Who should replace ND in a long-term series?
Interesting poll on AnnArbor.com today asking who should replace Notre Dame (those weasely fellows) in a long-term series. Will that ever happen? Who knows, but certainly would be interesting.
Here's the link:
http://www.annarbor.com/mi/wolverines/2013/05/poll_who_should_michigan_repla/
Choices include:
Florida
FSU
LSU
Oregon
Stanford
Texas
UCLA
etc.
I'd vote LSU. What say you?
My GF fainted from the damn heat at that game. UCLA does an awful job of conducting games at the Rose Bowl, it ain't like the Grand Daddy production at all.
Agree big time about Henson, that season coulda been so much better had Drew not been hobbled early in the season.
We had some epic games with Bobby Bowden's teams in the 90s when I was hanging out with an FSU alumna, and now I live in Tallhassee. It would help elevate one of ND's new rivals in the ACC, and help elevate our own stature on the national stage. Two schools back on the rise.
on the way to a tiny island called Gull some friends owned in Lake Huron. Good times in HS and college.
Stanford and Florida seem like sexy options not only with the current, thriving states of their football programs but from a recruiting standpoint as well. Both would be fun games that would bring in big revenue each year as well.
Big stadium, not too far (closest SEC school that isn't Kentucky), travels nearly as well as we do, contentious past (Manning/Woodson), big school who despite their current condition should "return to glory" (at some point).
that would be cool... Mainly because I live just outside of Knoxville, and because I'm tired of hearing of the "poised for greatness Vols" every season even though they look like they have a solid future ahead.
Classic school, tough, but not too tough, good excuse to see what's prob a pretty good campus
USC / UCLA / Stanford
Texas / Texas A&M
LSU / Auburn / Alabama
Florida / Florida State / Miami / Georgia
Even Virginia or Virginia Tech would be good (just remembered we are playing Virginia Tech. Wise move Dave Brandon)
Tennessee...this works on many levels. After that...
North Carolina
Georgia
Virginia
Stanford
Cal
UCLA
Vanderbilt
These in no particular order... but I would like Virginia and/or Vanderbilt.
to be a Southern school, basically, in order to boost recruiting. UGA or Florida or UT would be my choices. West Coast could end up in a rematch in the Rose Bowl, and besides USC, there isn't a school that is really consistently good (Stanford has moments, UCLA was bad for a while, and who knows about Oregon?)
with a solid football program that we can beat regularly and recruit in their territory that would also be interesting to visit.
Cal (the two best public schools)
Virginia (a team that could join the B1G)
North Carolina (another team that could join the B1G)
then Stanford or Georgia.
Of that group, I'd say Texas. Best area to recruit from.
Of course, we should just be playing ND. Local rivalry with loads of history. Unfortunately ND is pretending that they actually have a rivalry with Stanford, and that their series with Purdue and MSU are more important than their series with us.
Purdue and MSU will be dropped, don't worry about that. But that is due more to the fact you guys are going 9 game conf schedule.
Stanford is a west coast recruiting trip alternating years with our chief rival, USC.
What about Washington? Michigan has quite the history playing them.
While ND has been returning to glory since 1989, Washington actually has won 2 Rose Bowls and a national championship.
They both share the sacred bond of Tyrone Willingham though.
I say schedule exactly like ND does: play a team that can almost beat you, but not quite, and hope they win enough other games to make your victory look good on the computers.
USF is perfect. It would be great for recruiting. Most of all, though, USF should win a few games for the computers, but really shouldn't ever beat Michigan.
My take: they should play a team from one of the "second five" conferences, and the team should be from Texas or Florida.
Among top ten wins all-time, but not at level of Bama and LSU. Two largest stadiums in the country. Manning vs. Woodson. Plus they'll beat us 3 or 4 out of ten times, keeping the rivalry close but in UM's favor.
Common advantages:
1) Both schools have good football history
2) Both states are rich recruiting grounds
3) Academically, they are stronger than SEC schools
Texas: Public school
USC: Rose Bowl country
Both quality institutions that compare very favorably against ND academically, and they bring an extra dimension in that they already loathe each other. I think it would be great to have a home-and-away series where we play one of the two each year.
