mgoja

October 5th, 2023 at 1:28 PM ^

Looks like bullshit to me.  Big Ten has a 9-game schedule next year.  The 4 new teams (all on the west coast) are scheduled to play at least 2 of the 3 west cost teams next year (Washington is scheduled to play all 3).  Fine --  given history and logistics it makes sense for these teams to play each other frequently.

So the Big Ten needs to schedule 27 games for these 4 teams against the other 14 teams in the conference.  There is no reason any of these 14 teams should play more than 2 games against west coast teams.  Would make a lot more sense to me for each of the 14 to play one home and one away game against the west coast teams.  And that would require that each west coast team play 2 of the other 3 west coast teams.

Michigan gets the bigger, tougher games.  Hopefully the additional eyeballs translate into more NIL for the players.  And maybe -- one day -- the program will figure out how to translate that into better recruiting.

Unrelated - I wonder if the Big Ten is looking into some neutral site games to make travel easier for the west coast teams.  Could we kick Nebraska out but keep their stadium??

Joined: 11/29/2022

MGoPoints: 2506

Buffalowing Blue

October 5th, 2023 at 2:28 PM ^

With this many teams in the conference there is absolutely no reason for an OOC schedule anymore.  Each team should have 1 cupcake in the first week or two and game on.  

I realize every other conference would have to do this as well for the schedules to balance out a bit but this new era in college football is going to be insane.

Joined: 11/14/2022

MGoPoints: 5369

DairyQueen

October 5th, 2023 at 7:34 PM ^

I actually like the cupcakes, it's also significantly how those little schools fund their program and even other sports as well.

It's always been fun to meet the new visitors from far off lands (that's underappreciated the US is huge/diverse) and witness different tailgaiters/traditions/aesthetics they bring to Ann Arbor every year.

Also, I dated a girl who went to a cupcake school and to be honest, gamedays which much more about the day/activities/socialization/comedically-hopeless/self-deprecating and FAR LESS heart-wrenching at least.

Plus you get to travel to the "big schools" to follow your team to many more different places and all in early Fall, the timing couldn't be anymore perfect.

It was a nice change of pace.

Equality and consistency is actually a terrible thing. Variety is the spice of life.

Joined: 04/20/2014

MGoPoints: 6642

nybluefan

October 5th, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^

I guess this is positive payback for all us season ticket holders that remained through this year's awful schedule.  With Texas at home as well in 2024, I am going to need to make it out to Ann Arbor at least four times next Fall!

Joined: 01/25/2009

MGoPoints: 926

Hoek

October 5th, 2023 at 5:18 PM ^

That’s also when we dropped our season tickets, which were my parents while my sister was at U of M 96-00, before that my grandparents had them since the 70’s. Between kids getting older (sports) and the shit product on the field from RR to Hoke we just couldn’t justify them anymore.

Joined: 01/29/2010

MGoPoints: 14312

charblue.

October 5th, 2023 at 5:10 PM ^

So thru the first five weeks of this season, projecting current team rankings into final entrants in the  12-team playoff format next year, all but three Big Ten teams would compete in opening round 2024 matchups, and Michigan would have faced all but four on their schedule next season. 

That group would include Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and Florida State. They would have had to play Texas, Oregon, Washington, USC, Fresno State, Penn State and Ohio State as playoff participants in order to qualify. That is how daunting next year's schedule is.

Michigan is currently projected next year with a first round playoff bye along with Georgia, Texas and Florida State. Michigan's second round opponent would be the winner of a Penn State-ND matchup. Georgia  would get the winner of Washington-Oregon, Texas would play the winner of OSU-Fresno State, and Florida State would get the winner of Alabama-USC. 

Highest ranked first round playoff teams get their choice of where to play. So cold weather teams can force warm weather schools to play on their climate terms or play in a nearby domed stadium. 

Michigan's football future and recruiting picture has changed dramatically with the posting of the new conference scheduling. No question, Michigan will face the most challenging schedule of any FBS team next year. This will likely impact how the program looks at every aspect of its future going forward including our head coach's career direction. 

Joined: 05/25/2010

MGoPoints: 11404

rob f

October 5th, 2023 at 6:43 PM ^

One more thing I'm left wondering about regarding our 2024 conference schedule: with a bye in week 3 (after opening with 2 tough non-conference games vs Fresno State and Texas), do the BIG schedule makers fill that bye with a conference game?  If they don't do so,  then Michigan plays the following 9 weeks without a bye, a string that will include a west coast trip (U-Wash), two middling rivals (Minnesota and spartie), two potential Top-10 teams (Oregon & USC), and ends in The B1G Toilet down south.

Best case scenario would be that week 3 is filled with a road game @Illinois or @IU, or if that's not possible, facing Northwestern or Minnesota at The Big House mid September.  A bye in mid October is much preferable to one in mid September.

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 194593

issafram

October 6th, 2023 at 12:18 AM ^

I could easily see us going 8-4 next year.  Especially with the talent loss we will have.  Last year was our best chance to win the national title.  Hopefully we can make it happen this year because next year is rebuilding time.

Joined: 10/01/2014

MGoPoints: 3524