temptation

Don't let it happen again.

Now you are just doubling down. I will be nice and give you the first 7. With Penn State and Wisconsin, you are reaching. Even if you include the losses to both Penn State and Wisconsin in 2020, which I have disputed but will give you in this instance, Michigan is 4-3 against PSU and 3-3 against Wisconsin. Neither PSU nor Wisconsin has made the playoff and Michigan (61-24) has a better record than Penn State (62-29) and Wisconsin is slightly better at 65-23 with a MUCH easier path, playing in the Big Ten West (you said so yourself in so many words in the other thread). Furthermore, your Florida "toss up" is laughable as the Gators are 58-31 in that same time span while playing in the SEC East which is akin to the Big Ten West in many ways. Michigan has a 2-1 record against Florida under Harbaugh (1-1 in those "prestigious" bowl games you speak of where nearly anyone with draft potential opts out). And as far as rivalry games, it helps when one of your rivals is TENNESSEE, which is a dumpster fire. Playing devils' advocate, even IF I concede your list above of 9 certainties, you just admitted that Michigan is a top 10 program. Thanks for playing.

As an IU fan, I figured you would have figured out the mirage that 2020 was by now. Multiple opt outs on both sides of the ball, particularly the defensive side of the ball which accounts for the ONLY year under Harbaugh that they failed to finish in the top 20 in defensive efficiency. I know you don't like being told Santa Claus isn't real but come on. Harbaugh's record speaks for itself at both levels and while you may be right that UM has underachieved in the minds of some, they are right back at the typical 9-10 win minimum they were at before Rich Rod and Hoke. That is part of the reason that you will NEVER hear me bitch about a 10 win regular season. The two coaches prior to Harbaugh made me grateful for those types of campaigns. Still waiting on your list of 10 programs that are better. Stop dodging the question.

Yep, the man knows FOOTBALL. Spring boards me to another question...who is on the short list of coaches that have actually SUCCEEDED at both the college AND pro levels? Jim Harbaugh? Barry Switzer? Jimmy Johnson? Pete Carroll?

Coming from the guy trying to be the board comedian and taking the time to add yet another comment about a poster that doesn't matter... Pot, meet kettle.

Michigan entered both the 2016 and 2018 (as well as the 2021) Ohio State game with control of its own destiny in terms of winning the Big Ten East title. I've already said that you can throw out 2020 and anyone who disagrees (see #LEO) is incredibly dense. So your first statement is inaccurate immediately. I saw the spouting back and forth that you and others had in another OT thread about the Big Ten realigning divisions and you already know that the Big Ten East is the 2nd toughest division in all of college football. It sucks to have not won it until 2021, but often a top 3-4 finish in the Big Ten East still yields a top 15 finish nationally. Let's not pretend its the MAC or Conference USA here chief. I saw your suggestions in the aforementioned thread and decided not to engage. The current gap between the "haves and the have nots" in college football is greater than its ever been. By your definition, it sounds like every program not named Alabama, Georgia, Clemson or Ohio State is "irrelevant." Those four programs are playing at another level completely from the rest of the country and if you don't think Michigan (along with 6-8 other college programs) are in that second tier, you are drunk. You already knew all of this already but you are just doubling down on your stupidity instead of admitting you are wrong. I want you to name 10 programs that are more nationally relevant that Michigan and upload a picture of yourself doing it with a straight face. Spoiler alert: You can't.

2020 was an outlier for Michigan. They are a solid 9-11 win program year in and year out and have been forever. Bowl games are an embarrassing and overrated metric in the modern era of football. With opt outs for teams that miss the CFP, they are organized scrimmages/spring games. The MSU record is what it is and I cannot argue with the final scores. But as I am sure you already know, three of Michigan's four losses to MSU under Harbaugh have come down to 1-2 plays. Michigan just happened to be on the losing side of all three. That is Harbaugh's new priority #1 in my opinion. He has to get that rivalry back under control.

The Michigan football/Indiana basketball analogy does fit on some levels, particularly with the fanbases but I'm pretty sure 2021 solidified Michigan and Harbaugh as more than just a brand. Unranked to the college football playoff is hard to ignore. Even in years where Michigan has "only " managed to finish in the top 20 (considered a down year), IU hasn't been able to make a 68 team field in basketball. That's where the analogy falls apart. I am just enamored by your definition of "nationally relevant."

But with 130+ FBS teams, claiming that an obvious top ten program is "not nationally relevant" is a bold take...even for an IU fan. 6 of the top 10 most watched college football games this past fall involved Michigan.. You'd trade places with me in a heartbeat, no?

You are once again replacing fact with opinion. I'd challenge you to name 10 programs more "nationally" relevant than Michigan since Harbaugh took over in 2015. You are cherry picking your stats.

“You don’t matter to us and we are going to prove it by making yet another thread 6 pages long telling you why.” A wise man once told me: “If you have haters it probably means you’re doing something right.” Geez people. Just keep scrolling if that’s honestly your take. YOU are the rocket fuel.

Yet is a top 10 program nationally despite your claim of “one nationally relevant season for the first time in over a decade.”

Brought to you by Sir Vapes A Lot…official sponsor of IU basketball.

Like oil and water and cats and dogs.

#LEO

1. Gattis didn’t take off as an OC until Weiss was brought in. He owes a lot of his success to Weiss. 2. The Gattis story about a recruits’ mother has been disproven and false. 3. Minter also had success at the NFL level, way to pinpoint his Vandy days (with invalid stats by the way). 4. My statement about Harbaugh hiring home runs at DC still stands. 5. IU has beaten Michigan once in football in the last three decades. You should probably sit the rest of this one out. Wolves shouldn’t concern themselves with the opinions of sheep…but guess I love to continually dunk on you.

Wait and see. Who’s your team again?

Weiss/Moore - Co- OC’s Jessie Minter - new DC Save for 2020, Michigan has had a top 20 defensive efficiency rating every year since Harbaugh’s arrival. He doesn’t miss on DC hires. Just adding to the receipts.

Yep, seems so.

4 times this week. "Don't let facts get in the way of a good story."

Nope. Just trotting another theory out there. Mine are theories, you are attempting to present your narrative as a cold hard fact. The only fact in this saga is that SOMETHING is holding Bienemy back from taking the next step in his career. I’m still awaiting your proof it’s the melanin component of his skin. The burden of proof is on you.

I’ve heard rumors that Andy Reid is holding him back to be the heir apparent as Reid’s health continues to decline. Can’t present it as fact but just another notion.

Has Bienemy ever spoken out about not being hired?

Still waiting for the proof that Bienemy (or any other candidate not hired for that matter) was not hired due to racial factors. In the meantime, keep calling me names. It actually opens the curtain on who you really are and even disproves your point that you care about this nonsense. You just like to yell and get emotionally outraged without supporting facts.