A Season To Remember
The 2021 Michigan Wolverines
The 2021 Michigan Wolverines football team did not enter the season with the usual hype surrounding elite programs. Following an abysmal 2-4 season in 2020, marred by cancellations, opt-outs, and losses to rivals, the Michigan football program appeared to be on the brink of collapse. In the offseason head coach Jim Harbaugh saw his salary cut in half by contract restructuring, and the team entered the season unranked for the first time since 2015.
Many respected analysts didn’t even give Michigan a chance to finish in the top half of the Big 10 conference, and Vegas set their national title odds at 100 to 1. So how would the 2021 Michigan Wolverines make this a season to remember?
Bell Rung
Michigan kicked off their non-conference schedule against the Western Michigan Broncos. While they were expected to win the game, they showed some unexpected flashes of brilliance behind team captain wide receiver Ronnie Bell. After Bell reeled in a 76 yard bomb from quarterback Cade McNamara, hope began to swell in Ann Arbor.
Then the unthinkable happened. Bell went down with a leg injury during a punt return in the second quarter. Michigan went on to win the game 47-14, but it would later be revealed that Bell had torn his ACL and would be out for the season. Now this team that was expected to be average at best had to finish the season without one of their key playmakers.
Maize Out
Entering the year it looked like Michigan’s week 2 matchup with the Washington Huskies would be the ultimate litmus test. Washington had several talented players in key positions, including wide receiver Giles Jackson, who transferred from Michigan the previous offseason. The Huskies were one of the few teams that were expected to make a legitimate run at a Pac-12 title.
Then Washington dropped their opener to FCS opponent Montana. This would be covered all week as one of the biggest upsets in college football history. With Washington’s rough start and Michigan’s key injury, no one really knew what to expect for the week 2 “Maize Out.”
Michigan’s night game against Washington on September 11th was deemed a “Maize Out” by Michigan athletics. The concept is to have every fan in the stadium decked in maize(yellow) to add to the daunting atmosphere facing the visiting team. Other Big 10 teams have had success with such games(see Penn State’s White Outs), but the Michigan fanbase has been notoriously uncooperative in past attempts.
This game was different. The Big House was packed with fans decked head to toe in maize. Wolverine fans yielded maize poms poms and waved them valiantly to the tune of Hail to the Victors. The Michigan student section was especially rowdy and even the old school Michigan Men stood and cheered loudly. When the Huskies took the field they couldn’t even get a play off on first down due to the noise level in the stadium, which set the tone for the entire game. Michigan would go on to dominate behind a firm rushing attack. In fact, Michigan would only need to gain 44 yards through the air on their way to a 31-10 victory.
Run The Damn Ball
The momentum on the ground during the Washington game quickly became an identity for the 2021 Michigan Wolverines. Behind running backs Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum, appropriately dubbed “thunder and lightning,” Michigan fielded one of the nation’s premier rushing attacks.
Michigan rushed for over 300 yards in each of their first 3 games, and surpassed the 200 yard mark 6 times during the year. Their backfield became so celebrated behind their talented O-line, that a popular Michigan Football twitter account (@bluebyninety) popularized the motto “Run The Damn Ball.” The phrase was echoed on social media and merchandise was sold. As a third running back option emerged(freshman Donovan Edwards), there was no mistaking the identity of this team.
Jump Around
A bucket list stadium for almost every college football fan is Camp Randall in Madison Wisconsin. One of the most epic scenes transpires during Wisconsin home games. Wisconsin fans and players can be seen between the third and fourth quarters wildly jumping around to the classic House of Pain anthem “Jump Around.”
During Michigan’s rout of Wisconsin during the 2021 season, an organic shift in that tradition occurred. When Jump Around began to play over the loudspeakers, almost immediately the Michigan team and staff could be seen stealing the energy from the Wisconsin Badgers and their crowd. Michigan’s sideline erupted and jumped around as if the tradition was their own. They went on to finish the game with an impressive 38-17 road win.
