Plays of the Decade: Which ones were you at?
Brian's lists:
| Best | Worst |
| 13. MSU 07 - road | |
| 12. Illinois 03 - home | |
| 11. Purdue 04 - road | 11. Texas 04/5 - bowl |
| 10. Wisconsin 08 - home | 10. Minnesota 05 - home |
| 9. MSU 07 - road | 9. OSU 05 - home |
| 8. ND 09 - home | 8. Nebraska 05 - bowl |
| 7. Florida 07/8 - bowl | 7. Iowa 03 - road |
| 6. Minnesota 03 - road | 6. Illinois 09 - road |
| 5. PSU 06 - road | 5. MSU 01 - road |
| 4. ND 06 - road | 4. Utah 08 - home |
| 3. MSU 04 - home | 3. NW 00 - road |
| 2. Washington 02 - home | 2. App St 07 - home |
| 1. PSU 05 - home | 1. OSU 06 - road |
So, which of these games did you actually attend? It's the last decade, not the last 100 years, so everyone should have had a shot at some. Any great memories of it? (Or horrible ones?).
And like Brian, were there any games you missed entirely? A historic Michigan game like the above mentioned, and you didn't even get to watch it (or watch it live), and learned about the glory (or the pain) later?
Me-
Best: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12. Worst: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11.
I'm a little disturbed that I've seen 8 of the 13 best of the last decade, but 8 of the 11 worst. (Of course, that may have had something to due with the home road divisions....of the best only 6 were at home, 6 on the road, and 1 "neutral" site. The worst were 4 home, 5 road, and 2 bowls).
Because basically these great threads by Brian were really his personal experiences with the games. Now lets hear yours.
Edit: HT to Wolverine Historian...the Illinois game was at home...I got lazy and just glanced at Brian's video, which had the road ND game there with Breaston showing...so I saw the white jersey, and screwed up.
I was at the 2009 edition of the Michigan/Notre Dame game. Although I had the unfortunate luck of sitting in a massive crowd of Fighting Irish faithful, it was nothing but sweet sweet joy to watch Greg Mathews haul in the game winning TD pass in the endzone of my direct eyepath.
Row after row of Michigan fans raised their hands and screamed and I was one of the few in my section not in shock, screaming until I tasted blood (oops).
Best:
1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 13
Worst:
2, 4, 5, 9, 11
Not bad considering I'm only a junior at U-M.
EDIT: Whoops, didn't mean to reply to you.
2 from each, the home ones since 2006.
was my first game as a student.
I was also at PSU 05'. I remember sitting outside the stadium during halftime thinking how slow the game was. I think it was 10-10. What a 2nd half!
Best - MSU 07, Wisconsin 08, ND 09
Worst - OSU 05, Utah 08
MSU 07 was my first Michigan Road game and my only college football game to this day (until ND '10) anywhere but the Big House. Went with my uncle who was a State fan. It was great though because, he's actually realistic about his program saying that he was happy and proud that they even got that close to winning against Henne and Hart. It was just overall a great first Michigan road experience in a season with so much pain at the beginning of the season.
Worst: 1, 2, 4, 10
Best: 5, 8, 10, 13
As a student, I had the opportunity to attend every Michigan home game for the past four years. I went to all eight MSU and PSU games. I've been mired in self-pity since I graduated 3 months ago because I know I won't be able to do that ever again. But I will be able to say I was at the UConn game. I'll be able to say I was at the game that redefined Rich Rodriguez's legacy at Michigan. I'll be able to say I was at the game that reignited the flame of Michigan football. I don't care what the margin of victory is. On September 4th, I'll be able to say I watched Michigan carve its name into the stone of this decade for the first time.
I like your soaring rhetoric. Do football teams hire speech writers?
It's amazing what you can do when you have some job money, and reliable transportation. It was actually easier for me to go to games on the road after I graduated. But you have to try and do it relatively soon...because life takes over, you get more grounded, and more old and tired. Suddenly sitting in a crowded car for 5 hours twice in a day just to get spit on by opposing fans doesn't seem as fun.
