WTI: WOOOOOOO!!!!

Craig:	Hello and once again, welcome to this, well, "comeback" edition of Whatever This Is. I'm Craig, and I'm a believer...
Geoff:	The single biggest comeback in Michigan Stadium history
Jeremy:	And what an emotional rollercoaster it was. When the lows are that low, the highs are that much higher.
Geoff:	-7 yards passing.
Craig:	Oh yes, oh yes. That's unpossible! And the run was going nowhere and balls were flying out of hands and I was staring 3-9's gaping maw in the face
Jeremy:	I was thinking about the S-word, and wondering how long it had been since we'd faced one. But then the second half happened!
Geoff:	1984. I looked it up.
Jeremy:	And that was on the road (home was 1960s, IIRC). [1967, 34-0 vs. MSU -ed]

Geoff:	That second half was wonderful. Everything started clicking. Once Threet was able to establish a downfield passing game, it opened everything up.
Craig:	Indeed, and I think that leaves us with a larger question
Jeremy:	Where do we go from here?
Craig:	While we can appreciate and enjoy the glory of last Saturday, so we have any sense of what it means for the short and long term future of this team. I'm taking the view that this is a perfect coaching win for Rich Rod: No quit from his team, but plenty of room for improvement
Geoff:	I think it shows that the offense is a work in progress and will advance in fits and starts.
Jeremy:	all season we've been subjected to brief glimpses of what can happen when, to quote David Boston, our offense and defense is clickin'.
Craig:	I think it is important that I feel we've seen growth, if painful
Jeremy:	It manifested for 20 minutes on Saturday and it was enough to pull out a win against a ranked opponent, but is it unreasonable to expect that level of play continuously for the rest of the season?
Craig:	That level? Yes. A level near that? No.
Geoff:	Yes, it is, unfortunately. It's not unreasonable to expect that level of intensity, or for them to bring that attitude on every down, but the execution errors aren't going to disappear for a while. At the same time, we should see them diminish throughout the season.
Craig:	We hope
Jeremy:	One thing that has been continuous, and we can keep counting on, is the obvious Barwis Effect in the 4th quarter.
Craig:	And the great thing about the Barwis Effect is that it now is tangible. The players believed it, but now it has a manifestation.
Jeremy:	My favorite moment was after Wisco's false start late in that quarter. After seeing the flag, Terrance Taylor points down the field, and struts -- arms swinging in front of him, legs kicking high -- STRUTS to the new LOS. As if to say "I could do this all day."
Craig:	But, I think we also need to realize, there was a bit of luck in that comeback. Michigan DID make the plays, but Wisconsin had some drops which cost them. Whether drops are "luck" remains to be seen, but there it is...a letter opener.
Craig:	Now, amazingly, lost in the sheer joy of Saturday was an exceptional halftime show, even if pre-game had a bad bad omen.
Jeremy:	Clearly the motivation came from everyone being able to Twist and Shout during halftime. Everyone around me had a sense of "screw it, let's dance," and really enjoyed it.
Geoff:	I was all ready mock the Wisconsin band for their lost plumes and then Cody loses his.
Jeremy:	Doing two backbends in one game may have made up for it
Craig:	My future brother in law noted that plumes always had to be paper clipped in and that kind of thing was inspected.
Geoff:	Yeah, we had plume locks inside our hats. I don't know how the drum major's is set up.
Jeremy:	Yes, the "plume lock" was an elaborate contraption.
Geoff:	The show took a while to set up, and the people around me weren't feeling all that patient until I told them what was going on, but everyone around me really enjoyed it.
Craig:	The Wisconsin fans around me were NOT getting that it was an homage to Ferris. I LOVED March of the Swivelheads, and thought that the movie clips were not only spot on, but had a great sense of both humor and inside baseball knowledge.
Jeremy:	The show managed to contain a larger MMB theme while successfully parodying a movie AND making fun of Big Ten schools.
Geoff:	Those were very well done. I wish we could have a copy of the show cut together and posted online.
Jeremy:	I'll admit I was skeptical -- would enough people get it? would it actually be funny? skit shows are risky! -- but quite pleased with the outcome.
Geoff:	"Jim Tressel? The wine cooler king of Columbus?"
Craig:	O-H-Oh-no!
Craig:	I agree, high risk, but I felt high reward. Cody did a fine job with his bits.
