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Sad thing is that it wasn't…

Sad thing is that it wasn't that long ago Spirit's customer satisfaction rating was among the top three in the nation. 

Feels good don't it?

Feels good don't it?

Congratulations to the team, coaches, staff. What a season. What a win. 

GO BLUE!!!!!

 

First: Thanks for the punt…

First: Thanks for the punt counter-punt. Always enjoy these, but given the circumstances these were special.

So I've been a Michigan fan since the mid 1960s. Not exactly the best period for Michigan football. I was a student from 1971-1977. Experienced a good chunk of the 10 year war. I was on the 50 yard line with my brother for the 1998 Rose Bowl victory, Michigan's last national championship. Before we decided to go, I told my brother "this is probably the only shot they'll get in our lifetimes."

Wadaya know I was wrong. We're both still breathing, older than dirt but still here. The choosers robbed Florida St. to put an SEC team into the play offs. No coincidence that it was Alabama, viewed as Michigan kryptonite. Turns out they were wrong. There are many parallels to the 1997 season the most powerful is both teams absolute refusal to lose. I am certain that this team will bring that determination to the field tonight. 

Go Blue!

Imagery. Recruiting. A…

Imagery. Recruiting. A subtle message.

An amazingly successful NFL coach returns to the tenth reunion wearing the gear from his college team. 

"I can get you here if you come to play for me now." Michigan a gateway to the pros. Never articulated but the message is clear. 

So any of us are free to…

So any of us are free to pick any slice of history to make a point about the Michigan-MSU game. Note that I don't say a rivalry, because it's not a rivalry. If I chose to focus only on the years I was at U of M, we won six of seven. I choose not to do that. What matters is the overall record. Period. 

The powers that be at Michigan took the success of the football program for granted and made serious mistakes in hiring. At the same time MSU made good hiring decisions. The end result was that MSU enjoyed a happy time. A happy time that has come to an end and probably won't be repeated for quite some time.

The program has finally sorted itself out. I expect that we'll return to historical norms where Michigan wins between two out of three or three out of four games. A decade from now none of you will be concerned about the MSU game except to recognize that if we have deficiencies in the team MSU MIGHT capitalize. 

In 1997 I was working seven…

In 1997 I was working seven days a week in a very high pressure situation trying to save a small tech company and couldn't watch a game. A few minutes after the PSU game my brother (also an alum) called me at work and said "we just crushed Penn State. I think we going all the way. Do you want to get Rose Bowl tickets. I said yes go for it we'll find a way." And the team did and we did and we watched Michigan win the national championship. 

So yes. Every fan in 1997 knew very well the potential of that team. 

Awesome performance. Loved…

Awesome performance. Loved the dominance. 

We shouldn't kid ourselves. Better execution would have produced at least 2 perhaps 3 touchdowns instead of field goals. If Michigan is going to beat top five teams they have to play perfectly in the red zone.

But what the hell, a win is a win, and while Penn State is not among my most hated rivals, it felt really sweet to spank them and send them home with a loss. 

Go Blue!

1971-  

I was accepted to…

1971-  

I was accepted to every school to which I applied including MIT and Stanford, but Michigan was a fraction of the cost and a top five school in any discipline in which I might become interested.

I had NO idea where I wanted to focus my life. So the very very best public university as a launching pad? Where do I sign? Went to Michigan and never looked back. I still use the skills I learned there every day. That's quality education. 

Congratulations to the team,…

Congratulations to the team, the coaches and the program. Helluva season. You exceeded virtually everyone's expectations. 

That said I'm sure this loss stung. Hell, I'm sure it hurt like a bitch.

You know what? Forget about it. Seriously! Think about how far you've come. 

Again all possible congratulations.

Now to all the rest of us.

It was an ugly game. It was. But let us not get overly anally analytical. Let us not decry the recruiting issues or the supposed talent gap.

Yeah they got spanked by Georgia, but they never gave up, they never gave in, they never stopped fighting. To paraphrase Harbaugh, it's the start of the beginning. 

I'll say this and you can save it if you choose. The Michigan football program is back. In 5-7 years, assuming that Harbaugh continues as head coach, Michigan will win a national championship. 

 

I was there in 1998 with my…

I was there in 1998 with my brother. Once of the very very best days/nights of my life. The Woodson interception lives vividly in my memory to this day.

 

Pretty simple. Despite the…

Pretty simple. Despite the coaching the OSU team took The Game for granted. Michigan didn't. The rest is now history, but you're looking at the aftermath of a complete failure of OSU's coaches and the success of ours. 

What's he going to say? Besides, I'll bet you 12 to 1 that, in his gut, he thought it would be a walk over too. 

