“It’s very satisfying to see the young guys do well,” said first year Saline head coach Scott Powers. “It was a little tight against Pioneer and I was a little worried about our young guys. But when we needed six, they came through.”

Saline beat Pioneer 43-28 in the opening round before defeating Lincoln 60-12 in the final. Lincoln was forced to void four matches and was disqualified in another in the final.

Continue reading Saline defeats Lincoln and Pioneer to advance to wrestling regional ...

Michigan's Rachel Sheffer (44) blocks a first-half shot by Nebraska forward Emily Cady during the Wolverines' 63-52 win Thursday in Lincoln, Neb.

AP Photo

They were calling this “Wolverine Week” in Lincoln, Neb.

The Michigan women’s basketball team gave that tagline a whole new meaning when it completed a Wolverines sweep by upsetting No. 13-ranked Nebraska, 63-52, Thursday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Continue reading Michigan women's basketball team caps 'Wolverine Week' in Nebraska with upset of No. 13 Cornhuskers...

I know, I'm excited, too.

But there's plenty of basketball to be played, plenty of position-jockeying to be had, RPIs to boost and a league championship to declare.

So, as we head down the stretch drive, here's my take on four burning Big Ten questions.

Continue reading Answers to 4 Big Ten hoops questions as the season hits the stretch drive...

The Detroit Red Wings visited Ann Arbor on Thursday as the NHL officially announced Michigan Stadium as the venue for the 2013 Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Continue reading Red Wings players excited to play Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium...

Now, it appears newly minted Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has adopted something similar.

Meyer calls Michigan "that team up north" on Ohio State's football facility schedule, and also omitted the block "M" where other logos are pictured.

Thursday, Meyer took it a step further during an interview with WKRK-FM (92.3) in Cleveland by saying "we don't use their name" at all.

Continue reading Ohio State's Urban Meyer says he won't use Michigan's name, calls recruiting comments 'slander'...

Alabama running back Trent Richardson holds up the championship trophy.

Associated Press

LSU fans had all but disappeared into the New Orleans night by the final minutes of last month's dreary BCS title game, leaving en masse when they figured out a team that couldn't get past the 50-yard-line wasn't going to magically find a way to cross the goal line. They weren't alone, with people across the nation abandoning their TVs in hope of finding something even remotely more interesting.

The cartel that runs the BCS got what it deserved in a rematch no one outside of Alabama wanted. A lopsided game with horrible television ratings seemed an appropriate way to cap an awful bowl season that generated less buzz than rapper M.I.A.'s extended middle finger at the Super Bowl.

How bad was it? So bad that it woke up some people who matter.

Continue reading Big Ten's pitch for 4-team playoff is a real step toward college football reform...

National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman, Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Illitch and Red Wings players such as Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Jimmy Howard and Nicklas Lidstrom showed up for a press conference Wednesday on the field of Michigan Stadium.

The subject: An expected 115,000 fans for the annual Winter Classic, which will feature a Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs game at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1.

Bettman also presented Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon a check for $250,000 to the University of Michigan general scholarship fund from NHL Charities.

The Michigan hockey team will join Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Western Michigan for an outdoor version of the Great Lakes Invitational on Dec. 29-30.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Related coverage: Should U-M schedule more non-football events at the Big House?

DETROIT — Get your stocking caps and long underwear ready Michigan hockey fans. Next year's two-day Great Lakes Invitational will be an all outdoor event.

As part of the NHL's official announcement of the matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, it was announced that the 48th annual GLI will be outdoors at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Continue reading Outdoor GLI to be part of Hockeytown Winter Festival; NHL expects 115,000 at Winter Classic...

"I'm completely satisfied with my performance. I came into the meet with a positive attitude and I ended up doing pretty well, so I am happy with that,” said de los Angeles, a freshman for the Wolverines. "Confidence-wise this is huge that the senior team believes in me and thinks I have the abilities to perform.”

Continue reading College notebook: Pair of Wolverines named to U.S. national team and more...

With his teammates hoisting warmup shots after one of their more abysmal halves of the season, the Michigan basketball sophomore standout did nothing but watch.

Hardaway had already gone 0-for-7, and the team was 8-for-25. He didn't need to shoot anymore. The time had come for a change.

And enough, was finally enough.

"After that Michigan State game I felt really bad about myself," said Hardaway, who finished 1-for-10 from the floor in a loss to the Spartans on Sunday. "I didn't want to hurt my teammates (more). This is Zack (Novak), Stu (Douglass) and Corey Person's last season.

"I want to just give it all I've got, and make a concerted effort to just do the little things."

Continue reading With Tim Hardaway Jr. buying in, the Michigan basketball team's less-is-more-approach leads to a win...

The wife of the Michigan football team's offensive line coach didn't mind. She knew who was on the other end: Kyle Kalis, a five-star offensive lineman who was committed to her husband's biggest rival, Ohio State.

The Wolverines were trying to poach him away.

This was Kalis' first chat with Funk, who had to walk past a photo of former All-American tackle Jake Long to get outdoors for the conversation.

"We hit it off well," Funk recalled last week. "He was asking great questions, he was excited, he knew Michigan’s traditions. I told him I just walked by a big picture of Jake Long, and of course who doesn't know that guy?

"He seemed real interested, and I’m glad it’s come to pass."

Continue reading Michigan recruit Kyle Kalis, scooped from Ohio State, is a 'road-grading' lineman...

News that the National Hockey League will be hosting the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium has many Michigan fans thinking: What other ways can America's largest football stadium be used during the 300-plus days each year it sits empty?

Continue reading Should U-M schedule more non-football events at the Big House?...

Me.

Sorry, I’m just that good. Two straight weeks with no winners in 'Beat Pete,' combined with the weather we’ve been experiencing, has me thinking the Mayans just may be right about this whole 2012 thing.

Continue reading It's tough to 'Beat Pete' when his picks are perfect, but you can try...

So, it came as no surprise Wednesday when the Michigan basketball captain shrugged off his induction into the 1,000-point club with a bit of self deprecation.

In Novak's words, it took him long enough.

"If I did it in a timely fashion, it'd be cool," Novak quipped following Michigan's 62-46 win at Nebraska. "But I just feel like, at this point, I've been playing like 35 minutes a game for four years.

"I don't think that averages out very well."

Continue reading Michigan basketball captain Zack Novak slips by the 1,000-point barrier, and more notes...

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) drives past Nebraska's Bo Spencer in the first half of the Wolverines' 62-46 win Wednesday in Lincoln, Neb. Burke finished with 12 points and Spencer led the Cornhuskers with 13 points.

Updated 11:07 p.m.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Michigan's first half Wednesday night was borderline miserable.

The second half, though, went down as borderline perfect.

The 22nd-ranked Michigan basketball team shot a blistering 76.2 percent from the floor after halftime, earning its first-ever Big Ten win against host Nebraska with a 62-46 victory at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

"The key was confidence, all around," Michigan senior co-captain Stu Douglass said. "You don't have to make flashy plays, just play the game the right way.

"The simple way, the way we've been talking about every day."

Continue reading Michigan basketball team takes over in 2nd half, rolls to 62-46 win at Nebraska...