PHONE'S RINGING -- IT'S URBAN ON THE LINE
•Football Schedule•Basketball Schedule•Forum•About•ContactDoes anyone else want them to win despite the odds?
I know it seems backwards but it would help the B10's reputation as well as making our victory that much sweeter.
Hide your children for this video... it is full of unsavorable content.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wv2nGMsx4E&feature=colike
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Roll Tide, I never root for scUM unless OSU complications are involved
Can both teams to lose? I haven't decided yet if I'll watch it. Would be nice to see Deeenard lose an Earpad by Collision once or twice.
would be huge for UM in recruiting, can't bring myself to root for them. As gene said, roll tide
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite
I'm so sick of hearing that UM is "back." They MAY be, but I don't think they've proven they are. They BARELY beat us at home - and it was the worst team we've fielded in a long time! I'm just not convinced they are "there" yet and I'm sick of hearing about how great they are. They certainly may be soon with the recruiting they're doing, but I'm not convinced yet.
ROLL TIDE.
I have been thinking this one over for weeks, and when it comes down to it I would like to see Mich win. I live in the south and hear nothing but SEC BLah blah. It would help the BIG10.
I want Michigan to lose every game. Even Notre Dame. I've felt that way ever since 2006 and I feel it more and more every time I see some Walmart Wolverine scrub in the heart of Ohio wearing Michigan gear. Screw them.
That said, I don't think the UM-Alabama game will be the blowout it's been portrayed to be. Even if the Tide completely outplay them, it would be something like 21-3. They just don't blow teams out very often. (See recent PSU-Alabama games)
I think Bama wins 17-9, but it won't be as close as that score indicates.
I've decided to be a fairweather foe (fan?) in this game. It's a win-lose situation so I'll just sit back and focus on enjoying watching whoever is losing rather than focusing on the winner.
Don't Discount the Saban and old MSU blood either, he's gonna be ok running up the score!
"Statistics always remind me of a fellow who drowned in a river where the average depth was only three feet." - Coach Woody Hayes
It would be nice to see Bama win 42-0... I live in the south too, but I hate scUM... I NEVER want to see them win.
ROLL DAMN TIDE
I feel like I'm the only OSU fan that wants to see scUM win this game. I hate them as much as the next OSU fan, but our conference has been looked down upon in the last few years with bowl losses and the stigma the Big 10 can't beat the SEC. A scUM win would catch major national attention, especially if bama makes a big run for an SEC title. It also indirectly helps us out in 2 ways. One would be that it makes us look a hell of a lot better with our semi weak schedule this year once we beat down scUM in the shoe. Second it will help the BIG 10 grab the voters attention to be one of the 4 spots in the playoffs if everything falls into place and we make our title run in 2013
Fixed.
I think it'll be close through the game until Bama steam rolls them 2nd half.
Run_Fido's favorite word is strawman.
I'm kind of ambivalent to the outcome, but I'll wind up pulling for UM. They're an underdog, and I'd also love to see OSU play an undefeated UM, only to rip their hearts out on the fieldturf in Columbus.
ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! would like to see a score of bama 84 aacc 0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh heck, would love to see a hundred put on that team from anny arbor. 105 to zero, bama favor. yeah sounds good.
with bobby bowden gone from florida state, alabama is now my 2nd favorite team. use to like them somewhat when the BEAR was coach. my boxer pup is from bama, ROLL TIDE ROLL he just woofed.
realistically the final score will be bama 34 scum 17
Go B1G.
Class of 2008
I want Michigan to win. I hate the SEC, and I'm tired of the media hype. If Michigan beats them our conference gains more respect. I want Michigan to win most of all because when we monkey stomp them it will mean even more. In fact I hope Michigan is undefeated coming into Columbus. Think about it guys... this is our bowl game!, what better way to to celebrate it than ruining Michigan's season and knocking them out of a title game. It would send a strong message about whats to come under Urban Meyer.
Dustin Fox was our leading tackler as a corner.... because his guy always caught the ball.
