September 26th, 2011 at 11:10 PM ^
Looking at mine right now. No UMass.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:05 PM ^
This makes me question all the more the decision to play a neutral site game against Alabama. It pretty much alienates season ticket holders. I would like to see Brandon never pull this type of shit again.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:09 PM ^
I'm not a big fan of that game either, but why does this make you question it all the more? This slot in the schedule was always guaranteed to be filled by a patsy.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:15 PM ^
I agree that slot was reserved for a patsy, as it should be. How can PSU get a home and home with Bama but we can't? Get Bama to play us at the Big House next year and go there the following year. Everyone wins.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
They've already got Virginia Tech scheduled for 2013, and I believe it's the same date as our open date in 2013. Either way, SEC teams don't really need nor want to play more than one, if any, high profile/possible loss out of conference games per year.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:27 PM ^
LSU? I hate the SEC as much as the next good Big Ten fan, but I don't think you can accuse all of them of that crime.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
Lol, you read my mind. Hence i threw in the ", if any," caveat. My point was simply that they don't need to go out and get these games. Kudos to LSU for doing it anyway, and coming out alive to boot! Guess we still have to see how that strategy plays out in the long run though.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:54 PM ^
PSU had to go home and home with Alabama (and Alabama took them because they're comfortable that they could beat them.
With this season opener thing, it's more of Jerry Jones paying us both an insane amount of money and assuring we get prime time ratings on our season opener. We actually make more off the deal than we would playing at home.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:17 PM ^
Nothing to question... It's a marquee game being played at a marquee setting. Prime time, and it will be the talk of the college football world for months leading up to the game. Recruits will hear all the talk, and see the hype regarding the game. It will bring a lot of positive pub to the program. Again, there is absolutely nothing to question.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
I completely agree. I hate it when season ticket holders think more about what's good for them than what's good for the program. Our guys will get to play a likely top-5 opponent in the largest NFL stadium in the country. It will be the "it" game for the week that everyone will be talking about. I was psyched when this was scheduled and it dumbfounds me every time I hear someone bitching about it.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:12 PM ^
not really too surprising. It is what it is.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:13 PM ^
The schedule is overly juicy this season, and perhaps a bit underly juicy for 2012 in terms of home games. So over two seasons things are pretty even. Season tix holders have no reason to complain IMHO.
I will see you all in Big D next Labor Day weekend!
GO BLUE!
September 27th, 2011 at 9:47 AM ^
ever since they aligned nd with tsio for our home schedule. It also use to include PSU so we have had that 1 year - good, 1 year - eh not so much for quite a while.
Sorry ... little brother, Wisconsin and Iowa just do not make up a great home schedule.
Go Blue!
September 26th, 2011 at 10:14 PM ^
I am going to bama game and msu game but I don't do wish we had a better name for a home game and not mass. even a school like bowling green or east Carolina would be better and not to threatening.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:18 PM ^
their running back look like barry sanders last year. but things have changed... thank god
September 26th, 2011 at 10:19 PM ^
hell is db thinking? Next year he better start renting out cots for these nothing home games. I dont mind 1 MAC team and a long distance team. I dont even mind Air Force but come on: UMASS and then App St the year after?
Im getting tired already. Maybe I will get 4 extra seats with the seat cushions and take a power nap during the game.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:26 PM ^
UMass will be in the MAC then.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
Sorry for jumping the gun, I read an old article that said UMass was to fully join the MAC in 2013. The latest article said they'd be in in 2012.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:30 PM ^
Because nothing says "Mid-American" like Massachussets...
September 26th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
But it is more "Mid American" than Texas Christian is "Big East"
September 26th, 2011 at 10:32 PM ^
that doesnt help either. I like playing EMU, CMU, WMU and even Toledo. It gives those kids a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in the best stadium in the world. Even the band gets to get in free. I get it that it is about the experience for the opposing team too,
However, 1 MAC team is enough. I would settle for a Mountain West team or hell, how about Dorsey and GRCC?
Now if we could get the Acadamies to rotate each year, that would be better than UMASS and App St.
September 26th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
UMass is the only MAC team we're playing next year. The other non-cons are Alabama, ND, and Air Force. Air force is a Mountain West team. So you got your wish.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:28 PM ^
no reason to nap in the Big House for any game next year - Denard's last season.
GO BLUE!
September 26th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
hope he stays.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:31 PM ^
Seriously? This will be our only MAC team in 2012 and we'll have no 1-AA teams at all. That's not a bad schedule at all. This year we play two MAC teams. Last year we played one plus a 1-AA. What was everyone expecting?
