11/4/2026 4:00:00 AM | MGoBlue Podcasts
Jon Jansen • 00:00
Always excited to talk to a member of the offensive line, especially one that wears the old number seventy seven. Blake Frazier joins us on in the Trenches.
[music builds]
Jeff Laurence • 00:11
Welcome to the official podcast of Michigan Football in the Trenches with Jon Jansen, presented by Meijer, presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest. Nobody covers Michigan football better than the two time captain, national champion and Michigan Athletics hall of honor inductee.
Blake Frazier • 00:33
For me personally, this is a game where, you know, practice is really, really important, obviously with the fundamentals and everything, but it's one of those games that when you get to game time, you know, you don't forget about it. But you definitely are focused on just trying to bury the man in front of you.
Jeff Laurence • 00:50
This is in the Trenches presented by Meyer. Once again, here's Jon Jansen.
Jon Jansen • 00:55
Welcome back, friends. We've got another live edition of in the Trenches. Thanks for joining us. Want to let you know what's going on at MGO Blue podcast as we do every time we start this thing off already out, we got to defend the block. And that is the Defend the Block edition. After the season over of Michigan defeating the Oakland Grizzlies eighty four to sixty eight. That was last night. We got basketball season up and running. Excited about that. Still to come, we got the Tuesday edition of Inside Michigan Football and you're maybe wondering why isn't it already out? Well, Michigan basketball was on last night, so Inside Michigan Football will air tonight. My guest Kyle Whittingham, Koy Detmer and the freshman of the week in the Big Ten, Tommy Carr joins us on that one. Conqu'ring heroes Thursday morning, continuing the hall of Honor series.
Jon Jansen • 01:45
And this week's spotlight is wrestling inductees Joe McFarland and Kellen Russell in the trenches on Thursday. That's going to be the keys to the game. And then Saturday night after Michigan beats Michigan State, previewing and recapping the game with msu. So lot going on in MGO Blue podcast. Make sure you like, subscribe, download and you will always have Michigan athletics, but especially Michigan football in your feed. Now I'm going to bring in my partner. He was on the call last night. Brian, it's great to see you. How was it being back at Crisler Center?
Brian Boesch • 02:20
I like the new decorations. Those were fun. I've enjoyed that throughout the course of the last month and obviously since back in April. But great stuff. And we do have a ton of coverage on YouTube. Won't be for every home victory but for a lot of them. Including last night. We'll have an assistant coach join us. We'll have a rotating former Michigan player. Yesterday it was Jordan Morgan and Mike Martin. So always fun to do those. We did a lot of them last year and hoping for the same here in twenty six, twenty seven, but a big one on Friday. It's an awesome weekend up in Boston on Friday for the men, the women hosting UConn on Thursday. Then of course, football on Saturday. Seven hundred and forty with a potential slide because that's how things go. But that's okay. It's a big weekend. There's no question.
Jon Jansen • 03:06
Can we slide that up?
Brian Boesch • 03:07
No, no, There's. There's too much on Peacock Live before seven forty that we have to do.
Jon Jansen • 03:15
Yes. Yes, there is, everyone.
Brian Boesch • 03:18
All right, let's get into our seven from seventy seven. Before we really go on a tangent there. After studying the film from Saturday, how would you assess the offense's performance? Seemed like there were some positive steps, also some missed opportunities and some context of who Michigan was facing in Rutgers. So how do you take in everything that transpired offensively?
Jon Jansen • 03:37
So I'll break it down this way in terms of the context of who we were playing with, the rushing defense that we were facing worst in the Big Ten. And when you look at the numbers, all right, Savion Hiter, twenty carries for seventy six yards. It felt good to finally get him going a little bit. Jordan Marshall, not so much. Bryson Kuzdzal, six for thirty seven. Fifty four of those yards, I believe, was with Tommy Carr. So, okay, there were the numbers don't look bad if you're playing anyone else, but you're playing Rutgers. I expected that this was going to be the week that we finally got a dominant running performance, much like we had in the second half against Penn State. That didn't happen. So a little bit underwhelming, I'll say that way. I don't want to say disappointing because it's a win, but underwhelming. The past game, though, I thought Tommy did a tremendous job of keeping his eyes downfield.
Jon Jansen • 04:30
Protection could be a little bit better, but his. His awareness, his pocket presence, knowing where the blitzers are coming from and just having that sixth sense of, do I need to get out of the pocket? It don't. I don't feel like he ever rushed out of the pocket and love the fact that there were times where he kept his eyes downfield. Fourth quarter finds JJ Buchanan down the left sideline. Those were some. Some nice positives. No turnovers. Again, a nice positive. So there's there's. There are definitely things to be able to, to build upon and I like it that they're continuing to give Tommy a little bit more each week. It felt like he learned from those turnovers against Indiana. We didn't obviously didn't see any turnovers, but didn't see those glaring mistakes. Yeah, there's going to be times where he misses a read or makes a wrong call at the line of scrimmage on, you know, what play they should be running or reads in the run game as well.
Jon Jansen • 05:26
Those aren't as glaring. But the fact that he didn't turn the ball over, made better decisions, I thought that was, that was really good.
Brian Boesch • 05:33
So let's elaborate more on Tommy with number two. The growth you mentioned from start one to start two. How much more trust have you seen the coaching staff show in him based on the spots that they put him in, the fact that he obviously threw more in this ball game over. Were there more advanced areas in the game plan versus what you saw against Indiana?
