The Michigan Insider

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz break down their biggest takeaways and observations on both sides of the ball from Michigan's annual spring game.

They open with a look at the offense. They discuss a quarterback room that seems to be down to a two-man battle for quarterback, and one that Michigan — at least publicly — says does not plan to involve a transfer portal addition. They also look at a deeper-than-expected tight end room, a wide receiver room that is short-staffed and standouts at running back and offensive line.

In the second half of the episode, they take a look at Michigan’s defense. They discuss what they saw from the Wolverines’ reserve defensive linemen and edge rushers, including some players who impressed. They look at a couple standout newcomers at linebacker, a defensive backfield with a lot of athleticism and potential, and then look at special teams to close out the episode.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz preview the Michigan football team’s spring game, looking at the quarterback battle, other storylines and other players they’ll be watching closely on Saturday.

They open with a lengthy discussion about Michigan’s quarterback battle — far and away the most significant part of Saturday’s event. They discuss if and how the battle has changed this spring, why they remain a little skeptical of the room as a whole, and what they want to see from players on Saturday. They also touch on the transfer portal’s impact on the room, and where they stand on the debate over adding a quarterback in the portal. 

In the second half of the episode, they look at the other storylines to watch in the game. They look at the changing of the guard in the skill position roles, and why they aren’t as concerned about the offensive line as the numbers would suggest. They then look at the defense, looking at roles to fill in the secondary, depth to be found up front and other players and positions to watch. 

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz offer their initial thoughts on Michigan hiring Dusty May to be its next head men’s basketball coach.

They open with a look at why the hire makes a lot of sense for Michigan. They dig in to what May did well in building Florida Atlantic up, why the Wolverines beat out other programs for this year’s “it” candidate, the value of his college experience and the perks of the timing of the hire.

They also look at some of the questions that persist even with the hiring of May. Included are discussions on May’s relative lack of experience, the challenges of recruiting at Michigan, what the rest of this offseason may look like and the overall unpredictability of college basketball. 

Want more college hoops insight and bracket advice? Download and follow the Eye on College Basketball podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. 

The ONLY episode on the NCAA Tournament that you'll ever need is HERE! Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander will break down every game to give you the sleepers, cinderellas, bracket busters, and more!

(01:00) - Kansas Kevin McCullar shut down for NCAA Tournament

(09:50) - Virginia, we're not mad. We're just disappointed.

(18:05) - We're picking brackets!

(53:27) - Final Four Picks

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In a loaded basketball episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz break down a number of key topics pertaining to Michigan firing Juwan Howard, and what’s next for the Wolverines’ program.

They open with a look at how Juwan Howard’s once-promising coaching tenure went so south, so quickly. They discuss roster management, a loss of momentum, defensive struggles and late-game woes, as well as where Howard could have improved in the offseason. They then pivot to look at what Michigan can learn from the last five years, and what can be applied to the Wolverines’ head-coaching search. They look at how a roster can be constructed at Michigan, why a coach used to “doing more with less” can shine in Ann Arbor and why college coaching experience is critical to whomever the Wolverines choose.

In the second half of the episode, they take a look at some of the top coaching candidates. They look at unlikely, but worthy candidates they would call first, realistic candidates that make the most sense, and some dark-horse candidates they are intrigued by. They also spend a lot of time discussing a potential return by John Beilein.

They close with more discussion about how Howard’s tenure turned so sour, and discuss a number of smaller topics along the way.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz break down Michigan’s decision to hire Don “Wink” Martindale as its next defensive coordinator, and what’s next for him and the Wolverines.

They open with an assessment of Michigan’s selection of Martindale, and dole out grades for the hire. They discuss Martindale’s strengths as a schematic coach, flush with high-level experience, and the continuity he can bring to a Michigan defense that thrived under two of Martindale’s mentees over the last three seasons. They also look at question marks the follow the hire, including Martindale’s potential shortcoming in recruiting, curiosity about how he’ll coach younger, less knowledgable players and how he’ll handle an effective demotion by returning to the college game.

They continue the discussion by zooming out, and looking at what Michigan should prioritize as it fills out the rest of its defensive coaching staff, and how big of a concern player retention is on the defensive side of the ball right now.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz discuss Michigan officially hiring Sherrone Moore as its next head football coach, then begin to look at what's next for Moore and the Wolverines.

They open with a discussion of Moore’s press conference and the hiring being made official. They look at the value of Michigan keeping a similar identity and physical brand of football, as well as the press conference’s high attendance of coaches and players. They then turn the discussion to the biggest questions Moore will try to answer in the next week, including recruiting, staff and roster retention, a plan for spring practices and more.

In the second half of the episode, they discuss a couple intriguing areas where Michigan could actually improve in the post-Jim Harbaugh era, look at how the media may portray Michigan different and take an early look at expectations for next season in Ann Arbor.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz break down the news that Jim Harbaugh is headed back to the NFL after nine seasons at Michigan. They discuss Harbaugh's tenure, and offer a check list of what should be next on the Wolverines' agenda.

They open with a look at Harbaugh’s decision to leave Michigan for the Los Angeles Chargers. They discuss the “surprise” of the move, what their initial reaction is and what they remember most about Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan.

In the second half of the episode, they dig in to what’s next for the Wolverines. They discuss why Sherrone Moore is such a no-brainer candidate for Michigan’s next head coach, what makes him a compelling candidate and how promoting him can keep Michigan’s momentum going. They also look at the recruiting side of things, including how the Wolverines must go about recruiting their current players to stick around.

They then close the episode with a look at what Michigan should be looking for in a defensive coordinator in the event that Jesse Minter also heads to the NFL.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz recap the Michigan football team's 34-13 win over Washington in the national title game, and offer some big-picture thoughts on how the Wolverines got to the top of the college football world.

They open the show by looking at what decisions or changes Michigan made after its 2-4 2020 season that were most impactful on the Wolverines going 40-3 since. Quarterback play, trench dominance, a player-led culture and toughness are all mentioned. They then look at what impressed them most about Michigan's win over Washington, including defensive pressure, Donovan Edwards and more.

In the second half of the episode, they look at the legacy of Michigan's ginormous senior class and what they accomplished, the most important stay-or-go decisions the Wolverines face, the value of the 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes and Michigan's ability to succeed in the face of outside noise.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz preview the Michigan football team’s national championship matchup against Washington. They discuss keys to the game on both sides of the ball, and make their predictions for the matchup.

They open with a look at the biggest keys for Michigan’s defense, as it prepares to face off against the top-ranked passing attack in the country. They discuss Michael Penix Jr., Washington’s talented receivers and its award-winning offensive line. They look at how a surging Michigan pass-rush can alter the Huskies’ game plan, why being aggressive in the secondary can pay dividends and how stopping a run game trending the wrong way can be effective in stopping the pass game, too.

In the second half of the episode, they look at the biggest keys for the Wolverines’ offense. They discuss why this could be a big game for Michigan’s play-action game, why the Wolverines should be able to sustain drives and kill clock with an effective run game, as well as a couple other weak points in Washington’s defense.

They close with some parting thoughts on this year’s Michigan team, why it’s built to win a national championship, and make their predictions for Monday’s game.