The Michigan Insider

Latest Episodes:

Podcast 02-13-19 (Michigan basketball, 2020 recruiting, Pep is gone) Feb 13, 2019

Show notes

The podcast opens with around 40 minutes of discussion about the Michigan basketball team. We begin by breaking down the sixth-ranked Wolverines’ 75-69 upset loss at Penn State, and what went into some of Michigan’s woes both on offense and on defense. We also look at some of the officiating that occurred in the game, including Michigan coach John Beilein’s first ejection from a game in 40 years. We continue the discussion by looking at what concerns that emerged Tuesday night are legitimate concerns for the remainder of the season, and if and how Michigan can overcome some of its bigger issues ahead of a tough stretch of games to close the regular season. Following the basketball talk, we switch to football for the closing 25 minutes. We answer a question about fan panic over 2020 recruiting and early signs for Michigan, then break down what to make of the Wolverines’ decision to let Pep Hamilton go, replace him with Ben McDaniels and hire two new analysts.

Podcast 02-07-19 (2019 recruiting special and other Michigan topics) Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

This week’s podcast, about half an hour longer than usual, includes over an hour of recruiting discussion, as Lorenz and Shaw break down virtually every angle of the Michigan football team’s 2019 recruiting class. The two discuss their impressions of the class overall, key recruiting wins in the class, trends in evaluating the cycle, which recruits will have instant impact, what can be read about the early enrollees, which players are sleeper prospects, who will have the biggest overall impact and which coaches stepped up most in the class. Following that discussion, the duo break down the early goings of the 2020 recruiting cycle from a macro perspective, looking at the impact of Michigan’s new assistant-coaching hires, which areas of the country the Wolverines are going to target the hardest and some early names to keep tabs on. The podcast closes with a brief discussion of Michigan hockey, Wisconsin basketball and the Wolverines basketball team’s matchup against the Badgers Saturday.

Podcast 01-22-19 (Michigan hoops lost and January recruiting updates) Jan 22, 2019

Show notes

The discussion begins with us breaking down the No. 5 Michigan basketball team’s upset loss at Wisconsin Saturday. We break down which shortcomings were also causes for concern, which ones could be cause for concern should trends continue and which ones were unique to the Wolverines’ trip to Wisconsin. Lorenz breaks down what makes the Badgers such a hard team to beat, while Shaw offers his thoughts from being on the scene in Madison. Both also offer other takeaways from the loss, and what they mean moving forward. Following that, the two switch to talking recruiting, breaking down the latest in January recruiting, what can be gleaned from the new assistant coaches’ early impact, what’s coming up for Michigan and why this time of year is so interesting for recruiting. We close the show with a couple of listener questions we didn’t get to earlier.

Podcast 01-17-19 (Gattis and other hires, more Michigan football and basketball still rolling Jan 18, 2019

Show notes

This week, we open our discussion with analysis on Michigan’s three assistant-coaching hires. We break down the Wolverines’ decisions to hire offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, unspecified defensive assistant Anthony Campanile and defensive line coach Shaun Nua. We discuss what there is to like about all three, as well as what questions have yet to be answered. We also discuss how this shapes Michigan’s offseason, the impact it could have on the recruiting trail and what else it means for the Wolverines moving forward. We field some listener questions about recruiting and Michigan football, and then discuss the Michigan basketball team’s continued success, what can be expected in coming weeks and predict when the Wolverines will lose.

Podcast 1-10-19 (Peach Bowl reaction, offseason changes and Michigan basketball) Jan 10, 2019

Show notes

After a nearly month-long hiatus, the podcast begins with our lasting thoughts about the Michigan football team's blowout loss to No. 10 Florida in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta. We discuss not only what went wrong in the game, but also what sort of changes, if any, can be made to improve the team culture to avoid deflating finishes. We also discuss the departures of former Michigan assistant coaches Greg Mattison and Al Washington, weigh in on Jim Harbaugh's track record of replacements and have a brief discussion about next year. Then we pivot to basketball talk, weighing in on the Wolverines' 15-0 start, what has keyed Michigan's success, how and where the team can improve and how the hot start has modified peoples' expectations for the season. Due to the news breaking after we recorded, we did not discuss Michigan's hiring of Alabama co-offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. Due to time constraints, we also didn't talk extensively about the Wolverines' 2019 recruiting class, though we did mention some key players and will discuss both topics and more next week.

