3rd
3rd
4th


1-6

Dr. Ikes himself would be proud of that goalpost shift.

I'm going to be interested to see just how good the line looks on rewatch. They're getting a lot of praise (and after 320 yards on the ground, that's no surprise). If you back out the RPS stuff where Wisconsin just got got it may not look quite so stellar (edit - that doesn't mean I think they'll grade out poorly, just not as well as 320 yards rushing implies).

Pass pro grade will be high in part due to Wisky's penchant for rush 3 drop 8, but there weren't many super obvious busts. I did cringe when JBB got turnstiled on a short out to DPJ that converted a first down - since it was a quick developing play and thrown on time it didn't matter in the slightest, fortunately.

Also: LOL Hipster.

Couldn't have said it better Zim.

I always tell everyone that wants JIM fired, "so who would we get that is a clear upgrade".

People don't realize how good we have it. Btw lets get DCAF some love for that run, hell all the QBs were running it!

Touché

RIP dr ikes

Nah, **** that guy. Would love to piss on his internet grave in perpetuity.

Stumbled on a Twitter thread that featured DR IKES. Still arguing about everything on the internet

I don't think Harbaugh is a big game coach in the sense that I don't think he's a terribly bright person (I'm trying to be polite here). IOW I think the guy on the opposite sideline will tend to make better in game decisions than Harbaugh. And I do think we have to live with the reality that Harbaugh is going to cost us some games, maybe not as many games as James Franklin has cost Penn State, but more than we'd like.

Digression: Speaking of James Franklin, 9/24/2016 is the last time a team beat Penn State. That was us. Penn State has 5 losses since, and in all 5 cases the other team didn't beat Penn State, Penn State beat themselves. It's really remarkable how a program can luckbox into the best QB in program history and damn near completely waste his services.

Ok back to Harbaugh. I could care less about the big game narrative. All I want from Harbaugh is to bring in big time recruits, go 10-3 a lot, and get to The Game with the division on the line 50% of the time. If he does that, it won't matter that he's not the greatest in big games, he'll win enough of them eventually anyways. You can't lose em after all.

That said let's put this "can't win big game" narrative to the test:

2015:

Lost to Utah breaking in a new QB, the bounces didn't go our way. No egregious **** ups. This is not on Harbaugh.

The MSU game. Sadly it wan't even the botched punt that cost us this game. In my life of watching Michigan football there are only two games I would bet $10K that were legit fixed. This game is one of them. "[A]n 18-point swing in expected points by bad officiating." Fluke play or refs on the take. Either way, this is not on Harbaugh.

The Game. That was the most talented team in Ohio State history. In case I'm accused of hyperbole, the NFL draft proved my case. Then you have THAT team coming off a fluke sideways rain loss + they were an underdog to Michigan for most of game week. So now you have the goat OSU team with a giant chip on its shoulder vs a pretty good but not great Michigan team. A recipe for disaster. This loss is NOT on Harbaugh.

2016:

Iowa was not a big game but **** it lets just go over all the losses. This was simply 'one of those games' where it took a million things to go against us when all we needed was one play in our favor that never came. These type of occurrences happen to every team. This game is not on Harbaugh.

The Game. This is the other game I'd bet $10K was completely rigged. That loss is NOT on Harbaugh.

FSU game: We played tough. Glasgow picks a bad time to miss a tackle. Jourdan Lewis picks a bad time to get beat 1 on 1, although FSU QB makes an uncannily perfect threading the needle throw. Bad **** happens. This game is not on Harbaugh.

2017:

The MSU game. This game was lost the instant that Purdue guy made that illegal hit on SP8. Forget about the weather. Bottom line with O'Korn as your QB you aint winning many games vs teams with a heartbeat. This is not on Harbaugh.

The Penn State game. That was their 2nd best team of all time. It's at their place, at night, with 49-10 on everyone's mind and we have O'Korn. That game is not on Harbaugh.

