Just. Beat. OSU.
I'm very easily recognized as one of the "If we went 7-5 this year, I would have been happy as hell anyways" crew. That's my disclaimer.
At this point, there's potential to go 10-2. There's a very decent chance of going 9-3. We've already determined 8-4. However, UM has not faced an OSU roster and setup like this one in decades and it's impossible to not feel like losing to Ohio State this year could be more of a letdown than the past three years combined.
I will not thump my chest and put up a billboard in Columbus of a shoe dropping alongside another. I will not buy a subscription to an OSU board just to post meaningless garbage. I will not even consider it a monumental mindblowing TALKABOUTITFORAYEAR thing. All I know is this is the biggest monkey on the back of the program. Not OSU. Not positional controversy. A losing streak to OSU.
It can be 4-2. I don't care. The first step in this program is not going to a fancy bowl game or topping Rodriguez's best season. It's snapping a streak. We've beaten all the teams we've beaten and, well, MSU and Iowa were properly stacked to beat this roster. OSU isn't. OSU is beatable. To lose to them would still allow the past 3 years to permeate, somehow differently (IMO) than the loss to MSU.
We need. to beat. OSU. This team can do it. Just please do it. Please. KTHXBI.
November 12th, 2011 at 8:23 PM ^
that I'll be able to remember. I have faint memories of wins over OSU, but none where I can point and say that I remember that.
November 12th, 2011 at 8:28 PM ^
Wow, either you are incredibly young or I am way older than I thought...
November 12th, 2011 at 8:31 PM ^
so not that young. The last time we beat them was in '03 and that was before I got crazy into football.
November 12th, 2011 at 8:33 PM ^
Ah, I thought you meant you were too young to remember 2003 and before that. I was in HS in 2003 and I was suddenly feeling way older than I should. Thanks for clarifying!
November 12th, 2011 at 8:35 PM ^
The last one I have a memory of watching was 2000. Yikes.
November 12th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
I'm in the same boat. I've got memories of specific stuff, like not going to the 2003 game because my Dad had surgery on his leg and had to pass up tickets, but I didn't get crazy into football until after we started losing. And then I found MGoBlog
November 12th, 2011 at 8:25 PM ^
Thank you for this post. Kick Ohio's ass!!
November 12th, 2011 at 8:26 PM ^
I want the win, so I can go on all of tsiO boards and listen to them say things like "If Tressel was still here" or "If TP was still here" followed by the "When Meyer gets here" .
November 12th, 2011 at 10:57 PM ^
Yea they will totally pull that shit
November 12th, 2011 at 8:26 PM ^
Who's Hoke up against for Coach of the year? I think he already is but I'm biased obviously. If we do beat OSU he's gotta be a lock.
November 12th, 2011 at 8:28 PM ^
Luke Fickell
November 12th, 2011 at 8:42 PM ^
I'm looking up Liberty Mutual coach of the year and Ron Zook won it in 2007.
Hoke is probably up against whoever's coaching at Houston, Les Miles, Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Mark Dantonio, and maybe whoever's coaching at Clemson?
November 12th, 2011 at 8:37 PM ^
one good thing about the final 3 games, ILL, NEB and OSU, is that they all 3 run a similar style offense. they are run-focused with the QB and their QBs struggle with the pass. (could be describing our O as well). so i would expect our D to improve even more the final 2 weeks, given our focus will be the same going forward.
November 12th, 2011 at 9:02 PM ^
I'll take a repeat of 1969. Lose to Michigan State, beat Ohio State.
Yes please.
November 12th, 2011 at 9:05 PM ^
let's win 'em both.
November 12th, 2011 at 9:11 PM ^
I want that game more than anything - but I want a piece of the Huskers, too.
November 12th, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
I want Michigan to go Dos Santos on Ohio State. Take them out early
November 12th, 2011 at 10:56 PM ^
I would love to knock Ohio out as quick as the UFC fight ended tonight.
November 12th, 2011 at 10:30 PM ^
As it should. As it always does.
November 12th, 2011 at 11:35 PM ^
I don't give a crap about Nebraska. For all intents and purposes we are out of contention for the Northwest division. Let's just get the big hairy monkey off our backs.
Also why this is an opportune year, OSU can't cheat for the first time in a decade.
November 12th, 2011 at 11:42 PM ^
It would be a big letdown if we lost. But I don't know if I agree about the setup. OSU was a better team in 2007 than they are this year, but we would have kicked their ass had we been healthy IMO. That is one of the most frustrating losses against OSU I've seen. They weren't good, but we couldn't do anything.
November 13th, 2011 at 1:16 AM ^
I had the opportunity to buy tickets from a friend but declined. As it turned out it rained most of the game and that impacted the play early on--OSU's QB fumbled a snap in Q1. Otherwise a lot of manball running and punts, and one play, the linebacker breaks left instead of right and crashes into the backs of the D-linemen, and the RB releases 60 yards for the score.
November 13th, 2011 at 1:23 AM ^
I live in Lincoln, Nebraska. I'm making the long trip to Ann Arbor for the Nebraska game. I'd love for a Michigan victory to hang my hat on when walking the streets out here and justify the fact that I basically won't get to sleep next weekend...but I grew up in Ohio. If I had to choose one win between the two, I would choose to beat the Buckeyes every damn time.
November 13th, 2011 at 3:13 AM ^
Just realized that no matter what happens next week, if we beat OSU we also guarantee ourselves a better record than them for the first time in forever. would be a nice bonus.
November 13th, 2011 at 5:49 AM ^
After being a life long Michigan fan I'm finally making my first trip to AA to watch the Maize and Blue stomp a mudhole in OSU. November. The Big House. Michigan. OSU. A dream come true! Let's seal it with a win. Go Blue!