Synopsis
Every time Michigan Stadium, aka The Big House, opens its gates in autumn, in pours America's largest crowd for a football game 111,000 strong. The Wolverines have not played to less than capacity since 1975 and haven't endured a losing season since 1967, the longest current streak in college football. But in 2005, Michigan fans were staggered as their team careened through a 7-5 season, with eight of the 12 games decided in the last minute or on the last play. Suddenly this model program seemed to be turned upside down. Fans, the media, and the program itself experienced a mix of emotions ranging from bewilderment to disappointment and even anger. Veteran journalist George Cantor chronicles the twists and turns of this unusual season in The Big House from two compelling, and at times divergent, points of view: those of Michigan fans and of head coach Lloyd Carr.
Cantor attended all the 2005 home games, and he writes with candor and joy about the matchless experience of Ann Arbor on game day, including the one-of-a-kind rituals and pageantry that make U-M a special place. You'll meet fans who have attended Michigan football games for decades, students just now learning about the traditions, and all the folks in between. No school has as many traditions or as many stories. This book, through the voices of many of Michigan's most interesting, engaging, and fiercely loyal fans, showcases the best traditions of and stories about U-M football. It also captures the mood and rhythms of Michigan Stadium during a season of ups and downs, providing a fascinating portrait of fans' reactions to the unexpected both positive and negative.
And head coach Lloyd Carr provides the other perspective, offering candid and insightful analysis from the inside about the 2005 season and the Michigan program in general.