Michigan Flips to Notre Dame, 2013 Class

[jonesman]

It will be interesting to watch the UM fans early next season. UM is going to take a beat down at Alabama. Then they come home to face AF and that wacky option offense. They will win that game, but will have to prep for it and play 4 qtrs. They get cupcake, UMass before us, but that is fine. ND will have a solid shot at UM next season.

If UM starts 2-2 with a shaky game against AF, watch the UM fans change their feeling on Hoke real fast.

I can see this happening. On offense, Dennard will not have many weapons and the best DL players are gone!!

 

[FLDomer]

It will be interesting to watch the UM fans early next season. UM is going to take a beat down at Alabama. Then they come home to face AF and that wacky option offense. They will win that game, but will have to prep for it and play 4 qtrs. They get cupcake, UMass before us, but that is fine. ND will have a solid shot at UM next season.

If UM starts 2-2 with a shaky game against AF, watch the UM fans change their feeling on Hoke real fast.

I can see this happening. On offense, Dennard will not have many weapons and the best DL players are gone!!

^ Agree with this!

 

[Grahambo]

 

[Irishnuke]

Lots of wishful thinking going on.

 

[IrishGD31]

If I had to bet, I don't think we beat Michigan for the next 4 years because of their QB advantage this year and their huge recruiting quantity advantage (and our weak spots) this past year. But, if we can somehow beat them this year and get to the BCS while they do not, my guess is we'll flip any non-Michigan native players we want. And, for that matter, if that happens, we'll be like a runaway train and probably a BCS fixture for the next decade. Too many ND fans are downplaying how crucial this next year is and kind of ho-huming about it being an 8-5 or so. That may be a "fair" expectation, based on our qb situation and schedule, but if that happens, unjust though it would be, the Kelly era and probably the next decade is sunk.

 

[IrishGD31]

Michigan playing Alabama right off the bat is probably the first bit of bad luck Hoke has had and the only bit of good luck Kelly has had. If we had their luck, Kelly would be sitting pretty with 2 BCS bowl games and contending for a national championship this coming year.

 

[no.1IrishFan]

They've won 3 in a row, given the fashion of the wins I'd say someone over there has sold their soul.
There is not a human being walking the face of this earth that was alive the last time scUM beat us 3 in a row.

 

[Crazy Balki]

If I had to bet, I don't think we beat Michigan for the next 4 years because of their QB advantage this year and their huge recruiting quantity advantage (and our weak spots) this past year. But, if we can somehow beat them this year and get to the BCS while they do not, my guess is we'll flip any non-Michigan native players we want. And, for that matter, if that happens, we'll be like a runaway train and probably a BCS fixture for the next decade. Too many ND fans are downplaying how crucial this next year is and kind of ho-huming about it being an 8-5 or so. That may be a "fair" expectation, based on our qb situation and schedule, but if that happens, unjust though it would be, the Kelly era and probably the next decade is sunk.

I agree somewhat, but on other parts, you seem to be WAY off base.

First off, I don't see Michigan beating ND next year. The Irish are long due for a win and it has to stop. ND has been the superior team for the last 3 years. But a combination of horrible defensive meltdowns and terrible officiating has cost ND in those contests. I really expect ND to not just beat Michigan, but embarrass them. I'm predicting what should have happened last year, a total defensive lockdown and the front 7 playing with reckless abandon. But for the love of God, once ND starts calling it aggressively on defense, that unit will become a force. I don't think Michigan has a QB advantage, especially not when D-Rob leaves, and especially if anyone but Rees starts for the Irish. I'd honestly take Golson over Denard. D-Rob has had heroic surges and great runs, but as far as throwing goes, he's a sub-par QB with a very inaccurate arm. I'm really hoping for a night game atmosphere for the South Bend showdown. Quite frankly, it's time to do what should have been done a long time ago. Beat the livin' Hell outta Michigan.

 

[IrishGD31]

This is definitely the year it has to be because we need a big recruiting advantage over them this year to compensate for last year. 10 more solid recruits than us in this past class means more than most of us want to accept. We'll need to at least get 5 more at the same talent level, and hit all of our needs to reasonably be on par with them going forward. That is NOT going to happen if we don't beat them this year AND have a better year than they AND make it to the BCS while they do not. If any of those things don't happen, we won't out recruit them significantly enough this year. But, even though Denard is a joke as a thrower, I don't think they've lost significantly enough more than we did to graduation/draft to push it beyond a question of the better qb wins. So, the question is, can we expect a first year starter w/ at most hardly any game experience (Hendrix) to be able to outplay Denard Robinson? If I had to bet, I'd put everything on Michigan. Then again, if I had to bet two years ago, I would have put everything on ND, so who knows. What I think we can know is that if we don't beat them this year, it is going to be ugly for a long time and the worst casualty of it will be the best coach fit alive for us.

