Michigan Schedules Home-And-Home With Washington For 2020, 2021 Comment Count

Ace



The last one went pretty well.

We now know one of the two "huge" non-conference opponents that Dave Brandon teased last week, as today Michigan announced a home-and-home series with Washington scheduled for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. From the athletic department release:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan and University of Washington will renew an old rivalry when the two football programs meet for a home-and-home series during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. This will be the 13th and 14th meetings between the two schools.

The Wolverines will travel to Seattle, Wash., for the matchup on Sept. 5, 2020, at Husky Stadium. The return trip by the Huskies will take place at Michigan Stadium on Sept. 18, 2021.

"We are excited to rekindle a rivalry that has showcased some great games and great teams for both programs," said Brady Hoke, U-M's J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach. "There have been some exciting, down-to-the-wire football games between Michigan and Washington and we anticipate the same type of contests when this series is played at the outset of the next decade."

This will be the fifth time that the two programs have played a home-and-home series.

Michigan holds a 7-5 edge in the series, winning the most recent contest in 2002 when Phil Brabbs connected on his famous game-winning field goal—a game also notable for Marlin Jackson setting the school record for pass breakups while defending Washington's All-American receiver, Reggie Williams.

Comments

4roses

August 20th, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^

I attended the game at UW in 2001 and I would highly recommend making the trip. Did the boat cruise to the stadium which is a pretty unique scene for a football game. Also caught a game at Safeco on Friday night. Definitely a good destination for an away game.

NoVaWolverine

August 20th, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^

One of the loudest stadiums in college football -- those metal roofs over the stands really trap in the sound. Great atmosphere for a game. Definitely a tough road test for our guys to go out there, especially since (I assume) Chris Petersen will have that program playing really well by 2020. And we always seem to find a way to lose these early-season west-coast games.

But I'm happy -- quality opponent w/some previous history with us. More please!

Don

August 20th, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^

and kudos to DB and Hoke for getting it done. We've played UW often enough during reg. season and in the RB that it doesn't interest me much more than most conference games do, but it'll be a good game nonetheless.

mGrowOld

August 20th, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^

It is hard for me to fathom that a Freshman who will play in the game at Michigan is right now in a fourth grade class somewhere just like my 10 year old son Tommy is.  I wonder if he carried his stuffed toy downstairs as my little boy did today.

dragonchild

August 21st, 2014 at 7:31 AM ^

STRENGTHS

Size

Winged Helmet

Stuffed Toy



AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Pad Level



Tommy makes South America look small, leaving opposing coaches wondering what to do, let alone how the kid fits in a stadium.  Since there's no tape or scouting reports on Tommy you're left to draw your own conclusions, but all available evidence indicates he tends to stand up at the snap.  Combined with his obscene height this allows opposing linemen to get under him and gain leverage, albeit not much else.  However, the fact that he doesn't hold any offers is a cause for concern.

On the upside, Tommy has about ten years to work out the kinks in his game before he sees the field, at which point we might all be dead from Ebola anyway.

gustave ferbert

August 20th, 2014 at 6:18 PM ^

and the beginning of the Navarre shit show. . .the Michigan Replay that ensued, Carr blamed the "crown of the field" being too high as to why Navarre couldn't complete his passes. .  

We haven't played Oregon since 2007.  And that was in Ann Arbor.  

samsoccer7

August 20th, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^

I shudder when I think of early season Pac-10 away games.  Seems like we couldn't win any of them.  Hopefully Hoke can turn the tide and sell lots of jerseys.

Chaz_Smash

August 20th, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^

Like the opponent/destination, but this brings back memories of the Washington/Oregon/UCLA trio of unnecessary road losses during the Lloyd Era.

If we had played N.C. State like some Big Ten teams would do, might have been in the national championship game one of those years.

It will be interesting to see if strength of schedule carries more importance in the playoff years.

funkywolve

August 21st, 2014 at 10:19 AM ^

Doubtful they would have made it in any of those years.  In 2000 when they lost to UCLA, they also lost to Purdue and NW.  In 2001 when they lost to UW, they also lost to MSU and OSU.  In 2003 when they lost to Oregon, they also lost to Iowa.  Auburn went undefeated in 2003 and didn't make the BCS title game. 

Gucci Mane

August 20th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^

Washington could be anywhere from a top 10 team to a middle of the road PAC 12 team, by the time this takes place. Personally I hope they are barely a top 25 team, that way we increase are SOS and still have a great chance to win.

gte896u

August 20th, 2014 at 3:42 PM ^

the year before was an aerial precision Smart-Dong strike. I was watching at a bar in Annapolis after GT beat Navy by 70. went out to feed the meter and missed consecutive UW non-offensive TDs.

CWoodIsMyBoiii

August 20th, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^

Sweet baby Jesus, look at the hole the OL opens for Perry at the 2:30 mark of that video.  Dear 2014 offensive line, please be able to create something remotely close to this. 

