THE GAME: #1 Ohio State 42, #2 Michigan 39 (11/18/06)

[TheMile]

We really ought to be better.

• Returning 18 starters - Only Louisville returns more in the top 25. The losses were Watson, Avant, Stenavich, Massaqoui, and Massey, and the loss of Massey is a good thing (he sucked, but Carr loved him). Taylor looks like a Watson clone but with a work ethic and will fill in nicely. I think we'll miss Stenavich, who was consistent last year, and the Avant loss definitely will hurt. Hopefully Arrington will finally emerge and take Avant's spot as our possession receiver.
• Bit by injury bug last year - Hart, Long, Breaston, Kolodziej, Englemon, Barringer, Massaquoi, Arrington, and Mundy all missed significant time and did or would have started at some point.
• We weren't terrible last year - All five losses were close games. Yes, I know, so were the wins.
• Ron English - The preseason reports have been glowing. If the defense turns in a good season, he'll be the front runner to succeed Carr, IMO. Despite closing both starters from 2004 (Shazor and Mundy) and having the starters both injured at some (Barringer and Englemon), English's safeties put in solid performances all 2005, a huge improvement over 2004.

As for how much better we'll be, I dunno. It's a hard season to predict all over the country.

[BuckeyeNation27]

No offense, but with Michigan every year you "ought to be better". There are always starters returning who people just assume will be better than last year, and people coming back from injuries where people assume they'll never get injured again or show effects from it.

[MililaniBuckeye]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

No offense, but with Michigan every year you "ought to be better".

Yep. There's a reason why Michigan has had 3+ loss seasons the last six, seven of the last eight, and 11 of the last 13 years.

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

I would be willing to bet Hart and/or Breaston will end up injured again this year. Some players just can't stay healthy, and these two seem like the type. It's not something that is there fault, necessarily... it just is what it is.

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Originally Posted by MililaniBuckeye

Yep. There's a reason why Michigan has had 3+ loss seasons the last six, seven of the last eight, and 11 of the last 13 years.

What are you talking about, Hart was very clear, Michigan never loses 3.

[TheMile]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

No offense, but with Michigan every year you "ought to be better".

Name me a program that doesn't say that just about every year they don't go undefeated. If you're saying that we're worse than others in that respect, I disagree.

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

There are always starters returning who people just assume will be better than last year

What's wrong with that? Starters usually are better than they were the previous year.

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

and people coming back from injuries where people assume they'll never get injured again or show effects from it.

I'm with you here, thinking of Breaston in particular. He's always got something wrong with him.

Originally Posted by BKB

I would be willing to bet Hart and/or Breaston will end up injured again this year. Some players just can't stay healthy, and these two seem like the type. It's not something that is there fault, necessarily... it just is what it is.

Totally agree on Breaston, but Hart? Where did you get that impression?

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

8/20/06

U-M motivated by worst season in two decades
Larry Lage / Associated Press
<!-- EDITORIAL: end headline area --><!-- ALL: Begin main story well -->

ANN ARBOR -- Chad Henne and Mike Hart chose to play at Michigan because they wanted to enjoy team success, not just personal accolades.
As freshmen two years ago, the quarterback and running back led the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl.
The duo, their teammates and Michigan's many fans were jolted last year by the worst season for college football's winningest program in more than two decades.
"We all came here because none of us like losing," Hart said. "After a 7-5 year, if that doesn't motivate you, something is wrong."
The Wolverines dedicated their summer to making last season an aberration.
They ran a lot -- on the golf course and up steps in the stadium. They got out of bed to lift weights. They resisted the temptation of eating pizza and playing video games all night.
Whenever incentive was necessary, just thinking about last year's record provided an extra boost. Michigan was unranked in the final Associated Press poll for the first time since finishing .500 in 1984 -- before Henne and Hart were born.
"Whenever you would feel yourself slacking or saw a teammate slacking, you would say, 'We don't want to be where we were last year!'" Hart recalled. "That would help you finish a workout, or get to one."
After his 11th season as coach and 27th on Michigan's staff, Lloyd Carr analyzed what went wrong last year and determined getting in better shape could help his team close games better.
The Wolverines lost to Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio State and Nebraska by an average of four points. In each setback, they couldn't make key stops on defense or control the clock with a consistent running game on offense in the final minutes.
They did win three close games: Michigan State and Iowa in overtime and against Penn State on the final play.
The Wolverines hope to start and finish the season strong for a change.
Since winning a national championship in 1997, they have made it through September undefeated only once and have lost their first road game in seven of the last eight years.
"If you look at the profile of championship teams, the great percentage of times they get off to a fast start," Carr said.
After home tuneups against Vanderbilt and Central Michigan, Michigan plays at Notre Dame -- where Carr hasn't won since he became head coach in 1995.
The 12-game regular season, without a bye week, ends Nov. 18 at Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won four of the last five games in the rivalry.
"Ohio State determines our season," senior linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. "So, going in there and getting a win would do a lot for our season like it does whenever we win that game."
Michigan has lost to Ohio State and its bowl opponents in each of the last two years.
The Wolverines are ranked No. 14 in The Associated Press preseason poll.
"We're going to prove people wrong that think Michigan is down," Woodley said.
Henne and Hart lead an offense with six returning starters. Receiver Steve Breaston will get a chance to be a No. 1 receiver for the first time, and will be complemented by receiver Mario Manningham and tight end Tyler Ecker. Standout tackle Jake Long has been shifted from right to left tackle on an inexperienced line.
"Moving him to left tackle, where he really belongs, will really help us out on the backside and in the running game," Henne said.
Eight starters are back on defense, a unit led by Woodley, cornerback Leon Hall and defensive tackle Alan Branch.
Hall said he's going to need to be the best cornerback in the country because he has to face Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, a Heisman Trophy candidate, and six Big Ten teams with veteran leadership at the most important position on the field.
"I'm definitely going to be tested because we're going against some great quarterbacks this year," he said.
Carr promoted Mike DeBord to offensive coordinator and Ron English to defensive coordinator after Terry Malone and Jim Herrmann took NFL coaching assignments during the offseason. DeBord hopes to make Michigan's running game more efficient while English wants the defense to attack, though he doesn't plan to blitz on every down.
The kicking game should help Michigan win games with kicker Garrett Rivas and punter Ross Ryan back along with Breaston as a returner.
Between Michigan's key games at Notre Dame and Ohio State, the Wolverines host Wisconsin, Michigan State and Iowa and play at Minnesota and Penn State.
"Some mountains are higher than others," Carr said. "Certainly, when you look at our schedule, it's a challenging schedule."
<!-- EDITORIAL: end body of the story --><!-- ALL: end main story well --><!-- EDITORIAL: begin list of other articles in section -->

