As you can easily figure out, I rarely post on this blog anymore -- too much work and stuff. But every now and then things happen that move me enough to vent with a post few will read.
Anyway, today I am moved by the observation that MSU is not always going with its best players. There's politics in sports. Coaches make promises to seniors, they make promises to highly touted freshmen. But sometimes, you need to break those promises when someone else gives you a better chance to win.
Gerald Holmes got me thinking about this. He really looks like the most effective running back on the team. He is as strong and fast as the other running backs, but he also seems to have better vision and clearly he is more decisive. Maybe it was just this game? I don't think so. I thought Holmes also looked best in the Spring. Holmes may not hit as many long runs as Madre London, but he is the more consistent back per carry.
Montae Nicholson is not playing like I anticipated. He is often out of position, takes bad angles, and his amazing athleticism is not translating into tackling ability on the open field. I think he has a bright future, but right now I see him struggling, and I see Demetrious Cox as a more solid option at safety.
Darian Hicks looks like he has more of the tools to be a lock down corner than the other options currently available to MSU. He is more fluid and seems to stick to his receivers better than the other corners.
There may be others, but these are the players that led me to write this post.
Maybe I'm just a misinformed couch potato, who doesn't get to see everything that goes into decisions on playing time. But I do think that coaches often let politics or biases influence who they play. And I hate to say it, but the way Michigan is playing, the Spartans can't afford to have coaching biases hold the team back, even if the bias only hurts a little.
