Michigan's 2016 schedule projects to be 2nd easiest
Thought this was kind of interesting. ESPN released some early 2016 projections, and has Michigan with the second easiest schedule out of the power 5 teams. I knew they had an easy schedule, but didn't realize it was THAT easy. Only Minnesota has a bigger cakewalk.
1. Minnesota
2. Michigan
3. Purdue
4. Maryland
5. Nebraska
You can also poke around on their FPI page: espn.com/fpi to look at some of the projections. FWIW, they have Michigan with the best odds (29.3) to win the Big Ten, and have the projected W-L at 10.0-2.4 which seems about right. I'd imagine Vegas will have the over/under around 10.5 wins.
Wow, that's surprising even with MSU and OSU on the road?
So the top-5 are all B1G teams. Something doesn't seem right.
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We all know there's an SEC bias. Also, notice that the top 10 easiest schedules contains 7 B10 teams. Seems skewed no matter what you think of the B10.
did us no favors with regard to national perception in their "game" against Alabama.
Alabama, because, well, rumor has it that they're very good. I love ripping on MSU for that loss, but we'd hardly fair much better last year. I'd still bet money on us putting points up on the board at least.
State lover. UMAmaizinBlue and Michigan State sittin in a tree, K I S S I N G
I refuse to believe that the ACC has harder schedules than the B1G.
I think it's mostly our out-of-conference schedule. Our Big Ten schedule is about as tough as it could be. We're in the stronger Big Ten division. We have OSU, MSU, and Iowa on the road. And we have a tough draw of Big Ten West teams (Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois).
The rating has to come from our out-of-conference schedule being so soft (Hawaii, UCF, Colorado at home), not having to play ourselves (unlike, say, Maryland, which has to play Michigan, OSU, MSU, etc.), and ESPN really thinking little of the Big Ten this year.
Hawaii 3-10
UCF 0-12
Colorado 4-9
Ouch: 7-31 overall
time for our 2nd & 3rd stringers to get some playing time!
for us to figure out who the QB is, and let him get all Rudocked up. Time for d-line and secondary to go from excellent to unbeatable.
Rob
Let's see who can throw a safety further Smith, Hill, Hudson or TJ Jr.
pick the OOC football schedule next year.
Hawaii, UCF and Colorado is weak, but that's basically what OSU's out-of-conference schedule has looked like since Meyer took over.
Miami (OH), UCF, Cal and UAB
Buffalo, SDSU, Cal and Florida A&M
Navy, VT, Kent State and Cincinatti
VT, Hawaii, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan
This upcoming season will be the first time (under Meyer) they play a power school like Oklahoma.
"Since Meyer took over" isn't really fair if you're implying that he's avoiding competition, since it's not like Meyer showed up with empty schedules to fill. Plus, OSU had some high-profile games before then (Texas, USC, Miami, etc.).
Regardless, though, this is a ranking of 2016 schedules, not 2012-2015 schedules. Our out-of-conference schedule is undeniably weak this year.
I don't know that he's implying that, it's just a fact that that's the non-con since he showed up.
Looks like the bias is strong with ESecPN.
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The bad teams in the Big Ten are really bad. Purdue, Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois....even Minnesota and Indiana are pretty lousy. In 2015, the Big Ten had six teams with two or fewer conference wins. That's more than anyone else (SEC - 5, ACC - 4, Pac 12 - 2, Big 12 - 2)
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But all the top teams in the Big Ten stink because all they do is beat the crappy teams at the bottom. Circular reasoning is your friend, unless you want to be taken seriously as an analyst.
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I guess the big 10 really is a bye
Colin? is that you?
They definitely think the B1G is a cakewalk. They have the top 5 easiest schedules ALL B1G teams.
Pretty sure they remembered that. They're projecting Michigan to win the Big Ten.
Wonder why ESPN projects 2 losses on the season. I know that's not how statistics work, but still, it's like they're saying we're gonna lose those 2 games, which of course we won't. /sips Kool-Aid
FWIW, every top team in the projections has around a 10-2 record projected. FSU has the best record projected and they are 10.6-1.9
Even Vegas rarely goes above 10.5 wins for their annual over/unders. I think Ohio State was the only one last season.
"turds"
on the road at MSU is going to be easy. 10+ point win. Chalk it up rigth now. UM goes into that game top 3 in the nation, stays undefeated, and moves up a spot to the #2 team in the nation that monday.
Bank it.
Guess ESPN doesn't think much of the Big 10 next year.
Or any year, really.
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about Wisconsin. Probably because we haven't played them in 25 years.