3 Rivals a year is too many

Man some of you aren't in it for the entertainment, more for the bragodocious "we're a playoff team even though we've beaten crappy-to-mediocre teams for the most part".  I'm sad and mad and slightly depressed about Saturday...I get into this stuff, more than I need, thought I've definitely scaled back and learned about other more important things in life.  However, as bad as the losses suck and make for something of a crummy following week, I'm sick and fucking tired of playing Maryland and Rutgers every year instead of annual Iowa and Wisconsin games.  Or Toledo instead of Washington.  Sure some of those were losses.  Sure some of the tough non-conference games were losses....but they were entertaining and matched up 2 good teams.  Isn't that what this is all about?!  We're truly in the age where all that matters is winning (always has been, I know that) but feasting on shitty teams all year doesn't make for that fun of a sport to watch week in and week out.

(I know this isn't an exact parallel but UCF get shit on everywhere but it's almost like most fan-bases would be cool with their schedule because it would hypothetically assure their team 11-12 wins and get them into the playoff conversation.)

Honestly, ND has the best schedule every year as they play all of these old rivalry games and very few garbage teams...seems to be fun as a fan to have all of those games to look forward to every year.  That didn't pan out this year of course but who the hell could've seen that coming 4, 3, even 2 years ago....they got slightly lucky and that's why they're in the playoff but that schedule on paper is a fun on (going into the season).

I think the "gauntlet" and revenge tour coupled with practicing "full speed" every time (per the coaches) MAY have worn us down enough for OSU.  Just speculating.  But yeah, our guys gave 100% effort every game this season and that coupled with some injuries slowing key guys down especially on the D line may have added up to what we saw on Saturday.

The regression of the D was noticeable from the games up to and including PSU to Rutgers/Indiana/OSU.  I'd love to see us take a page from the SEC and schedule a tomato can the week prior to OSU.

I don’t think that’s a big deal honestly. Part of coaching is managing the emotions and they can manage through that. 

What DOES seem like a colossal f*ck up is having ND/MSU/osu all home or away. Yeah next year is nice but the alternate year sucks. 

Really I don’t understand why they don’t work it so osu and MSU are on alternate years for home/away. 

This is a lame excuse. The end. 

no offense but this is soft

elite teams dont worry about having to get up for opponents spaced weeks apart. between rutgers and two non conferences cake walks, id say we're fine

Notre Dame shouldn't be on the schedule. Your point about OSU and MSU is just fucking dumb though.

I hated it the moment Harbaugh put N.D. On the schedule. To hell with Notre Dame.

What a whiner of a thread. Life is hard. Sometimes you have to earn it.

So Hawwwt!!

You don't think OSU was mentally exhausted having to fight in fourth quarters for damn near every game they played?

I don't buy this new theory at all. If you can't get up for the game, get out of the locker room

If you can’t get up to play OSU, you should never have come here in the first place. End of story.

Alabama seems to have no issues getting up to play three rivals, Auburn, Tennessee and LSU, every single year.

They were flat because of the 1975 loser play calling & the uniforms to match. 

Put them in something that looks tough going into the hostile Shoe. Something intimidating.

Put Shea in shotgun right off the bat & gunsling it to Nico & Dpj ...& tell him to take off if the opportunity presents. Score a TD right off the bat to send a message they are there to win - instead of the turtling bullshit we seen.

Ask Woodson & Marcus Ray to come in & teach Brown some zone concepts he can mix in ...way before the Game.

Screen pass to Mason once in awhile so he can wreck a few DBs trying to tackle him. 

Once D is backing off from pass - turn Higdon loose.

Never sub out our best players unless they are gassed.

Harbaugh is making many millions & has buku resources ...no reason not to expect a game plan to complete with Osu.

This is a terrible theory and you should be fired

I think this guy is a Sparty troll. WHO THE F*** ELSE WOULD SAY "Michigan State is and should be our true rival" ??????

ND doesn't even matter. We were in a position to make the Cfp & totally shit the bed. 

I'm not on a get rid of JH stance btw. But get your shit together for fuck sake. How in the hell do they have a guy come up the middle almost untouched & block a punt? Why down 3 scores in the game - we are huddling & burning 30 sec a play. Same happened at ND btw. Top teams don't do that. 

