Goodbye, Irish
![8013853601_cc06a300f6_z[1]](https://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/Goodbye-Irish_99C2/8013853601_cc06a300f6_z1.jpg "8013853601_cc06a300f6_z[1]")
Upchurch
AP reporter Larry Lage is, uh, reporting that ND is taking the money and running:
#NotreDame has notified#Michigan it is exercising a 3-year out in their contract, meaning their last scheduled game will be in 2014.
This is good news for insane people who hate easy road trips and competitive games with glitz disproportionate to the teams participating recently. For me, it is sad. Maybe they'll patch it up at some point in the future.
Michigan now has to scramble for a legit opponent in 2015 and 2016, but at least they can go into that looking for someone who wants a home game in odd-numbered years to help offset the Nebraska/OSU games.
All of this is the Longhorn Network's fault, of course.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:05 AM ^
ND is putting the brakes on one of college football's great rivalries.
EDIT: But now they'll have more room for games against Navy and their ACC pals.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:18 AM ^
At least there's a reason for Navy:
Despite the one-sided result the last few decades, most Notre Dame and Navy fans consider the series a sacred tradition for historical reasons. Both schools have strong football traditions going back to the beginnings of the sport. Notre Dame, like many colleges, faced severe financial difficulties during World War II. The US Navy made Notre Dame a training center and paid enough for usage of the facilities to keep the University afloat. Notre Dame has since extended an open invitation for Navy to play the Fighting Irish in football and considers the game annual repayment on a debt of honor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_Fighting_Irish_football_rivalries
September 25th, 2012 at 11:23 AM ^
True, but Michigan taught ND how to play football. Michigan went to South Bend and spanked the Irish in ND's very first game.
I don't have anything against the service acadamies, but they're basically cupcakes 90% of the time.
September 25th, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^
The issue is that we don't have any other rivalries outside of the Big10, not really. Teams that we used to play a lot include Navy, Penn, and very few other teams have we even played more than 10 games against. Look at this list.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/042109aaa.html
If we wanted to continue any old series we would be looking at a few FCS teams in the Ivy league. Otherwise I think we should look to the SEC for a team to play.
September 25th, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^
we need to fix that record of 0-1
although as a result of that game, we got the John Cooper era in Ohio!
September 25th, 2012 at 1:33 PM ^
I'm all in favor of scheduling a game with Princeton. Both teams were coached by Fritz Crisler and both now where the winged helmets... although Princeton's are a gross orange and black.
September 25th, 2012 at 3:40 PM ^
My nephew starts on the Princeton football team (he was recruited by tOSU, huge kid). He loves it there but admits that Princeton plays terrible football even by Ivy standards. Princeton's endowment trumps ours by a multiple, so the school doesn't need the money. We need to choose a different baby harp seal to club, of course I would rather see us challenge a top team and win.
September 25th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
...I'm all for joining the Ivy League at this point. Big money college football is really beginning to grind me down.
September 25th, 2012 at 7:25 PM ^
We've played ND 40 times. More significantly, we've played them 29 times in the last 35 seasons.
September 25th, 2012 at 12:14 PM ^
To hell with NBC, ACC, BCS, Notre Dame.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:04 AM ^
Fuck the Irish!
September 25th, 2012 at 11:12 AM ^
Clap clap clapclapclap!
September 25th, 2012 at 11:20 AM ^
Fuck the I-rish!
September 25th, 2012 at 11:07 AM ^
September 25th, 2012 at 12:07 PM ^
Yet I'm sure you'll beat your chest loudly about how Michigan never backs down from anybody, any time, any place.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:07 AM ^
But the ND strategy of West Coast (USC, Stanford), East Coast (ACC), and Midwest games (I assume they'll keep Purdue and MSU) is a wise one.
