You Know What I'm Happy About?
I'm happy that the basketball team has occupied my attention and I don't have to read the BS spring practice articles on the Wolverine or otherwise about the football team, stating that Donovan Jeter is the next Aaron Donald and J.J. McCarthy looks like a young Peyton Manning.
"Show me on the doll where Michigan Football hurt you."
/That said, I'm glad fellow Michigan fans are FINALLY waking up to the realization that they're stuck in an abusive relationship with M Football.
My problem isn’t so much with Michigan football as college football itself. I can live with Michigan going 10-3 a lot. I just hate that in this sport, that record is considered a failure, because finishing anywhere outside of the top 4 nationally is a failure. In any other sport, winning 75% of your games is a great season.
Having a system that leaves the vast majority of fanbases unhappy all the time really isn’t healthy for the sport, long term.
Michigan's seasons have been a failure because they can't win a championship.
I don't agree with your percentage stuff. College basketball teams can normally get 9-10 wins right out of the gate feasting on easy non-conference. Same with college football. Almost every major program gets 3-4 wins to start because they play creampuffs. You think the Titans, Steelers, Saints, Seahawks, Packers all feel pretty good about last year? Most of them finished in that .750 winning range.
It's about pushing the team beyond that. Beating your rival on the biggest stages and winning crowns.
To me, this whole "college football is flawed" is just an attempt to cover up the fact that Michigan football is a paper tiger.
USC, Penn state, Lsu and U of M are all in the same position right now. Assistant coaches have won a National championship for Lsu, a big ten championship for Penn State, and a rose bowl for USC. The first of the four to fire their head coach has a chance to move to the next level. None of those head coaches are building dynasties. Crazy thing is Nebraska Tennessee and Texas wish they were in that category.
Exactly right. +1 to you. 9-3 season for Michigan football is not anywhere near elite. It's closer to to 500 team in the NFL.
March 18th, 2021 at 11:27 PM ^
Slow down and save some vitriol for the show tomorrow Valentini.
it's just the national pundits telling us we shouldn't be happy. I'm fine with not being OSU, I'd just like to beat them on occasion. Call it defeatist, but its a much better relationship with my fandom and with reality.
A record of 10-3 is not considered a failure. Not beating Ohio State since 2011 and not winning the B1G conference since 2004 is where the failure lies. It’s true that, due to the introduction of the CFP, that there is more dissatisfaction with seasons that don’t lead to a berth into the CFP. But I think all Michigan fans can agree that what they really want from this program is wins over Ohio State and a B1G championship. And at this point, i think most Michigan fans just want to see a game against Ohio State this is actually competitive. It just so happens that, because of the CFP landscape, accomplishing those feats would probably mean an appearance in the CFP (but not 100% of the time - e.g. 2016 Penn State).
The aspects of Michigan football being considered a failure nationally, over the last 10 or so years, are specific to Michigan (but can and should also apply to Penn State and Wisconsin).
Michigan fans, rational ones at least, are not completely dissatisfied with a 9-4 or 10-3 season, those are really good seasons! However, it’s not good enough because of who Michigan loses to - not because there is a number other than 0 or 1 in that loss column.
If Michigan had like one or two more wins over Ohio State since 2011, and perhaps one appearance in the B1G championship game, I think most people would be ok with that. If Michigan football accomplishes those results in the next 5-7 years, I think most people would be ok with that. I don’t believe most people feel it has to be “CFP or bust”. That characterization of college football fans, and Michigan fans in particular, is false.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:46 PM ^
A record of 10-3 is not considered a failure.
Correct.
But padding the sked with tomato cans isn't telling the proper story either. This past season of conference games only exposed the fraud that is Harbaugh's overall record at Michigan.
March 18th, 2021 at 11:12 PM ^
I don’t know if this past season exposes the overall fraud of Harbaugh’s tenure; frankly Harbaugh’s entire tenure has not been a failure. I was squarely in the “move on from Harbaugh” camp this past offseason, but his entire coaching job here has not been a failure. The 2015 and 2016 seasons were both very successful.
