The Blue Wall with Michael Smeltzer

Calling all Michigan Wolverines fans! Get ready for an exhilarating episode of the Big House Bleachers podcast as hosts Michael Smeltzer and Matt Hartwell bring on special guests Jared Stormer and Andy Bailey from the popular Out of the Blue podcast. This crossover episode is a can't-miss for all Maize and Blue enthusiasts, as the four hosts dive into a range of exciting topics. From wedding annou...

Welcome to the Big House Bleachers Podcast! In this episode, Michael Smeltzer and Matt Hartwell, two diehard Michigan Wolverine fans, discuss various topics related to Michigan sports. They touch on the challenges of following games in different time zones, the resurgence of Duncan Robinson in the NBA playoffs, admissions issues affecting Michigan basketball, and the impact players to watch out fo...

Welcome back, college football fanatics! We have an exhilarating episode lined up for you on The Big House Bleachers Podcast. In this episode, our hosts Michael Smeltzer and Matt Hartwell dive into the intriguing story surrounding Hunter Dickinson's recent claim of earning less than six figures in NIL compensation at Michigan, compared to his anticipated multi-million dollar windfall after transfe...

This week on the Big House Bleachers Podcast, Mike and Matt tackle the depth chart on the defensive side of the ball for the upcoming football season. Michigan added an important piece to the puzzle of their 2024 recruiting class with the commitment of wide receiver Channing Goodwin. Goodwin's commitment is an indication that fellow Providence Day wideout, Jordan Shipp, may be soon to follow. And...

The Dallas Cowboys reached up sightly in the 1st round to take Mazi Smith, and then again surprised us by reaching in the second round to pick up Luke Schoonmaker. Mazi and Schoon weren't the only pair of Wolverines to join a Michigan teammate at their NFL destination. DJ Turner and Brad Robbins went to Cincinnati, Jake Moody and Ronnie Bell got scooped up by San Francisco, and Olu Oluwatimi and M...

Mike and Matt mourn the loss of ESPN as the worldwide leader in sports after their preposterous preseason college football FPI rankings were released. Then the guys take a deep dive into the offensive depth chart of the 2023 Michigan Wolverines, including a thorough breakdown of possibilities along the offensive line. They wrap up the show by tossing each other a few hypothetical "Would you Rather...

Brian from "BB's Big House" stops by the pod to talk Michigan recruiting with Mike and Matt. The guys take a look at some hot names on the recruiting board like Taylor Tatum, Aaron Chiles, and Brady Prieskorn. On the heels of the Blake Frazier commitment, they each make a prediction of who might be next to commit to the Maize and Blue. From Wolverines in the NBA Playoffs to Blake Corum and Derek J...

The Michigan spring football game was cold, wet, and windy. But that didn't stop players, coaches, fans, and recruits from heading out to the Big House for a good old-fashioned gridiron battle. In this episode of the Big House Bleachers Podcast, Michael Smeltzer and Matt Hartwell unpack their initial reactions to the spring game and hand out some superlatives. The week's biggest news for Michigan...

Spring is for speculation, and the guys do a whole lot of speculating about Michigan football in this episode. With the Michigan Football Spring Game around the corner, Michael Smeltzer and Matt Hartwell take turns drafting their own 2023 Michigan football super-teams. In addition to talking about spring football, Matt and Mike also take a moment to bask in the glory of Michigan football's recruit...

Josh Augdahl and JD from the "On Stadium Blvd" podcast combined forces with Michael Smeltzer and Matt Hartwell this week to recap the disappointing NIT loss for Michigan basketball and hand out some end-of-season player grades. The guys also weighed in on the massive football recruiting weekend in Ann Arbor, then wrapped up by sharing their top-5 Michigan basketball players that they've watched in...

Kellen Voss, basketball analyst for Maize N Brew, stops by to assess the state of Michigan Basketball. The guys take a deep dive into who might be looking to transfer and which star players may enter their name in the draft. There's also a discussion of what type of player Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines might look to add to the roster next season, along with the incoming recruits. March...

Juwan the and Michigan basketball squad dropped another heartbreaker in overtime. Now Michigan's March Madness chances hinge on a Big 10 Tournament run. Michigan Smeltzer interviews Clayton Sayfie of The Wolverine, and the two discuss what it's like to cover Michigan as a sports journalist. And the Michigan Wolverines open some eyes with impressive stats and the NFL Draft Combine.

