[DC 86]

Michigan is THE winningest program in college football, so a season without a bowl game win is not a great season.   Lots of Michigan seasons simply have been much better.   Yes, after more than a decade of far below average seasons this good season feels great, but in historic terms this simply isn't one of Michigan's 10 or 15 best seasons.   Therefore, IMHO merely good. 

You have mentioned in several posts that Michigan is "THE" winningest program in college football, as the rationale for why reaching the national semifinal game (as champion of the second best conference in the country) should be categorized as merely "good" and not "great".

It's true that Michigan has won the most games in the sport's history, owing to the fact that they've played the most games in the sport's history. Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame all have slightly higher all-time winning percentages.

Nevertheless, Michigan indeed has one of the game's highest winning percentages (73%). However, their best period took place over a century ago. Their record in the 19th century was 98-31 and then Fielding Yost became coach in 1901 and promptly began his tenure by going 43-0. He retired in 1925 with a record of 165-29. Without question Michigan was one of the most dominant teams of the 19th century and first quarter of the 20th century.

This season it is likely that Michigan will finish third in the AP poll, given that #4 Cincinnati was blown out in their semifinal and #5 Notre Dame also lost. #6 Ohio State won but it seems unlikely they will jump Michigan for obvious reasons.

Since the inception of the AP poll (in 1938) Michigan has finished in the top three of the AP poll 8 times (first twice, second twice, third four times.) So in the last 84 seasons Michigan has had four finishes better than their projected finish this year. Four of those top-three finishes took place between 1940 and 1948; thus in the last 73 seasons Michigan has won a single (1) national championship and has finished in the top three of the AP poll 4 times (first once, second once, third twice). So Michigan has had two finishes better than this season's projected finish in roughly the last three quarters of a century.

You're right that Michigan has had 10 or 15 better seasons than this one in its history; in fact it may be more than 15. However, the vast majority of these seasons took place when Harvard, Yale and Army were still national powers and the sport was in its relative infancy.

Bo Schembechler never won a national championship and only had one team ranked higher than third in the final AP poll. His Bowl record at Michigan was 5-12.

This year's Michigan team won their first conference championship in 17 years. This will be their highest final AP poll ranking in 24 years.

Jim Harbaugh's two immediate predecessors complied a 46-42 overall record (24-32 in conference.) Harbaugh has recorded a 61-24 overall record (42-17 in conference.)

Michigan is an iconic program and one of the most important programs historically, which is perhaps why fans overestimate their actual performance in the game's modern era, which is far from elite. This year's performance in the context of 1950 through the present is outstanding. Of course it's your right to be disappointed and call it merely "good" but that doesn't square with the bar that's been set over the last 70+ years. Expecting Michigan to be the best program in the country now because it was a dominant team through 1925 is a real reach. They do have the most wins in history but lag way behind at least a dozen programs in the modern era - reaching the semifinal game and finishing third in the final poll are "great" accomplishments relative to the actual standard they've set in the non-leather helmet era.

[DC 86]

Michigan is THE winningest program in college football, so a season without a bowl game win is not a great season.   Lots of Michigan seasons simply have been much better.   Yes, after more than a decade of far below average seasons this good season feels great, but in historic terms this simply isn't one of Michigan's 10 or 15 best seasons.   Therefore, IMHO merely good. 

You have mentioned in several posts that Michigan is "THE" winningest program in college football, as the rationale for why reaching the national semifinal game (as champion of the second best conference in the country) should be categorized as merely "good" and not "great".

It's true that Michigan has won the most games in the sport's history, owing to the fact that they've played the most games in the sport's history. Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame all have slightly higher all-time winning percentages.

Nevertheless, Michigan indeed has one of the game's highest winning percentages (73%). However, their best period took place over a century ago. Their record in the 19th century was 98-31 and then Fielding Yost became coach in 1901 and promptly began his tenure by going 43-0. He retired in 1925 with a record of 165-29. Without question Michigan was one of the most dominant teams of the 19th century and first quarter of the 20th century.

This season it is likely that Michigan will finish third in the AP poll, given that #4 Cincinnati was blown out in their semifinal and #5 Notre Dame also lost. #6 Ohio State won but it seems unlikely they will jump Michigan for obvious reasons.

Since the inception of the AP poll (in 1938) Michigan has finished in the top three of the AP poll 8 times (first twice, second twice, third four times.) So in the last 84 seasons Michigan has had four finishes better than their projected finish this year. Four of those top-three finishes took place between 1940 and 1948; thus in the last 73 seasons Michigan has won a single (1) national championship and has finished in the top three of the AP poll 4 times (first once, second once, third twice). So Michigan has had two finishes better than this season's projected finish in roughly the last three quarters of a century.

You're right that Michigan has had 10 or 15 better seasons than this one in its history; in fact it may be more than 15. However, the vast majority of these seasons took place when Harvard, Yale and Army were still national powers and the sport was in its relative infancy.

Bo Schembechler never won a national championship and only had one team ranked higher than third in the final AP poll. His Bowl record at Michigan was 5-12.

This year's Michigan team won their first conference championship in 17 years. This will be their highest final AP poll ranking in 24 years.

Jim Harbaugh's two immediate predecessors complied a 46-42 overall record (24-32 in conference.) Harbaugh has recorded a 61-24 overall record (42-17 in conference.)

Michigan is an iconic program and one of the most important programs historically, which is perhaps why fans overestimate their actual performance in the game's modern era, which is far from elite. This year's performance in the context of 1950 through the present is outstanding. Of course it's your right to be disappointed and call it merely "good" but that doesn't square with the bar that's been set over the last 70+ years. Expecting Michigan to be the best program in the country now because it was a dominant team through 1925 is a real reach. They do have the most wins in history but lag way behind at least a dozen programs in the modern era - reaching the semifinal game and finishing third in the final poll are "great" accomplishments relative to the actual standard they've set in the non-leather helmet era.