The bottom.  The ground floor.  This has to be it.

Rumors swirl of transferring players, we endure lost recruit commitments, and the rabid fans need to “get a life.” All of it takes center stage with The Game approaching, and the media is enjoying picking at the carcass of what they perceive to be the end of Michigan Football.  If perception is reality, then this whole thing…the coaching change and everything that has taken place following it…is an epic failure.  Eight losses with an impending ninth.  A ship that can’t be righted.  They say it’s over.  They suggest starting over.

I have endured it, every painful snap of it, from Utah to Northwestern, and all stops in between.  I earned my merit badge in “sleet covered blind faith.”

If you were there, and stayed there, and did not move from your seat until Nick Sheridan’s final pass sailed out of bounds, you have completed the final challenge. This is the worst it can ever be: an awful team that does things specifically intended to hurt you playing a meaningless game against Northwestern in weather not fit for man nor beast. With multiple infuriating million-year-long media timeouts in the fourth quarter. That they lose.

If you put up with it (and far, far fewer than the announced 107,000 did), you are hardcore. You have a black belt in fandom. You get the Fandom Endurance III merit badge. If anyone ever questions your Michigan allegiance, you can just say “I was at the 2008 Northwestern game” and they will have to step off. If they fail to do so with sufficient obsequiousness I’m pretty sure you can cave their skull in with your finger.*

It will be sewn to my vest next to the “turnover endurance in a deluge” badge from Notre Dame and my “hook and lateral” badge from West Lafayette.  All year, even as indifference crept in, I came up with excuses at every turn.  Reasons to attend were manifested through little things that I hoped to see each Saturday…and this damn consecutive games streak.  Nearly every time, I returned to my car having not seen any of those hopes come to fruition.  If I was lucky, I’d have a good bar burger, a well planned tailgate, or a fond fairwell to a crappy domed venue to soothe the pain.

In happy times, describing the deep rooted feelings of your fandom comes out in simple terms.  We rule!  You suck!  We are going to kick your ass and there is nothing you can do about it.  Watch as we dominate.  That’s why in blissful situations we ask for someone to dig below our surface and put into words that which we cannot, i.e. “they should have sent a poet.”  But in these times, times of loss and despair, everybody becomes a poor man’s Johnny.  We are all in deep reflection.  Our pain pours out on to paper not only to entertain our readers, but to help ourselves.  Fan sites become journals that help us cope with the situation.

Normally at this time of year, I find myself watching only ESPN.  Bowl matchups and game breakdowns.  Who are we gonna play if we win?  Who are we gonna play if we lose?  I used to hate having to wait the weeks for the SEC championship game result to tell me who the opponent was going to be on New Year’s Day.

Now, I just hate.  And I haven’t seen Sportscenter in over a month.  I’ve watched Hoosiers three times.  It’s available on demand on Encore if you have Comcast.  Lately I’ve been chasing it with Michigan – Ohio State : The Rivalry (now out on DVD) and an occasional spattering of the second half of the Wisconsin game and last year’s Citrus Bowl.  Why Hoosier’s?  Because the parallels are mind blowing.  It’s the tale of a coach that brings in a new system to a town with a rich tradition.  He plays the tail end of an opening game with 4 players just to prove a point.  Early on, the town tries to fire him just because he’s an outsider.  He goes on to break down a group of athletes to their core, teaches them fundamentals, loses early, then builds them back up into champions.  He is even forced into playing Indiana basketball’s version of Nick Sheridan, Ollie, who after turning the ball over nails two underhand free throws to send the Huskers to the championship game.  This is the Disney ending to the RichRod era of Michigan Football that I expect someday, so let me know when Jimmy Chitwood shows up on the recruiting boards.

Fortunately all of this self-loathing has ended for me.  Disappointment and dissatisfaction…that was yesterday.  I teared up for the 20th time when The Rivalry showed Bo “taking one last look at Michigan Stadium” just two days before his passing, and realized what a small and insignificant data point a single season is.  Just as Ohio State football, no matter how hard they wish, did not start with Jim Tressel’s time as head coach, Michigan Football did not end with the hiring of Rich Rodriguez.  This is one season.  One season with the most important game left to be played.

So I reach one last time, further than I thought possible to reach, and grasp one last straw of hope.  Saturday.  November 22nd.  39 years to the day (page 28-29) that Bo created a miracle to spite his mentor (1969).  11 years to the day that Michigan took down the Buckeyes for the 3rd consecutive time on the road to a National Championship (1997).  November 22nd.  November 22nd.  November 22nd.

