Michigan's 2016 Schedule

Submitted by reddogrjw on

Our "soft" schedule, as perceived at the beginning of the year, ends with us having played NINE bowl eligible teams

 

exceptions were 3 of our B1G rivals - MSU, Illinois and Rutgers

Hawaii, at 6-7, is bowl eligible

 

7-2 vs. Bowl teams is nothing to sneeze at

3-2 against top 25

3-1 against top 10

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lilpenny1316

November 29th, 2016 at 12:41 PM ^

Then OSU will have beaten two Power 5 Conference champions.  Then again, OSU is guaranteed in.  

Man, this all feels dumb.  If this was college basketball, we'd be a #1 seed out West and OSU would a #1 seed in the Midwest.  If the CFP used the same criteria the NCAA selection committee uses to pick #1 seeds, we wouldn't have to worry about Wisconsin or PSU.  Look at how many times UNC or Duke loses in the ACC tournament, yet still gets a #1 seed because of conference strength, SOS and passing the eye test.

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mGrowOld

November 29th, 2016 at 12:50 PM ^

Doesnt the value of beating a conference champion also cut both ways?  Meaning that if the committee puts high value on conference championships (and the defeat of said champion) wouldnt they also want to place those champions into the final four?

Personally I think three spots are locked.  Alabama, OSU & the winner of Wisconsin/Penn State.  And I dont see any way in Hell they give the B1G a third slot - no matter how deserving we might be.

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lilpenny1316

November 29th, 2016 at 1:50 PM ^

He knows that UM and OSU are the only shots at beating Alabama.  Wisconsin got blown out by them last year.  PSU making it would bring all the JoePa stuff back to the forefront.  As much as he may hate it, we also bring viewers.  If there are going to be any shenanigans, it will likely be to slot us #4 next week so we can play Bama and the NCAA can get the big NYE ratings they desperately need.  

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Stay.Classy.An…

November 29th, 2016 at 1:03 PM ^

disagree with your logic on this. I'm just stating a fact that no other team in the country (outside of OSU who needs two teams to win) can stand behind, maybe any team in quite sometime. Because, I tried to look it up, I don't have that kind of time. If the committee does value conference championships over head to head performance, than Michigan is out and I wouldn't be upset with their decision. 

However, IF they are truly looking for the four best teams in America, and Michigan has beaten TWO P5 Conference Champions, that has to count for something right? Head to head, we are better than the two teams playing for the B1G Championship!!!! I don't even know if any team in the country can say that about their own conference.....? Does any team in the FBS have wins over both division leaders playing for a conference title?

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LSAClassOf2000

November 29th, 2016 at 1:55 PM ^

I think this is also where the people who push for conference champions to get into the CFP run into a problem, and we're seeing it right now in the Big Ten where the teams that are going to the BTCG aren't necessarily worthy of being in the CFP based on resume alone.

To me anyway, there is a danger of overweighting "Did you win your conference?" when there are teams that didn't but might have a better argument by resume for a higher ranking than you, never mind that in this case we beat them both in the case of the Big Ten. 

I mean, it might not always be Michigan, but this is bound to happen more than people realize, I think. 

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crg

November 29th, 2016 at 5:38 PM ^

Until evidence is given otherwise, I believe the committee will give strong preference to conference champs in all scenarios.  Remember that one of the factors that helped bring about the CFP (and end of BCS) was the Bama-LSU rematch.  The committee's criteria for judging between "comparable teams" can be found here (http://www.collegefootballplayoff.com/selection-committee-faqs), with conference championships being first mentioned, then SoS and then H2H.

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father fisch

November 29th, 2016 at 1:43 PM ^

I'm guessing we are teased with CFP spot #4 tonight, just to rub salt in.  Then we get to see what happens in all of the "title" games.  I think Colorado can beat Washington.  I'd take a close game with Clemson and PSU knocking off Wisconsin.  Then I think we have a shot.

We've beaten the Big 10 title competitors and the Pac 12 champ if CO wins.  If they REALLY want the 4 best teams, I can't see how we are not one of them.

Wouldn't it be something to see us up against Bama?  See what we could do against their frosh QB?  Could you imagine the title game if it were a U-M/OSU rematch?!

It has to be more likely than my winning the lottery!!!

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MadMatt

November 29th, 2016 at 1:47 PM ^

I'm OK with the B1G Champion going to the Playoffs instead of us should Washington or Clemson stumble.  That likely means the Rose Bowl for us, and that feels like an apt way to end this season if we couldn't beat OSU.  With our inconsistent offense, I'd be worried about Alabama making us look like MSU from last year if we snuck in as the 4 seed.

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Billy Ray Valentine

November 29th, 2016 at 1:48 PM ^

I wish I had the time and resources to do the research on my own.  How many times in modern college football history (whatever that means, of course) has a team beaten two conference champions prior to the playing of the bowl/playoff games?  For our purposes, I know this question supposes that Colorado beats Washington, which may be a stretch considering Washington is favored by 6.

 

Another fun, but likely pointless thought -- if the 4 teams are Alabama, Clemson, OSU and us, there's a crazy scenario in which we would have beaten 4 of the 5 conference champions on our way to the national title.  #pipedream 

 

Now, in reality, this is all academic.  I am assuming we will be playing an ACC team in the Orange Bowl, and the 4 teams will be Alabama, Clemson, Washington and OSU.  B1G champ will play in the Rose Bowl against Colorado.   If it's Penn State, they will cry foul.

 

 

 

 

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CoverZero

November 29th, 2016 at 2:56 PM ^

What is the deal with Conference realignment?  Is that even on the table?  Michigan and OSU should be in separate divisions IMO.  This is going to hurt the B1G in the playoffs as a weaker Wiscy or God Forbid Penn State goes to the playoffs.

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drzoidburg

November 29th, 2016 at 3:58 PM ^

Bowl eligible doesn't mean much these days, when it just requires 6-6 and 1/4 of the schedule is against literally anyone they want. A 3-6 team with 3 cupcakes added on does not a worthy opponent make. I look instead at: 3 wins against i'm assuming top 7 in the playoff ranking and that's *after* a loss to UM. Arguably a 4th against Ohio. Also a win vs currently #23 Hawaii and UCF were specifically scheduled for an easy $$ win so it's hard to take any credit. Rutgers and Maryland, same thing really just Delaney and the other ADs helped make it annual Illinois blows this year. MSU too but tough rivalry game All in all, the schedule was half solid and half mediocre-shit. Probably the best we can hope for every year since we're stuck in a division with Maryland/Rutgers/Indiana and the AD is afraid of two P5 opponents

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