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NEW ORLEANS -- Jim Tressel remembers watching the lanky Michigan freshman quarterback warming up at the Big House before The Game in 2007.

"I mean, he could spin it," Tressel said of Ryan Mallett.

Tressel wasn't sure which Michigan signal caller Ohio State would face that day in Ann Arbor. Wolverines senior Chad Henne had been dealing with a shoulder injury, and Mallett had seen action in the previous 10 games.

Mallett relieved the banged-up Henne for a stretch against the Buckeyes and had three pass attempts, completing one, in a 14-3 Ohio State victory.

"It was kind of a sleeting, rainy [day]," Tressel said. "It wasn't a wonderful time for a guy to try to spin the ball out there. Ryan came in and played some. And for a freshman, his composure and command and so forth were outstanding."

When Mallett decided to leave Michigan following a coaching change, Tressel was happy.

"I don't know if that's an honorable emotion or not," Tressel said, "but I was. And as fate would have it, I guess I was being punished for that terrible thought because here we are."

Suffice to say Tressel isn't giddy about his reunion with Mallett on Tuesday night in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

"Now I get him as a [redshirt junior]," Tressel said. "And I get him with a great tight end and great running backs and an offensive line that hasn't missed a start and wide receivers who can make plays."

It'll be quite the challenge for Tressel's Buckeyes.

The decade recap marches on as it's time to examine the top 10 games involving Big Ten teams from 2000-09. As with all of these categories, the games list easily could include 25-30 items, so getting it down to 10 wasn't easy. Especially with games. I could probably identify 10 great ones just from my two years of Big Ten blogging.

What makes a great game? Good teams, good players, lots at stake and lots of drama, particularly in the closing minutes.

I put a special emphasis on games that helped to decide Big Ten championships, bowl championships and national championships.

Without further ado ...

1. Ohio State vs. Miami, 2003 Fiesta Bowl: When the national championship game goes to two overtimes and a Big Ten team wins, it'll be at the top of the list. Ohio State nearly won in regulation, nearly lost in the first overtime and then finally prevailed 31-24 against a talent-stocked Miami team that had won 34 consecutive games.

2. Michigan at Ohio State, 2006: This game had it all: No. 1 vs. No. 2, the sport's top rivalry, national championship implications, unparalleled buildup, the drama of Bo Schembechler's death a day before the game. Ohio State and Michigan combined for 81 points before the Buckeyes prevailed to reach the title game.

3. Michigan at Northwestern, 2000: As regular-season games go, this is about the best you can find. The teams combined for 105 points and 1,189 yards of offense in a contest that saw tons of plot twists. Star running backs Damien Anderson and Anthony Thomas both committed an error in the closing minutes -- dropped touchdown for Anderson, lost fumble for Thomas -- before Northwestern emerged with a 54-51 win. Both teams went on to share the Big Ten title with Purdue.

4. Texas vs. Michigan, 2005 Rose Bowl: It didn't go the Big Ten's way in the end, but Michigan and Texas certainly gave us a game to remember. The Wolverines received great play from quarterback Chad Henne and wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Steve Breaston, but Vince Young proved to be too much as Texas won 38-37 on a field goal as time expired.

5. Iowa at Ohio State, 2009: This game essentially decided the Big Ten championship, as the teams met with a Rose Bowl berth at stake. Iowa came in as a major underdog after losing starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi to injury the previous week against Northwestern. Redshirt freshman James Vandenberg displayed incredible poise in his first career start, but Ohio State eventually prevailed in overtime after a 39-yard field goal from backup kicker Devin Barclay, a 26-year-old former Major League Soccer player.

6. Iowa vs. LSU, 2005 Capital One Bowl: You'll never see a more exciting end to a bowl game, and the first 59 plus minutes weren't bad, either. Iowa built a 24-12 fourth-quarter lead behind quarterback Drew Tate, only to watch it disappear down the stretch. It set the stage for Tate's 56-yard touchdown strike to Warren Halloway as time expired as Iowa won 30-25.

7. Michigan State at Michigan, 2004: Michigan State's losing streak at the Big House appeared over as the Spartans led 27-10 with 8:43 left. But Michigan rallied to tie the game as Braylon Edwards hauled in two touchdowns from Chad Henne. Henne and Edwards hooked up again in the third overtime as Michigan won 45-37 and went on to share the Big Ten title with Iowa.

