Don't Get Too Attached To The Idea Of Michigan-Iowa
UPDATE: canceled.
was just told the Michigan-Iowa game is canceled.
— angelique (@chengelis) December 15, 2020
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I'd place the odds this game actually happens at less than 1%:
Have heard the same -- heard Michigan's on-field practice numbers were really low once things got re-started. Not sure if it'll be enough. Heard number available was below 40. We'll see how it goes. https://t.co/9vl6FGwHSw
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) December 15, 2020
Baumgardner clarified that was a number from Sunday, which gives Michigan a little more time to clear players.
Contract tracing is responsible for a large number of the absences, surely, but folks are also talking about more positive tests. All of Michigan's COVID positives should fall in the 21-day window where they're ineligible to play. Meanwhile Michigan has barely practiced for three weeks and may not have a healthy quarterback. If this game actually happens it is more likely to be a football-flavored farce than an actual competition.
Also, Kirk Ferentz is spicy this year. He took three FU timeouts against Minnesota and carpet-bombed Scott Frost after Frost complained that people were clapping. Ferentz riding Jim Harbaugh like he is a pony would be a fitting capper on the season but maaaan no one wants to see that. I don't need to see Ferentz giving the opposite sideline the Degeneration X crotch chop for 3 hours Saturday night.
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December 15th, 2020 at 1:49 PM ^
The way I see it is that Michigan had a night game at Kinnick and a game at The Shoe in back-to-back weeks and came away undefeated. I've never been so proud of this program.
December 15th, 2020 at 1:54 PM ^
An 0-0 finish over the final 3 games was the best possible finish for the team this year and one of the best over the last 20 years. We could have had many undefeated seasons.
December 15th, 2020 at 6:46 PM ^
Harbaugh finally broke his streak of losing on the road!
December 15th, 2020 at 1:57 PM ^
The whole thing just cracks me up. Besides the OSU / NU game, the rest of these games are beyond pointless. The blatant money grab here is insulting even by Big 10 standards.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:54 PM ^
What's wrong with it though? The players want to play, the coaches want to coach, and fans want to watch (except us). They're the same as bowl games. "Meaningless" but still college football. For people that like college football, they're something.
I do find it funny that the IU-Purdue game which in part blew up the 2 v 2, 3 v 3, etc plan isn't even being played anyway. Now that we've canceled, I wonder if they'll try to reschedule some things to get that IU-Iowa game (assuming that game is canceled from the Purdue side).
December 15th, 2020 at 3:00 PM ^
Indiana and Purdue both had COVID issues and the releases both weeks mentioned both programs, I don't think IU is available.
December 15th, 2020 at 3:35 PM ^
I don't know man, I have a feeling that if you took a pole of this team and asked how many of them wanted to play at night, at Kinnick, in Mid December with absolutely nothing on the line, oh and by the way, you might be starting your 4th string QB, I don't think you'd get the positive answer you're looking for.
December 15th, 2020 at 4:50 PM ^
Meaningless to a fan but a lot of these guys are auditioning for the NFL.
December 15th, 2020 at 5:46 PM ^
Apparently your idea of college football games that are "beyond pointless" would include about 99% of all college football games. Not much of a college football fan.
December 15th, 2020 at 1:58 PM ^
Do you think Jim will be outside the admin offices with a sign to protest this decision? I hope so.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:03 PM ^
Less than 45 players available. Cancellation by Weds/Thurs?
December 15th, 2020 at 2:13 PM ^
Just got canceled.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:18 PM ^
"Don't get too attached to the idea of Michigan-Iowa"
LOL! I love sarcasm as I do cartwheels over not having to watch this game.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:19 PM ^
Will we be ready for the bowl game?
December 15th, 2020 at 3:48 PM ^
Depends on the opponent. If it’s a winnable game then a miracle will happen and UM will play. Not winnable and Covid cancel. No way Harbaugh can lose this recruiting class.
Jimmy = ({})
December 15th, 2020 at 2:19 PM ^
Had to google "Degeneration X crotch chop". Had no idea.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^
Waiting for Herbstreit to tell the world that Iowa chickened out....
December 15th, 2020 at 2:24 PM ^
Wonder how many players have now opted-out for the rest of the season ? Would make sense for the Covid-OK but draft eligible players to opt-out at this point.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:47 PM ^
Yeah, 3rd straight week without a game. Either they are doing a horrible job controlling the virus, guys simply don’t want to play, or a mix of both. Are we the only school in the country who is still doing this 21-day contact trace quarantine garbage? It’s been reduced to 14-days per the CDC for awhile now. There’s also more data suggesting 10 days is adequate if the source was asymptomatic and if being testing routinely. Not sure what the hell we are still doing with the 21 days.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:59 PM ^
I think one leads directly to the other: guys don't want to play so they haven't done enough to control the virus (assuming reports Brian mentioned here that they were gathering in large numbers against guidelines were true).
