An unlikely hypothetical...

So wshoes got me thinking, and you all know I am a huge optimist, so I propose the following scenario:

Like shoes said, teams need positive feedback. It's hard to have a motivated, excited, week of practice coming off an assbeating like MSU gave us. Coming off a hard fought win on the road against a team better than Akron/UConn should add a little pep to the players step.

Let's say this hypothetical momentum boost carries over to @Iowa and we come away with an impressive 2 to 3 score victory.

Now let's say the momentum from a road win at Kinnick Stadium adds to this momentum.

Michigan hates Ohio St. Michigan's "Super Bowl" this year is Ohio St. If Michigan beats Ohio St., they crush any hope the Buckeyes had of making the National Championship game. Michigan seniors will be playing their final home game. Michigan seniors will be playing their final game vs. Ohio St. These points will be drilled into the players heads that entire week.

Couple the momentum from two nice road wins with the immeasurable importance of a game @Home vs #3 Ohio St. and Michigan pulls off an incredible upset.

If this happens, Michigan finishes the season 9-3. The season wouldn't have been perfect, but Michigan would finish 9-3 with wins over Notre Dame and Ohio St.

1a. Do you guys still consider this a bad season?
1b. Do you cut Hoke some slack?

2a. Say Michigan then lands themselves a decent non-BCS bowl vs a good opponent (LSU?) and wins that game. Michigan would finish the season 10-3 with a Bowl win and wins over Notre Dame, Ohio St., and LSU. Do you consider this a good, bad, or "meh" season?
2b. Do you cute Hoke some slack?


For the record, I think Michigan is going to get humiliated by Ohio St. Ohio St. will be playing for the chance to play in the NC game and will smell the blood Michigan has been dripping all season. What good is a forum, though, if we can't use hypotheticals??  

Yes to all.

'shoes

As in you would consider a 10-3 season with wins over Notre Dame and Ohio St. a "bad season"? I think it's a decent season, at worst.

1a-yes. Humiliating wins against weak teams, humiliating loss to moo, meltdown in happy valley.
1b-yes
2a-good
2b-yes, patience.

A 10 win season is never a bad season.  But, when looking back, you will see that it wasn't a great season.

This is purpostrious scenerio. I'd would be happy with a win @ Iowa. Don't get humiliated against O$U there will be a sea of red there . Then a bowl win I would say average year but everybosy including the coaches learn something.

A season with wins over ND and Ohio almost always means a great season, but this would be one of those rare anomalies in that it still wouldn't be a 'good' season.

The losses, as well as many of our W's, we're just plain ugly.

Now, do I cut Hoke some slack if we win out? Sure. Hard for me to completely dog a coach who takes down an undefeated Ohio State team (making him 2-1 against the Bucks, easily could have been 3-0 if not for an utter disappearance of our offense in the 2nd half last season), and 2-1 against Notre Dame.

But, in the end, I still severely question Hoke's worth in the long-term.