Comparing M Football to Basketball
In case you are just coming out from the rock you live under and haven't heard, Michigan beat UCLA last night in basketball. By no means does this automatically put them in the NCAA tourny, or make them a top-25 team for that matter, but it certainly puts a hypothetical light at the end of the hypothetical tunnel that is John Beilein's unhypothetical transitional period.
Loyal readers of this blog may think back to August or possibly July, when Brian posted an email that pointed out the similarities between Beilein's situation and RichRod's, (new, 'wacky' offensive system, history of success with low-rated recruits, a bunch of young players not recruited to play his system, both from WVU etc.) and how this could be a foreshadow into the upcoming football season. And it would seem that the 2008 Michigan football season turned out to be very comparable to '07-'08 Michigan basketball campaign.
So, now that the '08-'09 basketball season has begun, only three games in the improvements have already become apparent. This isn't even close to an established Beilein team, and he already has an upset over a top-5 team.
What does it mean for '09 Michigan football? Well, statistically speaking, the two are unrelated. However, it does give us M-faithful hope. Clearly Beilein was a good coach before he came to Michigan despite a 9-win first season. And RichRod was an equally-clear good coach before he came to Michigan, despite a likely 3-win (worst in program history- DAMN!) first season. Will Michigan be a 10-win team next year? Doubtful, and I know this is premature, but it would seem Michigan will have a successful basketball season (by success I mean relative to last year), and if they do, it means that football has just as good a chance of having a good 2009 football season (And at this point, 'good' means 8-wins).
On a side note, when you consider that Alabama has 5 more wins already than last year (they could end the season with 7 or 8 more) that means Michigan is also capable of an improvement like that. Even if they win 8 next year, I'll take it.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:28 AM ^
I made reference to this in the dpowell7's diary on the BB team's win.
Let's hope this can keep that little flame of hope burning for the football program.
GO BLUE!!
November 21st, 2008 at 10:32 AM ^
3 wins is not the worst in program history. 1-7 in 1936 under Kipke I believe is the worst. We still suck but lets try and not get too dramatic.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:36 AM ^
I was referring to the 8 losses, which IS worst in program history, but since they used to only play 8 or 9 games a year until the 70's, maybe it's not a fair number to use.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:39 PM ^
I knew what you meant, but that wasn't what you said. And I believe the fewest wins was an 0-3 season in the 19th century (hardly even worth mentioning).
November 21st, 2008 at 11:15 AM ^
With the upset last night, UM plays my second most hated school in existence tonight at 7. I go to UNC, and I know all my friends here are rotting for the Wolverines tonight. I just have this feeling that it'll be Duke tonight, tOSU tomorrow. Miracles can happen. I leave you with an excerpt from our Newspaper that runs every year before the UNC-Duke game.
"Now I realize that school spirit is a pretty goofy thing to some people, and we don't really have a reason to hate other institutions of higher learning, but I'll tell you something -- I hate Duke with an infernal passion undying. I hate every leaf of every tree of that sickening campus. I hate every fake cherub 1930s Gothic piece of crap that litters the buildings like hemorrhoidal testaments to their imagined superiority. When I see those Dookie boneheads shoe-polishing their faces navy blue on national television, squandering their parents' money with their fratty elitist bad sportsmanship antics and Saab stories, I want to puke all over Durham.
So this is my request, boys of basketball: Tonight, I not only want you to win, I want Krzyzewski calling home to his mother with tears in his eyes. I want Alaa Abdelnaby to throw up brick after brick. I want Rick Fox to take Christian Laettner to the hoop so many times that poor Christian will be dazed on the bench with an Etch-a-Sketch and a box of Crayola Crayons. I want Bobby Hurley to trip on his shoelaces and fly into a fat alumnus from Wilmington! Send Thad and Lorna home with their blue tails between their legs!"
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