ND is trying to counter criticisms this week about being too chicken to play UM.  But if they weren't afraid, then why not join the B1G and play both UM and Ohio every year---like the two play each other?  No, instead ND chooses this week to make a "big announcement" that it has had the courage to schedule  a pair of games with one of them nearly a decade from now.

Captain Jack, Troll extrodinaire.  Well done Jack.

"We just want to keep playing the best teams in the country"  <Looks at Michigan> HukHuk.

A true meteor game

(this is the earliest known reference to a "meteor game" I can recall - anyone have anything predating 2005? Also makes mention of the blogpoll in the comments! And T Kyle King of Dawgsports pushing a Xanga home page!!!)

A great man said it best...

 

"To hell with Notre Dame!"

 

 

Go Blue!!

All other things aside, I'm rooting for Notre Dame in both games because the Ohio State fanbase is literally Hitler's anus, but honestly - as a Columbus resident who lives only 3 miles away from the Toilet Seat, I am pretty well OK with a massive earthquake or other act of God when ND visits OSU

I'm a little bit jealous of Ohio State's 2023 schedule: Boston College, Texas, @ Notre Dame. That's as solid as you should expect a college football schedule. Throw in Michigan and Penn State and they are playing four of the most storied programs in the history of college football. If Nebraska is a cross over in 2023 for them, they will have the toughest schedule in the country in all likelihood.

The claim was that ND wanted out of the series to play a more national schedule. And if you look at the ratings for this game,  it doesn't get any more national or significant than a few trendy contests between highly ranked opponents that sometimes top it. 

The fact that ND backed out and has scheduled the way it has since making the announcement would support the feelings of this blog. There isn't a credible reason to claim otherwise. Michnigan-ND is college football. Michigan-Ohio State is college football. 

I would say ND-Michigan State is college football. And ND isn't going to play Sparty  as much going forward. I don't think you replace those matchups with games against some ACC schools outside of Florida State and Miami, and say you are better off making that swtich from a legacy standpoint. You make that switch so you can get a foothold in the playoff system and have an opportunity to beat some weak teams and play other schools you want to play when you want to play them as a semi-independent. 

BAD this makes ND look? Makes them look even more shady then already are. And they look even more stupid for dumping there biggest rival. Dumb!

Swarbrick should have been more specific when he said he wanted to play coastal team.  He should have clarified with Lake Erie.  :)

Fuck 'em....hope OSU kicks the living crap out of those chicken-shit wusses.  Say what you will about Ohio, they at least recognize the value of "The Game".  

I will rejoice no end if we "temporarily" end the rivalry with a win they can think about for ten or 20 years.

Swarbrick is really butthurt about Michigan owning ND.  LOL.

those sanctimonious bastards

Wow 2023 will be a b**** for OSU.  They'll have 6 road games.  The Big Ten starts a 9-game schedule starting in 2016.  In odd years, OSU will play 4 home and 5 away games.  Now adding @ND, that's going to be 6(!!!!) road games.   They should have @UM, @Indiana, @Rutgers and two from the Big10 West.

edit: you know, now that I think about it, that's not going to be that tough.  6 aways games is going to be the norm.  For instance, UM has set itself up to have 6 road games every odd year starting in 2017 Florida(Arlington), 2019 @Arkansas, 2021 @VaTech, 2023 @UCLA, 2025@Oklahoma

You stop playing Michigan to play Ohio?

You haven't beat Ohio since FDR was in office.

Welp, have fun.

Date		Opponent (record)	Result	Score		Site
1/2/2006	vs.	Ohio State (10-2)	L	20	34	@ Tempe, AZ	Fiesta Bowl
9/28/1996	vs.	Ohio State (11-1)	L	16	29
9/30/1995	@	Ohio State (11-2)	L	26	45
10/31/1936	vs.	Ohio State (5-3)	W	7	2
11/2/1935	@	Ohio State (7-1)	W	18	13

 

I wish we would have backed out of this years game. Last year as the chicken dance was playing, DB should have given their ad a note that said, Game -- Blouses and paid him the check to get out of it.

ND is going to get creamed by OSU

I'm surprised that the first game wasn't in South Bend so that they could take that homer and then cancel the second game.

#FuckND

As always, I'm rooting for the asteroid.

ND scheduling OSU is a trolling move. This makes me hate Notre Dame even more. I hope we destroy ND this next game, as a going away present, giving them a big F@&k YOU!

I think I'm overreacting to this but I'm pretty P-I-S-E-D.* What a slap in the face. Can't fit us but can fit Ohio State. AND Ohio State will help their SOS. AND had to announce two days before we visit? I hope we throttle them on Sat and run up the score.


*movie reference, I know it's spelled incorrectly.

but I find little appeal watching them play one another. Its pretty much lose\lose to me; one team I really don't like is going to win and feel real good.

It's a douchebag move, but completely expected from Notre Dame because everything they are, say and do is complete and utter horseshit.

Notre Dame swaps Michigan for Ohio and now their fans will spend the next 10 years trying to convince themselves and everyone else who isn't even listening that they are not cowards and that Notre Dame are better off facing the Buckeyes. 

They spent the last 2 years bleating like a senseless goat how they had to play more ACC, Big East and Independent adversaries going forward, and now a decision that could only make sense to a complete dumbass.  Congratulations Notre Dame.  May the Michigan Wolverines crush you on NBC 49-0 this Saturday as a happy going away present.

 

My first Michigan game was my freshman year #1 vs. #2 when Raghib Ishmail ran back two kicks for touchdowns during five hours of rain when no one sat down.  That night for whatever reason I was at a frat with a bunch of St. Mary's girls and listened to them talk smack the whole night.  To this day I hate ND even more than OSU.  I know I'm not supposed to, but I do.  I actually wish for OSU to be undefeated every year with the exception of the game.  

I wanted us to take ND to the woodshed before, but this is irksome.  I can't imagine our team not being fired up.  ND is an embarresment to the term tradition. 

Fuck both of them. I hate OSU a lot more but I do find it funny that Gene Smith a while ago was quoted saying he asks ND to play every year and every year they decline, but they finally agree to play again a few days before the last game of the Michigan-ND rivalry.

Here is the way I look at it:

ND quit the rivalry with Michigan, since they wanted to improve their record to get into bowl games.  

Now they schedule a pair of games with OSU, since they realize they would rather meet OSU during the regular season rather than play them at a bowl game.  

So, for Michigan to play ND in the future, we just beat OSU, and MSU, win the Rose Bowl and go on to play them at the playoff bowl games, assuming ND is good enough to be in the top 4.  

Michigan - ND has been a great rivalry, and will continue to be one for the future.  They just don't want to ever again play us in the Big House.  

is that you NEVER root fir osu. Ever. The one caveat being if it helps us in some way as that is now much more likely now than the pre-division setup. I won't go "full Dantonio" and root against them if them winning put us on the B1G title game, for instance. That sort of thing. Would be rare but I'd want then to win. Any other time? Never. F--k conference perception in their bowls, when they played msu last year I was a spartan for 4 hours, etc. Unless it helps Michigan, f--k osu. Always. So, I'll be cheering on nd (about to puke) heavily in those games. Yet, like when msu plays nd/osu, the silver lining is that no matter what I'll see a team I dislike lose.

The way I'll look at this matchup....

Since I can't possibly root for either team to win, I will hope for this:

Something big is on the line for both teams...  for OSU, CFB playoff berth implications. For ND, a year's supply of hot wings from KFC.

Whomever loses, the loss is devastating. Ruins their season. And hopefully the loss transpires on the last play of the game.

Brian Kelly: "Are you effing fig thing-ing me?