The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, October 17, 2013 - 7A TERRA MOLENGRAFF/Daily Redshirt junior quarterback Devin Gardner said, "It's all about what happens in Schembechler Hall and what happens in this building" For first time in oke 's tenure, wee under seige By ZACH HELFAND Daily SportsEditor He had been as patient as he could all week, but by Wednes- day night, Michigan coach Brady Hoke was tired of answering questions about his team's loss to Penn State. "Why are we talking about it?" he asked Jim Brandstatter on Hoke's weekly radio show on the Michigan IMG Sports Network. After the show, Hoke was done with regularly scheduled media sessions for the week. That's like- ly fine with him. For the first time in his tenure, Hoke has found himself in the middle of a miniature tempest this week as his team prepares for Indiana on Saturday. It had been quietly brewing for weeks now: first the near-upset against Akron, then the close win over Connecticut. But it was the come- from-ahead, quadruple-overtime loss to Penn State that - fairly or not - set off a wave of criticism from around Ann Arbor and in the blogosphere. In his press conferences on Monday and Wednesday, Hoke faced the most pointed questions he has seen in his time here: Was he concerned about the offensive line coaching, he was asked Monday? "No, not at all," Hoke said Was the play calling too con- servative? "No." He was asked if he'd keep the I-formation (he would) and the unbalanced formation (that too). Does the team understand what kind of team it wants to be? Hoke just chuckled. This happens to all college football coaches. All teams lose at times. Even Bo Schembechler's 1984 team went 6-6. And most college fan bases are not shining examples of emotional stability, and Michigan, even at 5-1, is no exception. But as the Wolverines try to solve deep, lingering issues with the offensive line, pass rush and turnovers, they now must con- tend with the distractions that come with an ornery fan base. In Hoke's first press conference as the Michigan coach on Jan. 12, 2011, he became emotional when speaking about Michigan's tradi- tion. He said he would've walked to Ann Arbor to become its coach. The press conference was raw and endearing, and he would later enjoy a lengthy period of stability and support. In this climate, Schembechler Hall again became known as "Fort Schembechler" - nothing in, and nothing out. That's been an emphasis this week. "We talk about the important things that are said are what's in this room," Hoke said. "No one else really matters besides the guys in the room." Michigan also brought in moti- vational speaker Eric Thomas, whose message was "kill the noise," according to redshirt junior quarterback Devin Gard- ner. "Which is what our coaches have been preaching to us for- ever," Gardner said. "It has noth- ing to do with the outside world, what everybody else thinks. It's all about what happens in Schem- bechler Hall and what happens in this building." Outside, the siege continued all week. After Hoke's media session on Monday, it was offensive coor- dinator Al Borges's turn on Tues- day. He, too, encountered some of the sharpest questions he's faced during his tenure in Ann Arbor. Why the delay of game pen- alties, one reporter asked? (An aberration, he said, not a recur- ring problem.) Has he lost con- fidence in the inside running game? "No, no. We haven't lost confi- dence in anything," Borges said. What was his philosophy at the end of the game? "Well, we have the best kicker in the league," he said. "At least, we think." Did he change his offensive approach during the game? "Because the bowergamewasn't as good, you can't just say, 'We're not goingto do it anymore,' "Borges said. "You still have to sprinkle it in." During the week, players were quick to defend Borges. Senior wide receiver Drew Dileo point- ed out how smart Borges is, how much experience he has. Hoke said he doesn't need to spend extra time with the offen- sive line because, "I've got a great offensive line coach. I've got a great coordinator. I'm with them enough because we go so much against each other. I don't need to do that. That's some coach trying to think he's a hero. That's not me. I'm not a hero." Still, Hoke and Gardner both allowed that it's impossible to tell how each individual player will react to criticism of the team, younger players especially. The responsibility is on the older play- ers, Gardner said, to deflect the noise. "I mean, everybody's gonna have their opinion whether you win or lose," Gardner said. "So I mean, we lost one game but that doesn't determine how our sea- son's gonna end and how we're gonna finish. That's up to us. Whether we finish strong or let this loss be a cloud over your head." Core of seniors leads Michigan By DAVID GRANADIER For theDaily Last year's Michigan volley- ball team made it to the NCAA Tournament semifinals with one senior on the squad. This season, five seniors are looking to lead the team even further. Outside hitters Molly Toon and Lexi Erwin, middle blocker Jennifer Cross and defensive specialists Ally Sabol and Brit- tany Lee - all seniors - snake up the core of the team. "The seniors are working really hard to be that strong senior group that the younger kids can look up to, that they can learn from, that they can look to for a calming source because they're the veterans and the experienced players," PATRICKBARRON/Daily said Michigan coach Mark Outside hitter MollyToon is one of fiseniors to lead the team. Eosen. "That's what they're working hard at doing, and I the players are learning after think they're doing a pretty every loss how to better com- good job of it." pete against tough opponents, The five players have evolved and they'll face plenty more the over their four years to become rest of the season. the senior class they are today. "What we're doing is good, "Erwin has worked really it's just not good enough," hard in the weight room the Erwin said. "We talked about last few years," Lee said. "She's how the margin of error is really stronger and quicker, and I small. We lost by two points in think she's playingthe bestshe's a fifth game, and that could've ever played and is really consis- been two points our way. But tent." I think we really need to not According to Rosen, Toon focus on the wins and losses so only transitioned to an outside much and more on how we're position when she joined the playing on our side." program and is now a "very Added Lee: "I think it's moti- experienced, very veteran out- vation to just work harder and side hitter." Cross came in as kind of evaluate what's working an inexperienced but talented and what's not." freshman but became "one of They also feel it's impor- the elite middle blockers in the tant to look past the rank- country." ings and continue to play their Sabol, always a defensive game, remembering how they asset, is "inthe