ESPN All-Time Top 150 CFB games=Lots of Michigan Pain
So I stumbled across this today (SIAP)
I did a quick Command-F "Michigan" search and good lord are the vast majority of UM games listed painful losses. I'll let you guess which was #3 (which I think is too high TBH, but maybe I'm biased) with the rest of the games either gut wrenching OSU/MSU losses or Rose Bowl defeats to USC, etc.
While I do think that the list (like any of this kind, I suppose) suffered from a mix of recency and ND bias (most of the games before 1950), It made me realize that for a Top 5/10 all-time program UM has had it's share of high profile gut punch losses.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:08 PM ^
i'll look at that right after i get done doing my 'command-f debilitating diseases' search...
November 4th, 2019 at 12:10 PM ^
No one should take the CFB 150 stuff seriously after they literally had an entire episode dedicated to Notre Dame Football.
November 4th, 2019 at 3:29 PM ^
In all honesty though... Michigan, for the longest time was College Football's "darling". So I do get the episode on ND football, and the cult following of the team.
I see full 1hr episodes on the Yankees, or Sox, all the time as a marquee program in MLB. Certain brands such as the Celtics, Bulls etc. have been name brands for their respective sports for ages. Don't knock it, Red Wings even though they're in down times are one of those marquee teams.
The fact that you feel 'strongly' about the ND episode, says they got it right! I can't stand them either, will hate "Marble Mouth" (Holtz) until the day I die...hope he chokes on a patch of grass after pulling it up and eating it wherever he played.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:16 PM ^
They got #2 correct.
#7 should be #1.
November 4th, 2019 at 5:12 PM ^
I actually REALLY liked their pick for #1. That game was A) A Rivalry game B) Between undisputedly the two best teams that season C) An absolutely thrilling game to watch, with the winning score in the last two minutes.
of all the supposed "games of the century," this one really deserved the top billing.
November 4th, 2019 at 9:13 PM ^
#1 should probably be #1, but USC - Texas is probably the single best game I've actually seen. I was at the Colorado and App State games. Ugh. Although, that OSU game at the end of 2007 was the most miserable I've been at a game. Cold, wet, unable to beat OSU yet again in the senior years of Henne, Hart, and Long. I'd take a reversal of that over a reversal of App State in a heartbeat.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:16 PM ^
Wow. WAY too much pain for us.
And these three games MIA, of course:
2004, Michigan v MSU
2005, Michigan v Penn State
2011, Michigan v Notre Dame
November 4th, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
OK, if we're going to go with Michigan pain, 1980 Michigan-Notre Dame has to be in the Top 20 at least...maybe Top 10
EDIT: The irony is this...I think that the 1980 Michigan-Notre Dame game is the only UM-ND game that was not nationally televised...and I could argue that game is probably the greatest game in the UM-ND series (only 2011 couls surpass it...maybe)
November 4th, 2019 at 12:24 PM ^
Ugh. Yeah. Agreed.
And hey, ya know another one that should have made this list?
2003, Michigan v Minnesota. Remember that one? Both top 20 teams, and Minnesota was ranked ahead of us, and favored.
But hey, I guess we should be grateful that they didn't include:
2008, Michigan v Toledo
;-)
November 4th, 2019 at 12:30 PM ^
The 2003 Michigan v Minnesota game is the first one that came to mind for me. Epic comeback with some amazing plays along the way, but kind of understand bc it didn't have national implications, really.
November 4th, 2019 at 5:20 PM ^
That was our last outright Big Ten title winning team
November 5th, 2019 at 2:55 AM ^
1991 Michigan-ND was the greatest in the series. Desmond game-winning, diving catch for a TD on 4th and 1. He also scored on a reverse in that game, and went on to win the Heisman (catapulted by this game).
I personally thought the 2011 game was a lot of luck by a) Tommy Rees dropping the ball all game, and b) their one corner (Gray) couldn't play a ball in the air. Other than that, they kicked our ass all over the field that night.
2006 Michigan-ND was a much better game, as was 2009 with Denard's coming out party on their field with over 500 yards of total offense.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:17 PM ^
Any list that has so many Michigan and Notre Dame games and doesn’t include the first Under the Lights game is a joke.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:21 PM ^
I think they are factoring in stakes as well.
