Who to root against...MSU @ ND

Submitted by umich1 on
One of my favorite games to watch every year, as it provides insight into MSU's standing and gives context for Michigan's result vs. Notre Dame.

So here comes the 2013 edition. The Chickenheads vs. The Chickens in what must be called the fowlbowl.

Connor Cook had a good week last week as MSU's new quarterback, and if their offense has another strong performance against a team like Notre Dame, they may become a truly formidable opponent this year.

That said, after Notre Dame's miraculous 2012 season to reach the national championship game, I'd enjoy it if they have a 6 win campaign this year. So, I think I'll be rooting for ND to lose.

Thoughts?

Galapula

September 17th, 2013 at 5:11 PM ^

I am rooting for Notre Dame to absolutely destroy Michigan State to make the Purdue game look like an aberration. This makes Michigan's win over Notre Dame look better and maybe alleviates 1% of this post Akron PTSD.

Space Coyote

September 18th, 2013 at 9:19 AM ^

As well as rooting against the commonly called for "meteor". Those things could bring vast devastation to our region, if not cause more widespread problems than that. As a species that has the technology, we are extremely illprepared to counter a meteor strike, and Nuclear war has last effects that strongly hurt the University of Michigan, as well is the great state I come from...Pure Michigan.

reshp1

September 17th, 2013 at 5:13 PM ^

Rooting for ND to win. They're not making a championship run this year and we already have the W against them in the bag. I want to see Sparty fall to their place in the natural order of things and for their fans to know it. Plus Sparty loss potentially helps us in (3rd?) tie breaker scenarios for the Legends Division.

Wisconsin Wolverine

September 17th, 2013 at 7:03 PM ^

ND for me.  Due to my association with certain Irish fans, and having already defeated them on the field of battle, I can now 'cheer' for them to appease my associates while still feeling superior.  But really, screw Notre Dame.  And screw the Spartans.  But screw the Spartans slightly more.

Ali G Bomaye

September 17th, 2013 at 5:13 PM ^

I always root for MSU in this game.  I think I started doing that because I started watching football in the late 80s/early 90s, when MSU was always a decided underdog in this game and an MSU victory would knock ND's arrogance down a peg or two.  In addition, the MSU-ND game usually occurs after the Michigan-ND game but before the Michigan-MSU game, so even if MSU beats ND we still can wreck their season.

Now, in addition to those reasons, I think I continue rooting for MSU because a B1G out-of-conference win is good for the whole conference.

WolvinLA2

September 17th, 2013 at 5:30 PM ^

I don't understand this reasoning. We play both team. A ND win makes our ND result look better, but our MSU result look worse. But if MSU wins, it makes our conference look better and improves the SOS of almost all of our opponents. We compete head to head with ND more as well, so them losing will help us more than MSU losing.

jmblue

September 17th, 2013 at 5:37 PM ^

But we don't play MSU until the season is almost two-thirds over.  By that time we'll have a pretty good idea how good we are, whereas right now things are up in the air, and we could use the reassurance that the ND team we dropped 41 points on is, in fact, pretty good.

Gameboy

September 17th, 2013 at 5:55 PM ^

The difference is that ND gets much more national respect, especially after last year. Even if MSU wins, their national respect is not going to go up as much as how much ND 's is going to drop.

For polling perspective, there is no question that we need ND to win more.

WolvinLA2

September 17th, 2013 at 6:14 PM ^

It's surprising to me how much the polls mean to everyone. But your post sounds like an argument for MSU to me. Since ND has such a better national image than MSU, wouldn't that mean we want ND to lose to drop that image? MSU losing won't hurt their already low image.

According to national perception, we compete with ND, not MSU. So we need ND dropped down a peg worse than MSU.

Gameboy

September 17th, 2013 at 7:00 PM ^

I don't know why you wouldn't care. If we don't win the B1G outright, our poll position is going to have a huge say in which bowl we go to.

And the polls have more than three teams in it. We will drop further if ND is no longer regarded as a quality win.

ND winning this game gives us better poll standings. There is no ifs or buts about it.

Gulogulo37

September 17th, 2013 at 9:26 PM ^

People are really overemphasizing this though. Yes, polls matter, but if Michigan takes care of business in their own games, they'll be fine, and if they don't, the polls won't really matter. Whatever team wins, since we play them both, people are really overestimating the effects. "Sure, Michigan's undefeated, but did they beat a good Notre Dame team and a bit better than good MSU team instead of a really good Notre Dame and a good MSU team?"

Also, Brian Kelly seems like a dick, but I hate Dantonio and Narduzzi. I can't root for them.

Gameboy

September 17th, 2013 at 10:40 PM ^

You can make an argument that we are not emphasizing it enough!!!

You do realize how weak Big Ten is right?  We only have two opponents left who are ranked. The only significant win outside of conference that those teams have are the wins over Cal who is most likely will be at best in the middle of Pac12. Our strength of schedule almost non-existent if ND falls down.

Yes, if we win out, we will be fine. However, if we don't, SOS is going to play a significant factor in who goes to the BCS bowls. I don't know about you, but I would like for us to go to one.

Commie_High96

September 17th, 2013 at 8:32 PM ^

In my lifetime, I think MSU has been UM 8 times, but ND has pretty much split with us.  I was in junior high for Rocket, at the game for The Catch, ND is the team I always hate next to O.  Can't ever really take MSU seriously enough to hate them, but then again, I grew up in Ann Arbor and never really had to deal with sparty fans that much.

Baldbill

September 18th, 2013 at 7:44 AM ^

yes, Always (or nearly so) root for the B10 teams to win in the non-conference portion of the schedule. This is one clear way to have the B10 look better in football, so far this season has been a series of disappointments for the B10 as a whole, this doesn't help the SOS or long term outlook for the conference.

 

turtleboy

September 17th, 2013 at 5:16 PM ^

The meteor.

But honestly I don't know which team losing would be worse for us. Notre Dame will likely win so I'm gonna just stick with rooting for what I expect to happen.

Rico616

September 17th, 2013 at 5:25 PM ^

I'm cheering for ND to win. Michigan beat ND and I cant stand msu. ND struggled against Purdue but Purdue is one of those annoying teams that you can never take lightly.

Also my hatred for msu fans and their shit talking makes me hate them almost as much as Ohio St. I'm still not sold on msu though.

PurpleStuff

September 17th, 2013 at 5:25 PM ^

I think we're always better off if State wins.  They are the program with the ceiling.  Putting Brian Kelly back on the hotseat is a better thing for Michigan than worrying about whether Dantonio can find another Kirk Cousins somewhere.

Wolverine Devotee

September 17th, 2013 at 5:33 PM ^

I always want ND to kick state's ass. Michigan usually plays (and beats) ND by the time state plays ND, so ND beating down state will only make Michigan look better.

Plus I will never want state to win a game. That "state of Michigan pride" thing is a bunch of junk. Why should I want state to win a game when their fans don't do the same in return? 

ND's defense will be out to prove something this game. I think they don't allow sparty in the endzone once. state scores all their points on FGs.

Fig Things 34  sparty 15.

LSAClassOf2000

September 17th, 2013 at 5:30 PM ^

Massey is going with a 30% win probability for MSU and a predicted score of 24-17. For poll position purposes, it's probably better for us if ND wins, I would think. The line right now is Notre Dame by 6.5 as well, or at least it was the last time I checked.