Wisconsin. We played about as good as you can with a borderline 3rd string QB vs a very solid team at their place, and then he gets injured and in comes O'Korn. That game is not on Harbaugh.

Ohio State: Did I mention we have O'korn and they didn't. We played as good as you can play given the circumstances. Not on Harbaugh.

South Carolina. I cared so little about this game I honestly wasn't that focused and the loss didn't hurt me at all. I was probably daydreaming about ND 9/1/18 the whole game. Yeah I know about the TE gaff but still what are the odds that play ends so terribly? It seemed like blame could be spread around on a lot of guys that game. If Higdon doesn't fumble in scoring position, if the OL could block, if Peters didn't suck....Anyways, I'm not putting this on Harbaugh, but if you do I won't argue. It was a pathetic game that we gave away. No doubt tho.

2018:

The ND game. This was one of those games that having Harbaugh genuinely hurt us. Running on 3rd and 3 from ND's 43 yard line and then punting on 4th and 2, is one of the saddest sequences I've seen in my Michigan watching life. It's almost as if Michigan wasn't even trying to win this one. Completely unconscionable. Then the 2nd and 2 from the ND two yard line. We have no tackles but we can run inside and we decide to pass instead of run 3 times. There are no words for that obvious **** up. It's almost as if Harbaugh wasn't watching the game at all and was just calling plays in a vacuum. And then that final sad TD drive where we take FOREVER down two scores. I don't know what to say other than I don't appreciate being reminded of the Brady Hoke years. This game is on Harbaugh plain and simple.

Ok, so in my expert opinion, Harbaugh has cost us 1 game over 3.5 seasons. That's not too bad. Given that I think Harbaugh is kinda dumb I would expect him to cost the team at least 1 game per year. So either I am wrong--a possibility that seems unimaginable--or Harbaugh is running above expectation. Bottom line: even though I do think Harbaugh is not a big game coach due to genetic limitations, the narrative that Harbaugh is not a big game coach is damn near completely unfounded. It's just a media fabrication to generate more clicks. That's all it is. And now that we have one of the greatest QBs in Michigan history, who ****ing cares about the past anyways?!?!

He’s the coach

Every single one of those is on Harbaugh.

lol come on. You realize with Hoke or probably anyone esle we have a losing record in 2015 right with Morris our projected starter at QB? Harbaugh pulled a rabbit out of his hat that year alone getting Rudock. Instead of 5-7 we go 10-3 capped off by destroying a decent Florida team. And there's no way that MSU loss is on Harbaugh. Sorry. I don't need to elaborate why. It's been discussed enough.

In 2016 we can act like the Iowa choke is on Harbaugh. Fine, IDC, but not that BS that happened in Columbus. That was some of the worst officiating I have ever seen, and BTW I'm totally fine with "the spot", so I'm not talking about that. I think people who care about that are just being irrational. The ref did the best he could in a no win situation. And the FSU game is just bad luck man. Glasgow misses a HUGE tackle, and the FSU QB places the ball perfectly past Lewis. And does anyone think Cook has that 80 something yard run or whatever it was on 3rd and 22 if Peppers is in the game? I doubt it. Those are the breaks. Overall 2016 was just a majorly unlucky year. We just couldn't get any key bounces and the refs stole the OSU game from us. And YET we still went 10-3 with a middle of the B1G pack QB at best. There's no way anybody should be upset with Harbaugh about that year.

Last year was a classic transition/rebuilding year that EVERY team except Bama and maybe OSU have to go through. When you're the youngest P5 team in the country while also having to play in the toughest division in college football, 9-4/8-5 type years are gonna be the norm (if anything I'm being optimistic), and that's assuming you don't lose your veteran starting QB early in the year. In my life, I will never understand why that year upset so many people. It was seriously one of the most predictable outcomes since the depleted 2008 year. I blame the Alabama phenomenon that tricks people's brains into believing their team should be great every year too! Yeah I know we gave the USCe game away so we should've finished 9-4. But going 8-5 while competing admirably in 4 out of the 5 losses, and losing your top QB and then your 2nd string QB, is nothing to complain about.

