The Irish, Creamed.

September 15th, 2007. Michigan Stadium.
The University of Michigan Wolverines versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

In an unexpected turn of events, both these teams entered the matchup with 0-2 records. On top of that, “Fire Lloyd” shirts began selling all over campus. I found this immensely frustrating. Not only were fans criticizing their beloved coach, but they seemed to lose all hope for the season. So what if they fired Carr? What would that solve? Yeah, let’s fire our coach in the middle of the season. Then maybe we’ll win some games. Idoits.

Fortunately for me, I am surrounded by some of the best fans on campus in the Michigan Marching Band. All week long, a mentality of perfection surged through the band. We knew that we would only expect the best from ourselves this week, and we hoped to spread that attitude to Wolverines in such dire need of guidance and inspiration.

At Friday’s Pep Rally, the Michigan Marching Band ignited the atmosphere with our energy. Jamie Morris eloquently and openly SCOLDED Michigan fans for their abysmal behavior. Lloyd Carr was focused on the task at hand. Mike Hart GUARENTEED a victory over our rivals. And Russell Crowe even came to the game to inspire the football team to win.

This week’s halftime show was music from “Guitar Hero.” We opened with Iron Man, intimidating all of Michigan Stadium with a wall of sound. At the climax of the show, we headed to the student section and rocked out to Fire Bird. The Stadium was rocking. The football team was rolling. And Notre Dame was reeling. With Chad Henne injured and out, Mike Hart carried his team to victory, and a dominant 38-0 win over the Irish gave us a glimmer of hope for the future.

The Road Test

September 23rd, 2007. Ryan Field.
The University of Michigan Wolverines versus the Northwestern Wildcats

So, I wanted to go to this game more than anything. Every year, the students in the MMB travel as fans to one away game, and this was it. I wanted to be in attendance for Michigan’s first road test of the season. Unfortunately, I had a small test of my own.

Yes, while my friends were traveling to Chicago for some fun, I was a nervous wreck for my LSAT. Not only that, but I was being held hostage by my brother and his girlfriend, Jovauna. Let me explain:

So my LSAT was at Washtenaw Community College at 8:00 AM on Saturday morning. Since all my friends were in Chicago, I didn’t really have anyone to drive me there. I asked my brother to give me a ride, but he wasn’t fond of the idea of driving to my apartment at 7 AM to pick me up. Alas, my only choice was to stay with them the night before and wake their lazy asses up to take me in the morning. So that’s what I did.

The test itself started out rough. The other people in the room kept asking stupid questions, and I was afraid that their stupidity was rubbing off on me. I felt unfocused at the start, but slowly settled in. I felt fine when it was over, but all I wanted to do was get to a television and watch the game.

Because of the new Big Ten Network, Comcast was not covering this game on any of its channels. I had to go to Damon’s with my brother and Jovauna and stand at a bar to watch. Furthermore, it seemed like Michigan was going through the same struggles during their road test that I had during my test. They seemed unfocused and intimidated at first, as Northwestern took the lead during the first half. But slowly, Chad Henne took charge, and refocused his team. Mike Hart carried the offense, and Henne hit his receivers when necessary. The defense had a terrific fourth quarter, and Michigan escaped Evanston victorious. Michigan 28 – Northwestern 16.

At this point in the season, I’ve observed something very different about this football team. These seniors seem to be playing very tough, mentally…Tougher than I have ever seen them play. Mike Hart is literally carrying the team on his back, while Chad Henne is pushing through his injury to make plays. Can they continue the trend and salvage a season that started out so horribly, horribly wrong?

The Aftershock

September 8th, 2007. Michigan Stadium.
The University of Michigan Wolverines versus the Oregon Ducks

Bounceback Game. After last week’s surprising loss to ASU, Michigan was the laughingstock of the nation. You could tell that people on campus felt embarrassed and shocked. Still, the general consensus was that Michigan would easily bounce back and annihilate an inferior Oregon squad. As Saturday approached, shock turned to optimism. Everyone knew Appalachian State was an aberration. Maybe it was the world’s way of paying us back for making so much fun of their recruitment commercial. Yes, Michigan fans seemed confident again. Michigan Football would return to glory, and all would be right with the world.

And then Dennis Dixon happened.

Oregon’s quarterback produced three touchdowns before halftime. Not only that, but with Oregon up 32-7 in the second quarter, Michigan fans turned on their heroes. Students began cheering “RYAN-MALLET” with each incomplete pass from Henne. Even after Chad injured his knee, and pushed through the pain for an entire series, Michigan fans tormented their quarterback. All in all, this was not a good day for Wolverine Nation. The team looked slow. The fans were abysmal. And a 0-2 start has students calling for Lloyd Carr’s head.

Final Score: Oregon 39 – Michigan 7

So now shock has turned to frustration. We are experiencing uncharted territory. This will divide the men from the boys. Is it too late to salvage the season? I think not.