Remember the good times of 2018
Full disclosure.
The last two games sucked hard. But this season was full of a lot of fun.
Nobody can make the 3rd place jokes anymore because Michigan beat MSU, PSU and Wisconsin by a combined score of 101-27 this season. A lot of people said this schedule was impossible and predicted an 8-4 and even some as bad as a 7-5 season.
December 31st, 2018 at 3:05 AM ^
No one will remember this season by the teams we beat, only the loss to osu. A huge let down
December 31st, 2018 at 5:19 AM ^
In general, I think the play of QBs Patterson, McCaffrey, and Milton was refreshing. True, they were limited by the play calling, but that wasn't their fault. Now if we could just figure out how to devise a more modern offensive game plan to take advantage of their talents...
December 31st, 2018 at 10:42 PM ^
I agree - McCaffrey just seems very comfortable and just seems make the offense run smoother when I watched him. Truly hope there is an all out war for the starting QB next season. May the best man win because they earn it.
December 31st, 2018 at 6:40 AM ^
No..... had a chance and failed again.
December 31st, 2018 at 7:40 AM ^
December 31st, 2018 at 8:01 AM ^
This is the hard part of being in this fan base- enjoying anything. Let's look towards 2019 and imagine how it plays out...likely high end best case scenario is between 0-1 losses to non-MSU teams leading up to the game, beating OSU, and making it to the CFP where chances are we don't make it past the first round. If that happens, lets assume most of the fan base is happy dappy with just minor gripes about whatever they want to complain about that led to the one regular season loss and how we need to get on Bama's level.
Now think of this - anything short of that will be UNACCEPTABLE by many here and in the fanbase. Lose to OSU again but win everything else? it'll be fire Harbaugh chants. Lose 2 games but beat OSU? UNACCEPTABLE. Lose to MSU, but win out otherwise? UNACCEPTABLE because Mork and Sparty.
If you bar for fandom happiness is undefeated regular seasons or MAAAYBE one loss to a team that ISNT osu or msu and on to the CFP, you're going to be disappointed more than you're not. Since 1990, we've had 2 or less losses a total of 5 times.
Michigan should win 9-10 games a year at a minimum, be in the hunt for the B1G championship every year, beat MSU 75%+ of the times we play, beat OSU 50%+ of the times we play them, and be in contention for the CFP mayb 25% of the time. Are we making progress towards that? I would say so. The OSU piece hasn't worked out but I think it will with Urbz gone and our recruiting improving. That will take care of the CFP piece as well. The rest is basically there already.
December 31st, 2018 at 8:46 AM ^
We have to beat OSU. I don't care if we're 8-4 next season, we have to beat OSU. Nothing else matters until that happens.
December 31st, 2018 at 8:56 AM ^
An 8-4 Michigan team only beats OSU next year if Ryan Day = John Cooper.
December 31st, 2018 at 9:49 AM ^
My point is that I'd rather drop any other game (or games) if that gives us a chance to beat OSU. This "every game is a championship game" bullshit has to stop. Every year the team is gassed by November.
December 31st, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^
Word!
December 31st, 2018 at 10:48 AM ^
We have to play in Indy in year 5.
We dont have to beat OSU, although one would think to get to you you would have to. And we dont have to win the big ten championship game. I just want to play in Indy. I have low expectations going forward.
December 31st, 2018 at 8:32 AM ^
Who really wants to watch that Evanston sludgefart again? Both FB and MBB.
December 31st, 2018 at 9:12 AM ^
Basketball is it. On January 13th the wife and I decided to adopt a cat. A tuexdo cat that was a rescue. Later that day unranked Michigan upset #4 Staee at Breslin. I knew it was a sign that we were supposed to adopt that cat. Including that game Michigan is 32-4 in basketball since we adopted her. You are all welcome.
December 31st, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^
If you don't have kids do it, best thing ever.
December 31st, 2018 at 8:21 PM ^
Bullshit. Kids aren't for everybody and I hate that people who have them think they're some kind of fucking hero.
December 31st, 2018 at 9:13 AM ^
As my grandma said: "10 atta-boys get wiped away with 1 oh-shit!" The last 2 games have been massive cases of the trots!
December 31st, 2018 at 9:21 AM ^
Those middle weeks were beautiful dominance. Shame we couldn't end on a high note
December 31st, 2018 at 9:28 AM ^
This is the correct take.
You guys can sit here and be doom and gloom about the last two weeks. I remember how much fun it was to watch this team beat down three straight ranked opponents.