I think the 21 day rule is a conference thing and it's not contact tracing, it's for positives. The extra week is for heart monitoring and conditioning, I believe.
December 15th, 2020 at 3:02 PM ^
Gotcha. I guess we’ll never know without actual numbers being disclosed.
and if that’s true, and players are knowingly exposing themselves to covid because playing for Harbaugh is worse than getting the virus, we have a worse situation on our hands than we could imagine.
December 15th, 2020 at 3:03 PM ^
I think you're confusing a few different periods here:
- If you're exposed to someone who is COVID-positive, the CDC recommends quarantining for 10 days. If no symptoms show up, you can stop quarantining. This was previously 14 days.
- If you test positive for COVID, you can stop quarantining 10 days after symptoms first show up. This was previously until you get a negative test.
- The B1G's 21-day hold-out period was to monitor for myocarditis in COVID-positive athletes post-infection. Newer data suggests the early myocarditis concerns were possibly overblown, but I'm guessing the B1G doesn't want to change their protocols until they have conclusive evidence there because of the media circus that would result.
December 15th, 2020 at 3:15 PM ^
I don’t believe the CDC ever changed their official recommendation of 14 days. As of 12/3 they said that 10 days is “acceptable” but I don’t think they ever officially changed the 14 day recommendation. Seeing as we are 21 days from the first reported cases and still can’t field a team (again, presuming due to covid) I would still attest that it is not well contained.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:57 PM ^
Some Michigan fans think the football players give up as quickly as they do - strange!
December 15th, 2020 at 3:50 PM ^
I think your on to something. Covid is the excuse but it’s players not willing to play that is the reason.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:25 PM ^
Thus ends the most bizarre and disappointing season of Michigan football in maybe forever.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:25 PM ^
"Ferentz riding Jim Harbaugh like a pony..."
Now there's a mental image that seems to fit with the rest of this season for Michigan.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:27 PM ^
Umm...that's "Contact" tracing, but whatever...
December 15th, 2020 at 2:28 PM ^
That's a real bummer....but probably for the best based on the injuries and product on the field this year.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:31 PM ^
I was hoping they would play and play well, just to have something positive to take into the offseason. Playing well would be unlikely, so this is just as well.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:32 PM ^
Man, Michigan saving their season by not losing to OSU or a hot Iowa wasn't how I expected 2020 to end, but I'm all here for it.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:34 PM ^
Pfizer can’t cure what ails this team.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^
Jim managed to have more games cancelled than wins. WELL DONE, JIM.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:50 PM ^
AND he gets paid. Sign me up for that job.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^
I don't want to make light of guys having covid because it can be serious, but I can't help but be annoyed that this happened and now OSU, Iowa, and probably our bowl game are cancelled because that was probably heading to 0-3, a 2-7 finish, and indisputably one of the worst teams Michigan has fielded in 50+ years. Now Jim and his staff are out of the spotlight and this may have saved a bunch of them from getting canned.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:52 PM ^
It certainly takes a lot of pressure off of Warde and Harbaugh. Gives them even more excuses to “give it more time”.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:54 PM ^
It can be serious, but apparently not for college football players, none of whom throughout the country have even had to go to the hospital
December 15th, 2020 at 2:46 PM ^
Guess Warde and Jim can have their little chat any time now.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:46 PM ^
Now we can get those contract discussions started/ended. Hopefully in the same minute.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:49 PM ^
Single platoon anyone?
December 15th, 2020 at 2:51 PM ^
Cancellation confirmed on MGoBlue.com.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:54 PM ^
I don't know, I think I'd pay to see Ferentz get so fired up that he does a crotch chop.
Not a lot, but I'd pay something.
December 15th, 2020 at 2:54 PM ^
Glad it was cancelled and the farce of a season. Big Ten leadership has been absolutely disappointing this year and can't follow or stick to their own damn rules.
Texas is to the Big12 as OSU is to the BIG10... They own their conferences.
December 15th, 2020 at 3:02 PM ^
Bump:
December 15th, 2020 at 3:02 PM ^
Xmas came early for M fans this year!
December 15th, 2020 at 3:18 PM ^
This year should not be taken seriously.
December 15th, 2020 at 3:21 PM ^
It's genuinely absurd that the Big 10 thought they could undo their decision to cancel the season by trying to jam in so many games in the teeth of the worst part of the pandemic since this all started.
Nobody really enjoys this, and it's all going to end with either Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson or Ohio State claiming a title that everyone is going to put a giant asterisk on for the next 100 years the same way everyone rolls their eyes at Army's national titles during WW2 when them and Navy were practically the only teams with a full able bodied roster.
December 15th, 2020 at 5:05 PM ^
Spot on. To that I would only add that Alabama is going to absolutely smoke whoever they play.
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