Jon Jansen • 05:53
Yeah, there were. I mean, you saw it with the utilization of the tight end. Tight ends are rarely going to be your first read. And all of a sudden, hey, you're able to find a Hogan Hansen or, you know, any of the tight ends, you're able to get through your reads and check it off. Okay, Andrew Marsh, not there. JJ Buchanan, not there. Let me bring it back to the middle. Drop it down to Savion Hiter, drop it down to a tight end. All of those things were, I think, the trust that they have of being able to give more to Tommy and him taking advantage of everything that's available to him.
Brian Boesch • 06:24
So number three on our seven from seventy seven. Defensively, ninety five percent of the plays were what we came to expect. But there was an occasional big play from the Scarlet Knights. Do you have any concern about what you studied? Were there any common threads in those few big plays that Rutgers got? Because really it was just a handful of plays that kept Rutgers in it.
Jon Jansen • 06:46
Well, it was. And I mean, these kids are all humans. They're all kids. And when Smith Snowden comes up, you know, and he's trying to meet a receiver at the ten, you know, ten yards past Atlanta scrimmage, receiver runs by him, he slips and falls. You don't want it to happen in a moment like that. But you do know in the Big Ten, even if it's a Rutgers quarterback, they're going to make you pay. And they did. And it was. And we heard from Coach on, well, we'll hear from coach tonight, little teaser that just gap discipline defensively in the run game, which has allowed that fifty yarder to pop out there. So you've got to be able to be disciplined in, you know, and, and not have, like Coach Jay Hill uses this sometimes. You hear it from, from defensive players. You got, you can't have dirty eyes. You can't start looking over here thinking the ball is going to go there.
Jon Jansen • 07:38
If you do that, that's not your responsibility. That's how you fall for fakes. I mean, Doug and I fall for it all the time in the broadcast. Oh, Tommy Carr hands the ball off. Wait, no, he's got it. So it's. You've got to make sure you have clean eyes. And if you're supposed to have B gap or you've got a B gap responsibility, you've got to be there. If you don't again, these Big Ten backs and Big Ten quarterbacks will make you pay when you're not. When you're out of position.
Brian Boesch • 08:04
All right, number four on our seven from seventy seven. November's here, Michigan's five and three. But there are some pretty fantastic in a vacuum opportunities. Two rivalry games bookending a trip to Eugene and then a home finale against a UCLA team contending for a Big Ten title, contending for a college football playoff appearance. So what can this month, starting with Saturday's rivalry clash with Michigan State, mean not just for this year's team, but also for the future with so many big opportunities?
Jon Jansen • 08:32
Well, I mean, it. Excuse me, I had to clear my throat there. Whatever happens in this game, it's. It's something that you're hoping is a building block from what you saw against Rutgers and what you hope to do when you go to Eugene and play against Oregon, a much more talented team, even though the results and success for them hasn't been there either. You know, no one's going to look at anything you do against Michigan State and say, oh, that's great. There's. There's not a lot to be gained. There's more to be lost in a game like this, but you've got to take the next step. And whether that's, you know, a little bit more sophistication in the past game and. Or if it's just simply being rock solid in protection or getting the running game going, that is something that, even though in week nine, you've got to find a way to get that to be successful, it's really only been thirty minutes of football that this offensive line has played good football.
Jon Jansen • 09:34
And that's the second half of the Penn State game. It's time to grow up, take the next step and be the offensive line that you were last year. Names, bodies all the same, yet the production this year hasn't been there.
Brian Boesch • 09:48
All right, so number five on our seven from seventy seven. We'll get your full breakdown of the Spartans with the keys to the game. The locker room speech coming Thursday afternoon on the audio podcast M Go Blue Podcasts. But your initial overview on the battle for Paul Bunyan, thoughts on this rivalry and the matchup. Coming up with Sparty.
Jon Jansen • 10:05
Well, I haven't grown up in the state of Michigan, obviously played at Michigan, and my record against Michigan State was three and one. Every time this game comes up, and it's going to happen on a yearly basis. No matter what happens with college football, we know Michigan's always going to play Michigan State. Michigan's always going to play Ohio State. I love this game. This is the most violent and it doesn't matter. You could go back to twenty one where you've got two, seven zero teams and they're both top ten ranked. Like, that was a great game. And there might not be as much riding on this nationally. In fact, there's nothing writing on this nationally. But you've got to still go out and find a way to match the intensity, match the physicality. And that's the challenge for this Michigan football team. I don't know that they've done that defensively.
Jon Jansen • 10:51
Yes, we could say that the defensive line, the linebackers, Chris Bracy, Smith Snowden, all these guys have matched the intensity of the opponents that they've played. But we haven't seen it from the offense. That's where I want to be able to see in this game. Because if you grew up in the state, if you spend any time in this state, if Michigan wins this game Monday, we turn the page and we start talking about Oregon. If Michigan State wins this game, you got to hear those sobs for three hundred and sixty five days, they're going to be talking about this game because they're going to go back to East Lansing. They'll put a banner up in the locker room. They'll put a banner up in the for their full team meeting room. They will talk about this game in perpetuity. Michigan just needs to go out there, take care of business because that's what, that's what is really riding on this game.
