A Rematch

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​Ohio State is in the National Championship game...again.

A feeling of sickness grows in my stomach at Ohio State's dominance in the two major college sports. There is only one remedy for this horrible situation, and that is for Ohio State to lose...in embarrassing fashion...to the same school that embarrassed them in the BCS championship game back in January. Ohio State's 2007 legacy will then become that of perennial bridesmaid, a college version of the Buffalo Bills. That would, in a way, put a band aid on this giant open wound, stopping the bleeding for just long enough to hire a decent basketball coach, and for the winged helmets to take the field again.

But I digress, there are more important things to worry about than who is going to win the tournament....like who is going to win the UMTailgate.com tournament challenge. There are just two possible scenarios...

If Florida beats Ohio State...here are the winners.

If Ohio State beats Florida...here are the winners.

Thanks to all that participated, and congrats in advance to our winners.

Back to Crisler

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​No matter how much Michigan Basketball underachieves, how disappointing the season is, and how much I wish death upon 3 of the 4 starters, there is always seems to be "just one more chance" for redemption for this team. There always seems to be a game coming up that can fix everything...if they could just find some way to be a team for 40 full minutes. So you get excited, you watch the game, you root on the team in the hopes that this is the turning point. But it never comes. And let me let you in on a little secret, it's not coming anytime soon.

The Wolverines run in the Big Ten tournament ended today with a loss to Ohio State, 72-62. A win would have most likely have put them in the NCAA tournament, as would have a win against Ohio State last Saturday, as would have a win at North Carolina State early in the year, at Illinois, at MSU...at anywhere for that matter. Perhaps if we had only lost to UCLA by 17...instead of 37.

Woulda. Coulda. Shoulda.

Rosenberg said it best in his article written prior to today's loss:

...there remains a perception that Michigan's ceiling is Michigan State's floor.

MSU, with arguably its worst talent in a decade, is heading to another NCAA tournament. Michigan, with four senior starters, needs to beat top-ranked Ohio State to even get on the bubble.


The truth hurts. And while you try to settle yourself down with regards to Michigan State...think of this: In the last three years of football and basketball, Michigan is 0-9 against Ohio State.

The bright side? Getting to watch Courtney Sims play at Crisler again.

You Better Not Be Rooting For Ohio State Tonight

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​I've heard all of the reasons: I'm rooting for the Big Ten. I'm rooting against Florida because we should have been in the National Championship game. I'm rooting against Florida because Urban Meyer lobbied to get into that game.

No.

We lost handily to USC. The season is over. In 8 months, nothing will matter with regards to "Big Ten solidarity," the 2006 BCS selection, or Urban Meyer. Nothing. All that will remain will be a name etched in history as a National Champion...and if you want that name to be Ohio State, then please turn in your Michigan football fan card at the door. You are either with us...or with the terrorists.

Why? Because of This...

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​It's over. But it's been over. It would have hurt a lot less if there they had never given us a glimmer of hope. But they did, and by "they" I mean the media...the voters...the BCS. We lost to Ohio State on November 18th, and we were all ready to let the dream die there. On Sunday the 19th, because of our valiant effort, Michigan fell from #2 to, well, #2. Unexpected? Yes. Unprecedented? Yes. Real? No. Though the pollsters and the computers kept the Maize and Blue in the #2 spot, they were really always #4. They were always behind USC and Florida. The idea of a rematch was only part of the problem. It was the fact that not only would Michigan get to play Ohio State again, but they would be playing them back-to-back. As the cold weather dictates that the Big Ten end their schedule before Thanksgiving, Michigan had no more games to play. Their last game...Ohio State. Their next game...Ohio State? Too much to stomach for the world outside of the Midwest. Not good on paper...not great for TV...no go for Big Blue.

You needn't look far to find if we are the best one loss team, and if the pollsters dictated the game they wanted instead of #1 vs. #2. Imagine if you will the expected USC victory over UCLA. USC heads to Glendale easily. But what do the BCS standings look like? No doubt we remain #3, and Florida remains #4. Florida moved only to create a matchup, and that is unfortunate.

Another scenario that puts us in Glendale? Take the bye week we previously had and use it, then play a patsy during "championship weekend." Michigan beats Vanderbilt 27-7 this weekend, and it's off to Arizona for Carr's boys. Note: Florida beat Vandy by 6.
However, that's not why we aren't in Glendale. We controlled our own destiny. We needed only to win in Columbus to go to the National Championship game. We didn't.

We have no argument. We lost a game. The rest is fodder for sportstalk radio.
So it's back to Pasadena for Michigan, the third trip to the Granddaddy of them all in four years. An impressive mark, even if it is mired in disappointment. UMTailgate.com is heading out west, so drop me a line if you are making the trip. And now that it is Florida playing Ohio State, I must say...GO GATORS! BEAT THE BUCKEYES! You can stick that "good for the conference" line right up your ass.

GO BLUE!

Oh, and the highly anticipated pictures from our trip to Columbus? They are right here. But they really suck.

P.S.  If you want to be super pissed off...look at this.