Michigan to play Air Force in 2012

Submitted by SCS100 on

Per David Brandon's Twitter:

Scoop: Later today,we'll announce Michigan vs. Air Force - 9/8/12 @The Big House - great to host one of our great service academies again!

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Geaux_Blue

January 28th, 2011 at 3:02 PM ^

not necessarily bc of W/L as it's a rough schedule but, instead, the myriad of opponents and opportunities. 

 

September 1 vs. Alabama (in Arlington, TX) TBA TBA  
September 22 @ Notre Dame 3:30 p.m. NBC  
October 6 @ Purdue TBA TBA  
October 13 Illinois TBA TBA  
October 20 Michigan State TBA TBA  
October 27 @ Nebraska TBA TBA  
November 3 @ Minnesota TBA TBA  
November 10 Northwestern TBA TBA  
November 17 Iowa TBA TBA  
November 24 @ Ohio State TBA TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who will be the 12th?

Joined: 01/25/2009

MGoPoints: 24096

BlueDragon

January 28th, 2011 at 7:56 PM ^

I bet 2012 ND is going to be the administrative maiden voyage for regular night games at the stadium.  Say, two high-profile non-OSU B1G games each year, or B1G and a OOC big kahuna.  Once we get all the kinks worked out and figure out how to maximize revenue, we'll be seeing night games every year.

Joined: 11/14/2010

MGoPoints: 21757

Rabbit21

January 28th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^

As an Air Force Grad I have never understood the Navy/Army animosity towards AF. I always root for Navy and Army all but one game of the year(and if they ever play Michigan) and so do my Air Force buddies. Yet, I often see the reverse from the other academies. It's just strange to me.

Joined: 11/12/2009

MGoPoints: 30303

HAIL 2 VICTORS

January 28th, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^

Service Academies ugh! As much as I appreciate those who serve I am not a fan of playing the likes of Army, Navy or Air Force in football. At best you beat a team that everyone perceives you should beat. Just ask ND how often they come out of the Navy game mauled by chop blocks from guys that are in their mid twenties. These schools also run one off offenses that will test our young defense. The Academies also can keep as many players on their team as they want. ZERO UPSIDE...at least twe will not be seeing the best 1AA team in the last decade on the schedule any time soon.

Joined: 12/01/2009

MGoPoints: 21042

PurpleStuff

January 28th, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^

Playing the academies sucks.  Defending the option takes a lot of specialized preparation that is then useless the rest of the season and having to do it in between playing Bama (power running game) and ND (spread passing attack) pretty much bites ass.

That being said.  Our defense should actually be very experienced in 2012 (the benefit of playing so many young guys in 2010).  Hopefully they can handle the adjustment to such differing styles of play.

Joined: 04/21/2009

MGoPoints: 15969

Rabbit21

January 28th, 2011 at 4:29 PM ^

While I agree the upside seems limited, It's good PR and it gives the defense exposure to a different kind of offense. Now I need to nitpick, Academy Players are not going to be in their mid-20's for the most part. At most they're the equivalent of 5th year seniors as many players go to the prep school before the academy. While the academy is technically outside scholarship limits as the education is free and all players are technically walk-one, in practice attrition makes it so the team is in essence the same size if not smaller than at other schools.

Joined: 11/12/2009

MGoPoints: 30303

WolvinLA2

January 28th, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^

Well, Hoke and Mattison said they want to be built to stop the run, so if we can do that, Air Force should be a breeze. With some combination of QW, BWC, Richard Ash and Terry Talbott clogging up the middle and 5th year senior Demens at MIKE, I think we should be fine.

Joined: 11/13/2009

MGoPoints: 58191

Skittles16

January 28th, 2011 at 4:47 PM ^

We're already playing Bama and ND, why even risk it with Air Force.  We should be playing the Michigan school for the handicapped and blind, aka Eastern.

Joined: 01/09/2011

MGoPoints: -76

jmblue

January 28th, 2011 at 4:59 PM ^

That schedule is going to be brutal.  We'll have a good team, but the schedule will probably do us in.  I can picture a 1994 redux.  

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102712

tbeindit

January 28th, 2011 at 6:03 PM ^

To me, I understand the logic behind the choice (add a real game to a relatively lousy home season), but I just can't seem to get over the fact that the 2012 season is going to be brutal.  Obviously, away at Nebraska and Ohio State and a "neutral" game with Alabama would be tough for anybody, but getting one one true "gimme" game will be rough.  Not being able to play the backups against a Bowling Green, etc. is going to hurt as well.

I realize it's a long way away and Michigan may be an unstoppable force by that point, but I think this just increases the pressure on Hoke, who is being asked to perform at an extremely high level in just his 2nd year.

Joined: 01/27/2011

MGoPoints: 2039