Champ vs. Champ, and Make It 3 from the Sunshine State

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​There will be so many Michigan references leading up to this one that they might as well televise it on the BTN. On college football opening weekend (8/30), our old friend Appalachian State will take on our other old friend Les Miles in a battle of National Champions from the two D1 subdivisions.

Chances of an upset? Zero. Just like when they played us.

I don't know what LSU is thinking with this. Did we not give them the best example of a worst case scenario with what happened last year? There is nothing to gain from playing the Mountaineers.

On the recruiting front, Michigan got their 24th commitment...their third from Florida. It's all about the speed baby. An article from the Sun Sentinel announces the LOI from wide receiver Martavious Odoms. (via MGoBlog)

History Begins Tomorrow

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​It's Friday. Pre-game. That used to mean something here in Ann Arbor. Quiet time. Concentration time. Pad-free walk thrus, just to keep the timing where it needs to be. Obviously, last week in lieu of these things, it was "fun time." Worry free time. Appalachian State time. We will wear them down. They have inferior athletes. They have an inferior gameplan. They have an inferior school with inferior students and a mascot that looks like the guy from that Pirates movie. Where are they from? Nowhere. Who's on their team? Nobody. They brought their band? Wow. I can't believe they field a band, or can afford to ship those derelicts out here.

But now it's different. Or at least it should be.

There is something I've noticed over the past week, and I can't decide if it's just talk or if it's what this team believes. Now, I think it's important for the team to feel like they have something to play for, that it's not over. And it may not be over. But it's paramount that this team realizes what they did. That it WAS NOT OK. That everything is not going to be alright on it's own. Everything is different now. Everything NEEDS to be different now.

...there is a ton of football to play and a ton of games to go so it's actually just beginning. Sure, we had a loss but we have to go forward, we have to get ready for Oregon and that's what we're concentrating on. We were disappointed but we played hard. We made some mistakes and they are correctable. We're getting ready for Oregon and we know the mistakes we made we need to correct and I think we'll be a lot better next week and ready to go." - Will Johnson

Makes it sound like we just got edged out by Ohio State...instead of that we just embarrassed the shit out of ourselves and we need to work harder, play harder, and be smarter. Smarter is the key, because you can't teach speed, you can't "correct" speed. We don't have the speed, we've never had the speed...so we need to be smarter.

History repeats itself repeating itself...

Two years ago we lost two quick games right off the bat. We lost to Notre Dame and Iowa and there is something that changes at practice and there is a mindset that changes. I remember that year we just felt we weren't going to lose another game even when we had come-from-behind victories, we had the mindset that we weren't going to lose."

Great mindset, except that this quote is from Tyler Ecker in 2005. He alludes to 2003. Now it's 2007. We refuse to learn. Can't start, can't finish....can't can't can't. I want that "we're not going to lose" mindset in place on August 1st, and removed on January 7th. Can I get that? Just once?

Michigan Football has been reset. And what happens from this point forward will be it's legacy. We have lived and rested on our laurels for the better part of 10 years. The 1997 National Championship, the most wins, the best win percentage, and the largest stadium. But none of these things are going to beat Oregon. None of these things are going to beat Notre Dame or Penn State.

Our history is now. We are the team that has lost their last three games. We are the team that has lost three in a row and 5 out of 6 to Ohio State. We are the team that has lost their last four bowl games. We are the team that lost to Appalachian State. You have to start somewhere. I only hope that when this weekend ends, we're the team that beat Oregon.

The Aftermath: Super Long Weekend Roundup

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​Feeling better yet? Ya, me neither. And the coverage doesn't look to end soon. I mean, you're going to see that blocked field goal every week before our games. There's going to be coverage of Appalachian State games each week on SportsCenter. There's going to be an ESPY award. Then there's the endless ribbing by your opponent. Basically, that play, that game, will be haunting your dreams for months and years to come.

How do you cope? I've got some ideas...but there coming later. For now, a look at what the internets did to your beloved Wolverines in the past few days:

Prozac and the Art of Michigan Football

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​I'm so not interested in doing this. I'm not ready, and you don't care. You've heard it all. The apocalypse, the aftermath, the haters, the lovers. Nothing I'm going to say is new or profound. But we were on a roll here at UMTailgate.com. Lot's of posts, lot's of activity, and a great tailgate. So I feel it has to be done. Moving on, moving forward, or whatever. So, on with the chlorophyll...