Jon Jansen • 11:38
Not a lot for bragging rights for Michigan, but certainly for Michigan State. For Pat Fitzgerald, they need a program victory. He needs A coaching victory or his time his first year at Michigan. And you might, you might say Kyle Whittingham needs it. Oklahoma was a big win, but it hasn't aged like you thought it would, beating a top ten team. Oklahoma is what, four and four right now? So this isn't going to be one for Kyle Whittingham where he beats a two win Michigan State team and all of a sudden, hey, things are working. No, you've got to go out there, put your foot on their throat and just squeeze them out. You can't let them be in this game. I love this rivalry. I love the physicality. What I don't love is really, since Mike Hart made the little brother comment, it changed the tenor of this game. It's no longer just about what happens on the field.
Jon Jansen • 12:28
It carries over into the tunnel. It carries over into so many things that you start to lose a little bit of appreciation for what happens in the game and from the snap to the whistle. So it's. I love it that there is a little bit of chippiness. But I hope we get back to a little bit of respect between both programs and we actually just get a chance to concentrate on what happens in between whistles.
Brian Boesch • 12:52
Agreed. And along the lines of trying to salvage something when you do have a tough year and both programs are mired in it, you can salvage with a rivalry win in a game you're not expected to win. So this is a spot where there is more for Michigan State to gain than Michigan. And it would be this, it would be the reverse if Michigan State were five and three and Michigan were two and six. Just like most likely Michigan when they face Ohio State coming up. I expect that to potentially be for Ohio State's College Football playoff opportunity. And for Michigan, it's going to be a chance to beat a team that they will be an underdog against. Kind of circle the wagons and try to salvage something out of the season. The longer we go with bigger playoffs and soon to be twenty four, that might not quite have the same juice, but in this spot, yeah, Michigan State can gain more from this than Michigan.
Jon Jansen • 13:44
Yeah. And here's the other thing for Michigan and if you just strip down the game to it's one opponent against another, all right. And you take the emotion and the rivalry and all that stuff out and throw the records out, all that stuff that we talk about in the rivalry game, it's about can you be better this week than you were last week? It's that next opportunity. And again, not a lot to be gained but what you want to be able to see is what are we coaching? How are we playing? Is it better than it was, you know, against Western Michigan? Is it better than it was certainly against Indiana or against Rutgers? Rutgers was a win, but it's not a great opponent. So you've got to figure out, okay, how do we continue to get better? And you just, you simply break it down by position receivers. Feels like, yeah, they're, they're just fine and quarterback is improving.
Jon Jansen • 14:37
It really comes down to the run game and it comes down to the offensive line. You've got to find consistency in the run game and you've got to identify. Michigan State is going to look at the Rutgers game. They're going to look at all the games that Michigan has played up until now and say, what has Michigan struggled against? Well, you know, you're going to hear this from Blake Frazier on the audio side of things, but it's clear they struggle to block movement. Michigan has to be able to one, keep your eyes up in your stance, anticipate some of that. Don't just be locked in on your guy. You got to look at the linebackers. Their alignment will give you an idea of what's going to happen up front. You look past that to the secondary, to the guys on the edge, that will all give you clues to be able to anticipate what that defensive line is going to do and if they're going to move.
Jon Jansen • 15:22
And I guarantee you they will be on the move. They've had a lot of injuries all over their football team. So to try and create confusion and to try and take advantage of what Michigan has not done, well, that defensive front is going to move on every play. I want to see that this front can identify, can anticipate and can block movement. That's what I want to see out of this game for Michigan.
Brian Boesch • 15:47
The only other thing I want to backtrack to, I, I admire your belief that anything in college football is guaranteed to take place every year moving forward. I would not. I, I don't know if I'd put Michigan, Ohio State as one hundred, guarantee that it'll be played in fifty years. Just with where all of this is going, I think most likely. But saying Michigan, Michigan State could, will be played, no doubt, every single year, man, I, I don't know. There's a lot, there's a lot that's changed in college football that we thought twenty years ago was ironclad, locked in.
Jon Jansen • 16:17
Yeah, well, if we're looking twenty years down the road, I guess I'm What I'm saying is in my lifetime, and I don't know that I got twenty years, so hopefully, hopefully I do, but I don't know right tomorrow is not guaranteed. But what I do know is that for the foreseeable future, Michigan will play Michigan State. And the one thing I think Michigan and Ohio State, I think that's always going to happen, but I don't know that it always happens at the end of the year. I think there is a world in my lifetime where they move that from the last game of the year to possibly maybe it's the second Big Ten game of the year. Maybe it even opened up the season. There's going to be a spot in that calendar where you lock in that Michigan and Ohio State game. But I do think with the twenty fourteen playoff getting rid of conference championship games and hell, I don't even think they may not even crown Big Ten champs anymore.
Jon Jansen • 17:05
It's just going to be who makes the college football playoffs. That game is most likely to move around, but they'll still play it.
Brian Boesch • 17:12
Jon, you've got more than twenty years in you. Your voice might not. So let me help you out with the reads here. Today. I could tell you're grinding. I'll tell you about a great event taking place just steps for the big house coming up this Saturday because game day just got a style upgrade. Before kickoff for the Michigan State game on November seventh, head over to the Tommy Hilfiger Prep rally at fanfest that's at the corner of Stadium and Main street to check out pieces for their varsity Prep inspired collection. You can get a free Tommy Hilfiger hat that you can customize with a patch if you sign up for Hilfiger Club. But hurry, supplies are limited. First five hundred fans, you can step inside their Airstream, strike a pose and snap a photo to remember the day. So do the pregame right on Saturday with the Tommy Hilfiger Prep rally. You can find them over at the fan fest for the Michigan State game this weekend, opening up shortly after three o' clock for that seven thirty kickoff.
