More Michigan Harbaugh Hype (MMHH): "Michigan is back" says ESPN
Quick article from Dan Murphy, features the same Smith quote from earlier, and Murphy gushing over Harbaugh.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/125097/the-harbaugh-effect-is-…
"The obvious variables in that equation are Jim Harbaugh and the other coaches that followed him to his alma mater. The “Harbaugh Effect” has become a blanket explanation for anything positive happening in southeast Michigan during the last nine months -- from an uptick on the recruiting trail to increased sales of tickets, parking spaces and khakis."
October 12th, 2015 at 4:23 PM ^
We'll know for sure in a week.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:02 PM ^
That's what we, and everyone else said last week in the lead up to the Northwestern game. After the team beats MSU it will be "we will know Michigan is back if they beat OSU".
Personally I'm done being cautiously optimistic.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:33 PM ^
Northwestern and beating MSU are not remotely alike.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:38 PM ^
MSU has won championships recently and bowl games. NW, well they are still NW.
October 12th, 2015 at 6:50 PM ^
You are correct. One is a historic rival, and the other is a team that Michigan usually beats. However up until the team obliterated them Northwestern had looked much better than sparty has this year.
So like I said. I am done being cautiously optimistic. In my eyes I believe Michigan is back, and will annihilate MSU. You can be pessimistic if you want; just don't tell me that I am not allowed to believe.
October 12th, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
Here Here!
Let's quit being afraid of losing. This team is for real man!
October 13th, 2015 at 9:18 AM ^
Beating Northwestern and beating MSU are not remotely alike.
And beating MSU and beating OSU will not be remotely alike this year either.
If we beat MSU we will advance up the ladder, but we will not be able to fully declare we are back until we beat OSU at full strength.
So yes, there will still be some healthy caution throughout the season.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:40 PM ^
October 12th, 2015 at 4:23 PM ^
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October 12th, 2015 at 4:41 PM ^
October 12th, 2015 at 6:09 PM ^
just the fact that you can say "I hope we kick their asses" with a straight face means that we are back to a certain degree right?
I mean, last year about the best I could muster was "I hope we aren't embarassed".
October 12th, 2015 at 6:33 PM ^
Cumong. They barely lost to Utah at Utah with a first time for us, QB, then they had to beat BYU and did, and there were excuses for BYU and so then it was NU and we creamed them. This team will beat MSU the only real concern is will they shut them out again. Just like last Saturday the drama was in the shut out. UM will have one loss into the OSU game and will win that in a close one.
October 12th, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^
October 13th, 2015 at 9:22 AM ^
One thing I do want to see is how this team reacts when it's punched in the mouth. We have not had that happen since week one when we came out on the losing end.
This is a different team now, but we need to see how it plays when it's behind 2 scores and not just ahead 5 scores.
October 12th, 2015 at 9:03 PM ^
Same here, I have been nervous before every game so far this year. I was at the Northwestern game on Sat. and I was nervous. The last 7-8 years should not be forgotten. We have to win, win, win....
I could not believe how Saturday's game developed. Nobody around me could either, but it sure was sweet. The euphoria did not last long, now getting nervous again for the MSU game. I just can't get use to the idea that we may be a really good team.
October 12th, 2015 at 4:24 PM ^
This conversation is ~6 days ahead of schedule.
October 12th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^
Not that I disagree, but we've said the same thing every week since Oregon State. Can we get a definitive answer as to when we are allowed to actually believe we are back?
Is it after beating MSU, or will the dialogue be moved to "after we beat OSU?" If we beat OSU, do we need to win the B1G to get that monkey off our back first? If we do that, does it shift to the NCG or something?
October 12th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
If we win the national championship, you have to put on the brakes until you win two in a row.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:04 PM ^
When Harbaugh gets inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame then we might be a few years from being back.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:12 PM ^
Straight through the big sticks.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:09 PM ^
It's sometime NEXT year, after beating at least one rival and finishing with 10 wins this year. Then if we are having similar success next year, then we are "back." One year is not enough to pronounce we are back, because we could have said the same thing (and people did, loudly) after Hoke's first year. Those people were horribly wrong.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:41 PM ^
Everytime we obliterate a team, good or bad, they're written off as bad or overrated.
October 12th, 2015 at 6:15 PM ^
with Brady Hoke's 11-2 season in 2011.
I am pretty confient that we ARE back no matter what happens againt Michigan State (Jim Harbaugh is no Brady Hoke) and I even suspected that it COULD happen this fast given the talent at hand AND Harbaugh's track record (I said that I wouldn't be surprised if we went 10-2 even though I wasn't predicting that).
Michigan State has been a bit of a national power the past few years. This is the mid-term exam.
October 13th, 2015 at 9:26 AM ^
We need to beat Ohio State at full strength and win Big Ten Championships. That's when we are back.
That's what we used to do more often than not, that's what we need to do again.
We are making progress, much faster than anyone expected, but have not arrived until we beat OSU and win the B1G.
October 12th, 2015 at 10:45 PM ^
In actuality this conversation is 'here' and 'now'. The conversation is being had. There are really two factions and some fence walkers. The truth for me is that even if we lose to msu we are back. Remember even under Loyd 9-3 and 8-4 were fairly common place. I would be willing to bet that you and almost every competant UM fan that we would atleast finish 8-4 now. Possibly 9-3 if we beat msu maybe even 10-2. That is back IMO and the opinion of many others.
