Desperate need to win level?
For the season opener.
I'd say 9.5. Need to start off hot and prove something if we have any hope of making the playoff. Something to note is no team has won the national title with zero losses yet in the CFP era. Dropping the opener and having to win 12 straight games is a daunting task.
August 21st, 2018 at 12:19 AM ^
I honestly do not think this game will be close. Wimbush is an erratic QB, and I don’t think they have the horses to put up many points on our defense. I expect the offensive staff to scheme a gem for this game. Expect some RPOs, Evans as a receiving threat, and exploit the middle with the TEs. Higdon will be close to 100 yds based on how we open the D early.
31-10 or 34-13.
August 21st, 2018 at 7:25 AM ^
I love your optimism, i really hope so
August 21st, 2018 at 12:28 AM ^
7
+1 for To Hell with Notre Dame
+1 for all time wins race
+1 goddammit we deserve nice things too
+1 need some momentum in the right direction or this blog will be even more insufferable than it's been this offseason
+1 I want to believe, Patterson edition
+1 Harbaugh is on the hot seat
-1 Harbaugh isn't actually on the hot seat
-1 Early season losses are easier to overcome in the rankings
-1 Non-conference game doesn't effect goal of winning the B1G
-1 Tough remaining strength of schedule should be fine to get us into the Playoffs if we win the B1G, regardless of opening loss.
August 21st, 2018 at 1:02 AM ^
The last 16 road games vs ranked foes we’re 0-16... MUST WIN THIS GAME!!
August 21st, 2018 at 9:08 AM ^
Holy shit. I didn't think it was true, but every game that I thought of was neutral site. The last away game that we won against a ranked opponent was @ #2 ND in 2006. That is just sad.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^
It's worse than sad, it's freakin pathetic. People keep trying to claim that "Michigan football is back" but we'll never actually be back until we demonstrate that we can actually win big games, and ranked road games are about as big of games are there are.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:17 AM ^
We need ND to stay ranked the rest of the season for people to give us credit for that win. The shine from that Florida win evaporated pretty quickly.
August 21st, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^
This is truly pathetic. Can't be a big time program with a stat like this.
August 21st, 2018 at 1:38 AM ^
11
This is Spinal Tap-level important.
August 21st, 2018 at 7:22 AM ^
I think it's a 10 all the way.
-We need to start off with momentum and team confidence.
-We need to FINALLY beat a rank team on the road.
-We can't lose two in a row to the stinking Irish.
-We need to get back to being a team other teams fear...
-We need it for recruiting momentum.
-We deserve good things to finally go our way...
-We deserve a winning football team to rout for..cuz we cant get a winning pro team for Pete sake.
-We need to further our all time wins total against the Irish.
-Last but not least----they are a hated, smug, too good for the B1G so we will play in the weaker ACC, stupid mascot having, red faced angry coach having, players with fake girlfriends having, Im pretty sure Rudy was offsides, Ann Arbor is better than South Bend....We taught them fools the game of football & its first of the 2018 season rivalry game.
August 21st, 2018 at 8:17 AM ^
Honestly, if we went 9-3 this year but one of those wins was over OSU, I'm good with that. The "desperate need to win level" for that game is probably an 11. All the pieces are in place to be able to win that game this year. Stellar defense, an OL coach who knows what he's doing, a game-changer at QB, and a run game that should be reliable and could even be pretty good.
Yes, I want a Big Ten title and the playoffs. Those are possibilities. But more than anything, we need to get our respect back in this rivalry. Just my personal opinion, but that's all I really want out of this season.
August 21st, 2018 at 8:29 AM ^
100% agree with you. Nobody fears or respects Michigan anymore except low rated teams. I would love to be able to able to go into that game confident again.. I feel almost like a Lions fan when it comes to us in that game lately....Just numb to losing.
August 21st, 2018 at 8:54 AM ^
I wouldn't say that "no one except low rated teams" fear or respect Michigan. Michigan beat several teams in '16 that turned out to be pretty good and ended the year inside or close to the top 10 (PSU and Wisconsin).
The one team that probably has no respect for Michigan is OSU. And its hard to blame them considering we've lost 15 of 17 to them.
I'm not necessarily numb to losing in that game, but I don't take it as hard anymore as I used to. Just entertainment at the end of the day. I'm just at a point where until Michigan proves otherwise, it's hard for me to go into that game and not wonder how they're going to beat themselves or give the game away. Save for 2015 and maybe 2014, there hasn't been a single year under Meyer's tenure where Michigan didn't have a legitimate chance to win the game in the closing minutes, and then proceeded to beat itself in some soul-crushing fashion. Terrible play-calls, awful turnovers, bad penalties at the worst possible time, you name it, Michigan's found a way to lose to OSU because of it.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^
I should have said fan bases....Especially MSU. Everything they used to hate about us they are now. Growing up, I rarely worried about beating MSU.