Meltdown In East Lansing
One of the ongoing narratives for the Michigan fanbase and in the media during the Harbaugh era was that Michigan could not beat their rivals. After starting the season 7-0, the Wolverines travelled to East Lansing to take on their in-state rivals, the Michigan State Spartans. MSU had also managed to start the season 7-0, behind stellar performances from their phenom running back Kenneth Walker III. With Michigan ranked 6th in the nation and the Spartans ranked 8th, this top 10 showdown was sure to be one for the ages.
Michigan appeared to be in firm control of the game in the first half. Late in the second quarter they had assembled a 20-14 lead and had MSU backed up near their own endzone for a 2nd and 20. Spartan quarterback Payton Thorne dropped back for a pass only to find Michigan defensive end David Ojabo bearing down on him for the sack. Thorne fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson for the defensive score!
Then came the review. Fans and analysts alike saw no confirmed video evidence suggesting that Thorne was down prior to the fumble, but unfortunately for the Wolverines the ref saw it differently. The touchdown was overturned and the Spartans were afforded the opportunity to safely punt the ball away to reverse the field. Michigan would tack on a field goal to take a 23-14 lead into the locker room. The Big 10 conference would later announce that the sack fumble reversal was a blown call by the referee. Unfortunately, those missed points would come back to haunt the Wolverines.
Michigan would build upon their lead in the second half, comfortably sitting at 30-14 in the 3rd quarter, but their comfort would soon be lost. The Spartans mounted a historic comeback behind Kenneth Walker III’s 5 touchdowns. Michigan State would go on to win the game 37-33 and hoist the Paul Bunyan trophy for the second year in a row. This was a familiar story for Michigan teams of recent years…A fast start, a loss to a rival, usually followed by a mediocre finish, including a blowout loss to the Buckeyes. Would this team be able to change the narrative?
CFP Rankings Released
The week following the loss to MSU, the first College Football Playoff rankings were to be released. This is usually a good time for teams and their fans to see realistically how they are viewed by the selection committee and begin to map out the possible scenarios that could lead to a playoff berth.
Seeing SEC powers Alabama and Georgia in the top 2 spots was not surprising. Finding the Michigan State Spartans in 3rd place was disheartening, but also encouraging that the committee viewed the win over Michigan as incredibly valuable. The Wolverines didn’t have to scroll far to find their name on the list.
The committee had ranked Michigan number 7 overall, in front of undefeated Oklahoma and one-loss Notre Dame. This is exactly what Michigan needed to regain hope. With Penn State and 5th ranked Ohio State remaining on the schedule, it was almost guaranteed that if Michigan were to win out, they would be able to earn their first ever spot in the College Football Playoff.
It's "All" Good
After a solid home win against Indiana to move to 8-1, Michigan hit the road to take on a dangerous Penn State team. While Penn State had already dropped 3 games, they had spent multiple weeks in the top 5 and had impressive victories over Wisconsin and Auburn. This would be Michigan’s toughest remaining challenge until their annual showdown with the Buckeyes.
The game went about as expected, like a heavyweight boxing match. The two teams exchanged blows for the entire match until the Wolverines faced the proverbial fork in the road with 3 minutes remaining in the game. With their season on the line, Michigan trailed 14-17. Cade McNamara dropped back and hit a slanting Erik All across the middle of the field. All, a 6’4”, 250 lb tight end, turned on the jets and burned the entire Penn State secondary along the sideline for a game sealing touchdown.
Moving to 9-1, the Wolverines controlled their own destiny. But everyone knew a road to the Big 10 championship would have to go through their arch rivals from Ohio.
Pump It Up, Don't You Know
Michigan fans of old have always been dubbed traditionalists. While the Big House has always been the largest stadium, there have been times when it seemed visiting teams didn’t face much noise and pressure at all. Even the student section’s recent tradition of singing the Killer’s song “Mr. Brightside” didn’t exactly instill fear into opponents. But a culture shift was taking place.
As the Wolverines gained momentum towards one of their greatest seasons in recent history, the fanbase began to show new life. One new tradition epitomized this shift. Fans and players began to chant along with the Danzel song “Pump It Up,” which pumped new energy and life into gamedays. This new energy was reaching its climax at the perfect time, for Wolverine Nation was about to embark upon its greatest journey yet.
