FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman ranks Top 10 Power 5 toughest 2015 non-con schedules; Michigan included

Submitted by MaizeJacket on

If it wasn't for UNLV, and instead of UNLV Michigan had, say, a UCF type team (which is coming in 2016, look out), M's schedule might be the toughest this season, but UNLV should provide a major breather.

Utah and BYU are physical, tough tests and Michigan will have to score to beat Oregon State (which hopefully won't be like scaling a mountain given Oregon State's defense).

It's July filler but what else are we going to do right now you guys

http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/texas-stanford-michigan…

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1464

July 27th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^

Here's the thing..  Our OOC schedule is decent, but this speaks way more to the lack of marquee OOC matchups than it does our schedule.  No way should ND, Rice, Cal be the third hardest schedule.  That's just stupid.  Nortwestern, UCF, ND at number 1??? Jesus, can we get some ballsy AD's to start filling out the lineup cards?

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I Like Burgers

July 27th, 2015 at 5:51 PM ^

There is pretty much zero benefit to having a hard OOC schedule.  There's even pretty much zero benefit to having a moderately challenging OOC schedule.  The goal should be to land somewhere in between Baylor's Charmin soft OOC schedule and something that's going to provide a winnable challenge or two heading into conference play.

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mastodon

July 27th, 2015 at 9:16 PM ^

Zero benefit?  What if you're vying for the 4th playoff spot with another one-loss team(s), and the committee's comparing strength of schedule... 

Also, not having to sit through a cupcake games.  They suck for fans.

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I Like Burgers

July 27th, 2015 at 9:43 PM ^

That's why I said you need to have something better than Baylor. But there's a point of diminishing returns on scheduling tough teams. All you need is like one OOC game against another power five team and the rest can be non FCS cupcakes and you're good. Anything beyond that and you risk adding unnecessary losses which kills your shot at the CFP

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I Like Burgers

July 27th, 2015 at 5:54 PM ^

Given Michigan's long-standing issues defending good running QBs, Taysom Hill should scare the shit out of every Michigan fan.

Yeah, he's had injury issues and is on his 9th year of eligibility, but he pretty much single-handedly shot down Manny Diaz's rising star and killed Mack Brown's tenure at Texas.

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bklein09

July 27th, 2015 at 8:07 PM ^

They don't run Air Force's option. More of a spread, shotgun, power QB zone read option offense if I believe. So yes I am terrified of that game. I think the offense will be slow to come along. So it will be up to the defense to keep teams in the low 20s early in the season. That's why playing these west coast teams is scary. Almost all of them have the ability to go off for 40+ on a good day, and I don't think we can keep pace.



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1464

July 27th, 2015 at 4:40 PM ^

Other than "Recent Events in Michigan Football History?"

Michigan has not been good, and they've been that way for a long time.  I think BYU will be tough too, but hopefully UNLV and OSU will be cupcakes.  If I had to place odds -

4-0 - 10%

3-1 - 30%

2-2 - 55%

1-3 - 5%

0-4 - 0%

 

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sdogg1m

July 27th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^

While playing close in almost every game but losing in mind numbing fashion. Everyone on the planet attributed the poor play to coaching. The solution was supposed to have been found in Jim Harbaugh.

BYU lost to Utah State, UCF, Boise State, Nevada, and Memphis in 2014. None of those teams beat the 2014 Michigan team. I'll grant the Texas win but Texas did get blown out in several contests.

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Blueblood2991

July 27th, 2015 at 5:02 PM ^

I have to disagree with you about "playing close".  Rutgers was the only game we lost close  Yeah, some of our losses we hung in there for 3 quarters and then self distructed.

Notre Dame- lost by 31, Utah-lost by 16 ,Minn-lost by 16, Rutgers-lost by 2, MSU-lost by 24, MD- lost by 7, OSU-lost by 14

We were also one bad play away from losing to Penn State and Nortwestern leaving us at 3-9.

However, I full agree that Harbaugh will have the team playing full 60 minute games now.  No more moral victories about "hanging with OSU for most of the game".

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Bodogblog

July 27th, 2015 at 5:14 PM ^

Rutgers and Maryland would have been wins with anything other than total incompetence and lack of confidence by the team. OSU was a 7 pt game in the 4th quarter with 5 minutes to go, a 4th and 1 on Michigan's 40 yard line. Ryan almost makes the tackle. Instead it's a TD and another clown show turnover leads to another TD. No Michigan didn't deserve to win and shouldn't have won, but that was the toughest game the Buckeyes played out of their last 4. It WAS a fairly close game.