Brian Boesch • 18:05
All right, number six on our seven from seventy seven. Let's talk about some of those Big Ten topics beginning with the College Football Playoff contenders Indiana beating Minnesota in overtime, trading sixty yard field goals, Ohio State falling at usc, UCLA blanking Nevada in a non conference game. That Indiana Minnesota game was bonkers.
Jon Jansen • 18:27
It was. And we missed a little bit of that one flying back from, from Rutgers. But once you saw the results and I was, I was a little curious, I thought actually Minnesota was Going to win that game. You go back and you see that within a span of twenty seconds both kids hit sixty yard field goals to set it to overtime. It was fun. And I am curious, Indiana. Josh Hoover has struggled the last few weeks. He struggled against the Michigan defense, struggled again against Minnesota. I'm curious as to what Indiana does to tweak things to make things better offensively. Defensively, they're still a really good team. And Ohio State with a, you know, Lehigh, the court, the new freshman quarterback. You look at their or their schedule and with two losses they're going to have to win out. And obviously, you know, they've got Oregon visiting the Horseshoe.
Jon Jansen • 19:19
Northwestern, Nebraska, Michigan. Could they run the table? Sure. Should they run the table? Probably, but they're going to have to if they want a chance to make the college football playoffs.
Brian Boesch • 19:30
As for the long shots in all of this, Iowa with the most emphatic win. Hawkeye's blank. Wisconsin thirty to nothing for a while looked like Northwestern was going to get a big time win up in Eugene. But they falter at Oregon. Nebraska loses at Washington. The Iowa element to me is really interesting because they have two losses. They just pick up an impressive win. Their finish is at Northwestern, home against Purdue, at Illinois, home against Nebraska. If they run the table, boy, it's going to be a fascinating case against some of the other potential nine and three resumes that might have a little more oomph to them because Iowa State just hasn't been very good in their non conference.
Jon Jansen • 20:11
No. And it's obviously Michigan's not holding up their end of the bargain for that win that they had against us. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what they do with a ten and two Iowa team. And you know, Wisconsin was really starting to come on and defensive. I'm more surprised defensively that they got blanked. All right. You know, offense for, for Wisconsin really has been their strong suit all season long. But defensively that's where they've been able to hang their hat. They've been able to force turnovers, they've been able to force three and outs. They've been really good in the red zone. And that seemed to all evaporate in Kinnick Stadium
Brian Boesch • 20:45
this weekend. UCLA looking to stay unbeaten at Minnesota. Noon Eastern, eleven AM Central, nine AM Pacific. Never mind, I'm gonna stop. Ohio State welcomes five and three Oregon to Columbus at three thirty in a game that CBS wishes it could have traded down for additional picks from the start of the year. And Iowa visits Northwestern. Talked about that one six and two, three and two teams there. So in essence a playoff elimination game potentially. I don't know if either of them will get in at ten and two, but I'm really intrigued. The Minnesota Golden Gophers have made things tough for good teams all year long. Can they get another big time win against UCLA?
Jon Jansen • 21:28
I am curious as well in regards to Bob Chesney's done a great job with UCLA, there's no question about it. To be undefeated at this time, losing your quarterback, playing with a backup quarterback. And now it's not just playing with a backup quarterback. And nobody's going to look at Minnesota as a world beater, but it is that west coast team traveling back to the Midwest, not all the way to the east coast, but you know that teams in the Big Ten are still trying to figure out the best way to do that and overcome. Whether it's the time change or it's just simply the travel, teams have struggled going across time zones. So I am curious as to what UCLA is going to look like against Minnesota. I think they're still the better team. They're a more talented team, but they're going to have to hit the ground running and that's where I think UCLA is able to hold up.
Jon Jansen • 22:17
Against Minnesota, we saw it and a lot of teams at Indiana saw it. Even though it wasn't in in Minneapolis. This Minnesota team comes out with a lot of fire and you could say whatever you want about PJ Fleck, but he gets his players to believe to play hard, to play fast, fast and to start fast as well. And that might be the determining factor in this game. If UCLA can, you know, stem the tide at the beginning of the game and play with good energy, match the energy for Minnesota. I like, I still like UCLA in this game.
Brian Boesch • 22:49
Boy, the last five games, UCLA has limited its opponents to fifteen points or less. They finish after Minnesota with a home Friday night clash against Illinois. Of course, they come to Michigan on the twenty first before finishing at home in the Battle of Los Angeles with USC. Touchdown.
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Brian Boesch • 23:36
Plenty of comments and questions to get to in the chat coming up here after we talk about the national storylines. That's on the video stream on the audio feed. Blake Frazier, great conversation Jon had with fellow number seventy seven. That will be worth the stay. But let's talk about the national topics. Miami holds off the fighting Belichicks, North Carolina to move to eight. And oh, Georgia, no issues with Florida, Utah Blast, Cincinnati. I said that might be an upset. I'm an idiot. And Texas Tech knocked off Arizona. Anything that you were really intrigued by that, that Miami one was certainly a lot closer than the experts thought.