8. Penn State vs. Florida State, 2006 Orange Bowl: Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden generated tons of buildup before kickoff, and the game itself didn't disappoint. It was hardly a masterpiece on either side, but the game generated plenty of excitement as the teams went to three overtimes before Penn State won 26-23 on a Kevin Kelly field goal.

9. Michigan at Minnesota, 2003: Michigan's Big Ten title in 2003 could be directly linked to the greatest comeback in team history against Minnesota at the Metrodome. The Wolverines trailed 28-7 in the third quarter before rallying to win 38-35 on a Garrett Rivas field goal in the final minute. Minnesota was 6-0 before the loss.

10. Penn State at Iowa, 2008: Penn State came to Iowa City with national title aspirations and jumped ahead of Iowa 23-14 late in the third quarter. But Ricky Stanzi stepped up in the fourth quarter and led a dramatic comeback that ended with Daniel Murray's field goal. It marked Penn State's only loss, though the Lions still won a Big Ten title and went to the Rose Bowl.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

It's hardly a coincidence that the allegations of NCAA rule violations at Michigan are being made by current and former players recruited to the school by Lloyd Carr. There has long been a perception that Michigan players fall into two camps: those loyal to Carr and those who back current head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Then there's former Wolverines quarterback Chad Henne.

Henne started four years for Carr and never played for Rodriguez, but he doesn't understand the complaints about Michigan coaches exceeding time limits on practices and offseason workouts. Henne told annarbor.com that he and his Wolverines teammates regularly logged more than 20 hours a week at the football facilities during the season.

"Twenty hours is a very, very small portion of what you do, especially if you’re a quarterback at a high-profile school," Henne said. "Twenty hours isn't enough for you. You have to be in there by yourself, studying film, no coaches around, and doing it on your own. That's where the leadership comes in and that's where, if you want to get better and play better, you have to do it on your own."

Henne added that he and his teammates voluntarily exceeded the NCAA's time limits on offseason workouts and weren't forced to be there by the coaches.

As for the players alleging violations by Rodriguez's staff?

"I really think whoever's saying it really doesn't want to be there," Henne said. "If they're saying that then they're not really worried about the team, they're not worried about what they’re going to do during their season and they’re kind of just giving themselves up. That's just negative talk right there. So whoever it is just really doesn’t care about the team, I would say. If they're complaining about that, then they don’t want to be the best they can be and that’s their own fault."

As I wrote Sunday, this is less about time spent and more about a divided Wolverines team. Every FBS program exceeds the time limits in some fashion, but not every team seems as openly splintered as Michigan.

There will be some repercussions from the allegations for Rodriguez, but his biggest worry should be keeping this team as united as possible for the season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

As expected, there were a ton of good responses to the villains series. You're definitely in midseason form.

After reading your e-mails, it's clear that I'm the biggest Big Ten villain here. I definitely swung and missed on a few of these picks. This is one subject where I'll gladly defer to the fans. You know your teams, and you know who you love to hate.

Bret Bielema is definitely off the hook for Iowa fans. Same goes for Terrelle Pryor and Nittany Nation.

Talk back time.

Mark from Perkasie, Pa., writes: Hey Adam,Big Meee-chigan fan here, and without a doubt, the biggest villain against Wolverine football has to be...Troy Smith. No one has ever played better in this series in the past 25 years. A close second on my list would be...Justin "THE ULTIMATE TURNCOAT" Boren.Keep up the great blogging, Adam!!

Adam Rittenberg: Good call, Mark. Smith torched Michigan for 857 pass yards and seven touchdowns in three games against the Wolverines.

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Tom from Hoboken, N.J., writes: As a Buckeye Fan, Tim Biakabutuka (spelling) is still one of the Bucks worst villians, his 300-yard game killed the Bucks hope for the National Title in the late 90's. Hearing his name makes me cringe.

Adam Rittenberg: Biakabutuka was a beast against OSU. As long as we're talking running back villains, Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells would probably qualify as well. He hurt Michigan in his final two seasons as a Buckeye.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Everett the G from Philly writes: Adam, now that the incessant hype of the NFL Draft has concluded for 2009 can we marvel at the spectacle that the draft has become? While some would argue that its popularity is due to America's insatiable appetite for all things NFL, I would counter that the reason the draft is such a big event is because this is the one event where NFL and college football fans find a common ground. NFL fans want to see how their teams gets better and to learn about players from smaller schools they may not be aware of, while college fans want to see where their favorite players end up, how high they were drafted, and how that can be leveraged when trying to lure new 5 star recruits into their system. As a Big 10 fan, I certainly did notice that system QBs like Chase Daniel and Grahm Harrell weren't drafted, yet players in traditional pro style offenses like Troy Smith, Chad Henne, Curtis Painter have all been drafted. I can understand why a Terrelle Pryor chooses Ohio State over Oregon or other gimmicky (albeit effective) offenses if he wants to play on Sundays.