My name is Frank, and I love Michigan Football. So much so that it hurts. Every single year it hurts, and honestly, it's more a matter of when, not if, I will be disappointed. And still I love it. Each and every year, I go into the season as a fan, with a giant pile of prejudice, and let everyone that will listen know that Michigan is going to win every game they play. And I believe it. I really do. I don't know how to say were going to lose. I don't know what it means to not believe in this team.

But at some point, inevitably, they lose. 
I've seen rough starts, like the many seasons that were ended early by Notre Dame or (fill in any west coast road trip here.) I've seen rough finishes, like we've had the last few years. I've seen us lose to our far inferior in-state rival. I've seen us give up the Little Brown Jug on our home field. I've seen Iowa come in to Michigan Stadium and smoke us on homecoming. I've seen us lose in a shoot out to Northwestern in Evanston. I saw the Hail Mary. However, I've never seen anything like what I saw on Saturday. And that doesn't make me very unique, because as I have been painfully reminded throughout this terribly long holiday weekend, no one has.

Fool me once, shame on you...fool me 15 times, and I become the fool? Perhaps. But there's an odd consistency to this program that beckons me as the leaves begin to change. We usually win, and for some reason, that's enough for me. And while I dream of the day that we become the Nebraska of the mid-90's, the early 90's Florida State, or the current USC...running off a three year clip with one or two total losses...I'm willing to wait for it. Maybe forever. Meanwhile, I'm content of being the Michigan of the 1900's and 2000's.

Perhaps that's what makes me different than you, or perhaps you feel the same way.

As for the on-field recovery, or rebuilding, or whatever it is...I just don't know. What will it take for me to forget what happened? Blunt head trauma I suspect. But I have found solace in the "bad" Michigan teams over the years. Every win becomes a big win. Who wants to be the team that lost to the team that lost to Appalachian State? No one. But we WILL win games this year. And maybe each one will be sweeter because we are not supposed to win. With each win, we eliminate a team that can throw ASU in our face. There are 119 teams in Division 1-A college football...we can shut up 11 of them.

So, see you Saturday?

Presser Quietly Addresses F--- Lion

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​Lloyd Carr addressed the media today in the first "game-inspired" press conference of the 2007 season. Things you can take away from it are as follows:

  • Despite the rich history of seasons and the extensive use worldwide of the Roman calendar, Lloyd insists that fall began back at the end of July.

  • Appalachian State is the best team ever.

  • We can only run to the left, and Chad Henne may have to roll out to the left on every snap so he doesn't die. More to the point, our offensive line is in a bit of trouble on the right hand side. Mitchell is out, and a freshman named David Molk might get some serious PT at RG. Looks like Steve Schilling is solidly in at RT.

  • Kevin Grady is running. (Forgot about him during the injury report..whoops) Still a lengthy rehab ahead.

  • Ryan Mallet should see some time under center...a reason to stay for the second half.

  • There is no fullback on the depth chart...which makes some people think we are going to run a spread offense or something. Get a grip. Hand off to Hart. Hand off to Hart. Hand off to Hart. Toss bomb to Mario. That's our offense, and you love it.

  • The placekicking job isn't quite resolved yet. You know what? If you've three kickers...that means you don't have one.

Then there is the issue of Marques Slocum's facebook page. As reported throughout the internet, Marques had a cute little Q&A session...with himself...and posted the results on his facebook page. It was originally picked up by Everyday Should Be Saturday, and is quite a read. No, really, if you missed it, you should read it right now. It was also picked up by Deadspin here. Note to all student athletes: No MySpace, no Facebook, no pictures, no dog-fighting, and no f--- lions. Regarding Mr. Slocum, Lloyd says:

We'll make our dress list this week, so you might want to check that out when you get to the game.

It's a different world out there folks. I bet you never thought you'd see the day when someone was benched "due to internet."

***UPDATE*** There's now a T-Shirt available from the boys of EDSBS.