I'm worn out from having to smile and say hello to everyone. They kept giving me drinks,too.
Now if I could only get home from the storm, that would be nice...
If my memory is right, Desmond started the year with 4 TD's at Boston College (inlcuding a kickoff return). He then followed it up with the ND 4th and 1 game (where he also scored on a reverse). That year's race was over quickly.....
If Michigan and OSU are both 9-0, and both are assured to go the Big 10 Championship Game, and the winner of that game will play for the national title with the loser presumably going to the Rose Bowl....
....why would either team let their 1st or 2nd strings even in the stadium. Why risk an injury over a statistically meaningless game??
The pros do it EVERY year. If you can't improve your position, don't risk your best players to injury.
A game like this, knowing they would then play again in two weeks, would be meaningless.
a) same division - everything you said. Except, UM and OSU will never again play for the Big 10 championship (which is how this rivalry became what it is).
b) different divisions - everything you said if UM/OSU game remains last on the schedule. Totally agree.
However, IF they move the game - when both teams are still thinking undefeated, NC seasons - it will mean something. Then, they could still go at it again in the championship game.
There's no good answer - adding a 12th team and championship game is going to have consequences.
IMO, you keep us in the same division and play last, or we're in different divisions but move the game.
Being in different divisions and playing last would be the absoulute worst option.
What is the goal every year for our football team? I was taught that the goal was winning the Big 10 and going to the Rose Bowl. The national championship was not a goal because you couldn't control it. Win all your games and you win the Big 10 and go to the Rose Bowl. Pretty sure we had a few coaches say that all the time.
Here's what is GOING TO HAPPEN:
Starting in 2011, Michigan will never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, (or ever) again win the Big 10 by beating Ohio State.
EVER!
Doesn't matter if we play them first, middle, or last. The fact is that the Big 10 championship is going to be decided in a post-season game.
To me, the history that made this the greatest rivalry is that the winner of UM/OSU was traditionally the Big 10 champ. Winner to the Rose Bowl - loser goes home. Big 2, Little 8.
The only way to preserve that TRADITION is to have the opportunity for UM and OSU play in the Big 10 championship game.
That means they are in separate divisions.
Secondly, assuming they are in separate divisions, and UM and OSU are both strong teams, it's very likely that they will have secured their places in that championship game before the final week.
In other words, they will be playing for nothing. A completely meaningless game. Play the scout teams. The pros do it all the time.
Therefore, to protect the integrity of a regular season UM/OSU game - it will probably have to be moved. An October clash under the lights would get MAD ratings.
A UM/OSU championship game would get mad, mad, mad, mad stupid mad ratings. See 2007....
It seems to me that the Big 10 and the administrations are trying to preserve as much meaning as they can out of these games.
That's fine....except the Big 10 hasn't been split into two divisions before.
Last year, Nebraska, Texas, Florida, and Alabama all clinched championship spots before the last game.
If you go undefeated in your division, wouldn't it make sense that you would own the tie-breaker for the championship game going into the last week (assuming your last opponnent is not also undefeated)?
I think with two divisions this could happen quite a bit.
Edit: The last 3 SEC Western division champions have been decided BEFORE the last week of the season....
Also, we're not talking about winning the conference. Beating OSU in the last game of the regular season will no longer do that. That will ONLY be done in the championship game.
Assuming the Big 10 wants UM/OSU to have the opportunity to play in the championship game, they will have to be in different divisions. Therefore, if UM/OSU continue to play in the last game, then divisional play will be over already.
Therefore, the game will truly be meaningless as the outcome will have no bearing on the divisional standings.
Say, we're Michigan (big stretch of the imagination).
What if we have 1 recent bad loss, are out of the national title hunt, but lead our division by a game or more.
What if this clinches our division and we're going to play in the Big 10 championship game regardless of outcome with OSU at the end of the season.
Do we play our 4th string in the last game to make sure no one gets hurt? Can I play? Why give everything to an opponent you're going to see again in 2 weeks? Pros do it all the time.
Sure you could say - "It's OSU - I'd never do that" Or "I give 110% no matter what". But would you really? Would you really risk your players to injury in a game that didn't matter to an opponent you're going to see again right away?
I'm afraid that one of the prices of a championship game is the fact that, on some level, the last game of the year could (and will in some years) be meaningless.