Adam Rittenberg: It's certainly a tough market out there for spread offense quarterbacks like Harrell and Daniel, though Painter also operated in the spread at Purdue. In general, the Big Ten's style of play translates well to the next level. All the draft hoopla this year reminded me a lot of national signing day, and I think it speaks to a new phenomenon among football fans. It seems like people are more interested/obsessed with what might be than what actually is. Fans love to speculate about which recruits/picks will pan out, while the issues with the current team kind of take a backseat. It's almost like the future is more interesting to them than the present. I agree that the draft brings pro and college fans together.

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Jon from Columbus, Ohio, writes: Some reporters in the West have pointed out that Ohio State fans should get a life. Is it a bad thing to draw 95,722 for a Spring Game? Is this jealousy by some in college football for the tremendous support Ohio State has? If USC had drawn 95,722 for its Spring Game, would it be a different tone from the West?

Adam Rittenberg: I'll write more on this in Wednesday's blog, but I think it has everything to do with location. Ohio State is Columbus' pro team, and if you practice inside a huge stadium on a beautiful day with a bunch of new, exciting players at key positions, people are going to show up. The Blue Jackets were already out of the NHL playoffs. Though I didn't expect such a huge crowd at The Shoe, you can't criticize Buckeyes fans for supporting their team. It's different in L.A. -- a lot more sporting options, especially right now with baseball and the NBA playoffs. This might be the Northern Californian in me talking, but L.A. sports fans should never be the standard when judging devotion to a team.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

You'll have to excuse Rich Rodriguez for not being full of good cheer around Christmas this year.

Rodriguez isn't used to spending the holidays like most Americans, hanging out at home. From 2002-2006, he devoted those days to preparing West Virginia for various bowl appearances. Last December, he was slightly preoccupied, as you might have heard.

	Joe Robbins/Getty Images
	It's been a tough first season at Michigan for head coach Rich Rodriguez.

But Rodriguez doesn't have a bowl game in his future this year, and for the first time since 1974, neither does Michigan.

"It's not going to be any fun, but we'll have a little bit of time over Christmas," Rodriguez said. "I've talked to the wife, like, 'What are we gonna do? We've got three or four days here. I don't want to sit around because I'll be mad watching everybody else play in a bowl game.' I've got to figure out something."

Rodriguez's Christmas confinement will end a tumultuous year for the Michigan coach.

There was the controversy and sour sentiment following his departure from West Virginia, and the cautious curiosity about his arrival at Michigan. There was the lawsuit and the settlement. There was spring ball, Justin Boren and questions about the program's values. There was installing a proven offensive system with mostly unproven players.

And then there was the season. Despite major personnel losses and a surplus of inexperienced players thrust into major roles, the transition proved to be tougher than many could have ever imagined. Michigan started 2-7, ensuring the program's first losing season since 1967, before rebounding with a nice road win last Saturday at Minnesota.

Rodriguez's team mounted the greatest comeback in Michigan Stadium history against Wisconsin and also became the first Michigan squad to fall to a MAC school (Toledo). The offense ranks 104th nationally in yards and 86th in scoring, but it has shown flashes.

Trying times, for sure, but there are reasons for hope.

Rodriguez spent some time with me Monday afternoon discussing the season, his own performance and the work that lies ahead.

Are you at the point where you can go back and evaluate yourself, what worked, what didn't work, or is it something you do at the end of the season?

RR: I do it all the time anyway. The last 27 years of coaching, not just the 16 years as a head coach, every year I'm always constantly doing that. Obviously, having a tough year, it makes it even more of a sense of urgency to do that. So not only evaluating everything that we're doing individually as coaches, but also everything in the program. Some of the progress we're making Sunday through Friday isn't showing up on Saturday. It did a little bit last Saturday. So some of the progress is already in place, but more of it is going to take a little more time. We know the major things we've got to do to make this program a top 10, 15, 20 program, but it's just now implementing it and getting it in place.

