September 10th, 2018 at 11:45 AM ^
I think you're perfectly correct. And if you're not, it's because we learned something very bad about our team in one of those games before the tough stretch.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:42 PM ^
Go into those games 5-1, come out of them 7-2 and we will have a legitimate shot at something great this year. That puts us at 9-2 going into Columbus, with only one conference loss.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:58 PM ^
Totally agree, especially if the one loss is to Wisky which would mean we'd have all the tie-breakers going in our favor for a change against MSU & PSU.
That would set up the OSU game for a shot at the B1G title game. Which would be nice.
September 10th, 2018 at 1:11 PM ^
Long way away though. My goal for the next four games:
- Beat the spread in every game
- No major injuries
September 10th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
If the loss winds up being to PSU though, which I don't think is likely, it could be over by then.
PSU gets MSU and OSU at home, back to back, in late September/early October. If they win both, and hold off Iowa at home the week before Ann Arbor, they'd be able to lose to Wisconsin in November and still be fine.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:30 AM ^
Fuck night games!!! Yes baby!
September 10th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
I couldn't agree more - love noon games.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:42 AM ^
I get why they would be really good for the crowd that goes to games frequently, but for those who watch most games on TV, I genuinely don't understand how anybody thinks noon games are better. I am not a huge fan of night games either, but just for your typical BIG matchup, I don't understand how noon is preferable to 3:30. And a noon "maize out." Come on.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
Student section is half empty at the start of a noon game. It's sad.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^
I know. It completely neuters home field advantage.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
Because I don't have to wait until 7 or 8 to watch Michigan play and be unable to focus all day. I can spend the rest of the day doing other stuff or watching more football with no worries.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
First off, everyone has different schedules and priorities, so there will always be varying views on what time is the “best”.
That being said, as a West Coast wolverine who’s over 30, I enjoy the noon games, which are actually 9am kicks for me. Wake up at 6 or 7, drink some coffee, take care of a few things around the house, and then it’s kickoff time.
If things go well, Michigan has won, its 1230pm, the sun is shining, and it’s time to drink a beer and hit the outdoors. Doesn’t get much better than that, especially in the fall when the weather is perfect.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:10 PM ^
I can't speak for the west coast experience, but it would seem that the beer would be best consumed during the game at say, 12:30 your local time.
September 10th, 2018 at 1:05 PM ^
I’m also a west coast Wolverine over 30, and I hate the noon kickoffs because I can’t drink beer and watch without feeling like an alcoholic.
September 10th, 2018 at 1:54 PM ^
That makes sense. I'm totally fine with 1230 (PT) games as well, mainly for the reason you and the previous poster mentioned.
However, my preference is still the 9am kickoffs. I don't like waiting for the game to start, especially when it's a big game. And if I really want to, I can start hitting the beer around halftime without feeling too guilty.
Mainly, I like the option of doing things outside after the game is over. With the shorter days Fall brings, that's hard to pull off even with a 1230pm start.
September 13th, 2018 at 12:26 PM ^
Don't be so soft Phineas.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^
Early games are better because you don’t have to wait all day to watch Michigan, pretty simple
September 10th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
I guess it depends on circumstance. With two little kids, all noon games mean for me is that I stand no chance whatsoever of watching it live, I have to pull off some outrageous bubble to watch it without already knowing the outcome, and then miss all of the 3:30 games because I am watching Michigan on DVR.
Sucks.
September 10th, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^
My preference as a season ticket holder depends on the opponent. Games like Western, SMU, Rutgers, Illinois are perfect for a noon kick. Michigan goes in, takes care of business and I go home early and catch the end of the 330 games and night games. All of the good B1G matchups or marquee OOC games I always want at 330 or night.
September 10th, 2018 at 1:16 PM ^
Noon > 3:30 because you don't have to wait an extra 3-1/2 hours
Noon >>> 7:00/8:00 because you don't have to wait an extra 7-8 hours.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:15 PM ^
"Toe meets leather at 1200!"
September 10th, 2018 at 12:25 PM ^
No it doesn't, toe meets leather at 1:05, and it should even be a couple of hours later than that.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
Noon games are good against the dregs of common teams like Nebraska. But night games have their place. It's unfortunate that you fail to recognize this.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^
Home field advantage feels much more significant for night games. They are far superior in almost every aspect.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
? The generally abysmal atmosphere of a game in Michigan Stadium is amplified to at least respectable levels when the game is at night.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
This does very bad things to my schedule on that day.
