Two Michigan Classics on BTN tonight

Submitted by MGoGrendel on December 27th, 2021 at 6:22 PM

Set your DVR and/or watch live - two big Michigan wins are on BTN tonight (60 minute versions).

  • @10:30 is the 2012 Sugar Bowl vs Virginia Tech.  The is the "Sparty Tears Taste Like Sugar" Bowl
  • @11:30 is the 2021 version of The Game where Harbaugh humbly says "aw shucks, it's just a game" after beating a team stricken with the flu.

Last night I watched the 2016 Sugar Bowl vs Florida - the powerful SEC East champion Gators!!  Yet, they played like baby Caimans.  This was Harbaugh's first year on his 'hero journey' at Michigan, in which he started good before falling into a 2 win abyss and then vanquishing his rival.

core42

December 27th, 2021 at 6:38 PM ^

I don't recall Michigan needing to sit anyone against Iowa for the flu sooooooooo if their team was "overcome by the flu" doesn't it seem as though some of our players would have caught it either during or after the game?

I'm no MGoScientist so I legitimately don't know the answer but there is a lot of close contact during the game & helmetless players after the game dapping each other up 

fishgoblue1

December 27th, 2021 at 6:45 PM ^

I just watched the Sugar Bowl.  That team sure did pull some rabbits out of their hats.  I forgot how ugly that game was.  But an ugly win is a good win.

However, I did like those road unis.

MaizeBlueA2

December 27th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^

They didn't pull rabbits out.

Half of the stuff wasn't planned and was just plain luck. 

A FG attempt that goes wrong, the slot receiver throws up a hail mary that bounces off the defender, into the hands of a long snapper.

TD pass that, IMO shouldn't have been reversed even though, again IMO, the reverse got the call right in the end. No way that was anywhere close to indisputable evidence. 

A duck to our WR where their safety flies in and accidentally takes out his teammate in a case of friendly fire and we run into the end zone.

A missed blatant false start on the kicker's game winning FG.

I'll take it all though!  That team in general had a knack for strange plays.  You had UTL 1 and that whole deal, you had probably 10 3rd-and-1's that they stuffed due to Kovacs just flying up and stonewalling the RB or QB on the sneak.  Denard's favorite pass play was chuck it up, usually to Hemingway, and we came down with it more than a few times.

Don't get me wrong, there was an incredible year in there, great players and tremendous plays. But it also had enough headscratchers that I wish we could have spread them out over the next 10 years.

Michigan/MSU, dropped punt. Michigan/PSU, dropped pass, Michigan/OSU, bad spot.

Fuck. That '11 team dried out the well in a MAJOR way. Took us 10 years to recover.

steeltownblue

December 27th, 2021 at 8:31 PM ^

I got to go to that game.  The whole weekend was a blast, the game was entertaining, and the city itself was off the charts. If I recall correctly the Lions played the Saints the next day.  The whole town was wall-to-wall people having fun.  I can't get my wife to go to Miami or Indianapolis, but I bet I could get her back to New Orleans.

MaizeBlueA2

December 27th, 2021 at 6:54 PM ^

The VA Tech game was just on...watch if you dare.  The ugliest, luckiest game of our lifetime.

And if this year's team wants to have to ugly, lucky wins? Sign me TF up!

Double-D

December 27th, 2021 at 7:31 PM ^

How we ever won that Sugar Bowl game is a frikn miracle.

If you were a Va Tech fan you would have wanted to jump off a bridge after that game and maybe take Beamer with you.

At the time I thought we were just working out the kinks for future greatness.  What I was was really watching was symptoms of a terminal illness.

It seems like I have seen about 20 Sparty wins like that the past decade.  

WolviePJ

December 27th, 2021 at 7:34 PM ^

Wasn't a fan of the adidas jerseys, however i do think the away jerseys we wore vs Va Tech in that sugar bowl were clean. Amazing what two white stripes on the shoulders can do.

sum1valiant

December 27th, 2021 at 7:47 PM ^

Good thread to put a reminder for everyone to set their DVRs now for the game on Friday night. I just set mine. I’m heading down to Miami tomorrow, as I’m sure many others are, and look forward to being able to watch again when I get home on Sunday. 

WolverineHistorian

December 27th, 2021 at 8:28 PM ^

The Sugar Bowl isn't really noteworthy enough to relive.  It ends with a game winning field goal so I guess that makes it "classic," but there's a lot of ugly ass football beforehand.   

 

Qmatic

December 27th, 2021 at 11:22 PM ^

Objectively speaking after re-watch, that Sugar Bowl game was worse than I remembered. Watching Denard play out of the I in double tight is just criminal, and Logan Thomas also was limited by his offensive coaches.

That was a fun year, but wow the talent that team had compared to where we are now, is not even close.