Who to root against...MSU @ ND

Submitted by umich1 on
One of my favorite games to watch every year, as it provides insight into MSU's standing and gives context for Michigan's result vs. Notre Dame.

So here comes the 2013 edition. The Chickenheads vs. The Chickens in what must be called the fowlbowl.

Connor Cook had a good week last week as MSU's new quarterback, and if their offense has another strong performance against a team like Notre Dame, they may become a truly formidable opponent this year.

That said, after Notre Dame's miraculous 2012 season to reach the national championship game, I'd enjoy it if they have a 6 win campaign this year. So, I think I'll be rooting for ND to lose.

Thoughts?

ILMichFan70

September 17th, 2013 at 5:41 PM ^

This is a tough one this year for me. I agree by ND beating State it will help our victory look better against them after their tough weekend last week and by ND beating them we can laugh at State for losing. However being from Illinois all you ever hear about whether its the media or their fans is ND. You never hear about State because people in IL don't care about them except for Michigan fans who care about the rivalry and I guess those ND fans that care about it. I know way too many ND fans that I can't stand so I've always hated them the most.

Normally I would say I would cheer for State because of my hatred for ND but given that we're already past that game with ND and it would be funny to cripple or at least laugh at the State fanbase, I think this year I will have to go for ND.

State thinks their defense is so strong and will carry them all year so I would love to see ND drop 40 on them and blow them out. It's always good to put little brother in place whether you're the one doing it or someone else is.

How I see it is I would rather have a team who we've already beaten win vs a team we haven't played yet and could gain confidence by winning.

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Zone Left

September 17th, 2013 at 5:40 PM ^

MSU to lose...always. I want them to lose on their water bill.

Seriously though, a big ND win makes me feel better about Michigan, while an MSU win makes me more concerned about Michigan's path forward. I want to be happy, which neatly coincides with my desire to see MSU lose.

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StephenRKass

September 17th, 2013 at 5:47 PM ^

Rooting is the wrong word. It'd be hard to care less about who wins the game.

Having said that, I live out of Michigan, so I don't have the burning hatred of MSU held by so many in-state Michigan fans. I would rather MSU win because:

  • I like ND less. Their hubris, especially after last year, is more irritating.
  • MSU will never come close to Michigan in overall wins.
  • If MSU wins, it makes our victory over them better, both in terms of rating, and in terms of schadenfreude.
  • I generally like Big 10 teams to win.

I guess I'd like MSU to win because of their defense, but for their offense to continue to struggle, for the game to go into double overtime, and they win with a safety? Maybe a field goal? Say 12-10, or something like that?

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strafe

September 17th, 2013 at 6:04 PM ^

ND. I'd rather have MSU doubting themselves when we play them. I don't think we need to worry about our wins looking good as long as we take care of business, and I couldn't care less about how the rest of the Big Ten looks. We'll get good wins against Northwestern and OSU.

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RioThaN

September 17th, 2013 at 6:08 PM ^

Not that I wouldn't like ND to lose and all that about the BIG and the conference's image but if ND loses this game my freakout-meter will skyrocket, we need ND to look good to convince us that Akron was a fluke and sleep more soundly about MSU.

Joined: 09/28/2009

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BayWolves

September 17th, 2013 at 6:27 PM ^

ND all the way for the following reasons:

1. Show we beat a good team

2. Think ND will win more games than Sparty so it helps us

3. Suck it Sparty

4. Dantonio is an insufferable cock

5. Fuck MSU

6. Screw MSU

7. Fuck little brother

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WolverineHistorian

September 17th, 2013 at 6:34 PM ^

It's a tale of evil vs. evil.  The only good thing to come from this is that one of those teams and their annoying fans will suffer a loss.  Always keep that in mind.  Because nobody should feel good about "rooting" for either side. 

Fuck both teams.

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aiglick

September 17th, 2013 at 6:42 PM ^

Very hard to say either way. I think this will only matter if we get 10 wins. If we do that then it is most likely we go to a BCS bowl (unless we tack on a third loss in the BTCG then all bets are off). However, we would need ND (and other opponents we prevailed against) to look as strong as possible in this scenario. Don't think 9 wins are going to cut it no matter how ND looks and 11 wins means a BCS game is almost assured I would think.

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Ty Butterfield

September 17th, 2013 at 6:59 PM ^

I got to go with the Fig Things. I will be very worried if MSU is able to move the ball on the ND defense. Would be nice to see an old fashioned butt whipping by ND.

Joined: 09/07/2009

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Wolfman

September 19th, 2013 at 8:03 AM ^

Rees will be like a deer in the headlights and  partyheartysparty should scoop and score or pull off a pick six or two. look for a heart wrenching 7-3 victory.  Just cuz we couldn't stop them doesn't mean MSU can't and just cuz MSU scored on us doesn't mean they will on MSU. If DG is at max in EL we win both easily. That's all that mattas

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UMichMSW07

September 17th, 2013 at 7:10 PM ^

I find this question to be very interesting. I have friends who say that ND is a bigger rival, however, they want MSU to lose. This doesn't jive with me. I would rather see SPARTY go down, as I see them the bigger rival.

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m1jjb00

September 17th, 2013 at 7:19 PM ^

There's no logic and no reasoning.  I'm not having a debate in my head about who is the bigger rival.  I haven't wargamed what such and such a result will do to our Sagarin ratings.  I just don't like Staee, and I want all of their fans to suffer.

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M-Wolverine

September 17th, 2013 at 7:22 PM ^

If we beat ND you root for ND so it makes the win more impressive and we did something MSU couldn't. If we lose to ND you root for ND so MSU doesn't do something we couldn't. We've already beat ND; them being good doesn't hurt us at all. If MSU is good it's more likely we get a loss. That hurts us. And even if we best them too many Big Ten tie-breakers come down to overall record, or poll rankings, and such things beyond our control.

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BlueHills

September 17th, 2013 at 7:25 PM ^

Despite my supernatural abilities, my rooting for teams seems to have absolutely nothing to do with the  outcome of football games.

Even the use of a massive amount of body English did not affect the field goal try Michign missed last week.

The only conclusion I can come to is that my will has nothing to do with the outcome of sporting events I am watching.

When doubt creeps in, you can never go back to full belief. Even my lucky socks are now suspect.

So, here's my thinking:

If ND wins, they still got beaten by us. And MSU loses some hubris.

If MSU wins, they will be insufferable unless we beat them. But we can enjoy ND's slide.

Either way, we win.

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mgobleu

September 17th, 2013 at 7:29 PM ^

Anyone else have this irrational (or maybe completely rational) hatred for sparty develop over the last couple years? Maybe its because of my jerk in-laws and their atrouciously obnoxious kid that thinks screaming "go green" in my face anywhere and everywhere is acceptable, but I just cannot stand seeing them win. Against ANYONE. B1G be damned; sparty wins seem to hurt, and ND is essentially dead to me, so I don't care what they do. Go domers. 

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Section 1

September 17th, 2013 at 9:47 PM ^

It's a Dantonio/Narduzzi thing, for sure.

I can remember MSU coaches who were sort of fun and genial guys -- Darrell Rogers was one.  Perles was such a doofus it was hard to hate him.  John L. Smith, Muddy Waters; how are you going to work up any real hatred for those guys?  Bobby Williams was just our bitch.

Biggie Munn -- the guy we should really hate based on success in beating Michigan -- was one of Fritz Crisler's assistants.

And Duffy Daugherty was such a brilliant son of a gun; he actually made MSU fans out of everybody in the state.

I hate the current state of Sparty nation as much as the next guy in Ann Arbor.  But I cannot understand any Michigan fan, anywhere or anytime, rooting for Notre Dame to win anything.  Never.  I want ND to go 0-12 and I am actually disappointed if they don't.  I want Notre Dame to lose to Navy, to Boston College, to Stanford, to USC.  I'd root for the Third Reich over Notre Dame.

 

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Boom Goes the …

September 17th, 2013 at 7:35 PM ^

how I go about it every year is if we beat ND, root for them.  If ND beats us, I pull for Sparty.  So go Irish 

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Team 101

September 17th, 2013 at 7:56 PM ^

When we beat ND, I root for ND to take down Moo because ND already has a loss and beating ND gives Moo a swollen head.

When we lose to ND, I root for Moo because someone needs to take ND out so they are not playing for mythical BCS national championships.

Last year I didn't know what to do.  Probably should have rooted for Moo.

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Team 101

September 17th, 2013 at 7:56 PM ^

When we beat ND, I root for ND to take down Moo because ND already has a loss and beating ND gives Moo a swollen head.

When we lose to ND, I root for Moo because someone needs to take ND out so they are not playing for mythical BCS national championships.

Last year I didn't know what to do.  Probably should have rooted for Moo.

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