We have two antibody…

We have two antibody treatments that cure covid within a few days. Sometime this month the two oral treatments (ten pills taken over a few days) developed by Pfizer and Moderna will be approved by the FDA. Each company has 20 million doses (enough to treat 4 million cases) that will be available on approval. 

18-25 year olds who are in excellent condition are not at serious risk from covid.

We don't cancel games because players get the flu, at this point covid is no different. 

As I mentioned in another…

As I mentioned in another thread, I never lost faith that Michigan would turn it around but had started to wonder if I'd live to see it.

IIRC the 1997 team didn't get much preseason respect either. If you listen to how these players talk about their teammates and coaches, you'll hear echos of how the 1997 team spoke about each other when they decided the only path to respect was to "climb the mountain" of an undefeated season.

Nor did I ever want to see Harbaugh fired. As I often asked who would be better at Michigan? If Jim couldn't get it done, then it couldn't be done. For Michigan football there is NO better head coach available. It's fantastic that he's finally proven it this season.

What a great season.  

And that's the game

And that's the game

Michigan Big Ten Champs!

Yup!

Sitting on the 50 yard…

Yup!

Sitting on the 50 yard line in the 1998 Rose Bowl watching Michigan win a National Championship.

When Michigan crushed Penn State, my brother called me.

"These guys can go all the way. we need to get tickets"

I always swore I'd never get on a plane to a game without tickets in my hand. But I did. The scalper dropped the tickets off at my brother's hotel room while I was in the air. The next day we're sitting on the 50 yard line 2/3rds of the way up and watched Michigan win. 

So yes. A Michigan football game can make me happy forever, or at least never ever lose faith. 

 

This is as good a Michigan…

This is as good a Michigan team as I've seen in 58 years watching Michigan football. On paper they should roll a team with Iowa's numbers. But we all know that Iowa style football doesn't care about paper match ups or season statistics. 

I expect Michigan to win, but I'll very surprised if it's by more than a touchdown. Not because this isn't an exceptional football team, but because Iowa has a history of neutralizing a better team's advantages. 

Michigan 28-24 

Iowa knows exactly who they…

Iowa knows exactly who they are, what their game is, and how to play it. Many teams that look significantly better on paper, lose because they end up playing Iowa's game. Plus Iowa's home field advantage is of greater benefit than at most schools. Fortunately that's not a factor Saturday, in fact Indy is almost a home town game for us. 

Michigan has to make Iowa play Michigan football. If they do, and I expect they will, the B1G champions to return to Ann Arbor. 

 

From the disasters of the…

From the disasters of the 1960s. To the Ten year war and the triumphs of Bo. Through the 80s and 90s to the National Championship. Through the end of Lloyd and the wasteland of RichRod. The longing of hope with Hoke. The coming of Harbaugh as a savior. 

Through all those decades, I've seen the lowest depths and the highest peaks of Michigan football. I've never lost faith that the cycle that is college football would return Michigan to dominance. However, I was beginning to wonder if I'd live to see it. 

Saturday marked that return. I tasted the sweetness of utter dominance over that school to the south. A taste faint in dusty memory brought fresh again. And DAMN it does taste good!

My first live game was 71…

My first live game was 71 but I remember the 69 game. Watched it with my mom who was a rabid Michigan fan (dad was there too but mom would get excited and punch him in the shoulder. He didn't care he was as invested as she was).

Excellent game. Domination feels GOOD!

A few years ago I commented…

A few years ago I commented that domination felt really good and that there would come a day when we'd experience that in "The Game". While I didn't expect it to take this long, at last we have that experience once again. 

I suspect not for the last time. 

Congratulations to the team, the coaches, and everyone who contributed to this total victory. 

Savior it my fellow wolverines, we've waited for this day far too long. 

A few years ago I commented…

A few years ago I commented that domination felt really good and that there would come a day when we'd experience that in "The Game". While I didn't expect it to take this long, at last we have that experience once again. 

I suspect not for the last time. 

Congratulations to the team, the coaches, and everyone who contributed to this total victory. 

Savior it my fellow wolverines, we've waited for this day far too long. 

I'm curious at your flat…

I'm curious at your flat statement. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was at Michigan the football players had to attend classes and pass their exams. I'm not saying that they didn't get assistance in studying and maybe writing their papers, but they still had to pass. One of the team was in my anthropology class and at his request I tutored him and helped him pass the class, but he had to take the exams and pass on his own.

Further at least half the faculty HATED the football program and cut the players zero slack. Now maybe as time has passed that attitude has changed, but based on most of the publications coming out of the University I suspect that attitude has only gotten worse.

