Mass Debate? I Don't Think So

This entire Bowl Season has sucked.  Why?  Because we were not in it.  I've watched, perhaps this year more than any other due to the lack of a bowl trip to manage.  No sightseeing Orlando, Pasedena, or the Riverwalk over the holidays, only the quiet comfort of riveting contests like the Poinsettia Bowl to calm my nerves as we wait for recruits to commit and decommit...and the arrival of a new defensive coordinator.  I think I would have had a better time attending the world championships of beer pong.  I can't figure out how it isn't televised on ESPNU.  Anyway, the season, while over for us on November 22nd, and over for most by Jan 1, ended for everybody tonight.  Florida won the BCS championship game on Thursday 24-14, but in this era of hope and change, some other one-loss schools (USC/Utah/Texas/Boise) have staked a claim.  Here's why no one but Florida has a leg to stand on.

USC: Lost a game at home to Oregon State.  Oregon State lost to Penn State 45-14.  Lose to a team that lost to a Big Ten team...outta here.  Slight conundrum that USC dismantled Penn State in the Rose Bowl...but then again, they are automatically disqualified from NC contention for playing their bowl game against a team from the Big Ten and not winning by 35.  Sucks to be in the PAC-10 with that forced Big Ten matchup.

Utah: Plays in Mountain West Conference.  That should be enough.  But, they also only beat Michigan by 2 points....Toledo beat Michigan by 3 points.  Outta here.

Boise State: Play most games on Thursday nights.  Have a blue field.  Outta here.

Texas: Did not make their conference championship game.  Played a Big Ten team in their bowl game, and won by less than 35.  Outta here.

So, congrats to Florida and to Tim Tebow, who will likely end his career with only one bowl loss...

The Tailgate Wins Again

There are times when we joke that the tailgate outshined the performance on the field.  Saturday, that would've been an understatement.  But that's not a fair comparison.  Twelve freshman saw the field for the Maize and Blue on Saturday...10 men and women over the age of fifty helped set up tents and cooked some food.  Our experience is unparalleled.  Hell, we've even had a website for 9 seasons, and we're pretty sure John Dogan fought in World War I.  So hey, when I tell you that our tailgate kicked ass and was led by a dream I've had for 10 years of sporting over 100,000 BTUs of grilling power...I mean it.

Our group's first All-American tailgate went off well, with Old Glory taking center stage lining the tents and adorning the chests of our tailgaters.  We had a good old fashioned American barbeque pot luck, and the participation levels, the amount of food, and the amount of people were all estimated as UMTailgate records.

Reality Bites

Somewhere in your mind, past the place where Michigan fanhood clouds your better judgment, past the place where hope kills all common sense...you knew.  It really is a rebuilding year.  And the reality is that in the near future, no matter what this team does to grow and learn, it would take a miracle of biblical proportions to have us win games in the manner to which we have become accustomed.

The football project is now on pace with the stadium project...both should be ready by the fall of 2010.

Utah dominated every facet of the game on Saturday, and despite the Utes best Michigan State impression through stupid penalties and turnovers, the Wolverines still managed to fall short.  The Utes at several points in the third and fourth quarter attempted to literally hand us a victory that we did not deserve.  Utah moved the ball for Michigan through penalties nearly as well as the Michigan offense moved the ball through offensive plays.  137 yards of penalties for Utah..203 yards of total offense for Michigan.  But even that blatant ineptitude was not enough to assist an offense that could not overcome two quarterbacks that looked like the 3rd and 4th members of a depth chart, and an offensive line whose best asset seems to be the speed at which they run to the line of scrimmage.  The defense took a full half of football to adjust to game speed, and by then it was too late.  All of Michigan's best plays were from the punt team (both Zoltan (minus 1 shank) and the coverage team) when they weren't getting inexcusable delays of game.

If your looking for more positives, they are few and far between.  The inevitable "we didn't quit" probably comes to mind...but that's akin to saying "I take care of my kids" or "I've never been arrested."  The defense, once awakened, made some big stops, especially late in the game.  Threet threw one really nice ball to Junior Hemmingway.  Finally, the biggest highlight for me...the new construction shaded my section by halftime.

Box Score

Enemy Article

Odd Website That Has Nothing To Do With the Football Game

Return of the Utes

The co-architects of one of the worst football contests has returned to avenge their 10-7 defeat at the hands of our fair Wolverines.

No preview today, we're cooking (huge cop out)...but here are some fun facts/bullet points:




• Get a t-shirt from the BYU faithful


• Why the Utes sucked last year.


• That's what they did with the train from Silver Spoons!!!!


• The Utes may have been here before you.  Actually, the Utes may have been here before anyone.


• Yes, they are one of the few still allowed to have an American Indian mascot. They get a pass because they would also need to rename the state of Utah if it were deemed offensive.

Check List

I've woken up early the last two mornings. Tuesday at 8 am and Wednesday at 9.15 am in an effort to prepare myself for the first tailgate. Unfortunately neither of those times are really that early compared to the actual time the alarm is going to go off Saturday morning. As the Spindoctors said, "It's not late its early, early." I disagree. In my life 5 am is time to go to bed not get up. Anyhow 5.45 am is going to be a harsh reality but hopefully that will be the only thing Saturday representative of that description. I'm scared! And excited! And scared!

(NOTE: Did the David Terrell interview during the Big Ten Network replay of the 2000 orange bowl freak anyone else out besides me?)

Anyhow, over the past few days (besides watching inappropriate amounts of the Big Ten Network) I've been putting together a check list to get myself prepared for my trip out to Ann Arbor. I tried to recap the things I've accomplished over the last few months as well as any last minute tasks I needed to complete before my flight. Here's what I came up with...

Check list:

1) Warm up. I had a foot long veggie delight from Subway with yellow peppers and jalapenos in anticipation of any potential feats of strength competitions.

2) Work out regimen. I drove roundtrip to Rochester, New York Wednesday, a total of 700 miles and on my way back down I stopped in Syracuse, New York at Dinosaur bbq.  FYI, I got the Sampler Extreme.

3) Hydration. Was at a wedding Saturday that started at 3pm. Got home at 1am. (As if I really needed the wedding as an excuse...)

4) Mindset. Spent an hour Monday with a shrink for the first time however even he couldn't help calm my fears about our offensive line.

5) Check vital signs. I've been keeping an eye on my cholesterol for the last year. Got that baby up from 200 to 260. "More pork sausages mom!"

6) Nutrition. Now that my official weight surpasses the aero mattress maximum (which is totally fine because now I don't need to come up with an excuse to sleep on the floor) and most plastic lawn chairs and rapidly approaching, ironically enough, the "Wii fit" weight limit I'm all set for Saturday's festivities!

This outdoor set would be simply out of the question...

With that said I'll leave you with the thought of the day...

Leading up to the 8am tailgate there's often panic about getting to "our spot." But frankly who the hell is lining up at 7.30 am to pay $40 for entry that doesn't already know where they're parking?!

See you soon!!