I've said this before..but I am so done with the signing of the stars, trips to Italy, documentary series following our team around, just coach the team. We will attract more recruits by winning games, not all this other BS. While I'm sure these were fun expirences for the players, I have to think it had a negative impact on our overall focus, and mindset for the season.  I loved the blue collar mentality of the old Bo, Mo and Lloyd teams...at times Harbaugh has this same mindset...but then other times its "come to Michigan meet celebrities, get treated like a star, go on vacations around the world."   I'm done with all that crap...Just coach the team!

Obviously, the offense sucked and they were set up with field position with the turnover debacle, but I'm tired of hearing how great Don Brown's defense is.  They continually fold and give up big plays at the end of big games.  See OSU last 2, Iowa and fsu last year, PSU, Wisconsin this year.

Peters played w/zero confidence...perhaps his poor accuracy factored into his confidence level, but the play-calling didn't help (except for the first drive of the second half when they opened up the playbook - and passed on 1st and 2nd down). Peters didn't look that bad in the pocket overall, but he missed a fair amount of open receivers, passed (incomplete or interceptions) when he should have run or thrown the ball away. He looked like a deer-in-the-headlights red shirt freshmen...(in big games) some players "rise to the occasion", some (like Peters) seem overwhelmed.

If that was Peters' "audition", one has to think Patterson (a/o McCaffrey) moved to the front of that class

O-line (yes, short 2-3 starters) were underwhelming - run blocking was pretty bad, but they did provide fairly good pocket protection on many of Peters 44 passes

The youngest team in college football lost their starting QB, RB, FB, their top two WR's, and 3 of their 5 linemen from the beginning of the year and we call a bunch of kids chokers.  Nico Collins who has been hurt the entire year started his first game in the bowl game as a true freshmen because there was no one else.  

The youngest team in college football lost their starting QB, RB, FB, their top two WR's, and 3 of their 5 linemen from the beginning of the year and we call a bunch of kids chokers.  Nico Collins who has been hurt the entire year started his first game in the bowl game as a true freshmen because there was no one else.  

Season 4 of Black Mirror came out recently and I'm going to finish up the last few episodes tonight because it will probably capture how I feel after the loss today. I've been firmly on the "pro-Harbaugh" side since this year created the crowd that isn't 100% sure that Jim is the guy. I disagree with the idea that Michigan hasn't been elite yet under Harbaugh (remember they killed a 10-win Colorado team and a 11-win Penn State team last year) and spent most of the season ranked #2. Last year's team was elite and lost 3 games by 5 combined points. Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you, etc.

But, this year was tough to swallow, and this game especially. Like the 6 losses in '15 and '16 you could chalk up to a variety of factors that led to a loss. Here, I'll do it...

Loss 1 - at Utah in Harbaugh's first game with a team that went 5-7 the year before. Tough to be too upset about that.

Loss 2 - The punt. Peope have pointed out that why are their gunners out there where State is going all out on punt block, but at the end of the day, that play will probably never happen again. It was a miracle.

Loss 3 - Ohio State with a squad overmatched talent wise.

Loss 4 - at Iowa by 1 point in a game that had crazy bounces and penalties (it's not like a Top 10 Ohio State team didn't go into Kinnick and lose by 30+ this year)

Loss 5 - at Ohio State. This stings because again, so many random things had to go wrong from Speight fumbling at the 1 to the pick six to some shady officiating.

Loss 6 - The bowl game against Florida State. Michigan's best defensive player misses the game and a walk-on blows a ST tackle at the worst possible time. Again, 3 losses by 5 points. It was an unfair result for a really great team.

Then, this year. Losing at home against a State team that went 3-9 and was just as young as Michigan was unacceptable. I don't care if O'Korn was the cause of that. The coaches have to know he simply couldn't start at this level. Loss at Penn State in a white out. Eh, fine. Had to see that coming. Loss at Wisconsin. Again, Michigan playing them close and then Peters fumbles on the goaline, the offense dies and the defense collapses. Ohio State with O'Korn at QB, Michigan has the ball with a chance to win the game. O'Korn misses open receiver after open receiver.

Outside of the MSU loss at home this year, there wasn't a game where I felt the team wasn't tough or that Harbaugh didn't know what he was doing. Go back and look at it. Maybe you say last year's FSU game? Maybe this year's Wisconsin game? There were two games where they were entirely outclassed (and even the '15 OSU game was 14-10 at the half and this year's PSU game was 14-13). But this was dreadful. I don't know what Jim Harbaugh sees in Pep Hamilton. Yes, the OSU play caling was excellent. What about the other 12 games? I see no innovation, nothing to get Peters easy completions or ways to get our receivers open. I think that despite some confidence in Peters, I think there's a reason Harbaugh didn't start him over O'Korn until it was absolutely necessary and why he wanted to grab Shea Patterson. It's not like we hadn't all heard that maybe Peters didn't have "it".

There seems to be this hump the program can't get over for some reason whether it's lack of coaching or lack of talent or simply bad luck. Are we headed dangerously close to Nebraska or Tennessee territory where fans start to wonder if they will ever be an elite program again? Sure seems like it.

But, don't abandon all hope. I'm going to list a series of records...

8-3, 10-3, 4-7, 7-5, 10-3, 3-8, 7-5, 10-3, 4-9, 6-6, 10-2, 6-7

Those were Alabama's records from 1995 to 2006 before Nick Saban was hired.

How about this?

7-4-1, 8-4, 5-6, 7-5, 4-7, 5-6, 6-5, 5-5-1, 8-4, 10-2-1, 8-5, 4-7, 9-3, 9-5, 9-3

That was Texas from 1984 until 2000 including Mack Brown's first three years. Here's 2001-2009 for Texas:

11-2, 11-2, 10-3, 11-1, 13-0, 10-3, 10-3, 12-1, 13-1

So, yeah, there's reason to be skeptical, but programs have gone through tough times before. Hell, before Tressel took over, Ohio State had gone 2-10-1 against Michigan. Not exactly the same as 2-15, but the same basic premise.

I'm not the optimistic sort, so I'm definitely concerned about where all this is headed, but maybe there's some faith to be found in the past.

season my hope is to win all of the rivalry games (ND, MSU and OSU), which is going to be tough given that all of them on are the road.  Michigan also has games against Wisconsin and Penn State at home.

All five of those games could very well be against Top 10 teams. 

That's a tough schedule, but I think most fans probably aren't going to settle for much less than a play off birth next season.