Craig:	By the way, did anyone else enjoy "Lloyd Carr: Associate Athletic Director" I know it's his new gig, but it was just "Wait, who is this random person??"
Geoff:	Yeah, it's another thing to get used to.
Jeremy:	What did you think of turning the MMB into a jukebox with the "request a song" feature?
Craig:	I thought it was a back door way for AT&T to get advertising in to Michigan Stadium without actually doing it.
Geoff:	Until "Across 110th Street" is an option, disapprove
Craig:	I am glad to see Cowbell quickly went away. And co-sign on Geoff
Jeremy:	I appreciated it both for its ability to get people to pay attention - if briefly - and for how it unceremoniously swept the cowbell gag under the rug.
Jeremy:	Apparently there's a similar deal for hockey band coming up where the right price will let you request two songs that they play (plus tickets and other incentives).
Geoff:	I hope they switch up the options week to week.
Craig:	I do as well, and honestly, I couldn't hear it, even though I knew what was going to win as soon as the options went up
Craig:	I shall look forward to the hockey band deal. I will request the long version of I Can't Turn You Loose for Halloween
Jeremy:	As long as they follow that up with the full Varsity
Geoff:	I was afraid Zep and Journey would cancel each other out, leaving NSYNC. But I underestimated the cultural impact of The Hills.
Craig:	And the fact that Brock Sampson was not in the house
Craig:	Now this week we see Illinois and the Blast From the Past. Geoff, this will be your first Blast, correct?
Geoff:	Yes, actually.
Jeremy:	Third for me. I couldn't wait; I'm a sucker for being able to play the Victors in the stadium.
Geoff:	Our show this week will be a medley from Jersey Boys.
Craig:	And I will not be on the field because, contrary to popular belief, I am just a fan, not an MMB alum. I mean, I'll be at the game, I have kicking seats this week
Craig:	I am hoping that the 75th Anniversary of "Temptation" gets mentioned this week
Geoff:	Me too.
Craig:	Have we mentioned that to someone with the authority to actually do something about it?
Jeremy:	Consider this the mention, readers.
Craig:	Will either of you be able to take cameras with you for your seats? Because now that I know how to do it, my panorama from the 47 is going to be sweet, I hope.
Jeremy:	oh, definitely. Part of the fun is how much more relaxed it is than having to perform in full uniform.
Geoff:	Do we have any expectations for the game itself?
Craig:	I think this is going to be another battle. I think Michigan will be brimming with confidence, tamped down by the fact that they do not start the game at halftime
Craig:	If they can get decent contain on Juice, I think that Michigan will have a good shot to make things happen. The offense will need to manage the game. 17-14 either way seems reasonable to me at this point
Geoff:	Arrelious Benn worries me. I don't think we've seen a receiver of his caliber yet this year. I expect to see a lot of Donovan Warren on him.
Jeremy:	The ground game should have more success this week. We stared down the "Inevitable 2nd and 12" too much on Saturday.
Craig:	I do have one other larger question: If Stephen Threet does nothing else in his career (which I hope is not true), has he secured a place in Michigan lore after last weekend?
Jeremy:	I say yes. He was Saturday's Phil Brabbs vs Washington.
Geoff:	You make a very good point, Jeremy. Stephen Threet will definitely be remembered for this moment. Beyond that, he'll have his stamp over the whole first year of the Rodriguez administration.
Craig:	I say yes, just because the image of the double crossed arms on his scramble will be locked in my head. The rarity of a Michigan quarterback taking off down the field, coupled with someone desperate not to fumble was a perfect marriage of what had happened and what was happening in that game.
Geoff:	I have to say, if Threet's ceiling is Navarre+, I don't mind that.
Craig:	Agree. When we do a WTI from the Vault, John Navarre will definitely be a topic, him versus Dennis Franklin for most underrated Michigan QB post 1968.
Craig:	But until that time, we're off for another week. I'm Craig...
Geoff:	I'm Geoff
Jeremy:	I'm Jeremy. Go Blue!
Craig:	Good night Ann Arbor! We love you!

The Best Seats in the House

I know I'm late on this one, but by the time I got home on Saturday night I didn't want to bury Jeremy's excellent band post, and then the Ferentz thing exploded, overshadowing everything else. But I was at both College Hockey Showcase games last weekend, playing in the Alumni Pep Band.

