Talks about how "pathetic" all of OSU's excuses are for losing to UM. Then goes into how UM has lost to MSU the past 2 times they have played and includes multiple pathetic excuses, enjoy!
As our analyst Doug Skene said recently about Harbaugh’s contract being cut in half after a 2020 season, “it worked (to motivate him), didn’t it?”
Yes. It did. But Michigan’s first offer after Harbaugh won a title was well short of the $7.05 million in base salary (plus$1 million in deferred compensation for his annual supplemental contribution retirement plan). He had to negotiate up, which probably didn’t sit well after last season.
At the same time, his performance-based bonuses could reach $3.125 million, and he’s got a team that can reach a lot of them. Most of them, however, are reliant on beating Ohio State. In Columbus, this year. Which hasn’t been done since 2000 …
You get the point.
But nobody really saw last year’s win coming, either. Sometimes, things change when you least expect them.
At the same time …
2. Ohio State is preparing for Michigan “like you can’t imagine.” And no, we really can’t. Because the Buckeyes already do everything with Michigan on the mind and have since they brought disgraced former coach Jim Tressel on board in 2002. From the “Michigan drill” to not allowing blue in the building, crossing out the letter ‘M’ on anything visible on their walls …
Well — it’s weird.
But they feel disgraced when they lose, like brainwashed soldiers from certain countries in World War II who felt they didn’t deserve to live if they failed.
OSU wasn’t at its best against Michigan last year for the first time in a long time. The excuses were pathetic, of course — flu, snow flurries, etc. But don’t expect the apathy (it appeared at times) to happen again.
Michigan absolutely could win that game this November and should have the advantages up front again. But OSU will bring its ‘A’ game.
1. Michigan is getting “too much mileage out of one win.” We ran into a group of Ohio State fans at Tullymore Golf Club this week. These weren’t your typical Buckeye, “we hate Meatchicken and you suck” types. These were the rare level-headed types who were older and appreciate the rivalry, Bo vs. Woody, etc.
And they made a good point. Michigan fans are still doing a lot of chirping about U-M’s first win over the Buckeyes in 10 years.
It’s reminiscent of what Michigan State fans used to do not so long ago, and to an extent still do today (as evidenced by the score of the U-M game on their Peach Bowl rings. For a team that finished third in the Big Ten East).
Quarterback Cade McNamara is throwing an OSU watch party with fans, for example, tied to an NIL deal. It’s great that he’s making his money — it would also be great if he and others put it behind them and started looking forward to next year.
Beating the Buckeyes once every 10 years isn’t the goal at Michigan, no matter how “football factory” OSU has become. That game is supposed to be a 50-50 proposition year-in and year-out.
The mission isn’t about one game. It’s about the rivalry.
Nebraska players, for example, admitted they’d been looking forward to that game all year after losing at home in heartbreaking fashion. Their fans treated it like … well Michigan State fans do every year. It was like a one-game season that was going to springboard the program.
Still, the Wolverines play eight games at home. As it looks now, they’ll be more touchdown or more favorites in at least seven (maybe even eight, depending on PSU).
1. It’s time to take the Michigan State rivalry back. It looked like it was headed that way after a pair of dominant wins. And while it’s easy to give U-M a pass for the 2020 loss in an empty Michigan Stadium — minus a handful of their best players sitting out the season — it still counts.
And yeah, last year’s controversial loss is still tough to stomach, too.
But no more excuses. This is a regional rivalry, and one a program with Michigan’s national cache should be winning much more often than not.
It’s time to start. This year.
The Wolverines will get one mulligan, and history says they’ll probably need it. Iowa (probably at night) at Kinnick Stadium, a home game with Penn State … you never know.
But it will come down to Michigan – Ohio State for most of the marbles … just the way it should be.
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3. Jim Harbaugh’s contract relative to the rest of the Big Ten East. By our calculation, it’s fourth behind Ryan Day (who just renegotiated to $9.5 million, up there with MSU’s Mel Tucker tied for No. 1) and James Franklin.As our analyst Doug Skene said recently about Harbaugh’s contract being cut in half after a 2020 season, “it worked (to motivate him), didn’t it?”
