Ever since fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich coined the ‘Revenge Tour’ term earlier this season, it has gone viral.
He spoke about the notion tonight on the Inside Michigan Football radio show, along with several other topics regarding the Wolverines’ outstanding season so far.
“Teams beat up on us last year, and I’ve known since January we had revenge dish out,” Winovich explained. “I knew before the year we had that three-game stretch [of Wisconsin, MSU and Penn State], and it was almost like we were a band on tour going from city to city.
“You have to be careful about what you say, but on the flip side, it forces you to act upon it. A good example of that is what happened before the MSU game — I knew we had to win that one after what occurred.”
While most would agree this season has been a smashing success for Michigan so far, Winovich actually said it has been a letdown in some ways — but gave a good reason as to why.
“It’s been a letdown in that we lost a game,” he admitted. “We’re still on track to meet our goals, because goals and expectations are constantly changing.
“When we were 5-7 in 2014, our goals were a lot different than they are now. We haven’t forgotten how Rutgers got the best of us that season.”
A lot has obviously changed since that point, as the program doesn’t even resemble the shape it was in back then.
Junior quarterback Shea Patterson has helped U-M get to where it is now, and Winovich (the two are roommates) explained how he clicked with the former Ole Miss signal caller from the first time they met.
“You just click with certain people,” he noted. “I’m a big believer in vibe and energy, and you don’t necessarily have to be friends with someone to know you're going to get along with them.
“Shea and I had similar goals in what we wanted to accomplish at Michigan — plus, we both needed roommates, so it was a good match.”
It never would have happened, though, if Winovich would have gone pro after last season. He strongly considered it, but told Patterson he’d return to Ann Arbor for a fifth year if he (Patterson) transferred to U-M.
“At one point, Coach Harbaugh had told everyone I had made up my mind, but that wasn’t the case,” Winovich recalled. “I came to Michigan with a vision of being a championship contender. If I had left knowing I had another chance to get Michigan in that position, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.
“I love this school and would come back for a sixth year if I could. This campus and the professors and the students — I almost get emotional thinking about it, because it’s so special to me.”
Winovich and his teammates will have a chance to be champions if they continue their winning ways, most notably against Ohio State in Columbus in just under three weeks.
“That game has been so elusive for us over the last decade, and no matter how fired up we’ve gotten, it always seems to escape us,” he observed. “It’s a beast we haven’t slayed in a while, but I can’t wait for that opportunity.”
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