Michigan Football: Wolverines Have a Score To Settle with Southern Cal, Others

The Michigan football program is immersed in tradition. The iconic helmets, the talented marching band and the total Big House experience practically ensure the success of the Michigan brand.

Of course, 884 victories over 131 seasons have been a huge plus, too.  Michigan is the winningest program in college football, ahead of Texas (850) and Notre Dame (845).

The Wolverines, you may guess, have a lopsided conference win-loss record against every team in the Big Ten, in addition to having sparkling records against most of the nation's best teams.

But there are a few teams that haven't become victims, such as Southern Cal, Tennessee and Army...Yes, Army.

Perhaps Athletic Director Dave Brandon shouldn't rest until steps are taken to rectify the situation. The problem is some of the better teams won't play a single road game without demanding something in return. According to Mark Snyder of The Detroit Free Press, Brandon said:

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"I don't believe we can or should go on the road for nonconference games when we can put 113,000 people in our stadium...It's, financially, the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do for our fans, in terms of their ticket packages. And we're going to alternate with Notre Dame, so we're going to have one game on the road every other year. So the rest of those games, I would like to have at Michigan Stadium."

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Sure, Michigan will always have nearby schools like Eastern Michigan and Miami (Ohio) to bring little challenge, but still pack the stadium.

The right thing to do for the fans?  In certain years, you could have three, maybe four, stinkers on the schedule. C'mon. How often will Toledo, or even Appy State, win at the Big House?

Southern Cal or Southern Illinois?

Michigan currently has a 4-6 record against Southern Cal. Other than a home-and-home series in 1957 and 1958, the two teams have only played in the Rose Bowl game, where the Trojans hold a 6-2 edge.

There's no question Southern Cal owes Michigan a visit, but it may take reciprocation from the Wolverines for it to happen.

It's certainly reasonable for Brandon to be concerned about finances. After all, Michigan's athletic department profits were at $14 million in 2009-10, but a large portion of Michigan's alumni base can't make it the Big House on a regular basis. Playing games in large venues on the road, where alumni have a chance to attend, is only good public relations.

A Trip to East Hartford, Connecticut? 

It looks like Michigan may be stuck with a road game at Connecticut in 2013.

If you recall, Michigan signed a home-and-home deal with the Huskies, with the first game to be part of the Michigan Stadium re-dedication (Michigan won the 2010 contest 30-10).

Brandon is not exactly thrilled with playing before only 38,000 fans at Connecticut's Rentschler Field.

The game could conceivably be moved to a larger venue—perhaps the 82,500-seat New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Michigan alumni in New York City, who are known to have fat checkbooks, would be thrilled.

The Wolverines already have a similar game lined up with Alabama in 2012. The two teams will open the season Sept. 1 at the new Cowboys Stadium outside of Dallas.

Another team with a winning record (5-4) over Michigan is Army. With the current budget crisis in Washington, the Black Knights could receive a nice paycheck for spending a Saturday in the Big House. Army was tough on the Wolverines during the war years and beyond, winning five straight from 1945 to 1954.

The Wolverines also have a bone to pick with Tennessee, thanks to the humiliating 45-17 loss in the 2002 Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Since Tennessee's Neyland Stadium also seats over 100,000, a home-and-home setup shouldn't be a problem.

Below is a list of the teams that have winning records against the Wolverines. With Brandon doing the scheduling and Brady Hoke doing the coaching, maybe Michigan can avenge some of the bitter defeats. It sure beats crushing Central Michigan.

• Cornell 6-12
• Arizona St. 0-1
• BYU 0-1
• North Carolina 1-2
• Oklahoma 0-1
• Southern Cal 4-6
• Tennessee 0-1
• Wesleyan 0-1
• Appy State 0-1
• Mississippi St. 0-1
• Toledo 0-1
• Texas 0-1
• Army 4-5