Well, wtih one game remaining in the regular season, it's not too early to discuss what has transpired over the last eleven weeks for both Michigan and Michigan State football, and talk about...NEXT SEASON!
Let's hear it. High points? Low points? Good games? Bad games? Player and coach anaysis?
This has the potejntial to be a pivotal off season for both programs. Can Dantonio continue to make improvement? Will Lloyd Carr retire? If Carr retires, who does UM turn this thing over to? Let's go. It's soo soon to get excited for basketball and hockey, so the next best thing is WTF Detroit "Water Cooler" talk about our beloved Sparties and Woverines!
I'd also like to extend an invitation to those who haven't been here for awhile to jump back in: Tre, Jethro, Tommyz, and whomever else took some time off.

I don't mind playing with...err...BY myself, so I'll kick this off.
I'd have to say that of UM's three losses, the one that disapoints me the most is the Wisconsin loss. To have rebounded from the first two debacles and put together a nice run, only to have it crash down with a genuinely uninspired performance yesterday bugs the poo out of me.
I know injuries were a part of that loss, but everyone has them (Wisconsin had two major players out), and to have a special season, you gotta overcome them.
It seems to me that the UM coaching staff didn;t manage the game well for the freshman mallett. Just the basic package seemed to be presented. No short stuff, no screens, no rollouts, and no type of diversion was attempted. This also speaks to in-game adjustment. UM's coaches either couldn't, or wouldn't, change up to confront what the Badgers were doing.
It was particularly noticeable with the defense. Tyler Donovan pretty much had his way, especially in what I like to call "crunch time". The 40 some yard completion after UM had scored to make it 23-14 was ridiculous. Numerous third down conversions were given up. Penalties, blown tackles, and the same undisciplined play we saw in the first two games reared its ugly head again.
There seemed to be an overall attitude that this game wasn't crucial, especially with the injuries. I disagree with that. The management of the game for Mallett was particularly important to me in that this is much needed experience for him going into next season, and it felt as if he was hung out to dry. Did he play particularly well? Perhaps not, but as I said in another post, to put any game, and especially a game like yesterday's on his shoulders was unfair. It seemed to lead to some ill feelings among the offensive players also. It was alluded to more than once by the reporters at the game that Mallett and Manningham seemed to be feuding, and there may have been others as well.
And I still haven't figured out what has happened to the so called "tight end" in Michigan's offense. Right now, the only "tight ends" in the Wolverines game plans appears to be the sphincters of the coaching staff.

Next: A more overall look at the season

I think that overall, you'd have to consider this season a waste of time. UM just bobbled along, doing what they mostly done under Lloyd (underachieved), and now they'll lose some serious talent and experience to graduation, and possibly early draft entry as well.

Obviously, Henne, Hart, Long, and Crable are gone. I believe Alex Mitchell as well. Mario Manningham probably will have a serious look at leaving early. And I'm not sure how much the secondary will be hit by graduation (and actually, I hope they don;t get hit too hard because after the first two games I felt that was a bright spot defensively for UM).

There WERE some exciting games. Appy St was exciting, if not excrutiating. The Penn State, Michigan State, and Illinois games were good til the end also. The win over Illinois has to rank as not only improbable, but to this point as the high water mark, considering that the Illini have proven to be a very good team.

The injuries were the most obvious disapointing aspect of the season. Though Henne took his lumps, it was clear that when he was in and could play close to his potential, this could have been a great year, even after 0-2.
What can you say about Hart? A true leader, tough guy, and plenty of bravado. And the talent to back up everything. They will be missed, even though I do believe that Henne really never blossomed here, that he never seemed to be able to build off his freshman year for whatever reason.

If the Big 3 came back to beat OSU and win a bowl game (among other goals), they have to do it now with two of them at less than 100%. But this is the only thing that can make this season even somewhat palatable, and by the looks of it, send Carr out on a winning note.

I think it has to be clear that the time for major change in the football program is NOW. Carr has not shown that he can capitalize on the talent he gets, and has not shown that he can have UM ready to perform at a high level consistently. He has come up short on the national stage more often than not in the last seven years. I believe that UM has not closed the season by beating OSU AND winning a bowl game since 2000. We don't need to discuss the ending of the last three seasons anymore.

All in all, pretty much a waste. Possibly the win over MSU assures UM of landing some undecided Michigan High School talent, or gets a few guys away from Dantonio. So far, Dantonio is not showing that he is breaking the UM stronghold in Michigan, be it victories or recruits. The missed opportunity is that with MSU floundering through the middle part of this season, UM wasn;t capitalizing on it with the national title chase many thought they would be in. Any time your enemy is down, if you don't kick 'im, he can get back up, and that may be the case with MSU and Dantonio.