What this past year showed was the quick downward trend and rotting foundation of Harbaugh’s administration. Lack of player development and retention, inability to recruit top players at positions of need, failure to adjust schemes that were well-known to other teams, etc. Giving him a “reset” with a new contract and revamped coaching staff is fine. perhaps he breaks through in a few years.
don’t know if this past season exposes the overall fraud of Harbaugh’s tenure
For one, I said the fraud of his record. Not his tenure. My point is tomato cans are used to get to that 10-3 you appear to admire so much.
Focusing on Harbaugh's body of work, and NOT emotion, please point out the part of Harbaugh's record where the 10-3 doesn't mask serious problems with the program. The facts below just didn't occur last year; they have accumulated over time.
Because the facts are, thanks to East German Judge:
- 0-5* vs OSU (COVID saved Michigan from 0-6)
- 3-3 vs MSU
- 0 CFP appearances
- 0 B1G titles
- 0 B1G title game appearances
- 1-4 in bowl games
- 0-15 when Michigan is an underdog
- 2-12 vs top 10 teams
- Best road win is against #20 Northwestern
- Worst halftime deficit in Michigan stadium history
- 2nd worst loss ever at home
I think 99.8% of Michigan fans would be overall satisfied with the records they’ve seen from Harbaugh if his team could actually beat OSU with any kind of regularity. Hell, even if it was just once every 3-4 years like what Auburn has done against Saban’s Alabama raging death machine, I think that would placate most people.
Almost all of Michigan’s problems go away if they can just beat OSU some of the time. Not all the time. Not even half the time. Just some of the time. Like a program of Michigan’s caliber should be able to do. If Purdue and Iowa can beat those guys then so can Michigan.
Top 4 are happy?
I guess, happy in a 40 pt beat down kinda way for #4
I remember my freshman year in 2009, my first year following football of any kind, and I was standing in subzero temperature at the Big House. We were playing Penn State and Forcier had thrown his 4th(?) interception. Literal hail had started falling. It was the worst experience I've ever willingly put myself through.
My favorite sporting moment while attending college happened in Crisler when we beat #25 UConn in early season, it was amazing.
Looking back, M football genuinely hurt my experience in AA. Michigan football is institutionalized mediocrity. Fuck football.
Not Maizen, but just as douchey.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:03 PM ^
How did you like 2011?
March 18th, 2021 at 10:44 PM ^
+1
Michigan football is institutionalized mediocrity.
Michigan at this point is nothing more than a stadium, a helmet, and a song.
This is probably horrible of me Not Maizen, but I just feel A-Maize-ing thinking about the Hail pelting you!
If you have any more uplifting stories, please don't hesitate to share!
I'm happy that I don't have syphilis
anymore?
Again
March 18th, 2021 at 10:13 PM ^
I'm happy i got my first Covid vaccine shot today (Pfizer) and I'm 9 hours in with no side effects at all.
God bless America.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:18 PM ^
Congrats!
Congratulations
I get mine on the 24th
Great, it’s another thread that uses the success of the basketball team to take shots at the football team.
Thanks for the update
But you’re thinking about them.
I’ve gone from a year-round fan to half-a-year fan, and it’s done me a lot of good. I’ve stopped following recruiting, which seems bound to disappoint sooner or later, and don’t think about football much until late July/early August when the pre-season magazines show up in the grocery aisle. The off-season puff pieces only serve to build your hopes up. It’s much more effective, and better for the heart, to wait until Week 1 and just see how the team looks for yourself.
You've got it backwards. The half-a-year fan makes sense but I suggest you become a fan of recruiting.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:34 PM ^
I was for years. After so many cycles, I’ve found it to be a waste of time. Now that the primary signing day is part of the season, I’ll spend an hour reading up on who actually signed the day of rather than reading tea leaf articles. I’ve been burned too many times by the Derrick Greens and the near-hits like Najee Harris. That certain-to-be-our-best-receiving-Corp-in-ages trio of Collins, Peoples-Jones, and Black, with sleek Oliver Martin at slot, was the coup de grâce for recruiting and me.