I get it. It didn’t end well. Doesn’t take away what this team did accomplish.
December 31st, 2018 at 1:27 PM ^
Those teams weren't very good though. Michigan doesn't beat good teams, or upsets good teams, etc. This is why people are upset.
December 31st, 2018 at 4:20 PM ^
2016 was a much better team than this years was. That team actually beat very good teams and lost to osu and iowa themselves. We had a differant OC that year but that team could've went to the NC. Hell they should've won the game against FSU too had they not let the guy get a huge kickoff return at the end of the game. This years team only beat teams they should have and got exposed by better teams
December 31st, 2018 at 9:22 AM ^
Falls flat for me
December 31st, 2018 at 9:45 AM ^
When Gil Grissom left CSI, I was sad. When Warrick was shot in his car, I was devestated. Their endings left the show a different show—doesn’t matter how great it was up u til those moments. They entertained us. The show was great—and the show remained good afterwards. But it wasn’t the same, and there were some pretty bad moments after those losses. I still watched the show and even enjoyed Ted Danson’s sappy lead.
At the end of the day, we put value in tings that give us entertainment—and we all value them and critique them differently.
I don’t think those of you who are overly positive don’t want more from the show—I mean, The Team. I don’t think most of you who are sour about the ending don’t see the good times and hate the team.
In the end, everyone wants next year to be better. Trying to change how others cope with the end is futile. Posting over and over about how great the team is purely one poster hoping to get some catharsis out. Only problem: the catharsis just ends because so many people structure the wording in their posts as “the way to look at it.”
None of us has the key to look at the season. The key we each hold opens different doors to different rooms—our own versions of moving on to the next day.
Happy 2019!
December 31st, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
Upvoted solely for referencing CSI, Grissom, and Warrick. I liked Fishburne and Danson quite a bit, but Peterson really defined the show.
December 31st, 2018 at 10:00 AM ^
Of course Don loves CSI...
December 31st, 2018 at 9:53 AM ^
Not sure why but PSU was the high water mark. The team never regained their sharpness and aggression. Sad because we still thought the arrow was pointing up at that point and some sentiments were being floated of giving Bama a game. Instead we've reset again and are looking at another mountain to climb.
December 31st, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
That's life, innit.
December 31st, 2018 at 9:54 AM ^
December 31st, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
As many has said the last two games suck but I enjoyed the 10 consecutive wins and the “The Revenge tour”. It was a great ride from early September to mid November.
December 31st, 2018 at 10:02 AM ^
All my good times involve the Fighting John Beileins!!!
December 31st, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
Loser mentality from our biggest loser
December 31st, 2018 at 11:44 AM ^
Please explain your comment. Also, could you please expand upon how a fan, with no control of the situation, displaying a "winner mentality" has any effect on the situation.
I'd take it a step further and say, in this day and age of social media, that the expression of the "whining fan" mentality is far more destructive than any "glass half-full" outlook.
December 31st, 2018 at 11:51 AM ^
If people like you who say stuff like THIS don't like me, then I'm doing my job.
My favorite part is that this was the MSU game.
December 31st, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
Thanks, WD. The DPJ TD with the PB pose was the best moment of the season for me. (Sorry can't think of any more initials or acronyms to squeeze in there.)
On balance--and I may be alone in this--I am more upset about the bowl than the loss to OSU. One looks somewhat inevitable in retrospect; the other does not. OSU was a great team that hadn't quite cohered; they peaked and punched us in the nose and. . . what can you say? Exposed the weak links on the team.
But UF?* With a month to prepare? Falling so flat to a light middleweight outfit just as we did last year? Pile of guys out and I can even accept the drubbing on the D side. But to be so abysmally boring in losing with all those good players. . . this, finally, is why I begin to be mistrustful of the Harbaugh trajectory.
December 31st, 2018 at 11:26 AM ^
We had a fun time this fall. We got to a few games with our kids and grandkids and didn't miss a game on TV if we weren't there. The ND loss along with the OSU and FL losses are hard to take but all in all it was a fun year. Especially satisfying was beating MSU in E. Lansing and also watching the team improve from one week to the next.
Will really, really miss Winovich next fall. Totally a real Michigan Man and one of my all time M favorites. I hope he has a REALLY successful pro career.
Some really tough losses but we'll be there for the Spring Game and for a few more games this coming fall. Optimistic and cheering always for the Good Guys. Go Blue - Always!
