Welcome to last year
So I'm writing this with about 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter and I can't bear to watch anymore. If they can pull out a miracle down 22 points and looking like crap, I'll do Mgopostpenance. But OMG, this game f'ing sucks.
Why does it suck? Because unlike the close losses to MSU and Iowa where the team showed progress, this is a major regression. It's not even 'take one step forward, two steps back' this is moonwalking back to last year.
I feel sorry for Brandon Graham to be getting very little help from the rest of the team in this game. Oh, and zoltan is doing ok. oooooh boy.
This game sucks because all of the things that went wrong today are things we've seen before. These are all lingering problems that just haven't been corrected. Well at least we haven't fumbled a punt or a kickoff... ... YET.
Let's take stock.
Oh yeah, and we had a ton of stupid penalties from the O-line, holding, misalignment, false start. Today we looked undisciplined as a team.
I'm completely disgusted. I'm not saying the sky is falling, but damn, we can't be digging ourselves into holes and hope to win against good teams. We'll probably win the next two weeks and be 7-3 with two tough games to finish the season. Right now it's looking like 7-5 which is what people were saying before the season and represents a huge step forward from last year.
But still. This game sucks. At least it's only one game.
Why does it suck? Because unlike the close losses to MSU and Iowa where the team showed progress, this is a major regression. It's not even 'take one step forward, two steps back' this is moonwalking back to last year.
I feel sorry for Brandon Graham to be getting very little help from the rest of the team in this game. Oh, and zoltan is doing ok. oooooh boy.
This game sucks because all of the things that went wrong today are things we've seen before. These are all lingering problems that just haven't been corrected. Well at least we haven't fumbled a punt or a kickoff... ... YET.
Let's take stock.
- Molk and Odoms get dinged up, so grady (19) promplty drops two passes to kill a drive
- Denard throws a pick when we were running well, one play after he overthrew koger
- Tate is throwing everything low and looks like a nancy boy out there in the cold. Someone needs to take him to a fraternity and have the boys tie him up to the delta gamma anchor all night without any clothes on so he gets used to the cold.
- Carlos fumbled
- Denard fumbled
- Tate holds the ball too long
- Bad snap costs us a safety
- Bad snap costs us a touchdown
- Ezeh one on one is nearly = DEATH, and the safeties split and had no idea about staying as 'deep as the deepest'
- Mike Williams missed a tackle
- Mike Williams missed a tackle
- Mike Williams missed a tackle
- We're giving their receivers too much room on the goal line
- They could run bubble screens and 0 yard hitches for 7-8 yard gains all day long.
- We can't complete the fricken flare
Oh yeah, and we had a ton of stupid penalties from the O-line, holding, misalignment, false start. Today we looked undisciplined as a team.
I'm completely disgusted. I'm not saying the sky is falling, but damn, we can't be digging ourselves into holes and hope to win against good teams. We'll probably win the next two weeks and be 7-3 with two tough games to finish the season. Right now it's looking like 7-5 which is what people were saying before the season and represents a huge step forward from last year.
But still. This game sucks. At least it's only one game.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:09 PM ^
Tate actually hates the cold. Says so in his Facebook profile. I was heartbroken when I read it too.
/Creep
October 24th, 2009 at 8:13 PM ^
It's getting difficult to remain a RR supporter. Of course, not an original thing to say after an OMG beating like today, but my concerns with RR are of more of a long-term variety. I didn't watch him and his teams much at WVU, so I've given him the benefit of the doubt since he's obviously been successful before, but I'm starting to wonder why:
1. How do you lead a successful team when you are more downtrodden on the sidelines than your players?
2. How do you create continuity on the sidelines when you are yelling at your coaches? Take some responsibility. If things happen during the game, take a note to blow away your staff during the week, but don't do it in front of your players.
3. How do you develop players when you are taking them in and out of the game? I'm not calling for a return to the Carr era, but when you have specialty players like D-Rob, put them in there for a specialty play, not drives until he screws up. I'm a big Carlos Brown fan, but Minor should be the go-to Running Back, especially once he gets rhythm established in a game. Brown should not have been in there in the 4th quarter.
4. I can't blame our bad secondary for the last 10 years on a lack of talent. When Cincy is a top 5 team, that argument goes out the window. Teams just don't screw up on big plays like we've done consistently for many years (not just a RichRod issue, but someone's got to fix it).
It just seems to me like his management style goes against everything I've learned about successful leadership.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:24 AM ^
cincinnati hasn't faced a single team as good as the three that have beaten us this year. indiana would be 5-2 against that schedule.
