Stocking Stuffers

Cartoon by Joel A Morgan.

Merry Christmas. I'm out until after the holiday. Enjoy the following gifts:

• MVictors is putting together various "Michigan Memorabilia Vaults".
  
  
  Up are the 40s and 50s, the 20s and 30s, and all stuff previous.
• Smart Football analyzes the shotgun's history as a rushing offense, citing the 54-51 Northwestern game as the signal flare that really initiated the spread renaissance and declaring Rich Rodriguez "the Johnny Appleseed of the spread."
• As EDSBS points out, both CNN doctorguy Sanjay Gupta and House (the character) went to Michigan. Word.
• Don't play the Michigan fight song over and over again in West Virginia.
• Facebook Groups about Rich Rodriguez are a little nasty. I joined "Michigan... Taking West Virginia's Athletic Department 1 Person At A Time."
• SMQB makes his annual playoff plea, deftly skewering the warped logic put forth by playoff opponents (though he concedes "who needs a national champion anyway?" is a valid objection, as do I).
• Slaton and White gush about S&C guy Barwis.

See you after Christmas.

Update: Not so fast! Via Varsity Blue: Fred Jackson has been re-hired (woo McGuffie!) and was told that two more assistants may be retained. Steve Stripling was put forth in Chengelis' article yesterday; Campbell and Loeffler would seem to be the other candidates to stay.

Update II: Two items of interest from Pinfall Marks. An article on recruiting:

WVU safeties coach Bruce Tall recruited [OH WR DJ] Woods, but a team source said Sunday Rodriguez wanted Tall on his staff at Michigan.

"Michigan is a very serious option now," Woods said. "I committed to West Virginia because of the coaching staff, but I started thinking about Michigan when Coach Rod called me and told me he was taking everyone with him."

And one on Mike Barwis, the S&C guy we're also giddy about:

"I think it would be huge for Michigan," said Beilein, whose father, John, coached WVU's men's basketball team for five seasons before moving to Michigan in April.

"I didn't get to see football too much when I was there and I didn't interact with them as much as I did with Barwis, but I know he'd be a great addition if it happens for every sport and not just football. He gets involved and gets his guys working around the clock."