That game didn't really end up being for anything. Notre Dame finished 8-5, Michigan was 11-2 but didn't win the conference or anything.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
By my count, Michigan ended up 3-9-1 on that list with the "1" functioning as a loss.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:23 PM ^
The 1994 Orange Bowl at #34?
That was a horribly played game...
November 4th, 2019 at 5:12 PM ^
Yep. There are actually a lot of games on that list (including #3) that featured very poor play by at least one of the teams.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
This list just confirms what i've always believed to be true. When Michigan wins it's expected, when Michigan loses - even today - it's a big deal to the media. Which is why we ALWAYS appear as the losing team on ESPN or B1G "classic" games. Michigan getting beat is newsworthy, interesting and a little bit exciting to the rest of college football.
We appeared 12 times on this list by my count. The winningest football team in college football history's record in the greatest games ever played (according to ESPN) is?
3-9-1
November 4th, 2019 at 12:39 PM ^
3+9+1=12?
That's some Dantonio math right there.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:39 PM ^
The one that most proves your point, to me, is that #121 is the 2000 game at Northwestern. That was an amazingly entertaining game with a crazy finish and worthy of being remembered. However, it's not more amazing, important, or memorable than several of our great wins of recent (meaning TV era) memory.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:41 PM ^
Well...
If my calculations are correct, Ohio State's record in this list is just about the same, at 3-8-1.
So, yeah. It's always "news" whenever Michigan or Ohio State lose. These days, of course, far bigger news when Ohio State does, because as we all (painfully) know, it's BEEN SO DAMN RARE.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:44 PM ^
MSU = 3-1-1
Checks out
November 4th, 2019 at 12:44 PM ^
It’s like what one of the other users said a couple days ago about Harbaugh, but extended to the entire Michigan program: Michigan only loses big games; by winning a game, that game no longer is viewed as big.
the ‘97 OSUgame was not a big game. Ruining PSU’s perfect season in ‘05 was not a big game. None of them are. We have never won a big game ever because we won it.
November 4th, 2019 at 2:11 PM ^
Kinda shocking that 97 game wasn't on there considering it was between the #1 and #4 teams. But Michigan was unranked I believe for that 2005 PSU game, so why would that be included? The fact is we have a pretty shitty record when both teams are ranked high. There's a reason ND was winning national titles in the 70s and 80s and we were losing Rose Bowls. They beat #1 Miami in 1988 and #1 Florida State in 1993 which are both on there. We choked away the 1988 Miami game and Florida State put up 51 on us in our house in 1993.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:31 PM ^
I think I'll just sit here and punch my balls a dozen times instead of checking out that list.
November 4th, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
When I want excruciating pain equal to perusing that list of notable UM defeats, I always find that placing my nuts in a vise and giving the handle a full rotation every 30 seconds does the trick.
If a vise isn't available, stubbing a toe on a table leg in the dark at 3am is a suitable substitute.
November 4th, 2019 at 2:46 PM ^
#1 Pain = Stepping on Legos with bare feet!
^^^Would only wish the above on my worst enemy... or OSU
November 4th, 2019 at 12:36 PM ^
I have an issue with that 1969 Texas-Arkansas game because...yes, that was a classic that should be on a list like this...but without that Michigan-Ohio State game that year (which is on the list also...but ranked lower) that Texas-Arkansas game means nothing...and even Darryl Royal kinda sorta said so.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:41 PM ^
Who could forget the great ND-Army game that ended in a scoreless tie?
This list seems like a pretty impossible undertaking of a task, but mine probably wouldn't have 48 ND games all before the 1990s
November 4th, 2019 at 2:08 PM ^
CFB 150 is written by a bunch of ND blowhards. Hope they enjoyed their 31 point L two weeks ago.
November 5th, 2019 at 2:59 AM ^
As evidenced by the TV series having an entire episode dedicated to their self-absorbed, delusional, entitled football team/school/fanbase.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:54 PM ^
This list is insane. How the hell can Notre Dame be in so many of them? Who the fuck wrote this, Lou Holtz? Good lord this is ridiculous. 10-15 games seems reasonable but how many times are they on here, maybe 30?
