well yes technically it isnt a good choice... but when in a theoritical battle agaisnt a european tank... thats what i will be choosing...
t-72 of iraq weren't equipped with any kinds of add on armor... just the skeleton to say... cast steel..
although that, there has been reports of multiple ricochet from those tanks, at least the turret.
i don't think m1 will or can win against something formidable like a t-90 or even a t-72 with era and regular protection... because... mobility and numbers wise it is still lacking behind... if not with armor and firepower.. and we have all seen the results of ww2... its the numbers that talk for tanks.
for anything after 2020 i wouldnt settle for anything like mbt-3000. because imo t-99 is has much more toys and functions to play with... it even cost more, but i expect that to go down.