jiM and Mike had such good email conversations about Michigan Football, etc., they decided to make a blog so everyone can enjoy them.
So I'm not going to do a daily countdown this week for Maryland. I have seen M play Maryland 6 times - M is 5-1 in those games.
None of those games are particularly memorable.
The 1985 game was my second as a college student.
The 1989 and 1990 games are the only 2 that I saw Maryland have the same head coach, Joe Krivak.
2014 was the last game I saw Brady Hoke coach for Michigan, the loss to Maryland helped seal that deal.
The 2016 and 2018 games, were blowouts for Michigan.
Go Blue, beat COVID
It came as no surprise that Alabama was able to dominate Auburn on Saturday. In doing so, they secured the jiMpossible-sarcasMike Trophy for the 11th time.
It should be said that the Tigers had broken the streak of teams not retaining the Trophy with their win last week over Tennessee. That broke a string of 8 straight losses for the trophy holder. Technically they broke it the week before when their game was postponed due to COVID.
The Tide has a 54-21 record all-time when playing for the Trophy.
The way Alabama is playing it seems unlikely the Trophy will be changing hands very soon. COVID permitting, Alabama faces LSU this week then Florida in the SEC Championship game before heading to the playoffs.Penn State has lost two of the statistically most unlikely losses of the season. They dominated both Indiana and Nebraska everywhere but the scoreboard.
Turnovers have hurt he Nittany Lions quite a bit this season.
Michigan hasn't really shown much ability to cause turnovers.
We've got a real movable object vs. resistible force thing going here.
I have a feeling Penn State, like MSU is going to get their first win thanks to the Wolverines...
Penn State 31 - M 27
For my top Michigan - Penn State game, I choose the 2005 game.
The Nittany Lions came in undefeated while M was coming of a homecoming loss to Minnesota and sitting at 3-3.
Somehow I got tickets in the Penn State student section for the 1999 M-PSU game. I don't know if I cut the line or if the "Paternoville" deal hadn't started yet, but I just walked in and ended up in the second row behind the goalpost.
Michigan lead 10-0 after the first quarter and 17-7 after early in the 3 quarter. But PSU scored the next 20 points to lead 27-17 with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Tom Brady looked every it what he would become in those final minutes. He ran in from 5 yards out to cut the lead to 27-24 with under 4 minutes left.
After a defensive stop, Brady led another drive that culminated with a Brady to Marcus Knight pass to make it 31-17 with just over minute left.
The third game on my list was the first game between the two schools, October 16, 1993. How I was lucky enough to be there requires a bit of a story.
My dad was a freshman at U of M in 1940. He was part of the first group of students who lived in East Quad. Because of WWII very few of his freshman friends graduated together, but several remained in contact.
In 1990 they held a 50 year reunion in Ann Arbor the weekend of the UCLA game. One of my dad's friends was a big enough donor that he had no problem getting several tickets.
One of the men was a professor at Penn State and he was able to secure enough tickets for the 1993 reunion in Happy Valley. Although our seats were low and in the end zone, just being there was quite an experience.
Those seats got better when we could see the hole open up for Derrick Alexander's punt return for a TD to get Michigan on the board and cut the deficit to 10-7 late in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, M missed a field goal, but Penn State was offside giving the Wolverines a first down and keeping the drive alive. Shortly thereafter, Todd Collins found Mercury Hayes in the corner for a 14-10 Michigan lead.
The third quarter was scoreless, but the Nittany Lions ended the quarter on Michigan's one yard line. M stopped two Kerry Collins sneaks and an attempted dive from Ki Jana Carter. That brought up 4th down and moved the ball from right in front of us to a football field away and the opposite end zone.
The middle of the Michigan defense stuffed Carter again and kept the score 14-10
Another Todd Collins TD pass, this time to Che Foster, moved the score to 21-10.
Penn State added a field goal, but their final drive ended with a Shonte Peoples interception to seal the 21-13 win.
For the #4 game between M and PSU, 'll go with the 2002 battle in Ann Arbor.
