The Institute (協会)

What indeed. We talked about this in the office as a possibility because App State is so athletic.

In reviewing the game on TiVo it was really just a great game plan by App State. They had an idea that the Michigan D wasn't "all that" and exploited it to their benefit. Honestly, it reminded me a bit of the Boise State / Oklahoma game last bowl season.

Mike Hart made the game close and almost winable for the Wolves. He's an amazing RB, but he couldn't help Michigan's D. Lloyd Carr has had better days.

Sometimes teams walk onto the field thinking that they've already got the game in the bag. Sometimes that leads to their downfall when the opposition fails to agree with them.

Okay stelmodad as a huge OU fan I've got to say that OU/Boise State is nothing at all like this game. First, Boise State was playing in a BCS game because they're not a I-AA team. If App State when undefeated the next 5 years they still wouldn't be playing in a BCS game. Boise State got there because they were a good team that beat good teams. Second, and what almost everyone forgets, Boise State was only a 6 point underdog to OU.
The Michigan/App State game was supposed to be such a blowout you can't even find a point spread for the game. By the way, this was the first time a I-AA has ever beaten a top 25 team, much less a top 5 team. Yes OU/Boise State was an outstanding game, but it wasn't that great of an upset (and nowhere close to this one).

Any predictions on how far Michigan falls? Personally, I think they should be out of the top 20 after this one.

I put Michigan at 18. Let's see what they do against Oregon, Penn State. They have some serious teams to play but man they got embarrassed. And the Boise State thing was a huge upset. We probably shouldn't be surprised though because Oklahoma can't seem to win a BCS bowl game for many years so maybe we should have expected a loss no matter who they were playing.

stelmodad--no offense, but if the people in your office really were talking about Div. I-AA App. St. upsetting THE #5 RATED MICHIGAN WOLVERINES, then the people in your office know nothing about football. I don't care how athletic you thought they were. If they were that athletic, then they wouldn't be playing in Div. I-AA. Michigan just totally embarrassed themselves.

As much as I hate to agree with a Sooner (GO HUSKERS!) Paul is right, you can't compare this to any other upset you have seen before because THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

How far should Michigan fall? Well, go down the list until you find another team you think would lose to App. St. and that would be about right.

Nick, no offense taken. We actually do know a bit about football and have witnessed App State play in the last two D I-AA championship games. They're gamers and our question about them giving Michigan a run for their money was based on Michigan treating it like a cupcake game.

Michigan did embarrass themselves, but to say that it wasn't done at the hands of App State discredits a team that just flat out outplayed Michigan.

Nick, I work in stelmodad's office, and I DO take some offense. We did kick around the idea of App. State beating Michigan. We didn't think it would happen, but we were sure hoping for it.

Nice dig Kevin. I'm a bit curious though, when was the last time Nebraska got to a bowl game of any sort? Go Sooners!

(I love how college football has the ability to divide a crowd even more than politics or religion.)

Nick,
this has happened before. I-AA Citadel defeated Arkansas. Until this past weekend, it had been considered the I-AA's greatest upset of all time. App State defeating #5 Michigan is obviously even bigger.

Nick, I know the people in stelmodad's office.
I have worked with the people in stelmodad's office.
You, sir, do not work in stelmodad's office.

- Jonathan

Kevin, nice jab still, but the rest of my comment was directed at Nick. Oops.

Jonathan, I'm going to do the unthinkable and defend a Husker, but I'm pretty sure the charitable way to read "this" in Nick's comment is that he was referring to a I-AA team beating a ranked team (which, because Arkansas wasn't ranked at the time, had never happened in the history of college football until yesterday).

OK, point taken, if that was how it was meant. No animosity was meant. College football is all in fun.
- Jonathan

WILL UM BEAT OK THIS SAT? WILL A SUPPOSEDLY REAL FAN (paul franks) ACTUALLY BE AT THE GAME?

FOR all of you that dont know PAUL FREAKIN FRANKS is a traitor. He use to be an OK State fan! Whats that you say, he is a benedict arnold? Yes thats right, he use to cheer for OK state to beat the OU every year that I can remember and now he is a "HUGE" fan of OU.

A few years back ole PAUL would be cheering for some CANES this wknd but since he does his PhD at OU I guess he thinks differently now. I dont care where, if, when or what in I do my PhD or MBA or any of that my heart is where my early undergrad days were forged and the state of my loyalty will be with the (formerly) Mighty CAnes... and I will never be a turncoat likes Mr Franks. All right I got the smack flowing for this Sat at NOON, now lets see what cha got brother.

Paul, if you are going to the game lets hope you can fix your wagon wheels in time to get the the ride ready for take off. I heard you live close to the stadium and not in the ghetto so you will only have to take off a day and a half before kickoff. On arrival at the stadium slaughter yer goat and pig for sum good ole bbq and dont forget to get the moonshine out of the basement for a little pre-party boozing. B4 going in the game make sure you check yer shotgun and wife at the door. Upon entry try and find a seat that doesnt have to many splinters and that has a good drainage where you can spit ur chaw so ur boots dont get dirty.

