Tree's Catch
one more to get fired-up for Game 3:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/photos/gallery/_/id/6951925/best-we…
GO BLUE!
September 17th, 2011 at 3:33 AM ^
Does Roundtree end up in Michigan lore like Manningham after the '05 Penn State game?
September 17th, 2011 at 7:05 AM ^
It will go down in my book as next/near that. Maybe not as high because the game wasn't as important, but it definitely gets bonus points for first night game and #HALOLOLOL 23 SECONDS.
September 17th, 2011 at 7:31 AM ^
I'm not sure that '05 penn state game was that important either. I mean we only got 7 wins that year, it's not like we needed the win to go to the rose bowl or anything. I think the '05 Penn State team, in hindsight, was a MUCH better team than the ND team we beat. Looking back and being the only loss to that PSU team preventing them from a NC was kind of awesome but at the time it wasn't as imporant, I'd say, as getting Hoke off to a good start.
September 17th, 2011 at 8:14 AM ^
We didn't so much keep PSU from the national championship (that was the Vince Young-USC year) as we kept their fans from being really annoying while they whined about being excluded from the championship game.
September 17th, 2011 at 7:37 AM ^
Why was this game less important? The Manningham catch was during the year that we used to call "The Year of Ultimate Pain" (before we found out what pain really was), a 7-5 season that was M's worst year since the Harbaugh broken arm year in the mid 80s.
I guess you could argue it was more important because it was a Big Ten game, but it was memorable far more for the same HALOL qualities as this game (continuing our streak against PSU, killing their hopes of a perfect season, ripping their hearts out via a last second drive after they drove down to take the lead, Lloyd getting 2 seconds put back on the clock, thus driving PSU fans insane after the game ... good times) than for its ultimate impact on our season. We ended up, after all, in the Alamo Bowl.
More importantly, we don't know how important this game is yet, because we don't know how this season's going to turn out.
September 17th, 2011 at 8:15 AM ^
Year of infinite pain*
September 17th, 2011 at 10:48 AM ^
Although we don't know how big the Notre Dame game will turn out to be in terms of this season, it already means more that the PSU game. It was already a memorable game due to the circumstances. Now we get to remember the first night game at the Big House, Hoke's first big game, not just for the tremendous atmosphere, but for the thrilling, amazing comeback by Denard and company. Losing after that comeback would have been quite a letdown..
September 17th, 2011 at 7:21 AM ^
Yes, its up there with Manningham, and Desmond, and AC.
September 17th, 2011 at 8:26 AM ^
Regardless of where you rank each of the respective catches, I seriously doubt if you will see many games with three TD's in the last 1:12 and with the emotional swings that went with UTL. For me personally, and I have seen a lot of college football, I doubt if I will ever experience another night like last Saturday. That finish was one for the ages.
September 17th, 2011 at 8:55 AM ^
The more I think about it, the most insane the situation was.
Notre Dame was in a position where pass interference could not have lost them the game. Every defensive back should have tackled their receiver as soon as the ball went in the air. A pass interference call was totally in ND's favor. Sure Michigan gets another play, but time doesn't go back on the clock and Michigan can't go for the win anymore.
You gotta think in the future, when teams have a less than 6 point lead in the same situation that the team will immediately pass interfere (and do it well enough to prevent the pass).
September 17th, 2011 at 9:43 AM ^
Under the circumstances going for the TD from the 2 would be the higher percentage play.
September 17th, 2011 at 10:37 AM ^
There wouldn't be enough time. If Roundtree was tackled and didn't catch the ball we'd get the pass interference call, but there'd be no (in this case 2 seconds) time on the clock. So you'd be forced into kicking the field goal.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^
Based on Hoke's post game comments, it sounds like he would have gone for it rather than kick the field game. At Meechigan, we play to win!
September 17th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
I don't see why we have to try a FG.
It's similar to the choice of going for 1 or 2 after a TD. The NCAA averages are 94% for 1 and 43.5% for 2. Given UM's problems in the kicking game and the difficulty of defending Denard our numbers should be skewed towards going for 2. But extra points are from the 3 and we would have had the ball on the 2. That's got to be worth something.
September 17th, 2011 at 9:22 AM ^
I'm still dazzled about the play prior to that. What were the odds that UMich could pick up 64 yards in that setting? Gallon being that wide open was unbelievable. His YAC action was awesome, too -- about thirty yards.