Game 1:  Michigan 3, Wisconsin 2

MGoBlue.com highlights

Michigan played 59 minutes of dominating hockey. They were far and away the better team when matching up against the Badgers, who were kept in the contest by their goalie, Connelly, and a few posts. Michigan got decent pressure from the start, but nothing was going in. Then Lebler took a weak but somewhat legitimate-looking 5:00 major and game misconduct for hitting from behind. This was a huge turning point in the game. Our penalty kill came out and denied the Badgers time and again. Then, with :07 left in the Lebler penalty, Kolarik took a great feed from Steve Kampfer, carried it in, and solved Connelly for our first goal of the night. On the powerplay in the second, Palushaj sent a puck back to Kolarik behind the net who fed Porter in the slot to push the lead to 2-0. Soon after, Kolarik was again sitting behind the net when he found Pacioretty out in front for another powerplay goal.

As time in the 3rd started winding down, I began to relax just in time for Wisconsin to finally dig in and get a powerplay goal of their own that I can't fault Sauer on. Then, just seconds later, our defense entirely abandoned the entire left side of the ice, hanging Sauer out to dry and giving Wisconsin an easy goal. In 0:18, we've gone from cruising to the finish to fighting for our lives. The second goal finally refocused everyone and they hung on for the win.

One other thing about the game was that McInchak called a ton of penalties; 17 in all for nearly 60:00 (40 without the misconducts). Everything felt broken and choppy. At least he called them consistently, but strict enforcement like that got old.

Game 2:  Michigan 5, Minnesota 1

MGoBlue.com highlights

OH, IT WAS GLORIOUS. After the first goal, I was thrilled. After the second, ecstatic. After the third, I thought we might be able to win this thing after all. Then I started screaming at the defense to clear the zone, but time and again they couldn't get it done, and Sauer had no chance on a fluke goal where the puck bounced off Kevin Quick's skate and into the net. I swear, they must have spent a full minute and a half set up like they were on the powerplay. But Michigan stepped up again and banged home a fourth goal. And then in the third period they added a fifth one to kill any hope Minnesota might have had.

We opened this game a lot slower than the one against Wisconsin. Two early powerplays went nowhere; in fact we spent a lot of time in our own zone fighting the Gophers off. Our best early chance came when Porter had a shorthanded breakaway. He couldn't get the goal, but he drew a slashing call. Near the end of the first, he had another breakaway opportunity, this time on the powerplay, but the Gopher defender wrested the puck away...only to have it land on Chad Kolarik's stick before being deposited in the back of the net.

In the second, the Wolverines pulled away. Porter found Kolarik wide open near the faceoff circle on the powerplay. Like The Blog That Yost Built says, he had to be perfect on his shot or we'd be wondering about that decision. Porter's goal just a few minutes later is one of those ones that make you want to kill your own goalie, because it really was all his fault. He whiffed on the clear and was dead from that moment.

Ben Gordon's flukey goal put the icy knot back into my stomach. Michigan couldn't find a way to clear the zone without taking an icing call, so they kept letting the play go and it finally bit them. As you can see, he just flung the puck vaguely in the direction of the net and it bounced off Quick's skate. A minute and a half later, the Gophers took another penalty and started killing it really well, denying the Wolverines the zone. I was complaining to the trumpet next to me that we weren't getting any pressure with our powerplay. He started to say that Minnesota's PK was really aggressive, but it left them vulnerable– And then Porter got loose and scored. Way to illustrate a point, Minnesota.

Five minutes into the third, Ben Winnett's goal basically ended the game by making it 5-1. This was amazing. Michigan beats Minnesota for the first time since I was a student and I get to play "The Victors" for them. Fantastic.

We have an Ohio State University for two at home this weekend and then a home-and-home with Bowling Green the next before the break preceding the GLI. We're perfectly capable of going into it 17-1-0, which is ridiculous, but possible. We're still better than a much-improved BGSU and OSU sucks on toast. OSU did beat Wisconsin early in the season, but since then they've been swept by the likes of Ferris and UNO, and they salvaged a tie with Robert Morris to avoid being swept by a CHA team (OSU fans have heard about it and they want this Robert Morris guy to know that he should watch his back. Who does he think he is?). 16-2-0 with a split against the Falcons is what I'm hoping for, because I desperately want to pound OSU in SOMETHING and you have to have a bad night somewhere in there.

