How we know Michigan football is back...Complaining when we don't dominate enough

Submitted by Hard-Baughlls on

I'm not going to call anyone out by name or turn this in to a panic/anger vs. celebration thread for respective posters (Like the panic/dont panic thread)

Instead, I just want to point out how far we have come under Harbaugh in just his second year as coach.  No, we aren't a Bama level program yet, but with an 8-0 start, and improving QB, a solid to great defense (let's debate at the end of the year), and a probable top 3-5 recruiting class coming in again to mesh with our young guys receiveing a lot of playing time, everything is looking up.

How as UM fans do we know it's good?...Many are complaining and debating about whether or not this is an historically elite defense or just an extremely good one. Many are upset that despite being in complete control of a rival on the road (30-10), we didn't totally blow them out by 21+ and shut down their offense to under total 200 yards like many prior opponents.

These are once again first world problems as we are searching for issues and weaknesses on this team and how we will match up with OSU and potentially Alabama or Clemson.  

Bitching about a 2 score win (until the final second) and a 9 point win that was never that close against Sparty playing their annual Super Bowl against us at home (no matter how shitty they have been this year) proves that we are once the Michigan we know, Leaders and Best.

MOD EDIT - Let's just put HarbaughLover's thoughts here too as they shouldn't just die out - LSA

He said:

So what? A team has an underwhelming, single digit win against a rival that has had their number in recent years. A team is pretty dominant for most of the game but their opponent scores a bunch late to make the score look close. Still, that team is undefeated and their path is clear to the College Football Playoff. And they have wins over 2 Top-25 ranked teams as of Week 9.

Oh yeah, that team is Alabama and that opponent is Ole Miss.

Stop complaining we weren't dominant enough. We dominated that game just as we dominated the Wisco game. There was no point in the 2nd half where we were in serious danger of losing. And there is NO college football team, not even Bama, that has looked invincible. Our best wins are quite arguably better than their best wins (a 39-point blowout against what will be a Top-20 PSU team, a 17-point blowout over what will be a Top-20 CU team, and a gritty, statistically dominant win against a Top-10 Wisco team vs. a 39-point blowout against what will be an unranked Tennessee team, a solid home win over a Top-10 TA&M team, and a 46-point blowout against what will likely be a #20-#25 ranked USC team). This is a special, special year. Enjoy it.

mbrummer

October 29th, 2016 at 11:04 PM ^

I think many of the Crab people are legitimate fans who placed wagers on Michigan and are sore Michigan doesn't cover.

It was true in the Carr years, I think it's true now

mbrummer

October 29th, 2016 at 11:34 PM ^

But I know Vegas sees lots of action on all Michigan games.

In the Bo years and even more in the Carr years,  they had a pretty horrible record against the spread.

I had non Michigan fans joke to me, that they love Michigan they make a ton of money on them not covering.

FreddieMercuryHayes

October 29th, 2016 at 11:07 PM ^

Hey man, we're all a product of our experiences. When was the last time a seeming flaw weakness in a UM team wasn't exposed later ruthlessly in a big important game? The last B1G championship UM has won is over a decade ago. All we know is disappointment, even when things look seemingly good. This is not OSU that usually pulls out championships no matter what happens early in seasons in the last few decades. How else should we behave?



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Ghost of Fritz…

October 29th, 2016 at 11:07 PM ^

is totally correct.

At the same time, the overall performance in the 2nd half was not very good.

People have high hopes this year based on the roster, staff, and performance so far.  No, 2 ranking.  Looking better than OSU so far.  Make the playoff and possibly win it all.

When those are the realistic hopes, it is fair to acknowledge that the 2nd half performance today was well below the mark.

But even championship teams have bad games (or at least a bad half) now and then.

On the bright side, Speight showed some things today that are very, very positive. 

mtzlblk

October 30th, 2016 at 12:51 PM ^

to the list of teams in the modern era of college football that were perfect in every way, in every game, through every quarter for an entire season?

Every championship team I can remember has one thing in common, that being that at some point in their season they were tested and they came together and found a way to win despite adversity/odds/circumstances. Things like:

  • getting down by two touchdowns early in the game, but finding the resolve to stick together, execute and win
  • absorb injury loss by re-aligning and staying on track
  • going into an away game against an extremely motivated rival with nothing to lose, their season on the line, taking a punch in the mouth on the opening drive.....yet coming together to do enough to put the game away so that a win was never really in doubt
  • having a target on your back...like it or not, M now represents a season-defining win to every team left on the schedule and they are going to come at us with everything they have..every week

This mythical, perfect team that plays flawlessly at all times, doesn't have ups and downs while they adjust to circumstances and adversity just doesn't exist.

