Very Strange, he must be a plant to make a statement that the only thing that matters is beating ND. For generations, it was if we win fine, if we lose well it doesn't matter since it's not a B10 game. This guy must not have gotten the memo!
michigan <r><QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> Well I guess he will be spending a lot of time doing his yard work on saturdays after Sept. 16th huh?</r>
I don't think the guy is that far off the mark although I suspect that at least 95% of M fans, if forced to choose between the two, would rather beat Ohio State than ND. If I were given that Sophie's choice, I would take a win over the Bucks rather than ND since Tressel's successes against Michigan and in the B10 in general has transformed the Buckeyes to the preeminent team in the Big Ten. However, my guess is that a great majority Michigan fans, including me, would now select the ND game as the second biggest game on the schedule given ND's winning 3 out if the last 4 meetings and the serious impact another loss to the Irish would have on M's ability to recruit head-to-head against ND both in the Midwest and nationally. This is a huge game regardless of its impact on the B10 race. I cannot, at least in the last 15 years or so, remember Michigan ever having an outstanding season after losing to ND. That loss usually causes a severe hangover that lasts well into the B10 season. In fact, in the early 90s, when Holtz was regularly beating us while we were routinely beating Ohio, the ND game was the biggest game of the year. One of the loudest crowd noises I can remember was in 93(?) when Howard made his miraculous catch in the end zone, while parallel to the ground, to beat the Irish for the first time is several years. The claims that "a ND loss does not bother us since it does not effect the B10 race" is complete crap, a transparent attempt to hide a major wound.
The poster does not know B10 history as M is not 9-0 against Penn State. Penn State beat us in 94, 95, and 96. Since then, we ( with the aid of some horrible calls the last two games in AA) have won 7 in a row along with beating the Lions in 93. They play us at home at night this year and my guess is that game is the red-letter game for PS fans.