So very unfortunate, this situation. Whatever, we may now open our autumn with one HOT! HOT! HOT! GAME!
"It's not like Bill Martin is actually at fault here."
"The decision to allow a I-AA victory to count for bowl eligibility every year is killing nonconference scheduling as the previous sacrificial lambs find sacrificial lambs of their own."
"Michigan cannot give these return games because.....Any school deviating from this path is voluntarily hampering its own program."
wow, sometimes this blog gives me faith that not all Americans are losing the capacity for complex thought and abstract reasoning. Then again, it's probably not the Americans with 2 engineering degress from M that are the problem. Can't wait till I get to the ASU game and hear people rip Martin for scheduling IAA teams. in the same way i can't wait to bash my head against a brick wall.
It seems to me that many (not those that comment here) don't want a IAA team just so they can rip UF fans or UGa fans for doing just that. All they want are more empty reasons to list off why M is superior to U of 'X'.
also, Brian & I are no longer allowed to see a M friday hockey game on the road. I was at BG last friday...results : 3-2 L then and 3-2 L now. bad karma.
Will ND stll continue to be on UM's future schedule? The Big 10 could avoid this by playing a 9th game against an in-conference opponent. That is what the Pac 10 has done.
In defense of the Big Ten, Penn State has been trying to book a 1-and-1 with Alabama for the past decade, but Alabama keeps ducking them.
Why is it up to Big Ten schools to book games against the SEC? I don't see SEC teams coming north anymore so it works both ways.
I wonder if the onset of the Big Ten network will increase the revenue stream to Big Ten schools, thereby allowing them some wiggle room with regards to their scheduling. Perhaps with the extra TV revenue from monor sports, they can afford a home and home with a southern team every now and then.
First of all for any Georgia fan to expect Michigan to schedule a home and home series with Georgia is simply retarded. If Michigan were to play Georgia it would have to be a 2 for 1, similar to the Colorado series in 1994, 1996-97. The Georgia football program just isnt up to par with Michigan's. Besides, we are already playing the PAC 10 equivalent of Georgia: Oregon.
cred, but still, the SEC team would need their own wiggle room too.
ND: i think M is trying to get away from the every year thing to more of a every other year thing. with a USC/Tex/OU/tenn in the other years. that way, M-ND is sustained and we also get those rare matchups that OSU-USC & USC-NEB benefits from.
I wish scheduling was like it is in the EA games.
Just play whoever you want wherever you want whenever you want, but your conference games are locked in.
With Oregon and ND on the schedule, UM has nothing to apologize about...this year.
Just as UGA has nothing to apologize about for playing Troy and WCU when we've got OkSU and GT on the docket.
But I think everyone would like to see UM sack up and come play in the warmth of the SEC every 80 or so years.
You guys talk about UGA not traveling outside the Southeast since '65. But it was about 40 or 50 years before that the last time UM played a competitive SEC team on the road.
PWD
How about a 2 for 1 with a good BigEast opponent? They're all pretty terrible, and Michigan would look good in Piscataway.
Will ND stll continue to be on UM's future schedule? The Big 10 could avoid this by playing a 9th game against an in-conference opponent. That is what the Pac 10 has done. Unfortunately, it's mathematically impossible for an odd number of teams to play an odd number of games. So that's out.
I'm just glad we're playing a team that's "Proud as a peacock".
If the new marching band director has any balls, he'll play HOT! HOT! HOT! as the halftime show.
That would be a comforting resolution to this frustration.
OkSU and GT? you're hanging your hat on them? niether have had a 2 year span in the last decade that didn't include at least 10 losses. that's a far cry from ND & Oregon who have been in & out of the top 10 recently. if M had UGa's sched, NO ONE would be happy with the AD including myself.
and sack up? it's not about "sacking up." give me a break. how about UGa "sacking up" and playing up here on Dec 3 08? or are they afraid of the cold? what is this, 3rd grade? sacking up...good lord.
also, did anyone see that Ivan Maisel article @ espn.com? there's alot of questionable assertions there, imo. USCs only losses were to P10 teams? yea, on the road. those were the only road games they played this year except for Ark w/o Mcfadden. he's ready to make the P10 the best conference based on the 2 USC losses, but won't make assertions that UCLA & OreSU are any good. pure smoke & mirrors arguements.