Both teams came into the game with 4-1 records.
The game was a defensive battle, Penn State lead 13-7 going in to the 4th quarter.
Braylon Edwards scored early in the 4th on a pass from John Navarre and the PAT put Michigan ahead 14-13.
Penn State answered midway through the quarter and a 2-point conversion put the Nittany Lions up 21-14.
The Wolverines knotted it back up with just over 3 minutes remaining on another Navarre to Edwards pass.
Penn State made it midfield after a ridiculous "catch" that would in no way be a catch today, but could get no further and the two teams went to overtime. The first OT in Michigan Stadium History.
Penn State went first and M held them to a field goal to make it 24-21 PSU. Michigan had 2 chances to shut them out - Cato June jumped a pass and nearly intercepted on the goal line and then Robbie Gould missed the bad angle short field goal attempt, but M had jumped offside giving him a second chance.
Michigan got their chance and made the best of it - mostly on the ground with Chris Perry finally bullying his way in to the end zone for the 27-21 win.
Oops, got a late start on these.
I have seen M and PSU play 13 times, with M carrying a record of 11-2 in those games.
Good news, I don't have to pick a loss! Better news, there are a lot of good games between these two.
I'll start with with the 2001 match-up in Happy Valley.
Melissa and I stayed in Punxsutawney at the same hotel where Bill Murray stayed while filming Groundhog day! We went to their Groundhog zoo and to Gobbler's Nob.
We made the drive into Happy Valley on game day morning ready for the noon kickoff. I really only experience game day driving at away games, since we live close enough to Michigan Stadium to walk. But driving into Happy Valley in an experience.
All roads lead to the parking lots of Beaver Stadium. We were in a field tailgating with some delicious bologna sandwiches. It was a very cold day, we had to buy one of those giant mugs of hot chocolate to keep warm.
Michigan prevailed 20-0 in a game that was never very close.
On the way back to Michigan, we stopped along the Lake Erie shoreline.
Sometimes the best part of the game with the trip and the shared experiences and that's what puts this on on the list.
Michigan 36
Penn State 25
Fun Fact about Penn State University: Berkey Creamery is the largest university creamery in the world.
How about that hockey team!
This is bad, I don't know that I've been this disillusioned about Michigan Football.
M 25
R 27
Prove me wrong, guys, please!
The only remaining game that I've seen M play Rutgers was the 2016 - 78-0 blowout by Harbaugh's best team. Michigan's domination of the game was surreal.
When we had made plans to go out east for this matchup we were originally going to meet my sister and her husband out there, we would stay in the city - take an early train to New Jersey and attend the UM tailgate.
Hurricane Matthew had other ideas and my sister wasn't able to join us.
We still were had a great time in the city - we got TKTS tickets to Something Rotten, went to Brooklyn and ate at Pies n Thighs
And were about to step on the train to New Jersey... well here's my facebook post from the day
The 2017 match-up with Rutgers was most unremarkable.
After 3 mostly disappointing drives Jon O'Korn got benched and we finally got to see Brandon Peters - and from where I sat, it looked like things might be getting better.
The from where I sat is really the best part of this game. I was given the opportunity to sit in the closed in club seats on the eastern sideline.
Michigan won 35-14
Remember 2019? Back when people could go places. More than a hundred thousand people would show up to watch Michigan play Rutgers on a Saturday afternoon.
A week after getting embarrassed by Wisconsin, Michigan got the serum they needed in the State University of New Jersey. And the Band performed the Blues Brothers - Cake Formation
Michigan prevailed 52-0, Joe Milton even scored on a TD run and threw a TD pass.
Michigan 33
Rutgers 25
Fun fact about Rutgers University: Over 80% of the students at Rutgers are from New Jersey.
I'll admit to not remembering anything of note from the 2015 match-up with Rutgers. It really only ends up above the 2014 game because Michigan won.
Looking at the box score, Jake Rudock was efficient, De'Veon Smith had a good day on the dround and Michigan breezed to a 49-16 win.
