3 losses to Top 10 teams

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November 30th, 2010 at 9:26 PM
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Matthew
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3 losses to Top 10 teams

I realize that the ending of the season has people going insane, but does everyone realize that we lost to 3 top 10 teams in the country this year?  Yes, I know we weren't very competitive with them (Michigan State, we avoid that early turnover we stay in the game much longer).  But still, we beat the teams that are on our level currently, which are Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue.  I think next year we will be improved on both sides (please defense!) and we can beat the teams like Penn State and Iowa, or whichever teams fill those roles next year.  

 

We are 7-5.  Many, many people expected this record.  So the 5 losses weren't pretty enough for some?  I guess I get that.  If we go 9-3 next year, will everybody be happy?

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November 30th, 2010 at 9:27 PM | Those damn temas (Score:1)
Geaux_Blue
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HARBAUGH WOULDN'T LOSE TO THEM RABBLE

November 30th, 2010 at 9:31 PM | Harbaugh=GOD!!!!!! He is a (Score:1)
goblue418
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Harbaugh=GOD!!!!!! He is a recruiting wizard! look! Stanford is playing in the national championship! Hire Harbaugh! Rabble rabble rabble...Michigan man... rabble rabble rabble...recruiting...arrghh!!!...

Status: Pending

November 30th, 2010 at 9:59 PM | Maybe if we're sarcastic enough (Score:1)
Just Maize
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people will stop arguing about this topic.

Inspiring haters to hate since 1817.

November 30th, 2010 at 11:18 PM | hmmmm... (Score:1)
clarkiefromcanada
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Well, I'm willing to give it a try.

If the haters don't hate you then you're doing something wrong. - David Cone

December 1st, 2010 at 2:52 AM | Yeah, that has worked before. (Score:1)
Derek
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Yeah, that has worked before.

LSA, Class of 2009

November 30th, 2010 at 11:54 PM | The season isn't over. (Score:1)
Flying Dutchman
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The season isn't over.

"I don't see how having someone piss on my face is going to help me sell Lou Ferrigno's house."

November 30th, 2010 at 9:27 PM | I think the leap will be 3 (Score:1)
mgoSk
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I think the leap will be 3 wins + because we'll continue to improve like any team would, but the competition is losing much more than we are.

Leaders and Best

November 30th, 2010 at 9:29 PM | Can it please be Sept 3, 2011 (Score:1)
pasadenablue
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Can it please be Sept 3, 2011 yet?

This is home...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgijdypJUEQ

November 30th, 2010 at 9:32 PM | Damn (Score:1)
emGeauxBleu
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I'm used to seeing that during the summer. It's coming 6-8 months too early.

November 30th, 2010 at 11:31 PM | - (Score:1)
MGoHail
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I'd settle for it to be about time to watch our bowl game

December 1st, 2010 at 1:12 AM | Just so happens to coincide with (Score:1)
UMich87
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The Revenge Tour.

November 30th, 2010 at 9:54 PM | And we lost those three by a (Score:1)
jmblue
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And we lost those three by a combined 67 points.  The only conclusion you can draw is that we are a long way from the top.  That we lost to two other teams - neither of which is ranked, by the way - also by double-digit margins, only underscores that further.

November 30th, 2010 at 9:32 PM | ugh (Score:1)
brandanomano
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we beat the teams that are on our level currently, which are Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue.

Anybody else who wanted to kill themselves after reading this and realizing it was a pretty accurate statement?

Special Teams means special times!

November 30th, 2010 at 9:36 PM | Agreed (Score:1)
Mitch Cumstein
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I don't really know what point the OP was trying to make, but I'm pretty sure that comment undermined it.

"A flute with no holes is not a flute. A donut with no hole is a danish"

November 30th, 2010 at 9:37 PM | I'd prefer to group us in the Mich/Illinois/Penn State group (Score:1)
Muttley
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at 1-1 with each other. 

November 30th, 2010 at 10:05 PM | Don't forget Iowa - another (Score:1)
jmblue
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Don't forget Iowa - another 7-5 team.  Against the Iowa/Illinois/PSU trio, we went 1-2, losing two by 10 points apiece and winning one by two points in triple-overtime.

