MGoPodcast 17.19: The Conservation of Vibes

15 snips

Jan 12, 2026

The discussion kicks off with a deep dive into the transfer portal, highlighting quarterback concerns and the potential of new pickups like Taylor Tatum. Wide receiver depth takes a positive turn with commitments from JJ Buchanan and Jamie French. Defensive worries arise as multiple departures leave safety depth in question. The hosts also break down Michigan's basketball struggles, analyzing key wins and losses, before wrapping up with insights on hockey and officiating critiques in the Big Ten.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Conservation Of Vibes Explains Mood Swings

The podcast frames a "law of conservation of vibes" where success in other Michigan sports seemed to balance football turmoil.
The hosts view portal moves and coaching hires as cyclical vibe shifts that quickly change expectations.

ADVICE

Target Cheap Upside In The Portal

Target obvious positional needs in the portal but be realistic about playing time and fits.
Use low-cost upside picks like Taylor Tatum as Moneyball moves when higher-priced players leave.

INSIGHT

Buchanan Adds Hybrid Pass‑Catching Versatility

JJ Buchanan can function as a hybrid slot/tight-end type rather than a pure inline tight end.
Michigan may deploy him as a jumbo receiver or a "tiny tight end" to add versatility to the offense.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

1 hour and 48 minutes

The Sponsors

Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com.

Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers.

1. Transfer Portal - Offense

Starts at :51

Never doubt the law of conservation of vibes. The Penn State basketball game saved the offensive line. This was recorded on Sunday at noon so by the time you listen to this, things have probably already changed (hello, Jaime Ffrench). It would be nice to get a backup QB in the portal (hello Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi). Justice Haynes has hit the portal, might be going to Georgia Tech, and Oklahoma RB Taylor Tatum is in. So far he's struggled with fumbles and a hamstring injury but Oklahoma's RB coach is one of the worst in P4. He might be a Moneyball situation. Kuzdzal might be coming back? Jaime F-f-f-french is in and if JJ Buchanan joins then we have an actual wide receiver room. Still need a tight end? Offensive line got their guys back, we're un-mad now. Need some depth at center, though.

[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP]

2. Transfer Portal - Defense

Starts at 27:11

Not as sunny as the offense right now but it can change at any time. How we feel so far depends on the status of John Henry Daley's Achilles, he could be a Derrick Moore comparison if healthy. Defensive end looks pretty set. Defensive tackle... they get Pierce back. They do get Jonah Lea'ea from Utah who was a bit undersized and needed another year to develop. Enow Etta's return has turned from optimism to pessimism. Hopefully Alister Vallejo is ready as a freshman. At linebacker Rasheem Biles is off the board, they are hosting Cade Uluave from Cal, an all-ACC linebacker. Jimmy Rolder has declared for the draft and is #692 on the NFL Mock Draft database. The secondary isn't entirely in the portal but it's alarming, safety is now a concern. Surely we'll find out more about safety this week because you can't go into a season with three safeties. Per Trevor McCue, Jay Hill doesn't rotate the secondary at all! Kerry Coombs got his guys for special teams, they've got a kicker from Pitt, Trey Butkowski. This offense could be really good and not need to rely on a kicker who can hit field goals from the 37. Overall, get in a safety or two and ideally a good defensive tackle and this team is really close to being very competitive. When's the last time the offense was better than the defense, 2011?

3. Hot Takes and Basketball vs Penn State and Wisconsin

Starts at 1:05:25

Takes hotter than Wisconsin three point shooting. Basketball is no longer invincible. This must feel the same as when Matt Painter had to play Mo Wagner. Michigan got out-rebounded pretty badly which feels like a major failing given the line-up. They need to play a little dirtier in the paint. Michigan and Wisconsin were shooting back-to-back threes until Michigan fell off. The offensive goal-tending ruling was the rule. Wisconsin doesn't send many guys to the offensive board, they tend to get back and trying to get transition baskets isn't worth it. A key for Michigan going forward is how stretch is everyone's five? Wisconsin shot 12 points higher than their expected for the number of threes they shot.

4. Hockey vs Notre Dame

Starts at 1:28:57

Michigan escapes a bad Notre Dame team but loses goalie Jack Ivankovic for "some period of time" (possibly the season). The hit was unfortunate but probably not malicious. There are strong words said about these officials. Naurato has said in his press conferences that "I can't say what I want to say." Big Ten hockey is one of the best leagues in the world and the Big Ten treats it like the 4th most important sport. Freshman goalie Stephen Peck is now your starter. The defense needs to step way up to support their new goalie. If the season ended today they'd still be the number one seed in the tournament, though. Part of that is because of Ivankovic.

MUSIC:

"One Tiny Flower"— Jeff Tweedy
"Don't Do Me Like That"— J. Mascis
"Falling Behind"— Laufey
“Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra