Our Honor Defend

As some of you know, I was in North Carolina (Chapel Hill, Raleigh and then Charlotte) over the weekend.  As such, I was not able to put together a more comprehensive preview post and missed the live blog again.  I don’t like broadcasting my business trips since I’m all business on such trips.  Besides, my field is like 40 percent Michigan grads (or some exorbitantly high number like that. They are everywhere.).  Anyways, I missed all of the game, sans the Brandon Saine TD.  My thoughts aren’t very complete, but here’s a few I’ve been thinking over.

• You might have been able to tell in the preview post that I wasn’t expecting blowout.  I sure as hell wanted it, but I didn’t get it.  Michigan has a meek defense (with the exception of Brandon Graham), but I didn’t envision us scoring too much on them.  We didn’t.  It’s unfortunate.  Yes, Michigan lost.  But the fact that Zoltan Mesko can say something like “Ohio State’s not that good of a team. We beat ourselves.” and be kinda right about it is unfortunate.  The desired reaction should’ve been either “What the hell just hit us?” or outright, uncontrollable sobbing.  But hey, winning is what’s most important.
• It’ll be even more unfortunate for Mesko when he has to stew over that fact through the winter while not preparing for a bowl game.
• Michigan’s 5 turnovers were ostensibly the difference in the game.  Also the difference in the game: Michigan’s inability to stop the Buckeye ground game.  Ohio State was held to 0 yards rushing in the first quarter, or something like that.  They finished with 251 yards in efforts through the second and third quarters that, with a few more tries, could’ve easily resulted in 100 yard efforts for Pryor, Saine and Herron.  Somewhere, Cornelius Greene, Archie Griffin and Pete Johnson watched and approved¹.
• Corollary to that thought, it seems that our passing game is becoming a parody of itself.  Hysterics are unnecessary, but two straight games of 93 yards and 67 yards through the air is kind of grim.  It is what it is for this season since we have an athlete this season taking snaps, and not a polished product at quarterback.  Nevertheless, you have to hope this gets leveled out before too long.
• Were we playing soft in the secondary again like we’ve done of late?  I never got to watch the Buckeye defense this game, but there’s got to be some explanation on the Buckeye side of things why a Michigan offense built on 3-yarding teams to death was allowed to do so with relative impunity.  I wish we’d stop doing that since either Oregon or Oregon State are going to neutralize our front 7 by taking advantage of that.
• I don’t know what Michael Shaw thought he was going to accomplish by shoving a padless, helmetless Grant Schwartz at the entrance of Michigan Stadium.  I’d be critical if a Buckeye did the same thing since Hate is supposed to be transmitted on the field during play, not in random acts of assclownery during warmups.  Fortunately, I got to read this was Michael Shaw’s fate.

While Ohio State’s players hurdled the brick walls of Michigan Stadium in their throwback uniforms to celebrate with the thousands of scarlet-clad Buckeye fans in attendance, Michigan tailback Michael Shaw sobbed uncontrollably while walking off the field.

Nice.

Lastly, I can’t stress how simultaneously amazing and dumbfounding the composition of Michigan Stadium was this game.  When I was able to turn on the TV during a lunch break in the middle of the conference, I wondered aloud “where are all the Michigan fans?”.  Never in my life would I imagine seeing a sea of scarlet in the Big House and, at the time, it came off as a ratio of 2/1 Michigan to Ohio State fan.  Michigan die-hards are horrified and furious about this (check their blogs, it’s there), and, well, I would be too if I was one of them.  I perish the thought of such a scenario unfolding at the Horseshoe for a game against any team (let alone them).  For the meantime, it’s good to beat the ol’ chest and label Michigan Stadium as Horseshoe North.  Buckeye fans did to Ann Arbor what I’d expect to be done to Bloomington and Evanston every other year.  This is enjoyable to me, but obviously not so enjoyable for Wolverines fans.

On a sadder note, I was both stunned and saddened to check my iPod Touch during a dinner function and read of Stefanie Spielman’s unfortunate passing.  One of the bigger stories from the Navy game was seeing her wheelchair-ridden, not so subtly affirming that the tide had unfortunately turned in her battle with cancer.  To read that she ultimately lost her 10 year fight was depressing.  I defintely feel terrible for Chris, knowing how much he worshiped her.  Chris Spielman has been labeled as many things over the years, but “passionately devoted to his wife” was what always stuck out with me.  To be honest, I would always think of that before I’d think of anything he did on the gridiron, in high school, college or the pros.  Truly, truly… just sad.  Michigan fans who double as Lions fan I think felt his pain too, as there were signs in the Big House expressing support of the Spielmans in this dark hour.  I think the funeral is tomorrow.  You can (and should) read more about the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research here.

This is a partial post, mostly trying to play catchup.  I should apologize for being away from my command center for this game.  I think the business trip, especially in being surrounded by Michigan grads, distracted me from Hate².  If I had hated just a little more, I think I would’ve been able to will the offense to more points.  This is my fault.  So, in neglectful parent fashion, I should apologize for missing the game.

I’m sorry I missed the ball game; here’s some ice cream.

1. On a similar note, I think I have a game somewhere in my possession where the Buckeyes had 3 100yd rushers.  It might have been the 1989 game against the Nerds. [↩]
2. That said, Chapel Hill gets a big thumbs up from me for having no shortage of pictures in all their buildings mocking Chris Webber.  Nicely done, Chapel Hill. [↩]