Have you ever felt worse about our chances going in to conference play?
Yea Big Ten! I'm watching the Big Ten Network and I'm happy and proud of our Big Ten bretheren. A good bounce back win for Rutgers against Navy, a nice come from behind victory for Iowa over Pittsburgh, a solid win for the Terrapins over the Orange. And then there is the fantastic win the Hoosiers had not only over Missouri but over the ESS-EEE-CEE. Then come the Michigan highlights, sheeeeit. Low lights, really. I look at our upcoming schedule and I can't get myself to see more than one or two wins. Okay, one win; I really didn't want to sound like I've given up on the team but I'm trying to be more honest this year. I'M KIDDING, I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THE TEAM.
Still, as I try to give positive responses on other threads, I can't help but feel 'they ain't no coming back from this'. It seems the whole conference is making natural progress teams are supposed to make that we seemed to be stuck at; I'm probably only addressing those very old fans that are likey not with us no more but does anyone remember a conference season with so little promise?
September 21st, 2014 at 11:27 AM ^
Michigan is probably going 7-5 this year. We didn't want to recognize it, but maybe the mean over 12 games really is 6 or 7 wins. And fuck you old mean of 9-3.
September 21st, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^
"whoa..." factor to it; after Oregon I was definitely feeling something akin to what I'm feeling now but after beating the Irish I was feeling a little better, cautiously optimistic anyways. '05, really? With the Coach Rod year's - I was a Coach Rod guy, so yeah optimistic - he won in the preseason in '09 and '10 so while I may of had some reservations there is no way in Hell I felt as bad as I do now.
September 21st, 2014 at 12:10 PM ^
Agreed. I would say that the nonconference games during the Rich Rod years gave us super high expectations for the big ten season
September 21st, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^
It feels like the posters from 2008 have really been coming out of the woodwork this weekend. Add MGoShoe and TOB and there could be a reunion.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:29 AM ^
2008, and that is it.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:32 AM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 11:44 AM ^
but I believed in Coach Rod, I knew the success he had at West Virginia, and I felt things would only get better. It was only the beginning and once the team got the system down there would be success and once he got his players, look out! Presently Coach Hoke has his players, it's year three...wait a minute, what year is this? No matter, he's been here for awhile and the team is playing poorly, at least on offense; if this is the best the coaches can do after years of coaching what hope do they have of making improvements over a week?
September 21st, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
This is the opposite. The players are all Hoke's and because of the track record there is no hope.
September 21st, 2014 at 2:51 PM ^
Yes, it's all about trajectory. In 2008 you felt better days were ahead and it was just growing pains. So you just put up with it. And you were a glimpse of the future in the Wisc game.
In 2014, it's been four years now. You don't know if it will really get any better. You don't see any rainbows over that horizon. Just rain and lightning.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:45 AM ^
Going into conference play we had collapsed against ND and gotten annihilated by Cuse before beating Eastern which who cares because it's Eastern. Things looked very bad on both sides of the ball. It was only after we cuffed MSU around with a strong pass rush that things started to look up.
Apart from that, yeah, just 2008. In 2009 and 2010 we swept our nonconference games even if we didn't look great in the process.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:30 AM ^
If we play anything like we played yesterday, we'll be lucky to win another game. This team is a dumpster fire on offense. So no I've never felt worse heading into conference play.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^
the 2008 O with one Olineman who had played in a game and Sheridan/Threet at QB is looking better than the 2014 version.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:43 AM ^
You have a pretty awful memory.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:31 AM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^
Nothing cures ills in football like winning. Also, we didn't have the established history under Coach Hoke's of worsening records year by year like we do now. Now it feels like we're dragging a dead horse out to play next week.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 12:51 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 1:08 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 11:34 AM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 11:37 AM ^
Man I hate to say this, there's no way we win the next 3 games. We'll be very lucky to not have a losing record at the end of the season at this point.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 2:53 PM ^
Nobody might get in the Red Zone next week
September 21st, 2014 at 11:36 AM ^
felt worse.
September 21st, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
I'm assuming you are jesting but I suppose losing to Michigan Agricultural College - which wasn't in the Big Ten at the time - could be considered a 'pre-conference' game but they actually played good football at that time so losing to them may not have been such a foreboding event.
