CreightonJay4MICHIGAN

35 points? No disrespect? No offense, but you guys obviously didn't know much about Michigan's defense that year. We held Ohio State and Penn State that year to 14 points and 8 points.. and they were both in the top 5 when we played them. But Michigan would lose by 3 scores and give up 35 because Nebraska is so other-worldly good. Sometimes you guys are so biased.

Michigan by 10.

Can't say I don't expect it considering some Penn State fans are still bitter about 94. We're into our second decade with that one folks.... well, many Husker fans are still bitter about getting jobbed by the refs in '82... also, Big 10 fans generally feel they deserve the best of everything b/c they think they're god's favorite conference. really, they're just the media's favorite conference but they don't really know the difference. I used to get annoyed with everyone drooling over the big ten. I always thought that top to bottom they are a solid conference, but the big 12 was far superior. Not this year, though. We have to face the fact that we were in an incredibly weak conference this year and the big 10 is much better even though I hate to admit it. The big 12 is Texas and then everyone else. I wouldn't be surprised if the big 12 had only won 2 or 3 out of their 8 bowl games this year. :-D I love how you guys are so optimistic because you beat a piss poor Colorado team. What about the 25 point loss to Kansas? 17 to Mizzou? Slim-to-none victory over no-offense KSU? The "big" win at Baylor? None of these teams are very good. If anyone out there that really thinks that Nebraska has any chance to win this game by more than 3-4 points, you are sorely mistaking. Michigan's biggest loss this year was by 7 to Notre Dame-- on a game where they did absolutely nothing right. Memo: Nebraska is not going to surprise Michigan with their great talent or ability to play football- most of Michigan's games this year were against teams that looked better than Nebaska. (This is not a blind statement from a Michigan fan in Detroit-- I've watched/heard just about every Husker game this year) You'd better hope Michigan shows up not fired up or ready to play---because if they do, it's not going to matter what kind of a game NU has. It may sound that I'm trying to be mean-spirited- but just looking at the two teams and their games this year, I'm honestly trying to be objective.

And by the way... Michigan fans aren't unhappy about being in the Alamo Bowl because of 1997. Michigan fans are unhappy about being in the Alamo Bowl because it's a LOUSY BOWL. I know you guys have been on hiatus from greatness the past few years, but come on... Alamo Bowl=Not New Year's Bowl=Bad Bowl

Ahh yeeeah, I'm going to go ahead and have to disagree with you. -Lumberg

I want Santa to bring Nebraska a crushing defeat and a dominating Michigan performance. Sorry guys

May sound bias, but I can pretty much guarentee that this will be Nebraska's toughest opponent this year. With all due respect to Texas Tech and Oklahoma, Michigan has the highest calibur talent out of all of Nebraska's opponents. I am predicting a Michigan victory by count of 27-17. Lloyd Carr never clobbers anybody. When we were up 41-7 at halftime against Indiana, none of the starters played a second of the 2nd half. Carr's playcalling is custom fit to the calibur of his opponent (unless the opponent is severely inferior-- see Eastern Michigan and Indiana) Much of Michigan's success will depend on the health status of Mike Hart, who is far and away the best back Michigan possesses. If Hart is healthy, Michigan's balanced offense will definitely provide a difficult challenge. I don't think Michigan will cover a 13.5 point spread. However, if Michigan does play a marginally solid game, I don't see them losing. I know the Huskers are coming off a big victory, but I think it's more Colorado's blundering than Nebraska's sudden epiphany regarding a winning quotient. There may be progress, but I believe the 30-3 score exaggerates this. Regardless, it should be a game worth watching with neither team putting away the other until late in the game.

At about the same time as Drew Henson, we had a guy by the name of Tom Brady. His name may ring a bell . After those guys came John Navarre- who struggled his sophomore and junior years and then put together a pretty solid senior season- in 2003 Michigan went 10-3: last time we beat Ohio State and Notre Dame(38-0). You might say that Carr doesn't open up the offense on account of Henne being a sophomore, but how many years does a guy have to start before you open it up for him? Gary Moeller was head coach prior to Carr and while he did lead Michigan to some of their worst seasons of recent history (see 1994, 1995), he also lead Michigan to a couple Big Ten titles and most notably a Rose Bowl win over Washington(back in the Mark Brunnell glory days) one year.

Michigan hasn't lost a game by 12 all year and you think they're going to lose by 2 TD to the Huskers? The only way Michigan loses this one is in a close game where they get overly conservative in the 4th quarter. That has been our bugaboo all year long in every game we've lost. I can about guarentee you that if Michigan loses, it will be by less than a touchdown. If Michigan is on their game though, I could see Michigan winning by 2 TD.