I browse mgoblog from time to time, just to keep up on some B1G news hat I wouldn't usually hear. If UM wins, the smugness will be unbearable.
@BUCK-I.8
If UM wins (which I am hoping for. Go BIG!), they can be smug all they want since the Buckeyes will smack the smug right out of them
Saying you never want to see Michigan win any game is an insult to the rivalry. If they don't win games, the rivalry means nothing, and our victories over them mean nothing.
IMO College football as a whole is better when the traditional rivalries are both very good. Whether it be USC- Notre Dame, FSU-Miami, Georgia- GT, or Oklahoma State- OU, College football is better when both teams are good. As much as I enjoyed the free wins from RichRod, knowing we are going to win because the opposition sucks isn't as much fun as beating them when they are good. The Game in 06' is how it should be.
Dustin Fox was our leading tackler as a corner.... because his guy always caught the ball.
Always Root for B1G, unless we are playing.The recruiting arguement will be nullified when we beat them. They beat Bama, we Roll them.
Bama's LB's are as fast as Detard. He's not going to be able to run much, we know he can't pass much, it's going to be an ugly day for Michigan. Bama will be far better than any team Michigan played last year when they were "back". The game may be lower scoring but I still think it'll be completely dominated by Bama. One of those games where the score doesn't neccessarily may not indicate how one sided the game really was.
BTAlbert you know better than to think that Bamas LB's are as fast as Denard. Those guys are not running 4.3 my friend..no chance.
Run_Fido's favorite word is strawman.
Ideally, Michigan beats the shit out of Bama, and we beat the shit out of Michigan. Stigma gone, and the good guys take back their spot at the top of the conference.
Realistically, I'm just trying to figure out whether I'll need one or two hands to count how many interceptions Denard throws to them.
Yeah Bama's LBs are nowhere near as fast as Denard. Denard will give Alabama fits in the beginning, but I don't think Michigan has any other players that are dynamic like Denard, and have the ability to cause problems. Michigan on the other hand just has to stop Alabama's run game, which will be hard considering Alabama has the best O-line in college football.
@BuckeyeJason... I actually love the south... I just have Buckeye roots through my dad's family. There is nothing wrong with the geography or people, I just hate hearing S-E-C all the time. Tennessee is a great place to grow up, live, and raise a family.
I fear that if TSUN wins their smugness will consume us all...
ROLL DAMN TIDE!!!!!!!
"if irony were made of strawberries, we' d all be drinking a lot of smoothies right now."
Having lived in SEC country for four years, I will never ever root for that conference, even if it is against scUM. I don't think Michigan can pull it off, but I'll be pulling for them.
I'm just playing around Buckeye in S.E.C..I'm sure it's not that bad.
Run_Fido's favorite word is strawman.
I've said this before, but it bears repeating. AACC winning over 'Bama will change nothing perspective wise. ESPiN will spin it to say it was the first game, 'Bama lost X number of players, yada yada yada. If they would run the table they would still be in MNC talk. It would also make AACC fans insufferable to be around(even worse than usual). The victory would be called a fluke and shrugged off nationally. Rooting for AACC to lose every game doesn't mean they will, so that logic goes out the window. Saban is going to curb stomp them into oblivion if given the chance. God willing, he will get that chance.
16 days, men. 16 days until the game, but more importantly 16 days left of a possibility of someone posting this exact same thread for the 4th time at 11W.
At least, after the game the thread will be "Oh, Sh!t...I can't believe Michigan won," or "Like they ever had a chance, anyway."
Those who stay will be CHAMPIONS!
~Bo Schembechler
roll tide... and I hope they poison there trees too
I think the weird thing that we're going to see psychologically is that as of right now, most of us will root for Alabama, but what happens on 11/24 when we beat TSUN? I may find myself thinking "you know, it would've been cool if TSUN did beat Alabama, and then we beat them #featherinourcap". But it wouldn't help our bowl prospects this year, so I will root for 'Bama WITHOUT USING THEIR AWFUL CATCH PHRASE. Then hope that they lose 3 or more.
