Michigan vs Arkansas
Cancelled a home game against an SEC team that is very beatable to go play on the road AGAIN against a ranked team at night.
To the people who were celebrating this move, how do you feel now? While every other ranked team was easing themselves into the season with bodybag games at home. If they weren't, they were playing neutral site games against ranked teams to open.
2020 we open at Washington. CFP committee does not care about these games.
Why Harbaugh and Warde? Just why?
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:16 PM ^
Both Hoke and Rich Rod we're able to beat Notre Dame. Hell if Denard doesn't throw 10 picks we might have beaten the 2012 team that made it to the National title game.
Has the program fallen that far?
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^
I think context matters a little here, doesn't it?
RichRod beat trash ND teams that went 6-6 and 8-5. The 8-5 team was their first year with a new HC and we got them early.
Hoke beat an 8-5 team, then lost, beat a 9-4 team, then got absolutely pasted by an 8-5 team.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
And you think this ND will finish better than 8-4? They could but how bout we wait until the end of the season before you assume anything about ND
September 2nd, 2018 at 6:04 PM ^
I guess they could be bad, but this was a 10 win team with a very close loss to Georgia a year ago and they basically returned the entire starting defense and QB.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^
Lol so many of you guys are fools. We will finish with 9-10 wins. Not a perfect season but with this schedule a pretty good one. You will all see.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:26 PM ^
9 wins is a complete failure especially if we lose to Notre dame, msu, and osu. We should be competing for a big ten title and cfp berth.
2018 and 2019 were supposed to be the years Harbaugh earned his dough. He has his players all over the field.
At this time in harbaugh's contract the only team standing in his way should be Ohio state yet were still at square one with the MSUs, PSUs, Notre dame's, still with or ahead of us
And this one might blow your mind but WHAT IF Harbaugh and Michigan could....dare I say....overachieve for a season? Similar to how Penn State and MSU have overachieved in past seasons? Why can't we pull off any upsets?
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
9-3 with the hardest schedule in the country would be a complete failure ? No wonder you fools are so upset, your expectations are being the current Alabama.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:49 PM ^
Yeah you're right - our expectations should be another 3rd place finish in the east at the cost of $8,000,000. In year 4. Preach it Gucci.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:59 PM ^
OSU looks like a clear #1, but did MSU or PSU look much better than us going down to the wire at home against teams ranked in the 60s?
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^
The difference is, I expect PSU and MSU to look completely different by weeks 2, 3, 4. I only expect marginal improvement from Michigan at this point until proven otherwise.
September 2nd, 2018 at 3:40 PM ^
then go root for one of them and quit being a bitch over here.
They were shit even shittier shit than we were and if we had played utah state or App state we would have won. We lost to a team that some ESPN people are putting into the playoffs right now. Michigan wins the next 5 beats Wisc by double digits then goes into MSU and wins.
And BTW my upset pick of next week is ASU over Michigan State ASU held their opponent last week to 2 yards rushing and had 9 sacks in a 49-3 win. Herm Edwards is doing work and MSU is going down next week.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:52 PM ^
Your own coach said it’s big ten championship or bust this season. So Harbaugh doesn’t know what success is according to you
September 2nd, 2018 at 5:39 PM ^
9-3 with this schedule would be a top 10-15 team. That is not my hopes for the team, but to call it failure is stupid.
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^
Gucci mane, that's Desmond lol
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^
Fools? Cmon man.
The expectation is to be competitive with Alabama and there is NO indication we're competitive even within our own conference. Right now we're looking at 8-4 at best (7-5 being more likely than 9-3, strictly in my "foolish" opinion) with no hope for an established B1G-title-caliber OLine until 2020. Our offense can be described as a sh!tshow or a tirefire, take your pick... our DB's can't play a ball in the air, our DLine/LBs don't control the middle of the line or have the ability to collapse the pocket and the coaches play-call like we have a 3-score lead or, worse yet, no one on our squad can comprehend an open or "complex" playbook. We "outscored" ND 7-3 in the 2nd half when they were playing with a lead & in prevent AND they had a game-sealing TD called back on a procedural penalty. We did nothing yesterday that indicated UM was back or better or anything other than the 3rd or 4th best team in the b1g. While calling out this team for being nothing better than a .500 squad might be myopic, saying they are incapable of beating ranked teams on the road is now a norm supported by a decade of data. If saying the emperor has no clothes makes ME a fool... I'll wear the cap & bells. UofM has fast become the champion of over promising & underdelivering. We are underachieving. Last night punctuated that statement.
