Underrated Contributor to NC - Easy Schedule
I have always been in favor of easiest schedule possible since the best way to make the CFB Playoffs was to go undefeated and the best way to go undefeated is to have the easiest possible schedule.
I figured once a 12 team playoff is implemented, it wouldn't matter much to have more difficult schedule since you can still get to the playoffs with 1 or even 2 losses. However, after the NC year that we just had I am not sure if that is true.
I believe there are three very good reasons to have the easiest possible schedule if at all possible.
The first reason is the same as before - as part of the Big 4 conferences, if you go undefeated or have only 1 loss, your entrance to the playoffs is almost guaranteed. A 2 loss team, even with a difficult schedule, will have to sweat it out to make the playoffs.
The second reason is that we had perhaps the most well-rested and healthy starters in all of NCAA due to the fact that they only had to play barely more than 50% of the snaps all year. Most of the games were over by the second quarter and the starters were watching the game from the sidelines.
The corollary to the above reason is that we were able to get a TON of experiences to back-ups and that was crucial for the team depth when we needed it the most in the playoffs and sets the team well for the future.
The third reason is that we were able to practice our base OSU defense for most of the season since we had so little regards for most of our opponents. We rarely had to adjust our defense for any specific offense (especially in Big Ten) since most were so pathetic. So we were able to get reps after reps for the scheme that we were going to use for The Game at the end of the season. These are college kids and more you can get them reps for a specific thing, better they are going to be. Keeping the schedule easy allows us to practice more for The Game.
I really cannot think of a single reason other than a season ticket holder benefit (so that they can resell tickets at higher price) for having more difficult schedule. I argue that going forward, we should to everything in our control to make sure that we have the easiest football schedule possible. What say you?
“I really cannot think of a single reason other than a season ticket holder benefit (so that they can resell tickets at higher price)”
That is a horrible take. I’m assuming you are not a season ticket holder. I don’t live in Michigan so between Airfare, rental car and hotels, game days are an expensive proposition. I’m going to Texas, Homecoming and USC for sure and probably Oregon - not selling them for top dollar. Between seat licenses and the ticket costs us season ticket holders lose a lot of money on the crap games we can’t attend.
While I am sure the weather was lovely this past September, the schedule left a lot to be desired.
budg man I completely agree, plus steel sharpens steel. Play 1-2 tough OOC games early and find out what needs to be tweaked so the team is stronger heading into the conference games and increase the chances of winning the conference. I did not feel the team learned much from the weak OOC home games last season and they were very boring to attend. As a season ticket holder I have been looking forward to the Texas home game for some time and miss the early season OOC home games against higher quality opponents (like the Notre Dame games). With more playoff spots available Big Ten teams that lose 2-3 games with 1-2 losses early in the season to higher quality opponents should still have a fair shot at the playoffs even if they don’t win the conference. 3-4 Big Ten teams should make the playoffs moving forward and strength of schedule should matter (unless it’s OSU then they will get a pass). While I realize this coming season looks much tougher overall at home than last season I’d still rather have better OOC home matchups for 1-2 games per season.
I guess I lean the other way. I hate the tomato can games and don't think any major P5 (or whatever is left of the other 3 now) team should be playing glorified scrimmages. If there's zero chance of losing, why even play the game?
Since we're trending towards basically an NFL model of 2 super conferences, I hope they end up setting the schedules for the teams. I'd rather see a ton of great football matchups where 8-4 or 9-3 gets into the playoff and 11-1 is a REALLY special season.
Time will tell. But now that the playoff is going to 12 and the first teams out won't have a real excuse, I think the selection process will become more like basketball. Records will be kept more in context and strength of schedule will be rewarded. They have much more latitude now.
I love this!
1. In the past 20-25 years when Michigan was able to take a healthy full team to the Game, they had a better chance of winning
2. While every team deals with injuries, staying healthy has been severely underrated
3. Cupcakes and bad B1G OCs allowed live reps of the Game defense. Let's do it again!
I am solidly in the Gameboy camp on this topic.
We didn’t have an easy schedule. We had an easy first part of the schedule.
Look at the difference in scheduling between Michigan and osu for the foreseeable future… again.
I don't think Michigan beat OSU, Alabama and won the National Championship because they had an easy OoC schedule in the early season. I think they won partly in spite of it, as no one really knew how good they were till November. But there are advantages and disadvantages to anything happens to a team, including early season losses, coaching suspensions, injuries, etc. Team 144 had the proper constitution to persevere and overcome obstacles and minor setbacks and band together to make them stronger and forge a sense of confidence and air of invincibility.
