Favorite Michigan season...with a twist

Submitted by Yostal on

Threw this out on Twitter tonight, but I thought I would get MGoInput.

The premise is simple: What is your favorite Michigan season?

The twist: Michigan cannot have won a Big Ten championship in said season.

My choice is 1995, which is my senior year in high school. 

  • Lloyd's first season.
  • The 17 point comeback in Virginia.
  • The awesome that was Mercury Hayes.
  • The underrated Scott Dreisbach
  • Jarrett Irons at linebacker
  • The epic 5-0 game against Purdue which has to be a Fandom Endurance II badge, minimum*
  • And last, but certainly not least, Biakabutuka dials 313 against Ohio State.

Sure losing to Penn State and Michigan State sucked.  Sure getting beaten by Northwestern hurt a little less when you realize they were in the middle of a Cinderella season.  Yes, it's hard to accept that there was no Notre Dame game on the schedule a year after Remy broke their hearts, but 1995 is a pretty great year.

*-Did anyone actually break down the Fandom Endurance Badges and the standards for which one earns one?  I know Northwestern 2008 is Fandom Endurance III because it was freaking cold, in the middle of a miserable season, and it was Northwestern, but I am wondering if the Central Michigan "Return to your Cars" game is Fandom Endurance II?  Does the weather play a more central role than the opponent, which is to say, could a horrible weather game that Michigan won lessen the degree of a badge?  Thoughts?

Cock D

January 19th, 2011 at 11:39 PM ^

That's worth something for Fandom Endurance - the snow was still 8 inches high in the Beaver Stadium bleachers.  The bleacher seat was practically even with the ground in front.  Standing (and slipping) was the only option.

 

Brutal game.

HAILtoBO

January 20th, 2011 at 12:00 AM ^

I have never been more addicted to MICHIGAN football than I am right now. Currently am 19 years old and still have a lot to learn of its traditions and its rich fan base. I love everything about "Michigan." I attend as many games as I possibly can since I am not a student there due to the fact that they don't have Law Enforcement, no biggie. I've ran into plenty of former players and people associated with MICHIGAN. If there was one season that I loved more than any other was Lloyd Carr's 2006 season. This single season made me into the fan that I am today. Loving little Mikey talk trash, Jake Long run over anyone that got in his way, Mario being super, and Henne going about his swagger. Forever and Always, I will bleed MAIZE and BLUE!!!

jb5O4

January 20th, 2011 at 12:29 AM ^

I've only followed Michigan football since 2005, my freshman year. I would have to go with 2006 because all the others have been really awful.

club_med

January 20th, 2011 at 1:50 AM ^

For some reason, I tend to enjoy the seasons that seem bittersweet in retrospect. My best memories are forged in those seasons. 

I'm gonna throw it out there. 2010. In spite of everything this season, all of the crushing disappointments and assorted bullshit, I felt like the team this year was truly something special in its own way. The emergence of Denard Robinson. The final drive against Notre Dame. Fighting til the end against Iowa. Being on the edge until the last play of the Illinois game. For whatever reason, I felt so attached to the team this year, not only because it was Michigan, but because the team had earned it, and deserved it.

A close second would be 2007, after the Horror, et al - depantsing ND, Manningham's catch against MSU, and Lloyd Carr's swan song. That's what makes those seasons special.

Crentski

January 20th, 2011 at 2:38 AM ^

the upcoming/current season. I become overly engulfed in the season at hand that it becomes my lifeline. I don't think I could pick a single season as a whole.

lilpenny1316

January 20th, 2011 at 9:51 AM ^

I think that talent wise, that was the best offense Michigan ever had.  Anyone who saw the Houston and Minnesota games experienced the machine our offense was.  Plus our defense was stout as well. 

I would love to see the '92 offense against the '85 defense.

MGoBSam

January 20th, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^

2002 was my freshman year.  I liked football, but was never that into it since my dad didn't really care growing up.  My first game was the 31-29 win over Washington.  Remember the last second field goal for the win by Phil Brabbs? (Continue to pray for him by the way -- he is still working hard to kick cancer.)  After that I was totally hooked.  We finished the season with a 10-3 record and a Outback bowl win over Florida.  About as sweet as it gets...if you're disallowing seasons with a B1G championship.

Go Blue!

I Bleed Maize N Blue

January 20th, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^

I will go back to 1985.  The D, led by All-Americans Mike Hammerstein (also MVP) and Brad Cochran, and All-Conference Mike Mallory and Mark Messner, was absolutely ferocious, not giving up a TD for half a season, and only 3 prior to Ohio State.  We beat #13/11 (AP/Coaches) ND 20-12, at #15/11 S. Carolina 34-3, and #17/15 Maryland 20-0 to climb from unranked to #7/5.

The Big Ten season opened with victories over Wisconsin 33-6 and at MSU 31-0.  #2/3 going into the game at #1 Iowa, where we suffered our only loss to the eventual Big Ten champs, 12-10, dropping us to #4.  The only other blemish on our record came a couple games later at Illinois, which was a 3-3 tie, dropping us to #9.

Back up to #6 hosting #12/11 OSU.  It was a back and forth battle most of the day.  Jim Harbaugh (16-19, 230 yds) threw 3 TD passes, including a 77-yd TD icing on the cake bomb to freshman John Kolesar to win 27-17.  Gerald White rushed 29 times for 110 yds.

#5 going into the Fiesta Bowl against #7/6 Nebraska.  Down 14-3 at the half, we had a big 24 point 3rd quarter and held them to 9 points in the 4th to win 27-23.  Jamie Morris ran 22 times for 156 yds, Harbaugh was only 6-15 for 63 yds, but rushed for 2 TDs.  Gerald White had the other.

U-M finished 10-1-1 and was ranked #2.