Why would we not want to drop ND from the schedule more often?
I am not too worried about whatever contract is or is not in place since anything is negotiable. However this is just a broader question of substituting a team that makes more sense given our recruiting base now that talk of a team like Alabama is swirling again. Yes, UM/ND will get national attention, but why not swap that for FSU/Miami (that Miami) considering our extensive recruiting push into Florida? I would be fine with 4 or 6 out of 10 years to play ND as I feel that game can be bit limiting in regards to allowing other scheduling options. Not sure what the rest of the board thinks, but I would much rather have Bama in Dallas instead of ND on the road in 2012 (assuming there would be an actual choice).
September 24th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^
would you want to drop one of our rivals?
OT: Does anyone else have a hard time figuring out which "new users" are trolls, or just retards?
September 24th, 2010 at 6:01 PM ^
I'd like to see Michigan play them less often and pursue a schedule similar to OSU. One marquee name + two tomato cans sounds about right, provided they can schedule the home part of the home and home in the years the Big 10 schedules five away games.
September 24th, 2010 at 3:51 PM ^
- It is somewhat of a traditional rivalry.
- They quite possibly will indeed eventually return to glory. In the same way we didn't drop OSU when Cooper was coach and the Buckeyes couldn't buy a win, and OSU isn't dropping us now, I don't think that you drop ND just for a more "competitive" game with a Florida team.
- They are the closest (geographically) big school with a major program not in the Big 10. This means the fan bases overlap a lot (as they do with OSU & MSU.) Part of the reason that PSU and Iowa aren't quite as big of rivals is because their fan base (and student base) don't overlap as much.
- ND is much closer culturally and academically to UM than Alabama, or FSU, or UF. I think they have a great campus and great traditions.
- If we were going to play someone out of conference, I think Stanford and Texas would be a better fit. And Tennessee wouldn't be out of reach in terms of distance.
I still don't get why we don't put Boise State on the schedule, since they're willing ot play anyone, anywhere. Also think that Cincinnati would consider going that route.
The most I can say with ND is that I could see taking them off once every five years, so four years on, one year off, four years on, one year off. But I like having them on our schedule.
September 24th, 2010 at 4:13 PM ^
Cooper gets a bad rap because his record against UM was so bad. He only had one losing season at OSU - his first year 1988. The next 4 years he pretty much went about 8-4 every year. From 1993 through 1998 he went 62-12-1, won the Rose and Sugar Bowls, won 3 Big Ten titles and finished in second the other 3 years.
September 24th, 2010 at 4:09 PM ^
Don't want to start another thread but I just saw the football team board the buses don't know for what I'm pumped again
September 24th, 2010 at 4:40 PM ^
I would assume they're going to the team hotel (where they spend the Friday night before a home game).
September 24th, 2010 at 5:33 PM ^
Thats probably true because they all had a duffle bag. I tried snapping a photo but trafic was moving and i didnt get a good shot
September 24th, 2010 at 5:00 PM ^
i love beating up on ND, but in all honesty, I think we should stay away from playing them every year unless they pull their heads out of their ass and FINALLY join the big ten and end up in our division. otherwise, a couple-3 times a decade sounds good.
September 24th, 2010 at 7:54 PM ^
The regulars on the ND blogging sites are adamant against joining the Big 10. They cite the financial and recruting advantages of being a "national" program versus a regional one. There is no reason we should accommodate them. I'm certain we can find other quality programs that would schedule home and home series with us. If these were major southern schools, it would aid our recruiting.
September 24th, 2010 at 7:58 PM ^
Keep them on the schedule as long as possible. It's too much fun beating the Domers every year.
September 24th, 2010 at 8:20 PM ^
...there is really no more benefit to playing ND. All of the benefit goes to ND at this point. Michigan now plays in a tough enough conference that, considering the Big Ten Championship game, the computer will be very friendly to them if they win the conference. Playiing ND is a chance to lose a high-profile game in an area that they already recruit.
As much as I don't like the Alabama game because they are already playing ND that year, there is more benefit to playing in Florida or Texas than there is in playing ND. I think the Big Ten teams should all tell ND to take a hike. If they don't want to be in the Big Ten, then they don't need to play four Big Ten teams a year.
September 24th, 2010 at 9:44 PM ^
DERP derp DERP derp DERP derp DERP derp DERP derp DERP derp DERP derp DERP
Hows Vacationland USA#!
DERP
September 24th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^
Keep ND on the schedule. We are supposed to be the best, so why not actually play tough teams if that is the case:
With 8-game conference schedule:
8 Big Ten, 4 home games
1 ND , Home or Away
1 Big other Name, Away or Home (so away when ND is home, etc)
2 Other home games
So, 7 home games per year. Schedule a cupcake in the bye week and you have your 8th home game if you REALLY need it.
September 24th, 2010 at 9:58 PM ^
I like playing ND. It's one of the three most important games on the schedule. I don't mind the occasional hiatus in the series, but I'd like to play them most of the time (like eight years out of 10). The only change I really want to see is to have it flipped so that we're not playing both ND and OSU on the road in the same year. Our ticketholders should get to see one of the two each year.