November 4th, 2019 at 1:01 PM ^
Well since you asked, I tried to find out. Counting was hard, honestly. I got 12-8-2 but I definitely could have missed by a couple in either direction.
November 4th, 2019 at 1:05 PM ^
Garbage list - note how they only have 1 M victory, and that from 50 years ago?!?
Which from one perspective is nice, it implies we're always supposed to win, but damned if that WSU RoseBowl among others that year ('97 OSU, '97 WHUPPIN on #2 PSU) weren't in the top 50 all time.
ESPN should feel ashamed by this nonsense. App state wasn't one of the great games of all time - it was interesting from a perspective thing, FCS beating a top 5 (stupidest fucking scheduling decision in history, that App state team was legit good, (and we weren't ready for them)) but a great game? Start to finish? HELL NO.
The final 1:41 from UTL'11, now that's a great game in a minute and a half! Touchdown Tim running for 313 all over the much higher rated -uckeyes in '95, now THAT was a great game!
Seriously, this is ESPN masturbating and coming up with a brainless list of no-research stupidity for click bait. Burn the site, maybe burn the screen you looked at it on, maybe go find an eyewash station... There's no "greatest games" list there, for sure.
November 4th, 2019 at 1:41 PM ^
As if I ever needed an excuse to relive #3. But speaking as someone who was there.... the game itself wasn't a back-and-forth classic type game. It was us having to play catch up all day and me getting more and more pissed that we were STILL trailing in the 4th quarter.
Outside of Michigan, nobody remembers anything from the actual game. Just the last play.
November 4th, 2019 at 2:55 PM ^
One of the biggest upsets in CFB... but not one of the greatest games. When I think of a great game, I'm thinking counter punches.
Hell, the most recent UNC & Duke FB game was more enjoyable, and I just wanted both teams to die on the field.
November 4th, 2019 at 1:56 PM ^
Too many games on there that no one remembers. Surely some of the games from the aughts could have been replaced with a game Michigan won.
November 4th, 2019 at 2:27 PM ^
Funny... I see just as much OSU, ND, Alabama doom and gloom as Michigan, if not more!
November 4th, 2019 at 2:59 PM ^
Yeah...OSU clocked in at 3-8-1 (nearly identical to ours); the big difference being, of course, that nearly all of those 8 Ls are matters of ancient history. Many of ours are still quite fresh.
Now, two OSU games that really should have been here?
2002, vs Purdue (the "Holy Buckeye" game -- Krenzel and Co. pull out a miracle win to stay alive in their national title hopes, and then, of course, go on from there to win it all)
2007, vs Illinois (the "Holy Shit" game -- Illinois beat #1 OSU in Columbus late in the season to dash Buckeye title hopes)
And now, as I remember that 2007 game, I'm reminded of two VERY painful facts:
1. Illinois defeated a good Ohio State team more recently than we have (our last such win was in 2003)
2. Illinois has won in Columbus more recently than we have (our last such win was in 2000)
Shoot me now.
November 4th, 2019 at 2:44 PM ^
It took this list to make you realize that you're, by now, somewhat immune to dick punches? Interesting. Anymore, someone kicks me in the balls and I wonder what the fuss is all about...
I'm Michigan Fan, dammit, and I'm over 40, you're ball kicking has no effect on me!!
November 4th, 2019 at 3:55 PM ^
You always get gut punched by better teams so it's no surprise OSU is on there post-Cooper. Ask NW and Indiana how many times they've been gut punched by UM. I'd also have to assume there are a few of us getting the better of PSU and ND on occasion as well.
November 4th, 2019 at 4:05 PM ^
Way too much Notre Dame on this list.
November 4th, 2019 at 4:27 PM ^
ESPN says that's the 150 "greatest" games --- I mean, App State 2007 was historic, yes.
But it certainly wasn't the 3rd "greatest" game ever, ultimately it was a game between (1) a 9-4 FBS team that was under-achieving a bit early in the season and (2) an FCS Champ. Eh. The season-ending Citrus Bowl was a better-played football game.