When you evaluate, do you look back at the summer and see things you missed or didn't emphasize enough?

RR: I usually do that right after camp, evaluate how camp was, and then after the first game, how that first game week went. And the system and putting the program in place, it's not like it's the first time. Even this season, having gone through something similar seven or eight years ago at West Virginia, I was able to draw on some things from that. Some of the problems didn't happen overnight, won't be solved overnight. But some of the issues are similar to things I've dealt with before, and it's just a matter of getting it in place and hopefully having a little bit better success on game days. As a coach, you always have to reevaluate yourself every week, every month and certainly every year.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

I'm about to hit the road for Ann Arbor, where former walk-on Nick Sheridan is using heady play to possibly grab the starting quarterback spot at Michigan. But I promised a mailbag on Friday and here's a condensed version. Enjoy.

Matthew from Canton, Mich., writes: How can you pick against Michigan State in their game against Cal? State is more consistent, and has a well proven running back, quarterback, and O-Line. the Defense isn't too shabby either. I think Michigan State will surprise you. Oh, and nice pick on the Michigan-Utah game. I thought I was alone when I told my friends that Utah would beat Michigan.

Adam Rittenberg writes: I love Mark Dantonio and the job he's done in East Lansing, but your comment about Michigan State being more consistent nearly made me fall out of my chair. Consistent at what? Disappointing its fans every October? Dantonio will put an end to that soon enough, but there's a lot of troubling history with that team, especially when there are expectations. Javon Ringer and Brian Hoyer look solid, but only if they get help from the offensive line (not much depth). I won't be surprised at all if Michigan State wins, but Cal is awfully tough in Berkeley and made absolutely the right decision by starting Kevin Riley at quarterback.

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Drew from Minneapolis writes: One can easily make the case that Iowa has one of the easiest schedules in the nation, let alone the Big Ten (No OSU or Michigan). But do you think they will actually be able to take advantage of the cakewalk schedule? There are definite holes at running back and the secondary, and it always seems like half of their starters get injured once the conference schedule begins. Is this the year that will put [Kirk] Ferentz back among the elite coaches of the Big Ten?

Adam Rittenberg writes: The schedule definitely will help Iowa overcome some major issues on offense, not just at running back and the offensive line, but at quarterback as well. The road game against Pitt won't be easy, but Iowa should be 3-1 when it opens Big Ten play against Northwestern. Like you point out, injuries could be a concern, especially after the sick bay filled up so fast last season. But without Ohio State on the slate and both Wisconsin and Penn State at home, the Hawkeyes and Ferentz could do some damage and restore their reputation.

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Erik from Saint Joseph, Mo., writes: I would just like to say your biased pick of Illinois over Missouri made me a little mad at first. Then I realized you were just having delusional thoughts. Then I laughed and wasn't mad anymore. However, I still feel like the pick is idiotic. p.s. If you're going to respond, have the gall to do it before the game is over.

Adam Rittenberg writes: Glad I made you laugh, Erik, and I'll be happy to respond before kickoff, just like I'll be happy to get ripped if Missouri pounds Illinois. I don't see it happening, though. Illinois' defense will be better than last season, and Jeremy Maclin won't be able to torch Vontae Davis like he does other cornerbacks. Chase Daniel still will put up numbers, but watch out for Juice Williams. He's not just a runner any more. Could go either way, but I'm sticking with the Illini.

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Queena in Calgary writes: Hello Adam, Would you give a short explanation on the main differences between Michigan's new spread offense versus what we had run under Coach [Lloyd] Carr? Do you think Michigan will see sucess this season under the new system?

Adam Rittenberg writes: How much time do you have, Queena? There are numerous differences. Michigan will operate a lot in the no-huddle and the overall pace will be much quicker this fall. The days of Chad Henne dropping back and looking for Mario Manningham or handing off to Mike Hart in the I-formation are over. Think a lot more shotgun, a decent amount of option and the zone read, which forces defenses to defend the back side of plays. Michigan did a decent amount of zone blocking before, but there will be more movement with what Rich Rodriguez does.

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D.J. from Minneapolis writes: Really, only one mention of the Gophers in your 25 Things To Watch For. How about the next step in Adam Weber's development...a player who should be getting a lot more attention than he does. Or how about the real coming out party for Eric Decker who is going to have a monster year this year. I know last season was a joke, but there are some very good pieces in place on this team. Sorry Adam, I had to vent and show some support for my squad. I enjoy the blog, keep up the good work...just give some more love to the Gophs!

