I had zero faith.

Big10 championships are no neg days

I think most of us were there too. I doubted this team, and harbaugh, because of BPONE. I was wrong and am okay with that. I love Harbaugh proved most of us wrong. Did I want him fired? Yes. Did I want to believe in him and want to see him succeed? 100%. I’m okay eating crow because JH is a mighty damn fine coach that proved most of us wrong. I am so glad he changed the narrative as he belongs home. 

Upvote from me. People need to be more positive around here, a la the actual football team we root for

I was an optimist before the season. I loved the new hires and thought the players were capable of much, much better than we'd seen last year. But that meant I thought Michigan might scrap their way to 9-3 with a chance to notch a bowl victory. We were all--and I mean literally all of us in the Michigan fan commentariat--wrong about how this season would actually go. And it's glorious to be so wrong

I was the biggest Harbaugh supporter ever.  Been following him since San Diego. By the end of last season, I had zero return fire for the criticism.

Basically it was ignore the covid year and at least he keeps making changes. So he doesn't have a fragile ego. Plus he took the pay cut.

Not strong arguments of hope.

My biggest beef was 6 seasons and no identity. Then I sensed this wasn't the case in the Washington game. Basically sure it wasn't the case in the Wisconsin game.  The way the guys competed and the intelligence of the game planning was Stanford 2009.

There will be some ups and downs in the sport, but at least be something players and future players identify with. Something opponents get nervous about. And make sure that's the core of what you do.

With this team, you see the edge the head coach had in his best years on full display. That's what we wanted all along.

Very happy for him and the other coaches and the players. 

And I don't blame the fans who turned on him. I think the things they were saying were fair even if I didn't agree with a lot of it. 

Sounds good this morning but it will only take a bad quarter of football for BPONE fever to hit these  threads. Last one's on the bandwagon are typically the first to hop off. I hope I'm wrong.

On that note, sometimes life can be so hard that when things are positive and going well it’s still hard to be happy and believe. M fans were waiting all year for the wheels to fall off and they never really did because of the TEAM. 

It takes some mental fortitude to allow yourself to have hope, and open yourself up to be hurt and let down BUT that’s the ride, that’s the ticket, and one of the glorious things of life. 

All season I’ve been thrilled for Harbaugh. He has taken more dong punches than a man should and yet he comes back with resolve. He never gives up. He showed his colors over and over again staying true and believing. Wow!

it’s all I’ve been saying all year WOW. Big ten champs!!!

PS I know it’s been an awful year for Brian yet I hope this brings him some healing and joy too. 

He broke through. The upside is if you beat a program like OSU you’ve arrived. The downside is you have to beat OSU to accomplish your goals. This team has been focused, tenacious, and really fun to watch all season long. Yes even that nerve wracking Rutgers game. We’re playing with house money now. But you know what this team can continue to shock the world and trounce the SEC.

You were one of the most incessantly negative posters here for quite a while.  You made the reading experience considerably less enjoyable for a number of us - myself included.  You were very stubborn.  If I’m not mistaken, you were so sure of yourself you promised never again to post if we beat OSU.  But here you are.

Forgiveness is a beautiful thing. I forgive you.  Looks like you have forgiven yourself - which is even more important.  Learning from one’s mistakes - and not repeating them - is just as important.

In all sincerity, good luck on your path.

No need to give negs. When we win a championship, we should be celebrating, laughing at OSU for having no defense, laughing at MSU for missing out on the playoff, replaying the Roman Wilson touchdown etc. 
 

yes, many fans were upset (including me) about Harbaugh last year. We were wrong. It’s sports. People like Brian and Ace wanted Harbaugh to get the axe. They aren’t bad Michigan fans for that, they were just wrong. 
 

go blue. 

In retrospect…Jim has had the program scratching and clawing at the door of the CFB elite for years there were slot of little things which prevented a breathrough but at least 2 other seasons UM was right there.last year really was a crazy time. 

Hey, I did this after the OSU game. There were a lot of us who were tired of seeing the same tune play out.

