When Should We Feel Good?
I remember a year ago dusting a bunch of beers with my feet up after an easy trouncing of Minnesota and the board anointing Joe Milton as the next great Michigan QB. A year later, things weirdly feel the same. So:
- do I lean into my Michigan Stockholm syndrome and believe this is the year I’m treated better, or
- realize we’ve gone down this road after many a season opener and pucker my butt for BPONE inevitability
September 6th, 2021 at 11:32 PM ^
Joe Milton QBR against Minny - 91. Cade McNamara against WMU - 245.
September 6th, 2021 at 11:59 PM ^
This. Minnesota last year was a good gameplan and playcalling against a virtually non-existent defense. A major difference this year is that the actual plays we ran were extra-vanilla and occasionally inadvisable, but we got even better results because we had a quarterback who didn’t make a single mistake and executed as well as you could ask
September 6th, 2021 at 11:36 PM ^
When we’re headed into Ohio State week with only one loss or less.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:32 AM ^
We place so much emotion on this OSU game. I understand why. But we.could go undefeated into the OSU game and some fans will still not be happy.
September 7th, 2021 at 8:27 AM ^
Count me as one that would be thrilled!!!
September 7th, 2021 at 9:11 AM ^
I'd be happy with that
September 7th, 2021 at 10:41 AM ^
I'd be happier coming out of the OSU game undefeated!!
September 7th, 2021 at 1:36 PM ^
Wait, you’d feel *good* right before a game against OSU? Have you been asleep the last 20 years? I went to the Columbus toilet bowl in 2016 and 2018 because I felt good about those games. Needless to say, I didn’t feel good after. I will feel good when the clock says 00:00 and Michigan has the lead against OSU. Also I’m never going to the Columbus toilet bowl again.
September 7th, 2021 at 9:54 PM ^
Dodging turds there is near impossible...
September 6th, 2021 at 11:40 PM ^
Whenever you want to, brother.
that said… wins against wmu, a potentially weak Washington team, NIU, and Rutgers may not tell us much about the team still, assuming we can get them.
A road win over Wisconsin would be a very good sign.
But we could start undefeated for the first half of the schedule and things could go belly up quickly as we close with Sparty, IU, Penn State, Maryland, and OSU. That’s by far the most dangerous portion of the year and losses could pile up quickly.
enjoy the games one at a time. Let the team earn your cautious optimism. Cheer for them till your lungs hurt, but don’t expect victories. This is college football, weird shit happens, and we aren’t Bama. Best we can do is beat Washington.
September 6th, 2021 at 11:45 PM ^
Fully agree, but all I really want to do is when the ones we should -- the ones we should easily. If we lose to Wisconsin, so be it -- I won't be overly critical. But ... man, it would feel nice to win these first few games.
I mean, I know -- we all know -- of Harbaugh's record as an underdog. Still, we're an underdog for a reason, and we can't really "expect" him to win the games that would by definition be upsets. Just ... let's not fall on our faces before we get to Wisconsin.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:46 AM ^
I'm here too. Wisconsin is the first real litmus test. Forget the last half of the schedule, if we look the same way against the badgers as we have the last 2 seasons none of it matters. Until that game, I'm looking for steady improvement and thats it. If we lose before the Wisconsin game, forget it, season's a wash.
September 7th, 2021 at 8:01 AM ^
I agree with the “whenever you want” sentiment.
There is a decent chance Wisconsin will be 2-2 when we play them and even if M wins to go 5-0 there will be those on this board who will loudly bemoan “just wait until we play team X” or “the B1G sucks this year..OSU will still kick our ass.”
Enjoy the little things. M seems to be on a good trajectory and thus the 2021 season will not be a repeat of 2020.
September 7th, 2021 at 9:46 AM ^
I feel like even if Wisconsin is 2-2, if Michigan can beat them at Camp Randall, that's something to feel pretty good about. Wisconsin has been a pain in the ass the last few years, and playing them at home is always tough.
September 7th, 2021 at 11:25 AM ^
We haven't won in Wisconsin in 20 years*. I don't care if they are 0-4 when we play them. I will celebrate the shit out of a win at Camp Randall.
*We are 0-5 since 2001.
September 7th, 2021 at 12:51 PM ^
Sentiment seems to assume we've already beaten Washington this weekend, which I'm not convinced we're going to do. Michigan going into a home game against a big name opponent that is coming off a loss to a cupcake opponent just seems like the type of game where we stub our toe. Of course, the could just be the BPONE talking.
September 6th, 2021 at 11:42 PM ^
If we beat Wisconsin
not before that please
September 6th, 2021 at 11:48 PM ^
I’m cautiously optimistic. Last year taught me a big lesson about overreacting to week 1 but Cade doesn’t have the flaws that Milton has, the RB room looks good, and I think the WR core will be better with a year of experience. This weekend will be very telling.
September 7th, 2021 at 8:38 AM ^
... I think the WR core will be better ...
The US Marine Core would like you to remember that the word is "corps," not "core." Same pronunciation, but a different word.
September 7th, 2021 at 8:59 AM ^
Maybe he's talking about the core group of WRs, the guys who will see the field instead of the corps of receivers, every WR on the roster. That's how I took it.
September 7th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
Yeah, I was only really referring to Sanristill, Henning, Wilson, Baldwin
September 7th, 2021 at 2:25 PM ^
Plus Harbaugh is leaner and meaner and the new coaches won't let him get in his own way.
