Holy Pants, It's A Real Opponent

Washington State is a good choice if we dare go back to the West Coast for the return game. It would be at Qwest Field in Seattle, where Wazzu is playing approx one game a year now in Sept.

One thing to keep in mind for Cal is that they are finally beginning their own stadium renovations. So a home and home may not only be used to premier Michigan's renovations, it may also serve to unveil Cal's renovations down the road.

Cal's project has been controversial, so it may not be done in time for 2011.

I know we had an historic matchup with them in the past but have any of you watched any of the Al Groh coached teams play?? AWFUL!

They always finish somewhere between 5-7 and 7-5 and would be a "lose-lose" situation. We win, they finish 6-6 in the weak ACC and it does not help our strength of schedule at all. We win, and Groh blows 6 other games to make that loss look awful.

Cal would be the best option from this list. You have to figure they will go at least 8-4 (Who could they lose to in conference other than USC and Oregon?) and the PAC-10 is viewed with more respect nationally than the ACC.

My money is on Pitt, a home-and-home with the PGH game being a Saturday nighter, and a larger-than-normal appropriation of tickets for the visiting teams. I have no reason for this except guesswork; who cares about Brian's merciless logic?

If we play Alabama, that will make GERGG Easterbrook so excited for the WEASEL BOWL 2010!!!

From a recruiting perspective, getting out to California and have some of the most talented high schoolers in the country could only help land a prospect or two from out there. Going into Big 12 and SEC country in Oklahoma seems less likely to result in M landing more recruits.

I would love to see a home and home with California. Out of the three teams that were listed as the most probable Cal is really the best team. Oklahoma State is going to lose all their best players after this year and Virginia really isn't anything special even though the 95 game was amazing.

Maybe Bill Martin is looking at a deal where he plays one game at the Big House and one at a neutral site in which they'd be the 'road' team. I'd love to see Michigan in the Meadowlands or something along those lines.

On the Georgia debunking: Why would the return game have to be in 2011? Couldn't it be in 2012? That wouldn't work so well for Michigan (@ ND and @ UGA in the same year), but it would work.

1) Cal with Jahvid Best
2) Arkansas
3) Pitt
4) ok st. because most of their ten best players according to this preview:
http://cfn.scout.com/2/872672.html

will be gone

Virginia - Not likely seeing that UVA is scheduled to play at Southern Cal on 9-11-2010. The odds of the Cavaliers starting the season playing back-to-back road games against UM and USC are virtually nil.

California - Their current 2010 schedule has Cal opening with two home games--Louisiana Tech (9/4) and Colorado (9/11). You might be able to move the game against LaTech, but I also doubt the Golden Bears are going to start the season with a road game at Michigan followed by a game against Colorado. In 2011, Cal plays at Colorado on 9/10. In 2012/13, they have a home-and-home with Ohio State.

Oklahoma State - There certainly are openings on the Cowboys non-conference schedule in 2010 (Troy, Tulsa) and 2011 (at Tulsa). They've also upped their non-confernce schedule recently with games at Georgia (2007) and at Washington State (2008). OkState opens the 2009 season at home in Stillwater against Georgia.

Arkansas - The Razorbacks has a scheduled series with Texas A&M in 2010 and 2011. The game will be played in Dallas, TX. I find it highly unlikely that an SEC team would schedule both Michigan and Texas A&M in the same seasons when you have LSU, Auburn, and Alabama also on the schedule.

South Carolina - The other USC's 2010 schedule has Troy (9/4) and North Carolina (9/18) on it. As Funky mentioned, the Troy game would have to be moved to accomodate a game in Ann Arbor, but I don't think that's happening. Troy is a classic first-game, warm-up opponent and UNC's program has gotten markedly better under Butch Davis. Add in the SEC East (Georgia, Florida, Tennessee) on the schedule and I have a hard time envisioning Spurrier coming to Ann Arbor with the Gamecocks.

Oregon State - Funky thinks this unlikely, but there's a possibility there. The Beavers do have a home game against Louisville (9/18) and then they play at Boise State (9/25). The scenario here would have the Beavers playing the Wolverines on 9/4 in Ann Arbor, getting a bye week, then playing Louisville, etc.. With five home Pac 10 games, that means Oregon State would have six total in Corvallis. I also understand the Oregon State AD has ties to Michigan, and they did play at Penn State las year. Oregon State has a game at Wisconsin (9/10) in 2011.

Pittsburgh - Not likely to happen. As Funky mentions, Pitt has Miami-Florida and Notre Dame on their 2010 non-conference schedule. In 2011, Pitt plays at Iowa (9/3), Buffalo (9/17) and Notre Dame (9/24). On 9/10/2011, Michigan is scheduled to play ND in Ann Arbor--that's a scheduling conflict right there which drops Pitt from contention.

North Carolina State - As Funky mentions, they have a home-and-home series with Cincinnati for the open Saturdays of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Would they try to change that arrangement with UC in order to get a home-and-home with Michigan? Possible, but not on a high order or likelihood.