HSR Field Trip: NCAA Softball Regional

Photos from MGoBlue.com, Chris Schwengler and Amir Gamzu

The softball postseason is upon us, with the team looking to repeat 2005's triumph at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. As the overall #9 seed in the tournament, the Wolverines earned the right to host a regional in Ann Arbor, which was held this weekend. Louisville, Oregon State, and Eastern Michigan filled out the four-team bracket of the double-elimination regional. I couldn't make it to Michigan's Friday night opener against Eastern (which they won 3-0), but I sat in with the Alumni Band for our other games.

Saturday opened with a rain delay, sending us into Oosterbaan to wait it out. What makes softball different from other sports I've played for is that starting pitcher Lorilyn Wilson was the one to tell us our new start time. To be fair, football, basketball, and hockey don't usually have rain delays, but softball seems to have a tighter relationship with the band.

Lorilyn Wilson: Pitcher/Meteorologist

For the most part, Wilson had a good day against the Cardinals. In the first, she got her first pair of outs relatively easily, but then the Louisville shortstop managed to just turn on a pitch and drive it over the left field fence. She looked rattled after that, but a coach's visit to the circle settled her down and she imposed her will on Louisville for the next four innings.

Meanwhile, Michigan took back the lead on their next set of at-bats. Back-to-back singles and a Louisville error got the first run across and a Teddi Ewing base hit brought Maggie Viefhaus home. They then cracked the game open in the fourth with a big two-out rally. Rebekah Milian drew a walk, Samantha Findlay singled, then Angela Findlay (her sister) put an RBI single into center, bringing up Tiffany Worthy. Worthy took a nasty foul tip right on her thigh, walked it off, and then deposited the 2-2 pitch into the Louisville bullpen to clear the bases and score three.

Worthy's home run was the game-winner, but Louisville tried to make it interesting. Lorilyn was looking gassed in the 5th, allowing another solo home run to lead off the inning and then loading the bases on a walk and consecutive(!) hit batters. Freshman Nikki Nemitz came on to put out the fire, allowing one run on a sacrifice fly, but avoiding the big inning that had been brewing.

That was it as far as scoring went, and the Wolverines came away with the 6-3 victory. It wasn't the end of the second-guessing, though. Louisville elected to keep their best pitcher in the game even after it became 6-1, even though they must have suspected a loss might be in the cards, and thus would need to play the Oregon State/EMU winner for another shot at the Wolverines in the final. Instead of resting her for that game, they gambled that they'd either find a way to beat Michigan or that Pitcher #2 would be enough to handle the Beavers or Eagles. Things didn't work out that way, as the Beavers prevailed in both of their Saturday games to get their shot at the Wolverines.

In Sunday's game, the Michigan wasted no time in jumping on top of the Beavers to a tune of 5-0 after the first inning. Rebekah Milian hit a one-out single right through pitcher Brianne McGowan's five-hole, which really seemed to rattle her. Sam Findlay took her from an 0-2 count all the way to a walk, then she took Angela Findlay's hit and threw it to second base, where no one was covering, as the play was either at third to get the lead runner or first to get the hitter. She then walked Tiffany Worthy to load the bases, bringing up Maggie Viefhaus, who sent the 2-0 pitch deep to center. GRAND SLAM! The Oregon State centerfielder, Natalie Johnson, saw her playing career flashing before her eyes and leapt up the fence going after the ball, but she wasn't going to reach it without a ladder (Not that she didn't try her best. Her teammate in right had to rush over and grab her legs to keep her from tumbling down on the other side).

The Wolverines added a run in the second, with Viefhaus again coming through. Her base hit into right let Angela Findlay score from second and gave the band an easy music cue for "Hawaii 5-0." The third was a tough inning, as Michigan managed to load the bases with no outs, but let the Beavers get away, wasting the opportunity on infield grounders and a pop fly. However, they did tack on another run in the fourth when Molly Bausher's bloop single to left gave Michelle Weatherdon enough time to score from second.

And that was it. I haven't mentioned what Oregon State did at bat because they didn't really get anything going. Lorilyn Wilson had eight strikeouts, no Beavers made it past second all day, and only two made it that far. She just mowed them down all afternoon in a dominating performance.

The Victors

The Wolverines are off to Waco, TX to take on the Baylor Bears in the NCAA Super Regional starting Friday, with a shot at making the Women's College World Series. The real question is whether they have a chance at repeating their awesome run through the 2005 tournament, and it's one I'll leave for an upcoming post, as this one is way too long already. For now I'll just say that college softball is a lot more fun than is commonly known, and that being part of the Alumni Band is the best way to experience it.