It Starts and Ends in the Dark

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It seems more like years ago than just a few months, when the Wolverines hosted Northern Illinois. Michigan was the #3 team in the country, with high expectations, with Henne and Hart poised for Sophomore supremacy, etc, etc. The most vaunted and feared offense in the country was just waiting to get into a shootout with anyone in the country in order to backup what looked to be a shaky defense. But that, my friends, was just on paper.

It was a season full of games that came down to the last minute, and in some cases the last second. A Notre Dame loss, along with 4th quarter losses to Wisconsin and Minnesota hurt badly. Losing to the Fighting Irish never sits well, and watching the Golden Gophers reclaim the jug in the Big House was equally devastating. But what a wonderful feeling it was to beat Michigan State in overtime, and who will ever forget Henne to Manningham as time expired against Penn State. Again it took overtime to put away the also overrated Hawkeyes at Kinnick, followed by lay-ups against Northwestern and Indiana. A banged up team that shuffled their offensive line like a deck of cards went from 3-3 to 7-3, and there was hope going into Ohio State. Hope of a three-peat Big Ten Championship. Hope of a BCS bid for the 3rd consecutive year.

But it was not to be. Not that it would have mattered, as Sparty folded up shop against the Nittany Lions, leaving them bowl-less once again. (Sparty basketball also got pasted by Hawaii on the same day..hee hee) But the Wolverines looked as if they came out uninspired, if not just flat-out outmanned. All of the big time players, minus perhaps Chad Henne (though that last pass made me sick), were ineffective. Not a single punt return by Steve Breaston, and just one kick return. Mike Hart and Kevin Grady? 1.7 and 1.8 yards per carry respectively. Jason Avant, in his last game at the Big House, managed only 4 receptions. And the defense? Almost non-existant. The only stops seem to come by the way of turnovers. LaMarr Woodley had only 4 tackles. Gabe Watson...just 1. Big time players come to play in big time games. On November 19th, Ohio State had all of the big time players.

A couple of key turnovers kept the Wolverines in the game, and in fact gave the Wolverines a 9 point lead with just over 7 minutes to play. But a lethargic offense that settled for field goals instead of touchdowns all day, could not muster up just a few more first downs to keep the defense off of the field, and the game ended the same way it ended against Wisconsin and Minnesota. Ohio State marched down the field on a final drive of 12 plays for 88 yards for a touchdown and the win, 25-21.

Going Greek

Once again, we had a tailgate that outshined the Wolverine's performance. Breakfast burritos, spinach pie, baklava, gyros, and loads of delicious fried appetizers were just some of the things that filled the tables at UMTailgate.com. Many even donned togas getting into the spirit of the theme.

We Say Goodbye

Another year of tailgates comes to a close, and there is no doubt it was our best year ever. Thanks to everyone who participated, making UMTailgate.com what it is...the best tailgate at Michigan. I look forward to your input on how next year can be even better! We still have a bowl game ahead, and UMTailgate.com will be there, wherever it is. So if you're making the trip, let us know so we can all meet up.

The Day That Didn't Matter

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I heard all of the pre-game hype. About what this game meant, about how Michigan had everything to lose, and the Buckeyes had nothing to lose. About how the Big Ten Championship and a BCS bid was on the line. But then it was gameday...

They did it. They beat us. For the 5th time since 1988, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Wolverines, and in dominating fashion. We had no answer for the offense that they created just for us. They practice to play us each and every week, even weeks when they were scheduled to play Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Purdue. They don't just look ahead to Michigan during the season, they look ahead to Michigan as their season. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we don't. We play all of our games. That leaves Ohio State as a game in our season, not our season as a whole. And this year, that wasn't enough for us to compete.

It was difficult to leave the horseshoe, even when we fell be behind by 20 points. The Wolverine faithful, with leftover miracle hope from the MSU comeback, just wouldn't give up. But the team on the field didn't have the magic that day, and more importantly just didn't have the gameplan to solve Ohio State. Troy Smith ran through our defense as the NCAA ran through files in the Buckeye athletic office, and the Wolverines suffered their first Big Ten loss.

