Besides Michigan....
Are there any teams y'all secretly (or maybe not secretly) cheer for on Saturdays?
I have always cheered for Stanford mostly because of respect towards the university as a whole. One of my goals going into my freshman year at Michigan was to go there for grad school after graduating from UofM.
And of course there's the military academies, Westpoint being my favorite. I also used to go to Air Force games when I lived in Colorado Springs. Those were also a great experience.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:14 PM ^
To be honest, I did not even find it hard to pull for USC Saturday. It came very naturally.
September 16th, 2009 at 8:18 PM ^
Same here.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:17 PM ^
I had a slew of USC fans over to cheer on the Wolverines against Notre Dame and I was equally willing to flip and cheer against tOSU when there game came on..
September 14th, 2009 at 6:18 PM ^
East stroudsburg university
September 14th, 2009 at 6:21 PM ^
and I tend to pull for Cal because a close friend went there. I was really hoping the rumor of a home and home with Cal was true.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:25 PM ^
I usually root for coaches, rather than players or schools. It is difficult to get close to players on a "secondary" team during the short time they're there, and I know next to nothing about most other D-1 schools outside the football program.
That said, my two favorite coaches right now are Mike Leach and Paul Johnson. So the Techs - Georgia and Texas - it is.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:26 PM ^
From the time Coach Barnett was there and they beat the Irish in South Bend I've had a grudging admiration for the team. Coach Fitzgerald, I could play for him easy.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:29 PM ^
I went in 2005 and was treated worse than any game I've ever attended in Columbus. NW fans are among the worst. I like Fitzgerald, but I just can get behind a team that plays the douchey wildcat roar all the time.
September 14th, 2009 at 8:15 PM ^
Hmm, really? I grew up a Wildcat fan and attended some games, but obviously that's different than going there as an opposing fan.
Were the students being dbags? I know they like to go the academic route, but our dominance over them in all things athletics and the general dorkiness of their student population usually keeps them at bay.
September 14th, 2009 at 8:16 PM ^
I went there in 2003 and had no problems at all. It helped that Michigan fans were 40-50% of the crowd.
September 14th, 2009 at 11:39 PM ^
I've never been to a game in Evanston, but my father has, and he said the same thing. Ridiculously high percentage of U-M alumni, most of whom live in Chicagoland/MKE/the general vicinity.
September 15th, 2009 at 3:16 AM ^
As someone who lives in Evanston this is hard to believe. First of all, any time UM, Wisconsin, Ohio State, or Iowa come into town, there are way more fans of the opposing team than NW. Unless it's one of their magically good seasons.
Then again maybe they feel salty because UM has (almost) the same academic rep but with 5 billion times the football program, I guess there could be some spite.
And yeah, I want to shoot myself about 10 minutes into any game because of that roar.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:32 PM ^
SEC - Georgia (I like Mark Richt)
Big XII - Oklahoma State (Barry Sanders fan)
Big East - West Virginia (before the RR departure/fiasco I loved the offense
ACC - Florida State (Warrick Dunn)
Pac 10 - Oregon (suffers more key injuries/fuckjobs out of their control than any team in the country
All these teams are distant seconds to Michigan
September 14th, 2009 at 6:36 PM ^
I'm sure that we all have teams that we root for, probably pretty hard, in all of their games unless that win would somehow hurt Michigan.
Some of my "extra teams" are pretty solid, while some are a lot more fluid and can change over the course of 5-6 years. In general though, I'll root for these teams unless I need them to lose to root for U of M.
I should mention that I've never been to a game at any of these stadiums (but I've been to the Motor City Bowl for the last 4 years some of which have featured CMU) and have had little interaction with their fans so my opinion could be greatly swayed if I went to a game and the people will horrible.
