considering michigans record against the SEC style of play, yeah, michigan probably would have beaten any of those teams.

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Look, I get it, you're a Michigan fan, and you don't like that I use the Big 10 as the poster child for conferences scheduling creampuff opponents. That's fine. But countering with an "almost everyone does it" argument is seriously weak.

Hey, baseball players that used steroids were losers!
Well, almost everyone did it!

Doesn't quite cut it.


You should be on my side, my argument is in the best interests of the Big 10! Scheduling a more difficult OoC schedule only makes teams look better to the BCS computers and the voters. I'm trying to help! Schools only hurt themselves with a weak OoC schedule, unless you're from the SEC, and the conference is good enough for it to not matter. I'm arguing against something that's bad for Michigan! You should be mad at the AD, not me!


Ohio State gets it. They scheduled #13 Miami this year, #3 USC last year (yes I know they weren't that good), #1 USC the year before. Penn St. decided they wanted to play Alabama this year. They're getting the attention of the voters, they're challenging themselves. They know that to be the best, you have to beat the best. What's Michigan doing, fucking around with perennially unranked/overrated Notre Dame (I assume they have some sort of agreement)? Schedule a real opponent! I understand that college football kind of penalizes teams with too strong schedules, and you're not well served by playing a top five team early in the season, but hell, schedule someone up there. Play an Oregon, a Nebraska, an Oklahoma, don't just keep playing Notre Dame and hope that that year is one in which the voters have a hard-on for them and they're ranked ten spots above where they should be so the win looks that much better.

I am a bit of an outsider to college football. I don't have a favorite, I pretty much hate everyone in the Top 25. I don't like the SEC or Big 12 or Pac 10 any better than the Big 10. And in recent years, the Big Ten, with the exception of Ohio St. has looked really weak in comparison, and it shows in teams that have no interest in playing quality opponents and beating highly ranked teams Out of Conference.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

hes a super sexy rumour: should michigan struggle this year, and richrod gets fired, les miles will likely leave LSU to come to michigan. THANK GOD!

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Then schedule them and prove it.

And Nebraska would have beaten Michigan in 97-98 right?

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I hope he does, not to see Michigan fail, but to see him fail for weaseling out of his WV job. It may be common practice in the NCAA, but that doesn't make it any less douchey.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

funny you say that, its the SEC who declined michigans offer a few years ago.

boosh? boosh indeed.

oh, and they sorta play notre dame every year.

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I knew there was some sort of agreement/deal/whatever in place. Michigan still needs to find stronger OoC opponents unless the Big Ten improves. It doesn't surprise me, like I said, the SEC is strong enough that their conference wins are impressive enough that their OoC opponents don't matter as much, at least in the eyes of the voters. Playing the top teams in a weaker conference, the Big East or ACC, or even Pac 10, that also needs a bit of a schedule beefing up would suit them well.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

yeah... uh, conferences become stronger, some become weaker, and its all a big cycle. i think having 2 teams in the top 10 is pretty damn good. the big 10 is on the upswing.

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True, but the SEC and Big 8/12 have been pretty powerful for a while. 13 national champions combined between the two in the past two decades.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

What college football team should I follow/root for? Out of the vote getting teams, the one I like the best is probably Boise St. and the smurf turf, but I don't really have any affiliations.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

renovation complete!

http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-footb ... -the-turf/

guess you have to break in new turf.

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I know you're trying to look on the bright side, as Michigan will indeed struggle this year, again. But nobody is going to voluintarily leave one of the top 5 coaching jobs in the country to take the reins of a program in shambles.

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This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Emerson

les miles is from michigan, and its been a job hes been coveting, apparently.

michigan could go 4-8, they could go 9-3. alot of returning starters are back, and their offense really jelled last season. if their defense improves, which it should, theyll win more games. but at the same time, theres no real sure fire all stars on that team, so it makes it very difficult to judge. im thinking a 7-5 season, with a win over MSU, to build on. and a bowl game.

michigan isnt in shambles, its just they restarted the program from scratch. as i read yesterday, its like michigan was IBM, and they are trying to change it into apple. everyone and their dog knew it was going to be tough, especially seeing how much turnover from the 07 roster there was to the 08 roster. its a work in progress, and no one really knows where it is, but one can assume its heading in the right direction.

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UB


but, honestly

i dont think you're giving the Big East enough credit


are they a weaker conference then the SEC/Big12 yes, but they are nowhere near "creampuffs" as you put it

now, schools in AA are a little different story, plus the other little known confrences

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PSA: I am an overly sarcastic person. If you take me at my word, then i will most likely anger and offend you.

You're

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mechaphil

thanks phil, it slipped my mind

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PSA: I am an overly sarcastic person. If you take me at my word, then i will most likely anger and offend you.

Wherever there is improper use of grammar, punctuation, spelling, or tense usage, The Grammar Nazi will strike!

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mechaphil

And the ACC, Big 10, probably the Pac 10, and possibly even the WAC. An undefeated Cincinnati wasn't even in the discussion for the national championship. The big east hasn't been relevant in 3 years since Lousiville and WV were exchanging powerhouse years.

2010 - #15 Pittsburgh
2009 - #8 Cincinnati (creamed in their bowl game)
2008 - #17 Cincinnati (creamed in their bowl game)

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

let me get this straight. you blast good big 10 teams who go undefeated or 1 loss because of a weak schedule, but praise boise state and teams in historically weak conferences who dont make noise because of the weakness of the conference?

the big 10 out of conference schedule may be weak, but the in conference schedule of Cincinnati and boise state are much weaker.

does this make sense?

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Screw it, that's why I don't get involved in college football. It's too easy to say this team is better because of this, and that won't change until they get a playoff system (if they ever do that)

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.