Brian,
Thanks for this sentence that made me chuckle in my seat "Michigan cannot give these return games because the millions of dollars it would cost them would put them incrementally behind their competitors in the race to build the facilities best able to stun recruits into mute acceptance of proffered scholarships."
It's a little long to use at a cocktail party but I may try it anyway.
BS! The schedule is tough enough. Until we start going undefeated against shit teams every year, like Miami and FSU did during their runs, no need to add more games. We can't even win the ones we play now. As for the SEC--just look at the sleazy characters coaching in that conference, --Nick Satan, Urban Cryer, Used Car Salesman Tubberville, and Fat Faced Fulmer. Really, can any of these programs criticize anyone in the country? I know I have gotten off the topic here but Bottom line: Michigan can take two routes. Sleaze---Like the SEC, Carrol, Tressel, etc, or win with class. One problem---we don't win enough. So I am still debating which road is better.
Georgia will never play Michigan on Dec 3 due to the (slim) chance they could make the SEC Championship Game.
What I'd like to see in future years after the current ND pact expires is play ND every other year...it would help keep the uniqueness of the rivalry fresh knowing that if you lose it's 2 hard years until you can make amends (a la the Ryder Cup although that isn't going so well for us lately)
In the ND off years we should go out and schedule a Top BCS school on our half of the country, be it SEC, Big 12, ACC. Do the Home and Home with them. The AD cleared about 10 mil last year with 7 home games, we're not going in the poor house without the extra game. Negotiate a bigger payday from the opponent if necessary.
It's frightening how similar CFB is becoming to the NFL, where they charge full price for exhibition games, and Michigan will charge probably $50 for App. State, which you will have to buy if you want to see Notre Dame, Oregon, OSU.
Still, it's embarrassing.
I refuse to believe we couldn't get a service academy or a Cincinnati level team to come play in Ann Arbor.
I hate to say it but Viva USC! Last year: Arkansas, Nebraska, Notre Dame; 2007: Idaho, Nebraska, Notre Dame; 2008: Ohio State (!), Notre Dame.
Or Viva Miami! 2007: Marshall, Oklahoma, FIU (ahem), Texas A&M; 2008:
Brian,
could you please refresh us how it's mathematically impossible for the Big Ten to schedule 9 games. I know it's true, but I can't remember the proof.
"But it was about 40 or 50 years before that the last time UM played a competitive SEC team on the road."
WTF? Everytime we play in the Capital One or Outback Bowl, we're playing an SEC team in their territory. Time to pack up the SEC car, put granny in her chair on top, and head to the midwest for a game.
I think I can highlight the problem.
11 teams x 9 games = 99 teams/games to be played. Each game needs two opponents. 99 divided by 2 teams per game = 44.5. Oops.
So with an odd number of teams you need an even number of conference games. Thus 8 or 10 conference games would work, but not 9.
yea, you can't just add one of the 2 teams missed for each team...basically you get down to one team having to play 10
dude this sec thing is stupid...M plays ND most years..they go to the P10, to BC. was there a return to CU? how many times has UGa gone to the west coast to play a P10 team? or Tex to play a BEast team? who the hell cares? that said, a UG-M series would be good. LSU too. or alabama. and Neb or USC or Tex or OU. most of these games would have to wait till after the ND series is up though. plus, M is looking to play at NYC vs Uconn or rutgers or someone. BC at gillette would be cool. hey maybe army @ NYC like the old days. M vs Army @ NYC over a veterans day weekend if Ms B10 bye worked out that way.