Adam Rittenberg writes: Sorry D.J., ran out of room for a team coming off a 1-11 season. Seriously, though, I'm very excited about Adam Weber. He's got a great personality and the right skill set to lead that offense. I covered offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar at Northwestern, and he wants a guy who can run -- not as much as Weber did last year -- and throw short passes. Think Brett Basanez in 2005. Weber is an excellent fit, and Decker should have a big year. So I'm excited for those things as well, even if they didn't make the list.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Michigan safety Stevie Brown tries to block negativity from his life whenever he can. The problem is he also owns a TV.

	Leon Halip/Getty Images
	Stevie Brown and Michigan still remember last year's season-opening loss to Appalachian State.

When Brown flips through the channels, he's often comes across those unsightly images, the ones showing the little team with the funny name stunning the big team with the famous name. There might as well be a station called WLAS -- Wolverines lose to Appalachian State.

"It was hard to get over because every week, we saw the clips being played," Brown said. "It's still being played right now. So it's always something that stays in the back of your mind."

Does Brown relive Michigan's 34-32 loss, considered by many to be the biggest upset in college football history?

"Nah, I change the channel right then and there," he said.

Brown might want to unplug his set this week. The Wolverines enter a new era with head coach Rich Rodriguez and dramatically different schemes and personnel, but the Appalachian State loss will undoubtedly be rehashed as another season dawns Saturday at Michigan Stadium.

Rodriguez and most of his assistants weren't in Ann Arbor for Michigan's historic setback last fall, and though they focused on installing new systems with mostly unproven players this summer, there have been some not-so subtle hints about the game. Brown remembers a particular conversation he had with one of Michigan's graduate assistants.

"The one thing the GA told me was, he didn't believe it and the coaching staff didn't believe it, but when they came in, they heard that No. 3 would just have mental mistakes and blow coverages every now and then," Brown said. "I didn't ask where it came from, they didn't tell me where it came from."

It doesn't take much detective work to find the likely source. Brown started the Appalachian State game, got burned on a 68-yard touchdown and several other plays, and began the second half on the bench.

Don't expect a re-run Saturday against Utah.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- This probably needs a disclaimer, so here it is.

Michigan won't go 3-9. Michigan won't have the nation's worst rushing offense for most of the season. Michigan won't go three plus games without scoring an offensive touchdown. Michigan won't allow a nation-high 58 sacks.

But from a pure personnel standpoint on offense, there are some obvious parallels between what Michigan lost after last season and what Notre Dame lost following 2006. And unlike the Fighting Irish, the Wolverines are adjusting to a new coach (Rich Rodriguez) and a new system. That should be a good thing, given the conservative play-calling and wasted talent of recent seasons, but it's still something to consider.  

Here's a position-by-position look at the two offenses, who was lost and who returned.

Quarterback Who's gone Chad Henne: Four-year starter, school's career passing leader, last fall went 162-for-279 passing, 1,938 yards, 17 TDs, 9 INTs, 130.5 rating Ryan Mallett: Started three games last season, completed 61 of 141 passes, 892 yards, 7 TDs, 5 INTs, 105.7 rating. Transferred to Arkansas. Up next Steven Threet, Fr.: No statistics in college, Georgia Tech transfer sat out last season as per NCAA rules. Nick Sheridan, So.: Appeared in two games last season, did not attempt a pass, served as backup holder. Justin Feagin, Fr.: Dual-threat combined for 44 touchdowns (25 rushing, 19 passing) as a high school senior. Running back Who's gone Mike Hart: Four-year starter, school's career rushing leader, last season had 265 carries, 1,361 rushing yards, 14 TDs. Up next Brandon Minor, Jr.: Appeared in 12 games last season, had 90 carries for 385 yards, 1 TD. Carlos Brown, Jr.: Started three games last season, 75 carries for 381 yards (5.1 ypc average), 4 TDs. Kevin Grady, Jr.: Currently suspended after DUI arrest, missed 2007 season with knee injury, had 187 rushing yards on 55 carries in 2006. Wide receiver/tight end Who's gone Mario Manningham: Three-year contributor had team-high 72 catches for 1,174 yards (16.3 ypr) and 12 touchdowns last season. Adrian Arrington: Second-leading receiver with 67 catches for 882 yards and eight touchdowns. Up next Greg Mathews, Jr.: Third-leading receiver last season with 39 receptions for 366 yards, 3 TDs. Carson Butler, Jr.: Tight end started six of final seven games, had 20 catches for 246 yards, 2 TDs. Mike Massey, Sr.: Tight end started four games, caught four passes for 38 yards. Junior Hemmingway, So.: Caught four passes for 37 yards in 10 games last season. LaTerryal Savor, Jr.: Had one catch for nine yards last season. Darryl Stonum, Fr.: Freshman had 1,910 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in prep career. Offensive line Who's gone Jake Long: All-American left tackle went No. 1 overall in the NFL draft Adam Kraus: All-conference left guard made 35 starts. Justin Boren: Yep, he's definitely gone after starting the first eight games at center last fall. Jeremy Ciulla: Started five games at right guard last season. Alex Mitchell: Started five games at right guard last season. Up next Stephen Schilling, So.: Only returning starter primarily played right tackle with two starts at right guard last season. Mark Ortmann, Jr.: Projected left tackle made two starts at right tackle in 2007. Tim McAvoy, Jr.: Made only start at right guard last season. David Moosman, Jr.: Backup center has appeared in seven career games. Cory Zirbel, Jr.: Has appeared in 21 career games, played all offensive line positions except center.