September 17th, 2011 at 9:45 AM ^
Roundtree's catch was outstanding and glorious, but just not quite as much as Manningham's. In part, that's because the Manningham catch was win or lose--if that pass doesn't connect, we lose the game. It also seemed less likely, from further out, plus Penn State had better pass defense if my memory isn't failing me.
Roundtree's play seemed less shocking to me: I think I was expecting us to connect on that pass. Most importantly, if we didn't connect, we had a couple of seconds left to kick the field goal (even a couple of timeouts if something goes horribly awry).
September 17th, 2011 at 10:24 AM ^
manningham's TD was from the 10, so '05 was about a yard closer than '11.
as far as which was more shocking, maybe it was just the 16 year old eternal optimist in me, but I called that play right before it happened. I KNEW we were going to win.
September 18th, 2011 at 6:34 PM ^
Thanks for the correction--I think it just seems further in my head since the pass went through more traffic. Maybe the problem is that I was being an eternal optimist in the ND game, because I definitely felt like we were going to connect on it.
September 17th, 2011 at 9:52 AM ^
September 17th, 2011 at 10:51 AM ^
Halol is a city and a municipality in Panchmahal district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located in Western india, it has an average elevation of 499 metres. /s
September 17th, 2011 at 10:06 AM ^
Either way, both of these games are why I watch sports. Both catches sent me from the "nervously standing in front of the TV in silence" position to the "Ten feet off the ground being as loud as I possibly can for that's the only way I can get the insane energy out" position.
I think Hemingway gets the nod of the two because Henne to Hemingway was win or lose. Robinson to Roundtree was win or possibly tie. That does make a huge difference. Even with the insane comeback and Gallon catch, it's not enough.
September 17th, 2011 at 3:01 PM ^
Manningham you noob
September 17th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
I count myself as lucky to have been in the Big House for '11 ND, '09 ND, '05 Penn St, '91 ND and '02 Washington. All are on the list of most exciting finishes, with UM victories on last play or very close to last play.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^
There is a significant difference between memorable and important
Because it was the first night game, Hoke's first year and Hoke's first ND game, the first significant game with the new scoreboards, the game was broadcast in HD, AND because it happened last week, the ND game was more memorable. (Who can't remember what happened last week? I myself struggle to remember all kinds of things from last year, let alone from when I was an undergrad!)
However, other factors beyond those mentioned above make games "important."
- The season is on the line (so, most games with Ohio were and are more important.)
- Both teams are ranked highly,
- One team is kept from (or catapulted into) the MNC.
- It is a Big 10 game with Big 10 title implications
As much as I hate Drew Sharp, it is true that Michigan has not (lately) been in the same category as LSU, Auburn, Florida, USC, Ohio, etc. (please don't pick at nits . . . you should get what is meant by this.) For the last 5 years, we have not realistically been in the running (or discussion!) for the MNC or even for the Big 10 championship. Where I disagree with Drew is that I don't believe Michigan is permanently relegated to "has been" status. I digress.
If Michigan and ND had both been ranked in the top 5, and whoever lost last week had this as their only blem on the season, that would make this not only a memorable, but also a truly important game. IIRC, that has been the case in the past with some UM - ND games. For such a game to go to the wire? Now you have a candidate for most memorable and most important.
I will totally agree that this was perhaps the most entertaining, exciting, enjoyable, and memorable game I have ever watched. Most important? No way.
A past poll at mgoblog confirms this: most Michigan fans would choose a win over Ohio (& even MSU) over a win vs. ND. What this does point out is that "most important" is not purely objective, and for some out there (Jamiemac?) a win vs. ND is more important than a win over Ohio. I am not one of those people. A win vs. Ohio, competing for the Big 10 title in the title game, competing in the MNC, those are all far more important to me.
September 17th, 2011 at 2:39 PM ^
I don't know if you can top that call. That game seemed to hang by a thread, our victory only secured by having PSU's number. Contrast with the UTL game, where, after the improbability of the Gallon catch and scamper, I somehow knew we would score a touchdown.
September 17th, 2011 at 8:01 PM ^
I may have to set this picture as my wallpaper, I think this is more memorable than manninghams catch. Roundtree didnt have a single catch before that TD in the game, but when we needed him to make the play, he did.