Galaxy Brain Indiana Scheduling Explanation?
I probably should have put this in the postgame snowflake threads. But my thoughts and theories did not finish percolating until this afternoon, so it gets its own post. Judge my timeliness with your down- (or up-?) votes.
I have a vague understanding of how conferences, broadcasters, and schools all have a role in setting individual game times. More specifically, I understand that teams have hard limit on the number of night games per season. What I do not know is how much of a say individual schools have in setting their game times.
November night games against middling B1G opponents suck. But potential November night games against a good opponent on the road with an amped up crowd suck even more. This leads me to my galaxy brain theory. Is it possible that Michigan asked to play a night game against Indiana in order to hit its night game limit and prevent Penn State from scheduling Michigan as a night game?
November 8th, 2021 at 4:34 PM ^
no, thats... it's not. doesn't.
fucken hell, maybe?
November 8th, 2021 at 4:37 PM ^
Right? It's a really stupid theory, but it would (kind of) explain why Michigan suddenly decided to play this season's version of Indiana at night with no notice, stakes, or build up.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:01 PM ^
Why do you think this was our call? Under our Fox contract, they can make us play at night - up through the end of daylight savings. After the time change, it’s up to the schools.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:07 PM ^
I don't know who made the call. That's why I am hypothesizing and implicitly seeking additional information. My batshit insane theory just assumes that Michigan could make the decision.
November 9th, 2021 at 6:06 PM ^
I want to believe your “insane theory” is correct. SO much.
I mean, that’s what schools in Michigan’s position should do.
I am not making light of anyone’s messed up schedules because of IUs game being at night, but how much more comfortable would you be as a fan in attendance knowing this blocked a night game for Michigan at PSU?
November 8th, 2021 at 5:29 PM ^
Fox can't make us play at night 1) if Michigan has already reached their "tolerances" set number of night games and 2) Fox has no control on Michigan's homecoming game. University controls that game time.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:35 PM ^
A poster earlier said either both teams mist agree or either team can veto a night game proposed in November in the Big Ten.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:30 PM ^
Not all of November. Only after daylight savings ends. Last Saturday was the final week in which Fox could dictate the game time.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:37 PM ^
Since when would a Wallaby have a Galaxy Brainstorm?
RGard?
MeanJoe07?
November 8th, 2021 at 4:41 PM ^
Too bad Captain Kangaroo is no longer around to weigh in on Wallabies who have Galaxy Brainstorms.
RGard seems to be too anti-marsupial to give us an unbiased take; Mean Joe, OTOH, is nearly always too baked on eucalyptus leaves by this time of the afternoon.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:54 PM ^
Anti-marsupial? I resemble that remark. Nyuk, nyuk.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:44 PM ^
I'll stop you right there. There's no definitive proof marsupials have brains. Most likely an overgrown nerve ending.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:44 PM ^
I'll be completely honest. The three of us got together to cook this one up. You need at least three marsupials in a room to generate enough cranial activity to fuel a galaxy brainstorm.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:47 PM ^
I had heard but don’t know for sure that both teams must agree to a night game if it’s in November.
The whole process of who plays on what network and at what time remains mostly a mystery to me.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:53 PM ^
My understanding is that it's not "November" when both teams must agree to a night game, but games starting in week 9 (or 10 or 11 or whatever this is), and that just usually aligns with November, but is a week later this year.
So, in other words, Michigan always had veto power over a night game against Penn State, so this theory, while thoughtful, wouldn't hold water.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:55 PM ^
NO. The defense is WRONG. Are you sure? I'm positive.
November 8th, 2021 at 4:55 PM ^
If thats the case it was BRILLIANT!!!!
November 8th, 2021 at 4:58 PM ^
I believe it is either Game 10+ or change back to standard time. I was at the Minny game 1st weekend of November (4th) a few years back. I think the BIG chose it for us.
I think BOTH teams have to agree after that 9th game. Glad we are not seeing it happen at PSU. Noon is best time for us.
November 9th, 2021 at 9:39 AM ^
Another plus is that Michigan basketball plays at 8 pm on Saturday, so there's no night game with Penn State to interfere with watching both games.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:03 PM ^
Most likely explanation --- FOX had, from season's beginning, targeted a B1G game for Noon and a B1G game for 7:30 on this weekend.
There were 3 reasonable options for those games at the season's beginning:
1. Ohio State @ Nebraska, two blue-blood programs facing off.
2. Iowa @ Northwestern (which was also a night game), the top 2 teams in the West last year.
3. Indiana @ Michigan, 2 of the projected to be top-4 teams in the East.
OSU @ Nebraska was Big Noon. Northwestern & Indiana didn't pan out, but both games looked attractive in the summer. If FOX was committed to a prime-time B1G game, may as well take blue-blood Michigan, which will always generate a certain amount of ratings, no matter who they play.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:09 PM ^
Look, I don't appreciate your rational facts and explanations on the week that Michigan plays Penn State. You're forcing me to give you an upvote.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:13 PM ^
I, perhaps erroneously, make the assumption that the 7:30 game is the slot where you put your biggest matchup. So maybe that is wrong - but since the schedule doesn't get locked in until like 2 weeks before the game it feels like OSU v Nebraska as the bigger matchup. I suppose picking the "biggest matchup" among those 3 games is like determining the tallest "little person"....
November 8th, 2021 at 5:22 PM ^
ESPN likes to have its biggest games at night. But since becoming a big player in college football broadcasting, Fox has tried to zig against ESPN's practices. It tries to broadcast its marquee games at noon and assigns them the "Big Noon Saturday" moniker.
November 8th, 2021 at 6:04 PM ^
And in their defense (mind you i really dislike the 4-hr long Fox broadcasts), the UM-MSU game was their highest rated CFB game that wasn't The Game.
That said, I feel like it would be that way no matter the timeslot.
November 8th, 2021 at 6:34 PM ^
"I, perhaps erroneously, make the assumption that the 7:30 game is the slot where you put your biggest matchup."
If that was the case, why was the Michigan-Michigan State game at noon?
November 8th, 2021 at 7:09 PM ^
Your theory has merit but I think it was Fox. And while I'm on the topic, I give a big FUCK YOU to Fox for this shitty game time and the eleventy-billion media timeouts. And how about the two media timeouts on one fucking 4th and 1? Really Fox? - go fuck yourselves, you are ruining college football.
November 8th, 2021 at 9:45 PM ^
I give a big FUCK YOU to Fox across the board. Utter poison.
November 8th, 2021 at 8:46 PM ^
Whatever it was the decision was bad for the season ticket holders who to the games. It would have been a great afternoon for toe meets leather at 1:00.