Class of 2010.
Honestly, I believe Michigan might be able to move the ball a bit against a 'Bama defense that is down a few starters. Could be wrong...but I don't feel the Tide's D will be as good as it usually is, at least for the first few games of the season. By mid-season, they'll be back to form. I'm not crazy enough to call for a Michigan upset but I don't think it will be a blowout like some are expecting.
I'll go with Bama - 27, Michigan - 16
Personally, I might sound crazy but I like all B1G teams to be at full strength when the Bucks play them and I root for the conference to do well when teams play OOC...except for Oregon laying the wood to Wisco! I take so much joy out of watching Bielema's Badger Boys get smoked by whoever they play. Tasty badger :) So I'm gonna root for Mich...i..g.........<technical difficulties>....
Ahhh...who am I kidding? Roll Damn Tide!
Champions Bleed Scarlet & Gray
GO BAMA
I'll be trying my best to root for _ichigan (it's easier said than done). In the end, I want our rivalry with them to be the hardest fought, toughest game of the season, every year. I want us to come out of that game victorious, but tested. So that when we get to the NC game, we do what the SEC has been doing to everyone for 6 years. We need a stronger overall conference to be as battle tested in the regular season as they are, and we need SEVERAL elite teams at the top to make that happen. When you're the big fish in a small pond (see OSU from 2006-2010) it's hard to see if you can swim with other big fish. Sometimes we could (Oregon and Arkansas*), sometimes we couldn't (Florida/LSU/USC the first time). My feeling is that the teams that have come out of the SEC lately know that they can play with anybody. Even when we were rolling the B1G year after year, I never knew until halfway through the bowl game (or tough OOC game) if we could stay with the best of the rest. I'd rather have a stronger league so when we win the conference, we KNOW we can swim in the big pond because we've been doing it all year. Instead of hoping we can make it and not knowing.
Plus, Saban seems like an unpleasant person. I root against unpleasant people. Mainly I'm rooting for the season to actually start.
When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."
Albert, Bama looks like they'll have a very solid offense this year - good, veteran QB and OL. Rising stars at WR. Pretty good RBs. It wouldn't surprise me if they score 30+ points against TTUN.
The jury is still out, however, on Bama's relatively young & inexperienced defense going into this year. They figure to have an outstanding front four, but . . .
Their starting secondary will probably be fine, but lacks depth after they recently lost two key backups.
Trey DePriest has been pencilled-in by some as the likely starting MLB, which isn't much different than the Buckeyes banking on uproven Curtis Grant.
Yes, Bama's LBs and other players are fast, but playing against Denard also places a premium on discipline - they will need to take good angles, not overpursue, stay in their lanes, understand their roles, etc.
Yet Saban likes to expose his defenders to multiple roles (e.g., rotating LBs inside and outside) early in their careers to teach them different skillsets and to figure out where they best fit. That approach pays off in the long-run, but can lead to short-term confusion for young players.
Saban has said that this group had the best off-season conditioning of any team he can remember, but he's also worried about the lack of leadership and experience on the defensive side, and he's even hinted that he's a bit lukewarm on the talent-level.
I could easily see Bama wininng this game something like 38-28. Bet the over?
Bama will be able to eat clock as they move the ball down the field with ease. They are superior athletically at most every position. Certainly Saban will game plan to stop the running of the guy that can't figure out how to tie his shoes and make him pass. The only way Bama loses is with multpile turnovers, penalties or bad luck. Otherwise, no contest. Matters not who you want to win, on paper it's a win for Bama.
Edit: Fixed. Thanks.
It's going to be hilarious when a Bama fan teabags a Michgan fan to celebrate victory.
@Lou, I think you're saying on paper it's a landslide victory for 'Bama, not a wash (implying it's pretty even).
And it may not matter who we want to win, but that's what the post was about, so we discuss anyway.
Even if it looks all 'Bama on paper, that's why the play the game. 2006 OSU-Fla looked pretty good for us on paper. UM-App State looked like a landslide on paper too.
