Who Replaces Notre Dame?
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OR A TEAM THAT IS FROM ALABAMA OR BORING
Michigan now has a rather large Interesting Nonconference Game-shaped hole after Notre Dame decided it was really important to play Stanford for some reason and backed out of the Michigan series. Who fills that hole?
Well… probably someone not that interesting. A list of interesting teams follows, ordered by availability. I'm assuming that Michigan wants to go on the road in odd years and be at home in even years, that dates can be moved, and that they'll be looking for a home and home.
Out
Virginia Tech (full schedule including OSU in 2015)
Texas (full schedule w/ ND, Cal)
Oklahoma (full, @ Tenn, ND, OSU in 2016)
Miami (not that they'd be any good anyway)
Stanford (playing ND for some reason)
UCLA (full)
Florida (full, annual FSU game)
West Virginia (full)
Arizona State (full, LSU and ND on the docket)
Unlikely
Cal. Open dates but already has a home and home with Texas and 9 game conference schedule. Would want a home game in 2015, so that's a positive.
USC. Already lined up with ND and A&M, plus a Texas series the couple years after that. Adding Michigan would be a bit much even for them.
Washington State. Probably does not want to bite off more tough games after putting Wisconsin and Boise State on the docket in the near future.
Tennessee. Already lined up with Oklahoma and a Nebraska series during the time in question.
Kansas State. I'll believe they schedule Michigan when I see it.
LSU. Award since Les Miles and their slate in 2016 is full. They have Arizona State both those years and NC State in 2017. Some chance it could work out but doubtful.
South Carolina. Full in 2015 and has an annual game with Clemson.
Clemson. Has annual game against South Carolina and will be playing a nine game conference schedule in 2015. They've got room, but I doubt they'll go for it. OTOH, they have played Georgia and Auburn in addition to the Gamecocks.
Georgia Tech. See Clemson, replace "South Carolina" with "Georgia," add in "Michigan just got reminded it's a bad idea to schedule an option team."
Florida State. See Clemson, replace "South Carolina" with "Florida," remove bit about how they have played a second interesting team in the past.
Possible
Oregon. At Michigan State in 2015, but has nothing for 2016 and just a game at Wyoming in 2017. If a double dip of Michigan in 2015 doesn't work you could still see something working for 2016 and 2017.
Washington. Full in 2015 but could probably cancel Sacramento State or something. Nothing but a Montana game the next couple years.
Alabama. Preferably on an aircraft carrier on the moon. Nothing 2015, just State in 2016 and 2017. May not want to keep beating up on Michigan teams.
Arkansas. Just TCU in 2015 and 2016.
Auburn. Nothing scheduled except Idaho.
Missouri. Nothing but Memphis and Wyoming.
Oklahoma State. Would have to cancel a game in 2015, but those are against Central Arkansas, UT-San Antonio, and at(!) Central Michigan, so I think they'd have little difficulty doing so. They're showing games at UTSA, CMU, and South Alabama the next few years as part of 2-for-1 deals… so this may be a KState/Wisconsin kind of thing where they refuse to schedule anyone credible in the nonconference.
NC State. I know this is the opposite of thrilling, but they've got openings.
Georgia. Annual game against Georgia Tech hurts things but they don't have another real nonconference opponent lined up in 2015 or 2016.
TCU. Normally I'd look at a team playing nine conference games with a real opponent lined up (Arkansas) and say no way but TCU may want to go for it to establish their bonafides, that sort of thing. They would want a home game in 2015, too.
This Guy's Vote
Georgia, as per usual. Oregon would be exciting as well, unless we just get obliterated again. Which we might.
September 26th, 2012 at 7:44 PM ^
UVA is like the Purdue of the Mid Atlantic. Never really inspriring, you think they are better than they are and every so often pulls out a 8 or 9 win season but always seem to underachieve. A perfect non conference opponent! VA Tech would be more dangerous as long as Beamer is there. Maryland is another ho hum team.
But the cool thing is this allows rotational home and homes across the country. I personally would not mind Miami way down the road - seems like a fun place to play and they still have (some) cachet. Auburn, Virginia and Miami for 6 of those years?
September 26th, 2012 at 2:52 AM ^
I would like a good warm up team that would not be a cupcake. Naturally, I would say Alabama. Just play the best, soon we will be competitive and would probably start winning at home in a few years. Even if we lose to AL, playing them close will keep us in the national title hunt!
Realistically, I could see us playing Missouri from the SEC. I don't think Georgia would be willing to add us to their schedule.
I would like to play Oklahoma State from the big 12. KSU would be a good fit, a tough team but our talent should allow us to win most of the time. I remember we occasionally played Baylor in the past.
I remember playing WA a lot in the late 70s and through the 80s. I really would like to try a different venue than playing pacific northwest teams. We often have trouble on the road at these sites. Even in the Bo years it seem like we would lose when we went off and played WA on the road!
September 26th, 2012 at 8:25 AM ^
Who wouldn't want to John L back in the big house!
September 26th, 2012 at 8:33 AM ^
I would like to see UNC/NC State/Duke just because it would mean that I could tailgate at home.