I am so happy those of us are eating our words. It's not like I did not want Jim Harbaugh to succeed; just to this point (before the season), he had not won the big game. Proved me wrong.

I admit, I did too. At that point in the beginning of the season, I didn't have much reason to believe that it would be much better than a 10-2 season based on prior seasons. How many times have we had in the last 7 years where we had early season hype that it would be different this year and then crapped the bed as time went on? I know I had PTSD and it was hard to get hopes up

I am more than happy to have been proved wrong. I'll eat crow and not afraid to admit it.

I loved when Fox showing Harbaugh looking around with a few minutes left in the game to just take it all in. Very rarely see Harbaugh looking truly happy. Made me smile. 

Takes a bigger person to admit being wrong, but as you said not about that's

The changing of the program isn't an over night process, but this year was a HUGE step.

I never called for the firing of RR or Hoke, and never called for Harbaugh to be broomed, either.

That said, did I have any confidence we'd do any better than 9-3? Nope. Did I have any confidence we'd beat OSU? None. Was I filled with optimism that we'd earhole Iowa? No—I thought it would be a close nail-biter.

I said here back in 2015/2016 that the adulation of him after his first two seasons was ridiculously over the top, and I also believe that the worst of the corrosive criticism of him after 2019 was similarly unhinged. Internet message boards encourage extreme comments, and MGoBlog is a perfect example.

I have been happily proven wrong and have no problem admitting it!! Yesterday was the happiest day of my football watching life! I started watching Michigan football in 1999 and the past 2 weeks has trumped the 2000 orange bowl and the 2003 Ohio state game. ITS GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!!!!!!

I wouldn’t say I had zero faith but I had little. Glad we were all wrong. 

As I mentioned in another thread, I never lost faith that Michigan would turn it around but had started to wonder if I'd live to see it.

IIRC the 1997 team didn't get much preseason respect either. If you listen to how these players talk about their teammates and coaches, you'll hear echos of how the 1997 team spoke about each other when they decided the only path to respect was to "climb the mountain" of an undefeated season.

Nor did I ever want to see Harbaugh fired. As I often asked who would be better at Michigan? If Jim couldn't get it done, then it couldn't be done. For Michigan football there is NO better head coach available. It's fantastic that he's finally proven it this season.

What a great season.  

They need to pay mike macdonald all the money

BEFORE the season I thought we would surprise people.  Never did I think that meant beating OSU and winning the B1G.  But after that MSU game I was down on us even last night.  As I sat in the stands and the first quarter we have 200 yards total offense and 14 points and then virtually nothing for 2 quarters after that the feelings of dread crept back in.  Even after the OSU game I still can't grasp the idea that the sports gods have decided to shine on me again.  It's such a foreign feeling anymore it took me a week to have the Braves world series title sink in.  The OSU game still hasn't sunk in and this won't for a while either.  But I'm coming around because my first thought on this playoff is "we have a legit chance here to make the final."  November has been good to me.  Let's go take December and January.

I feel the same exact way OP. After seeing the let downs every single year and what happened in 2020, I was ready to move on. 

Jim coming back was not what I hoped to see but luckily it was not my decision. I expected no more than 8 wins coming into the season and as the season progressed I too expected them to  fold as usual. Harbaughing was the new Clemsoning after all. 
 

I’m thrilled to admit I was wrong. This is the Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football I expected to see 2015-2019 and only saw a few glimpses of. This offense is a thing of beauty now. This defense is a miracle. This team has made a believer out of me. Win or lose, it’s GO Blue!

All in for Michigan!!!

Anybody who was feeling the BPONE, fuck it. This is not a time for I told you so's. We're witnessing something. This team will win the national championship. Get on the happy train now, you need not dwell in darkness.

i was an unabashed harbaugh defender.  never once thought he should be canned.  thus, i have established illusory, anonymous superiority over other unknown, anonymous and possibly illusory people. i feel better about this. 

Say six Hail Marys and two Flea Flickers and all will be forgiven.

Same.