Jon Jansen • 24:15
Yeah, well, I mean it's single Bill Belichick, you know, he's got all of his focus just simply on football and you can see what it means, like there's no distractions anymore. So I knew you're going to like that one.
Brian Boesch • 24:27
And that concludes our ACC football talk.
Jon Jansen • 24:30
No, but I am curious because Miami up until, you know, even last year, what did I say about them? They were always going to drop that one or two games. Now obviously this week and we'll get to it in a minute. But you know, it's Miami against Notre Dame. For both of these teams, that's a put up or shut up game. Notre Dame had one against BYU, lost it. That one was out there. This one is going to be in South Bend. So it's, it's, I am curious, is Miami, can they remain disciplined? Can they, you know, week in, week out be the team that you know and say Miami is truly back? I know they played for the national title last year, but again in that game made some very costly mistakes. There were costly mistakes throughout the course of the year that made it even doubtful that they were going to get into the postseason. They really, in fact, they have not played anyone and they've struggled with Florida State and you could say, okay, rivalry game, I buy that.
Jon Jansen • 25:26
But it's also now North Carolina, no one's going to look at that and say, well, that's a rivalry game. There's anything about it. They scored thirty eight on a Belichick defense. That's, that's awesome. That's where their big skill is defensively. I am just curious, did they lose too much in last year's NFL draft? Because to allow thirty five points against North Carolina and what they did against Florida State, that to me it just, it raises a red flag.
Brian Boesch • 25:54
Miami is back to go to the national championship game and then be one of the loan unbeatens in November, be number one in the nation. They're back without having to win whatever they won in a row in the early two thousands. I Will say probably the group of teams, the conference that is most intrigued and interested by that game. We'll have the spotlight game at noon seven one, BYU at eight, no Utah and one of the biggest holy war games ever. Because if Notre Dame loses to Miami then it would be really tough to keep either one of those teams out over a Notre Dame team, at least in the rankings. Remember Notre Dame has that top twelve corollary which could really add a unique wrinkle to all of this. But if Notre Dame is a two loss team and BYU beat Notre Dame and then either way either BYU then beat Utah or Utah beats BYU and they've got the same record, gonna be tough to utilize that without the head to head element.
Brian Boesch • 26:55
So if the Big twelve wants two teams, they really need Miami to come through against Notre Dame. But I'm fascinated by that, that noon game. That's the one silver lining of the fact that the Michigan, Michigan State games at seven thirty. Because I'm as intrigued by that game as I've been of any all year.
Jon Jansen • 27:11
Well, and what we'll find out tonight is the positioning of the initial college football playoff rankings. And does I know right now, when you look at the coaches poll, you look at the AP poll, it's Notre Dame's ahead of BYU. Well if we had only seen them play. Right. And we hear that all the time. You did. Is this a situation where because of that memorandum of understanding that if Notre Dame is ranked in the top twelve and you know BYU right now is ranked lower than them, how will they jump them? If there was, if, let's just say BYU were to lose to Utah, but then run the table, they're a two loss team and Notre Dame were to lose to Miami, they're a two loss team. What does that look like and how would BYU jump them if both of them went out? And I think it's going to be very interesting to see where those teams are ranked tonight in that first college football playoff, you know, poll.
Brian Boesch • 28:16
Otherwise two six and two teams beat in the SEC. Texas is at Missouri, same deal at three hundred thirty six and two Alabama at six and two LSU six fifteen. A strange time for Kentucky. The Wildcats are seven and one at six and two Tennessee. We mentioned the seven thirty Miami Notre Dame matchup. Also Georgia at Ole Miss. What stands out? This is one of the best slates of the season and really in recent memory.
Jon Jansen • 28:43
It is. This is, I mean if you, if you pick the college football Saturday to cancel plans and watch college football all day long, obviously leading up to the Big matchup between Michigan and Michigan State. The headliner at seven thirty. You know that that is, this is there's just some great college football games all day long. And this has been, it's been very unique this year where let's just take that Kentucky, Tennessee game. Kentucky is ranked eight. Tennessee is ranked sixteen. Frequently this year we have seen teams that are higher ranked and sometimes a top ten team, top five team, but they're not favored to win the game because Vegas right now has Tennessee as nearly a touchdown favorite in, in that matchup with Kentucky. How are they at eight? How is, how is Tennessee at sixteen? I don't know that the home field advantage is going to be that great.
Jon Jansen • 29:38
Is it just simply no one really believes in Kentucky?
Brian Boesch • 29:42
Well, it's one of those where Vegas is trying to project the future. Whereas the rankings in my estimation, and I think in most voters estimation is about rewarding what you've done. So you might, I mean Kentucky unquestionably has the better resume, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you feel like they are definitely the better team than Tennessee, especially on the road. That, that's why, that's why I'll be curious that game because Kentucky is one of the stories of college football. Here's my question. What, what one team steals the headlines? When we're recapping Saturday night, Michigan, Michigan State and the the slate is wrapping up, what one team do you feel like will be talked about as having the biggest Saturday?
Jon Jansen • 30:26
The biggest Saturday. Boy, that's a tough one to answer. I would probably say it's a toss up for me in between Notre Dame and Utah. I think whoever wins their game and they may both win. If it's Utah, I would probably say just because they're not normally participants in the top five, they may be the number one team overall. Certainly they would be if Notre Dame were to beat Miami. So I think it's one of those teams is going to be the top story. It'll probably be Utah.
