Omaha

Man down. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

[Ed. Note: Counting Crows didn't write a down tempo song called "Lincoln" so "Omaha", close enough.]



Start tearing the old man down
Run past the heather and down to the old road
Start turning the grain into the ground
Roll a new leaf over
In the middle of the night there's an old man
Treading around in the gathered rain
Hey mister if you want to walk on water
Would you drop a line my way

Duct tape.  It's was held together with duct tape, hope, and rolling dice.  And now the questions will come for the coaching staff, although any questions to Greg Mattison will likely consist of "Why can't you guys score too?"  But we caught a glimpse of a future we will need to face all too soon, a future without Denard Robinson.  That future consisted of three field goals total output on offense.

Omaha
Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you'd better turn your ticket in
And leave your money right at the door


Because Michigan never lead in this game, it was, somehow, amazingly, less frustrating than one might think.  Maybe it was the let down of the Tigers not doing anything on offense during the World Series, maybe it was just knowing that when Denard went down, on a play where I was, in the middle of the run, praising him for getting the first down instead of getting out of bounds, injuring his elbow, and by extension, losing his grip on his throwing hand, it was going to take something close to a miracle to win in Lincoln.  So I wasn't happy, but there was a weird knowing.  Knowing that the defense is still pretty stout (although it looks like we're going to have one "The Hell?" drive per game.  Disappointed, but somehow, it's like I knew this was the end result.

Start threading the needle
Brush past the shuttle that slides through the cold room
Start turning the wool across the wire
Roll the new life over
In the middle of the night there's an old man
Threading his toes through a bucket of rain
Hey mister if you want to walk on water
You're only going to walk all over me

I want to believe in Russell Bellomy, because I don't think the Michigan coaching staff is stupid.  They clearly saw something in him that made them believe that the Gardner to WR move could work.  But sadly, those things did not materialize last night during the game.  When Russell has as many completions to Nebraska players as he did to Michigan players, that is beyond troubling (admittedly, I cannot understand how in the world that first interception was, in fact, an interception.  It wouldn't have been a catch if Smith had held on, so how could it be an interception?  More bafflingly still, how was there no review?  Credit to Bellomy for his hustle to get back and save four points, but still.)  When Nebraska penalties are the only means by which you can move the ball, well, the whole thing needs to get rethought.  The sad thing for Bellomy is that he's going to need something pretty amazing to work on building some equity with Michigan fans.  It doesn't make it right, but right now, there's a preference for the Devil you don't when it comes to next year.  (Although, really, there have been fewer freshmen quarterbacks about whom we have known more than the Senator.)

Omaha
Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you'd better turn your ticket in
And leave your money right at the door


Start running the banner down
Drop past the color come up through the summer rain
Start turning the girl into the ground
Roll a new life over
In the middle of the night there's a young man
Rolling around in the earth and rain
Hey mister if you're going to walk on water, you know
You're only going to walk all over me

I'm not going to rail against Borges.  I am not qualified to do so, and I am sure there is a plan, even if I don't understand it.  However, I am utterly confused by Michigan's personnel decisions.  Drew Dileo was "The Threat" last week, this week I couldn't remember seeing him on the field.  Devin Funchess was thought to maybe be the next coming of Jim Mandich, now largely absent (admittedly, he dropped an easy one that may have given Bellomy some confidence late in the first half.  Perhaps freshmen are still freshmen.)  Thomas Rawls looks good against Purdue and Illinois, but can't find the field against Nebraska.  I never presume I know more than the people being paid and paid well to do the job, but it is just something confusing.

Omaha
Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you'd better turn your ticket in
And leave your money right at the door

So we hope that Denard's elbow/hand is OK, we hope that if it's not, Michigan gets its affairs in order this week during practice, and take solace in the fact that the last time we went to Minnesota, in the darkest depths of the autumn of our discontent, a walk-on went 18/30 for 203 and a touchdown and we got five field goals to keep our hands on the Jug.  We may need whatever we can find to keep whatever hopes of Indy, let alone Pasadena, are alive in the most optimistic corners of our hearts.