Moving the UM/OSU game to October might mitigate a lot of these issues and keep the game meaningful.
When did The Game become The Game? (and then become THE GAME?)
IMO, the reason why UM/OSU is such a big deal is because it was the big 2 and little 8. The UM/OSU was the de facto conference championship game. Which ever team won, won the conference and went to the Rose Bowl. Loser stayed home.
Now we are going to have an ACTUAL conference championship game. UM could beat OSU or vice versa - and we'll be watching Iowa vs. PSU play in December for BCS rights, for example.
My point is - is the THE GAME still THE GAME if the winner of UM/OSU doesn't determine the conference championship? What difference does the outcome of the regular season game mean if there is going to then be a conference championship game that DOES matter?
Wouldn't it be better to have an epic October showdown, with the loser be able to recover - and THEN meet up in the championship game? Isn't that better than the possibility of meeting in back-to-back weeks?
I think everyone involved realizes that UM/OSU has to happen every year - no question about that. I think the real question is whether or not you would like to see them possibly play in back-to-back weeks - and I would imagine that the powers that be (admin, television, etc.) would decidedly say no.
IMO, moving The Game from the end of the year would preserve the meaning of the regular season match-up, as well as send the anticipation for a championship game battle through the roof.
The pdf file shows that the mayor of Detroit was the commencement speaker in '94 (equally underwhelming as Cathy).
I was right and they are just covering up: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/commencement1.html
Another poster mentioned that her speech was a hit. I mostly wasn't paying attention and I don't remember anyone particularly mentioning her speech as noteworthy. So it might have been good - I just don't remember.
Oh - and we didn't have the band because of the weather....
Class of '94. Also in the pouring/freezing rain.
She writes the Cathy comic strip. As underwhelming as you could imagine. The previous two years were H. Clinton and Bush and I remember us all thinking - seriously??
If my memory serves me correctly, Fargas broke his leg and the other RB's (A-Train??) stepped up thier games and became dominant. Fargas then had to deal with lingering injury issues and couldn't crack/couldn't get back in the RB rotation. In order to get playing time, he was offered and accepted the DB role.
When he fully healed, and realized he would rather play RB than DB, he transferred to USC.
It wasn't that he couldn't have been effective - we just were loaded at RB at the time and there was no playing time left to share.
If you go back and look at it again, I think what happened was that the play clock ran out and the Purdue coach panicked and called time-out to plead his case. You can see him go after the ref looking for the 5 yard penalty. He was focused on that rather than the situation on the field.
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How about: Muffed punt run back for winning score as time expires?
http://alchemistbeer.com/
Heady Topper is the best - if you can find the delivery truck and chase it around.
Go to website to find town and delivery times.
If my memory is right, Desmond started the year with 4 TD's at Boston College (inlcuding a kickoff return). He then followed it up with the ND 4th and 1 game (where he also scored on a reverse). That year's race was over quickly.....
If Michigan and OSU are both 9-0, and both are assured to go the Big 10 Championship Game, and the winner of that game will play for the national title with the loser presumably going to the Rose Bowl....
....why would either team let their 1st or 2nd strings even in the stadium. Why risk an injury over a statistically meaningless game??
The pros do it EVERY year. If you can't improve your position, don't risk your best players to injury.
A game like this, knowing they would then play again in two weeks, would be meaningless.
No, I can understand this.
What I'm saying is there are two ways to do this:
a) same division - everything you said. Except, UM and OSU will never again play for the Big 10 championship (which is how this rivalry became what it is).
b) different divisions - everything you said if UM/OSU game remains last on the schedule. Totally agree.
However, IF they move the game - when both teams are still thinking undefeated, NC seasons - it will mean something. Then, they could still go at it again in the championship game.
There's no good answer - adding a 12th team and championship game is going to have consequences.
IMO, you keep us in the same division and play last, or we're in different divisions but move the game.
Being in different divisions and playing last would be the absoulute worst option.
With all those shiny corporate names on there - I see your point.
Furthermore, UM/OSU rarely decide the title. But ruining the other's season is good enough.
(and, yes - 2006).
You're right - that would be a great game. But it would still only be the semi-final....
My point is what is more sacred - UM/OSU playing in the last game of the regular season or UM/OSU playing each other for the Big 10 championship?
You can't have both.
