OT - Coping mechanisms in the Hoke era

Saturday would be bad. One play turned their season in Champaign, a deflected TD pass. It made all the difference in the world. 

Second half they mauled the Illini and I knew Michigan was in trouble. They were building on momentum and confidence that nothing would get in their way. Michigan was still trying to figure out a way to get its Oline situated and push the envelope defensively. So, the outcome for me, wasn't a shock. The stunning part was the suffocation of Michigan's offense. 

You watch the game long enough, you know what happens when you make a mortal error. That  bad snap at the height of a promising drive with the score tied in the first half, was more than a drive-killer.

 If you score off that drive,  then they have to respond offensively. In rivalry and tightly contested games, every play is magnified and makes a difference in the outcome, but some change the complexion of the game. That bad snap was more than a mistake, it was the beginning of the end.

Still, losing to these guys is hard to take. After PSU and after this one, I didn't watch any more football. I watched a movie and then fell asleep. I viewed it as the season ending.  That is hard to accept. 

 

Had my own game plan ready because despite anything I'd said to anyone, was not feeling hopeful about this game in their stadium.  So I had 5 loads of laundry ready to go and vacuumed the upstairs.  There is just something about MSU, their fans, their stadium... that makes me want to clean something.  Days old casserole pan that had been soaking... when things started getting bad, went to work scrubbing it.  Sparkling clean well before halftime.  It was therapeutic and also provided tangible results.

Anger and denial and blame here on the board. For me the apex of the vortex was penn state. So now it's acceptance. And look toward the future. I do believe things will be better. A large chunk of young OLmen have seen the fire of gametime, perhaps burned a little by its intensity. But I think that makes us Nietzsche-stronger going forward. My couch-coach recommendation is to immediately get Green and Smith involved in the running game. They will be needed next year, now is not the time for safety of a sure-handed senior. Get them their dose of game fire too, even if they are getting blanked and stopped and fumble at times, I think they need to do more than patrol the sidelines. A key element aside fom putting linebackers on their heels is to pass-protect, give them game experience. Let them make their mistakes now. Sacrifice this season for long-term gains.

Going on a road trip to CA next weekend. I don't even plan to look at scores. Just feeling a bit numb at how poor the team is this year. Nothing like '08 but disappointed that Hoke cannot improve over last season.  Every team has young players and injuries. I hate those excuses. The good coaches can win with young players and injuries.

Ha ha...there is no "coping" with the era of a blockheaded coach who doesn't even know the name of number 1 rival.   He had one good season using players from a previous coach and has been going backwards ever since.

Michigan should have keep Rodriguez a couple of more years and gotten him a decent defensive coordinator.  But too late for that.

At this point, Michigan football as bigtime power is over.  Unless they start cheating SEC/OSU style and, frankly, that's not worth it.  My best hope is that Michigan drops scholarship athletes in favor of something more like the Ivy League but probably the allure of big money will keep Michigan stumbling along in a vain search for a return to glory.  But college football has changed too much in the past 10 years for this to happen.

Michigan football is over.  It's irrelevant now.  And maybe that's a good thing given the real-world issues that probably deserve more of our attention.