Last Known Good Configuration
10/25/2008 – Michigan 21, Michigan State 35 – 2-6, 1-3 Big Ten
Here's a tip for Windows users who suddenly find their computer freezes on bootup: instead of booting into safe mode and wasting a day running disk checks and searching Google for advice, just select "last known good configuration" and save yourself the trouble.
If only that worked for football teams.
It does not, so we're back with the same story again: mostly outplayed and totally outgained. The only reason it was even somewhat competitive was Michigan State's determination to waste their massive advantage in yardage, but even their essential Sparty-ness couldn't blow this one.
I was completely wrong in the preview, wherein I suggested Michigan would prove itself slightly better on a down-to-down basis and be done in by more critical errors, and I've now given up any semblance of hope the team is going to turn a corner this year. I figure they might beat Purdue since the Boilers look pretty awful; everything else looks like a stretch.
So, like, what should I do with the rest of this season? I don't have anything interesting to write about on Mondays, as you can tell, just another rehash of "Michigan is epically bad and they have just lost by many points." Game previews seem as pointless the last four games. UFRs… well, I guess I have to do those. But expending a ton of energy covering the last few games of a season that might end up 4-8 at best seems unproductive.
In fact, it's time to bring back Henri, the otter of ennui.
Henri's crushing existential dread pins him to ground. Mine makes me go play videogames. I put it to you: what should I do over the course of the next month?
BULLETS
- What does it take to get fired around these parts? This has been all over the place by now so you already know this, but the NCAA rulebook has a specific provision indicating that an airborne player who touches the pylon is out of bounds.
I was in the stadium so missed the analysis that followed the touchdown, but everyone was pretty sure that call was bogus from the get-go, and I privately wondered if this could possibly be the work of the infamous Jim Augustyne and, yes, it was.
Augustyne was the guy responsible for what's now the second-worst call in Big Ten history when he ruled that Chad Henne's incomplete forward pass was indeed a fumble and awarded Domata Peko a long touchdown on the return. (That call is second-worst because it was a missed opportunity to overturn the play; on this one Augustyne actually screwed up something called correctly on the field.) Both calls required a total ignorance of the rulebook anyone who's watched football for ten or so years would know.
Augustyne should be given a gold watch and told to stay away from replay booths. Can someone dig up gambling debts and maybe an arrest or two for domestic violence?
- Michigan's inability to run against State is the last straw as far as hope for the offensive line goes. They couldn't block the Big Ten's iffiest defensive line; there's no hope until next year.
- I really don't get Michigan's decision to keep Cissoko on the bench in favor of a third (bad) safety in the nickel package. Late in the game white receiver named White (we're from White!) lined up with Charles Stewart in man coverage; his out route was open by yards and yards. As I've mentioned before, I'm willing to accept the idea Scott Shafer is working with a really shaky back seven; I'm less willing to accept the wacky tactical decisions that clearly aren't working.
- Speaking of, the one time we go to a three man line on something approximating a running down was Ringer's 60 yard touchdown.
Let's all vote on a new surrogate team to hold us over until we get a real team. This will be "our" team for the rest of the year.
Give our new team the full treatment - UFR's, Tuesday Recruiting, Friday Previews, the whole thing. It'll be great fun. We'll even contibute ourselves by making snarky comments about how the new team's coach is a dumbass and should be fired.
It can be any school, so long as it can go Bowling deep into January. Some candidates:
- Penn State? Maybe. Has some appeal, but a little too much of a front runner pick.
- Minny? Who couldn't root for Minny. Still not convinced there's an implosion coming though. Besides they still play Michigan, can't go completely over the edge.
- NW? (see Minny.)
How about some non-Big Ten teams:
- Florida? Since we own them, why not put them to work for us? They've got some great games coming up that will be exciting to follow.
- Texas? Shamful bandwagon pick, but WTF.
- etc. etc.
You get the idea. Waddya think, who should we adopt as our pet team for the rest of the year?
M'Dog
But if Brian is looking for a team that won't make him want to beat his head on a wall, the Wahoos are probably not a good choice. And the bowling thing is hardly guaranteeed.
You've got a month, eh?... go for enlightenment!
I'm glad I've already achieved equanimity when it comes to this team (thanks to our performance against OSU last year). Sort of a hibernation which I can activate at will... I'll return to stark-raving mad fandom when we return to playing competently. Try it out! It's nice over here in the sunshine
That's right, Dude. 100% certain.
UFR the entire 1962 season. Profiles in Heroism: Bump Elliot.
http://mgovideo.com | email
you should continue to report on the team, tell us what happened, and what may happen in the future. that's what this blog is about. we may be looking to the future earlier than usual, but it is still our team. don't abandon ship. no fair weather blogs.
