2010 Schedules from around the Big Ten
Discussion of Minnesota being off the schedule made me start looking at schools across the Big Ten. There's currently a tie for most ridiculously easy Big Ten schedule this season. it's between MSU and E Lansing Correctional Recreation team.
Sparty WMU FAU (@ Ford Field) Notre Dame N Colorado Wisconsin @ UM Illinois @ Northwestern @ Iowa Minnesota Purdue @ PSUI'm not one to create YETANOTHERMSUTHREAD but it's been a while where I've seen a schedule where it's literally "if they go less than 9-3 there's a problem." It will truly be ANOTHER year of yapping (whether MSU wins or just goes better in conference) or the EPITOME of "Sparty No!" btw kudos to PSU for having 'Bama on their schedule this year as one of their OOC games. Anyone else notice interesting items in other team's schedules. Northwestern starting their season @Vandy is ballsy for one.
April 15th, 2010 at 12:24 AM ^
Wow I didn't know PSU played Bama. Yeah MSU hasn't played OSU in 2 years now. They are MSU though, so I think they'll choke away at least one game and go 8-4, probably losing to an SEC team in their bowl game.
April 15th, 2010 at 12:48 AM ^
WMU = Bowling Green
N. Colorado = UMASS
ND = Nd
UCONN > FAU (who we just scheduled for 2011, by the way)
In general I agree with you. But, it seems like the kid that got a C+ on a test fun of the kid that got a C-.
UMass > N Colorado
And we play OSU
that's a bit of a disparity. add in the fact they don't play OSU and...
WMU has been considerably better than BGSU lately
Granted I really don't know much about BGSU, WMU is losing their senior quarterback who was arguably the second best QB in the MAC behind Lefevour. They will take a step down from last year.
Every Saturday between, Sept. 4 and Nov. 27, not counting October 23rd. FYI... Michigan Football will be playing on all of those dates...
The reality is that, even with that shitty schedule, an undefeated or respectable one-loss MSU has a great shot at playing for the national championship. If the goal is to play for the 'ship, I don't see the advantage of swapping out FAU for Alabama or the like. Losses have a much greater impact than a quality win. Cupcakes == yum.
Teams in low money conferences, well, they need to schedule the biggest names they can find. Which probably entails giving up a payday or two and playing on the road since that's the only way anyone will agree to play you (if you're lucky). Then win. Then go undefeated in conference and avoid close games. Then pray that notre dame has at least two losses. Then bribe some BCS voters. Then cross your fingers and hope. Simple, really...
Don't get ahead of yourself. I see the potential for six losses on that schedule (ND, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Purdue, PSU), and I'd say that four of them are likely (Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue, PSU). Also, even if they were to go undefeated, I don't think there's anyway they'd get into the national championship game with that schedule. While the voters might be initially fooled by the record without looking much at the schedule, I don't imagine that the computers would look particularly highly on it which would eventually give away the weakness to the voters.
on that schedule: ND, Wisco, @UofM, @NW, @Iowa and @PSU.
ND: This is the crazy series where the ROAD team is usually the winner (ND wins in EL, MSU wins in SB).
Wisco: Second best team in the Big 10 in 2010, IME. 10 of 11 returning starters on Offense.
@UoM: 2009 game played in EL went into OT with UoM playing a true frosh with his arm barely hanging on (first game after the injury against IU) and Moosman was shooting snaps all over creation (first start at Center replacing Molk). UofM wins at the Big House in 2010. Raback It!
@NW: Fitzgerald is a very solid young coach (IF RR is gone anytime soon, I would look very hard at Fitzgerald for UofM) and NW has been tough under him. This is a toss-up at best for MSU.
@Iowa: 3rd best team in Big 10 in 2010, IME. Playing in Iowa City will be enough for the Hawks to take this one.
@PSU: PSU's QB situation should be settled by the last game of the season. If this game were played earlier in the season, I would give MSU a decent chance, but as it is...
Now, I am not necessarily saying that MSU will lose ALL of these games, but I think it is quite possible that they will lose them all. I don't expect MSU to be any better than 8-4 next year and my way too early prediction is that they will go 7-5.
also BK is going to be out to get his signature win since he ain't gon' be geettin' it agains Ole' Meesheegin.
a 2-10 record in there for Sparty. If everything goes right.
