Overlooking Delaware State
We (fans, hopefully not the team) are severely overlooking this opponent. They may be a bad FBS team, but what makes us think that we can overlook anybody when we won 3 games last season, lost to a FBS team in 2007, have two freshman quarterbacks running the offense this season (one with a concussion), are without our best football player, and are currently in the midst a two loss streak?
Yes, we have a much improved team. Yes, we should win. Yes, Penn State is next week. But I don't think it's appropriate to be so overwhelmingly certain of a win this weekend. There is no reason for it, and the only thing it can do is lead to disappointment. I know I will be looking forward to the game and am happy that we have an opponent that we can and should beat. Let's just not pass the game off like it's an inconvenience.
P.S. I should probably mention my superstitious inclinations...
Go Blue!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:37 PM ^
Delaware State > App State.
Delaware State : App State :: EMU : Michigan
Highly ranked high school teams could win this game.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:40 PM ^
Who is the best player on the team that you say is out? If you are talking about MOLK, he is good but Brandon Graham is the best player on the team. I for one, hope that the team is not looking past this team. They need to decide to destroy them because they should.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:42 PM ^
fbs is 1-a
fcs is 1-aa
you have it backwards.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:55 PM ^
Once I saw "They may be a bad FBS team..." I just kind of stopped reading.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:43 PM ^
Sorry, I have to ignore this post because the author's name is 'turd sandwich'
October 16th, 2009 at 1:48 PM ^
Isn't that the Delaware State mascot?
October 16th, 2009 at 1:48 PM ^
you must have voted for "giant douche"
October 16th, 2009 at 1:52 PM ^
wtf why is this guy's name turd. Overlooking Del St. come on man sterling heights stevenson would beat this team.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:47 PM ^
if the fans overlook this game?
October 16th, 2009 at 1:49 PM ^
this weekend?
October 16th, 2009 at 1:50 PM ^
We inevitably control the outcome of the game. That's why when we as fans all focus on the same recruit, Snake Oil happens.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:49 PM ^
I'm almost surprised it took someone this long to stand up and make sure that we "don't overlook opponent X". I can't wait for the day that no one feels compels to post this useless piece of information.
It's Friday: we can do better.
October 16th, 2009 at 2:06 PM ^
Uh ... you're on the internet?!?! At a blog about college football. What kind of useful information are you looking for? It is a weekday ... if you want useful, maybe you should go study/work or whatever.
Me, I'm gonna go ahead put on my "lucky" t-shirt and pretend like the manner in which I watch the game influences the result. Also, I'm going to agree with OP in that, throughout my life, anytime I've been too cocky about Michigan football, they've let me down. Is there a causal relationship? Probably not. But, why risk it.
Rock on, OP. I'm with you. Let's focus on the task at hand.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:50 PM ^
Student section will be doing a "blankout" this Saturday.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:55 PM ^
It's not like they're Bethune-Cookman.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:57 PM ^
hehe!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:54 PM ^
That you're out on a giant cliff overlooking the whole state of Delaware.
Your post implies:
That you might jump.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:56 PM ^
I'm sorry, I for one have overlooked this game for quite a while. Knowing they have only scored 6 TDs all season and they just lost to winless (well, not winless anymore) Bethune-Cookman by the score of 9-7 hasn't softened my stance.
p.s. the 7 points came from a +80 plus kickoff return to start the game that they punched in from like the two. The game was 7-0 DSU to start the game essentially...and they lost to a winless team 9-7. Where are those Nittany's...?
October 16th, 2009 at 2:14 PM ^
They have a decent coach. They have had sucess recently - as of 2007. Their QB was out for the Bethune-Cookman game. This is the biggest game in most of these young men's careers. They are not small - or big for that matter. There are some transfers from other programs. They are older player for player than us (I think - I'm taking that from RR's press conference on Monday (?)).
All that said - it would be nice to see us improve over the special teams coverage, and see depth development on Mich's part. It would be nice to see Sagesse get back into it - or see if Will can learn from last week.
October 16th, 2009 at 2:02 PM ^
We should definitely enjoy it and have fun (i never miss a play)...but come on, something's seriously wrong with our football program if we are taking this opponent SERIOUSLY.
October 16th, 2009 at 2:08 PM ^
Give it a try. Overlook Delaware State. It feels nice, kind of comfy, like the old days. If you get burned, you never had to overlook anyone again.
October 16th, 2009 at 2:15 PM ^
Michigan will win this game.
You're right about being disappointed afterwards though because unless we...
*Win by 50+
*Rest Tate, Minor, Brown, etc for most of the game
*Have no other injuries
*Give up less than 10 points and 200 total yards
...I will be disappointed. And all of those things seem pretty unlikely to happen together because the team will inevitably play down to its opponent or make a few big mistakes. I understand the feelings you are having after the Horror. But I worry enough about the other 10 or so games, that when an opportunity to breathe easy for a week presents itself I take it. Just relax and enjoy the ride!
October 16th, 2009 at 2:39 PM ^
If we win, nobody gives a crap.
If we lose, it'll be the biggest lose ever.
Winning, even by a billion points, will not advance UM in the rankings. It's convenient that this game comes on a rebuild season when bowl outlook is not a given. It's helpful that the game is in the middle of the season, allowing us to build up players who need more time and rest players who are hurt. But why?
Oh well, I might go downtown and get some scalped tickets. I've not nothing better to do saturday..
October 16th, 2009 at 2:47 PM ^
A lot of schools were left scrambling to find opponents when the NCAA mandated a 12th game. It can apparently be fairly hard to schedule non-conference games. As far as FCS opponents, wins against them now do count toward your total wins for the sake of determining bowl eligibility...All of that said, I hate these games and would much rather see Michigan play some middling BCS team.
October 16th, 2009 at 4:35 PM ^
You can count one win versus an FCS school toward bowl eligibility.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:11 PM ^
The open week coming in the middle of the season makes it tough to schedule anyone. Right now, UM is experiencing injuries to key players at key positions. Why should we bring in Florida/Georgia/Texas/USC/whatever other BCS school you want? No BCS school wants to play a non-rival non-conference team in the middle of the season.
This game is great as it "should" be relatively easy, and give Michigan a chance to rest some of its wounded players while also giving the guys some game reps.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:32 PM ^
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
October 16th, 2009 at 3:39 PM ^
with that logic.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:57 PM ^
This game will be a blowout. M will be able to start Tate. Run up the score. They will will be able to get Denard additional reps. After the score starts to run up, M will be able to rest their starters and get second-stringers some valuable playing time. This comes at a perfect time in the season. It will be a tune-up followed what I believe is a very winable game against Penn State the following week.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:57 PM ^
Ahoy there Delaware State!
Problem solved.
October 16th, 2009 at 4:42 PM ^
Illinois has two but given the way they are playing maybe they think they have one every week. Wisconsin also has two.
The problem finding an opponent was that it is in the middle of conference play and DState actually forfeited a conference game to take the payday.
October 16th, 2009 at 4:32 PM ^
to the OP I think you have your initials wrong. FBS stands for Football Bowl Series which indicates that the teams in this group will play in bowl games. FCS stands for Football Championship Series which would indicate that they play in a championship series or in other words a tournament. Now to address the statement that you made about overlooking them, I think maybe that could be possible if this was an upper level FCS team and we were rolling strong at 6-0 but after 2 straight losses I don't think that RR has the boys go in there unprepared.