What will we call this year?
We often come up with labels for the past football season (i.e. Year of Infinite Pain).
Moving forward, what will we call this year?
(Yes, I realize I've set us up for a host of Infinite Jest posts.)
My candidate: the Year of the Considerable Variance.
On offense, we went way up and way down. While we averaged 29.5 points, we had 63 against BabySeal and scored 10 points twice.
Our mean amount of points went up compared to last year, but the standard deviation went up as well.
On defense, we played our best game one week, and well, other weeks.....'nuff said.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:49 AM ^
Hopefully, if it's named "the 5-win season," it will be unique and never be repeated again! I'll leave the rest of you hipsters to come up with a cute name.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 AM ^
I am hope that it is remembered as the year of "growing pains" as Rod leads us to a decent bowl game in 2010 and a BigTen title in 2011.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:19 AM ^
a necessary program building year, when a young team learned what it takes to win close games.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:22 AM ^
Over. It was what it was. Now, it's time to focus with anticipation for the 2010 season and hope that the team can improve and win more than 5 games.
GO Blue
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:26 AM ^
But to me, this was 'the year the process continued.'
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:35 AM ^
The Year of Cone to Reyes.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 AM ^
2009?
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:45 AM ^
"The start of something awesome!"
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:45 AM ^
before championship (optimistic)
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:51 AM ^
Let's call it the year that lit a fire under RRs ass. I see him running up the score on every B10 team next year that he can. I imagine that the big rivalry is no longer lost on him.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 AM ^
The rivalry was never "lost" on RR. He wants to win that game as bad as anyone else does. The only thing RR has failed to do so far against OSU is to make chicken soup out of chicken feathers. When he has the proper ingredients, he will be preparing hefty servings of whoop-ass for OSU on a regular basis.
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:19 PM ^
Okay that's not what I meant. I'll reword it. This will be the year RR really experiences the impact of the Michigan-OSU rivalry both in terms of what it means for the program and now with him personally.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:01 AM ^
I believe and I haven't looked into it myself yet, but I heard we were 21.something points per game in the Big10 versus last years 21.somthing. Virtually identical going into the game against OSU. With 10 points it's likely we finished with lower points in the B10 than last year. From a perspective of confidence I felt better about our offense but for points and wins in the Big10 we went backwards.
Second year with no bowl game sucks.
If we don't go to a bowl again next year my money says RR gets fired. And at that point this year might be called "The year Michigan should've fired RR". That is if Harbaugh, Kelly, etc move on to bigger and better things. Don't get me wrong I'm not advocating firing him now (he needs next year to prove himself) and I'm not sure how good Harbaugh really is, but a good coach is a good coach and we should be seeing more improvement, less mistakes, etc. and I haven't seen that yet.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 AM ^
and fuck a goat.
So your another of the "OMGZ RR FORGOT HOW TO COACH WHEN HE CAME TO MICHIGAN WAAAAAHHHHH!" crowd?
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:18 AM ^
RR can do no wrong crowd...
Very clever response. Maybe if you actually went to Michigan you would have a different perspective.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:22 AM ^
what does going to Michigan have to do with anything?
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:34 AM ^
You don't take a program that was the winniest in history and turn in two of the worst years in its history without criticism. I haven't seen anything yet that tells me RR is a great coach.
That said, he will get a chance next year to turn it around and I really hope we see some progress.
Having gone to Michigan I meant that 90 plus % would not revert to "Go Fuck a Goat" response.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:50 AM ^
Im not gonna go into how talent deprived these last 2 senior classes have been. I assume you saw Misopogon and others evaluations of the classes on the defensive side of the ball and are just ignoring the fact that we have not one, not two, but 3 WALKONS playing significant minutes. And if you haven't read them, be my guest.
RR went into OSU game with a not one, but two freshmen QBs with little experience around them. RR/Gerg coached their asses off to put Michigan in a position to win that game. We also did beat a pretty good ND team before injuries killed their season.
We had 3 wins last year, 5 this year, and took care of our OOC schedule. We looked like a college team on the offensive side of the ball, which wasn't there last year.
Has RR made some questionable calls this year? Absolutely. Can you blame him for making a bad hire in Schafer? Yep. But to say there hasn't been improvement is asinine.
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:02 AM ^
But look at the results. Worse record in the Big10 this year than last. Lower points scored in Big10 this year than last. And a defense that up until OSU looked worse than last year.
I've seen all the arguments about lack of talent and I believe there is more to it than that. First we never go back in history and look at it this way primarily because it usually comes down to performance on the field. You would have to also compare our defense to other schools and if you look at Stanford, Cincinnati... others; their talent level is certainly below that rated coming into Michigan.
I also went to a highschool with a terrible football team. We then got a new coach and everything has been different. In fact Lowell (my school) now will play another game at Ford field against Inkster (Devin Gardner) next week. My point is the talent at our highschool didn't change, but the coaching developed that talent. I agree we have a lack of depth, but talent development is on the coaches and I just don't see it yet. Football is about execution not just strategy and our execution is inconsistent at best under RR.
It would be interesting to poll the football team and see if they agree that they lack talent.
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:21 AM ^
You can't compare college football to HS. In HS, you have to work with what you got. In college football you get to go out and get the guys you want.
I can't believe you actually put the last part into your post. If you polled Delaware St. football team and ask if they lack talent, do you think they would say they do? How about Indiana? WMU? There all going to tell you they have enough talent, because you have to believe you do or you are beat from the get go. This doesn't mean that they don't lack talent, because it pretty obvious that they do.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:13 PM ^
You actually gave an example of your HS football team to NCAA Div. 1 football as a reason RR isn't a good coach? LOL!
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:12 AM ^
I go to Michigan and I think you should go fuck a goat
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:43 PM ^
cosigned
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:58 PM ^
You want proof he's a great coach? Watch this video. It's his last WVU team pantsing Oklahoma after he had already left to join us. That's how good his system in, it was still able to operate with terrifying efficiency after he had left. When that gets going at Michigan, and I still think it will, the proof will be in the championship pudding.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/6341/tostitos-fiesta-bowl-oklahoma-vs-west-vi…
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:22 AM ^
Followed next year by the year of infinite redemption
Then subsequently: The year of infinite annihilation
2011 is going to be an amazing year
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 AM ^
The year I realized half my friends don't know shit about college football.
OR
The year I realized half my friends have infantile expectations for instant gratification.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:54 AM ^
the year of 'what if' like what if we had pulled out MSU & Iowa, what if we hadn't blown games we could've won vs purdue & illinois and what if we hadn't turned the ball over 5 times against OSU
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:59 AM ^
I am calling it our "first' year and saying last year was the transition year
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:43 PM ^
2009 - the year of perpetual SoulDong punches... or something like that
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:57 PM ^
or
The Year That Was Lost In Transition
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:21 PM ^
Transition.
or
The year that cleaned out Walmart Wolverines.