| Conference | Team | Notes |
| ACC | Georgia Tech | Mostly because I like Paul Johnson and his offense. |
| BC | I root for them since they're the "other" catholics to ND. | |
| Big East | Cincinnati | This was WVU and would still be except that I didn't exactly like their fans reaction to us (although when Ron English was there I rooted for Louiseville even though I don't really like them). |
| B12 | Texas | Only because they beat USC in 2005 when I really wanted them too (I cheered so hard in the first quarter alone that the blood clot came out from one of my recently removed wisdom teeth). |
| Texas Tech. | Only as long as Mike Leach is there since I like him and his offense (but I don't like it enough to watch 12 Saturdays a year). | |
| Pac10 | UCLA | Only because I want them to suck some of the California talent that USC keeps plucking. |
| Oregon State | I feel kind of bad for them that they don't get Nike to pay for everything like Oregon. They're like MSU in terms of being "Little Brother" but as far as I know their fans don't suck. | |
| SEC | Auburn | I like to think of Auburn as my expert but bumbling assassin- they beat great teams that I want them to beat to help Michigan but then drop easy ones so they're never too much in the MNC race. Plus they got screwed in 2004. |
| Mid-Majors | CMU | A lot of my sister's husband's family went here and I just like them. Generally though, I don't like mid-majors. |
September 14th, 2009 at 6:33 PM ^
I went to college at Texas. Also, they tend to be the good guys (they beat USC, they beat Ohio State, etc.).
September 14th, 2009 at 7:25 PM ^
What about the Rose Bowl when they kicked a FG to beat us.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:38 PM ^
I kinda like USC to be honest... Living out here in LA, Ive been out to their campus a few times for their film school and its impressive and the students are nice... I like Pete Carroll too...
September 14th, 2009 at 6:43 PM ^
Man, I really wanted to "neg" you right there. But, I looked at your avatar and it was okay. Still, I really hate USC and Pete Carroll. I'd say they're probably pretty easily my 4th most hated team (the first 3 are obvious).
So... we're cool Tom. But don't be waving the Trojan flag around me too much or I might have to turn you from tomhagan to sonnycorleone...
September 14th, 2009 at 7:00 PM ^
The campus is in a real bad area. I wouldn't send my kids there even if they offered a full ride. I use to live in Redondo Beach when the Raiders played in the Coliseum and the area left much to be desired.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:30 PM ^
I know many people that go to USC, and you are correct they are nice. The problem is with their alumni, almost everyday I see a car with a customized plate that has something to do with USC.
I recently saw a car with "plyd4sc" and my head asploded.
I would never walk alone at night near the SC campus.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:39 PM ^
Texas Tech and Cincinnati. Love the offense.
September 16th, 2009 at 8:20 PM ^
Big Gilyard fan
September 14th, 2009 at 6:42 PM ^
1) GT because I'm an Atlanta native and they offered me a full ride. Also the only other school with D-I sports that I applied to.
2) UGA because I'm an Atlanta native and most people living in Atlanta in 1980 was a Bulldogs fan.
3) Texas because they give me a similar vibe as Michigan. Also, their logo is pretty cool. And I have a couple good friends that went there.
4) Illinois because, well, my wife and half my friends here in Chicago went there. I'll still crack on them, but I do like them to do well (and, subsequently, lose to Michigan). I was very happy when they beat 'Zona in the NCAA's a few years back and crushed when they lost to UNC.
5) Navy because my brother-in-law is a captain in the Navy (although he was Naval ROTC at Illinois, but still).
September 14th, 2009 at 7:14 PM ^
Hey, I live in ATL. Ya know you can't have it both ways (ie 1 and 2). It's gotta be either Tech or UGA. (Just kiddin btw. :P ).
Curious which team you root for each November when they play?
Due to UGA's success in recent years, I'm naturally more partial to Tech... get tired of the Woof woofing and the proverbial sea of red and black flooding towards Athens on game days.
It'll be interesting a few years down the line to see if Bill Curry can get anything going at Georgia State. They're just starting up a football program there. Eventually, I'm hoping that GSU might be enticing enough keep the Heywards of the world from heading to places like OSU... grrrrrr. Of course, the better solution would be for them to go to M instead. : P
September 14th, 2009 at 6:45 PM ^
grand valley.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:50 PM ^
The way they've been dominating they really should look into moving up to Division I.
This is when I wish football was like European soccer where the top team from the lower division got promoted to the upper division and the bottom teams got demoted to the lower division.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:49 PM ^
Haven't changed my mind from the last three times a thread like this appeared (as recently as last Friday, I believe): Yeshiva University and Slippery Rock.
