Why Tim Tebow makes me believe Michigan will beat Iowa

Submitted by magonus on

Maybe I'm stretching a bit because I desperately want some hope after how crappy this week has been (I work in Lansing... we have a lot of Sparty's at the office), but I think we can bounce back and knock back 3-5 more wins to salvage this season. Back in 2008, Florida lost at home to Ole Miss. They made mistake after mistake and lost to a team that they should have mopped the floor with. Afterwards, Tebow had an emotional speech, shouldered the blame completely and lit a fire under their collective @$$es. The next week they came out with a vengeance and manhandled Arkansas. 

It isn't getting nearly the same hype as Tebow's speech did (due to Tebow's being during a press-conference for starters) but I'm wondering if Denard's post-game speech in the locker room will have a similar effect. Obviously I'm not saying this year's Michigan squad is on par with the '08 Gators, but the parallels are definitely there. I think this team is going to come out on a mission this Saturday, a mission to show that last Saturday's offensive performance was a fluke. I'm seeing Denard running and throwing for 5 total TDs, Michigan's defense building on the improvements that we saw against MSU (they were there if you look closely enough) and beating Iowa 38-28.

Beavis

October 13th, 2010 at 6:00 PM ^

OK please let me be the first to say this:

I love Craig Roh and thankfully he is on our team.  I even went as far to say that in a Big Ten "fantasy draft" this offseason that I'd take him first overall (since you'd get three years out of him / he's the best sophomore in the Big Ten / etc.).  This was before Denard (obviously).

That being said, he gave a speech similar to Tebow's a few weeks back and it hasn't meant shit.

Denard is obviously a different person and has more control over the game, however.  Still... to think that we are going to win the remainder of our games for this season (what Tebow did) is insane.  And to think that we can beat a team with the #1 defense in college football because of a speech is also insane.  It will all come down to who is better prepared to play on Saturday (who knows). 

Grahambino

October 13th, 2010 at 6:06 PM ^

You could only keep Roh for three years in the draft if it were a keeper league. 

 

I agree though, Tebow had an unbelievable defense at his back (strike 1), with a talented D-coordinator (strike 2), and was a junior that year with much more big game experience (strike 3).

Beavis

October 13th, 2010 at 9:40 PM ^

8-16. Great. Does not change the fact they haven't given up a rushing TD this year and EMBARRASSED penn state. They have the best D in the big ten and Saturday will be an even bigger test than MSU. A speech wont defend against that. If the UConn/Bowling Green version of this team shows up, we have a good chance at winning. If the MSU/UMass version is on the field Saturday, then we're gonna need some good luck.

Blue since birth

October 13th, 2010 at 11:54 PM ^

I'm pretty sure Iowa had a highly rated D and hadn't given up a rushing TD going into the game last year either (a high scoring game we lost by less than a FG)... In Iowa... And who hasn't embarrassed PSU to some degree or another this year?

I'm sure if we get the win this weekend Iowa will be "overrated and hasn't beaten anybody but a shitty PSU team" though... I'll take it.

Don

October 13th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^

your prediction of 38-28 would be reasonable. He doesn't, so I don't see any meaningful parallels at all. One short locker room speech isn't going to make up for the fact our LBs are horrible more often than not, our secondary is green as hell, our return and kicking game are mediocre at best and frequently lousy, and we don't seem to have any difference-makers at RB to help take some of the heat off of Denard. Throw in the fact that Molk and Martin suffered ankle sprains against MSU, and a victory by one point, let alone 10, looks to me like a very unlikely event. Maybe the team and coaching staff can summon something new that hasn't been in evidence in the 2+ years of conference play up till now, but now we're in the territory of hope and faith.

BigCat14

October 14th, 2010 at 12:44 PM ^

that you and beavis' butthead comments arent what the guys are hearing in the locker room.  you always have to have hope and faith no mater how good or bad your team is.  they play the game because anything can happen!  M fans hopefully will choose to think that good things will happen for the win!  GO BLUE beat iowa!

dennisblundon

October 13th, 2010 at 6:04 PM ^

There is only one speech that can inspire victory and that is when Jake Taylor stands up and says " I guess there is only one thing left to do then. Win the whole fuckin' thing." No go and get me Vaughn.

PurpleStuff

October 13th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^

We are 5-1 right?  I didn't imagine that did I?  We lost to an undefeated team that dominated Wisconsin (-3 in turnovers and they still won by ten) a week earlier.  We have the same record as Alabama (and gave up fewer points last week despite playing a better team).

We don't have a perfect team by a longshot but the freakout is a little unwarranted at this point.

M-Wolverine

October 13th, 2010 at 6:40 PM ^

Does lead one to believe that 5-1 in the 2nd half isn't very likely. It's the differences between 2-4, 3-3, or 4-2 that will make a lot of difference between panic and "hey, maybe comparing us to Alabama isn't ridiculous after all".

Brandon_L

October 13th, 2010 at 8:13 PM ^

8-4 and thats a huge improvement. but we definitely need to beat iowa, wisc, or osu to really show we are closer to competing. i had michigan down for a loss vs msu and iowa and starting the season 5-2 before handing it to penn state. i was just hoping penn state wouldnt get as exposed as they have been before we played them. i told everyone that penn state wouldnt win 6 this year and that purdue was a fraud. illinois poses some concern but we will see after this week. overall thus far we need to take it a game at a time. though i have a gut feeling we come out firing on all cylinders vs the hawkeyes. we all know stanzi will throw it right at our corners and linebackers a few times. my concern is if he does will we at least catch them.

Syyk

October 14th, 2010 at 12:01 AM ^

I don't buy the argument that we have to beat Iowa, Wisconsin or OSU to prove anything to anyone.  Besides, beating one of them (assuming your 8-4) predictions, means we lose to a team most likely worse than those three. 

mgoSk

October 13th, 2010 at 6:31 PM ^

When I heard that Denard spoke up in the locker room, I too thought of Tebow's "You will not see a player in college football work harder...." speech because Denard took blame for the loss and felt that the result of the game was unacceptable. Tebow and Denard while both athletic quarterbacks are not the same players. Tebow had more experience, a national title under his belt, etc. Howeva, Denard is not nearly as up front with himself as Tebow is, so for a soft-spoken quarterback in his first year of starting to speak up after the first loss of the season is a great thing to hear about. While not the same situation, I do see Michigan coming out with fire this weekend. I mean who couldn't rally behind Denard? I, for one, believe that the game against MSU was a fluke, Denard cares too much about this team and is too competitive to play like that again, he, after the game, admitted to being over excited, etc. Denard will let the game come to him this Saturday, and when that happens, we'll be feeling much better.