Maize's Return of the Victors Valiant | Michigan Wolverines Football

[Maize08]

NCAA 2007 on PS2 - Idaho (DC)
NCAA 2008 on PS2 - Kent State (DC), Michigan (MM)
NCAA 2009 on PS2 - New Mexico State (MM)
NCAA 2010 on PS2 - Notre Dame (OS)
NCAA 2011 on PS3 - Kent State (OS/VSN/DSS)
NCAA 2012 on PS3 - UCLA (DSS)
NCAA 2013 on PS3 - Duke (DSS), Kentucky (VSN/DSS)
NCAA 2014 on PS3 - UNLV (SS/OS), Eastern Michigan (OS)
NCAA 2015 on PS3 - Michigan (OS)

I have decided to start a dynasty with my favorite team (and namesake), Michigan. The last time I posted a Michigan dynasty: It was ahead of the 2007 season, I was in high school and Madden Mania was my place of business. Things have changed, although Michigan has since struggled.

The issues under Head Coach Rich Rodriguez (2008-10) are well documented and it marked a downturn for the program. Brady Hoke's tenure started with a BCS Bowl victory, but the last two seasons have been difficult:

A 15-11 overall record includes 7 conference losses, two straight bowl game losses and a losing road record. The difficulty in the past two seasons and rise of rival programs Michigan State and Ohio State has put Brady Hoke on the hot seat.

My focus will be on restoring Michigan to a perennial power in college football. That means consistently being ranked in the Top 25, competing for Big Ten titles, and appearing in BCS Bowl Games.

Just a few notes on this dynasty. There won't be a playoff, so nothing about the postseason will change. Conferences are updated to reflect the 2014 season, which has slightly changed the schedule. Although home/away for most conference games is not correct, otherwise it's good to go.

As always, my emphasis will be on writing and realism. If you have any questions or comments, let me know. Thanks.

Dynasty Information
Platform: Playstation 3
Gameplay Level: All-American
Quarter Length: 9 Minutes
Sliders: Custom, always a work in progress.
Rosters: PS3 2014-15 Roster Community Project (OS)
Roster Size: 70 players, 60 active
Scheduling: Realism is the key. I will try to stick to Michigan's future schedule and also stick to how they usually schedule games.
Redshirts: I am allowed to redshirt true freshmen, transfers, and back-up skill position players.
Recruiting: All-American Level.
In-Season Updates: Top 25 and Heisman watch will be updated every week. Team standings and individual statistics will be updated after the first four game, after the ninth game, then after the final game of the season.
In-Game: Choose one of the selected plays on First and Second Down. Then on third down, I am on my own. Try to create realistic statistics, so bring in back-ups if the game gets out of reach. Adjust sliders after every four games if needed.

[Maize08]

History and Records

All Time Record: 918-327-36
All Time Win %: 73.7%
Claimed National Titles: 11
Conference Titles: 42
Post-Season Bowl Record: 21-23
Heisman Winners: 3
Consensus All Americans: 78

Record Versus Rivals

Ohio State: 58-46-6 (Lost Last 3 Games)
Michigan State: 68-34-5 (Lost Last 2 Games)
Notre Dame: 24-17-1 (Lost Last Game)
Minnesota: 73-25-3 (Lost Last Game)