Everything can be fixed on November 22nd.

For the rest of us – it’s time to get up. Get your ass off the mat, wipe the blood out of your eyes, pop your shoulder back into place, and go out to get hit in the mouth once again. There’s no shame in getting your ass kicked. Only in letting your ass get kicked.

It’s Ohio State week. Fuck them.

Yessir.

It will be a very long layoff with no bowl game, so we will have our annual post game banquet.  Drop me a note if you plan to attend.  Those “in the know” know where it will be.  You can also drop me a note if you think you need to be added to those that are “in the know.”  Confused?  Me too.

See you Saturday for morning darkness with a side of flurries!

If that date range was the meat, then this season was certainly sandwiched on a couple of nice pieces of bread.  The Wisconsin miracle, regardless of its statistical insignificance, meant something to all of us.  The claiming of the jug that with Minnesota off the schedule leaves it in Schembechler Hall until 2011 showed that this team is capable of manifesting a throwing out of the record books…and perhaps that things are moving in a direction more sideways than down.

A group of seniors that returned and endured despite the shift in leadership, that “stayed,” will leave here without becoming what would be defined as “champions.”  Without a bowl, they will end their careers earlier than any player in 33 years.  They now play for their younger brothers, for the future.  On Saturday, they will fight for the promise of a better day.  They will muster up the courage and the drive to inspire the underclassmen in their final contest as Wolverines at home.

Their opponent, whose rich tradition can be read in seconds in the “ring of bowl games” up in Ryan Field, will come to Ann Arbor as overachievers.  At 7-3, they have already qualified for the postseason Michigan cannot get to, and few expected them to be at this level this season.  The bowl game they play in will be their 7th…ever.  EVER.  And despite that fact, and despite Michigan’s performance at the Metrodome, the Northwestern Wildcats will come in with all the confidence.  There is still a scent of Maize and Blue blood floating around The Big House, and everybody wants their piece of the seemingly weak Wolverines.  The Wildcats want revenge….for previous beatings, for being an afterthought in college football, for their lot in life.  They want to take away the last chance for these seniors to get the elusive third victory walk to the maize clad student corner of Michigan Stadium.  To sing the victors one last time, to feel the admiration of those who always wanted to believe in the present, and that believe in a future where just being in the presence of Michigan is worth a touchdown or two in fear points.

And that’s why Saturday is so important.  It will be a send off for those who won’t get to be a part of what we all believe will be something extraordinary, and that will play with the same vigor as if they never lost.

Champions indeed.

It was everything you didn’t want it to be

The second half was a slightly different story. Freshman Ryan Mallet went back to the headset and clipboard that we all (or most) hope he will don for the remainder of the Big Ten campaign. The defense, in absence of actual coverage or stopping big plays, decided to let Northwestern implode. A collective thank you to Northwestern as bad passes, dropped passes, and turnovers on their last four possessions did exactly what we needed it to do…hand us this game on a silver platter. Though it seemed as we were trying to reject their offer of a free road opening victory, behind Henne we took just enough advantage of the miscues of the Wildcats to win. Actually, let’s call it “not losing” this week.

Aside from the disappointment in the flat performance, we’ll take the road victory (obviously). The three remaining away games will be very serious tests, so perhaps it was good to get the rust out in Evanston.

There is still a glaring problem though…placekicking. Jason Gingell, heretofore known only as “Ginger,” is 3 of 9 on field goals this season. I’m done asking why we don’t have a kicker. I’ve been asking that question for the better part of my adult life. Northwestern’s kicker…better than ours. App State’s kicker…better than ours. When we get to the 30 yard line, we should know that we are getting at least 3 points. That should never be a question for a football program like Michigan. Instead, we have a guy that is 1 of 3 on 20-29 yard kicks. Unacceptable. I don’t care if this guy is routinely draining 60 yarders in practice…which I am certain he’s not…we need to try somebody else. Or perhaps we can go the Duke route and have open goddamn tryouts. Ya…were about as good as Duke.

Michigan 28, Northwestern 16…Duke 20, Northwestern 14. Hmmmmm.

Hurry Up and Tailgate

Our theme-less tailgate went off without a hitch. Mini-burgers, sausage and cheese chowder, and cheesy potatoes were quickly shoved down our throats in the 3-hour tailgate before the 11am (local) kickoff. Brats and a re-hash of leftover mini-burgers made an appearance in the postgame. Good stuff. We are certainly in mid-season form and ready for the battle of Washtenaw County.