Agree with JamieMac on extended hockey coverage. Unfortunately, a combination of the injury bug and one enraged meathead have the hockey team also destined for disappointment.
I would like Brian to continue the game summaries, however. Somehow the idea of reading other peoples' logical frustrations and further frustrations at those fans who aren't logical prove somewhat therapeutic for me.
And also.... Who's up for some Michigan basketball?!!!
I guarantee the basketball teams wins more than the football team! lOL
No question, Jim.
"I put it to you: what should I do over the course of the next month?"
I haven't read the 43 comments that were posted before mine, so sorry if I'm rehashing a previous suggestion.
You should start a new series of columns called "The Future Right Now", featuring more in depth recruiting coverage, and profiles of current players that aren't seeing playing time right now, but will make an impact in the future. Do it by unit - OL, DL, LB's DB's, QBs, RBs, etc. That would be awesome.
I'd also be interested in some explanations/pontifications on Rodriguez's spread offense, like on a tactical, strategic,and theoretical level. What do we have to look forward to? Why is it going to work? What makes the spread better than other offenses, on a strategic level?
<swipe at shoulders of nearest innocent party>
<touchdown!>
Stevey Brown, the worst arm-tackling safety in the history of college football.
http://www.NimbleBooks.com
That's what next season's preview is for. Besides, we all know the stories about turnarounds with new coaches: Saban lost to ULL last year (or ULM . . . can't remember for sure, don't want to look it up) and is currently ranked 2nd; Pete Caroll at USC; Cap'n Sweatervest at tuosu; Rodriguez at Tulane, Clemson, and WVU; &c..
You can look at all the characteristics of those teams that you want, but do any of them automatically mean that UM will follow the same path? And what about the new coaches that couldn't turn the corner (see Callahan, Bill)? Do any similarities that might exist there mean that we won't be successful in the future?
You can assume that the situation at Michigan right now is completely unique and just look at the team in a vacuum: look for any signs of progress; look for any starters or non-starters that might emerge into a starring role on either side of the ball after an offseason of Barwisizing and another round of spring/summer practices. That might be a little more useful but, again, that's what the '09 preview is for. What will this site cover in August?
It's hard enough to wait for a new season from January to late-August, which will probably be mid-November to late-August this year. We don't need to start now.
how many games of starting experience did we have (one both O & D, but esp O) on 8/30? 15-20 on O? and 10 of those were from schilling? closer to 100 on D, but 80ish from the Dline and Trent? In that single, 1st game of the season we probably tripled our total games of starting experience. is this analysis reasonable? IDK... back of the envelope, etc.... but i think HTTV did something like this in the past.
Harvard: The MICHIGAN of the East
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Here is the link - http://www.theworldofisaac.com/2008/10/you-stay-classy-um.html
Just wondered if this was really true or not.
GO BLUE!
For probably two weeks. There was an email about some city pressure flush blah blah on the athletic campus a while back and our hot water got flushed with it, I guess.
Related? Maybe, maybe not.
it's a season to moderately emulate Ben Sanderson
Muppets to carry us through the schadenfreude, ba na-na-na.
E to the S
Go Blue, Class of '04
Take a look at any common denominators in a rebuilding job that turns from an awful season, to a decent following season.
Was progress during the bad season important? In trying to be optimistic for next year, I'm remembering that Minnesota seemed to get worse as the season went on, and now looks pretty decent this year.
I'm of the opinion that you can't just roll over to next season, flick a light switch and suddenly be better just because players are all of a sudden sophmores or 2nd year starters, but maybe there is evidence to the contrary.
that our program has a long way to go, is that we are actually using Minnesota as a template. I mean how bad can things ben when you aspire to reach the level that Minnesota has achieved. In a way it's kind of funny: The all-time leader in victories is looking at how Minnesota does things to turn around our program.
I assume nothing huge came of the big recruiting weekend. If anything these kids must watch and think they can play right away next year.
Not a bad idea.
No question, Jim.
Cover more hockey!
Even though we're one of the 10 worst BCS teams by record, we can all take heart that we're still the best team in Washtenaw County. Sort of like Indiana being proud they're the best team in Bloomington.