We'd do well to replicate it insofar as we can with one game. Our OOC schedule has to be populated with home games, but for the replacement of ND I'd love a home-and-home series with Florida. Get exposure down there and connect with all the Michigan transplants.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:10 AM ^
I'd love to rotate between games out west and down south, Florida would be a cool game. Ideally, I'd love to see the ND game cycle two years on and two off, with a big name SEC or Pac-12 home-and-home in the off years.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^
Agreed. We should replace ND with quality opponents. Playing home-and-home series with SEC and PAC12 teams would be great.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:45 AM ^
I'd like to see Michigan schedule games against good football schools who are also great academically (sort of like Northwestern has done with their games against Duke and Vanderbilt, except also good football schools). This would be a way to get national exposure, but also to highlight Michigan's relatively unique ability to be great academically and athletically. Who would object to playing 1-2 games a year against schools like Texas, Stanford, UCLA, and Cal? We could throw in Vanderbilt, BC, Virginia, or UNC if we already have a couple tough nonconference games in a given year.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:09 AM ^
September 25th, 2012 at 11:09 AM ^
This is just a three year break in a much longer deal, correct?
September 25th, 2012 at 11:16 AM ^
They were already going to take a break after 2017. This seems to break things off indefinitely after 2014.
September 25th, 2012 at 12:42 PM ^
Michigan and ND are good for each other. I'll miss seeing the Wolverines play them.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:16 AM ^
September 25th, 2012 at 11:21 AM ^
If you mean teams like Air Force or San Diego, I'm sorrta halfway with you - but if you think "Eastern Michigan Week" sounds exciting, then I have to disagree with you.
Frankly I don't care that much about being undefeated anymore. What I want to watch is good football. This fall schedule, across college football, has been full of crud. If Michigan were to schedule all non-major conference teams for a preseason, well, I can find better things to do with early fall Saturday afternoons.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:37 AM ^
September 25th, 2012 at 11:42 AM ^
There are replays of last year's Notre Dame game?
September 25th, 2012 at 11:51 AM ^
Hedonist.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:56 AM ^
September 25th, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^
You have the right to your opinion, but you sound like someone I would hate. What is the point of an athletic competition if there is no doubt in the outcome of the game? So you would like to join the MAC and play every game as a 25pt favorite. Just enough to provide some resisitance but not enough that they would ever scare you.
You fix U8 girls soccer drafts so you can win games 16-0
You play the kids on your block in basketball and "Pack their weak shit" into the neighbors flowers.
The beauty of the win is in the struggle not the win. Anyone can schedule a win.
They show replays of 1997 Mich-OSU games on BTN and not Mich-Ind from 2001 for a reason.
September 25th, 2012 at 12:42 PM ^
Wholeheartedly agree. Spent years wishing we could play a team in the regular season in 'Bamas position, and was thrilled we did despite the pasting. We have the money, tradition, academics, facilities and other requirements neccessary to field a team that should consistently be one of the national elite, I'd rather know where we stand right away so we can set appropriate expectations and start fixing it rather than face another string of multi-year top-bowl showings where we get creamed by someone who turns out to be a much higher quality opponent.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:33 AM ^
I am not upset about this. I feel like ND benefits far more from this game than Michigan does. I hate that they have refused to join a conference and duped NBC into that ridiculous contract, and our playing them only aids in their rogue mentality. We could go out and find other teams that are nationally respected on a similar level if we really wanted to.
September 25th, 2012 at 1:29 PM ^
I'm one of those insane people that are not sad about it but not because I think ND benefits more from the rivalry than Michigan does. I'm fine with it because, personally, I'm sick of Notre Dame. The rivalry feels old and washed up to me. It was in its glory years back in the 90s but since then it just hasn't been the same for various reasons. I'd rather see other teams, whether it be the start of a new rivalry or regular opponent or one-offs here and there. Maybe distance from ND will make the heart grow fonder.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:36 AM ^
at a bad time though. This year is going to do intermediate term damage to the perception of the Big Ten, even more so than before. Michigan in particular, has some pretty major damage control to do in the next couple of years to restore any belief that the program is a real player. Granted, winning out and winning the Rose Bowl this year would take care of things, but........ Unless such miracles are before us, there are going to have to be big time programs on our schedule to play and beat to restore the national perception in the program to be in the conversation for that playoff. If the rest of this season is as embarrassing for the Big Ten as the beginning has been, I think it could be entirely possible that an undefeated Big Ten team does not see that playoff. Like or not, in the conference pecking order, the Big Ten is looking up at the ACC right now, especially considering Penn State's future.
