Who would win: Alumni or current team?

Submitted by StephenRKass on

In the thread about NJ WR Bo Melton, someone mocked Rutgers because a team of Rutgers alumni beat the active team in 1996. I was curious how Michigan alumni would stack up against the current team. Here are some possible guys who are former Michigan players. Some of them are active in the league, some of them are retired, but still in decent shape, afaik. I think they would make the nucleus of a pretty good team. Curious who you would pick to win.

On offense:

  • QB - Tom Brady (backup - Chad Henne)
  • WR - Devin Funchess
  • WR - Devin Gardner
  • WR - Jason Avant
  • RB - Denard Robinson
  • RB - Fitz Toussaint
  • OL - Taylor Lewan
  • OL - Michael Schofield
  • OL - Jake Long
  • OL- David Molk
  • OL - Patrick Omameh

On defense:

  • DL - Alan Branch
  • DT - William Campbell
  • DE - Frank Clark
  • DT - Mike Martin
  • LB - Brandon Graham (backup Brennan Beyer)
  • LB - David Harris (backup Cam Gordon)
  • LB - Jake Ryan (backup Kenny Demens, LaMarr Woodley)
  • S - Stevie Brown
  • S - Jordan Kovacs
  • CB - Leon Hall (backup Charles Woodson)
  • CB - Ryan Mundy

Special Teams:

  • P - Matt Wile
  • PK - Brendan Gibbons

I love what Coach Harbaugh is doing, and I love the current team, but I think they would get whipped by Michigan alumni.

EDIT:  I think it should be clear, but I'm asking, if the game were played RIGHT NOW, not when players were at their best, but today . . . say a month from now, who would win?

DrewGOBLUE

April 18th, 2016 at 11:37 PM ^

Something I'd LOVE to see the NBA do for their all-star weekend would be a sort of mini March Madness with players grouped by college.

They could do a 16 team tournament with the rounds of 16 and 8 the first day, final four the day after. Games consist of 10-12 minute halves due to limited time and small rosters (5-7 players).

Yeah, schools like UK, Kansas and UNC would usually do the best. But it'd still be infinitely more entertaining than stupid obstacle-courses and whatever else they currently do. Not to mention, the amount of energy/effort guys put forth as a result of representing their colleges would be really interesting to see.

stephenrjking

April 19th, 2016 at 12:06 PM ^

I like your format and I would watch. Michigan wouldn't do well, and this would weigh in favor of the best players in the league due to small rosters, but it would be a blast. And with how college rivalries carry over I think it would get intense. This makes so much sense that there's no way it happens.

Gr1mlock

April 19th, 2016 at 8:18 PM ^

My hypotethical 8 team bracket if everyone was willing to play (not seeded, designed to set up interesting matchups):

 

Left Side

Michigan (Burke, McGary, Hardaway) vs. MSU (Green, Harris, Randolph)

Duke (Parker, Okafor, Irving) vs. UNC (Carter, Felton, Barnes)

 

Right side

Kansas (Wiggins and Morris brothers) vs. Kentucky (Wall, Davis, Kidd-Ghilcrest)

Uconn (Drummond, Gay, Kemba Walker) vs. UCLA (Westbrook, Love, Lavine) 

 

Tell me that this tournament wouldn't be the most entertaining thing of the weekend.  

 

TruBluMich

April 19th, 2016 at 12:03 AM ^

Who would win? Not really a question with the lineup you posted. The current team might lose by 100. CHARLES WOODSON as a backup pretty much convinced me you are just trolling us.

Baughhumbug

April 19th, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^

Just imagine if Harbaugh could actually get these guys to come back and scrimmage against our guys for a practice or a spring game. Would that even be allowed under the iron fist of the NCAA? I'm getting sexually excited just at the thought of it.

JHendo

April 19th, 2016 at 8:41 AM ^

To be clear, you're asking if a team of active or recently retired NFL players (including a bunch of pro bowlers and a couple who are among the greatest of all-time) would beat a team of college kids? How about a more competitive scenario where the schellacking won't be as bad as my pancake incident.

Pepto Bismol

April 19th, 2016 at 8:42 AM ^

But it appears you are asking who would win a football game between a college team and a group of NFL'ers led by the greatest QB of all time. I will now scan the rest of the comments to see if you've been sufficiently mocked.

blueinbeantown

April 19th, 2016 at 8:56 AM ^

Alumni team has the GOAT at QB, over before kickoff.  Would absolutely love to see TB and Denard together.  Made Dion Lewis (thank you!) a millionaire as a 3rd down scat back, can only imagine and fantasize Denard lining up behind Brady in Foxboro.  

Too bad LLLLLLLoyd Carr never realized what he had in the GOAT.  

BursleysFinest

April 19th, 2016 at 9:31 AM ^

Since current NFL players would never do this and risk injury, players would more likely be either older (i.e. Rick Leach, Wheatley, Ian Gold) or those who didn't quite make it to the next level (Gallon, Roundtree, Tloy Woolfork) ...game becomes a lot closer and I give a slight edge to the current team 

mtzlblk

April 19th, 2016 at 12:27 PM ^

believe.

Remember alumni team:

-have never played togther except in very few cases

-would have no system/scheme to work from....no playbook, just a pickup team with a few plays and a few formations on defense

Current team has been practicing/playing together for a long time and are becoming a well-oiled machine with an ever increasing set of schemes/plays.

 

victors2000

April 19th, 2016 at 1:09 PM ^

Would be using alums that weren't wildly successful in the NFL, or perhaps guhs that went in a different direction. That might be something where the result is up in tbe air.

victors2000

April 19th, 2016 at 5:57 PM ^

because I don't think there is any speculation worth it's weight in speculation that would think the students would beat the alums. Hypothetically I would always arrive at 'Alumni wins'. So yes, I definitely think expanding the alumni pool to include non-NFL talent would increase speculation of the results of the game.