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Originally Posted by basketbills  ggazoo...I think MSU fans are obsessed with Michigan. |
I'm in the enviable position of rooting for both and criticizing both (not having attended either school). When they play one another, I hope for a close contest so I liked this season's game a lot.
I think they're both great schools academically. Obviously, UM gets higher ratings in those U.S. News and World Report writeups. But MSU is no slouch. When Ohio State people discover I'm from Michigan, the razzing always starts. I tell them I'm glad UM isn't a "football factory" and that they actually graduate their athletes.
But UM's athletic philosophy simpy befuddles me. Sure, with Lloyd, UM will always win 7-9 games per season playing nobodys in the nonconference (save the Pac 10 teams) and getting the Minnesotas, Indianas and Northwesterns of the Big 10. I've always wondered if they wanted to take "that next step." I was at the Rose Bowl when they won the '97 title and I figured, "OK, this is the start of something big." Well, it wasn't.
UM will always remain competitive academically. They have great professors there. I think more people would like to see that competitiveness across the board. And although they are competitive in many sports, football seems to be the dominant force in college athletics these days. Frankly, I'm fairly comfortable with them caring the most about academics. These are student-athletes, after all. Just say it out loud then. Just say, "We're happy with Lloyd Carr because our goal is to win the Big 10, not national titles. He graduates his players. He makes them into good citizens. That's what we want ultimately. Academics are our focus, not athletics."
But the alums might disagree.