Among the teams mentioned above, Oklahoma State looks like the most probable candidate. Other thoughts:

Duke has a home game with Alabama on 9-18-2010. Would the Blue Devils want to open the season at Michigan and then play 'Bama two weeks later? I doubt it.

Baylor has a home-and-home series with TCU and is scheduled to open the season with them in 2010 and 2011. Not likely to change that.

Maryland has a home-and-home series with West Virginia in 2010 and 2011. Again-- Maryland is not likely to play both Michigan and West Virginia in the same season.

Washington State is a possibility in that they have open dates on their 2010 and 2011 schedules. Mississippi State, OTOH, has three of its four non-confernce oppoents lined up (UAB, Memphis, Tulne/Houston) for 2010 and 2011. MiSU not likely.

I am surprised that with Arkansas on the list of possibilities nobody has mentioned that they would in all likelihood be led by a certain ex UM qb. Is this a good thing or a bad thing. I am also very curious- as if anyone could possibility know - would the situation make it more likely or less likely to happen.

Tradition, pac10/big10 and a pretty equal team. I think it would draw a lot of national attention. Oklahoma state would be kinda "meh" in my opinion. Virginia would be great but I would personally still like to see Cal. Going to Cal would also be more exciting than Virginia. Either way next year is going to be one of the most exciting years in a while.

Here's why:
1) b/c Big10+Pac10=4EVER. 'nuff said.
2) b/c, IIRC, ~ 10 yrs ago, UM and Cal signed a contract to play 5 games -- 3 @ UM, 2 @ Cal -- starting in 2008 or so. Said contract was later cxl'd, obv'ly, but may be resurrected now?
3) We haven't had a Pac-10 team as regular season opponent in a few years; we're due.
4) OK, pure speculation, but Google co-founder Larry Page (UM and Stanford alum) pro'ly personally paying for UM to beat stuffing out of Cal? Nah...

But I have very good memories from the last Michigan/Virginia game. It was so freakin hot I thought about leaving in the 4th quarter. Soooooooo glad I stayed. Of course, the return trip to Virginia wouldn't be as fun.....

Here's another vote for Cal. It's a natural choice - a solid program from another terrific public university, from a conference that we have a long history with, and to boot, they share our color scheme. Let's make it happen.

is that the Home and Home is with UConn.

Don't bother tipping your cap to Bill. He got forced into this or we'd be playing Madonna University. His scheduling has lead to disaster for Michigan.

...but in this day and age I just can't see Michigan traveling to Stillwater, Oklahoma for a football game. And to imagine a trip to Virginia, I have to squint really hard. I would think that of the ones Brian lists, Cal and Arkansas are the only likely possibilities for a home and home.

LSU would be the most exciting by far.

Duke and UCLA. Big wins such as these help put Michigan Basketball back on the radar and has helped recruiting. This is a statement game for Michigan's Football Program-I can't wait. A tip of the cap to Mr. Martin is in order-well done skipper.

I'll be the sole vote for NC State so I can see them in Raleigh in 2011 (or whenever). I'm still disappointed the Michigan-North Carolina match-up never happened. It showed up on the long range schedule ~1999 for 2009-2010, but then disappeared ~2001. Anybody know why it was cancelled? I'd love to see UM crush the Wolfpack.

This reminds me of choosing Prom dates, except with a little more bloodshed.

I realize that these are the most likely schools based on the current schedules but I suspect we might be in for a surprise. This is partly wishful thinking but with the opening of the renovated big house and UM agreeing to a home and home, I personally would like to see a traditional power. It would not be out of the question for a Nebraska or Texas etc., to change a game to accomodate a huge nationally televised game.

Oklahoma State would be interesting, the Fighting T. Boone Pickenses have been a decent team and it would be a new opponent. We don't seem to ever really play any of the Big 12 teams in OOC games, the only time we ever see them is in Alamo Bowls.

Both Cal and OK St. seem like attractive options. They are respectable opponents and located in recruiting hot beds where Michigan would like positive publicity. (Thank you recent Rose Bowl performances)

Pac-10 teams are well known for playing tough non-conference schedules. Big XII teams ... not so much. Cal also has a history of series with Big Ten teams (MSU and Minnesota recently).

"A nouveau riche looking for a big scalp" is probably the best thing for Okie State. I'd love to see Michigan in their awesome stadium (compliments of T. Boone.) However ,Okie State does not look to be as good next year or in the foreseeable future, as all their stars are NFL-bound (probably) after this year. As an OU fan I hate the T. Boones, I mean Cowboys and I'd love to see Michigan run over, around, and through their flimsy defense any day.

Cal would be cool too.

Hell yes! I cannot wait for the press release on the actual opponent

A lot of talk about games with Virginia and Cal as being "amazing" or "awesome". These are fine games, but let's not get too overboard. Games with LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, USC, V. Tech, Florida St. These would be amazing. Cal is pretty good but don't have the tradition behind it. We should bazooka Virginia off the map when we are up and running. Mich-Vir is not going to get the 8:00 ABC time slot it is not amazing.