If you bought Michigan stock, I hope you sold it early – like after the fourth game of this season because the Wolverines have been in a tailspin since. Actually, dumping it after Lloyd Carr retired two years ago probably would have been better seeing that the Rich Rodriguez era has only ushered in frustration and disappointment.
Last year, Michigan missed a bowl game for the first time in over three decades and it looks like they are headed for extending this pattern into a new streak this season. Defeating either Wisconsin or Ohio State would be required to avoid this embarrassment. However, that is a tall order seeing that struggling teams like Toledo and Purdue have given them fits. On the other side of the field, the Badgers have had quite an impressive showing this season, and they look to be returning to the perennial power status that Barry Alvarez built. Wisconsin, like many other teams in the Big Ten, certainly would look forward to taking advantage of Michigan’s downfall. The once dominant Wolverines are receiving payback by most Big Ten schools (sorry Indiana and Minnesota), and Wisconsin would add themselves to that list as the Michigan defense could not stop the Badger attack losing 45-24. For the Wolverines, it’s onto their last chance to become bowl eligible in their game against the Buckeyes. Something tells me that they don’t have much sympathy for Michigan’s plummeting stock numbers.