The advent of big screen HD tvs did not help the will to be adventurous.
Best - Wisconsin 08, Notre Dame 09
Worst - App State 07, Utah 08, Illinois 09
Best: 2, 3, 6, 8, 10.
Worst: 4, 5, 10, 11
I'll always hold the Minnesota Buffalo Stampede close to my heart. I'm from that area and went back home for the game. I was sporting the Maize and enjoying a heck of a taunting as Michigan fell further behind. One guy a few rows ahead of me even had a rose in his mouth most of the game. But Minnesota being Minnesota, as soon as we got two scores away, all the Gopher fans stopped taunting because they knew they were going to lose. Those nice little Gophers. They're so cute.
I was there, too. The game was on a Friday on an unseasonably warm late-Oct night, which just added to the twilight zone feel that evening.
Best #2, Worst #3. But give me a break, I live in Seattle.
I still have nightmares over that 2000 Northwestern game. Uggh.
i was at none of the best plays and i was at (10) minnesota 05, (4) utah 08 and (2) app st 07.
aside from already sounding so awful, the worst part about it all is that if i remember correctly the #1 best play happened the week after the #10 worst play. i had a friend tell me he could get me a ticket to the penn state game the next week but i was low on money so i declined the ticket. i spent the end of that penn state game running around my apartment holding back yelling so i wouldn't get any more noise complaints.
not nearly as sweet as hanging out behind the endzone with a mess of celebrating players and students.
I wonder how many other correlation of games on the same or opposite list there are...
And was sitting in the north end zone. Yes, that is definitely the place to be when Michigan scores the game-winning TD as time expires...
Best
1 Michigan was in control of that game and then a couple freak plays and it looked like PSU was going to put Michigan to sleep. Justin King was a DB we all pretty much thought was a Michigan lock and he ended up going to PSU and was burned for a TD that game which was sweet but was overshadowed by the incredible ending.
2 Another game Michigan looked like they were going to run away with but FG's were a nightmare and made it much much closer than the game actually was. After the freakish way UW won at home the year before Michigan was due for a win against them. I went to Pine Knob to see the Tragically Hip after the game so it was a long really fun day.
3 What can you say about this one? It was like Indian Summer to begin the game and it was artic like conditions in the second half. Verr strange. I was so pissed off on how they looked it was just sickening and somehow they won the game. It was the typical Carr game, they were unprepared and looked like crap but once they HAD to open it up and put their talents to actual use they pulled it out.
5 Night game, PSU, it was pretty neat. PSU fans are much better in person than on the internets
10 I truly thought this game was the start of something special....I was wrong but it was a nice tease and could watch this game everytime it's on BTN.
11 Purdue's stadium is like a big HS stadium. Hart went over 200 yards and the Shazor hit was incredible. That was probably the last thing that Shazor ever did. He pretty much mailed in the rest of the season and his career pretty much ended that day. Marlin had a great game that day as well even though it seemed like everytime he broke a pass up he was called for interference. Their WR's looked like midgits.
Worst
4 A couple plays stick out to me this day. Sheridan's pick right before the half was a killer. There was a 3rd down play where Sheridan was just tripped up by a shoelace and if he didn't they would have had the ball probably on Utah's 40 or so instead of giving the ball back to Utah. Still.....Michigan wins that game if it wasn't for one of the most impressive kicking performances I have ever seen. That Utah kicker was incredible and I believe he was the punter as well. I also believe that guy was an All-American.
7 Another incredible blunder. Michigan was up 14 and looked to run away with the game but they had to pack it in, give the opponent momentum and just piss the game away just like against MSU the clockgate year, just like Purdue when they had a 2 TD lead only to lose on a FG, just like the NW game where they were up by 17 or 14 and give up 50 some and lose. Talk about a shitty ride back to Cleveland.