UMQuadz05

August 20th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^

Thought experiment:  Imagine the last 2 minutes of the 2002 game happening against Penn State or Michigan State.  The fan bases might literally explode from rage, Scanners-style.

HoneyBrownB40

August 20th, 2014 at 3:48 PM ^

Was actually interning ofor the Athetic Marketing Dept and was on the sideline during the 2002 game.  Once I saw that I would not get fired for running onto the field, I ran out and celebrated with those guys.  Pretty awesome memory this story just reminded me of.  

robpollard

August 20th, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^

"Huge" would have been USC, Georgia, FSU, Auburn, Texas, etc.  Scheduling an opponent that has not been very good, let alone great*, at any point since 2000 is not "huge."



That said, they are a program from the Pac-12, in a growing city/state that surely has a good amount of UM alums, and they have a good football tradition (e.g., the 1980s and 1990s). So I'll take it.

Who knows how good they will be in 2020, but there is a decent chance. And if not, it is still a good game from an exposure perspective and from SOS. 

* Seriously, UW football has been pretty sad for about 15 years. Their high point in that period is 9 wins last year, and 8 wins in 2001. That's ugly.

creelymonk10

August 20th, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^

Thank God replay challenges didn't exist in 2002. That 4th and 2 "fumble" by Braylon looked awfully close to an incompletion, especially judging by his reaction. Surprised I've never seen that before.

MMBbones

August 20th, 2014 at 9:16 PM ^

I was there, too, and felt exactly the same way about that call.  It would definitely have been overturned today.  Edwards knew he never had it.  We were sitting about four rows back right in front of that play.  I felt a bit embarrassed that LC went into the visitors' locker room after the game to congratulate them on a "great game."  I was glad for the win, but that was the biggest "homer" call I have ever seen at Michigan.

taistreetsmyhero

August 20th, 2014 at 3:59 PM ^

Pretty sure that road loss against Washington was the game that hurt me the most as a fan. I was maybe 12 or 13 and probably at the peak of my raw emotional investment in the team. That loss stung.

UM Indy

August 20th, 2014 at 4:36 PM ^

Guess I'm not easy to please, but I wouldn't characterize Washington as a "huge" scheduling announcement and furthermore I was hoping for/expecting a team that we have not played before - or at least not played so relatively recently.

Ali G Bomaye

August 20th, 2014 at 4:07 PM ^

I'm happy that we have another game scheduled against what should be a good opponent, and I'm thrilled for any excuse to re-live Tyrone Wheatley's 1993 Rose Bowl performance.

maizenblue92

August 20th, 2014 at 4:08 PM ^

I'm so pumped this is who we get to play. Washington is my second favorite college football program. For some reason I have rooted for them since I was a kid and the fandom just stuck. I actually own a Husky shirt, to go along with my many Michigan shirts. I have wanted to see a game in Husky Stadium since I was a kid, so I am happy I have the chance to see Michigan play there. Fortunately I have 6 six years to plan my trip to Seattle. 

cutter

August 20th, 2014 at 4:11 PM ^

If the Big Ten keeps the same scheduling rotation that is in place starting in 2016 when the Big Ten goes to nine conference games and Nebraska replaces Wisconsin as the major Western Division team on the schedule: 



2020 (7 Home Games, 5 Road Games) 



5 September - at Washington 

12 September - Ball State 

19 September - Virginia Tech 



Eastern Division Home Games (3): Penn State, Maryland, Indiana 



Eastern Division Road Games (3): at Michigan State, at Rutgers, at Ohio State 



Western Division Home Games (2): Nebraska, one TBD 



Western Division Road Games (1): one at TBD 



2021 (6 Home Games, 6 Road Games) 



4 September - Home TBD 

11 September - at Virginia Tech 

18 September - Washington 



Eastern Division Home Games (3): Michigan State, Rutgers, Ohio State 



Eastern Division Road Games (3): at Penn State, at Maryland, at Indiana 



Western Division Home Games (1): one TBD 



Western Division Road Games (2): at Nebraska, one at TBD 



Brandon's essentially giving up a home date in 2021 to have two home-and-home series with programs from Power 5 Conferences.

I'll be curious to see if he does the same thing for the 2018/9 time frame with the home-and-home against Arkansas already in place.  With a new television contract coming up and a post-season set up that theoretically values strength of schedule, I wouldn't be surprised to see that happen.

MI Expat NY

August 20th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^

It may be a reaction to the lackluster ticket sales this season with no MSU, OSU, or elite OOC opponent on the schedule.  It may be worth it to the athletic department to give up the 7th home game in years when MSU and OSU should guarantee high season ticket sales (and accompanying donations) if it means making sure there is at least one marquee OOC game in addition to Penn State and hopefully someone decent from the west in opposite years.