I know there was another similar post about a week ago but had to bring this to App Nations attention. How smug of a fanbase to continuously call for a blowout just because we had a 4-8 season in 2013. Michigan doesn't appear to be a world beater right now either.

Some comments :

"I don't care who Appy St. brings with them to the Big House as they don't have a prayer. THIS ISN'T 2007. This is a cupcake game. Appt St. is a sh*tbag 4-8 team and on our worst day this past season we still beat them. "

"Appy St. finished the season ranked #175 (4-8) against the #183 SOS. They lost to teams like The Citadel, Furman, etc. This is not a good football team. They don't return a good football team. I'm not saying Michigan is a good football team (and they won't have to in order to beat Appy St. by 4+ TDs) but if you erase the name and just look at the facts (IT'S NOT 2007, IT'S 2014), you would laugh at their team and not make yourself look foolish."

"This App. State team would be bludgeoned by last year's Central Michigan team - the same CMU that Michigan beat by 7 touchdowns."

"This game is a joke but I guess there's nothing else to talk about except 2007 and how we over-looked that game and how it was the beginning of the end and blah, blah, blah (and we even get a little video to go along with it). Put me down as officially over-looking this game. This is a big fat W and I'm not even sure why we're playing the game to begin with and hell, I doubt I'll even watch it."

I know that this just riles us up as fans of App State but I sincerely hope that this young team flies into Ann Arbor expecting to be in a dogfight for 4 full quarters. With our coaching staff, I think they will get motivated.

Go App
Fight App
Kick ASS

They probably thought similar things about us in '07. UM was a top team primed for a BCS Championship run and we were the lowly but best of FCS guys.

They are not the only ones thinking we don't have a chance. We are basically 5 TD dogs (Mich -34.5pts) in this game so Vegas doesn't think too highly of us either. Let me keep telling their team we don't deserve to be on same field with them, etc., etc. and I will take our guys pumped up for them.

Maybe if all their fans take the outlook that they won't even watch the game, our fans will outnumber theirs in the stadium.

I can tell you from talking with several players and coaches that our guys are going up there to win. Will we win? The odds are certainly against App in this game; however, only time will tell if we were nuts in scheduling this $1,000,000 game. Do I think we can win? Yes, I do!

Personally, I'll be there - in black as always - ready to cheer for the Mountaineers from that tiny town in the middle of nowhere. I won't speak to UM fans of 2007. I know what year it is.

Go App! Beat MichAGAIN!

To be fair, let's not act like a few message board comments represent the whole fan base.

Also to be fair, the comments about us being bad last year are accurate and relevant. As much as we may want to pretend 4-8 didn't happen or was a total fluke, it did.

With that said, Michigan was lucky as can be to beat a pretty bad Akron team last year.

Michigan is one of the biggest jokes in the BCS. It's good that we provide a cupcake game for them, because that's how the rest of the Big 10 talks when they're playing the Wolverines.

B I N G O!!

"To be fair, let's not act like a few message board comments represent the whole fan base."

Yeah, I think the same thing when I see some of the comments on THIS board.

I agree that these guys do not represent the majority of the thinking of the Michigan fans (atleast I hope not), but it is comical they are calling for a blowout, when their own team pretty much sucks this year, they have no established running game, no established qb, offensive line was weak last year, and will probably be weak this year, only one legitimate receiver, and a new offensive coordinator. I almost get the feeling they, deep down, really don't believe they will blow us off the field, but their egos just will not allow them to even think for a second that we could be competitive or even,..gasp.. win the game.

moehler wrote:I agree that these guys do not represent the majority of the thinking of the Michigan fans (atleast I hope not), but it is comical they are calling for a blowout, when their own team pretty much sucks this year, they have no established running game, no established qb, offensive line was weak last year, and will probably be weak this year, only one legitimate receiver, and a new offensive coordinator. I almost get the feeling they, deep down, really don't believe they will blow us off the field, but their egos just will not allow them to even think for a second that we could be competitive or even,..gasp.. win the game.