Nothing foolish about having expectations in the 4th year of one of the best-compensated coaching staffs in the country that the team achieve status above "o-ver ra-ted clap clap clapclapclap." Nothing foolish about expecting to see marked improvement from season to season. Nothing foolish about watching our rivals compete for conference titles & playoff births and expecting the same for The University of Michigan in the 4th year of Jim "Prodigal Son" Harbaugh's return.
September 2nd, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
I just expected that by year 4 there couldn't be debates held over who's the best team in the state... I don't think this is a crazy expectation, but if it is I guess I'm crazy. Gucci I'd like to know what your expectations are for lets say the next 3 seasons assuming Harbaugh is the coach? (No funny stuff, serious question)
Should we be content with being middle of the pack in our division/conference every year, or should we hope/expect that a program with seemingly endless resources and the highest paid coach in football wins a conference championship or makes the playoff after 4+ seasons of the coaches hiring?
I'd say the latter but I want to understand your side.
September 2nd, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
Hardest schedule in the country. That was BEFORE PSU and MSU revealed themselves to be a little overrated. Neither of them look anywhere near Top 15 teams.
OSU is really hard. Wisconsin is hard
Notre Dame was completely winnable. Already shit away what should've been a win. We simply squandered multiple oppurtunities to win. From Hawkins TWO missed INTs, to Watsons wasted INT, to redzone trouble, to Lavert Hill letting his man burn him, etc etc. Too many mistakes that shouldn't have happened
MSU and PSU look like teams we SHOULD beat. MSU's defense isn't intimidating at all. PSU looks inconsistent as hell
9-3 with the chance of ending 9-4 is unacceptable. 10 regular season wins with this schedule should be the goal. And again, If we could finally win some games we "Werent supposed to win" then we could be 11-1. I don't expect to beat Wisconsin AND OSU but for the love of God could we please pull a rabbit out of a hat every once in a while? Have some magic happen here and then which results in us beating a team we shouldn't? That's how teams make the playoffs or win their conference yet we just cant seem to ever pull it off
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:02 PM ^
His players all over the field? I see a bunch of 3 stars and if those are "his players" then sorry we'll always suck
September 2nd, 2018 at 2:40 PM ^
It'd be nice but it's just not in the cards. Everyone seems to play out of their mind against M and M just can't match that intensity. Just a thing, sadly.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:56 PM ^
So you think we’ll win all but 1 or 2 of our remaining games? Let’s say you’re right, and assume we lose to OSU and one of MSU, PSU and Wisconsin. We still finish 3rd (likely) in the division and go to the outback or citrus bowl, and finish like 15th in the final rankings. In year 4 of Harbaugh. Lots of people saying we can’t expect to be Alabama or OSU. Why the hell not?
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:03 PM ^
Because they have better players and coaches?
September 2nd, 2018 at 5:58 PM ^
I’m so sick of the comparison that always comes up about why we aren’t Alabama or Ohio State or some other team.
We aren’t them because we actually have academic standards, moral integrity, and don’t go after guys who wouldn’t make it at Michigan. Michigan isn’t a sleazy program of unkept promises to recruits, hookers for recruits, coaching staffs of abusers, etc. If the cost of winning is throwing integrity out of the way and participating in every sleazy trick in the book then this isn’t the program for you to follow. When/if we beat great teams I enjoy being able to say we did it the right way. If that doesn’t matter to you then I’ll take your tickets and you can leave.
Harbaugh doesn’t enjoy losing and no player on that field seemed joyous to lose. They are 18-22 year old young men who made mistakes and are in the process of learning. Our recruiting classes aren’t SEC level, so our guys have to get coached up. Pardon me for being patient, but teams that have every position loaded at the beginning of the year are pretty rare. Seemed like we had that a couple years ago and up to a disaster at Iowa and the refs in Columbus, things were going pretty well. Guess we forgot about those times and how special that team could have been with that many great players.
September 2nd, 2018 at 2:59 PM ^
You will all see.
Just like how we were all going to see that Michigan was going to destroy ND last night, courtesy of Mineral King and aaamichfan?
Yeah, we'll see alright.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:26 PM ^
The committee obviously does not care about Alabama's SOS. You should have three quality opponents on the schedule, and any more than that is excessive.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
I LOVE starting off the season playing Notre Dame!
We have started many of our last seasons strong only to dovetail at then end. Hopefully playing a quality opponent this early makes it very clear to this team what it will take to have a successful B1G season.
GO BLUE!!
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
Our goals are still ahead of us. Only idiots thought this team could get to the cfp playoff. With that said Harbaugh has to beat MSU and OSU. A loss to one or both and he should be shown the front door. I was upset yesterday but it’s atill a long season. Let’s hope this team can show some improvement something that Harbaugh teams have never been able to do. Go Blue!
