I knew once I started doing this thing again, something would go wrong. By the grace of the football gods, though, it didn't. Because this Michigan team is different. Most of my fellow Michigan fans expected a blowout victory today, but as Ball State was hanging around, and mounting a comeback, I couldn't help but hate being right. Sure, they're a MAC team, and Michigan usually runs over MAC teams, but take everything into account. The team has had a brutal schedule, with tough road games, and not a single easy win out of the now 10 wins. You try playing a college football game against an inferior opponent with shouts of the biggest game of the year ringing in your ears because it has done nothing but get worse since Michigan beat Iowa. Ball State does have a top 20 ranked passing offense, and they showed up to play. Couple that with a team that had absolutely nothing to lose, and threw every play they had at Michigan, and their head coach is a former assistant of Lloyd Carr's, who probably could explain Lloyd Carr's coaching style to a four-year-old. Add all that up and you've got what turned out to be a pretty good game to close out the home schedule. Michigan did what they couldn't last year, and closed out a game with their defense. Sure, they could have ended it with just one more first down on their last offensive series, but the tight end dropped the game-sealer.
Michigan needed this game to be like this, and people probably don't realize why. Would you rather have them face a charging comeback by a dangerous team on the road or on home field? It also kept everyone's ass inside the stadium, which this team deserved. However, the student section again took for ever to wake the hell up and get to the game. My brother, who didn't get to the game until the 2nd quarter even said there was a ridiculous amount of students who were still on their way to the stadium. What does this team have to do to get people to give a flying fuck about coming and cheering for their team? Michigan hasn't been ranked this high since we were all in middle school! "Eh, we're the number two team in the country, I think I'll come to the game drunk, late, and leave before its over, who cares that its the last home game" Pathetic. All in all it was a pretty great day. The group got to the game on time, there was a flyover of two F-18 jets, and the legendary Patrick Stewart made an appearance to conduct the marching band at halftime, and decreed in his ultimate british accent: "Your mission is to boldy go and beat the Buckeyes! and to be the sole number one!" It was pretty badass. I suppose it will take a victory over OSU to get this place in shape and make everyone real football fans again.
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