Looks like NIU just signed to play Michigan at the big house on 9/17/05

<a href='http://michigan.rivals.com' target='_blank'>http://michigan.rivals.com</a>

Smart move.

To be the best you have to play the best.

Quote:Smart move.

To be the best you have to play the best.

Well, it's a good payday, but that Michigan offense is going to look even better next season with the QB and RB having a year of seasoning. Losing Edwards to the NFL won't even be a big deal, because the young receivers like Avant are very good. NIU may be able to score some points with Wolfe running behind that OL and and Michigan's secondary losing some great talent, but any mistakes will be magnified in Ann Arbor (ask Josh Betts).

Don't get me wrong: I'll be rooting for the Huskies that day, but even playing Michigan close will be tough. Unlike some Big Ten teams, the Wolverines take the MAC seriously enough to play hard. Lloyd Carr sees to that. CMU trailed only 17-7 in the 3rd quarter in 2003 after a good drive to start the third quarter. After we scored, the Wolverines got angry and...remember what your team did to us in the 3rd quarter this season? :eek:

NIU's best chance is to be aggressive and stay that way. If you can get an early lead, you may create enough doubt in the Michigan players to build on it before they adjust. That's also assuming the officials don't "Big Ten" the Huskies.

EMU is also playing at U-M in 2005.

Chiefs8859 Wrote:Looks like NIU just signed to play Michigan at the big house on 9/17/05

<a href='http://michigan.rivals.com' target='_blank'>http://michigan.rivals.com</a>

Wow! Hopefully you guys can knock them off!

Michigan gets, NIU, Notre Dame, and EU at home? Smells like Bowl Series to me

josh_5761 Wrote:Michigan gets, NIU, Notre Dame, and EU at home? Smells like Bowl Series to me

Over on the Michigan rivals board, they are all upset about next year's "weak" non-conference schedule. There goes their national title hopes. :rolleyes:

CMichFan Wrote:NIU's best chance is to be aggressive and stay that way. If you can get an early lead, you may create enough doubt in the Michigan players to build on it before they adjust. That's also assuming the officials don't "Big Ten" the Huskies.

The MAC needs to suck it up and fork over the cash for MAC refs when we travel in OOC play.
Sure they suck but its better than getting homer treatment.

I am still stinging from a ref hosing that cost UT a victory in the Metrodome.

"Article published Thursday, September 26, 2002

Big Ten admits error to UT
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

Twelve days ago, the University of Toledo had a 56-yard touchdown pass from punter Jason Cox to Carl Ford off a fake punt called back in the fourth quarter against Minnesota because of an illegal block.

The touchdown would have given Toledo a 28-21 lead. Big Ten Conference officials assigned to the game initially ruled that Ford caught the ball past the line of scrimmage, which would have made the block that freed him illegal. UT coach Tom Amstutz protested immediately that Ford was at least two yards behind the line of scrimmage when he first touched the ball, but to no avail.

It turns out Amstutz was right.

The Big Ten Conference now has admitted to Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst and UT athletic director Mike O’Brien that the officials erred in their call.

Toledo, which later bypassed a potential 25-yard game-tying field goal for a fake that was snuffed out, lost to the Gophers 31-21. There is no appeal process, and the result of the game will not change."

CMichFan Wrote:

Quote:Smart move.

To be the best you have to play the best.

Well, it's a good payday, but that Michigan offense is going to look even better next season with the QB and RB having a year of seasoning. Losing Edwards to the NFL won't even be a big deal, because the young receivers like Avant are very good. NIU may be able to score some points with Wolfe running behind that OL and and Michigan's secondary losing some great talent, but any mistakes will be magnified in Ann Arbor (ask Josh Betts).

Don't get me wrong: I'll be rooting for the Huskies that day, but even playing Michigan close will be tough. Unlike some Big Ten teams, the Wolverines take the MAC seriously enough to play hard. Lloyd Carr sees to that. CMU trailed only 17-7 in the 3rd quarter in 2003 after a good drive to start the third quarter. After we scored, the Wolverines got angry and...remember what your team did to us in the 3rd quarter this season? :eek:

NIU's best chance is to be aggressive and stay that way. If you can get an early lead, you may create enough doubt in the Michigan players to build on it before they adjust. That's also assuming the officials don't "Big Ten" the Huskies.

It gets worse; we lose our starting QB, Josh Haldi, and one of our all-time playmakers in Dan Sheldon next year, plus several pivotal players on the O-line. On D we lose several key players, including starting MLB Brian Atkinson.