Hey guess what, I've seen M play Rutgers 5 times. Michigan has a 4-1 record in those games, so the #5 game is the loss.
Melissa and I made the trip to the east coast - stayed in the city and took the train to Piscataway for the game.
Michigan was inept - several dropped passes - inability to stop a horrible Rutgers offense. It all added up to a 26-24 loss to the Scarlet Knights.
To add insult to injury, we just missed a train back to the city and waited on platform for more than an hour for the next train back in.
Just an awful night all around.
But on the trip we did see The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
Hedwig with Andrew Rannells
And have FoolAid Punch at the Meatball Shop
So it wasn't a totally bad trip.
At this point I feel like we know what Michigan is, and that's not particularly good. The Badgers have skipped 2 weeks with COVID, We're not sure who will be available to play for them Saturday night.
A healthy Wisconsin would be a seemingly likely pick, but who knows.
M 27
W 25
COVID-19
Michigan comes home at 1-2 to face a highly ranked Wisconsin, sound familiar. Let's hope M can get a 2008 game result combined with a better remainder of the season.
Rich Rodriguez's squad played maybe the worst first half of football in Michigan history - they were lucky to hold the Badgers to 4 field goals to limit the score to 19-0.
M finally broke through late in the 3rd quarter, Steven Threet found Kevin Koger down the middle to make it 19-7.
After stopping the Badgers, M got the ball back and cut further into the lead when Brandon Minor hit a big hole and ran 34 yards to the score - 19-14.
Wisconsin's lead lasted only 3 more seconds. Allen Evridge's next pass attempt was batted up into the air and John Thompson caught it and rumbled in the to the endzone to make it 20-19, Michigan. M went for 2 to try to get up 3, but failed.
Michigan added another score - set up by a long Threet keeper - with Sam McGuffie running it in to make it 27-19 with just over 5 minutes left.
Wisconsin mounted an 11 play drive that ended with fumble on the Michigan 8 yard line.
After a 3 and out, the Badgers had one last chance. Evridge hit David Gilreath with 13 seconds left to bring the score to 27-25.
It looked like a 2-point attempt tied the score, but an illegal formation penalty on the Badgers forced a second try. Evridge's pass fell incomplete.
Michigan wins 27-25 for their 500th win at Michigan Stadium.
This time we'll head to Madison for the 1999 match-up. ESPN College Game Day was there as well.
The Michigan offense actually clicked early in this one - bolting out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Tom Brady hit Aaron Shea for the first score and David Terrell took a reverse 45 yards to paydirt for the second.
In the 2nd quarter the Badgers hit a field goal then blocked one from Michigan. Then Ron Dayne had his best run against the M defense - breaking a tackle near the line of scrimmage and rambling the rest of the way for 6. I say 6 because Michigan blocked the PAT, keeping the score at 14-9.
Late in the 3rd Brady mounted a 10 play 91 yard drive - capped by a TD pass to DiAllo Johnson. The Jeff Del Verne kick made it 21-9.
Early in the 4th the M defense made a big 4th-down stop on Dayne to keep the 2 score lead.
With under 2 minutes left Brooks Bollinger scrambled and scored for Wisconsin to make it 21-16.
Anthony Thomas recovered the onside kick attempt and M ran out the clock for the win.
October 1, 2016, #8 ranked Wisconsin comes into Michigan Stadium to face #4 Michigan. Similar to the previous game in the countdown, it was a defensive battle. Ultimately defined by an amazing play by defensive back Jourdan Lewis.
After breaking out the "Train" formation for the first time I believe at the end of the first quarter, Michigan scored on the first play of the second quarter on a short plunge by Khalid Hill.
M had 2 more chances to add points before the end of the half, but Kenny Allen, missed 2 field goals, keeping the score at 7-0.
The Badgers picked off a Wilton Speight pass early in the second half. They turned that into a touchdown pass to tie the score at 7.
The Wolverines mounted a long drive that ended in another missed field goal, this time by Ryan Tice.
Michigan finally broke back on top with a long Speight pass to Amara Darboh down the western sideline.