September 10th, 2018 at 4:00 PM ^
No shit, my little cousin's 1st birthday is that day. Grandpa (my uncle) has the season tickets, and we were pumped to be able to make both if it was at night.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:35 AM ^
FOX chose Wisconsin @ Iowa as their night game ---- once that happened, it was fairly unlikely for them to "have 2 B1G games on FOX networks, competing against themselves."
For whatever reason, Saturday 22-September is a weekend where ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 has decided to load up on non-B1G games. ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 have only 1 B1G game, and it's not even a particularly good game (BC @ Purdue). The other 6 B1G games are either on a Fox Network or BTN.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
So Wisconsin will have a loss before we play them then.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Wisconsin looked vulnerable but generally fine vs. New Mexico. Iowa on the other hand barely scored any points on Iowa State at home
so obviously Iowa is going to Iowa and they'll win 38-14
September 10th, 2018 at 11:56 AM ^
Just a strange choice. Michigan / Nebraska would kill Wisconsin / Iowa in viewership for them I feel.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^
Probably, but Nebraska @ Michigan works for FOX in the Noon slot in its own right. Over-the-air FOX has MLB baseball at 1 PM. FOX can put this game on FS1 and it will draw a lot of eyeballs. Very likely to be the highest-rated game in the 12 PM ET spot.
Wisconsin @ Iowa will likely be competing with Notre Dame @ Wake Forest (assuming that's what ABC picks for the prime time spot) and Texas A&M @ Alabama (assuming that's the ESPN Prime Time game).
If those are the ESPN and ABC prime-time games, it's not a guarantee that Nebraska @ Michigan would win that time slot (whereas it's very certain they'll win the Noon time slot). Perhaps that is what FOX is thinking.
September 10th, 2018 at 6:05 PM ^
(as I reply to myself) .......
and neither ABC or ESPN got those as their prime-time games! Instead it's Stanford @ Oregon and Arkansas @ Auburn. Those two games involve no "blue bloods guaranteed to get good ratings in almost all circumstances."
Now, FOX's choice seems a bit more weird. FOX may still win the ratings battle that night, but less certain than if they had Nebraska @ U-M going up against the Oregon & Auburn games.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^
Pfft. Getting so tired of having noon games in Sept. Don't mind them in Nov, but ffs take advantage of the weather while we can and do 3:30.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
TV schedule determines our start times - except versus OSU which will always be a 12noon KO
Right now it looks like MSU could be at night, but the TV execs will decide that after a few more games. If MSU continues to struggle, then EL will not likely be a night game. They want these night games to matter to a broader national audience.
September 10th, 2018 at 4:31 PM ^
Those TV execs need to just go away. Give Michigan 3:30 kicks in Sept unless we're doing a night game. 3:30 or night for the first two weeks in Oct then start to shift to Noons for the remainder of the season.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
All games should be played at 3:30.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:22 PM ^
I hate that players have to wait all day for the game. UM seemed asleep the first half vs ND. Isn't the noon game a "donut" game, per Hoke?
September 10th, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
Every game was a donut game for Hoke.
September 10th, 2018 at 8:58 PM ^
Agreed.
It gives enough time for meaningful tailgating / pre-gaming / or chores if you have a family. The game atmosphere is great, people aren't still waking up and trickling in at the start of the game. You are done by 7:00 which leaves time for dinner / night activities / driving home.
Later in the season, you even get a little bit of a night game feel by the time the game ends.
It's perfect.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^
I think if Nebraska was 2-0 it might have been a night game. Reality is there gonna have a hard time getting to 6 wins. It’s just not a great matchup
September 10th, 2018 at 11:53 AM ^
Son of a B****, I picked up tickets for this game believing it was a night game, but with the noon start I can not make it as my son has his football game in the afternoon. Now I have to scramble.....
Plus I really wanted to go see Michigan "out hit" and blow out Frost and the Huskers in person....
September 10th, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
Good, night games are overrated.
September 10th, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
45-15.
Frost gets bitten.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
Hope this means Wisconsin is a night game. When do they have to decide that by?
September 10th, 2018 at 12:06 PM ^
damn it...
September 10th, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
Bleagh.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:19 PM ^
Hopefully Wisconsin is the night game. I really need it to be a night game...
September 10th, 2018 at 12:19 PM ^
A "maize out" against the Cornhuskers...I see ya, Warde.
September 10th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
I work where myself and a few others are on rotation to work on Saturday. I deliberately requested to work that day because I thought it was going to be a night game or at worst a 3:30 tip. These late announcements for game times are terrible for the fans.