U of M thread (in the Lions Forum) :)

[WingsFan]

Well, im saying that b/c the schedule, (and all the returning starters) just like I did last year with Michigan State. MSU is not going to have a banner year next year, and Michigan has a weak schedule with 2 tough games at the end.

[nhwbrooklyn]

MSU could surprise again. They are starting to stack talent for the first time in ages after a full cycle of improved Dantinio recruiting. They have one of the top QB's in the nation coming back for his senior year. But their schedule is tougher for sure.

Kiper ranked Cousins the 3rd best QB for 2012. Not that Kipers word is gold but Cousins is well respected.

[chemiclord]

Would you accept vast improvements on defense and special teams for year 1?

Not if the offense drops off and they finish 7-6 again. If the problem was really RichRod, Hoke better have a significant improvement on the final result.

[nhwbrooklyn]

IMO one of Hokes best advantages over RR is that he won't be judged by the impossibly high standard that Bo set (that eventually got Carr canned).

He has a better chance of growing the program into a legit contender again with a little bit of wiggle room I think.

[WingsFan]

RichRod set the bar as low as can get as Michigan, (this won't last long) the defense will have some well respected coaching (without RichRods crazy input). MSU on the other hand, lets see what happens in game 5, Dantonio - while he has done a good job of raising the bar, has yet to win when people are watching and is 0-4 in bowl games.

[nhwbrooklyn]

His Wisconsin win was a signature win.

But yeah I'd like to win a bowl game too.

Part of the reason for the bowl record is that Dantonios teams have typically overachieved (which is a good thing) and ended up with long odds each time out in the bowl game.

But if he can keep the talent flow at a nice clip and keep overachieving he will start to win some bigger games.

[WingsFan]

His Wisconsin win was a signature win.

I disagree, it was Dantonios best win for sure, like I said who was watching? Nobody. Iowa would have been it (or Bama, but St Nick wasn't going to have it) .

Note: RichRod beat #9 Wisconsin early in the year also - in his first year, hardly a signature win. A signature game is when you look back at that one game as the turning point of your program, the game that put you over the top - from good to great. Hasn't happened for MSU.

[nhwbrooklyn]

I disagree, it was Dantonios best win for sure, like I said who was watching? Nobody. Iowa would have been it (or Bama, but St Nick wasn't going to have it) .

Note: RichRod beat #9 Wisconsin early in the year also - in his first year, hardly a signature win. A signature game is when you look back at that one game as the turning point of your program, the game that put you over the top - from good to great. Hasn't happened for MSU.

Nobody watched a game with two teams going in undefeated like that?

BS.

Wisconsin would have been playing for the national championship had they won that game.

[WingsFan]

Please, week 4 ?? Who isn't think of the NC if your undefeated, not the 24th-ranked Michigan State vs No. 11 Wisconsin.

Besides guys like us (Michigan) who love college football (and the Madison crowd), no.

[nhwbrooklyn]

Please what? Two ranked undefeated teams played on national t.v.? It's just about as big as it gets for MSU besides a bowl game.

It was a signature win regardless as well for not only the records before the game but for what wisconsin did after that game too.

Remember UofM was ranked 18th when the Spartans beat them the next week.

[chemiclord]

Wisconsin would have been playing for the national championship had they won that game.

Not to diminish the MSU/Wiscy game (because that was a big win for the Spartans and really set the tone for the rest of the season), but Wisconsin does not beat out Oregon and Auburn even if the Badgers run the table.

Not trying to rain on your parade so much as a light drizzle.

You can now carry on.

[WingsFan]

Please what? Two ranked undefeated teams played on national t.v.? It's just about as big as it gets for MSU besides a bowl game.

It was a signature win regardless as well.

I give up, that was the FIRST game of the Big Ten?? That game was not on national tv, it was a regional game. Two undefeated teams who's wins were four weak games out of conference games.

[nhwbrooklyn]

Not to diminish the MSU/Wiscy game (because that was a big win for the Spartans and really set the tone for the rest of the season), but Wisconsin does not beat out Oregon and Auburn even if the Badgers run the table.

Not trying to rain on your parade so much as a light drizzle.

You can now carry on.

Never said they would have. But they would have been playing for it regardless.

[nhwbrooklyn]

I give up, that was the FIRST game of the Big Ten?? That game was not on national tv, it was a regional game. Two undefeated teams who's wins were four weak games out of conference games.

number 11 vs number 24.

If thats not a big game then MSU only gets a big game during the bowls in your opinion.

[WingsFan]

Seriously before that game Wisconsin had beat


UNLV by 20

San_Jose_St by 13

Arizona_State by 1

Austin_Peay (?) by 67

Not exactly a meat grinder.