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February 7, 2009

Mike Eckert: Delaware State? Montana State? Get real

By MIKE ECKERT

University of Michigan fans finally got to see Friday who would be rounding out the last open spot on the 2009 football schedule.

A matchup with a national powerhouse like Oklahoma, Florida, USC or Texas? Not quite.

On Oct. 17, the Wolverines will welcome Delaware State to the Big House. Get your tickets now.

I'm interested to see how Michigan will try to sell this game. How do you get Wolverine fans -- who are already frustrated after a 3-9 campaign and the first bowl season at home since 1974 -- to be excited to shell out money for a showdown with the 5-6 Hornets of the Football Championship Subdivision. Not to mention, it's on Oct. 17. That's perfect fall football weather in the Midwest. Can you imagine the buzz in Ann Arbor that week if the Sooners or Trojans were coming to town? Instead, Michigan fans will spend that weekend either watching one quality half of football before a blowout, or watching a full, down-to-the-wire game that won't sit well, win or lose.

Delaware State isn't the only cupcake on the schedule for the Wolverines. Michigan's non-conference schedule includes Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan, with a final quality opponent in Notre Dame.

College football schedules are getting to be a problem. The big schools want the pushovers. It doesn't cost as much to bring in a lowly opponent and it all but guarantees the big school moving one win closer to a bowl berth.

Save an Appalachian State every once in a great while.

Michigan certainly isn't alone in this. Michigan State hosts Montana State, Central Michigan and Western Michigan this year. That's nothing to brag about. Elsewhere around the Big Ten, Penn State is bringing in Eastern Illinois and Wisconsin has Wofford on the schedule.

Enough.

I can understand having one free pass on the docket, especially if it's scheduled for the first week or two. It's almost like an NFL pre-season game.

But these games are getting pushed further and further into the fall. Sure, in the Big Ten it's due to an odd number of teams, but still I'd rather see teams have a bye week than play a third or fourth cupcake.

Ohio State has to get a bit of credit for scheduling some tough games in recent years. While the Buckeyes still play some MAC schools like Toledo, Ohio and Eastern Michigan in 2010, they have squared off with big teams recently in Texas, USC and Miami in 2010.

What has the tough schedule bought Ohio State? Four straight BCS bowl games.

Credit Minnesota for following this trend. The Gophers recently signed a two-year deal with USC, beginning in 2010.

Watered-down schedules certainly aren't limited to the Big Ten and have become as much of a part of the college football landscape as tailgates, mascots, marching bands and rowdy fans. But that doesn't make it right.

Forget trying to add a playoff system, since that isn't going to happen. First, lets get back to the top-level teams playing a top-level schedule.

Let the Woffords of the world play mid-October games with Delaware State.

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