Victors in Defeat

The Michigan Wolverines have completed a very difficult season. Counting the Rose Bowl, Michigan's record of 11-2 is respectable, although well short of the hopes of the players and fans of the Maize and Blue. Southern California, coming off of an annoying defeat at the hands of UCLA, had the motivation to dominate the game.
In another way, this season has proven emotional and disappointing to the Michigan community. On their helmets for the Rose Bowl, Michigan players wore a decal inscribed with the number "48" over the name "Bo." President Ford, whose number 48 Michigan retired, died the week before the Rose Bowl, the big game in which the Wolverines hoped to make their case for a #2 final ranking. The legendary Coach Bo Schembechler, who coached Michigan to several Big Ten titles and one undefeated season in 1963, died earlier this season the week before undefeated Michigan challenged undefeated Ohio State. Thus, both of Michigan's losses came after the death of a man significant in their storied history.
Michigan's loss caps a disappointing bowl season for the Big Ten. Even after Ohio State wins the National Championship next week, the Big Ten will have a record of 3-4. I expected Iowa to lose, but Purdue and Michigan both performed well below their expectations. Minnesota yielded to a record-setting comeback by Texas Tech. As a conference, the Big Ten needs to give a better account. Next year, I predict that the Big Ten will not repeat the mistake of finishing its regular season by Thanksgiving weekend. Several teams looked stale and played with less brilliance than they had displayed earlier. Michigan is supposed to have one of the best defenses in the NCAA, but they showed little justification for their reputation last night. Mike Hart will return next season, so Michigan will still have a good running game. We'll wait for next year eagerly.