10 It's like this game was just a bad dream and didn't actually happen. So I'm not going to try to rehash it.
Best
1, 3, 4, 8, 10
Worst
1, 2, 4, 9, 10
Being at ND for that 2006 game was amazing. I actually found myself in the youtube video Brian posted.
Sadly enough, but I do have a semi-interesting story from the MSU 07 game. A friend of mine was in Las Vegas for a wrestling tournament, and asked me to update him on the game. After a long series of inventing new superstitions, changing pants 3 or 4 times, and literally throwing a lazy boy, albeit not that far, Henne managed to lead us down the field for the win. My friend got a voice-mail that night that was mainly unintelligible sobs, the only words that he could make out being "I want Chad Henne to have my kids"
best : 10, 8, 5, 4. worst : 1,2,4,6, 10 .
2006 really was the sweetest season. Though it was 2 years before I started here at UM, I got lucky with some ticket connections. My favorites were at PSU 2006 and (even though we lost what a game) at OSU 2006.
Best:
#3 Braylon-fest. I took my son and we we're waiting for some friends to come up the aisle so we could leave (after Sparty took a 27-10 lead). Thank God my son said, "Let's stay." I love my son.
Worst:
#11 - Unblocking that FG. Fuckin Longhorn fans.....worse than Sparty (because they're actually good at football).
While watching that Rose Bowl on TV, at one point, the camera did an aerial view of the stadium and it looked like 70% of the crowd were Texas fans. It was sickening to see on TV. I can't imagine what it must have been like in person.
While we were outnumbered, I don't remember it being that bad...maybe more 60-65%. It was like our 3rd out of 4 Rose Bowls, Texas was closer, and their first Rose ever (that they had basically campaigned to get into over a Cal team we would have waxed).
But my bigger difference was the Texas fans, who, at least the ones I met, were the nicest most Michigan like road fans I've ever encountered. ND outside of the students (who are pretty much ass holes everywhere...) are pretty good when I've been there, win or lose. But in Bowls, I've found Florida fans to be the biggest jack asses, with USC fans not far behind. Tennessee not much better. Nebraska fans weren't all that great, contrary to their rep. Washington St. were I think just happy to be there. Auburn...were just kinda...quiet.
Best: 1, 8, 10
Worst: 2, 4, 10
edit: Was also at Purdue away 04...but I was in the Purdue student section as a Purdue senior.
Would have been at OSU 05 but I sold my ticket and watched the game at B Dubs. Still had a crappy experience as I thought my wife and I were sharing a table with some rare friendly OSU fans. However, they ended pulling a dine and dash and leaving us with their bill. WTF
Best: 1
Worst: 2, 8, 9
I did not see any of these games in person. Graduated 97'. I was supposed to go to the Wisconsin 08' game but I got called in for an emergency. I moved back to Ann Arbor this in 08' and don't plan on ever leaving, so hopefully I will be there for the best of the next decade.
One small correction on your list. 03 Illinois was a home game, not away. I was at that one and got a great view of Breaston's insane punt return. He's running back, back, I start to groan as he vanishes behind the players on the sideline, all of the sudden he dashes around the corner and runs untouched into the end zone.
BEST:
04 MICHIGAN STATE: I sat in the wrong end zone. Only Hart's TD in the first quarter was scored in front of me. The Braylon show was on the other side. But there was a bonus to sitting 15 rows below a bunch of big mouth MSU students. Their chants and taunts grew more and more quiet as we made the comeback until they could say no more.
05 PENN STATE: Once again, I sat in the wrong end zone. As soon as the ball left Henne's hand, I couldn't tell where it was. I had to watch the crowd's reaction to find out if we had won. Very emontional win during a season where every game came down to the last minute.
WORST:
08 UTAH: Other than burning in the sun, nothing noteworthy about this game. Just terrible.
07 APP STATE: Sat in the very end zone, row 3, where the game winning field goal was blocked. I might be able to find myself on the video...but I have no desire to check.
