B1G East Division Co-Champions
Unfortunately, it's just co. But Michigan did win their first division championship in program history.
With both Michigan and OSU at 8-1, both are declared East Division Champions with the tiebreaker obviously going the way it did. This is per the B1G rules. Their website had a release up after we beat Indiana that stated we clinched at least a share of the title.
B1G record books have a table of division titles as well.
Michigan will receive a B1G East Division trophy for its accomplishment.
Yes, what happened was very VERY disappointing last weekend, but look at the whole body of work this season.
Is this all that different from 2000 when Michigan, Purdue and Northwestern all tied for the Big Ten title? Michigan lost to both and gave up a ton of points and lost the Rose Bowl tiebreaker to Purdue.
Jack Harbaugh even had some words to say about the title on The Harbaugh Podcast, saying a banner should be put up.
And before OSU trolls laugh, well..........they celebrated theirs in 2015 so hard they made t-shirts for it:
We're finally on the board with a division title and let's use it as a stepping stone to an OUTRIGHT Division Championship in 2019. Go Blue
November 27th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
It's a start; onward and upward!
November 27th, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
For anybody not listening to the weekly Attack Each Day Harbaugh Podcast you are missing out.
Bitterly disappointing result on Saturday but hearing Jim and Jack each week makes me appreciate even more that this man is our coach. Lost of room to improve but we are still headed in the right direction.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:49 PM ^
When we were losing more games last year, it sort of annoyed me that Jim did this podcast instead of working on more coaching the Sunday after a game. And then I read that sentence back to myself and felt dumb. Honestly, between last year's podcast and the All or Nothing series, Jim just generally seemed off his game. The most frequent explanation I've heard is that the team wasn't good so he was more subdued, but I don't know... I'm glad he's "back" this year and it shows on the podcast.
But anyway, when I saw Attack Each Day in my feed yesterday I had that same grumpy feeling creep back in, like "why does he do these?" even though all season while we were winning it was actually a joy to hear Jim and Jack. So I agree, win or lose Jim and Jack's relationship is part of the fabric of this program and the podcast is a gem. I'm sure Matt Dudek (who is part of the podcast) encourages recruit parents to listen. What's more important? Watching an hour of film on Sunday or doing a podcast with your dad?
November 27th, 2018 at 5:35 PM ^
Anyone who has a newborn or expecting one will be off their game.
November 27th, 2018 at 5:36 PM ^
Shitcan the podcast and use that hour to study OSU film for the entire year.
November 27th, 2018 at 5:38 PM ^
Anyone who has a newborn or expecting one will be off their game.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:06 PM ^
In year 5 Beilein shared the big ten regular season title. In year 6, Beilein went to the national championship. Keep improving!
November 27th, 2018 at 2:48 PM ^
It is something but right now it feels a little hollow.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:12 PM ^
It would probably feel a bit better if it was under different circumstances. Being blown out by those you tied with shouldn't feel great. It's just a division title. I could see being happy with a streak, but individually and not making it to the championship game is basically the same as finishing 2nd or worse.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:12 PM ^
It would probably feel a bit better if it was under different circumstances. Being blown out by those you tied with shouldn't feel great. It's just a division title. I could see being happy with a streak, but individually and not making it to the championship game is basically the same as finishing 2nd or worse.
November 28th, 2018 at 7:41 AM ^
Ok.
You can return to the RCMB now. I’m sure there is still a party going on despite your team nearly losing to Rutgers.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
I dunno I feel they should toss that trophy in the trash. But I’m just a bitter fan.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:53 PM ^
Losing to OSU sucks, but why diminish the accomplishment of winning 8 conference games that included MSU on the road and the glorious thumping of Penn State?
We're not there yet, but it's a hell of an improvement over 4th place finishes.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
Yeah but osu deserves it more because they lost by 29 to an very average Purdue team.
November 27th, 2018 at 5:37 PM ^
We probably would have lost that night too.
November 28th, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
No we deserve it because we beat you, the number four team in the country and hung 62 points on the #1 defense.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
or because they beat UM head to head in the biggest game of the year.
November 27th, 2018 at 5:22 PM ^
Because the only 2 good teams on the schedule were losses? MSU on the road when they are a injury riddled to the extent their QB didn't practice all week and couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, and they could barely field 3 WRs using their RB and CB out of necessity and still only pulling away late. Whoop-de-do. PSU was a better showing but it's not like they were world beaters. OSU was the real test and it was failed miserably. No other B1G team failed that miserably against them on defense and they even showed mercy by not scoring at the end to make it 30... Couldn't even show enough pride to stop their runners from gashing at the end of the game... Beating nobodies and also rans is not a big accomplishment.
