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Georgia 34, Michigan 11
Well, Michigan's first ever trip to the College Football Playoff could've gone better. In what many hoped would be a coronation on the Wolverines' dream season from heaven, it instead turned out to be a frying pan to the face called reality. Michigan should be immensely proud of how far they've come to get to this point, but also now are on high alert about how far the program still has to go in order to compete with a team of Georgia's caliber.
Only two teams in the country have more than 1,000 talent points on 24/7's team talent composite. Those two teams are slated to play in the national championship game, after soundly coasting over previously very good teams today. Michigan is down at 15th on that metric, and the gap between the elite and the very good in college football has never looked larger for millions of fans in Maize & Blue worldwide. The need to keep climbing continues.
Michigan won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half, needing a good defensive series to set the tone. That didn't happen. Georgia appeared to self-scout very well and knew Michigan would expect the run, responding by testing the boundary with screen after screen. Star TE Brock Bowers burned Jaylen Harrell deep for the big play of the drive and then the big man was able to walk in for a TD on a screen.
The Michigan scripted drive went alright, driving into Bulldog territory thanks in part to a Cade McNamara 18-yard scramble. On 3rd & 4, the Wolverines had Luke Schoonmaker open but a Cade McNamara throw was deflected at the line just so slightly and it fell incomplete. Going for it on 4th down from the UGA 41, Cade just missed a semi-open Erick All and turned it over on downs.
It didn't take long for the Dawgs to respond. Screens, screens, and more screens attacked the Wolverine defense. James Cook ripped off a long run in between after Junior Colson couldn't locate the hole and then Todd Monken dialed up the cherry on top playcall, a trick play that saw RB Kenny McIntosh throw a TD pass to a wide open Adonai Mitchell, who Vincent Gray had lost track of in the end zone. 14-0 Georgia.
Stetson Bennett IV was good [Bryan Fuller]
The Wolverines now were in trouble and couldn't get the necessary offensive answer. They picked up a big 3rd & short under pressure, but McNamara took a bad sack on the next play. Michigan had Hassan Haskins open on 2nd down but McNamara's pass again got deflected at the line. After Nakobe Dean tracked down Blake Corum on 3rd down, Michigan punted.
The first stop came on the next series but it didn't come until well into Michigan territory. A pair of 3rd down conversions and a 20-yard Stetson Bennett IV scramble drove Georgia deep, but finally the Michigan defense got off the field. Nevertheless, it was 17-0 Georgia. Michigan got points on the next drive, snapping the shutout. A beautiful 42-yard ball from McNamara to Roman Wilson got Michigan deep into Georgia territory, but another sack forced Michigan to play for the field goal, which Jake Moody nailed from 36 yards away. 17-3.
At this moment in time, it seemed that there could be a narrow path for the Wolverines to claw back into the game, if they could procure a stop and a TD before halftime. That didn't happen. A 50-yard bomb to James Cook against Junior Colson got Georgia right back into Michigan territory and set up a field goal to push the margin back to three scores, 20-3.
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James Cook had himself a game [Fuller]
The final sequence of the second quarter is when the dam broke- Michigan went three and out gaining two yards, and then Georgia scored a TD in just three plays. For the second time on the night, Vincent Gray inexplicably stopped running mid-play and let Jermaine Burton toast him for 57 yards and a TD. Cade McNamara threw an odd INT on what appeared to be a flagrant defensive pass interference on the next Michigan play and the rout was on. Michigan went into halftime down 27-3.
The second half saw the Wolverines fight valiantly on defense, holding UGA scoreless in the third quarter and the offense gained some yards, but they just kept making mistakes. Their opening possession of the second half took them into the Georgia redzone, but a miscommunication between McNamara and Daylen Baldwin ended in an interception in the end zone. A good AJ Henning punt return started a Michigan drive close to midfield, but Blake Corum fumbled at the 50, and the Dawgs recovered, making it three straight Michigan possessions to end in a turnover at one juncture.
Michigan didn't lay down in the fourth quarter, twice reaching the Georgia ten with JJ McCarthy at QB and Donovan Edwards shining as a receiver. The first trip ended in a turnover on downs, while the second netted Michigan a TD on a 35-yard bomb to Andrel Anthony (AJ Henning added a two-point conversion). Georgia got another TD from Bennett to James Cook matched up on a LB, and time ran out with the Bulldogs holding the ball deep in Michigan territory. Final score: Georgia 34, Michigan 11.
