Wolverine247 Board

I don't like playing teams that we should beat, but will give us a dog fight. I prefer that we play a team equal or better than us. Utah scares me.

That 2015 schedule is very impressive that should be a very good year!!! That home schedule is amazing should be some great games to see can't wait. Go Blue!!

I see what you're saying. I do think an opponent like Colorado or Utah gets the players' and fans' attention a little more than an opponent like Northern Illinois would, and in any given year, all three of those teams could be equal. So I like that the players and fans will take the BCS opponents more seriously, and based on politics, it'll look better on Michigan's resume at the end of the year than a win over a non-BCS school that may be just as good.

The rematch with app state is the only one of these games that doesn't make sense to me. We gain nothing from playing them. Definetily not a resume building win for the playoffs.

Living in Utah, I can agree that the game out here will be a challenge. Definitely winnable and it's a benefit that a few of our coaches have had the chance to play @Utah (2009 season) when they were at SDSU, so they at least know a little of what to expect. Going from 75% humidity to 20% humidity will be a big change, as well as going from 100feet above sea level to 4200 feet. Friends who have come out to visit always mention how much more winded they are when we're walking around because of the elevation change. Utah fans are also pretty loud, so Rice-Eccles Stadium will definitely be packed and frenzied for a Thursday game of that magnitude.

I much prefer to play Pac12 Utah instead of Mountain West Utah too. Even though their team will likely be better (better recruiting due to Pac12 exposure), they won't be circling just the Michigan game as their only hurdle. In 2008 that was one of only 2 BCS opponents on the schedule, so they were pumped and playing the underdog. It will still be a big game, but since they now have to run a Pac12 schedule too, they won't be putting all their focus and energy into the opener.

I love the Pac-12 flare with Utah, Oregon State and Colorado. Both the Appalachian game in '14 and Colorado game in '16 are redemption games after historic loses at the big house....the hype already has begun. Also, I would expect us to schedule USC or other top tier Pac-12 programs in 2018 and 2019, because we dont play Notre Dame in those years.

I agree, and that's part of what I was alluding to before. Not on paper, but in reality, a lot of times the lower level BCS teams are pretty much on even ground with a team like App State. So there isn't a huge difference in the difficulty of winning the game on the field, but it's much more difficult to get the fans and players up for that game. And like a lot of you guys have said, there really isn't anything to gain no matter how much you beat App State by, but a blowout over an Oregon State, NC State, Kansas, etc looks much better on your resume.

No kidding. They'll be showing highlights and talking about it over and over weeks before the game.

First thing I thought of when I saw Colorado was that damn Stewart to Westbrook hailmary. We can't beat those f*ckers bad enough.

Looking ahead to the B1G/PAC12 challenge, there are plenty of story lines for me to be interested.

Colorado, already stated.
USCw, obvious reasons.
Oregon, solidified me wanting Carr gone after blowing out Michigan following the App State game.
Arizona, RichRod, if he is still there.
Washington, I think Wheatley just scored another TD.
WSU, sealed the NC.
Utah, gave a sign of what was to come in RichRod's first game.

Good point about the timing and how everything plays out on the 2015 schedule.

i disagree, if it was the same players that would be one thing but there will be no armani reeves playin for appy, a crushing of them 7 yrs later won't mean anything to me and still doesn't erase the embarassing loss, the best thing to do is just close that chapter and move on imo

the people that scheduled the game weren't even around in 07, what exactly does it mean? a win over a d2 school? how does it erase the loss by beating a diferent team with the same name?