Brian Boesch • 31:08
Yeah, I'll give you pardon me, I was looking up a scoreboard. I will say this, I'll call Georgia. I think Georgia goes to Oxford and rolls. So Rebels, congratulations on your, your twenty point win. But I think a lot of these games are going to be close and I could see Georgia going in there and basically saying you heard some of those quotes from Kirby Smart last year or sorry, last week, you know, kind of calling out his team a little bit, calling out all players right now versus four or five years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if Georgia announced on a day where, let's face it, the Miami Notre Dame winner or the BYU Utah winner could be the number one team of the nation at the end of the week. But I think Georgia goes in there and they take care of business emphatically.
Jon Jansen • 31:54
If Utah beats byu, that's a top ten win. And. And obviously it's at home. They would be nine. And, oh, if Georgia, who is currently ranked two, Utah ranked three, Georgia beats Ole Miss on the road, who's your number one team next week? And let's just assume that margin
Brian Boesch • 32:17
is the same.
Jon Jansen • 32:18
Yeah.
Brian Boesch • 32:19
Yeah. If margin were the same, I would probably do what we just described with Vegas and I'd probably put Utah nine and, oh at number one. And I would say that Georgia is probably a touchdown favorite on the field if they played this week.
Jon Jansen • 32:33
I hate the polls. I
Brian Boesch • 32:35
absolutely
Jon Jansen • 32:35
hate the polls.
Brian Boesch • 32:36
Well, I also don't want Vegas determining all of this because then you'd have some. Which they already. But
Jon Jansen • 32:40
if you think. But, but, but if you're a voter in the coaches poll or in the AP poll, and if you felt like these two teams matched up, that Georgia would win, then shouldn't Georgia be one? Even though they have one loss? If you think they're the better team, they should be one.
Brian Boesch • 32:59
Well, okay, I'll reverse it on you. The pollsters, by and large, think that Notre Dame is better than byu and they played in a game and BYU won the game. So you can believe something, but I want to actually see it. And ultimately, it's. It's why you need the full picture. You need the full season. Yeah, I mean, I think Utah is really good. I think Georgia is really good. And there'll be a few more games. Georgia has a chance to catch up to that. I'm not saying that Georgia is guaranteed to be behind them. I know. It's fine. Like,
Jon Jansen • 33:34
No.
Brian Boesch • 33:34
I know some people. Go ahead.
Jon Jansen • 33:37
These are the conversations I love to have. Because even though, yes, BYU beat Notre Dame, if they played in South Bend or if they played on a neutral site, or if they. Let's just say they played eight, ten times, how many times you think Notre Dame wins? How many times you think BYU wins? Because, yeah, Notre Dame is ranked higher than BYU. I think Notre Dame, even though we did see them lose to BYU, is the better team. And I, I can't. I have no facts to back that up because what we saw was Notre Dame lose to BYU. So it's. But this is the beauty of the discussion and the fact that Notre Dame has played absolutely no one outside of, of, of the, of BYU. And here's the thing about Miami. I know, I know you said, yeah, you play for the national championship, you're back. And you know, you're right. But this year, Stanford, Florida A and M, Wake Forest, Central Michigan, Clemson, Florida State, Pitt.
Jon Jansen • 34:34
North Carolina. Not one of those games makes you believe that, that Miami is a good team.
Brian Boesch • 34:42
I would say, I would not discount Wake Forest. They. Wake Forest could make the playoffs. Wake four, that's their only loss. I'm just saying,
Jon Jansen • 34:51
This is why I hate twelve teams and I'm going to hate twenty four even more.
Brian Boesch • 34:53
Well, you are going to hate twenty four. Just wait till we're debating nine and three, Texas and eleven, two. Wake Forest.
Jon Jansen • 35:01
Yeah. Or eight and four. Some team.
Brian Boesch • 35:03
Well, that's, yeah, just wait till, just wait till, you know, a coach in the SEC is vouching for his seven and five team next year that's coming. But hey, algebra, biology and chemistry. Jon, we gotta go talk about our friends at. And I'll do this one for you, Jon. Oh,
Jon Jansen • 35:21
it's okay.
Brian Boesch • 35:22
Are you.
Jon Jansen • 35:23
I've cleared, I've cleared the frog.
Brian Boesch • 35:24
Okay. Well, if you or someone you know is interested in algebra, biology or chemistry, U of M has the place for you.
Jon Jansen • 35:30
That's right, Brian. University of Michigan College of Pharmacy is a number three nationally ranked program and has been graduating pharmacists and pharmacy researchers for over one hundred and fifty years. Check out their six degree programs and see why pharmacy excellence starts at the University of Michigan. Go to Pharmacy Umich Edu today. That's Pharmacy Umich Edu.
Brian Boesch • 35:58
Once again, why the polls are crap. They're not number three, they're number one.
Jon Jansen • 36:05
That's right.
Brian Boesch • 36:07
And so is our friend on the audio side. He might be number one. On Jon's pecking order, it is Blake Frazier.
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Jon Jansen • 36:26
Joined now by Blake Frazier, member of the offensive line, current right tackle. And Blake, you've had to play both sides, left tackle and right tackle. How have you been able to make that adjustment from left to right?
Blake Frazier • 36:38
It's, it's not as easy as some people might think. For sure, it's definitely an adjustment, especially for me personally playing half the season at left last year through all of spring ball at left side, all of camp at left, with the exception of maybe a couple of periods here and there, definitely an adjustment. But at the end of the day, it was something that Coach Harding and the team needed me to do and so I was happy to do it. But it has definitely been an adjustment.
