We Were Merely Freshmen

Michigan decided to replay the Savannah State game on Wednesday night, falling behind by 17 by the half, then 20 early in the second half before climbing all the way back, forcing overtime, and pulling it out in the extra frame.  Abysmal from the floor at 38%, including 25% in the first half...lackluster D that gave up 39 points to an Indiana team that scored 42 points TOTAL in their only other Big Ten game.  Oh, and Indiana just lost at home to Lipscomb.  Lipscomb.  Lipscomb has a huge conference matchup on January 22nd against Kennesaw State.  That's Lipscomb.

But hey, who am I to judge?  We got ran out of Crisler in the first half against Savannah State, and Savannah State would sell their soul to get into Lipscomb's conference.  Anyway...

A win.  A big win.  A gritty, come from behind, against all odds win.  And the first in Bloomington since January of 1995, when I (and many of the fellow UMTailgaters) were freshmen at Michigan.  It was before Ed Martin.  It was Jimmy and Ray's senior year, and the first year of Fab Five II...and the win ended a 56 game home winning streak for Bobby Knight's Hoosiers, their longest in school history.  It was historic, so much so that I saved The Michigan Daily from the next day.  The headline read "Michigan Halts General's March in Bloomington" and I would share it with you from an internet archive...but there was no internet.

Had I known it would take 13 years to repeat the feat, I would have framed it.

Thank You Tulsa...and Some Quick Hits

To my competitors in the Bowl Pool...  Stan Parrish?  Really?  Realllllllly?

For the past two weeks, Brady Hoke has been packing his bags and making daily 5pm dinner plans at Rams Horn with a geriatric Steve Fisher, leaving Stan the man to lead the Cardinals into postseason play for the first time since, well, ever.  So, ya, I took Tulsa, and ya, I clinched the pool regardless of championship game outcome.

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Ohio State kept the momentum going on the basketball court, losing 67-58.  Unfortunately, it came at the hands of Sparty.  So in short, the desired outcome, a release of copius amounts of sarin gas into the Breslin Center, did not occur.

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Scot Loeffler, who is still too cool for that second "t," has been named the QB coach of the Florida Gators.  If this whole Rich Rod thing doesn't work out, we'll give you a coordinator spot on Harbaugh's staff.

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Rosters for the Shine Game on January 17th have been set, TT is on the East, along with Morgan Trent. Look for draft stock to rise on the 3 QBs on the West Roster.

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BIG GAME TONIGHT.  Michigan looks to end a 13-year drought in Assembly Hall in Zack Novak's homecoming.  LIVE 6:30pm, BTN.

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!

William Campbell Goes Blue

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Watch As 17-year Old Kids Dramatically Pick Up Hats

Two high school All-American games are being broadcast this weekend, and a whole slew of Michigan hopefuls are in action.  Watch with bated breath as someone will shun us, someone will surprise us, and someone will embark on the road to becoming the next Anton Campbell.  Varsity Blue has a list of interested teens that you should print out and adorn with check marks draw lines through as each makes their decision LIVE during breaks in the Pro-Bowl-like action.  Just kidding.  You actually shouldn't even watch because signing day is actually over a month away, and until pen hits paper, you really don't know.

Because you can't trust someone that hasn't had lap dance.

US Army All-American Bowl, January 3rd at noon, NBC

ESPNU Underarmour All-America High School Football Game, January 4th at 2pm, ABC