Tough Schedule ?
Is the schedule really that tough?? I understand that there are 6- 10 win teams from last year and, 5- top 20 teams BUT here's my theory-
1. Win your home games! That takes Wisconsin and psu out.
2. Split msu / osu- Michigan has more talent on the roster for the NFL draft than both programs for 2019 and better recruiting rankings than msu by far.
3. To hell with ND.
4. In this scenario Michigan could go 10-2 win the BT east and go to the championship game. If Michigan wins that, BT CHAMPS! Most likely a final 4 and a great season.
So is it a tough Schedule? Heck Yeah! But that schedule should get Michigan in the final 4, and if you break it down just win your home games and steal 1 on the road.
5. My prediction- 12-3. Championship game loss
Who was the last National Champion to also have CFB’s #1 SoS? Anyone remember?
hint: that team also had the first (and only) primarily defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy.
Agree the schedule is tough, but more so than last year? Here are my points:
ND on the road at night; tough way to start the season, but even if we lose it’s the first game, and no impact to Big Ten championship.
As noted by OP two of our toughest games Wisconsin and PSU are at home. Last year both on the road at arguably the two toughest venues in the Big Ten.
Sparty on the road; not a tough venue, and we have a starting QB now.
OSU on the road, however throw out the home field advantage, the records, the rankings for The Game.
"OSU on the road, however throw out the home field advantage, the records, the rankings for The Game."
I don't get this sentiment. I'm pretty sure the higher-ranked team has won The Game every year since 2005.
We're about to see what a dynamic quarterback can do for a program. I say 11-1. And we shock ND both sides of the ball.
Great teams win games on the road, look at Ala, clemson, georgia. If Michigan is as good as some think this year, winning on the road shouldnt be a huge problem no matter what.
A silver lining of the brutal schedule is that there will be no faking our way into looking good. They'll either be great or not and we'll all know it. No 2015 MSU.
This sounds corny , but we really just got to take it one game at a time and .just focus on beating ND and not worry about the schedule
Okay, I guess it doesn't it really doesn't matter what "we" think, and we're not the players (besides MineralKing) or coaches, but you get what I'm saying.
Yes, the schedule really is that tough, but I like it. I don't necessarily think Michigan will finish with a great record or win the B1G, but the team will likely have three opportunities to get the big road game monkey off their backs. I think they can win one, and that should be a big step forward for the program. People here need to remember there has been very, very, very little success in important games recently.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:29 AM ^
1. I think winning all the home games is the most achievable of everything you listed. Not that PSU and Wisconsin won't be tough.
2. I really don't care about who has the most future NFL talent. That doesn't make me feel any more confident about these games. Can you blame me with our recent history?
3. To hell with Notre Dame is a perfect mantra. But the sad fact remains; we're 0-5 in night games at South Bend. If you want to throw out 2014 as an anomaly, fine. But the other four games were devastating close losses that had some flukey bounces and horribly timed turnovers. Also, it's not a question of if the officials will screw you over in that stadium with a bad call or two but WHEN. It's just another annoying factor you have to deal with on top of an already difficult task. I'm not saying it's impossible to win there but the football gods usually tend to give us the finger in these types of games.
4. You've touched on something that tortures me as much as our recent games against rivals. The lack of any Big Ten championship in the last 14 years. Absolutely unacceptable and the longest drought we've had since the 1950's.
I have faith that Harbaugh will eventually get things going but I'm not at a point yet where I can predict or expect great things because my soul has been too hurt this past decade.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:34 AM ^
It's 2 stiff competition road games and Wiscy. Wiscy will get beat this year because the aren't on their turf and last years game is not this year's Michigan team. Does that even make sense? Who cares. ND is getting houzzzed opening night, Sharty will fall because the offense has a pulse(just like the Wisconsin game). That leaves an undefeated team headed into the nemesis's homeland. They'll be tough but same thing goes again just like all the other games. Had the offense had a pulse in those tough games the whole way through, Michigan wins all of them. The problem with Michigan the past couple years is when things aren't going their way, they have a whole lot of quit in them. There is no fight and kicking ass until the end. Maybe it's youth or maybe it's just the attitudes on the sideline and it's contagious. Either way it pisses me off that the leaders cant step forward in those times. Maybe this year it'll be different. Oh and about the bucnuts, there's no fucking way that Haskins as a sophomore or whatever he is, is better than Barrett at the end of his career. So he's a better passer and had a descent game in Ann Arbor? Who gives a shit. A couple hits in the ribs and he won't be sporting that shit eating grin for long come November. Bucky won't be much tougher than they have been the past couple years. Urban and his old balls are losing the edge!
If you had less points and had joined more recently I would have thought that this was an msu troll hiding out for now but over-emphasizing on the immature names because that's all they know to do. Maybe you're just playing the very long game.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:59 AM ^
They can win every game. But the lack of depth later in the season is what will make the difference between a great season or not.
Plus Nebraska will be a grudge/trap game.
I don't think the NE game will be that close. Michigan D should clean their clocks and offense should score some points. If the NE game is a close win or we lose then we are looking at a 6 or 7 win season and something really has went wrong.
I'll settle for a 14 and 1 season.
There is 3 other top 15 teams in our division, we will play a crossover game against another top 10 team. We also play an out of conference game against a top 25 team on the road...yes our schedule is tough!
I think we lose one in the season, but win in the B1G Champsionship and make the Playoff and lose there
correction Championship