Michigan football team's seniors call players-only meeting for Ohio State
Michigan seniors Brandon Graham and Mark Ortmann called a players-only meeting before practice Monday. The topic: “Just explain to (underclassmen) if they don’t know already how serious this is and what it can do for this program heading into next year,” Graham said.
Michigan needs a win Saturday against ninth-ranked Ohio State to become bowl eligible and avoid its second consecutive losing season. The Wolverines (5-6, 1-6) have lost six straight Big Ten games and five consecutive years to the Buckeyes.
Mark Ortmann
“We’re trying to get an extra game for us seniors because we don’t want to leave, but what’s a better than to beat O-State and get into a bowl game off them?” Graham said. “That’ll feel so much better, and everything else will erase itself because you’re always thinking about we might have had a bad year but we beat O-State.
“That’s what it boils down to and that’s why it’s the last game of the season. We’ve been waiting a long time for this one.”
Graham said a win Saturday would give Michigan momentum heading into 2010. Besides a feel-good ending, the Wolverines would get 15 extra bowl practices, essentially a second spring practice for their young nucleus.
Brandon Graham
“When you lose like this you want to see what other people are thinking and how they’re feeling towards next year,” Graham said. “This type of game right here pushes everybody up to know that a lot of games just slipped away from us and they’ll be so hungry for next year.”
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Tuesday he didn’t ask about the tone of the meeting.
“It was a players meeting not a coaches meeting, so I don’t think it’s my right to ask what they want to talk about,” Rodriguez said. “But a couple of the seniors wanted to have one, a brief meeting, and I’m sure it helped everybody get focused for this big ball game.”
Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Comments
iceman
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 : 7:36 p.m.
That's it! I can't take it anymore! I'm starting a new band. THE DEAD WOODY'S!!!! GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE!!!
Dave66
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 : 6:09 p.m.
I absolutely don't care about Michigan and whether they win or lose. However, I find it offensive that people gang up on the underdog and beat them down. Most of the posters here are good-hearted people who just want their favorite team to win and they're expressing frustration. Other people are like sharks who smell blood in the water and they feel good by beating up on someone who's experiencing a moment of weakness. I would like Michigan to win tomorrow because I always root for the underdog. I know that Ohio will show up, all cocky and arrogant, and you know there will be a ton of trash-talking on the field. I want Michigan to take all that trash talk and shove it down their throats. As I said, I don't care if it's Michigan or not. It could be EMU for all I care. I just don't like it when people pile on to the underdog. It's petty and juvenile.
oneandseven
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 10:46 p.m.
Players only meeting -- great idea -- maybe they should try that on Saturday as well. Couldn't be any worse.
azwolverine
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 8:42 p.m.
Great job, Seniors! The Maize and Blue nation is pulling for you! Go Blue!!!
LakeErieMaize/Blue
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 4:30 p.m.
RR won't play any footage of Bo.Remember,he's not a revisionist!How many times does he have to tell us that!!Hell,does he even know who Bo is?If you don't "revisit" history,how do you learn or even KNOW history?Not sold on this guy but will be rooting The Mighty Wolverines on this Sat.Lets make history.....Beat the Suckeyes and GO BLUE!!!
David Bardallis
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 4:11 p.m.
If you must boo, please boo the folks in the scarlet and grey colors. However our team may have performed (or not) this year, OHIO STATE STILL SUCKS.
JamesF
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 3 p.m.
About time some seniors step up and call a damn meeting. This should have happened after the second straight loss to a Big Ten team. The question is why now? I know this team is capable of playing hard nosed football. We need get a great mix in at defense in the first half so we can come out fresh in the second half and hang with OSU. The defense will win or lose this game. Plan and simple. Question is will the defense step it up and play their hearts out for these seniors. I think we see an outstanding day for Graham and Ortmann. I think RR needs to play a Bo moment clip to get these boys pumped and stay pumped...maybe at halftime. It seems the day Bo died is when a black cloud rolled over the Michigan Wolverines and stayed. We need to break this curse or this black cloud per se. It's time for Michigan to pull together as a team and go out and dominate. Forget about the stats and the record. This game is our season. We need to be the victors again.
81wolverine
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 2:57 p.m.
Good for Graham and Ortmann. Seniors MUST show leadership to the younger players. I just wish they had this kind of meeting after the Penn St. game. It might have prevented those disastrous losses against Illinois and Purdue, who knows?
foreigner
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 2:39 p.m.
I agree TruBlue76...booing your team generally doesn't make any sense, but especially when it involves student-athletes at the college level. These kids pour their heart and soul into playing football at Michigan and deserve our support for it. I don't think anyone is more hurt about losing games than these players. Go Blue! Beat the Buckeyes!
big things 77
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 1:52 p.m.
we as michigan need to pull it together here right now root on the big blue i know there are people out there that dont like rich rod and i to am unsure but this is it this can be the start of something that we have not had in couple of years so lets go blue and beat those damn bucks