Disappointment? Yes. Buckeye fans rushing the field as if they had just clinched the National Championship is enough to make any Wolverine fan's blood boil. But the thought had to cross your mind...what are they celebrating? Yes, they certainly should be happy that they pulled off an upset, but are they so far gone that they don't realize they finished behind Northwestern in the Big Ten, and are slated for a bowl game that occurs before the new year?

Michigan is the Big Ten champion, and will be going to the Rose Bowl for the second straight year. Had Michigan won instead of lost on Saturday, they would be the Big Ten champion, and would be going to the Rose Bowl for the second straight year. So what did Michigan-Ohio State mean this year? It meant about four hours of wondering about the postseason before everything fell into place.

Perhaps you are disappointed in the season as a whole. Maybe you thought Gutierrez and Underwood would be the cornerstone in a National Championship season... but then again, you thought Gutierrez and Underwood were actually going to play, so what do you know? I guess this was a rebuilding year, and if that's the case, what a great one it was. Replace the Heisman trophy runner-up and 5th year senior quarterback with two true freshman, and win several close and exciting games on the way to a second consecutive Big Ten championship. You may have accepted that fate before the season started, and you certainly would have accepted it after Notre Dame.

The ebb and flow of college football. Coming out of the non-conference schedule, you pointed to Iowa, Minnesota, and Purdue as very possible losses. How would we stop the vaunted rushing attack of Minnesota? How would we put Heisman trophy shoe-in Kyle Orton in check? We beat them all. And now they're all looking up at us, wondering how they let us slip by, in a year where our team wasn't a dominating powerhouse, but a group of men trying to learn the system in a sport where every game counts... except for Michigan vs. Ohio State.

So the 2004 regular season comes to a close. Thanks again to everyone that played a part in our tailgate that celebrates the greatest team in college football. I hope we can have a great bowl game turnout and an active off-season for UMTailgate.com. See you all soon!

The Conquering Heroes

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Dynasty Undisputed

The rising sun broke the horizon as I loaded the last of the tailgate equipment into my car. It was a brisk and mostly cloudy morning. This is one of those games where the tailgate is just something you need to get through. I exchanged a few salutations and a 'Go Blue' with the families of Grant Bowman and Andy Mignery, expressing cautious confidence verbally, while maintaining the utmost confidence mentally in the team which I follow with unwavering passion. So when we ventured out at 7:30am to a stadium that is less than one mile away, but didn't arrive at the tailgate until 9:30am, my frustration with the unprecedented traffic was quelled by the fact that the game was still going to be played, and I wasn't going to miss a single snap.

We celebrated a few birthdays in the pregame, but all of the festivities that took place prior to kickoff are just flash memories to me. Even the absence of our tailgate's founding father was over-shadowed by the sheer excitment of the pending matchup. I hadn't even noticed how many other regular tailgaters still hadn't arrived as we got to just an hour before kickoff.



Leaving early from the tailgate to go to the game, I was able to see the "band take the field" for the first time this season. 400 previous varsity football letter winners held up the "Go Blue" banner, and as the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention and a chill ran down my spine, the Wolverines poured onto the field, congregating on the home sidline, piling onto each other with jublilation as if the outcome was already in hand.

Michigan posted the first 21 points, and after opening the 2nd half with a 5-play, 62-yard drive, led the Buckeyes 28-7. Ohio State then mounted a comeback that made the score as close as 28-21. But the Wolverines would not be denied. Chris Perry added a touchdown for the Wolverines with just under 8 minutes to go, and the defense clamped down forcing 3 punts and an interception on the Buckeyes last four possessions.

The Michigan Wolverines are THE 2003 Big Ten Champions. No one else. Fans jumped down onto the field, celebrated with the team and with each other. Then, after about 30 minutes, they calmly went back into the stands to listen to the band complete the experience with a post-game concert and a rousing chorus of "The Victors". With the victory, the Wolverines have guaranteed themselves a trip to at least the Rose Bowl, and leave themselves an outside shot at the Sugar Bowl. Bowl games will be officially announced after December 6th.

