Into the wood-chipper we go - Michigan's 2018 schedule vs OSU, MSU & PSU
Yesterday Brian, Seth and the guys looked at whether we were "on track" and if we should be optimistic for 2018. The general consensus of the group was yes we were and that the team should be quite a bit better next year. What was not discussed, however, was our 2018 schedule and just how insanely brutal it really is. And when you compare it to our chief rivals (sorry Rutgers & Illinois you didnt make the cut) you see that while we might be much, much better as a team we also might not have a much better record than we do right now.
Take a look at what we've got next year vs the other teams on our side of the conference (as of this week's rankings)
| Michigan | OSU | PSU | MSU |
| @ #9 Notre Dame | @ #10 TCU | # 8 OSU | # 23 Northwestern |
| @ #23 Northwestern | @ #12 PSU | # 5 Wisconsin | #8 OSU |
| #5 Wisconsin | @#21 MSU | #21 MSU | @ #12 PSU |
| @ #21 MSU | |||
| #12 PSU | |||
| @ #8 OSU |
I said it when it was announced and I'll say it again now, scheduling Notre Dame as an away game in 2018 was insane. We play (as of now) six ranked teams and four of them on the road. Compare that to PSU & MSU who only play two three ranked teams and get both of them at home.
Yikes.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 1:09 PM ^
In fact they could be the highest ranked team before the season, they return everyone, they lose 4 players total off their 2 deep.
November 22nd, 2017 at 1:03 PM ^
We'll be ranked after this weekend. Yeah I said it.
November 22nd, 2017 at 3:59 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
Don't be surprised if Notre Dame schedules a cupcake a week earlier than our game in their new version of a "Kickoff Classic" to get a game under their belts before they play us. Half joking.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:22 AM ^
This was exactly the sort of happy talk prior to the MSU game.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
well a skeleton head would be against happy talk
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:37 AM ^
skeleton heads are also against irrational exuberance that's based solely on faith without regard for the record of actual on-the-field achievement.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
There's a term for dealing with this type of thinking... wait for it... OH It's me! Occam's Razor!
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
I was referring to the notion of "so-and-so is losing all their players so they won't be tough."
I'll be excited for next season as I always have been since 1971 because I love Michigan and love college football, but I don't make rosey assumptions based on faith. Maybe it's my Missouri roots talking, but show me, don't tell me.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:45 AM ^
having these kind of flashbacks. Alas.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
Good point, I mean sure, they beat us by 29 points and outgained us 506-269. But they are Pee-SU so no need to be concerned at all about that game.
November 22nd, 2017 at 4:18 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:39 AM ^
It's possible to realize that Harbaugh is a vast improvement over RR and Hoke without at the same time subscribing to the notion that he's as good a HC as Saban and Meyer.
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:41 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:42 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
Last year, we were actually really good, but all of our tough games were on the road. This year, we're not good and we get a very favorable schedule. Next year, we should be good again and we've got that hellacious road schedule.
It's just not lining up for us. Imagine last year's team with this year's schedule.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:33 AM ^
The thing that is not helping us is we are losing all our big games. BEAT OSU! That WILL help. It is all that matters. It must happen. Fuck the schedule. Fuck OSU. Fuck em up.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
There last year.
We got jobbed out of the OSU game at their place that was essentially won last year.
We beat PSU at their home under yr 1 harbs
Hell, Big Ten officiating is just as horrific at home as it is on the road. O"neil, Capron, et al are horrible wherever they lay their hat.
Coach up the talented kids, develop a QB and it all comes together.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
Northwestern is #49 in the S&P... If we're worried about playing @ Northwestern we have problems well beyond our schedule.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
PSU plays Iowa which is a harder game than Northwestern, idc about current rankings.
OSU's B10 schedule is a cake walk...
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:30 AM ^
pretty sure thats at HV- Iowa sucks on the road
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
Pencil in our customary WTF loss and 8-4 here we come. But Jim Harbaugh is the bestest coach we could ever have in history because DYNASTY.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:31 AM ^
jus' being Harbaugh makes him dynasty- its automatic!
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
You talk about our decade plus of road suck as if that’s on Harbaugh somehow. He’s been here for 3 years, not 7 or 10. During that time we’ve lost 5 road games, all against good opponents except Iowa last year. @Utah, @OSU, @PSU, @Wisc - there are only a handful of teams that would even go .500 in those games.
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
I believe both Saban and Meyer would do better, but I don't want them to coach Michigan. Jim Harbaugh is a very good coach and those who are saying he should be fired are stupid as hell, but he has yet to prove that he's an elite-level coach who's going to be getting Michigan into conference title contention regularly, let alone getting into the playoffs.
Is he responsible for the road losses under previous coaches? Of course not, but given the amount of insane Harbaugh idolatry around here, it's a bit of a contradiction to then have fans simply waive off the possibility of future road losses with "well, only a few teams would do better." If Harbaugh truly is an elite coach, then Michigan would be one of those teams doing better than .500 in those games. Maybe we'll start to do that next season, but I'll have to see it happen before I'm going to assume it in advance.
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:52 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 1:04 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 1:56 PM ^
We've been in conference contention 2 out of 3 years. So that would count as regularly being in conference titile contention. I believe if we had beaten OSU in 2015 or 2016 we would have been East champs.
November 22nd, 2017 at 2:03 PM ^
sorry
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
Draw up the eternal contract.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
PSU won't be as scary and at least we have Wisconsin at home. ND, MSU, and OSU will always be tough. Hopefully 2 losses would keep us in the hunt for playoffs
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
Saturday about 4-5pm eastern time. Most people on the blog will be predicting we probably won't win a single game next year.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
The decision to schedule ND (and literally pay money to do so) is even more baffling because Michigan would have had Arkansas at home. Considering Arkansas will be undergoing a coaching transition, Michigan would have likely pummeled them and gotten major credit for beating an SEC opponent. And while Michigan's SOS would have likely taken a hit with Arkansas on the schedule, the overall impact would be negligible with MSU, PSU, OSU and Wisconsin (all figure to be top 25 teams next year) still on the schedule. I sincerely hope that this is the end of playing ND.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^
When Manuel pulled this boner I realized that he's not going to be vast improvement over Brandon in terms of the old medical directive: "First, do no harm."
He's better than DB because he's not an arrogant jackass, but otherwise he's a weak reed.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^
actually, we can beat ND- its the others i worry about
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:33 AM ^
Yeah, the paying money part is confusing. ND didn't give a shit and we had to throw money at them AND play at their place to get them back on the schedule.
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
Not as worried about @NW, @MSU and PSU, but the other 3 games are terrifying.
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:14 PM ^
Wake the fuck up if you're not worried about going to East Lansing. They beat us in Ann Arbor this year and have a far more proven coaching staff than we do; we also are going to East Lansing the week after a tough game with the Badgers.
I'm more worried about MSU than ND, Wisconsin, or PSU. Only @OSU looks like a tougher game at this standpoint.
November 22nd, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
Meh, just looks like a typical ESS EEE CEE schedule.
/s
November 22nd, 2017 at 11:22 AM ^
This is good for us. Not only will it prep us for next year's CFP, but also give us a decent shot to make it even with one loss. Bring it on. All you have to do is show the schedule to the players coming back next year and have the reminder of this past year's let downs...we will have a very motivated team this offseason.