Ah, the joke that never got to be made. After all-everything Ted Ginn handled a couple of punts like an epileptic with a hot potato, I was foaming at the mouth to make the “nice muff” joke. Twice. But Michigan wouldn’t let that happen.

What?

A methodical, 10 yard at a time drive vs. Penn State?

A semi-methodical-until-it-turned-into-a-63-yard-run vs. Minnesota?

At what point does the prevent-esque defense stop? You’ve got a QB that can… will… and HAS burned you for 6-10 yards a pop with his feet for two years, yet you’re dropping five, six or seven guys 10 yards off the line? Giving a QB that has shown he’s got just an iffy or iffier arm than your iffy armed QB room to make easy throws and still move the chains? Much worse than punting on 4th and 4 or sticking the ball up your ass and taking a field goal from the five was that defensive alignment. After they settled in (the first drive of the game was almost identical to the last), the defense was GIVING you that game. It was yours. Strike up “The Victors” and mosey on back out to the tailgate, turn on the news to watch angry couch burning TV from Columbus (as opposed to the happy couch burning TV from Columbus), and pull for JoePa to lay an egg out of those flood pants.

I’m still confused by the long pass at the end, how one official can throw his hat to signal a receiver was out of bounds, but then be on the spot signalling a completion with no conversation with other officials is a little beyond me. But I wasn’t there, and in the end, I don’t think that play mattered. The way the momentum was swinging, and Ohio State having pissed all their bad field goal karma into the wind in the first 59 minutes, you could have lined that kid up from 80 yards and he’d find a way to split the uprights.

Fortunately for me, here’s where hedging the bets comes in handy. I’m a Michigan fan, always have been, most likely always will be. But the past few years, Bowling Green football has become a special experience again, I’ve been able to make it back to more games, and just walking that campus has made me realize what a great place Bowling Green is. Yeah, I’m disappointed in the Michigan loss, I’d be a fairweather fan to the utmost degree if I said it didn’t, but if BG can knock off Toledo this Tuesday, today’s game in Ann Arbor will seem light years away.