December 1st, 2010 at 9:37 AM | And Iowa was peaking this (Score:1)
ironmind
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And Iowa was peaking this year. No Stanzi next year.

November 30th, 2010 at 9:46 PM | Agree (Score:1)
qbyrd
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I am sure most "realistic fans" picked all above as wins on the schedule at the start of this year along with MSU which we didn't win.  Even though that is the case it still stings.  Hopefully 8 months make a HUGE difference for next season.

“Any time Detroit scores more than 100 points and holds the other team below 100 points, they almost always win.” – Doug Collins
November 30th, 2010 at 9:51 PM | Illinois, yes... the other (Score:1)
Tha Stunna
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Illinois, yes... the other two, no.  I still hate overly optimistic viewpoints, however.

What seems weird is that our two protected rivals are both in the top ten this year.  That hasn't happened in a very long time.

November 30th, 2010 at 10:17 PM | Sadder words have never been (Score:1)
blue note
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Sadder words have never been written.

November 30th, 2010 at 9:32 PM | Never (Score:1)
mwolverineforlife
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I never thought about it that way. Great point my friend.

Charles Woodson, down the sideline, he's gonna go all the way, TOUCHDOWN MICHIGAN!!!!!

November 30th, 2010 at 9:35 PM | Sarcasm? (Score:1)
JoeBlue18
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Sarcasm?

November 30th, 2010 at 9:33 PM | Saying that we're on the level of Indiana & Purdue (Score:1)
Muttley
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isn't the phrasing I'd use

November 30th, 2010 at 10:03 PM | Iowa was a better team than us this year (Score:1)
Muttley
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but trashed a respectable year w/ the ending loss to Minny.

I think our on-the-field production was comparable to Penn State over the course of 2010.  Of course, not head-to-head.

But if it's programs you want to measure, Penn State is a program that had last beaten us in 1996 and Iowa in 2003 (and 1990 before that) before RR's arrival.  We all know the past three years have not been stable, and that the defense (and special teams) were to blame in 2010.

I don't particularly care to delve into how much of the demise of the defense was due to an unfortunate transition and how much was due to a cavelier bull-in-the-china-shop approach.

November 30th, 2010 at 10:20 PM | Do people think we cannot get (Score:1)
Logan88
Joined: 01/05/2009
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Do people think we cannot get to the top with RR?

 

Yes, that is exactly why I want to replace him.

I don't give two figs that he is from WV, or speaks with a "funny accent" (I'm from Ohio, so all you Michiganders speak with a "funny accent" to me) or that he isn't from the "Bo coaching tree". I just think he is a mediocre BCS conference coach. It is my belief that UM will rarely win more than 9 games a year with RR as the HC...this is why I want to go another direction.

I love UM football and if RR does manage to exceed my expecations by getting UM to an elite level (10+ wins on a regular basis is my bar), then I will be happier than a pig in sh*t. I just think I have seen enough in his first three years to convince me that it won't happen.

We ARE Michigan....COME GET SOME!!!

December 1st, 2010 at 12:08 AM | How consistently do you... (Score:1)
Soulfire21
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... expect to get 10+ wins?

In 131 years of football, it's only happened around 25 times.

HAIL.

December 1st, 2010 at 2:17 AM | Cut it out.. (Score:1)
HAIL-YEA
Joined: 07/15/2009
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3 teams in the conference have 10  wins before the bowl season even starts..

And no it's not some freak occurence..the regular season is now 12 games. 3 or less losses a year is what he is asking for on average.

How can you kill that which has no life

December 1st, 2010 at 8:48 AM | Years like 1948 with only 9 wins were really disappointing (Score:1)
Muttley
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.

December 1st, 2010 at 12:50 AM | More than 9 wins? (Score:1)
lilpenny1316
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Did you grow up watching Bo in the 70s and fast forward to today?  More than 9 wins is pretty difficult, even with the typical two non-conference patsies on the schedule every year.

I don't know how you can say RR is a mediocre BCS conference coach.  He won regularly at WVU and his team won impressive bowl games.

Maybe I'm silly to believe that a competent and healthy defense would be good enough to make this a consistent 9 win a season team with RR as the HC.  But I would not go as far as to say he is mediocre at the BCS level.  And there are tons of ADs in other BCS conferences that feel the same way.