Individual Records

Passing Yards (Game) - Devin Gardner (2013) - 503 yards
Passing Yards (Season) - John Navarre (2003) - 3,331 yards
Passing Yards (Career) - Chad Henne ('04-'07) - 9,715 yards
Passing Touchdowns (Game) - Multiple Players Tied - 4
Passing Touchdowns (Season) - Chad Henne (2004) - 25
Passing Touchdowns (Career) - Chad Henne ('04-'07) - 87
Rushing
Rushing Yards (Game) - Ron Johnson (1968) - 347 yards
Rushing Yards (Season) - Tim Biakabutuka (1995) - 1,818 yards
Rushing Yards (Career) - Mike Hart ('04-'07) - 5,040 yards
Rushing Touchdowns (Game) - Ron Johnson (1968) - 5
Rushing Touchdowns (Season) - Ron Johnson (1968) - 19
Rushing Touchdowns (Career) - Anthony Thomas ('97-'00) - 55
Receiving
Receptions (Game) - Marquise Walker (Twice - 2001) - 15
Receptions (Season) - Braylon Edwards (2004) - 97
Receptions (Career) - Braylon Edwards ('01-'04) - 252
Receiving Yards (Game) - Jeremy Gallon (2013) - 369 yards
Receiving Yards (Season) - Jeremy Gallon (2013) - 1,373 yards
Receiving Yards (Career) - Braylon Edwards ('01-'04) - 3,541 yards
Receiving Touchdowns (Game) - Derrick Alexander (1992) - 4
Receiving Touchdowns (Season) - Desmond Howard (1991) - 19
Receiving Touchdowns (Career) - Braylon Edwards ('01-'04) - 39
Defense
Total Tackles (Game) - Garland Rivers (1984) - 17
Total Tackles (Season) - Jake Ryan (2014) - 112
Total Tackles (Career) - Jarrett Irons ('93-'96) - 296
Sacks (Game) - Multiple Players Tied - 3.0
Sacks (Season) - LaMarr Woodley (2006) - 12.0
Sacks (Career) - Mark Messner ('85-'87) - 36.0
Interceptions (Game) - Four Players Tied - 3
Interceptions (Season) - Tom Curtis (1968) - 10
Interceptions (Career) - Tom Curtis ('67-'69) - 22
Bold - Record Broken in Dynasty

[Maize08]

Season Reviews

2014
Overall Record: 7-6
Conference Record: 3-5 (5th in Big Ten East)
Home Record | Road Record 5-2 at Home | 1-4 on Road
Schedule/Results:

Spoiler

vs. Appalachian State - W - 44-20
@ Notre Dame - L - 3-14
vs. Utah - W - 31-21
vs. Miami Univ. - W - 31-7
vs. Minnesota - L - 17-24
@ Penn State - L - 28-35
vs. Indiana - W - 37-30
@ Rutgers - W - 40-21
vs. Michigan State - L - 14-19
vs. Maryland - W - 17-10
@ Northwestern - L - 27-35 (OT)
@ Ohio State - L - 17-27
vs. Middle Tenn. St. - W - 38-14

Awards/Accolades: Jake Ryan (Breaks School Season Record for Total Tackles | All-Big Ten 1st), Jake Butt (All-Big Ten 2nd), Desmond Morgan (All-Big Ten 2nd), Will Hagerup (All-Big Ten 2nd)
Heisman Trophy Winner: QB Brett Hundley, UCLA
Conference Winner: Michigan State (9-0)
National Champion: Florida State (13-1)

[Maize08]

Recruiting Recaps

16 Players (5 on Offense, 9 on Defense, 2 on ST) | Class Ranked 20th Nationally, 3rd in Big Ten

Michigan Recruiting Class Recruiting - 2015
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
Brian Cole	ATH	HS	Saginaw, MI	6'2"	190
Chris Clark	TE	HS	Avon, CT	6'5"	253
Mike Weber	RB	HS	Detroit, MI	5'10"	205
Garrett Taylor	ATH	HS	Richmond, VA	6'1"	188
Tyree Kinnel	CB	HS	Huber Hts, OH	5'11"	197
Grant Newsome	OT	HS	Lawrenceville, NJ	6'7"	280
Alex Malzone	QB	HS	Birmingham, MI	6'2"	205
Calvin Walker	DT	HS	McMinnville, TN	6'0"	267
Jack Dunaway	DE	HS	Birmingham, MI	6'2"	222
Isaiah Scott	OLB	HS	Blue Ash, OH	6'3"	200
Jon Runyan Jr.	OT	HS	Philadelphia, PA	6'4"	250
Darrin Kirkland Jr.	OLB	HS	Indianpolis, IN	6'1"	233
Simeon Lane	DT	HS	Cincinnati, OH	6'1"	300
Andrew David	K	HS	Massillon, OH	5'8"	170
Philip Afia	SS	HS	Apple Valley, CA	6'2"	205
Taran Smith	OLB	HS	Muskegon, MI	5'11"	196
Jacob Herbers	P	HS	Battle Creek, MI	6'2"	172

[Maize08]

Feel free to post.