Podcast 12-11-18 (Basketball success, Harbaugh staying, Daxton Hill) Dec 11, 2018

Show notes

The podcast begins with recruiting, including discussion surrounding the Michigan football team’s loss of five-star safety commitment Daxton Hill to Alabama. We break down how it happened, what Michigan’s reaction was, and where the Wolverines go with Hill and others from here. During the talk, we also take a look at Michigan’s 2019 recruiting class just over a week before the December signing period. Following the recruiting discussion, we dissect Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to take a hard stance against NFL head-coaching rumors tied to him, and what ind of impact that has for recruits and the team. We also take a moment to look at the impact of Urban Meyer’s retirement. Then, we turn our attention to the No. 5 Michigan basketball team, who is off to the fourth 10-0 start in school history and is seen by some metrics as the top team in the country. We break down Ignas Brazdeikis’ star power, Jon Teske and Isaiah Livers’ growth, the Wolverines’ team defense and more, while also looking at a few areas where Michigan can improve in order to sustain its success. We briefly break down our early thoughts of the Big Ten as well.

Podcast 11-27-18 (Ohio State review and what it means) Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

This week, the podcast is almost entirely centered around the Michigan football team’s stunning blowout loss to Ohio State to lose out on Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff contention. We first look at what went wrong in the game, from the Wolverines’ offense failing to seize opportunities in the first half, deciding to stick with their game plan rather than attack Ohio State in ways that other teams had success, the defensive line struggling in major ways and the Buckeyes picking apart Michigan’s top-ranked defense. We then expand things and examine what the big-picture takeaways are from the game. While we both agreed that wholesale changes aren’t necessary, we did dive into what is ailing Michigan in big games and against more prepared and athletic teams, and what the Wolverines can do about it moving forward. Finally, we close with our thoughts on Michigan’s upcoming bowl game, and what the Wolverines can gain or should try to do in the game, likely to be either the Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl.

Podcast 11-20-18 (Ohio State week) Nov 20, 2018

Show notes

This week’s podcast is all about the No. 4 Michigan football team’s matchup against No. 10 Ohio State. We open with a lengthy discussion about Karan Higdon’s so-called “guarantee” that the Wolverines would beat the Buckeyes, how valid the guarantee is and what to make of the smack-talk gamesmanship teams and fans seem to try to use in today’s college football landscape. Then, we refocus to Saturday’s game, fielding listener questions about the matchup. During this, we discuss how Indiana and Northwestern have opened up their offenses with slants, and why that could spell trouble for Michigan. We also debate who will win in a matchup against Dwayne Haskins’ passing offense and the Wolverines’ nation-leading passing defense. Our discussion continues with a look at Michigan’s offensive and defensive lines, the Buckeyes susceptible defense — particularly against big plays — and how special teams could very heavily factor into Saturday’s matchup. We close as we do each week with our over-under preview segment looking at how Michigan could win or lose in Columbus.

Podcast 11-15-18 (Basketball success, Indiana preview and more football) Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

The podcast begins with a discussion surrounding the No. 18 Michigan basketball team’s 73-46 road romp over No. 8 Villanova. We break down how impressive the win was given history and context, what elements went into the blowout victory, what it means and what concerns still exist for the Wolverines moving forward. Then, the discussion shifts toward the No. 4 Michigan football team, and its likely home win over Indiana. We discuss what things beyond a win could be considered successes for the Wolverines, a little bit of why Michigan could have the upper hand over Ohio State and an outlook at what the Hoosiers bring to the table. We then close with our weekly over-under game and some other thoughts on the game.

Podcast 11-6-18 (Penn State recap, Rutgers preview, recruiting 5-stars) Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

The show begins with a lengthy discussion of how the current Michigan football team — ranked fourth nationally — compares to the Wolverines’ 2016 team, as well as how Michigan’s current defense ranks among the best in school history. This also carries into a discussion of why the Wolverines are having so much success with the team that they have. Then, the duo switch gears to discuss recruiting, as Lorenz offers some clarification into what it means for a 247Sports Crystal Ball to be submitted, what’s working in Michigan’s favor with five-star defensive end Zach Harrison, how five-star athlete Quavaris Crouch’s latest visit to Ann Arbor went and more. After that, the two tackle some team-related questions, including how Michigan should handle its backup quarterbacks after Dylan McCaffrey’s injury last weekend, what the Wolverines’ offensive line depth looks like moving forward, Josh Uche’s emergence and more. Finally, they preview Michigan’s matchup against Rutgers using their weekly over-under game, forecasting what they both believe will be a lopsided matchup.

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