23-game win-streak
Last time Ohio came to Ann Arbor with a streak like the one they presently have (22-game streak then, of course), Bo Schembechler handled them. He had losses to Mizzou and Staee coming into the game.
Don't take me for an overly optimistic fool--just trying to generate a little excitement about next weekend.
Rivalry intangibles mean a lot of things can happen. Hope for Hoke.
Bear in mind that only ONE of our losses has been delivered by greater than one score, and that was by the team that obsesses over us more than any other team.
But next week we'll play a team where the obsession is mutual. It's not impossible.
Go Blue. Beat Ohio.
Edit: From Wolverine Devotee:
"Even Bacon agreed with me on twitter, you can throw the records out the window in this rivalry.
The underdog has played up to their competition a ton of times and sometimes have even pulled the upset.
Just to name a few from the last 30 years-
1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2012"
Honestly, right now, I have less hope for our fanbase than I do for our team. Take a break if you're really feeling this low from an underachieving season. Spend some time with family, or get ahead on work. But being as self-loathing as (or possibly more than) Sparty will not save this season.
November 23rd, 2013 at 10:59 PM ^
You were the one who asked how we were irrelevant before Bo...we were pretty irrelevent.
November 24th, 2013 at 1:43 AM ^
I guess that was what I was trying to say.
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:29 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:44 PM ^
Michigan would be nothing today without Bo. Nothing.
So sad that so many younger fans have forgotten what he meant for this program. And sad that the arrogance and incompetence of the Michigan administrative class (Bill Martin, Dave Brandon, Lloyd Carr, etc.) have taken the empire Bo spent his whole life building and virtually brought it to its knees.
November 24th, 2013 at 1:42 AM ^
Bo always knew that this program was bigger than him. It is not discounting Bo to say that constantly referencing a guy who hasn't coached Michigan in 25 years isn't good for the program. We don't need to continually reference Bo and relive the good times, we need to find a 21st century version of him. That's what Ohio State did...twice.
Bo had no connection to Michigan when he came to Ann Arbor. He wanted to add, not relive what Fitz or Yost did.
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:33 PM ^
This is how the game is going to end
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:37 PM ^
implys a happy ending
November 23rd, 2013 at 9:14 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:37 PM ^
This ain't 1969.
It ain't even 1968.
I'm starting to be concerned that he score might look a lot like 1968.
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:49 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 8:57 PM ^
Please stop looking to the past to predict the future. I grew up on Bo and loved that era but it is GONE! That style of football and style of coaching is not going to succeed at a high level anymore. Elevating Bo to some kind of God-like status around here is only holding UM back rather than going forward.
OSU doesn't look back. They mercilessly roll forward and whether we like it or not they have dominated the series for the past 12 years and there is no sign of it changing. We aren't even in the same league other than the number of fans we can sucker into going to the stadium.
November 23rd, 2013 at 9:15 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 9:39 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 9:59 PM ^
I think you are right all the time and very handsome.
November 23rd, 2013 at 9:03 PM ^
1968: Ohio 50, Michigan 14.
November 23rd, 2013 at 9:24 PM ^
F... the Bucks!
November 23rd, 2013 at 9:25 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 10:20 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 10:31 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 10:40 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 10:44 PM ^
We have some things saved up and well-practiced that aren't on film yet. Whatever that may be. Weirdness and innovation are our friends in such a game where we would seem to be outmatched, instead of status quo.
Sort of like "goalline defense the whole game, play the ball not the man..." (that early Tom Cruise movie...i forgot the title about 15 years ago)
Soft coverage has been our meme all year, inside and in front. But I think there comes a lot more times when GMatt has to dial it up and keep the heat on Miller. Keep in mind we blew up Miller so many times last year I thought he might have to leave the game. The old Frank Clark got him once. I'd like to see this year's version (!!)
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:02 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:06 PM ^
The team has been terrible for over two months now. There really hasn't been anything during that time span to suggest that we are turning things around or even marginally improving. I don't even think Ohio is all that good, but the team is just really bad right now. However, it's a rivalry game and that's the spirit. So good post.
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:13 PM ^
Ross looks way too small to be a LB for a major D-1 program and Morgan is soooooooo dang slow. The OSU game will be ugly. Bucks by 25.
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:26 PM ^
this ain't your grandpa's underdog Michigan team. It's 2008, 2009, and 2010 all over again. We have played this game before, and we know how it ends...
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:34 PM ^
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^
Best blog on the Internet here folks.
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:52 PM ^
based on the comments of a bunch of random drunk idiots on the night after a football loss...
November 24th, 2013 at 12:13 AM ^
but I still actually believe that for the sites demographic and size.
/hehedemographicandsize
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:50 PM ^
http://www.mlive.com/forums/umfb/
You'll enjoy it a lot more among your own kind...
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:37 PM ^
November 24th, 2013 at 12:06 AM ^
that will never change. But OSU has one of the best offenses in the country. If we want to beat them, we're going to generate some of our own offense. After watching the past 4 games, do you really think there's more than a 1% chance that our offense can score enough points to win?
Am I really going out on a limb here saying we will probably lose this game by double digits? I doubt it. I guarantee Brian's prediction will have us losing by 20+ ...
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:38 PM ^
So much freaking complaining on this board, jesus christ.
What do you expect out of Gardner? Is he supposed to single handedly carry the team and make every single throw while fighting off crazy pressure, no run game and poor play calling? It is amazing he is still standing. We need to hope we didn't break him physically and mentally for next season.
