Who We Are

we thought we were (a crappy, young, inexperienced team).

What exactly is love?

Nicely put. I too have invested too much of my life into this team, perhaps a little unhealthily. But it is the passion in this sport and many others that drives that investment to greater boundaries.

It hurts. This loss hurts even more because it is probably our last chance at making a bowl game via the 6-win clincher. I will still continue to watch these last two games (As I have watched every week with hope and promise) and I will continue to love this team.

This team was expected to be at this spot preseason. Perhaps winning/losing to different teams, but 4-0 really fucked us up and thats mostly due to emotion. But I'm not worried, we'll be back. Eventually.

I was raised on maize and blue. My earliest memories are of tailgates on the golf course and old bluehairs yelling "down in front", including my dad. Last year was an ugly train wreck. This year is indescribable. The joy of September, turned into the disappointment of October and looks pretty grim for November.

Win or lose I love Michigan, I support this team and this program, that will NEVER change, but the way this team is losing lately is getting toughter to stomach.

On to Madison. Go Blue.

I won't rehash what has been said. And it doesn't matter if make some nothing bowl where we'd face another 6-6 team on a Tuesday night in late December.

But there is one thing that is bugging me. Michigan, for better or worse, is at a cross-road. We now risk being labeled a "quasi-tomato can", as the rest of the league sees us.

Do we want to be the next Minnesota? Or Indiana? My buddy who went to Wisconsin called me after the game, and said he can't wait for next Saturday. What am I to say? In the good old days, Wisconsin might beat us every tenth year or so.

I am hopeful that we right the ship next year, but, man, in the meantime, this is rough. I am hanging in there, no matter what.

that each of us is on mgoblog hours after another painful loss is proof that we love this team.

But this is exactly the time to be ALL IN.

I was shaken after the Illinois game. It was the first time I started to wonder whether RR would succeed here. I still believe he will have M a consistent top 10 team, but Illinois caused me to be less sure than I was. They appeared to have finally broken at Illinois, lost the will. My greatest fear was that they lost the will for the season, but Purdue showed they didn't. They fought, played with heart. They improved from Illinois.

Yes, this is the time to be ALL IN, because the team is.

I love Michigan and no matter the record I will watch every game and watch it passionately. Every week it is just harder for me to support Rich Rod. I spend so much time and money into Michigan football and so do many others. That is why it hurts so much to see them play like this. If Rodriguez does stay I will support him and devote my time and money for the team, but I still think some changes are necessary in the staff.

Great post. As I was reading this, all I could think of was last year's fandom badge awarded after the Northwestern game.

I don't believe we are fully eligible for the level III badge again as this knife-in-the-fucking-heart game featured a functional Michigan offense (!) However, the onside kick and the subsequent deep ball over Kovacs head definitely merits consideration for the level II variety.

Just remember - although distinctly improbable - a win versus Ohio State could cure all.

Go Blue

Last year, that team was just plain BAD. We were already 3-7 when we lost to NW in some of the worst conditions for a UM game I can ever remember.

This team SHOULD be at least 6-4 if not 7-3 by now!

Fortunately, before the season, someone wanted to buy my PU tickets so I gladly sold a pair for $100.

In spite of the beautiful day, I didn't feel good at all with a 24-10 lead. This team is just plain cursed, cussed, jinxed, you name it. Bad Karma all around. That fumble and easy one play TD drive made me feel "here we go again!"

One simple question for the readers...why does UM always seem off-guard for the fakes, on-side kicks, etc? You'd think that the players would be ready after any amount of coaching. No, Im not buying the "freshman didn't listen" crap. Our only fake this year was the much-maligned Zolton run on 4th down deep in our end that was stuffed by MSU.

Anyway, thank goodness I have You Tube along with some old tapes about when Michigan pulled out a tight game (or avoided) such mind-numbing meltdowns.

p.s. RichRod, quit the yelling at the players, as if we know it doesn't work with this group of guys.

Awesome post--this is exactly how I feel, too. What exactly is normal re: the impact of Michigan football on one's life? I probably have a problem, too, if there is such a thing. I just don't know how to be any other way.

Let me know when you are coming to Canada and we can open the quality Canadian beer.

Best wishes.

Thank you for posting. I now know im not alone

3-9 followed by 4-0 followed by 1-5 has been a roller coaster. While we've made progress against clearly inferior teams (WMU, EMU, DSt) we've regressed against the B10. The regression is the most disappointing part of the season. I've always been an RR supporter. I've always quietly resolved that "Those who stay will be Champions". I've always felt that we'll be back because Michigan must reclaim its place among the college football elite. But, the last 5 losses have chipped away at that mindset. If we get trucked by UW and OSU, it will get even worse. Every game that goes by where we don't see some positive step forward is disheartening (at least today we had Roundtree step forward). I'll still be hopeful for next year because I'm Michigan through and through, but it will be harder to be realistically optimistic. In the end, the lows always make the highs that much sweeter. I just hope we see some signs that the highs are forthcoming.

Thanks for the post, man.

If we could just put together a great game for both the offense and defense, for 60 minutes, for these last two games and the bowl, that would be quite the cure-all.

I Bleed Maize and Blue.

Follow Blue into the depths of hell if necessary. I guess my real question is, where were these types of posts in the waning days of Lloyd's tenure?

Getting through the rough times makes me appreciate the good years when they come. I lived in Alabama during the down years when Alabama completely dropped off the radar for several years, but the one thing I noticed is that their fans were always Alabama fans regardless of the record. Sure they moaned a bit, but any school with that kind of reputation and tradition eventually turns its program around.

I think true Michigan fans see things the same way, and the program will be back. Still think we can suprise Wisconsin, and will root for the upset against OSU. GO BLUE

While this year has been really up and down I think we all need to keep our socks on. While our defense looks really bad there have been so many worst to first cases in recent years that I don't give up hope. Too many comments have been about how we don't have good personnel on the defensive side of the ball however I see guys making it into the opposing team backfield before the ball carrier has made more than a couple of steps. The problem is that they a falling for the fakes and overrunning the play. Some experience and maturity will overcome this. We just need to be patient which our society doesn't have much of these days. Some are also concerned that the Barwis conditioning program may not be working. Personally I think this will show up next year in a team that will be able to outlast anyone.

Just my opinion of course.

.