Down the stretch of the John B-line era, most prognosticators picked Michigan to be pretty darn good in the way too early rankings, pre-season prognostications, etc.

Michigan rarely had the type of roster on paper under Coach B-line that would be top of the line in a Big Ten or in a national picture.

But he had the benefit of the doubt.

Michigan had the benefit of the doubt that, yeah, things will work themselves out

and Michigan will be a contender in the league and nationally.

For the first two years of the Joanne Howard era, that did not exist.

And understandably so, first time head coach, have to see how things go.

But after last season, and certainly the year before, too, when Michigan performed very

well, won the battle for Atlantis, had some ebbs and flows to that season, but still, it was

a very positive experience.

And then last year, getting to the elite eight, winning a

big 10 regular season championship, you saw that benefit of the doubt, that belief, that

understanding that things would work out. You saw that in the prognostications, even though,

let's face it, Michigan lost a lot, five of the top eight players on an elite eight team on a big 10 regular season championship team.

So that brings us to what happened on Sunday in Las Vegas. Michigan Falls 80 to 62. The Wolverines will not be number four in the AP poll coming up on Monday. and hey, that's okay.

Rankings at this point don't matter.

Rankings barely matter on selection Sunday as long as you have a seat at the table.

The benefit of the doubt was extended because people believe Joanne Howard and Michigan will figure this out.

That doesn't mean it's going to be figured out in the late stages of November.

There is time.

There are more opportunities.

We haven't even gotten to the first Big Ten game of the season.

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