Time to say goodbye to BPONE
Guys, 2023 is the year we need to let go of the Black Pit of Negative Expectations. Say no to self-pity. This is what happens to great teams. They play other great teams, and only one wins. Just ask Ohio State. It's not 2014 anymore. Or 2020. Let it go. And happy new year!
January 1st, 2023 at 12:13 AM ^
The first minute of 2023 was quite the auspicious start for anyone not born on third base!
January 1st, 2023 at 1:17 AM ^
The fact that OSU's would-be game-winning FG was snapped just as the clock hit midnight EST somehow made their loss even sweeter.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:13 AM ^
TCU is a great team? I mean, maybe, and still tbd until if they beat GA...but meh...🤷♂️
January 1st, 2023 at 12:20 AM ^
If you go 12-0 in a major conference you're very, very good.
Thinking TCU wasn't that great was the whole problem. Gameplan assumed we could bully them without any subtlety like they were Purdue.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:26 AM ^
No, the problem is a 24-28 point swing of 2 pick sixes, an overturned Wilson TD followed by a fumble at the 1, and not kicking a FG or at least pounding the rock on a 4th an Goal from the 2 on the opening drive.
That's the entire game. This felt very much like a loss to Sparty, where seemingly every bad bounce, coaching decision, and ref call go against us and the entire game is an uphill battle.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:27 AM ^
That too, but the first half was a travesty of a gameplan. Inside zone after inside zone. No running game diversity.
January 1st, 2023 at 1:18 AM ^
Against a defense literally designed to stop it... tight front
January 1st, 2023 at 12:28 AM ^
Something I hope we can all agree on is that we need to sacrifice a lot more goats the next time Michigan is in the playoff.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:39 AM ^
Ok, soooo, how is BPONE gonna be any diffeernt next season? This is two years in a row of Harb's team BPONE-ing their asses all the way to a bad playoff loss...could just as well be a BPattern🤷♂️
January 1st, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
This has been going on since after Harbaugh's first year. He has a terrible bowl record of 1-6. Other than his first bowl game with Jake Rudock, Michigan has looked bad in every bowl game since. Bad meaning getting dominated or looking poorly prepared (too many penalties, turnovers, mental mistakes, bad play calling or schemes, etc.) It's not going to change unless Harbaugh changes his preparation strategy, or a new coach takes over. So, what we have aeen the last two years is probably our ceiling.
January 1st, 2023 at 1:40 AM ^
We was suppose to score close to 60 to their 38 probably 31 or less because we would had not needed to become Dr Blitz
January 2nd, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
Could not agree more. Well said.
January 1st, 2023 at 11:16 AM ^
May be. Problem was they didn't have the RB depth to bully. Of course, we could only have one BC but nobody behind him to along with DE made the difference. It is what it is. May be next year they will work on it more. They were this close though. Good effort despite losing their #1 player (which was clear after the game)
January 1st, 2023 at 12:42 AM ^
Good not great. Very beatable but UM shot themselves in the foot all day. A good draw for UM but never the gimme everyone called them.
That said, I'll repeat that UM is a consistent passing attack away from being elite. That's it. If JJ and Co really care they need to spend all fn Winter, Spring and Summer working together. Know their out, their curl, their slant, their option route choice, etc. Develop a sixth sense with the back shoulder. Be so in tune that you can run routes and catch passes with each other blindfolded.
Do that and you will be back. Don't do that and everyone will run the same defensive template on you from here out. They'll roll them dice and lose by air if you can pull it off rather than get gashed on the ground.
But develop just a decent, complementary passing game and this team is elite. They're that close.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:47 AM ^
100% agreed....but this a Harball offense, I'd be shocked if they actually develop an actual modern college passing game, especially after 8 years of not doing it.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:57 AM ^
I'm not even talking about a high powered passing game! That's the funny part. I'm talking about a competent passing attack but as you said that has eluded Jim his entire run here. No matter the WRs or QB it's just so disorganized and void of timing, separation, a QB seeing the whole field, etc.
Just think UGA. They aren't OSU or TENN. They just scheme guys open and Bennett knows what he wants to do with the ball. He takes off only when he has to. Throws it away when nothing is there. It's a "take what's given" lassing attack for the most part.
Yes, they have a lot of 5* athletes doing it but that's not necessary. It's more about getting everyone on the same page, WRs that can get open and a QB to get it to them on time. Just competency over relying on an athletic kid with a rifle arm running all over until he sees a guy break free long after his route is ran. That's not viable long-term. Just learn curls, slants, digs, sits, drags, etc
January 1st, 2023 at 1:19 AM ^
How about some elite WRs? We have several very good but not Rd 1-2 guys.
TCU does absolutely zero thru the air without Q Johnson. Ronnie had a nice stab, but let’s get the great 2022 WR class on the field to create matchup issues.
January 1st, 2023 at 1:07 PM ^
This offense is very very good and easily could have won us this game going away if not for a few absolutely wild and backbreaking mistakes (any one of which not happening means we win). Had our defense not gone blitz crazy in the 3rd quarter, we also likely win. We put up a mountain of yards and points yday. The offense is not the issue. I'm not really that convinced that there is much of an issue. We lost a game where everything that could go wrong did and we still almost won. It is what it is, but people freaking out and talking about changing everything because we rolled a snake eyes on the wrong game are out of their minds
January 1st, 2023 at 1:47 AM ^
No the ohe offense is ok just throw more passes during the season and add qb power. Last time we panicked, the offense was broke for 5 seasons. More 1st down throws will fix the issues and call Joe Brady to let him sit down with Moore Weiss and Bellamy and teach them some nice pass concepts.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:15 AM ^
The only saving grace to this is our schedule seems pretty favorable and a lot of people coming back.
