We should not play Michigan. We should not play them in our house. We should not play them with a mouse. We should not play them here or there. We should not play them anywhere. We should not play Michigan.
Apologies to JimmyG who argued a few days ago that we should renew the series. I disagree. Apologies, too, to Dr. Seuss.
When the most recent contract between the schools expired, it seemed the series had been confined to the past. Mostly, and, of course, this was Michigan’s fault. Seems their A.D. developed selective amnesia in the wake of losing to the Irish in 2012 and was happy to see us go. Heck, after getting thumped 37-0 in 2014, you’d think there be a massive institutional will to avoid Notre Dame at all costs.
Apparently, though, there is not and both schools are anxious to get back at. But why?
They need us. They need us far more than we need them. Have you seen Michigan’s schedule this season? What about the season after that? They play Florida in the 2017 opener. THAT’S THE BIG ONE. Sure, there’s Michigan State and Ohio State, but there’s also Rutgers and Purdzzzzzzz.
Michigan seems to not want to travel. How many home games do they play next year? Eight, which includes four in a row to start the season. Seven’s fine, obviously, but when you can take the bus to most of your road games the morning of, you’re not really travelling. In fact, if you take away Michigan’s tie with Florida, their forays out of the Midwest are to Maryland and New Jersey. See? Michigan is a regional school.
Looking ahead on fbschedules.com, the Wolverines do in fact travel in 2019 and 2020, when they play Arkansas (2019) and Washington (2020). When that’s eye-catching, you’re a regional school. Michigan, you’re a regional school.
The Irish play 2016 games in Austin, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and North Carolina. In 2017, we’re back in North Carolina and play in Boston, Stanford, and Miami. See? Notre Dame is a national school.
Brian Kelly said as much when the series ended in 2014. He called it a “big regional game.” And since Michigan is a regional school, they need a strong national team in the region to keep their scheduling honest. There’s literally no one else to add. It’s either the Irish or you wait for Purdue to get relevant. Or maybe you add a Canadian school. Whatever. There’s a guy in the NFL who played his college ball in Germany.
Does Michigan offer us anything? Not that we can’t find elsewhere. And as I’ve written before, they tried to kill us at birth. Recently, they kidnapped and brain-washed Lou Holtz. We shouldn’t play any further part in their existence. Our history with Michigan has seen huge gaps. Let’s let this one go on for many, many more years.
Hating Hurricanes Since 1990.
Bayou Irish is a Jersey boy and Double Domer who fell under New Orleans' spell in 1995. He's been through Katrina and fourteen years in the Coast Guard, so we cut him some slack, mostly in the form of HLS-subsidized sazeracs. But, when he's not face down on the bar and communing with the ghosts of Faulkner and Capote at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone, he's our man in SEC-land, doing his best to convince everyone around him that Graduation Success Rate is a better indicator of success than the number of MNC's won in the last five years.
- Finding Flaws in a Diamond: Clemson’s Rushing Offense - December 17, 2018
- Why Nobody Will Cotton to Notre Dame - December 3, 2018
- Irish Finish Regular Season Perfect 12-0 - November 26, 2018
That guy holding the signs in the photo must also be a Trumpster – definitely spelling challenged!
Wasn’t it Hoosier-moron Dan Quail (intentionally mis-spelled to hi-light his bird-brained intelligence) who ate “potatoE chips” in 1988? Trump is a republiclown. Quail was a republiclown. Republiclowns are BAD LEADERS, people. Bless yo, ND’68. I was born in ’67.
Luv Ya, Man
(thumbs-up)