How being Michigan hurts us
I had wondered how ND could have sunk so low the previous few years, how a team that vied with us for highest winning percentage could struggle like they did. I now know at least part of the answer; they were a young struggling team with a glorious past that everyone got up to play for.
Michigan coming to town is always a big time game for the opposing team. We enjoy a reputation in NCAA football much like the New York Yankees do in baseball. People give us their "A" game.
I would give our "A" game a "C", and that's because I'm a softie; some of us would damn it with a far worse grade. The biggest contrast between an "A" and "C" game is execution and turnovers; and of course poor execution and turnovers occur more with a "C" game. When we play OSU later this year, if they turnover the ball over it's going to mean so much more to the psyche of our team then, say, a similar turnover from Purdue. OSU is a dangerous team, one that can beat you even when the opponent plays it's best, but Purdue, not so much. So when a team enjoys some "break" against OSU, whether it be a 'three and out' or a turnover, there will be more relief, more removal of anxiety, simultaneously replaced by greater hope and joy, and more determination to see the thing through. Yes we have been struggling, but we are still "Michigan" and we will continue to be played with respect and continue to struggle up a slope that lesser teams do not have to contend with.
Of course this is just one aspect of the struggle to improve that we face. We will preserve in the end, I am confident of it, and when we deserve to win, we will.
November 1st, 2009 at 9:20 AM ^
We always do seem to get an opponent's best shot and it doesn't even have to involve football. The basketball team experienced a similar effect when opponents would talk about how hard they played and how proud they were to beat Michigan even though they only beat a team that hasn't been to the tourney in 10 years. The respect is nice, but eventually we're going to have to live up to those expectations.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:06 AM ^
We are the Yankees. We are hated by everyone and followed by even those that hate us, b/c they want to see us lose.
The only thing I have to say is nice accomplishment, you beat us. But you still didn't get into Michigan. Let the arrogance speak!
November 1st, 2009 at 3:37 PM ^
And you may also have noticed that announcers like Mike Patrick and whoever his sidekick was are more than happy to pile on given the opportunity.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:18 AM ^
UM does not have a high payroll. And unfortunately, UM is beating itself by not playing sound fundamental football.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:13 PM ^
...but economics is an issue too, though probably in a less perceptible and resentment breeding way than in MLB...
Just within the Big 10, check out the delta in coaches salaries. I reckon there is a similar gap in total athletic department budgets, both of which correlate with success in some form or another (JoePa is an obvious exception, but he's old and remembers when a national championship could be had for a shiny nickel). Apologies if the table doesn't format:
Nat'l
Rank Coach School Salary
6 Jim Tressel Ohio State $3500000
8 Kirk Ferentz Iowa $3030000
12 Rich Rodriguez Michigan $2500000
28 Mark Dantonio Michigan State $1800000
34 Joe Paterno Penn State $1500000
41 Bret Bielema Wisconsin $1400000
42 Ron Zook Illinois $1350000
45 Danny Hope Purdue $1250000
66 Tim Brewster Minnesota $1000000
76 Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern $750000
82 Bill Lynch Indiana $650000
Other notables:
1 Pete Carroll USC $4400000
2 Charlie Weis Notre Dame $4200000
117 Steve Roberts Arkansas State $200000
117 David Elson W. Kentucky $200000
This all from the Orlando Sentinel: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-spt-coach-salary-chart-2009,0…
November 1st, 2009 at 10:36 AM ^
I agree that we always seem to get the best shot from our opponents, as evidenced by the fact that everybody seems to view us as far more of a "rival" than we do them. For example, it is clear that in recent years MSU has placed an inordinate amount of emphasis on the Michigan game. We are their Super Bowl, while we view them as another one of the teams to which it is mostly just annoying to lose. It is a rivalry, but moreso to them than to us.
I don't know if it is a factor of getting their best shot or not, but it seems like other teams are making extraordinary/unlikely plays against us. How many times have we seen their QB get hit as he throws, launch an arm punt in the direction of a very well covered receiver, see the ball fall right over the defender's outstretched hand, and fall right into the hands of a receiver? They seem to make such plays regularly against us, when I wouldn't expect these players to be able to replicate that play if you gave them 20 tries. Hopefully that will change as our defense improves (i.e. hit the QB before the pass, deflect the pass instead of miss it), but it is very frustrating.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:45 AM ^
It seemed like every time they showed the Illini crowd, they showed a Muck Fichigan shirted fan. It seems to me that this contingent is largest in Illini faithful. I happened to catch a few moments of MSU v Illini earlier in the year and the Illini fans were wearing the Muck Fichigan shirts at that game as well.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:18 AM ^
some Illini fans only have one gameday shirt, and that shirt says Muck Fichigan.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:45 AM ^
Part of that is b/c Illinois considers us their biggest rival for some odd reason.