December 31st, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
Good post. I remember it all. The run through Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan State was fun. This site is great and terrible all at once. I completely stay away from the game threads because most of you suck and cry about everything. I did come to realize that the upper echelons of the NCAA is a very elite group and Harbaugh coming Isn’t a instant rise to it like I wished. But we are building and I feel it will come.
December 31st, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
Expectations are everything in life, and especially in CFB fanhood.
I think many Michigan fans set their expectations so high when Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor that they were going to always be disappointed. Over and over people say, "when Harbaugh was hired and you were told that in 4 years ... " To me, that is beyond meaningless, and actually downright destructive. When Harbaugh was hired his first mandate was to pull the Michigan Football Program back from the abyss of irrelevancy.
Harbaugh accomplished that with a 10 win season and a resounding bowl win. His second mandate was to put Michigan back into the CFP conversation -- remembering that the last time Michigan was in the mix there was no CFP, so things have changed significantly. He did that in 2016 with Michigan being inches away from a B10 East title, a B10 CG berth, and like an CFP spot.
Yes, the mandate at Michigan is ALWAYS to beat OSU. But as others have detailed ad nauseum while Michigand was playing slap-dick and losing to App. State, Toledo, Minnestota, and Rutgers, OSU was clicking on all 12 cylinders, winning B10 Championships, BCS Bowls, and competing for National Championship. Most importantly however, is the fact that the talent pipeline flowing into Columbus remained IN TACT and full operational while Michigan's -- especially on the OL and QB -- was nearly completely BROKE DOWN!
People can shitcan the notion, but Michigan had a large hole to climb out of. In reality, as long as Michigan doesn't lose a B10 regular season game, the OSU game is essentially a playoff game. Yes, it's unfortunate that Michigan has such a powerful and success program blocking its path to the B10 CG and the CFP, but it is what it is. I think Harbaugh will do the self-scouting that he needs to do to bring Michigan's schemes inline with what the elite programs are doing.
There is only one obstacle left to overcome. Unfortunately, it's the biggest of the bunch. Life sort of works out like that more times than not. We make great progress up and over the little hills, but as the grade gets steeper progress usually slows and we reach that classic "plateau." Under Harbaugh, Michigan is back into that "good but not great" level. We all want great, we want the B10 and the CFP. I can assure you that Harbaugh and the players do too. But, remember that only 4 teams out of 128 get there, and everyone else is an "Also Ran."
I know many of you want things right now, and will raise holy hell when you don't get it. I'm not here to try to stop you from doing that. If you think it's helping the situation, then by all means, keep it up. I, for one, don't think it's helping. I think it makes our fanbase look like a petulant child with very little perspective and even less of a grasp of how monumental the task actually is. We know recruits and players read what we all post and if you think that impatience and criticism is well received, I think you're not being honest.
I am not saying everything is great. It's not great, it's good. But, at Michigan, we want great. The problem is that greatness isn't bought, it's earned. Greatness doesn't usually arise from impatient, impetuous, knee-jerk, reactionary decisions. Will Michigan achieve greatness under Harbaugh? I think so because the man who has the most control of the situation wants Michigan to attain greatness more than anyone.
Go Blue and Happy New Year!
December 31st, 2018 at 4:22 PM ^
I will remember the 2016 season longer than I will remember this season
December 31st, 2018 at 4:45 PM ^
"Nobody can make the 3rd place jokes"
So after finishing 3rd, 3rd and 4th in our division, we managed a 2nd place finish this year. Boy we really showed everyone.
December 31st, 2018 at 5:08 PM ^
One thing that surprises me about the discussions of the last two losses is how little attention has been paid to the effect on the team of injuries to key players. Even those who sat out the last game were nursing injuries and might have contributed less than we (and they) would hope.
Gary and Winovich were well below 100% for the OSU game, and since much of the success of our D relied upon their pressure upon opposing QBs and HBs, this meant that Haskins had too much time and he is a very good quarterback. Against Florida, Gary and Bush were unavailable, and Winovich still playing injured.
We may be critical of Don Brown's decisions, but we should remember that they proved highly successful throughout most of the schedule. Bush, Gary, and Winovich are our three best defensive players, and their replacements are not as good (yet, one hopes?). We can still win games, but not against legitimate top ten teams who are playing well.
Could we have won the championship in 1997 had Woodson and maybe one or two others of that elite Defense been hampered by injuries? One needs a bit of luck to go all the way against fierce competition.
The absence of JBB and, for the last game, Higdon, again two valuable components of the Offense, limited our success in running the ball, which in turn put more pressure on the QB. Shea is elusive, but fast DEs (like our own when healthy) create sacks and pass interceptions.