Edit: This comment was for ChiTown Kev in comment #15
Go Blue
October 12th, 2015 at 4:26 PM ^
beat state
October 12th, 2015 at 4:27 PM ^
I'm going to allow myself to feel happy today!
October 12th, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^
But I'd sacrifice feeling happy today in order to feel ecstatic in a week, or at least avoid feeling completely miserable.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:04 PM ^
You keep your heart of stone. I'll breathe the fresh air.
October 12th, 2015 at 8:54 PM ^
if you are trying to avoid miserable?
October 12th, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^
I really thought the 'winners run sprints' thing was super interesting. Winners get the privilege of continuing to improve and better themselves, losers get to watch and wonder if they gave it their best try.
October 12th, 2015 at 4:31 PM ^
Not trying to rip on OP, but are we planning on posting a link to every hype article from every national media outlet this week? I think we get that everyone is on the Harbaugh train at this point...
October 12th, 2015 at 4:47 PM ^
So to answer your question, yes.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:02 PM ^
are we planning on posting a link to every hype article from every national media outlet this week?
Hell yes.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:25 PM ^
Maybe I don't really get this board... after all I've been negged to hell for having a differing opinion before on here. But why the hell would we NOT want to see every Michigan hype article written right now? This is a blog about Michigan football and the entire country is swooning over the program. I want to read every mea culpa, "I've seen the light!" and "I told you so" on the internet that has to do with how wonderful the team is playing.
October 12th, 2015 at 6:15 PM ^
Just be happy, OK?
October 12th, 2015 at 9:03 PM ^
We're on the other side of off-and-on humiliation (but mostly on) since September 1, 2007. At this point I'm sitting back and watching ESPN thinking "Yeeessss. Tell me more about how good Michigan is....MORE!"
October 12th, 2015 at 9:14 PM ^
ehh, fine. I'll GTFO
October 12th, 2015 at 4:33 PM ^
Break their back to make them HUMBLE!!!!
October 12th, 2015 at 4:34 PM ^
Hey remember that first time we were back after that 11-2 season in 2011? That was neat.
October 12th, 2015 at 4:41 PM ^
I am holding back from getting overly excited. 2011 was a great feeling at the time and we all thought it would continue. Instead, it was the high point before the plunge into the pit of darkness again. Yeah, this time there is Harbaugh, yada, yada, yada. But if we win on Saturday, I'll start to really believe we have a shot at the B10 Championship.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:01 PM ^
To claim that coaching is the only difference would be misrepresentative. Sure we were 6-0 at this point in 2011, but the best team we had beaten finished 8-5. The only spectacular looking win was against a dismal Minnesota team. I didn't *feel* as confident about our team, even at 6-0. In retrospect, somehow the rug felt like it was going to be yanked at any minute.
If we finish this year with 2 losses, I will be perfectly happy. 11-2 is great, but there was a confluence of circumstances that allowed that record. It was a very flukey 11-2.
This team has given us no reason to doubt that they can win every single game. The offense has been shaky, but three field goals would have been enough to win every game against a team that is not in the top 5. The offense is getting progressively better. The sample size is large enough now. This isn't 2011. Next year, well - that's not 2012 either. We are back.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:08 PM ^
Nicely put. And also, Harbaugh is not Hoke.
October 12th, 2015 at 5:23 PM ^
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October 12th, 2015 at 5:53 PM ^
October 12th, 2015 at 6:12 PM ^
The 2011 team won with good defense, Denard Robinson, and a bunch of luck. You sensed that while the defense was real, either Denard or the luck could disappear at any moment (Denard to an injury) and the team would be f***ed)
October 12th, 2015 at 6:13 PM ^
They trucked quite a few teams that season, especially for that second half of the season when Denard and Fitz made for a potent 1-2 punch.
They were the 1st team in years to have two 100 yard rusher vs OSU - which IMHO was the single finest game of Denard's career.
Nothing at all flukey about that 11-2.
Strong agree that we are back, however...
October 12th, 2015 at 7:08 PM ^
October 12th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^
If ESPN is ahead of themselves after a 5-1 start and 3 consecutive shutouts. How far ahead of himself was John U. Bacon when he titled his latest book. Lets enjoy the week! I for one, still think Michigan is back regardless of how one game plays out, even if it is against the East Lansing School for the Dumb.
October 12th, 2015 at 4:40 PM ^
I think that submarine approach really elevated this group of players and coaches into a much better team. The players seem in sync and comfortable with each other and with the plays, and they just seem to be clicking. It's poetry. It doesn't surprise me that they can't articulate what it is, because I'm sure it happened while they weren't thinking about it.
In addition to that, Harbaugh's enthusiasm and confidence have to be infectious. I mean, I get worked up just watching him on the sidelines. (I'm thinking about getting a Michigan cap just so I can knock it down over my eyes in a rage. When I'm winning) How can you not be your best when you're working in that environment?
You can see their workouts and practices paying off on the field, but it's those intangibles that really make this team hot.
“That excellence is expected from all our coaches,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “We have to be great. That’s the standard around here.”
Excellence is expected. So excellence is what they give. And it is AWESOME!!