With last year's schedule we'd be guaranteed to make the playoffs this year. With this year's schedule we are literally eliminated from the playoffs before the season begins except for the slim hope a 9-3 team gets in. So yea, OPs point if anything is a massive understatement.
Still will cheer hard for this team but anyone who thinks we're going to the playoffs with a new QB--who doesn't track to be very good--plus THAT schedule is pretty delusional.
So with one of the top defenses in all of college football, it's delusional to think we'll be one of the 12 best teams next year? You might want to stick to euchre.
We can be one of the 12 best teams and NOT get in. In fact that's a fairly likely scenario. New QB plus arguably the toughest schedule Michigan has ever played = 3 losses minimum, and 3 losses will usually be all it takes to be eliminated.
PS: Yes we will have a great defense, but that's just one variable.
How much did the backloaded schedule contribute to the lack of injuries this year? I know Zinter broke his leg, but did we just have good luck with injuries, or was it the by-product of an easy(ish) schedule?
The less the starters play the less likely they'll get injured right? Fairly simple conclusion we'd all agree with. Given all the games the starters got to rest on the sidelines in the 2nd half I think it's safe to assume that contributed to our overall good injury luck (which was good overall despite the key loss of Zinter).
A bigger effect of our easy schedule is that it allowed us to "practice" the style of D to stop/slow down OSU (and eventually UW).
Obviously, our coaches last year were all amazing, but they used playing inferior teams as learning and training against OSU as opposed to most other coaches/teams that would use it to relax or pad stats.
OP, I salute you as I had the exact same thought last night.
Nothing wrong with this. We had a typical cakewalk schedule that just happens sometimes. The conference was pretty weak other than us and THE #2.
I think it did help keep the players well rested and gave the team time to work out kinks…I mean jfc JJ threw 3 picks against UNLV or Bowling Green, whoever it was?! And then threw whut, 2 total in all other games this season…
No need to neg. It happened. It has happened to many teams over the years. It’s a 🎲 roll. Not a reason to make easy schedules a yearly priority but it is what it is.
AND WE WON THE NATIONAL TITLE FOR MANY OTHER REASONS AS WELL.
There will never be another season like it.
Winning everything this past year was a fluke caused largely by experienced players choosing to come back who could have left, as well as the easy nine game exhibition season. That's not likely to happen again in the foreseeable future even if Michigan gets a weak schedule some year unless either someone magnetic like Harbaugh can convince a large part of the team to come back that doesn't need to or Michigan is willing to go all in on NIL to outbid everyone else for the best transfers. Focus and remember the most important thing to do each year: beat OSU. As Harbaugh proved over the last three years, that can be done by having better coaching even if the quarterback, wide receivers and some other players don't match up. I still find it most amazing that a team with journeyman Cade McNamara at quarterback could beat a team with this year's NFL offensive rookie of the year, CJ Stroud, at quarterback. What do you think the score would have been in 2021 if Harbaugh had coached OSU and Ryan Day had coached Michigan? I'm also interested in the all- time winning percentage. Guess which two teams are tied at .734?
I agree with the premise, but "fluke" is the wrong word. Sure, we're not going to reel off 6 national championships in the next ten years, but it's not a fluke when a really talented team and coaching staff wins a national championship. Sometimes key contributors return, sometimes they don't. Sometimes you get injury luck, sometimes you don't. Any championship season will have its share of luck, but that doesn't make it flukey. Three playoff appearances in a row is indicative of the quality of the team and coaching staff.
I agree that it'll be tough going forward, especially with next year's schedule, but with possibly 3 guaranteed B1G teams in the playoff every year, I think we'll be seeing plenty of Michigan playoff games in the near future.
One other thing to consider is.. eight, nine, or ten game conference season.
B1G plays nine conference games while the SEC and ACC are at eight with an FCS opponent.
I'm not certain why you're getting downvotes. It was by all accounts an easy schedule until November, virtually a cake walk for a team of Michigan's caliber. Definitely helped us.
I think people are downvoting the title and not reading the text...
November counts though. When you take the schedule as a whole, Michigan had an above average difficulty schedule over the whole season. I disagree with the main point, but more than that, the OP picked a title referencing last year that has little to do with the point they're making about the future
"the best way to make the CFB Playoffs was to go undefeated"
... try telling that to Florida State
We may not have a 12-team format for very long… it appears like the ACC is on the brink despite the calm. I wonder what the low end of playoff teams will be in the future. Many people assumed two losses was it during the four team format, but 2017 Auburn was firmly in the top four until losing the SEC Championship.
If you enjoy watching a competitive game before November. Winning by a lot is fun but it's not really fun to watch. I guess I can get my Saturday started earlier. Just watch for a quarter.
How about a good reason being that it's more fun to watch Michigan play good teams?
Go away