Think about it, we don't have the ELITE respect we used too prior to the Rich Rod era.
You made my point for me..Michigan doesn't have the swagger or confidence they used to. They shoot themselves in the foot. Until we clean ourselves up and gain confidence, other teams will not fear us as they do with OSU.
I wish I felt like It's just a game and entertainment, but when we lose it ruins my day, weekend and week. I get so invested into the team. I hate sometimes that I love Michigan football this much.
I just want to win.....
August 21st, 2018 at 9:28 AM ^
The pathological trolling by MSU partisans declares that there is great fear in their camp.
August 21st, 2018 at 8:18 AM ^
Eleven.
August 21st, 2018 at 8:58 AM ^
For me, this is the most important game on the schedule. For me. This and MSU.
Fuck Ohio State, we will get them sooner or, well never. For me, living so close to Notre Dame all my life and dealing with these domers, this is the most important game ever for ME.
Now, for the actual team and season, this is still a 9 or 10 must win. Huge game, on the road, ranked opponent, new high rated QB playing for Jim on the road for the first game. Great defense. This is a must win. If we lose this, it will be a long ass season.
Notre Dame is not a weak MAC team. They will be ready. We have to beat them.
Man, I hate South Bend so much. I hate my lame ass Domer lovin' father in law and all his shit talk about Michigan. I hate the way their helmets have that stupid ass crinkled gold look. I hate that facking "Here come the irish song" I hate the color green. I hate the stupid ass Lucky charms cereal. Captain crunch is better. I hate Lou Holtz and Rudy, even though Sean Astin was good in Stranger Things. I hate Rockets. I hate being told to play like a champion. I don't want to.
To Hell with Notre Dame.
Holy hell where's the Tylenol?
August 21st, 2018 at 12:04 PM ^
Loll I like you
August 21st, 2018 at 2:40 PM ^
Right on. I would add that lame leprechaun cheerleader to the hate list.
August 21st, 2018 at 8:59 AM ^
1-10 the ND game is probably a 12. Same with MSU and OSU. If this staff, with this talent level, can’t solve the ranked team, road game riddle I’m not sure how much optimism there can be for the future.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:26 AM ^
I agree! There has been too much frustration for about a quarter of my life for this season not to be a success with all the talent we have.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:36 AM ^
Exactly.
The pieces are in place. Time to start producing. Can't really blame Hoke or Rich Rod any more either.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:08 AM ^
Oh please. I love to win!!! But I don't need to win to appreciate good effort and good play!!! Michigan can lose the opener and lose one more-likely not to OSU and otherwise run the table and win the first NC as a two loss team. I would be most happy to have a 14-0 season.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:18 AM ^
Hard to say that there's a path to the CFP for a 2-loss Michigan team absent any other context. What if no B1G team makes the playoff because we eat each other during the season and say, ND finally manages to slide into one of those 4 places. A one loss Michigan is almost certainly in, but 2? Lots of stuff would have to go right for them to be ranked 4th or higher.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:34 AM ^
Agreed about the risks of losing 2 and making it in...it would need to include winning the B1G...likely losing to Wisky at home but smacking them in Indy...would need to run the East Division table...the loses to ND and Wisc would need to be close, well-played games. Here, the possibility of getting in is legitimate.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:26 AM ^
Reading the post made me depressed for our fanbase.
Reading the contrary comments renewed my faith in humankind.
I love Michigan football, and love Harbaugh. I wish they won more often, like every damn game.
But framing some do or die scenario, where if they fail, I'm stuck arguing about whether we should replace Jim MF Harbaugh with some unknown commodity is not a game I want to play.
LFG! And please pass the Kool-aid.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
Agreed!!! In the larger picture of life the Michigan football program is #1 in the nation. Nobody is accomplishing what Jim Harbaugh is doing with this program...and I am not a pathological fan of either Jim Harbaugh or Michigan. I prefer Michigan because of what they represent in more general terms.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:26 AM ^
I’d say 8.5/10. If we had a cupcake schedule and finished with 4 losses I’d say the heat would be turned way up on Harbaugh at the end of the season. But let’s face it, You could slot Alabama in our schedule this year and they are probably going to be in a several “dog fight” games. Where it could come down to a last possession. A turnover. A bad spot by the ref’s.
I understand the “we are Michigan” talk because a lot of us grew up watching our football team rack up big ten championship after big ten championship...but we have to be realistic here too.
ND will be a tough game.
Wisconsin brutal
MSU will be Brutal.
PSU will be tough.
N’western won’t be easy at NWestern
OSU will be Brutal
And honestly the rest of the conference games aren’t exactly easy either.
Bottom line....we have a tough schedule and if we take care of business no one can despite whether or not we deserve to be in the playoff. I also takebi to consideration how much better we look under Harbaugh then we did under the last two regimes. It’s not even close. And now that we have a stable full of QB’s and hopefully the Oline headed in the right direction, this team is going to get tougher and tougher and tougher to beat. And I’m willing to be patient another year if I have to.
