MOMENTUM. Something that can change on a dime. One moment, we had it. Another, we don't. I guess why that is why it is MOMENTum, for better or for worse. Now, obviously, for worse. So now what? You know that feeling after someone you know passes away and in sending condolences you say something to the effect of "words cannot......". Well, that is how I sort of, no, actually, feet at THIS MOMENT. What I just witnessed words cannot.......
Words? Words such as:
- Losing to a Michigan State team that EVERYBODY thought would be rolled, the worst MSU team in something like 15+ years?
- Giving Tucker/Michigan State a moment much like Michigan's 1969 Bo vs. Woody moment?
- Witnessing one of the poorest defensive performances I have ever seen by a Michigan team (The past couple of Ohio State losses were bad, but come on, that was Ohio State. not this Michigan State team that was pummeled by that power Rutgers just one week ago)?
- The poorest cornerback play I have seen by a Michigan team since......who knows when?
- Absolutely no pressure by our defensive line on their passing game. I have expressed by doubts about Nua on the recruiting front the past few months. I'm also not so convinced on the pure coaching front.
- Coaching malpractice by not challenging that bobbled ball on MSU's third down conversion on their final scoring drive. Don't we have something like 100 staffers. Isn't just one of them immediately reviewing plays for a possible challenge, especially at such a critical moment? Did we not have a remaining challenge? This sort of oversight ranks close to what we saw with PSU and Franklin against Indiana.
- An offense that is still a work in progress. Minnesota, obviously, was not the team we thought they were. Neither are we. Our quaterback is raw. Our offensive line did not dominate at the point of attack against a mediocre team. Our receivers had too many drops.
- Hubris is a dangerous characteristic. Michigan fans showed it (vis-a-vis Michigan State) in a way I have never seen. I suspect many on our team felt the same way. Well, now we ALL have to suck it up and accept what we saw on the field this miserable day.
And even after all the above words I still feel that I am not getting to the crux of the matter. Something is just missing, and words cannot express............
So now what? We know what we all witnessed today and it was certainly not something easy to swallow. Where does the season, team, program, coaching staff, recruiting go from here? The momentum has again swung against the program and it is about to get very ugly. I, for one, am going to reserve judgement. As abysmal as this Halloween has been, certainly more of a trick than a treat, this season still has a lot of games to play out. Will we win them all? Doubt it, certainly (at least the way we played today) not against Ohio State, and probably/possibly against a couple of others. The summer kool-aid is gone and now it is, again, time for the hard liquor, very hard liquor. The liquor, of course, brings the same sort of delusions that kool-aid brings, just negative instead of positive. At this MOMENT things seem to be falling apart. Probably the worst performance by a Harbaugh-coached team EVER (even pre-Michigan). Likelihood of winning the Big Ten went to about 0.1% (from maybe 10% before today). Recruits have to be reeling. Decommits? Failure to close on a guy like Benny? What about the 2022 kids? Adios Domani Jackson and Wil Johnson? And what about the coaching staff, in particular Harbaugh? Expectations at Michigan have become "managed" over the years. Little expectation to beat Ohio State. Now where are they after losing to a supposedly BAD football team. I don't know. All I know is that, at this MOMENT, we are a BAD football team that was, at least today, very poorly coached. The funny thing with MOMENTUM, though, is that it can change on a dime. Case in point- Michigan State. The problem is that MSU had no expectations entering this season. We did. Looks like we just still have what we have had for the past five years- a yo-yo of a program. Just keep on managing those expectations, gentlemen.
Words? Words such as:
- Losing to a Michigan State team that EVERYBODY thought would be rolled, the worst MSU team in something like 15+ years?
- Giving Tucker/Michigan State a moment much like Michigan's 1969 Bo vs. Woody moment?
- Witnessing one of the poorest defensive performances I have ever seen by a Michigan team (The past couple of Ohio State losses were bad, but come on, that was Ohio State. not this Michigan State team that was pummeled by that power Rutgers just one week ago)?
- The poorest cornerback play I have seen by a Michigan team since......who knows when?
- Absolutely no pressure by our defensive line on their passing game. I have expressed by doubts about Nua on the recruiting front the past few months. I'm also not so convinced on the pure coaching front.
- Coaching malpractice by not challenging that bobbled ball on MSU's third down conversion on their final scoring drive. Don't we have something like 100 staffers. Isn't just one of them immediately reviewing plays for a possible challenge, especially at such a critical moment? Did we not have a remaining challenge? This sort of oversight ranks close to what we saw with PSU and Franklin against Indiana.
- An offense that is still a work in progress. Minnesota, obviously, was not the team we thought they were. Neither are we. Our quaterback is raw. Our offensive line did not dominate at the point of attack against a mediocre team. Our receivers had too many drops.
- Hubris is a dangerous characteristic. Michigan fans showed it (vis-a-vis Michigan State) in a way I have never seen. I suspect many on our team felt the same way. Well, now we ALL have to suck it up and accept what we saw on the field this miserable day.
And even after all the above words I still feel that I am not getting to the crux of the matter. Something is just missing, and words cannot express............
So now what? We know what we all witnessed today and it was certainly not something easy to swallow. Where does the season, team, program, coaching staff, recruiting go from here? The momentum has again swung against the program and it is about to get very ugly. I, for one, am going to reserve judgement. As abysmal as this Halloween has been, certainly more of a trick than a treat, this season still has a lot of games to play out. Will we win them all? Doubt it, certainly (at least the way we played today) not against Ohio State, and probably/possibly against a couple of others. The summer kool-aid is gone and now it is, again, time for the hard liquor, very hard liquor. The liquor, of course, brings the same sort of delusions that kool-aid brings, just negative instead of positive. At this MOMENT things seem to be falling apart. Probably the worst performance by a Harbaugh-coached team EVER (even pre-Michigan). Likelihood of winning the Big Ten went to about 0.1% (from maybe 10% before today). Recruits have to be reeling. Decommits? Failure to close on a guy like Benny? What about the 2022 kids? Adios Domani Jackson and Wil Johnson? And what about the coaching staff, in particular Harbaugh? Expectations at Michigan have become "managed" over the years. Little expectation to beat Ohio State. Now where are they after losing to a supposedly BAD football team. I don't know. All I know is that, at this MOMENT, we are a BAD football team that was, at least today, very poorly coached. The funny thing with MOMENTUM, though, is that it can change on a dime. Case in point- Michigan State. The problem is that MSU had no expectations entering this season. We did. Looks like we just still have what we have had for the past five years- a yo-yo of a program. Just keep on managing those expectations, gentlemen.
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