September 21st, 2014 at 11:36 AM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 11:47 AM ^
no. At least in 2008 during RRod's first season we all knew it was a rebuilding situation and that we had no QB. This time around we have big time recruits that have amounted to nothing. We've hit rock bottom and I am convinced Hoke needs to go...
September 21st, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^
which I suspect it is, then 3-9 is a real possibility. I'm not giving up or hoping for an implosion, but let's be realistic here. PSU, MSU, and OSU are all guaranteed losses. Based on that, you would assume Rutgers is a loss because they hung with PSU and Maryland hung with WV so that's most-likely a goner. That leaves MInny and NW. Minnesota has certainly looked more consistent and dynamic than our offense looks and our defense can';t be counted on to score every game, so at lest that's a toss-up. Northwestern is a possibility, but we have struggleds with them ever since Fitz took over there.
3-9 is a real possibility. This feels worse than the RR beginning because we knew that was gonna be a tough transition. THIS IS TEAR 4 of this trainwreck and it gets worse every game.
At least under RR there was potential to score TDs, after yesterday's fiasco, I have serious doubts.
So, the long winded answer is no, I have never felt worse going into conference play.
September 21st, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^
It still doesn't feel good.
And it feels worse after watching Brady's post-game presser. Yup, I know...we gotta fix the "little things," Brady. That'll make all the big problems go away, right?
September 21st, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^
We have a 1% chance to beat State. They will literally kill whoever is a QB. It will be painful. It's so obvious now that Hoke and his crew just aren't the right combination of guys to coach this team back to relevance. Michigan is a nobody currently. We are no different that North Carolina State, Kentucky, and Pitt. We re just a team.....we aren't special anymore. We have a history but no present. The future is completely unknown.
Hang your hat on the biggest stadium and most all time wins, because that's all there is.
September 21st, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^
Q: Utah has now beaten us two times in a row in our own stadium. When was the last time a non-conference team other than Notre Dame did that?
A: 1969, in Schembechler's first season. Missouri beat us 40-17, which followed their 1959 victory in Michigan Stadium.
September 21st, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^
No. I think we'll bounce back and be fine in big10 play.
September 21st, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 12:58 PM ^
I can't recall ever having such low expectations going into B1G play. Even during the Rich Rod years I still had hope based on the offensive production. But now, I'm not sure what to think going in to league play. This team will not win a close game and I predict all losses to be by no less than two scores - 10 or more points. Hokes losses are gonna be more painful than the RichRod ones. And that is saying something!
September 21st, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^
2008 was worse then this. If other sports count, the 1981-82 basketball season qualifies as the worst - I didn't think we were going to win a game in conference but we ended up winning 6.
September 21st, 2014 at 1:08 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 1:25 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 1:31 PM ^
I don't think ripping the players would improve our tempo-free offense, bring us spread punting or stop Hoke and OC from having a philosophy where running it on 2nd and 22 is their idea of a really good call.
September 21st, 2014 at 1:31 PM ^
September 21st, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
The team was spanked by a mid-level Pac-12 team at home. There is no reason that I can see to believe that things are going to get any better. The coaching staff is unwilling or unable to change things. I can't see Brandon making any changes during the course of the year. Devin looked awful and got pulled. Shane came in and looked like crap too. So I guess we now have a QB issue or something with zero viable options and an offense that couldn't score on Utah. (OK they scored one FG, whatever.)
It is incredible how yesterday impacted my view of this team. I was willing to write-off ND as the secondary not playing well and the RBs missing a few holes. I thought NTM was a 24 point blow-out with one six minute period of crap. Yesterday just can't be explained away. At this point, it feels like the ship has hit the iceberg and all I can do is cling to the rail, watch the carnage and brace for the inevitable.
So no, I have never felt worse going into conference play.
September 21st, 2014 at 1:46 PM ^
This is random but I recall Texas fans greatly emphasizing Mack Brown's habit of clapping a lot in the zenith of his UT coaching career. And his use of butter as toothpaste.
September 21st, 2014 at 2:05 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 21st, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^
Does a bear shit in the woods? Of course I feel worse about our chances.