Michigan 40, Ohio State 34
Monday, November 28, 2011 at 11:23AM 
"You see those kids over there?" Brady said pointing at his celebrating seniors who had jumped into the first few rows of the student section. "That's their final legacy."
I've watched that ending a few times now. Still chokes me up. It was an emotional day. It was something I'd been waiting a long time for.
Michigan is back.
Brady didn't cry, but his voice cracked a little more than it usually does, and it reminded me of 1996, when Lloyd's bottom lip wiggled a bit after the Ohio State game. He uttered "It's a player's game, like most of these Ohio State - Michigan games are...and it was won...on the field...by a team that believed that they could win." And win they did, despite being 17-point underdogs that day.
I remember thinking then that Coach Carr really had developed an amazing relationship with these guys, and he was only their head coach for a couple of years. Brady Hoke has been here for 11 months, and the bond he developed with the seniors that he had no hand in recruiting, and had only coached for a few months, was extraordinary.
He is us, we are him. I love him. I love how he coaches. I love his leadership ability and how he does it. I’d do anything for him. - David Molk
It now looks as if he was the perfect hire for the situation. He surrounded himself with the perfect assistants, and most importantly, preached the Michigan tradition so well, that the team forgot it ever did anything but win. This was not the team that lost 22 games in the previous three years. This was THIS team. This was team 132, with navy seal's chains hanging around their necks.
We went through a lot to get here. It's so hard to imagine that less than a year ago I walked out of a bowl game in the 3rd quarter, that a week later I absolutely loathed the hiring of Hoke, that at the spring game I was certain we were in for a year of attempting a vanilla power offense with RichRod's mighty midget recruits.
I was wrong. So very wrong.
Sugar Bowl (likely) bound and ten wins is a big deal. It's even bigger when you've averaged five wins per season over the last three years. Offensively, we took a half step back for the greater good of the future installation of Power and Pocket, but maybe ended up building a better, if not more healthy, Denard. Defensively, we witnessed what has to be the greatest single season turnaround for a team...with nearly identical personnel.
The season wasn't perfect, as no season when little brother beats you is...and there are going to be a lot of questions going into next season. The questions however will pale in comparison to the expectations. Michigan is going to be a top 15 preseason team, top 10 if they win this bowl game. Michigan will likely be picked to win the Big Ten. And there will be a lot of weight on the shoulders of a senior Denard Robinson.
But I have the ultimate confidence in Brady and this staff to manage expectations. I'm done complaining. Sorry I'm so late to the party. Goals will be set. The expectations will be for the position. Hold the rope. Etc, etc, etc....
Just beat Sparty under the lights in 2012.
Reader Comments (5)
"It now looks as if he was the perfect hire for the situation"
"We went through a lot to get here. It's so hard to imagine that less than a year ago I walked out of a bowl game in the 3rd quarter, that a week later I absolutely loathed the hiring of Hoke"
"I was wrong. So very wrong. "
Frank, you and I are kindred spirits on this. I was a Rich Rod clinger. I really wanted a 4th year for him. I too left that bowl in the 3rd quarter. But when I left, I couldn't make the argument to keep Rich Rod even though I still wanted to. When I thought we could get Harbaugh, I was "what ever, just do something". Then Brady Hoke... Are you kidding me? I think my exact words were "Ohio State is going to show us the Pokey the Hokey over and over..."
I started to wonder if I was wrong in the Notre Dame game. This team had fight and never quit.
When we put up our 7th win after only 8 games, I started to think I was wrong. When we beat Nebraska, I was convinced I was wrong. Especially after the fake FG to get the touchdown. Now, 10 - 2, in a transition year, more likely going to a BCS bowl AND beating Ohio??? I have never been more wrong about a coach in my life. And I have never been happier to be wrong. Look at that defense! A gain of nearly 100 slots in the rankings. Are you freaking kidding me? That doesn't happen! Our assistants are great and our coach lets them do what they need to without a lot of interference. And it works great!
Rich Rod is going to do good things down in Arizona and I'm happy for him. But I'm happier that the AD didn't listen to me and that he brought in Hoke. With this staff and the recruits coming in, we are going to have a GREAT run ahead. We're back and ready to kick ass. State is in big trouble next season. We just need to sign all the assistants to a 10 year to life deal!!!
If we for some reason wind up in a Florida or close by bowl, I'll see you there with the kids!!
Well...........2011 will be a season to remember! 12 games in and I've been to 10 of them.....now the media has to eat crow because according to them we were a 7 win team at best and the talk was that Michigan football was a thing of the past....like Ali told the media after the Foreman fight in 1974.. "they got it wrong"!
There was the rain shortened game, there was the first ever night game at home, there was the heartbreak in East Lansing, there was a disappointment at Iowa and ended up sending our most hated rivals SE crying! And just think, it's only going to get better..2008-2010 Michigan football was on vacation, now we're back home!
KevinSection 30 has spoken!
It was a great year Kevin. No doubt about it. And with a top 5 recruiting class coming in with a bunch of kids that can start as freshmen, it's going to get better and better. Alabama will be a hard opener, especially since we're going to their territory, but the rest of the slate should be winnable.
Oh and the kids got their initiation into the rivalry. I was driving home to NC during the game. We were just south of Columbus on 23 and we stopped at a stoplight. 2 dudes in a truck pulled up behind us. I watched in my rear view as the passenger noticed the UM magnets and flipped us off. I told the kids and then rolled down the window and waved at him. Yes, a nice wave. Not a flip off. At that moment, Michigan scored the touchdown that was called back on review. As Graham, Keegan and I cheered, we looked back and both driver and passenger were giving us the double bird. The people next to us were glaring. As we pulled away from the light, the review was called and then the bullshit reversal happened and the truck passed us and pointed at us laughing...
10 minutes later, we hit the 23/35 split and a person in a Jeep flipped us off as he broke away down 23. We laughed about it all the way home.
I made sure to tell them that it's better to be flipped off than to be the one doing the flipping off...
Wow, that's a HUGE crowd! Congratulations to Michigan! :)