OT: Create a rivalry with Michigan Football (Hypothetically)

Submitted by StateStreetBlue on

What team would everybody choose to be a significant rival with Michigan Football over the next 25+ years (home and home games). Why?

I'd choose: Texas

It'd be two traditional powerhouses, Austin is a great city to visit, and there would be a cool factor of Southerns vs Northerners.

Humen

April 21st, 2015 at 2:22 PM ^

Football Club Barcelona.

I don't follow soccer, but now that MSU is recruiting nationally, I think we ought to recruit internationally. 

Cali Wolverine

April 21st, 2015 at 4:43 PM ^

...they are both the little brothers. USC had sanctions, Michigan had RichRod/Hoke...both disasters allowing the little brothers to temporarily have the upper hand. So having two little brothers with an attitude on schedule would be great, but I would rather measure up against the big brother....that and because I have USC season tickets.

rob f

April 22nd, 2015 at 6:16 AM ^

same time zone. Better to go south than out west, as we historically haven't fared well when traveling 3 time zones.

Although I would prefer playing Georgia in a potential rivalry if it were to be an SEC team, this UT already has some "hate factor" built in, too.

Perkis-Size Me

April 21st, 2015 at 2:37 PM ^

USC

Avenge the painful losses we suffered at the hands of Pete Carroll. And who honestly wouldn't love taking a trip to southern California every other year?

Two of the most storied programs in the country to boot.

club2230

April 21st, 2015 at 2:40 PM ^

I'd like to see a lot of different teams in the non-conference, so creating rivalries there will be difficult.  Amongst Big Ten teams I'd like to see a Nebraska rivalry develop.

As far as out of conference teams go, Texas would be my number one choice.  They are a big historic program not on the west coast.  Other thoughts are FSU, Alabama, or LSU. 

To the OP, I really don't like the southerners vs northerners thing.  I just don't see cultural rivalries being a good thing.

StateStreetBlue

April 21st, 2015 at 2:54 PM ^

 

To the OP, I really don't like the southerners vs northerners thing. I just don't see cultural rivalries being a good thing.

I just think that it would be a cool cultural clash and in no way meant this in a negative way. I grew up in the Mid Atlantic region, went to Michigan, and now live in the deep South. I just find the traditions and practices of each region to be cool in their own way. Imagine the Big House scattered with some southern girls in dresses and cowboy boots!

 

 

The Mad Hatter

April 21st, 2015 at 2:43 PM ^

I say we should have a home and home with the Oakland Raiders.  That team is awful.  We should be able to beat them at least once.

 

But fo real dough, I like the Texas idea.  Although, I'd have liked to see Texas added to the B1G instead of Maryland or Rutgers.

StephenRKass

April 21st, 2015 at 2:45 PM ^

I can't remember where I read it, but I think John U. Bacon talked about the screw ups under Dave Brandon as regards the Notre Dame rivalry scheduling. While I'd certainly be fine with UCLA or Stanford, and definitely Texas, I think ND is the natural rivalry. We are in the same footprint, which I believe helps. We have a stronger rivalry with Ohio State, Michigan State, and Penn State, partially because they are close.

  • ND is closer to Michigan academically than OSU or MSU or PSU.
  • ND football has had some success over the years.
  • ND is within a 3 - 4 hour drive of Ann Arbor.
  • ND and Michigan have a history of games, especially over the last 25 years.
  • I have heard more ND hatred on this board for any team other than OSU and MSU.

If what Brandon said is true, we won't be able to get ND on the schedule for a while. But if we could get them back on, I think it'd be awesome. Having a home night game with ND makes sense, and isn't a problem. It neatly solves some of the night game discussions.

CRISPed in the DIAG

April 21st, 2015 at 4:48 PM ^

I agree with everything you said.  But ND views its footprint as national.  Like its some sort of accident TD Jeezus was plopped down in Northern Indiana.  They variously imagine themselves on one of the coasts. IIRC, this is part of the rationale for dumping our game.

Yostbound and Down

April 21st, 2015 at 5:03 PM ^

They were national, at least to a large extent back in the day. They had the connection to the West Coast through the USC rivalry and to the East Coast through the large Irish Catholic populations that they marketed to. This is why they'd play the service academies, play games at Yankee Stadium, etc. They might have been the first truly nation-wide fanbase in American sports history, along with possibly the Yankees. Along with tons of fans this also brought lots of hate and continues to do so today. 

The Dirty Nil

April 21st, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^

Texas seems like a good choice. Huge fan base, cool city, etc., but I'd like to see home and homes with USC, UCLA, or Stanford. Stanford would be the most interesting IMO.

alum96

April 21st, 2015 at 2:56 PM ^

Everyone wants Texas for the obvious reasons.

I'd go Georgia.  I am shocked how few times UM and Georgia have played in history with all the SEC tie ins the Big 10 has had for 25 years.  From all accounts, great campus, great town, great atmosphere, and would help with recruiting the SE of US.

Maize and Blue…

April 22nd, 2015 at 4:49 PM ^

With any of the Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, USC, Tennessee, Florida, UCLA crowd, as long as the weather advantage the South has is factored out.

We would always host our games in September when the weather is still warm, and they would have to schedule their home games against us in early November when the weather cools down a little bit down here. If the games down here are played in the September heat, we will always melt down, like State did at Oregon, and we will lose the game every time.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

April 21st, 2015 at 3:22 PM ^

I'll take Notre Dame back, thanks.  They may have chickened out of the rivalry but Dave Brandon all but dared them to.  Rivalries aren't something you create.  IMO the rivalry should have a 2-years-on, 1-year-off cadence.