What’s some good news?

Submitted by Clarence Beeks on January 29th, 2024 at 9:49 AM

It’s been a weird ride since January 8th with a ton of twists and turns, with feels like a continual string of mostly unfortunate news since that mountaintop high. Can we turn that tide and find the good? What are things that we are enjoying, looking forward to, etc.?

ERdocLSA2004

January 29th, 2024 at 10:53 AM ^

Agreed.  I’m surprised at the willingness of everyone on this board to claim they will be happy with the future regardless because we won the title.  What a loser mentality.  This is a chance for us to establish dominance, use our success to pull in high level recruits and transfers.  All of that momentum has been squandered.  But apparently on this board, that’s ok.  Well, all of you claiming to be so fulfilled will be the same ones bitching and moaning next fall if we go 9-3.  

drjaws

January 29th, 2024 at 2:44 PM ^

No one here is on the team. Our “loser mentality” has zero effect of the players and whether they win or lose.

Aside from a few teams, it’s won a NC more than once every 20 years or so. Most schools won’t ever win one.

So, yea. We won the national title. And I watched every glorious minute of every game last year. And I’ll relish it for the rest of my life no matter what. 

Don

January 29th, 2024 at 3:12 PM ^

I’m surprised at the willingness of everyone on this board to claim they will be happy with the future regardless because we won the title.

I disagree that it's a "loser mentality" but I also think the people who say this are absolutely lying to themselves.

If we go 9-3 or 8-4 next year—which is a real possibility given who we've lost on the coaching staff and on offense, combined with a brutal schedule—these folks will be bitching up a storm about how Moore isn't the right person for the job. The notion that the NC we just won means they'll be emotionally set for the next ten years regardless of what happens to Michigan football is self-delusion on steroids.

FrankMurphy

January 29th, 2024 at 12:11 PM ^

I'm okay with Michigan not being a dynasty. Georgia, Alabama, LSU, et al. are football factories that happen to have universities attached to them. I would prefer that Michigan be the opposite. The closest thing to the SEC model that we have in the B1G is Ohio State, and even they've never been a dynasty. Alabama- and Georgia-style dynasties are not in the B1G's DNA, and there are valid reasons for that.

xcrunner1617

January 29th, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^

It is sad to see so many fans already putting the title in the past and looking for their next dopamine hit (seems like this is a symptom of current society, always looking for the next big thing). What happened less than a month ago might not ever happen again. So enjoy it. Cherish it. Relish it for what it is cause it happened.

You get very few moments of pure happiness in life, and this was one of those for us fans. Don't be so keen to find tomorrow's problem because it will be there before you know it. 

bassclefstef

January 29th, 2024 at 9:56 AM ^

Well- I'm preparing for two auditions coming up here pretty soon- 2nd Trombone with the Detroit Opera Orchestra, and then Bass Trombone with the Nashville Symphony later on in March. We'll see- 2nd Trombone isn't really my wheelhouse, but the repertoire list is pretty interesting- it's a chance to work on some wacky opera excerpts that I've never touched before. If neither of them works out, there are at least three pretty substantial bass trombone auditions on the horizon, and my philosophy with these things is that preparation is additive.

Besides that, I've got two really fun Flint Symphony performances on the way- Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony on February 17th, and then the week after that, we're playing the full score to the 1989 Batman film, as a live accompaniment to a screening of the actual movie. It's getting pretty common for orchestras to do that sort of thing, but I've never gotten to play one yet, and I'm really excited about it.

bassclefstef

January 29th, 2024 at 3:17 PM ^

Ha! When I wasin high school, one of the football team captains played saxophone in the top band. As for first chair or bust- man, I dunno. I've played principal trombone a few times (there are a handful of orchestras in Michigan that I've sat in all three trombone chairs for, qt one time or another) and it's a nice chance of pace, but I still feel way out of my element doing it. Between the two, I'd rather play 2nd trombone- less stress, and a lot of times, the most interesting note in the harmonies show up in the second part, and I find that navigating the intonation challenges that come along with that to be awfully satisfying.

bassclefstef

January 29th, 2024 at 3:14 PM ^

Oh man, yeah- thanks! I've definitely heard of and listened to a lot of Trombone Shorty, I'm sure most trombone players have by now. He's pretty incredible! I've got a lot of admiration for anyone who can improvise that fluidly, that's always been something I've struggled with. I'm primarily a classical/orchestral player myself- I can read big band/jazz charts all day, but I'm not much of an improviser.

crg

January 29th, 2024 at 10:01 AM ^

We haven't had complete exodus of star players.

Hockey still has a chance at a Frozen Four run.

The wins and championships from the last three years are not going anywhere.

Erik_in_Dayton

January 29th, 2024 at 10:05 AM ^

I'm still basking in the glow of three straight Big Ten titles, the national championship, and--most importantly--beating OSU three times in a row.  I simply refuse to get down from this cloud. 

Nickel

January 29th, 2024 at 10:13 AM ^

We haven't seen any sort of rush to the transfer portal since Jim left, I think that's a HUGE win in today's day and age of college football and quick transfers. Maybe some of it is academic calendar related and we see guys hit the exits in the spring but at least for now it's a great sign for this team.

EikMelynai

January 29th, 2024 at 10:13 AM ^

We won the National Championship. We will have a top 5 defense next year. We will return the Don, Kalel Mullings, Colston Loveland, and an offensive line that has the capability to be really good. We still have an excellent coaching staff. Our recruiting class is excellent, and includes great players at every position. The future is bright!

EikMelynai

January 29th, 2024 at 11:40 AM ^

You can't slow the roll I'm on, or my optimism! I don't think a new defensive scheme, if there is a substantially new defense scheme, is going to make the group that we have coming back into an average defense. I'm just not a doom-and-gloomer about 2024, and I think the program is in a good place.

GoBlueOval

January 29th, 2024 at 10:18 AM ^

We are the reining National Champions. We are the reining B1G Champions, three years running. We haven't lost a game since 2022. We haven't lost a conference game since 2021. We haven't lost to aOSU since 2019. 

Many of our best players on defense will be back. An offense with the possibility of Orji, Edwards, and Mullings in the backfield at the same time seems like a lot of fun.

Our players love our new head coach. Our new head coach is 4-0 overall with wins over PSU and aOSU. Our new S&C coach learned under the guy who was the best S&C coach in the country the last several years (given other circumstances, we would be thrilled about this).

It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine.