WMU's 2008 season was bolstered by their defense. They lost it all in 2009. That and 3 of their top 4 receivers. UCONN returns most of their starters on both sides of the ball.
but I don't think offense will be our problem this year. We should see a jump almost as large as 08-09 for 09-10 on offense, so we should be able to put up semi-similar numbers on UCONN. So as long as our defense can be at least as good against UCONN as they were against WMU, I feel pretty confident.
One should hope. I just think comparing UCONN to WMU (not necessarily what you did, but I've seen that going around lately) isn't a very logical comparison, and probably a bit too optimistic. We're not talking a MAC school with huge losses from their best team in a decade. We're talking an AQ conference team returning most of their key playmakers.
I went to a MAC school (Toledo). Great schools, but beating a BCS Auto Qualifier, no matter which one, is always kind of a big deal. Actually, Toledo hardly celebrates the win over Michigan, because I think everybody there is smart enough to realize it doesn't really count. Also, for what it's worth, that shows what a lousy team Michigan was in 2008, because that was a lousy team for Toledo, too. Now, if it had been 2005 UT, that would be something else.
I'm getting that same vibe. UConn is better than WMU last year, but I think that they are overrated, just like WMU was entering the season.
Team from the MAC that lost over 75% of their way above average defense from the year before while playing with a QB who, IIRC, was coming off an injury, and was expected to do well, but not great vs a Big East team that returns many of their key playmakers on both sides of the ball in a year where they won a bowl, and only lost 4 games by less than 3 points following the tragic death of a teammate, and isn't being picked to be good, but not great (for a FBS team).
I think there's a big difference in overrated-ness or what it means when comparing this year to last.
I love the enthusiasm and I truly think that Michigan will win, but just because UConn seats 40K is no reason to think they will be intimidated. I won't bring up the past, but looking to the future, I think we beat the "snot" out of the Huskies because we are decidedly the better team, regardless of what the polls or "experts" say. I'm with ya' but I just don't see this being a win based on intimidation.
I appreciate the decision to put "snot" in quotation marks.
The Huskies home field seats 40,000. I wonder if a raucous 109,000 will rattle them a bit?
And they don't sell that out! Looks like they averaged about 38K for home games last season. That includes all the teams, coaches, officals, bands, etc. So actually, about 37K. Frightened much?
But they don't play all their games at home. They won at Notre Dame Stadium last year, among others.
I think we are going to beat UConn but as far as them being intimidated I wouldn't put too much stock in that. They didn't seem particularly bothered by the crowd at ND last year.
Don't count on them being scared - just line up with our A game and beat them.