University of Michigan - The upset - The future

[eva unit zero 271]

Finally, someone said it. English and the defense were way overrated and I have been waiting for a Michigan fan to finally admit it.

USC might have one of the best college teams ever. No way does Michigan stand a chance against them.

Don't get me wrong, I think English is a good coach and did a good job getting the D to adapt. the problem is that people see Henne, Hart, and Long still on the team and think we still have last year's defense. I've been saying our defense would make or break our season since the NFL draft.

[Guest jaytan]

Most likely, U-M doesn't totally suck but were slightly overrated and underprepared. Meanwhile, their opponent was really good, highly motivated and used to winning in high-pressure situations. Add it all up, throw in some lucky bounces and bad decisions once the Wolverines start to panic and App State starts to believe they can really do it, and you get this result.

Of course, the game wasn't televised here, so I could be wrong.

Good point about the defense. I know they sucked against USC last year, since they had to much lack of speed compared to them. App State's fast.

[Sergei Fedorov91 24]

Well UM fans think of it this way. Next year we'll bring in a senior Mario Manningham, Ryan Mallet, and Sam Mcguffe at running back. Plus we'll have our like 6 4 star receivers from last year's class. Oh wait, Carr always gets top five classes and does nothing with them.

[Viperar 16]

All I know is...I never have to hear another Florida joke...ever....again.

you guys sucked against florida, i can say it, I am not a Michigan fan

[Matt 1,049]

That pretty much says it all about Michigan State football.

Except they have not lost to a Division-II school.

[eva unit zero 271]

Except they have not lost to a Division-II school.

Neither has Michigan.

[Guest DetroitIan]

Except they have not lost to a Division-II school.

True. But if they did. No one would give a rats ass. lol And there is a reason for that. Michigan State Football = Zero Expectations.

The only good thing about Michigan fans like you guys is that come basketball season, you're no where to be found.

Compared to college football, I could almost care less about college b-ball. I mean, yeah, Im a fan of college basketball, no doubt. But no where near the level that I love college football. So Michigan' struggles in b-ball doesnt bother me all that much. Oh and btw, I know State b-ball has been better than UofM lately. But answer me this, what the hell has State done the past few years?? Granted, they atleast make the tourny(unlike UofM). But what have they done lately??? Absolutely nothing. Like I said, obviously they have done more than Michigan. But dont be talking like this is 2000-2001. State is nowhere NEAR as good as they were.

[RedWingedKitten 9]

Why bring MSU into this thread? ... ok why not. My sister attends that school. (filthy traitor) She told me that she does not care that Michigan lost because her team is going to lose to a team that lost to App State.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

Well UM fans think of it this way. Next year we'll bring in a senior Mario Manningham, Ryan Mallet, and Sam Mcguffe at running back. Plus we'll have our like 6 4 star receivers from last year's class. Oh wait, Carr always gets top five classes and does nothing with them.

Yes but Carr won't be around next year. I'm very excited for Sam McGuffie!!

[timothy1997 0]

Anyone know who Appalachian State plays next???

Lenoir-Rhyne!!

That alone should show you why this loss was an embarrassment and Michigan football will take some time to recover. Michigan had better hope that the rest of the season has some success, otherwise coaching and recruiting success might falter.

[Guest DetroitIan]

Why bring MSU into this thread? ... ok why not. My sister attends that school. (filthy traitor) She told me that she does not care that Michigan lost because her team is going to lose to a team that lost to App State.

[Matt 1,049]

Neither has Michigan.

Don't be a smart ass -- you know exactly what I meant.

Have to love the unnecessary anal-retentiveness.

[Doctor G 0]

That was the worst loss and most embarrassing in college football history. UM has been getting their asses handed to them every single year under Carr except 97. Carr's teams hasn't been a top ten program for a long time. If this was any true top program Carr would have been gone 5 years ago. But then again Michigan will not pay top money to get a football coach. Do any of you really think Les Miles will take less money to come to Michigan? LSU pays him over $3 million a year with use of a private plane. This loss will have devastating effects on this season and recruiting. UNLESS they can win the rest of the games this season. Even if they do, they will never shake this type of loss. Edited September 4, 2007 by Doctor G

[Curban915 0]

Dont matter they will lose to the buckeyes thats for sure and Carr will be gone. I would not be shocked to see them lose 2 of the next 3.

[Guest jaytan]

I'd love for Michigan to go undefeated for the rest of the year. How much would that screw with the BCS? The most that this App State nightmare showed me was how much more battle-tested and ready to compete a successful team from I-AA (which does the postseason the right way, and as someone who has attended a few, it's fantastic) is compared to a successful team from I-A, where you get your postseason reward if you manage a winning record, then take two months off before playing a completely meaningless game. Well.... I guess one of the dozens of games has some meaning, but by the time it's January 5th, the teams can be so off that the championship is a joke.