[AFTER THE JUMP: Click for a few takes]
Too much of this tonight [Fuller]
A lot of things went very wrong for Michigan tonight. The offensive game plan from Josh Gattis did not appear poor, but a few notable areas malfunctioned. First off, this was a bad matchup. A lot of Michigan's speed in space stuff was ineffective against a defense as freakishly fast as Georgia's. When LB Nakobe Dean tracked Blake Freaking Corum down in space, that seemed pretty clear. Secondly, Cade McNamara's combination of arm angle and short stature led to deflected balls in big moments when receivers were indeed open.
And thirdly, but most importantly, Michigan's vaunted OL got crushed into a pulp. Faced with a defensive line better than any other in the country, fast, strong, and physical, Michigan wilted. Every piece of the DL feasted against Michigan, generating pressure with consistency. Michigan had allowed just ten sacks in thirteen games up to this point. Tonight they allowed four. The OL couldn't open holes consistently either, with Michigan's RBs managing just 4.1 yards per carry. Of course, it's worth pointing out that the three turnovers didn't help (also uncharacteristic), but the game was already over by that point because of the three aforementioned reasons.
On defense, it was also a debacle. Georgia schemed around the pass rush through its screen game and then took advantage of uncharacteristic mental mistakes from Vincent Gray in man coverage. They also correctly identified their greatest area of mismatch in pairing James Cook as a receiving back against Michigan's still young and very inexperienced LBs. Stetson Bennett IV was very sharp, Georgia didn't turn it over, and their rushing game gained a solid 4.7 YPC. Michigan's personnel limitations on defense (lack of athleticism at corner, inexperience at LB) reared their head in this game in ugly fashion.
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A team of 3.5* guys can only take you so far up against Georgia [Fuller]
If nothing else, this game should demonstrate to the college football world the value of recruiting. It was a common refrain after the OSU game that "stars aren't everything" and while that's true, stars do matter a lot. Michigan is a talented football team, but they are not in Georgia's universe. The Dawgs have spent years funneling booster money to accumulate an outrageous amount of talent that only Alabama and Ohio State can match. Michigan doesn't have that. The three classes that make up this Georgia team's sophomores, juniors, and seniors were ranked 1st, 2nd, and 1st in the 24/7 composite, respectively. Michigan's were ranked 10th, 8th, and 22nd. When a team with Georgia's talent shows up well-coached and prepared, and then executes its game plan (Ohio State did not do those things), it's damn near impossible for a team of Michigan's talent to match that. And on New Year's Eve in Miami, Michigan couldn't match it.
The hope must be that this miracle season lays the groundwork for Michigan to begin clawing up that mountain and landing the kind of talent needed to really win a national title. Reeling in a couple top five classes in a row would begin getting Michigan there. Beating OSU and winning the B1G next season would help that along as well. Georgia's defense was too fast and its athletes too strong. Michigan needs to work to close that recruiting gap and also develop the sort of superstar at QB that past programs have used to cover up talent gaps to win big (*cough* Clemson *cough*).
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Hats off to Aidan Hutchinson one last time [Fuller]
A few last thoughts on 2021
In the end, this was a disappointing conclusion, but it cannot defame the magic of this team or all they accomplished. Your author predicted 7-5 before the season in Hail to the Victors, and this team won 12 games. Few gave the Wolverines a shot entering the season to win the conference or to defeat Ohio State, which Michigan accomplished. That alone is a flying success beyond our wildest expectations. The names Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Ross, Brad Hawkins, David Ojabo, Andrew Vastardis, Andrew Stueber, Jake Moody, and Hassan Haskins, all of whom likely played their final game in a winged helmet tonight, will always be Michigan legends, and nothing tonight can change that.
Speaking personally, the feeling entering this fall was something of foreboding doom. I was excited to cover the team for the first time professionally but there was absolutely nothing to make me believe this program was headed in a direction that would make me really care on a fan level. The memory of 2016, or even 2018, when Michigan's path to college football's elite seemed inevitable, felt like, to borrow a line from Pink Floyd, a distant ship's smoke on the horizon. It felt like Harbaugh was half out the door and the experiment seemed to have failed. I stopped believing in this team.
