Looking Back—Michigan Football 2008

Written by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation


Who doesn't love a wonderful trip down Memory Lane?

Well, a Michigan fan for one, when the walk leads them back to reliving the nightmare that was their 2008, three win, nine loss season.

Yes, you did have three glorious wins a year ago (Miami (OH), Wisconsin, and Minnesota), but what fun would it be for me to revisit those?

Exactly right—none.

So, that being said, I'm a Buckeye fan and this is a Buckeye site, so allow me to lead the choir as we rejoice in the pain and suffering that was 2008 Michigan football.




Yes, Utah ended their great 2008 season at 13-0 and beat former No. 1 Alabama 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl.

But that doesn't change the fact that before this game, UM fans were predicting that their Wolverines would win in a rout.

Whoops...




Notre Dame barely qualified for a bowl game and they lost to lowly Syracuse.

There was also lots of talk about Charlie Weis being fired before, during, and after the season, yet they still dominated the Wolverines 35-17.




Illinois took a few steps back in 2008, losing a total of five games, including losses to Minnesota, Wisconsin and National Powerhouse Western Michigan.

That didn't stop them from taking UM to the woodshed in Ann Arbor.

Juice Williams had a career day vs. the marshmallow Michigan "D".




Another home game—another huge home loss, this time to MAC doormat Toledo.

Prior to this embarrassing loss, UM had a perfect 24-0 record vs. the MAC. If there is a silver lining, at least the Rockets are technically a DI / FCS team, but this still put another black-eye on the Big Ten, courtesy of the Wolverines.

Oh wait, the Big Ten's national perception is all the fault of the Buckeyes for losing to top five teams.

My bad...




This game featured Michigan's finest half of football all year as they actually led the Nittany Lions 17-14 at halftime.

That short-lived lead quickly evaporated as this game truly was a tale of two halves.

Penn State took over the game and ultimately crushed UM, 46-17.




Many Michigan fans will tell you that Michigan State, not Ohio State, is their true and most hated rival because they are from the same state.

If that is indeed true (which it's not), then the 35-21 defeat to your "biggest rival" must still sting, huh?




At least this was a road loss, but still, an epic fail. Purdue was worse than Michigan was last year. I mean, c'mon. No matter how you slice it, they are still Purdue.

I know that some UM fans are sure to fire back that Ohio State almost lost to Purdue. Really, because last I checked, the final was 16-3. Ohio State.

Certainly it was far from a great performance by the Buckeyes offensively, but Purdue scored three points and gained less than 300 yards, while against UM, they scored 48 points and gained over 500 yards. Not to mention this was UM's fifth straight loss




The home field at Michigan Stadium wasn't all too kind to UM last year.

Northwestern came to town and while they didn't blow Michigan away, they pulled away in the second half, holding Michigan scoreless.

The Wildcats left Ann Arbor with a 21-14 win in the Big House.

Even in a down year for UM, Pat Fitzgerald still loved adding that to his resume.

I mean, you are still Michigan,........aren't you?




What can I say that hasn't already been said? The Bucks currently own UM, period. I will give Michigan credit for hanging in there in the first half of this game, as they only trailed 14-7.

But then, much like the Penn State game, the Buckeyes unloaded on UM in the second half and the wheels came off en route to their fifth straight loss to the Buckeyes and their seventh in eight years to Jim Tressel.

2001—Ohio State 26, UM 20
2002—Ohio State 14, UM 9
2003—UM 35, Ohio State 21
2004—Ohio State 37, UM 21
2005—Ohio State 25, UM 21
2006—Ohio State 42, UM 39
2007—Ohio State 14, UM 3
2008—Ohio State 42, UM 7

I know UM fans want to believe that they will beat Ohio State again, sooner than later, but I honestly just can't see it before 2012 or 2013.

I can't wait for the hate!


Here's a couple pre-2008 oldies, but goodies!
Who says you can't kick them when they're down?







Sorry UM fans but I already stuck the knife in. I may as well give it a twist while I'm at it for good measure.

---

Hopefully you enjoyed this flashback.

If you didn't, you're most likely a thin-skinned UM supporter who must have forgotten about the 2-10-1 "John Cooper for UM MVP" years.

I must admit, I have very little no sympathy for you.



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Penn State Fans Up In Arms Over Recent B.O.N. Article

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


State Penn fans are getting fired up in response to the recent article here at BlockONation that was also published on the BleacherReport!

You can view all the madness and get a few good laughs (I certainly did) right here on a PSU blog known as BlackShoeDiaries.

They are fired up! I was actually emailed directly by someone from that site and that emailer suggested, in his opinion, that I wrote the article over sour grapes.

Here is the reply I sent to him:

LOL, not at all!

I have a good friend who is a PSU fan (his name is Britt Weber -- you're welcome for the shout-out Britt) so more than anything I wrote it to piss him off and to also spark some discussion for OSU & PSU fans over the dead time as the season nears!

It obviously worked! :)

In 2009, like 2008, OSU & PSU will be the top 2 teams so I figured I’d get the fans from both riled up and ready. I am here to pump you up! LOL!

Penn State and Ohio State were very similar and evenly matched last year honestly and the game came down to Pryor fumbling….it could have went either way and that night, it went PSU’s

Should be another good one this year in Happy Valley.

Good luck except for the OSU game and thanks for the publicity on BSD!

The article really was written in jest and only to spark discussion.

Could Pryor have scored the game-winning TD as I suggested in the previous article had he not fumbled?

Yes absolutely, but he didn't.

He fumbled, and OSU lost.

I for one am looking very forward to his Pennsylvania homecoming this November and I know PSU fans are as well.

It should be another battle but you know OSU will get their revenge!

Stay classy and thanks again for all the love BSD!

Public Enemy No. 1—Espn's Pat Forde At It AGAIN

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com




In his most recent story on Espn.com, Forde writes about UNC's easy victory over Michigan State in the 2009 Mens' NCAA Basketball Championship game.

In it, he invokes an analogy comparing MSU's performance vs. UNC to Ohio State's recent BCS failures on the gridiron.

How (and more importantly why) is it that this CLOWN always finds a way to take cheap shots at the Ohio State Buckeyes, even when they have absolutely nothing to do with the event he was writing about...?

Here's the excerpt:

It was the perfect night for the Tar Heels, whose defensive deficiencies wound up being the most overrated story line of the season. They won another title -- the program's fifth -- while simultaneously leaving hated Duke in the record books for biggest margin of championship-game defeat at 30.

For a while, that record appeared to be in serious jeopardy as the Spartans performed like Ohio State in a BCS National Championship Game. This could have been a 40-point bomb if Michigan State had submitted and North Carolina had kept the hammer down.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Forde!

We get it Pat....

You wanted to come to tOSU (much like your evil brother from another mother Mark May) but we didn't want you (or him) so you settled for Missouri and he settled for Pitt, and you both, will now forever be biased Espin taking heads that take cheap shots at Ohio State as long as you have a forum to be heard...

I, for one, hope you and May both quietly and conveniently go away—and soon, a-la get fired, a-la Trev Alberts.

I have a strong feeling that you're going to REALLY hate OSU over the next two to three years Pat when they win the title, Pryor wins the Heisman and you get you SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE!

In the meantime, here's some free advice for you Mr. Forde:

DON'T POKE A SLEEPING LION WITH A STICK!

Whoops, too late........

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Terrelle Pryor 2008 Freshman Highlights

Check this out! This video is awesome—Lexco44 has done it again!



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