David Brandon spoke to Angelique S. Chengelis about scheduling this game. Here is what he said and my comments after.
DB: "Over two years ago when we agreed to play the game, we knew at the time Alabama was going to be good," Brandon said in a telephone interview. "We knew whatever Michigan team went there, we had to play at high level to compete. We regret we didn't, but that doesn't distract from the fact we're proud of our program. From time to time we will play in these types of games, and we will win our share."
So you knew two years ago this was a loss and still scheduled the game? Future games? Please don't make the same mistake twice.
DB: "The atmosphere was incredible," Brandon said. "The stadium is hard to describe to someone who has never seen it with all the amenities. And I was incredibly pleased with the turnout of Michigan folks. It shows you how much our fans appreciate our team.
"How would we have ever gotten that chance to see that facility other than on television?" he said. "A lot of people went there and the hospitality was terrific."
Just so I understand. Michigan made less money then if they had hosted a home game and made it's fan base spend thousands of dollars to watch the game live so they could see the stadium? Take a damn tour the next time your in Dallas!
DB: "You got the impression Alabama in terms of depth — they just were deeper than us, they were more experienced," Brandon said. "Coach (Nick) Saban has been there many years. I have high level of confidence in our coaches that over the next few years, and with recruiting classes, we'll be in a similar situation."
I'm pretty sure we are not going to be over signing. Wonder if Dave knows what that is and what Alabama has been up to the last 5 years or so?
DB: "We're working on scheduling games years into the future, you don't know who is going to be a top-10 team and who isn't, but you know the programs with high respect and the programs you want to play to play against to be the best," Brandon said. "That's what we did over two years ago with this game.
"This neutral-site thing was something that was unusual. It's important we play at home. We've got this hiatus where we're not going to play Notre Dame, and I'm working on some interesting opponents, for home-and-home series. Making schedules is challenging, but it affords us the ability to play some formidable opponents and give our fans a chance to see other programs."
Got ya. We are taking a break from ND and might want to play another top program that year. Makes sense. What about when Michigan plays ND, Nebraska and Ohio State on the road? I guess that wouldn't be the time to schedule a top program and play them outside the Big House. Glad we didn't do that.
I am pretty sure you said above that you know Alabama would be a great team, two years ago when you scheduled this game. Then you talk about "not knowing" which team will be a 10 team in the future. One of the rumored opponents we have heard DB is talking to is Hawaii.
Too much double talk. Bad decision with a terrible outcome. That is the answer I would have respected.
BTW: Countess ACL and Floyd Mayweather's bank account are still waiting for their apology.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Brandon Speaks on Alabama
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8 comments:
Bob, usually I agree with your point of view, but I disagree with you about this one. We played and we lost. Because of next years U-Conn game it would be this year or in 3 years. I love Denard, but if Denard beat them with his arm, this could have been a very different game. He had a LOT of time to throw as well.
Bob, if we had won, your piece would have a totally opposite point of view. Don't be a cry baby.
Is this what Michigan football has come to..? Crying and whining about playing teams that are too good for us? You sound like some 12 year old punk who got picked on by the big kids. Alabama has done this to many teams over the past 5 years its not the end of the world.
Maybe for a mid-season game, we can play the SEC -- but not out the gate...this was brutal and if Michigan didn't have those two turnovers for TD's, the game might have been 28 -28 possibly. I felt the loss of Blake was deflating for the team, astro turf sucks, and could someone explain to me why in the hell he was in on punt coverage???
Good leaders are about putting your organization in the best position to succeed.
DB elected to travel from home, take less money than a regular home game and schedule a team Michigan had maybe a 10% winning against. I don't see the logic in any of it.
If Michigan had won, it was still a bad decision. Why do something to take less money and make most of your fan base have to travel to?
Add in the first game and up-coming schedule. It’s a terrible decision. BTW: I have been consistent with this take, since they scheduled the game.
Some of us need to tone down our Michigan cockiness. You play the best to learn what it takes to be the best, but you can't hope to be the best when you don't have the weapons or the skills to get you even close. I mean Virginia Tech ran all over us last year. Virginia Tech! As did Notre Dame. Yeah, we still won, but more so because of what they did wrong at inopportune moments than what we did right. I'm still proud as hell of team 132 and what they accomplished, but a lot of things also happened to go right last year to make it such a great season. Great teams manage to win even with unlucky bounces, so there's no excuses. I knew we would lose, but not this badly. Then I realized that Alabama did the same thing to Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, MSU, LSU, and Tennessee, all within the last 18 months. So I do realize that Alabama is exceptionally good, but I can't stand to see my alma mater humiliated in that fashion. Waiting until Hoke has all his players and we have the depth and can match up better with these teams doesn't mean we're scared or wusses. It gives you a chance to lay the foundation to work towards something better, until it is unequivocally evident you can go toe to toe with the best. Someone asked, "Is this what Michigan football has come to?" You shouldn't look at it like that, not after the worst 3 years in program history. THAT, unfortunately, was what the program had come to. 11-2 was how far the program had come from that low point. This is just one game and we'll bounce back, but the cost is quite clear: national humiliation and loss of top players. This program is storied and proud, but much like Alabama did, we have to work our way through these tough times until we restore what was undone in 2008. I look forward to each of the next few seasons, as Hoke stocks his cupboards with the players necessary to compete for championships year in and year out.
I don't like neutral site games so far from Michigan. I wouldn't mind one in Chicago or even NYC because they aren't too far from Ann Arbor.
As for the OOC schedule, it is pretty much set through 2015.
2016: 9/3- Open (would like to see a MAC team at home); 9/10- at ND (set); 9/17- vs. Colorado (set);
9/23- Open (begin home and home with Hawaii?)
2017: ND, at Hawaii (if they do home and home), a MAC team (in AA), and find a bottom feeder that will take the money to come to AA and get destroyed.
2018 & 2019 Michigan won’t play ND, so they need to do a home and home with an SEC team (Florida is at the top of my list) or Florida State, a MAC team, a Mountain West or WAC team, and a Big East team (Louisville or Temple…home and home)…
From 2020 on, I'd like to see an SEC team or Florida State, ND, a MAC team, and a decent team from an AQ conference...
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