The statue of Red Grange is outside Memorial Stadium. When does the Tony McGee statue go up at MIchigan Stadium?

I would say in the year .... OK, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson would go up faster than mine, but I think after those two I'm next in line.

So Desmond Howard was the better player at Michigan. Are you the better broadcaster?

Desmond, for sure. He's on ESPN, where everyone's trying to get. I defer to him. I'm just a guy working on his craft.

What's your take on the accusations leveled against Rich Rodriguez for violating the 20-hour workweek?

Back when I was in school is when they first implemented the rule. Honestly, if you ask coaches across the country about how many hours their players work, they would all cringe. Guys spend more than 20 hours a week because they want to get better. I don't think it's fair to single out Michigan.

Rodriguez isn't a "Michigan man." Are you OK with that?

Surprisingly, Coach Rodriguez has been great to the former players. He welcomes us all back with open arms. I'm impressed. I was up there in the preseason, and I can tell you his team is svelte: They're big and fast and strong. They look like athletes this year. Last year, it didn't look like that. As Rich implements his conditioning and his system and has time to make it his own program, they'll be fine.

When you played, Michigan owned the state.

The Spartans have been the best team the last couple years, and that won't change until Michigan starts producing again. When you look at the attention given MIchigan on TV, when you look at the recruiting, when you look at their attendance, the cache is still full. That luster might not be as bright as it once was, but they're only a few timely wins before the luster is restored.

Like beating Notre Dame.

Notre Dame has more depth than Michigan. But where Michigan has an advantage is one-on-one matchups. I'll go with Michigan 27-24.

It's a big week for the Big Ten.

Being a Big Ten guy, I'd like to tell you the Big Ten is as good as those other (conferences). In the same vein, they still haven't proven they can produce at that level. If Michigan can get a win against Notre Dame, if Ohio State beats USC, that changes the conversation.

What happened to Illinois?

I was really surprised by the lack of intensity on the Illinois sideline. I read about all their leadership, and I didn't see it. If Illinois can run the ball like they did in '06 and '07 and pass it like they did in '08, they can put it back together.

What's with Urban Meyer bringing Zook's name up after all these years?

I think it's a competitive relationship. I'm sure there is mutual respect. People in Florida don't think Zook got a fair shake for what he did. He should get partial credit for a national championship. Urban Meyer cooked with a lot of Zook's groceries.

You have the Steelers or Ravens winning the Super Bowl. What about the Bears and Jay Cutler?

I would have liked to play with him. I like my quarterbacks with some fire, someone that's not scared to speak his mind, someone who will get on a player when they make a mistake. When Devin Hester made mistakes, Cutler told him about it. My quarterback has to have the right attitude.