A Night in Ann Arbor

I should start by saying that I am not a Michigan alum. However, I consider myself a Wolverine having attended academic training programs twice and then later helping teach those programs in Ann Arbor for 6 years. Because of that, I have a lot of love for the university.  Last Saturday was my first game at the Big House for their showdown against Michigan State. What a terrible contest to attend.

The vibes could not have been higher by Michigan Stadium. Everyone was extremely nice, friendly and the students were great. Everything went downhill almost immediately after kick off. 

The offense was horrible. They could not move the ball whatsoever. When they finally did, the drive stalled out by the end zone. In my mind, I said "ok, let's get the field goal, put points on the board." What happened instead? A doink.

The defense has to get credit, however. They did as best as they could and did not allow a single touchdown. Michigan State's kicker did all the work. In fact, the highlight of the night, to me, was this great stop at the goal line. It symbolized the heart of that Wolverine defense.

To give you a sense of how bad the situation was, it seemed clear to me that the crowd felt a lousy 9-0 lead by Michigan State felt insurmountable. Fans around me were saying, to paraphrase,, "yeah that's it, the game is over." Not good when a two score game feels out of reach. In the end, Michigan State took the Paul Bunyan trophy home and a lot of students and alumni left in disgust. Spartans roaming Ann Arbor chanting away. 

It feels really strange to see both Michigan and their rival, Ohio State, struggle as much as they have. The fact the Buckeyes have collapsed the past two weeks brings a tear of joy to my eye, for sure. Still, that doesn't make up for the Wolverines' woes. What do we make of Kyle Whittingham? Personally, I think he certainly deserves another season. He rushed into a big-time job in very different part of the country for a program with big expectations. Unless Michigan feels they have a long term answer at head coach for 2027, who is committed to being there the next 5 to 10 years, Whittingham should be allowed to have a second season and right the ship. He showed some urgency by firing his offensive coordinator Jason Beck the day after the game. How this translates on the field will be determined over the next few games. The season itself has not been disastrous by any means. The defense has incredible potential and the program is not in a state of disrepair. With a new offensive coordinator next year who can guide their players and average even 20 per game, the Wolverines will be in a better spot.

As for Ohio State, it is safe to say Ryan Day has done very poorly. My sentiment is basically summned up here by Rav and Steak. No one does less with more than Ryan Day.

These are basically throwaway seasons unless something remarkable happens with Ohio State. So while it feels odd for both programs to be on the same sinking boat, that is the reality. I will just root for the Wolverines moving ahead for the love of the game.