Sims Goes Cold, Big Ten Run Ends at 3

DeShawn Sims was 3-14 from the floor, and had only 2 rebounds in Michigan's 66-51 loss to the Fighting Illini.  Copperyale was the only player in double figures (20), and 7-26 from 3-point is not going to get in done on most nights for a John Beilein squad.  Add in our inability to stop the biggest 7 foot dork in the Big Ten, and well, you find only disappointment.  Box score here.

It's tough to break two decade-plus-long losing streaks in one year.  We found a way to win at one Assembly Hall, but fell short at the other Assembly Hall in Champaign-Urbana.  Would have been a huge win, but it's not exactly a backbreaking loss.  We need to hold serve at home, and steal a couple on the road.  Given their record of 15-2, splitting the home-at-home with Illinois is not the end of the world, especially playing them twice in just 10 days.

Yes, I have decided to make excuses for every loss...and praise with great optimism every win.  That's what 2009 is all about.

Basketball against Ohio State...the return of the 1989 National Champions at halftime...and a chance to see Coach Beilein's 500th win.  Just your average Saturday in Ann Arbor.  Coupled with Illinois beating Michigan State, it could be a banner day.  See you at Crisler.

Go to bed.

This Kid Will Kick Your Ass, Alex

After the home-bed-pooping performance against Wisconsin, all the air was let out of my "let's watch basketball" balloon.  I wondered if this team, which from what we've seen is able to compete with the ACC and the PAC-10, is ready for Big Ten style play.  It's a worry, especially in these transitional times, where we not quite sharp enough for the full Beilein gameplan, and not quite big and tough enough to bang the boards against Big Ten foes on your average Wednesday evening.  Now, bare in mind that a single game does not a conference season make.  But the Wolverines showed a little something that my man Jerry Reed (East Bound and Down) would call "intestinal fortitude."  They didn't back down from Illinois.  They didn't crack under the pressure of what could be construed as the earliest "must win" game in conference history.  They didn't falter when their three-pointer lifeboat left the game after taking an elbow to the eye from the double turncoat turned Fighting Illini Alex Legion.

They played bigger than they are.

Davis, 6-9, was driving and looked to be going for the dunk when Harris, 6-5, jumped and met him in the air.

And if they continue to do that, they CAN compete in this league.  They CAN make a run for postseason play.

Michigan wins, 74-64, on 40% 3-point shooting against the nation's 3rd best 3-pointer defense (25%), ending Illinois 7-game winning streak.  Of note, LLP got the start and poured in 13 and had 5 assists.  Also, big Zack Gibson hit double digits in scoring (10), and Kelvin put up 9, including a nail-in-the-coffin layup in traffic in the waning moments.  Michigan's schedule will allow Novak to avenge his 6 stitches when they play at Illinois on 1/14, after this week's games at Indiana (Wed) and home against Iowa (Sun).

GO BLUE!

Weekend Roundup, Now What? Edition: October 6, 2008

Here's what you might have missed around the internet while you divided your time between cursing the television and taking a candy bar quiz

• We lost, now take your medicine.  Here...and here.


• Beilein says there are better days ahead for UM basketball.  That's mainly because it cannot get any worse.


• But in his defense, we did get our third commit for the 2009 class, two of which are top 150 prospects.  It's a race to see which West Virginia coach pays off first!!!! Article with local flavor here.


• RBUAS writes like you wish you could...this time about a meeting with Coach Carr, TT, Mike Hart, the Wisconsin game, and finding people on this team to identify with.


• Rich Rod makes fewer excuses every week, putting responsibility on both the players and himself, and not using inexperience as an excuse...even though he could.  This week, he flat out says "we played soft."

A Carnival With A Dash of Hot Sauce

We were a tilt-a-whirl and a couple of carnies away from being able to sell tickets to this thing.  The carnival themed tailgate was once again our best showing.  Games, prizes, elephant ears, and a plethora of fried foods set the festive tone.  We blanketed the golf course in Cholula Hot Sauce, making friends with our tailgate neighbors and hundreds of passers-by along the way.  Special thanks to KT for creating the games and furnishing the prizes, from the duck pond to pin the sweatervest on Jim Tressel.  Thanks to KT (again) and Joe for making their way across the golf course to pass out sauce and recipe books.  Thanks to Julian Gonzales, Free Press photographer, for coming out and giving us some notoriety in the metro area.  Finally, thanks to Cholula for sponsoring our day and "spicing" things up.

Quick press linkfest:

• Article on Rich Rod's mom that is nestled next to an artsy black and white of your's truly holding up hot sauce bottles and looking like some kind of tailgate troll is here.


• Freep photos of the day, including two from our tailgate (#5 and #6) that include an action shot of steak sandwich building and our own Baby Beth and friend Drew in Cholula gear.


• Michigan Football Saturdays gives us a shout out...thanks.


• Our pics from the tailgate, courtesy of Tuba and Greg.

One more note...I'm pretty sure we are going to have an article on the tailgate pop up this week in the Freep, most likely in the Life or Food section.  I'll keep you posted.

Thanks to everyone for helping put us on the map!  GO BLUE!

With Every Passing Week, I Know Less

We all have expectations.  The problem with them is that they are ever changing.  Week to week...even game to game.  At halftime of the Wisconsin game, you expected Michigan Football to fold up shop for the rest of that game...and perhaps the remainder of the season.  At the end of the Wisconsin game, and moving into this week against Illinois, you had us improving our way through this transitional season, and sneaking ourselves into a Big Ten title chase like we snuck our way through that second half.  On the heels of the Illini's 42-6 run in the final three quarters of Saturday's game, expectations have changed again.  Admit it, you are worried about Toledo.  Ya, me too.

It's difficult to decide what is real, what is growth and improvement, from what is an aberration.  Was that ass-kicking we just endured the real 2008 Wolverines...or was that the product of a bad day, bad scheme, or over-confidence?  Was the amazing poise and fortitude we showed against Wisconsin the result of luck and circumstance?  If Wisconsin gave Ohio State its biggest scare outside of the Colosseum, can we make a game of it in Columbus?  Or with Juice racking up 431 yards in our house, can we expect Pryor to break an NCAA record in the Horseshoe?

We've played 20 quarters of football this season...maybe 5 of them could be considered complete or successful, but not quite completely successful.  That's 25% good, 75% bad based on my rough estimates.  Not exactly a bolstering of my confidence.

But if I told you we went toe to toe with an undefeated Utah team that is the second best flavor of the month in college football behind their neighbors in Salt Lake City and has clawed their way to a #14 ranking, and knocked off a team from Madison that was ranked #9 and by all indications was a challenger for the Big Ten title...maybe that would help.  Until Saturday (and thru most of Saturday) we found ourselves competing in every game.  And while we might be bringing a knife to these gun fights, we still are managing to get some good stabs in along the way.  I think we can play with anybody.  Unfortunately, I think anybody can play with us as well.  Someday, hopefully sooner than later, we will find ourselves with the defense we saw keep us in the Wisconsin game exist symbiotically with the offense from the first quarter of Illinois game and the turnover margin from, well, some other season.

This is still worth waiting for.