- I will be adding a lot of real recruits for the Class of 2015. Not just for Michigan, but for other teams as well. I usually change the basic information, appearance, equipment and ratings of generic players to closely resemble an actual recruit. If there's any players I should add, let me know.
- Article coming that will announce the Depth Chart vs. Appalachian State
- Article coming on Brady Hoke, the last three seasons and a preview of the upcoming season.

I have already started playing games. I made a slight mistakes and statistics won't happen until after the sixth game (I usually put them out for the fourth game).

Thanks!

[Maize08]

Hoke & Co. Prepare for New Season, App State in Opener
Team 135 kicks off their season Saturday, against Appalachian State. The last time the Mountaineers visited The Big House is an all-too-haunting memory for Michigan fans. A 34-32 loss for Michigan on that Saturday afternoon would be part of Lloyd Carr's final season as Head Coach. It is still considered one of the biggest upsets in college football history, with Michigan being ranked fifth heading into the game.

The game brought notoriety to the Appalachian State program, Head Coach Jerry Moore and Quarterback Armanti Edwards. The Mountaineers would go on to win a third straight FCS National Championship, and Michigan would stumble to a 9-4 record.

From there, Michigan would continue through some of it's least successful football in program history. The winning percentage is the worst since Bump Elliott was Head Coach (1959-68). After that '07 season, Lloyd Carr gave way to Rich Rodriguez. Known as an innovative offensive mind, Rodriguez brought major change for the program and the difference did not result in wins. Following his departure, Brady Hoke has taken over. Now entering his fourth season, Hoke has a 26-13 record.

Hoke's first season was a hit. An 11-2 record included finally beating Ohio State. A Sugar Bowl win on a game-winning Field Goal put many at ease, celebrating a return to Michigan's winning ways. Appalachian State seemed a distant memory, until they showed back up on the schedule. With their return to the Big House comes some uncertainty around Michigan's program.

Last year, it became apparent that the offense went stale as it tried to replace Denard Robinson and his production. More than that, the offensive line became a weakness and scrutiny built up against Hoke and his staff. Offensive Coordinator Al Borges was replaced by Doug Nussmeier. Nussmeier comes to Ann Arbor decorated after guiding Alabama's offense the previous two seasons. That included helping the Crimson Tide win the 2013 BCS National Championship.

Michigan's personnel has changed a bit as well. The team returns 16 starters, but there is an infusion of young players with only one senior (Devin Gardner) starting on offense.

The scrutiny exists that will make this an important season for Brady Hoke and Michigan football. If the team continues to lose close games, struggle against the Big Ten (especially on the road), and continue to watch their rivals improve - it could mean another change is coming to the storied football program in Ann Arbor.

If Team 135 wants to silence critics and find success, it starts by beating Appalachian State.

[Knickerbocker91]

Looking forward to this dynasty, should be exciting to get your own recruits into Ann Arbor and bring Michigan back to elite status.

[Maize08]

Michigan 2014 Football Schedule
Game One: vs. Appalachian State
Game Two: @ Notre Dame (Last Scheduled Game of Rivalry)
Game Three: vs. Utah
Game Four: vs. Miami (OH)
Game Five: vs. Minnesota (Little Brown Jug Game)
Game Six: @ Penn State
Game Seven: vs. Indiana (Homecoming)
Game Eight: @ Rutgers
Game Nine: vs. Michigan State (Paul Bunyan Trophy Game)
Game Ten: vs. Maryland
Game Eleven: @ Northwestern
Game Twelve: @ Ohio State ("The Game")