While sitting here this beautiful Sunday morning, my anticipation for the upcoming football season just keeps growing and growing by the day. So in my thoughts, I remembered the following facts that were sent to me by a friend and should help any Spartan fan in discussion with the somewhat misguided UM fans impressions of the two programs. Pretty good stuff:
Dantonio's 53-14 (79.1%) start to the current decade is better than the record of M football during ANY decade from 1950 to present other than the "great" Michigan teams of the 70s that won 83.5% of their games.
Lest we forget, M was 0-6 in bowl games during the decade of the 70s and they beat ZERO 10, 11 or 12 win teams during the entire decade;
When comparing UM (1970-74) to MSU (2010-14) the results are as follows:
1970: UM 9-1; "best win" vs. 6-4 Washington; beat ZERO other teams with a record of .500 or greater.
1971: UM 11-1 "best win" vs. 7-4 Northwestern; also beat 6-4 OSU and 6-5 MSU.
1972: UM 10-1 "best win" vs. 8-3 UCLA; also beat 6-5 Purdue, 6-5 Tulane and 5-5-1 MSU
1973: UM 10-0-1 "best win" vs. 7-4 Stanford and 7-4 Minnesota. No other wins vs. teams with records of .500 or above. The 1973 UM team finished the season ranked in the AP Top 5. For what? LOL.
1974: UM 10-1 "best win" vs. 7-3-1 MSU, also beat 7-4 Wisconsin, 6-4-1 Illinois and 5-4-2 Stanford. This UM team also finished the season ranked in the AP Top 5. Huh? The '73-'74 Michigan teams were the last back-to-back Top 5 ranked teams in UM football history.
Overall record ('70-'74): 50-4-1 (90.9%)
Overall bowl record ('70-'74) 0-1 (0.00%)
"Best win" ('70-'74): 8-3 UCLA (72.7%)
Number of wins vs. teams with 9 or more wins: ZERO
Number of wins vs. teams with a record of .500 or better ('70-'74): (14); 28% of (50) total wins.
Since Michigan ONLY had 14 wins vs. teams with .500 records or above from 1970-74, those 14 wins were Bo's TOP 14 wins. The overall record of the teams that Bo beat for those TOP 14 wins (listed above) was 89-53-5 (60.5%). Best win vs. 8-3 UCLA (72.7%).
This is TERRIBLE. Bo ONLY beat 8-3 UCLA and NEVER beat a team with a record that was > or equal to Michigan's from 1970-74 yet two of these teams were ranked Top 5? LOL!
What about Coach D????
2010: MSU 11-2; "best win" vs. 11-2 Wisconsin. Also beat 8-5 ND, (4) 7-6 teams (Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern and Penn State) and 6-6 WMU.
2011: MSU 11-3, "best win" vs. 11-2 Michigan. Also beat 11-3 Wisconsin, 10-4 UGA and 7-6 Iowa.
2012: MSU 7-6, "best win" vs. 11-2 Boise State. Also beat 8-6 Wisconsin, 7-6 TCU and 7-6 CMU.
2013: MSU 13-1, 'best win" vs. 12-2 OSU. Also beat 11-3 Stanford, 9-4 Nebraska, 8-5 Minnesota, 8-5 Iowa and 7-6 Michigan.
2014: MSU 11-2; "best win" vs. 11-2 Baylor. Also beat 9-4 Nebraska, 8-5 Rutgers, 7-6 Penn State and 7-6 Maryland.
Overall record ('2010-14): 53-14 (79.1%)
Overall bowl record ('2010-14) 4-1 (80%)
"Best win" (2010-14): 12-2 OSU (85.7%)
# wins vs. teams with a record of .500 or better (2010-14): (26); 49% of total wins.
MSU had (26) wins vs. teams with records of .500 or better from 2010-14 vs. Michigan's (14) from 1970-74 and MSU played ONLY 12 more games. .
Michigan ONLY had 14 wins vs. teams with records of .500 or better from 1970-74. Compare Michigan's Top 14 to MSU's Top 14 from 2010-14.
The OVERALL record of the opponents in MSU's TOP 14 wins (listed above) was 138-48 (74.2%) vs. Michigan's 89-53-5 (60.4%).
MSU's Top 14 wins from 2010-14 have been against opponents with a COMBINED winning percentage of 74.2% which is GREATER THAN the 72.7% winning percentage of Michigan's BEST and ONLY win against a team with a winning pct of > 70% (8-3 UCLA) from 1970-74.
And we are told that MSU plays in a weaker Big 10 vs. "lesser" opponents according to UM fans.