The Perfect Storm
The climax of every Michigan Football season is the Ohio State game, but in 2021 “The Game” carried a little extra weight. The two teams clashed as top 5 opponents for the first time since 2016, and the stakes were never higher. The winner would win the Big 10 East division and punch their ticket to the conference championship, while also keeping their playoff hopes alive. The loser would be eliminated.
Jim Harbaugh was quoted in the offseason saying “We’re going to beat them or die trying,” and banners were hung around the Michigan football facilities that read “What are you doing to beat Ohio State today?” If Michigan were to lose “The Game” it would mark a full decade since their last victory against their hated rivals.
On a beautifully snowy November day in Ann Arbor, the two teams took the field and “The Game” was on. Michigan drew first blood, but Ohio State stayed close. The Wolverines managed to take a 14-13 lead into the half. Tempers flared in the tunnel as the teams headed into their respective locker rooms. Footage showed both squads having to be held back from each other by trainers and coaches as the smack talk and jarring peaked.
Coming out in the second half the Buckeyes offense received the ball and were held to a crucial three and out. The Michigan offense methodically rattled off 4 consecutive time-consuming touchdown drives in the second half, while Ohio State struggled to keep up. Hassan Haskins tallied 5 total touchdowns in the game, cementing himself forever in Michigan football folklore. The legend of Aidan Hutchinson grew as he passed up his father, Chris Hutchinson, on his way to the single season sack record, tallying 3 for the game. Late in the 4th quarter the Wolverines held on to a 42-27 lead for a historic victory.
Michigan Football had achieved what previously seemed impossible. Coach Jim Harbaugh had rewritten the narrative, and the Wolverines were front page news for all the right reasons. Fans spent the week celebrating, but the team quickly shifted their focus towards preparation for the Big 10 Championship.
Those Who Stay Will Be Champions
There is a banner hanging in the Michigan locker room that states “Those Who Stay Will Be Champions.” It was left there by the legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler when he arrived at Michigan in 1969. It was a challenge and a promise. He challenged his team to endure his grueling workouts and practices, while promising them that the ones who stayed would walk away as champions.
Coming into the 2021 Big 10 Championship game, Michigan boasted a league leading 42 all-time Big Ten Championships, but they hadn’t earned the honor since 2003. Additionally, they had never competed in the Big 10 Championship game, since it had only existed since 2011. Now Michigan finally had a chance to cement their legacy into the record books.
Michigan faced the Iowa Hawkeyes in the championship game, and it didn’t take long to find out who the superior team was. While Iowa’s stout run defense momentarily held firm, it wasn’t long before Michigan was moving the ball at will up and down the field. The Wolverines compiled one of the most complete performances in their history, with offensive trick plays connecting through the air and on the ground, and the defense and special teams coming up big at the most opportune times. Ultimately, Michigan was too much for Iowa, winning the game impressively 42-3.
Michigan standout Aidan Hutchinson took home the Big 10 Championship MVP award, and the Wolverines were once again crowned as Champions. The following Sunday, the CFP selection committee matched them up against Georgia for their first ever playoff appearance. Hutchinson would go on to finish 2nd to only Alabama’s Chase Young in the Heisman voting.
Progress, Not Perfection
The 2021 Michigan Wolverines football team beat the odds and became a legendary team. Coach Jim Harbaugh, running back Hassan Haskins, quarterback Cade McNamara, and defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo will forever be remembered as all-time greats. They came into the season as unranked underdogs and proved all of the doubters wrong. However, there is still room for improvement to build upon the momentum of this team.
In the College Football Playoff semi-final game, Georgia dominated Michigan. Their players were bigger, faster, and stronger than Michigan’s and it showed early and often. Many would be discouraged by such a performance, but given the circumstances, it makes perfect sense. Georgia had the benefit of multiple top ranked recruiting classes and had built momentum toward achieving their status over multiple seasons. Michigan now has momentum in recruiting, an award winning coaching staff, and key returning players to make a push for a national championship in the coming years.
Coming into the 2021 season the Michigan football program faced the possibility of destruction and a potential long road of rebuilding. Now they stand as one of a handful of teams that have a legitimate shot of making a run at a national title in 2022. When we look back at all the teams in Michigan history, this 142nd edition of Michigan Football will always be a season to remember.