This does not invalidate some of the criticisms that have been expressed by fans, who are understandably disappointed after such a promising run of wins raised the team to number 4 ranking. And our hopes (expectations?) as well. But they strike me as harsh.
They condemn Don Brown as old fashioned, etc., forgetting that his D was ranked first for much of the season. They complain at the lack of passes to the WRs, but without an effective run game to complement it, it becomes a more dangerous tactic, as we have seen. In fact, one could argue that the coaches made good, if not best, use of the talents available.
Without the injuries, we might have finished the season on a more positive note: closer losses? a loss and a win? two wins and a playoff berth? . . . .
Hey, we're fans. Forget BPONE. We'll be ready in 2019, and the team and coaches will give it their best shot.
Happy New Year, everybody (even you trolls; maybe a little joy will make your hearts grow, like the Grinch), and Go Blue!
December 31st, 2018 at 10:36 PM ^
Thank you! Yes
December 31st, 2018 at 5:19 PM ^
Unfortunately, you’re only as good as the last game - whether you count the bowl or OSU game as “last” is up to you.
December 31st, 2018 at 5:32 PM ^
Sadly true.
December 31st, 2018 at 5:36 PM ^
We suck, but at least that purple-faced fucker was smoked on national tv.
December 31st, 2018 at 7:25 PM ^
So let me get this straight:
In Harbaugh's FOURTH year, people were predicting, and would have been OK with-- an 8-4 record?
December 31st, 2018 at 10:34 PM ^
Thanks for sharing those videos. We had some special moments this year! I know many went ballistic when we lost to OSU ( I admit I was angry, more so because I thought WE had it this year ) and also the let down of FL (lots of starters out though). We did have a good year and the offense did look better. I think most of us were pretty excited after wins against MSU and WI (regardless of if you think they are not good teams) and this season turned into an "oh man we are looking really good" team feel.
We live in a day and age where you press a button and "poof" we are happy. Many want instant gratification. This team made strides offensively this year. The last 2 games were a WTF moment I am sure for the players and us as well. My take on it is, JH does have his team now, it doesn't mean he has his full team with full depth yet though. This was an entire rebuild IMO. I know we all want it now and I know Saban and Urban stepped in and delivered quickly but they already had a really good cast around them. People keep talking about Saban and the truth is he has done excellent with Alabama but wasn't so great with MSU and his Pro career as a head coach. JH has been great and brought teams up (from the ground up) everywhere he has went as a head coach. I for one still think time is needed. I've always said (and I think this is for any coach in a new program) he needs 5 years. 5 to 7 is my take to really get his players, with depth, etc to run his schemes and have people that can fill in properly for injuries. It was a fun year, I was feeling good, any other fans I saw (which are not a lot here in CT) we very positive and we all felt this was the year to beat "Them". Then much of the fan base imploded. I understand it but some turn into true jerks about it on here and yell back and forth in the blog. We are all in this together, we are on this site to gain knowledge, to vent our frustrations and to cheer on when we win. I think most of us agree the offense is and has been the weak link. This whole "Don Brown has been figured out" thing is a bunch of nonsense to me. There are teams that just have your number at times but the offense has to have sustained drives and score to help our defense stay fresh as well. Love Don Brown and love what he has done and what he stands for as far as a mentor. I think his players love playing for him. JH is also a stand up coach who doesn't allow any nonsense from his players, I like that.
Anyway, we are all here because we love Michigan Football and we love that this is probably one of the best blogs out there with people who really give great info and great write ups on what is coming and what has happened, etc. Love this site but over the past couple years people just are going way out of bounds at times and need to chill. We are here to enjoy the blog and I understand complaining and being angry but why be angry at each other (disrespectful and hostile even at times)? We both want to see them win and be better. I understand letting the true trolls have it, but in 2019 can we just be a little kinder on the board? Can we have each others backs and not lash out at one another. Not all do this but it seems to be getting worse yearly. I joined this site in 2015 because you guys are awesome and the info I get here is spectacular and I have actually learned a ton more about football (and I played 10 years) than anywhere else.
So ..... everyone have a great 2019 and lets hope some of the complaining (for the right reasons) gets heard and we correct some of the things that need to get corrected offensively. We have a really nice class coming in and things are still heading up. Love this site! Special thanks to Seth and Brian.
January 1st, 2019 at 10:51 AM ^
Well said, sir.
CT, you say? Maybe distance provides much-needed sense and civility?