Looking at the (Not So) Near Future - Out of Conference Futures

Submitted by Harbaugh's Lef… on

After 2017, we only have one season where our schedule is full, 2020 (@Washington, Ball State?, Virgina Tech).

 

According to fbschdules, we have:

2018: @Notre Dame, SMU

2019: Army, Notre Dame

2021: @Virgina Tech, Washington

 

I won't go much further than that when we start series with UCLA, Texas and Oklahoma.

Where do you think Warde Manuel and Jim Harbaugh turn to to fill out the schedule? Who do you guys want to see us play?

 

 

EDIT:

Typo! The Washington game in 2021 is a Home game!

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mGrowOld

January 4th, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^

Absolutely no reason to play a tough OOC schedule - none.  The bowl committee this year sent a pretty clear message that they focus on wins first, schedule someplace down the line.  Look at the OOC schedule for the final four:

Alabama: USC (tough), Western Kenucky, Kent State, Chatanooga

Clemson: Auburn (tough), Troy, S. Carolina State, 

Ohio State: Bowling Green, Tulsa, Oklahoma (tough)

Washington: Rutgers, Idaho, Portland State

One tough game for three - zero for Washington. Maybe schedule one tough game....maybe.

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crg

January 4th, 2017 at 2:06 PM ^

There are as many justifications for strong OOC as weak, for CFP considerations and otherwise. For CFP, recall what the committee did to Baylor and TCU with their largest complaint being the weak OOC (not lack of championship game). The OOC is a double edged sword for CFP considerations. Aside from CFP, you do not need to pay the opponent since there is likely home/home. The fans get a better game to watch and the teams get to develop against a better opponent (steel sharpens steel).

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stephenrjking

January 4th, 2017 at 2:37 PM ^

Depends on how you define a "tough" schedule. I think Bama, Clemson, and OSU all had quality OOC schedules despite only having one tough game on there. That, I think, is a good balance. Washington had a hard time staying above teams with two losses because their OOC schedule was pitiful.

I think a murderer's row is not desirable or helpful. College football teams vary in performance from week to week, and if you have three brutal OOC games on the schedule the chance that you lose one of them increases substantially. 

Michigan has several years where there may be two quality games. I think it would be wise to make the third OOC game a body bag game against a MAC team or something to give the team a chance to rebound and iron out any issues that arise.

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Michigan4Life

January 4th, 2017 at 3:14 PM ^

had two tough games in Tulsa and Oklahoma. Tulsa won 10 games and blew out CMU, a team who beat Oklahoma State at Oklahoma State.

Also, Bama had two tough games in USC and WKU. WKU also won 10 games and beat Memphis handily.

Bama's blowing out USC and OSU blowing out Oklahoma are two big reason why they were going to be in the playoff. It is true for OSU because a strength of Oklahoma win got them into the playoff.

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jimmyshi03

January 4th, 2017 at 1:10 PM ^

2020 and 2021, in particular, are going to be a load to bear, assuming both schools still have their current staffs in place. To ask that much of a team before the conference, at least to me, seems to be self-defeating. It's one thing if you have a schedule like 2015's, where you had three mid to low P5 types (I'm counting BYU in that number) and a G5, but to go with three Top 25 type teams before the conference season seems like too much of a good thing. At some point it goes full Izzo. 

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crg

January 4th, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^

This is a great suggestion - trophy game every year and guarantees a power opponent (would it count as a conference win if scheduled as OOC? Probably not unless the others did something similar).

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Mr. Yost

January 4th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^

2018: I'd like to see us Georgia or UCLA at home...in 2019 we can go to their place.

2021? I'm thinking Pioneer HS... In all seriousness, give that money to EMU and let them come get wacked. Plus it saves on travel so it shouldn't cost us as much.

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Mitch Cumstein

January 4th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^

Seems like a good year to add a weaker P5 that doesn't require a return trip. Kind of like Colorado this year. Another option, that I'm not a huge fan of, is a neutral site game.

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LSAClassOf2000

January 4th, 2017 at 2:13 PM ^

I honestly can take or leave the ND series - it's nice for the tradition of playing them but I wasn't necessarily all that keen to resurrect this one, at least not as quickly. What kind of gets me, and to the point of some here, is that we rushed into this and, as a result, became subserviant to THEIR scheduling, hence the one October game, which is going to feel rather awkward in the midst of the conference slate.

Joined: 01/07/2011

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ChiCityWolverine

January 4th, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^

I agree, we should do what we can to play the SEC. But Arkansas isn't even in the top half of teams from that conference I would like to play home-and-home. My tiered list:

YES PLEASE
LSU - Death Valley, that is all
Florida - biased due to friends who are alums, but would be great matchups in historic venues
Georgia - have heard great things about Athens, recent 'crootin battles have added juice
Tennessee - similarly large stadium, famous fight song

Fun/Interesting
Texas A&M - big stadium, generally solid teams
Ole Miss - can't stand the Rebels, but The Grove is legendary and sounds worth a trip
Auburn - the War Eagle tradition is interesting, one of the better programs

Whatever
Arkansas - strong fanbase, but nothing too notable about the program
Missouri - battle of block Ms and a little more geographic rivalry makes this ok
South Carolina - outside of the peak Spurrier stretch an also-ran without much of interest
Vandy - beats the bottom crop because Nashville, otherwise who cares

NAH
Kentucky - basketball school
Mississippi State - BLAH, have heard Starkville isn't that much fun
Alabama - will move up to the top group when Saban is gone, but no thanks for now

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Evil Empire

January 4th, 2017 at 12:36 PM ^

I looked at it a while back and couldn't figure out a mutually agreeable arrangement.  They have the Penn State series and it doesn't mesh with our ND series.  That would be a great road trip.

Since the SEC teams (except for the one we scheduled and then dumped, ha ha pig boy) are too wimpy to come north, home-and-homes with ACC teams will have to do.  Va Tech is a good one.  What about Miami or North Carolina?

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