Well, we’re here, and here is just about exactly where we expected to be before season. 4-2, alternating between flashes of brilliance and moments of sheer ineptitude, with an offense that isn’t quite clicking and a defense that is making do with a walk-on at safety and a revolving door at cornerback. This is what we expected, and after last season meeting expectation is exactly what this program needs.

It is the route taken here, however, that has proved frustrating. One overtime period and one ill-advised toss into the Iowa secondary gone different, and we may be looking at a Michigan team that, however undeserving, is 6-0 heading into a guaranteed victory and then a showdown against Penn State. Instead, the overwhelming feeling is one of disappointment. Disappointment in Tate Forcier, who finally, finally, looked like a true freshman in over his head. Disappointment in Denard Robinson, who had Martavious Odoms open in the flat and instead chucked a bomb to … Iowa’s safety. Disappointment in Rich Rodriguez, who chose the “spark” of Robinson over the track record of Forcier. Disappointment in a team that handed Iowa five turnovers while constantly standing on the doorstep, unable to simply turn the knob and let themselves in.

However, we are here, and here, in general, is a good thing. 4-2, soon to be 5-2 after beating up a hapless FCS opponent, is a good thing, as was the victory over Notre Dame and the rise of Tate Forcier and the expansion of Rich Rodriguez’s offense and the overall competence of this team that was completely lacking in 2008. We knew, after last season, that the road back to powerhouse would be filled with twists and turns and bumps and bruises and as many cliches as one can possibly pack into the road metaphor. We felt the high early on, when the euphoria of the Notre Dame win left us drunk with new expectations. We’re now at one of the lows, and 7-5 looks more and more like the logical end-point of this regular season.

We are here. We just have to accept that we are.

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