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Posted on Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 2:12 p.m.

Michigan football to play Alabama in 2012 in Texas

By Michael Rothstein

The Michigan football team isn't shying away from high-profile opponents - at least if the report on MGoBlog ends up coming to fruition.

The report says the Wolverines will travel to Dallas in 2012 to face defending national champion Alabama in a non-conference game at the new Cowboys Stadium.

MGoBlog's Brian Cook is reporting the deal will be signed Monday. It also means Michigan will have a stiff out of conference schedule that year as the Wolverines are scheduled to go to Notre Dame.

Comments

azwolverine

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 9:31 p.m.

Hey Jaxon, Remember the sad condition of the Bama program just three short seasons ago? Saban went right in there and turned them into National Champs by year 3 (11-2 year 2). Hmmm...funny what a great coach can do.

amaizenblueballs

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 9:15 p.m.

Hope this happens. Can't wait to play Saban again. Time for us to earn again the label he placed on us with a win. Kind of hard to be arrogant these days.

Jaxon5

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 8:35 p.m.

I like the idea but the timing is not great for UM. Alabama is so far beyond UM, it's really no contest. On the upside, if it happens in 2012, after the nation has pretty much forgotten UM, it might be the start of a comeback. Or, if not that, it might open some eyes as to what needs to be done to close the gap.

Lemansblue

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 7:51 p.m.

I think they do need to schedule non conf games like this. But we need to be playing Mi football to compete not WV football. Hurry up and get here coach Harbaugh.

Salinegoblue

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 7:48 p.m.

I'm not sure it is a good idea to schedule a team like Alabama considering the condition of our program. This means we'll have to give up one of our 8 home games for a top team on the road. We should continue on with our weak non conference schedule until we get back on our feet.

Jaxon Boyfriend

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 1:13 p.m.

Alabama facing 2011 National Championship team Michigan in 2012...priceless! The only fantasy here is that Alabama decides not to play the Champion Wolverines. National Championship talk is just ridiculous to discuss for this season, but next year where to put the crystal football trophy - I say in the newly constructed Rodrigeuz Hall.

heartbreakM

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 1:09 p.m.

Well, I hope this pans out as true. Way to go UM and David Brandon. I disagree with those who criticize this move, as it is much better to have real competition. That's how you get to be "Victors and the Best....Champions of the West (or south, or North, or wherever). It means absolutely nothing to beat Delaware STate, UMass, etc. I"d much rather lose to Bama than App State (though both hurt). Any claim of a national championship when playing superweak competition is dubious at best and shame on those who want to refrain from playing real games to get "gimmes".

RWBill

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 1:02 p.m.

Good Gosh, the physical and talent disparity between Alabama and Michigan is wider than the Grand Canyon and won't be significantly closed in 2 seasons. This could be darn ugly.

Yelmonian

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 11:47 a.m.

Getting the home-and-home deal done with Alabama might be tough. Things are scheduled out far enough in advance, that Alabama and/or UM may have a hard time getting the two games in back to back, or within a three year window. Alabama already has MSU on the books for 2016 and 2017. I'm guessing that UM and Alabama have the majority of the games booked up for the near future. That may explain the one year neutral site.

saginaw

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 9:48 a.m.

Theo, Are you sure that we want to through stones at Alabama Football -- cheaters and criminals? We are the school of Bill Frieder, Steve Fisher, Chris Weber, Ed Martin and now King Richard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan_basketball_scandal I prefer that Michigan shows a lot of class in everything that we do, and at least talks about respecting the great football tradition at Alabama.

InsideTheHall

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 5:27 a.m.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/08/alabama-michigan_in_dallas_pos.html Well, a little different take on this down South.

InsideTheHall

Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 5:21 a.m.

Filed under: rumormongering is what the internets are for I do hope you sourced this story and if it doesn't happen your credibility is toast. Did you cross source the story?

3 And Out

Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 8:59 p.m.

They call Alabama the Crimson Tide. Call me Maize and Blue.

OSUbeBetter

Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 7:30 p.m.

What? michigan scheduling a real Non Con Game? well way to go for whoever got this one done. Now all you need to do is figure out how to field a team to play with Alabama.

3 And Out

Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 6:04 p.m.

It will be interesting to see how Coach Harbaugh game plans for Saban's defense in that one.

Valtski

Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 5:41 p.m.

Tater, you over-analyze everything. Alabama, bring it on!

Jaxon5

Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 5:40 p.m.

One of these teams (UM) was not going to be in the mix for the national championship anyway, so not to worry. UM is so far away from that becoming a reality, that I shouldn't be wasting the space entering it here. Let's talk about making it out of last place in the Big Ten, and move up from there. National championship talk is just ridiculous given the current state of the program and the proven poor track record over the last two years.

Lemansblue

Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 4:39 p.m.

We better have a different coach by then or it will be ugly. Hopefully we will have coach Harbaugh and be back to playing Mi football.

Michael Rothstein

Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 2:21 p.m.

Yikes. Thanks for the catch, Marshall, I fixed that. And, BlueTommy, I have gotten a haircut. Just don't have a new picture yet.

Marshall Applewhite

Sun, Aug 8, 2010 : 2:14 p.m.

You should edit the story to say "2012" instead of "2010"