The only meaningful game that's "on Harbaugh" is the ND game this year. We won 5 more games in 2015 than any other coach would've, in 2016 we won just as many games as any other coach would've given the bad luck/bad reffing, and this year we're undefeated with most average+ coaches. Ok So let's do the math: +5, 0, -1. That's 4 wins above replacement over 3.5 years That's what's TRULY on Harbaugh, and that's pretty ****ing good.

And the secondary story is this. When your overall QB play (save Rudock 2015 2H) is middle of the B1G pack at best, it's hard to beat legit teams. And the QB woes we've had over the past 3 years go straight back to Hoke, leaving this program virtually decimated at the most important position in football and Harbaugh mitigated that nightmare as good as any coach could, and now this year we are officially past that.

We now have a superstar at QB. Any media created narrative about Harbaugh's supposed past non-success with this program is rendered completely irrelevant. We're not the same team as 2015, 2016, 2017. The "in the wake of Hoke" transition period is officially over. This team is much different than those teams. This team is special. Built 100% by Harbaugh with one of the best QB's in the history of this hallowed program. The big wins are coming my friend. The writing is on the wall. The changing of the guard has already happened. You just haven't been paying attention. Why do you think Nick Bosa left Ohio State even tho he was projected to be 100% for the Michigan game. He ain't no fool bro. No one likes to be a part of history when they're destined to be on the wrong side.

.

2015 MSU, Harbaugh didn't have enough guys on the line to block, that sure as **** is his **** up.

2016, I don't know if I put any of those losses as "his fault". Every team has an Iowa game, OSU, Peppers doesn't make a tackle on Samuel. FSU, ST gives up a 90 yard return at end of game and Lewis chokes.

2017, MSU, you don't let JoK throw that much in the rain. He had to have known JoK was one of the worst QB's ever. They **** the bed big time in that game.

2018 ND, just awful on so many fronts.

If Harbaugh's to blame for anything it's clouded faith toward poor assistants. We caught a MAJOR break when Maryland wanted to hire Durkin. His game plan against OSU, consistently running single high safety while getting gashed, was indicative of serious flaws. Maybe he fixes those flaws, but going and getting Don Brown was the smartest hire Harbaugh has made.

Similar with Drevno. If you have two years with an OL coach and a 5th year center and you field one of the 20 worst offensive lines in the country AT MICHIGAN there should be no doubt as to your reassignment. Ed Warinner has/had a checkered reputation only when put in charge of offensive planning. As an OL coach he is generally revered, even by OSU folks. It shouldn't be all that hard, especially with Michigan money, to hire an assistant at every position that makes opposing fan bases tip their cap and mutter, "that's a good hire." Drevno and Harbaugh go way back, and that's admirable that the man shows loyalty, but last season ran into a buzz saw because of an OL that was way worse than it had any right to be.

There's also maybe something to be said for coming into a season and asking a team to do too much in game 1 against a good opponent. We weren't ready for Utah or ND, both games opened seasons on the road. Poor scheduling, maybe. But also just bad timing, blooding a brand new qb behind an unproven line and asking it to do a ton. Maybe schedule that marquee noncon game in week 2 instead of week 1.

3 years ago today!

https://twitter.com/bubbaprog/status...815773697?s=21

Your pony, it is slow.

Also: no expectations for Saturday. You can throw out the stats, team records, injury reports and everything else. You know Sparty is going to bring everything they’ve got. Get it done.