I know, I know, I'm ever the optimist.
That's the only one I really care about - just give me that one.
MSU fan here. First post on the board. Love this site for keeping tabs on the enemy.
I'm not going to defend our non-conference schedule this year. It blows. We should go 4-0 (If we don't be ND in this rebuilding year, we never will), but anything less than 3-1 would be a disaster.
In our defense, I will say that in previous years we have played @ Cal and Pitt (in addition to the ND game). I don't think many BCS teams play more than 2 tough games and 2 cupcakes. In the future we have Bama and WVU on the schedule combined with ND. I think that puts us in the upper quartile on non-conference schedules.
I also agree with the posts above that we have 6 swing games (Wiscy, @ Iowa, @ Mich, @ NW, @ PSU, and ND). I would have put Purdue in there too, but it is at home and looks like Bolden may be out for the year or at a minimum hobbled.
Anyways, I think most rational minded MSU fans are thinking 8-4 but hoping for the best. As fans, don't we all!
April 15th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
Myth:
I will be interested to see how the MSU defense does in their new roles this season, those first 2 games should be telling what to expect in week 3.
It the defensive scheme hadn't changed, I'd probably give you guys the nod at this point
April 15th, 2010 at 11:40 AM ^
Cute poster. Although, I do find these posts amusing. As if MD runs a barbarian program and Winston went right for jail to the practice field. People omit that Winston was suspended BEFORE he went to jail and didn't play in the bowl game against Georgia that year.
To be clear, I don't think MD is holier than thou or more strict than any other coach, but I think (just my opinion) that most coaches in BCS programs would have reacted and punished similarly if put in the same situation (see Florida football, Oregon football, Tennessee hoops). Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think I am.
I don't think what they did was right, but anyone in a college fraternity had a situation where a brother got their a$$ beat and then rallied the troops for revenge. Obviously these athletes have to know that they are held to a higher standard, but I don't think this is the first or last time that college males will get into a rumble.
April 15th, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^
will not be pretty. The entire SEC will be hoping for a PSU humiliation (and by extension, a B10 humiliation in their minds,), and I suspect they're likely to get it. The game's in Tuscaloosa, and the combination of a Nick Saban Defense versus [insert first year starter name here] is not a good match up.
Michigan ND may have some bearing on MSU / ND, given that we play them the week before. If you are a Michigan State fan, do you want the Irish coming in pissed off after a loss, or coming in confident with a win?
I'm also of the mind that Northwestern will again be a tough out this year for anyone in the conference.
April 15th, 2010 at 11:51 AM ^
Or we could look at MSU and say when was the last time they BEAT a RANKED team... O wait, last year when our very inexperienced team took them to OT. We shouldn't have been ranked in my opinion, but before us last year they haven't beaten a ranked team since 2005.
Just cause they have gone to bowls the last 3 years they praise Dantonio, but when they play Ranked teams that should be ranked they get completely smashed. I do think with that schedule they SHOULD easily win 8 or 9 games without question, but I could see them having issues at some point in the season.
It's a favorable schedule, but I'm not sold on MSU this year. They'll probably be overrated in the preseason because they return most of their offensive skill players, but they lose a lot on the OL and on defense (and neither was very good to begin with).
How much do they lose on defense? I don't follow State so I'm curious as to what their team will be like in the fall.
Here was our D last year. Base 4-3.
DE: Trevor Anderson (gone-graduation)
DT: Jerel Worthy (returns)
DT: Oren Wilson (gone-brawl)
DE: Neely/Hoover (both return)
OLB: Gordon (returns)
MLB: Jones (returns)
OLB: Denson (gone-graduation)
CB: Rucker (returns)
CB: Ware (gone-graduation)
S: Fortener (gone graduation)
S: Hyde/Trenton Robinson (returns)
Our major weakness was pass defense. Rucker is a big ten corner and returns. Ware was decent but is gone and most likely replaced by Johnny Adams which has potential to be an upgrade.
Our safteties were not good last year. Fortener is gone and isn't a huge loss. Hyde and Robinson return, but not sure if that is a good thing. There is hope that a young guy (or even two) takes over at safety.
Linebacker is a stregt