December 1st, 2010 at 9:28 AM | The Big East lost its BCS status (Score:1)
Logan88
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The Big East lost its BCS status, to my way of thinking at least, when Miami (YTM), Va Tech and BC bolted for the ACC.

Current composition of the Big East (football):

  • WVU
  • Pitt
  • Syracuse
  • Rutgers
  • USF
  • Cincinnati
  • Louisville
  • UConn

Rutgers was a perennial doormat until 2005 (the same year RR suddently started winning 11 games) and Syracuse, a once proud program, had collapsed into a quivering pile of goo (reaching its nadir under our current DC, GERG). USF, Cincinnati and Louisville were all Conference USA teams whose rosters were still replete with Conference USA level talent for the first few years they were in the Big East (when RR was winning 11 games). UConn was just a few years removed from playing in the FCS. Add in that Big East teams play 5 non-conference games (one extra baby seal win each year) and it is not really that difficult for a mediocre BCS level coach to win 11 games under those circumstances.

RR has been a HC 17 years (including this season) and has won 10+ games only 4 times. Not that impressive.

We ARE Michigan....COME GET SOME!!!

December 1st, 2010 at 9:39 AM | So he wins 10 games (Score:1)
Magnus
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So he wins 10 games approximately 25% of the time, and that's not even slightly impressive?

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December 1st, 2010 at 10:38 AM | if only I could pos this (Score:1)
octal9
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if only I could pos this more.

December 1st, 2010 at 10:07 AM | High standards are good.  (Score:1)
bluenyc
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High standards are good.  But, do you think 3 years is enough of a sample size to prove that he can't bring UM to an elite level(your words).

November 30th, 2010 at 9:36 PM | The thing that fans, coaches, (Score:1)
JoeBlue18
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The thing that fans, coaches, and players are mad about is that in three years we expected to be a top 10 team, not lose to top 10 teams

November 30th, 2010 at 9:49 PM | Has the same numbers. (Score:1)
sammylittle
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Write it in stone, in ten years we will be in the top three.  You can hold this anonymous internet guy to that a decade from now if I am wrong.

November 30th, 2010 at 9:36 PM | Ok for 1, while MSU is (Score:1)
save_me_forcier
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Ok for 1, while MSU is 'ranked' in the top 10, they are clearly not a top 10 team, and most likely not even top 15. If you are going to dispute that please place an even money wager with me on whoever they play in the Citrus Bowl (Alabama or LSU). 

Second of all, it's the fact that every above average team we played (including unranked Penn St. and Iowa) had us beat by the 3rd quarter (No, rallying in the 4th quarter to make it semi-close does not count, especially when you still lose by double digits).

We had 5 tries this year to prove ourselves against good teams and we looked like we didn't even belong on the field with any of them; not one of those 5 was even a game going into the 4th quarter. That's the problem.

November 30th, 2010 at 9:46 PM | Well I have those negative (Score:1)
save_me_forcier
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Well I have those negative points because I don't support Rich Rod, and god forbid anyone make a logical argument on Rich Rod possibly not being the right guy. The fact that you judge someone's argument based on their "mgopoints" makes me not care what you said, but...

When you need a "4th quarter comeback" to still lose by 10-20 points, well that sir means you were blown out.

November 30th, 2010 at 10:15 PM | When did it become normal (Score:1)
CompleteLunacy
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to call any 2+ score defeat a "blowout"? Wisconsin & OSU were blowouts (lost by 20/30 points, games were not even close to competetive in the 4th quarter).

Iowa/MSU/PSU were sound defeats, but not really blowouts. And yes, there is a difference...UM looked like it didn't belong on the same field with OSU and Wisky, but the other 3 were at least within reach at some point in the 2nd half.

Iowa was the closest to competitive, it was the least close to a blowout. I'm not exactly sure how you can use that term when UM was ONE defensive tackle away from getting the ball back late in the 4th with a chance to tie the game. Not exactly a blowout.

I'm not a lunatic. Seriously, i'm not.

Ok, maybe just a little bit. 

November 30th, 2010 at 9:48 PM | Now do you have anything that (Score:1)
save_me_forcier
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Now do you have anything that actually counters my argument? Or are you accepting of the fact that people are upset that we looked totally out of place against all 5 somewhat good teams we played this year.

