Diminishing Returns on Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind: Indiana 38, Michigan 21
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October 24th was a row-the-boat-induced aberration. What appeared to be a “good enough” defense combined with what seemed to be the greatest ground and pound party in the Big Ten was propped up by Gopher inadequacies, and subsequently folded seven days later against Little Bro. On that day, in front of the 3rd largest crowd watching a football game in Washtenaw County that weekend, the defensive backfield speed was exposed and the ground game fizzled. On Saturday in Bloomington, the secondary didn’t magically improve despite our prayers to Yost. The ground game, now riddled with OL injuries, is but a shadow of itself 14 days prior. Unfortunately, there are no Minnesotas left on the schedule (though maybe there is a Penn State of similar caliber), and the simple eye test, the one that failed us a couple weeks ago, is providing a crystal clear referendum on Michigan Football: This is one of the bottom teams in what is proving to be an overall mediocre Big Ten, even by Big Ten standards.
The only possible respite from this nightmare seems to be a Wisconsin-Doesn’t-Wash-Their-Hands Covid-induced bye. Sure, you could say covid effectively destroyed 2020 Michigan Football when it coaxed early retirement out of Ambry and Nico. But swirling rumors (if you believe some stories floating around the boards) of further expansion of a gap between staff and player are concerning and can only be aggravated by the in-person day-to-day rah rah aspect of Michigan football moving to zoom meetings. Anyway, as of Monday it looks like the Badgers are injecting enough bleach at the 11th hour to make that game happen. No excuses. Everybody is dealing with this at some level. The buck stops with Jim.
We all wanted him. We all wanted that quick turnaround. It was the perfect story and the perfect fit. But, we knew what we were getting into. We had heard the rumblings. His history showed diminished returns on Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind at his previous stops around year 4. Despite our confidence that the alma mater effect would not let that happen here, perhaps it is. More disappointing is that Michigan didn’t seem to get that signature moment like Stanford or San Fran. They both got to the edge of greatness. We have had to settle for being on the edge of being on the edge of greatness. That's one additional degree of Kevin Bacon away from where you need to be to have the law of averages sneak you a championship. The Wolverines have hit that “two steps away” spot in about half of the Harbaugh years. That’s those early-November-appearance-in-the-CFP-poll years, or basically any year where the winner of The Game would be going to Indy. Those were almost enough. Michigan got really really close. If JT was in fact short maybe history changes. But now they seem to be flirting with a lesser tier. To a point where today, just 3 games in, the Wolverines have played themselves out of the discussion for the season, with prospects for the future dwindling.
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I don’t know how this Michigan team will play with their backs against the wall the way they are right now. I know how previous teams have reacted to similar circumstances under Harbaugh: they lose. Michigan loses games in which they are underdogs under Harbaugh at like a 95% clip. When there’s no respect, they don’t seem to be motivated to prove otherwise. They just plow forward with the idea that being Michigan is enough, a concept that when it was successful in the 70s through the 90s was pretty badass. But when it’s not successful (like the last 20 years) it becomes a liability that breeds apathy and lack of preparation.
On Saturday, with so much to prove after what I affectionately refer to as App State III (Toledo was App State II), Michigan was manhandled from start to finish.
When Michigan was on defense, the entire country (including Don Brown) knew what Indiana was going to do and when they did it, Michigan couldn’t stop it. There seems to be a small handful players whose talent overcomes a scheme that doesn’t fit the remainder of the defensive personnel available, and they are the only reason things weren’t more lopsided…and then 2 of them got injured. Compounding not having the horses for the race were issues at a fundamental level in the form of a bevy of offsides penalties that showed a straight up lack of discipline, or preparation, or both.
When Michigan was on offense, the entire country knew what Michigan was going to do, and they did it anyway, and kept doing it, despite failure. Without Joe Milton’s raw talent and Devin Gardner-like toughness the Wolverines might not have sniffed the end zone. Joe Milton is a good enough quarterback to lead Michigan to a championship. In a few more games, he might even go from good to great. But he can’t do it all. Obligatory shout out to Ronnie Bell here, who plays above his talent and wants so badly to carry this team.
I don’t know how or if this can be salvaged, both at a season and a program level. People like to hammer the $7 million salary Harbaugh is paid to go 0-5 against OSU, and 1-1000 against ranked teams or whatever. That’s all fine and good, and has its place in the pantheon of Michigan fan frustration. But personally as a fan, season ticket holder, and donator to the program, I am very much more interested in not being embarrassed any more than we have been already in 2020. Recovering from what has happened by effectively checking down to a manageable scheme on both sides of the ball that uses cool gimmicks and innovative coaching to maximize the talent on the roster — that’s how you earn your salary. Show improvement. BETTER TODAY THAN YESTERDAY, BETTER TOMORROW THAN TODAY, amirite?
When everything seems to be crumbling and the breaks aren’t going your way, that’s what the money is for. You’re supposed to be able to turn this shit around. And man, there’s no one we’d rather have do it than Jim Harbaugh.
Go Blue.
