BCS Scenario: Buckeyes Lose to Michigan but still end up in BCS Championship? ALEXANDRIA, VA NOVEMBER 18, 2003 While everyone is crunching all the BCS theories, here’s another one I call “The Luckeye Phenomenon”. Here’s how it goes: Let’s say all the things that have to happen for Michigan to weasel into the BCS championship occur. To repeat, Michigan beats OSU on Saturday, and LSU and USC lose one of their remaining games, and Michigan, as would be expected, gains enough in the computer poll to pass the other 2 loss teams (Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia). Well, as I’m looking at the numbers, under the scenario of events that would seemingly put the Wolverines in the Sugar Bowl, I see a strong possibility that a 2 loss Ohio State, despite losing to Michigan, could still go to the BCS championship game and screw the Blue. Each computer poll loves the Buckeyes, they are ranked #2 in every one except for Jeff Sagarin who has them #3 (good ol’ Hoosier, Jeff). If they lose to Michigan, the Buckeye’s BCS computer average will drop, but by how much? I’d imagine losing to a top 10 team can’t hurt you that much. There is no “justice” in the computer ranking, i.e., the machine won’t automatically drop a defeated opponent behind the victor. Losing…
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Michigan Pounds Northwestern
Showdown at the Big House on Saturday SALINE, MI NOVEMBER 17, 2003 Suddenly the Michigan Wolverines look like the team they thought they were after destroying Notre Dame. The Northwestern Wildcats could do little to stop the offense that attacked from all sides, and a defense that rendered the Wildcats’ gimmicky offense feeble. With a win against the Ohio State Luckeyes on Saturday, M will at worst head back to Pasadena. QB John Navarre must have been feeling it, as he is seen left awkwardly breaking out a little taste of “The Bird”, perhaps paying homage to Dools and Lew’s last trip to the Rose Bowl where one evening was spent taking in a concert by Morris Day and The Time at the House of Blues.
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Jim Cnockaert leaves Ann Arbor News
Update 12/01/03: I haven’t heard anything else about this since I posted this. Have you? I hear Jim on 1050 WTKA but I still have nothing.
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Michigan Crashes Back to Earth, Falls to Ducks
Comeback effort too little, too late as M falls to University of Oregon Ducks ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN SEPTEMBER 21, 2003 Ann Arbor News writers Jim Carty and Antoine Pitts differed when describing Michigan’s final offensive play. Carty wrote that the last play was “one last drop by [M receiver Braylon] Edwards”. Pitts said the drive ended when “quarterback John Navarre’s pass to Braylon Edwards sailed high.” This sums up a common debate over the past few years. Is John Navarre throwing bad passes, or are Michigan’s talented receivers not making catches? This debate certainly was a good one on Saturday, as there were several bad throws, several missed catches and some in between. The bottom line is that this team is not as good as everyone hoped after last week, and certainly is not good enough to get away with bad execution, whether it be drops or sailing passes. As complete as the team domination last week of Notre Dame was, this was as equivalent in terms of a total team collapse. Every facet of Michigan’s game could be criticized. Is the hope of a national title over? Probably but not completely. Losing early like this gives Michigan a chance to rebound. But as I told the Mudbowl on Sunday morning, I more concerned about Michigan’s ability to win the…
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Former Buckeye Player Sells Gold Pants Charm
As reported by Rusty Miller in the Detroit News, it appears as though one of the Buckeyes sold their cherished pants charm. This unique piece of jewelry is awarded to Ohio State football players if they beat Michigan. This one was from 2002. It has the score of the game and the player’s initials (M.C.?). The item was sold on eBay, reportedly for around $1000. I wonder which player sold his charm? (“Some people call him Maurriiiice”). Hmm. Here is an excerpt from the eBay listing: These are the coveted Gold Pants Charm that Ohio State Football players and coaches receive after each defeat of Michigan. This 2002 pair was awarded to a current player after last years win over Michigan in November of 2002 (14-9) at Ohio Stadium. The game that vaulted Ohio State to the Fiesta Bowl and eventually a National Title. It all started in 1934. The game against the University of Michigan in 1934 placed new coach Francis Schmidt into the hearts of Buckeye fans everywhere. Ohio State won the game 34-0, its largest margin of victory in the series to that point. Coach Schmidt changed Buckeye lore forever when, before the season, he was asked about beating Michigan. Schmidt commented that he didn’t see the problem. After all, the University of Michigan football players put…
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Victors Manhandle Irish 38-0 in 2003
Notre Dame crushed in every facet of the game by inspired Wolverines ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN SEPTEMBER 14, 2003 Somewhere in the middle of the third quarter I heard a faint jingle. A group of young Notre Dame students sat adjacent to us in Section 22, and two of them were pathetically shaking their car keys in the air. The kids were trying to symbolically indicate that the next snap would be a “key play” for ND. This was a pitiful sight as the Fighting Irish faced yet another third down and long somewhere in their own side of the field. The key jingling was not an accurate reflection of the significance of this down, but a desperate pipe dream that this play would somehow defy the brutal reality of the beating that their beloved Irish were taking. As was the case all day, the Wolverine defense immediately snuffed the play and the students’ key-waving was replaced by head-shaking and disbelief. The 38-0 pounding continued from kickoff until the final seconds rolled off the clock. Chris Perry talked before the season of leaving a legacy at Michigan. No matter how this season shakes out, this game will be remembered for decades to come. That’s what this rivalry does: each game is a chapter in the storied history of this match…
