Rematch with Bama

If Michigan wins out pretty convincingly, Bama rolls the SEC the way they did Michigan, and the Big 12, PAC 12, and ACC champs all have a loss, then there might be a chance. 

We'll be ok again, if all things go as planned and we experience minimum long-term injuries, etc. Excellent recruiting from the years 2011 through 2014 should place MI back to the level it was at prior to the last few years of the Carr regime.  I don't think a lot of M fans realize to what extent the team had fallen in terms of overall roster size, lose of continuity in terms of replacing departed upperclassmen with those of similar experience, etc. Depending on who's doing the counting, our defense carried all of between 21 and 27 players where the ideal number is just about double that, around 45-46.  Most fans, I think, realize what shape the offense was in in terms of both talent and experience.  It was rebuilding like we haven't seen here in roughly two decades. Considering that, and the outstanding job Hoke and staff have done in securing players for the next three years - something also unprecedented at UM and a feat that should secure him a lifetime contract, we could be, as stated above, back to what we've all come to expect by 2014, even though our QB will more than likely only be entering his second season.

So the future is bright, but we've got a few more bumps in the road, as was evidenced by anyone residing on this planet this past Saturday. The inarguable advantage enjoyed by the SEC in terms of acquiring their roster spots places a few of their programs into a position that is tantamount to being Triple A farm teams for the NFL and a few others, merely because they can and are encouraged take advantage of strategies that other leagues, most notable the BIG simply cannot, nor do I think the majority want to engage in. I can't think of any school in conference that would take great ride in hiring the top offensive player at the college level and his defensive counterpart for one semester for the sole purpose of bringing home a crystal football.

Along with UM, OSU will be fine and be able to play with these schools in the not too distant future. USC, OU, ORE and a few others as well. But after that, I simply can't see the other schools in the major conferences being able to field teams to match the talent level of the upper tier in the SEC. USC and OSU have already proven they are fine with adapting similar acquisition policies and after they serve their respective probationary periods, should be doing buisness as usual.

Given the above and the fact nothing is going to change this very real competitive advantage for the elite of the game, I think most M fans would be fine with playing them again in a couple of years, but to do so prior to then would be, as has been borne out on the field of play, an exercise in futility and who the hell in their right mind would want to witness another ass whipping like that when such  a scenario is not a probability, but a virtual guarantee?