These Days

These days, I'm finding myself rooting for teams who's downfall I should be enjoying. 

Remember when Miami was absolutely running shit? 

Alabama was a echo of a generation gone by? 

I find myself pulling for these teams; teams I once despised.  And why?  Because the last year of Michigan football has just changed shit, man.  If Alabama can ascend to the top of the polls again; if Miami can regain some of the vengeful hatred and pride that made them so fearsome in the beginning of the decade, then maybe Michigan can too. Hell, I even hate Notre Dame a little less. 

Today, I sat watching the game on my couch, and for the first time this season thought that I was watching last year's team.  It didn't matter if the defense scored a 3-and-out, because they were giving the ball right back to an offense that rated a 90-year-old-without-his-blue-pills on the potency scale.  There was simply no way the offense was going to do anything besides hand the ball right back to the defense.  I knew it from the couch, and Penn State certainly knew it on the field.  For the first time this season, we didn't have an answer.  There was no adjustment to be made.  

Instead, a wickedly young team took an ass beating by a much more talented Penn State team.  Oh sure, there were some things that I felt were self-inflicted out there, but make no mistake, Michigan was out-classed today.  Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done about it except to allow for time to mature the players, get them stronger, and let them have another crack at it next year in Happy Valley.  I guess I'm just kind of tired of waiting.  

Perhaps most disappointing was the fact that Michigan had what amounted to two weeks to put in a game plan for Penn State.  Two weeks to prepare.  We got 45 minutes of Yakety-Sax and 15 minutes of Penn State prevent defense.  Brandon Graham motored his way through another brilliant performance.  Donovon Warren was great.  It's too bad that seemingly everyone else decided to collectively brain-fart their way through the game. 

I said right after the Delaware State game that we'd be good to get 1 win out of Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State, but I also assumed that each game would be somewhat close.  I can live with losses, and you know, I can live with ass beatings as long as we're moving forward.  Today just seemed like a day that was stuck fully in reverse. 

Miami is on their way.  Alabama has arrived.  Michigan will eventually get there too.  I'm just exhausted by the journey.