Michigan’s road record this year is historically great

Submitted by MGoGrendel on

Michigan is 4-1 on the road this year, the best road record since Lloyd’s 2006 team that also was 4-1. (Neutral sites are not included) Going back further, we have:

  • 1999 @ 4-1
  • 1998 @ 4-2
  • 1997 @ 4-0
  • 1994 @ 4-1  

In the past 21 years, we’ve only had five seasons with four road wins.

Between 1971 and 1975, Bo had five straight seasons with four road wins.  But those were different times.

With the talent we will recruit and the attitude Harbaugh will install, road wins should be much more common than the last 10 years (21-25).   Even with our games against (depleted) rivals next year.  Feels good to be back.

 

SIAP: did a search and only found this: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/bringing-back-another-tradition-winning-big-road

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Wolverine Devotee

November 23rd, 2015 at 6:14 PM ^

First undefeated B1G road record since.......1997.

Think about that. Perfect on the road in conference games. There were 4 B1G Championship teams between 1998 and now that couldn't do that.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

Vasav

November 23rd, 2015 at 9:33 PM ^

That weekend was like the opposite of this weekend - my senior year and me and some buddies loaded up in a big old Buick to head to Madison. Had a great time and then we lost. We barely said "bye" to the guys we stayed with and hit the road so fast - and right around Chicago heard that Ohio State had lost to Illinois! Upped our mood immediately!

This weekend, was happy about the win and starting to get hyped for the game, and up until that kick sailed through the uprights and that kid did his ridiculous (but kind of awesome) windmill dance I didn't think the Buckeyes would lose. Took a bit of luster off of our win and my mood for sure.

Joined: 12/13/2009

MGoPoints: 19513

snarling wolverine

November 23rd, 2015 at 9:22 PM ^

In 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2006 we would have been undefeated on the road if not for the trip to Columbus, and in 1999 and 2001 we would have been if not for the game in East Lansing. That's six times in the last 17 years one of them has tripped us up on the road, and if we toss out the RichRod/Hoke years (when we sucked on the road in general), six times in ten years.

 

 

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98733

snarling wolverine

November 23rd, 2015 at 9:18 PM ^

Why are you so down on Iowa? If Iowa-MSU does happen, I think it'll be pretty much a pick-'em if Cook plays and Iowa favored if he's not.   

But I'm hoping we play Iowa and not MSU.  I don't think it's out of the question.  If Cook doesn't play, I could see MSU lose to PSU.  I don't think they can run the ball as well against PSU as they did against OSU, and their backup QBs haven't done anything through the air yet.  On the other side, I expect Hackenberg to get sacked a lot, but in a low-scoring game, it might only take a couple of big plays from him to keep them afloat.

 

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98733

HarbaughToKolesar85

November 23rd, 2015 at 10:22 PM ^

Especially since MSU plays up or down to their opponent. That is why they looked good against us and OSU while they looked like crap against Rutgers, for example. Don't assume that it is a sure thing that won't bite them on Saturday. Let's see how this weekend plays out before we write anyone into the title game against the Hawkeyes who are a really good football team as Snarling Wolverine has rightly suggested.

Joined: 04/11/2015

MGoPoints: 1066

Hulk Henne

November 23rd, 2015 at 8:29 PM ^

We are due for a win against Sparty and we haven't won in Columbus since Drew Henson was our starter. I think next season is when everything comes together. This year was about learning how to win on the road, next year is when we take it up another notch.

Joined: 11/15/2015

MGoPoints: 653

Gentleman Squirrels

November 23rd, 2015 at 6:25 PM ^

We will have to have a perfect/close to perfect road record to be in playoff contention. Nowdays nothing short of a 13-0 or 12-1 (factoring in the championship game) gets you into the playoffs.

Joined: 06/03/2014

MGoPoints: 43421

johnthesavage

November 23rd, 2015 at 7:06 PM ^

It will probably look like this year does. We have two close losses against good teams, including one on the road way out west. We are a good bounce or two away from being in the playoff. Yeah, we've had a couple down games but managed to win anyway. That's what it looks like. If you can do that consistently, you'll be one of the top few programs in the country.

It's a veteran team this year and it will take time for Harbaugh's recruits to take hold. If we keep getting more of this over the next few years, I'd be plenty happy.

Joined: 03/30/2013

MGoPoints: 2112

SFBlue

November 23rd, 2015 at 8:40 PM ^

I suppose that what makes this season so classically Michigan football, post-1980 give or take, is that the season began with a west coast road trip loss, from which Michigan rebounded to dominate many games, then lost a game they should have won, and won a couple they could have easily lost, ending the season with Ohio State and the Rose Bowl on the line. 

Joined: 11/02/2009

MGoPoints: 15699

BlueHills

November 23rd, 2015 at 9:39 PM ^

To say Harbaugh is perhaps the best coach in football is an to put it mildly. What he has done with this team is exactly what we hoped for.

Next year will be even better. Look at the development of these players! We were worried about not having great receivers, but they were developed to their potential. We were worried about the QB position, yet look what has happened with Jake.

The O-line is better by leaps and bounds. The defensive backfield is better, and it's not just Peppers.

Michigan has recruited well in past years, and Harbaugh knows how to develop players, inspire them to harder work, and is a very fine in-game coach. 

I'm not worried about the future of this team any more. Michigan will end this season on the ascendancy, and Harbaugh will not let things go backwards. The future looks really great!

 

Joined: 10/31/2010

MGoPoints: 7468

HarbaughToKolesar85

November 23rd, 2015 at 10:31 PM ^

We will have to wait until the dust settles on attrition to rightly judge what things will look like for next year. For example, we don't know for sure whether Jake Butt will come back and Jourdan Lewis could change his mind about his senior year. That said, if they both come back and their are no surprise transfers of potential impact players we should be very deep next year. Especially once signing day has passed and we know exactly how many potential impact players have been brought in by Coach Harbaugh. I think we will be the pre-season favorite in the end but that is my way-too-early prediction.

Joined: 04/11/2015

MGoPoints: 1066

CoachBP6

November 24th, 2015 at 4:11 AM ^

This is what real coaching can do. Coaching at a high level is an art that I'm not sure many people on this blog truly appreciate.

Brian criticizes Harbaugh for running a play action pass on 2nd and 20, but he fails to realize that running that play isn't always being run to get the LB's to bite on the run, but is also used as a timing mechanism in the west coast passing tree.

Harbaugh is a master at taking what the defense gives him. This past weekend was evidence of that as PSU continued to give Rudock the Rambo WR screen. The WR screen continually forced penn state's defense to defend it, and every time they did not, Harbaugh and Rudock threw it.

Harbaugh is a terrific game planner, and is more often than not, putting our guys in the best position to win the game.

Going forward, once Harbaugh has his OL, RB's, and multi-year QB, we are going to be nearly impossible to stop.



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Joined: 12/18/2013

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