Michigan
Betting odds released for Michigan vs. Minnesota
The Michigan Wolverines improved to 3-1 on the season after a 27-24 win over the USC Trojans. Michigan will look to keep on winning against a 2-2 Minnesota Golden Gophers team that just lost 31-14 to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The betting lines have been released and the Wolverines are currently favorites over Minnesota. Per FanDuel Sportsbook, Michigan’s currently a 12.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 40.5.
Michigan has a 71-22-2 all-time record against Minnesota and has won four in a row, with the last Minnesota win coming a decade ago in 2014, the final year of the Brady Hoke era at Michigan. Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is 0-3 against the Wolverines with losses of 33-10 (2017), 49-24 (2020), and 52-10 (2023).
While Michigan is the favorite and matchups against Minnesota are rarely competitive, the tilt is a rivalry on paper and there’s hardware on the line, a little brown jug that dates back to 1903.
If Minnesota is able to keep the game close it’ll mean their No. 108 ranked total offense overperforms and their No. 8 total defense does their job. The Wolverines rank No. 109 in total offense and No. 55 in total defense.
The matchup is at noon Eastern time and will be broadcast on Fox.
What do you think of the spread? Let us know in the comments.
Michigan’s state parks remind us that beauty was and always will be a part of our state. They alone account for one-third of all nature-based recreation. In them, people can connect with the freest parts of themselves while plants and wildlife thrive freely in their natural habitats.
I remember climbing down a hill on the far side of Sleeping Bear Dunes, taking a moment to look out at the water before attempting the famous climb back up. The boats I saw on the water looked more like pirate ships in my memory after climbing through what felt like a desert. The view has remained one of my mind’s strongest memories of nature.
Access to nature comes with responsibility, yet the parks are not being well-maintained. Roads around them are collapsing, and it is not uncommon to find a trail closure or two or even sewage spilling in certain areas.
This doesn’t have to be the case. This July, state leaders have the opportunity to pass a more park-friendly budget that can increase funding for the parks and begin chipping away at the $748 million deferred maintenance backlog. With a little more love, our state parks can serve for generations to come as shining examples of nature’s beauty, just as they did for me.
Zach Hogan
Bloomfield Hills
Two more weekends remain for colleges to host recruits for official visits.
Michigan State had bigger groups on campus for the first two weekends, so this week’s list is not as large in quantity.
Roswell (Georgia) Blessed Trinity Catholic defensive back Noah Willis will be making his first trip to East Lansing. Willis was only offered by the Spartans in mid-May, but they quickly found a home on his official visit schedule.
The 6-foot, 170-pound Willis can play outside corner or slot corner. Kansas State and Cincinnati already have hosted him, and he has BYU scheduled for the weekend of June 19.
Logansport (Indiana) offensive tackle RJ Clem also will be on campus for the first time. Spartans offensive line coach Nick Tabacca offered in May.
A 6-foot-7, 265-pound prospect, Clem is also a state qualifier in discus and plays basketball. Wake Forest will get an official next weekend. Kansas State and Iowa State also have offered.
Michigan State commit Grant Adloff, a three-star offensive lineman from East Grand Rapids, also will be on campus for his official.
In-state targets nearing decisions
The name to watch for Spartan fans this week is Detroit King’s Don Spillers. A two-way athlete, Michigan State is recruiting the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Spillers as a safety while Illinois, his other finalist, is recruiting him as a wide receiver.
Spillers is expected to make a decision by this weekend. Michigan State has led his Rivals predictions for much of his recruitment, but last weekend’s official visit with Illinois have made the Illini a very real threat to those predictions.
Spillers’ teammate, offensive lineman Jameer Henry, also is believed to be nearing a decision. Henry (6-5, 300 pounds) also is considering Illinois. Missouri was considered the primary competition, but the Tigers have faded in the race.
First summer camp brings talent from all classes
Michigan State hosted their first one-day camp of the summer on June 9.
No offers were extended at the camp, but there were many potential future offers within the group.
Toledo Central Catholic’s David Yharbrough and Troy Yharbrough were two of the standouts. David Yharbrough is a rising junior receiver while Troy Yharbrough is only an incoming freshman, but already looks like a national recruit with several programs offering already.
In-state cornerbacks Jacob Patton and Wendell Childs impressed. Patton (Detroit Country Day) is a 2028 recruit with an offer from Wisconsin. Childs (Clarkston) is a 2027 with track speed. The Spartans are down the road in their 2027 recruiting, but Childs made a play to be considered.
The NFL Academy, a boarding school in the United Kingdom brought several of their top prospects as part of their stateside college tour. That included 6-foot-8, 310-pound offensive tackle Adam Ibironke, a class of 2028 recruit.
Tabor (Massachusetts) Academy wide receiver Xander Odenyo, a multi-offer prospect also stood out in one-on-one work.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central quarterback Odin Spencer, along with wide receivers Grayson Tidd and Jace Cummings, were also among the camp’s top performers.
Spartan defensive line commit Jack Schuler also took part in the camp.
Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for On3. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.
The Michigan Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned a conviction against a man in connection with the 2020 plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Joseph Morrison was found guilty and sentenced in 2022 after prosecutors argued that he provided material support for a terroristic act as a member of the Wolverine Watchmen. Morrison, as well as Pete Musico and Paul Bellar, were accused of holding gun drills in Jackson County with Adam Fox, who played a key role in the plot.
Fox and co-leader Barry Croft Jr. were convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
On Tuesday, the court reversed Morrison’s conviction in a 3-0 ruling, stating that kidnapping is not an underlying violent felony that supports a conviction under the state’s terrorism law.
Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel called the ruling “completely and irredeemably nonsensical, outrageous and irresponsible” and vowed to appeal the decision.
“This wasn’t an abstract or peaceful kidnapping case. The evidence presented at trial explicitly proved a considered and coordinated plan among these men to kidnap and brutally murder the Governor, killing as many members of law enforcement and residents of the community as necessary along the way. Kidnapping is violent and it is a felony,” Nessel said.
The Democratic governor was never physically harmed. Undercover FBI agents and informants were inside Fox’s group for months, and the scheme was broken up with 14 arrests in October 2020.
The overall investigation produced mixed results for state and federal prosecutors. Five of the 14 men were acquitted at trial. In September 2023, a jury acquitted three men, twin brothers William and Michael Null, and Eric Molitor. The men were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge. They were the last of 14 men to face charges in state or federal court. Nine were convicted and now five have been cleared.
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