I think you're right, unfortunately, that 'Bama will win unless they just completely fall apart. But since it's the big game on opening weekend we'll probably keep discussing for another 16 days.
When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."
i do think michigan is outmatched here. but we talk about them thinking they're 'back' and say well they barely beat us at home with the worst team we've fielded in the last 10 years. keep in mind, this is also the 3rd or 4th weakest team they've fielded in that stretch, with things like skill players at DB and depth at the lines concerned. i agree that their barely winning says more about us from a positive standpoint than about them, but still. however long it takes, michigan will get back to where they have been historically, and wins won't be guaranteed, no matter who coaches the buckeyes
Another thing not in Michigan's favor is Saban will have all summer to plan for them. How many games does Saban lose when he's got time to plan for a team?
Yeah BT that is what will be the difference. Saban has had a few months to plan the D for Robinson. Stop him running and they have little chance in many games, not just this one. I see them as a very one dimensional team.
I'm not nearly as confident as many of you are on here when you say "I hope scUM beat Bama and then we destroy them at the end of the year." Let's be honest, with a new system, we are probably the 4th best team in the big ten this year. And all the talk of Michigan beating us when we were so bad last year--weren't we picked to win the big ten and lost a few that we should've won? I honestly think our record will be better this year (weaker schedule), but I'm not sure we'll actually be better. Here's to hoping I'm wrong.
Also, I think I'm going to have to roll with the Tide. Maybe it would be different if I had to live in SEC country like some of you.
Roll Tide. Hope it's an embarrassing blowout. We have to recruit against Michigan far more than Alabama.
I've never been more torn by who I'm going to root for. I've replayed the scenarios a couple of times in my head and once on paper (kidding) and have drawn one decisive conclusion: It will serve tOSU best if TTUN eeks out a W and then gets trucked by the Buckeyes.
Thought process being, while defeating 'bama would temporarily boost SCUMs recruiting prowess, their string of luck in recruiting should come to a sudden halt if they get completely demoralized in Ohio Stadium. Think of what the talking heads will say if tOSU goes undefeated by romping an undefeated SCUM team but we're serving a bowl ban. We'd possibly finish the season at #1 and then #2-3 would have to go play for a championship. Our championship would be the whole country knowing it's not really #1 and #2 playing in the championship game and the media wouldn't stop talking about it.
O-H!
"I'm One Bad Buckeye, and I approve this message."
@ OSU MAN
No worries. We did not have competent coaches on offense last year and we had a really really bad head coach last year. We may not win every game this year, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised this year.
You sickos, you NEVER ROOT FOR YOUR SWORN RIVALS! No matter what! This is like saying you want to root for the Taliban against Pakistan or something. I love you Hodge, but I don't care how many wins they have going into The Game, I relish every loss they receive along the way. Roll TIDE!
TOSUMAN - Did you watch the games last year? We were bad last year. And we lost games we should have won, but that's what bad teams do. We didn't have TP, who had accounted for like 85% of our offense in 2010 and we were starting a back-up in Bauserman who never should have touched the field and a true freshman. We were without our starting tailback for multiple games. We were without out starting Off. tackle for multiple games. And we were without our best receiver for 10 games. Not to mention the defense was horrific and couldn't stop hardly anyone. If we were picked to win the Big Ten last year, people were dead wrong.
45-0
That would make my day.
I don't care too much for this conference loyalty bs.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
I don't need Michigan to win a big game for me to hate them. All of that other "greatest rivalry in sports" non-sense is for the media to debate. I know that I will hate Michigan until the day I die. I neither need nor want them to be successful in order for that hate to burn white hot. I don't need the rivalry to be respected nationally or have it be competitive in order to validate that hatred.
I want them to lose every game. I want to beat them 100 years years in a row and then another 100 after that. And even if I got my wish and somehow Michigan had to cancel their football program because it would be too embarrassing to carry on, well I'd just be the happiest man on the face of the earth.
F Michigan! Never forget that.
