. Perhaps Rutgers’ most impressive victory in quite some time was last weekend’s blowout win over Virginia Tech, which is yet another momentum builder for Greg Schiano heading into Week 4, which will be Jim Harbaugh’s first game in the Big House in over 300 days.

Michigan football coach Jesse Minter explains why Greg Schiano & Co. are so dangerous

According to Jesse Minter, Rutgers has an offense that is physical and methodical, making them a solid Big Ten test for the Wolverines’ top-ranked defense, which recently climbed to No. 1 in the nation after a 31-6 win over Bowling Green.

“Their physicality,” Jesse Minter said yesterday, talking about Rutgers’ offense. “They play a style of football to try to control the clock, gain yards running the football, pretty safe throws in the passing game. A quarterback that adds an element in the rushing attack as well. They’re built how coach Schiano teaches and just as how I would portray probably a longtime super successful defensive coordinator, how his team would be built is how they play right now. And they play a complementary football similar to us.

“I would say where their defense is playing well, their special teams is always really good,” Minter continued. “And then they play complementary football. So even though maybe they don’t score 50, but they’re controlling the clock, they’re getting touchdowns, they’re getting the lead, they’re keeping the lead, they’re able to play pretty conservative and not put themselves in harm’s way. And that formula over the first three games, they’ve been really successful with.”

Michigan football enters this weekend’s game as a 24-point favorite over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Last year, despite being down by a field goal at halftime, the Wolverines put Rutgers to bed on the road, 52-17.



Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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Michigan football DC Jesse Minter shares thoughts on Harbaugh’s return

This weekend, Jim Harbaugh will be coaching Michigan football against Rutgers, and Jesse Minter seems thrilled!

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Michigan football, Jim Harbaugh, Jesse Minter, Rutgers
© Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

It has been over 300 days since Jim Harbaugh coached a game at the Big House in Ann Arbor — the last time it happened was in mid-November of last year against Illinois. On Saturday, the Wolverines’ 9th-year head coach will make his return debut for the 2023 season; yesterday, Michigan football DC Jesse Minter (2nd season) shared his thoughts on what having Harbaugh back will mean for the Maize and Blue.

Jim Harbaugh set to return to the Big House for Michigan football Big Ten opener

Three games into the 2023 season, Michigan football is undefeated and has the No. 1-ranked defense in the nation, just as many anticipated. Jesse Minter, the Wolverines’ incredible second-year defensive play-caller, was interim coach for Week 1, though has since returned to his regular DC duties. In two days, when Jim Harbaugh finally re-takes the field as head coach in Ann Arbor, he will be met with thunderous applause as the Maize and Blue look to start Big Ten play with a win over Rutgers.

Michigan football DC Jesse Minter excited for Harbaugh’s return this weekend

Here is what Michigan football DC Jesse Minter had to say on Wednesday in regards to Jim Harbaugh and his fast-approaching return to the sidelines:

“I think anytime you take your leader, the guy that all these guys signed up to play for there, that one of the best head coaches in the world at any sport, any level, it’s different,” Jesse Minter said of Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh. “You’re asking other people to juggle different jobs. And so, now that he’s back, I think it allows everybody to have a really, really tight focus on their particular responsibility. I think it was a good experience, not something wanted based on the circumstances but appreciated the way coach did it. I think it was good for everybody; gave everybody a different perspective. And just like he kind of said, gained perspective from not being there, I think we all gain perspective for how much we appreciate him, and how he goes about his business being the head coach now, having done that for a little bit.

“I couldn’t be more happy and excited to have him back,” Minter said. “I think our team feeds off of his leadership. I said it before, he just breeds this confidence into our players. And I would expect the guys to be pretty excited to run out the tunnel with him this week.”

Wolverines ready to host Rutgers on Saturday

Michigan football is taking on a team that, historically, Jim Harbaugh has struggled with, at least during the Greg Schiano era. In 2020, Rutgers took the Wolverines to 3OT; in 2021, it was a one-score game, and last year, Rutgers held a lead heading into halftime.

Still, Michigan is currently favored by 24 points and has an 85% chance of victory, per the ESPN FPI.



Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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