The Victors

(№ 3) Ohio State 42-41 Michigan
7-5, Big Ten 3-5

Holy smoke! Never in a million years did I suspect that we would be able to hang with the hated Buckeyes in the second half. I disagree with the decision to go for the two-point conversion (& the lead) after the final touchdown & I would prefer to have seen us kick for the tie, but I respect the aggression behind the decision to chance the game on that one play. The play called was foolish & never had a chance of succeeding, but that is a discrete issue from the decision to go for two instead of kick for the tie. That the valiant Wolverines were even in a position to make that decision—high-probability play for the tie or low-probability play for the tie—is astonishing. A loss is a loss, & I hate losing to the hated Buckeyes, but this loss does not sting nearly as much as the loss I was anticipating. I honestly thought that we would be run right out of the stadium. The beauty of being a pessimist is that you are often pleasantly surprised when things aren't as bad as you'd thought that would be. I cannot cheer a loss, but I'm not as down in the dumps as I'd anticipated.

That said, even though we were within one play of potentially beating the hated Buckeyes, I still maintain that Coach Brady Hoke must be fired with immediate effect. If we had managed to play this well in our losses to the dastardly Spartans, the unwelcome Cornhuskers, & the tenacious Hawkeyes, we surely would not have lost all three of those games. If the valiant Wolverines had played this well in their triple overtime time victory over the plucky Wildcats, they would have on that game in regulation time. That we played as well as we did in to-day's loss is a damning indictment of Hoke & his bumbing coaching staff. They either could not motivate their players for any game other than Ohio State or they were not able to devise a successful game plan for any other game. Or worse, both. In any event, there is clear evidence that whatever Hoke's achievements as a recruiter, he is simply not a good enough game day coach for us to thrive as Michigan should, for Michigan to contend for the Big Ten championship. Competing for the Big Ten title is the standard to which Michigan coaches are held, & we dare not accept anything less. As long as Brady Hoke remains at the reins of the valiant Wolverines, we are accepting a lesser standard of excellence, & that is not Michigan football. We have lost five games on the year, including four of the five games we contested in the month of November. That is unacceptable, & heads must roll. Brady Hoke must be fired.

I still love "the Game"!

Next: An undetermined bowl game, probably not on New Year's Day.

Go Blue!