The I-AA-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named

We walk a fine line on this blog as it relates to that school up north. It's no surprise that this site was created to celebrate the rivalry with mutual respect for the Big Ten's two premier teams. The shocking opening day loss by Michigan to App. State was one of the most shocking things I can remember in all the years I've been watching sports. I was actually driving back from the beach when it happened and was feverishly refreshing my phone and getting text message updates just to follow the action. To put that in context, I had not missed a minute of live Ohio State football action in nearly a decade, and certainly never opening day. But I was so certain of an OSU win (and Michigan as well) that I thought TiVo was sufficient.

Now Michigan is the college football laughingstock, and it's hard to argue. As has been mentioned a couple (billion) times, this is the first time a ranked team ever lost to a I-AA team. And no, I won't call it the Bowl Subdvision Champion or whatever the hell they are calling it. Same way I'll never ever say Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I have no idea what this loss really means. Surely a lifetime of Appalachian State jokes. But will the hangover cast a cloud over the season and ultimately lead to Carr's dismissal/retirement? Or will Michigan roar back and run the table?

It's no secret such a loss is not good for the Big Ten conference. It will be hard this season to recover, barring a massive sweep of key nonconference games and a gangbusters bowl performance. Though Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State fans are revelling in Michigan's humiliation, there is surely recognition that everyone in the conference will suffer some in a game so dominated by perception. That's why Marlin Jackson, now with the Colts, said that his Ohio State teammates (Gonzo, Pitcock, Hall) have been better than most about the loss. Devaluing Michigan can only have a negative impact on the rivalry.

So that's my general opinion on this, which is equal parts sympathy and selfish frustration about how it will hurt Ohio State. Yes, I think there's a small part of OSU fans that can't resist the unparalleled downfall their biggest rival just suffered. And I can unequivocally say that UM fans would be playing the part if roles were reversed. But it certainly wasn't something I was hoping would happen. Though the pictures of cute cats on MGoBlog this week have been a bonus.

But that brings me to Dhani Jones, a Michigan alumni from their half-title team of 1997. Jones fancies himself something of a Renaissance football player. He's known for his snappy dressing, poetry writing and loving jazz. In my world, he's a mouthy fruitcake that sucks in the NFL. As an Eagles fan, I greatly enjoyed watching him constantly be out of position or get dragged a few yards after contact. Cutting him was a clear case of addition by subtraction this offseason for Philly.

But back to Michigan. the Detroit Free Press ran an article with reaction to the historic loss from former UM players. The piece focused on how it would impact the team reputation, as well as the legacy of Lloyd Carr. I won't get into the substance of that discussion; once our UM blogger has recovered he can address those issues. While most of the players were even-handed and remained proud of their school, Jones went over the top. Here's his arrogant babble:

"How do you put Appalachian State over Michigan as the greatest loss in history? Because you're the biggest team, the best team, the most profound team. Because of that, they look at you like the world has been turned upside down.

People are very jealous of Michigan. People have always been jealous of Michigan. If the same thing happened at Ohio State, USC or Notre Dame, they wouldn't be reacting like this (nationally), because Michigan is held to another standard. It's interesting how people say Michigan is not all that and Michigan gets beat and then people can't stop talking about it. Everybody wishes they went to Michigan."

Umm, my first and second reaction were not suitable for a PG-13 blog. Basically, Jones is doing his best Notre Dame imitation. Pounding his chest over a reputation that might have existed fifty years ago, but only lives on in the delusional mind of the fans of that school now. It's a ugly elitism that unfortunately pervades some of the UM fans. Just like Notre Dame, they want credit for kicking ass back in 1911 when teams scrimmaged nurses colleges and minorities weren't allowed to play.

Jones must have had too much Pinot Grigio if he thinks the reaction wouldn't have been the same, or stronger if this had happened to USC or Ohio State. We can all argue otherwise, but USC is still King Kong in college football until someone displaces them. They've got more talent than anyone and were one Vince Young away from an unbelievable three-peat. Ohio State, with its Yankees-style budget, great tradition and recent success, would surely get worse treatment that Michigan is receiving. ESPN would launch eight investigations, do endless special reports from Columbus, find random ways mention such a loss, and probably permanently loop the game on ESPN Classic. Jones may think UM is the big dog of college football, but USC and Ohio State are a combined 7-1 against Michigan over the last six years.

So I'd love to hear what standard Jones thinks Michigan is held to that other elite programs aren't. Is it because some Michigan act like their school is Harvard for football players? I think Jim Harbaugh is a loudmouth traitor, but I'm guessing the "General Studies" claims are closer to the truth than some fans who think they've got a lineup full of MENSA members would let you believe. Check it every time a recruit says they're "serious about academics" how the UM fans and experts act like this is only good for Michigan. And if such a kid chooses another school, they trash the kid.

I think Michigan is a great football school, and I know they'll bounce back and remain one of the greatest programs in the country. And no matter what, the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry will continue to be one of the fiercest, most important in all of sports. But I hope that for those UM fans (our blogger Bill not included) that insist on arrogantly promoting useless records and mouthing off about academic superiority will be humbled, at least for a moment.