Saturday, October 18, 2008

Game Time: Penn State vs. Michigan, 2008

It's a strange thing, today. Going into a game without any real hope of a win is a foreign concept in Michigan football. Even last year, when we were unranked and Penn State was a top ten team, I expected us to win. Not even hoped: Straight-up expected. I didn't have quite that confidence in 2005, but I didn't find it nigh-unthinkable. The last time an unranked Michigan team played a top-ten team not called Penn State? Wisconsin. Before that? Florida in the Capital One Bowl. Before that? 1993, a 28-0 win against #5 Ohio State. But that was a team that finished the season 8-4 and had knocked off #7 Penn State in Happy Valley, not a 2-4 team that couldn't beat a bad MAC team in Ann Arbor.

Daryll Clark should slice us up on the ground and toast us through the air unless something truly bizarre happens. If bizarre things occur, Penn State should still come out with the win. At this point, I'm hoping to come out without any injuries and with a sense of purpose for next week when Michigan State comes to town. Modest expectations like these are new, and I don't want to get used to them, but they're reasonable for this team. And maybe next year we can start up the revenge tour and begin new streaks.

2 comments:

Joe said...

"The last time an unranked Michigan team played a top-ten team not called Penn State?"

Umm... three weeks ago against #9 Wisconsin?

Go Blue!

Geoff said...

My bad. I meant to say "The last time before this season..."

Oh, I hope this keeps up.