Blue used to be 15-0 when I was present at the big house. Now I'm scared to go to games because 3 of my last 4 trips have been losses.
Funny, for MSU I was on the "wrong" side...but not the endzone, so I don't remember my view being that bad. For PSU, I had a better view than the camera. :-)
But I know how you feel. After seeing the Remy kick, I saw us lose 3 in a row at ND...then couldn't make the 06 game because of work/wedding conflicts. And we know what happened.... And gave Columbus 3 shots..unfortunately after 2000. Became not really anxious to go back.
Though to be fair, after the crime of '01 MSU, I turned it around with the next two trips there...had to go back to the scene of the crime. Had enough by '07...but regret not going, because that'd be two more off the list for me.
Best: 8, 9, 10, 13
Worst: 2, 4
Best: 1, 3, 8, 10, 12
Worst: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11
Even though we lost, the Rose Bowl against Texas is the best game from start to finish that I have seen. So many incredible performances in that game. The game losing field goal seemed to take forever to wobble sideways through the uprights.
I haven't lived in Michigan since 1994 so I don't get to many games but three of the last four games that I went to made the list.
2009 Notre Dame - I was in the endzone where Forcier had the big run and Mathews later caught the game winner.
2006 Penn State - I was in the endzone where Branch destroyed Morelli. It was a pretty hostile crowd. The guy next to me kept yelling, "You're scum Lloyd!". I had the last laugh.
2005 Penn State - I was in the endzone where Manningham caught the game winner.
My only other game in that time frame was Purdue in 2007. Michigan had gotten off to a slow start that season but destroyed Purdue that day. My previous game in the timeline would have been OSU in 2003. I didn't actually get tickets to the game but I watched it at Cubs AC and got to watch the Buckeye Beatdown. Like I said.....I've been lucky.
list, it made honorable mention, but my first Michigan game of my life was Toledo......
Dude, how is '08 NW not on the worst list? I was literally displaying signs of hypothermia at the end of that one. It was also notable for Tim Jamison's german suplex on that poor little NW running back, and the fact that the athletic department tried to pass the game off as a sellout of over 107,000, God Bless 'Em.
Appy state fans sitting in front and behind us they were in more shock than us.
Best: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 13
Worst: 1, 4, 5, 7, 9
Couln't watch the Brabbs kick. Was at the game but sat down and covered my eyes. The PSU/Manningham game is prolly the happiest I've been at a football game tho I think MSU '04 is more memorable.
Worst memory is prolly the MSU '01 game. Was stunned for days after that play. Didn't help I grew up in East Lansing and had to go to school on monday. The game of the century was just such an epic game that I wasn't super angry about it until Urban Meyer manipulated his was into a MNC.
Missed the end of the app state game completely as I was at the stadium for the first quarter and left due to illness. Listened to parts of the game on the radio since Ann Arbor didn't have Big Ten Network yet. Didn't leave bed for the next 4 days as I had strep throat. The loss may have hurt my recovery time as well.
Missed the Minnesota game as it was my Freshman year homecoming and I never made it to the game. Ended up sleeping through the fourth quarter and somehow I didn't mind it.
Moving to New York City this year and for the first time won't be able to attend many games. Hoping to make it home at least for the MSU game.
Best: 1,3,8,10.
Worst: 1,2,4,9,11
But I was at "the play of the century", the AC catch in the Indiana game. I'm old.
August 1st, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^
I was at the Minnesota game. It was my first game. We were in the corner at the end of the field that the run started on. We were expecting overtime, which would have been awesome for a first game. It obviously didn't work out that way.
One thing that really stuck out to me was a season ticket holder that showed up at the beginning of the 2nd quarter drunk. Then he left at halftime.
All the home ones except ND '09 (had to be out of town - grr).
Just Braylonfest. But if I could pick one of those plays to be at, that'd be it.