Does Michigan Receive Any Advantage Being #2 vs. Being #3?
I'm trying to figure out what, if any, advantage Michigan receives for being seeded #2 vs. #3. Yes, M is deemed the Home team, but the game is played (1) on a grass field [like Georgia's Sanford Stadium] and not on synthetic turf [like Michigan Stadium]; and (2) in a warm venue closer in distance and climate to #3 Georgia. Are there any perks awarded the Home team over the Visiting team?
December 26th, 2021 at 1:41 PM ^
I think we get first choice of sideline and uniform.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:40 PM ^
So to answer the question: no
December 26th, 2021 at 3:03 PM ^
The answer is yes! Georgia will be 'blue pantsed' just like the Columbus School for Football Playing and Iowa were.
December 26th, 2021 at 4:45 PM ^
Only team that has true advantage is Bama. Saban already knows how to beat Georgia and only has to plan for Cincy and us.
December 26th, 2021 at 5:36 PM ^
Bama got to choose which venue they would play in.
December 26th, 2021 at 7:19 PM ^
Underated comment--just ask Ryan Day.
December 26th, 2021 at 4:46 PM ^
Only team that has true advantage is Bama. Saban already knows how to beat Georgia and only has to plan for Cincy and us.
December 27th, 2021 at 12:08 AM ^
Sideline, no. Uniform, yes.
We don't pick our sideline because we're the home, we use the home locker room, and home side of the field. Likely due to the adjacency to the locker room.
December 26th, 2021 at 1:43 PM ^
We can use home jerseys which I think is a big deal
December 26th, 2021 at 1:56 PM ^
Does the home team get to call the coin flip? Other than the two point above, I can’t think of any other “advantage”.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:35 PM ^
Generally the visiting team calls the flip. Which is completely 50/50 random anyway so getting to choose is meaningless.
December 26th, 2021 at 3:34 PM ^
I think for neutral site games the coin is a ceremonial one with each teams logo on one side
December 26th, 2021 at 3:42 PM ^
I think that's right. Fun fact someone once told me that a traditional quarter does not weigh the same on each side and it will in fact be like 50.1/49.9 rather than 50/50 over a sufficient number of trials. I don't remember which one.
December 26th, 2021 at 4:07 PM ^
Had a coach who was convinced of this, so as a captain, I had to call tails every time. The myth is that the head side of a quarter has more metal due to the design, and because of this, that side of the coin weighs more. The myth states the heavier side will land down more often, meaning that tails SHOULD come up more often. Without spending too much time, I didn't find any reliable study on this, so I will continue calling it a myth.
December 26th, 2021 at 7:29 PM ^
In high school, my buddy and I called every toss tails with the flawless logic that we liked women's asses. We never lost. (n or 4 or 5 because I can't remember if we had 4 or 5 home games)
December 26th, 2021 at 8:16 PM ^
By that same logic, some would only call Heads.
December 26th, 2021 at 4:48 PM ^
(I am having trouble believing both that it happened way back in 1998 and that it actually benefited the Lions. The only notable thing about that season was that it was Barry Sanders' last year.)
December 26th, 2021 at 5:55 PM ^
Tails never fails, JamieH!
December 26th, 2021 at 11:59 PM ^
Negatory. Standard coin: always call heads.
ceremonial coin, may the odds be ever in your favor.
December 27th, 2021 at 6:24 AM ^
+1 for the use of Negatory. Reminds me of one my old teachers from many many years ago.
December 26th, 2021 at 8:28 PM ^
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I don't believe that there should be a coin flip unless it's a true neutral site game, like the Super Bowl, non-CFP bowl games, college conference championship games or high school playoff games.
The captains should come out to midfield, and the home team should decide whether to kick, recieve, or pick a side of the field (eliminate deferring as well). For CFP games, the higher seeded team (in this case Michigan) should get to decide whether they want to kick or receive (or pick a side of the field).
December 26th, 2021 at 9:22 PM ^
The home team already has the advantage of playing at home. Why give them the right to choose, too? If you're going to give it to a team, logically it should be the visitor.
