ND Alternatives?
As the sun sets on the Notre Dame rivalry, there's been a lot of talk as to which powerhouse program could potentially replace the Irish on a consistent basis. Brandon has already scheduled a "home and home" series with Arkansas in 2018/19 :(http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110612aaa.html
You have to wonder if Brandon is looking squarely at the SEC for something long-term, or if he plans on filling the gap on a yearly basis with the most compelling match-up available. And then there's the Texas factor, which many of us believe has always been the ultimate goal for the B1G. Whatever the strategy is, I have to believe that Brandon has a gameplan for adding credibility to our schedule outside of B1G play.
Or, is it the better move to fill the void with mid-level opponents in the hopes of an unblemished B1G run?
September 9th, 2013 at 11:14 AM ^
B1G goes to a 9-game sked in 2016.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:59 AM ^
I don't think we'll get a permanent rival, but I disagree that the goal with a 9-game schedule will be to find three nonconference cupcakes. I think the goal should be to play a schedule that probably gets you into the playoff even if you lose once (without being insanely difficult). It helps that we're in the better Big Ten division.
My guess is that the long-term formula will be something like one tough game (and very tough every now and then), one should-win game against a big conference team, and one cupcake. So something like Florida State, Iowa State, and Ball State; or UCLA, NC State, and WMU; or Georgia, Colorado, and Bowling Green.
Personally, I'd rather have Notre Dame filling that tough-to-very-tough spot, but chickens and all.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
When the B1G goes to nine conf games, Michigan's strength of schedule (unless the B1G picks up) won't compare to the SEC (and perhaps ACC and Big 12). Look at the current AP Poll - the SEC has four teams in the Top 10, the B1G has one. That's been consistent the last few years.
If Michigan wants to get into the "College Football Playoff", we'll have to play (and hopefully beat) a name program every year in the non-conf. Otherwise, UM could go 12-0 and not make the four-team playoff, if it happens during a year when we don't play, say Wisconsin (who's usually Top 20) and Nebraska (ditto).
Additionally, Brandon's got 110,000 seats to sell - scheduling a non-conf slate of Akron, EMU and Navy isn't going to keep the suites filled.
I'm still shocked we haven't scheduled UCLA yet. It's a big, academically-renowned public school, UM has a huge S CA presence (e.g., the b-school has a facility there) and donors would love the chance for a home/home. And if UCLA's busy, give USC a call.
September 9th, 2013 at 1:51 PM ^
The strength of schedule thing is way overrated. Michigan is going to get into any playoff if it goes undefeated--as will any major conference school. The trick is getting in with one loss or as an undefeated mid-major. The downside of playing a really high-end school is huge, both in the potential for a loss and the impact to revenue from a home-and-home.
I'm all for interesting opponents, but selling seats is a much more persuasive argument for me. Penn State has stopped selling out its games and there will come a time when people aren't willing to shell out $90 (the top price for Akron at mgoblue) to see a cupcake.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:03 AM ^
Also, we don't really have much history with any programs to warrant a long term deal. Notre dame was a rivalry (despite what BK said). Rivalries deserve lengthy contracts.
Lastly, it keeps things exciting and fresh to play home and homes with different teams. I'd like to see some UCLA and Washingtons on the schedule like we used to see.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:13 AM ^
It is true that teams rise and fall, but when you are scheduling these games 5+ years out, it's pretty difficult to predict how good a team will be by the time the game rolls around. The best you can do is find an opponent that has been good historically and hope for the best.
That said, I agree with you that if we can't find a legitimate "rival," then variety would make things more interesting.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:21 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 11:03 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^
ND was, like, perfect. Oh well.
Stanford or LSU would be my choices, but Stanford is locked in with ND, right? Didn't LSU just hook up with Wisconsin?
Georgia has one open date in 2015 and two in 2016. That's my choice.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^
Stanford AD drop an envelope on the ND AD before this year's game???
September 9th, 2013 at 11:12 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 11:12 AM ^
Having been born and raised in the Atlanta area, I've always wanted Michigan home-and-home series with Georgia and/or Georgia Tech. Can you imagine our Maize and Blue between the Hedges?
Reviving some series from the 90s, like Colorado and Syracuse, might be interesting.
Out west, it seems like Arizona State, Cal, and Oregon State are teams which seem to regularly schedule games against midwest or east coast-ish teams (wisco, psu, cincy, louisville, illinois, northwestern, etc.)
September 9th, 2013 at 11:13 AM ^
Hoke said it best, don't be afraid to play anybody. Set up a home and home with any team that should be tough for a good team to beat:
Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
Tennessee
Alabama
Auburn
LSU
Texas A&M
TCU
Texas
Baylor
Kansas State
West Virginia
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Clemson
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Miami
Pitt
Virginia Tech
Louisville
USC
Orgeon
Stanford
Arizona (just for fun)
September 9th, 2013 at 11:41 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 9:04 PM ^
Gimme back Auburn, OK State, and Clemson and you've got a deal.
I also think it would be cool to go to Atlanta for Georgia Tech, but I understand.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:15 AM ^
Is the best option, in my opinion.
Anyone else remember in the past when our AD said they didn't want home-and-homes with the SEC because we had too many bowl tie ins with them? Things have changed a lot since then.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:15 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 11:18 AM ^
best teams in the country; please!