I'm also a Michigan fan in Omaha and I couldn't agree more with this quote. Coach Carr always seems to know how to do the very least with his talent. For instance, f you watch any game tape or the upcoming game for that matter, our running game is purely off tackle and off guard-- you will never see us run around the ends (unless Antonio Bass is in the game)- which is a dead giveaway that we're going to do just that. Bass is #18 in case you're interested- so keep your programs handy. The biggest problem with Coach Carr is that once he has any kind of lead in the 4th quarter, he packs in the offense and relies soley on the defense to produce the W. That may be well and good when our defense is extraordinary (see 1997 Michigan Wolverines) but it's not acceptable when we have consistently seen that type of mentality produce losses. I know that Michigan's offense is capable of more late in games because in games where Michigan is down, the offense is tenfold more aggressive and ultimately productive. This has been the story of Michigan football throughout the entirety of Coach Carr's tenure. As a fan this is utterly frusterating because the talent is clearly there. Michigan turns out a Top 5-10 recruiting class year-in, year-out-- but we certainly aren't finishing in the Top 5 in the country by the same token. I'd prefer to see more of a "riverboat gambler" (excuse my cliche) coach get in there to utilize the talent there.... open up the passing game more, be more creative with rushing schemes, and also be more liberal with blitzing packages. Any other Michigan fans out there agree with me- or do I sound too far off?

That's pretty funny Coach Carr has managed to coach his team down from a BCS Bowl to the Alamo, so I don't know if Coach Bridges can top that.

Please don't insult my college football IQ. Here's what I know about the Huskers this year... Up until the Colorado game, Husker fans were searching for ANYTHING to hang their hats on for the year. Aside from that game, Nebraska's most impressive victory came against Iowa State. I guess you could count the should-of win against Texas Tech though if we want to split hairs about it. Michigan has played competitively in every game this year. Our 4 losses come at a combined 17 points- the same margin of defeat the Huskers had against mediocre Mizzou. Michigan has played 3 BCS Top 10 teams this year- defeating Penn State, and had a "should-of" win against Ohio State. I really have no excuse for the Notre Dame game- we really stunk that day. I don't believe Nebraska played any teams of that calibur this year. Nebraska beat Colorado 30-3. Yesterday, Texas beat them 70-3. They lost to Iowa State the week before Nebraska. I'll hand it to you, Nebraska played well against Colorado, but I strongly question the validity of Colorado. It's clear I am disappointed that Michigan is playing in the Alamo Bowl this year, but I believe we've earned our fate via 'choking' away victories in absurd fashion. Coach Carr is a solid coach, but is also ridiculously conservative. A 4 point lead is to him what a 44 point lead is to Pete Carroll. I watched a multitude of games this year where we held a lead late in the 4th quarter and Coach has gone very conservative on both sides of the ball: offensively by running between the tackles unimaginatively to ween the clock (ineffectively) and also defensively through the use of soft zones and putting little pressure on the quarterback. I can recount these details in each of the following games: Wisconsin, Michigan St., Minnesota, Penn St., Iowa, and Ohio St. Three times we 'escaped' with wins and three times we got bit for not going for the jugular. It has been a truely disappointing season for Michigan, so you'll have to excuse Michigan fans if we aren't "happy as pigs in the mud" about playing in a bowl we didn't want to be in. Regardless, it will still be fun to see two traditional powerhouses lock up, even if the circumstances are somewhat piddly. So there's your somewhat pithy argument. If you see my Michigan license plates around town, wave a Nebraska flag in my face or something for rivalry's sake. P.S. Dude kicked the ball in the air against Mizzou in '97. Michigan shouldn't of had to share the title with 'Cheaters' ;-)

I respect the post regarding the "generalities." I haven't been around enough Colorado fans to know what they're like, so I have no personal opinion about that. With regards to the "if you're scared, say you're scared" comment- I have this to say. I'm not scared of Michigan facing Nebraska. See you on December 28th. And you can bet the only thing that will have me shaking in my shoes is the eery resemblence that Coach C has to Bo Bridges. GO BLUE!!!

more like this... GO BLUE!!!!

P.S. I love how you guys say you're so respectful of other teams, yet I come on here and read about how Michigan and Iowa are pansy a** teams and what a loser Lloyd Carr is. Last I checked, Michigan and Iowa still have strong programs. How many Top 10 teams did you play this year? Michigan played 3, won 1, and was competitive in every game this year. We certainly didn't lose any games by 3-4 touchdowns. AND Lloyd Carr is a good coach even if he's had a bad year. Class acts indeed. Take notice: Husker fans are no more classy than fans anywhere else. There's classy fans and classless fans for every team, no exception.