And it probably won't change the next 48 times someone posts this in the next two weeks!
September 14th, 2009 at 6:48 PM ^
Faber College
September 14th, 2009 at 6:52 PM ^
How could I have forgotten!?! I root for Slippery Rock. But I think we all root for Slippery Rock.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:55 PM ^
After "The Horror" I have morphed into a super-hater and want every single team in America to experience their own "Horror".
Go Blue and F the rest!
September 14th, 2009 at 6:55 PM ^
I am a graduate student at Notre Dame, and although I don't really cheer for the Irish, I do root for players I have had in class (when they're not playing Michigan). Most of them have been really nice kids. Maybe I've just been lucky with who I've gotten in class.
I also cheer for pretty much anybody that plays MSU, OSU, and USC. An ideal result for the OSU-USC game would have been a tie with lots of injuries.
Also, Slippery Rock.
September 14th, 2009 at 8:23 PM ^
Yowza, you attend ND and want a bunch of kids to get injured?
I don't think that was how that post was supposed to go.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:56 PM ^
Furman: "The Burnin' Fur-men"
September 14th, 2009 at 7:01 PM ^
gotta love the U
September 14th, 2009 at 7:39 PM ^
I don't know why you got negged for this. It must be someone that hates thugs that play football.
Their team had many great future NFL players. Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Clinton Portis, DJ Williams, Sean Taylor, Jonathan Vilma, Willis McGahee, Andre Johnson. I know I am missing some, but those names speak for themselves.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:44 PM ^
I wasn't the one that did it (I actually +1'd to even him out), but a little bit of background: he gets negged often for all sorts of meaningless reasons. Some comments just came off really wrong, some he posed as if he was some all knowing insider, some just were wrong (while acting like an all knowing insider).
For other examples of people needlessly negbanged even on good comments, see bouje, Magnus, and occasionally Brodie.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:55 PM ^
this particular one has to do with yesterday's kanye west ordeal.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:56 PM ^
Yeah, I skipped out on that thread. It had ugly written all over it.
September 14th, 2009 at 8:24 PM ^
Bouje and Brodie are the King and Queen of the land of auto-negbanging.
You guys can choose who is who.
September 14th, 2009 at 11:33 PM ^
I'm the queen, obvi.
September 15th, 2009 at 2:57 AM ^
gave +1 as well, but someone still decided to neg him
September 14th, 2009 at 7:08 PM ^
I am an Alum of Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio. They have been Division III National Champs more than I can count. They also have the longest winning streak for any division. Yes, I am originally from Ohio, but I live in Ann Arbor now. My wife has two degrees from Michigan and my two sons-in-law are also U of M grads. Go Blue!
September 14th, 2009 at 7:21 PM ^
Living in Georgia, I get to experience the spectacle that is the SEC.
I don't have a particular favorite, but it's nice to see LSU (Miles) and Auburn (several friends are big fans) win some games. I do like football and they can put on a good show and their fans are quite an experience.
A lot of family went to UVA, so that would be the #2 school, but really at the end of the day....
There is Michigan.... nothing else really matters.....
September 14th, 2009 at 7:34 PM ^
I root for people to post threads like this the following week. I almost never get disappointed, especially during the season.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:44 PM ^
I've had a few #2 teams over the years... Northwestern, West Virginia, Washington and USC to name a few.
But, for the past few years, I've really been following and enjoying Cincinnati. I'd say they're solidly my #2 now.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:45 PM ^
Slippery Rock.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:48 PM ^
No one but Michigan. Games without the winged helmet just don't hold my interest. I'd rather watch the replay of Michigan's game. But on Sunday and Monday, Patriots - to see Brady and other ex-Michigan players.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:50 PM ^
Vanderbilt - They're so different from the rest of the SEC. I'd like to see them succeed.
Washington - I feel bad for their fanbase. Their story is similar to that of our basketball program. They were a power program for a long time, then had NCAA sanctions that forced their coach out, and then they made a series of terrible coaching moves. I hope Sarkisian turns out to be their Beilein.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:59 PM ^
U of the Cumberlands
September 14th, 2009 at 8:03 PM ^
Virginia Tech