It's almost time...

[TenaciousD]

ND and UConn are both bowl teams, bank on that. ND will win 9 if it beats michigan state, 8 otherwise. UConn will win 7-8 games as well.

The big difference from last year, aside from the obvious game experience everyone has, is that Tate and Molk, our center, were injured after we went 4-0. Without the depth of a fully recruited team it hurt more than usual and led to a few more losses. Healthy teams are everything.

[Hitme]

I can guarantee neither UConn or ND will make a bowl game. ND is going to be like last year, all hype no walk, and UConn similar to Western Michigan I believe?

[TenaciousD]

Wow, NEITHER will make a bowl. Did you watch ND manhandle Purdue? Or UConn put up 40+? It's a long season still, don't count Brian Kelly out, or UConn, who is still picked to win their conference.

[fingolfin]

Coming as someone who went to Western Michigan... Uconn was predicted to win or contend for the big east title, which is a BCS conference. WMU isnt predicted to do much in the MAC.

[Hitme]

I was talking about last year, they were supposed to have a legit team, and did not. If Michigan can play steady, then I will say they might be returning to their original state. Otherwise, I need more convincing. Oh and I forgot, I told you TD that I am more scared of Iowa and Wisconsin than I am of Miami. Wisconsin in Madison is just nasty, as is Iowa at home.

[TenaciousD]

I agree that Iowa and Wiscy are probably going to each hand tuos and UM a loss each combined, if a few plays bounce the right/wrong way they could be 4-0 against "you" and "us" this year.

I've copied over my preseason prediction from my UM site, just to show I have a realistic view of this.

"Sat, Sept 4 vsConnecticut 3:30 PM ET.................W
Sat, Sept 11 @Notre Dame 3:30 PM ET..................L
Sat, Sept 18 vsMassachusetts12:00 PM ET................W
Sat, Sept 25 vsBowling Green TBD..........................W
Sat, Oct 2 @Indiana TBD..........................W
Sat, Oct 9 vsMichigan State TBD..........................W
Sat, Oct 16 vsIowa 3:30 PM ET.................L
Sat, Oct 30 @Penn State 8:00 PM ET................L
Sat, Nov 6 vsIllinois TBD.........................W
Sat, Nov 13 @Purdue TBD.........................L
Sat, Nov 20 vsWisconsin TBD.........................L
Sat, Nov 27 @Ohio State TBD..........................W 17-14

I'll never predict a loss for the last game. I think an early stumble against ND and then a weak finish again, but 7-5 overall with a big step forward. Purdue, Wiscy, Penn and Iowa are all likely bowl teams this year and I think we keep 3 of the games close, 6 points or less. Defense gels together finally for the last game of the season, showing a preview of the 10-2/11-1 team coming in 2012!

8-5 after a bowl win. RR stays."

I think now we will beat Purdue, bringing us to 9-3, counting the final game when this team, for most intents and purposes, will be more juniors and sophomores than sophomores and freshman and have a giant chip on their shoulder to get a win in the shoe. The bowl win is a toss up now since they will be facing a tougher opponent. We will see...

[Hitme]

Bahahahahhahahhahahahhahhhahahahahhaa, there is NO WAY Michigan even comes close to beating us in the Shoe. If you guys play like you are in Ann Arbor, then close game, not in the shoe. Madison, Happy Valley, has nothing on the Shoe.

[TenaciousD]

Even tressy would tell you to never laugh off a Michigan upset...

[Hitme]

He wouldn't know, considering you all cannot beat him ........

[TenaciousD]

Pride comes before what?

[Hitme]

Pride comes with Dominance. Until Michigan can consistently play well against us, I will have no respect for them. That is the reason why I do not like RR. He comes in and tries to change everything around, it wasnt a bad program before, just bad coaching.

[TenaciousD]

You want dominance? Try 40+ winning seasons in a row. Try 30+ straight bowl games. All this is Michigan. When tuos starts approaching streaks like that and not little 5-10 year streaks, come talk to me. 

[Hitme]

The past means nothing on a football field. As is apparent in the Miami game, everyone thought they would come out with a chip on their shoulder and play OSU well, they didnt. Football is about the present, really it's about 4 year intervals... Freshman to Senior, sometime 5 years. Either way, Michigan is no longer dominant, that's just the way of the game, or the way RR likes to play the game.

[Jouser]

Let's go Massachusetts Minutemen!

[TenaciousD]

If the past means nothing then your past wins mean nothing, so why do you keep bringing them up? If the past is the past, then we are 0-0 until THE GAME. You can't have it both ways, using your records while discounting Michigan's. :p

[Hitme]

I said the past 4 years is what matters, not 50 years ago.

[TenaciousD]

Freshman to Senior, so Michigan is only on year 2 of it's cycle. According to the tuos saying "We don't rebuild, we reload" you should ALWAYS be on year 4.

[Hitme]

You still have Juniors and Seniors playing, still 4 years. Also, we reload with Freshman, so technically we will be on year 1.

[TenaciousD]

Rod has 0 seniors and I think 1 true junior he recruited. Everything else was Carr's.

[Hitme]

He still plays Seniors and Juniors, whether he did or would have recruited them. Also, this is game today is the reason why I doubt Michigan's strength as a team. You barely beat UMass, and you really only did it with Robinson.