Michigan's tournament chances went from an outside shot to a realistic possibility when Hunter Dickinson drained a 3 to send the Michigan vs Wisconsin game into OT, ultimately resulting in a win for Michigan. Spring practice has begun for the Michigan Wolverine football team, and Jim Harbaugh raves about Amarion Walker's first 2 practices on the defensive side of the ball. Also, is it time to worr...

Jared Stormer of Maize N Brew rolls through and chops it up with Michael Smeltzer. The two talk about football recruiting and examine the implications of recent coaching changes, including the hiring of Chris Partridge. Also on this pod is a Wolverine Chronicle exclusive interview with former Michigan QB David Cone. Cone shares stories from his playing days and takes a strong stance on trans athle...

After a 3-game winning streak, the Michigan basketball team fell flat against the Hoosiers, failing to score a single point in the final 5 minutes of the game. Matt and Michael examine the basketball woes and dive into the 10 most memorable moments in each of their lifetimes. They wrap up the show with a spotlight on Michigan football recruiting.

On the heels of Tom Brady retiring, Mike and Matt go on a deep dive into the greatest athletes of all time and disagree on a few of them. Michigan basketball is beginning to look better as they string together two impressive victories. And which Michigan football player will get drafted first in the NFL draft? Get answers to these questions and more on this week's episode of the Big House Bleacher...

Michigan Basketball put up another embarrassing performance against Penn St, and questions about Juwan and his staff are beginning to get louder. Michael Smeltzer breaks down why Michigan basketball is struggling this season and covers some recent off-season football happenings. Michigan's football recruiting is gaining momentum in the state of Ohio, and the Wolverines have found their QB coach.

On this special edition of the Big House Bleachers Pod, Michael Smeltzer catches up with former Michigan great Stuart Douglas for a Wolverine Chronicle exclusive interview. Stu doesn't disappoint as he takes a deep dive into what made John Belien (and his staff) so effective. He gets personal with a story about a brotherly conflict with his former teammate, Zack Novack, which may have been driven...

Matt Hartwell returns to the pod and hits the ground running with Michael Smeltzer. The two dissect player eligibility and draft status heading into the offseason and passionately discuss the Jim Harbaugh NFL rumors. Looking ahead to the 2023 football season the guys offer up predictions on who will lead the Wolverines in each major statistical category. When they wrap up talking basketball, you w...

Michael Smeltzer of Wolverine Chronicle sets fire to the pod with an agenda full of Michigan football and basketball news. Jim Harbaugh flirts with the NFL, all while the NCAA investigates him for minor infractions. Michigan basketball continues to struggle, but Mike explains why they're close and takes an in-depth look at each player's performance thus far. To wrap up the pod, we take a look at t...

Michigan superfan and cohost of the "On Stadium Blvd" pod, Lexi Wester, joins Michael Smeltzer for this week's episode. Lexi and Mike break down the disappointing CFP loss to TCU and recap some of the most memorable moments from this year's football season. They also look ahead to which players they are most excited about heading into the 2023 season.

Michael Smeltzer is flying solo in this special edition of the Big House Bleachers Podcast. Mike shares a personal story about the origin of his brand, Wolverine Chronicle. His connection with football and family is surely relatable to fans across the country. In preparation for Michigan's playoff matchup against TCU, Mike provides his 5 key takeaways for the game.

When Andrew Bailey of Maize N Brew swung by the pod, the earth stopped rotating for a moment and Ryan Day's heart skipped a beat. Mike, Matt, and Andy asked "Where does Blake Corum rank all-time among Michigan running backs," and took a look at Michigan's momentum in the transfer portal. The guys also took turns breaking down Michigan basketball's up-and-down start to the 2022 season. This is a ca...

The Michigan family lost a real one this week when Demetrius "Meechie" Walker passed away. Matt and Mike honor his memory by talking about the impact he had. The guys also ask what's the deal with the Heisman nowadays and introduce a brand new segment that you won't want to miss. The Michigan football team has a few weeks to prepare for TCU in the playoffs so Mike and Matt spend some time diving i...

Championship week has passed and bowl season is on the horizon. Michigan took care of business against Purdue to move to 13-0, making this team the winningest squad in Michigan football history. Mike and Matt recap the games from Saturday while taking a deep dive into the playoff field. They also take some time to ask "what's the deal" with all of the Nick Saban/Alabama bias in the media and weigh...