While I have no problem labeling any given professional team or season a failure, I strongly object to that label being assigned to any college football team or season, which Meinke does here.
To begin with this is college and while I understand (at my age probably a hell of a lot better than Meinke does) that this is Michigan and all of the expectations surrounding being Michigan including those that extend beyond football, these are college kids here and there are other conflicting and enormously complicating goals being pursued here.
In addition or in this particular case, 8-4 was the consensus preseason opinion, the true optimists out there had us at 9-3. Most differences of opinion revolved around beating Sparty or Nebraska, very few people had us beating both. Anything is possible against the Buckeyes as has been well demonstrated, but everyone around here for damn sure knows how tough it is to win in Columbus.
Secondly everyone also knows that we didn't have the level of talent or depth that we are accustomed to around here by virtue of the disfunctional relationship between Rich Rod and a large group of pissy little "michigan men", I'm looking at you Lloyd Carr, Braylon Edwards et. al., along with the two pieces of excrement working over at the Freep, which served to torpedo our recruiting and as a byproduct made people think for half a minute that Mark Dantonio is an honest to God college head football coach and that Sparty is actually a program.
This team hit it's marker and was a lot of fun doing it. Maybe we beat the Buckeyes if Big Al doesn't brain fart the entire second half, but I'm putting that on Big Al and Hoke, not team 133.
As for Meinke, who I read only because he covers football, 8-5 over 13 pieces would be a solid improvement.
what nice big hands you have lol
ReplyDeleteWhile I have no problem labeling any given professional team or season a failure, I strongly object to that label being assigned to any college football team or season, which Meinke does here.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with this is college and while I understand (at my age probably a hell of a lot better than Meinke does) that this is Michigan and all of the expectations surrounding being Michigan including those that extend beyond football, these are college kids here and there are other conflicting and enormously complicating goals being pursued here.
In addition or in this particular case, 8-4 was the consensus preseason opinion, the true optimists out there had us at 9-3. Most differences of opinion revolved around beating Sparty or Nebraska, very few people had us beating both. Anything is possible against the Buckeyes as has been well demonstrated, but everyone around here for damn sure knows how tough it is to win in Columbus.
Secondly everyone also knows that we didn't have the level of talent or depth that we are accustomed to around here by virtue of the disfunctional relationship between Rich Rod and a large group of pissy little "michigan men", I'm looking at you Lloyd Carr, Braylon Edwards et. al., along with the two pieces of excrement working over at the Freep, which served to torpedo our recruiting and as a byproduct made people think for half a minute that Mark Dantonio is an honest to God college head football coach and that Sparty is actually a program.
This team hit it's marker and was a lot of fun doing it. Maybe we beat the Buckeyes if Big Al doesn't brain fart the entire second half, but I'm putting that on Big Al and Hoke, not team 133.
As for Meinke, who I read only because he covers football, 8-5 over 13 pieces would be a solid improvement.
I'm not a big fan of Meinke, either. Like you said, I only read his pieces because he writes for AnnArbor.com and other local outlets.
DeleteI do think it's a little harsh to label this season a "failure." I'm sure Hoke is disappointed, but I don't think he would label it a failure, either.