Michigan Can Overtake Notre Dame for Best Winning Percentage this Week

Submitted by rambouhh on

With a Michigan win against Penn State and a ND loss against Duke (probably not likely) Michigan will overtake ND for best all-time winning percentage. 

MGoBoard

doggdetroit

September 19th, 2016 at 6:11 PM ^

Meyer grew up in Ohio. His wife grew up in Ohio. He got his coaching start at OSU. He considers Earle Bruce his biggest coaching mentor. He's on the verge of building Alabama North. He is OSU's Harbaugh. On top of all this, why would he leave for a job (while a good job) that best case is a step down from OSU (a top 3 job)?

Joined: 09/05/2015

MGoPoints: 2337

snarling wolverine

September 19th, 2016 at 6:40 PM ^

I don't know if Meyer would leave them but his ties to OSU aren't as tight as Jim's to us.  He  played at Cincinnati, coached at ND and has gone on the record saying that ND is a "dream job" to him.  His Utah contract had a buyout escape for ND, Michigan and OSU.   He didn't start raving about Earle Bruce until after he took the OSU job.

OSU's version of Harbaugh would be someone like Chris Spielman.  

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98366

doggdetroit

September 19th, 2016 at 7:17 PM ^

I remember when he said ND was his dream job and it was open for him to take. He then promptly took the Florida job because it was a much better job.

Obviously there is no perfect analogy to Harbaugh at Michigan since very few successful college players go on to become successful college coaches at the same school where they played. But I think Meyer and OSU are almost the perfect match all things considered just as Harbaugh and Michigan are the perfect match.

Joined: 09/05/2015

MGoPoints: 2337

Wolfman

September 19th, 2016 at 7:22 PM ^

so I read the entire thread and thought it was bereft of a few very important details. 

Most importantly, imo, is ND tried, unsuccesfully, to hire Meyer at the time he took the Florida job. Now that he has what OP stated as a fact, "The Alabama of the North, he would certainly not take a step backward. While true that most Catholic coaches, especially those that have served on the ND staff, dream about being HC in SB, regardless of religious affiliation, young men growing up in OH dream of being HC at OSU. And as an aside, ND would not pull another "Lou Holtz" clause and drop its admission standards for a few seasons as the "new man has time to build his program." When ND reinstated its traditional standards, Holtz decided it was time to retire and this, not "I don't want to be the one to break Rockne's record," was the real reason. If they had not dropped their standards, we would never have had to watch The Rocket beat us and lose a Detroit kid, "The Bus" to ND." among many others. The standards where he currently is located are on par with Bama and it's a perfect fit for him. he will finish with the highest winning pct since Rockne. 

As to winning pct, one merely needs to look at Kelly's pct at ND - around .700 - I believe, imagine, based on facts what Harbaugh's will be, and it's pretty easy, using that metric, to determine who will, once again, reclaim that particular title. And one poster stated that his ND backers would use the winning pct argument against him and he could not argue with that. However, given that College Footbal Warehouse, in addition to having us listed with the most all-time wins(inarguable), has also determined we hold the all-time toughest SOS. Given those and the fact we are ahead of them in all time head-to-head matches, don't know why he did not fight a little harder. They also stated their benchmark for NCs is the AP final poll but still count the one that UM was given "after the bowl season" due to margin of victory vs. common opponent. So they are not immune to fudging, just like the rest of us. And I still have no idea why ND and MSU finished one, two in 1966 while an Alabama team, led by one Keny Stabler navigated their schedule undefeated in the same year. They allowed 30 pts during the entire season, pitched 7 shutouts, four in a row to end the season and allowed Nebraska all of 7 in the bowl game. Hmmmmmm.. They sent 9 players into the NFL that year, so yeah, they were decent. 

I recall when they were nipping on our heels to overtake us in the mid-70s. Given their less than stellar decisions in regard to coaching hires, under Bo we distanced ourselves nicely and eventually took the winning pct title as well. They recaptured it long enough, due to us making the same mistake. It'll be nice to see us grab it twice and keep distancing ourselves in both wins and pct of same. Yeah, probably this season and from there on we'll just continue to build upon it. 

Joined: 07/23/2008

MGoPoints: 8259