Michigan Football: Is Chase Winovich delusional about Ohio State?

Ohio State mocked Chase Winovich pretty hard after he said Michigan football’s loss was a mirage. Was he delusional when he said that or was he right?

Chase Winovich always seems to have something interesting to say and the other night, at the annual awards ceremony for Michigan football, where he was named the team’s MVP for the 2018 season, Winovich called the loss to Ohio State a mirage.

Of course, if you heard what Winovich said, it doesn’t sound as crazy as some are making it out. Basically, Winovich said his Michigan football team got its butt kicked against the Buckeyes that day. He made no bones about how the Wolverines played poorly and Ohio State won.

In fact, here is exactly what Winovich had to say about the loss and what it means for the future of the program according to the Detroit Free Press:

"“I would say to any recruit or any potential guy who sees what happened in the Ohio State game and is persuaded against coming to Michigan because of that, I would say that alone is a mirage. And you should not be fooled. What we’ve built here and what we’ll continue to build is a powerhouse. That’s the Michigan I’m leaving. A Michigan that’s competitive in its trajectory. The sky’s the limit.”"

That is what Winovich had to say Sunday and here was the response that Ohio State came up with Tuesday.

The response by Ohio State is somewhat ridiculous. I mean do the Buckeyes really need to mock Winovich? He wasn’t saying Michigan football was better or that the Wolverines would have beaten Ohio State. All he meant was that the loss to the Buckeyes shouldn’t change the trajectory of the Michigan program.

Some Michigan fans might say yes, but does one bad loss really erase a 10-2 season, as well as an 8-1 record in the Big Ten? I should think not.

The Wolverines are on the rise. There is no question about that. They still need to catch Ohio State, but when Jim Harbaugh took over, Michigan football was also behind Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin and others.

Now, the Wolverines are one of the two big dogs in the Big Ten again. Just look at recruiting and look at the way Michigan dominated the league before running into a buzzsaw at Ohio State.

It was the perfect storm really. Dwayne Haskins was better than we realized and with Urban Meyer’s future in doubt, the Buckeyes likely had a little extra motivation to make sure their coach won his final Michigan game at the Horseshoe.

There is no justifying how poorly Michigan football played that day. But that’s the thing, Winovich didn’t make any excuses. He didn’t say UM was better or that it would win a rematch. He didn’t say anything crazy or delusional like that. What he did say, was that recruits shouldn’t get the idea that Michigan can’t win big games because of one loss.

The Wolverines did beat three ranked opponents in a row at one point this season and will have the chance to beat 10th-ranked Florida in the Peach Bowl.

If you were wondering, Winovich has already said he’s playing. He also called it a huge game for Michigan because it will set the tone for next season. But maybe, he’s also hoping a win will help wash away the sour taste in his mouth following the loss to Ohio State.

For what he said and what he meant, Winovich was right on point. That loss shouldn’t wipe away all the progress made by Michigan football. This program is headed in the right direction and a win over Florida would help us all remember that.