Jon Jansen • 37:05
The first time you played Right. You literally found out whether it was Friday night or Saturday morning with due to the injury. What was that moment like when, when they came to you and said, hey, we need you to move from left to right. Yeah, game day.
Blake Frazier • 37:20
It was. Yeah, it was, it was the Friday. It was the Friday before actually. And I went in, talking to, I just had a question about the game plan with Coach Harding. And he answered the question and he looked at me. I was like, why are you looking at me like that? And he was like, can I tell you something without you freaking out? I was like, what's going on? He goes, you're probably playing right tackle tomorrow. I was like, what happened? And so he told me everything that was going on. But yeah, it's definitely not what you expect to hear after practicing on one side all week and going through a game plan on one side. But like I said earlier, it's something they needed me to do and so I was happy to do it.
Jon Jansen • 37:57
So I've done it before and I've tried to describe to people some of the different challenges. What was the biggest challenge for you? And some of it may just be as simple as left hand stance, right hand stance.
Blake Frazier • 38:09
It is like, that's probably the easy way to say it. For me, pass protection was a lot more difficult to adjust than the run game was. At the end of the day, the run game is the run game. You know, you're trying to put people on the ground, but with pass protection, you're, you're training like you train your, your left leg and your right leg to do, to do one thing. You got a post foot and your slide foot and now you gotta flip it. And so that was the big thing for me was, was my past set just didn't feel as, as consistent. It was a lot more uncomfortable. Um, but that's, that's gotten better over time. You know, I think what's now five games I think I've played on the right now. And so it was an adjustment at first, but it's, it's becoming more comfortable.
Jon Jansen • 38:52
One of the other adjustments is working with another player. Obviously you' now next to Brady Norton. How long did it take you guys to get comfortable with how you work blocks? Because it's going to be a little bit different than it was with, with Sprague. And it's going to be different certainly for you than it was while you were at left. It was Evan Link.
Blake Frazier • 39:10
Yeah, it definitely is different. You know, working with Link. You know, we were both kind of figuring it out together because he had. He had been a tackle last year, and so we kind of got to start from scratch with what those combos looked like. Whereas you flip over and, you know, Brady's been playing at a guard, and so he's already got, you know, his footwork and his technique established. And so my big thing was just going over there and, yes, trying to get as comfortable as I could as quickly as possible, but also not to step on his toes in any way. You know, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable with anything I was doing. And so just getting reps at it over and over and over again was. Was the best way to get comfortable quick.
Jon Jansen • 39:50
Yeah. And literally playing those two positions, I had Chris Ziemann play next to me as a guard, and he literally would step on my toes. I think it was about three years after I played here to him that I finally had all my toenails grow back. So it actually is stepping on another guy's toes. I am curious, too, because it's no secret the run game has struggled. From your perspective, what have been some of the struggles you guys have faced up front?
Blake Frazier • 40:14
I think movement has been the biggest one that we've been struggling with. You know, you always want to fire off the ball and take your guy as far as you can, but sometimes you got to wait for the defense to declare before you can. You can get locked on. And so I think our big thing is. Has been, you know, patience, square shoulders, and short steps. And so as an offensive lineman, you can never have too short of steps. Your shoulders can never be too square. You can never be low enough. And so I think that's been the biggest thing that we've been working on. And this week was a good step in the right direction. You know, it wasn't the most expensive, explosive run game, but I think we were averaging five yards of carry or something like that. And so it's a step in the right direction. And Coach Harding was saying in film this morning that, you know, we feel like we're really close.
Jon Jansen • 41:00
And what was it that was working better for you guys? Because I know there. There are some people that say, oh, well, you know, hey, you can't run as many read blocks or you've got to run gaps. And I don't necessarily know it's any one of those things, but what was it that was working better for you guys against Rutgers?
Blake Frazier • 41:15
I think against Rutgers, it was. It was the downhill runs that were. That were working well, just getting guys covered up. Like I was saying, they moved a ton and so getting, you know, fit onto blocks and, and covering them up was the big emphasis and letting, letting our backs find the hole and go from there. But every week, you know, with game plans and stuff, it always changes. But, but this week was a big downhill run week.
Jon Jansen • 41:37
Now you put on a bunch of weight this off season. How much weight did you gain from the end of last year to the start of training camp?
Blake Frazier • 41:45
It would have been probably like twenty pound, fifteen. Twenty pounds.
Jon Jansen • 41:50
Do you feel like you are at a better spot right now regarding your weight throughout the course of the season than. Than you were at the end of last year?
Blake Frazier • 41:58
Yeah, one hundred. You know, you naturally lose a little bit of weight through the season, but the, the maintenance that I've done is, is been a lot more consistent than it was last year. I think by this point last year I'd probably lost ten to twelve pounds through the season. And I think right now I'm down maybe four. And so it's just been about getting into a routine, sticking with it, not letting you know the ups and downs of the season dictate how you attack your routine every day. And so that was a big thing that has changed for me from last year to this year.
Jon Jansen • 42:32
So I know maintenance. Part of that maintenance is nutrition. What does nutrition look like to you throughout the week? How much are you trying to eat on a daily basis?
