If seven years ago someone told you this would be the state of U of M football. What would you have said?

Submitted by michfan6060returns on

Take yourself back to 06. One game away from a National Championship appearance. Sure the season didn't end the way we all hoped, but the future still looked bright. I would never have believed you if you told me we were in store for:  

  • Losing to App. St
  • Have a 50-39 record
  • Winning zero Big Ten championships and not even be a factor
  • Going 1-6 vs OSU
  • 2-5 vs MSU

Obviously there have been a few bright spots,(beating Florida in the Citrus and winning the Sugar bowl)but by in large being a Michigan fan has been pretty damn rough. Two years ago I was certain Hoke was the guy to bring us back, but now I have serious doubts. I’m starting believe he is just a good position coach who absolutely loves Michigan, but is in over his head.

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erald01

December 29th, 2013 at 2:06 PM ^

My hope after RR was Harbough and after we missed out on him, I knew it we would be on for a long ride again until we start winning again..and here we are at year 3 with Hoke...

Joined: 01/17/2013

MGoPoints: 3462

Vasav

December 29th, 2013 at 2:14 PM ^

If you had told Alabama 7 years ago they'd be perennial contenders who won three titles and lead the SEC to an unprecedented national championship streak - while in the midst of a five game losing streak to Auburn and while in the midst of another coaching search - well I think they'd be as shocked as I would've been if you told me what the next seven years held for us.

Joined: 12/13/2009

MGoPoints: 19234

Seth

December 29th, 2013 at 2:22 PM ^

Well 14 years ago (on the eve of 2000) I was thoroughly convinced that Michigan was going to find itself behind the times, and petrified of slipping into mediocrity because of it.

I didn't yet know that Brady and co. would be able to stand up to Alabama. I was writing emails (an early form of blogging) between fraternity brothers to voice concerns that the SEC was rampantly cheating, that the NCAA was powerless to stop it, and that the northern powers needed to take drastic action, no matter how strong they looked (Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State were all national title contenders, MSU was very strong at the end of Saban's reign, Wisconsin kept going to Rose Bowls anyway, and even Purdue (had Drew Brees) and Illinois (beat us) and Northwestern ('95 and '96 were in recent memory) and Minnesota (beat PSU that year) were capable of beating just about anybody). Jesus even that new guy at Iowa seemed to know what he's doing, and the only hopeless cause in the conference, Indiana, had Randle El to make up for it.

I felt that Michigan's offensive strategy was wasting its talent, and that the NFL factory strategy wasn't a very good fit for a school hampered by caring about academics. I feared Carr would retire soon since he was already pretty old, and that there were no longer any obvious successors.

Joined: 10/14/2008

MGoPoints: 149111

BlueinOK

December 29th, 2013 at 2:28 PM ^

Seven years ago I would have told you I would marry my then gf, have kids and a house by now and probably would have thought I'd still be living in Michigan. None of those things happened either. And I'm fine with it. You never know what is going to happen, and that's what makes life and sports so great. 

Joined: 12/06/2009

MGoPoints: 15029

Generic MGoBlogger

December 29th, 2013 at 2:29 PM ^

Honestly, I wouldn't have believed it like a lot of other folks... And I don't see any sign of it getting any better.  This staff has shown no sign of any significant player development and have not proven that they can make significant adjustments during games.  I don't think I said one positive thing that wasn't about Shane during the game last night.

Joined: 09/02/2012

MGoPoints: 3546

steve sharik

December 29th, 2013 at 10:01 PM ^

 
Ohio 6-year stretch from 1987 to 1992 (far right column is W/L against Michigan):

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_State_Buckeyes_football#Results_by_year)

Looks pretty similar, hmm?  Our 6-year record: 41-34.  Ohio's 6-year record: 41-25-4.

Wins in The Game during the stretch: 1

We at least have a top 10 finish (#9 coaches poll, 2011) in our stretch.

And before you go saying that 1987-1992 was a long time ago, recall that we had a 40-year stretch of non-losing seasons and would've been 40 straight bowl games were it not for the B1G "Rose Bowl or No Bowl" rule.

Joined: 08/08/2009

MGoPoints: 13860

1of12MattDamons

December 29th, 2013 at 2:43 PM ^

Early 2000s is when I really got into Michigan football and I definitely wouldn't have thought this was going to happen. I was so young and used to seeing Michigan win all the time and it's been mostly downhlll from there, save 2011.

Joined: 12/16/2013

MGoPoints: 21106

tybert

December 29th, 2013 at 2:48 PM ^

Looking back at the end of '06, when Carr reportedly told Martin he wanted to retire after that season but was talked out of it, Martin should have had a short list of people ready to go and not assumed he could get anyone he wanted. His belief that Ferentz would come here (vetoed by Mary Sue) gave him a false sense of security.