Worst losses in Michigan history:

1) Colorado 94. That michigan team was so loaded. An NFL bound senior QB in Todd Collins, Tyrone Wheatley and Biakabutuka in the same backfield. One of the best TEs this program has ever had (Reimersma), Toomer and Hayes on the outside, and OL that grew up a lot from the tough 93 season, and on the other side of the ball you had a standard tough Michigan defense lead by one of the best MLBs in the country in Steve Morrison, All-Big ten Jason Horn on the line, and one of the best DBs ever in Ty Law. That Michigan team was truly a national championship caliber team and it all came crashing down with that Hail Mary. Back then, being locked into the Rose Bowl, one loss was usually enough to sink your ship in terms of winning it all. I hate playing psychologist but I swear that team was never the same after that play. They went onto go only 8-4 losing to the goat PSU team, and dropping two inexplicable losses to mediocre Wisconsin and Ohio State teams. Going 8-4 with all that talent is beyond unconscionable, and I believe that had WAY more to do with Moeller's firing then some drunken incident. If Moeller goes 11-1 with that team, he is never getting fired.

2) Ohio State 16. We were the better team even with a beat up SP8 and the refs stole that game from us. Everything was on the line that game, the division, the conference championship, a playoff berth, and above all that, finally a legit chance to swing this rivalry back in a more competitive direction. After all, this is the first time Michigan came into this game with the better team since 2003 (I don't count that bs tattoo-gate 2011 game that was gifted to us, that we almost choked away anyways). To have this extremely important, program defining, Big Ten championship drought ending, rivalry swinging game taken away by a few weak character individuals will sting forever.

3) Michigan state 15. The biggest reason this game hurts so much is Dantonio's record vs Michigan. Losing all those games to State and then to have to pile on this unbelievably improbable one on top....there's just no words. The only reason this game doesn't hurt as bad as the others is cuz I was already convinced at the time that there was no way we beat Ohio State that year (the most talented OSU team of all time). So the game was a massive hit to the collective ego of the program, but unlike 94 and 16, essentially nothing was lost. That solid Michigan team was never winning the division/conference/getting to the playoffs, anyways.

Common denominator: Tyrone Wheatley was a part of all 3 nightmare games. Thank god that jinx is gone!!!

Honorable mentions: Miami 88, ND 89, ND 90, MSU 90, NW 96, PSU 13

https://twitter.com/pff_college/stat...463119873?s=21

swing and a miss

What about Wisconsin 08

I hate you

Not sure how I failed to include NW 00 and MSU 01. Both loses were devastating, gave us that gut wrenching 2nd loss that completely eliminates you from national title contention, and both losses cost us the Big Ten championship and the real kicker: both losses NEVER should've happened. Anthony Thomas had the game clinching 1st down, but he didn't go down. Instead, with a nice hole and the possibility of scoring a long ESPN highlight/Heisman campaign boosting TD, he couldn't resist and the rest is history:



And of course the 2001 MSU game, the crooked clock keeper and the ref inexplicably running with the ball to spot it when he's supposed to be walking conspired to create one of the most devastating losses ever.



People talk about Lloyd Carr not quite being good enough, not enough 11-2 seasons with the talent he had or not enough Rose Bowls. Well there's two Rose Bowls Carr should've had that could've certainly changed the narrative a bit.

The NW 2000 loss was actually our 3rd loss that season. Still a worthy mention since that game cost us a Big Ten championship/Rose Bowl appearance.

I mean michigan has a good chance no doubt but bolded is lolol even for ILP. the offense is legit loaded. osu 4th and 5th wr (binjimin victor and austin mack) would be the focal point of michigans offense and will proly even make the nfl.

kj hill, parris campbell, mclaughlin and dixon make a ton of plays.

and dobbins will be a 2nd rounder while weber is 3rd or 4th.

like, this offense is one of the most loaded of all time for osu.

As a Texas fan, I'll always remember the 2005 Rose Bowl. Braylon Edwards played out of his mind that game, Breaston was also amazing, but Vince Young was just way too good. Really unfair for college defenses to have to try to stop him.

Where does Appy St 2007 rank on the list of UM losses? I remember ILP doing some revisionist history how that was a generationally great team that underperformed.