OT: ND / Arkansas home and home

Submitted by Dylan on
ND played us like a fool. Now we are stuck with weak home schedules and they pick up our SEC series. Hooray. I'm on my phone and don't really know how to edit on here, but the stuff came from ND Football's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ndfootball/status/883000378840711169

mGrowOld

July 6th, 2017 at 1:20 PM ^

As much as I'd like to blame Brandon for everything wrong with our schedule he did not have anything to do with the resumption of the ND series and the cancellation of the Arkansas home and home as a result of it.

Now it remains to be seen if it's a good or bad thing but if we're being honest here this is the guy responsible for the outcome Dylan's referencing is this guy, not our dear old friend DB:

Image result for warde manuel

Kevin13

July 7th, 2017 at 10:23 AM ^

it is now Warde's turn to be played by ND. I still can't believe we paid Arkansas good money to get out of that series and then scheduled ND and starting the series with them on the road making for an even worse schedule.

When will AD's heed Bo's words? "To Hell with ND"

Sleepy

July 6th, 2017 at 2:44 PM ^

B1G teams play nine conference games.

UM wants at least seven home games per season.

UM needs all three non-conference games to be home games in odd-numbered years.

The cancelled Arkansas series was for 2018 (in Ann Arbor) and 2019 (in Fayetteville).

FOR THE LAST FUCKING TIME, NOTRE DAME DID NOT PLAY MICHIGAN LIKE A FOOL. DAVE BRANDON DID WHEN HE BENT OVER AND LET DELANY SEND MICHIGAN TO EAST LANSING IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS.

tbeindit

July 7th, 2017 at 4:09 AM ^

This logic relies on a false premise though. You didnt NEED to bring back Notre Dame. I would have rather played Arkansas than tank an entire home schedule. We acted like we were desperate to get them back when we're the program that's relevant. 

Sleepy

July 7th, 2017 at 8:50 AM ^

...but because of how the home/away with Arkansas was scheduled, that series was absolutely going to get cancelled as soon as the B1G went to nine games.

And at that point in time, UM needed a "marquee" non-conference opponent with an extremely flexible schedule to fit in a home-and-home in 2018 and 2019, with the further stipulation that the 2019 game HAD to be in Ann Arbor.  Other than ND, there aren't too many teams in the country that could check off all of those boxes on short-ish notice.

Wolverine Devotee

July 6th, 2017 at 1:07 PM ^

You are aware that we have series with VT, Oklahoma, UCLA and Texas in the future right? Washington might be cancelled but it's still there for now, too.

Dylan

July 6th, 2017 at 1:10 PM ^

I am -- but the fact we had to cancel Arkansas to re-up on ND and that we didn't even get the benefit of playing ND home in the first meeting just makes me laugh that ND immediately picks-up Arkansas.

M Fanfare

July 6th, 2017 at 1:37 PM ^

It's not quite the same for us and ND. We're locked into nine conference games, so we only have three other games we can schedule on our own. ND is locked into five ACC games but can do whatever they want with the other seven. Over half of their schedule is discretionary versus a quarter of ours.

I would have liked to have seen our home-and-home with Arkansas as well, but our scheduling flexibility is tighter than an independent's.

UM Indy

July 6th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^

Yes they have more flexibility, but in addition to the 5 ACC games they play Navy every year, they play USC every year, they play Stanford every year.  So they have 4 spots and we only have 3.  BTW there's no doubt in my mind that ND scheduling Arkansas was no coincidence.  

93Grad

July 6th, 2017 at 1:57 PM ^

some of those other series too.  

I'm glad ND is back on the schedule, but it should have come at the expense of other good homes and homes that were lined up.  

The fact that we had to pay Arkansas to cancel the series and then ND picks it up is just more salt in the wound.

Jmer

July 6th, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^

The second meeting for ND vs Arkansas is scheduled for 2025. Both teams will have gone through two new head coaches by then.

mGrowOld

July 6th, 2017 at 1:25 PM ^

I'll be cashing my second year of social security and withdrawing from my 401K without penalty in 2025.  Plus I'll know all the "early bird" specials at Bill Knapps and wont miss an episode of Wheel of Fortune unless it's on really late (past 9:30pm).  I'll prolly live in either Arizona or Florida in the winter and will develop a need to start driving the speed limit but no faster in the left lane. 

Wanna trade?

Evil Empire

July 6th, 2017 at 2:00 PM ^

My brother hated them for serving him chicken in a plastic basket.  I hated them for calling regular and chocolate milk "white moo juice" and "brown moo juice" on the kids menu.  They had a lot to answer for, generally.

nappa18

July 6th, 2017 at 4:40 PM ^

Sadly, I would switch ages with you. This winter (2018) will be our seventh consecutive Florida siesta and in less then two weeks will be the ninth anniversary of my retirement. (I was able to retire at 60).