What is the goal every year for our football team? I was taught that the goal was winning the Big 10 and going to the Rose Bowl. The national championship was not a goal because you couldn't control it. Win all your games and you win the Big 10 and go to the Rose Bowl. Pretty sure we had a few coaches say that all the time.
Here's what is GOING TO HAPPEN:
Starting in 2011, Michigan will never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, (or ever) again win the Big 10 by beating Ohio State.
EVER!
Doesn't matter if we play them first, middle, or last. The fact is that the Big 10 championship is going to be decided in a post-season game.
To me, the history that made this the greatest rivalry is that the winner of UM/OSU was traditionally the Big 10 champ. Winner to the Rose Bowl - loser goes home. Big 2, Little 8.
The only way to preserve that TRADITION is to have the opportunity for UM and OSU play in the Big 10 championship game.
That means they are in separate divisions.
Secondly, assuming they are in separate divisions, and UM and OSU are both strong teams, it's very likely that they will have secured their places in that championship game before the final week.
In other words, they will be playing for nothing. A completely meaningless game. Play the scout teams. The pros do it all the time.
Therefore, to protect the integrity of a regular season UM/OSU game - it will probably have to be moved. An October clash under the lights would get MAD ratings.
A UM/OSU championship game would get mad, mad, mad, mad stupid mad ratings. See 2007....
It seems to me that the Big 10 and the administrations are trying to preserve as much meaning as they can out of these games.
That's fine....except the Big 10 hasn't been split into two divisions before.
Last year, Nebraska, Texas, Florida, and Alabama all clinched championship spots before the last game.
If you go undefeated in your division, wouldn't it make sense that you would own the tie-breaker for the championship game going into the last week (assuming your last opponnent is not also undefeated)?
I think with two divisions this could happen quite a bit.
Edit: The last 3 SEC Western division champions have been decided BEFORE the last week of the season....
Also, we're not talking about winning the conference. Beating OSU in the last game of the regular season will no longer do that. That will ONLY be done in the championship game.
Assuming the Big 10 wants UM/OSU to have the opportunity to play in the championship game, they will have to be in different divisions. Therefore, if UM/OSU continue to play in the last game, then divisional play will be over already.
Therefore, the game will truly be meaningless as the outcome will have no bearing on the divisional standings.
That sounds bad....
Say, we're Michigan (big stretch of the imagination).
What if we have 1 recent bad loss, are out of the national title hunt, but lead our division by a game or more.
What if this clinches our division and we're going to play in the Big 10 championship game regardless of outcome with OSU at the end of the season.
Do we play our 4th string in the last game to make sure no one gets hurt? Can I play? Why give everything to an opponent you're going to see again in 2 weeks? Pros do it all the time.
Sure you could say - "It's OSU - I'd never do that" Or "I give 110% no matter what". But would you really? Would you really risk your players to injury in a game that didn't matter to an opponent you're going to see again right away?
I'm afraid that one of the prices of a championship game is the fact that, on some level, the last game of the year could (and will in some years) be meaningless.
Moving the UM/OSU game to October might mitigate a lot of these issues and keep the game meaningful.
What if we looked at it this way....
When did The Game become The Game? (and then become THE GAME?)
IMO, the reason why UM/OSU is such a big deal is because it was the big 2 and little 8. The UM/OSU was the de facto conference championship game. Which ever team won, won the conference and went to the Rose Bowl. Loser stayed home.
Now we are going to have an ACTUAL conference championship game. UM could beat OSU or vice versa - and we'll be watching Iowa vs. PSU play in December for BCS rights, for example.
My point is - is the THE GAME still THE GAME if the winner of UM/OSU doesn't determine the conference championship? What difference does the outcome of the regular season game mean if there is going to then be a conference championship game that DOES matter?
Wouldn't it be better to have an epic October showdown, with the loser be able to recover - and THEN meet up in the championship game? Isn't that better than the possibility of meeting in back-to-back weeks?
I think everyone involved realizes that UM/OSU has to happen every year - no question about that. I think the real question is whether or not you would like to see them possibly play in back-to-back weeks - and I would imagine that the powers that be (admin, television, etc.) would decidedly say no.
IMO, moving The Game from the end of the year would preserve the meaning of the regular season match-up, as well as send the anticipation for a championship game battle through the roof.