October 24th, 2009 at 8:03 PM ^
For the first time, I am not sure about success. Our defense is fucking horrible and why would next year be better with the loss of Graham and probably Warren? The year after? Who do we have coming in? Does GERG know what the hell he is doing? He was a horrible coach except when he was given the keys to decent defenses. We can't afford another fuckup DC.
I am depressed.
October 24th, 2009 at 8:14 PM ^
GERG is doing reasonably well out there. This defense has been put in some horrible positions all year, and yet has done reasonably well. I'm not saying the defense is without fault, but I think that is due at least as much to poor talent and a third DC in 3 years as it is GERG's failings. Guys need to tackle, they need to not bite on play action, they need to not let WRs get behind them. Those are all mistakes that a coach has nominal control over.
October 24th, 2009 at 8:17 PM ^
I agree with this guy. GERG's defense is actually doing quite well with the talent that it has available. Decent D-Line is doing decent, Horrible linebacking corps is doing somewhere between Horrible and Decent, and Horrible secondary with one shining star is doing between Horrible and Decent.
October 24th, 2009 at 8:27 PM ^
Greg Robinson has coached defenses that won two Super Bowls and Rose Bowls at UCLA and Texas. I think he knows what he is doing.
They will be better next year because they only have 2 seniors on the defense this year. Not 2 senior starters, 2 seniors on the entire roster. They also have 5 underclassmen starting (6 if you count Boubacar starting earlier in the year). Every guy on the defense will be one year bigger, stronger, and smarter. Not sure about all the guys we have coming in (though if you expect true freshmen on D to contribute next year then you don't know anything about football) but we have a ton of talent in the freshmen and sophomore classes that have yet to see the field (Campbell, Turner, etc.) because they are only developing at a normal rate for college players and therefore not starting at a big time school as true freshmen.
This entire team is operating at a body count deficit because of transfers and attrition. They will only improve (and probably a whole lot) in the next 1-2 years.
October 24th, 2009 at 8:15 PM ^
I predicted 7 wins. Then like most of us, we got all excited from the first few games and said 8-9 wins. After today's performance, I'm back to 7 wins. Obviously that's better from last year. It's just the way we lost it looked like we were going backwards from all the progress that was accomplished from last year
October 24th, 2009 at 8:59 PM ^
...kiss my ass.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:02 PM ^
Tate had a few bad throws but overall I thought he wasn't that bad. As to weather he threw well in the rain in the MSU game and today the bigger problem was the drops. Some of his passes - check the one Koger dropped (he seemed to short-arm it a bit) down the middle - were accurate in tight spots. A few of the drops were major drive killers...after which you get the long third downs and the quarterback ends up looking even worse.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:30 PM ^
I guess I'm getting old, but I remember throws being worse than the catches. There were a few bad drops, and some low balls that should have been caught, BUT the QB's were off all day. The Koger drop over the middle would have been a near-highlight catch, IMO.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:07 PM ^
about how we expected to lose this one..We got crapped on at home by an average team...I'm done with all the excuses..I dont care how young they are or about the new system..bad football is bad football...RR had his free pass this is the end of his 2nd season and they didnt even belong on the same field as penn state...this is not USC or Florida were talking about here..its PSU in the big house and we got embarassed...again..Negbang me all you want I really dont care anymore...Well never get back to where we were in Loyd's era with this coaching staff...im sick of looking at our 6'0 "speedy" qbs who cant read a defense or throw and accurate ball in time to our speedy 5'8 receivers who can't jump or catch and these 240 lb offensive and defensive lineman that get blown off the ball...Alot of southern teams covet speed as well but they dont sacrifice size and talent to get it..Teams didnt embaress M like this with Loyds 300lb slow guys in the middle..fuck it im done crying...saturday is becoming no different then sunday is this pos state
October 24th, 2009 at 9:18 PM ^
If watching Michigan football makes you so upset, feel free to stop. I would confront you with facts that refute everything you've just said, but I don't like or respect you enough to do that. Feel free to go hang out with the Redneck Rocker and spend your Saturdays pounding Natty Light and meth while complaining about how people with actual talent and work ethic don't meet your "I don't know shit about football" expectations. There are plenty of people who love this school and team. Your dumbassery will not be missed.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:24 PM ^
know me at all so I could give a rats ass if you like, respect or miss me..If that is you in that pic you should probably keep your ugly trap shut about the natty light and meth..theres more football knowledge in my toejam then you and your retard lookin kids will ever know..yea I can call people names as well..I was venting in that post and if you wanna disagree thats fine..but the way you replied and the way you look in that pic.. all I see is retarded douchery
October 24th, 2009 at 9:22 PM ^
Well, that is one way to let it out. I'm not going to negbang you because you are just venting, but...
