Post-OSU loss fallout

The pain continues after Michigan dropped a must-win game at home 25-21 against Ohio State. This game had huge implications: maize and blue vs. scarlet and silver, winged hats vs. helmet stickers that look curiously like pot leafs, private university vs. state school, etc.

Last year - forever to be remembered as Braylon Edwards's Biletnikoff-winning year leading to his coronation as the greatest receiver ever to don the coveted #1 jersey - was technically the best season since the co-national championship campaign of 1997, in which Charles Woodson won the Heisman and the Wolverines went 12-0, including a Rose Bowl win over Washington State. Yet it remains bittersweet, seeing as how the only three games UM lost were to (1) Notre Dame, (2) Ohio State, and (3) Texas in the Rose Bowl. If there are any games you should win (forget the Little Brown Jug), it's those ones.

So let's recap what's transpired in the last twelve months: Michigan has lost games in successive seasons to both ND and OSU (both in Ann Arbor in 2005). Lloyd carr has suffered his first lost to the Buckeyes in the Big House. What wasn't at stake for Michigan was a major bowl, and Ohio State got a share of the Big Ten title (Penn State won the split, so they get the BCS bowl bid). UM will still suit up on New Year's Day, barely being bowl eligible, but likely play in an insignificant bowl sponsored by some chicken distributorship or insurance company. I'd like to see them get one of the major Sunshine State squads - Florida, Florida State or Miami.

OSU comparably may get Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, which is going to be a hell of a game.

But bottom line and long story short: OSU won. Again. It's going to be another long twelve months.