September 6th, 2021 at 11:55 PM ^
I think this is a team that is poised for 8 wins with a low side of 7 and an upside of 10 if things go swimmingly. Either way, I say lean in hard and enjoy the precious few Saturdays of 2021. It's what I'm doing.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:24 AM ^
This. We get 12 of these a year (with the exception of last year, and the continuing threat of cancellations this season) to enjoy. Saturday did not change much for me other than I am happy the games are back. Still not a championship team, but a lot of promise and the potential to be a momentum gaining season to build confidence and boost recruiting.
September 7th, 2021 at 12:00 AM ^
If we win @Wisconsin, I think we’re guaranteed some kind of “good” season (and that’s exactly as vague as I want to be). If we lose, even 9-3 starts looking unrealistic and I’d see the floor as ~0.500.
So then my answer is “after Wisconsin” if we’re lucky; otherwise, we’ll probably have to wait until after bowl season to know for sure.
September 7th, 2021 at 12:11 AM ^
Also: could do without the anal-attentive language (“pucker my butt”), at least when it’s this unnecessary.
That's not meant as moral policing. It’s just that those phrases are inherently awkward without adding anything positive to make it worth the while.
September 7th, 2021 at 9:46 AM ^
This. You just know this is the guy at the 4 way stop mucking everything up because he's too damn scared he might go before the wrong person, or trod on some unwritten rule. (They are all written FYI).
It doesn't hurt to be positive, stop kvetching about it. It's all about moderation. We didn't just beat 'Bama.
September 7th, 2021 at 12:11 AM ^
Start 5-0 (i.e. beat Wisconsin and everyone else up to that point).
September 7th, 2021 at 12:17 AM ^
Football doesn't actually matter. I recommend letting yourself enjoy wins rather than trying to get some kind of personal meaning out of whether the team qualifies as elite. In other words, right now.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:01 AM ^
Yes...its just a sport. I'm a fan...why make it so complicated.
Team won and looked good doing so..feels good to me.
The lesson from the last year was bigger than sports...
September 7th, 2021 at 7:45 AM ^
Fucking exactly this. I’m so tired of hearing “don’t get too excited”, “let’s not get over our skis”, and other statements that tell people not to have fun. I can’t imagine holding off my excitement until half way through the season.
For god sakes, this is OUR team. The team we choose to root for. So root for them and be happy and excited when they win. It’s not like avoiding excitement now will make the disappointment of a future loss any less disappointing anyways.
September 7th, 2021 at 12:20 AM ^
?I feel good!? na,na,na,na,na,na,na,
?I knew that I would now!?
September 7th, 2021 at 12:26 AM ^
Every day. Enjoy being a fan, but don't let the team's performance determine anything in your life.
September 7th, 2021 at 12:36 AM ^
that's what she said
(to you, because you post this kind of shit)
September 7th, 2021 at 1:11 AM ^
Enjoy when you can, endure when you must.
Words to live by from Goethe.
September 7th, 2021 at 1:26 AM ^
Never. Even if we win a National Title. It's the Saban way.
September 7th, 2021 at 1:48 AM ^
I've been saying, "not until we beat MSU and OSU" since 2015. It stopped being funny since 2018, but it's still true for me today.
September 7th, 2021 at 1:50 AM ^
I'm only happy when it rains
September 7th, 2021 at 4:49 AM ^
If you don’t know the answer, I’m not telling you.
September 7th, 2021 at 5:45 AM ^
here’s when you should feel good - now. or don’t. whatever.
also, grow up. none of this shit actually matters. especially if you’re just, you know, a spectator.
September 7th, 2021 at 6:09 AM ^
I feel good now, but I'm keeping my future expectations low until after MSU.
September 7th, 2021 at 6:51 AM ^
MSS for the win
September 7th, 2021 at 7:37 AM ^
I love this time of year. Hope springs external. It’s one game. Against a MAC school. At home. How about we beat someone with a pulse. Washington will pose challenges. It won’t be the one that lost to Montana that shows up Saturday.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:40 AM ^
I'm not suiting up for games, so I anticipate that I will feel good all season. If you find yourself unable to enjoy wins and are already worried about being let down, this sport is probably not for you.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:55 AM ^
Feel good after we kick the crap out of MSU and beat OSU.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:57 AM ^
3....2....1....NOW!!!
September 7th, 2021 at 7:59 AM ^
Each game will allow opportunity to feel better about where UM is going. Washington is still going to be a considerable challenge for UM's young defense and new offense. A night game against a good opponent will be a great opportunity...even if the shine is gone from UW.
One of the key elements we've all missed and are wanting to see is consistency. So, yeah, you may not know if this team is legit good or not until Wisconsin, but you surely will know if your optimism should be growing or shrinking with each passing game.
Hell even if they beat UW I want to see if this team can come back the next week against a far inferior opponent and execute or is it the "let's roll our helmets on the field and win" attitude.
September 7th, 2021 at 8:06 AM ^
Feel good whenever you want. I'd also not recommend tying your personal happiness to the successes and failures of a group of 18-22 year olds that you'll never meet. Further, the team owes you nothing. If they lose or play poorly they didn't let you down.
September 7th, 2021 at 8:12 AM ^
I'm still in camp B.
September 7th, 2021 at 8:29 AM ^
I feel good right now. 1-0 is better than 0-1. There are fans in the stands. What more can we ask for.