In another thread, I predicted 4-4 for the rest of the season for an 8-4 record. I hadn't thought of a loss to GT. Now, I'm thinking 7-5 is more realistic (Isn't that the Vegas line?). That in itself is not a disaster. Problem is that recruiting elite talent will suffer with such a record. The team is not going to rise to 10-win seasons without elite talent, and the elite talent won't play for UM as long as it can't win all of the games it should win plus a few against powerhouse teams. A Catch-22. The team can't reach 10 wins without elite talent, but can't attract elite talent until the team is a legitimate 10-win team.
Truth is that the team has been in a rut since the early 2000s. Only near perfection will pull UM out of that rut. Superb preparation and game planning. Mistake-free play, especially by the QB. Nastiness in the trenches. Blocking and tackling fundamentals. And, no bonehead game-time coaching decisions. Today's loss shows that UM is nowhere near climbing out of the rut.
I hope that Mario is capable of imposing the near perfection needed to climb out of the rut, but today's loss does not inspire confidence.