Football 2014: Win at MSU or OSU?

Submitted by Wee-Bey Brice on

There has been much talk about the terrible home slate for football this season and what it means for ticketholders. Team 135 has to take its talents to South Bend, East Lansing and Columbus. While ND is a formiddable opponent, especially at home, I don't think that matchup is the one everyone is concerned about. However, the other two trips are each frightening in their own right. With that being said, I am pretty sure the majority of MGoBloggers are under the impression that there's no way we will win both games. I want to know which win you'd prefer if you had to choose between the two. Which would help you sleep better at night?

A.) Win @ MSU. We've lost 5 of the last 6 and Sparty fans are now rightfully obnoxious at this point in our lives, as opposed to just plain obnoxious in the past. 

B.) Win @ OSU. We've lost 9 of the last 10 and Buckeyes gonna Buckeye. 

p.s. Has it really come to this? Hoping for wins against at least ONE rival? I haz a sad.

Sports

April 28th, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^

As much as it pains me to say this, I agree. I think that we urgently need to reestablish in-state dominance. We can't keep missing out on recruits. Also, with the way last season ended, there is a very real possibility that State could be ranked over OSU in the polls come game time. A victory there could help out Michigan in the long run. 

jdib

April 28th, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^

Need both or Hoke is in trouble. Fans and alums are getting restless.. The RROD years definitely provoked how dire this is.

Come On Down

April 28th, 2014 at 3:32 PM ^

OSU for sure. Winning that game makes the offseason much moe tolerable. Losing to MSU sucks but there's another game the very next week so one doesn't need to linger on it for too long. 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

April 28th, 2014 at 3:36 PM ^

Beating Ohio allows one to ignore any and all provocations from Sparties, safe in the knowledge that we beat our real rival.  It's really one of the top ways to annoy them.

LS And Play

April 28th, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^

I never understood this nonsense that Michigan State is not a real rival. If it's not as sure as hell feels like one. Add to this the desperate hope from this blog that Narduzzi (not even the damn head coach) will leave for (fill in the blank mid-level BCS job), and I don't know how it can be denied. I think the top way to annoy Sparty is to beat them, not beat a different rival.

Reader71

April 28th, 2014 at 3:52 PM ^

You're assuming a primary reason we want to beat Ohio is to anger State fans. Beating Ohio is its own reward. The benefit of just being able to smirk while State fans try to rob you of your satisfaction at beating Ohio is just gravy. I think that's what the OP was referring to.

If we had converted that two-pointer last year, State would have still beaten us, but few of us would have cared. We would be singing team 134's praises all off-season, the plucky little young outfit that beat Ohio and will surely be a great team when the most of them are upperclassmen.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

April 28th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^

Lemme clarify.  You're right, I don't hold with those who say Sparty isn't a rival.  They're a real rival.  I care if we beat them.  But Ohio is the real rival.  

And to be honest, if we beat Sparty enough, they'll just go back to moping.  That'll take a while, admittedly.  But I don't think there's a middle ground between them still talking crap and saying "one win doesn't matter" and the moping.  Besides, "you're not our real rival" is a very effective troll because it both nullifies all the crap they talk and trolls them right back.  If we beat them and not Ohio, we're not gonna go back to Ohio fans going "don't care LOL" like we can if we beat Ohio but not Sparty.

CLord

April 28th, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^

They're really only a "real" rival if the rivalry is semi-balanced and the games are meaningful.  For years the MSU game was middle of season and usually a Michigan win, so calling that a rivalry was about as legit as calling pick up against your lil bro in the driveway a rivalry before heading out to play the rival high school in the district championship.

It's a rivalry now, so in truth we need to win both equally as much.  But if I had to choose one - OSU.  We all know MSU will dip  back down to obscurity soon enough.  Ohio  is a different story.

uncleFred

April 28th, 2014 at 8:36 PM ^

until very recently they spent thirty plus years being an occasionally annoying speed bump on the way to "the game". I get that since 2008 the state game has not gone well, but it takes more that a few good years to create a rivalry. 

Perhaps they have turned the program around in an enduring way so that, over the next three decades, they either pose a real challenge to or even consistently dominate our team. 

The evidence of that is still a way in the future, and I choose to believe that Michigan will right its ship, recruit the needed talent, and build the finest coaching staff to return to dominance.

 

GunnersApe

April 29th, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^

  Team:           W         L       T

Minny            73       24      3 (most W's)

         MSU             68       33     5 (2ed most)

         aOSU           58        46     6 (a rival)

 

Since Minny is rotating off the schedule again It wont be long till MSU becomes "Bottom Bitch". 

denardogasm

April 28th, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^

If we beat one of them we'll have a goo shot against the other. Going one for two and keeping it within a td in the other along with a good overall record will make the season a success for sure.

PeterKlima

April 28th, 2014 at 3:40 PM ^

It is strange you chose 6 years and 10 years as time frames to look at the schools.  You could have just said:

 

Hoke is 1-2 against both current head coaches.  or

UM is 2-5 against Dantonio and 0-2 against Meyer.