I was even more pessimistic about the set up of college football broadly. I walked around talking about 2007 as "the days when college football was great". It felt like the sport was uncompetitive, that there was a tier of elite and there was little reason to care if you weren't in that tier. This season showed that that tier is still alive (although OSU and Clemson appeared to fall below that tier for once), but I was totally wrong. There is a reason to care even if you aren't (this year) Alabama and Georgia. This Michigan football team made me fall in love with college football again.
See you soon, Blake Corum [Patrick Barron]
The experience of waking up every Saturday watching either a win or a highly competitive game was delightful. In an era of attrition and transfers, this Michigan team had strong senior leadership and guys that really cared. The sweet taste of finally winning in Madison, the thrill of eking out a win in Lincoln, the pain of falling in East Lansing, and the euphoria of Erick All galloping down the sideline in State College were just the starter course for the sweet ecstasy of November 27 and December 4. It feels crazy to say considering where I was in late August that the only thing I can think about as the clock hits midnight is how many days we have to go until week one of the 2022 season.
This team showed that the era of legal money going to college football players doesn't mean The Greed of the Youths by donating NIL cash to charity. They had fun, played with confidence and honor, and gave it their all every weekend. They took a shot to the jaw in late October but didn't let it stop them from winning the Big Ten. They finally got that sweet celebration in Indianapolis, and we all got to see one of the great defensive single-seasons ever from Aidan Hutchinson. Even with a game hopelessly lost in the second half tonight, they played solid defense and didn't quit, never letting the margin get outrageous. They represented all of the best that this university and football program is supposed to be. I'm going to miss them a lot.
Finally, this game has brought to a close my first season covering Michigan Football at this site. I can only say that it was an absolute blast. Watching the tape during the week, writing up FFFF, doing MGoRadio on Friday, waking up on Saturday, and then writing the recap was a sort of happy rhythm I enjoyed, and I can't wait to get back to it. All of you, the readers, were immensely kind in the comments and gave me all the validation I needed to commit to continue doing this beyond this fall. Let's do it again in 2022. Happy New Year, and we'll see you again soon.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:38 PM ^
Be of good cheer.
We made the college football podium: Top 3 in the country.
Alabama and Georgia are clearly a level above everybody else. Everybody else.
But who else is above us beyond those two? Nobody else. Certainly not Cincinnati.
That's a GREAT season.
At the start of the season we were not sure we were even in the top 3 in the Big Ten East.
January 1st, 2022 at 12:22 AM ^
Honestly, Cincinnati looked a bit better than us today... but not by much.
Regardless, the kids did a hell of a job this season and should be proud.
January 1st, 2022 at 12:32 AM ^
For Cincinnati that was a culmination of everything they’ve built with Fickell. They lose Ridder and a lot of their best players. That’s as good as it’s ever gonna get them. We marched into the playoffs on a dominant season nobody saw coming with a huge talent deficit. This is just the beginning, not the end
January 1st, 2022 at 1:10 AM ^
It's not the beginning of anything until recruiting improves significantly. Let's call it for what it is.
January 1st, 2022 at 1:33 AM ^
I think the success we had on early signing day is an indication that it is indeed improving.
It took Harbaugh a little while to settle in and figure things out, but his offseason overhaul clearly worked. I thought he checked out last season and I honestly didn't expect that he would even want to come back and roll up his sleeves, let alone actually do it. But I'm glad I was wrong. There are plenty of signs that this season really is the breakthrough we've all been waiting for and not just a flash-in-the-pan one-off.
January 1st, 2022 at 1:34 AM ^
This was certainly a high-watermark season for Cincinnati, no doubt and it may be difficult (if not impossible) for them to repeat it... yet their ceiling will be raised after joining the Big 12.
I know some people don't want to hear it, but for *today* I still say that Cincinnati looked better than we did (at least marginally)... yet we were certainly better as a whole for the season.
January 1st, 2022 at 9:35 AM ^
You are right about Cincinnati, but Cincinnati played to look respectable, not to win. They did a great job of doing that, but they never looked like they could win, just keep the bleeding to a minimum. Alabama complied.
We played to win and there is a lot more downside when you do that.
January 1st, 2022 at 11:10 AM ^
I disagree - to an extent. From what I saw in their game, Cincinnati was keeping it close and still had a puncher's chance until late. Their defense was performing better against Bama than most of the SEC this season.