UT Knoxville. Would love to see a game at rocky top
Are you deployed or just an insomniac?
Navy. They're usually better than Notre Dame.
Arizona. That way we can have an annual board slapfest between the pro and con RichRod people. Always amusing.
Always ranked high. Also good for recruiting.
the more I like UCLA. We probably get enough exposure in SEC country anyway, and there is probably more willingness on the part of West Coast kids to consider other schools than there would be anywhere else. USC and Stanford wouldn't do it because of the ND series, and there is enough similarity between us and UCLA that it could really get going as a thing.
Lets replace the old gold standard with the new gold standard.
1. This is Michigan fergodsakes. We take on the best. While the pereception of the B1G is down, we can show the world the Michigan difference. We are the best program in football.
2. Potential motivating factor for Alabama recruits to flip to A2. Also, could be advantageous for elite recruits who want to play for a top-5 program (Not in the SEC).
3. Nick Saban needs to eat humble pie. Urban Mayer too. The opportunity to beat Saban, Meyer, and Dantonio in the same season is delicious.
would be that we DON'T lock into a long term deal but rotate many. That being said if I had to choose; I'd say we need that western connection bolstered so UCLA, Cal, or Texas would be just fine.
Texas, so I can make fun of my wife when we win!
There are a number of schools that might be on any list, but are unrealistic choices unless they change their own scheduling practices and/or conference scale back to eight conference games (not likely).
Programs that already have major non-conference opponent on an annual basis include:
USC and Stanford ( with Notre Dame)
Florida and Florida State
Georgia and Georgia Tech
South Carolina and Clemson
The Pac 12 and Big XII have nine conference games and the Big Ten will adopt that practice in 2016. The SEC is considering it and the ACC has gone back and forth on implementing that practice. So who's left?
1. Texas - UT has a four-game series with Notre Dame and has played Ohio State in a home-and-home series, so the Longhorns are a good possibility. Since the Big XII doesn't have a conference championship game, it makes sense for Texas to enhance their non-conference schedule in any possible. Having Michigan on the schedule would help accomplish that goal.
2. Oklahoma - Pretty much the same situation as Texas IRT their situation within the Big XII and the four-team playoff. OU probably doesn't have quite the same profile as UT, but they'd be on the list.
3. Miami - The U has occasional games with Florida, but UF isn't regularly on their schedule. For now, the ACC has an eight game conference schedule, so Miami does have more open dates to fill than other schools. ND has a series of games with them, so playing Michigan could also fit.
4. LSU - This is a program that Michigan has never played, so it would be unique to start up a long term series. Would it happen? Perhaps not with Les Miles as head coach, but some other HC and/or athletic director might be interested. If the SEC goes to a nine-game conference schedule, this isn't a likely scenario.
5. Tennessee - Two schools with large stadiums and large traditions. But like LSU, if the SEC goes to a nine-game conference schedule, a long-term relationship isn't likely. A home-and home might work out (same with LSU).
6. Texas A&M - Another SEC team that is expanding its stadium, plays in front of a passionate fan base and is located in a main recruiting area. They only other SEC team on the list would be Alabama, but it looks llike the Crimson Tide isn't more likely to have a neutral site game.
I"m not real excited about any of the Pac 12 teams outside of USC and Stanford. Washington could be a possibility along with UCLA. But given Michigan's history of not playing well on West Coast and the fact UM has actually played a number of P12 teams in the regular season in recent history. I'd like to see Michigan go in another direction (such as the home-and-home with Arkansas).
There aren't any ACC teams that are realistic possibilities outside of Miami. UM does have the home-and-home with Virginia Tech coming up. But none of the others that are realistic don't move the needle.
This topic makes me wonder why we are waiting so long to play Va Tech (Its far enough into the future that there is no way to know if any of our personnel will be around for the game).
Is this how far in advance scheduling out of conference games will take? If we wanted to schedule a game with USC would we be able to play it in 2015?