68 - September 2, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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Preseason hype was high, butfirst loss is just
a reminder that you can't expect perfection
From Page 2B
The loss to Utah was certainly a
letdown, but let's face it - this year,
the expectations are different.
The transition from the Bo, Mo,
Lloyd triumvirate to the Rich Rod
family has created a new reality.
Frankly, we're all a bit more real-
istic.
It used to be, every time a Michi-
gan season rolled around there
were doubters, but almost everyone
felt the Wolverines had a legitimate
shot to run the table.
Those expectations weren't
entirely unwarranted. Michigan has
one of the best football programs in
the country, no matter how much
this year's teamstruggles.
But there's a problem that comes
with too much success: The bar
keeps getting higher and higher
until it is unreachable. Which
brings us back to the difference
between the Appalachian State and
Utah losses.
Last year under Lloyd, with Jake
Long, Chad Henne and Mike Hart
all in their final year of eligibility,
nothing short of a National Cham-
pionship would have been consid-
ered a success - at least not in the
minds of most fans.
This year, Rich Rodriguez has
brought a sobering dose of realism
to a proud fan base. From day one,
Rodriguez was honest enough to
say he wasn't sure what this team
would be like. Lloyd used to offer
the same caveats, but we were
trained to brush it aside. Michigan
still had to have the perfect season.
Michigan isn'tgoing to win the
national championship this year.
Winning the Big Ten title willbe
a stretch. But chances are pretty
good that the bowl appearance
streak will continue.
Whatever the result this season,
Rodriguez has brought something
to Michigan that it has sorely need-
ed for a long time: perspective.
The reality is that the spread
offense is new to everyone on the
field. Prepare yourself for many
more "What just happened?"
moments in the weeks ahead.
The reality is, this team doesn't
have a quarterback ideally suited to
its offensive scheme.
The reality is, it takes time for a
coach to mold a program in his own
image.
Like last year, the Wolverines are
now 0-1. Their national title hopes
are gone, barring some inexplicable
events. There are a lot of unan-
swered questions.
But unlike last year, it's easy to
realize that Michigan is just one
game into a 12-game season. It's
easy to realize that this loss was in
a non-conference game, meaning a
Big Ten title, however unlikely, is
still reachable.
Most importantly, it's easy to
realize that in college football per-
fection is next to impossible.
Even those fans in Columbus
know that.
- Sandals is feeling much
better with the glass half-full
approach. He can be reached
at nsandals@umich.edu.
CLEAN SWEEPS OF MICHIGAN
KEEP THE FIRE FROM STARTING THE
YOU WANT ONE YOU DON'T.
SAIDALSALAH/Daily
Michigancoach Rich Rodriguez talks to players during Saturday's garne against Utah, his first as Michigan's head coach.
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