I can’t help but look at the 2010-20 decade and wonder... what the hell happened? And no my life doesn’t revolve around Michigan football, but I do make time for it. I also, selfishly, want my time devoted to UM football to be well spent. But I digress. This is about ”why” and ”how“. the UM program failed to make a national impact on the field In the decade 2010-19.
I like history. For me, The questions ”why“ and “how” are the most fascinating. When, where and who are important questions. To me they are footnotes in order to answer the ultimate question... why. There is a reason for everything and everything has its reason. It has its place in sports as well. If you are a Lions fan(G-Men baby) you have a great case study for ineptitude. Has a Bulls fan, the MJ calamity shows how a franchise can go from champs to chumps over night. As a Yankees fan, watching the miracle Red Sox comeback was both crushing and incredibly historic. Watching Game 7, I knew the rivalry would change forever. Might need that to overcome OSU. When it comes to Michigan football... Appy ST. Possibly Michigan’s lowest point in my fandom. Haven’t redeemed that defeat with anything special or notable.
Some on this board have watched more seasons of CFB than I have been alive(1980). And every generation has their own legends. Most based on when you were growing up. Whether it’s Kramer, Leach or Carter. Or in my case, Charles Woodson.
I was a BBall fan and the FF were way cooler than Michigan football. Even cooler than “the pose”. I was 11... My true fandom happened when Driesbach found Mercury Hayes(GOAT of football names) and was cemented by Touchdown Tim’s masterpiece vs OSU. So 1995-99 was my starry eyed era of Michigan football. I was hooked. Since 95 (or including), we have had some “Mediocre Michigan” stretches. However, 2007-2010 and 2013-2014 were more or less embarrassing.
I try and find the positives in everything, and there are many from 2010-2019. Though I consider that decade a mess from start to end. Some positives. For instance, RR was fired! However, It’s that the positives never led to anything significant. I’m glad we beat OSU in 2011. We beat the worst OSU team in recent memory, but a win none the less. We have taken back the rivalry from MSU. We had a couple BCS teams. Harbaugh has Michigan playing the best football since The Carr era. Playing meaningful football in November!(table slap). He deserves a lot of credit for what he’s done here. However, it’s not without problems.
Obviously, more has gone on than we know. So I’ll stick to what is public. Starting with 2010.
1. Hoke... great start, but left a disaster behind.
2. I know this is stupid, but Stonum’s decision to drive, on a suspended license to his PO was a killer. Domino affect led to Gardner being a WR, instead of a full time QB. Anybody who remembers the Nebraska game... A better prepared Gardner may have won The Game in Columbus. However, Hoke would have have been given an extra year and no Harbaugh. Sometimes you win when you lose... sometimes.
3. Hoke giving Shane Morris the Drew Henson treatment. No QB commit in 2012 just for The Fort’s favorite Laser Rocket.
4. Brandon’s pathetic Coke and a smile scheme.
5. Giving Hoke a fourth year after his teams records got worse and worse. Makes the timing of RR’s firing kind of unfair.
6. Harbaugh signing late in the game. Not having a full 2015 recruiting season to evaluate players and lay the foundation. Played catch-up with the next two classes. The talent levels were high, but the amount of transfers from those classes is an enormous reason we have not had a great 85 man roster under Harbaugh. In fantasy land we have big time 4*’s competing desperately for PT. In reality it’s been plug and play.
7. Starting the 2015 @Utah. Week 3 matchup is a W.
8. Fumble punt.
9. Rudock‘s late season injury.
10. Grant Newsome almost needing his leg cutoff by one of many dirty plays by a Wisconsin player. That kid was going to anchor the Michigan OLine for a couple of years and should have been very good. The 2016 team was steamrolling teams with Newsome playing.
11. Spotgate... I actually believe the PI on Delano Hill(think it was him?) or Cole’s face-mask blunder decided the outcome. That game should have been over in regulation. Michigan beat themselves
12. Tarik Black’s injury. That kid was going to be special. Some writers have questioned his attitude and commitment. Kid has had a lot of bad luck and is probably not the same person he would be if everything went according to design. Hope he works himself into the NFL.
13. Speight being sumo dropped at Purdue. The 2017 typhooned after that. We win the monsoon game and win one of the wisky and PSU games. Also had the game plan to beat OSU. We all know Okorn was no bueno.
14. Starting a new QB, Patterson, @ND. Also think we win this game after a couple of tune ups.
15. The Washington hire and defection, with Mattison, to our biggest rival immediately after giving up 62 points to them and making Haskins look all-world.
16. Players opting out of bowl games. Just gives me a sense that we didn’t have 100% player buy-in.
17. Patterson wasn’t ready and Gattis let us know it.
18. Bench Mason is not a DT.
19. McCaffrey getting lit up on another dirty Wisconsin cheap shot. He may have won the QB by seasons end and ready to go this season.
20. OSU proved they have Brown’s number. Great DC, but OSU has the horses on O that beats good D’s.
21. Ezekiel Elliot had more touchdowns in one NFL season than all the Michigan skill players had combined from 2010-2020.
