Michigan football adding a ‘Beat Georgia’ period in practice

Worked for the ‘Beat Ohio’ period added in 2021! #GoBlue

Everything changed for Michigan football in 2021. Coming off of an abysmal 2020 campaign where the Wolverines went 2-4 in the COVID-shortened season, something had to give. Some drastic measures were needed.

In the spring of 2021, there were rampant reports out of Schembechler Hall about ‘culture change’ and how the mood was completely different than what the record was the previous year. Michigan followed by going 12-2, beating Ohio State for the first time in a decade, winning the Big Ten for the first time since 2004, and making its first College Football Playoff appearance.

Then, the Wolverines got thwapped by eventual two-time national champion, Georgia. And they haven’t forgotten.

2021 was also the year that, behind the scenes, the maize and blue added a ‘Beat Ohio’ period, where the entire focus was on overcoming the shortcomings that they had against their chief rival. Ohio State has long had ‘Beat Michigan’ periods and were awfully fanatical about the process when it came to the rivalry. Michigan finally caught up and it paid off.

Now that the Wolverines are in a national championship or bust moment, they’re turning their attention somewhat beyond OSU. While still maintaining a ‘Beat Ohio’ period, Michigan is apparently adding a ‘Beat Georgia’ period this year, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman (via Bryan Fischer).

Last year, the Wolverines focused not just on Ohio State, but on all of the ‘state’ schools — which included Penn State and fellow rival Michigan State — the only regular season loss in 2021. Michigan made good on that by going undefeated in the regular season before making it to the College Football Playoff semifinal and losing to TCU.

There are no guarantees that the maize and blue will see Georgia in the postseason, and that has just as much to do with the Bulldogs as it does the Wolverines. But given the recent dominance by UGA, it’s a good idea to be prepared for what might come, and is likely to should Michigan achieve the rest of its goals.

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