@TennBuckeye19
I agree that we were bad. However, being that we were in nearly every game we played in against some good teams, I don't think we were nearly as bad as we're making ourselves out to be. In any event, really nothing to argue over. Here's to hoping we're not having this discussion next year:)
@OSU2002GRAD... Well said... I agree!
I want Michigan undefeated when they face us, every year. My perfect season is them winning every game 100-0 and then losing to us. Their tears taste sweet and yet oh so salty.
You can't honestly say the game was as awesome in 2009 or 2010 as it was in 2006. If you do you're lying to yourself. Everything was on the line for both teams and it was the best. That only happens if TTUN is good too.
But I understand that it's pointless to argue this particular issue since people are passionate about either side. But the stance that agree with me isn't BS, just because you don't agree.
When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."
Normally i root for all conference teams in ooc games because i want the B1G to be perceived as strong. But what does it really matter this year if we cant go to a bowl anyway? Went up to Cedar Point for a couple days a week ago and all the michigan gear was driving me nuts. They really act like their back. Im not buying it. Scum fans need to be put in their place. Roll Tide.
TOSUMAN - I didn't mean to come across argumentative.
In some of the close losses from last year, I remember thinking, its close, but nothing makes me think we will pull this game out (even the Wisky game that we actually ended up winning, albeit on a hail mary). I just had very little confidence that anything positive was going to happen. And maybe that's why I am so negative about last year. The thing that sucks the most about is that I look back and wonder what could've been if we had TP, Boom, Posey, and Adams the whole season.
And yes, I hope we're not having this discussion next year.
Not that my two cents will matter much, but I really do think the B1G needs all the wins they can get against the SEC with regards to national perception. The bigger the audience the better.
Living in the middle of SEC country is the worst being a B1G fan. Tennessee might be tolerable, but try living down in the middle of THE south. Being and living around SEC fans is intolerable. It doesn't matter which B1G team you root for, they think the B1G is a joke. tOSU is the butt of their jokes just as much if not more than Michigan. When it comes to SEC fans, I will defend every B1G team no matter how much I hate them. Unfortunately, my job hasn't been easy these days.
With concerns to recruiting, I don't think any one game will make much difference in one team's recruiting momentum unless it is THE GAME. Even then, I don't think it matters much. Hoke locked up 20 players in the 2012 class before even coaching a game at Michigan. Hoke has locked up 23 recruits in the 2013 class before Michigan has even played a single 2012 game. The recruiting world is moving so fast these days that the results of a single game persuading a recruit has been greatly diminished. The recruits that will be affected the most by the results are the 2014 class (soon to be Juniors in high school), but even then, there is so much time to bounce back from that, it just won't matter. Trust me, Michigan will not get much of a recruiting boost from beating Alabama.
I also think worrying about a single team getting a recruiting boost from a single game is short sighted. The recruiting effects that I am most worried about are the ones that are being played out by national perception. When teams like Vandy, Missouri, and Texas A&M are seeing a boost in their recruiting profiles because they are in the SEC, that has to be affecting somewhere? Trust me, it isn't going to affect the SEC big boys, it's affecting the quality of play in other conferences and potentially the B1G. That is why the B1G needs every game, especially ones on the national stage, to start chipping away at the national perception that the B1G is a joke.
As for me, the greatest validation of either team in our rivalry should come with the defeat of the other as strong, victorious, and battle tested as they can be. It has been proven one team having a strong program isn't mutually exclusive to the other. In fact, when they both are strong, that is when they both thrive the most. I want THE GAME ( and I guess now what would have to be a rematch in the B1G championship) to be for the MNC, with the actual national championship game being just a prize and forgone conclusion afterwards.
If scUM comes in 10-0 and they happen to beat us that means they have a shot at a national title. NO BUCKEYE FAN SHOULD EVER WANT THEM TO HAVE A SHOT AT A NATIONAL TITLE! I don't care what the perception of the B1G is... And from living in the south, the B1G is a joke to everyone down here. Nothing is going to change their perception.
THe B1G kicking their ass across the board for 6 straight years will give them something to gnaw on
When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."
