Trade Notre Dame for Illinois?
After having a few days to cool off following Saturday's debacle against the worst team in the Big Ten (yes, even after beating us), I'm not very upset about being 5-4 at this point in the season. If you'd have offered me 5-4 through nine games before the season started, I'd have probably taken it as extremely probable and where we'd be at, with a young but improving team looking good to beat Purdue and having a shot on the road against Wisconsin and at home against a mediocre OSU team. 6-6 or 7-5 was universally what most of us expected, I think.
Losing a game by 25 points to Illinois was not something I expected in week nine of the season this year, though, which begged the question: If we had lost the Notre Dame game close (no comeback by Tate) and beaten Illinois (and looked pretty decent doing it), would I be happier with the 5-4 we have? Normally I'd say trading a good win for a bad loss wouldn't be something I would want, but it's hard to see how my psyche wouldn't be more positive about the team if that had happened. That being said, I think I'm still glad we beat ND and can deal with the Illinois loss, provided that team doesn't repeat itself in the final three games (and provided we see a flash of greatness at some point in one of these three as well).
Get the win Saturday, secure the bowl, then throw a couple of punches - after 3-9, it's on the right track. Go Blue!
What do you guys think? Trade Notre Dame for Illinois?
November 4th, 2009 at 8:16 PM ^
Even if we lose the rest of the games, at least we beat ND.
I'd much rather have the rivalry win.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:46 PM ^
I would not trade it, b/c beating ND is always better than beating Illinois, but it is dangerous to start saying that all we want is rivalry wins.
This is a mistake that MSU has always made (it does not matter if we go 1-11 as long as we beat Michigan.)
We NEED a bowl game this year, and if we lose out we will not get one. This young team can really benefit from the extra practice that comes with making a bowl game, as well as, the experience of getting to a bowl game (no matter the size.)
November 4th, 2009 at 8:24 PM ^
Yes, then we will have won the games we should have.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:24 PM ^
NOPE. Next idea...
November 4th, 2009 at 8:27 PM ^
The only reason I'd want this is so that the team was showing signs of life at this point in the season. Beyond that, no thanks.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:30 PM ^
you can't trade a fat chick for a hottie dude. Not how it works.
Sometimes things suck.
Adapt.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:05 PM ^
How about a 2-for-1 trade? Say, Illinois and Wisconsin for ND--or to make it only slightly more possible (seeing as the big game is still out there), for OSU.
I'm no believer in the theory that our coaches are "holding anything back" (they'd have to be nuts at this point, one win from bowl eligibility), but if there's something we're not showing/some adjustment we're not making/some redshirt we're not burning, do you do it now (taking a shot at Illinois/Wisconsin), or do you continue to perfect whatever fairy dust you're hoarding for the OSU game?
Would you rather be 7-5, having beat the teams you were supposed to beat (even if it costs you your shot at OSU), or 6-6 and able to revel in the ensuing Columbus meltdown?
Hell, I really don't care who they beat so long as they get that last win; bowl pools just aren't very fun if a guy can't pick his own team against all advice/sanity. I'd rather see us in a 2010 game (January, not December, of course), so I guess I'd risk whatever it took to get those 'supposed to' wins, and forego the chance to laugh at that RedRocker idiot again.
As for the trade you propose, I'm not trading anything for a hottie dude. You'd just never live that one down, no matter how fat the chick is that you'd avoid.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:19 PM ^
To answer your questions: Give me a loss we've already taken, instead of a loss we might take, and then I'd do the 2-for-1. We still might beat Wisconsin.
Second, 6-6 and beating OSU is better every time than 7-5 and not beating OSU. The former is only one thing that "shouldn't happen" at Michigan, the latter is two.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:36 PM ^
What he said.
(And, P.S., are we done with these scenarios or not? I mean ... just sayin.)
November 4th, 2009 at 8:45 PM ^
No way. I don't want to see the team, after a win, back it's
way out the season. Play to win.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:52 PM ^
illinois fans do you know?
how many ND fans do you know?
November 4th, 2009 at 9:01 PM ^
I live in Champaign, so this is a tough one for me. But despite all the crap I've taken this week, I wouldn't give up that thrilling last minute win over ND. That final touchdown pass was easily the best moment of the season. So no.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:02 PM ^
Beating ND was a statement for this team, and one that I think the coaches will point to in the off season. Losing to Illinois is tough, but Juice is gone next year and I doubt Illinois will be much better. Revenge will be had!
November 4th, 2009 at 9:15 PM ^
Revenge will be had!yes it will
November 4th, 2009 at 9:55 PM ^
He was referring to the Bo-esque Illini beatdowns when he said revenge :)
November 4th, 2009 at 9:03 PM ^
You know what…suddenly I don’t feel that bad about Saturday’s lost anymore. Thank you!
November 4th, 2009 at 9:08 PM ^
I hate ND way more than Illinois. That's enough for me.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:25 PM ^
There is no comparison to Notre Dame' preternatural arrogance. Its high-minded unilateralism. Or its messianic pretensions.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:54 PM ^
Would you trade a game where you came back and beat a ranked team vs a game where you would have beat an unranked team?! FUCK NO! That Notre Dame game was one of the best wins Michigan has had all season! Your nuts to trade this for Illinois. Blasphemy in my opinion.
November 4th, 2009 at 11:19 PM ^
notre dames win was the most exciting game in 2 years
November 5th, 2009 at 2:13 AM ^
And it's still "Dumb-Dumb Talk 101"
what the fuck's the difference between 5-4 and...5-4?
And if you lose to Notre Dame, that just sucks ass and doesn't get the nation's attention until the three Big Ten losses show that the team is really, really in deep doody. At least for that one shining moment you beat the team that needs to be beaten and pummeled and couch burned more than any other team in the history of teams.
Illinois? That's just a team no one has every cared about, like, ever.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:19 AM ^
One question about "progress" though:
How does one measure it? This team faced a weaker schedule than last year, by almost ALL accounts on this or any other board.
I mean, UM kept facing those bad or over rated teams like MSU, Iowa, Penn State, and of course, Illinois. And WOOPS! They lost them all. They barely beat a shit bird Indiana team--in Ann Arbor.
Oh yeah, Notre Dame. Damn good win! Congrats!
But if this season goes to 6-6 or worse--well then, ladies, that means 2-6 or 1-7 in the Big Ten and THAT ain't shit for "progress." Yeah, you can still get a hard one for those epic wins over WMU, EMU and Delaware State--but after starting 4-0 this season has--and really could--turn into a gigantic pile of fart---no sugarcoat.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:24 AM ^
last year we lost to the irish, this year we beat them...that right there is progress!!
November 5th, 2009 at 8:14 AM ^
After every loss, people keep saying "I would've taken this at the start of the season." I went back to look at what I had predicted. It is below. And as it turns out, I would have taken 5-4 at this point, because it meant we won 50% of the "tossups" and won/lost the rest accordingly. At that time, I thought Illinois, WMU and MSU would be slightly better teams than they turned out to be, so maybe I'm a little disappointed about what the 5-4 means now versus what it means then, but the record is exactly where I thought we'd be.
Tossup
Tossup
Win
Win
Tossup
Lose
Win
Lose
Tossup
Win
Tossup
Lose