The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN FOOTBALL did not go on campus," said Beck- man, who strongly defended his coaches' actions. "We went to two establishments outside campus and called some individuals, and if they wanted to come by, it was their op- portunity to come by. "We're just following the rules of the NCAA. We provided Penn State with the names of the people prior to us even going there. Our compli- ance coordinator, Ryan Squire, and Mike Thomas, our athletics director, gave them a list of people so that they were aware before we got there, of those individuals who might be recruited." Michigan head coach Brady Hoke, along with some other Big Ten head coaches, opted not to try to bring in any of the Penn State play- ers who were eligible to transfer and play immediately in the wake of NCAA sanctions. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN we made a decision that we would not actively pursue any Penn State players." While Bielema's was a shared sen- timent, not everyone felt the same way. Michigan State's Mark Danto- nio, Purdue's Danny Hope and Il- linois' Tim Beckman acknowledged they would engage any Nittany Lion that reached out to their programs. "As long as we're compliant, we're going to exercise every opportunity we can to enhance our own football team," Hope said. Beckman's staff was scrutinized because his coaches didn't even wait to be contacted, showing up in State College 24 hours after the NCAA lev- ied its punishment July 23. "We were in State College, but we 2012 Football Schedule Date Opponent Sept. 1 vs. Alabama* Sept. 8 Air Force Sept. 15 UMass Oct. 13 Illinois at Purdue Sept. 22 at Notre Dame 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Time 8 p.m. Oct. 20 Michigan State Oct. 27 at Nebraska Nov. 3 at Minnesota Nov. 10 Northwestern Nov. 17 Iowa * at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas Nov. 24 at Ohio State 3:30 p.m. TBA 4 p.m. 8 p.m. TBA TBA TBA Noon 58 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2012 Gold Illustrated points out that if Notre Dame had won the last three meetings between the Irish and the Wolverines — all of which the Irish led in the final 30 seconds — it would have retaken the position as No. 1 in winning percentage in college foot- ball history. That didn't happen, of course. The most recent issue of Blue & MICHIGAN-NOTRE DAME KEEP BATTLING FOR THE UPPER HAND new futility mark in the history of that program. Michigan has: Never suffered through five, or four, consecutive seasons of losing five games. Its re- cord is three straight years of five or more losses each, never experi- enced before 2008 (nine losses), 2009 (seven) and 2010 (six). Notre Dame has: Suffered through nine years without getting through September unbeaten. The Irish last entered October unscathed in 2002, with an 8-0 start under Tyrone Will- ingham. Michigan has: Gone undefeated the past three Septembers, and got off to an 11-0 start in 2006. Notre Dame has: Piled up 13 sea- sons without an undefeated record at home. Michigan has: In recent years, gone undefeated at home in 2011, and in 2006, 2004, 2003 and 2000. Notre Dame has: Lost nine straight Michigan staged last-ditch rallies in each of the past three seasons to firm up its grasp on the winning per- centage top spot. It heads into the showdown in South Bend this season looking for a fourth win in a row, matching Notre Dame's winning skein from 1987-90, the longest in the series since the schools renewed conflict in 1978. While the Wolverines experienced a tough go of it during the 2008-10 football seasons (15-22 overall), they still managed to win two out of three versus the Irish. Michigan's down stretch, to be sure, can't match the one Notre Dame has struggled with for a much more protracted period. The Notre Dame magazine de- games against teams that were in the nation's top 10 when the game was played. The Irish haven't beaten a top-10 team since they knocked off then-No. 3 Michigan, 17-10, in 2005. Michigan has: Beaten No. 9 Wiscon- sin in 2008, 27-25; No. 9 Florida in the 2008 Capital One Bowl, 41-35; No. 10 Penn State in 2007, 14-9; No. 2 Notre Dame in 2006, 47-21; and No. 8 Penn State in 2006, 27-25. Notre Dame has: Gone 18 straight seasons since it last avoided at least three losses. Michigan has: Been better than a three-loss team (during that same span) with its 11-2 record last sea- son, and in 2006 (11-2), 1999 (10-2), and 1997 (12-0). It also won Big Ten championships in the three-loss cam- paigns of 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004. Notre Dame has: Never won a tailed a checklist of futility issues the Irish need to overcome to set them- selves back on the track where most ND fans believe they belong. It begs a comparison to Michigan's own football fortunes, given the historical competition between the two football programs. Here is the rundown … Notre Dame has: Experienced five BCS bowl, since they were initiated in 1998. The Irish have gone 0-3 in those affairs, getting outscored, 116- 43. They feature the only program among the all-time top 10 in winning percentage nationally to not have a BCS bowl victory on their résumé. Michigan has: Won a BCS bowl last straight seasons involving at least five losses. If the Irish lose at least five games this year, it would set a year in Capturing the Sugar Bowl, 23-20, and knocked off Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl, 35-34. The Wolverines also came within a whis- ker of blocking a field goal that would have lifted them over Texas in the 2005 Rose Bowl shootout, won by the Longhorns, 38-37. ❑