Quarterback Who's gone Brady Quinn: Four-year starter, school's career passing leader, in 2006 completed 289 of 467 passes for 3,426 yards, 37 TDs, 7 INTs, 146.7 rating. Up next Jimmy Clausen, Fr.: True freshman ranked as nation's No. 1 recruit after passing for 3,428 yards and 49 touchdowns as a prep senior. Evan Sharpley, So.: Had two collegiate pass attempts as Quinn's backup in 2006. Demetrius Jones Fr.: Second-year player considered dual threat after racking up big numbers in high school. Running back Who's gone Darius Walker: Three-year starter, in 2006 had 255 carries for 1,267 yards, 7 touchdowns. Up next Travis Thomas, Sr.: Former reserve running back switched to linebacker in 2006 before returning to offense. James Aldridge, So.: Team's second-leading rusher with 142 yards on 37 carries. Armando Allen, Fr.: True freshman missed senior season in high school with injury.  Robert Hughes, Fr.: True freshman had 1,780 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns as a high school senior. Wide receiver/tight end Who's gone Jeff Samardzija: School's career receiving leader had 78 receptions for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2006. Rhema McKnight: Four-year starter had 67 receptions for 907 yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns in 2006. Darius Walker: Running back ranked third on the team in receptions (56) for 391 yards. Marcus Freeman: Backup tight end had nine receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Up next David Grimes, Jr.: Ranked fourth on the team in receptions (27) and receiving yards (224) as a sophomore.  John Carlson, Sr.: Mackey Award finalist in 2006 ranked third on the team with 634 receiving yards, scored four touchdowns.  George West, So.: Had two receptions for 14 yards and scored on an 11-yard run as a freshman.  Robby Parris, So.: Appeared in seven games and caught one pass in 2006. Offensive line Who's gone Ryan Harris: Mainstay at left tackle started all four seasons. Dan Santucci: Two-year starter at guard. Bob Morton: Multiyear starter at both center and guard. Up next John Sullivan, Sr.: Started the final two and a half seasons at center.  Sam Young, So.: Started as a true freshman at right tackle before moving to the left side. Paul Duncan, Jr.: Appeared in 12 games as a reserve in 2006. Mike Turkovich, Jr.: Played sparingly in nine games as a sophomore, limited by neck injury. Eric Olsen, So.: Appeared in eight games as a backup guard in 2006.

WHY MICHIGAN WILL BE BETTER

Michigan returns more at running back and should be able to field a stronger group of wide receivers to help the new starting quarterback. The biggest key for the Wolverines will be developing the offensive line. Notre Dame's primary error in 2007 was not emphasizing physical play up front in the preseason. Michigan has made strength and conditioning the focus of the winter, spring and summer. The Wolverines should see it pay off this fall. Though both teams lost record-setting playmakers and Rich Rodriguez historically struggles in his first season at a new school, Michigan should adjust easier.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Rich Rodriguez is giving Michigan football a makeover, one that many feel is long overdue. But before looking ahead to 2008, let's take a quick look back at the Wolverines under Lloyd Carr. The Detroit Free Press has a photo gallery showing the All-Lloyd Carr team, standout players for the Wolverines between 1995-2007. There are also galleries of Michigan's 1997 national championship season and Carr's retirement ceremony.