The Wolverine defense ended the last two drives by Wisconsin with interceptions to seal the 14-7 win
Wisconsin 35
Michigan 24
Fun Fact about University of Wisconsin: Bucky the Badger's full name is Buckingham U Badger.
For this match-up I'll go with the game from 2000.
Drew Henson was making his first start of the season, after bailing out the Wolverines coming out of the bullpen to beat Illinois the week before.
It was a defensive battle. The two teams traded field goals in the first half, with Jeff Del Verne connecting right before the end of the half to tie the game at 3.
Del Verne hit again for the only scoring in the 3rd, giving M a 6-3 lead.
Wisconsin finally broke the goal line with about 12 minutes left with a TD pass from Brooks Bollinger to Chad Kuhns.
Michigan answered with their only TD of the game when Henson scrambled to his right and threw late across his body to the middle of the endzone. David Terrell, outreached Ron Bellamy and several Badgers for the score.
Michigan's defense held the rest of the way for the 13-10 win.
I have seen M play the Badgers 13 times, with M having an 11-2 record.
For the #5 game - I'll go back to the first time I saw the two teams face off, October 5, 1985. I will admit, I don't remember too much about the game.
Looking at the stats, Jim Harbaugh threw 3 touchdown passes.
What I do remember is Wisconsin scoring a touchdown, the first against Michigan on the season. The Badgers botched the snap and did not convert the PAT. This became a point of pride for the 1985 season.
Indiana scored the second TD vs, Michigan a few weeks later - but they also failed on the PAT.
The first successful PAT vs. the 1985 Wolverines came in week 10 by Minnesota.
In the past I've picked on jiMpossible, because he is one of the few people who has seen M lose to Indiana.
It sure seems like this could be the year for more to see it - on TV at least.
M 27
IU 21
There can only be one. October 27, 1979. Celebrating the 100th year of Michigan Football
Michigan lead 21-14 late in the 4th quarter - I remember watching the alumni cheerleaders/male cheerleaders doing hand walks across the north end-zone when Tim Clifford connected on a long pass that almost tied the score. Moments later he found Dave Harangody for the tying touchdown - leaving Michigan just under a minute to avoid the tie.
John Wangler got M to near midfield with about 20 seconds left when his passed to Lawrence Reid in the flat - M was out of timeouts and Reid would not be able to get the sideline - he "fumbled" the ball via a lateral directly into the hands of Indiana head coach Lee Corso.
After a procedure penalty M had 6 seconds and 45 yards to go. Today this is a Hail Mary, for Michigan in 1979, that was a play action 20 yard pass to Carter, who split the safeties and scored!
Crazy!
If you thought the 2010 game had a lot of offense, let me introduce you to the 2013 game.
IU passed for over 400 yards and ran for almost 200 more, Michigan topped both numbers.
Devin Gardner was 21-29 for 503 yards, he also rushed for 80 yards and 3 rushing TDs. Fitzgerald Toussaint finished with 151 yards on the ground and 4 TDs. Jeremy Gallon was the primary target for Gardner, catching 14 passes for 369 yards.
Michigan totaled 751yards of offense!
Like the 2010 game, IU scored first and that was their only lead. From there the score went 7-7, 14-7, 21-7, 21-14, 28-14, 28-17, 28-24, 35-24, 35-31, 35-34, 42-34, 42-40, 49-40, 49-47, 56-57 before reaching the final score 63-47.
The 2010 M-IU game was another that came right down to the end. This time Michigan had Denard Robinson to bail out the defense.
Indiana scored first, and 7-0 turned out to be their only lead on the day. But every time M took the lead - IU came right back and matched them. This was a classic RichRod's defense game.
After the Hoosier TD - Robinson ran for a 72 yard score on the second play of Michigan's ensuing possession. The defense got a rare stop and Robinson lead another TD drive - ending with a pass to Roy Roundtree for the 14-7 lead.
