The day after. Any new feelings or thoughts?

I am so pumped for The Walking Dead....Can't wait.

I woke up sorta numb like I've been getting painfully used to. Then I considered that I won't watch any more games this season, like I did last year about this time.

Then I was pissed realizing I blew through a great 92 point Napa Cabernet Sauvignon on that game and turned off the TV in the 3rd quarter.

I agree that we need talent, and we might get some in the incoming classes, but we're missing the point here...we don't want true freshmen to have to come in, and be counted on to make an instant impact, that's exactly what our problem is now...we have no depth, so unprepared underclassmen are being rushed into service and it's not working.

We need Crawford, Hollowell, Walls, but we need them to be ready to start for us in two years, not next year.

I'll be in the stands cheering my team in the shootout against Illinois.

Let's not forget the screens.  Those were apparently still really surprising, the 8th or 9th time they dialed one up.

I'm with you.  I'm so lost as to why the board-wide, nation-wide meltdown.  Talk about bummer.

Although I'd say the most disappointing part of losing yesterday is the reaction of the "fans."

Just stop it already.  We're 4-16 in Big Ten play under RR.  It is completely reasonable to be upset.  Our fans have been very, very patient with this regime.  We've continued to fill up the largest stadium in the country every week.  We've done what we can.  If we are frustrated, it's because we care, and it hurts terribly to see our program continue to go nowhere. 

We had two weeks to prepare and came out with all cylinders firing. We threw everything we had into that game. And this was the result. The result speaks for itself.

As for the D, who's to blame? I find it hard to simply attribute youth and inexperience to being that bad. Results matter and the result is, our well-rested defense got obliterated by a freshman, walkon QB. We're talking Nick Sheridan minus two years. Maybe it's a mismatch between GERG and his assistants -- but who hired the guy and who hired the assistants? The execution, indeed, is the problem, but where does that execution originate? (answer: quality of preparation)

Make no mistake: PSU is a BAD team. Almost as bad as ours. Honestly, folks, it's almost  impossible to defend RR anymore. The only reason I see to keep him around is the looming threat of more attrition and more suck if he goes, which isn't much of a reason. Without wins over Illinois and Purdue and one of Wisco/OSU, then I don't see much purpose continuing this experiment. Mind you, I don't think we'll win any of those games, save Purdue -- but even that seems 50/50 at this point.

I hated writing this. But hey, them's my thoughts/feelings.

It's a simple matter of expectations differing from reality.  When 4 of the 6 bloggers on Black Shoe Diaries pick Michigan to win and instead Michigan is blown out in the first half, the fan reaction is completely understandable. 

This was the second or third worst Big Ten team Michigan will face this year.  Everyone from Rodriguez himself to the most callous Rodriguez hater expected progress.  Most estimated 3-5 or 4-4 in Big Ten play this year.  To fall short of that and end the season at 2-6 or possibly 1-7 is a cold slap in the face.

I'm sure a large portion of the fan base is more disappointed with the reaction of the "faux-fans" on the internets than with the performance of our team on the field, after a bye week to prepare for an opponent that featured a third-string walk-on QB making his first start, using about six plays.

I think I, and a lot of others, really in our minds and hearts expected to win this game.  We were told that PSU sucks.  We had two weeks to prepare and heal injuries.  So, I was as disappointed in the results as any game in years.

However, today I don't feel so bad.  A little numb, but not so bad.  I really don't expect to win against Illinois and only a 50 / 50 against Purdue.

What is really depressing today is that I now think we will have the lowest ranked recruiting class in decades this year.  I know it's early, but if we go 5 -7 (a real possibility in my mind) our recruiting class is going to suck.  If we do go 7 - 6 (6 - 6 with a bowl win), maybe it will only be a little worse than last years.

I agree, we need a lucky break on D soooo bad.  I just remembered that PSU had like 3 fumbles that all went out of bounds..

I kinda disagree. I don't think our offense cam make a game of it against anybody. We don't have a rb who can be counted upon to get a yard in just about any situation (one who is not currently injured) and we have a very erratic starting qb. I'm sure denard will get better with experience and no shoulder injury, but right now, the the offense is feast or famine with poor consistency. We between someone like this rawls kid, but only if h e can make it through the clearing house. We also NEED Denard to be more consistent. THEN we will have an offense that should keep us in any game.

Lloyd's run and, in the bigger picture, the BoMoCarr years, were (as he might put it) *tremendous*.  Michigan was a very good (if not commonly great) team for 30+ years.

With Lloyd, though, I don't remember complaining about the win totals.  Rather, it was the way that he lost.  There was often an early season game where they looked unprepared.  And, as the 'blog notably researched one time, his record going into the 4th quarter with a lead or trailing was ... definitely not tremendous.  IIRC he was better off trailing than leading.  It was weird, anyway.

Please don't interpret this as an endorsement of the last three years.  I'm talking only about Lloyd.

Tony Gibson goes to purgatory to contemplate what he should have done better. I also hope some rule is laid down that RR cannot override the dc in the middle of the year amd make significant changes on D. This is tied in with the idea that we get some great dc who can coach. Is this debacle all Gerg? No, but I have to feel it is mostly him. It's probably 60-40 Gerg-RR.
Recruiting and retention are issues.
We knew Gerg was not a recruiter. Retention? Is this personnel recognition
issues? If yes, this is primarily Gerg. HOWEVER, if these are db skill recognition issues as well, WTF IS GIBSON DOING?????????? In short, funking Gibson needs to go and either so does Gerg our he needs to be left to do what he wants instead of being forced to run a 3-3-5.

Really bummed out but I blame myself.

Finally!  Someone taking responsibility for the awful defense!

I thought they had missed the plane and we suited up the State College HS team in their uniforms.

Should we start searching the roster for Tostada Pants?

"This was a golden opportunity to show that his program was turning the corner, and we blew it, massively."

Amen.  If we truly were turning the corner, we would've put them away early.  We're more prey than predator at this point...