It's also worth mentioning that our only route to an (admittedly very far-fetched) AP National Title would have to come through Michigan beating 'Bama. Think about it (again, I know this is crazy unlikely), if UM beats 'Bama, goes undefeated up till losing to an undefeated OSU squad, and 'Bama runs the table after their opening loss to UM, we might have a shot at the AP Title. Again, crazy unlikely--and we'd probably need to rely on Nebraska and Winsonsin making a lot of noise as well--but what the Hell, that's what I'm rooting for!
I don't care how torturous it will be not going to a bowl or B1G championship, Urban said it best: these seniors deserve a shot at a title. We don't get that unless the B1G makes a lot of noise this year, which won't happen if 'Bama trounces UM.
In 6 years we can look back and evaluate that statement, but for right now the SEC is the dominant conference in college football...
P.S. Not all southerners chew or dip. Some of us actually like our teeth and hygiene. Oh and we wear shoes too.
I understand what you are saying Bluebayou, but the reality is that even if a B1G team were to go as far as to win the national championship, SEC'ers would simply shrug and dismiss it as an anomaly, they were lucky, that the B!G team had an easier time getting to the championship, that they didn't have to play in as tough of a conference, see if they can go up against all those tough SEC teams, blah, blah, blah... That being said, I'm going to root for Bama to pull a squeaker out over y'all, despite living in ACC/SEC land, and knowing that I'll be hearing the quacking and honking of the ESS-EEE-CEE bandwagoners, sigh. I just don't want TSUN to be able to get more traction in the polls, in wins, or with recruits with a victory over Alabama. But hey, at least I want it to be a competitive game...
Is it really fair to compare the 2006 game against 2009/2010? I mean yeah the 2006 game was awesome, and of course it was better than 2009/2010. For that matter, it was probably more awesome than any of "The Game" that have ever been played because it was the first time both teams were undefeated and the winner got a berth in the national championship game.
I get the spirit of the argument, it's much more fun when the game actually means something. It is, however, always fun to beat Michigan, no matter where they fall on the spectrum of undefeated to Dick Rod Era.
@ Buckeye_In_SEC I didn't say it was going to happen, just that something like that is what it's going to take to change the perception. And the only way something like that happens is if we have a bunch of really good teams in the B1G. Hence my stance on rooting for TTUN against Bama. Nobody (at least not me) is arguing that the SEC is currently the king of the mountain in CFB.
My stereotype on chew was a crack at lunatic fringe SEC fans, not southerners in general. You know, the type that poison trees and teabag opposing fans. Probably an unnecessary comment on my part anyway
When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."
@BTAlbert25, I think it is fair because that's the point of my stance. It is BETTER for the rivalry to both be great going into the game. Some people think it is just as great if they are 0-10 or we've beat them for 100 straight years. My argument is that the rivalry is at its best when both teams are at their best. Never said it wasn't fun to be beat them all the time, because it is. I was at 2 of the R2 beatdowns (one in Michigan) and thoroughly enjoyed myself both times. But over the long haul, it's just a better rivalry when the games are against more evenly matched teams, preferably evenly matched elite teams. Otherwise you end up with a UW vs. Minnesota "rivalry" snore
When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."
I think that with the D line losses fo rWishigan and the always loaded O line from Bama this is gonna be ground and pound on Wishigans defense......I hate Wishigan with a passion and want to see Bama roll over them. If this were any other B!G team id have no problem rooting for Bama to go down, but since its not.......Roll Tide!!!!!!!!!
Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates. Football is no different, the guys down in the trenches win the games, not the coach.
The reality is this... Look at scUM's recruiting class from last year and look at what this year's class is looking like. In no way shape or form do we need scUM to beat Bama. I'll give you 9-1 coming into The Shoe, but not 10-0. You have to see this from a high school student's mentality (I coach high school baseball so I know how they think). We all know scUM isn't back, but a win over the defending national title team will only fuel the recruiting fire for them. I'd like to see them come in 9-1 or 8-2 and us hammer them to cap off an undefeated season.
