OT: If you could have Michigan play any team of your choosing in the National Championship game, which team would it be?
For me it would be USC. Watching Michigan vs USC in the Rose Bowl was always fun (except the losing part) and it would give us a chance for sweet redemption for losing all of those close games. As an unimportant bonus, our uniforms look good on a field together.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
Name doesn't matter, just win the damn thing.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:39 AM ^
1) Bama; 2) Any one of Clemson, Florida State, Florida, a legit YTMiami, Tenn; 3) Figthins - legit or d/n matter.
April 24th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
Settle that once and for all.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
Not only that, but the officiating of the 2005 Alamo bowl was one of the worst I've ever seen. I can also still remember how pissed I was at the end of the game that Ecker didn't pitch to Breaston.
April 24th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
the worst officiated game I've ever seen. To me, WAY worse than last years fOSU game. Though the end feeling is way worse for any loss to those bastards
April 24th, 2017 at 12:26 PM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
But that might actually be a paycut. If I have mathed correctly that is just under $6.4 mil a year.
Doesn't he make more than that with bonuses and such?
April 24th, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^
is enough for me
April 24th, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
If we're being serious and realistic, Notre Dame.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
Let there be blood.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
I'd want to beat the best team out there.
But for historical posterity, I'd go with:
- Alabama
- ND
- USC
To my way of thinking, those are the bluest blue bloods in terms of football.
What about OSU? I guess I'd take it, but really, I just want to beat OSU NOW. This year. Next year. The year after. They have been a great team. On this, I kind of am with Bo and Woody, with the UM - OSU game being the most important game of the year.
As regards OSU, I also would like to have Michigan fans quit doing several things.
- Shut up about being better than OSU. The only place that claim stands up is on the field. Don't talk about it until, you know, Michigan actually starts winning with some regularity. As regards the all time win record, and the wins against OSU, yeah, we're still ahead. But have a bit of pride. Pull out all the Michigan wins against Kalamazoo, Drake, Oberlin, Denison, Ohio Northern, Grand Rapids High School, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Rush Lake Forest, Lehigh, Wittenburg, Detroit Athletic Club, et al, and the record becomes more realistic.
- Shut up about being better academically than OSU. Of course I believe it is true. But let's be realistic: their academics have improved quite a bit in the last 30 years. They aren't as good as Michigan. Doubt they ever will be. But really, academics are somewhat irrelevant to the football field.
- Shut up about OSU cheating. Yeah, they've done some stupid stuff. But personally, comparing Tressel to the big time cheaters out there seems ridiculous to me. Tattoos and gold pants and sweetheart deals from auto dealers are different from outright academic fraud and the scope and extent of SEC bagmen. Plus, it just sounds like sour grapes.
- Shut up about Harbaugh vs. Meyer. Until Harbaugh actually beats Meyer, and wins National Titles, and sticks around at least 10 years, it is all just hot air.
- Shut up about Meyer being a so-so coach. Ok, I don't hear that quite as much. But Meyer is a great coach and a good guy. He is uber competitive . . . just like Harbaugh.
April 24th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^
a great coach, there's no denying that. I have heard multiple times though that he is a giant ass hat personally.
April 24th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
"I have heard multipe times though that he is a giant ass hat personally."
To be fair, there are multiple people who have said this about Harbaugh. While I like the personality traits that lead some people to say such things, it doesnt make much sense to accept calling one guy an asshat as a representation of fact and just ignore it when people say it about people we like.
April 24th, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^
You are right, it is rude. I'm glad to receive suggestions on how you would put it.
- "please stop saying?"
- "I'd appreciate it if Michigan fans would stop saying . . ."
- "It doesn't reflect well on Michigan fans who say . . ."
Yeah, "shut up" is rude, but somehow, it almost fits better.
April 24th, 2017 at 12:48 PM ^
"He is uber competitive . . . just like Harbaugh."
Both guys are competing with uber? How in the hell do they find the time? Also, I'm not sure such a venture is wise, it seems like that niche is starting to get flooded.
April 24th, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
I see what you're saying, Stephen. I feel I've wrestled my own thoughts on these points multiple times over the past years, but here's is where I've settled for now...
1 - I do think we're better than OSU on the football field. Until they have the better head to head record, more overall wins, higher winning percentage, or heck, even more Big Ten titles (just give me something to debate), I will think Michigan is better. It doesn't matter to me that we won 100 years ago. Those wins still count the same as they do today. It's not Michigan's fault that those were the teams that existed back then. Some of them were powerhouses, too. I wouldn't discount wins over Flordia today if Florida became a community college 100 years from now. As of today, against Michigan, Ohio State is just on a streak. Albiet it is the biggest one yet. But I will consider thinking of them as better when they have a notch over Michigan in the recordbooks.
2 - I don't really flaunt this, but it is true. I agree it shouldn't be used in football discussions though. OSU is a good school, overall.
3 - I have to disagree on this one. The cheating they did back in early 2000 has had a ripple effect that they are still riding (high) on even today. They got handslapped as a punishment and got to keep all those wins and momentum (in recruting) that comes from those wins to keep the program firing on all cylinders. It was an awesome, awesome, tradoff on their part. Sure the cheating wasn't as bad as academic fraud, but let's be honest here - recruits getting extra benefits is a big deal. Especially when it comes to recruiting. And that's what it's all about. Recruiting. The perception of OSU players getting extra benefits I have to think attracted some recruits. And all it takes is a few key players to swing your way to get the momentum for a juggernaut program. I will consider the wave of recent succees that stemmed from their initial cheating finished once they actually have a couple of bad seasons in a row.