Personally, I think it's a mute point because I believe Michigan is going to the Outback Bowl. With Ohio State lined up as the BCS #4 and an automatic BCS bid coming to them- that will bump Wisconsin into the Capital One Bowl-- and most likely putting Michigan in the Outback Bowl. This would drop Iowa to the Alamo Bowl. As a Michigan fan, I personally would rather Michigan play LSU or South Carolina in the Outback Bowl because I think Michigan has something to gain by beating either (specifically LSU), whereas playing Nebraska can do little for the season for us. Michigan has nothing to gain by beating Nebraska and everything to lose as Nebraska is unranked and apart from bludgeoning an apparently POOR Colorado team did nothing to speak of for the season aside from a "should of-could of" against Texas Tech. Plus playing a team that got whacked by Kansas and Missouri doesn't exactly thrill me. It's disappointing to me because Michigan lost all 4 games by a combined 17 points. Three came in the final minute of the games, which I feel is more of a coaching blunder than anything else. So while I can see the "excitement" a Michigan-Nebraska Alamo Bowl game may generate on the side of Husker Nation, I can say it isn't an appealing matchup to me because I'd rather play a team that, respectfully, did more this year.

More than six this year? I'll give you the Kansas State game, but I'm thinking you don't stand a Snickers chance at fat camp of winning at Folsom Field this year. Not with the way the Huskers have played on the road this year. I'm thinking 6-5.

As a Michigander and lifelong fan of the Michigan Wolverines, I can't say that I have the same love for Nebraska football that you all so apparently do. I've gotten a better feel for it though as I've been at Creighton the past six years for college and grad school. As a fan of a traditional power, I can understand the feelings of frustration that have enshrouded this storied program. I myself have a hard time understanding why the Huskers have been unable to find some sort of stable gameplan and bounce back to power. It has simply been a surprise to me that a program with a name that seemingly carries itself has had such a struggle. That said, I have been able to see the discrepencies in attitude between Husker fans. One thing in common is the pride in being the "best" fans out there. Assumed in the description is the ideal of sportsmanship- and I'd have to agree with you there. I was at the 9-38 Kansas State game in Lincoln in 2003 and was thoroughly shocked to see Husker fans clapping for the Wildcats as they exited the stadium. I have never seen that kind of sportsmanship anywhere else and I doubt if I will otherwise. Honestly though, it would make me sick to see Michigan fans giving Ohio State the same treatment. I guess I'd almost prefer to be classless than carry than be THAT sportsmanlike. But hats off to those of you that are able to behave in such a way, that's commendable. On the other side though, I did read a post earlier today expressing that not accepting poor play is not being a poor fan. I'd have to say that I agree with that. Michigan has had a mixed-bag season so far and while I consider myself a die-hard blue and maize bleeding machine, you won't find me accepting of losing games we should win, specifically a home loss to an inferior(in my opinion) Minnesota program. It's not a talent issue- it's a coaching and execution issue. Therefore I can understand the frusteration in losing close games to OU and Texas Tech- and in particular after a loss to Kansas, which in all practicality does not possess the talents in recruiting that Nebraska does/should. Who's to blame though? At Michigan, I feel it's been primarily a coaching issue as Lloyd Carr is the embodiment of conservative playcalling (consequently, teams have been allowed to stay in games because of the lack of "killer instinct" displayed when Michigan is leading games-- Northwestern game not withstanding). In Nebraska's case, I feel it's still a combination of coaching and personnel change. It'd be nice to see atleast a glimpse of a turn in the right direction from a coaching standpoint- and I guess you could consider the Iowa State game (and one sit on the turf away from Texas Tech), but a 3 game losing streak tells a tale of a downward spiral. Personnel-wise, I don't know that Coach C has had enough time in recruiting "his" players and so that might have something to do with it. It's easy for me to be objective when I don't have a vested interest, so I must admit that if Michigan were going through the same issue, I'd probably be calling for Coach's job too. I would just like to say that I think given the hardships that have befallen Nebraska football, I don't think there is another group of fans that could handle the situation with more resolve and optimism by-and-large. I hope your patience will be rewarded in the near future... just so long as you don't "steal" pieces of national championships from Michigan anytime soon. Only kidding. Goodluck Huskers and see you at the Qwest Center on December 11th- that's the day you play the best basketball team in the state. GO BLUE!!! GO JAYS!!!