Just curious...try to get in the heads of some Buckeyes.
In your opinions, when is a team "back?" 2 or 3 consecutive 10+ wins seasons, 1 (or more) Conference Championships, consecutive victories over their rival(s), top recruiting classes.
Clearly, one pretty good season doesn't put you there, but it's more than just wins and losses, right? I mean, I think the '05 Michigan team was the best team of the last decade, but they finished 7-5. Yet, I don't think people were asking "where did Michigan go".
Those who stay will be CHAMPIONS!
~Bo Schembechler
@OSUBIAS, I get what you are saying, I just think comparing that particular game to just about any game in the history of the rivalry is going to leave people disappointed. That was a truly historic game. I don't mind beating Michigan when they are bad any more than their fans enjoyed getting there first win in their 2nd grade child's lifetime lol.
I don't think Michigan losing to Bama will mean they are a bad team and will come in with nothing to play for either t hough.
Like several others on here, a part of me wanted to see tTUN win this game for the glory of the B1G, i.e. restore our reputation...yada...yada..etc...etc. But, after much thought and considerable consideration, I have decided that Michigan College's winning that game will do nothing to change how we are viewed.
The legitimacy of the conference lies squarely on the Buckeyes. It was the Buckeye's losses to SEC teams that brought the scorn of the masses (eSpin) down on us. (That and the fact that Mark May is a cry baby loser!) There were years when the conference had a winning record in the bowl games, but TOSU lost. Did everyone (eSpin) say..."Wow...Michingan and the rest of the Big Ten won, except for Ohio State...That is a really GREAT conference"? Noooooo, everyone can win, but if we lose, it's like...ummmm..."B1G SUX!"
So, I say let the skunkbears lose by a gazillion points.
“...indomitable in victory, insufferable in defeat.” Woody Hayes
Hail - Its not a great answer to your question, but I would think the key words for a team to be "back" would be competitiveness and consistency. Under RR you guys had little to none of either. I would think reclaiming your position and place among the football powers in the national discussion would also be part of it. Winning seasons and conference championships are important, as are winning your rivalry games and putting together good recruiting classes, of course. In my mind if Um has the kind of season I think they will have (11-1, 10-2, 9-3 or so) it will be enough for them to play in Indy and perhaps in a 2nd consecutive BCS bowl. Do that and I'm not afraid to say you're back.
Honestly, the B1G could have 6 strait titles and perception by SEC fans would be that it's because of weak schedules and media bias. They would still claim their conference is superior. They've done it the last 30 years, and they'll continue to do it for 30 more no matter what happens on the field. The media will show love to whoever is winning consistently because W's equals ratings.
Hail: not to cop out, but the answer is, it depends.
Oklahoma was immediately "back" in 2000, after going 30-38-1 in the previous six years.
When was Texas back under Mac Brown? I guess if you take into consideration that the program wasn't very good for years prior to his arrival, Brown brought them to a higher level almost immediately - going to the Cotton Bowl x3 and the Holiday Bowl x3 in his first six years. But most avid, old school Longhorns fans - as well as casual football fans - probably didn't perceive Texas as really being back until their 2006 Rose Bowl victory over Michigan.
Some PSU fans never thought their program was back from the pre-BT days, with 1994 being a last gasp of sorts.
The reason USC was seen as being back immediately in 2002 was that they completely detroyed some fools - they easily passed the "eye test."
A program being back (or not) is one of those "I know it when I see it" kind of things. And Michigan ain't back yet, pardner.
i want them to win.
only so we can smack that smirk off their face on November 24th
"Winter is coming" - Urban Meyer
ROLL TIDE! and keep your defensive comments coming tTUN fans...because there'll be no eating references by Denard in your first game in less than 15 days or at the shoe in less than 100 days. Something tells me I bet you'll be coming here less and less after "the game" this year. Keep making fun of replications of the same thread or other threads about your precious 9-3 or 8-4 team or your hog of a coach. You're not going 10-2 again...take it to the bank!