Besides, who else’s are we going to get that’s better than Harbaugh. He’s two fluke plays away from being 50/50 against our rivals.
Glass is well over half full here from my point of view.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:48 AM ^
Here's a list of coaches that were un-proven commodities with no demonstrated ability to "win big" at a top tier program prior to their rise to mega success. For the few that did have actual head coaching success prior to becoming really famous, all that success came from low tier schools, not big names like Bama, OSU, Mich, USC, etc:
- Nick Saban
- Pete Carroll
- Chris Petersen
- Chip Kelly
- Dabo Swinney
- Urban Meyer
- Jim Tressel
- Jimbo Fisher
Just because a coach isn't a household name or in everyone else's "top 5 coaches to hire" short list doesn't mean they are capable of greatness. The attitude that the only acceptable coach for Michigan is some big name proven commodity is ludicrous given the reality of where the most of today's top coaches have come from.
August 21st, 2018 at 10:12 AM ^
What are we going to do? Hit the reset button and fire a coach every time we are champions?
Just the way we’ve lost the last three years. We’ve been SO close. And he’s making the right moves with coaching changes. Perhaps his best hire, Don Brown, looks to be settling in for the long haul. I don’t think it’s worth hitting the reset button over. That’s for sure.
We have a quality head coach. Great assistants. It’s a very tall task unseating programs like osu and MSU. We will get there. We are on the right track.
August 21st, 2018 at 10:30 AM ^
I never suggested we fire him right now.
But the principle is that IF he doesn't manage to get us back to beating OSU and winning conference championships, then at some point we might as well cut our losses and keep looking. I see no point in retaining a coach's services if we're never going to get to the top with said coach. This isn't Indiana or Illinois football.
So my point is, if none of our hopes and dreams come true and this nightmare becomes a reality, then there's no reason we shouldn't look beyond the top 5 biggest names in head coaches for a possible replacement. Thus I believe the "who else are we going to get" line is ridiculous because history demonstrates that the next great coach is probably someone who's never been a HC before.
August 21st, 2018 at 12:34 PM ^
Well...we could panic and go search for a diamond in the rough (see Brady hoke years) or the next hot thing (see rich rod years) but I happen to believe we have a great coach and staff and we are better off letting them figure out how to overcome the aforementioned obstacles (rivals) than for everyone to panic now and start calling for heads.
Look, I get what your saying. I do. And I know a loss is a loss. But you get a ball to bounce our way or a couple calls to go our way two years ago and all the sudden Harbaugh is in the big ten championship and possible playoffs in year two...and this conversation isn’t even happening. Fate is a funny thing and you can’t let it fuck with your head.
Good thing AD’s run programs and not FANS...otherwise Beilein would probably be gone by now too.
We are CLOSE. STAY THE COURSE!
August 21st, 2018 at 9:30 AM ^
I'd say 7; However, how desperate to win the B1G this season? I'd say 9.5. Let's win something!
August 21st, 2018 at 9:31 AM ^
If you ask me this question ANY year, I'm going to answer 10 just because of how much I despise Notre Dame.
But this year, in addition to the hatred, I'm saying 10 just because I desperately want to get the taste of last year out of my mouth...or at least begin to. Last year kicked my ass.
If we lose this game, it makes us 9-9 in our last 18 games. We NEED this win. Plus, it's a rival game and God forbid we win those anymore.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:36 AM ^
This year is it for Harbaugh. No more excuses.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:51 AM ^
9.5 feels right. We CAN survive if we don't win (and maybe even succeed) but the likely road to a great season is through a win against ND.
It's not 10 because 10 means you lose and your season is over and it's been a really bad season.
August 21st, 2018 at 10:19 AM ^
We need to beat ND, MSU , Ohio State , and whatever else happens , I am very happy
August 21st, 2018 at 10:32 AM ^
I'd be willing to settle for just Ohio State if it came down to it.
August 21st, 2018 at 10:52 AM ^
10
No matter that its a night game away against a higher ranked hated rival. No matter Michigan fields an unproven new QB and unproven or even suspect OTs.
August 21st, 2018 at 9:33 PM ^
-3
Losing: on the road, in game 1, against a ranked opponent, not in your conference ...is game that will not hurt your CFP chances.
While 12 wins in a row may be "daunting", any loss in the rest of the non-conference or B1G schedule could cost them the slot in the CFP and since 13 wins in a row is even more "daunting", I say this game is the "least desperate".
I added the -3 because, let's face it, UofM fans are problematic but ......if they lose that game to ND, the "rivals" and "championships" nimrods will go berserk and jump ship, clearing a lot of negative energy; plus, the team will strengthen in the "us vs all" mentality which will give them a chance at really doing something special.