There’s no getting around it: Watching Texas trample Michigan in the Big House on Saturday was painful. Even more than the final score, the sheer way Texas dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball made Saturday an uncomfortable afternoon.
The Michigan Wolverines are still the reigning national champions, though. I just checked and, yes, that’s still very funny to say. The honeymoon period is different for every team, and rightly so. Every fan’s experience is different, too, so I can only speak for myself here.
Saturday’s defeat didn’t hurt nearly as much as it used to/could have.
In years past, when Michigan lost, my weekend was instantly ruined. Of course, I continued to watch football, but my enthusiasm was completely gone. I sat half-slumped on my couch, hoping for chaos and surprises to distract me from the loss. That feeling lasted until Sunday.
While last Saturday certainly wasn’t fun, it was significantly easier to compartmentalize the events. Michigan only reached the summit eight months ago. We know what it feels like to see Jim Harbaugh hoist both a Rose Bowl trophy and a National Championship trophy. We still have corn and blue confetti scattered all over our house and in frames on the wall.
When the final whistle blew last Saturday, I shrugged and muttered something along the lines of, “I guess we still have a long way to go to get back.” I giggled with delight when Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois later in the day. I had a nice Sunday, thanks in part to the Lions keeping the Rams at bay on Sunday Night Football.
It’s not that the game meant any less. Michigan’s loss to Texas was certainly important. Seeing the stands of the Big House filled with bright orange didn’t bother me nearly as much as the masses of scarlet and gray used to, because we’ve seen maize and blue dominate at the Rose Bowl and at NRG Stadium in Houston.
As a caveat to the above paragraph: Technically, the game mattered a little less. With the expansion of the College Football Playoff, the season is not over with a loss. In years past, an early-season loss, even to a great team, meant you probably had to win your conference to get into the CFP (see: 2023 Alabama). This year, in the unlikely event that Michigan finishes 10-2 or 9-3 but doesn’t win the Big Ten, the Wolverines could potentially still advance.
As I mentioned above, I can only speak from personal experience here. How did Saturday’s loss to Texas affect you? Was it as painful as it always has been? Was the pain easier to bear because the game could become irrelevant in the future? How long do you think the honeymoon phase will last for the Michigan program?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