Vegas is giving us about 35 points. The message board guys are probably basing a lot on that, and their limited knowledge of football outside of the Rust Belt/P5. Methinks the line will tighten leading up to the game--maybe Vegas is trying to encourage some action on the Apps side by laying such a large line.

Gonzo wrote:Michigan is one of the biggest jokes in the BCS. It's good that we provide a cupcake game for them, because that's how the rest of the Big 10 talks when they're playing the Wolverines.

They went 7-6 a year ago playing a much more challenging schedule than we did. Like us last year, they lost three games by less than a TD including a 1 point loss to Ohio State. Most preseason prognosticators have them at 8-4 and third in the Big Ten East behind OSU and MSU. I don't think they are a big joke. By all rights, like every other BCS team we play, we should be 3-4 TD underdogs. We are coming off of a 4-8 FCS season. Why should their fans take us seriously if our fans are acting as if Michigan is Idaho? They had a winning record in the Big Ten, I doubt the rest of the Big 10 thinks they are a joke.

hapapp wrote:

Gonzo wrote:Michigan is one of the biggest jokes in the BCS. It's good that we provide a cupcake game for them, because that's how the rest of the Big 10 talks when they're playing the Wolverines.

They went 7-6 a year ago playing a much more challenging schedule than we did. Like us last year, they lost three games by less than a TD including a 1 point loss to Ohio State. Most preseason prognosticators have them at 8-4 and third in the Big Ten East behind OSU and MSU. I don't think they are a big joke. By all rights, like every other BCS team we play, we should be 3-4 TD underdogs. We are coming off of a 4-8 FCS season. Why should their fans take us seriously if our fans are acting as if Michigan is Idaho? They had a winning record in the Big Ten, I doubt the rest of the Big 10 thinks they are a joke.

Despite having one of the biggest budgets in sports, the University of Michigan has one national championship to its name since the 40's and hasn't been a Big 10 contender since 2004. Their seasons are marked by high expectations and poor results. They've won two bowl games since our teams met in 2007.

I'm not saying we're a favorite or anything about App for that matter. I'm meeting their fans' shots at App with a little perspective on the lackluster UM football program.

Frankly after our dismal season last year I would expect any opposing fan base to have the same viewpoint. Until we can prove on the field that we are a good football team, why would any opposing team think that we are? I am a fan and I have as many questions about our team this year as I do answers, I assume most of us feel that same way. If we have questions, why wouldn't we expect the opposition to be dismissive of our talents? I hope we pull another rabbit out of our hat but I don't see a Corey Lynch on this defense or an AE on the offense, or an established line on either sides of the ball, its not 2007. I hope I am wrong about this season (4-8 left a sour taste that I have yet to get rid of) but I don't think this 2014 team would beat our 2007 team.

MDaniels84 wrote:I know there was another similar post about a week ago but had to bring this to App Nations attention. How smug of a fanbase to continuously call for a blowout just because we had a 4-8 season in 2013. Michigan doesn't appear to be a world beater right now either.

Some comments :

"I don't care who Appy St. brings with them to the Big House as they don't have a prayer. THIS ISN'T 2007. This is a cupcake game. Appt St. is a sh*tbag 4-8 team and on our worst day this past season we still beat them. "

"Appy St. finished the season ranked #175 (4-8) against the #183 SOS. They lost to teams like The Citadel, Furman, etc. This is not a good football team. They don't return a good football team. I'm not saying Michigan is a good football team (and they won't have to in order to beat Appy St. by 4+ TDs) but if you erase the name and just look at the facts (IT'S NOT 2007, IT'S 2014), you would laugh at their team and not make yourself look foolish."

"This App. State team would be bludgeoned by last year's Central Michigan team - the same CMU that Michigan beat by 7 touchdowns."

"This game is a joke but I guess there's nothing else to talk about except 2007 and how we over-looked that game and how it was the beginning of the end and blah, blah, blah (and we even get a little video to go along with it). Put me down as officially over-looking this game. This is a big fat W and I'm not even sure why we're playing the game to begin with and hell, I doubt I'll even watch it."

