Friday, September 7th, 2007...12:53 am

Ann Arbor Is A Whore!

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I’m going to Ann Arbor this weekend to catch a Michigan Football game. I’ve gone back for a game each year since I graduated. Returning to my alma mater is usually one of the highlights of the Fall. Unfortunately, after last Saturday’s debacle at the Big House I’m not as pumped up as usual.

Most of you know by now that Michigan lost their opening game of the season to Appalachian State. Many so-called experts are calling it the biggest upset in college football history. I think I agree. Never before had an I-AA school beat a Top 25 team. Michigan was ranked #5 and had serious national title aspirations. The game was played at the Big House in Ann Arbor. Michigan is allowed 22 more scholarships than Appalachian State. I’m pretty certain that no Appalachian State football player on the roster was recruited by Michigan out of high school. App State’s football budget is $1.5 million. Michigan is in the middle of a $226 million renovation of its stadium. Nobody even knows where Appalachian State is! I can go on and on.

I almost missed the game. I was out at my beach house with my family. When my dad got home from golfing I convinced him to take a ride with me to a local bar. We went to a few different bars until we finally found a bar with DirecTV with the Big Ten Network. By the time we got their Michigan was losing by a few touchdowns.

We were startled but not really worried. The idea of Michigan losing was too inconceivable. Henne was a bit skittish and Hart sat out for a good portion of the middle of the game but Michigan wasn’t playing terrible. Appalachian State was playing well. Their quarterback is exactly the type of playmaker that gives Michigan’s rigid defense fits. Appalachian State has won back-to-back 1-AA champions. They know how to win and have played under pressure. They also have played NC State, Kansas and LSU in the past two seasons. They are well coached. In hindsight, Michigan couldn’t have faced a more dangerous opponent. They would be better off playing a middle of the road MAC team anyday. Whoever put Appalachian State on the schedule should have to meditate in Nichols Arboretum in their birthday suit in the depths of winter.

My dad mentioned that the game felt like an NCAA tournament first round basketball game. A #15 seed up against a #2. Everything was seemingly going right for the underdog but deep down you knew they would collapse in crunch time. For awhile it looked as though that was exactly what was going to happen. Michigan took the lead for the first time in the second half with an incredible dash by senior leader Mike Hart. After running 75 yards Hart notched it up a level with one man to beat and seemingly willed his way into the end zone. After he scored I told my father all about how Hart was talking a big game during the off-season about being a Michigan Man and wasn’t about to eat his own words. In my opinion, Hart and Henne are on pace to be two of the greatest Michigan offensive players in the history of the program. Their only fault has been the inability to win the big game (0-6 against Ohio State and in Bowl games). It seemed as though Hart was making a statement with his run and that it would be a play that could define his legacy.

But it was all for not. After picking off Appalachian State on the next drive, Michigan did just about everything wrong. They got super lucky when Henne connected with Manningham with six seconds left but then botched the blocking assignment on the game winning field goal. I was amused when Manningham came down with the reception but knew that rookie kicker from the far hash trying to bang home a game-winner after having his last attempt blocked was no gimmie.

I’m pretty sure all the blame has to go on the coaching staff. Obviously, Michigan wasn’t prepared for their incredible difficult opponent. Furthermore, it didn’t seem like Michigan made any adjustments during the game to stop the Mountaineers attack. This will be Llyod Carr’s defining blemish and probably cements the notion that this is his final season in Ann Arbor. Carr runs a great program and has a national championship under his belt. But Carr has his limitations and in my eight years following Michigan closely he has lost them more games than he has won for the team. Players like Henne, Breaston, Marlin Jackson, Kevin Grady seem to digress. Studs Like Burgess and Shazor never seem to blossom into the superstars that they should be.

I’m thankful that Carr has kept Michigan competitive and it’s almost a guarantee that they will be in the hunt for the Big Ten title (no sure thing) but he’ll never bring the team another championship. Logical wisdom is that Les Miles is the front-runner to be the next coach. While Miles is an excellent coach, he has a tendency to run his mouth for no good reasons. He also has a pretty good thing going for himself at LSU and not sure how easily he will jump ship there.

In terms of this week, Michigan has another difficult match-up. Oregon plays a spread offense and has a mobile quarterback. The team has to be demoralized and it will be interesting to see how they respond. I’m hoping for a great rebound victory and an enjoyable day in the Big House. I’m fearing another collapse on defense and the team folding under pressure to lose their fourth in a row.

In terms of this season, Michigan still has a pro caliber offense with Henne, Hart, Jake Long, Manningham, Arrington and Greg Matthews. While the Defense certainly does have holes they do have leaders and solid contributors in Crable, Jamar Adams, Tim Jamison and Will Johnson. Perhaps they battle for a Big Ten championship. If they do it might make this lose sting even that much more!