| Craig: | Indeed. The difference between enjoying a win and praying we don't lose is hugely different
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| Geoff: | I thought that with Threet out, the way our defense had played at Purdue, and the way Minnesota had simply handled Illinois, we were looking at a missing Jug until 2011. I'd assured the Gopher in the office of it. But then Minnesota went three and out, and we drove down to score. It was only a field goal, but then it was another three and out.
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| Jeremy: | Pretty soon Sheridan was leading the receivers on screen passes, Justin Feagin was breaking off 40 yard runs, black was white, and up was down.
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| Craig: | And for 60 minutes on Saturday, almost everything clicked.
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| Jeremy: | And in the end, the one enduring constant remained as it should be. |
(h/t: Varsity Blue) |
| Geoff: | It wasn't quite a fully-functional battle station, but it was a reasonable facsimile.
|
| Craig: | And it proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt: Michigan is a dome team.
|
| Geoff: | It's too bad about Purdue and Toledo. We would have dominated in the Motor City Bowl.
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| Geoff: | The most satisfying part of Saturday's performance, for me, was the defense. Time and time again, they stepped up.
|
| Craig: | Indeed. Punishing hits across the board. The way Morgan Trent blew that Gopher up, it was like he was Carl from Caddyshack.
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| Jeremy: | It's frustrating that it took the players themselves to request they play in a 4-3, but their wish was granted and they delivered.
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| Geoff: | They made Adam Weber look like he was constantly overwhelmed, a mediocre-at-best Big Ten QB.
|
| Craig: | But the question is, what does this mean for this weekend? |
| Craig: | I was shocked to learn that Michigan is favored (screwing me mildly on my annual bet on the Michigan/NU game.)
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| Jeremy: | It means a jubilant, warm welcoming as the team takes the field.
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| Craig: | It means that we can hopefully get one wave in this season.
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| Geoff: | Win or lose on Saturday, we should hear "Thank you, seniors."
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| Geoff: | We'll at least have The Cake.
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| Craig: | And it will not be made of ashes and rusty nails.
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| Jeremy: | The Cake! And we're inching ever closer to the moment when the music now known as "the blues" will exist only in the classical record department of your local public library.
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| Craig: | Thankfully, according to Change.gov, "the blues" may have earned a stay of execution until 2012.
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| Geoff: | Forget the library, I want to know what "the blues" will be known as in The Future.
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| Jeremy: | Until 2004, it was set to expire in 2006. I guess, like most things, it will happen when Carl says it happens.
|
| Geoff: | Maybe he'll get another request to take a number out of the mix.
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| Craig: | As long as Carl and his spotter stop fighting this season like they're in an Pinter drama. (Seriously, I may be alone on this, but no other season has seen Carl and the spotter who puts down and distance up on the scoreboard disagree as much over yardage as they have this year.)
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| Geoff: | They need to talk to the down and distance guy at Notre Dame
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| Jeremy: | That guy was *immediate.*
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| Craig: | That guy was spot on all the time
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| Geoff: | Do we know what the "America Rocks" show will consist of? "Born in the USA"? "R-O-C-K in the USA"?
|
| Craig: | Oh please say "No More Kings" and "I'm Just a Bill".
|
| Jeremy: | Opens with "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen. Then "America" by Neil Diamond. Then "God Bless the USA" complete with standard biyearly American flag unfurling
|
| Craig: | Because you can't boo freedom?
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| Geoff: | Even in Columbus.
|
| Jeremy: | Trying to guarantee applause at OSU, I guess.
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| Geoff: | I'm hoping that Kafka starts for Northwestern. Not because I think he's a step down from Bacher, but because the jokes write themselves. "Kafka appears to have woken up this morning as a giant bug and not a QB"
|
| Craig: | You gotta get contain on the bug though
|
| Geoff: | He'll hurt you if you don't.
|
| Craig: | It'll be a real Trial
|
| Geoff: | His offensive line is trying to put up a Castle around him
|
| Craig: | He's the kind of quarterback Rhett Miller writes love songs about
|
| Jeremy: | I'm no good at these jokes. I'm waiting for the quarterback named Calvinandhobbes or Spartanmarchingband.
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| Craig: | It's years of quiz bowl experience, Jeremy, which means these jokes are really just therapy for Geoff and myself.
|
| Geoff: | Meanwhile, the Michigan hockey team took their biennial trip to Fairbanks
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| Craig: | Michigan's effort in Alaska is what you expect. Win one, lose one, see Russia from the rink.
|
| Geoff: | We got a split, which is decent. With all the injuries, I've revised my expectations for the team down a bit.
|
| Craig: | I think we are compelled to do so. Two key defensemen. Michigan can still play with any team, but they're not blowing the doors off everyone.
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| Geoff: | I think this is the kind of team to scrap its way into the tournament and see what happens. It's not the kind that'll have the regular season we saw last year.
|
| Craig: | They're going to need to win the games they should win on paper
|
| Geoff: | We do have the good fortune to play a lot of games at home in the second half of the season.
|
| Craig: | Yes, the schedule does seem to favor Michigan down the stretch. It also appears that there is no team stepping out in front and saying "We're the ones to beat" yet this season
|
| Geoff: | All I want to see is an NCAA tournament berth and a placement in the Grand Rapids regional, and then we can take it from there.
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| Craig: | Works for me
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| Jeremy: | the Grand Rapids regional would make too much sense.
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| Geoff: | Yeah. I'll buy my tickets again only to see Huntsville come back to town.
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| Craig: | By the way, it's been a while so my mad props to the Yost crowd for their Halloween weekend effort. Tremendous across the board! Well done!
|
| Jeremy: | Did Frankenberry make it?
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| Craig: | Yes, and Frankenberry, if you're reading, PLEASE get your costume cleaned. You can send HSR the dry cleaning bill.
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| Geoff: | With that inspirational message, I think it's about time to call it a day.
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| Craig: | Indeed. Until next week, enjoy the cake, enjoy the seniors last home game, and above all, Go Blue!
|
| Jeremy: | And while we still can, enjoy Scotty B and his Blues Band. Go Blue!
|
| Geoff: | Go Blue. |
2 comments:
Frankenberry is a brother in my fraternity. I'll pass along the good news that he can finally get his costume cleaned. I'm sure he'll be thrilled.
Nick,
Let us be clear. We adore Frankenberry, as evidenced by our "Stuff Maize and Blue People Like." We were just a little concerned is all.
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