The phrase, “Oh how the mighty have fallen” doesn’t quite sum up how the Michigan Wolverines have gone from feared home game to just another road game.
In the days of “Bo”, Michigan losing a home game would be on CNN. Even in the days of Lloyd Carr the Wolverines would consistently route Big Ten opponents in the Big House.
From 2002 to 2006, Michigan boasted a 29-4 home record, with 2005 contributing 3 defeats. The Wolverines were 3-1 vs. Ranked opponnents at home and split the Ohio State games 1-1 in that time time period at home.
Now, the name “Big House” is just a figure of speech, as the stadium fills over 100,000 fans. The days of Michigan dominance in Ann Arbor each season is beginning to fade each season.
It all started on that dreadful opening week game against the now infamous Division 1-AA team. The team quoted by Adam Sandler in “The Longest Yard”, as he said, “In college, we’d start every season against Appalachian State or some slack Division II team. Kick the living shit out of them.” Well, as Lee Corso would say, Not So Fast My Friend.
While the team who must not be named has a pretty solid track record in the FCS divisions, winning 3 FCS titles and producing countless NFL draft picks, the fact that Michigan would lose at home at one of the toughest places to play, supposely, in all of sports, to a team that was synonymous with losing was and still is embarassing.
But the pain didn’t stop there. Michigan would go on to lose to Oregon the very next week at home, the first time Michigan ever started off with two consecutive losses at home. They finished 2007 with 3 home losses.
The next season, with the hiring of Rich Rodriguez, who I don’t like as a hire still with Jim Harbaugh waiting but that’s an article for another day, things got even worse. The Wolverines finished witha 2-5 home record, first time they ever had a losing record at home. They barely beat Miami (OH), and lost to Toledo and Northwestern. For most solid MAC schools, thats an easy 3 wins.
To start the 2009 season, things have gone a little better, with a 5-1 home stand to start. Still, even that record has some notes of bad news tied to it. They barely beat a 2008 2-10 Indiana team and were embarrased by Penn State 35-10. They still have two tougher home tests, with Purdue and the big rivalry Ohio State still on the bill.
What can the Wolverines do to solve this situation? A few things. One, find an offense with some consistency and a defense that isn’t soft in the secondary. Two, find a way to get more motivated for games that once entailed more that just your average home game, but a day where the world was betting on you not to let the Big House name die. And third and finally, “Just Win Baby”.
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