 

But, you chose the question in a way to make it seem like we are in the same spot in the two rivalries.  I guess that is what you wanted since you are tryingto make it seem like a hard decision.

 

For me, it is OSU, no doubt and there are a ton of reasons:

1. OSU will likely be the main contendor.  MSU does not have the same consistency.

2. Hoke has not beaten Meyer.

3. Over the last ten years, MSU and UM are 5-5.  OSU has killed us for a long time.

4. The world (and recruits) will notice more.

5.  OSU came into Michigan stadium and beat UM.  There is less payback for MSU since we just lost another road game.  PLus, the way OSU beat us was infuriating.

 

 

Tuebor

April 28th, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^

Hoke's wins against OSU and MSU came against teams that were 3-5 in the conference, and 6-6 overall.  Not inspiring.

 

That being said this thread is like being asked which hand you would prefer be cut off.

PeterKlima

April 28th, 2014 at 4:01 PM ^

That had nothing to do with my point.  Are you trying to make a seperate point that Hoke took advantage of bad MSU and OSU teams? 



Well how about the converse?

 

Dantonio has only ONE win against UM when UM had a winning conference record.  The UM teams he beat had a combined B10 record of 15-25.  Not inspiring....but the Spartans love him

 

Urban has beatn UM teams with acombined record of 9-7.  A little more inspiring. 

 

If you really want to compare Hoke to his counterparts at MSU and OSU, at least be fair about it.  I get the sense you just don't want to be because someone hurt your feelings......awwww....

 

In reply to by PeterKlima

Tuebor

April 28th, 2014 at 4:56 PM ^

For some reason I don't find comfort in the argument that Dantonio and Urban _eyer have only beaten poor Michigan teams. 

BraveWolverine730

April 28th, 2014 at 3:42 PM ^

This is football. Especially now that we're in the same division so there isn't even that consideration.  The answer would be different if you asked who I'd rather beat in basketball. That being said if we want to ever stop being non-Catholic Notre Dame, we need to start beating both of them on somewhat of a consistent basis. 

maize-blue

April 28th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^

MSU for sure. The way I see it, we must be #1 in our own state first. Then we can beat OSU and when that happens we will be #1 in the region. And then #1 in the country, baby steps first.

mGrowOld

April 28th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^

Back in my day we didn't have to choose just one.  Back in the 70's our rivalry win quota was set much higher as their were several years we won BOTH games against MSU & OSU.

But if forced to choose I pick OSU.  I live here and the last decade has been nothing short of miserable.

BlueNation

April 28th, 2014 at 3:57 PM ^

Play MOAR manball and win them all. Run DG on more bootlegs with a run and pass option and teach the offensive line three or four power running plays, toss a fullback in there and get to work. Don't over think football. Being able to gain the old three yards and a cloud of dust will open the PA pass. It will also allow us to control the clock. The other team can't score if they don't have the football.

Callahan

April 28th, 2014 at 3:59 PM ^

I think we have a better shot at OSU right now because of their losses on OL, Hyde and on defense (which wasn't an exceptional defense to begin with). That said, I'm sure OSU will have both positional situations and a reasonably reliable replacement for Hyde figured out by Thanksgiving.

814 East U

April 28th, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^

MSU has already been a bigger rivalry to me personally than OSU. If you are from the state of Michigan you may feel the same (especially if you are younger than 25). Bo and Woody are great and all the history is great too. However, as someone who has their first memories of Michigan football around the '97 season/post '97 MSU has been more of a rivalry. I get that Michigan has dominated rivalries before, but I don't want to go back 20-25 years. What have you done for me lately kind of deal. I don't like to brag about Michigan dominance during a time where I wasn't even born.

Including the '97 season M is 10-7 vs. MSU while M is 5-12 vs. OSU (5-11 if you want to count the vacated win but since I was at that game I remember it well much to my misery).

When we look at the last 10 years the story reads as this:

1-9 vs. OSU, 5-5 vs. MSU, and 6-4 vs. ND. As many have mentioned above...we just need to win some damn games.

MGoLesher

April 28th, 2014 at 4:07 PM ^

In 2007? I would say OSU because we took care of MSU every year. 

Now? MSU all day, every day. I can't take their fans anymore. But wins against both would be a nice suprise! 

Bigwolverinefan

April 28th, 2014 at 4:10 PM ^

Need to beat MSU period...For the first time since the 60's they have a better program than ours. We've always went back and forth with OSU in terms of the victory column.

814 East U

April 28th, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^

except they have dominated the last 15 years and there are no signs that is immediately changing. I understand Michigan has won games before vs. OSU but a lot of Michigan fans/students certainly don't remember those days. 

BayWolves

April 28th, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^

Holy crap payback is in order with wins against both.  The fact that we have lost dominance against them for several years now is something that must end this year or some heads will have to roll.

Still, if I have to choose one and only one this year it would be a victory over Staee. While I really am tired of OSU, the fact that Staee is fielding strong defenses that look like Michigan's used to look means we will lose the battle for top recruits in state (and possibly out as well). I have to see a dominant and convicing win against them this year because last year's loss was absolutely pathetic.