Some facts about the 2006 Wolverines:
SCHOOL COLORS: Maize and Blue
FOUNDED: 1817
ENROLLMENT: 37,306
LOCATED: Ann Arbor, Mich.
COACH: Lloyd Carr, 12th season, 102-34 and 68-20 in Big Ten.
2005 RECORD: 7-5 (5-3 Big Ten, tied for third).
LAST BOWL: 2005 Alamo Bowl, lost to Nebraska 32-28.
STADIUM: Michigan Stadium, 107,501
RETURNING STARTERS: 6 offense, 8 defense
KEY PLAYERS: QB Chad Henne; RB Mike Hart; WR Steve Breaston; TE Tyler Ecker; LT Jake Long; DE LaMarr Woodley; DT Alan Branch; OLB Prescott Burgess; CB Leon Hall.
KEY DEPARTURES: WR Jason Avant; OL Adam Stenavich; OL Matt Lentz; OL Leo Henige; DT Gabe Watson; DT Pat Massey; CB Grant Mason.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "We're going to prove people wrong that think Michigan is down because of what happened last year, when we let our fans down. We want to get Michigan back on the page it should be on." -- Michigan linebacker LaMarr Woodley
2006 SCHEDULE
Sept. 2: Vanderbilt
Sept. 9: Central Michigan
Sept. 16: at Notre Dame
Sept. 23: Wisconsin
Sept. 30: at Minnesota
Oct. 7: Michigan State
Oct. 14: at Penn State
Oct. 21: Iowa
Oct. 28: Northwestern
Nov. 4: Ball State
Nov. 11: at Indiana
Nov. 18: at Ohio State

[BuckeyeNation27]

Name me a program that doesn't say that just about every year they don't go undefeated. If you're saying that we're worse than others in that respect, I disagree.

Name me a program that expects to go undefeated every year, and loses 3 games every year. Other than Michigan of course.

What's wrong with that? Starters usually are better than they were the previous year.

The word "always" is what is wrong with that. Players don't automatically get better year to year. They usually do, but everybody always just assumes that another year means they'll be that much better.

As proof, you'll see a ton of people talking about how great our defense will be next year simply because of all the returning players.

[TheMile]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

Name me a program that expects to go undefeated every year, and loses 3 games every year. Other than Michigan of course.

Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida St., and Florida. Again, if you're saying that we're worse than others in that respect, I disagree.

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

The word "always" is what is wrong with that. Players don't automatically get better year to year. They usually do, but everybody always just assumes that another year means they'll be that much better.

Right, that's what I just said: usually. I'm not sure where you got the idea that I thought anything different. Everyone knows nothing's certain in sports; it doesn't need to be stated.

[cincibuck]

Originally Posted by ginn421

yeah, I guess it was pretty obvious. I just don't recall OSU playing Michigan with the lights, since kickoff has traditionally been at 1:00 before this year.

I recall at least one game in Ann Arbor near the end of the Bruce era in which most of the second half was under lights. I recall a couple of games during the Cooper era when the Buckeyes played as if the lights weren't on. But in the last five years things have been sunny and bright with one little patch of clouds that will soon fade from memory.

[Best Buckeye]

[MililaniBuckeye]

Originally Posted by TheMile

Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida St., and Florida. Again, if you're saying that we're worse than others in that respect, I disagree.

Wrong. On MGoBlow.com, the majority of UM posters believe that they have a great shot at running the table and many think they'll be in the national title game, despite coming off a five-loss season and having to play Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame on the road. I doubt many ND fans were thinking national championship after the 2003 and 2004 seasons, or Tennessee fans thinking so after last season, etc.

[NOTREDAMECHIEF]

Mili is correct, heck I cant even begin to think of a NC this year even with all the un-warranted hype.

[Bucklion]

The fact Michigan kept sticking it to us in the mid-90's kinda made them look better than they were then, too...there were a lot of 4 loss seasons at that time also, much to Hart's chagrin. In fact, since 1990, Michigan has lost at least 3 games a total of 12 times.

I think Nation's point is accurate.

[BuckeyeNation27]

Originally Posted by TheMile

Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida St., and Florida. Again, if you're saying that we're worse than others in that respect, I disagree.



Right, that's what I just said: usually. I'm not sure where you got the idea that I thought anything different. Everyone knows nothing's certain in sports; it doesn't need to be stated.

Notre Dame hasn't been expected to win the NC in a long time.
Has Tennessee ever?
FSU is finding out what it means to be in a real conference....They resemble Michigan.
Florida hasn't been expected to do anything since Spurrier left.

Meanwhile, Michigan is expected to be in the NC hunt every year. They blow it every year (excluding 97 obviously).