Carr considers drive to bakery

They can be found in bakeries all over the country. People eat them for dessert, to celebrate birthdays, or just for a midday snack.

They are so popular that they are mass-produced so that the whole nation can enjoy their taste for a small sum of money.

But these confectionary delights are also found in the smaller Division I conferences in college football. Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference and the Big West - along with Division I-AA - are stocked with these yummy delights.

Yes, scheduling cupcakes has been the rage in college football for as long as the national champion has been voted on. But the spotlight on schools such as Akron, Kent or Cincinnati has shone brighter in the last few years.

Why? Because the practice of fattening your team during the non-conference season has come under scrutiny since the inception of the Bowl Championship Series.

A good number of teams boost their power ranking by dismembering the nonconference cream puffs, often at the expense of the 'power' teams that play an ambitious schedule.

A big culprit of this love for baked goods is Michigan's opponent on Saturday, Wisconsin. This year the Badgers have played Murray State (a I-AA school) Ball State - who went 1-10 last year - and Cincinnati, which lost to Troy State two weeks ago.

Wisconsin didn't exactly schedule a murderer's row. But the schedule makes Michigan coach Lloyd Carr jealous.

"When they give me the AD's job, we'll schedule just like that," Carr said. "Michigan traditionally plays a tough non-conference schedule, but when your schedule is too much, you are killing your chances."

Ironically, the pastry-happy Badgers are the ones whose national championship hopes have crumbled, as they lost to the toothless Bearcats, 17-12, last Saturday.

One reason behind Wisconsin's collapse against Cincinnati may have been the lack of fright which comes from playing a not-so-tough opponent.

"I don't like easy games," Michigan linebacker Ian Gold said. "They are harder to get into and they are the games I usually forget. I remember the score, but I don't remember specific details in the game. The end of the Notre Dame game I will remember for the rest of my life."

Gold also went on to talk about how he dislikes it when teams schedule cupcakes in the non-conference season.

"I see a lot of teams who don't challenge their schedules, not to call anybody out," he said.

But Gold, playing the part of a politician, refused to comment on Wisconsin's scheduling practices, laughing as he said "no comment."

Although Carr was told what his middle linebacker was saying, his opinion on scheduling stayed consistent.

"Our schedule this season was a bit much," Carr said. "We played three real good teams the last three weeks. If you don't believe that Rice was a good team, look how they held Texas to 18 points."

So Carr wants to be like the Badgers, in scheduling at least. But does scheduling really affect how each team will be prepared for its conference opener?

"Wisconsin is a powerhouse," defensive tackle Eric Wilson said. "They'll be ready for us."

09-23-99