LKLIII

December 31st, 2016 at 10:38 PM ^

This is the very definition of schadenfreude. I'm being totally serious. If you gave me the choice between both of us losing our bowl games but OSU losing in humiliating fashion versus us beating FSU but OSU making an appearance versus Alabama, I would rather pick this outcome. Now let's wrap up this recruiting class & on to Spring Game 2017 in April!



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Z_Wolverista

January 1st, 2017 at 9:50 AM ^

plus the Big Tem's partial acknowledgment = establishment of the fact that outside of Big Bias territory, OSU is a wash. 

We qualitatively won The Game, by all reasonable measures, regardless of what the numbers say. We were the better team that day, and outplayed OSU (sure there were mistakes -- on both sides, but we played better).  

Unfortunately that undeserved loss knocked the wind out of us, and we showed up all out of sorts a month later...

until the spectre of humiliation slapped us silly awake.

Glad we got our wind back, even though our opponent, too, recovered enough to beat us.

Still, I maintain that had the Football Demigod-demons not intervened in unholy fashion earlier in the year, we'd be sitting pretty at number two (or three at the most), woulda at least put up a good fight against Clemson, and might of even been heading to Tampa in a week.

Now, vindicated in part, it's time to gird up to go back & get the rest.

Hail!

Joined: 01/19/2014

MGoPoints: 2673

growler4

January 1st, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^

Are there qualitative standings in the Big Ten now? I must have missed that.

We lost the Ohio State game. Period. On the scoreboard where it counts. Yes, we arguably were the better team, but not necessarily a better road team... and not the better team that day.

Ohio State is largely one-dimensional and not an elite team this year. Michigan, too, was not an elite team this year... not with our offensive line. We were very good and had a wonderful, enjoyable season.

Qualitatively speaking, whose offensive starting 11 would you prefer, Michigan's or Clemson's? Whose defensive front 7 would you prefer: Michigan's, Alabama's, or Clemson's? That's not to say we were not a very good football team and I appreciate the efforts of every kid on our team, but lets not be delusional. We have work to do.

I was really impressed, last night, with Clemson's talent and combinatiion of size and speed at many positions.

It may be old-fashioned, but I still think games are largely won and lost at the line of scrimmage, regardless if you operate a spread, pro-style offense, etc. That's why we struggled in our losses ... not because the wind got knocked out of us. It largely explains OSU's loss last night too.

 

Joined: 11/24/2014

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True Blue Grit

January 1st, 2017 at 7:26 AM ^

In December 1978.  I remember watching it and thinking how surreal the whole scene was.  A normal person going out like that you might feel sorry for.  But, being the huge a-hole he was as you pointed out, it was a glorious thing to watch.  

Joined: 01/21/2011

MGoPoints: 32225

wolverine1987

December 31st, 2016 at 10:35 PM ^

I don't mind them losing of course, but to get destroyed is bad for Michigan. What is good for the conference is good for Michigan, and that is a fact, not my opinion. A main reason we almost made the playoff, in fact THE main reason, was that the committee valued our conference wins, more than teams in other conferences, that is a fact. Because the B1G was perceived as the best conference, we got boosted, and even though we lost to Iowa we didn't get dropped, and we were perceived as better than Washington because the conference was perceived as better. If that goes away, it will be harder next time for us to make it. This is rational, as opposed to the emotional fuck OSU. 

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MGoPoints: 18065

SD Larry

December 31st, 2016 at 10:44 PM ^

Michigan gets beat by FSU by a point last night in FSU's  backyard, with Peppers and eventually Butt out.   OSU just got thumped and shut out on a neutral field.   Two completely different caliber of performances.  It was not quite our year this year, but change is coming.  Urban & Co brought down a peg tonight.  

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Z_Wolverista

January 1st, 2017 at 10:04 AM ^

If anything, this game vindicates Michigan: OSU is exposed like the Wiz in Oz. 

i.e. needing bias-crutches to prop them up.

Pull back that curtain / get them out of the B1G that seems to exist to prop them up / annoint them by any means necessary, and they're toast. 

I wished, earlier, for a little dog to pull back the curtain, and it came in the form of a big Tiger named Clemson.

We are indeed the better team, our initially dispirited performance Friday notwithstanding.

This shows it.

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