What is expected out of the defense? They hold PSU to barely anything all game, while having an O that isn't helping them at all, but because they let up one drive they blew it? Are they supposed to stop every single drive then while getting no rest at all and shitty starting position? How could anyone even think about blaming the D or pointing any blame at Mattison? Do you remember what this D was before he got here? Do you not see what he's done with the same players and now his young recruits?
And everyone complaining about Hole not yelling at a press conference? How does having a coach that is an emotional wreck help us at all? Do you seriously think that because he didn't yell and scream that he's forty that he doesn't support the team? Support the players? Care about what happens? That is retarded. I don't want my team's coach making any stupid distracting comments in fron of the media. That helps no one.
Overall the vibe on here, god damn. So much bitching and moaning. Sure, the season has not gone like we have expected. The losses have hurt. If your solution to that, or your result from that is to complaining about everything, even the players that are busting their asses, and then whine and moan about not watching the game, or how big of a blowout it will be... wtf? Don't go to the game if you are one of these people, please. The team doesn't need you. Give your ticket to an actual fan, not a fairweather walmart sob. The team doesn't need their own fans booing them.
I'm not saying you can't be critical of the coaches or the team or whatever. But the sadsack mentality on here, the pessimistic nature, the overall bitching and moaning. That's not what I'd expect a michigan fan base to act like. It is sad.
November 23rd, 2013 at 11:57 PM ^
I'll always support the team and I'd never even dream of booing at a game. But we see the writing on the wall. Michigan lost their 4th game of the year and there's a 99% chance they'll lose again next week to their arch-rival. People complained about something on the internet? Oh the humanity.
November 24th, 2013 at 3:05 AM ^
This more or less is how I feel with a couple exceptions, one being I don't necessarily think fairweather is the proper term and a better term would be delusional/irrational. Don't know about you but I have also been getting texts/calls with these same sorts of comments from people that don't read mgoblog (I don't think anyway). Thus, I think it is more of a state of the fanbase thing than an mgoblog thing, though mgoblog tends to be a gathering point for the most outspoken, pessimistic, whiny contingent of the fanbase nowadays.
November 24th, 2013 at 2:06 AM ^
Anyway, I'm not holding my breath, but I think we have a better shot than we give ourselves credit for, which is understandable after just witnessing an abortion of a game offensively.
Look on the bright side: no one expects us to even hang, so if we somehow do, God forbid we pull the upset, it will be front page and will RUIN the Buckeyes' season. I'm holding onto that little glimmer of hope.
November 24th, 2013 at 2:41 AM ^
November 24th, 2013 at 3:48 AM ^
expecting anything other than Michigan to be throttled by ALOT (depends on how bad Urban wants to run up the score) is insane
November 24th, 2013 at 5:16 AM ^
Yes, because they are playing a game, anything can happen, and thus we can still hope. I will hold on to that shred of hope as I turn the game on this upcoming Saturday.
However, there is virtually no game in Michigan's history you can point to in order to make us feel better about our chances of winning. The problem, as I see it, is that there is no way we will actually *play well*. And, usually, playing well is a key to winning.
I actually don't care about the losses. What I care about, as a long-time fan, is how the team plays, and how the team develops. This team, sadly, is not developing, and is not playing well. They haven't *deserved* to win for a long time, perhaps not even against bad teams like Akron and U. Conn. It is perhaps some kind of testament to the kids on the team that they have a winning record; they are a hair's breadth away from a losing season.
The 1969 season and final game are certainly fond memories. Here are some scores from that season: 35-7, 57-0, 51-6. Those are the three games before OSU. Bo had the team rolling, and they came into the OSU game knowing they could do it, because they were good. They deserved to win. And they did.
This team is not the better team, and does not deserve to win. They still might, and I sure hope they do, but something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and until something is done about that, the mood around here will remain the same as well.
And thus ends a long post that pretty much nobody will read. That is ok though, as I feel better having written it.
November 24th, 2013 at 7:01 AM ^
—UM and OSU in 1969 and both teams this year—beating OSU this year would be a far, far greater upset than the 1969 game.
November 24th, 2013 at 7:17 AM ^
The 2010 year was an exception. A lucky exception. Otherwise it's been consistently bad to completely awful over the past 6 years. Until the program decides that the future is where the focus needs to be not the past it will remain a tire fire.
No I'm not a fairweather fan, just an alum who has decided it's not worth the agony to watch this team currently. I hope you all enjoy the OSU game, I'll be driving on Saturday, might listen for a bit... might not. No big whoop.
November 24th, 2013 at 7:54 AM ^
November 24th, 2013 at 9:38 AM ^
I've been a Michigan fan for as long as I can remember. You can be a fan and not put yourself through the miserable experience of watching this team. Even when they win they aren't fun to watch. Respecting the rivalry? Maybe when the coaching staff starts adjusting and respecting football in its entirety I'll be more eager to watch. 3 years removed from a coach who didn't improve enough and we have a coach who has actually destroyed the offensive side of the ball. It's a disgrace that will likely continue because of stubborness and ignorance. But I'm not a fan unless I support this nonsense? GTFO
November 24th, 2013 at 8:56 AM ^
that 1969 M team was actually good, unlike this one.
we'll get curb stomped.
November 24th, 2013 at 9:32 AM ^
How dare the fans have a logical reaction to what they see on the field. And never compare Bo to Hoke ever.
November 24th, 2013 at 10:10 AM ^
38-6 Ohio.
November 24th, 2013 at 12:01 PM ^
This week on the board is eerily similar to the week before OSU in 2008.
Spoiler alert: we have terrible football coaches and are going to lose the game.