September 26th, 2011 at 10:36 PM ^
dont know about you but when I cut a check for $2000, I expect to get some big-time games other than MSU.
I agree 100% with Brian. I would love to see a big-time school (like Tennessee on a home and home. UT would be a fun road trip as well),
September 26th, 2011 at 10:44 PM ^
Total agreement. I think the $2000 I spent this year is worth the games being played. Next year, (forgetting about the likely increase), no chance in hell.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:50 PM ^
If you don't like the product, then don't buy the tickets. Up to you. I'd gladly pay to watch Denard, Jordan Kovacs, Roundtree, Demens, etc. as seniors up against UMass.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:52 PM ^
Not a great home schedule, but he kind of had to. Alabama, at ND, at Nebraska, at OSU.
I'm ok with the umass game.
September 26th, 2011 at 11:46 PM ^
Well, big time home and homes get scheduled out years in advance. This was never going to be anything but a slot for a MAC snack.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:27 PM ^
With 'Bama and at ND next year we could very easily lose 2 non conference games. Its easier to deal with people complaining about a weak schedule than people complaining about losing games.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
Guess giving up 37 last year was too embarassing. Need to schedule them again and give them a proper pounding this time. Will help Denard's stats for his Heisman run. Insures the backup QB gets to play during the non-conference schedule. Sheer genius.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:40 PM ^
Great another game where I have to beg people to buy my tickets at face value. I understand it has tobe a cupcake but why not a team that Michigan has not played before?
September 26th, 2011 at 10:50 PM ^
Pardon me for not having even the tiniest amount of sympathy that your beef with the game is that you can't make a profit scalping your tickets.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:52 PM ^
I dont care about making a profit. I only ask face value for those games and that's hard to get. I was able to sell the eastern tickets for face value, but I know alot of people sold their's for less.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:55 PM ^
why buy them in the first place?
September 26th, 2011 at 11:00 PM ^
I have been fortunate enough to attend enough Michigan games, that games against umass don't do anything for me. Gas, parking and misc. expenses outweigh the game. Sorry if that sounds arrogant but it is the truth.$140 for a pair of tickets to what usually amounts to a scrimmage is stupid.
If they have to schedule a game like this at least make it against a team that michigan has not played in awhile.
September 26th, 2011 at 11:09 PM ^
I also would have liked to see someone new, and I can understand not wanting to shell out for a game against UMass, but don't you make your money back when we play ND/MSU/OSU/Nebraska? Those tickets are worth way more and you get access to them at face value.
What you lose in UMass, you gain back in MSU.
September 26th, 2011 at 11:14 PM ^
I see your point.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:47 PM ^
September 26th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^
A little bit when I read that not as much as the App St. Announcement bur still...
September 26th, 2011 at 10:49 PM ^
It could be worse guys, we could be Wisconsin and just schedule 4 straight cupcakes.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:49 PM ^
I'd rather play someone like Harvard or Cornell. Hell, I'd even support breaking out the retro unis for a game against Harvard.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:52 PM ^
games against non-scholarship teams don't count towards bowl eligibility.
September 26th, 2011 at 11:16 PM ^
Your point being?
September 27th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
Are you sure about that? The service academies are non-scholarship, and the Ivy's are legit FCS schools, even if they don't do things like "actually play for their championship".
September 27th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
18.7.2.2.1 Exception—Football Championship Subdivision Opponent. [FBS] Each year, a Football Bowl Subdivision institution may count one victory against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent toward meeting the definition of a “deserving team,” provided the opponent has averaged 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of grants-in-aid per year in football during a rolling two-year period. (Adopted: 10/28/97 effective 8/1/98, Revised: 4/28/05, 12/15/06, 4/29/10 effective 8/1/10, 7/30/10)
non-scholarship teams clearly don't meet the 90% rule.
http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D111.pdf, page 316
September 27th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
Thanks, it was an honest question. I do wish they would make an exception for the Ivy schools, because playing them would be much better than playing a random school like UMass, and they are fairly competitive, all things considered.
September 27th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
I agree. And considering the history we have in playing them, they would be a natural fit for our cupcake games.
September 26th, 2011 at 11:01 PM ^
First, last time we saw UMass they didn't seem like so much of a cupcake. Second, 2012 is going to be so brutal that I'm happy to have a game in which the starters might only have to play two or three quarters.