Pictures from the weekend are available here.

A look at total offense reveals that the last three games were our lowest outputs of the season. We peaked at Minnesota, amassing 514 yards, which was 130 yards more than any other game, but only beat the Gophers 28-14. But maybe the powers that be know what it is that wins championships. It’s defense. And until we need it, the offense can go three and out every time. We’ll get into the common opponent comparisons when we get closer to Armageddon, but let me leave you with this for now: The most total yards Michigan has given up this season is 323 to Minnesota. Ohio State gave up 343 yards to Northern Illinois and 339 yards to Bowling Green. Hmmm.

In the worst weather conditions since the famous 5-0 affair against Purdue in 1995, the Wolverines defense came out in the near-freezing rain and completely dominated Northwestern. Forcing 5 turnovers, they single-handedly won the game for an offense that only managed 17 points, most of which came from great field position gained by the defense. For the 2nd time in three games, Michigan’s defense held its opponent to negative rushing yards, and lowered their nation-leading per game average to 28.4 yards per game. Michigan wins, 17-3.

The tailgate was moved from our cushy surroundings on the golf course to our alternate spot at a house on Main St. Wet and muddy, we tried to stay dry under our tents, and tried to stay warm with the appropo Soups and Stews theme. Next week, we gather for Fried Turkeys, and will end the day with our yearly banquet.

There weren’t many pictures…but here they are nonetheless.

So let’s have fun and enjoy it…first up, the Wildcats of Northwestern.

The School:

• Established in 1851
• Enrollment: 13,000
• Mascot: Willie the Wildcat

Notable Alumni:

• Jerry Springer
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus
• Charlton Heston

The Numbers:

• Michigan leads series 50-14-2, and is 27-5-2 at Michigan Stadium
• Northwestern blew a 35 point lead to Michigan State last week, the biggest choke job in the history of NCAA football
• Michigan is 33-5 in their last 38 homecoming games.
• Chad Henne has a league best 65% completion percentage in Big Ten play
• Michigan will be going for their 400th win all time in the month of October, Northwestern will be going for their 437th win all time…in all months.

This Year:

• Northwestern is 2-6 on the season, with their only wins coming against Miami of Ohio (21-3) and Eastern Michigan (14-6)
• Northwestern is 94th in the country in total offense, and 93rd in total defense

Watch For (I guess):

• Tyrell Sutton, RB, averages 84 yards per game
• Nick Roach, LB, leads team with 7.75 tackles per game

Predictions

The Hammer:

Who do we play this week? Oh, that’s right Northwestern.Man that was a whirlwind first eight weeks! Still undefeated and the redemption tour has taken a hiatus and now its just getting down to good old fashion fine tuning. Don’t sleep on these teams though. We need to perfect our execution. We have three weeks of preparation and it starts with the Wildcats.

1st half prediction:
Michigan 24
NWU 3
2nd half will be on the second team so I leave that up to them.

Go Blue.

The XBox:

Michigan 52
Northwestern 14

The Webmaster:

Tough to make predictions when the team is only going to play a little over a half, but I think our 2nd team would still dominate this poor excuse for a Big Ten team. Mike Hart better have less than 20 carries. Can’t wait to see Brandon Minor get his game legs under him. Oh, and Jason Forcier…that should be fun.

Michigan 42
Northwestern 7

Michigan jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first few minutes of the game, and held it despite the fact that a Northwestern Hail Mary was answered to end the first half. That half ending touchdown would be the last points scored by the Wildcats who couldn’t find an answer for the Woodley-less Michigan defense. Even without Mike Hart, Michigan racked up 253 yards on the ground, and with Rivas’s four field goals, there was nothing Northwestern could do. It was all about momentum on Saturday, and nothing could stop it. So it goes with the season. The Wolverines have momentum going into their last two games. The bye week will give the banged up players time to heal for the home stretch and the attempt at a third consecutive Big Ten championship.

Take A Week Off

The Wolverines need it. You need it. I NEED IT. Take the week off, watch some football, and take a long weekend nap. We’ll see you all back at “the corner” in a couple weeks. A reminder that the theme for Indiana is Italian Kitchen…and our banquet follows. Drop me an email if you plan to attend the banquet. (frank@umtailgate.com) I need to give a rough count to Damon’s soon.