10. Fan consternation will still continue
Until Michigan beats Ohio State, none of the above will matter for a large component of the fanbase. Yes, the vocal minority makes the waves, but another loss in 2020 would mean it would be 9 years since the last win over the Buckeyes — a longer stretch even than the 2004-2011 drought.
If OSU was any other team, we’d look at, as Brian Cook from MGoBlog says, regression to the mean, or just a general potential off-year. However, Ohio State continues to reload, and it returns Justin Fields, a Heisman Trophy contender, at quarterback. There are four-and-five-stars across the board who will step in for those who’ve departed.
Until Michigan beats Ohio State — heck, until it can prove it can keep itself from being destroyed on the defensive side of the ball — it’s hard to predict an outcome that will be satisfactory for the fanbase.
Seeing is believing, and while 2016-17 had us believing it was close to being on the horizon, the last two years have us seriously concerned about when the Wolverines can again best their rival.
All year, should Michigan mount the wins, fans will remember 2018, and instead of it feeling like a march towards victory and a special season, it will feel for the fans like lambs being paraded to the abattoir.
So regardless of how 2020 goes, no matter how good it looks at any given point in time, until the now-unthinkable happens, it will not be a good mood in Ann Arbor.