September 2nd, 2018 at 4:34 PM ^
So let me get this straight....only an idiot thinks this team is good enough to make playoffs. However, you demand wins vs osu and MSU ? If we go 2-0 vs them a playoff chance isn’t out of the question. Makes no sense.
September 2nd, 2018 at 7:53 PM ^
We still can
Color me an idiot
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Uhhhhh... this is not a playoff team whether they play a cupcake or not week 1. At least maybe going this way will get the coaches to give the young tackles a shot against the next few teams on the schedule. Doubt it but maybe.
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:05 PM ^
Yeah, but a cupcake yesterday would have gotten us a Florida bowl instead of a Texas bowl.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
The committee matters not if you lose too many games and cannot beat any tough opponent.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Cancel all non conference games against any team that’s in a major conference or a independent... Schedule teams only from the Big Sky or Big South
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^
Yesterday's Michigan team could've beaten yesterday's Arkansas team.
Regardless of beatability, I was looking forward to the Arkansas series, and was not happy to see Notre Dame replace them. Partially because my wife is an Arkansas grad, and we were looking forward to going to both of the games (possibly with her sister and brother-in-law, who have expressed a desire to go to a game in the Big House), and partially because my opinion is that if Notre Dame doesn't want to join the Big Ten in football, then screw em, no Big Ten team should ever schedule a game with them.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:52 PM ^
Totally agree. Getting ND back on the schedule on their terms was a major fail. Like the 5 who gets dumped by her boyfriend and begs to get back with him....on his terms.
September 2nd, 2018 at 6:05 PM ^
"Don't make somebody a priority who treats you like an option."
Straight from JH's white board.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:38 PM ^
Why? Cause you’re suppose to be able to beat more than just bottom feeders
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
Watching good football games is fun. Watching ranked games is fun. Sometimes you lose. As a fan, are you really hoping and wishing that we play more useless games against cupcakes? I just cannot get behind this, and this is very snowflakey.
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^
Exactly! At least we know where we are after a game like this. Last time we played ND on the road in our 2nd game of the season and we got shut out, after beating a cupcake in week 1.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^
This is a stupid post two years late.
I do like getting ND back, but will agree that the timing and donations to whatever the hell ND wanted, were too much. This could have been done without having to dump Arkansas and VT. Those both would have been great matchups, and still would have let ND get back on somewhere. The total cave was BS - and I said that two years ago.
But this post, now, is dumb.
September 3rd, 2018 at 2:08 AM ^
Agree. Notre Dame cancelled games against Michigan. To get them back on the schedule it was on their terms? Never seemed right to me. Should have been "Sure. Let's schedule you just like any other team. 2018? Nope. Our schedule is full... unless you want to make it worth our while & play us in AA on top of it. We're already screwed by the Sparty home schedule being off a year thing.
Warde needs to start throwing some weight around. Michigan might not be a top team right now, but they are a top draw. (and tell the Big Ten to fix the fucking schedule or it's time Michigan starts exploring other options.)
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^
Yup pad our record against inferior opponents, instead of beating a quality team on the road!
We have to play better quit excusing our piss poor performance!
September 2nd, 2018 at 3:03 PM ^
Thing is, you actually have to win one of those games against a quality road opponent. The last 12 years of evidence suggests Michigan is not capable of such a feat.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
Should have played App state I guess.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
There's no reason to play any hard games until the conference schedule. It gets you nothing. Not impressed with Warde's scheduling so far. Last night should have been in the big house and we still play our rivals away the same year. Fix that.
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
Do you really think a change in venue would have made a difference? Michigan had their ass handed to them in the first half and they had to sit there and eat it.
September 2nd, 2018 at 12:58 PM ^
Given the good depth in the Big Ten East and the existence of a conference championship game, there's really no point to scheduling an above average out of conference opponent. Especially in the opener, on the road, at night.
On the other hand, some of my fondest childhood memories are of being disappointed by a season-opening loss to the Irish.
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:35 PM ^
That was my first thought after the game last night. I guess Harbaugh got what he wanted, an 0-1 record to start the season because that was what he remembered. I’m assuming in his mind he still thinks he will finish the season 9-1-1.
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:00 PM ^
This is blatantly obvious. Harbaugh had no business letting them back on the schedule. Other teams are playing cupcakes and we are on the road at ND?
All with the toughest Big schedule as well?
No thanks.
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:11 PM ^
And on ND terms... When they agreed to this shit schedule did they honestly think it would go well with a start at ND on the road, a road trip to MSU, and then a road trip to OSU to close the season out?
September 2nd, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^
Yes, it is ridiculous.
ND cancels the series in a classless move where they eliminated our home game in the series and then we basically renew it on their terms and in the process pay a large cancelation fee to Arkansas to remove a home game in exchange for an away game to ND in addition to away games at OSU and MSU in the same year.