Delaware St. vs Michigan

[MrTitleist]

Article from Yahoo Sports. True story, why these games are allowed to happen is beyond me.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/b ... aaf,196593

Please, Michigan, don't let this blood sport happen again

By Matt Hinton

Delaware State endured the rare one-two punch Saturday: Not only were the outmanned Hornets on the wrong end of a ghastly 63-6 beating at the hands of Michigan, the most lopsided defeat in Michigan Stadium in nine years and the first 60-point effort by the Wolverines since 1992; in effect, they also suffered their second conference loss, a forfeit to North Carolina A&T, dropping DSU to 1-2 in the MEAC standings at the same time it was getting the taste knocked out of its mouth in the Big House in a game that never should have happened.

On the first, obvious level, it never should have happened because resource and talent-rich programs like Michigan should never descend on the likes of Delaware State for an easy win, even as Homecoming fodder, though the practice of paying lower-division teams for "bodybag games" continues to expand across the country. (The only I-A teams that have never played a I-AA opponent are Notre Dame, Southern Cal, UCLA and Washington, and the Huskies have just added one such cupcake to their 2011 schedule.) But Delaware State shouldn't have been in Ann Arbor, either, because it had a previously scheduled MEAC date on Saturday with NCA&T, a conference rival it had defeated five years in a row.

When Michigan called up Delaware State's administration in the spring -- when DSU was temporarily operating without an athletic director, who surely would have intervened -- with an open date and a $550,000 offer to fill it, Delaware State took the payday without a second thought. But because it couldn't find another date on its schedule that also worked to reschedule with North Carolina A&T, DSU was also hit with an automatic forfeit by the MEAC. The Hornets lose twice in the deal: Once in the conference standings, where they had a fighting chance, and once in front of the largest assembly of humans in college football, where they had none whatsoever.

The final ledger against the Wolverines could not have been more grisly: Michigan outgained DSU by more than 500 total yards despite pulling starting quarterback Tate Forcier after the first series, averaging 10 yards every time it snapped the ball while also blocking a punt for a touchdown for good measure. The Wolverines led 49-0 after two quarters and began emptying the bench at halftime to keep the margin below 100. I hope Michigan's belly is full, the Hornets are enjoying their half-million-dollar payday and the MEAC championship doesn't come down to handing a win to NCA&T, because children had to watch this.

[Rob Iola]

Eh, whatever - $550,000 buys a lot of weights and uniforms for a program like DSU - plus you get a puncher's chance against Michigan. As long as no one got killed it gave the kids a chance to play in front of 105,000 - something daHenz have never done...

[dbackjon]

Ironic that he refers to all FCS games as bodybag games while scolding a team that suffered a loss to a FCS team last time they played one

[ChetSteadman]

It Michigan and Delaware were to ever face off, would either of the teams (likely UD) change helmets for the game? Either one could simply flip the color scheme. I'm sure the cash from the game could pay for it.

[MrTitleist]

It seems as though DSU sacrificed their season to play this game.. as they took a conf. loss as well.. worth it?

[Rob Iola]

It seems as though DSU sacrificed their season to play this game.. as they took a conf. loss as well.. worth it?

Only if their goals were to win the MEAC and make it to the playoffs, where they'd have a first-round date at Newark, Williamsburg, or Richmond - nice, but they've been there before and they'll be there again...

Instead, they backed into their first regular season matchup with UD plus a monster payday, in front of TV and 105K, in Ann Arbor. Winning either game would have been a monster upset; if you're DelState you take these opportunities because they're so rare (although hopefully they'll be playing UD on a regular basis going forward)...

Losing by 60 to Michigan is much better than staying within 2 TDs with the Ball States of FBS...

[Ivytalk]

It seems as though DSU sacrificed their season to play this game.. as they took a conf. loss as well.. worth it?

Exactlythe right question.

[BlueHen86]

It seems as though DSU sacrificed their season to play this game.. as they took a conf. loss as well.. worth it?

I know that DSU dropped it's wrestling program earlier this year, I assume that they are hurting for money and will take it where they can get it.

[MrTitleist]

It seems as though DSU sacrificed their season to play this game.. as they took a conf. loss as well.. worth it?

I know that DSU dropped it's wrestling program earlier this year, I assume that they are hurting for money and will take it where they can get it.

That's exactly what happened vs. Michigan.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

still think the ncaa needs to step in an prevent this from happening again...

with UND playing (and losing LOL) to an NAIA school this week - they could have easily been Michigan's patsy... but I REALLY don't like the precedent of a school ditching a conference obligation to play a body-bag game...

[clenz]

still think the ncaa needs to step in an prevent this from happening again...

with UND playing (and losing LOL) to an NAIA school this week - they could have easily been Michigan's patsy... but I REALLY don't like the precedent of a school ditching a conference obligation to play a body-bag game...

It wasn't really that bad. Michigan pulled Tate after the first drive....He is better than Denard

[Appaholic]

Ironic that he refers to all FCS games as bodybag games while scolding a team that suffered a loss to a FCS team last time they played one

Agree....remember the heady days at Michigan when their Alumni & Supporters were appalled - APPALLED! - at the thought of "lowering" themselves to play an FCS team like App St......now they schedule Delaware State with nary a whimper from the seats...oh, how the mighty have fallen...