That Wooshing Sound You Heard...

That wooshing sound you heard Saturday afternoon was a giant sigh of relief coming from Ann Arbor.

After last year's disastrous 3-9 season--followed by the off-season departure of QB Steven Threatt, and last week's allegations of summer practice rules violations-- Michigan fans were on pins and needles going into the opener with Western.  You could tell, because people actually paid attention to a game against a MAC opponent, a game which for decades would have simply been a foregone conclusion at the Big House.

It may have been Rich Rodriguez's most important game to date. Win big and the RichRodOUT! cadre of the fractious fan support would be forced to accept the "let him bring in his players and it'll all work out fine" stance of his supporters. Lose, or even win a tight one, and all heck was going to break loose. 

By halftime, everyone's high blood pressure had returned to normal, and the angst had dissipated into the clear late-summer air. Michigan had their new quarterback--two, actually, which will become an interesting story in its own right somewhere down the road-- and the offense scored at will until they were bored with the idea and put Nick Sheridan back into the game. The kicker hit everything--another long-standing shortfall for the Big Blue-- and the defense actually tackled people from the other team.

Yes, you're right. It was only against Western Michigan. (Although to be honest, the Broncos are a preseason favorite to win the MAC--and we recall the loss to Toledo and the poor outing against Miami of Ohio last year.)  We'll see if they can do the same against perpetually overrated Notre Dame next week... if they can, weeks three and four are games at home against Eastern Michigan and Indiana, and a 4-0 start looks a very real possibility.

No one is suggesting that Tate Forcier is ready to lead the Wolverines past Penn State, or That Team Down South, or even our short-bus little brothers in East Lansing this year. A 7-5, no bowl game season is still a very distinct possibility. But we can all see the light at the end of the tunnel now, even if it isn't bright enough for Denard Robinson to tie his shoes by it.  And that's a relief.  In Rod We Trust.