 

[Mr. Larson]

If I had to bet, I don't think we beat Michigan for the next 4 years because of their QB advantage this year and their huge recruiting quantity advantage (and our weak spots) this past year. But, if we can somehow beat them this year and get to the BCS while they do not, my guess is we'll flip any non-Michigan native players we want. And, for that matter, if that happens, we'll be like a runaway train and probably a BCS fixture for the next decade. Too many ND fans are downplaying how crucial this next year is and kind of ho-huming about it being an 8-5 or so. That may be a "fair" expectation, based on our qb situation and schedule, but if that happens, unjust though it would be, the Kelly era and probably the next decade is sunk.

Are you serious? If you are I would love to be your bookie.

 

[phork]

Are you serious? If you are I would love to be your bookie.

Don't be too sure of yourself. I said when they hired RR that you better beat him now because when things get running it won't be pretty. Result? We beat them 1 year due 7 turnovers on their part. Haven't won since.

 

[stlnd01]

I said when they hired RR that you better beat him now because when things get running it won't be pretty. Result? We beat them 1 year due 7 turnovers on their part. Haven't won since.

We "haven't won since" because of ridiculous, unpredictable circumstances, especially the last two years. And RR got run out of town. So what's your point?
Talent levels are close enough and the game is big enough that this is a crapshoot annually. Pretty much has been for 20 years. A few big-name early commits aren't going to change that.

 

[phork]

We "haven't won since" because of ridiculous, unpredictable circumstances, especially the last two years. And RR got run out of town. So what's your point?
Talent levels are close enough and the game is big enough that this is a crapshoot annually. Pretty much has been for 20 years. A few big-name early commits aren't going to change that.

What I am saying is the talent levels are not similar, we should be light years ahead of where they were. Somehow Mattison found some glue and patched up that defense, they went BCSing, we went FSU losing. We should have been creaming them these last 3 years, for fun.

 

[johnnykillz]

What I am saying is the talent levels are not similar, we should be light years ahead of where they were. Somehow Mattison found some glue and patched up that defense, they went BCSing, we went FSU losing. We should have been creaming them these last 3 years, for fun.

Dude I get what you're saying but Denard Rob is an x factor from hell on the Kordell Stewart / Mike Vick variety.

His intangibles outweigh his lack of accuracy/technique/throwing anything.

So much opens up due to his scrambling ability.

And we play them early and get the best healthiest DRob.

You can't gameplan for the kid...

 

[IrishGD31]

I completely agree that we should have beaten Michigan each of the past 3 years. Our talent level has been considerably better and will still be better this year. BUT, the differential in qb is going to be a huge factor in this year's game. Rees would be a disaster against any decent D Coordinator this coming season. He's been figured out. I think it is a stretch to say that we can count on Hendrix/Golson/Kiel will be good enough in game 3 to equal Denard's performance. If, somehow, we can get a good QB performance, I have little doubt we will win. But that is a big if. And, if we DON'T win, you can forget about beating them anytime soon. You just aren't fully appreciating what a near impossible thing it is to overcome a 10 man recruiting numbers advantage, especially when you are left thin at key positions and the opposition has filled all their needs. The numbers game is 99% of college football and, by under-recruiting, we put Michigan with an SEC-like advantage over us. So, if we don't beat Michigan this year we WILL NOT out-recruit them this year and probably will lose the numbers game again in terms of 4 star quality guys. They already have 11 now. Even if they don't recruit one more 4 star guy, they have probably already beaten us in the recruiting game unless we or OSU can flip guys and that isn't going to happen unless we beat them AND make it to the BCS AND Michigan does not make it to BCS. That is a tall order and our whole football future for the next several years at least is riding on it.

 

[phork]

Dude I get what you're saying but Denard Rob is an x factor from hell on the Kordell Stewart / Mike Vick variety.

His intangibles outweigh his lack of accuracy/technique/throwing anything.

So much opens up due to his scrambling ability.

And we play them early and get the best healthiest DRob.

You can't gameplan for the kid...