So what can you put forward to support your statement? 

 

If you want a call to fire…

If you want a call to fire Harbaugh to be taken seriously you have to name an available replacement.

I'll wait.

 

Yup Bo never won a national…

Yup Bo never won a national championship and lost more than his fair share of bowl games. So what?

Bo wasn't measured on winning bowl games or winning a national championship. Bo was measured on beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten Championship, which he did plenty of times. Had he been measured on winning bowl games and national championships i have no doubt he'd have done exactly that. 

Bo was asked (at least once) if he'd rather beat Ohio State or win the Rose bowl and a national championship. He said something to the effect that while he always wanted to win any game the team played, no win ever gave him more satisfaction than beating Ohio State. 

 

"We're good, just not elite…

"We're good, just not elite."

Michigan is quite a bit better than good. If the team wins their bowl game Harbaugh will have 48 wins in his first 5 seasons. Impressive by any standard especially considering the devastating QB injuries suffered in 2017. Our expectations set the bar of good far higher than the vast majority of college programs, and deservedly so.

Despite the one-sided results in 2018 and 2019, progress is being made. When the lowest end of acceptability is to win the Big Ten Championship and make the college play-offs, we need to be prepared for a lot of disappointing seasons. This too is as it should be. This is Michigan. A historically elite program and the winningest football program in the history of college football. 

Those of you who weren't around for Michigan football in the 1960s have no appreciation for just how difficult it is to achieve and maintain that level of excellence, and the current structure of college football has made it much more difficult.

I'm damn disappointed in Saturday's game. That said at this point there is only one coach around who has a shot at getting Michigan football back to consistent elite status and, like it or not, his name is Harbaugh. 

And as a side note, anyone screaming to fire Don Brown needs to have their head examined.

 

I have a multi-decade career…

I have a multi-decade career consulting to VPs and C-team members. If your current boss is aware of your job search and its progression to being on the short list for an offer, he/she will see you as someone who has made the long term decision to leave. Perhaps that will motivate a retention offer, but IMHO it is far more likely you'll be tagged as someone not worth investing in because you're already on a departure path. It's not about loyalty it's about return on investment. 

Ask yourself the following question. If this doesn't result in an acceptable offer, how much longer are you prepared to stay at your current job? You seem well beyond the "testing the waters" point in this process. It appears that you're primed to leave. If not for this job then for another once you find it. 

If your boss asked my advice on how to handle the knowledge you've been looking for a position elsewhere, I'd tell him to find your replacement, allow you to unknowingly train him/her, and either release you or move you to a position that would induce you to quit. 

In your situation I would not give permission to contact my current boss. At least not without a very compelling reason that couldn't be addressed in some other fashion, and probably not then. 

Okay all you sunshines  suck…

Okay all you sunshines  suck it up!

Against quality opponents there will be no pretty wins. The offense is entirely new and the team has far from enough time in camp to internalize it. Personally I don't much care for the new offense, but thats what Harbaugh has chosen to run. It's his call, and all we can do is wait for either it to gel or for Harbaugh to change his mind. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on the latter.

An ugly win is a win none the less

Except they weren't "losing"…

Except they weren't "losing" the game. 

Don't misunderstand me. It was an ugly game. A game far closer than anyone here would have liked. It was a game that justifiably raises many concerns. That said, it was a game they won. So as uncomfortable as we may be with the coach's strategies, those strategies produced a win. 

I very much doubt we'll those strategies vs Wisconsin. I certainly hope not. 

 

It was an ugly game. Clearly…

It was an ugly game. Clearly the offense is struggling to integrate the new system. But they won. They beat the opposing team and the refs (taking away that touchdown was huge).

I’m concerned but as bad as this game was I’ll wait for Wisconsin.

I’m honestly surprised that you spread guys are so upset. This is what you’ve wanted. Did you think the transition would be easy?

The man is an expert at…

The man is an expert at reading defenses and collaborates with offensive coordinators on how to attack them. 

Assuming he’s willing to deal with recruiting 

yes

In a single word. NO!

Worst…

In a single word. NO!

Worst cheating scandal in U of M history. We've paid the price, and far more. Let it go. Let it stay buried..

Leaders and best. Either we hold ourselves to that standard or it's just some words from the past. 

So Rashan went 12th in the…

So Rashan went 12th in the first round. What does that translate into? $10-$12 million? Apparently some folks who make their living picking talent think that Rashan has what it takes. 

I suspect once he gets settled, he'll be a force in the NFL for several years to come. 

While I hate to lose highly…

While I hate to lose highly talented men in the program, if he doesn't think he's a fit a Michigan, have a good life.