November 1st, 2009 at 3:09 PM ^
I just read that on rivals I had no idea they considered us their biggest rival
November 1st, 2009 at 2:26 PM ^
Illinois has had a knee-jerk aversion to Michigan since Bo put up 70 points on them in 1981 (largely with his backups). They whined incessantly about Bo running it up, trying to embarrass them, etc. etc. Since Illinois really has no natural rival in the Big 10, they've had a chip on their shoulder about us ever since.
Hence, Muck Fichigan.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:04 PM ^
Bo did run up the score and did try to embarrass them, as payback for Illinois firing Gary Moeller after three seasons as HC. Mo had returned to Michigan as the QB coach that year.
I was at that game at Michigan Stadium. The crowd was even chanting to run up the score, urging Bo to go for it on every 4th down in the second half (there weren't many). The payback was also motivated by Illinois replacing Mo with Mike White, widely regarded as a shady character.
Moeller was 6-24-3(.200)/3-18-3(.125) in 3 years at Illinois, yet in 5 years at Michigan, his record was 44-13-3 (.730)/30-8-2 (.750) with 3 Big Ten C'ships. Did he forget how to coach at Illinois and suddenly remember when he took over Michigan from Bo? Seems that the difference in the talent level was a major factor in Moeller's success at Michigan vs. failure at Illinois.
With good and experienced talent at most positions, a good coach can be successful. This should be a lesson for all those calling for RR's head.
(Incidentally, Gary Moeller is also the only Detroit Lions' head coach with an overall winning record in the last 30 years.)
November 1st, 2009 at 11:27 AM ^
...stop whining.
November 1st, 2009 at 12:51 PM ^
i have been saying this since the loss to illinois. i just don't have the points to post under the new rules for the weekend. so i just wanna say to all you whinny bastards out there that are all over the team and RR, SHUT UP! most everyone will agree(as checking from all their bitching on the blog of the players) that we just don't have the talent on the team yet. yet they still whine and bitch like schoolgirls when we lose. we do get everyones best game. no one else in the big 10 gets everyone elses best game, NO ONE! we are most teams season. even osu fans will say they don't care if they are 1-11 as long as that win is at mi. are we ready yet for that?(ereryones "a" game) no we aren't. so leave your criticism for 2010 and 2011 when with recruiting and an older more experienced tate to run the offense, we have the talent. then if we lose all you can criticise harshly.
November 1st, 2009 at 6:49 PM ^
So, do you think getting everyone's big game is unique to Michigan? Do you think it is different for FL, Bama, ND, USC? You are supporting the program with the most wins of all time and the best winning percentage (at least the last time I looked). What would you expect? Somehow we managed to have a winning team for decades.
My problem is not losing, but the way we are losing. I am not happy to lose, but when you play your heart out and leave it on the field, having given your all, at least you "die an honorable death". I think what has many of us perplexed is that we seem to be regressing. I don't have the expertise to know if it is coaching, talent, what have you. But my eyes do not deceive me, particularly after yesterday. I see players whose execution is laced with uncertainty, and I see a coach who stares down his players with a look that could kill.
I'm still all in for RichRod, but deep down, there is that little, gnawing feeling that I, at least, simply cannot ignore, while I sit quietly and ponder that the future may not bode as well as many of us may wish.
November 1st, 2009 at 3:52 PM ^
I'd much rather be in the position where people bring their A game, than be a team like Northwestern or Indiana, one with no track record, little history of success, etc.
We have the reputation for a reason, we were pretty damn good. When you're pretty good, you will have a target painted on your back.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:03 PM ^
I have one brother, he is older than me and he always used to beat the crap out of me. I remember he used to sit on my chest with his knees pinning my shoulders to the ground so that I could not move while he spit on my face. I hated that (as I'm sure you can understand). One time as he sat on me with the spit hanging from his lips I was able to swing both of my feet up at the same time and hook them under his armpits, I instantly pulled back with my feet and slammed his head onto the ground behind him. It put a huge goose egg on the back of his head and I walked away from that fight feeling victorious. I felt satisfaction because for once I had finally gotten the better of him. I would have to say that all of these teams that are beating us (like ILL yesterday) are just taking advantage of the opportunity to get back at us for the years of domination that we have had over them.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:35 PM ^
Iowa fans storming the field after beating us this year. I think that says it all with respect to lesser programs viewing the Michigan game as their Super Bowl.
November 1st, 2009 at 6:40 PM ^
It's like UM plays about seven or eight teams a year that consider UM a rivalry game. One of the things that really pissed me off about last year was watching pedestrian teams beat UM and celebrate like they had just won the NC.
I just hope there is enough depth and health next year at key positions like QB (not to mention half of the defense) that UM can start beating on the lesser teams again. Illinois especially needs to be squashed so they don't think they deserve to be classified as a "rivalry." Purdue needs to be reminded that they are often Pur-don't next week, too.