Next: A look at the future

the wisconsin loss was the worst? what are you talking about?

the wisconsin loss was meaningless. correct me if im wrong, but the winner of the big ten goes to the rose bowl, and the 2nd place team still plays on new years day. the wisco game only ment something if you care about the big UM wisconsin rivalry. no one is going to remember the wisconsin game. getting beat by a nobody or blown out by a possible NC team on our homefield were much more relevent. i couldnt care less about wisconsin.

this season is hardly a waste though.

we can still:

win a bowl game
beat ohio state
win the big ten

along with beating msu and ND. thats pretty much all you want if your a michigan man. whether this happens or not remains to be seen. i stand by what i said before the wisco game: id be alot more mad if lloyd sacrificed our chances at beeting OSU than actually losing to wisconsin.

the wisconsin loss was the worst? what are you talking about?

the wisconsin loss was meaningless. correct me if im wrong, but the winner of the big ten goes to the rose bowl, and the 2nd place team still place on new years day. the wisco game only ment something if you care about the big UM wisconsin rivalry. no one is going to remember the wisconsin game. getting beat by a nobody or blown out by a possible NC team on our homefield. i couldnt care less about wisconsin.

this season is hardly a waste though.

we can still:

win a bowl game
beat ohio state
win the big ten

along with beating msu and ND. thats pretty much all you want if your a michigan man. whether this happens or not remains to be seen. i stand by what i said before the wisco game: id be alot more mad if lloyd sacrificed our chances at beeting OSU than actually losing to wisconsin.
Really? When did you graduate?

That wasn't a very cogent analysis of MSU.

That wasn't a very cogent analysis of MSU.
It was a pretty damn cogent analysis of b-diddy.

:cogent:

Buk, if I am not mistaken, b-d did in fact graduate from UM.

That's a lot of words, Zip, more than 700.

I look forward to reading it all tomorrow.

Looks to be a solid alalysis.

What are your toughts , Glenn?

http://www.movieactors.com/freezeframes-77/WaynesWorld3.jpeg

diddy:

I've been down this road too many times to count. Many, many Michigan fans are giddy about going 9-3 every year, beating OSU, and/or winning the Capital One Bowl. And you guys are happy because that's been the story of Michigan Football since 1968, and you are more worried about being discovered as the fans of a mediocre football program than you are about being pissed off because this program should be better than it is. Much better.
However, being 9-3 and stubbing your toe a couple times along the way and playing a game that is more boring than rading bukdow posts is not what I expect, and no one who is a TRUE fan of Michigan should.
I enjoy the games, love watching them, love the Sparty Meltdowns that occure daily, but this program underachieves and that is a fact.

you actually raise a pretty good debate: what is a good season for UM?

im actually going to do some research on this so i can make a cogent post and not pull a buckdow.

We are hanging our hats on the success of yesteryear...a lot.

NCAA football has changed so much and UofM hasn't grown with the times. I mean its such a fast game now and we are still building teams for running up the middle. Thats a stretch but... We seem to get our butts kicked IF we make it to the Rose Bowl by much faster P10 schools.

This season seems to be a microcosm of the last forty years.
Anyway, I don't look at it as "what makes a good season"--it depends on alot of things. Are you in a rebuilding year? Are you playing alot of experienced veterans? Have you made some coaching changes? How about injuries? HMMMmmmm?
Its hard to say, actually. I just feel that this season's bubble has burst big time. If they win out, though, diddy, I'll be pretty damn happy, that's all I know. But I'll still feel that overall, it turned out pretty lame. 10-3, beating OSU and winning a bowl, not bad. Oh yeah, beat Sparty too. Good, not great.

Likelihood of winning out: 100 to 1. How about that for a Sporstbook Contest?

Beating OSU, ND, MSU, Bowl game.

Do those 4 things and the season is a smashing success.

Do 3 of the 4 and I think the season was pretty good.

Do half and the season is average.

Do just 1 and the season is dismal

Do none and you need to fire the coach ASAP.

Isn't a NC on the list somewhere Art?

They already got one :p

Beating OSU, ND, MSU, Bowl game.

Do those 4 things and the season is a smashing success.

Do 3 of the 4 and I think the season was pretty good.

Do half and the season is average.

Do just 1 and the season is dismal

Do none and you need to fire the coach ASAP.


It's like that one golf tee-triangle game at Cracker Barrel

http://www.medjh.com/triang/crackerbarrel.jpg

"Leave one and your a genius"

"Leave two and your pretty smart"

"Leave three and your just plain dumb"

"Leave 4 or more and your an egg-no-ra-moose"

I always figured if they could beat OSU, MSU, ND and a bowl game in the same season they would win a NC.

Thus it was implied.

I always figured if they could beat OSU, MSU, ND and a bowl game in the same season they would win a NC.

Thus it was implied.


just one of those years...

Nice first three posts, Zip.

Are you sure you didn't go to Michigan?

That's some fine writing.

That's what it's like being a Michigan Man, Glen. Even just rooting for Michigan, bootlicking, and having the tenuous connection makes you smarter.
It's worth way more IQ points to be a Michigan Fan with tenuous connections that it is to make up two degrees from Michigan State.

Our biggest accomplishment this season.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee237/spfb83/spartyGOBLUE.jpg

photoshop or real?

Photoshopped, though as I say this without 100% certainty.