Blake Frazier • 42:41
It's. For me, my hydration is more important than actual food intake. You know, with, with practicing every day and losing as much as I do in water weight, getting that back before I get to the next practice, the next day is absolutely crucial for me. And then obviously your meals. Breakfast. Breakfast is big. But then I always, always have two dinners. Every day is two dinners at dinner as soon as I'm done with practice, and then a dinner before I go to bed. And then we've got these boost shakes. It's like five hundred and thirty calories and like eight ounces. Drink at least, at least one of those before I go to bed usually too. But it's, it's disgusting, honestly, the amount of calories I have to intake every day. But
Jon Jansen • 43:26
I've misplayed so much. Two dinners. Yeah. So what's the first dinner consist of?
Blake Frazier • 43:32
The. The first dinner depends. It depends on over what's in, what's in commons, what's in the cafeteria. But a lot of carbs is the main. It's pretty much just straight carbs and protein. I'll try and get a salad in. Salad's like my dessert at this point because there's not enough calories. It, it, it pretty much is. I gotta eat my carbs and my protein before I let myself have a salad and so
Jon Jansen • 43:56
what kind of dressing do you like? Ah,
Blake Frazier • 43:58
Big Caesar guy.
Jon Jansen • 43:59
Okay. Love Caesar. I can understand that. Yeah. I guess if you have to have salad for dessert.
Blake Frazier • 44:05
Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 44:06
All right. All right, let's get to the second dinner. There's got to be an actual dessert, this
Blake Frazier • 44:10
one, right? No, second dinner. There's usually a milkshake involved somewhere in there. I love a good chick fil A. I'll go like a twelve count meal. A sandwich, some fries or Mac and cheese. And a strawberry milkshake is usually, usually the go to with second dinner.
Jon Jansen • 44:26
Sounds amazing. I think I just gained five pounds.
Blake Frazier • 44:29
It's. Yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot, but it's good.
Jon Jansen • 44:33
All right. Everything, you know, take the, the whole maintenance of your weight. Take all of that out. If you could just have one thing for dinner that was just your, your favorite dinner, it could be something mom makes. It would be something you could get here in Ann Arbor. What's the go to dinner?
Blake Frazier • 44:47
It's just pops flame grilled steak. That's it. He's, he's got it mastered down on the, on the charcoal.
Jon Jansen • 44:55
On it seasoning,
Blake Frazier • 44:57
just salt and pepper. That's. That's about it. He might have a little secret in there that I don't know about, but he's, he's got it down.
Jon Jansen • 45:05
All right, so you got the Michigan, Michigan State rivalry coming up. What does, what's this game mean for you guys as a group? But what does this rivalry mean to you?
Blake Frazier • 45:14
It's everything. It's, it's in state bragging rights. It's, you know, it's about establishing, you know, who runs the state. And you know, this was, this game last year was my, my first career start and we want it in their place. And so, you know, my, my personal goal is to never lose to Michigan State while I'm here. I don't, I don't ever want to lose to them. I don't ever want to see Paul. Paul and East Lansing. And so for me personally, this is, this is a game where, you know, practice is really, really important, obviously with, with the fundamentals and everything. But it's one of those games that when you get to game time, you know, you don't forget about it. But you definitely are focused on just trying to bury the man in front of you. And so that's, that's going to be my message at Least to the offensive line this week is, you know, focus on your.
Blake Frazier • 46:03
Your. Your one eleventh. But at the end of the day, this is. This is going to be the dirtiest game that you ever play in, and it's going to be a dog fight.
Jon Jansen • 46:10
Well, you answered that last question for me. I was going to say, how is this different than the Ohio State rivalry? Because there's. There's uniqueness to both, and I do think that this one is. I'll just call it a little chippier. And you've also taken on more of a leadership role, obviously, with the offensive line. What's that been like for you? In a year where the record hasn't been what you wanted to be, the numbers haven't been what you've wanted them to be, but you still got to find ways to motivate and continue to improve.
Blake Frazier • 46:39
I think that's. That's been the tricky part for sure is, you know, how do you motivate guys to keep going when the results aren't exactly what you want them to be? And I think my personal motivation has been, you know, what would my dad do to get to play another game? And that's kind of been my motivation, is I owe it to everybody that's ever put on the wing helmet to give it my all, regardless of what's been going on with the team and the results. And so with the leadership aspect of it is, you know, how do I get that message across to different guys that maybe don't have the upbringing with the school that I did and just find ways to motivate because a guy like Avery is going to respond a little bit different than a guy like Marky, and a guy like Houston's going to respond a little different than a guy like Marky. And so just finding different ways to. To motivate guys and to get that message across.
Jon Jansen • 47:34
Well, best of luck as you guys continue to prepare for Michigan State. And best of luck in the game.
Blake Frazier • 47:39
Appreciate it. Thank you, Jon.
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Jon Jansen • 47:49
Well, thanks to Blake and I, I know that this offensive line is going to get things right. It's taken way longer than anybody thought, but like to. I like knowing that Blake Frazier is up front, Jake Guarnera is at that center position. They're getting things locked down. They're going to get things going in the right direction for all things Michigan football. Make sure you keep it locked in here on in the Trenches.
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Jeff Laurence • 48:11
Thanks for listening to this edition of in the Trenches with Jon Jansen, presented by Meijer, presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest. In the Trenches is part of our Michigan Athletics Podcast Network MGO Blue Podcast. The preceding is a Learfield presentation of the Michigan Sports Network.
