Rolling Stone article on Harbaugh and Meyer: "The Big Ten's Big Two"
Steve Greenberg has an excellent article out today in Rolling Stone about the Michigan - OSU rivalry and their respective coaches. He heaps praise (and rightly so) on Urban Meyer and says Michigan might not turn the tables this year, but nobody should count out the Wolverines in the coming years with Jim Harbaugh leading the charge:
He's aligned against perhaps the finest coach in all of college football – 1? 1A? What's the difference? – yet bent on shoving the Buckeyes' recent dominance in the rivalry into the abyss. Doubt this maelstrom of a man at your own peril.
But I see nothing wrong with this comment. Not sure why people are so offended other than he's got ties to Michigan and the comment is not kissing his ass.
Everything stated was true. They still won, and props to them, but that doesn't mean it wasn't with 2 losses and against a very "meh" championship level opponent.
And the two losses were to unranked teams
I don't see how you can slurp Dantonio and then turn around and say LSU only won because all the stars aligned...
August 4th, 2015 at 10:21 AM ^
August 4th, 2015 at 10:58 AM ^
EDIT: I'll admit, I'm feeling a little saucy this morning and am a Les Miles fan, and my reply was needlessly provocative. However, I do think that was extremely dismissive. 2007 was a crazy year and someone had to be the last team standing. LSU did so because they were the best team that year. Who was better? The Missouri team decisively beaten by Oklahoma twice? The WVU team who couldn't beat a bad Pitt team at home? Yeah I know White got hurt, but...9 points?
I'll be the first to give Dantonio props as a solid coach, I just think external circumstances have benefited Sparty's "rise" as much or more as they helped LSU in 2007.
August 4th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
What external circumstances? Michigan self-imploding? That argument holds up if Sparty craps the bed in big match-ups vs. OSU, Baylor, Stanford, Georgia, etc. But they didn't. Pointing that out is not "slurping" anybody. It's simply not putting my head in the sand.
August 4th, 2015 at 11:08 AM ^
You seem to be more of an MSU / Rich Rod fan than a Michigan fan.
Never a positive word about Michigan, only our rivals and former HC.
August 4th, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
Not even going to dignify that garbage.
August 4th, 2015 at 11:44 AM ^
it's true.
August 4th, 2015 at 11:54 AM ^
Spoken like a child on the playground.
August 4th, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^
You're the mature grown-up amongst all us children. I'll notice that you didn't dispute my assertion.
Is this Drew Sharp's account?
August 4th, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
You're right, it isn't "slurping", which is why I admitted that reply was more forceful than it needed to be. But it wasn't just Michigan's implosion. Yeah, Sparty has won some tight games with good teams. Which is why I admit Dantonio is a solid coach and has built a decent program. I just don't think they're elite. When I look at the "run" of 2010-14, to me there are a lot of narrow escapes against good teams, improbable comebacks, miracle plays, and decisive losses at the hands of the truly elite (Alabama 2010, Oregon and Ohio State last year). Avoiding Ohio State in 2009 and 2010 and then getting the Luke Fickell tire fire in 2011 helped perceptions. They avoided them during the regular season again in 2013, and yes, while the win in Indy looked good, lightning does end up in a bottle once in a while. I suspect the 2014 game will be more representative going forward. If State goes down to Columbus and wins this fall, I shall willingly stand corrected.
August 4th, 2015 at 12:27 PM ^
They avoided them during the regular season again in 2013, and yes, while the win in Indy looked good, lightning does end up in a bottle once in a while.Well, MSU gets to win a conference title and play in the Rose Bowl once every 30 years. It's in the Big Ten bylaws.
August 4th, 2015 at 10:10 AM ^
/s
I think we'll see how accurate the Les Miles ranking is now that Chavis went to another school. I'm betting that LSU crashes and burns without him heading the defense.
August 4th, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^
August 4th, 2015 at 11:28 AM ^
and disrespect he feels MSU continues to receive, Dantonio has made good on one promise he made after the Little Brother loss, and that is his determination to see the pendulum swing, which it has under his Spartan leadership. I give Dantonio credit for that
I used to berate MSU's record based on its lack of Rose Bowl appearances and conference titles. But Dantonio has changed that and the mindset even if he continues to play the no-respect card at every media shuffle. The difference is, he has results to back up his complaint that while succeeding, his team still doesn't get the attention that it truly deserves. He can go on using that motivation forever, because not in his lifetime is that pendulum gonna swing back from Michigan to MSU, especially now that Harbaugh is here.
But I have to say Dantonio has moved the Spartan program forward way beyond what I thought was likely when hired. By contrast, Michigan has seen its success recede in recent years, and now is on its third head coach in the Dantonio era. That my friends is the coup de grace when it comes to acknowledgement of superiority in program success and stability, regardless of record. And I used to hammer that point home in talking about Sparty football failure in the past. No more. Dantonio has changed that tune as well.