Blake did say "we'll be back" last year on this day, but they need to make this year "finish the job".
January 1st, 2023 at 12:15 AM ^
I am happy with this year, last year, and excited for next year.
Great season!
January 1st, 2023 at 12:15 AM ^
Guys, this is the exact thinking that got us here.
We thought BPONE was gone and held the funeral only to find it was alive and well. Keep your expectations very low and be pleased when everything goes well.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:17 AM ^
"BPONE is dead in 2023!"...*Harbs calls a wildcat play with Sanstrill taking the snap on a 4th and goal for a shot to beat ohio only to go for a for a 5 yard game ending loss*
"GAIS BPONE IS DEAD IN 2024!"
January 1st, 2023 at 12:19 AM ^
Yard - This seems to be influenced by the champagne flute? 🥂
January 1st, 2023 at 12:20 AM ^
Make it a double reverse pass, lol.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:34 AM ^
Negative expectations yield negative results. Trying to protect yourself from disappointment by expecting less just means you'll get less and be disappointed anyway.
January 1st, 2023 at 2:04 AM ^
You must be fun at parties. Can’t recognize a joke? Good grief.
January 1st, 2023 at 1:14 AM ^
BPONE’s zombified corpse was rising when OSU had a 14 point 4th quarter lead, but that shanked field goal laid him back to rest. It felt rejuvenating after imagining a world where we beat OSU but they win the title.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:18 AM ^
Well said. I know it's easier said than done, but I encourage people to flush today's game. Sometimes a tornado of crazy stuff happens. Michigan still won in Columbus and won the Big Ten. That wasn't erased today, and it never will be.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:53 AM ^
I've been a Michigan fan since Bo's first season. Seems to me that the old days are indeed back. Beat OSU, win the Big Ten conference, lose the bowl game.
January 1st, 2023 at 9:28 AM ^
100%
January 1st, 2023 at 12:19 AM ^
it is already dead
we have won the B1G 2 years in a row and beaten OSU 2 years in a row
life is pretty damn good
January 1st, 2023 at 12:19 AM ^
Amen to this. We're an elite program that experiences this same heartbreak that the deeply cruel sport of college football foists on other elite programs more often than not. 13-1 with a win over a clearly very good Ohio State team and a B1G title is a big deal. No reason to use meta-anguish to make ourselves more miserable than a tough loss inevitably will
January 1st, 2023 at 12:19 AM ^
Totally agree. We need to enjoy our fandom, or else what's the point. This isn't our job.
Enjoy all the wins, relish the big ones. Talk about your team and what they do well or could do better, but don't shit on them. And always expect that today could be the day, or this year could be the year, Michigan team does something special. It's a fun time to be the fan, even if it wasn't a fun day in Phoenix today
January 1st, 2023 at 12:23 AM ^
Maybe next year we can actually come up with a game plan before our bowl game ….
January 1st, 2023 at 12:23 AM ^
As awful as today was, we were still 13-0 for the first time in school history, defeated OSU for the 2nd year in a row, vanquished MSU, won our 2nd straight Big Ten Championship and exceeded most people's expectations.
Placing 4th is disappointing only in the frame of reference that we thought we could do better...but we accomplished a lot.
And we did this without our two captains Cade and All. We never had NHG. We lost Schoon and Corum down the stretch.
The future is bright. We can keep competing for Big Ten Titles, and some day we will have our shot at a title.
January 1st, 2023 at 1:17 AM ^
Rh I day we finished 3rd, there is no rationale imaginable to explain away beating OSU by 25 at home. I’ll take 3rd after a fandom that started in 2008.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:25 AM ^
Agreed Wendy +1. To be fair, generally, I haven't heard too much of BPONE around these parts for a while and its been great. I'm in for a formal declaration though.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:25 AM ^
Bigten Pit Of Negative Expectations
January 1st, 2023 at 12:25 AM ^
So what happens when the Lions bring back BPONE tomorrow?
January 1st, 2023 at 12:42 AM ^
You mean when the grit turns to shit?
January 1st, 2023 at 12:26 AM ^
Personally, I couldn’t wait for halftime to come because I expected us to dominate the second half.
I know it’s no consolation, but we did win the second half 39-30. We just dug too deep a hole early with some weird decisions and bad mistakes.
If we had better prepared for their defense, and let JJ run the ball more, we win that game.
Oh well, on to next season.
Go Blue, now and forever.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:34 AM ^
I don't think I've ever been lost in the wildness of a Michigan game as much as I was in that 3rd quarter. That was games' worth of big plays and momentum shifts in one quarter. The back and forth was amazing. The Henne vs Troy Smith game is the only other time I've felt close to that. It seemed like every play could be a turnover or a touchdown. For non-UM games, I can't imagine what it was like watching that USC-Texas Vince Young game as a fan of one of those teams.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:27 AM ^
Poor #79 for OSU… last 2 games walking off the field in tears. Feel bad for the kid but can’t think of anything more satisfying than Buckeye tears. 😊
January 1st, 2023 at 12:29 AM ^
Football season is over
Wake me up when it's September
Go Blue
January 1st, 2023 at 12:34 AM ^
And now we enter "Harbaugh to NFL" BPONE.
It will always live with us.
Embrace it.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:36 AM ^
I think I'm ready for Sherrone Moore to take charge.
January 1st, 2023 at 1:14 AM ^
The coach whose line got whooped today by a 3-3-5?
Yeah, I don't think any coaches earned a promotion today.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:43 AM ^
Harbs BPONE to the Colts...it just makes BSense.
January 1st, 2023 at 12:38 AM ^
You’re so right Wendy. We should all be celebrating that the team made it this far!
Did you see the guys watching TCU celebrate? We’ll be back!