Yes, without an NCAA mandate (no more than 7 home games per season, and no more than 20 in a three season period), the arms race (or "race to the bottom") will preclude all but the most daring from sacrificing a home game for the prospect of "enhanced reputation." This is true everywhere; arms races require regulation. However, Appalachian State is probably better than most bottom tier BCS teams; while I may be incorrect, I predict a higher degree of difficulty in this game than in last year's Indiana game, or the EMU game. They seem to be very well coached, and will test Michigan's secondary until given a reason not to. This isn't a game to take lightly...
masked -
Thanks. Makes sense.
Dan - wouldn't 10 teams playing 9 games, then one team playing 8 games work?
I mean, really...would anyone cry over one less Indiana game to watch?
matt,
Sat., Sep. 1 UC vs. Southeast Missouri State Nippert Stadium
Sept. 1 Army at Akron
Sept. 1 Navy at Temple Philadelphia, Pa.
can't find UAF 07 schedule.
interesting note: navy has a bye on 10/6/07.....however, they have 12 games scheduled there already, so it's all the same.
anon, yea, that would work too i guess, but that's not fair one way or another.
Matt,
The reason that the Canes and SC can schedule like that is that they don't make the kind of money with their home games that the SEC or Big Ten big boys make. Michigan's date with App State will be a bigger payday than most of SC or Miami's home games. Easy to travel non-conference if you are not giving up several million dollars in ticket revenue to do it.
I'd have preferred Vandy or someone else like them, but the best 1-AA teams are better than a typical 1-A mid-major. More examples: Cal Poly beat San Diego State, and North Dakota State (my employer) won at Ball State and missed a last-second field goal that would have beaten Minnesota.
Does that say more about North Dakota State or about Minnesota?
I agree absolutely that every other year is a much better way to schedule non-conference opponents (and probably half of the conferencee oponents as well). Builds the importance of the game, and allows for more variety in scheduling, which- let's face it, increases exposure. Good for recruiting, good for fans and alumni.
Hate to bring back painful memories, but I think the '94 Colorado classic grew in stature not only because of you-know-what, but also the fact that we had to wait two years for the rematch.
Speaking of scheduling: Big-10 teams are going to suffer in the bowls and in the polls at the end of the season as long as they finish their season before Thanksgiving.
That first weekend in December. As for concerns about the weather, if global warming doesn't do the trick, then an away game somewhere (in the south or west), or in a domed stadium (Detroit?). It would still allow Thanksgiving weekend off, along with another nice bye in mid-season would be a big help.
Some Pac-10 teams are avaialble that weekend. We've done that Hawaii game before. If we have to stoop to playing 1-AA opponent (Ivy League?), why not then? Or, with a little imagination, schedule an either/or game with two teams from the same division in conferences with a playoff.
There is nothing more comical than an SEC fan running on about Michigan's "refusal" to schedule SEC teams. The door always swings both ways, Qui Gon Dimwit, and there have been enough valid points made by Brian and co. in this thread to debunk that crap written by dawgsports. How many SEC bowl-game tie-ins are outside the southeast region of the United States again? How much more convincing was Michigan's win over Vandy compared to MNF Florida's? The penis-envy from the Darwin Award candidates down in the good ol' south kills me.
Oh, and last I checked, Jim Delany did a nice job pwning any discussion about the SEC being better than the Big Ten. Tootles.
MNC* not MNF. D'oh
Darwin Award- when do they give those out? do they accept nominations?
Dan, I realize it's too late to do anything this year, but I don't think we should ever be in a position of having to schedule a I-AA school. I hope this is a one time event. In the future, I hope we can get schools such as the military academies, Cincinnati, Vandy, Baylor, etc., to fill our schedule.
"Georgia will never play Michigan on Dec 3 due to the (slim) chance they could make the SEC Championship Game."
By slim chance, you mean other than the 3 times in the past 5 years that Georgia has played for the SEC Championship and the 2 that we've won it?
Georgia and LSU are both on record having reached out Michigan and tried to get a game in Sept. Michigan and Ohio State refuse to come down here in the early season heat.
As for the Cap One bowl comment. Dude. It's not a bojillion degrees with the humidity in January. And it's a neutral site.
As for Delany's comments. So...fast athletes aren't smart? Huh?