The All-Lloyd list features several school record holders, including wide receiver Braylon Edwards, running back Mike Hart and linebacker Jarrett Irons. I was a little surprised neither Chad Henne nor Brian Griese made the list, but otherwise it looks fine. Who do you think they should have included?

Flipping through the gallery this morning, I had forgotten how many standout offensive linemen Michigan produced under Carr. I also came away with the same question many Michigan fans had during the last few years: How did Carr win only one national championship with this talent? It will be interesting to see how Carr's legacy is viewed 20 or 30 years from now. His coaching record (122-40) was tremendous, as were the five Big Ten titles his teams captured, but the lack of bowl wins and his record against Ohio State also stand out.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg 

	Charles LeClaire/Getty Images
	Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez has to choose among four inexperienced signal-callers to run his spread offense.

The third installment of quarterback conundrums could be the league's most intriguing, more so because of the coach and the system than the candidates. Offensive innovator Rich Rodriguez was brought to Michigan to shake up a program that had grown a bit stale under Lloyd Carr. Rodriguez's high-octane spread offense doesn't resemble anything the Wolverines have used in the past, and he must install it for a quarterback who doesn't resemble Pat White. Here's a look at the uncertain situation under center in Ann Arbor.

The candidates

Steven Threet (6-6, 230, Fr.): Transfer from Georgia Tech could be throwing his first pass in a college game this fall. Has good size and most likely the strongest arm of the candidates. He's hardly the prototypical Rich Rodriguez quarterback, but he's a solid athlete who ran the spread offense as a high school senior.

Nick Sheridan (6-1, 212, So.): Walk-on appeared in two games last season as a redshirt freshman, but didn't attempt a pass. A little undersized, and his arm strength has been questioned. But he came on strong toward the end of spring practice before throwing three interceptions in the spring game. Son of former Michigan assistant coach has good knowledge of the game.

David Cone (6-7, 214, So.): Only candidate who has thrown a pass in a college game, completing his lone attempt for 21 yards against Minnesota on the final play. Fell behind both Threet and Sheridan during spring practice but could gain some consideration this summer. More of a pro-style quarterback who might struggle in the spread, but has some size.

Justin Feagin (6-0, 190, Fr.): Feagin's skill set could fit the system better than any other candidate, but he's a true freshman. Dual-threat QB didn't generate much buzz as a Florida prep player, mainly because he competed against smaller schools. Has excellent speed and could be used in packages, but the only freshman who could have started on Day One for Michigan is playing for Ohio State.

Who they're replacing

Chad Henne: Four-year starter set school records for passing yards (9,715), completions (828), attempts (1,387) touchdown passes (87) and interceptions (37). He finished second in Big Ten history in touchdown passes and went 33-14 as the starter. Consensus first-team freshman All-American struggled as a sophomore before taking Michigan back to the Rose Bowl as a junior. Fought through injuries last fall and led Wolverines to a Capital One Bowl title in his final game (named the game's MVP).

Spring skinny

All of the quarterbacks struggled at times during spring ball, though Threet emerged as the early favorite to win the job. Threet displayed a strong arm and threw only one interception in the spring game, while Sheridan tossed three. Rodriguez identified Threet and Sheridan as the front-runners after spring ball, but the competition is far from finished.

Summer storylines

• Threet took snaps with the first-team offense during the spring and reportedly looked the least shaky of the candidates. His familiarity with a version of the spread in high school should help his cause in camp. Intelligence is a key component for Threet, the valedictorian of his high school class and a player who should grasp Rodriguez's system quickly.
• The strong play of Michigan's running backs during spring ball could lighten the burden on the new starting QB this fall. Both Brandon Minor and Kevin Grady performed well, and Carlos Brown will be back from a broken finger. Offensive coordinator Calvin Magee produced an All-Big East running back in each of his seven seasons at West Virginia. If he gets similar production from Minor, Brown or Grady, Michigan could live with an average runner taking the snaps.
  

Prediction

Threet enters camp with a slight edge, but it could be several weeks before the starter is named. Rodriguez is open to using more than one quarterback, and that could very well be what happens with Threet and Sheridan. Both will see the field during a challenging August/September slate. If both struggle, Feagin could get a shot.