I don’t think we can pretend that better play would have produced a win; they are the stronger team. But I do find it frustrating that we spend a lot of talking about how we don’t pay players, how ours DO ‘play school,’ inferring that they’re brighter, smarter, etc. . . . yet continual mistakes, lack of discipline and–not least–poise put the game so far out of reach. This could have been a far closer game, even one that came down to the fourth quarter. I don’t necessarily see anywhere to place blame for this, but I regret it. And if we don’t see evidence that the team is taking the bowl seriously–again–then I will really begin to doubt Jimmy’s leadership.
I really don’t care about the bowls, and I don’t think you can put that on the coaches. Bama has flamed out in every non BCS or CFP bowl they’ve had under Saban. UGA last year. It’s just a different vibe now. I don’t think we’ll have a ton of guys sitting out this year though so we may be able to put up a bigger fight.
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Based on what? The 90s?
This program hasn’t finished ranked in the top 5 since Tom Brady graduated. The reality is that we are basically Iowa.
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I’m not a Michigan football fan but I wouldn’t take this beat down so hard. Ohio st has turned into a juggernaut. The fact is over the last ten years there has been Bama, Ohio st, and Clemson then everybody else.,…,
There’s plenty of top level programs in a similar boat to Michigan. Those three programs have basically taken over and all the top talent has streamlined to those schools with no end in sight.
LSU might break through this year and there is always an interesting squad or two every year but for the most part it’s those three then the rest of the country.
Ive soured on college football because of this and don’t find it nearly as interesting as years ago. College b-ball and the nfl are far superior imo. The nfl even has left a bitter taste in my mouth because the parity has made it very interesting but it also has made it so refs on the regular change the outcome of games with a series of poor calls or even one seriously poor decision. In a tight game in a sport like football that can change everything.
I will say you guys had a much better year than I thought you were going to and played great down the stretch. That beat down of Notre Dame shocked me.
It just so happens that Ohio st is like a video game cheat code so in The end there’s not much you can do.
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Yes. Based on that
In 16 and 18 we were one game away from the playoff. That’s not Iowa
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Well I’ve been drinking since well before noon today…might just run it in to the Louisville game on Tuesday!
I always appreciate your thoughts, kturnup, but I don’t think that the fact that Alabama does poorly in non-BCS settings (small sample) should color our own views of a standard demanded. With a win M would get to 10 wins in 4 of Jim’s first 5 seasons, which would be very meaningful if we and the team gave it emphasis. Play in such a game; accept millions for it; rep you school at it–to me there’s a demand to do the thing right that I see no excusing our way around. Play not to win? Or to do anything well? WTH kind of standard is that to pose ever, anywhere?
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Kind of like in 2015 when Iowa was undefeated going into the B1G championship game and one game away from the playoff.
Their “one game away” actually included a trip to the mythical city of Indianapolis.
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It would definitely be nice to win from a narrative stand point, no doubt. My point was to say I don’t think Bowl performance in this climate should say much of anything about a coach. Very little Harbaugh could do last year with so many guys sitting out. Plus various in game injuries in other bowls.
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I’m not following
You said “that’s not Iowa” after saying we’ve been one game away from the playoff.
Well, Iowa was one game away from the college football playoff in 2015. They were undefeated going into the B1G championship game. They lost 16-13 to MSU in the last 30 seconds of the game.
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Michigan’s in an interesting spot. We’re not Iowa. They had their one good year, but they benefit from a much weaker division and they still have only been a legitimate threat once in 10 years. Although I suppose you could say the same thing about Michigan, but I’d argue twice in the last 4 years for Michigan. Us and Penn state are basically in the same spot. Historical blue blood. Consistently battling between 2nd and 3rd in the division. PSU won the division once, and as I mentioned before it was an act of god that that happened. Both sides are well behind OSU talent wise and that doesn’t look to be changing any time soon
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The talk of being “dirty” and “playing school” is the most aggravating and just frustrated sour grapes - Michigan out-recruited (per 24/7) Clemson for each of the four classes that make up this year’s roster. The rankings, outside Alabama, don’t show a single school consistently being an outlier here. We routinely recruit roughly on par to OSU. I don’t who is dirty and who isn’t but the scouts don’t seem to think it’s producing disparate results.
The worst part of college sports, and part of why I want compensation is so the off-field morality play bullshit where “we” lose but “they” are “bad” or “dumb” goes the fuck away.
My lone exception is Alabama, who cheats just by over-using grey shirts and injury redshirts and expulsion to epic degrees to constantly churn out non-performing players.
I’m not smart enough to tell you why we lose and OSU wins every single year but it’s probably not ethical.
I don’t think bags of money explain why one team that starts all four and five star kids annually shellacks another that starts the same something like 15 of the past 17 by 30.
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Going into this season, Ohio State’s “recruiting impact” was 5th. Michigan’s was 12th. Michigan recruits well but Ohio State’s has been at a higher level for quite a while. I don’t think they cheat more than anyone else. They’ve justifiably developed a reputation as an NFL factory and talented kids want to go there.
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These preseason projections had Michigan going 9-3 with losses to Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State.
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OSU has obviously recruited better (and why not, high school kids literally cannot remember the last Michigan team that had more national relevance than OSU). I’m just not sure that 7 rank gap justifies the 30+ point annual beat downs.
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I find the performance in the last couple of bowls far less forgivable than losing to an OSU juggernaut that we’re pre-ordained to lose to. But I absolutely agree that he has no control over kids who don’t play. Cheers.
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They also alternate years like that by going 7-5 or 6-6
The thing that bothers me more are games like Wisconsin and Penn State. It is plausible, though not likely that at some point we could make the playoff with 1 loss to OSU if we win our other games. Jim needs to win the other matchups knowing how difficult beating OSU will be.
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