It could get REAL ugly. I expect us to be at least 17 point dogs. Nevertheless, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity for anything. We went into Madison two years ago with a green QB and a whole bunch of question marks, and we nearly beat the Badgers as 21 point dogs. Maybe history repeats itself in the big house...

Spudskie Wrote:

josh_5761 Wrote:Michigan gets, NIU, Notre Dame, and EU at home? Smells like Bowl Series to me

Over on the Michigan rivals board, they are all upset about next year's "weak" non-conference schedule. There goes their national title hopes. :rolleyes:

I read this quote from a Michigan fan on theinsiders forum:

Quote:Are they even D1A?

That is to be expected from them, I guess. :rolleyes:

Anyway, you are all talking about the running back from this year (Michael Hart) but when Kevin Grady arrives this spring, Michael Hart may not even be good enough to be the starter next year. Might make for an interesting game.

Quote:Are they even D1A?

I would expect nothing different from a Michigan fan*.

(* - Most of those posters aren't UM alums, but mainly high school kids, assorted dropouts, video store workers living in their parents' basements, auto plant workers, and graduates/students of community colleges, Div II schools, and (yes, sadly) scattered MAC alums whose egos were too fragile to let go of the maize and blue)

Good luck in the Big House next year. I would be in heaven if a MAC team would pull off a win in that place someday. Just like with WMU in 2001 and Miami in 2004, it seems that NIU is getting scUM one year too late. Not that NIU won't be good next year, but UM always seems to draw a MAC team after said MAC team experiences graduation losses at star positions.

I also posted on this thread on the NIU board.

I'm sorry the folks at Thewolverine.com have no respect for you guys. They don't understand that every high-profile program with an opening on 9/17 wasn't willing to come to the Big House this year, and Fresno State wanted a 1-1 deal.

I have watched your team (as well as other MAC teams) whenever they are on nat'l TV. I watched the Bowling Green and Toledo games this year and the Maryland and Bowling Green games last year. I look forward to fairly competitive game, although hopefully not as competitive as 02 Utah and 04 San Diego State.

As far as personnel goes, Michigan returns all key players except Baas, Edwards, Dudley (FB), Manning (OLB), Jackson, Curry, and Finley (P). Expect Shazor to go pro, too. I think Harrison will be kicked off the team, but I don't know about Stenavich's standing. Both of those players are very replaceable, though.

Michigan will probably give Hart and Grady a lot of touches and the defensive schemes will be very basic unless Wolfe gets some good yardage which very well may happen.

I think it will be very close for at least the 1st half, and if your players don't wear down then it could very easily be competitive right into the 4th quarter. Like I said, I'm glad Michigan is getting you guys in the Big House.

I see NIU keeping it close in the first half, but michigan is a 2nd half team. Look at the Miami game this year.

BTW... my comments in my other post certainly don't apply to guys like MichiFan, who obviously appears to be very down-to-earth and respectable.

I must of missed the Maryland-BG game last year.

If Musburger ends up doing that game...even if it doesn't last deep into the second half, I'd love to see the Huskies do something about that hard-on he has for the Big Ten.

I'm curious who Northern Illinois replaces on Michigan's schedule. Is it Bowling Green? Or did Eastern Michigan fill in that spot?

Michigan fans may recall we cancelled our agreement to play at Michigan in order to get the home-and-home (sort of) with Wisconsin.

Schadenfreude Wrote:I'm curious who Northern Illinois replaces on Michigan's schedule. Is it Bowling Green? Or did Eastern Michigan fill in that spot?

Michigan fans may recall we cancelled our agreement to play at Michigan in order to get the home-and-home (sort of) with Wisconsin.

Yes, that is what happened..... I was looking forward to playing a good Bowling Green team (2000 was obviously before Meyer came), but I understand why your team pulled out on us.

FF - Northern Illinois has played Bowling Green and Maryland the past 2 years...... I didn't misphrase what I said.

MichiFan Wrote:I was looking forward to playing a good Bowling Green team (2000 was obviously before Meyer came), but I understand why your team pulled out on us.

I was looking forward to it, too. As awful But the chance to host Wisconsin at Cleveland Browns Stadium was too good to pass up.

It would be nice if NIU and Mich would play at Sold. Field in Chicago.

I think a few other schools have done this to help attendance. Even though NIU does not need the attendance help it still would be nice for a big 10/MAC game be played away from the big10 stadium.

It seems as though all (or at least the good teams in) the Big 10 and SEC schools never play OCC games (agsinst non-bcs schools) on the road.

Mike...Go Herd!!!