Game Week - Minnesota Countdown - #5

I'll try to count down the top 5 games I've attended against each opponent this season. 

We start today with the opener against Minnesota - and an opener for me. The first Michigan game I attended in person, October 30,1976 - homecoming.

I'll be completely honest, I don't remember too much of the actual game play. 

I have myself convinced I remember walking through the tunnel to the seats for the first time. And thinking that 20 Gladstones could sit inside the stadium.

I remember it rained and we were not fully prepared for the weather. We got tickets through a family friend who worked in the athletic department and we were in Row A - right behind the bench. This was before the field was lowered and it was basically impossible for a 9 year old to see over the players. 

As the crowd thinned out due to the weather and the score, we moved back and could better see the action.

MEEchigan 45 - Minnesota 0

Clear sighted predictions for 2020

 At Minnesota - W

MSU -W

At Indiana - W

Wisconsin - W

At Rutgers - W

Penn State - W

Maryland - W

At OSU - L

Match-up Saturday - vs. Iowa - W

Bowl loss to Georgia 8-2

2020 Michigan Season Prediction

2020 Michigan Season Prediction

6-3 (6-3 in Boneg)

Loss in a bowl (because that is what M does)

Interesting Fact about the University of Minnesota:  The Honeycrisp Apple was developed there in 1974.

South Carolina takes the Trophy from Auburn

 South Carolina became the 6th consecutive challenger to win the jiMpossible-sarcasMike Trophy

The Gamecocks are now 8-12 in trophy games. 

This is their 3rd time as trophy holder. They reeled of 2 additional wins after defeating Georgia in 1989, before falling to NC State. And tacked on 3 more victories after taking the trophy from Florida in 2010 before Cam Newton and the national Champion Auburn Tigers took it over in the SEC Championship game.

South Carolina travels to Baton Rouge next Saturday giving the Tigers a chance to win back what they lost to Mississippi State to open the season.

This is longest streak of not defending the trophy in it's existence. Before Ohio State lost to Clemson to start this chain, the most consecutive challenger wins was 4 in the prior 1559 games.

The trophy holder is 1196-313-55 - an overall winning pct of 0.782

Controversy as Auburn holds on vs Arkansas

 Another week another transfer of the jiMpossible-sarcasMike Trophy. Auburn pulled out a 30-28 victory over Arkansas to take the Trophy. This is the 6th straight game that the Trophy has changed possession.

The finale was not without controversy. Auburn was winding down the clock for a game winning field goal attempt. To stop the clock they attempted the standard spike play, but first the quarterback, Bo Nix, dropped the snap. Then after gathering the ball spiked it, clearly, behind his feet. This makes it a lateral and a live ball.

The officials immediately blew the play dead and no one made an immediate recovery. The officials, after penalizing Auburn for intentional grounding, let them keep the ball and attempt the game winning field goal.

This is a backwards pass and a fumble. If you want to have a discussion about who recovered it (it was Arkansas) because the play was blown dead, then sure. But to rule this anything but a fumble is bull pic.twitter.com/N15xWCAt3E

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) October 10, 2020

 Auburn is 29-15-2 in trophy games. Both ties preserved their hold on the Trophy. 

The Tigers travel to South Carolina this Saturday to take on the Gamecocks. South Carolina is 7-12 when vying for the Trophy.

Hogs upset the Dogs with the Tophy on the line

With Arkansas pulling off the upset over Mississippi State, there have now been five different winners in the last five games for the jiMpossible-sarcasMike Trophy 

 The victory moves the Razorbacks to 10-15 all time when vying for the Trophy.

The Razorbacks' longest run with the trophy was in 1965. They took it from Texas, then reeled off wins over pretty much the rest of the state. They defeated, North Texas, Texas A&M, Rice, SMU and Texas Tech before falling to LSU in the Cotton Bowl

 

 

 

 

Arkansas travels to the plains next Saturday to face Auburn. The Tigers are 28-15-2 in trophy games, both of their ties worked to their advantage, allowing them to keep possession.

Trophy Update - Clanga!

 The Mississippi State Bulldogs are holders of the jiMpossible-sarcasMike Trophy for the first time since 1989!

The Bulldogs upset the defensing National Champion LSU Tigers 44-34 to kickoff the SEC season delayed because of COVID-19. This is the 3rd straight Trophy game where possession has changed hands. Ohio State lost to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, Clemson lost to LSU in the CFP Championship Game.

The Bulldogs are now on their 3rd run as trophy holders. Tomorrow is the 64th anniversary of their win over Arkansas State to take the trophy for the first time in 1954. They held the trophy another week, defeating Tulane before losing to Miami on 10/15/1954.

They had chances to win the trophy back every year between 1957 and 1964, but couldn't take it home. After that their chances became more sparse. They lost to Trophy-holding Georgia in 1967 and 1971. Then they suffered losses to Alabama in 1977 and Florida in 1987.

Finally the Bulldogs broke through with a win over Southern Miss in 1989. Georgia ended their run at one-game the next week.

They suffered 3 more Trophy game losses until finally pulling it out last week against LSU.

That leaves the Bulldogs overall Trophy game record at 4-17-2 - both ties coming against bitter rival Ole Miss!

Mississippi State hosts Arkansas Saturday night. The Razorbacks are 9-15 in Trophy games, last holding the trophy for 2 weeks in 2016.