Agree. 

I know Notre Dame is tough and they have had an excellent season, stupid to add them, really is. Another game for Michigan to have to prepare hard for and another opportunity for opponents to study Michigan’s best.

Michigans rivals are MSU and OSU. Plain and simple. 

Keep Notre Dame off the schedule. The big ten is loaded up now with good teams, especially the last few years. 

Ridiculous.  Your theory is dog shit.  We got bitch-slapped.  There's really nothing else to it.  We have to figure the last game out. Plain and simple.  We weren't ready for them.  

When we were exploited, it took too long to adjust on offense, in order to keep up with the massive scoring.  By the time we had their Defense figured out, it was too late. This is Don's Penn State of 2018.

Don B will have this game circled next year. This game should be valued above all EVERY year.  They are trash but they are obsessed and they will do ANYTHING to win that game.  We have to match/exceed their effort on all levels (except for the cheating/under the table shit)

Michigan State and Notre Dame had almost nothing to do with what happened Saturday.

My only complaint about Notre Dame is that whoever made the call was BRAINDEAD enough to accept a second consecutive away game (I heard the decision was made while Dave Brandon was still in charge, surprise surprise, but I have no sources to say who made that call for sure).

Michigan needs to adopt the Dantonio “little borther” and “disrespect” attitude about OSU. Let’s face it, we are OSU’s little brother  let’s act like it and double their intensity  

Look back at Dantonio after the 2007 loss and his quotes. He couldn’t stomach the loss to Michigan. 

“Do you hear my tone? This game is important it matters. They can mock us all they want. I can tell you, it’s not over. I’m going to be a coach here for a long time. It’s not over”

fuck Ohio state. Fuck getting “revenge” against anyone besides OSU. 

I disagree with this in general, but would agree that Michigan should start today to build itself into a team that can beat Ohio State's Plans A, B and C on both sides of the ball and let the rest of the chips fall where they may.

Coach should show the B10 special of the 97 team before the Game & FF it to the Osu part. 

Well, great news.  Some other brilliant OP previously declared ND is no longer a rival so we only played 2 rivals this year. Saying the players can't handle playing 3 tough games a season is demeaning.  It's one thing to complain about a hard schedule but this is ridiculous. What is going on with you pussies?  You have just given up on behalf of the team?  You and the other OP that wants to run to the Big Ten West to avoid OSU?  Fuck both of you and fuck OSU.  We don't need to run away, we need the team to get angry and beat these fucks. Why would you come here and talk so much shit about UM?  Just fuck off.  Go cheer for OSU and ND since you think they're so great.   

Nope. Give me more rivals. 

This has to be one of the worst takes I’ve ever seen on this board. Most U-M coaches had to deal with playing all 3 and most navigated through them. We have to stop being soft and get better, instead of complaining about how tough are road was. Before that game most were on here saying we were going to dominate them, we get beat and it seems like half the fan base wants to quit playing football anymore. Iowa, Purdue, MSU, PSU etc. have all beaten them in recent years with less talent than we have. We talked a big game, but they actually backed it up. No more excuses let’s kick their ass!

Put a countdown clock to the time of the next Ohio State game in a prominent place in the locker room and a sign above every locker and locker-room door: 

2018 – Ohio State - 62 Michigan - 39
               NEVER AGAIN

Until they beat Ohio State and Michigan State in the same season, no more team-bonding foreign trips; just a week of building and renovating houses for Habitat for Humanity.

I call bullshit

How about if we drop Notre Dame and also... stop trying to run up the middle on EVERY SINGLE first and second down so that we end up with 3rd & 8 or 3rd & 9 on EVERY SINGLE series. 

Yeah, it’s Tuesday & I’m still angry. 

We had all three rivals during the Bo, Moeller and Carr days, and it wasn’t a problem getting up for (and beating) Ohio State.  I don’t buy this as the explanation for our losing.

On a similar but slightly different note has there been or was there any explanation as to why ND/OSU/MSU are all home or all away in the same year? More specfically, why there was that two year spurt where UM played @ MSU and that caused those two games to be both home and both away. 

Forgetting even the competitive part just for the sake of a fun home schedule it would be nice to have msu home/osu away and vice versa. 

You left off Minnesota, although they aren't on the schedule much, and rutger.