OT: Create a rivalry with Michigan Football (Hypothetically)
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.
Football Club Barcelona.
I don't follow soccer, but now that MSU is recruiting nationally, I think we ought to recruit internationally.
Oregon.
I agree it should be Oregon but only because I live in Oregon.
UCLA. Both are well respected public schools. Both have historical Rose Bowl tie ins. Huge michigan alumni base in Los Angeles
Difference is Cal is bad at football.
about this coming year, but we, uhm, have been kinda bad at football too lately....
This would be a great fit because of the history and they would be a competitive opponent but aren't necessarily a powerhouse. Would be a good game most years.
I like this one not least because it seems like we've been going head-to-head with them for a bunch of recruits recently. Chris Clark is the one that jumps immediately to mind but my brain feels there have been others.
Stanford. The teacher vs. the student
Avenge the Bowl game (if you want to call it a game). Beat them in attendance, and on the scoreboard. Get wins versus the SEC.
Plus shutting up their fans in regards to Woodson's Heisman.
Ohio State
or
Michigan State
but
not
Notre Dame
I think you missed the point of this exercise.
Cincinnati just to annoy OSU.
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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.
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.
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!
Thanks for the explaination. Reading it that way makes it better! Cowboy boots in the Big House for everyone.
I am enjoying that mental image.
Those party girl cowboy hats are always a bad sign. Cautionary symbols.
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.
the thought of the sports talking heads exploring the possibility that our coach could be on the opposing sideline the following year.
April 22nd, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
It's all good until you realize we'd be throwing our QB up against Charles Woodson.
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.
I think it's in the forthcoming book. Brian's been hinting at it.
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.
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.
But to quote the greatest sports journalist of our time, Dana Jacobson "Fuck Notre Dame, Fuck Touchdown Jesus"
April 22nd, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
Fair enough. We also have a national footprint (just not as mythical, if we're honest). You can't swing a dead cat in this country without hitting a UM alumni group. We, too, could pack Yankee Stadium for a football game. Shit, play the thing on LI and we'd sell out faster than the Beatles.
This series is all even. Over the next 25 years it could go either way!
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.
Also all of the records Brian could buy at the Wuxtry.
my number one pick. I've always wanted a Michigan vs Georgia match up. The last time we played was in 1965, which is 17 years before I was born.
Georgia vs Michigan in the Big House and Michigan vs Georgia between the hedges has a nice ring to it.
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.
Mostly because I already love to hate Notre Dame.
Would be happy to see Texas/UCLA.
USC- Two historic programs and would be amaizing for recuiting.
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.
Rivalries aren't something you can create? Maybe you want to tell that to the Land Grant throwdown. As is 'throw down' the record books and forget the stats when MSU and Penn St square off.
110,000 at The Big House | 107,000 the next year at Neyland Stadium. That could be fun.
ESSSS EEEEE SEEEE SPEED vs B1G Ten (14) or whatever we are now.