I suppose if you're somebody who's big into "hoping" we can "hope" that next year will be substantially better, but that hope is only based on RR's past with WVU, not anything done this year. Given that there's been no discernible improvement in any phase of the game since Utah, it's not unreasonable to have some questions about some of the coaching staff and their ability to teach fundamentals, esp. the defense. We better "hope" it's just that RR got saddled with the very worst talent in the B10, because if that's not the case then the future looks pretty bleak to me for 09 as well, since we'll still have either a freshmen QB or Threet, and our defense, as porous as it is, will be losing a lot of game experience.
talk about college football in general.
fight with other bloggers.
talk about other big ten teams more.
talk about basketball.
anything besides more hockey
Mat,
Brian does a little weekly CFN humorous News and notes that does a cursory sweep over the rest of the country. The links to his articles are under the "MGoBoard" section. A pretty good read.
1. Full-on, position-by-position (line-by-line?) hockey preview, with ratings, like you do for football every August. Did you already do this? Do it again if you want.
2. Creepy-stalkerish road trips to watch high school games featuring '09 or '10 football recruits.
3. Occasionally branch out to conference- or nationwide coverage. Maybe UFR a "game of the week." Basically, watch good football and keep yourself sane.
4. VEQ with Mike Rosenberg.
- Vance Bedford is a good DB coach who should've been retained. Last year's pass defense ranked 8th in the ENTIRE COUNTRY. Bedford was also the DB coach when we were #1 in pass defense in 1997 (albeit with Woodson, blessed be his name).
- I suggest this season be dubbed "The Year of Infinite Since" because virtually every team statistic will henceforth have the suffix "since 2008" tacked on to it for a VERY long time. Example: "Michigan hasn't lost to MSU at home SINCE 2008." "This is Michigan's worst record after (X number of) games SINCE 2008." Etc, etc, etc.
-Interesting Stat of the Day: a Michigan football team has NEVER lost more than 7 games in a single season. EVER. So yeah, we're talking all-time suckitude here, people.
Go Blue
Finally, someone else acknowledges the mistake of letting go of Bedford. Thank you Caup.
Of course, back then the season was nine or ten games instead of 12. Would a 4-8 season (still reasonably possible) really be worse than 2-7? By the percentages, no. (In fact, even 3-9 would be better by winning percentage.)
Well, if your inner otter leads you to video games, there are some great ones coming out.
Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Dead Space, Left 4 Dead, Little Big Planet, Far Cry 2 and a ton more before the end of the year. Assuming your occupation keeps you busier than most, there are also some excellent games of the past year including Bioshock and GTA IV that you may have missed.
The rage I feel hearing Jim Brandstatter detail our weekly failure is mitigated by the fact that I'm channeling said rage into pretend vehicular homicide during Michigan games.
It helps.
In 30 seconds on Saturday after the game, I googled the NCAA Rulebook, downloaded the PDF, and searched for the word "pylon" and I had the rule. You're telling me the replay official could not have done the same thing if he didn't know the rules?
I also looked up what ended up being Rule 9-2-b-4, but that was just me being petty.
Craig Barker || The Hoover Street Rag || Twitter
"The Michigan fanbase: a cynical, Eeyorish bunch even in the best of times."--Doug Gillett
I recommend covering Women's Volleyball. They are ranked #20 now, or at least were before they beat #11 Minnesota last weekend. Much less suck, and much more hot girls in little shorts.
Totally, I have a big crush on Alex Hunt. If someone could hook that up, I would probably pay you.
I thought last year's pass coverage was bad. This year's version is downright pathetic. We talk about the Michigan football regression over the past 6 or so season. Well, IMO secondary play is leading that regression. Is there a DC and secondary coach out there that can reverse this trend? I am not a football player, nor do I profess to know anything about the game, but what is so difficult about sticking with your guy for 6 seconds?
I'm gonna take two weeks off, and then quit.
didnt hockey get killed this weekend too?
how's our crew team look?
First ever loss to MAC school
End of decade long Penn State win streak
Loss of Paul Bunyan Trophy
Likely:
No bowl game ending 33 year streak.
Worst record since 1936
Loss of the Little Brown Jug
Loss to Buckeyes for first time ever 5 years in a row.
It's a high price for a transition year. I hope it pans out.
all these long standing records, traditions, yearly beat-downs are going to the way side...but .... everyone wanted change.
"We are tired of Carr's same old offense"...."We need to be less predictable"
I will put the 40+ yrs of "Bo" ball and winning 8 - 10 games a year and only winning "1" NC in the closet for 1 maybe 2 yrs of bad to medicore football for the chance to be great under RR.
Patience is the key to success
To assume we will go undefeated or win a NC game in 3 years is absurd. Has RR ever won more than 10 games in one season as a HC?
IMHE
Has RR ever won more than 10 games as head coach? You're kidding, right? WVU was 11-1 in 2005, 11-2 in 2006 and 11-2 in 2007 (although he didn't coach the team in the Fiesta Bowl).