This place on the schedule cannot be filled by East Nowhere State, and I'm afraid the Oregon States of the world may not do either (considering Michigan State is home and homeing it with the likes of Alabama and Oregon). Brandon has to come strong with an opponent to fill this.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:40 AM ^
"considering Michigan State is home and homeing it with the likes of Alabama and Oregon"
...and will probably get their taints handed to them by both.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:45 AM ^
September 25th, 2012 at 11:52 AM ^
While way less fun as a fan, playing cupcakes is solid way to increase the chances of getting into the BCS championship game/playoff. Once the 4 team playoff starts, an undefeated B1G champion will get a spot every time.
September 25th, 2012 at 6:25 PM ^
i'd much rather play an interesting game and lose once in a while than win a championship by playing cupcakes.
September 25th, 2012 at 7:59 PM ^
It's not the undefeated season I'm woried about. It's the one-loss season where we trip up to a middle of the pack B1G team. We risk getting shut out those years if our schedule and the B1G are percieved as weak.
This is exactly what would have happened to Wisconsin last year if there was a 4 team playoff. They would have gotten left behind for Alabama, LSU, OK State, and Oregon/Stanford. Their weak schedule and the B1G's poor reputation would have done them in.
September 25th, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
And Florida State has consistently set sky-high expectations which evaporate once they face real talent. All said, I'd much rather be an Alabama, USC, or LSU than a Florida State or Boise State.
September 25th, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
I think everybody would rather be Alabama, USC or LSU including Florida State or Boise. But frankly, very few programs can become Alabama US or LSU. I'm still not entirely convinced UM can attain that level. It's possible, but we have inherant roadblocks to acheiving this.
September 25th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
how many of those programs (including FSU back when they were actually good) were that good for that long with no hint of scandal? They all mostly got hammered, or if they're more current, have stink all over them. There aren't too many examples of dynasties in recent college football that didn't = cheating.
September 25th, 2012 at 2:11 PM ^
As long as Michigan insists on doing things the right way, it's unlikely that the football team will ever have a multi-year run of dominance the way that USC, Miami, Alabama, etc have had. The reality of big time college football is that the best teams are inevitably at the avant-garde of bending the rules if not outright cheating.
This is why I have no interests in national championships (and whatever playoff is attached to it) and would rather have Michigan continue in the traditional route of going to (and typically losing) the Rose Bowl.
September 25th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^
I don't like creampuff games and I will simply not attend them. I have missed two home games in the last ten years....Delaware State and UMass. If I am going to invest my time going to college football games, I would rather watch a well played game to a very good opponent, even if we lose, than spend an afternoon running up 70 points against a team that is just filling space.
My hope is that in a couple of year, we will have the depth of personnel to go against anybody.
As for ND, fuck them. I wonder if DB had any notice that this was coming.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:12 AM ^
I'd like a home and home with them once a decade or so, but ND has used the B1G to fill their schedule for years....all the while spurning our overatures to have them join in the most public ways possible. Now they have a different conference schedule filler so good for them, but no B1G team should schedule them after the first conference game is played.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:13 AM ^
I'd like to still play them every once in a while, but I'm not going to miss playing this game on an annual basis. Right now, we have almost no flexibility in our OOC schedule, becauase we still have to assume that ND is going to be a tough game. That means that if we schedule Alabama, we are potentially setting ourselves up for a really rough year. 2015 is also a good example of this. In addition to ND, we are playing two PAC 10 teams. Those teams could suck, but they could also be 8-9 win, quality teams that could beat us.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^
September 25th, 2012 at 11:18 AM ^
I agree we'll be good. But I kinda want at least two tomato cans per year. In 2015, we've only got one (unless Oregon State reverts to 3-9 suckage, which could happen).
September 25th, 2012 at 12:47 PM ^
Do you not remember 2007? We were supposed to be really good.
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