... not a one season flash in the pan. It may seem like Hoke is just reiterating 'coach-speak' when he says his goals for the football team are winning B1G championships and competing in the Rose Bowl, but he's on to something. Until we are winning 3-4 B1G championships per decade and competing against the best the PAC 12 has to offer (who most consider the 2nd best conference and beginning to challenge the F'ing SEC), we shouldn't expect to be in the conversation for the National Championship, or the upcoming 4-team playoffs. The Wolverines have their destiny in their own hands, and it's as simple as keep winning on the football field, start racking up Bowl wins, and keep making progress on the recruiting trail. The rest will take care of itself, and as a Michigan fan, our own sense of well-being will be best served with a heaping side of patience... we're moving in the right direction. A convincing victory in Happy Valley, with little or no turnovers, should convince all observers (without an agenda) that UM is making progress; unfortunately, most of the national media writers who vote in the AP have just such an agenda... but I really do believe a ranking in the top 20 is all Michigan currently deserves... and if we lose to Penn State, not even that.
There are plenty of schools out there that work extra hard to eliminate any of the expectations of both sides of the 'student-athlete' title for their players... we like to believe Michigan is different, and there is at least some evidence we're jusified in that belief. If a recruit wants something other than the Michigan experience, they've got many options to pick from, and many make that choice.
I do think there is an opportunity to provide a more holistic education for some of our student-athletes who hope for a professional athlete career, but are realistic enough to have a viable 'Plan B' that would still allow them to make a living in professional sports without necessarily being on the field. I'm not sure that would make a diffference in recruiting the 5-star talent we're hoping to attract, but it could make the difference with the 3 and 4-starts that are a good fit for our program and university, filling out our depth charts from the middle instead of just from the top.
... that just played those last two games when we come up against Ohio. There will be 9 more weeks of practice and 7 more games played. These are the factors that a young team has to overcome to grow over the course of a season... there's only so much progress that can be made during Spring ball and summer conditioning. If you want to keep your blood pressure down just see team 134 for what it is... a work in progress, not a finished product ready to be rolled out to wreak havoc in the FBS.
Most importantly, we can't all brag about what a likeable guy Hoke is, and how his fatherly appeal is what's helping us make great strides on the recruiting trail, than want him to go all Jeckle and Hyde on the players when they unfortunately demonstrate their lack of experience and further need for practice and game time. I imagine a few choice words and a dissapointed expression on his face is all that's needed to motivate the iconic "Michigan Men" we all claim to be the x-factor that's the magic ingredient that will further the Michigan football legacy.
i love that everyone has contributed in the tournament this year... Morgan with the put away stuff to beat Syracuse... Vogrich with the the triple against Florida,,, no one got left out :-)
This is a bottle conditioned ale that's aged in cedar barrels from a micro-brewery in Austin, Texas. But I am drinking it out of a Bell's Brewery pilsner glass for a little home-state luck... Go Blue!
Recent Comments
... not a one season flash in the pan. It may seem like Hoke is just reiterating 'coach-speak' when he says his goals for the football team are winning B1G championships and competing in the Rose Bowl, but he's on to something. Until we are winning 3-4 B1G championships per decade and competing against the best the PAC 12 has to offer (who most consider the 2nd best conference and beginning to challenge the F'ing SEC), we shouldn't expect to be in the conversation for the National Championship, or the upcoming 4-team playoffs. The Wolverines have their destiny in their own hands, and it's as simple as keep winning on the football field, start racking up Bowl wins, and keep making progress on the recruiting trail. The rest will take care of itself, and as a Michigan fan, our own sense of well-being will be best served with a heaping side of patience... we're moving in the right direction. A convincing victory in Happy Valley, with little or no turnovers, should convince all observers (without an agenda) that UM is making progress; unfortunately, most of the national media writers who vote in the AP have just such an agenda... but I really do believe a ranking in the top 20 is all Michigan currently deserves... and if we lose to Penn State, not even that.
There are plenty of schools out there that work extra hard to eliminate any of the expectations of both sides of the 'student-athlete' title for their players... we like to believe Michigan is different, and there is at least some evidence we're jusified in that belief. If a recruit wants something other than the Michigan experience, they've got many options to pick from, and many make that choice.
I do think there is an opportunity to provide a more holistic education for some of our student-athletes who hope for a professional athlete career, but are realistic enough to have a viable 'Plan B' that would still allow them to make a living in professional sports without necessarily being on the field. I'm not sure that would make a diffference in recruiting the 5-star talent we're hoping to attract, but it could make the difference with the 3 and 4-starts that are a good fit for our program and university, filling out our depth charts from the middle instead of just from the top.
... that just played those last two games when we come up against Ohio. There will be 9 more weeks of practice and 7 more games played. These are the factors that a young team has to overcome to grow over the course of a season... there's only so much progress that can be made during Spring ball and summer conditioning. If you want to keep your blood pressure down just see team 134 for what it is... a work in progress, not a finished product ready to be rolled out to wreak havoc in the FBS.
Most importantly, we can't all brag about what a likeable guy Hoke is, and how his fatherly appeal is what's helping us make great strides on the recruiting trail, than want him to go all Jeckle and Hyde on the players when they unfortunately demonstrate their lack of experience and further need for practice and game time. I imagine a few choice words and a dissapointed expression on his face is all that's needed to motivate the iconic "Michigan Men" we all claim to be the x-factor that's the magic ingredient that will further the Michigan football legacy.