Why do people deify Lloyd Carr so much? He was a good coach, and he won a NC. I liked his saltiness, and I thought he upheld the ideals of Bo and the like. But his teams always seemed to choke away at least one game a year, and he really did not do much to keep UM among the nation's elite. He recruited reasonably well, but player development was mediocre at best. The team beat the team it should and challenged in the Big 10, but it always seemed like teams like Texas, Oklahoma, USC, and even OSU were always better, always moving forward, while UM won 9-10 games a year but were rarely in contention for anything nationally (save 2006). I think RR has been a good hire, and you can certainly question his playcalling at times, but I think this team is on its way, even if they were beaten by a "mediocre" 1-loss team with a top-10 defense and a senior, veteran QB and RB.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:49 AM ^
".Teams didnt embaress M like this with Loyds 300lb slow guys in the middle."
You forget App State (aka The Horror) and Oregon.
Look folks, UM doesn't have the talent to play with the big boys anymore. 7-5 is what I was hoping for this season, it's still within reach. UM has a chance to get right next week with a game against a bad Illinois team, and a beatable Purdue team.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:50 AM ^
EDIT [double post]
October 24th, 2009 at 9:12 PM ^
They are who we thought they were.
After the excitement of the ND game and the offensive improvements, the reality of this being a much improved but merely mediocre team is setting in. I am off the ledge and have dialed back my expectations...still hoping for a big OSU upset and bowl win in a decent climate to help carry momentum.
At the beginning of the year we were hoping for a bowl, some offensive explosion as a sign of RR's system progressing, and to have fun again watching games...IE No more horror or Toledo. For the most part those expectations have been met. Still, it would have been nice to not be teased by the ND win, and near road misses at MSU and Iowa that suggested the team was rapidly improving. Perhaps those games spoiled us and got our hopes up for a quicker rebuilding...they did for me. That being said, the year is going somewhere between what most of us expected and what the program needed in terms of realistic progress.
In Rod I trust, but once again I am humbled and reminded that systems are not built over night.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:18 AM ^
I cosign with basically everything you say here, but I have one thought. You say we were teased 3 times (ND, MSU, and Iowa). Could it be that those weren't really teases, but accurate assessments of this team, as was yesterday's game? Almost everyone thought this was a 7-5 or 8-4 team coming into the year and from what I've seen of us this year, we fit the 7-5 profile. Flashes of excellent play, mixed with some really terrible play. That combination though seems like a solid step forward from last year (which was entirely terrible play save perhaps Wisconsin and Minnesota).
So I guess I'm saying, you make a even-handed assessment here, but I just don't think ND, MSU, and Iowa were teases...
October 24th, 2009 at 9:16 PM ^
I would suggest Stevie Brown run his mouth less about Michigan's chances to go to the Rose Bowl, and work more on figuring out how to, say, keep a receiver from flying straight past him for a wide-open touchdown.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:34 PM ^
Not exactly the most athletic one in the world either
October 24th, 2009 at 9:22 PM ^
Very rarely do I get overworked about things. It isn't my nature. I like to at least pretend that I am a relaxed person, someone who will only speak their mind when pressed. But for the love of whatever god people believe in...
You are a sore on the cock of humanity. Seriously, a giant bloody cyst on humanity's penis. For fuck's sake would you just stop going near a computer? I know this is a huge burden for someone as anti-social and introverted as you, but would you do that for humanity? I mean, seriously, if you have the least amount of decency in your soul you will just stop posting on any message board on the planet and live your dull and mindless existence in a setting that will not harm the common decency of the rest of us. Your efforts on this board make nuns want to smite God and makes the devil want to be his ally. You are a complete and utter waste of Michigan fandom. If we all had cards that were stamped and turned in at the end of the season then we could eject your card into the stratosphere where the winds would carry it to some place less dangerous. I want you to know that you are a complete joke. Nobody loves you, not even Jesus, and from what I was told in Sunday school he loves everyone. But you, you he wants to spit on. And so do I. If I saw you on the street I would mistake you for a bum and spit on your sleeping and grumpy old man corpse.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:24 PM ^
Cosigned
October 24th, 2009 at 10:06 PM ^
Why would you spit on a bum?