I know that this just riles us up as fans of App State but I sincerely hope that this young team flies into Ann Arbor expecting to be in a dogfight for 4 full quarters. With our coaching staff, I think they will get motivated.

I agree with most of the Michigan fans quotes and I have the same hopes as you.

t4pizza wrote:Frankly after our dismal season last year I would expect any opposing fan base to have the same viewpoint. Until we can prove on the field that we are a good football team, why would any opposing team think that we are? I am a fan and I have as many questions about our team this year as I do answers, I assume most of us feel that same way. If we have questions, why wouldn't we expect the opposition to be dismissive of our talents? I hope we pull another rabbit out of our hat but I don't see a Corey Lynch on this defense or an AE on the offense, or an established line on either sides of the ball, its not 2007. I hope I am wrong about this season (4-8 left a sour taste that I have yet to get rid of) but I don't think this 2014 team would beat our 2007 team.

APPs 2007 team beat any other year's APP team ever.

ASUMountaineer wrote:

moehler wrote:I agree that these guys do not represent the majority of the thinking of the Michigan fans (atleast I hope not), but it is comical they are calling for a blowout, when their own team pretty much sucks this year, they have no established running game, no established qb, offensive line was weak last year, and will probably be weak this year, only one legitimate receiver, and a new offensive coordinator. I almost get the feeling they, deep down, really don't believe they will blow us off the field, but their egos just will not allow them to even think for a second that we could be competitive or even,..gasp.. win the game.

Vegas is giving us about 35 points. The message board guys are probably basing a lot on that, and their limited knowledge of football outside of the Rust Belt/P5. Methinks the line will tighten leading up to the game--maybe Vegas is trying to encourage some action on the Apps side by laying such a large line.

That's it. Many people bet every game and invest research time on the games that are expected to be close. Out of the box they bet Michigan on the contest without a whole lot of research. Vegas is just changing the flow of money without any regard who's going to win. Vegas couldn't care what a team's chance of winning is. I would expect it to tighten as well.

My take is 2007 app team was the best team in fcs history and if it wasn't for the horrible coaching that had armanti playing when he shouldn't (injured). That team should have been undefeated and recieving votes in the top twenty ap poll. That being said it's hard to think we will repeat but Thats why you play the game!

As much as I believe we have a chance to pull off an upset in Ann Arbor in a few weeks, let me revisit a few FACTS about our recent performances against FBS and BCS competition since 2008. This is what Vegas looks at and until we prove otherwise we will be viewed the same by majority of FBS. Hopefully this is the start of a new life, keeping my fingers crossed.

2008 LSU 13-41
2009 ECU 24-29
2010 UF 10-48
2011 VT 13-66
2012 ECU 13-35
2013 UGA 6-45

Avg against FBS 13.2-44, o/u 57.2
Avg against BCS 10.5-50 o/u 60.5

Line against Mich -34.5, o/u 50.5 pts, basically they are predicting us to lose 42-7.

From an outsider looking in it makes perfect sense to me. I do not have any misconceptions about why anybody outside of the App family thinks we should be successful this year. They have every bit of evidence on their side.

Bottomline, this team has a hell of a lot to prove. It is time to get going. The good news is nobody expects anything out of us. Bad news is we have a big mountain to climb. If we are going to be relevant then we have to go out and win big games against teams when we are underdogs. That is exactly what Boise St did. We have to be overachievers. Anything less and we are irrelevant. Let's get going and prove to the world that we are relevant.

Black Saturday wrote: APPs 2007 team beat any other year's APP team ever.

2006 for me.

If it's not 2007, then it's not 2013 either. This year's edition will write its own story. As before, Vegas oddsmakers, Kirk Herbstreit, and the UM fans will neither catch a pass nor make a tackle.
GO APPS! Just give your all for Appalachian State, and we'll be proud.