If I-A had a playoff, I bet you wouldn't see teams like Michigan attempting to pad their schedule with I-AA squads as often, by the way. If 16 teams have a chance at the playoffs instead of 2 having a shot at the title game, losses to good opponents aren't as harmful, but wins over ranked teams could potentially be more valuable.

And if Michigan were preparing for, say, Nebraska or Clemson or somebody like that as the first opponent, they might actual come out ready to play.

Looking at their schedule as it is, I don't really think any of their non-conference opponents are going to be ranked at the end of the year and besides App State, they all might even have losing records. If the Big Ten sucks, these jokers might only lose once or twice more.

[Guest DetroitIan]

UM has been getting their asses handed to them every single year under Carr except 97. Carr's teams hasn't been a top ten program for a long time.

Say what? Michigan has contended every season after the Nat. Championship. Since then, they have won the Big Ten Title in '98, '00, '03, and '04. Yeah, Michigan has just sucked since '97. Sure, we have National Championship aspirations each year. But to say we havent been a top notch program since '97 is just plain ignorant. And just shows the complete lack of football knowledge you have. Especially you're whole, "hasnt been a top ten program" comment. Michigan has been ranked somewhere in the top 10 several times since '97. Im in favor of Carr leaving as well. But you need to do your homework before you spout out rediculous statements, that have no merritt whatsoever.

I'd love for Michigan to go undefeated for the rest of the year. How much would that screw with the BCS? The most that this App State nightmare showed me was how much more battle-tested and ready to compete a successful team from I-AA (which does the postseason the right way, and as someone who has attended a few, it's fantastic) is compared to a successful team from I-A, where you get your postseason reward if you manage a winning record, then take two months off before playing a completely meaningless game. Well.... I guess one of the dozens of games has some meaning, but by the time it's January 5th, the teams can be so off that the championship is a joke.

If I-A had a playoff, I bet you wouldn't see teams like Michigan attempting to pad their schedule with I-AA squads as often, by the way. If 16 teams have a chance at the playoffs instead of 2 having a shot at the title game, losses to good opponents aren't as harmful, but wins over ranked teams could potentially be more valuable.

And if Michigan were preparing for, say, Nebraska or Clemson or somebody like that as the first opponent, they might actual come out ready to play.

Spot on.

Edited September 4, 2007 by DetroitIan

[Happy Pancake 6]

If UM wins out, beats Ohio State and wins the Big Ten title...goes on to beat California in the Rose Bowl, is the season a success?

Yes.

Edited September 4, 2007 by Happy Pancake

[RockyMountainWingGal 108]

Except they have not lost to a Division-II school.

^^ In reference to MSU, does anyone know if they ever SCHEDULED a Division IIA team?

I've been reading that most schools are very skeptical to do so, for fear of what happened last Saturday. CU (Univ of Colorao) - where I work lost to a Division IIA - Montana State - last year. I think they get on the IA schedules, just not often....

[Guest jaytan]

Yeah, there are plenty of talented athletes who end up playing I-AA football, for various reasons. There are also a lot of great coaching staffs and proud football traditions. I'd pit any I-AA playoff team against most of the MAC, for example, and wouldn't be surprised if the I-AA teams won more than they lost.

Out here, they've got a decent I-AA program that is led by a former NFL coach and they beat some weak I-A opponent last season.

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

Yeah, there are plenty of talented athletes who end up playing I-AA football, for various reasons. There are also a lot of great coaching staffs and proud football traditions. I'd pit any I-AA playoff team against most of the MAC, for example, and wouldn't be surprised if the I-AA teams won more than they lost.

Out here, they've got a decent I-AA program that is led by a former NFL coach and they beat some weak I-A opponent last season.

Do you mean Portland State, coached by Jerry Glanville. I heard he was making quite a stir out there, who did they beat?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

^^ In reference to MSU, does anyone know if they ever SCHEDULED a Division IIA team?

I've been reading that most schools are very skeptical to do so, for fear of what happened last Saturday. CU (Univ of Colorao) - where I work lost to a Division IIA - Montana State - last year. I think they get on the IA schedules, just not often....

I hate scheduling I-AA schools. Not because they are to be "disrespected", but you know I-AA schools play at most 1, 2 I-A school's a year, if they are lucky to schedule any. You know they are going to be jacked up for that game most.

In the 5 years I was at TCU, we only scheduled 1 I-AA team, in 2001. And you know what? Despite TCU being very solid more often than not since the late 90s, we lost that game. We played Northwestern State (located in central Louisiana) who usually a pretty respectable program. And, coincidentally, we lost that game due to a blocked FG that ended the game.