December 26th, 2021 at 9:26 PM ^
Home advantage is enough. But for neutral site games I like the idea. Why not adda little extra juice and make the rankings mean something?
December 26th, 2021 at 1:54 PM ^
Warm climate? Isn't the predicted temperature for kickoff 74 degrees? Probably pretty similar to us practicing in doors this time of year.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:04 PM ^
I love that it's a night game. (Thank you Saban). Calls for a cooler temperature and negates a Southern advantage.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:58 PM ^
yeah, 74 is a real bear. the OP is trying way too hard to play the victim card on this one.
December 26th, 2021 at 3:20 PM ^
... but, but ... the humidity.
December 26th, 2021 at 11:51 PM ^
No kidding, if players have trouble with 74F and near zero solar radiation then I would seriously question their conditioning program. Come on, it's basically room temperature.
December 26th, 2021 at 1:54 PM ^
Besides home jerseys, what else would you recommend, letting Michigan have 5 downs instead of 4? Were they supposed to move the game to a colder climate with synthetic turf because Michigan is seeded #2?
Not sure the point of your post.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:02 PM ^
How about a 60-40 tickets to home team? That would be cool.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:10 PM ^
now THAT would be a nice benefit. still like my 5 downs idea more though.
December 26th, 2021 at 6:28 PM ^
Spot us 3 points for home field advantage?
;)
December 26th, 2021 at 1:56 PM ^
Yes, we beat Ohio State.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
Pains me to say, but I think had OSU played UGA (based on what I saw Young do), OSU would have beaten UGA by a few scores.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:51 PM ^
That’s probably why they’re so pissed off.
December 26th, 2021 at 3:01 PM ^
I don’t know if this is true, but frankly I rather enjoy the fact that we beat a championship-caliber OSU team and kept them out of a playoff they had a chance to win.
Don’t be fooled if they choke in the Rose Bowl: that was a good team Michigan beat and it wasn’t a fluke. Pessimists like me weren’t wrong to be concerned about OSU’s talent; we were wrong about what Michigan was capable of doing to that talent.
December 26th, 2021 at 5:51 PM ^
I also won’t be surprised if Utah just beats OSU, choke or not. Utah is no joke and twice beat the team that beat OSU. Don’t sleep on the Utes, bro
December 26th, 2021 at 8:17 PM ^
Both of those games were blowouts too. One of them in Utah and the other at a neutral site. Should be an interesting game.
December 26th, 2021 at 8:25 PM ^
If you are a betting man, put the money on the Over in the Ohio state v Utah game.
Should be a shootout
December 26th, 2021 at 10:44 PM ^
Utah has a similar style to Michigan. They're not as good but Ohio has shown that is not a good match-up for them.
December 26th, 2021 at 7:28 PM ^
You're just slightly revising your previous arguments there. Just a little, teeny bit.
Some keep a clearer memory than you presume.
December 26th, 2021 at 8:49 PM ^
Both of you can grow up and stop it with these petty little comments at each other. There is nothing more pathetic than taking passive-aggressive shots at someone on the internet. Especially for something as small and unimportant as difference of opinion regarding a head football coach.
December 27th, 2021 at 4:59 PM ^
Really? Nothing more pathetic? I can think of a lot of things more pathetic.
Like unsolicited dick pics. Way more pathetic than passive aggressive pot shots.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
Maybe we get choice of locker rooms? Visiting team chooses the coin toss.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:11 PM ^
You don’t get much advantage over but #3, but you get a whole lot of advantage over #5 (OSU) and #6 (ND). I can live with that.
December 26th, 2021 at 2:17 PM ^
We get the better hotel, training facility and locker room in FL - all nominal however.
The only real advantage in the CFP (besides the matchup) is the 1 seed gets to pick their location between the two bowls.
December 26th, 2021 at 5:36 PM ^
I never knew that .
December 26th, 2021 at 6:04 PM ^
Knowledge is Power.