January 1st, 2022 at 1:11 AM ^
I will eat a bag of lemons if Georgia loses again to Alabama. If Georgia plays with the intensity that they played with this evening, the CFP championship will be a rout in favor of the Dawgs. I have no idea how in the hell this Georgia team lost to Alabama the way they did.
January 1st, 2022 at 1:28 AM ^
Bama has the Heisman winner at QB and two excellent receivers. We started a decent QB and good but not great receivers. There you go.
January 1st, 2022 at 2:23 AM ^
I think Alabama is a bad matchup for Georgia. Georgia blows up the pocket, but if you have a good qb who can scramble and throw downfield, there are opportunities.
January 1st, 2022 at 2:53 AM ^
Georgia's weakness is in the secondary. Alabama was able to exploit that for big plays. We did not have the athletes to exploit that (although you could see hints of it with the JJ to Anthony TD).
Alabama still has those athletes.
What helps GA in an Alabama rematch is the absence of Metchie who was toasting them in the SEC championship game. They might have a shot to win a rematch because of it.
January 1st, 2022 at 11:30 AM ^
Agreed. Not just cause it would make me feel better about Georgia breaking their foot off in our ass, although it would for sure. I think Georgia bought a bit to much into their own hype against Bama. Then again, Saban had a qb and the receivers it took to beat Georgia while we did not. Until we have the ability, offensively, to cover up for our shortcomings whatever those may be, than being Bama or Georgia’s is gonna be a tall order. Either way we had a great season and lots to grow on and be proud of.
January 1st, 2022 at 12:18 PM ^
Bama needed to win to get into the playoffs. Georgia was in with a win or a loss. Motivation matters when skill is so similar.
Didn't realize Georgia has 19 5 stars to "only" 14 for Bama. Dang!
January 1st, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
Georgia will beat Bama. Bama is Georgia's goliath, just as OSU was for us. They have great players, but they also played with tremendous determination against Michigan. They are going to want it more than Alabama, and I fully expect Georgia to win that game by 7 to 10 points.
January 1st, 2022 at 2:28 PM ^
Yeah, Bama beating UGA was pretty much the road block to the Championship game we all thought it would be.
January 1st, 2022 at 8:38 AM ^
I think Alabama could have named their score and they knew it, they kept things under wraps for the most part. Georgia, on the other hand spared nothing because they were not certain of victory going in. Cinci may or may not finish ranked ahead of us, but I don't think they are our equal or better,
January 1st, 2022 at 9:48 AM ^
Alabama ran power up the middle for 3/4s of the game and stayed in their base set on defense the whole game.
If cinci looked better it's because Alabamas gameplan was essentially "Put car in drive, release brake, win".
January 1st, 2022 at 11:34 AM ^
Saban could have unleashed pure hell on Cincinnati and that was evident. Bama could have literally said we’re gonna score 70 and could have done it. But like Michigan when they were purely a rushing team early, there was no need to pass. Georgia pounded us right out of the gate, Cade was flustered and our D looked confused as much as I’ve ever saw this year. Credit to Georgia, they’re very very good.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:42 PM ^
Fuckin right man, this team is something special
December 31st, 2021 at 11:43 PM ^
perfectly said. thanks.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:44 PM ^
What a write-up, thanks to the UM team & the MGoBlog crew for this season - it's the most fun I've had in my 28 years of fandom!
January 1st, 2022 at 3:41 PM ^
Whoa! More "fun" than CWood's Heisman winning perfect season?
I like winning the NC! That's my kinda party!
That said LOVE this team! What a great group of guys!
December 31st, 2021 at 11:45 PM ^
This is exactly right Comrade. This loss should be motivation for how much farther Michigan has to build. They know that firsthand now, and they will work hard to get there. On to 2022!
December 31st, 2021 at 11:47 PM ^
Disappointing game.
A game we were in at all because it was an excellent season.
I was extremely pessimistic going into the year. Truth be told, probably as pessimistic as I've been, down there with 08 and 14.
And the team was marvelous. Everyone. The players, both in performance and in leadership. The coaching staff. Harbaugh.
It wasn't enough today. Really, that was always a possibility--national champions in this era have incredible talent all over the field, and Michigan has *some* incredible talent in some areas. And did really well with it. But the optimistic outlook for most of the year was "building for the future." That we even had a chance to win at all in the present... is nothing but a good thing.
The future is incredibly bright.
We beat Ohio State.
We won the B1G.
We lost to a better team. Oh well. Maybe in a year or two or three, *we're* the better team. The team made absolutely every right step in that direction this year.
