Author: Hafiz Noor Shams

Honestly, after the devastation of last season, I was expecting the worst for Michigan football. Even when Michigan was up against Western Michigan last week, I was very quiet about it, ever so mindful the shaming Appalachian State gave my alma mater in 2007 and a series of losses against unremarkable teams. For a game against Western Michigan, anything but a big thumping by the Wolverines would be a disaster and I smiled when the team won 31 – 7.

With the first hurdle passed, then came the first real test: Notre Dame.

I have not been following Michigan football during the off-season. And now, since I am away from Ann Arbor, it is really tough for me to closely follow the game. Even at Michigan, I was bad at players’ name but at least, I knew the stars. Now, I have been reduced to a cheering idiot, cheering everything that goes good for Michigan without knowing who does what. But I suppose, it is the school spirit that matters.

Notre Dame is a tough school. Yes, Michigan has a superior record against Notre Dame. Up to 2008, Michigan has won 20 games, lost 15 and drew 1. But record can change. In 2008, Notre Dame beat Michigan by a considerable margin.

I had expected for Michigan to lose based on previous performance in the past two years. This is probably reflected by the fact that the school in South Bend was ranked No. 18 while Michigan is unranked. It was painful to acknowledge that if Indiana had not done worse than us, we would have found ourselves at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference. If we were still in the era of Coach Carr, that would have been unbelievable, even during a disastrous season when some people would be calling for Carr’s head.

Imagine the surprise I got when I woke up to yet another beautiful Sydney morning to a news ticker on Google. Michigan’s name was bolded. The score was 38 to 34, in favor of Michigan.

My eyes widened. Were my eyes deceiving me?

No. Michigan 38. Notre 34.

It was close but a win is a win, nonetheless.

Hooray!

I immediately shouted with a strain of joy. Go Blue!

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I immediately recalled the manic 3-overtime game against Michigan State. In time when hope was dimming, a lot of people were leaving the stadium, I among many loyalists, stayed behind, refusing to yield to despair, even when it loomed so unambiguously. I wanted to prove that I was no good weather fan. I bleed maize and blue for the school that made me.

And the players paid us back with a magnificient win.

In the background of euphoria unseen in my life, a chant. I could not make it at first but slowly, it started to make sense.

It’s great….

…to be…

… a Michigan Wolverine!

It’s great, to be, a Michigan Wolverine.

That were the first words coming out from my mouth today.

And my first update on Twitter. And on Facebook. And on GTalk.

It’s great, to be, a Michigan Wolverine.

It is good to be back.

Yes, I am excited. This post is dedicated to the 2009 Michigan football. And thank you for the win.

p/s — On to other news, Michigan State lost to Central Michigan. Do you want to watch that? Do you want to watch that?

I do.

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Glad to see somebody got the bad mojo now.

At The Quad:

Central Michigan initially missed a potential game-winning 47-yard field goal, but got to try the kick again after Michigan State was penalized for being offside. The announcement of the penalty that set up the game-winnerprompted clapping and an announcement in the press box.

”Cheering is not allowed in the press box,” the announcer said, ”but it is right now.” [Spartans’ Loss Unites Fans of Michigan and Notre Dame. Thayer Evans. The Quad. September 12 2009]

pp/s — And now, down in Columbus at this very moment, Ohio State is playing Southern California.

Heh, go for it Trojans. You know the Wolverines are behind you this time.

To clueless outsiders, this aptly describes the relations between Michigan and Ohio State.

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