Seriously, losing him is not positive, but apparently he doesn't want to be at Michigan. See ya. Thanks for your contributions. 

I've been a Michigan…

I've been a Michigan football fan since the 1960s. I was a student for seven years of the ten year war. You'd be hard pressed to find an alum more committed to the U of M football program. Whether up or down, Michigan is MY team. Period. I've seen greatness. I was in the Rose Bowl for the national championship win. I've known crushing disappointment. I was in Michigan stadium and watched Archie Griffen steal the game from us at the very end. 

The RichRod years were abysmal, but I stuck with the program. Hoke showed a lot of hope and, to be fair, while he ultimately failed did do some good things for the program. Harbaugh, is the future. Pulling the program out of a seven year hole isn't easy, especially running a clean program.

Coaching 18-23 year olds is tough. Especially when some of them, or their families, are convinced that they are 3 years away from a multi-million dollar NFL career. 

Young men get discouraged. Sometimes they make decision that seem to defy sensible thought. But it's their decision. 

Yeah at the moment the team is thin and young at key positions and there are many daunting problems facing it in the fall. But that's okay. I'd like an undefeated season. Even more I'd like to beat Ohio. Who knows? It's football after all and anything can happen.

New offense. A defense where the players will be in its fourth year. Who knows what the season will bring. I'll be optimistic and hope for the best, but without expectation. It's a historically great football program. Greatness can't be denied, it just can't be forecast.

Go Blue

Beat Ohio.

 

"And probably not much…

"And probably not much difference in whether you're ranked #5 in the recruiting rankings or #25. "

Perhaps not  much difference between #5 and #10, but there is a very significant difference between #5 and #25. Look at the number of top (say) 100 players that get distributed across the teams in ranked in the top ten and then look at how many are left to the next fifteen teams. 

"Michigan easily had the talent to compete over the last 7-8 years."

Undeniably true. 

I’ve been watching the ESPN…

I’ve been watching the ESPN coverage of Urban’s retirement. IMHO he’s been forced out. Announcing his retirement at this point completely disrupts OSU’s recuiting. If he was just retiring WHY announce it this way? 

 

 

I've purposefully stayed…

I've purposefully stayed away from the blog since Saturday, because I knew full well just how insane and defeatist this place would become. So having allowed the angst to cool a bit I have a couple points to make:

First a caveat. There is nothing in football that I hate more than losing to OSU. Absolutely nothing. So I'm not remotely interested in looking for rainbows after this loss, but I do think that some perspective is in order. 

1: Despite this loss, and losing various QBs for stretches last season, Harbaugh has won 38 games in the last four years, 39 if he wins the bowl game. It's been a damn long time since the program has had that kind of record. As disappointing as Saturday was, the program hasn't had this kind of overall success since Carr. 

2: We can agree to disagree about RichRod's qualities as a coach, but we all must acknowledge that he was a terrible fit for the Michigan football program and the results of that lack of fit was to blow a massive hole in recruiting and retention in the most fragile positions on the team. Hoke made "some" progress in fixing this, especially on the defense, but the hole was too deep and retention problems persisted. Harbaugh has made progress, but we are still shallow on the lines and young in places that we need to be seasoned. 

This is a very good football team. For all the complaints about Pep, this is an outstanding coaching staff. Sadly elite comes hard. Very very very hard. Michigan is a historically elite football program that has stumbled, and it stumbled when other Big Ten programs were rising.

I've been an active fan since the early 60s, so I've lived through this kind of adversity before, until a coach named Bo reset the program. 

Yes I sorely wish Saturday had gone the other way. That said, I've lived through what is required to resurrect an elite program. Harbaugh, assuming he stays, will get it done. 

I'm not going to ask for patience, because the fan base lost that in 2009. Juste ask yourselves, who can Michigan hire to coach who would be more suited that Harbaugh, At this point there is no better coach who can fit at Michigan. This will be a long difficult road, but the reality is that there is no one out there who give the program a better shot than Harbaugh. So suck it up buttercups

So you're saying that they…

So you're saying that they won 3 but over the ten years Michigan one five and took a tie. Sounds like Michigan won that particular war. 

Actually OSU was a…

Actually OSU was a powerhouse in that period, they just lost to Michigan. Bruce never got the rivalry, or if he did he couldn't deliver the wins. 

To quote Mr. Bonds

Go Blue!…

To quote Mr. Bonds

Go Blue!

For myself kick the crap out of Ohio.