This was a great season, without question. Go Blue.
January 1st, 2022 at 6:50 AM ^
We lost to an NFL team. Oh, it would’ve been fun to shock the world, but that dream ended basically in the first quarter. Frankly, I’m not sure I’d like the Michigan version of what Georgia fielded. This Michigan team was genuinely fun to follow.
That’s not sour grapes; I’d lost interest in football over lack of competence, but soul brought me back, from Vincent Gray’s turnaround to the whole team playing out of their minds against OSU to McCarthy blocking downfield. This is the wacky college football I wanted to see, and the ride was gloriously fun, because it got me to care. But, you know, part of that was competitive games, although Rutgers was a sludgefart and Michigan State cheated themselves into an upset. The bitter enhanced the sweet. I know, I know, Alabama lost a regular season game and we beat OSU, but Alabama is downright bored with success and OSU got caught off-guard.
Would we have cared as much if we sleepwalked through the first ten games? I doubt it, and a team that beats Georgia also beats Wisconsin by five TDs. No squeakers, no drama, just ho-hum demolition because that’s the talent gap between the top 2 and the rest of college football. The finals will be like watching NFL players vie for a U-18 trophy, and I simply couldn’t give less of a shit.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:48 PM ^
I feel like this thread is the right place for this take:
This game was not any kind of indictment on Jim Harbaugh. It was, however, one for Ryan Day. This Michigan team had glaring strengths and weaknesses as the season progressed. Georgia did a phenomenal job scouting and exploiting those weaknesses with their scheme and tremendous talent. Ohio State claims to (and does) prepare for this game 365 days out of the year. They HAD the talent to exploit those weaknesses and didn’t. Georgia did. And that is FINE, for 2021 Michigan. This year was about changing the culture, which happened with a home win against our biggest rival. To take the next step forward, this team will need to beat both rivals, with the biggest game being on the road in 2022. If that happens, I’d expect another loss, albeit closer, in the CFP to a more talented SEC team. 2023 is for all the marbles.
January 1st, 2022 at 9:41 AM ^
Agreed, Harbaugh's team outcoached Day, but this game the opposite.
I don't know why the coaches thought Corum on Dean was a mismatch, but they did, and that's about the time I knew it was going to be a long day.
January 1st, 2022 at 9:51 AM ^
Corum got chased down by that big fat DL guy that has to use the oxygen tank half-way through normal games.
Corum either wasnt back to 100% or the SEC speed really has gotten that far out of hand.
January 1st, 2022 at 1:56 PM ^
I don't agree with the "Corum got chased down" theme that's developing. He's not slower than Davis. The plays he got caught on were too slow developing behind the line of scrimmage, where he didn't have the chance to get up to speed. Georgia's speed is undeniable - they were able to get to the spots first, where Corum would have been able to accelerate through. He's not slower than them.
January 1st, 2022 at 10:00 AM ^
I agree with this take and will add my two cents. The OSU game was only competitive because their three all world wideouts made ridiculous play after ridiculous play. UGA knew their skill people were more talented than our defensive backs and linebackers and threw screen after freaking screen to devastating effect, while negating our one big advantage, the edge rushers. Day kept having Stroud get killed by dropping him back. And I an not knocking Macdonald for last night at all. I think he did an amazing job all year with the talent he had.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:48 PM ^
Sorry Brian but Michigan is right there. I've been the biggest Cade supporter, but the JJ slappies might be right, and that JJ will be the QB next season, and this may have been Cades last game with us. JJ looked fantastic, this is a true freshman QB.
January 1st, 2022 at 1:19 AM ^
Yeah man. JJ looked every bit like the future in this game. Cade has been fantastic all season and managed an efficient offense that got us to this elite game but he looked flat out overwhelmed tonight. It's tough calling out Cade right now because this Georgia defense is up there with the best collegiate defenses of all time. They make most QBs look average to bad. But if we're talking about climbing the mountain or whatever to get to the elite, you have to play your elite players. JJ is elite and dynamic with his running ability and NFL arm strength.
January 1st, 2022 at 2:56 AM ^
JJ does need to learn to put some touch on the ball though. Not every pass should be a 100 mph fastball.