October 24th, 2009 at 10:29 PM ^
Because it makes me feel like a man. Duh.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:57 PM ^
Who's Amanda?
October 24th, 2009 at 10:58 PM ^
Isn't religious reference a bit far for a post that wasn't outright bashing the team, but rather complaining about a pretty bad performance? Complaining is complaining and it sucks, but really, it's not doing any more good to act like he's acting.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:09 PM ^
In a word. No.
Musket = goodt.
BlueSeoul = badt.
Now that you've gotten that I'll figure that you're up to speed when I respond with this.
Okay. I get it. We lost, and we looked awful. OH MY SHIT. Let's lose our minds about it. The religious reference, which, if you are offended by, sorry. It won't happen again. Like I said, I don't generally get overpowered by emotions. Overpowered by funk? Well that's a different story. Like I was saying, the religious references come about not just from this post, but from a long line of grievances that have stacked up against this poster since what seems like the dawn of time. It is one thing to be unhappy with the way things played out today. I'm unhappy, you're unhappy, hell, if Jesus is an M fan, he's probably unhappy. That isn't the point. The point is that BlueSeoul, whenever given the chance, lashes out with the most incompetent dribble ever spewed forth from the tongue/ fingertips of man. Not only does he in no discernible way add to the quality of this board, but he flaunts some sort of fucktarded arrogance about like he has a twelve foot e-peen. Granted, he might have a twelve foot e-peen, but if that is the case he should throw it over his shoulder and march on off into the sunset rather than demonstrate the absolute dickery that has gotten him banned from this board on at least one occasion. He is, to put it mildly, a twunt, and we shouldn't be subject to his typed flatulence anymore.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:44 PM ^
I'm not even freaking out about the loss, really. We looked bad, so what? Shit happens, and unfortunately in this case it REALLY happened.
I'm glad you have such a strong opinion and I'm glad you don't write stereotypical bullshit in your posts because it makes things a lot funner to read, but you could try lightening up on people who have equally strong opinions, ya know. Diversity and stuff :)
October 24th, 2009 at 11:54 PM ^
I didn't say you were freaking out about the loss. That was directed at the OP. It would be one thing if this was the OP's first bad post, or he was new. But he has a long and illustrious history of being a complete fuckbag. Hence my reaction.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:53 AM ^
That kind of a put-down is way unnecessary.
October 25th, 2009 at 3:40 AM ^
You must be an idiot to think criticism of our team after such a shitty performance is unwarranted.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:43 PM ^
Let's not start bashing RR based on unrealistic expectations....
I agree he no longer gets a free pass, that was last year, but a bowl game and being much more competitive in EVERY game except today, proves improvement. Further, most of this offense that has greatly improved is based off his recruits. Lets give he and Gerg some time to bring in the right fits for their defense and then we can fairly judge them....Its no excuse that they
are young, inexperienced, etc....but lets be realistic...we have two starting freshmen qbs that were coming into a 3-9 situation.
Again, we turned the ball over a shitload and played horrible and some of that falls on RR and the staff, but some of it is just a shitty game against a good opponent with a bunch of juniors and seniors. They won the turnover battle 4-0...It sucks, its heartbreaking, and totally skews the final score...but it doesn't take away from the improvements we have seen this year...
This is NOT a Charlie Weis situation. If RR stick around for 6 years and produces nothing then we can start bitching.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:01 PM ^
just how far the analogy goes. I was all set to post something very similar here but it appears I have lurked for too long without leaving comments or posting a blog - my blog posting privileges have been revoked.
But I linked to this post from my blog (http://www.kevinholtsberry.com/kh/2009/10/24/michigan-football-flunks-i…). I guess I learned the wrong things from the two Iowa games (PSU and ours): that we were a good team who just had to stop turning the ball over and that PSU wasn't that good on offense.
I will believe we are a mid-level B10 team when we beat up Purdue and Illinois but not until that happens.
- I don't see how RR can keep putting Robinson in if he is going to turn it over with such regularity.
- I wonder why we can't seem to keep our best option at QB healthy. Do we need to recruit bigger players at QB as well?
- Does anyone have an explanation for the play of Warren? When your best player in the secondary plays like that: Doom!
October 24th, 2009 at 10:27 PM ^
...making a vid and then putting it on You Tube, wherein you challenge Tate and Denard to a fight?