Michigan could have gone up two scores - Robinson hit Roundtree again for a 72 yard gain - but he was tackled at the IU 2. Robinson went under center on first down - rather than his usual shot-gun snap - and missed the exchange - IU recovered to keep it 14-7.
The Hoosiers went 99 yards in 13 plays to tie it at 14.
After Michigan jumped back in front - IU scored on the final play of the half to go to the locker rooms tied at 21.
Michigan started the second half off quickly with another 70 yard strike from Robinson, this time on a slant to Junior Hemingway for a 28-21 lead less than a minute into the 3rd quarter.
The defenses forced consecutive punts, then IU tied it back up another scoring drive.
The tie lasted for less than a minute. Vincent Smith swept around end for a 56 yard score to make it 35-28 with 6:10 left in the 3rd quarter.
The 4th quarter was mostly scoreless. IU mounted a scoring drive with just over 7 minutes left, culminating a 13 play six minute drive with a Ben Chappell TD pass, his 3rd of the day, to tie things back up with 75 seconds remaining.
Three Robinson runs and a 42 yard pass to Hemingway put Michigan on the 4 yard line with 17 seconds left.
Robinson did it again - M wins 42-35. Each team had over 550 yards of offense. IU dominated in time of possession, with nearly 42 minutes. Robinson ran for 217 and passed for 277, threw 3 TD passes and rand for 2 more.
Michigan 27
Indiana 32
Fun Fact about Indiana University: IU hosts the largest collegiate bike race in the US, The Little 500.
My first trip to Bloomington was for the 1999 match-up. The game went back and forth as many of the games did in Tom Brady's final season.
Michigan jumped out to a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter - right about the time Memorial Stadium ran out of hotdogs.
IU cut it to 17-10 at halftime and after a scoreless 3rd quarter, Antwaan Randle El hit 2 TD passes within the first 3 minutes of the t4th quarter to give the Hoosiers a 24-17 lead.
The Wolverines answered back - Brady engineered 4 and 8 play scoring drives to put M back in front 31-24 with less than 7 minutes to go.
Randle El struck quickly to tie the score with a 70 yard scoring strike to Jerry Dorsey to knot the game again at 31.
Brady led a nearly perfect 4 minute drill ending in a Hayden Epstein chip shot field goal with 18 seconds remaining.
That was just enough time for IU to get into Hail Mary Range and with 4 seconds left Randle El rolled to his left and sent one to the end-zone - I remember calling my dad at the time to see if thought M could find a defensive play for once in the 4th quarter. The pass fell incomplete and M secured a 34-31 victory.
I've seen M play Indiana 17 times in person - and M has won all 17. The only B1G school I have not seen win. I also saw them lose to MSU in the final game of the 1987 season - clinching the Rose Bowl birth for the Spartans.
I have seen several close games, though. We'll start the week off with the 2009 matchup. It was a back and forth game.
IU lead 26-21 after missing a field goal that could have put them up 8 points. Tate Forcier engineered a 13 play drive that finished with Forcier running in for 6 and then running in for the 2-point conversion shortly thereafter, putting M up 29-26.
The lead was short lived, a holding penalty on the kickoff return had the Hoosiers start from their own 15. Darius Willis broke through the Michigan defense for an 85 yard run to daylight and the PAT made it 33-29, Hoosiers with 8:57 left.
The two defenses traded stops and Michigan got the ball back near midfield with 5:32 left. Michigan rumbled for 2 first downs - switching up Forcier and Denard Robinson at quarterback throughout the drive. Facing 3rd and 7 from the IU 26 yard line - Forcier came back and found Martavious Odoms in the endzone for the score and 36-33 lead.
Donovan Warren ended the Hoosiers last hope with an interception to seal the win.
For the second time this year, LSU entered their game with the jiMpossible-sarcasMike Trophy and for the second time they left it for their opponents.
Photo credit - Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics
This time the Auburn Tigers were the victors - their second time as Trophy-holder this season.
We know for sure that for the first time this season, the trophy will not change hands the next Saturday - Auburn has a week off before facing Mississippi State on November 14th.