4 - Agree. Harbaugh has done squat against OSU yet, so it is just hot air at this point. I actually don't care for Harbaughs offensive philosophy, personally. I'd much rather have Meyer's.
5 - Agree. Meyer is an awesome coach.
- That's one of those things that is debatable. I am too lazy to do the research, but if you go with the modern football era, or with the last 50 years, or with the last 75 years, I think the programs are much more comparable, and OSU might have an edge. As for how competitive Grand Rapids High School et al were back in 1895, well, I wonder how you'd research that. Let's just say that if Michigan was scoring a point a minute under Yost, the teams we were playing probably weren't very competitive.
- I'm proud to be a Michigan grad. I just realize that academically, OSU isn't the same as it was 30 some years ago.
- I hate that football players coming from meager circumstances have no stipend. Let's just say I don't like how the system works. I'll agree they received impermissable benefits which gave them an edge.
- I do like Harbaugh's philosophy. I just want to see results before bragging.
- Meyer is a good coach, and has proven it. There are mixed reports as to whether or not he is an asshat. I guess that depends on how someone is predisposed.
The massive problem with your point about academics is that Michigan also is nowhere near where it was 30 years ago, the gap is still large. I think that's hard for a lot of older alums to reconcile on here, but admission standards at U of M have increased just as much as they have at OSU. It's easy to say that people who got into OSU in the 80s wouldn't stand a chance now, but that's just as true of tons of UM alums.
We are down to acceptance rates in the mid 20s. OSU is still about 50%. Persistent gap on GPA and test scores too.
Michigan now has more graduate programs ranked in the top ten nationally than Harvard (we surpassed them a year ago). We are only behind Stanford in that regard.
Still a very large academic gap.
Very cool . . . who knows, maybe I wouldn't even get into Michigan now!
I want to upvote and downvote this at the same time.
upvote.
Hiring a fan of the team as the head ref for the biggest "game" in a decade is cheating enough for a lifetime. I've had it with this conference for allowing such FIFA level corruption
April 24th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
Florida. We've never lost to Florida.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
Nick Saban and Alabama
A title in today's game won against Bama is completely undisputable. Today or even in 50-100 years.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^
Would love to beat OSU/Clemson in the first round, then 'Bama for the title. Makes the trophy mean more when you beat the best.
I think that if Michigan was to play OSU in the playoffs, it would most likely have to be in the national championship.
One of the two teams would be coming off a loss going into the playoff and I think they would use that to help justify avoiding a first round matchup (use it insomuch as, given one team will lose, they will naturally be allowed a reshuffle).
If we were both undefeated going into The Game, the winner would likely get the #1 and the loser the #3.
If a one loss team Michigan team beat an undefeated OSU team (or vice versa), I think #3 for the winner and #4 for the loser would be most likely, but you never know.
Those are the only possible scenarios (obviously both dependent on the rest of the football landscape) both could get in. A 2 loss UM/OSU that lost The Game would never make it in.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
starting with 'Bama.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
Bama
April 24th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
With Les Miles as our 10th assistant coach.
April 24th, 2017 at 11:31 AM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
then tackle drills on Finebaum.
April 24th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^
Prarie View A&M
April 24th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^
I love seeing Michigan beat the Fighting Irish. I miss seeing them on the schedule.
It would be best if B. Kelly turned purple while the Michigan defense was obliterating his offense!!! Can't get enough of those good old fashioned Notre Dame beatdowns!!!
April 24th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
Obviously depends if we are going to win or lose, here would be my top 3 for each, in order of preference.
If we are going to win:
- Ohio State
- Notre Dame
- SEC Champion
If we are going to lose:
- PAC 12 Champion
- Big 12 Champion
- ACC Champion
April 24th, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^
Surprised no one else suggested them. Not only would the media go extra crazy over Harbaugh, but I'd welcome the focus on academics.
April 24th, 2017 at 12:47 PM ^
April 24th, 2017 at 12:47 PM ^
Beating OSU twice would obviously be cool especially if the second victory was a blow out. If we lost the first meeting, it would sort of suck unless we blew them out in the second.
Bama, or USC would be cool, but I don't want either team to do well.
I do not want ND there ever. They do not deserve to relevant.
STANFORD as Mr. Miggle says is the obvious choice. Shows Harbuagh dominance. They've been a good team for awhile and they are a good school that doesn't seem to cheat, so you can't hate them like a USC. (They deserve to be there if they are there.)
I'd say Bama and USC would be top two for me
Hall
April 24th, 2017 at 11:07 PM ^
Washington State.
Not a team i strongly suspect is cheating greatly, like clemson or alabama or ohio. That would just leave a real bitter taste if it was a loss, although replaying "the game" for a legitimate purpose (not a CCG) would be epic.
Ideally not a team we faced in a while either, and ideally an unbeaten team, so to ruin their season. That doesn't leave many left.
I don't know, washington would've been ok last year. In a random year where those criteria are met, USC or Bama (would have to be post-saban obviously) or Oklahoma. If we ever stop playing them every other year, ND also
I guess Slippery Rock would be cool too
Bring me Alabama. I want Harbaugh to humiliate that egotistical prick and then during the post game handshake have something absolutely monument to say to the jerk. Its time someone puts Saban in his place. Plus, you always want to beat the best.