It's (Not So) Great to Be a Michigan Wolverine: 5 Terrible Recent Losses

The abyss is deep and limitless—fans of Michigan athletics are acutely aware of this notion these days.

After a nightmarish 2014 football season filled with disheartening losses, player-safety snafus and PR debacles, Michigan fans looked forward to watching the basketball team that has gone deep into the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons.

Not so fast, maize-and-blue optimists.

Two straight unthinkable home losses for Michigan hoops have Wolverines supporters wondering if there is no end to the deluge of sports shame and defeat.

Let's look at Michigan's recent embarrassing loses with an eye toward acceptance and catharsis.

Michigan Basketball 2014: Eastern Michigan 45, Michigan 42

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Where would we ever start here? Oh, this one is fresh in the old memory banks. 

Already reeling from a recent loss (to a heretofore unknown school to be named later), the Wolverines went out and laid another egg against local lightweights Eastern Michigan.

While the Eagles are 8-1 in 2014 thus far, their best win before defeating the Wolverines 45-42 at Crisler Arena was an 89-77 victory over NCAA tournament regular Oakland University (which seems to be in the midst of a down year currently at 4-5).

Michigan's last loss to EMU was in 1997 to a team that featured future NBA stalwart Earl Boykins. Eastern does have a pretty good basketball pedigree and a famous scalp of Duke in the 1996 NCAA tournament, but the Wolverines were 27-2 against the Eagles entering this contest.

Michigan Basketball 2012: Ohio 65, Michigan 60

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Former Michigan football coach Brady Hoke was fond of stoking the interstate rivalry with the Ohio State Buckeyes by referring to them simply as Ohio. Even that once-amusing bit of gamesmanship will forever live in infamy.

In March 2012, Michigan basketball was on the rise. The Wolverines landed their highest seed (4) in their third straight Big Dance appearance after over a decade of futility. Squaring off against the 13th-seeded Ohio University Bobcats in the first round seemed like a favorable matchup at the time.

But the Wolverines (ranked 13th nationally) put up a listless performance and lost 65-60 to Ohio (yes, that Ohio). The Wolverines had future first-round picks Trey Burke (selected ninth overall in the 2013 NBA draft) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (No. 23 overall in the 2013 draft) on the roster—a lot of good that would do them.

It was March Sadness in Ann Arbor in 2012.

Michigan Football 2008: Toledo 13, Michigan 10

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It was the worst of times for Michigan football, or so they thought. The advent of the pariah that was Rich Rodriguez started in earnest here, as the Wolverines took their first (and only) loss to a Mid-American Conference team (23-1 lifetime record).

Michigan went on to finish the season at 3-9, absorbing the most losses ever in a season for the storied football program.

2008 was Michigan's worst season since 1962 (2-7), and the sky was thought to be falling in Ann Arbor. Rich Rod was tarred and feathered and sent packing in early 2011, but his heir apparent (Brady Joke) turned out to be a far more incompetent coach.

Hey, Brady: My fellow Wolverine faithful and I chipped in to get you this Christmas present. Use them in good health at Oregon State or Antioch or just kick back and get ready for your next motivational speaking engagement in that van down by the river.

Michigan Basketball 2014: NJIT 72, Michigan 70

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What's better than a 5-7 football season filled with gutless losses, gaffes and humiliation? Why, being the butt of countless jokes on the national stage, of course.

The mantra during the 2014 NCAA football season for Michigan fans was, "At least our basketball team won't embarrass us." But lo and behold, on December 6, Michigan went ahead and lost to a 2-5 team that recently lost 51 straight (over nearly two years), as per ESPN.

The point spread was a mere 24.5 that fateful afternoon—mere child's play compared to the Granddaddy of Them All. 

Michigan Football 2007: Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32

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Appalachian Fail.

Yes, the Appalachian Fail. That fiasco needed a tagline, and now seven years later, our good friends in Columbus, East Lansing and various other cadres of Michigan hate can have a snarky term of endearment for the day all Wolverine souls darkened.

The unofficial point spread that day? 33 points. There were rumors of pre-game "doobie-rolling" per Chat Sports (h/t Bleacher Report's Adam Jacobi) and accusations of gross-poor preparation and general neglect of the opponent by the coaching staff.

It was one of the worst losses in NCAA football history. Granted, Appalachian State was a good team with a quarterback (Armanti Edwards) who is still kicking around the NFL as a free-agent wide receiver, but Michigan was ranked No. 5 at the time and had no business losing this game.

Rich Rod was a poor fit, and Brady Hoke wasn't equal to the task, but Lloyd Carr ushered in this current shameful era of Michigan athletics with this one.

The Cubs blew up the Bartman ball; Cleveland fans burned LeBron James jerseys in effigy (then went scrambling for the ashes when he re-signed with the Cavs). What can Michigan fans do to counteract the bad juju?

Go ahead. We're listening. We'll be drowning in our Bell's Two Hearted Ales in the meantime.