The Season Ends

It seems to go by so fast! Another sucessfull season for the Wolverines and for UMTailgate.com. Special thanks to everyone for participating in the themes, and for being a part of our tailgate family. I hope to see you all out at the bowl game, wherever it may be, but if not, enjoy the winter, and stay tuned to UMTailgate.com for more wonderfull alcohol-inspired exploits courtesy of myself and the tailgating family.

Those Who Stay...

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It starts with just the name. Michigan-Ohio State. It's not Ohio State-Michigan, and it shouldn't be.

Ninety-nine times before, these two teams have met, most of the time with something on the line. Saturday will be no different. The Ohio State Buckeyes will enter Saturday's game as the defending National Champions of college football. A little hard to swallow. Add on the fact that Michigan is most likely the only thing standing in the way of the Buckeyes getting a chance to defend that crown, and the pressure increases.

Your ears begin to pop when you think about how this game will be the defining moment in the careers of John Navarre, Chris Perry, and perhaps even Lloyd Carr. You find it hard to breathe when you realize that there's a new guy in town, Jim Tressel, who finds ways to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on a weekly basis. You remember how Michigan dominated the Buckeyes in last years game, only to find themselves riding home on the short-end of a 14-9 scoreboard.

Anticipation started at the end of the first half of the Michigan - Northwestern game. And it has only been building since then. Words can't describe it. It's as if the Buckeyes are getting the advantage, two in a row, which is something you cannot recollect ever happening before. The discomfort that you feel is similar to that which has plagued the Buckeyes for 20 years. Two in a row can be a aberration, three in a row is a bonified streak, and you can't bear to think about what it would be like if it happened. It's like worrying about the Russians taking over during the cold war. You imagined then what it would be like to be forced into drone-like employment, and all the red...damn that red.

Well, I've seen enough red now. It seems there's a few at each of our games, home or away, as if they're scouting out trying to find the weakness in our team, our fans, and our way of life. What is our way of life? It is the dynasty. Not a dynasty in the modern sense of the word, like the Red Wings being a "dynasty", or Michigan State basketball having a "dynasty". In sport, you may look to the New York Yankees to find something comparable. Michigan has been in the Big Ten (AKA the Western Conference from '17-'52) for 95 seasons, and has won nearly half of the championships in that stretch. All-time leader in wins in all divisions of college football, 2nd only to Notre Dame in winning percentage, and last had a losing season in 1967. That's a dynasty.

But dynasties have been known to be vulnerable. The world will be watching, the gameday crew will be on hand. On Saturday, November 22nd, it will be the 34th anniversary of Michigan ending the Buckeye's 22-game winning streak in the first battle between Woody and Bo. And on the biggest stage in the country, Ohio State will be defending its National Championship while Michigan is defending its dynasty. Who wants it more?

The Navarre-Ending Story: Part 2

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The End

It will be known nationally as another classic chapter in the long and storied history of college football's greatest rivalry. It will be known to Buckeye fans as one of their finest moments and one of their greatest triumphs. For Michigan fans, it was another dissappointing performance in a big game by John Navarre, who while playing well for 56 minutes, turned the ball over twice in the last 4 minutes to seal the 14-9 victory for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes move on to where everyone had dreams of going, Tempe for the Fiesta Bowl. Meanwhile, it's a return trip to Florida for the Wolverines, who will try to salvage a season by getting to double digit wins and avoid another 4-loss campaign.

A Little Consolation...Tailgating Season Just Got Extended

Following the game, JJ (the artist formerly known as Tuggy) and I received word that the Riverview Pirates had beaten Jackson Lumen Christi 31-8 and will move on to the state finals in the Pontiac Silverdome. The game will be at 8pm on Friday against Grand Rapids South Christian. Attendees may include the Godfather himself, so expect a full force UMTailgate.com tailgate. Those interested in attending should not hesitate to contact me.