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
@southbymidwest, I understand that one game by itself won't change perceptions but it has to start somewhere and it is better to be on the national stage. What better way to kick of a perception change than by a conference team taking down the defending national champions at the beginning of the season with all eyes on it? In order for perceptions to change, the B1G needs its flagship programs to beat the other conferences' best. Early out of conference wins will also validate the bowl wins by other B1G programs later in the season. Perceptions won't change quickly, but with consistent success, it will happen. No better time to start then Sept 1st! I also don't think Michigan getting traction in the polls, wins, and with recruits should be the largest concern. A tOSU victory carries more weight over a higher ranked Michigan team and recruits aren't worried about a single game outcome these days. With that being said, I respect your right to feel the way you do. Not everyone will feel victories by their rivals benefit them and there may be validity in the way you feel. Obviously these are just opinions.
@ buckeye_in_sec, I guarantee you that no Buckeye fan wants Michigan to win the national championship. Michigan being 10-0 coming into The Game shouldn't matter. If Urban is the coach everyone thinks he is, if tOSU is prepared for The Game, all they need to do is come in and take care of business and Michigan doesn't get that shot at the MNC. I used to root for tOSU to win every game except The Game back when Lloyd was Michigan's coach because it would feel so much better when my team won (man did Lloyd leave me disappointed a lot vs. JT haha), but once Rich Rod was the coach and I got to see the product he had on the field, I stopped rooting for tOSU in other games. I wanted them to lose as much as possible because I knew there was no chance their defeat was going to come at Michigan's hands. I hated that period. I'm hoping now, with Hoke on board, I can now root for tOSU when they aren't playing Michigan so that a Michigan victory in The Game feels so much sweeter.
@pompano, I disagree with you that the legitimacy of the conference lies squarely on the Buckeyes. While I agree that the Buckeye losses on the national stage didn't help, the perception was created by a collective effort and the burden is felt by all schools. It will take success by all B1G teams to raise the national perception. The SEC's perceived strength is not only based on the success of the flagship programs but also of the depth of the conference. As long as an SEC Flagship Team victory over Insert Random SEC Team Here is viewed as being a tougher win than SEC Flagship Team victory over B1G Flagship Team or B1G Flagship Team 1 over B1G Flagship Team 2, all B1G teams lose. This needs to change.
I just wanted to say I respect the way everyone feels. I guess I'm just passionate about this topic because I live in the middle of probably the worst SEC fans possible.
@buckeye76BHop, please don't take this the wrong way because it is meant as a compliment. I absolutely love your passion for your team. It is awesome. It just emotes off the screen.
I would like to present two scenarios that represent how I feel about the rivalry.
Putting a sick and dying dog to sleep.
Knocking out another championship contending boxer in a bout.
The one makes you feel like a champion, while the other just feels merciful. Give me an undefeated strong rival and I'll just take the punches as they roll. Will I lose, maybe, but I'd rather the high from feeling like a champion. The chance to take the glory from another. There is no room for mercy in a rivalry. If there is, it will discontinue to feel like a rivalry.
GO BIG10!
I wouldn't root for TTUN if they were playing the Taliban.
-I stole that, wish I was that clever
~Because we couldn't go for three~
@BlueBayou
The championship contender I want to knock out is the team we play in the national title game - not Michigan. Every day I wake up and that football program still has fans in the state I love, I'm angry and disappointed. Most of them have no affiliation to that university or even the state of Michigan. They are traitors, every single one of them. And as long as they exist, I want the football program they support to suffer, and by extension, for them to suffer. It's that simple. They deserve no joy.
If they all want to move up North or anywhere else, then I'll be glad to embrace a friendly rivalry between neighboring states. But these loser Walmart Wolverine trolls should not be rewarded in any fashion - I can't support that.
damn Hodge, you had to throw that twist in there.
I still have to go with:
GO BUCKS & whoever plays tsun
O H I O is the Buckeye State
Roll Tide
"Do not pray for an easy life. Rather, pray for the the strength to endure a difficult one" - Bruce Lee