Hell of a season

Submitted by GoBlueBill on

I know, the season didnt end up the way we all wanted it to. But we are so  much better off now than under Hoke and Rich Rod .

We lost 3 games by a total of 5 points .

Look at the whole season , dont just look at the last part .

Dont complain and cry because we didnt win every game .

I consider this season a  success and I hope it is leading to better things .

I hope everyone enjoys the off season for Football and I'll see you all next Fall .

 

GO BLUE

MGoBoard

SeattleWolverine

December 31st, 2016 at 2:25 AM ^

2016 was worse than 2006. At least 2006 didn't have an Iowa like loss. And we trailed OSU for most of the game in 2006. Also, USC was clearly the better team; I don't really feel that way about FSU. Not getting to have Peppers + Butt play is also disappointing. Maybe it's just acute right now but I think 2016 is worse. 

 

I'd put 2005, 2000, 1994, 1992 and a zillion other years before 2010. That was just the sad end of an interesting but flawed idea. 

Joined: 11/07/2012

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ColeIsCorky

December 31st, 2016 at 1:37 AM ^

We lost by like 8 touchdowns at home to OSU and barely pulled off victories against Minnesota and a few others. This team was clearly better but played it's toughest games on the road and couldn't pull off the W's as time expired. All three games were in Michigan's hands down to the finally opponent's drive, and the defense couldn't muster enough to get the job done. I will take these disappointing losses over a win against a half-there Florida bowl team (but again a pounding by OSU) any day. Florida State came to play despite seeing bikini's throught the week. We needed Jabrill Peppers today. For some reason this was not meant to be Michigan's year. I'm most upset that I didn't get to see what I presume would have been Jabrill's final game. He's one of my favorite all time players, and I feel he didn't play near as many snaps as I would have liked him to in the Maize and Blue. Maybe he comes back, but I'm not banking on it. On to a killer recruiting class and start watching these young talented kids grow. Next season will be fun to say the least. New Michigan Legends will be made.

Joined: 11/15/2016

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Don

December 31st, 2016 at 12:56 PM ^

I don't know how anybody who is truly informed about the entirety of Michigan football history could believe that for one second, but disappointment is a personal and very subjective metric anyhow. To me, the 1970, '72, '73, '74, '76, '77 and '78 teams were every bit as "disappointing" as 2016 because they were just as tantalizingly close to national championship status, if not closer, than this year was.

If you thought before the season started that we were going 12-0 with our road schedule, you bought into the hype. That's on you.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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Erik_in_Dayton

December 31st, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^

...a very good team that couldn't quite get over the hump. The foundation of this program is strong now. Next year probably won't bring everything we'd like to see, but the future is generally bright.

Joined: 12/03/2008

MGoPoints: 59009

BassDude138

December 31st, 2016 at 12:15 PM ^

I like your positive outlook. I still hold firm that 2018 should be the year that everything comes together and starts to roll like a machine. That being said, I have a feeling that next years team is going to surprise us. No system/coordinator changes, and all of the young guys had a chance to learn preparation and work ethic under the veterans this year. Hoping the end of this season fuels the fire and creates a hunger heading into 2017.

Joined: 03/01/2016

MGoPoints: 3977

Don

December 31st, 2016 at 1:06 PM ^

Within fifteen minutes of Harbaugh's hiring, expectations became unmoored from reality. From what I've seen since December of 2014, a sizeable percentage of MGoBloggers (and I suspect the fanbase at large) expect as a matter of certainty that we'll go 15-0 every year under Harbaugh. These people appear to think that going undefeated is as easy as recruiting good players and "coaching 'em up." That's nuts.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148262

maize-blue

December 31st, 2016 at 12:06 AM ^

Going 1-3 down the stretch and blowing two 4th quarter leads sucks the most. It was a good season but shows there is work to done and better talent to be put in place on the offensive side.

Joined: 01/10/2013

MGoPoints: 44662

alum96

December 31st, 2016 at 12:06 AM ^

This was a typical Michigan season from the heydey.  Close but no cigar, 3 losses ... lots of bridesmaid action. 

It was fine from what we expected last August.  It was disappointing from what we expected in October esp with Iowa and MSU being down big time from last year.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82378

BoFlex

December 31st, 2016 at 12:07 AM ^

I still love Harbaugh, and believe in the process, but these first 2 seasons have not been satisfying outside of beating Sparty. Especially when it was only marginally better than where Hoke had us after 2 years.

 

First 2 seasons at Michigan:

 

Hoke

  • 19-7
  • 1-1 vs. OSU
  • 1-1 vs. MSU
  • Sugar Bowl win

Harbaugh

  • 20-6
  • 0-2 vs. OSU
  • 1-1 vs. MSU
  • Citrus Bowl win

Joined: 05/30/2011

MGoPoints: 5276

los barcos

December 31st, 2016 at 1:15 AM ^

And this is getting off topic but he pooped gold with what we thought was going to be his success here: The prognosis now is much better than it was in January. Hoke will be able to shovel early missteps onto Rodriguez's grave—already the tallest mountain east of the Rockies—and ride out the awkward transition from the spread, at which point he'll have a roster full of guys who are qualified, a career record worlds better than Rodriguez's, and a talent advantage over his division opponents. From there it's a matter of grabbing that goddamn win over Ohio State and seeing what happens. It's hard for me to think we'll be as good as spread terror du jour in any particular year, but let's whine about that bridge when we get to it. http://mgoblog.com/content/brady-hokes-intricately-rendered-sculptures

Joined: 03/27/2009

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Erik_in_Dayton

December 31st, 2016 at 12:15 AM ^

Remember how flukey the 2011 season was. Michigan was very lucky to beat ND and then had the benefit of playing an OSU team that had shot itself in the foot in the offseason...We had confidence in Hoke's defenses as 2012 ended, but there were major questions about the future of the offense. We have no reason for such doubts now. And Harbaugh is recruiting at a very high level despite going up against an OSU program that is back to full strength.