Good Luck u Sooner son of a gun and even though we will lose, at least I can hit up South Beach after for Daiquiris and Beach v-ball. ENjoy shootin ur gun and tipping ur cows for post-game celebration. ttys

I have two words for Michigan: "Haaaaa Haaaaaaaaa"

What is this world coming to??? Sooners and Huskers defending each other!!!

Paul had it right, though. Obviously I-AA teams have beaten I-A teams. It happened just last year when Montana St. beat Colorado (that's something we can all enjoy). But no ranked team, and certainly no highly-ranked and prominent choice for the national title game has ever lost to a I-AA team.

I'm not saying App. St. is no good. And I'm not saying that fans of the school or haters of Michigan couldn't dream about them beating the Wolverines. What I am saying is that if Michigan and App. St. played another 99 times in a row, Michigan would win all 99, and most by a wide margin.

In the end, I'll just agree with Tyler's sentiment.

It's true, I used to pull for OSU every year when they played OU. Why you ask? Because my brother (4 yrs my senior) is a huge OU fan and I loved to find ways to piss him off. The rest of the season, I pulled for both OU and OSU (yes to the dismay of all my friends on either side of the rivalry). Why switch now? No good reason to be an OSU fan (did my undergrad at a NAIA school in Texas, but hey maybe the ol' SAGU Lions would have a shot at Michigan!) and plenty of reasons to be an OU fan. Living in Norman 1 mile from campus, Sooner Magic is quite contagious, It's especially contagious for those that never hated the Sooners to begin with. Had I spent 4 or 5 years in Stillwater, I probably would hate the Sooners. But I didn't, so I don't.

"Wagon wheels"? Seriously, wagon wheels? I guess I'll have to avoid all those 'red men' looking to scalp me and my woman too. "Good ole bbq"? None better. "Moonshine"? Not quite, though I do have a case of home-brewed beer in the refrigerator.

Let's see, wear boots to my campus or kevlar to yours? I'll take the boots any day.

Oh yeah, Stork, pointing out that I used to pull for OSU is nothing more than a red herring (and I'm pretty sure there's a fallacious ad hominem floating around in your post too). Even if I previously despised OU (which I didn't) that wouldn't mean I could never begin to like them and eventually become a "huge" fan. I figured someone with a M.A. in philosophy would avoid these elementary fallacies... guess it's the daiquiris and sun messing with your mind.

Ok Paul, obviously you aint taking the bait, BOO. I wanted to have some good ole trash talkin with you. But you couldnt see the sarcasm b/c you compared my ridiculous comment about wearing boots to the game w/wearing Kevlar to mine, which actually IS a good idea during tailgates and after parties in the LITTLE HABANA area around the Orange Bowl.

Next year we will be playing in Pro Player (formerly Joe Robbie) which has no tradition and is no fun unless your team is doing well.
Little Havana is great for "15 dolla no Blockeeee" comments, speaking spanglish while trying to get scalped tics and traffic jams up the Wazzu after each game. One also has the smell of the Miami River, the random stray pitbull, the JAG and HuMMER of canes fans parked next to a casa that is worth less than the rims on the Hummer or the hood ornament on the Jag. You have drunken Long Island girls waiting to do keg stands and that cheer for the game even though they have no clue what is going on. You have drunken frat boys w/o shirts doing the "BAND BEER TOSS" in which drunk frat heads buy the extra big beers and by delicately grasping the rip of the large cup, toss/launch a full beer 30 rows down into and onto the band members where it explodes and causes every band member to turn around and look up only to look into 40-60 thousand fans with all the same look or expression and therefore they have absolutely no clue where the beer came from.

You could have taken a shot cause there are plenty of targets but I guess you are more the man right now. Anyways email me and lets talk/text a bit during the game. Good luck, sucker

Dear Paul, dont you know that all the sports analysts and announcers/commentators always use perfect logic? I mean you listen to sport radio and read a fair bit. Logic and reflection are almost ALWAYS out the door.

So when talking smack, its all about the emotive or pragmatic argument never about the sound one. Plus what I meant is not that you "couldnt" become an OU fan but rather that since you did it reflects upon your (poor?) character and b/c of that character flaw we should dismiss what you say. That my friend is no red herring and that my friend is about as ad hominem as it gets :) hence the essence of talking smack.
BTW if you ever want to feel what its like to live, come down here, spend an hr in the sun and have a Mojito on my tab :)
Sincerely, Stork

Now I'll take you up on that free mojito for sure. Maybe in 09 when OU comes to your town... but I'm still going to bring my boots.

See Anthony,

I know everyone will take issue with what I'm about to say, but the AS-MU game is the very reason College Football is the best sport in the world. Absolutely anything can happen.

Peace,
DC

Almost a perfect weekend. Michigan State wins, Nebraska wins, Michigan and Notre Dame both lose--the only thing that could have made it better is if "Ski U" could have lost, too.

(I became a Huskers fan in Boulder)

Michigan dropped out of the top 25 all together. I thought that should happen, but didn't think it would. Wow.