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alum96

July 27th, 2015 at 5:16 PM ^

BYU's star QB was hurt in game 5.  They went on to lose the game he got hurt in and the next 3.  A few weeks earlier they put up 40+ on Charlie Strong's defense at Texas full of 4/5 stars...and ranking 20ish FEI/S&P+ (or about 20 spots better than UM's defense).  Both Texas and UM had garbage offenses. 

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alum96

July 27th, 2015 at 6:58 PM ^

Boise State was 12-2 last year - you realize that right? Boise would have beat UM by 20+ last year as well.  They beat Arizona in their bowl 38-30 and last year's Arizona beat Oregon.

I said BYU had a crap pass defense - something Boise happens to do very well (throw the ball).  I expect a high scoring game as both offenses exploit the other. 

BYU is not a BCS team but its not a pushover which was the point of the original comment ie. "I see the 3 non Utah games as easy wins."   I am calling for them to go into Neb and pull off the upset in game 1 this year.  And give UM everything it can handle on defense.

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wahooverine

July 27th, 2015 at 5:22 PM ^

Don't forget that UVA - who also went 5-7 - almost beat BYU on the road last year.  In fact they should have won, but blew it in the 4th quarter with terrible offensive playcalling and couldnt close it out. UVA thoroughly outplayed and outgained them. They're a tough team, but if you keep Taysom Hill under wraps and control the ball on offense Michigan should have the edge at home.

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alum96

July 27th, 2015 at 7:07 PM ^

"....if you keep Taysom Hill under wraps and control the ball on offense "

Agreed but easier said and done.  Top end players tend to lift their team.   You basically gave the exact same game plan for 2012 for every team that played UM.  "...if you keep Denard robinson under wraps and control the ball on theoffense"

Or you could have said that about Syracuse about 25 years ago "...if you keep Donovan McNabb under wraps..."

Michigan needs to show it can control the ball on offense - BYU has a top 20 rush defense in the nation. So that is also easier said then done.  You can exploit BYU almost at will through the air.  Thankfully we have a QB who can actually do that now.  If rudock was not here this would have major upset potential and even with him here he has to have a big game.

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AlwaysBlue

July 27th, 2015 at 5:34 PM ^

one can judge last season without mentioning the abysmal QB play or struggling OL. It wasn't all bad coaching, inexperience and a new offensive coordinator played a role. Combine a more seasoned QB, an OL that was improving and Harbaugh and 2015 will be MUCH better.

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alum96

July 27th, 2015 at 7:02 PM ^

So 12-2 Boise State run by one of the best coaches in the country would not beat 2014 Michigan?  But beat Zona?  Sure.

UCF gave Penn State all they could handle.  Michigan and PSU were very similar last year.

Memphis was 10-3 and lost to UCLA 42-35 in Los Angeles. 

You are going off names of teams rather than product on the field.

All those opponents would have given 2014 Michigan all it could handle.

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Perkis-Size Me

July 27th, 2015 at 4:44 PM ^

Apparently BYU's got a really good, dangerous QB. I've heard he's very mobile, and as we all know, Michigan has never fared well against mobile QBs.

Put it this way: they went into Austin last year, against a good coach in Charlie Strong, and beat the ever loving shit out of the Longhorns. I don't know what exactly is coming back from that team from last year, but they will be dangerous for sure.



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alum96

July 27th, 2015 at 5:21 PM ^

Unless you've missed the past 25 years of mobile QBs facing Michigan defenses and giving them nightmares you would be wrong to assume BYU is an easy win.

http://mgoblog.com/diaries/2015-byu-football-preview

BYU's pass defense is garbage so I expect a very high scoring game but this is what awaits UM's defense.  He basically turned from Denard Robinson in 2013 to Denard Robinson who completed passes at a 65% clip in 2014 before he got hurt.

 

Oregon State on the other hand is probably one of the best P5 matchups UM could find and probably the least scary team in the P12 this year.  The other "garbage teams" in that conf at least have prolific offenses that can be an issue for UM this year if the offense is not ready to be "functional" in September.

http://mgoblog.com/diaries/2015-osu-ntosu-football-preview

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