Contrary to your assertion,…

Contrary to your assertion, those of us old enough to remember the 60s and 70s can state that one quality of the Michigan fan base was that we were not fickle. In fact it was the unwillingness to give up on the team that was one of the qualities that set it apart from the fans of other schools.

I think that the rise of anonymous commentary and the ability to trash players not to their faces or the faces of other fans, has contributed to this change. 

So I’m curious. How many…

So I’m curious. How many whiners are willing to complain about our team’s “Stone Age” offense? 

56 points after two consecutive 40+ point appearances does seem fairly productive. 

I don’t expect this kind of performance against the top teams on the schedule, but this team can beat anyone they face.

So here is the scenario as I…

So here is the scenario as I glean it from what passes for the news reports.

There are several years of police visits for abuse during which the aggrieved spouse either refuses to press charges or drops them. Various complaining emails and/or other forms of electronic communication make allegations of abuse, but it never manifests in an actual charge. 

Then in late July this coach is arrested, criminal charges are filed and Meyer fires him. Much as I truly would like to bury Meyer who I think is a massive scumbag, I really do not see a big deal here.

If you fire someone based on innuendo and rumor, you can pretty much assume that you'll get sued and your corporate lawyers will be very unhappy with you. 

Allegations are nothing more than words.

In my opinion Meyer is total scum, but unless something with serious weight comes out, he doesn't deserve to be fired and probably doesn't deserve to be suspended. 

 

I had surgery just prior to…

I had surgery just prior to the change and was off the net for about 3 weeks. I had no idea what was going on. Duh! Damn glad you're back! I'm sure things will get sorted out. 

Given the difficult road to get back to just running

I find it amazing that he is so committed to getting back on the field. I wish him the very best and hope he achieves all of his goals.  

Regardless of any single player’s talent

Football is a team sport. No single player wins a national championship. I’m glad he can play but a championship will require excellence or at least consistently superior play by the rest of the offense and the defense.

He’s a huge get at a position of need, but he can’t do it alone, and it’s unfair to pin our hopes on one guy no matter ho gifted.

Thank God thats great!

Just fantastic! Prayers with you and yours. 

Odd are you are 100% correct but...

Many years ago when dinosaurs walked the earth and I was barely old enough to ride a bicycle a friend of my parents shattered his upper and lower leg. He owned a ski and summer shop and was on the ski patrol and was in his early 30s. Four kids and his business was just really starting to get off the ground. He took a terrible fall and broke his leg in multiple locations both below and above his knee.

The doctors tell his wife that they're going to have to amputate his leg a few inches below his hip. She says to them "If you think you're going to saddle me with a cripple for the rest of my life you're confused. Set the leg and we'll see what happens". So they set the leg and the bones knitted. A hell of a lot of pain. Several months on crutches and a lot of rehab. Several months with a cane. But two years later he was walking fine and back on skies.

This case is completely different. We know the type of damage that his leg suffered and the impact of the internal trauma to his leg. But despite all the massive advances in medical knowledge and the diagnostic tools available to the docs, unexpected recoveries remain possible. So while I have no expectation that he'll ever see the field in anything other than an arranged appearance, I'll still hold out hope that he makes a truly complete recovery, and if he chooses to, returns to the game as a starter before he leaves the university.

Just as there were the Tuskegee Airmen

The 761 Tank Battalion was an African-American unit that served with distinction during WWII. They were known as the "Black Panthers" after their unit's distinctive insignia. The battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions. In addition, a large number of individual members also received medals, including one Medal of Honor, 11 Silver Stars and about 300 Purple Hearts. They were called "one of the most effective tank battalions in World War II".

The battalion first saw combat on 7 November 1944. It was among the American units that relieved the 101st Airborne at Bastogne.

Germany's High Seas Fleet in WWI

Had far fewer ships than the Royal Navy. However, ship for ship the Germans were superior both in armor, and its placement, and caliber to caliber German heavy naval rifles out performed their British counterparts. The power of a navy of that period was based on the number and technical sophistication of its battleship and battlecruisers. The German navy had around 20 dreadnought class battleships and 5 battlecruisers. At the beginning of WWI the British Royal Navy had 25-35 then state of the art battleships and battlecruisers. By the end of the war Britain had 35 battleships and 11 battlecruisers, 20 of these 46 ships were built after the start of the war. Despite Germany's best efforts, the British dramatically out built them throughout the war.

When the US entered the war it sent the five dreadnought class battleships and support ships of the United States Battleship Division nine to Britian which was attached to the Royal Navy as the Sixth Battle Squadron. Through most of the war the Royal Navy enjoyed a 2-1 numerical advantage over the German Navy. 

That said at the beginning of WWI the German navy was considered the second most powerful navy in the world.