I wasn't including bowl games. He said we're sick of 8 to 10 win seasons, I just assumed he was talking about regular season wins, although I guess it wouldn't make much difference.
IMHE
Who is "he"? Goody? If so, I don't think that he indicated that he's sick of winning 8-10 games a year. Instead, he saying that he's willing to live with a couple of bad years *in contrast to Michigan's usual excellence* in order to take a chance and grab the brass ring of greatness, by which I assume that he means some sort of USC-style dynasty. Anyone that's sick of winning "only" 10 regular season games each year needs to go be a fan of just about any other school for a while.
At any rate, the notion that Rodriguez somehow isn't going to acheive this because he's never won 11 or 12 regular season games seems somewhat goofy to me. If Michigan should have restricted the pool of potential coaching candidates to only those coaches who've won 11 or 12 regular season games, then we would have ignored a guy like Rodrigeuz in favor of the likes of Phil Fulmer and Rick Neuheisel.
that was a stupid and pointless thing to write regarding RR's past wins. i am just frustrated with the "we will be winning NC's in a few years" talk. and i think a 10 win season is a good season, as long as you beat OSU.
IMHE
don't forget longest consecutive non-losing seasons streak- 41 years
IMHE
There's a ton of football yet to play, so you wont struggle for content. Here are some ideas:
1.) Analyze teams that have had crappy years, but turned it around big time the following year. Can UM duplicate those successes.
2.) I have a good friend who is an ND fan and we spoke last year about how it was all about IDing players who would stars for the next couple of years. Break it down for UM.
3.) This is not the first UM team to stink, but its the first one who had everything else go wrong sliding it to a losing record and without a bowl. Do retro pieces on those clubs.....actually, I wanted to do diary series on that, but have not had the time....yet....but feel free to take that idea.
4.) As the leader of the Blog Poll, write some pieces on the CFB landscape right now.....hey, I kow you're a UM blog, but I dont think anybody would mind some fresh content.
5.) Profile in Heroism for a new DC.....ha ha. I am not serious about that, but I want to see if Gsimms is out there reading.....Just Kidding!!!!
6.) Recruiting Monday. Recruiting Tuesday. Recruiting Wednesday. Recruiting Thursday. Recruiting Friday. Maybe break up your recruting coverage a little bit if you're going to downplay actual game analysis from this point forward.
I dont know, there's ton of stuff to still write about........you'll figure something out.
College Basketball Commentary at www.justcoverblog.com
God Bless Your Cotton Pickin' Maize & Blue Hearts
A retrospective on crappy Michigan teams through the years. Feature some of those miserable teams in the 30's, 50's, and 60's. (1934 - featuring Gerald Ford).
Combine both loves: Give us the results of the games as played in NCAA '08. Give us all virtual statistics (complete with videos and screen shots).
"Nobody’s a perfect person in the world. Everyone kills people, murders people, steals from you, steals from me"
http://stewartj76.blogspot.com
the pylons were part of the EZ. where did that idea come from? NFL?
suggestion: go full into hockey coverage. UFR, cover it live, the whole 9. if for no other reason, do it just to piss off the hockey haters... Long live the Dominion of Canada!
Harvard: The MICHIGAN of the East
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
If you're already in bounds and hit the pylon, it's a TD. The difference is that Minor never had possession in bounds. I think that part of the rule is the same in both college and pro; don't know if all the nuances are identical.
That idea would have come from the NFL, but I think it only applies in the NFL if you have established yourself in bounds. Hitting the pylon is then breaking the plane of the goal line.
At least I think that's how it works.
Totally on board here.....the Bucks come to Yost in two weeks.....go all in with coverage.
Hockey haters can blow me, by the way.
Cant wait for the Cover it Live, GLI Live Blog!!!!!
College Basketball Commentary at www.justcoverblog.com
God Bless Your Cotton Pickin' Maize & Blue Hearts
That is completely unbelievable (or, I guess, completely believable) that he was the same guy on the '05 play. As the Sparty fans I was watching w/ were b*tching up a storm I calmly explained that we are now even for that play.
The only thing worth watching for the remainder of the season is to see if a team, even a bad team, can go an entire year w/out even coming close to playing well for an entire game.
a Sheridan for heisman video.
Due to "popular" demand:
http://jimharbaughscramble.blogspot.com/
I'm not sure what to call it, but perhaps Lloyd kept the playbook for our last bowl game against Florida. That was a pretty good configuration.
You mean the playbook that involved 5 offensive starters now in the NFL? Yeah, how come Rodriguez doesn't use that one?