MICHIGAN SPORTS AUDIO

Detroit Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, Tigers, U-M Wolverines, MSU Spartans & More

With Jon Kitna sitting out practice again and visiting a back specialist, it's looking more and more like backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky will be starting for the Detroit Lions against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

If the Lions lose, as expected, and Kitna recovers fine, he'll be the likely starter the following week. But if the Lions can somehow pull an upset and pick up their first win of the season, MLive Lions Insider Tom Kowalski says the team has to keep Orlovsky under center.

The pressure to win might have Lions coach Rod Marinelli defending his winless squad week after week, but Lions insider Tom Kowalski thinks that's no reason for the third-year coach to be picking fights with members of the local media.

"I think (Marinelli) is being way too combative," Kowalski said during his weekly show on WDFN, The Point After. "He's taking issues with things that don't need to be addressed.

With the championship banner being raised before Thursday's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is excited for his team to defend their Stanley Cup title. Speaking to Stoney and Wojo on WDFN, Holland talks about how time is short for this team in this new salary cap world we live in.

"We've got this one year window of opportunity, and I think our players understand that we won the Stanley Cup, the core of our team up front is really young and it's really coming into it's prime, and we'll probably never have as good of a chance as this again.

With the run-and-gun games of the recent past against Northwestern, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio knows he and his staff have their work cut out for them when they travel to Evanston, Ill. to face the undefeated Wildcats.

Furthermore, Northwestern is coming off of a bye week, which allows them to anticipate the Spartans' moves a little better, and put some new wrinkles into their offensive and defensive schemes.

Comparing the implentation of his spread offense at West Virginia and at Michigan, Rich Rodriguez says the main difference between the two scenarios was the return of some veterans from the year prior to his arrival. This year's Wolverines have little in the way of returning vets.

"Even though it hadn't shown up in results on the field," Rodriguez says during his weekly teleconference, "we felt we had done it in the first year. It was the same thing as I feel now in that there's things that are happening that I feel are going to bode well for the future.

It's true that the shifting the Detroit Lions have done on offense and defense runs against head coach Rod Marinelli's belief in consistency. But he's left with little choice.

The defense was supposed to be much better than it is right now, after two full years, MLive Lions Insider Tom Kowalski tells WDFN's Sean Baligian on It Is What It Is. After four huge losses, the no-huddle offense and addition of blitzes look more like signs of desperation.

What a difference a week makes.

After getting blown out at home by Northern Illinois, 37-0, Eastern Michigan travelled to Bowling Green and beat the Falcons, 24-21.

The key, Eagles head coach Jeff Genyk tells WTKA's Sam Webb and Andy Evans, was getting back to basics.

Monday's visit with Sam Webb and Andy Evans on WTKA focused on the usual - Michigan football - and the not-so-usual, my final column for The Ann Arbor News.

Will this be the last Monday together? Not sure. We're still working it out. In the meantime, you'll find me blogging a little here, and can reach me at jim.carty@comcast.net

Full audio below: