Unlike last year's ugly turnover-laden game, both teams should be better in this year's matchup between Notre Dame and Michigan; but the result will be the same.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Michigan Wolverines find themselves in a similar situation this season; both are trying to regain the national respectability that has almost always gone hand in hand with their programs.
2008 was a complete disaster for Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines, who racked up the most losses in single season history at Michigan with nine. No matter how you slice it, it was one of the worst years in Michigan Wolverines football history.
For Notre Dame, 2007 was their completely disastrous 3-9 season. With plenty of blue-chip prospects in place, Fighting Irish fans were hoping that 2008 would mark a quick turn around back into the national spotlight. Instead, the Irish only delivered a 6-6 regular season capped off by a fun but unfulfilling bowl win over Hawaii.
For two of college football’s most storied programs, a gradual rebuilding process isn’t acceptable. These teams are expected to be excellent year in and year out, no exceptions.
Both teams come off of convincing wins last week, with Notre Dame stomping out Nevada 35-0 and Michigan cruising over Western Michigan 31-7. But now the real test begins; one of these teams will get their redemption off on the right foot at 2-0, while the other will settle for 1-1 and hear all the fans and media start the tailspin of “this team isn’t there yet, they can’t go out and win an important game like this one”.
Last year’s matchup between these two teams was in Notre Dame, where the Irish came out on top 35-17. It was an ugly game in which the Wolverines actually out-gained their opponent 388-260 in total yards; but turnovers ended up deciding the game as Notre Dame won the turnover battle 6-2 thanks to four Michigan fumbles lost.
Both teams are a bit more polished than what they were in 2008, and I’m not expecting this game to be nearly as ugly. I am, however, expecting the same team to come out on top.
Putting a team of great young athletes together is only half the battle; they need to learn how to win. They need to learn first hand that if you don’t give it your all on every single down, whistle to whistle, the teams that are doing those things can beat you.
I think Notre Dame is one step further along in this process. 2007 was their disaster year, 2008 had lots of positive signs but plenty of negative ones too. 2009, on the surface anyway, looks like it might be the year that the Irish get their name firmly back into the polls.
For Michigan, I don’t think this season will be a total disaster; this is a really good young football team that should be bowl eligible this year. But this is the type of game they will lose and learn from.
In what should be a very good game, look for Notre Dame to show a little bit more poise (despite being on the road) and pick up the win.
The Pick: Notre Dame -3.0