After beating Notre Dame in front of a record crowd on September 7th, no one in Maize and Blue country could have predicted that Michigan would be relegated to just "playing out the season"...especially this early in November. For a myriad of reasons, the Wolverines are now out of the BCS and Big Ten Title race. The honeymoon between coach Hoke and Michigan...one that lasted well over two years...is now over. My 96 year old great uncle would always tell me that you can find out more about a man (or woman) in times of tribulation than in times of prosperity. Translated....how the Wolverines finish the season could speak more to Hoke's ability to resurrect the nation's all time leader in wins than any "big game victory" under his belt.
In 2011, Brady Hoke inherited one of the least talented rosters in Michigan's storied history. Hoke lead...basically the same roster that failed miserably under Rich Rodriguez...to an improbable 11 win season. A season that included a BSC Sugar Bowl win over Virginia Tech, and a win over rival Ohio State. All was well in Wolverine land.
Last season, Michigan came back to earth somewhat. But all everything qb Denard Robinson was lost half way through the season with an injury to his throwing arm. Devin Gardner, who was Michigan's leading receiver at the time, moved to qb and played well down the stretch. So well in fact, that Robinson was moved to rb once he was cleared to return. Gardner's strong finish left the folks in Ann Arbor looking forward to the 2013 season.
This year? Well.....
Sitting at 6-3, and 2-3 in the Big Ten, Michigan has...at least on the surface...lost all incentive for finishing strong. Running the table would not lead to a Big Ten Title game, beating Ohio State....which is always nice...would only serve as a moral victory, and Hoke's undefeated home winning streak is now over.
What we see out of this Wolverine group the last three games will say a lot about Hoke's leadership. Will his team look inspired to play? Will they fold if they get punched in the mouth? Will they want to go out and win...because that's what winners do? The worst mistake that Brady Hoke could make now is to lose this team and have the rails come completely off the track.
The Athletic Director, Alumni, and most importantly...future recruits will also be monitoring the way that Michigan closes the season. We've seen Hoke in times of prosperity. Now we will see what he and his staff is really made of.
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