Why?
This is the worst type of post and there are way too many of them on the board right now. I wish mods would take steps to reduce this type of rhetoric, as it accomplishes nothing other than taking away from useful conversation.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:43 PM ^
This is the worst type of post
Yeah, the spring football "everyone's competing" fluff pieces are so much more content rich.
March 18th, 2021 at 11:08 PM ^
You're charmin soft
"Waaah, I'm mad that we didn't win at that sport recently, waaah nobody can show interest in that thing until I feel better, waaaahhh!"
You're charmin soft
Exactly the same shit they say on RCMB.
LOL.
Last part of user name does not check out.
The football puff pieces written by reporters are a joke, and the quotes from the UM football coaches are an insult to our intelligence. They have to stop. For once, the football team to try to win the season and not the offseason.
Here's what I'm happy about:
March 18th, 2021 at 10:42 PM ^
That was quick!
Thought this was going to be from Milos Cohagan and about how he had the best job in the universe so long as the trebidium kept flowing.
(makes wanking motion)
March 18th, 2021 at 10:31 PM ^
Seconded
Know know what I’m happy about? It’s just a game. The results have no bearing on how good or bad my life really is.
My life isn’t any worse because we lose to OSU, just like an OSU fan’s life isn’t any better just because they beat Michigan. They still have to wake up, go to work, pay their bills and file their taxes just like I do.
Well said.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:27 PM ^
Hope you don't mind my asking, but I was wondering how things went on Wednesday?
March 18th, 2021 at 11:04 PM ^
Don’t mind at all. Really thoughtful of you to ask.
Surgery went well. Brought him home today but he had to go back earlier tonight because he just wasn’t moving around much and wasn’t overly alert. They checked him back out and determined he’s probably just overly sensitive to the pain meds they gave him. Just Brought him home and he’s upstairs sleeping soundly. Probably just pissed that he has to wear a cone.
I wrote my original post to this thread while I was sitting in the hospital parking lot waiting to hear his results. Got to say thinking about him actually influenced what I said earlier. In the grand scheme of things I couldn’t give two shits about the score of a football game, any football game and regardless of the stakes, when you compare it to the health of a family dog or another family member.
March 18th, 2021 at 11:29 PM ^
Awesome. That’s really great to hear that he’s back home with you! Probably gonna need a lot of rest over the next couple of days.
I remember after one of my dogs had surgery he looked at me through groggy eyes with a pissed look like he was saying ‘don’t ever do that to me again!’
So true about having perspective and taking stock of what’s really important. It’s hard for me to get upset about anything when I’ve got my little buddy sitting on my lap. Take care!
Glad everything is going OK with your furry boy. I've been there with my late cat. Worrying about him when he was at the vet for two days, then watching him helplessly bonk into furniture because of that damn cone, then being so relieved when his appetite and old self came back. Compared to that, my concern about a football / basketball game fell into the "rat's ass" category.
it must be pointed out that App State is 0-18 from 3 in the 1st half.
I miss analysis. Love any discussion concerning Football. And Im stoked that JJ is in town. Hope is not a bad thing. The Icing is Coach Howards team. Go Blue
March 18th, 2021 at 10:19 PM ^
Peyton Manning... but faster?
March 18th, 2021 at 10:30 PM ^
As someone who has paid waaay to much attention to the football team over the last 30 years, let me tell you how it feels to completely forget that the team even existed for the last 5 months:
Fucking great. Since when did spring practice start? No fucking clue and IDGAF. Is there someone stepping up at (whatever position we need someone to do so)? No idea! And please don’t tell me! Will there be a spring game? Who the fuck cares? There’s literally nothing to clean from these “games”
enjoy other sports, have a great spring and summer. Go see a ball game. Hit the beach. Go for a bike ride. Live for today cause tomorrow ain’t promised to anyone. But I advise you to ignore whatever the football team is doing