I think the coaching search debacle at the end of 2007 season still impacts this program today. ND went through the same stuff beginning with the botched George O'Leary hiring in 2002, which led them to Ty and Big Charley. They finally have a pretty good (but not great) coach in Kelly.

My only hope right now is that the PUBLIC Brandon isn't the same guy talking with Brady privately. I mean 15-11 over the last two seasons? 

I view Hoke in a similar, but more visible place, that Beilein was in during the 2010-11 season when we were started 1-6 in the B1G and UM traveled to MSU. That win was the turning point in his program and led to 3 darn good seasons.

Hoke's turning point next year needs to be at MSU as well. Saturday October 25th in E.L. is his chance to have his Beilein moment and put a dagger into this season.

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 8453

Commie_High96

December 29th, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^

Jeez, except Bill Martin didn't think AD was his most important job,,even when he was AD. Dude was still running First Martin, Casey's and Bank of Ann Arbor when he was AD. Plus, sailing, flying and hanging out at the family compound in the UP and lots of other travel. He was pretty checked out. Brandon has no problems telling coaches that they need to make the playoffs or they are fired. He'll, two years ago he put so much pressure on the woman's BBall coach, he quit even though he made the playoffs! He went back to some tiny Wisconsin school cause he couldn't take the pressure. That said, Brandon has too much of his reputation wrapped up in Hoke.

Joined: 02/10/2012

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Jimmyisgod

December 29th, 2013 at 2:49 PM ^

Out of all of it, the 1-6 against Ohio and the 2-5 against MSU are the most painful things to bare.  Ohio certifiably owns the rivalry now, so much so that it has lessened the relavance of that rivalry.  That's bad enough, but what's just as bad is all the damn MSU fans around the state right now, it's insufferable.

Joined: 01/24/2012

MGoPoints: 10342

bigfan2959

December 29th, 2013 at 2:50 PM ^

I wouldn't have thought we'd have fallen this far.  On the flipside, if you tell me that within 7 years we will win a national championship, I would also be quite surprised and disbelieving given the present state.. 

Joined: 01/27/2013

MGoPoints: 160

bronxblue

December 29th, 2013 at 2:50 PM ^

I wouldn't have been that surprised.  The team was scuttling a bit under Carr, and when you throw in two transitions that is about the outcome you'd expect.  And just for reference, before this year Auburn was 58 and 32 in the past 4 seasons, buttressed immensely by going 14-0 in 2010.  The era of dominant football teams season-over-season are probably over, but I expect 7-6 to be the nadir of the Hoke era.

Joined: 11/22/2008

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Cold War

December 29th, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^

Lumping the RichRod disaster in with the Hoke years to make the state of the program look worse. I love MGoBlog.

Joined: 01/15/2012

MGoPoints: -3144

chatster

December 29th, 2013 at 3:17 PM ^

Now's a good time to review Michigan football predictions from The Borat Files:

  • Antonio Bass will fully recover from his injury and not miss another season
  • Kevin Grady will be better than Mike Hart
  • David Molk is too small to be starting at center
  • Ryan Mallett will become Michigan’s greatest quarterback ever
  • Boubacar Cissoko will be an All-Big Ten cornerback every year
  • Ricardo Miller will be a great receiver and will captain the Wolverines by his junior year
  • Tate Forcier will break all of Michigan’s passing records and win the Heisman Trophy
  • Will Campbell will be the Big Ten Freshman Defensive Player of the Year
  • Trading Scott Shafer to Syracuse for a defensive coordinator who won two Super Bowl rings coaching the Denver Broncos defense was a brilliant move that will make Michigan’s defense dominant for years to come
  • Justin Turner and Cullen Christian will become the stars of the defensive backfield
  • Denard Robinson will win the Heisman Trophy
  • Derrick Green will be the Big Ten’s Freshman Offensive Player of the Year
  • Having to play Ohio State two weeks in a row at the end of the 2013 season won’t stop the Wolverines from going to the Rose Bowl
  • Da’Shawn Hand is going Blue all the way

Joined: 09/14/2010

MGoPoints: 26926

flysociety3

December 29th, 2013 at 3:40 PM ^

I dont see why next year will be any different. We have a super-soft team, and I truly don't see why next year will be better. After 3 years, our offense has absolutely ZERO identity. The defense has played f*cking horrifically, and our coaches seemingly find ways to muzzle young talent. The worst thing.... I honestly havent seen any players get substantially better outside of maybe Desmond Morgan and Frank Clark (sometimes?)....It's absolutely embarassing.

Joined: 05/10/2009

MGoPoints: 1617