The Masterplan

Jump the route, secure the win. (Michigan Athletics)

Take the time to make some sense

Of what you want to say

And cast your words away upon the waves

Sail them home with acquiesce

On a ship of hope today

And as they land upon the shore

Tell them not to fear no more

Say it loud and sing it proud today

--"The Masterplan" by Oasis on their 1995 single "Wonderwall"

(For the record, I had decided in March that Oasis would be this year's theme.  The reunion tour announcement this week was mere affirmation of that choice.)

It was lingering in the back of my head that the last time Michigan won the national title, it lost not just its first game, but its first two games, of the ensuing season.  I was in the Big House crowd when Donovan McNabb sliced, diced, and julienned a Michigan team that was down several key players from the team that had won the title.  While the indicators said that Fresno State might provide a test for this Michigan team with a new coach, a largely new offense, and newly freed from the weight of decades of expectations, Michigan should be able to handle its business and get ready for a Week 2 showdown with a big time opponent with a returning quarterback that might be able to McNabb the maize and blue.

For a moment at the beginning of the game, it looked like those fears would be unfounded.  Michigan's defense, the thing that no one was worried about, reminded the entire crowd of 110,665 that they were right and proper to feel that way.  Zeke Berry picked off Fresno State's third play of the game, setting up the Michigan offense with a short field, and after Davis Warren started, it was Alex Orji finding Donovan Edwards on a play very similar to the JJ to Roman game-tying TD in the Rose Bowl to go up 7-0 just four minutes into the season.  The rout was surely on.

Except, it wasn't.  

A brief interlude on vibes.  Michigan fans are creatures of vibes.  As rational and clear headed as they may want people to think they are when they present themselves to the world, this is a deeply vibes based fan culture.  I suspect most fandoms are.  It's why so many fans have rituals and superstitions, because they know they aren't the reason things happen, but they certainly do not want to be the reason things fell apart.  Yes, it is supremely silly, but at its core, so is fandom.  This is not a new observation, it is one of the core observations of fandom.  So when I say that the vibes were off yesterday, it explained a lot to me.  I couldn't get Strawberry Lemonade Fast Twitch Gatorade like I did before every game last year, so I had to settle for Strawberry Watermelon.  My favorite BBQ place was back at the Big House, but they swapped out my pre-game meal for a new creation, which, while good, just felt slightly off.  The M Den is still there, but because of the business situation, it felt slightly off.  Michigan Stadium PA announcer Carl Grapentine was at his daughter's wedding, so he wasn't there to greet the new year, and while his substitute Jason Morris did an admirable job, hearing him say the same things we've heard Carl say to us hundreds of times just felt slightly off.

So when the first half turned into a trade of punts, a Davis Warren throw getting picked off deep, and a trade of field goals to send the teams into the locker room at 10-3 Michigan, it was this realization that while the defense looked stout and largely unbending, the offense looked like it could not get out of its own way.  The grumbles for Alex Orji filtered through the crowd as the Michigan Marching Band played a show of "Celebrations" and hopes that Michigan's traditional halftime adjustments would get things back on the right track.

While a field goal to extend the lead to 10 was a nice way to open the half, it was largely because transfer kicker Dominic Zvada boomed a 53-yarder.  More punts, another booming Zvada field goal, this one squeaking in from 55 yards out, and Michigan had a 16-3 lead with just 12 minutes left in the game, and hopefully a sleepy fourth quarter to get everyone on to the next one.

Fresno State decided that the only shot they had to move the ball was to run the 2020 Rocky Lombardi chuck it deep and hope it gets caught playbook.  AND IT WORKED.  In just 2:36, the Bulldogs had their first touchdown of the game, the score was 16-10 and suddenly the close game alerts started dropping in on the phones that could get service at Michigan Stadium.

Michigan needed to answer the bell with a vintage grinder drive, slow, methodical, chewing up clock and moving the ball consistently that ended in a touchdown.  Thanks in large part to Kalel Mullings, that is exactly what happened, capped by Davis Warren's first career TD pass, fittingly an 18 yard toss to #18 himself, Colston Loveland.  Michigan was up 23-10, but the nerves were still on high alert in the stadium.

The next drive is one of the most fascinating and annoying sequences I have ever witnessed.  The Bulldogs' first pass is intercepted, the crowd goes wild...and it's overturned by the replay officials because it hit the turf first.  OK, so definitely no home cooking from the Big Ten's new replay command center.  OK, so the Bulldogs' second pass is intercepted by Makari Paige and returned to the Fresno 12.  OK, excellent...wait, there's a flag...excessive celebration.  No, T.J. Guy was called for roughing the passer, which on replay was a clear flop by Fresno State's QB Mikey Keene, so now Fresno has the ball at their 40, but wait, there was an excessive celebration penalty, so now the Bulldogs have the ball at the Michigan 45.  A false start by Fresno, which I swear was in part the officials attempting to calm the Michigan crowd down, puts the ball back at the 50, then a Bulldogs pass for 11 yards, PLUS a TJ Guy facemask and a couple of plays later, Fresno has the ball at the Michigan 10 and the defense looks completely out of sorts.  Enter Will Johnson, so read the play, jumped the screen pass perfectly and dashed 86 yards to the end zone for the game sealing score, finally having a turnover buffs celebration on the sideline for one that counted and the entire stadium collectively exhaled.

When Michigan has been so good for so long, blessed by top caliber players and a culture that demands excellence, it's hard to remember sometimes that new players are going to take a minute to find themselves.  Michigan won, they start the season with a win, the showdown with Texas next week is unsullied.  Perhaps Michigan was looking ahead, spending too much time prepping for this challenge and not enough time on what they presumed to be a relatively straightforward affair.  The Masterplan is there, and it will reveal itself in time.  But never, ever, diminish a win just because it didn't happen the way you expected it to happen.  

Tales from the Spreadsheet

Win 1,005

30-10 is NOT a Scorigami (2nd time, most recently 9/4/2010 in the season opener against Connecticut.)

110,665 were in attendance (the 88th-largest crowd of Michigan Stadium history).

Michigan moves to 1-0-0 all-time against Fresno State University.

Michigan moves to 5-0 all-time on August 31. (The birthday win streak lives.)

Michigan moves to 10-1 when scoring exactly 30 points (the lone loss to Miami (FL) in 1988.)

Michigan moves to 56-10-1 all-time when allowing 10 points to the opposition.

Michigan has won 26 games all-time by precisely 20 points, most recently, the aforementioned UConn game.