Any guesses about game times for last two home games?
November 1st, 2022 at 1:56 AM ^
Nebraska: 4pm
Illinois: Big Noon
(just my guess)
November 1st, 2022 at 2:02 AM ^
Impossible to know, aside from that they won't be at night. They're using the six-day selection option for the Big Ten's games next week, so we won't find out until Monday.
ESPN has already announced a lot of its schedule for Week 11 which arguably implies Fox has the first pick for the week. Of note -- the ESPN, ABC, and FS1 slots are already filled for 12, the ABC slot is open for 3:30, ESPN and ESPN2 are filled for 3:30. Fox is open for 12 and 3:30. My inference is that we'll either be Fox at 12 or ABC at 3:30 (it's hard to see Michigan-Nebraska falling to ESPN2 at noon). My prediction would be that Fox chooses Ohio State-Indiana for Big Noon because they've been there less, and our game ends up on ABC at 3:30.
It's too early to make accurate predictions for Week 12 against Illinois, but I would point out that Utah-Oregon and USC-UCLA are big games that will be played at 3:30 or later. If Illinois doesn't trip up, I would suspect that whoever ends up with our game (the week's only other currently-ranked matchup aside from Syracuse-Wake Forest), would put it at noon to avoid competition.
So I guess my prediction is Nebraska at 3:30 and Illinois at noon.
November 1st, 2022 at 9:03 AM ^
Illinois has a shot to be top 10 when we play them. They would need to beat MSU/Purdue and a bit of help (particularly if Texas can finish a game the next two weeks vs K St and/or TCU)
November 1st, 2022 at 11:06 AM ^
Great post. Nice logic here. 12/10 should be a Ted Talk. FB Dive says its so, I'm making very firm "put it in sharpie" plans based on this. Thanks!
November 1st, 2022 at 2:37 AM ^
I think IL will be a fox noon game. Just my guess, if they come in with only one loss they may be ranked near tot top 10. This is the last team I'm a bit worried about.
November 1st, 2022 at 7:44 AM ^
I admire your confidence but must admit I have minor concerns about the last game as well.
November 1st, 2022 at 12:28 PM ^
Well to be fair, they may be more than "a bit worried about" the subsequent game.
November 1st, 2022 at 7:52 AM ^
I would imagine Illinois is a headliner noon game because, well, look at Illinois being serviceable and all that this season.
If the entire Big Ten is on the six-day as a tweet earlier noted, I bet that means most of those games get kicked to the second tier, which tends to kick at 3:30 PM.
November 1st, 2022 at 8:31 AM ^
I actually think Nebraska could fall to the Big Ten Network. They are BAD and that is going to be a bad game.
November 1st, 2022 at 10:46 AM ^
No way it falls to BTN. I think BTN also already exercised one of their early picks for the Rutgers game.
Nebraska, even when bad, still draw viewers, and there are few other appealing matchups that week. That game will be on FOX or ABC/ESPN.
November 1st, 2022 at 8:50 AM ^
Matt Sarzyniak of Matt Sarz Sports (a great site) guesses it will be a 3:30 kick on ESPN.
He doesn't yet have anything up for week 12 game, though as others have speculated, I suspect it will be a FOX Big Noon game.
November 1st, 2022 at 9:25 AM ^
Fingers crossed Nebraska is a noon kick
November 1st, 2022 at 11:21 AM ^
I always prefer a 3:30 kick to a noon. Makes the day so much more fun to be able to tailgate before the game without starting at 9am.
November 1st, 2022 at 9:34 AM ^
Nebraska noon at PASS
November 1st, 2022 at 9:39 AM ^
Raycom.
November 1st, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
Oh snap! Maybe Wayne Larrivee will be on the call!
November 1st, 2022 at 11:09 AM ^
He damn well better be.
November 1st, 2022 at 9:59 AM ^
the kids aren't going to get that one.
November 1st, 2022 at 10:21 AM ^
Do you think Michigan agreed to a Rutgers night game because they have specific recruiting targets in NJ? Can't see the upside otherwise.
November 1st, 2022 at 10:53 AM ^
I don't think Michigan had a choice. I think night games under the current TV contract are fair game through the first week or two of November depending on how the dates work out in a particular year. I don't think teams have veto power over a night game until the second week of November?
November 1st, 2022 at 11:21 AM ^
My guess is Nebraska will be at 3:30 on ABC/ESPN. Nebraska isn't very good, but they still have a huge following and that game will be nationally televised because of it.
Illinois will be Big Noon Kickoff. That will likely be a top-10 matchup or close to it, and even though its "just Illinois," Fox will want to get its hands on that matchup. Outside of OSU/Maryland, I don't think there's any other matchup that weekend that Fox would want to claim. Maybe TCU-Baylor, but again, why would Fox pass on a top-10 matchup?
I highly doubt either matchup is at night. Michigan had two night games at home this year already. I doubt they take a third. Especially that deep into November.
November 1st, 2022 at 12:08 PM ^
Nebraska at 3:30 pm, with Illinois at noon - would be a great combination.