butuka21

January 18th, 2018 at 8:01 PM ^

I am not a troll and this has not been a rivalry for over a decade, it’s been a pure beating with one win while there coach was fired. Maybe let’s just start with win one and go from there, but it has been a joke and embarrassing.

Joined: 11/22/2016

MGoPoints: 2889

BigBlue02

January 18th, 2018 at 11:38 PM ^

Cheating and firing your coach really shouldn’t be looked at as a great way to win games. Sometimes excuses can also be valid explanations. Like if OSU didn’t cheat for a decade, they might not have beaten Michigan so many times with all of those recruits that came there for free tattoos.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: -1003

dragonchild

January 19th, 2018 at 7:35 AM ^

FFS. . . YES.  That's the point.

The ref shitjob goes well beyond "the spot".  The conservative playcalling happened because Harbaugh knew full well that OSU's defense was given permission to mug our receivers all day.  After the INTs Harbaugh still called pass plays because he had little choice, but we did get a late TD.  We didn't go for 2, though, because with the run game shut down and everything on the line, a short-yardage pass was going to get the receivers flat-out tackled before the ball was launched without a flag.  Harbaugh ain't stupid; the refs had imposed their will on Michigan's passing game.  We couldn't defend the last couple plays either because OSU's offense figured out they could hold with impunity. . . so they did.

Ref screwjobs aren't just about the calls they make; it's about the calls they don't make, and the players figuring out what they're allowed to do.  When you're not allowed to pass and not allowed to defend, it's a pretty simple matter for the other side to just key on the run and let attrition run its course.

Joined: 10/13/2011

MGoPoints: 61382

HimJarbaugh

January 18th, 2018 at 8:14 PM ^

Absolutely. The rivalry has become a sad annual reminder of how Michigan's place in the college football landscape has changed. Us fans comfort ourselves with history and nostalgia but the truth is right there in the results and until that changes, Michigan will never come close to its full potential because recruits will look at it as a second-tier football program.

Joined: 12/23/2014

MGoPoints: 4292

Cranky Dave

January 18th, 2018 at 8:02 PM ^

When we beat OSU in 2011 (year two of working together) it seemed like a rivalry to us. Now he just shrugs his shoulders when we talk about football. He doesn’t even think of it as The Game anymore

Joined: 09/08/2012

MGoPoints: 26286

evenyoubrutus

January 18th, 2018 at 8:14 PM ^

I really look forward to the day when we can look back on things like this and "cackle with knowing glee." OTOH I seem to remember saying the same kind of thing towards the end of the 90's.

Joined: 11/04/2008

MGoPoints: 178579

A Lot of Milk

January 18th, 2018 at 8:16 PM ^

The discussion is so dumb. There's only been a handful of completely uncompetitive games since the tail end of the Carr era. 2013 and 2016 were both decided by a single play. 2012 was a one score game. I get that there's something to be said about finishing the damn game, but the idea that we roll over every time we play them is ridiculous. How about they even tie the series before they declare how uncompetitive it is

Joined: 02/17/2013

MGoPoints: 48842

StephenRKass

January 18th, 2018 at 8:20 PM ^

Like in the basketball thread, the answer is simple:  just win. Complaining about officiating and where a ball is spotted doesn't cut it. At the end of the day, for it to be a rivalry, Michigan needs to start winning. I love Harbaugh, and I hope he's here a very long time. I even am ok with him keeping Drevno and Pep. But especially on the OL, and secondarily at QB, there needs to be change. This next year is so critical, and it looks like we have the hardest schedule of any team in the country. I can't wait until Michigan actually is competitive again with OSU. Until Michigan is dominating MSU again. Until Michigan is in the discussion for the national championship. We have been wandering in the wilderness for a long time. Long enough, imhe. 

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23103