After a National Championship season in 2023 for the Michigan Wolverines they’re now in a situation in 2024 where we’re past midway through November and they have yet to clinch bowl eligibility.

Michigan’s missed a bowl game twice in the past ten years — in 2020 during a 2-4 COVID-19 shortened season when the Wolverines went 2-4, and in 2014 when they finished 5-7 in Brad Hoke’s last year as head coach

Michigan, now 5-5, has two regular season games remaining — home versus Northwestern and away against No. 2 Ohio State (9-1).

Per ESPN Analytics, Michigan has a 79.6% chance of beating Northwestern, but just a 7.1% chance of defeating Ohio State. These percentages really magnify how important beating Northwestern is for Michigan to earn a bowl berth.

A bowl game is the bare minimum for a prestigious program like Michigan and head coach Sherrone Moore sees the value an extra game has heading into 2025.

“It’s huge for the program. Playing another game, getting another chance to play with your team, but building on the future,” Moore said. “Building, getting more practice. It’s like another spring ball for the young guys. It’s more football for the guys that do keep getting better at football.”

There’s no guarantee Michigan even gets a win against Northwestern, they’ll have to earn it despite being the favorite. Michigan ranks No. 129 in total offense and No. 38 in total defense while Northwestern ranks No. 130 in total offense and No. 58 in total defense. Things become exponentially more unfavorable for Michigan against Ohio State, who have the No. 17 total offense and No. 2 total defense.

Northwestern is 4-6 and still could make a bowl if they beat Michigan and Illinois to close out the season. Northwestern head coach David Braun said the team is focused on bowl eligibility and expects a time of possession-influenced, grind-it-out type of game against Michigan.

“If you look at these two teams, as Northwestern and Michigan match up, it’s most likely going to be a limited possession football game. Every possession is so critical,” Braun said.

Michigan’s coming off back-to-back losses against Oregon and Indiana and desperately needs to regain their footing in the final two contests. If Michigan does pick up a win against Northwestern only then will they have the proper momentum and juice heading into The Game against the Buckeyes.

CORKTOWN, Mich. (FOX 2) – An offshoot of a Corktown-based business will be the newest store to open in Michigan Central Station this week that offers both community programming and local crafts.

Neighbor X Folk will officially open its doors on Nov. 22, pitching itself as not just a store, but a “community space where every product tells a story.”

Associated with the James Beard-nominated café ‘Folk’ that doubles as a wine shop, Neighbor X Folk can be found just minutes away from the brand’s primary location on Trumbull.

In a social media post made last week, the business plans to offer “minority-owned and sustainably minded brands” that vary from home decor and tableware, to books, bodycare, and other good giftable items.

Beyond that, the location will also offer workshops and product samplings. They could be cooking sessions or meet-and-greets with popular chefs behind exciting recipes and food brands.

“From hands-on workshops, book signings and product samplings, our space fosters a welcoming environment where creativity thrives amidst a community of conscious consumers and neighbors,” their Facebook post reads.

After a promising first set, the Michigan volleyball team’s hopes were high.

But those hopes quickly faded away, turning into false hopes.

The Wolverines (16-10 overall, 6-9 Big Ten) ultimately fell to Michigan State (10-16, 3-12) after losing three consecutive sets, 3-1, with Michigan sophomore opposite hitter Valentina Vaulet being the only player able to generate consistent production for the Wolverines.

Each set started relatively toe-to-toe with Michigan and the Spartans constantly alternating leads. In the first set, momentum shifted to the Wolverines’ side, as they secured a 25-20 set win. While the following sets had similar starts, the momentum began to shift out of Michigan’s favor and into the hands of Michigan State, giving the Spartans three consecutive set wins.

“(Michigan State) really put a lot of pressure on us to be able to score.” Michigan coach Erin Virtue said. “In this conference, anyone can win any single night. We have to find a way back into that win column.”

Getting back into that “win column” seemed possible for the Wolverines after a promising first set. However, Michigan’s sole reliance on Vaulet and her consistency gave Michigan State an advantage because of the Spartans’ cohesion and better balance on the court.

“Valentina is somebody that we lean on a lot,” Virtue said. “We certainly leaned a lot on her to score points, especially from the offensive side of things, and we really needed some of her counterparts to step up and be able to have a little more balance.” 

Vaulet’s contributions were crucial throughout the match, as she finished with 20 kills, two aces, one block and the winning point for the first set — she far exceeded her teammates’ production. However, her teammates’ reliance on her ultimately cost the Wolverines the match. Her dominance on the court did not deter Michigan State, as the Spartans kept their feet on the gas once they won their second set. Their continued strength through the third and fourth sets, with 25-18 victories in both sets, emphasized the need for Michigan to work on its stability and execution.

“For us, it’s just stabilizing our past and the scenes that we’re working in there,” Virtue said. “We had to do a little bit of a better job in communication or execution.”

With stability, communication and execution in mind, the Wolverines are looking to get back into the win column amid a six-game losing streak.

The team’s constant leaning on Vaulet was a detriment against Michigan State. The Wolverines know they must work cohesively to succeed. To do so, Michigan will need contributions from more than just Vaulet, contributions it didn’t get against Michigan State.

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