Putting 2011 in context (updated!)

Hoke would like to have some strong words with you about Michigan being back....

Seriously though, this is great. It's nice to see everthing stacked up in one place, rather than having to jump around on different tabs. I honestly believe Michigan is about to enter a Bo type of run, not a 50-4-1 great run, but I think we'll see a No. 1 ranking within the next 5 years, and more after that too

I think this 2011 season ranks right up there with some of the best seasons on the chart.  The only season that was indisputably better was the 1997 MNC year.  In most of the other seasons, Michigan either lost its bowl game or lost to Ohio.  

Personally I don't see much of a difference between finishing 2nd or 3rd in the B1G--either way you're not in first.  

The high water mark since Bo came to town has to be 1997 - which is conveniently also the last year before the BCS era. So allow me to just look at seasons where we've made a BCS game since 1997, just to let me wrap my head around this season a bit better.

I also think the major metrics should be: A) Big Ten Championships B) Beating Ohio C) Final Ranking. I feel like our bowl performance/conference's respect/W-L record is usually summmed up in the final ranking. So a full point for a top 5 finish, and a half a point for a top ten finish, a half a point for a shared B1G title, full point for an outright title, and beating Ohio is worth a point.

So in 1999, we didn't win the Big Ten but we did beat Ohio (+1) and finished at #5 after beating 'Bama in the Orange Bowl (+1)

2003, win the Big Ten outright (+1), beat Ohio (+1), and finish just outside the top-5 after an ugly Rose Bowl loss to cap off a 10-win season (+0.5)

2004, won a share of the Big Ten (+0.5) but lose to Ohio, and lose a classic Rose Bowl. We're ranked #14 in the AP

2006, lose the Big Ten Title @Ohio, and get walloped by USC in the Rose Bowl to finish at #6 (+0.5)

four sad years...

2011, lose the Big Ten Title (a loss in Indy would be worth 0.5) but beat Ohio (+1) and win the Sugar Bowl...but I don't think we're going to finish in the top ten. Looking at who's in front of us in the AP poll, we've got to jump three teams for a top ten finish. We won't jump any of the top 4, and only two other teams ahead of us will lose. And it's doubtful we'll jump Wiscy anyway. I'm guessing we move up to #12.

So the results are: 2003 (2.5); 1999 (2); 2011 (1); and 2004 & 2006 (0.5)

Stacks up pretty well for the BCS era. But we've got some work to do before we'll declare "Michigan is back." To quote Bo Schembechler, "We want the Big Ten Championship, and we're going to win it as a team!"

Let's make 2012 the best since 1997, boys!

All we can hope for is a 10-15 ranking that will last until the preseason. Alabama and LSU play a close game, but Alabama's defense really steps up and wins it for them. Alabama's defense is decimated by graduation and the draft (Jrs. leave early), their offense will be pretty cleaned out as well - except for OT Barrett Joes and AJ McCarron. LSU will also give us a pretty good game plan on how to attack them as well. It could set up very well for us, we have a knack for beating defending SEC National Champions and a victory in Dallas could springboard us into a very special season in '12.

On the field, Michigan is back.  11-2 with a BCS win proved that, and a probable top ten finish in the polls is good enough for me.  

Off the field, though, Michigan never really left.  They are still the winningest program in college football history.  They still filled the Big House.  They still got tons of national media coverage, even if it was another "what's wrong with Michigan" story.  Most of their games were televised, either nationally or by the B1G Network.  

In other words, Michigan doesn't need to be "back."  Michigan is and was still Michigan.  And that is why teams like MSU, BSU, and KSU are still whining.  

The 2011 team was not any prior team and can't be compared to any prior team. 2012 will be a different team. What carries forward is the momentum from the past. Each season, each game, each play presents its own unique challenge. But as Michigan, we face each moment with the dignity and fortitude that comes with carrying forward the tradition, standards and honor that comes with the winged helmets.

We are not "back". We never went anywhere. We're Michigan, fergodsakes.

AC1997 and Vasav this is just damn good stuff.  Thank you!

Team132 may not be ranked number one in the Vasav score, but I have a feeling they may be number one in my heart for a long time.

It is always good to see a scorecard and what everyone else thinks is important.

Clearly there are a lot of factors to consider.  For me, personally, I have most enjoyed the offseason when M has won a BCS bowl.  You had to have a great season to get to one and then you have won a neutral site game against top competion.  Bowl losses always leave me with a sour taste in the offseason.  We have only done this 7 times in the Bo+ era.

Winning the B1G is important, as is beating our 3 main rivals, Ohio, ND and State.  Final ranking very important as well.

Obviously 97 is the most awesome as we accomplished all of the above. 

After that, it is really how you rank the various factors.  I tend to think 80, 85, 88, 92 and 99 as all tied for next.  We had some flaws, but won the Rose/Orange and finished Top 5. 

This season comes in at the next tier down with a couple flaws and likely a Top 10ish finish. 

So for me, this is the 7th best season.

Go Blue!

Makes me feel important, haha. I like your modifications to it, and I think user "ChopBlock" had an interesting idea for giving fractional points for division co-championships or losing the B1G title game. I also think, if not being #1, an undefeated season deserves something extra - maybe a half point extra? Only other modification I'd suggest is, if we're going to include bowl games, they shouldn't be as important as the Ohio game - but more like the MSU game. I mean, if we'd lost to Ohio this year but won the Citrus Bowl for a ten-win season, I wouldn't be as happy as if we'd lost the Sugar Bowl this season. If we go 12-1 next season, would you rather that loss come against Ohio, or in the Rose Bowl? Bowl games also devalue some of the ten-year war, where we lost the games but still had phenomenal seasons. But overall, I like your modifications.

A couple of discrepancies jump out at me - shouldn't the 1997 season be a 4.5, and shouldn't 2011 be a 2.0? 1997: beat Sparty (0.5), Ohio(1) won the Big Ten(1) and the Rose Bowl (1) and finished #1 (1). 2011: beat Ohio (1) and win the Sugar (1). At a glance, 1988 and 1980 should also be 4.5s.

Overall, great work in compiling all this data from Bentley, and thanks for "The Vasav Score," haha.

EDIT: I also wonder, should 1990 and 1998 be included? While neither of those seasons resulted in a major bowl game, it was a different era, and we did win a share of the Big Ten title. The early 1970s saw some seasons where we won a share of the title but didn't head to a bowl game because of conference rules, and  1990 would register as a 2.0 season (not including the bowl win, since it wasn't BCS). 1998 scores a 1.0 in the BCS era. There needs to be a cutoff somewhere for sure, but I think any season that ends with a share of a Big Ten Title ought to be considered a great season, and especially that 1990 season that ended with a top ten ranking.

No, the sugar bowl was not a stellar performance for the wolverines, but as has been mentioned before, the only thing the voters really care about is whether or not you won. That being the case, I say we pass Wiscy, Virgina Tech, and the loser of the K-State Arkansas game to finish at #10. All those teams will have losses and we have 2. That's what matters most.

This was a really interesting read and I was impressed to find that it put Lloyd's 2003 team as his 2nd best, which is a opinion that I share. 

Wouldn't this year be 2.0 so far 1 for osu win and 1 for bowl win not the 1.5 shown in the chart? W a chance for 2.5 if we move into the top 10?