PWD
BTW -- I think Michigan plays a solid schedule. I was just more making a comment about wanting to see them (or any Big 10 school really) come to the Southeast in September.
Michigan's last visit to the Southeast was a 1 time trip to Columbia in the early 80s pre-SEC. Unlucky for UM, the Gamecocks were uncharacteristically good. Most years back then they were a 40% win clip homecoming punching bag independent.
PWD
You make it seem like playing in the southeast is brutal. Newsflash: Every team in the north plays in similar conditions throughout summer practices. Playing in "hot, humid" weather is not exactly a badge of honor.
Talk to me when you guys actually play a game in freezing conditions.
Paulwesterdawg,
Just for clarification's sake, Michigan won that trip to South Carolina in 1985.
And that one trip to the south in the last 30 years is one more trip than Georgia's taken to the midwest in that time frame.
I would love to see a UM/Georgia home and home, but until both teams stop selling out home games against patsies, I don't see either team giving up an easy payday.
BTW math guys:
In an 11 team conference, would it be possible to divide the conference into
upper and lower divisions (according to previous year's standings) and then schedule so that, say the top 6 teams play each other; the bottom 5 play each other; and the top and bottom division teams play 2-3 times?
(or an upper, middle and lower division)?
I thnk you're forgetting one thing concerning the Pac-10 (geographically applies to the Big XII, as well) and super-weak OOC games: pretty much all of the good teams from non-BCS conferences are out west.
Utah, TCU, BYU, Boise State, Fresno State... do we include Hawaii? Sure, why not. It seems like every year, at least a couple teams from the Pac-10 end up playing these guys, who are solid and would probably compete in the middle of at least the weaker BCS conferences.
These schools have done a good job at convincing BCS schools out west to play with them, as they usually offer to travel, and can afford to do so (costwise, bus < plane).
This is the ultimate embarrassment, how can we have pride in a program that schedules crap like this that has alumini laughing at us now. I just think this is another new low after losing the most winable bowl we've played in years. This all sets us back years.
Most winnable bowl game in years? Against a team that was, arguably, the most talented in the nation?
Skid-addle, Sparty.
And while this game is disappointing, it's hardly "the ultimate embarassment". Nearly every school in I-A has now played a I-AA team, and when there were only about 5 teams that we could have scheduled (and they all turned us down), what other choice did we have?
Matt & others. I agree that under normal circumstances, we should never need to schedule IAA. but as I and many others have pointed out above (& Brian too), this is an extreme circumstance that M had very little ability to wiggle out from. they certainly tried. again, considering the circumstances and the fact that ASU > EMU and 10-15 other crappy IA teams, and we have UO & ND, if this is the worst case schedule, I'll certainly take it.
as for UGa: jesus, man M isn't going to accept a 1-1 with UG while ND is on the schedule. it's not about sacking up or all about the weather (since i would assume it would be a night game anyway). maby in 09-10-11. we don't care if we plau UG....it's just another UO, bama/aub/vatech/ TAMU. whatev.
"As for the Cap One bowl comment. Dude. It's not a bojillion degrees with the humidity in January. And it's a neutral site."
I respect your points, PWD. However, let's not insult intelligence by pretending that bowl sites against southern (or west coast) teams are neutral.
PWD - "Georgia will never play Michigan on Dec 3 due to the (slim) chance they could make the SEC Championship Game."
By slim chance, you mean other than the 3 times in the past 5 years that Georgia has played for the SEC Championship and the 2 that we've won it?
No question, 3 out of 5 years is impressive and Georgia has a pretty good QB. But they graduated a bunch of defense and play in the same division as Florida, Fulmer and Spurrier. I think Mark Reicht has his work cut out for him, this year and going forward.
Florida graduates pretty much the entire defense.
Georgia lost to UF by 7 with a freshman QB. Imagine if we had a Heisman winner how close it would've been. (Sarcasm)
We've beaten UT 5 of the past 7 years.
Spurrier is 0-2 vs. UGA since arriving in Columbia.
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