November 30th, 2010 at 10:15 PM | But I don't care how we lost (Score:1)
jmblue
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But I don't care how we lost to these teams.  We beat Illinios and Purdue this year.

We beat an Illinois team that started a freshman QB in our own stadium, in triple-OT.   And then we beat a Purdue team being held together with twine and scotch tape after half its roster got hurt. 

If you want to argue that next year will be a lot better, OK.  But do not pass this season off as some kind of success.  Our AD certainly doesn't think it was one.

December 1st, 2010 at 9:43 AM | Yeah, the Illinois team had a (Score:1)
Magnus
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Yeah, the Illinois team had a freshman QB.

Meanwhile, he was throwing to receivers who were being covered by true freshman cornerbacks and a senior position switcher.

And by the way, Illinois had a top 10 or top 15 defense when we put up 67 on them.

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November 30th, 2010 at 9:49 PM | Ok, but in reality......... (Score:1)
bighouseinmate
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........we beat ourselves in the first half of every one of those losses with the exception of Wisky. Had we not been a turnover, drive-killing penalty machine in the first half of those games, they would have, at the very least, been much closer than they were. We gained tons of yards in the first half of every one of those games. Our young kids made the mistakes that prevent you from scoring on those drives, including missing what should be high-percentage FG's. We took ourselves out of those games.

November 30th, 2010 at 9:54 PM | And the fact that you don't (Score:1)
save_me_forcier
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And the fact that you don't realize that that is coaching, especially when turnovers have been happening consistently for 3 years, leads you to your conclusion.

Ask literally any football expert or analyst and they will tell you that well coached teams don't fumble the football often and rarely get a lot of penalties... Michigan has done both under RR. It would be one thing if the turnovers and penalties have been decling, but they haven't.

November 30th, 2010 at 10:41 PM | Hah! (Score:1)
bighouseinmate
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Stanford had 59 penalties to our 55. Stanford had 3 lost fumbles in one game, the same as us(the Purdue game in the rain).

Would you say that Stanford is not a well-coached team then? By your standards, they aren't, but I bet you are one of the ones clamoring for Harbaugh.

December 1st, 2010 at 12:56 AM | 3 different qbs in 3 years (Score:1)
brandanomano
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It would be one thing if we were getting more experienced and still turning the ball over, but we aren't. This is still a very young team. Don't get me wrong, I'm concerned about the turnovers, but this team has been very young over the past 3 seasons. Almost all underclassmen who start at qb turn the ball over a lot, but they don't always stay like that.

Special Teams means special times!

December 1st, 2010 at 9:45 AM | You mean our redshirt (Score:1)
Magnus
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You mean our redshirt freshman LT got penalized a lot, and our sophomore, first-time starter QB turned the ball over frequently?  How dreadful!

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November 30th, 2010 at 10:08 PM | you aren't that (Score:1)
DaytonBlue
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moral victory guy, are you?

"we beat ourselves in the first half of every one of those losses"

November 30th, 2010 at 10:47 PM | It's not so much...... (Score:1)
bighouseinmate
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.....moral victory as it is looking at the games objectively. An RR detractor looks at the games hypercritical of every misstep a team makes and places it squarely on RR's shoulders. A pro-RR apologist looks at everything with an excuse. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

I have seen too much potential from the offensive side of the ball to write RR off after this season. I also have seen an abnormal amount of injuries and transfers from the defensive side of the ball to claim that this defense won't get better next year, even IF the DC is still Gerg.

Say what you will, but I don't think a change is warranted at this point.

December 1st, 2010 at 8:30 PM | hmm (Score:1)
DaytonBlue
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imo rr is also responsible for the defense - not entirely gerg.  also, who do you point at for our not so special teams?

November 30th, 2010 at 9:39 PM | And (Score:1)
psychomatt
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... the other two losses were to Iowa and Penn State. To quote one supergreat university president, not exactly the "Little Sisters of the Poor". FWIW, few if anyone expected us to win any of the five games we lost prior to the start of the season (especially after Woolfolk messed up his ankle in fall camp).

"I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything."  B. Simpson

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