September 26th, 2012 at 8:39 AM ^
I like a home and home with Tennessee...We go to Rocky Top, they come to the Big house.I also like FSU... Weve done the Oregon games.. I want a good team from the south
September 26th, 2012 at 10:56 AM ^
I would love to play Georgia, but I think Auburn would be great too.
September 26th, 2012 at 10:56 AM ^
In the short term, look for a good team with an opening: Auburn, Georgia, and OK State stand out.
In the longer term, let's try to schedule I team/scholl with whom we want to be identified, and in a location valuable for recruiting's sake and alumni relations. These would be: UCLA; Virgina (or a rotation between Virginia, Maryland, and/or Va Teach, but perhaps played in DC), Florida (not FSU -- too deep south; not Miami -- going way of U of Chicago football); or MAYBE a commitment to play a Big East team in NYC, which could rotate.
September 26th, 2012 at 11:38 AM ^
So if we remove all of the possible teams that don't oversign, teams that Michigan has an even playing field with, we are left with:
Washington. Full in 2015 but could probably cancel Sacramento State or something. Nothing but a Montana game the next couple years.
Missouri. Nothing but Memphis and Wyoming.
NC State. I know this is the opposite of thrilling, but they've got openings.
Georgia. Annual game against Georgia Tech hurts things but they don't have another real nonconference opponent lined up in 2015 or 2016.
TCU. Normally I'd look at a team playing nine conference games with a real opponent lined up (Arkansas) and say no way but TCU may want to go for it to establish their bonafides, that sort of thing. They would want a home game in 2015, too.
It's Georgia... please God... get us Georgia!!!
September 26th, 2012 at 7:39 PM ^
(hence redundent)
Not interested in Arizona at all - Michigan is usually horrible when it travels to the Far West. No upside. A spread offense with a scrambling QB which gives Michigan trouble ALL THE TIME from Donovan Mcnabb (early 90s) forward. No thanks.
Same goes for Oregon which is like Arizona but good. Forget it. Last thing I want to see is a rout by Ducks. Let's be blunt, we have some nice recruiting classes but it's a wildcard when you play that sort of speed and THEIR stadium is considered the loudest per capita in the US.
Same goes for Washington which is not spread but is West. We just suck in the Pacific Time Zone except for a victory once a decade in the Rose Bowl. I know Washington generally sucks but forget the West unless its USC or Stanford which would be fun matchups.
Of the other options I like Georgia (less sexy) or Auburn (more sexy). Georgia and Auburn to me are the Iowa and Wisconsin of the SEC respectively. Georgia is that cute team that wins its division every so often but gets smoked by the other side of the SEC in the championship game. Auburn is a great team once every 6-8 years and then is decent otherwise. I think Auburn would be more fun for whatever reason.
Alabama - forget it. Either LSU, Bama or Florida is going to be sick good over the next decade. if Michigan ever gets sick good and not "Big 10 good" I'd be happy to play one of those in the Championship game, not a non conference.
The other "fun team" would be Florida State - they are worse than their legacy at this point but maybe are improving. A lot like Miami or Notre Dame - living off a legacy. They'd be equivalent to Notre Dame in talent (but faster I am sure!) I want to get back that pasting at Michigan Stadium in 94 or whateve it was (was there, can't remember! don't want to remember)
Oklahoma State with a gadget offense? It wouldnt scare me so much as an Oregon but a 51-48 game is stupid. If it was Oklahoma and you get a matchup of 2 historic programs - that would be fun. But OK state has all the history of Michigan State.
Everyone else bores me.
My gut? Brandon schedules "safe" Missouri.
September 27th, 2012 at 9:48 AM ^
Still would like to see Notre Dame on a fairly regular basis and would hope that future Notre Dame schedules might allow them to alternate Michigan and Michigan State in some way (maybe on a four-year alternating basis, like Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan in South Bend, Michigan State in South Bend and Michigan in Ann Arbor).
Home and Away Series (If Available)
California and UCLA for recruiting and alumni reasons (maybe get a hoops exchange with UCLA for a game at Crisler and a game at Pauley Pavilion)
Texas, Florida and Georgia for recruiting and strength-of-schedule reasons (maybe combine with a fall baseball or hoops exhibition series with each school)
Syracuse and Pitt for travel and alumni reasons and Pitt for recruiting reasons (Syracuse away game at MetLife Stadium; Pitt away game at Heinz Field; maybe get a hoops exchange with each school and a LAX exhibition with Syracuse)
Virginia and Maryland for recruiting and alumni reasons (away games at FedEx Field; maybe get a hoops or LAX exhibition with each school)
Single Home Game at The Big House (If Available)
Cincinnati, Duke (with a LAX or hoops exhibition or soccer match), Connecticut (with a men’s or women’s hoops exhibition or soccer match), Vanderbilt (with a fall baseball exhibition series, and Alan Oaks and David Price as honorary football game captains), Army (with a LAX exhibition), Navy (with a LAX exhibition)
Realize that exhibitions need NCAA approval, but if they were added, that could make for a full weekend of action to complement the football game
September 27th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
Should be a winnable, yet relatively tough game. Might help recruiting in Texas too
in 2015, 2016, and 2017, if you go by who M plays in the second game of the season (traditionally Notre Dame's spot). I don't have a problem with any of those. All three teams' stock is rising but should still be wins over decent-to-good teams.
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