Newton Gimmick

November 11th, 2021 at 8:07 PM ^

Harbaugh at Michigan when the spread is within 2 points either way:

2015: +1 vs OSU (L, 42-13)
2019: -1 vs ND (W, 45-14)
2020: -1 vs PSU (L, 27-17)
2021: +2 @ Wisc (W, 38-17)

Since 1997, Michigan is 6-5 straight up when a <2 point favorite (opponent / season) --
Wins: Col 97, Fla* 02, @Minn 03, @ILL 07, @NW 14, ND 19
Losses: @MSU 99, USC* 06, Illinois 08, @PSU 13, PSU 20

Since 1997, Michigan is 3-4 straight up when a <2 point underdog --
Wins: @PSU 97, @ILL 11, @WIS 21
Losses: @Pur 00, @ND 08, @Neb 12, OSU 15

So 9-9 overall since '97 in the <2 point window.  Some historically satisfying wins (the '97 ones, Metrodome comeback, ND in the rain, the beatdown in Camp Randall last month). 

Also some tragic losses (Plaxico, 27-for-27, blown 28-10 lead / Travis Dorsch, the other ND in the rain, Russell Bellomy game) and a couple no-shows (Durkin interview week, Juice Williams Pt 1, PSU last year)

Not sure if any of it means anything, but it was fun to pick through.  Some of the spreads, in retrospect, surprised me.  I really should have retired early after that 2008 season, given those point spreads.

 

Joined: 05/06/2015

MGoPoints: 33792

LB

November 11th, 2021 at 2:08 PM ^

https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/tacopants-first-sighting

Although urban legend suggests that Tacopants has been on the team since the introduction of the forward pass, it is commonly believed that the first sighting by a keen-eyed observer came during the Henne era From the MGoFAQ:

Tacopants is Jason Avant's eleven-foot tall imaginary friend. Chad Henne spent much of 2005 hitting him between the numbers, which are unfortunately eight feet off the ground and made of dreams. Blessed with infinite eligibility and the ability to sneak on and off the field without alerting the referees -- made of dreams, remember -- Tacopants has taken a lesser role in the offense as Henne matures but still pops up at inopportune times. The term has its genesis in this post.

Joined: 09/26/2009

MGoPoints: 25671

RXwolverine

November 11th, 2021 at 10:33 AM ^

Welp win and keep the dream alive. At least we move on to the next game and my dream of winning the big ten and making the playoff continues, which was what harbaugh was hired to do. Lose and the harbaugh defenders will flock in full force with their bullshit "referees cheatin!" "who do we hire thats better!" "we need a new __(insert name)____ coordinator" "needs more time" 

Did i miss anything?

Joined: 05/22/2019

MGoPoints: 13018

mGrowOld

November 11th, 2021 at 11:03 AM ^

Yeah pretty much everything you said wasnt true.  Over the past two years there have been preciious few Harbaught "apologists", at least around here.  Just the opposite if you've paying attention.

Preseaon prediction threads ranged from 2-9 to the wildly optimistic 9-3.  Many thought he'd be fired before the year ended.  Nobody predicted what has actually happened.

As the season progressed and the wins started to accululate a LOT of posters (including our dear leader Brian) refused to believe the team was for real and wouldnt commit emotional energy in supporting & hoping.  And our coordinators have been generally well-recieved both here and elsewhere.  Not perfect but not terrible either.  Especially our young new DC.

Our one loss WAS heavilly influenced by the officials - and the B1G themselves basically acknowledged this (allegedly).  And it wasnt just the board saying this - Rich Eisen, Dan Orlovsky and a bunch of ESPN talking heads all went off on how biased, bad and one-sided the calls went that day.

So yes.  Everything you said wasnt true.

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 213315

Dayday

November 11th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^

In the army mass punishment was a thing. Getting lectured en masse for someone else's fuck up was normal and the higher ranked person yelling at us would always stop the berating to calmly throw out the caveat, "if this doesn't apply to you soldier just let it roll off your back." Apparently that's not a lesson known by many on this board. As an aside, I think these ladies doth protest too much.

Joined: 02/16/2016

MGoPoints: 1534

WolverineMan1988

November 11th, 2021 at 5:07 PM ^

You could have chosen any other position group on the team and made a better case here. We’re as deep at RB as any team can be. Down 2 of our top 3 guys and still have a guy like Hassan to lean on. We are thin at several positions where an injury to one guy could potentially be devastating, but RB ain’t one of them.

Joined: 09/26/2017

MGoPoints: 5215

Don

November 11th, 2021 at 11:25 AM ^

"I am very pleased with the results so far"

RXWolverine on 9-27-2021:

"Why are we always making excuses for the inept plays of our team? Harbaugh needs to be held accountable. The team he has fielded this season has many problems and they are about to be exposed if they don’t make some changes. If Cade is the guy harbaugh his hanging his job on then so be it. But if this season fails (9-3 or worse) then he needs to be canned."

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148449

mGrowOld

November 11th, 2021 at 11:33 AM ^

I was pleased with the results so far - Part II (immediately after the MSU game)

RXWolverine on 10-31-21

"Harbaughs career will come to end soon and he will go down as the most overrated coach ever. He just could not win the big games. Sigh."

I'd say Don's reading comprehension skills are just fine.  You seem to have very selective recall though as you cant remember what you actually wrote.

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 213315

RXwolverine

November 11th, 2021 at 12:02 PM ^

Once again i never called for him to be fired. Off course his career will end here every coach will retire eventually because you know death is a thing. And regardless of the outcome this season he will go down as one of the most overrated coaches ever considering the HYPE he received when they hired him. Has any coach had so much hype before? not that i recall. I dont think he has enough years left to make up for all the disappointing seasons he has had since his hire. The talent level has taken a hit and i dont ever see us recruiting at an ohio state and alabama level with harbaugh as the coach. 

Joined: 05/22/2019

MGoPoints: 13018

switch26

November 11th, 2021 at 7:25 PM ^

Literally no coach could come in and recruit at the level of OSU or Bama.. how dumb are you?  Those schools literally run their programs like the NFL..

 

Michigan has shown they are not capable of doing this, let alone the requirements for kids to qualify..  It is clear the level of idiot that goes to OSU..  

 

Granted the football players at UM aren't the brightest at all times either, but they also aren't nearly as stupid as the majority of the kids that enroll at bama or osu..  

 

UM can't just pick every johnny 5 star and get them, it won't happen under harbaugh and it won't happen under any other coach.. 

Joined: 02/04/2010

MGoPoints: 8309