No Time For Love Dr. Jones
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Michigan defeated Illinois on Saturday 42-25 in front of a small and unenthused crowd in Champaign. No doubt you have already read countless tales of the 3 stages of this game: 1) domination 2) diarrhea 3) recovery. I will touch briefly on each of these stages.
Stage 1, Domination: Michigan ran the ball extremely well, even by Illinois-run-defense-sucks standards. Holes. Big ones. Running backs breaking tackles. MICHIGAN ESTABLISHED THE RUN for perhaps the 20th time in the post-Schembechler era. Considering that’s all Michigan has been trying to do in every game in that era, that’s kind of rarified air. Once that run was established, some play action was opened up, and Shea had all day to hit his receivers, and he did so most of the time. This was not a new offense. This had no speed or space. It looked like last year. It looked like 2000-something. It looked like 1990-something. Regardless, it was quickly 28-0, and the only complaint is that self-inflicted wounds kept it from being 42-0.
So we reached that warm fuzzy point we sometimes do as fans watching games. That “we got this and no one can take it away from us” point. Comfortable. We all just want to be comfortable. And outside of MTSU, Rutgers, and in the opposite way, Wisconsin, comfort has been missing. Army was a series of upset in the making moments, and I’m not sure how Michigan escaped it. Iowa was a day of basically waiting for them to tie the game, and I’m dumbfounded the they in fact did not. And that’s why we bitch about things. More than wins, we expect this team to get us to comfortable as soon as possible. The game already starts even, which is uncomfortable, so hurry up and get me a lead and never let me see the other team driving with a chance to tie or take the lead, ever. So ya, 28-0. Nice.
Stage 2, Diarrhea: With 2 minutes to go before the half, Illinois sped up, and proceeded to march down the field for a touchdown in 6 plays, getting themselves on the board before the half. Meh, still comfortable. Michigan got the ball back with 55 seconds to go and sat on it. Which, whatever. It’s borderline. I’m not ready to fight strongly for either position. But after halftime Michigan goes punt-punt-fumble in the 3rd, while Illinois goes field goal-touchdown, with the touchdown drive being 15 plays and over 7 minutes long. Then Tru Wilson fumbles to open the 4th quarter, and Illinois promptly scores to cut it to 28-25. AND NOW WE’RE REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE, AND SOMEONE HAS TO ANSWER FOR MY UNCOMFORTABLE-NESS HARBAUGH SHEA FUMBLE GODS.
Stage 3, Recovery: Michigan desperately needed a score and it took converting a 4th and 2 to get there, but they got there nonetheless. 35-25 and breathing. Illinois promptly fumbled, Michigan gave us a rare 10-point lead based 4-and-out, then Illinois fumbled again, quick score, game over. Back to comfortable.
Michigan wins, but. Just but. Tough to excuse the 25 unanswered. Tough to deal with the missed opportunities. And the next two weeks, well, ya. No time for love.
Ever since we learned that Paterno was serial-rape adjacent, Penn State seems to really want to make a big deal about the Michigan game, and they also really like to win it. White out every time man. It must be punishment for back when WE OWNed them and sent them into a spiral where they won just 26 games in 5 years. And they likely will win it. Tough to make a case for Michigan given their road track record under Harbaugh and their erratic play this season.
We have shifted quickly from “so many things have to happen for Michigan to lose” to “so many things have to happen for Michigan to win.” Michigan needs to play a mistake free, opportunity grabbing game of football in front of the most hostile crowd it will see this season, and against possibly the best raw talent it has faced all year. I just don’t know how they can do it. But I will be watching, blissfully void of any and all expectations, just trying to get comfortable, one way or another.
GET BETTER BLUE.