Yes. It did. But Michigan’s first offer after Harbaugh won a title was well short of the $7.05 million in base salary (plus$1 million in deferred compensation for his annual supplemental contribution retirement plan). He had to negotiate up, which probably didn’t sit well after last season.
At the same time, his performance-based bonuses could reach $3.125 million, and he’s got a team that can reach a lot of them. Most of them, however, are reliant on beating Ohio State. In Columbus, this year. Which hasn’t been done since 2000 …
You get the point.
But nobody really saw last year’s win coming, either. Sometimes, things change when you least expect them.
At the same time …
2. Ohio State is preparing for Michigan “like you can’t imagine.” And no, we really can’t. Because the Buckeyes already do everything with Michigan on the mind and have since they brought disgraced former coach Jim Tressel on board in 2002. From the “Michigan drill” to not allowing blue in the building, crossing out the letter ‘M’ on anything visible on their walls …
Well — it’s weird.
But they feel disgraced when they lose, like brainwashed soldiers from certain countries in World War II who felt they didn’t deserve to live if they failed.
OSU wasn’t at its best against Michigan last year for the first time in a long time. The excuses were pathetic, of course — flu, snow flurries, etc. But don’t expect the apathy (it appeared at times) to happen again.
Michigan absolutely could win that game this November and should have the advantages up front again. But OSU will bring its ‘A’ game.
1. Michigan is getting “too much mileage out of one win.” We ran into a group of Ohio State fans at Tullymore Golf Club this week. These weren’t your typical Buckeye, “we hate Meatchicken and you suck” types. These were the rare level-headed types who were older and appreciate the rivalry, Bo vs. Woody, etc.
And they made a good point. Michigan fans are still doing a lot of chirping about U-M’s first win over the Buckeyes in 10 years.
It’s reminiscent of what Michigan State fans used to do not so long ago, and to an extent still do today (as evidenced by the score of the U-M game on their Peach Bowl rings. For a team that finished third in the Big Ten East).
Quarterback Cade McNamara is throwing an OSU watch party with fans, for example, tied to an NIL deal. It’s great that he’s making his money — it would also be great if he and others put it behind them and started looking forward to next year.
Beating the Buckeyes once every 10 years isn’t the goal at Michigan, no matter how “football factory” OSU has become. That game is supposed to be a 50-50 proposition year-in and year-out.
The mission isn’t about one game. It’s about the rivalry.
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2. Anything less than 10-2 would be a disappointment. And yes, we understand winning 10 games isn’t easy, no matter the year. It’s especially true at Michigan, which is still a red-letter game for most teams on the schedule.Nebraska players, for example, admitted they’d been looking forward to that game all year after losing at home in heartbreaking fashion. Their fans treated it like … well Michigan State fans do every year. It was like a one-game season that was going to springboard the program.
Still, the Wolverines play eight games at home. As it looks now, they’ll be more touchdown or more favorites in at least seven (maybe even eight, depending on PSU).
1. It’s time to take the Michigan State rivalry back. It looked like it was headed that way after a pair of dominant wins. And while it’s easy to give U-M a pass for the 2020 loss in an empty Michigan Stadium — minus a handful of their best players sitting out the season — it still counts.
And yeah, last year’s controversial loss is still tough to stomach, too.
But no more excuses. This is a regional rivalry, and one a program with Michigan’s national cache should be winning much more often than not.
It’s time to start. This year.
One prediction
Michigan will head into Columbus with a shot at the Big Ten title. And that should be the goal every year— to have a chance to win the Big Ten East with a victory over Ohio State.The Wolverines will get one mulligan, and history says they’ll probably need it. Iowa (probably at night) at Kinnick Stadium, a home game with Penn State … you never know.
But it will come down to Michigan – Ohio State for most of the marbles … just the way it should be.
