Michigan-Wisconsin Wrap

Well this certainly isn't the way we envisioned this Michigan Football season going. We were over the first two losses and had reeled off 8 in a row, despite a rash of injuries and sporadic play by Ryan Mallett. Let me refresh your memory: Appalachian St. came in to Ann Arbor the back-to-back defending Division I-AA National Champions. They are better than at least half the Division I teams that play. I would classify the loss as a mild upset, just because I refuse to believe that a team that has played on the big stage before and is the defending national champion is in the underdog category. They came in and were faster and hungrier than Michigan. Next was Oregon and Dennis Dixon. They proved that they are for real and not just some cute team with Donald Duck for a mascot. They dominated Michigan and injured Chad Henne, thrusting Mallett into action as a true freshman. He clearly isn't what Chad Henne was as a freshman. He plays as if he isn't the reason to blame for poor throws and colossal brain farts.
Then came eight straight wins. Everything seemed to be returning to normal and then the injuries started to mount. Injuries are not an excuse for the loss at Wisconsin yesterday, they obviously didn't help, but if Ryan Mallett would learn touch, communication, and composure he will be special. The defense played aggressive and racked up some big plays and big penalties. Shawn Crable's tackle on an option play was flagged for being an illegal clothesline. Lloyd Carr was so pissed that spit and snot were flying as he tore into the officals about that call, which shouldn't have been flagged to begin with. The first personal foul Crable got was the correct call because you can't smack the quarterback, or any other player, in the face especially when the quarterback has just thrown the ball. Bad play by Crable, similar to the helmet-to-helmet hit on Troy Smith in last years OSU game. He is an amazing athlete with special abilities, but he has to know where he is and the situation he is in, because committing personal fouls on 3rd down is just suicide.

When Michgan was down 23-7 I was sitting in my chair fuming, then a hint of magic hit. In the form of a Mallett bullet and a Super Mario grab it turned into the longest play in Michigan Football history, a 97-yard catch and blur igniting the team and deflating the crowd. And to make things even tighter, Mallett showed that he can indeed throw with touch and Adrian Arrington is a phenomenally underrated reciever, making an absolutely sick catch in the endzone on a ball that was placed where only the receiver could make a play on it. That is the Ryan Mallett that needs to show up. And then the next possession we saw what frustrates us about Mallett: under pressure he didn't make the smart decision and instead threw the ball to the moon only to have it come straight down in the vicinity of Greg Mathews and Mario Manningham, but more accurately to the Wisconsin defensive back. That is the Mallett we don't need to show up ever.

What made this loss stomach-able is the fact that the mighty Fighting Illini went into the stadium shaped like a toilet, and pulled off a real stunner 28-21 over the Suckeyes. This is the first time since 1959 that both Michigan and OSU have lost their game before they play each other. I will write again as the game draws closer, but hasn't this been just the most messed up year in college football ever?

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.yahoo.com www.aol.com www.ask.com