Look ahead at our 2024 Football Schedule
Aug. 31 vs. Fresno State
Sept. 7 vs. Texas
Sept. 14 vs. Ark. State
Sept. 21 vs. USC
Sept. 28 vs. Minnesota
Oct. 5 at Washington
Oct. 12 Idle
Oct. 19 at Illinois
Oct. 26 vs. Michigan State
Nov. 2 vs. Oregon
Nov. 9 at Indiana
Nov. 16 Idle
Nov. 23 vs. Northwestern
Nov. 30 at Ohio State
Dec. 7 Big Ten Championship
Oh man some juicy games there!!!!
GO BLUE
January 10th, 2024 at 1:40 AM ^
I was thinking about next season as soon as Will Johnson had that (overturned) targeting call late in the game. Would he have missed the first half against Fresno State next year? Does it carry over?
January 10th, 2024 at 1:41 AM ^
Yes, it does. Worst rule in sports
January 10th, 2024 at 1:54 AM ^
These are some pretty decent big name teams coming to Ann Arbor in 2024. Of course, Ohio State is in the toilet bowl, but other than that, Texas, USC and Oregon will be some fun new faces.
January 10th, 2024 at 1:59 AM ^
Even if we go 9-3, we can probably still make the playoff with that schedule.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:02 AM ^
Agreed.
In the final CFP poll, the top 3 loss team was LSU at #13. (You need to make the top 11 since a G5 team gets a spot.) But with that monster schedule, I gotta believe a 9-3 Michigan would be in.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/rankings/_/week/15/year/2023/seasontype/2January 10th, 2024 at 8:30 AM ^
Disagreed.
There are 6 protected bids and 6 at large bids next season, unless things get renegotiated with the Pac12 dissolved. 3 losses, one of which is likely the B1G autobid and the two others would likely lock down at large bids over Michigan due to head-2-head matchup results. Don't underestimate the SEC throwing the conference title game to secure a 4th team or something like that. And I don't expect the first year of the format to overlook 2-loss teams for 3-loss teams, even if the 3-loss team played a schedule way harder than the 2-loss team.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:35 AM ^
Yep, they made the change a few days ago. 5 conference champs + 7 at-large.
https://apnews.com/article/cfp-expansion-b13376a4452edca04bf6c7693ba5b035
edit: It looks like the change was in place, but the recent news was the Pac2 requesting a delay in the change. It is still expected to be 5+7 for next season.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:54 AM ^
The defending national champion historically gets the benefit of the doubt in those situations. That’s us. That’s us!!!
January 10th, 2024 at 9:47 AM ^
And also the whole landscape will be different next year. It will be very difficult for a Big 10 or SEC team to get through the season undefeated, or even with one loss. So there will be a lot of 1 and two loss teams at the top of these leagues.
Hell, if that 9-3 includes a loss to Texas, and we go 6-2 in the Big 10, we may be playing in the Big 10 Championship game.
We are about to see some crazy tie-breaker scenarios in the B1G/SEC in the coming years I think.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:41 AM ^
The way these conferences are set up, there needs to be radical changes if you are guaranteeing spots.
#1. B1G vs. SEC should only meet in the National Championship and the winning conference gets the #1 seed treatment in the following playoff.
#2. B1G and SEC both get 4 spots (8 total)
#3. ACC and Big 12 both get 1.5 spots (3 total). Top team from each conference and the highest remaining team from the two combined conferences according to the CoFoPoff Rankings.
#4. The 12th slot goes to a deserving G5 team (top ranked 1-loss conference champ or better) or an extra bid to the reigning championship conference. This team is always slotted on the reigning champions conference bracket. ACC/Big 12 is eligible for the additional bid if they win the prior year's championship.
#5. Top 2 seeds from each of the B1G & the SEC conferences get byes.
#6. B1G/ACC on one half of the bracket. SEC/Big 12 on the other.
#7. The third highest rated team out of the ACC/Big 12 always plays on the opposite side of the reigning champions conference bracket - which shall override rule #6.
#8. Reseed after round 1 based on final CoFoPoff Rankings (pre-playoff rankings), guaranteeing the #1 seed from the SEC and the B1G respectfully keep the easiest path.
#9. Review every 5 years for conference re-balancing as necessary.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:53 AM ^
The B1G and SEC are obviously the toughest conferences. But in any given year, the 4th best team in the B12+ACC could certainly be better than the 4th best in either the B1G or SEC.
January 10th, 2024 at 5:07 PM ^
That doesn't matter though. The B1G and the SEC have the money, brands, and power. If they don't demand preferential treatment, they'll only end up hurting their brands that keep money in their pockets.
Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Penn St, USC are all in the B1G next season. Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, heck MSU will be nipping at those heels to get even into the top 6 conversation of the conference.
Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma are all in the SEC. Florida, Texas A&M, Auburn will try and crash that party.
Ohio State - we've all made fun of getting a soft new B1G schedule still has Oregon, Penn St. and Michigan on the schedule. They could lose all three of those games, end up 5th in the B1G because of a tie breaker and I can guarantee they are better than Louisville or whatever lucky ACC has only 2 scheduled losses on their 2024 schedule next year.
Florida State's 2nd hardest game next season is likely against a Florida team who went 5-7 this year. The best team on Oklahoma State's schedule in 2024 had a minimum of 4 losses in 2023.
The gulf between these conferences being way understated.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:26 AM ^
Michigan will be the toast of college football next year depending on what happens this offseason to its roster and coach. Our first road game is a clash of Monday's national championship matchup and that is preceded by two monster eyeball contests with Texas and USC, both at home, before another regular season-ending showdown in Columbus.
Most of the matchups will feature Michigan as the defending champion in the favorite role. Texas will be the No. 1 team going into the season. So, that game will be the preeminent game of the year depending on the rankings.