peak ofhergame surprised the nation last year now." Brittany Lee has devel- despite heading into the NCAA oped as well becoming "a solid Tournament asa low seed. leader for this group." "I think you have to look The Wolverines (2-4 Big Ten, past the rankings and trust the 12-4 overall) are currently ninth system that we have because it in the conference standings. In did work for us in the past, and their last game, they topped there have been times this sea- Iowa in four sets. Erwin led the son where we've seen it work charge with 17 kills and 19.5 really well," Erwin said. "So points, while Cross contributed when they say we're playing with 12 kills and 15.5 points. a number five, we need to just Before that, Michigan had trust our system is success- lost tight 3-2 matches against ful and can break down other No. 9 Nebraska and Illinois. teams." "The match against Illinois This year's seasoned squad is was a tough one because we loking to move up the stand- played extremely well," Rosen ings in the nation's toughest said. "You can look at our stats conference. For the first time, and see there were so many nine of the 12 Big Ten teams things we did right." were ranked in the Top 25. During a difficult midseason "We want to play against the stretch of Big Ten games, the best competition, in the best team has also fallen to No. 13 conference, at the highest level, Ohio State and No. 1 Penn State. and the Big Ten is without ques- The seniors and the rest of tion that," Rosen said. COLLEGE FOOTBALL Playoff selection committee announced Michigan shores up 'D' coverage The thing momet So hocke chanc of its somet aftert Wolve sticks switch focusi early s The player cyclin at full while, the m of the ing to Una the ice to kno reinfo tionin Again this ment impor "Pa be bet overal Red B defens so tha thing with so the By GREG GARNO puck." Daily Sports Writer The drill, which Berenson and the coaching staff have done in ey say you appreciate some- the past, represents a focus on a or someone the most the general trend in the early season: nt you lose it or them. disorganization on defense. when the No. 5 Michigan The Wolverines, in their game y team temporarily lost the against Rochester Institute of e to play without the blades Technology on Saturday, moved sticks, it began to cherish slowly to the puck on clearance hing that's normally an attempts and struggled to limit hought. But luckily for the shots. Michigan's penalty kill - rines, they'll have their which allowed two goals against for the weekend, as the the Tigers - was absent in front was just part of a drill of the net when sophomore ng on improving one of the goaltender Steve Racine let up truggles this season. rebounds. drill begins with five "The stick is a big part of the s situated around the ice penalty kill, but you have to know g the puck as if they were where to be," said junior forward strength in a game. Mean- Zach Hyman. "It's a lot harder four others positioned in when that stick is upside down iddle played with the butts and you don't have that blade. ir sticks on the ice attempt- "Just being in position is of break up each pass. really big importance to us, and able to clear the puck down it's really stressed a lot in prac- or depend on apoke check tice." 'ck the puck away, the drill Some of the positioning can be rces the concept of posi- chalked up to inexperience at the g in the defensive zone. collegiate level, as the Wolver- st No. 13 New Hampshire ines start freshmen defensemen weekend, correct place- Nolan de Jong, Kevin Lohan and on the ice will be even more Michael Downing. The trio has tant for Michigan. experience in junior hockey, but rt of our game that has to the gameplay speeds up at col- tter is our defensive game lege and every mistake can be l," said Michigan coach disastrous - especially in front erenson. "(The drill) is for of more than 10,000 fans on the ;ive awareness and position road, as was the case in Roches- PAUL SHERMAN/Daily Junior forward Zach Hyman said the upside-down stick drill helps the penalty kill. By MATT SLOVIN ManagingEditor The teams who compete in college football's new play- off system will be chosen by a Rhodes Scholar, a former U.S. Secretary of State and a former congressperson, among others. Beginning in the 2014 sea- son, the group will look at win- loss record, schedule strength, head-to-head results and con- ference titles to determine which four teams will compete for the national championship. A committee comprising the conference commissioners tasked with overseeing the new system selected the 13-person selection committee. Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, announced the names Wednesday. Combined, the committee has about 230 years of experience in college foot- ball. "We wanted people of the highest integrity for this com- mittee, and we got them," Han- cock said ina statement. "Every one of them has vast football knowledge, excellent judgment, dedication and love for this game." Term lengths will "gener- ally" be three years, according to the press release. The com- mittee will meet several times during the season, and then again on selection weekend to determine the participants of the two semifinal games. Five members of the commit- tee currently serve as Directors of Athletics at their respective schools: Jeff Long at Univer- sity of Arkansas-Fayetteville, BarryAlvarez at Wisconsin, Pat Haden at Southern California, Oliver Luck at West Virginia and Dan Radakovich at Clem- son. Condoleezza Rice, currently a professor at Stanford after her time as U.S. Secretary of State, is also on the committee, as is a former U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent, Lieutenant General Mike Gould. Former NCAA Executive Vice President Tom Jernstedt, former all-pro NFL quarter- back Archie Manning, former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese, former USA Today reporter Steve Wieberg and former head coach Tyrone Willingham round out the group. toward the puck. "Players, when we're in our zone, are waiting to get the puck," Berenson said. "I don't want them waiting to get the puck, I want them to tune in. "Hockey is always offense and defense. You're flipping back and forth, but some players don't flip. They just play offense. When you flipyour stickupside down, you're telling me you're on defense." The coaching staff also hopes the drill will translate to the team's forecheck, which is impor- tant to spurring new offensive opportunities, the lack of which also concerns Berenson. "I want them to be hard on the puck and hard on the man, and not be as passive or as easy to play against as we can be," Beren- son said. "If we're hard to play against, we're a tough team." at we're not doing every- with our stick. They play their sticks upside down y're not worried about the ter. But as Berenson sees it, the disorganization stems from the defense being less active moving