All these lists truly need 3 different buckets, that do have some overlap:
1. Historic. 2007 U-M/App State, 1993 U-M/PSU (first match-up in the series), 1988 & 2001 U-M/OSU (these only became apparent in retrospect, changing of momentum in the series under a new OSU coach).
2. Memorable. I would say 2005 U-M/PSU and 2015 U-M/MSU fall here. Very memorable last plays but the games as a whole weren't necessarily the best-played games.
3. Great. Off the top of my head, I'd put the 1997 and 2006 U-M/OSU games here.
November 4th, 2019 at 5:29 PM ^
I had the same thought. This seemed to me to be more a list of "memorable" games or "games with memorable plays in them." That's fine, and I guess that's one way to define "greatness," but it's definitely not a list of the games where the greatest football was played.
For example, it's crazy to me that the 2015 "Trouble with the Snap" MSU game is on here if you're trying to list "great" games. That game was a horrid ref show with a insanely random ending. It's memorable as hell, sure. If I were an MSU fan, I'd never let Michigan fans forget about it (and they haven't). But just because it ended with a really weird play didn't make the rest of the game great.
And then if you're gonna have that game on there for its crazy ending, then how the hell is UTL I not on there? As a neutral (which, yes, I'm not) would you ever trade the final two minutes of UTL I for one stupid punt snap in 2015 MSU? Hell no, you wouldn't.
So that's my major beef: it's really more a list of memorable games, but then then has some weird choices from what constitutes memorable. Well, that and all the ND games. FFS.
November 4th, 2019 at 5:38 PM ^
"Great" is incredibly subjective. And the App State-Michigan game, while historic, wasn't what I think any true fan of the game would call great.
The "best" pure game I ever saw in terms of excitement and twists and turns would be the Oklahoma-Boise State Fiesta Bowl. If you haven't seen it, it's worth trying to find and watch on Youtube as there are more ridiculous parts of that game than just the last minute and overtime. It was also a well played game.
The "best" game in terms of quality on the field I've seen was the USC-Texas Rose Bowl. I wasn't around for the 1971 OU-NU game, but I imagine they have similarities in terms of quality of play.
The most important / "historic" game is the 1984 Orange Bowl between Nebraska and Miami. It solidified the importance of having more speed on the field (that NU team was thought to be unbeatable), a more pro-style offense, and the rise of the U (and the Florida schools in general).
November 4th, 2019 at 7:49 PM ^
Yeah - that 2007 Fiesta Bowl has a post-narrative of "Boise State runs trick plays to pull off monumental upset at the end!"
But, I remember watching that game. OU played a strong game. Boise State played well too. Both those teams played their butts off and Boise State earned a lot of respect, even if they hadn't won.
The 1984 Orange Bowl is a fantastic example - you don't necessarily recognize at the time, but a game that looks more and more important as time passes by. On the "other end" of the Miami 20 year-run, I'd put the 2005 Peach Bowl smackdown vs. LSU. Miami has simply never been Miami ever since. Alabama became modern-day Alabama when they went into play #3 Georgia in September 2008 and led 31-0 at the half. They've been on their 11-year run since. Clemson really became modern-day Clemson by winning the 2013 Orange Bowl vs. OSU.
Good post.
November 4th, 2019 at 5:18 PM ^
My biggest quibble with this is recency bias. I think the original Jug game should be on here, and maybe our first time beating UPenn. But when you're the winningest program in college football, nobody cares about Wangler to Carter. And while it'd be nice if they cared maybe a bit about Under the Lights or the time we gave the #3 team in the country their only loss of the season with 1 controversial second on the clock - ultimately, Michigan winning an exciting upset is less exciting outside of Michigan.
Except when it's against Ohio State. The only 3 Michigan wins on here is beating Ohio. That's fair.
November 4th, 2019 at 5:28 PM ^
We've been unlucky historically.
Bo and Harbaugh have a lot more in common than loving dinosaur offense. Neither seemed to be able to catch a break in some of their biggest games.
November 4th, 2019 at 7:55 PM ^
Good fuckin god man.
Notre Dames nuttsack must be sore as fuck. NBC and ESPN have each clutched on to one testicle and have been swinging on it for decades. Every 3rd game involves ND. What a joke.
November 4th, 2019 at 8:16 PM ^
ESPN sucks