November 27th, 2018 at 7:26 PM ^
Lol. Yes, beating 12th ranked PSU by a million is nothing of note. Strange how all the good wins are shitty and have excuses as to why they actually aren’t good wins and all the losses are how we should really measure this season
November 27th, 2018 at 7:41 PM ^
If we would've beat OSU and Northwestern it would've been a blowout loss to Bama. That would've meant that our other wins meant nothing and we are a bad team. The goal posts keep moving.
1. Don't schedule ND at ND just stick with Arkansas
2. Osu would've been our first loss of the year
3. PURDUE beat OSU by more. Is that better? I don't know but they sure as fuck don't dismiss their season because of it.
Sometimes our fanbase is too much. A horrible loss on a great season. Quit discounting you aren't Kohls.
November 27th, 2018 at 7:29 PM ^
We didn't win the division. We aren't co-champions either. This is participation trophy bullshit.
If somehow we had not played the champs and gotten owned, and had equal records, then we'd be justified in a co-champion trophy. But that didn't happen.
It was a hell of an improvement, and maybe next year will be even better. But we didn't win any division championship. Our season overall was good, even better if we win the Rose Bowl, but it stops there IMO.
November 27th, 2018 at 9:39 PM ^
Well said Maizinator. Spot on.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:55 PM ^
And Nebraska should throw away their NC trophy also. Neither are objectively deserved. But, we will accept the trophy nonetheless. I am surprised with the head-head that we even get a share. It just feels like if you are the champion you play for the Championship.
November 27th, 2018 at 4:14 PM ^
Since it seems that conference record is the first consideration, then the co-champion thing makes sense from that standpoint. As others have mentioned, it rings a bit hollow now given the structure of the divisions, when a spot in the conference championship game and a probable CFP bid were on the table and all that. I mean, you get consolation prizes in sports and that's fine, I suppose, but I think we were wanting quite a bit more and we should want more.
All that said, the sun came up on Sunday morning and my life unfolded more or less as predicted despite severe disappointment in my sports, so there is that.
November 27th, 2018 at 7:41 PM ^
False equivalency.
You're comparing winning a game and getting a trophy -- which both teams did, they won...
...versus Michigan getting their asses handed to them on a national stage and backing into a trophy.
November 27th, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
Here’s your participation trophy for getting your ass kicked on national TV. Get that shit out of here.
November 27th, 2018 at 5:28 PM ^
Where do I get my Co-Champion tshirts and hats?
November 27th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
OSU should only get 1/4 for losing to a MAC team by 29.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
stahp
November 27th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
I guess it's a good thing but I wish this didn't exist, ever. There should be no ties or co-anything in sports.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:42 PM ^
Agree with this. The only exception I can think of is a three way tie where each team's only loss was to each other like the Big 12 in 2008. In my eyes we are not division champs. Ohio State is because they won.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^
I agree. We lost to them head to head, decisively. They won, we didn’t. Congrats to them. Let’s get on with things and start getting ready to run the table and win the thing for real next year. We’re Michigan. We win by winning, not by technicalities. This is football, not lawyerball.
We had a heck of a good turnaround this season. We don’t have any need to exaggerate a tie with the Bucks, especially given that we are going to kick Washington’s ass in the Rose Bowl.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:57 PM ^
This is such a strange take. If you're not ok with some ambiguity and subjectivity as far as outcomes, why pay any attention whatsoever to something like sports? Especially football where sample sizes are so small and there are so many unpredictable factors like weather, injuries, 18-22 year old emotions and egos...
November 27th, 2018 at 5:31 PM ^
It’s funny, because I see that as the strange take. To me, sports have always been truly democratic. You get points, and you win or lose, so it’s totally objective. As for those “sports” like ice dancing, that are decided by the whims of judges, I’ve got no use for them . . .
November 27th, 2018 at 2:52 PM ^
They should shove that trophy in the same closet Paul Bunyan used to live in.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
I didn't know Paul came out. Very courageous of him!
November 27th, 2018 at 2:53 PM ^
maybe we can get a CFP participation rings since we were ranked #4 by the committee at one point this season.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:23 PM ^
Underrated comment.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:27 PM ^
UCF is undoubtedly working on their CFP championship rings already
November 27th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
If we win the division outright in 2019 I'm ok calling us back to back champions. If that doesn't happen we should never speak of this again.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:55 PM ^
Also Jack Harbaugh is nuts
Better?
November 27th, 2018 at 2:58 PM ^
That deserves the banhammer.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
Are you kidding me? He's completely with it and could easily still kick your ass.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:21 PM ^
Any way to arrange for this?
November 27th, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
I'd pay to see Jack stomp his ass.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:55 PM ^
That 2000 team. Damn. That was one of the most disappointing seasons I could ever remember. Three blown double digit second half leads kept us from playing for a title.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:04 PM ^
The ol' Lloyd-gets-up-by-x-amount-no-matter-when-in-the-game-and-start-playing-not-to-lose.