While this comparison is mostly about a relatively short time, it points out that MD has been arguably (very arguably) more successful than BO during both of theirs most successful years. Different era's for sure, with the current era being significantly tougher today then in the years of Big 2 and little 8.
Dantonio's 53-14 (79.1%) start to the current decade is better than the record of M football during ANY decade from 1950 to present other than the "great" Michigan teams of the 70s that won 83.5% of their games.
Lest we forget, M was 0-6 in bowl games during the decade of the 70s and they beat ZERO 10, 11 or 12 win teams during the entire decade;
When comparing UM (1970-74) to MSU (2010-14) the results are as follows:
1970: UM 9-1; "best win" vs. 6-4 Washington; beat ZERO other teams with a record of .500 or greater.
1971: UM 11-1 "best win" vs. 7-4 Northwestern; also beat 6-4 OSU and 6-5 MSU.
1972: UM 10-1 "best win" vs. 8-3 UCLA; also beat 6-5 Purdue, 6-5 Tulane and 5-5-1 MSU
1973: UM 10-0-1 "best win" vs. 7-4 Stanford and 7-4 Minnesota. No other wins vs. teams with records of .500 or above. The 1973 UM team finished the season ranked in the AP Top 5. For what? LOL.
1974: UM 10-1 "best win" vs. 7-3-1 MSU, also beat 7-4 Wisconsin, 6-4-1 Illinois and 5-4-2 Stanford. This UM team also finished the season ranked in the AP Top 5. Huh? The '73-'74 Michigan teams were the last back-to-back Top 5 ranked teams in UM football history.
Overall record ('70-'74): 50-4-1 (90.9%)
Overall bowl record ('70-'74) 0-1 (0.00%)
"Best win" ('70-'74): 8-3 UCLA (72.7%)
Number of wins vs. teams with 9 or more wins: ZERO
Number of wins vs. teams with a record of .500 or better ('70-'74): (14); 28% of (50) total wins.
Since Michigan ONLY had 14 wins vs. teams with .500 records or above from 1970-74, those 14 wins were Bo's TOP 14 wins. The overall record of the teams that Bo beat for those TOP 14 wins (listed above) was 89-53-5 (60.5%). Best win vs. 8-3 UCLA (72.7%).
This is TERRIBLE. Bo ONLY beat 8-3 UCLA and NEVER beat a team with a record that was > or equal to Michigan's from 1970-74 yet two of these teams were ranked Top 5? LOL!
What about Coach D????
2010: MSU 11-2; "best win" vs. 11-2 Wisconsin. Also beat 8-5 ND, (4) 7-6 teams (Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern and Penn State) and 6-6 WMU.
2011: MSU 11-3, "best win" vs. 11-2 Michigan. Also beat 11-3 Wisconsin, 10-4 UGA and 7-6 Iowa.
2012: MSU 7-6, "best win" vs. 11-2 Boise State. Also beat 8-6 Wisconsin, 7-6 TCU and 7-6 CMU.
2013: MSU 13-1, 'best win" vs. 12-2 OSU. Also beat 11-3 Stanford, 9-4 Nebraska, 8-5 Minnesota, 8-5 Iowa and 7-6 Michigan.
2014: MSU 11-2; "best win" vs. 11-2 Baylor. Also beat 9-4 Nebraska, 8-5 Rutgers, 7-6 Penn State and 7-6 Maryland.
Overall record ('2010-14): 53-14 (79.1%)
Overall bowl record ('2010-14) 4-1 (80%)
"Best win" (2010-14): 12-2 OSU (85.7%)
# wins vs. teams with a record of .500 or better (2010-14): (26); 49% of total wins.
MSU had (26) wins vs. teams with records of .500 or better from 2010-14 vs. Michigan's (14) from 1970-74 and MSU played ONLY 12 more games. .
Michigan ONLY had 14 wins vs. teams with records of .500 or better from 1970-74. Compare Michigan's Top 14 to MSU's Top 14 from 2010-14.
The OVERALL record of the opponents in MSU's TOP 14 wins (listed above) was 138-48 (74.2%) vs. Michigan's 89-53-5 (60.4%).
MSU's Top 14 wins from 2010-14 have been against opponents with a COMBINED winning percentage of 74.2% which is GREATER THAN the 72.7% winning percentage of Michigan's BEST and ONLY win against a team with a winning pct of > 70% (8-3 UCLA) from 1970-74.
And we are told that MSU plays in a weaker Big 10 vs. "lesser" opponents according to UM fans.
While this comparison is mostly about a relatively short time, it points out that MD has been arguably (very arguably) more successful than BO during both of theirs most successful years. Different era's for sure, with the current era being significantly tougher today then in the years of Big 2 and little 8.
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