Look, sometimes you just got to acknowledge that your rival has gotten the best of you even when you hate to admit that it has. And that's why beating this team is so much sweeter than it has ever been. And I look forward to two games more than any other on the schedule.
And we are now back to a period in time where the results of these encounters will far transcend state and conference feelings because the status of these contests are elevated to a national stage because of the coaches involved. The whole college football world will be watching. And whether you respect Dantonio's role in reshaping the Spartan image, he has had a hand in bringing the prodigal son back to Michigan to recharge the program, and reimagine the history of this family feud.
August 4th, 2015 at 12:33 PM ^
Really good post. Fair and measured. I will point out that Dantonio moving the program forward more than any of us expected is directly related to Michigan turning into a clown show. Had we hired Jim Harbaugh back in 2011 when we were running Rodriguez out of town, things probably would've turned out very differently for MSU. But, alas, we had Dave Brandon running things and we got Hoke instead and Dantonio was afforded 4 more years to further build his program. Now it will be tougher to knock them off their perch.
I will also point out that nobody here is suggesting that MSU hasn't gotten the best of us recently. Clearly that's been the case. The issue being debated is really how much credit for that goes to Dantonio's ability as a head coach versus Michigan being lead by imbeciles.
The problem with these kinds of rankings is that you're going by career achievements. Les Miles has had a nice career but I don't think he's a top 5 coach right now, and I'd say the same for Stoops.
Harbaugh's won big at San Diego, Stanford and the 49ers. He's the only college coach who has been a success in the pros. Only Meyer and Saban can be ranked ahead of him IMO.
August 4th, 2015 at 12:54 AM ^
A handful of rankings I seen mainly use the argument that Dantonio has built a consistent "powerhouse" from a historical "dumpster fire." As mentioned before, MSU has only had 5 seasons with 10 wins in its history, and Dantonio is responsible for 4 of them.
Stoops, Miles and Fisher either took over a high-functioning program or a historic blueblood.
For the record, my top-5 are probably:
1. Urban Meyer
2. Nick Saban
3. Bob Stoops
4. Mark Dantonio
5. Gary Patterson or Jimbo Fisher
He's not better than Saban or Meyer, but he might have pulled off the greatest coaching job of all time. What he's done at K-State in 2 stints is nothing short of miraculous.
You want to talk about a shit show? That was K-State football pre-Snyder.
And Fisher is not in the top 5. Sorry.
August 4th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ^
August 4th, 2015 at 12:00 AM ^
It's funny you should post that photo. Guess where I found out about the Rolling Stone article? Yes, on RCMB. As Michigan fans we're grateful and hopeful for the future with Harbaugh at the helm. But if you want to see a fanbase truly obsessed with him, following every last story, photo, tweet, or mention of him, you have to turn to Staee fans.
August 4th, 2015 at 12:46 AM ^
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August 4th, 2015 at 12:49 AM ^
Another opportunity for Dantonio's team to play with a chip on their shoulders?
"Someone pass me my chips"
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:52 PM ^
/mork'd
August 4th, 2015 at 12:13 AM ^
August 4th, 2015 at 12:16 AM ^
I know State fans well living in East Lansing. Their fans were always terrible even when they had Bobby Williams or JLS. They poked and prodded us when we lost to App State while their coach called for a moment of silence and then threw a hissy fit when we beat them and called them our little brother. The more they talk about Harbaugh, the more nervous they actually are.
August 4th, 2015 at 10:07 AM ^
What I've been saying for years. I could tolerate Dantonio and that awful fanbase so much more if they'd drop the "victim" shit.
August 4th, 2015 at 12:37 AM ^
Which is why you shouldn't read RCMB
August 4th, 2015 at 12:50 AM ^
Anyone else find it odd that this post is about Meyer/Harbaugh and all the comments are about Dantanio and how obsessed MSU is with us? Seems the other way around to me.
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In this thread, yes, which is a bit of an aberration. Then again, I really doubt this thread will last more than 24 hours. To come close to a similar obsession, we'd have to discuss Dantonio day after day for months on end. It could happen, but I really doubt it.
The difference is the amount we talk about them. We're going to talk about Dantonio or Urban Meyer since they are rivals but the majority of what we talk about is Harbaugh. The top RCMB posts are all about what Harbaugh's up to with rate my mother-in-law's tits following close behind.
I rarely go on there anymore. The few times I've visited that site, the topics have always been the same. Michigan and scantily clad women.
So in making a case in the argument over which side of the MSU / U of M rivalry spends more time obsessing over the other, you're advocating not presenting any quantifiable data to support a point? That's also not a great tact for driving home your point.
Of the 15 topics currently on the board, none are directly related to MSU. The Top 15 on RCMB has no less than 3 that relate to Michigan. In early August. Clicking over there to confirm that piece of data does not make me obsessed with MSU. It does make your argument a bit of a strawman though.
August 4th, 2015 at 11:49 AM ^
Why are they rating your mother in law's tits, is she famous? Did you post her tit pics for rating purposes? And no offense, but how are they???
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