Did the football team or basketball team have a better season?

Submitted by swalburn on

I'm not trying to start a flame war but football and basketball seasons were polar opposites.  In your opinion who has had a better season as of today?  Football was undefeated and lost 3 of last 4 in heart breaking fashion and finished #10 in the country.  Basketball was all over the place but extremely hot the last 10-12 games of the season and will be hanging a Big 10 tournament banner.  They just upset Louisville and will be no worse than the Sweet 16.  Is the football season still more of a success?  How far does the basketball team have to go before you would characterize their season more successful?

None of this matters but it nice having two successful programs.  How important is postseason success?

bamf16

March 20th, 2017 at 2:09 PM ^

The football season was a disappointment largely because of the high expectations they built for themselves through October, whereas basketball is suprising given the lower expectations.

 

But I don't know how you argue that the football team had a better season, acknowledging that most/all of us will have different definitions.

The Fugitive

March 19th, 2017 at 8:03 PM ^

Basketball has peaked at the absolute perfect time.
We have 1 banner and the opportunity for 2 more.

Football petered out at the end and we lost to OSU and FSU. Sour.

We did kick the shit out of Staee but then again so did 8 other teams #HALOL

Rodriguesqe

March 19th, 2017 at 8:07 PM ^

Basketball.

If we could change 3 small plays from the football season it would be different. Basketball is a lot more forgiving. A crappy half season is survivable.

saveferris

March 20th, 2017 at 9:02 AM ^

Correct.  Harbaugh has brought the swagger back to the football program, but we still need to accumulate some hardware to complete the picture.  Beilein and the basketball team are going to hang a B1G Tournament Champion banner, regardless of what happens from here on out, so they win....this season.

Wolverine Devotee

March 19th, 2017 at 8:08 PM ^

Harbaugh doesn't like comparing because one side will get diminished.

In this case, Football would definitely get diminished.

Basketball season isn't even close to being done yet. And they've already got one championship trophy. 

Football came away with nothing this past season. Unfortunate because it was a great team.

swalburn

March 19th, 2017 at 8:11 PM ^

Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan are the only Top 10 ish football programs (I know Florida wasn't great) that are in the sweet 16.  We have strong argument that we are best school for football/basketball supremacy.

aleng

March 19th, 2017 at 8:11 PM ^

A wise man once said I don't like to compare because someone or something ends up getting diminished. Can't we just enjoy them both for what they are? We are blessed as fans to get to enjoy so much. Go blue!

Team 101

March 19th, 2017 at 8:14 PM ^

This is a basketball team that has overcome adversity.  I wrote them off as a NIT team and countless other here were calling for the coaches head.  It's not just the W's - it's the will to play after the experience of the plane accident, it's the senior point guard with relentless desire to carry his team, the struggling senior who won't quit, the German big man hugging his African American teammate and the 60+ year old coach bringing a water gun into the locker room to celebrate with his team.  It reminds me of the 1980 football team that brought Bo his first Rose Bowl victory.  It is one of the teams we will be talking about years from now.

M and M Boys

March 19th, 2017 at 8:14 PM ^

Basketball is on an exciting fireworks dash
a BIG finish line in sight!
Football didn't have that opportunity as the BCS shootout eluded them....
GOing to KC with the M Sunshine Band!

Trump

March 19th, 2017 at 8:17 PM ^

Average season in football standards vs great season in basketball standards. No contest. They won the dang BTT!

LSAClassOf2000

March 19th, 2017 at 8:26 PM ^

Well, as the basketball season is - as of this moment - still alive and well, it's technically a very difficult question to answer on many levels. I suppose, however, you could make an argument that the structure of the seasons makes this an even harder question to answer, especially considering the structure of the postseasons - they are hardly comparable. If we're going to talk about simple "bang for the buck" type stuff though, I would have to lean basketball, qualified heavily by the fact that their season is still in fact current.

Ty Butterfield

March 19th, 2017 at 8:26 PM ^

Basketball and it isn't even close. Even if the basketball team doesn't win another game this season is a huge success. I am glad do be eating crow about how Beilein got this team to play.

jabberwock

March 19th, 2017 at 8:28 PM ^

after winning the conference tournament, and could still win it all.

Football lost to our biggest rival for like the 10th time in 13 yrs, came in 3rd in the B1G East (again) and lost a meaningless consolation bowl.

Why are you asking this question?

swalburn

March 19th, 2017 at 8:28 PM ^

I was afraid I was heading to Bolivia but was genuinely thinking about it today.  Every football game felt like it was the most important thing in the world.  I was so fixated on them getting in the playoff and it took a crappy spot to keep them out.  They still played in a New Years Day bowl.  Basketball was so frustrating all year.  There were numerous threads about firing our coach.  Then I blinked, we were hoisting banners and were in the Sweet 16 as the hottest team in the country.

Sports are weird.  It was the first topic I started on the board.  Thanks for indulging me.

MJ14

March 19th, 2017 at 8:43 PM ^

Right now I think they are equal. Michigan should have played in the Big Ten Championship game in football. I think they would have won that Big Ten Championship, but woud have lost in the playoffs. 

I think the Sweet 16 is equal to a new years bowl in football. Michigan made it to a new years day bowl in football, but ended up losing. Basketball has made it to the equivalent in my mind. If the basketball team wins their sweet 16 game, as I figure they will, they will go down as more successful. 

If you forced me to pick I would say basketball because they will actually hang a banner. Football should have had an opportunity to win a big ten championship, but should have is obviously not as solid as actually winning one. I still think it is pretty equal right now. I have Michigan making it past the sweet 16 though and that will make their season better to me. 

hammers

March 19th, 2017 at 9:21 PM ^

to be roughly equal to an elite 8 appearance. With a Final Four an equivalent of a Playoff entry in football. At the moment the bball team has a banner to hang with the Big 10 tourney title...so they may have the slight edge.

pete-rock

March 19th, 2017 at 9:35 PM ^

Football had high expectations last season, came close but fell short at the end, when the most was on the line.  A disappointing end to a great season.  Basketball had middling expectations this season and midway through looked as if they wouldn't meet that.  But then they got on a terror over the last 14 games and started to surpass our (midseason revised) expectations.

Expectations-wise and feelings-ball-wise, b-ball's had the better season.

pete-rock

March 19th, 2017 at 9:36 PM ^

Football had high expectations last season, came close but fell short at the end, when the most was on the line.  A disappointing end to a great season.  Basketball had middling expectations this season and midway through looked as if they wouldn't meet that.  But then they got on a terror over the last 14 games and started to surpass our (midseason revised) expectations.

Expectations-wise and feelings-ball-wise, b-ball's had the better season.

Perkis-Size Me

March 19th, 2017 at 9:39 PM ^

Basketball has brought home hardware. Football didn't. Basketball got hot at the right time at the end of the year. Football faded down the stretch.



If basketball wins the Oregon matchup next week, I don't think there's any disputing who had the better season.