The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/629217
FROM OUR READERS do not ask me for the specifics, but trust me it has happened, and you can come up with your own ex- amples. We are reminded again and again that "deserves has nothing to do with it." This year I put the Michigan-Mich- igan State game in the category of "deserves has nothing to do with it." It will forever be an unfortunate loss. I contend that the best team in the Big Ten this year was Ohio State. It makes me nauseated to write that. I think that Ohio State would have been a more interesting opponent for Alabama than Michigan State was. The talent levels of Alabama and Ohio State are higher than Michigan State. I suspect that Alabama would win, but Ohio State, when motivated, matches up tough with any of the best in the country. It will not be very often that teams will admit quitting, but let's face it, when a team is getting "whupped," that team usually knows it. Florida was overmatched against Michigan, just as Michigan was overmatched against Ohio State. In their respec- tive games Michigan played perhaps their best game of the season against Florida, and Ohio State played their best game against Michigan — though Notre Dame might have a different view. Michigan, however, played ev- eryone tough with the talent they had, but were outmanned against Ohio State. Ohio State played just good enough to win several times during the year and played down to their opponents in several of them while still winning. That kind of ef- fort did not work against Michigan State. Ohio State was good enough without their best effort to beat most teams, but not Michigan State, even without Connor Cook. The worst thing that could have happened for Michigan was a loss by Ohio State against Michigan State. It brought out one of Ohio State's best efforts on the subsequent Saturday. We know that Coach Harbaugh is very good at preparing a team for a game by attention to detail, hard work, and importantly, focus on the next game. As the talent level in recruiting rises, those characteristics will lead to a return of Michigan as a formidable foe against all opposi- tion. Michigan will play the best three 2015 conference teams away in 2016, and add Penn State and Wis- consin at home. Who formulated this schedule?! I expect Michigan to compete and never quit, but the task before the 2016 team is daunting. Yet, I expect Michigan to persevere. Go Blue! J. Richard Jaconette, M.D. Battle Creek, Mich. Plenty to chew on there, Dr. J. There is no doubt the 2016 schedule features some big challenges. But with Penn State and Wisconsin at home, it's en- tirely possible the Wolverines could be 7-0 going into the Oct. 29 showdown in East Lansing. Then again, that's getting ahead of ourselves, so we'll quit … for now.