We did a pretty good job last year, until he started throwing wounded ducks. Big time defenses step up big time, no matter what time of year it will be. Be interesting this year to see what Alabama does.

 

[Grahambo]

We did a pretty good job last year, until he started throwing wounded ducks. Big time defenses step up big time, no matter what time of year it will be. Be interesting this year to see what Alabama does.

For 3 quarters he was shut down, it was the darn 4th quarter and the worse passing I have seen in a long time that beat us. I still can't figure that out.

Either way, despite losing a lot, Alabama is still a Top 3 team. Will be interesting to see if Michigan's defense can sustain it's success this season. If I remember correctly, an article on ESPN the day after they were handed the Bowl Game that they had one of the luckiest seasons the last 10 or so seasons.

 

[die4irish]

Plus lets see if Denard can survive the whole game?

 

[Patulski]

Kelly must beat Michigan this year. To lose at home, making him 0-3 against Michigan, would be a body blow for the program and Kelly.

 

[Mr. Larson]

Don't be too sure of yourself. I said when they hired RR that you better beat him now because when things get running it won't be pretty. Result? We beat them 1 year due 7 turnovers on their part. Haven't won since.

It was 6 turnovers, but that's not the issue here, 6 is still a ****-ton of TOs and way to many to overcome to win a game against a quality opponent could probably say the same thing about 4 or 5 turnovers). We lose 3 years in a row on Temple-of-Doom-Heart-Torn-of-our-Chest losses to (in the opinion of many- me included) an inferior team.

IrishGD's logic suggests that us posting an 8-5 record last year and Michigan winning a BCS game could have set off a chain of irreversible events that if he had to bet "we will not be Michigan for the next 4 years"...maybe even the next decade!

To that logic I would just like to say- F*ck that noise.

And I would cover a bet of Michigan not beating us the next four years in a heartbeat (especially at even money).

 

[Mr. Larson]

What I am saying is the talent levels are not similar, we should be light years ahead of where they were. Somehow Mattison found some glue and patched up that defense, they went BCSing, we went FSU losing. We should have been creaming them these last 3 years, for fun.

Definitely shouldn't have lost all three. It's college and a monster rivalry game...the team that should doesn't always come through.

 

[phork]

It was 6 turnovers, but that's not the issue here, 6 is still a ****-ton of TOs and way to many to overcome to win a game against a quality opponent could probably say the same thing about 4 or 5 turnovers). We lose 3 years in a row on Temple-of-Doom-Heart-Torn-of-our-Chest losses to (in the opinion of many- me included) an inferior team.

IrishGD's logic suggests that us posting an 8-5 record last year and Michigan winning a BCS game could have set off a chain of irreversible events that if he had to bet "we will not be Michigan for the next 4 years"...maybe even the next decade!

To that logic I would just like to say- F*ck that noise.

And I would cover a bet of Michigan not beating us the next four years in a heartbeat (especially at even money).

If we don't go to a BCS game this year, I will bet my house that we wont beat them for the forseeable future.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

Um, what are you people doing here not in Davonte's thread??

 

[Mr. Larson]

If we don't go to a BCS game this year, I will bet my house that we wont beat them for the forseeable future.

I should have edited the last sentence...

I meant there is no way Michigan beats us everytime over the next four years.

With our schedule this year we are going to have one hell of a time making a BCS game, but I don't think that in any way precludes a victory over Michigan. I think we can start smaller, like hmmm, skull-f*cking Michigan this year. That should help sway a few recruits.

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

Is this like the "Who is likely next thread"? I think it will be one of the Michigan verbals. Bosch first.

 

[bibigon]

Is this like the "Who is likely next thread"? I think it will be one of the Michigan verbals. Bosch first.

I suspect Michigan's "no official visits if you're committed" policy will help with retention. In theory it should have slowed down recruiting in the first place, but it will probably slow down decommitments all the same.

It worked pretty well for them last year. I just can't see getting these kids back if we can't get them on campus.

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

I suspect Michigan's "no official visits if you're committed" policy will help with retention. In theory it should have slowed down recruiting in the first place, but it will probably slow down decommitments all the same.

It worked pretty well for them last year. I just can't see getting these kids back if we can't get them on campus.

When Air Force beats them in week 2, we'll see if people take visits or not.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Guess who has the #1 class now on 247 (for now anyways)...

Picked up a 3 WR out of Ohio, Jaron Dukes.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

We don't need to beat Michigan. We need to curbstomp them, American History X-style. This should be a statement game for the young defenders and whoever is starting at QB.