A perfect season is one that ends with zero losses, everything else is just style points or nuances of the manner in which you achieve that. 

No one looks back at 1997 and attaches any kind of * to that season because they had some off quarters or didn't pound every opponent into submission by a 21+ margin every game.

For fuck's sake, two years ago M was a 5-7 team....trending downward, I might add......what they have achieved as a program since then is nothing short of miraculous.

expatriate

October 29th, 2016 at 11:16 PM ^

I'll be honest I was pretty disappointed at first, but it's not reasonable to expect this- or any- team to perform at their highest level every quarter. As you point out, peer teams have their lulls... and they lost. We are fortunate to have the complaints we do. If they have a terrible game against Maryland but squeak it out then I'll be truly concerned.

Blue Koolaid

October 29th, 2016 at 11:24 PM ^

Honestly growing up with Carr as HC, getting ahead early and then coasting to hold on to the win was familiar and I don't understand the panic amongst some. Also there is always room for improvement and in college football each game/season is fluid. Having Harbaugh and a great coaching staff will always give Michigan a chance. Just win!



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BlueManballGroup

October 29th, 2016 at 11:17 PM ^

Sure a win is a win. Especially against our in-state rival who is still the defending B1G champion. But anyone who is ok with this game has forfeited the right to say "Win with cruelty." 

Njia

October 29th, 2016 at 11:20 PM ^

I think it's safe to say that Michigan let up on the gas. In fact, both Jabrill and Jourdan said they did. There is an obvious lesson learned here: don't let up. Ever. College football relies on emotional swings and momentum. I think Michigan needed that wake up call. They'll be better for it going into the final four games of the regular season.

LSAClassOf2000

October 29th, 2016 at 11:26 PM ^

Both sides have a point, of course - there are definitely a few things we should discuss when it comes to fine tuning performance in the last four games, but the funkiness of a rival game (that is a technical term, of course) comes into play a bit as well. On the other hand, it has been amusing to listen to people needlessly bitch about this game to the point where you would swear we lost if you had no context. Not all bitching is needless, of course, but bitching based on flawed or unrealistic expectations is and there was plenty of that on Twitter and on this board. I chukled, but yes, as the OP says, it is an indication of a return to normalcy. 

Red is Blue

October 30th, 2016 at 7:48 AM ^

It only matters if you want to send him out for a pass or have him down field when a pass is thrown. If he is not going to be one on the 5 lineman than this is a smart move as it increases flexibility. My guess is that they had his normal number jersey as well and he would have changed if there had been an injury and he needed to play a traditional OL spot.

Chitown Kev

October 29th, 2016 at 11:31 PM ^

The all-time win of this type that I remember a lot of griping about was the 1989 Purdue game (I had to look up the year but I remember that 42-27 score, though)

BlueMk1690

October 30th, 2016 at 12:55 AM ^

It's funny now to think about how people voiced their complaints in the age before the internet. You just talked to people in your environment and had to rely on the sportstwriters to communicate the complaints to the world at-large and the powers that be.

Of course, with people not being able to discuss things with people beyond their immediate circles, sports writers also had the ability to turn their own complaints into public ones very easily.

mexwolv

October 29th, 2016 at 11:49 PM ^

Pretty fun moment when someone turned the lights out of the whole room while he was answering a question.  I am amazed how the answers questions probably no other coach would answer, such as personnel decision and playcalling.  Pretty weird when compared to the Harbaugh interviews.

ndscott50

October 29th, 2016 at 11:57 PM ^

I understand the nervousness because this is the year. We are undefeated and have a better team then every team left in front of us with the possible exception of Alabama. Even though we are "back" this is not going to happen that often. The next two months are going to be stressful but also fun as hell. Enjoy it people. This does not happen that often



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Ronnie Kaye

October 30th, 2016 at 12:00 AM ^

The fourth quarter yardage was 231-41 after UM dominated the first three quarters. Do not imply that is nothing to complain about.

Ronnie Kaye

October 30th, 2016 at 12:30 AM ^

Sorry, but I find it odd that Michigan chose a rivalry game to ditch their play hard for 60 minutes philosophy that we see week after week. Not going to apologize for being unsatisfied that a lesser effort came in a game that should have been a peak effort day.