When Did Michigan Football Lose Its Class?

What shocked me most on Saturday wasn’t the final score—it was the way Michigan’s football team carried themselves. From the opening kickoff, they were chirping after every play, taking cheap shots, and going out of their way to posture instead of play. For a program that prides itself on being one of the oldest and most storied traditions in college football, the lack of composure was jarring.

If I were the AD, I’d be embarrassed and livid about the behavior of the team. Not because of the loss, but because of what it revealed: a culture shift in the wrong direction. Michigan used to be a team that won and lost with class. They played a tough, clean, disciplined brand of football that reflected their history. On Saturday, they looked nothing like that.

They came out acting like punks—and when we went up a touchdown, they folded. The swagger vanished. The jawing stopped. The “intensity” turned into resignation. It was front-running at its purest. They disrespected the game. 

For a program that claims to stand for something bigger than the score, this was the most disappointing part of all.