Frequently when I encounter "younger" people and these days almost everybody is younger then me, whether they are working professionals, service people, etc, they all lament "can't wait until retirement but I'm only . ..? years old.

I always, always respond by telling them my age and asking, "want to switch"? Everyone always gives an immediate NO! and changes the subject.

Your future will be here soon enough, too soon really. Do not wish your life away.

misterzolo

July 6th, 2017 at 1:32 PM ^

But I, too, preferred the home and home with the middle of the pack SEC school, as opposed to ND. Been there 3 times and still haven't found anything special about it. Except, of course, when Denard lit them up in 2010. That was special.

What does everyone else think? For 2018, would you rather have ND or The Woo Bielema Sooies? Disregard what year Michigan will be playing at home. Revive ND, or Arkansas?

WolverineHistorian

July 6th, 2017 at 2:02 PM ^

After the way ND cancelled the series the way they did, making sure to sneak in one more home game making it an uneven number of home and away games since the series renewal, I wasn't crying any tears. It's already a joke that they're 'sort of' a member of the ACC. I'm really tired of their BS and more than happy to sign the divorce papers.

Cancelling Arkansas to get these two games with ND ends up being a headache because of course the first meeting will be in South Bend, making it 3 of 4 in that cheap knockoff of Michigan Stadium. But from the sound of things, Harbaugh really wanted to get them on the schedule, even if it was only for two years. Fine.

It doesn't sound like we'll be playing them for a long time after 2019. And that's also fine. We had an amazing rivalry where countless games came down to the final minute. But ND had to be a dick. So they can go f*ck themselves.

alum96

July 6th, 2017 at 2:43 PM ^

I'm with you - I don't get the fetish for Notre Dame.  Frankly it reminds me of Michigan 1999-2014 (25 years or so).  A name program that is fine enough but not among the elite anymore and has some really down years.  Hopefully we are past that now but still TBD.

Again, I'd kill to play a home and home with Georgia or LSU vs anything Notre Dame can offer - been there, done that.  I want to see something different.  In any 10 year cycle I am fine with 1 home and home with Notre Dame to take up 2 of those slots.  Heck even 4 of the slots but this rotation of Oklahoma, UCLA, whatnot makes me a lot more interested.  Even Florida if it was a home and home would have been way more fun.

Mr Miggle

July 6th, 2017 at 4:01 PM ^

mid-season. On hot humid days down there at the beginning of the season, not so much. At least at LSU it would be a night game. We had a game at UCLA in 97 degree weather, hotter on the field. That's not what I consider football weather. It wasn't great for our players.

jabberwock

July 7th, 2017 at 8:59 AM ^

Why the hell do we not play them EVERY OTHER year?  

If you play for either school (and stay 4 years)) you're guaranteed 1 home & 1 away game with the other.  I think that's more than enough for fans to keep the tradition alive and allow for scheduling other opponents.

Why is this so impossible for the schools to figure out!?

Perkis-Size Me

July 6th, 2017 at 1:48 PM ^

I would've much rather played an SEC team than sucked up to ND, but if we can give Brian Kelly a big foot in the ass on his way out the door (assuming he lasts until 2018) and humiliate the Domers on opening day, that would almost make up for all of it. 

I'll take Harbaugh over Kelly any day of the week. 

lilpenny1316

July 6th, 2017 at 2:40 PM ^

Something about "home and homes" doen't sound as exciting when the return trip is 3+ years after the first meeting.  You turnover at least 60% of your roster between games.

Also, as long as we have at least one Power 5 non-conference home game each season, I'll be happy.  

Blueblood2991

July 6th, 2017 at 4:10 PM ^

Meh, it's just the shape of college football these days with all the neutral sites. LSU and Wisconsin played each other the past few years, but the games were at the Texans and Packers stadiums. I consider that a series.

At least these games are actually being held on college campuses, abeit years apart.

Dylan

July 6th, 2017 at 3:09 PM ^

Fair. I suppose I just wanted something new and different. Also I'm biased bc I went down to Arkansas for law school and wanted an excuse to bring some old friends up to the Big House.

Geaux_Blue

July 6th, 2017 at 9:15 PM ^

I can't decide if Arkansas deserves more credit than you gave them or if Michigan deserves less. We haven't even been in the Playoffs. Let's calm down when it comes to greedily desiring an SEC midweight (cue obvious Bielema joke) for an easy win. Hell reason do we have puffing our chests out for?

markusr2007

July 6th, 2017 at 4:01 PM ^

Michigan's future football schedules have NEVER looked this good.

You'd have to back to the early to mid 1980s to find anything even remotely resembling what Michigan has before it right now.

It is too bad that Arkansas dropped and Washington may be dropped also.

I'd like Michigan to play Clemson, LSU, Arizona, Houston and USC as well.