Ohio State's roster additions in recent days may put the Buckeyes at an early No. 2 but facing the pressure of beating Michigan or else to ensure Ryan Day's future whose team only has to play one of the new Pac 12 entries but must go to Penn State for a whiteout meeting.
All of this is window dressing for a team that changed the complexion of college football and put it on an even larger stage as the most-watched team in the game. Talk about Mr. Brightside while having run down a national championship dream. The encore is going to be a doozy of a year.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^
Georgia will be #1 going into the season not Texas.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:46 AM ^
If the BigTen coaches are any deciding factor then we won't be in with a 9-3 record
/s
January 10th, 2024 at 10:39 AM ^
Do the playoffs take 3 or even 4 B1G teams. If you assume 4 B1G + 4 SEC + 4 (ACC/ B12/ ND), so maybe?
January 10th, 2024 at 9:18 AM ^
2024's home schedule is as good as 2023's was bad. Impressive!
January 10th, 2024 at 2:23 AM ^
I will be going to the @Washington game coz they gonna be salty.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:08 AM ^
As I mentioned to a few people, it is rather interesting that the national champion and the runner-up are now, basically as of yesterday (as that was the last game Washington played as a member of the Pac-12), in the same conference.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:13 AM ^
Indeed it is! But… SEC!!!
January 10th, 2024 at 8:50 AM ^
And in the 2024 calendar year we’ll be playing (or have played) each playoff team from 2023
January 10th, 2024 at 9:24 AM ^
I guess we go 4-for-4, if you count the Spring Game!
January 10th, 2024 at 11:05 AM ^
5-for-4 (Washington 2x).
January 10th, 2024 at 9:53 AM ^
Yes, as far as I'm concerned, the playoff was SEC vs B1G the whole way through.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:54 AM ^
this playoff was basically the B1G vs. the SEC, and the B1G won both games.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:56 AM ^
Don't forget - it just means more - which makes the results of the CFP this season - well, just that much sweeter.
Go Blue!
January 10th, 2024 at 2:40 AM ^
That Arkansas State game is going to be brutal.
January 10th, 2024 at 4:01 AM ^
I got 16-0.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:34 AM ^
No way an undefeated Michigan, especially with that schedule, doesn't draw a first round bye.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:27 AM ^
It's 4 games without a bye, or 3 with one, and we still have the conference championship. So you have to play 16 or 17 games to win it all now.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:35 AM ^
You're right.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:05 AM ^
Seems like a good reason (among others) to drop the conference championship game.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:15 AM ^
I would love for those overly corporate feeling "events" to just die a quick death.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:40 AM ^
Seriously. How does a conference championship do anything other than hurt the B1G's chances of getting another team in? The underdog in that game is likely in, but will they be with another loss?
January 10th, 2024 at 9:58 AM ^
I would not be surprised to see the losers of the P4 CCGs to be seeded in the "5 through 12" range.
I felt the CFP should have been 8 teams. There's going to be three or four weeks of the 12 team CFP where many of the same teams play every week until the semifinals.
January 10th, 2024 at 4:47 AM ^
Toughest schedule I can remember, good thing we’ve got the baby seal in between Illinois and Oregon 😂
January 10th, 2024 at 8:09 AM ^
1988
@Notre Dame (#1 NC), missed game-winning/ending ~48 yd FG by a foot
Home vs #2 Miami (Miami had to recover an onsides kick to win their come back)
1994
Home win vs Top 25 Boston College
Walk-off FG win @ Top 10 Notre Dame
Crushing Hail Mary home loss to Top 5 Colorado
January 10th, 2024 at 8:56 AM ^
Those two teams finished 1 and 2 in 1988.
Notable that we also played what should have been eventual co-champion PSU in 1994.
The Colorado loss that year was as bad as an ending can get, but winning it all in 1997 took a lot of the sting out of it. Seems relevant to me this week for some reason.
January 10th, 2024 at 6:28 AM ^
easy 16-0
January 10th, 2024 at 6:31 AM ^
2 bye weeks? When’s the last time that happened? Given the schedule it probably won’t hurt but seems like it’s been a while since we’ve had 2 idle weeks in a season.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:13 AM ^
Thank goodness for playing in week zero!
January 10th, 2024 at 8:01 AM ^
Looks like 2013 was the last time. When Labor Day falls on September 2 and Thanksgiving on November 28, the latest it can be, there is an extra week in football season.
January 10th, 2024 at 6:59 AM ^
kinda not ready to think about it yet.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:03 AM ^
That Texas game is going to be tough second game of the season, especially if we are breaking in a new QB.
I do wonder how good Washington and USC will be next year but Washington will definitely be a tough environment to play at.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:29 AM ^
The new OL will be the greater issue/concern. I will not be surprised if they end up being as good or better than this year's OL but it will likely take them at least half a season to get there.
Then there are the coaching questions. IMO, either Jim is back or the transition has already begun. Either way, if the assistants that are currently there remain on staff this team has a chance to repeat.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:57 AM ^
Big if.
Mike Macdonald has the NFL’s best defense and Minter has the best defense in college running a college version of that scheme. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were in high demand at all; that’s the kind of synergy that ramps up NFL dollars.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:04 AM ^
IF Jim goes, give Sherrone the HC job and take the difference between Jim's salary and Sherrone's to give the rest of the staff big pay bumps to stay.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:24 AM ^
Carr always seem to lose to WA on the road in the regular season.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:04 AM ^
I just noticed (I must have missed some discussion on this) that MSU and OSU are no longer both home or both away. That was a stupid Brandon error that took forever to undo.
January 10th, 2024 at 7:45 AM ^
That was fixed a few years ago.