When in the last 3 years did you know things had changed with the program?
I think we'd all agree this is the best three-year run of Michigan football in any of our lifetimes (for context, I'm 40 and started watching in 1991). Moreover, I think we'd all agree that none of us saw this coming back in August 2021. To me, that makes this run even more special.
So, as we all continue to enjoy this amazing ride, I keep thinking back to something from 2021. There was a specific point at which it felt obvious to me that something had changed with the program. Going into the Wisconsin game, we had been playing pretty well and they hadn't, but the belief was that they were better than they'd looked. As I recall, we were a 2-point dog. Not only had we failed to win as a road underdog under Harbaugh, I'm pretty sure you'd have to go back to 2006 (at ND) for the last time we'd won such a game.
So, as the second half of that game unfolded and we imposed our will en route to a 38-17 (IIRC) blowout, I remember saying to my girlfriend, "this is going to be different this year." During that half, I started to believe that would be the team that would finally beat OSU. And of course, that was a precursor to where we've ended up now. There are other sentimental reasons why I think back to that game but for now, suffice to say it made me a believer in Michigan football and Harbaugh again.
So, was there a specific moment like that for you in 2021 (or later if you for whatever reason weren't convinced after that season)?
(Also - if this length of post would be better as a diary entry please LMK. Longtime poster here but have never started a thread till now.)
January 12th, 2024 at 7:19 PM ^
Before the 2021 OSU game, I actually watched Dumb & Dumber with my kids so they could see the "So you're telling me there's a chance" line. Because that was my mindset for the game.
It was such joy to see that chance realized!
BTW, other than the few famous lines, the movie was not nearly as good as remembered. But the game of course was an all-timer! (on par with 1969)
January 12th, 2024 at 8:40 PM ^
Funny, I also thought of the 2021 Wisconsin game, just based on the thread title. That Wisconsin team started the season ranked #12 and lost to #19 PSU at home in the first game of the season. I remember saying to my dad, "Damn, when was the last time Michigan got a road win against a quality opponent like that?" Wisconsin went on to lose to Notre Dame at Wrigley two weeks later, but it was a weird game in which Wisconsin was leading in the 4th quarter and ND subsequently got a kickoff return and two pick-sixes. So despite Wisconsin's 1-2 record when Michigan went into Camp Randall, I wasn't super confident the team could pull it off. I actually went to the game though and thought it was interesting to see the players participate in the jump around, at a time in which the game was still very much up for grabs. Michigan dominated the 4th quarter to get their first win in Madison in 20 years, and the rest is history.