Waking up to a championship overseas (with a hefty dose of ESPN frustration)

Submitted by mr_garydaniels on January 9th, 2024 at 7:08 AM

My wife and I live in the UK, so I went to bed last night with a strange, uneasy feeling knowing I'd wake up to either a championship win, a championship loss, or news that the tornadoes forecast for the Houston area had caused irreperable damage to NRG Stadium, postponing the game indefinitely. Surely my fellow fans abroad can relate.

It's been the most incredible, surreal, cathartic, glorious, joyous feeling to wake up this morning to text after text sent in the night from family and friends celebrating our first championship in about a quarter-century. As someone who's read the blog and the board quasi-religiously since the post-Rich Rod coaching search, waking up to nearly two pages of posts about winning a NATIONAL FUCKING CHAMPIONSHIP(!!!) warms my heart. Go Blue!

On another note--the morning after a night game I go check the highlights on YouTube to see how things actually played out. Watching ESPN's highlights just now--which are so poor that I wouldn't link them, ban notwithstanding--really lays bare the network's pervasive anti-Michigan bias.

In about 22 minutes of highlights, they leave out one of our field goals to go up 20-13, the touchdown to go up 34-13, the Will Johnson (I presume?) interception, and any drives associated with these plays. Instead, they show, like, EACH and EVERY 8-15 yard midfield completion by Penix in drives that end without points! For some reason, they give three angles of a seemingly inconsequential incompletion from JJ to Loveland broken up by W. These highlights are such absolute crap that, as an M fan, it feels like I didn't really see the story of our team's win. The disrespect is real. Michigan vs everybody.

No wonder 2/3 of the ESPN staff picked Washington to beat us! These highlights show that they value the very aesthetic of an explosive passing attack over efficiency and real points. It's what Harbaugh says that these people just don't get: The only number that matters is the score. And damn it, we scored more points than them. 

If anyone has an alternative, superior source for highlights or a replay, please share! I'm going to browse through the thread started by the bloke in China from a few days ago, as well.

Go Blue, thank you to Brian, Seth, and the blog, and thank you to the players and coaching staff who delivered the win we've been waiting on for so long! 
 

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Indy Pete - Go Blue

January 9th, 2024 at 7:17 AM ^

Remember - it’s Michigan vs everybody.  
And that’s why we stick together. We climbed the mountain, and everybody knows it. Denial is the first stage of grief for everybody. Go blue!

Joined: 01/23/2018

MGoPoints: 157141

LSAClassOf2000

January 9th, 2024 at 7:41 AM ^

One thing about this season that will always be utterly hilarious is the amount of time, money and effort that ESPN put into trying to give their core audience no basis for believing that what happened last night was even remotely possible. I assume that the network is, as a result, somewhat bummed, and that some analysts will be on the air today with endless, and now quite useless (as there are no games left this season) hypotheticals. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130627

Jordan2323

January 9th, 2024 at 7:47 AM ^

I’d just watch YouTube clips and the bigten network. Other than that, the coverage going forward on ESPN is going to be “what is Harbaugh going to do” and “asterisks?”  That’ll be it for coverage on SECESPN

Joined: 11/09/2013

MGoPoints: 48909

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

January 9th, 2024 at 7:49 AM ^

I haven't seen the ESPN highlights (and maybe I won't bother), so, fine....but I will say Herbie and Fowler were nothing but complimentary after the game.  For example, one of their points: Penix may have looked off all game, but Michigan's defense did that to him.

It is definitely sweet to throw it back in the faces of the not-even-close majority of ESPN "experts" who picked Washington.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 41586

Glennsta

January 9th, 2024 at 9:40 AM ^

Why would they have such a moment? Be realistic; defense, especially a tenacious one, ain't sexy enough to string together a quick bunch of highlights. It's way easier to show Penix making throws v Texas as opposed to showing UM's defense getting hurries, forcing missed throws, causing pass drops, or breaking up passes.

I couldn't care less what ESPN or anyone on their network says. We don't need their approval or validation or even their respect. We won the game and the Championship.

Joined: 01/28/2011

MGoPoints: 4887

mr_garydaniels

January 9th, 2024 at 8:16 AM ^

Thank you! What a difference. The ESPN highlights tell the story that Washington beat themselves despite an unstoppable passing attack. These highlights tell the story that Michigan was more physical and dominant from start to finish, especially on the ground. Hell yes. 

Joined: 09/15/2019

MGoPoints: 965

1VaBlue1

January 9th, 2024 at 8:46 AM ^

Part of the story - a big part  - about UW's 'adjustments' is that Moore stopped using most of the playbook and ran straight into a wall with the LB's firing the very moment JJ looked towards a back.  He (Moore) stopped using play action, most of the motion was dialed way back, no more unbalanced formations (where Edwards' TDs came from), zero reads or JJ keeps, and the pass game went to sideline outs and nothing more.  He went very basic, as if the game was already over except for the coronation.

I don't get it, but this is a Michigan trait more so than a Moore trait, I believe, since Michigan has been doing that as long as I can remember.  Nonetheless, Sherrone normally pulls his head out of his ass when it absolutely needs to get done.  And, sure enough, all that stuff came back with ~10 minutes left in the game.  Went from 20-13 to 34-13 before UW realized what was happening.

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127087

TeslaRedVictorBlue

January 9th, 2024 at 8:07 AM ^

There was nothing aesthetically pleasing about Washingtons offense last night. We were relentless. Dinks and dunks down the field is all they could do. One time.

This defense ate their lunch. And then threw the lunch box at them 

Joined: 09/02/2021

MGoPoints: 35048

Brhino

January 9th, 2024 at 8:14 AM ^

Thanks for the heads-up on the ESPN highlight package.  Saw it on youtube and figured I'd check it out later but sounds like it's not worth the 22 minutes.

Joined: 09/08/2009

MGoPoints: 19477

berto714

January 9th, 2024 at 8:25 AM ^

As a fellow alum living abroad in France I can relate to your issue with ESPN highlights in a general sense, I consistently find them to be lacking. Of course, I can’t relate to your specific dilemma because I woke up at 1am to watch the whole game. Paying for it today though. I envy your restraint to not do the same.

Joined: 09/18/2010

MGoPoints: 862