September 9th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^
A home and home with a west-coast team would bring M out here every other year. Selfishly this would be great for me, because there is no way I would miss the game. There are other benefits though, a presence on the west coast would help open the doors to some recruits that may not otherwise consider Michigan. I vote for either UCLA, UW, or Stanford. The masochist in me would also love to see a game against Zona for the RR factor, but also because I love Tucson.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^
Stanford - Michigan home - home series would be awesome
September 9th, 2013 at 11:22 AM ^
the annoyance concomitant with about five decent games a year, which a nine game conference schedule adding Maryland and Rutgers and dropping Nebraska and Northwestern regularly won't help. Therefore, I propose getting two longer series going with larger name programs, to alternate between Ann Arbor and there on alternate years. I say at least one SEC East team, such as UGA or Florida, and one more western team, such as maybe UT or one in California.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:25 AM ^
Recuriting Teritories.
Florida
Georgia
SCAR
A&M
Texas
UNC
Va Tech
Miami
FSU
Any CA school
AZ (b/c I want this thread to start "beating the horse")
September 9th, 2013 at 2:07 PM ^
So:
- Cincinnati
- Youngstown State
- Miami University
- Akron
- Toledo
- Bowling Green
- Ohio Unikversity
- Dayton
- Wright State
- Capital University
- Denison
- Kenyon
- Oberlin
- Baldwin-Wallace
- Heidelberg
- Wittenberg
- Mount Union
- Wilberforce
- The Pontifical College Josephinum
- Ohio Wesleyan
September 9th, 2013 at 2:55 PM ^
Shit the bed on spelling. Needed to run it by my DIVO before sending it up.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:25 AM ^
oregon ducks
September 9th, 2013 at 11:35 AM ^
would have been the deal between the Big Ten and PAC-12 that fell through. Maybe it gets revived. There is no other rival to schedule to a long contract. I don't like to see us going to hot weather venues in early September. I know it limits our options, but playing in 97 degree weather like we did at UCLA is not to our advantage.
September 9th, 2013 at 1:38 PM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 11:36 AM ^
Florida State
Georgia
Tennessee
Auburn
Miami
September 9th, 2013 at 11:46 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 3:29 PM ^
My wife's an Auburn fan. I can handle it, so can you.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:37 AM ^
There is only one university similar enough for this to work. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Cluck-U:
September 9th, 2013 at 11:38 AM ^
We have openings starting again in 2017, which we currently have two of.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:38 AM ^
Arizona! (ducks)
September 9th, 2013 at 11:47 AM ^
I would love to see us play Stanford on a consistent basis for many reasons or maybe even rotate Stanford/Cal but as we have seen with our ND rivalry and other rivalries around the country that with conferences constantly changing and/or forming super conferences the era of long-term rivalries is probably over.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^
For those looking to replace a rivalry...it isn't going to happen. How can you replace all of those years and great games with, say, Louisville??? Even if we began an annual match with Texas/Stanford/LSU, it will be decades before it can become a rivalry.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:32 PM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
I don't know if they'll have time to play us, given that ND will likely be playing that powerhouse in the near future.
September 9th, 2013 at 1:18 PM ^
Imagine, a stadium worse than NU's.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:52 AM ^
Ideally I would love to see a home and home with Stanford on the schedule sometime soon. Regardless of who the actual schools end up being I would like to see schedules featuring one 'marquee' opponent (hopefully in home and homes rather than neutral site games), one game against a mid to upper level BCS Conference school, and one game against a MAC school each year.
I actually think this may be the way they've started to fill in their post-ND schedules what with home and homes coming up with Utah (14/15), Arkansas (18/19), and Virginia Tech (20/21) as well as one offs (all at home) with Oregon State (15), Colorado (16), BYU (15), and Cincinnati (17), with schools like Ball State (16), UNLV (15), and Hawaii (16) filling out the non-conference schedules. If they keep scheduling like this going forward, I'll be plenty happy with the variety and competition levels of their post-ND schedules.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^
I think a home and home with a SEC like Georgia would be fantastic, but I fear that scheduling those games hinges on how the LSU-Wisconsin games go. SEC teams are notorious for not wanting to leave their little bubble which makes home-and-home games tough to schedule. If LSU comes up north and gets the crap kicked out of them (just a hypothetical) I think the rest of the SEC then goes all Howard Huges on us and decides it never wants to leave the bubble again. This may be made even worse when Michigan kicks the crap out of Arkansas in the Big House.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:55 AM ^
I think UM will have more than they can handle with the Scarlett Knights and Terrapins in a couple of years!
September 9th, 2013 at 11:58 AM ^
Stanford, Washington, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee
September 9th, 2013 at 12:01 PM ^
Until there is a real playoff for a real National Championship with all major conference champions eligible to participate, I am in favor of scheduling tomato cans who have almost no chance of winning.
Louisville has a schedule with one or two legitimate teams at the most and 10-11 tomato cans, and they will have a chance to go to the "national championship" game if they can take care of business against the tomato cans and play one or two good games this season.
A standard Big Ten schedule is strong enough to allow an undefeated champion to go to the "championship" game this year and the "playoffs" next year and thereafter.
Bring on the tomato cans. I vote for three Michigan directional schools every year.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:04 PM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 12:13 PM ^
Nebraska won't be in our division after the re-alignment.
And, If there isn't a team other than cupcakes for non-conference-personally, I'll have a hard time justifying purchasing season tickets.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:06 PM ^
When you look at the non conference schedule for the next few years, real competition would be great. I would love to do a home and home with LSU.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:07 PM ^
Brian here did a post a couple years ago how ND was perfect...a school that has big prestige, but that we generally dominate.
Going to be tough to replace that combination.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:10 PM ^
Wisconsin.
September 9th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 12:18 PM ^
Honestly with the Big Ten not having a bowl tie-in with the Big 12 anymore starting in 2014, I think home and homes with Texas and/or Oklahoma would be prime. TCU or Oklahoma State would be interesting, but perhaps not as attractive.