We played another I-AA team last season, California-Davis, who is also normally solid in I-AA and hasn't had a losing season in a good while if I'm not mistaken. It took a while but we took care of business against them, winning by 33. UC-Davis was definitely hyped up for that game. We play Stephen F. Austin (East Central Texas location) next season or in 2009, which I'm not all that excited about.

Very little good comes out of such games.

EDIT: Some other I-AA victories over I-A schools that I can think off in recent memory were Delaware over Navy a few seasons ago, Nicholls State (south central Louisiana area) over Rice this past weekend actually, and Maine over Mississippi St. a few seasons ago. Navy still made a bowl game that season, and while you wouldn't think of Rice in initial coversations, they made their first bowl game in forever last season, so you think that loss had to really sting for them. Mississppi State has just been in the crapper over the past few years.

Edited September 4, 2007 by SouthernWingsFan

[Packer487 3]

Do you mean Portland State, coached by Jerry Glanville. I heard he was making quite a stir out there, who did they beat?

They beat New Mexico last year, but Glanville wasn't the coach yet:

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_i...s.php?year=2005

Cal-Davis beat Stanford two years ago as well.

It happens...this one was just a big deal because the best Division I-AA team in years beat a Michigan team that was in the top 5, and probably shouldn't have been.

Whatever...it was bound to happen sooner or later. The only real shocker is that no one (myself included) saw this coming. This is 7 times in 7 years that Michigan has screwed around with one of the cupcakes on their schedule.

-App State this year...actually lost.

-Ball State last year had 5 cracks inside the 10 yard line with a chance to tie the game late.

-Northwestern had us in a 10-3 game late in the third quarter last year, granted the weather was awful.

-Vanderbilt had us in a 13-7 game late in the third quarter last year.

-In 2004, San Diego State missed two field goals that would've tied the game (and we trailed at halftime).

-In 2002, Utah had the ball on their own 32 needing just a field goal to tie in the closing minutes.

-In 2001, Miami (OH) trailed just 17-6 in the third quarter and had a pass picked off in the endzone--which could've made it a 3 or 4 point game.

Miami was the only one of those teams that ended the season with a winning record. So an average of once a year we dick around with a team we should slaughter...and in 4 of those 7 games (counting App State) we could've/did lose.

When you factor in the tendancy to take cupcake opponents lightly and add in the fact that they run a spread offense and have a running QB (the two things that have given Michigan fits over the years), and consider that App State likely had this game circled as the chance to do for their program what Boise State did in beating Oklahoma, and that Michigan was probably just trying to get through the game without showing anything to Oregon, Notre Dame, or Penn State, it's a wonder we didn't see this coming.....

[BlakChamber 8]

Compared to college football, I could almost care less about college b-ball. I mean, yeah, Im a fan of college basketball, no doubt. But no where near the level that I love college football. So Michigan' struggles in b-ball doesnt bother me all that much. Oh and btw, I know State b-ball has been better than UofM lately. But answer me this, what the hell has State done the past few years?? Granted, they atleast make the tourny(unlike UofM). But what have they done lately??? Absolutely nothing. Like I said, obviously they have done more than Michigan. But dont be talking like this is 2000-2001. State is nowhere NEAR as good as they were.

Typical Wolverine answer. I just don't care about college hoops. You know that if UM had success like MSU and the Spartans were still recovering from being one of the most corrupt programs in the country, you and every other UM fan like you would be just waiting for hoops season.

As far as what MSU has done, they were a final four team 2 years ago.

And Ian, help me out with a theory of mine. What year did you graduate from UM?

^^ In reference to MSU, does anyone know if they ever SCHEDULED a Division IIA team?

To the best of my knowledge, MSU has never played a 1-AA team.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

Typical Wolverine answer. I just don't care about college hoops. You know that if UM had success like MSU and the Spartans were still recovering from being one of the most corrupt programs in the country, you and every other UM fan like you would be just waiting for hoops season.

As far as what MSU has done, they were a final four team 2 years ago.

And Ian, help me out with a theory of mine. What year did you graduate from UM?

To the best of my knowledge, MSU has never played a 1-AA team.

It's not a typical U-M answer. It's an opinion. I'm sure most MSU fans would choose to watch MSU hoops over football anyday. I like college football better then college basketball as well, and it has nothing to do with U-M being bad at it. If college football is on I will watch it no matter who is playing. If it's college hoops I will only watch the Big 10, a few big games here and there, and of course the tourny.

[Guest jaytan]

Do you mean Portland State, coached by Jerry Glanville. I heard he was making quite a stir out there, who did they beat?

I can't seem to recall, but I want to say New Mexico or someone like that. Though it looks like PSU got rocked by a fellow ranked-IAA team in their opener this year.