22. The gap between Michigan and OSU plays out every Sunday on the RedZone channel.
I like history. For me, The questions ”why“ and “how” are the most fascinating. When, where and who are important questions. To me they are footnotes in order to answer the ultimate question... why. There is a reason for everything and everything has its reason. It has its place in sports as well. If you are a Lions fan(G-Men baby) you have a great case study for ineptitude. Has a Bulls fan, the MJ calamity shows how a franchise can go from champs to chumps over night. As a Yankees fan, watching the miracle Red Sox comeback was both crushing and incredibly historic. Watching Game 7, I knew the rivalry would change forever. Might need that to overcome OSU. When it comes to Michigan football... Appy ST. Possibly Michigan’s lowest point in my fandom. Haven’t redeemed that defeat with anything special or notable.
Some on this board have watched more seasons of CFB than I have been alive(1980). And every generation has their own legends. Most based on when you were growing up. Whether it’s Kramer, Leach or Carter. Or in my case, Charles Woodson.
I was a BBall fan and the FF were way cooler than Michigan football. Even cooler than “the pose”. I was 11... My true fandom happened when Driesbach found Mercury Hayes(GOAT of football names) and was cemented by Touchdown Tim’s masterpiece vs OSU. So 1995-99 was my starry eyed era of Michigan football. I was hooked. Since 95 (or including), we have had some “Mediocre Michigan” stretches. However, 2007-2010 and 2013-2014 were more or less embarrassing.
I try and find the positives in everything, and there are many from 2010-2019. Though I consider that decade a mess from start to end. Some positives. For instance, RR was fired! However, It’s that the positives never led to anything significant. I’m glad we beat OSU in 2011. We beat the worst OSU team in recent memory, but a win none the less. We have taken back the rivalry from MSU. We had a couple BCS teams. Harbaugh has Michigan playing the best football since The Carr era. Playing meaningful football in November!(table slap). He deserves a lot of credit for what he’s done here. However, it’s not without problems.
Obviously, more has gone on than we know. So I’ll stick to what is public. Starting with 2010.
1. Hoke... great start, but left a disaster behind.
2. I know this is stupid, but Stonum’s decision to drive, on a suspended license to his PO was a killer. Domino affect led to Gardner being a WR, instead of a full time QB. Anybody who remembers the Nebraska game... A better prepared Gardner may have won The Game in Columbus. However, Hoke would have have been given an extra year and no Harbaugh. Sometimes you win when you lose... sometimes.
3. Hoke giving Shane Morris the Drew Henson treatment. No QB commit in 2012 just for The Fort’s favorite Laser Rocket.
4. Brandon’s pathetic Coke and a smile scheme.
5. Giving Hoke a fourth year after his teams records got worse and worse. Makes the timing of RR’s firing kind of unfair.
6. Harbaugh signing late in the game. Not having a full 2015 recruiting season to evaluate players and lay the foundation. Played catch-up with the next two classes. The talent levels were high, but the amount of transfers from those classes is an enormous reason we have not had a great 85 man roster under Harbaugh. In fantasy land we have big time 4*’s competing desperately for PT. In reality it’s been plug and play.
7. Starting the 2015 @Utah. Week 3 matchup is a W.
8. Fumble punt.
9. Rudock‘s late season injury.
10. Grant Newsome almost needing his leg cutoff by one of many dirty plays by a Wisconsin player. That kid was going to anchor the Michigan OLine for a couple of years and should have been very good. The 2016 team was steamrolling teams with Newsome playing.
11. Spotgate... I actually believe the PI on Delano Hill(think it was him?) or Cole’s face-mask blunder decided the outcome. That game should have been over in regulation. Michigan beat themselves
12. Tarik Black’s injury. That kid was going to be special. Some writers have questioned his attitude and commitment. Kid has had a lot of bad luck and is probably not the same person he would be if everything went according to design. Hope he works himself into the NFL.
13. Speight being sumo dropped at Purdue. The 2017 typhooned after that. We win the monsoon game and win one of the wisky and PSU games. Also had the game plan to beat OSU. We all know Okorn was no bueno.
14. Starting a new QB, Patterson, @ND. Also think we win this game after a couple of tune ups.
15. The Washington hire and defection, with Mattison, to our biggest rival immediately after giving up 62 points to them and making Haskins look all-world.
16. Players opting out of bowl games. Just gives me a sense that we didn’t have 100% player buy-in.
17. Patterson wasn’t ready and Gattis let us know it.
18. Bench Mason is not a DT.
19. McCaffrey getting lit up on another dirty Wisconsin cheap shot. He may have won the QB by seasons end and ready to go this season.
20. OSU proved they have Brown’s number. Great DC, but OSU has the horses on O that beats good D’s.
21. Ezekiel Elliot had more touchdowns in one NFL season than all the Michigan skill players had combined from 2010-2020.
22. The gap between Michigan and OSU plays out every Sunday on the RedZone channel.
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