Three years and five days ago, on the eve of the most significant game of the greatest rivalry in college football, legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler passed away. At the time the maize and blue were 11-0 and ranked #2 in the nation, one game away from playing top-ranked Ohio State for a berth in the BCS championship.
In the three seasons and two games since his death, the Wolverines are 16-23.
Michigan's defense had given up 133 points in those 11 wins, an average of 12.1 points per game. In 39 games after Schembechler died it has hemorrhaged over 1,000--1,026 to be exact--or 26.3 points a game, 27.0 if you only count D-1 competition (and you should).
Maybe it's just the darndest of coincidences. Maybe it's a harbinger of the program's death spiral. Or maybe it helps explain why the winningest school in college football history just finished its second straight losing season, after going 42 years without one.