October 24th, 2009 at 11:09 PM ^
At the end of the game, but look -- all of us started breathing way too much of our own exhaust after we jumped out to 4-0. However, with the exception of ND, none of those wins were against "quality" teams. We have been winning against really bad teams, (and against Indiana, only barely). While 9-3 is still a theoretically possible finish, its highly unlikely. More like 7-5, or 8-4. To finish 8-4, we we'd have to either beat Wisconsin on the road or Ohio State at home. Neither are assured, particularly since it appears that Tressel has given up on trying to make Pryor a pocket passer, at least for this season. His second half against Minnesota was very well played.
With enough game film, its perfectly understandable that Tate now looks like the true freshman he is. Opponent DCs have plenty of information on how to get him to make a bad throw, disguise looks, etc. Denard, well, he reminds me a lot of Demetrius Brown in his first season. Lots of potential, many mistakes. Give him time.
The biggest issue though, is to get to a bowl game, we'll probably have to go 8-4. Here's why: Iowa, Ohio State, and Penn State are almost certain to finish ahead of us in the standings, regardless of whether we beat the Buckeyes. The jury is out on MSU and Wisconsin. At the very least, UM now has 3 losses in the B10 with 4 to go. That ain't good.
If we end up at 7-5, I suppose I'm okay with that. It's progress.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:50 AM ^
Michigan has a HUGE following. 6-6 Michigan is GUARANTEED a bowl invite somewhere because it'd sell out. Bowl games aren't about who the best team is once you get past the BCS bowls, they are about who can bring in the most money.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:05 AM ^
And I would expect a little courtesy. I simply expressed my opinion, to which I am entitled, as are you.
Are you hoping I respond by calling you a polyanna (as though you know the definition)? Or perhaps I should just cut to the chase and call you a shit head?
I suggest you take a deep breath, calm down, and consider the realities:
1. 6-6 is no guarantee of a bowl berth. Yes, Michigan has a huge following, but so do many other teams. And, Michigan has not demonstrated that it "travels" (i.e. brings a throng of fans) any better than other teams to sites other than the New Years Day bowls.
2. 6-6 would likely put our finish in the middle to the bottom of the B10. We are 1-3 in the conference with 4 games left, ahead of only Indiana, whom we beat, but with an identical record, and Illinois, who is winless.
3. The only thing that matters for the guaranteed berths are the conference records (except for the tie-breakers). Thus, barring some dramatic change of fortune, the current "guaranteed" B10 locks (BCS, Capital One, Outback, Insight, Champs Sports, Alamo, and Little Caesars) would go to: Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Purdue.
Now, you could say that we'll probably beat Purdue and Illinois, and I would agree. Wisconsin and OSU are less likely. But, if we lost both of the latter, that would leave us at 3-5 in the Big 10, and out of a guaranteed conference berth.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but them's the facts.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:55 PM ^
a buddy from work and I picked the 2009 outcome game by game. So far, I picked every game correctly. I originally picked Purdue as a W, but I can't see that now. Purdue is a better team than Michigan. Sorry guys, it should be obvious that we have only one chance to win another game this year (ILL), and I bet even Juice has his best game against our pathetic D.
The ONLY thing I liked about yesterday was that MSWho lost to Iowa. Fuck MSU.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:03 PM ^
That's a bridge too far. I think we'll beat Illinois, even if its in Champaign. We are more likely to beat Purdue than not as the game is in Ann Arbor.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:18 PM ^
Why come you don't check back a few clicks? First of all if you're going to bitch about the game, try being there in the pouring rain, freezing your nips off with a wet ass like I did. Secondly, MIIIIIIIIICH is not as bad as they looked today. Just a bad performance, lots of bad luck and some shit weather. No need to shit bricks, brah.
October 25th, 2009 at 4:11 AM ^
I was at the game, stayed the whole time too, along with said frozen and wet body parts.
UM got dominated in this game. Bad luck had little to do with this game.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:54 AM ^
When people start pointing to the weather as a reason for a poor performance, I start questioning the strategy we use and our team toughness. Penn State had to play in that weather too and they plain kick our butts. It gets nasty in the midwest from October on and that just happens to be when we play our toughest opponents.
October 25th, 2009 at 10:53 AM ^
Why did the other two responses to this post get negged? They are both 100% correct and painfully obvious
October 24th, 2009 at 11:44 PM ^
This game proved 2 things:
1.) BlueSeoul is obviously from North Korea, which is where Seoul is, and is part of the axis of evil.