January 1st, 2022 at 8:35 AM ^
I don't think there's any doubt JJ next year gives you the best chance to be elite. Sucks because I love what Cade did this year and, 5 years ago, he'd likely hang around as the elder statesman backup to JJ. Can't blame him for seeking a starting job, hopefully not Big10.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:50 PM ^
Thanks Alex for a great season. Love this team. Love these players. Love this university.
there may only be two teams with over 1,000 recruiting points or whatever but there is only one school in the CFP that is also in the top 25 in the World a university rankings. In fact There is only one school in the CFP who is even in the top 250.
football school, basketball school, hockey school, and school school
January 1st, 2022 at 12:46 AM ^
On the UM Facebook page (not UM football, ) when asked what your number one proudest UM memory of 2021 is, 90% of the comments were beating tOSU, not a record number of Fulbright scholarships, or once again being named the number one public university in the country. I will always cheer the football team, but being both a legacy and an alumnus, the education I got in Ann Arbor will always be primary.
January 1st, 2022 at 11:09 PM ^
That's not really a fair point IMO. When they ask you to cite your "proudest memory of 2021" your reaction is probably to think of something that happened this year that didn't happen in previous years. Michigan is always ranked highly, always has Fulbright scholars - those things don't really make the news. Beating OSU did.
OTOH, if they asked "What are you most proud of about Michigan?" with no timeframe given, you'd probably see very different responses.
January 1st, 2022 at 6:03 AM ^
School school!
January 1st, 2022 at 4:56 PM ^
Whoa! School School?!
What's that?! ??
December 31st, 2021 at 11:52 PM ^
The first Michigan bowl game I remember watching involved a very good Michigan team losing the Orange Bowl to what turned out to be a (much) better team with a dominant defense wearing red and white.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Go Blue!
December 31st, 2021 at 11:52 PM ^
Georgia's just a different beast.
Great season all-around so much joy and excitement, far exceeding expectations and a game and atmosphere none of us will ever forget for the rest of our lives. I don't think any Michigan team has made me this proud to be a fan. Go Blue!
January 1st, 2022 at 2:57 AM ^
We could not beat Georgia, but there is only one team in all of college football that could, and even they might not be able to repeat that feat.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:54 PM ^
Welp, I was very wrong about my prediction but this season was great nonetheless. Go blue forever!
Georgia looked like they had extra players they were so dang fast. Offense had some looks but couldn’t convert; wouldn’t call the coaching the problem. Defense…yikes. Did not expect that kind of performance - Hopefully McDonald learns a lot from the game film.
Gonna be an interesting QB offseason.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:55 PM ^
it's damn near impossible for a team of Michigan's talent to match that
Not just Michigan. Only 6 schools have ever won any playoff game in the 8 years of the playoffs thus far
Also poaching this stat from someone else "Since the start of the CFP in 2014, three of the 16 semifinal games have been decided by one score. The other 13 semis have been decided by an average of 26.6 points a game."
January 1st, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
Cool! So we're still above average?
December 31st, 2021 at 11:55 PM ^
B1G champs and yet totally outclassed, just like Cincinnati vs. Alabama.
Beating OSU is great and I suppose all that really matters in the end.Which is good, because we're not equipped to play big boy football.
January 1st, 2022 at 12:05 AM ^
C'mon HP, it was a tough game, but the team was way better than we expected this year, and in the end we got beaten by a better team. We *knew* that was a possibility.
The steps Michigan needs to be that level of elite don't happen overnight... but those steps have been taken this year. Recruiting will, hopefully, continue to trend up with this season's success. The staff is young and good. They do a good job developing players. There is real leadership in the locker room. Michigan is a plus place to play again.
That we're not at the level of the top 2 a year after 2-4 isn't a shock in the wider picture; that we are next in line behind them is, and it's a very good shock.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:56 PM ^
Great year ... beat OSU and won the Big 10! Couldn't be happier to be honest. What a year!
Said this earlier ......but ..... I have to wonder if the weeks off before this game didn't mess with our mojo / momentum. Still .... great season and the guys should be super happy with it overall.
December 31st, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^
It was a disappointing game. It just seemed like we could not get any breaks. Although, good teams make their own breaks. It was a frustrating game. We just could never get over the hump. We would be close to stopping them, but they would convert the third down Or, we could not convert the third down. We turned the ball over, and they did not. They clearly had more talent, and we could not make the plays necessary that an underdog must in order to win. Oh well, it was a great year. As Harbaugh said, it is just the beginning. Go Blue!
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