Joined: 12/03/2008

MGoPoints: 59009

YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

December 31st, 2016 at 12:17 AM ^

This is idiotic. We've lost 4 games in the last 30 seconds or OT and a game to Utah by 1TD. Hoke's first year was unbelievably lucky with fumble recoveries and OSU & PSU implosions. Conversely, JH has had almost all bad luck with turnovers, officiating and injuries. Hoke had a miraculous season while JH has delivered on field success while building a program.

Joined: 11/01/2012

MGoPoints: 18051

SpikeFan2016

December 31st, 2016 at 12:39 AM ^

That's a joke comparison. 

 

Hoke's wins were all by closer margins against not as good teams and his average margin of loss was bigger too. 

 

Yes, Harbaugh is technically only 1 game better than him, but the wins were better and more convincing and the losses were closer and more competitive (to better teams, I might add). 

Joined: 04/03/2015

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dieseljr32

December 31st, 2016 at 12:06 AM ^

I will say I lost my voice during the blocked PAT 2PT conversion. Great season. Need you be reminded that Harbaugh is the second coach in UM history with back to back 10 win seasons in the first two years? Or that there will be, what, like three top 10 recruiting classes signed?

Joined: 04/19/2009

MGoPoints: 4792

Ronnie Kaye

December 31st, 2016 at 12:07 AM ^

Good luck selling "we only lost x games by a total of y points!" to any fanbase with high expectations. It was a letdown. You have to close. We couldn't close this game.

Pretty bad night for the Glasgow boys. Ryan the must culpable on Cook's 3rd & 22 run and Jordan with the big missed tackle on the kickoff return that set up the GW TD.

Joined: 05/09/2015

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YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

December 31st, 2016 at 12:07 AM ^

Just a good season that was almost a great season. These guys just couldn't make the big play -especially the big stop or the big first down - when needed. Almost went undefeated and almost made the CFP. Instead, no championships. Just an exciting season with so much promise dashed by 5 points. Welp, move into next year.

Joined: 11/01/2012

MGoPoints: 18051

cigol

December 31st, 2016 at 12:10 AM ^

Not sure what it is (maybe playing 8 straight home games then Rutgers), but this team couldn't close for shit outside of the big house. Even the MSU game was an underachieving performance. I sure hope this is rooted in Hoke'a awfulness and lack of edge in developing the upperclassmen. Good riddance to that OL as well.

Joined: 11/21/2010

MGoPoints: 1374

Wee-Bey Brice

December 31st, 2016 at 12:11 AM ^

Just goes to show a few plays being made or missed will decide games. now there will be huge disagreements about this team because 3-5 extra plays didnt go our way. For me, we havent had a season where we were 3-5 plays away from being one of the top 4 teams in the country since 2006. I'll take it 2 years after being 5-7 but I get the frustration. Everybody is ready for the "good not great" era of Michigan football to end. 

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 7413

SeattleWolverine

December 31st, 2016 at 12:30 AM ^

Eh. We are better than under RichRod or Hoke. In the short term, that might be enough. It's not in the long-term. Very good football team, but reminiscient of Bo teams in that they came up short in important games. 10-3 underperforms the talent. 

 

Brace yourselves, because it will get worse before it gets better. Not bad like before, but we are probably looking at a 9-4 or 8-5 year next year. We are bring in a lot of good young talent and we have strong coaching. But the next two years are going to feature the upperclasses that were worn down from attrition and meh talent. You can't lose like 17-19 starters (pending Perry and Newsome + attrition) and not take a step back. The OL is a mess and is going to take 2-3 years to truly fix. That's the slowest area for talent to mature. We lose a shit ton of good players. We have 9 seniors next year out of 85 guys. This was the year...probably...until 2019. 

 

And OSU is the yardstick no doubt. They lose significantly less talent than we do this offseason, and are bringing in a little bit more talent than we are. Sadly, if anything the talent gap increases (temporarily) next year. Gonna take more time for the talent deficit to close until we can replace the limited senior classes of 2017 and 2018 with younger better guys. 

Joined: 11/07/2012

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ColeIsCorky

December 31st, 2016 at 1:48 AM ^

Agree. A 9-3 season next year will be a good season with as many new starters as we will have. I'm very excited about the future, though. Recruiting continues to get better, so I think the future is very bright. Next season will probably be Harbaugh's most difficult task. As long as he can keep up this recruiting pace in future classes (which is the biggest reason I'm nervous about next season - recruits like to see success), then the future is going to be bright.

Joined: 11/15/2016

MGoPoints: 4627

SeattleWolverine

December 31st, 2016 at 2:03 AM ^

Next season is about development of the young guys and OSU. Need to develop the players that will compose the 2018 and 2019 teams adn get them game experience. Wins and losses are secondary, for the most part. 

 

I don't think we beat OSU, but obviously they are the elephant in the room. It's really the only individual game that matters next season IMO. If Harbaugh loses again, and I expect OSU to be significantly better than us next year, then he is looking at an 0-3 record against OSU going into  a road game in Columbus in 2018. At some point, he needs to turn that corner and start beating OSU. The pressure and anxiety in the fanbase will start to build up and at some point he'll lose favor with the fanbase if he can't win the game.

 

I think Harbaugh's a very good coach, but to date Urban Meyer appears to be an ever better coach. That'll probably bring out the negs, but his team' performance everywhere going back to Utah and even Bowling Green speaks for itself. I just hope either fricking Clemson or Alabama beats him. 

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