2. Rich Rodriguez cohorts with Al-Qaeda and lost this game so he could plant a smartbomb in the turf at Michigan Stadium. Meanwhile Les Miles whooped up on WAR EAGLE and hunts terrorists in his spare time.
I, for one, have not fallen for RR's shtick. WE NEED A NEW CARR (RODRIGUEZ) WITH LES MILES!
October 25th, 2009 at 10:14 PM ^
Hey Brother Bluto, Seoul is in South Korea ... I know, I know: "Forget it, he's on a roll ...."
October 25th, 2009 at 12:21 AM ^
I'm having a hard time remaining positive about the future of Michigan football. The Rich-Rod experiment has not gone well to say the least. I'd say 7-5 or 6-6 is likely this year with potential wins over Illinois and Purdue. I don't see UM beating Wisconsin or Ohio State. The team just isn't ready to beat the big boys (how sad is it that we are no longer one of the big boys?). The offense has regressed since the beginning of the year and has become undisciplined and sluggish. In addition, I haven't particularly liked the offensive game-plans in some of the bigger games (iowa, msu, penn st). There isn't much to say about the defense aside from it is just plain bad. Brandon Graham is a beast and I am going to miss him next year. While UM has certainly improved since last year, by how much? This year we have beaten teams with a combined record of 15-21.
What's more concerning is the lack of talent on both offense and defense for next year and beyond. Realistically, what offensive weapons do we have going forward? No big-time receivers, running backs who are good but not great, a mediocre offensive line, and inconsistent and young qbs. And on defense, we have a few players who are developing nicely (Martin, Roh, Van Bergen); however, there is a serious deficiency of talent after those players. Turner is an unknown, but it is concerning that he can't see the field in this secondary. Gardner should be a beast in a few years...
Given the disaster that was last year and the mediocrity this year, recruiting is likely to be down this year and only slightly better next year. Honestly, what if UM goes 7-5 next year? That will make his 3 year record roughly 17-19. Not exactly lighting it up. If that happens, is Rich-Rod gone?
I've gone from hoping this team goes 7-5 at the beginning of the year to thinking 8-4 or 9-3 back to 7-5 or 6-6. While the results may be similar to what I hoped for at the beginning of the year, it's disappointing considering the pathetic state of the big ten and our 4-0 start. I'm concerned that we no longer own michigan state or penn state. We are still losing to osu and we are struggling with the likes of indiana.
I hope I'm wrong about the direction of this program, but Michigan hasn't had 2, 3, or 4 straight years of bad teams in a long time, if ever, and that's looking likely at this point. I just don't want to become Nebraska. I'm desperately hoping for serious improvement in the coming weeks and years. Rich-Rod has had success in the past and I hope he can replicate that success at UM. I'll continue to cheer UM on each week and hope for the best! Go Blue!
October 25th, 2009 at 10:25 PM ^
I generally agree, but two notes:
1. The offense has regressed a bit because Forcier, Minor, and Molk have been injured/recovering recently. They are three of the most important players on the offense, and their absences/diminished play has limited what the offense can do.
2. The defenses UM has played recently should not be discounted. Iowa and PSU have top-20 defenses, and MSU has been coming on recently.
This isn't Nebraska - UM continues to recruit top kids, and the buzz around the program is still decent. Sure, a bunch of 7-5 seasons would hurt UM's cache, but I think people are overreacting a bit about a 1-3 stretch against an in-state rival who won on a fluke INT and two teams undefeated except against each other. If the team loses the next two games, then begin to panic. Right now, 7-5 is likely, but 8-4 or even 9-3 is certainly not out of the question. I'm not as high on Wiscy as others are, and OSU at home will be closer than people think, especially if OSU's offense continues to sputter.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:06 AM ^
1) because the team will not beat osu and wisky
2) a bowl loss will mean the season ended with 3 straight losses
this will set everybody into major grumble mode
3) Next year, what do Psu,osu,msu,Uconn,ND,Iowa,wisky all have in common? They bring back the bulk of their teams,and most/all of their key personnel.
4) Michigan will open with Uconn( Very losable game),and then ND (Jimmy,Floyd, and tate will all still be there)....so..
5)....Michigan may open the season 0-2, with road games at Psu, and at Osu on the dockett..and
6) There will be a new athletic director, which is a HUGE wildcard at this point (esp. for RR)
7) ....and if there is no patience by the FAM (fans, alumni,media)....RR will get fired...and
8) Michigan will start the coaching carousel that has caused long dry spells at many big time programs.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:00 AM ^
We were much better against Penn State last year
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