The Game & ranking upsets

Submitted by EZMIKEP on

First off, all dark dreadful thoughts of despair from a season of heartbreaks & heartache aside, DAMN'T I AM HAPPY ITS OSU/Michigan week!! On another note, I have been debating amongst friends the last couple weeks about the game and where this one would rank if we pulled off an upset. I clearly don't think it would be number #1 but considering everything involved and the fact that its the 40th anniversary of the 69 team & many will be attending in the Bighouse I think it would be a close number 2. Some opinions??

Bando Calrissian

November 16th, 2009 at 12:59 AM ^

This team is a LOT worse than the #12-ranked, 7-2 team that entered the 1969 game. People tend to think that team was subpar and subsequently did the impossible. Rather, it was a decent team stacked with talent that played a total juggernaut of an OSU squad and won. Not to take anything away from that win, because I would say it could be in the top 2 or 3 wins in the history of Michigan football, but some of the details tend to get lost in the mythology.

EZMIKEP

November 16th, 2009 at 1:07 AM ^

And thats what makes stories so much better as time passes. I guess its also the fact that based on the trajectory of Woodys team that year we broke there hearts completely & we were in a spral that had lasted way to long. It helped launch us back into relativity again. This year we will only make them share a Big 10 title at worst. Its more of an important win for us then them.

Bryan

November 16th, 2009 at 1:40 AM ^

it would be the biggest win in the history of The Rivalry. That said, I do not think it would be the biggest upset as OSU has secured at least a share of the B10 title and they are not playing with a chance to play in the national championship. There have been far too many times over the years that M has upset OSU. This game just does not have as much on the line for them.

This would be the biggest win for M because it would get them back to a bowl, break the longest loosing streak by either team and get a lot of people of RRs back. Saturday can be a program turning game for M. Lets hope they can make it happen.

the_big_house 500th

November 16th, 2009 at 2:24 AM ^

Had Michigan of beaten Osu in 2006 when we were 2nd in the nation but unfortunately fate was cruel and we lost by 3. But this win would be huge and for recruiting and it would be a gigantic boost to help gather interested players coming to Michigan in 2011. I being a Michigan fan in the heart of ground zero in columbus ohio, would just love to see us pull the upset this weekend! It would be the first time in 6 years (since 2003) that we beat Osu. I can't believe it's really been that long since our last Osu win. This win would definitely help Rodriguez with his future here and not only the pride of beating Osu but come with bowl eligibility. Our Blue are going to have to play like maniacs this Saturday, leave nothing behind but also don't hold back. Give this Osu defense all it can handle to win and then some.

VictorsValiant09

November 16th, 2009 at 3:19 AM ^

That 2006 loss hurts more than any other. Wish I could change the outcome.

But yes, this win would be monumental for Rodriguez, even though he claims winning is "about Michigan, but not him," which is true in some sense. But a lot rides on this game as far as he is concerned, I think.

Please God, end our suffering on Saturday! (Yes, I do think it will take a divine miracle.)

Go Blue!

SFBlue

November 16th, 2009 at 3:38 AM ^

Dealing with Schembechler dying the week before the game made the loss even worse. Bo's death was by far the most lingering loss. The coaching transition would have been easier with Bo there to give his blessing for Rich Rod (or whomever Michigan may have hired). There has been a nasty schism within the fanbase ever since then.

Heisman212

November 16th, 2009 at 6:02 AM ^

Have been painfull.
08- expected to lose
07- everyone hurt and we kicked the crap out of Florida when healthy.
06- no comment
05- 1 catch and some bad coaching moves
04- I hate Troy Smith
03- Yeah !!!!!!!!!!! We Won
02- almost ruined thier season once again
01- screw Tressell and his dumb luck

not be being up bad memories but other than 08 we should of won them all. We were on every game except 04. You could argue that Braylon's drop hurt us but we got outplayed in that game. As far as this year a win would be top 3 in the series and it would be the biggest win ever for RR and his staff.

Tater

November 16th, 2009 at 6:18 AM ^

..but I am still leaning toward this week being bigger than '69 if it happens. The '69 OSU team was being among the best teams ever assembled, but the UM team was pretty good that year, too. After they struggled a little bit to start the season (and Bo learned that MSU counts a little that year, too), UM played good ball through the end of the season. This year, OSU has one conference loss and UM has six. And, of course, OSU has the streak.

It's really a tough comparison; the question is whether 1969 OSU being the greatest thing since sliced bread was further off the top of the Bell Curve of the rivalry or UM's struggles this year are further off the bottom.

In terms of what it means to the program, I would have to say that 1969 meant more in the long term, while this game would mean more in the short term. In 1969, UM had already proven that they were back, but the victory set a tone that would escalate the rivalry to its current level. This year, though, there is more doubt around the program than there was in 1969, and a victory would go a long way towards quieting the negative buzz that some insist on creating.

As for the national impact, 1969 was more of surprise because upsets didn't happen as often and the OSU hype machine rolled almost as well as their football team did that year. Now, thanks in no small part to the Horror, nobody seems to bat an eye at major upsets anymore.

Still, though, just looking at the records of the two teams, I would have to say this would be the biggest upset in the series if it happens. The two teams are good enough on a regular basis that a team entering the game with a sub-.500 record is a rarity.

Ultimately, if it does happen and this game is mentioned in the same breath as 1969 whenever rivalry week comes around, I will be very, very happy, whether history agrees with me or disagrees.

Don

November 16th, 2009 at 7:43 AM ^

Only two times in the history of the Michigan-OSU history has a Michigan team with a losing record going into the game beaten Ohio State, in 1951 and 1959. The 1951 Ohio State team was Woody's first, and they were 3-3-2 going into that game. The 1959 OSU team was 3-4-1 going into the game.

So, in the entire history of the series, no Michigan squad with a losing record going into the game has ever beaten an OSU team with a winning record going into the game.

There was a lot of ridiculous hype surrounding the '69 OSU team; some knuckleheads were saying that only the Vikings in the NFL had the ability to beat them. There's no doubt that was a great team, coming off a NC in 1968, but Bo's first team was not chopped liver, either. Michigan was ranked #12 in the country, had a record of 7-2 going into the game, and had won four straight conference games in blowout fashion. Anyone familiar with the back story on that season knows that psychologically, Bo had the team at an incredible fever pitch going into that final week. They were on a huge fucking roll. This year, we are not on a roll, and that's being polite. Right now, we're as bad as any team in the conference; does anyone really think we'd be a sure-fire guaranteed winner if we played Indiana again, either in Bloomington or Ann Arbor?

There's no doubt that this year's OSU team is not at the same level as the 1969 OSU team, but it's still 9-2, ranked #10, and has clinched the conference championship.

No, it would not be remotely as monumental as the '69 upset for the reasons Tater outlines, but if you measure upsets by the disparity in talent, experience, and overall record between two teams, a victory this weekend would be the greatest upset in the history of the series, hands-down.